Posts by Jaime Ortega-Simo:
- · 62 Ranking Lists Report Top 20 Colleges in Categories from Best Profs to Career Services
- · All Schools Scored on 8 Issues Including Financial Aid, Green, and Fire Safety
- · Best Administered Colleges – Washington University in St. Louis (MO)
- · Best Career Services – University of Florida
- · Best Health Services – University of California-Los Angeles
- · Most Conservative Students – Hillsdale College (MI)
- · Most Liberal Students – Macalester College (MN)
- · Most Politically Active Students – George Washington University (DC)
- · Least Religious Students – Bennington College (VT)
- · Happiest Students – Rice University (TX)
- · Lots of Race/Class Interaction– Loyola University-New Orleans (LA)
- · LGBT-Friendly – New York University (NY)
- · Best Town-Gown Relations – Clemson University (SC)
- · Top Stone-Cold Sober Schools – Brigham Young University (UT)
- · Top Party Schools – Ohio University-Athens
- · Everyone Plays Intramural Sports – Pennsylvania State University
- · Students Pack the Stadium – University of Notre Dame (IN)
- · Best Athletic Facilities – Georgia Institute of Technology
Syria: Saudi Arabia’s policy conundrum
June 20th, 2012Syria: Saudi Arabia’s policy conundrum
By James M. Dorsey
Synopsis
Saudi Arabia is faced with the succession of its ageing leadership following the death
of Crown Prince Nayef at a time that the 89-year old King Abdullah is countering
efforts by conservative clerics to employ the Syrian crisis as a vehicle to thwart his
minimal reforms and circumvent post-9/11 restrictions on charitable donating,
designed to prevent funds from flowing to jihadists.
Commentary
Following the death of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, barely
a year after he was appointed heir to the throne, there is little doubt that the likely
nomination of his brother, 76-year old Defense Minister Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz
as the kingdom’s crown prince will prove to be smooth. Nevertheless, the death of
Prince Nayef, who served as interior minister for more than three decades, could prompt
the sons of the kingdom’s founder, King Abdul Aziz al Saud, to open the door to one of
their sons moving into the line of succession to the throne.
The succession issue in the oil rich kingdom that is home to Islam’s two most holy cities,
Mecca and Medina,takes on added importance at a time that Saudi leaders are seeking
to ring fence their country against the region’s anti-autocratic protests and clamour for greater
freedom. That is proving increasingly difficult despite political and military crackdowns
and generous government handouts.
Syria for one poses a conundrum for a policy that supports popular and armed opposition
to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in part by fueling sectarian strife in a country teetering
on the brink of civil war while at the same time trying to insulate the kingdom from the
region-wide challenge to autocratic rule.
Establishment clerics preaching from Friday prayer pulpits as well as on social media denounce
the Syrian regime as well as the Alawites, the heretic Shiite sect from which Assad hails, and
support the Saudi and Qatari supply of arms through Turkey to armed elements of the Syrian
opposition. The clerics, like the government, make no effort to square their support for regime
change in Syria and their earlier assistance in easing Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh out of
office with their crushing of a popular uprising in neighbouring Bahrain and the crackdown on
protests in Saudi Arabia’s predominantly Shiite Eastern province, home to much of the
kingdom’s oil wealth.
Wielding a stick and a carrot
King Abdullah has sought to halt the wave of protests at Saudi Arabia’s frontiers by wielding
both a stick and a carrot. The Saudi military as well as interior ministry forces under Prince
Nayef’s leadership responded firmly to Shiite protests and have cracked down on bloggers
and activists. At the same time, King Abdullah has sought to preempt dissent by allocating
more than US $100 billion for enhanced services, handouts and the creation of jobs, primarily
in the military and security forces, and cautiously moving ahead with snail pace reforms.
In a move designed to ensure government control of policy towards Syria, limit the fallout of
the Syrian crisis and tighten government control of the clergy, King Abdullah recently cracked
down on independent support for Assad’s opponents by conservative clerics. Salafi clerics,
who were opportunistically supported by Prince Nayef, and advocate a society that emulates
the very early days of Islam, were ordered late last month to halt collecting donations in
support of the Syrian opposition. That collection threatened to circumvent central government
control of all charitable donations to foreign causes introduced post 9/11. Once Saudi Arabia
realized that its charities had been infiltrated by jihadists, including members of Al Qaeda, it
ordered a halt to prevent monies from flowing to militant Islamists who are bolstering the
ranks of Syria’s armed opposition.
Salman al-Awda, a prominent cleric whose relationship with the government runs hot and
cold, countered on Twitter that those who wished to independently fund the Syrian
opposition would continue to find ways to do so. The government went a step further in
early June with a ruling by the Council of Senior Ulema (religious scholars) that banned the
calling for jihad in Syria outside of officially controlled channels. In doing so the government
sought to prevent Syria from becoming a vehicle in the hand of opponents of King Abdullah
for criticism of government policy and advocacy of far more radical change.
King Abdullah’s crackdown constituted the second blow in a month to those clerics who
oppose reforms such as a relaxation of rules governing the public mixing of the sexes. Earlier
they were unable to stop King Abdullah from lifting a ban on young men visiting shopping malls.
In a heavily gender-segregated society this allows Saudi youths to furtively glance at the
opposite sex and surreptitiously flash or exchange their mobile numbers or social media
identities.
Some weeks before cracking down on radical support for Syria, King Abdullah fired a
popular cleric and scion of a commercial empire, Sheikh Abdel Mohsen Obeikan, who
served as an advisor to the royal court, for opposing the expansion of employment
opportunities for women in education, medicine and retail sales and badly needed judicial
reform. However the clerics have successfully blocked Saudi women for the first time from
competing as official representatives of their country in an international sports tournament,
at the London Olympics.
A clamour for real change
Women activists are testing the limits of the king’s reform willingness with a campaign to lift
Prince Nayef’s prohibition of women driving. Some 600 Saudis petitioned King Abdullah last
week to allow women to drive in the only country in the world where they are banned from
doing so. Women driving has so far been a bridge too far for the king. Scores of women who
defied the ban in the past year have been arrested and forced to sign pledges that they would
not drive again.
King Abdullah appears to have for now largely insulated his kingdom from the kind of mass
anti-government protests other Arab nations are experiencing. The brutality of the struggle
in Syria serves as a cautionary tale for many. The calls for change in Saudi Arabia are
nonetheless mushrooming, boosted not only by the resilience of the Syrians but also the
emergence of Islamists as victors in elections in Tunisia and Egypt.
Reformers are likely to see the death of Prince Nayef as opening the door to a successor like
Prince Salman who may be more inclined to lead the kingdom, albeit cautiously, further
down the road of reform. The question nonetheless is whether government largesse,
crackdowns and minimal, piecemeal reforms will continue to be sufficient to stymie the
growing clamour for real change.
James M. Dorsey is a Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International
Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University. He has been a journalist
covering the Middle East for over 30 years.
Gunmen kill former Syrian FA president
June 16th, 2012
Assassinated: Marwan Arafat (Source: SANA)
By James M. Dorsey
Unknown gunmen shot and killed Wednesday the former head of the Syrian Football Association (SFA), Marwan Arafat, and critically wounded his wife in an attack Syria’s national news agency blamed on terrorists, a code word for the increasingly armed opposition against embattled Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
Senior soccer executives who knew Mr. Arafat expressed surprise at his killing, noting that he was widely respected and a lecturer for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The officials said the fact that 67-year old Mr. Arafat – a former soccer player, scholar, sports analyst and journalist – was assassinated on the highway linking the Jordanian capital of Amman with Damascus was alarming.
They said there was no known reason for the killing and did not exclude that it may have been a criminal rather than a political incident.
