tagged w/ Media News
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Published: 13 December, 2011, 15:51
http://rt.com/news/wikipedia-strike-sopa-legislation-677/
Wikipedia is the latest to join internet industry giants in the fight to stop the bill from being pushed through the Senate.
Wikipedia may temporarily blank out its pages in self-sacrifice to draw attention to the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act. While the bill aims to protect copyrighted material, critics fear corporate manipulation could lead to greater censorship.
The US lawmakers behind the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) say it would deal a blow to online pirates and producers of counterfeit brand products like designer fashion items or medicines.
The bill is intended to crack down on websites operating outside of the United States. If passed, the legislation would allow the US government to shut down any site illegally hosting copyrighted content.
However, not everyone supports the move. Wikipedia is the latest to join internet industry giants in the fight to stop the bill from being pushed through the Senate.
While there are legitimate reasons behind showbiz’s drive in favor of SOPA – the industry is losing millions of dollars in revenue – some feel the legislation is overkill on internet piracy
Internet companies, the Consumer Electronics Association and others have argued that the measure goes too far and the wording is too ambiguous.
In reality, the real use of the bill could be much wider. If approved, SOPA will enable individuals or organizations claiming copyright to effectively block any website they suspect of infringing their rights. No court decision would be necessary, and third parties would be granted immunity from any reprisals resulting from their voluntary action against the alleged offenders.Consequently, popular sites like Wikipedia would be responsible for the material that is uploaded onto their site.
Fearing that a medium based on the free sharing of information could be targeted, Wikipedia has chosen to fight back with a highly symbolic act.
The “self-censorship” idea came to Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales after Italian Wikipedia blanked out its site a few months ago in an effort to oppose a law in the country which would infringe on their editorial independence.
“The Italian Parliament backed down immediately,” Wales writes. “As Wikipedians may or may not be aware, a much worse law going under the misleading title of ‘Stop Online Piracy Act’ is working its way through [the Senate] on a bit of a fast track.”
However, Wales is not quick to jump into action without consultation and approval from the site’s users and editors. The online information straw poll has been posted online so everyone can have their say before Wales makes a decision.
A ‘grave threat’…
The strongest lobbyist for SOPA is the US entertainment industry, which wants the government to act against what it labels “digital theft”.
Creative America, an organization fighting against online piracy is the biggest advocate for SOPA. In this fight Creative America is backed by an unprecedented coalition of major entertainment unions, guilds, studios and networks.
The organization warns of the “grave threat content theft poses” to industry’s “livelihood and creativity,” blaming pirates for making millions of dollars on illegal trafficking and undermining the legitimate online content providers.
…And corporate censorship
Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, speaking at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, referred to the controversial legislation as a form of censorship.
"The solutions are draconian," he said, as cited by Reuters. "There's a bill that would require (internet service providers) to remove URLs from the web, which is also known as censorship last time I checked."
The remarks followed a letter to lawmakers opposing the bills from a group of internet companies including Google, AOL Inc, eBay Inc, Facebook, Yahoo Inc and Twitter.
"We are concerned that these measures pose a serious risk to our industry's continued track record of innovation and job creation, as well as to our nation's cyber security," the companies wrote.
Essentially the fight is between entertainment industry and internet and consumer electronics industries. While the first one, rightfully defending its rights, vigorously supports SOPA, the latter one opposes it with an equal force.
Will Wikipedia’s strike tilt the scales in favor of online and electronics industry, before the bill is rammed through in Washington, is yet unknown. However, blanking out one of the most visited sites with billions of page views per month will definitely send a strong message to lawmakers in Washington. Maybe just in time.Published: 13 December, 2011, 15:51... more
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David Talbot has seen Salon go through several iterations since founding the site in 1995. He was Salon’s editor-in-chief for a decade and served a couple of stints as CEO. In July, Talbot returned as interim CEO -- a position he’s now decided to keep indefinitely as Salon relaunches with a populist mission.
“Salon is initiating a call for an American spring,” Talbot said, “a national conversation to profoundly renew this country in the same spirit as people in Europe in the streets and throughout the Arab World.”
In an interview with The Huffington Post, Talbot said he wants Salon to be a populist voice that can "help initiate a conversation about what the country needs to do.” He said he plans on putting more resources into reporting around the country, likening Salon's mission in covering the Great Recession to writers and photographers during the Great Depression. He said Salon will also increase original video and plans to have “a series of public events around the country to engage a broad selection of Americans in this conversation.”
