Positioning independent community media: Findings from a case study of six small South African newspapers

Abstract

This article brings defining aspects of ‘community media’ – as proposed by a group of media stakeholders – into dialogue with research findings from a study on small ‘independent media’. One significant difference between the two media sectors is that the former is usually understood as being driven by commune-style ownership and community control, and the latter by private ownership and profit-driven control. We argue that perceptions constructed by this difference potentially marginalise small independent media organisations. It may compromise their access to funding as well as obscure how, and how much, they contribute to their communities. We find that the six South African small independent newspapers in this research meet defining criteria for ‘community media’. Research findings on issues such as social responsibility, participatory democracy, media diversity and the generation of skills and wealth demonstrate how the principles and practices of the two media sectors overlap. So we propose ‘independent community media’ as a more inclusive and appropriate concept and term for small community-oriented publications, irrespective of their ownership profiles or relationship to profit. Independence is also examined – particularly how the newspapers balance editorial independence with outside control: this reveals inequitable practices currently threatening some newspapers’ survival and success.     

Beyond access: Youth and digital skills

Abstract

There is an increasing growth in access to the Internet among youth, gained largely through cell phones, computer laboratories on campuses, home connections, and connections on personal computers. Also, the availability of social software tools for webpage creation, blogging, and creating and sharing multimedia content has made content creation relatively accessible. But are the youth using these tools effectively? What are the levels of digital skills among this population? This study investigates digital skills among South African university students. Through a survey conducted at ten universities, and two skill experiments conducted at two universities, this study explores the pattern of perceived skills and actual skills, to examine current trends of digital skills among the students. The findings reveal that forms of Internet access, the cost of access, social stratification, and inequalities have implications for the patterns of digital skills, with content creation being a challenge for many youth.     

Scientia potentia est: Making threats of copyright infringement

There has been much debate in the UK as to whether copyright law should have an unjustified threats provision similar to that found in UK patent, trade mark, and registered design law. Unjustified threats provisions for copyright law exist in other commonwealth jurisdictions, such as Australia and India. We argue that all of the existing unjustified threats provisions in the UK are too narrow in their scope. Threats more generally have played a significant role in the development of copyright law, and a provision aimed at ‘unjustified’ threats may paradoxically restrict discourse about the scope of copyrights. We therefore suggest that the best way to proceed is not just to introduce an unjustified threats provision but instead to make clearer what is, and is not, protected by copyright.     

An examination of gender and age in print media accounts of child abductions

Previous research has suggested that the print media over-report on certain demographics of abducted children. Specifically, cases where the abduction victim is younger or the abduction victim is female are most often covered. The purpose of the current study was to systematically examine, through the research technique of content analysis, whether a lack of congruency exists between newspaper articles detailing child abduction victims and empirical data of the same. Newspaper articles were collected from LexisNexis Academic, and empirical data were drawn from the Second National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children. The results revealed that gender and age play only a minor role in deciding which abduction incidents are covered by newspapers, as well as the extent to which they are reported on. Specifically, newspapers dedicated more words to female victims than male victims and reported more on younger children (aged 11 and under) than older children (aged 12 and over) when they were the victim of a nonfamily abduction. It appears, however, that in all other types of abduction cases, newspapers are reporting a rather factual depiction of the demographics of victims. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

Screens in the sky: SAGE,surveillance, and the automation of perceptual,mnemonic, and epistemological labor

This essay investigates the centrality of the U.S. Military in the process of automating the labor of surveillance. The creation of Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE), an anti-nuclear defense system developed in the 1950s, marked the computerization of the perceptual, mnemonic, and epistemological labor that is necessary for surveillance and is emblematic of screening technologies. The essay situates SAGE in a long history of military surveillance that depended upon media technologies. Building upon the work of Michel Foucault and Freidrich Kittler, it is argued that media are essential for understanding how surveillance is problematized for security.     

数字化笔录系统的功能分析与设计

针对大连市公安机关电子笔录应用的现状,设计符合大连市公安机关实际业务需求的数字化笔录系统。利用相关软件开发技术设计出功能强大的数字化笔录系统,通过完善的功能设计,重点保障公安机关办案的安全性及数据保密性,保障笔录文档的存储安全,保证授权人员的合法访问。避免现有电子笔录系统存在的制作规范不统一、软件安全性能低等问题。本系统具有很好的适用性和推广前景。     

虚拟解剖技术在法医学中的应用

虚拟解剖是一种非侵入性的新型“解剖”技术,它利用影像学技术构建人体器官组织的三维立体图像,为判断死亡原因和死亡方式提供线索。由于这一技术具有无侵入性、客观、准确的特点,目前已成为发达国家法医病理学的研究热点。本文对虚拟解剖技术的原理、优缺点、研究进展及在我国开展研究应用的可行性进行综述。     

数字时代版权保护理念的重构——从以复制权为中心到以传播权为中心

"复制"在数字时代遭遇了法律尴尬。临时复制、私人复制、搜索性数字图书馆复制等三类复制行为对版权法提出了挑战。通过一些特定条款的修改无法从根本上解决将来可能出现的新的复制问题。传统的理论多是从合理使用的角度试图为这些复制行为进行辩解,以寻求正当性。本文却换一个视角,直接从根本上讨论版权保护基本理念的改革,认为在信息网络时代版权保护的中心应该从复制权转变为传播权,从而构建以传播权为中心的版权保护制度。     

数字网络环境中著作权实现的困境与出路——基于P2P技术背景下美国音乐产业的实证分析

数字网络技术给著作权的保护带来了巨大的挑战。技术保护措施、侵权诉讼以及逐级响应机制等既有网络著作权保护方式已陷入困境。网络著作权与传统财产权、著作权的差异、新技术发展的不可预测性以及来自盗版的竞争,要求网络环境下必须采取以授权为中心的整体性著作权实现机制。随着云技术、大数据以及3D打印技术等新兴技术的发展,整体性著作权实现机制在网络环境中将发挥越来越重要的作用。     

数字移动设备取证方法研究

数字移动设备已经成为一种新型犯罪工具,它在操作系统、数据存储等方面与传统的计算机不同,其证据获取和分析需要使用特殊的工具和技术。