Statements in the past year by Mr. Arafat in support of Syria’s embattled national soccer squads who have been accused of fielding illegal players in international matches would however lend credence to the news agency’s claim that the former soccer executive was killed by armed opposition elements.
Little is known about Mr. Arafat’s political views who served at the time of the besieged Syrian leader’s father, Hafez al-Assad, but few are likely to make a distinction between support for the Syrian national team and for the regime in a country plunging into civil war.
The news agency said Mr. Arafat was returning from Jordan when he was killed shortly after crossing the border into Syria. Well-placed sources said unidentified gunmen forced Mr. Arafat to pull over his car to the side of the road before opening fire. They said Mr. Arafat’s wife had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
“Dr. Marwan Arafat was on his way back from Jordan, his wife was critically injured in the attack which took place between Nasib border crossing and al-Tayba town in Daraa Countryside. The Syrian General Sport Union mourned Dr. Arafat, saying that the Syrian sport has lost one of its pioneers,” the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said.
It quoted Lieutenant General Moafaq Jouma, head of the General Sport Union, a saying that “we offer condolences to his family and to our sport family, because his death is a loss for all of us.”
Besides serving for ten years as head of the SFA, Mr. Arafat was also a member of the General Sport Union executive and the Syrian Olympic Committee. Mr. Arafat made history as the first Arab linesman in Olympic games in Moscow in 1980 and as head of the SFA led Syria to its 1994 winning of the Under-21 Asian cup.
Syrian soccer has been increasingly polarized since last year’s eruption of anti-government protests and the regime’s failed but brutal attempts to crush the opposition. United Nations observers in Syria warned this week that the confrontation between forces loyal to Mr. Assad and increasingly armed segments of the opposition had produced a state of civil war in Syria.
Louay Chanko, a player for the Swedish national team, who was able to stop playing for it because he also played for Swedish Assyrian team Syrianska FC, said in an interview last month that many of the Syrian national squad’s players were playing against their will. “Everything is corrupt. The SFF just took players from the clubs. Many players didn’t want to play for the national team any more. Players are so afraid,” Mr. Chanko said.
The Assad regime was so desperate for a Syrian soccer success in a bid to shore up its wrecked image and to demonstrate that the country was functioning normally despite the turmoil that it went in the past year to great lengths to ensure that its national team would compete in international tournaments, including the fielding of illegal players.
As a result, world soccer body FIFA barred Syria last August from competing for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil after the team fielded an unnamed ineligible player in in a qualifying match against Tajikistan.
Lebanon accused Syria last November of fielding six players in an Under-19 Asian Football Championship qualifier whose ages had been falsified to qualify them for the team. Syria’s governing football body populated by Assad appointees has denied the allegations, determined to preserve the Syrian team’s record so far of having all four of its qualifiers in the tournament. At the time, Mr. Arafat said the eligibility of the Syrian players was “incontestable.”
State-run Syrian Al Dunya television, in one of its more bizarre parroting of allegations of foreign intervention by embattled President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, accused crowned traditionally left-wing leaning Spanish soccer club FC Barcelona last March of employing its tactical formations to deliver coded messages to armed Syrian rebels.
Syrian security forces arrested national soccer goalkeeper Mosab Balhous more than a year ago on charges of sheltering armed gangs and possessing suspicious amounts of money. Mr. Balhous has not been heard of since.
In a YouTube video, Mr. Balhous’ colleague, Abdelbasset Sarut, goalkeeper of the Syrian U-23 men’s national team and a leader of the uprising in the beleaguered Syrian city of Homs, said at the time that the Assad regime had accused Mr. Bahous of participating in anti-government protests and wanting to establish an Islamic emirate in the city of Homs.
James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, author of the blog, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, and a consultant to geopolitical consulting firm Wikistrat.
Present Journalism, the dead replica of its past legacy
May 26th, 2012By Jaime Ortega Simo.
Post-modern media problems!
Congratulations! We live in the 21st century. Technology has overcome all our problems. … Right? There are more news agencies than ever before as well as independent writers and bloggers, mobile news, independent channels, faster and crisper high-definition transmission systems, citizen journalism, Twitter News, leaking news stories without a subscription and … conglomerates stuffing the piggy bank. … Yes!
Yes, but no. What could be so bad? Well, here is my list:
1. Decline in number of foreign correspondents
2. Decline in number of investigative reporters
3. Lack of expert diverse representation by experts on media issues
4. The firing of thousands of copy desk editors
5. The rise of consultants in media decisions
6. Corporate greed
7. The rise of media gossip and celebrity news
8. Fewer foreign news reporters
9. Lobbyist purchasing government pundits to bend a few FCC rules which helped their media practices
10. Lack of visual imagery and raw footage (dead people or injured)
11. Failure to ask the hard questions!
12. Bloggers and public opinion ahead of real news facts
13. ? … Guess
Why a question mark? Media is not the only one to blame! The public sphere is also at fault by neglecting to question authorities and by not pressuring media networks to report today’s news objectively and accurately. The general public has become a brainless zombie, servant of today’s persuasive propaganda strategies.
What is the message today’s media has for the public? “Wear Axe deodorant and get more girls. … Be successful. … Gain a body tone that will make your neighbor jealous. … Show off loads of cash. … Party like a rock star. … Get the newest MasterCard. … Get loans. … Happy Holidays is okay but Merry Christmas is not. … Girls don’t like bookworms. … What is next on Jersey Shore? … Don’t question our reporting. We are the best.”
What does the Media fail to ask the public? “Question the government. … Defending a causeless war promoted by the government is not patriotism. … Read more books. … Help the media stand against editorial decisions run by corporate interests. … Keep your children informed by watching animal planet and documentaries instead of 5 hours of endless cartoons. … Most bling-bling rappers end up broke and homeless. … How can you become the best reader?” You get the point.
I mean everyone lives so comfortably, so why question the government? Why care about news in Afghanistan or what goes on in North Korea? Then 9/11 happens and the public is stunned! Historically speaking, when everything is quiet, that is when the storm hits harder. The public is hushed.
The U.S. media became a hollow box without content in the beginning of the ’90s when its quest for gossip and revenue began. True media ethics and values were left behind, which once clasped information, trust, public enticement, and unbiased questioning for the sake of accountability.
The media past, the successful ghost:
The days when national newspapers like the New York Times exposed the government and tensed muscles to show off their reporting skills have mostly become illusions of a mighty past.
In the early 20th century newspapers were primarily sensationalist as early adopters of the increasing media development when industrial manpower and machines ruled America. Although sensationalist papers like The New York Sun were not exemplar news sources, at the time of the bloom muckrakers and yellow journalism practices were commonly accepted among the public sphere.
Yellow journalism originated in the Gilded Age of the late 19th century with the circulation battles between Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World and William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal. However, both newspapers were known for their journalism as well as their made-to-shock stories.
One good example of yellow journalism that became a propaganda model for the Spanish-American War came from an artist by the name of Frederic Remington. One of Remington’s drawings portrayed male, Cuban officials looking for messages from rebels by strip-searching a female, American tourist — a front-page classic of Hearst’s yellow journalistic practices.
Well, not everything was bad. Yellow journalists were outdone by muckrakers or journalist who conducted investigative reports to expose the problem.
A muckraker and writer of the New York Tribune by the name of Julius Chambers undertook a journalistic investigation inside the Bloomingdale Asylum in 1872. This investigation alleged abuse of inmates and led to the release of 12 mental patients who in reality were not insane.
Upton Sinclair became one of the most predominant muckrakers. Sinclair’s book The Jungle shocked the public into passing the Pure Food and Drug Act in June of 1906.
But things got even better during the Vietnam War. The best journalism ever practiced sprang up around those years. Newspapers reporting the altercations became examples of reputable journalism.
For years the battles between the U.S. government and the media became a national stress disorder. The general public and media wanted to stop the war, but the government wanted to win!