That all sounds good. But given that Salon is operating at about a $1.5 million annual loss, has laid off staffers in recent years, and was being shopped around in early 2011 due to long-term financial struggles, it's surprising the company can beef up its editorial presence right now.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/27/salon-ceo-site-relaunch_n_981992.htmlDavid Talbot has seen Salon go through several iterations since founding the site in... more
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mab001
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5 months ago
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CurrentTV could be everything I advocated in my op-ed. Thank you.
By now I have developed the nagging, wishful thinking suspicion that Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz, and Lawrence O'Donnell are trying to get fired to get out of their contracts and follow Keith to Current TV, Michael Moore even asked Lawrence how he got away with his NBC blasting over Trump.
All three have been pushing the edges and their ads have become overt political activism for about two months now.
Good for them.CurrentTV could be everything I advocated in my op-ed. Thank you.
By now I have... more
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On Thursday, April 7, 2011 FoxNews.com reported that a top editor at AOL’s Huffington Post Media Group’s Moviefone was fired Wednesday after suggesting in an email that terminated freelancers should consider contributing to the website for free, the Wall Street Journal reports.On Thursday, April 7, 2011 FoxNews.com reported that a top editor at AOL’s... more
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Lawrence O'Donnell took a page out of his former colleague Keith Olbermann's book when he delivered a scathing condemnation of Bill O'Reilly on his Monday show. Among other things, O'Donnell called his time slot rival a "joke" and a serial liar.
O'Donnell's takedown was prompted by a comment O'Reilly made in a recent broadcast, where he said there were "strains of anti-Americanism" on MSNBC. O'Donnell said this was an example of O'Reilly's ease with falsehoods.
"He has by now figured out exactly what his audience wants to hear, and that's what he delivers," he said. "And when that requires lying, O'Reilly can do it without blinking because he's discovered that there's a lot of money to be made in those lies."
O'Donnell said that he saw in O'Reilly "a very, very, very rich man who has grown phenomenally rich by playing a character on TV that the most gullible audience in the history of television falls for."
He also said that he saw:
"dozens of guys I grew up with who were just like him. Overbearing, argumentative, Irish guys who think they know everything and can back up nothing. Those guys have always been a joke to me, which is why O'Reilly almost never has the capacity to outrage me, because he is just a joke to me most of the time."
The audience, O'Donnell concluded, should not be fooled by O'Reilly's "faux-Irish tough guy style."Lawrence O'Donnell took a page out of his former colleague Keith Olbermann's... more
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Oscar winning Indian musician AR Rahman has joined pop stars Barry Manilow and Jamiroquai in the lineup of artists to perform at the annual Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo. Rahman, who won two Academy awards for his score in 'Slumdog Millionaire' will feature in the December 11 show honoring this year's peace laureate, imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/937767/Entertainment/11/88/11Oscar winning Indian musician AR Rahman has joined pop stars Barry Manilow and... more
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Jon Stewart sat down with Rachel Maddow for a lengthy taped interview that wound up filling the entirety of "The Rachel Maddow Show" Thursday night on MSNBC. Maddow said on Thursday night's show that the raw tape of the interview will be posted on her show's blog Friday morning, but until then, the excerpts that aired can be found below.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/vp/40141311#40141311Jon Stewart sat down with Rachel Maddow for a lengthy taped interview that wound up... more
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I Had a One-Night Stand With Christine O’Donnell
Gawker.Com
Oct. 27, 2010
By Annonymous
I Had a One-Night Stand With Christine O’Donnell Three years ago this week, an intoxicated Christine O’Donnell showed up at the apartment of a 25-year-old Philadelphian and ended up spending the night in his bed. Here’s his story—and photos—of his escapade with the would-be Delaware senator.
Click to see...(DRUNK PHOTOS) Annonymous 25yo: My One-Night Stand With Naked ‘Cougar’ Christine O’Donnell???...http://ctpatriot1970.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/drunk-photos-anonymous-25yo-my-one-night-stand-with-naked-cougar-christine-odonnell/
Excerpt from Gawker Articles…
Things got physical on the couch pretty quickly. It wasn’t long before we’d moved from the living room to my bed.
I won’t get into the nitty gritty details of what happened between the sheets that evening. But I will say that it wasn’t half as exciting as I’d been hoping it would be. Christine was a decent kisser, but as soon as...I Had a One-Night Stand With Christine O’Donnell
Gawker.Com
Oct. 27, 2010... more
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Oprah is famous for giving her audience surprise gifts, but Thursday night she extended that generosity to Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" audience as well.
Oprah appeared via satellite on "The Daily Show" to lend her support for Stewart's upcoming "Rally to Restore Sanity" in Washington, DC.
"I think that we need a little bit more sanity in the world," Oprah said. "I wanted to show my support for you, Jon, and also for your audience. So here's what I did: I had my staff sneak into your studio early this morning with a little gift."
