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Whenever a major tragic event takes place editors and reporters assigned to it clock into high-gear. Even for veterans, this is never routine. The basics - who, where, what, when and why - must be answered. While TV channels race for dramatic pictures, the personal will always be prominent.
The crash of Ethiopian Airlines ET302 last Sunday was a tragedy. For family members and colleagues of those who lost their lives it will always be a tragedy. Being a weekend morning, news organizations struggled with the story. Some got it wrong.
The US-centric news agency Associated Press (AP) sent out a breaking news headline tweet Sunday morning listing victims nationalities. Since then, the AP has been excoriated by African journalists for omitting African casualties, except Egyptians. More Kenyans lost their lives (32) than other nationalities. Fifty-five Africans died, of the 157 total, noted Kenyan broadcaster Citizen TV (March 11). These are not minor details. The AP has not deleted or changed the tweet or made any comment on it. (See more about news agencies here)
Turkish state international channel TRT World reported that Ethiopian Airlines has a poor safety record and a “history of hijackings,” noted thisisafrica.me (March 11) By contrast, CNN business correspondent Richard Quest, who covers business travel, set the record straight (March 11): “Ethiopian Airlines is a very, very well-run airline. There is no safety issue on Ethiopian.” For the Boeing Company, manufacturer of the 737 Max 8, it is another story.
“Hands off the internet,” chanted demonstrators in Moscow and several other Russian cities over the weekend. They fear, with justification, legislation that passed first reading by the State Duma will create an internet in Russia separate from the rest of the world, just like in China. Second reading by the State Duma is scheduled for March 13.
The Moscow rally (Sunday March 10) was organized by the Libertarian Party, which obtained local authorization, and drew 12 thousand people, according to the reliable White Counter project. Moscow police estimated half than many, reported Reuters (March 10). Irrespective of the numbers, public demonstrations against government actions are rare. Blue balloons carried to the event were seized by police as “unmanned arial vehicles,” noted independent Russian news portal Medusa (March 12). Protestors in St. Petersburg, where the rally was not authorized, taped a poster to the door of internet regulator Roskomnadzor: “Russian internet is being killed here.”
Russian authorities have a different view. The legislation is “designed to ensure Internet’s viability amid potential aggressive steps in cyber space against our country, said government spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, quoted by state news agency TASS (March 11). Rally participants are “not afraid that someone overseas will press this button and disconnect (them) from the Internet, but this is a real reason for fears.” The legislation is “aimed at securing our citizens from such shutdowns in case of this situation.” (See more about media in the Russian Federation here)
The “Sovereign Internet” bill, proposed by the ruling United Russia party and certain to pass, will require internet service providers (ISPs) to route all data and traffic through Russian servers without passing through foreign servers. That traffic can then be monitored by the infamous Roskomnadzor. Russian ISPs Yandex and mail.ru are in favor as the Russian government will pick up all the costs. (See more about censorship here)
World Wide Web pioneer Tim Berners-Lee had a few choice words for the world at the 30th anniversary of his legacy document about bringing the world together through information. He was not pleased. "Many people feel afraid and unsure if the web is really a force for good,” he wrote in an open letter from the World Wide Web Foundation (March 11). “While the web has created opportunity, given marginalized groups a voice, and made our daily lives easier, it has also created opportunity for scammers, given a voice to those who spread hatred, and made all kinds of crime easier to commit.”
The Turkish government’s crackdown on reporters and news media shows signs of expansion. As if months - years, even - of harassing and jailing Turkish media workers is not sufficiently satisfying, foreign correspondents are the now targets. Turkish authorities denied accreditation renewals to three German news reporters, meaning their residency permits would no longer be valid.
This past weekend German public TV channel ZDF Istanbul bureau chief Jörg Brase and Tagesspiegel correspondent Thomas Seibert returned to Germany. They had been informed by the Turkish Communications Presidency that their work permits would not be renewed and they had ten days to get out. NDR TV reporter Halil Gülbeyaz had already returned to Germany. (See more about press/media freedom here)
"I don't think it's about anything I have written," said Herr Seibert to Deutsche Welle (March 10). "I think it's a message to the Western press. They need a scapegoat or two or three, and I was one of the unlucky ones."
"If the Turkish government is hoping that by taking away my press card, basically throwing me out of Turkey, it will keep me from reporting, well that plan is not going to work.” Herr Seibert worked in Turkey for 22 years.
"There is hardly any critical reporting, at least not in state media," said Herr Brase. "Now they are trying it with international media, but I cannot imagine the plan will work.” Other German and international news correspondents waiting press credential renewals have been on hold for two months. (See more about media in Turkey here)
Two German-Turkish dual national reporters were jailed in 2017. Deniz Yucel was released after a year behind bars and considerable international outcry. Mesale Tolu, who works for news agency ETHA, left Turkey on bail in December 2017 and returned for trial, now set for late May.
The German Foreign Ministry issued a travel warning for Turkey over the weekend. “It cannot be ruled out that the Turkish government will take further action against representatives of German media and civil society organizations,” said the statement. “Freedom of expression, as understood in German law, can lead to criminal prosecution in Turkey.”
Asked what the appropriate price for streaming video services should be, a majority of German consumers said €5 per month or less, reported media news portal meedia.de (March 6). This would be noticably lower than the current rates for Netflix, Amazon Prime TV or Maxdome. This affirmation of German frugality was revealed in a study by market researcher Statista for nextMedia.Hamburg ahead of the nextTV Congress.
German consumers are less likely (59%) to subscribe to more than one video-on-demand services, similar to the historical resistance to pay-TV services. A plularity (46%) said €5 per month is about right for streaming video, 36% nodded €5 to €15 and 13% thought €15 to €25 a month would be just fine. One in 20 (5%) said they would pay more than €25 per month. Most of the well-known SVoD services in Germany charge in the vicinity of €8 per month, more for HD or 4K. (See more about media in Germany here)
Survey respondents are not excited about seeing ads, 35% said ads are “out of the question.” On the other hand, 41% said ads might be OK in the monthly subscription price was cut 50%. A 10% reduction in price would be “no reason to accept advertising.” Pure economics, yes?
A separate report from Statista projected a million people a month, worldwide, subscribing to video-on-demand services.
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