When Walter Cronkite and Ernest Leiser journeyed to Vietnam after the Tet Offensive in 1968, General Creighton Abrams told Cronkite, “We cannot win this Goddammed war, and we ought to find a dignified way out.” Obviously, the General thought the war was an unsuccessful cause despite the government rants.
A few years before in 1963, John F. Kennedy’s assassination sparked national controversy when the C.I.A., Cuban exiles and the Italian Mafia seemed involved with his death. The media entered a conspiracy realm full of strange anecdotes, questions and illogical confusions. The result: a venture that began to question the government. In the midst of uncertainty an epic battle began: proportions media versus a mysterious, secretive government.
In 1971 the Pentagon Papers, leaked by Neil Sheehan of The New York Times and released by Daniel Ellsberg, revealed that the government had deliberately expanded its role in the war by conducting air strikes over Laos. Such documents affected Richard Nixon’s administration and reputation.
Not long after, from 1972 to 1976, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were trying to uncover a case where members of the Central Intelligence Agency were caught stealing documents in the National Democratic Headquarters. The results, published by The Washington Post, led to what later became better known as the Watergate scandal.
In December 1974 The New York Times released an investigative, front-page piece by Seymour Hersh, which revealed content of C.I.A. reports about their illegal or inappropriate actions. These secret activities were known as the Family Jewels.
The document stated that, according to well-placed government sources, the C.I.A. had directly violated its charter during the Nixon administration by secretly conducting a massive, illegal domestic intelligence operation against the antiwar movement and against other dissident groups in the United States.
Aimed at Nixon, in 1974 The Chicago Tribune continued the media rampage and slaughter. The Tribune published the complete text, 246,000 words of the Watergate tapes in a 44-page article. The Tribune not only beat the government printing but also became the first newspaper to publish the entire transcript.
Long before the Watergate scandal, The Chicago Tribune ravaged a ferocious media campaign against the crime syndicates of notorious, powerful gangsters like Paul Ricca, Al Capone and Sam Giancana. In 1975 Giancana died in an atmosphere of controversy. It is still unclear whether the Outfit or the C.I.A. shot Giancana, but the Tribune raised the question.
Present journalism, a joke?
Then 2003 arrived. The U.S. went inside Iraq without excuse, blamed Saddam Hussein for hiding weapons of mass destruction, and without scratching its head the media bought into the government’s story.
Patriotism and pressure were determining factors for journalists and reporters to sleep alongside the government’s blurred ideas. But: journalists and reporters are paid to uncover the truth. They are not paid for their patriotism.
February 26, 2003 on CBS’ 60 Minutes news magazine Dan Rather, said, “The Iraq War was triggered by a dictator’s suicidal bluff about weapons of mass destruction.”
In another interview Rather expressed, “I was deeply moved by 9/11. I don’t know of any American who wasn’t. I think we all bought into that the world had changed.”
Dan Rather succeeded Walter Cronkite in the ’80s as a reputable reporter. However, unlike Cronkite, Rather was then swept by the popular opinion manufactured by Donald Rumsfeld’s neoconservative movement. Rather is a softy just alike Geraldo Rivera — another corporate puppet. Why weren’t the hard questions being asked? Don’t ask either one, because they would not know.
Once the weapons were not found George W. Bush’s excuse was to fight a war against terror. His philosophy was laughable after the war actually increased terrorism.
A media storm should have bombarded the C.I.A. and then the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency and Defense Information Systems Agency (agencies created after 9/11) with loads of questions before promoting the War on Terror. And was the price: $817,678,497,859 — with the numbers increasing — and 109,032 deaths, according to WikiLeaks, all due to a few missed phone calls and a push for higher ratings? Media failure!
What if Gerald R. Ford had said “Madagascar has weapons of mass destruction. Let’s declare war to protect freedom!” One can only imagine how the ’70s, old-school media, post-Watergate scandal, government skeptics would had reacted!
The old media would have sent correspondents to the island and investigated the problem with a harder analysis. They would not have swallowed the popular demand or the corporate pressure to gain popularity. During that era ethics in media was a moral concern for journalists, without business demands.
Most journalists knew that Operation Freedom was a bluff, but the corporate side saw a money-flowing venture that was hard to dismiss. The story sold to the public sphere and ratings skyrocketed creating media tittle-tattle at the purest form possible.
What about the 2008 Bailout? During the years preceding the collapse, why did the media fail to report illegal stock-trading of toxic derivatives to mortgage homeowners? Were The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, The Economist and the Financial Times sleeping with Ben Bernanke? Were they shooting dice with Alan Greenspan? Were they playing Monopoly with Timothy Geithner?
I am shocked by how these huge, financial news networks failed to report an upcoming financial collapse that started almost a decade prior. It makes one question whether or not these institutions are really market experts.
Critical questions and failure to ask:
Below is a list of facts and questions that the media should consider and then find the answers. But if they do not, The Daily Journalist, with our limited resources, will report on them to the best of our capabilities.
1) In Afghanistan the C.I.A. found untapped mineral deposits worth $1 trillion. How could the C.I.A. find the deposits in 2010 and the media fail to continue the case and question the impact of this discovery? Did we go to Afghanistan to fight the Global War on Terror or to take control of mineral resources?
2) After 9/11 the U.S. Intelligence community started creating buildings all over the nation. About 1,300 Federal government facilities were built under top secrecy. This included contracting the services of nearly 2,000 companies and 800,000 employees. Dana Priest from The Washington Post reported the story first. Why haven’t others heavily questioned this issue? Why does the government secretly have buildings all across the nation? Where are the media reporters or investigative journalist? Are they too busy writing columns about Jennifer Lopez or Beyonce and Jay-Z’s relationship? Is the present media playing stupid or are the writers actually stupid? Makes one wonder.
3) The banking system turned the world economy on its knees. Lehman Brothers corrupted a small town in Italy. JPMorgan sold derivatives and struck deals with the Greek government, which is now in the middle of a serious depression. Why have these banks not been trialed in court? How could the Federal Reserve give billions of dollars to Citigroup, JPMorgan, Bank of America, AIG, and other banks if one considers how their greed shook the pillars of Wall Street and Main Street? Where is the media? Why aren’t they reporting the obvious?
Final conclusion:
The first serious question arises. Why do we not have the sort of media coverage that was done in the past? In bygone days the journalists telephoned via landlines, used the Yellow Pages, typed on typewriters, made notes with a pin and a pad and waited for mailed documents.
Our generation on the contrary has the benefits of mobile technology, Google, laptops, devices such as iPads and Droids for note taking and electronic mail. Yet we failed where the older generation succeeded.
It would be the equal of flying the most recent model of a stealth bomber, capable of striking a pen from a hundred miles away, and missing the target! Meanwhile, the older generation was flying a ’70s, third-generation jet fighter, relying on calculated precision, but without precision technology. They not only hit the pen but also the entire pen collection with multiple shots, all right on target.
Good journalism is no longer practiced in the media as we know it today. Mainstream journalism polluted itself with advertisers, consultants, corporate sponsors and elitists. Media no longer serves the public interests, but a self-interest which is the demand for higher ratings.
Shame on us! Shame on the media for failing to report the important areas, and shame on the public for showing more concern about what’s happening to Justin Bieber’s car or paying more attention to a celebrity’s breasts. They got you good!
Another huge storm is coming soon. Maybe this time the media can make Oprah Winfrey and Lil Wayne stand up in their ignorance to help those uneducated citizens who value gossip higher than important world news.
I will finish with a quote from 1976 by Richard Salant, President of CBS News division:
“We in broadcast journalism cannot, should not, and will not base our judgments on what we think the viewers and listeners are ‘most interested’ in, or hinge our news judgment and our news treatment on our guesses or someone else’s surveys as to what news the people want to hear and see, and in what form. The judgments must be professional news judgments — nothing more nothing less.”