Audience members were then told to look under their seats, where they found red envelopes featuring tickets to Stewart's rally.
"You're going to the rally! You're going to the rally! You're going to the rally! Everybody's going to the rally!" Oprah exclaimed. "Now get out there and restore some sanity!"
According to JustJared.com, Oprah's offer includes a plane ticket and hotel accommodations in Washington for the rallyOprah is famous for giving her audience surprise gifts, but Thursday night she... more
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Warning to Glenn Beck: Don’t Drink Diet Coke
Kurt Nimmo
Infowars.com
October 9, 2010
On Friday, Glenn Beck announced on his radio show that he will be taking a brief leave of absence for medical reasons. “There is something wrong with my voice, and we’re not sure what it is,” Beck said, according to a transcript on his website. “They’re going to be doing CAT scans and MREs or MRIs and PET scans and they’re going to be doing blood work like crazy.”
Click to View...(SHOCKING VIDEO) Glenn Beck’s Health Problem: Is The Neurotoxin Aspertame Posioning Him? And You Too…http://ctpatriot1970.wordpress.com/2010/10/09/shocking-video-glenn-becks-health-problem-is-the-neurotoxin-aspertame-posioning-him-and-you-too/
In July, the Fox News host admitted that he is suffering from macular dystrophy, an eye disorder that causes vision loss. “Yes, I have a problem with my eyes,” Beck told an audience of 6,000 in Salt Lake City. “A couple of weeks ago, I went to the doctor because I can’t focus my eyes … So I went to the best doctor I could find… he did all kinds of tests, and he said I have macular dystrophy.”Warning to Glenn Beck: Don’t Drink Diet Coke
Kurt Nimmo
Infowars.com... more
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On Wednesday night's episode of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart reacted to Arianna's big announcement on the previous night's episode of Huffington Post's pledge to provide buses from New York for people who want to attend Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity, scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C. on October 30.
"Oh my God, Arianna just Oprah'ed the buses!" Stewart said. "By the way, I hope that her announcement was real and not some Huffington Post thing where it's not like actual transportation, it's just embedding a link to Greyhound. Like, I hope they're not just being bus aggregators in this situation."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/02/the-daily-show-and-colber_n_748014.htmlOn Wednesday night's episode of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart reacted to... more
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Jon Stewart returned to "The O'Reilly Factor" Wednesday for a lively discussion with Bill O'Reilly.
Part 1 video aboveJon Stewart returned to "The O'Reilly Factor" Wednesday for a lively... more
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Manifesto of Discovery Channel Gunman: Environmentalist/Eugenicist Who Demanded Halt to Birth Of “Parasitic Human Infants”
Save The Planet Protest (Archived Copy)
September 1, 2010
This is the manifesto of the gunman who has entered a Discovery Channel building in Silver Spring, reportedly with explosives strapped to his body. As you will read, he is a mentally disturbed eugenicist who wishes to see humans sterilized and infants aborted.
After the Drudge Report linked to this manifesto, the original website crashed, but we managed to recover an archived copy. The gunman’s name is being reported as James J. Lee. More on this coming soon.
The Discovery Channel MUST broadcast to the world their commitment to save the planet and to do the following IMMEDIATELY:
Click for (VIDEO) Read The Manifesto of Discovery Channel Gunman James J.Lee…Crazed Environmentalist, Eugenicist…(PHOTOS)...http://ctpatriot1970.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/video-read-the-manifesto-of-discovery-channel-gunman-james-j-lee-crazed-environmentalist-eugenicist-photos/Manifesto of Discovery Channel Gunman: Environmentalist/Eugenicist Who Demanded Halt... more
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Dr. Laura’s N-Word Rant: Radio Host Apologizes For Offensive Language (AUDIO)
Huffington Post
Danny Shea
08-12-10
Dr. Laura Schlessinger has apologized after a shocking rant on her radio show this week during which she said the n-word 11 times over the course of five minutes.
In conversation Tuesday with a black female caller who was complaining about her white husband’s racist friends and their use of the word, Schlessinger said:
Black guys use it all the time. Turn on HBO and listen to a black comic, and all you hear is n****, n*****, n*****. I don’t get it. If anybody without enough melanin says it, it’s a horrible thing. But when black people say it, it’s affectionate. It’s very confusing.
Dr. Laura’s N-Word Tirade: Say’s Ni**er 11 Times to Black Woman…(FULL AUDIO)...http://ctpatriot1970.wordpress.com/2010/08/13/dr-lauras-n-word-rant-radio-host-apologizes-for-offensive-language-audio/Dr. Laura’s N-Word Rant: Radio Host Apologizes For Offensive Language (AUDIO)... more
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