Eric Deggans from the Tampa Bay Times responds to race bias inside today’s media.
May 11th, 2012
By Jaime Ortega Simo.
Eric C. Deggans is the Editor and Media Analyst for the Tampa Bay Times
1) Which news networks in your opinion are less ethnically diverse when they bring experts to comment on a topic that does not necessarily represent their race?
I think many news networks make the mistake of assembling panels which lack ethnic or gender diversity when they talk about issues. Two different studies conducted recently of the Sunday morning political shows revealed that white men dominate the guest pool tremendously. So whenever talk turns to race issues there, it is likely the panel won’t have a great representation of women or people of color. And in the case of outlets such as Fox News, even though they have a diversity of contributors, their anchor pool is not particularly diverse and the channel’s ideological focus minimizes the views held by a great many people of color.
2) There is a rumor that it might be the medias fault (I don’t know) that Latino, Mexican, black men and native Americans are less educated than white folks in the United States. Do you think that reflection is one of the main reasons why most media networks might want more white personnel to represent other ethnic groups as they perceive they might be seen by the public as more educated overall?
I think the media’s struggle with diversity has more to do with catering to a mostly white audience and shying away from the work needed to hire qualified people of color. It takes sustained effort to find, train and hire a wide range of people for media jobs. One reason why: Magazines and big TV outlets often offer unpaid internships allowing young people to learn the industry and make contacts while working at a big media company. But people of color have a harder time filling these jobs because their families may not have the resources to support them while they work for free over a summer. Since entry-level hires often come from these jobs, one pipeline into the company is now tilted against people of color.
3) If media is not ethnically diversified does that “really mean” it’s not being accurate in its reporting? By the same token critics could argue that just because media experts are more diversified it doesn’t guarantee they are necessarily the “most qualified” to comment. What’s your opinion?
I think it is hard to fully cover a community if you don’t understand it. And while it is certainly possible for people who do not belong to an ethnic group to understand it, I think there are tiny nuances to life as a person of color in this society that are hard for people who aren’t in the minority group to understand or perceive. Also, many journalists of color are motivated to enter the industry because they want to make sure stories about minority groups are better told and more fully told. That means they are not just filling a quota for diversity, they are working hard in their newsrooms to talk about issues affecting people of color and press for better coverage. I always say managers would be better off hiring people who are interested in covering undercovered groups in their community; the ethnic diversity will come naturally, because so many journalists of color care about these issues.
4) What should be done in the next few years in order to have a fair balance of more ethnic cultures in the media?
Media outlets need to stop using the recession and money problems as a excuse to stop recruiting and developing staffers of color. Consumers need to reject media outlets which develop a lousy track record of covering these issues or which seem obviously lacking in diversity among their reporters or staff.
Jaime Ortega Interview. Eric Deggans, from the Tampa Bay Time.
The Daily Journalist.
Mexican Drug War Gone Wild
May 10th, 2012by Jaime Ortega Simo
Elias Johnson, a spokesman for the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona, said in a phone conversation that there had been a substantial increase of drug smuggling entering along the border between Arizona and Mexico, as never seen in the past.
“The amount of drug distribution doubled this year,” Johnson said. “It went from $92,000 U.S.D. a few years back, to confiscating in 2011 about $1.2 million U.S.D..”
All the drugs pass through a detailed process of distribution before they are ready to be sold in the U.S. market.
“Most of the drugs are stashed in drop houses or trailers,” Johnson said. “These drugs are then broken and sold as illegal narcotics and distributed to different locations in the US, reaching as far as Ohio and all the way to New York.”
Johnson further stated that among the drugs ententering through Texas and Arizona they have also found detailed maps showing where U.S. gang-affiliated mafias like the New Mexican Mafia (Arizona) or La eMe (California) with alliance of Mexican cartels, distribute their narcotics through different routes across the U.S. However some of these alliances are in dangerous feuds with Los Zetas.
The notorious paramilitary Cartel Los Zetas known for its cruelty in eastern Mexico is under constant surveillance by the Central Intelligence Community and Department of Homeland Security.
The Cartel of Los Zetas controls the border separating Texas and Mexico, while its rivals the biggest drug organization in Mexico ‘the Sinaloa Cartel’ controls the drug trade bordering Arizona and California.
In certain regions in Texas, ‘Los Zetas’ is not present according to Luzz Marquez, Deputy Sheriff in El Paso, Texas.
“Los Zetas is not at the Juarez/El Paso Border,” said Marquez.” The Juarez Cartel and Sinaloa move dope through the El Paso area.”
The U.S. gangs that help the Sinaloa Cartel and the Juarez Cartels are also different than in Arizona, but dangerous nonetheless.
“The gangs affiliated with the Sinaloa group are the Artistas Asesinos and the Mejicles,” Marquez said. “They both fight with the Barrio Azteca from Juarez.”
In recent months, there has been a noticeable increase in efforts to fight drug trade, thanks to the government’s cooperation with local enforcement.
“We are working with local and Federal agencies to attack at the source, instead of the people who buy the drugs from them,” Johnson said.
Marquez said that their office also works well with local Border Patrol and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. They support each other’s investigations and share intelligence with each other about different crime operations.
But despite the help provided, if things were not bad enough, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fire-arms and Explosives was caught running a sting operation trying to smuggle a significant number of weapons (about 2,000) mostly AK47’s on behalf of Mexican drug cartels.
Robert Farago the founder of the website the Truth About Guns, said in a phone conversation that the whole sting was a mess…a Federal mess presently in court.
“As far as we know and according to all the trials in court recently, there is strong evidence to suggest that the C.IA., F.B.I and D.E.A were also involved in this operation,” Farago said.
The A.T.F. suggested the weapons were destined to help reinforce the Mexican Government in their quest to fight drug cartels, but Farago suggested the A.T.F. is using this as an excuse to hide the obvious.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” said Johnson. “If the Mexican Government needed weapons they would fly a few commercial airliners to China and get their firearms for cheaper.”
For Farago the most likely explanation is that the U.S. Federal agencies involved in the scandal were helping reinforce the Sinaloa Cartel and other cartels to fight against the vicious “Los Zetas.”
“I have a close friend that works for the C.I.A. and he told me the U.S. Government is scared of Los Zetas,” Farago said. “Los Zetas has a lot of power in Mexico and our Government is afraid they will take over the corrupted Mexican Government.”
But for Angelica Martinez-Duran, PhD candidate in the department of Political Science Department at Brown University, some of the statements proposed from Farago are not safe and lack clarity.
“Drug trafficking organizations already have extended corruption networks within the government,“ Martinez-Duran said. “However, it is unrealistic to think that one organization can completely take over a government.”
Martinez-Duran also said that the U.S. may have knowledge of these connections, but she doesn’t think it intercedes with foreign policy, unless a high ranking official were accused of helping one organization beyond reasonable doubt.
Concerning ‘Operation Fast and Furious’, Martinez-Duran also disagreed with Farago’s view about the outcome of the situation.
“What is clear about Operation Fast and Furious is that arms that were nominally aimed at following and indicting criminal organizations ended up being used in criminal acts by these very same organizations,” Martinez-Duran said.
Martinez-Duran added that whether this was a part of a bigger plan to help one criminal organization (we cannot yet say that was the case), the operation revealed the basis, the “weak” basis upon which “intelligence” operations are established and monitored and of course makes evident that arms flow easily and quickly among criminal organizations.
Through recent drug dilemmas, the dangerous tension on the borders is escalating. Whether or not the U.S. Government is helped reinforce a criminal enterprise to defeat another is unclear. But if so, it would be equal to smuggling guns to the Taliban to defeat Al-Qaeda.
As far as the State of Ohio, for Farago, the city of Cleveland is a referral point for distribution of meth, cocaine and marihuana. The origins are in Mexico.
Lieutenant Anne R. Ralston, a spokesperson for the Ohio State Highway Patrol, said in an e-mail, that drug traffickers transport illegal narcotics through Ohio on a regular/daily basis.
She said drugs move across the county. So as a result of where Ohio sits in relation to the rest of the country illegal narcotics pass trough Ohio on our major east/west and north/south Interstates.To fight the problem the Department of Homeland Security (D.H.S.) and the Ohio State Highway Patrol (O.S.H.P.) are fighting to keep communities safe from drugs.
“The O.S.H.P. works diligently to remove these dangerous drugs from our roadways as we know drugs are not only coming through Ohio,” continued Ralston “,but often times the drugs are destined to Ohio communities.”
Interstate I-35 is the main vein of traffic leading to major cities. The highway starts in the south and crosses into other states were drugs are distributed.
Marquez said there are major cities in TX used to store and ship contraband out, which I-35 goes through. Interstate I-35 is also the route back into Mexico with currency and weapons.
A thin line holds the Mexico-U.S. foreign connection. For Martinez-Duran relations will continue to be tense especially around issues like firearms headed to Mexico and the lack of effort on the part of the U.S. Government to curb U.S. demand on drugs.
Outcomes will depend on who wins elections both in Mexico and the US. However, Martinez-Duran thinks that even with big political changes on the horizon, current policies and relations will not change radically.
Even though the tensions are visible, for both Marquez and Johnson, it seems clear that drug smuggling is at no end point .
“With the amount of limited enforcement available to fight the drug distribution,” Johnson said, “it is inaccessibly hard to inspect 70 miles of land without having smugglers passing contraband across the Mexican border into Arizona almost daily.”
As for Marquez the way to stop the drug smuggling has ultimately become “The million dollar question.”
Farago opts for legalizing drugs, as that would take a direct financial hit on illegal narcotics and could slowly erode the core of drug cartel trade Martinez-Duran agrees.
“The only way to really stop the smugglers would be to eliminate the illegal market and the demand for drugs that allows them to exist,” Martinez-Duran said. “That requires reconsidering the current drug prohibition regime.”
Unlike the past, when Italian-Mafias dominated the drug scene, what seems clear now, is that the Mexican criminal enterprises dominate the U.S. drug trade. When you have the D.H.S. claiming that Los Zetas is a bigger threat than Al-Qaeda, and possibly helping fund a rival cartel to defeat them, its time to wake up and smell the coffee.
Jaime Ortega.
The Daily Journalist.
Mayday Europe, Mayhem Spain.
May 4th, 2012By Jaime Ortega Simo
Mayday, Mayhem … Spain!
Mayday is the expression pilot’s scream in the midst of an emergency crashing situation when the airplane runs totally out of control. In the European Union airport, Greece, Ireland, Portugal represent damaged airplanes desperately screaming financial ‘Mayday.’
But if those planes representing European countries scream ‘Mayday!’ Spain screams financial “Mayhem!”
Cristina Kichner’s decision to expropriate Repsol’s YPF, had not felt well back in La Moncloa, the political plaza were Spanish congressmen discuss the countries everyday reforms.
Spain a few years back, did not directly suffer from the mortgage crisis that resulted in a systemic risk, which caused the U.S. financial bailout in 2008 and Wall Street bankers to kneel in front of confused congressmen in Washington D.C.
It is interesting to note Spain’s economy at the time of the 2008 financial crisis was not affected by the impact originated in the U.S. as their Gross Domestic Product growth was steady, resulting on a 0.8 point average scale.
Spanish bank, Banco Santander (the largest bank in the Euro-zone) took advantage of the U.S. recession and bought the east coast Sovereign Bank, and other companies like Road Loans and Helping Loans. They also incorporated Santander Private Banking in the U.S.
Prior to Santander’s acquisitions, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria had already purchased Laredo National Bank in 2005, and later in 2007 acquired Compass Bancshares which allowed them to dominate the U.S. Sun Belt region.
As for today, the BBVA sponsors the BBVA Compass Bowl and on September 13, 2010 became an official sponsor for the NBA.
Other major Spanish companies like Gas Natural Fenosa, Red Electrica and Telefonica S.A. (Three worldwide providers of electricity, phone lines and natural gas), were also flourishing at the time of the crisis.
Even though the corporate and baking side of Spain was blooming in the troublesome waters of the world recession, for the Spanish economy the problem did not emerge in the form of a bailout crisis, but deep from the depths of the housing market.
El Ladrillo (the brick) was the major contributor to Spain’s present dilemma. Build lots of new houses, condos and residences, but make sure people buy first… Oh no…!
For years, the Spanish economy yielded on tourism as their main source of income, but when the bailout hit the Spanish market, a slow but steady contusion started to hemorrhage the veins of the construction market, and as a result of the global slowdown by the recession in 2010, there was an 8.7 percent drop in tourism.
President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero the socialist leader at the time, severely wounded Spain’s Fiscal policies. Spain went from being a ‘+AA market in 2004’ to becoming the BBB+ downgraded economy it is now, according to the latest Standards & Poor’s ratings.
Part of the problem was caused by Zapatero’s administration. The socialist party focused more attention on Spain becoming a world leader in social liberties and downplaying the economic crisis. Give rights to gays– but don’t stop the derivative contagions in the market to prevent moral hazard!
This resulted in a huge deficit and a historical unemployment rate which affected close to five Million Spanish workers; a problem not seen in Spain, since the early stages of the Spanish Civil War.
The college educated Spanish sector cannot find jobs, and it is said that 40 percent of students with a college degree cannot even find basic level entry jobs. Some experts call the new Spanish generation, “the lost generation.” A youth deprived of opportunities despite earning an college education.
But education not always means opportunity. Degrees don’t mean $, and as a result Spain’s educated elite are fleeing to countries like Germany, were the economy is stable and engineering jobs on demand. They are also moving to the U.S. to get more job opportunities or finish a higher degree education.
One problem economist did not foresee back in 1999, that slowly eroded the Spanish economy long before the present crisis emerged—- was Spain’s integration to the Euro-Zone. One coin for all… in other words, one problem for all!
But the hidden factor behind Europe’s monetary malfunction no economic expert forecasted back in 2002, (when the Euro first circulated in Spain as the new currency) was Germany and France’s role of becoming the arbitrary rulers and judges of the union.
In other words, Councilor Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy call the shots in the E.U., ‘the dues and don’ts’ for countries like Greece, Ireland, Italy or Portugal and Spain.
Spain’s financial troubles are not related with Greece’s or Ireland’s problems, but the European Union’s committee not always thinks that way, as if all countries had one problem and one solution. That’s not true.
Spain’s public debt is much lower than Greece’s public debt, and should not result into a bailout. Spain’s public GDP debt is about 40 percent while Greece’s is about 140 percent.
Spain is also more manageable to sustain in the Euro-zone as long as France and Germany allow the Spanish new administration to solve their own problems. Spain still ranks the 4th largest economy in Europe, but they are paying all their past mistakes at a high price.
The economy had underperformed so bad, anticipated elections were called by popular demand and congressmen last year, and as a result of these pre-elections, El Partido Popular leader Mariano Rajoy assumed office in Dec, 5 of 2011 and dethroned Socialist party leader Jose Luis Zapatero.
Rajoy before the elections, promised he would cut funding from all public-sectors except for education and health to prevent the uncontrollable deficit to scale in numbers, but the promise was short lived. Political promises sometimes have a shorter life spam, than ant walking through a marching band.
Spain is in the brink of monetary collapse and the Spanish treasury is desperately trying to sell bonds without the help of the European Central Bank. 2,500 Million Euros in treasury bonds are hoped to be sold to foreign markets for the next five years— part of Rajoy’s plan to keep the economy from shrinking, in accordance to his political strategy to transform the country’s public deficit and decrease chaotic expenditure.
President Evo Morales just yesterday expropriated Red Electrica, from Bolivia. The losses only add-up to piles of uncertainty inside the financial and unstable Spanish economy.
Spain should leave the European Union. They should had followed England’s steps, and kept their oldest currency in circulation, ‘La Peseta.’
What holds the Spanish financial future is unknown, but smarter decisions have to be made on parliament. However, In the end, the blame should not be exclusively directed to the president alone, but for those whom casts ballots and call them selves ‘smart’ voters.
If you vote for Forest Gump, you have to be just as smart … right?
Jaime Ortega
The Daily Journalist
Tim Allen Professor in Development Anthropology for the London School of Economics responds questions about the Lord’s Resistance Army.
April 30th, 2012By Jaime Ortega Simo.
Professor Tim Allen from the London School of Economics and
Expert on the Lords Resistance Army.
1) Is the Lord’s Resistance Army really that dangerous throughout Eastern Africa?
No.
2) What is the current situation in Uganda? Is it getting any better for the children; are they still being drafted by the LRA?
2 – There are no longer any abductions in Uganda. They stopped in 2005. Recent abductions are from South Sudan, DRC and CAR. Most abductions have been of young adults rather than children. That was also the case in Uganda.
3) Is Al-Qaeda also in Uganda? Do they also draft children to their group?
3 – Not as far as I know – although there are Islamic militants, who target Uganda for its actions in Somalia.
4) Is the Lord’s Resistance Army weakened considering that they must also have fought other warlords throughout his campaign in several regions in Africa that might of allied to stop them?
It has changed in relation to circumstances. It is less powerful now than in the mid 1990s. But it has always been able to operate in small units when the need arises.
5) Does Al-Qaeda have any connection with the LRA?
Not as far as I know. Why would it? It has nothing to do with Al-Qaeda, other than the fact that it was also put on the US terrorist list. That then prompted some LRA combatants to pose for photos wearing Osama bin Laden t-shirts.
6) Will the Lord’s Resistance Army get any stronger or will it finish itself off just like any other tribal-paramilitary group?
It may have a new lease of life as a militia employed (as before) by Khartoum.
7) Is kony 2012 an over-hype to entice and sell the American audiences to make of the producers of the film richer?
Do you mean KONY 2012? Yes they overstates his importance. But Kony does have a warrant from the ICC, and it would be appropriate to arrest him so that he can stand trial. That would also allow him to expose the actions of the Ugandan government.
Jaime Ortega interview: Tim Allen Professor of London School of Economics.
The Daily Journalist
The Princeton Review tells The Daily Journalist how they rate college newspapers.
April 27th, 2012
Hello Jaime,
As I explained in my last email we are not a review like a college review or journal. We are a for profit education company that helps students prepare for, find and pay for their best fit college. Within that mission we publish a number of titles (in total 150 books and ebooks) including our Best Colleges book, the 2012 edt. Was Best 376 Colleges.
In our Best Colleges book we rank schools based on student survey and student opinion. Attached is the press release on the last edition of our book as well as a copy of the methodology. We do not give out trophies or prizes rather report out what students tell us about the schools they attend.
PRINCETON REVIEW’S ANNUAL COLLEGE RANKINGS
BASED ON 122,000 STUDENT SURVEY NOW OUT IN
“BEST 376 COLLEGES – 2012 EDITION” GUIDEBOOK
NEW YORK, August 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — According to a survey by The Princeton Review that asked 122,000 students at 376 top colleges to rate their schools on dozens of topics and report on their campus experiences, the best professors are at Wellesley College (MA). Florida Southern College (FL) has the most beautiful campus. Wheaton College (IL) serves the best campus food, while Bryn Mawr College (PA) has the best dorms. However, the college at which students reported the most satisfaction with their financial aid – the issue parents may care most about – is Swarthmore College (PA).
The Princeton Review reports the top 20 ranking colleges in these and 57 other categories in its guidebook, “The Best 376 Colleges: 2012 Edition” (Random House / Princeton Review, $22.99), on sale tomorrow. Other lists in the book reveal the colleges at which students most highly rated their school’s administrators, career center, and health services – a new ranking list category in this year’s edition.
The book’s college profiles also feature unique ratings. All schools are scored from 60 to 99 in eight categories including Financial Aid, Fire Safety, and Green: a rating based on environmental commitments. The book’s college profiles and ranking lists will post on www.PrincetonReview.com today.
“Each of our 376 best colleges offers outstanding academics,” says Robert Franek, the book’s author and Princeton Review Senior VP / Publisher. “We don’t rank them hierarchically, 1 to 376, because they differ widely — and importantly — in their program offerings and campus culture, and that is their strength. Instead, we tally lists of the top 20 schools in 62 categories based entirely on what students at these schools tell us about their campus experiences. Our goal is not to crown one college ‘best’ overall, but to help applicants find and get in to the college best for them.”
Other ranking lists in the book and #1 colleges on them are:
About the rankings and survey
The 62 ranking lists are based on surveys of 122,000 students (average 325 per campus) at the 376 schools in the book during the 2010-11 and/or previous two school years. About 88% of the schools in the book appear on one or more of its ranking lists. The 80-question survey asked students about their school’s academics, administration, campus life, student body, and themselves. The surveys were completed at http://survey.review.com.
About the ratings
The eight rating scores (60 to 99) are based primarily on institutional data collected during 2010-11. Three “Honor Rolls” in the book salute schools that received the highest score, 99, for Financial Aid (10 colleges), Green (16 colleges), and Fire Safety (17 colleges). Other rating categories include Admissions Selectivity and Academics.
About the book
Annually published since 1992, “The Best 376 Colleges” is one of 150+ Princeton Review books published by Random House. It includes a section, “Great Schools for 15 Popular College Majors,” and a list, “100 Best Value Colleges for 2011.” No school has ever paid a fee to be profiled in the book.
The Princeton Review is an education services company known for its test-prep courses, tutoring, books, and other student resources. Headquartered in Framingham, MA, with editorial offices in New York and locations across the U.S.A. and abroad, the Company is not a magazine and not affiliated with Princeton University.
Retired NYC police officer Sept 11th experience
April 24th, 2012By Jaime Ortega Simo
Raul Pena speaks about his 9/11 experience.
Experts agree text messages are bad for interaction and health.
April 24th, 2012By Jaime Ortega Simo.
Text messaging has become an essential part of one-way-communications, but according to some experts, text messaging may also have negative effects on users.
Simeon Yates a Professor of communication and technology of Sheffield Hallan University said, “I think the question needs to be – how are we changing the way we interact with each other and organize our social lives through the use of new media?”
For Yates everyone he is interviewed has previously used social media, to manage face-to-face interaction as people that use text messages are commonly shy and would rather text or write rather than talk.
“Yes, everyone we have interviewed has used texting, Facebook, twitter etc. to manage ‘face interactions’ – that is to deal with difficult and challenging social interaction,” Yates said.
However, for Yates text is nothing really new in the world of communications, “but another process of social interaction.”
“We did the same with the phone, or letters etc,” Yates said. “Managing face to face is a key part of all social interaction and texting is just another medium/option available to us.”
Lisa Merlo, Ph.D. in Psychiatry of University of Florida said people have become more dependent on technology and there is a tendency to focus less effort on in-person interactions.
For Merlo, some individuals ignore people that don’t answer calls or text messages, while others are avoiding intimate interactions, especially those that might be anxiety provoking and using text messages to convey information instead.
“This can create problems in relationships, as well functional activities of daily living,” Merlo said.
But Merlo, looks ahead and has high hopes that eventually people will start coming back to interacting the normal natural way.
“I am hopeful that eventually the pendulum will swing back the other direction, “Merlo said. “And people will rediscover the value of in-person interactions.”
Gary Small, a professor in psychiatry and director at the David Geffen School of University of California Los Angeles said text messaging is a dangerous way to pull away from face to face communication.
“People that over use text messages have a harder time communicating and talking,” Small said.
“They are students that can’t stop text messaging in class,” Small said. “Not even for five minutes.”
For Small, users are social animals and by enacting text messages to be part of our daily communication, it may tamper or affect their creativity.
Small agreed with Merlo, that text messaging affects relationships, and recommends people to be moderated in its use.
“Its fine to text but only in moderation, don’t over do it,” Small said. “Don’t break up through text messaging, have the courage to have a conversation.”
But according to other experts, text messaging not only imposes an interactive risk for people, but also a health risk, according to Davis Kermit assistant professor on Environmental Health at University of Cincinnati.
“Anytime you have a concentrated activity over long periods of time, muscles and other soft tissues start to break down,” Kermit said. “In the case of texting, kids often times text continuously and for many hours.”
Kermit said, using phones in the small surface areas on keyboards requires fine movements by the fingers, if done excessively over time soft tissues breakdown and start becoming inflamed and as a result time pain starts in the hands, fingers and thumbs.
For Kermit, to avoid any health risk in excessive and continuous texting, the key is to take breaks, “The key is to take routine breaks, every 20 to 30 minutes.”
Kermit also said that very few students know about these risks, and warned students to take precautions.
“They are some students that will excessively text for long duration’s,” Kermit said. “These are the ones that would be at the highest risk.”
Alexa Gearangel a Third-year in Medical Laboratory Sciences at Ohio State University said, “Texting is convenient, but it certainly takes away from conversation with people.”
For Gearangel people are always texting while waiting in line in a shop, and she considers herself an average to lower user that doesn’t have a smart phone.
As far as relationships Gearangel said, “It is always better when someone breaks up using conversation and avoids text messaging.”
Stefano Casertano professor of International Relations at Potsdam University answers questions about Al-Qaeda.
April 23rd, 2012By Jaime Ortega Simo
Dr. Stefano Casertano, Ph.D., M.B.A.
1) Is Al-Qaeda any longer a threat to the U.S. Government and citizens?
Al Quaeda has lost the operative ability to organize large attacks, and the financial negwork has been almost entirely disbanded. Moreover, the Arab revolts (or should we say neo-islamist revolts?) broke out in a period when Al Quaeda was touching a minimum in terms of popularity: people do not believe in its political project, given there has ever been any. Nevertheless, some loners may still possess the technical ability to ignite some fireworks, and a latent danger is present.
2) Could they still run operations in the U.S. or are they financially in trouble?
They could, but a new 9.11 or a new atocha is unlikely.
3) They are rumors that Al-Qaeda could partner with Los Zetas so they can get inside the United States and possibly plan an attack. How likely is this to happen?
Los Zetas is a criminal organization with a focus on drugs as revenue source. Al Quaeda is a terrorist network with an extremist message and private rentiers as financers. I do not really see that many affinities.
4) Who is Al-Qaeda’s new boss?
Hard to say, since the limit of fragmented networks (beneath many operative advantages) is that when the head is chopped off, the network cannot simply “reunite” to set up a new structure based on the new head. The organization will gain a stronger localist focus, hitherto will become less dangerous for the West.
5) Any other new terrorist organizations around there?
The Italian mafia franchises are becoming very dangerous and have extended their network to Northern Italy, Germany, France, Spain. They fish from a basin of unemployed and impoverished masses, and in Italy alone have some 140 billion euro yearly to invest. This is way more than what Al Qaeda ever had.
6) What does the future hold for Al-Qaeda?
Decline. The organizations has been checked by Islamists that now see a chance of claiming power through democratic access, after the revolts.
Jaime Ortega Interview: Stefano Casertano professor at International Relations at Potsdam University.
The Daily Journalist.
Welcome to The Daily Journalist Forum
April 22nd, 2012
Click in the Image to go to the Forum.
Pat Spain from the Beast Hunter show of National Geographic answers about Mokele Mbembe
April 20th, 2012By Jaime Ortega Simo.
Patrick Spain
1) Is it true that a giant animal might be roaming throughout Central Africa?
1 – There are a lot of large animals roaming Central and West Africa! It is true that there may still be undiscovered large creatures, but my best assessment of Mokele Mbembe is that it is mistaken identity and a strong tradition of folk-lore.
2) When you spoke to the Locals did they seem credible or were they fantasying?
The locals were very credible; they clearly know the creatures of their forest, but I also believe they may see what they want to when it comes to MM. Elephants, Rhinos, and Hippos are no longer found in the regions MM is spotted. I would believe that, while the locals know of these creatures, they could mistake them for the legendary MM. Also, the strong traditions of folk-lore might cloud their accounts of friends / family who have died in tragic ways (boats hitting rocks, animal attacks etc) and link these deaths to MM in order to keep the stories of their loved ones alive.
3) As a scientist, do you think a Creature like Mokele Mbembe would really live in those regions? What would he eat?
A creature like MM would have ample food sources from the forest. Many fruiting plants exist on the banks of the river for a large herbivore to eat. I do not believe a sauropod would live in the swampy regions in the Congo however. Recent scientific evidence shows that these creatures did not live in swamps as previously thought.
4) When you went there what were you expecting at first? And once you actually were there, did anything change regarding what you had previously thought about the creature?
I went with a notion that there was likely an unknown creature and left with a sense that it was most likely mistaken identity.
5) Evolutionist say this is a fake video to sell, do you agree?
I’m not sure what video you are referring to. There is a video of a large “animal” crossing a lake taken by a Japanese film crew. Personally, I believe this is an elephant. There are also videos of large animals in the water that all appear to be swimming elephants or boats to me.
6) Will this animal ever be found?
I do not believe we will ever find a living saurpod. I would love to be proven wrong! While I do hold out some hope that MM might be a large, undiscovered creature, I think it much more likely that the accounts can be attributed to folk-lore and misidentification. Of all of the mysterious animals I investigated, I believe MM is the least likely to truely be a new species of animal.
Thank-you again for this opportunity! Hope all is well.
Jaime Ortega Interview: Pat Spain from Beast Hunter, National Geographic
The Daily Journalist.
Casey Luskin from the Discovery Institute responds to critics of Intelligent Design
April 20th, 2012By Jaime Ortega Simo.
Casey Luskin is one of the leading researchers on Intelligent Design in Seattle Washington.
Is social-media going to make online business owners lazier? Patrick Schwerdtfeger, responds.
April 18th, 2012By Jaime Ortega Simo.
Patrick Schwerdtfeger social media expert
1) Making money using social-media seems a more viable and accessible way to generate profit, but is online business also making people lazier?
Social media and the internet in general have allowed people to start businesses right from their own homes, eliminating the need to fight rush hour traffic or apply for traditional jobs. But that does not mean it’s an easier route to take. Those looking for the “easy life” are usually shocked at the work required to build and sustain a successful internet business.
2) Is the future generation going to be stuck using social-media online business and less traditional and natural ways to run a business such as face-to-face interactions?
Unlike their parents, the younger generation feels more comfortable online than offline. They believe it’s more personal, while their parents believe it’s less personal. As they mature and older generations migrate to new online business structures, traditional face-to-face business interactions will diminish.
3) Social-media makes people hide inside a computer and not interact in the real world. It also creates the illusion to make people believe they have 1000 friends in FACEBOOK (they are some cases were that might be true for some, but not for everyone) If people are affected by social media, what makes anyone believe that people won’t be also affected by using social-media for marketing or online business purposes?
As a result of social media, the term “friend” is acquiring a new meanin. Online connections do not have the same personal intensity of traditional friendships. However, the level of trust developed through online channels does appear to be sufficient to justify purchase decisions. The number of business transactions taking place online is skyrocketing. So while the essence of person-to-person friendships is changing, the motivation behind purchase decisions is not.
4) What are the true benefits for using online marketing?
Every year an increasing percentage of people are looking online to get their questions answered. In many cases, the answers to those questions involve a product or service that is available for sale. Any business that wishes to capture that increasing revenue potential needs to establish an internet presence and engage in online marketing.
5) Social media is now a reality, but is there something else coming up for us, or is social-media the ultimate way to look at life now?
The original web represented one-way communication. Web 2.0 represented two-way communication, with the introduction of user-generated content. Social media is simply the next logical step, facilitating communication between users. The next step will be the integration of the online world and the offline world. Augmented reality will allow people to interact with the world through a technology filter, providing a host of fascinating functionality along the way.
Jaime Ortega interview: Patrick Schwerdtfeger social media expert.
The Daily Journalist.
Lieutenant Anne R. Ralston on drug cartel narcotic trade in Ohio
April 17th, 2012
Hello Jaime,
1) Are these Drug Cartels operating drugs all the way to Ohio or the Midwest? Is it getting better or worse?
Answer- Drug traffickers transport illegal narcotics to and through Ohio on a daily basis. Drugs move across the county and as a result of where Ohio sits in relation to the rest of the county, yes, and illegal narcotic pass through Ohio on our major east/west and north/south interstates.
2) Why is the I-35 road so important for these cartels?
Answer- I-35 does not pass through Ohio.
3) What would be the best remedy to solve this drug problem in the short run?
Answer- The Ohio State Highway Patrol works diligently to remove these dangerous drugs from our roadways as we know the drugs are not only coming through Ohio, but often times the drugs are destined for Ohio communities.
Professor Simeon Yates of Sheffield Hallam University responds about the danger of text messages
April 17th, 2012By Jaime Ortega Simo.
Professor Simeon Yates is an expert in dangers related with text messages.
1. Is text messaging bad for people?
This is the wrong question. No medium is “bad” or “good” for people. Some Ancient Greek Philosophers claimed writing was bad for people as the art of Rhetoric would die out – argument needed to be performed not written. Recent scholars have argued nobly writing allows for rational argument…. All media tend to be socially evaluated – very often when they are new they are deemed “dangerous”, often generating “moral panics” in the press. For example the Right-wing press in the UK (Daily Mail, Daily Express) have run many articles claiming that texting “is destroying english”, in fact nearly all texting is well spelt and abbreviations are used consistently.
I think the question needs to be – how are we changing the way we interact with each other and organise our social lives through the use of new media? The question of wether these changes are good or bad is in fact a moral, ethical, political and cultural one.
2) Does it help or ruin relationships?
No more so than any other medium. People ending a relationship by text is harsh – but it happens, but so is a “Dear John” letter. The question is how do people integrate texting into a relationship. Like any other medium it changes the dynamics, and the processes but these are still human relationships in all their complexity.
3) Do people that use text are more shy to dialog with people in a face to face conversation?
Yes, EVERYONE we have interviewed has used texting, Facebook, twitter etc. to manage “face” – that is to deal with difficult and challenging social interaction. But we did the same with the phone, or letters etc. Managing face is key part of all social interaction. Texting is just another medium/option available to us.
The attached book chapter might help.
Simeon.
Brady Calestro president of Mondokio encourages to look at news sources without undermining different perspectives.
April 16th, 2012
Hello Jaime.
1) What makes Mondokio, Mondokio?
Mondokio is about the struggle for the equality of voice and the recognition of a common humanity. It’s our role is to teach people, especially young people, of different backgrounds and different perspectives how to communicate with each other — with clarity, precision, and respect.
2) In your opinion, is bias within news a big problem for the readers that don’t have access to other news networks?
If you’re only reading from one news source or in one language, you’re worldview is severely limited. This outdated approach necessarily obscures the reality of a story, deepens misunderstandings, and entrenches conflict.
3) Should translating news be a fundamental part of today’s journalism?
Yes. It’s especially important to Mondokio because underlying our presentation of the news is the objective of minimizing armed conflict. We cover topics that exist over multiple countries and cultures. A tremendous amount of conflict is the result of a simple difference on how a topic is perceived. It’s no longer distance that’s the real barrier; it’s language.
4) Is Mondokio the alternative of News Bias?
Whether it’s intentional or not, news sources make editorial decisions based on where they’re located, what language they’re operating in, who their audience is, and how they’re financed. What Mondokio does is bring together the most influential biases from all over the world in a way that truly captures world sentiment.
Itzhak Ben-David professor of finance comments about Facebook going public.
April 16th, 2012
Hello Jaime,
1) Why do you think Facebook wants to go public?
Facebook seems to generate enough cash to finance its operations. Going public at this time may be due to desire of some of the current entrepreneurs and financiers to cash out. Another reason that the hype about social networking seems to be at its peak – e.g. Zinga and Linked-in had great successes in their initial public offering (IPOs). It is always better to go public when the market is hot.
2) If they finally go public, will Facebook become a battlefield of investors trying to impose their own rules and possibly mess up Facebook for users?
Probably not. Mr. Zuckerberg’s control over facebook will remain tight also after the IPO. Investors understand that in order to generate value, the user’s experience needs to be satisfactory. After all, there is tough competition (Google+). I anticipate, however, that there will be pressure to generate more revenues for Facebook, so we may see more targeted advertising and perhaps new forms to advertising.
3)When companies that large go public, what are the pros and the cons (you can give one example of both)?
For most large firms going public is a one-way ticket. It means that the firm is under greater scrutiny of investors – they demand results. This is typically considered good, but sometimes investors are short-sighted and not like long-term projects. Being public means also that the firm needs to disclose better its strategies, so it may lose some of its competitive edge. It also means that the firm can raise finance more easily and finance new projects. It can expand and conduct more acquisitions of other firms (e.g., competitors or related firms). Finally, a firm that becomes public gets a lot of media attention, as its stock price and performance is constantly discussed.
James M. Dorsey senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute writes about Al-Qaeda’s present.
April 16th, 2012
Jaime,
Below are the answers.
Is Al-Qaeda any longer, a threat to the U.S. Government and citizens?
1. My view is that the scope of terrorism with the caveat of the threat of militants gaining access to crude weapons of mass destruction has receded to pre 9/11 levels. Al Qaeda as such post-Bin Laden is no longer the major threat. The head of the FBI has conceded as much. Of course, militants who often operate in effect independently using the Al Qaeda label in places like Yemen, North and West Africa pose a threat to national interest more than to homeland security.
Could they still run operations in the U.S. or are they financially in trouble?
2. They probably could but its at the level of law enforcement. They are weakened financially and operationally but perhaps more importantly history has surpassed one. Few people have an appetite for global jihad, people’s focus violently or not is local. The Arab revolts are evidence of that.
They are rumors that AlQaeda could partner with Los Zetas, so they can get inside the United States and possibly plan an attack. How likely is this to happen?
3. Anything is possible. There have been links between Al Qaeda’s North African affiliate and Central and Latin American drug organizations. That does not mean that they share their interests in common. Los Zetas may not want to further escalate its conflict with the US by taking its war to US soil, particularly at a time that Latin American governments are pushing for an end to the war on drugs and legalization.
Who is AlQaeda’s new boss?
4. Ayman Zawahiri, who is not a loved leader and who has difficulty adopting to new realities.
Any other new terrorist organizations around there?
5. Political violence has always been a fact of life. The major change is that the days of global rather than local ambition are over.
What future holds for AlQaeda?
6. It depends on one’s definition of Al Qaeda: as a global organization of jihad it does not have a future; as a brand name others will exploit, definitely; as a local presence using the brand, there also is a future.
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld