Stay Free: Baby Vids Make You Dumber

A recent Stay Free article discusses a new study(PDF) that shows that the educational merits of videos like Baby Einstein are dubious at best and possibly bad for mental development at worst. Also interesting is the debate that continues in the comments section between the author and a supporter(representative?) of the chidren's media industry. Read the entire post with comments here.

Media That Matters 7

The winners of the seventh annual Media That Matters Film Festival are now online. The sixteen featured documentaries are 8 minutes or shroter and range in subject matter from garbage recyclers in Egypt to 5th graders in the Bronx who try veganism. Watch them all here.

Hop on the Green Train

It seems Amtrak has jumped on the Green bandwagon with the most recent issue of their Arrive magazine (which is in seat back pockets on their Northeast lines). Titled "Special Green Issue" the cover announces that it was printed on recycled paper (only 10% post-consumer waste and paid for by an advertiser) and contains articles on subjects like "Recyclable Shopping" (flea markets!), "Sustainable Dining" (seafood specifically), "Environmental Investing" (land conservation) and an interview with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The rest of the issue is their standard fare and I assume they'll go back to non-recycled paper next issue. Definitely not the most progressive take on environmentalism, but it's a start. I look forward to the day that "Green Issue"s are the norm and not "special".

If you're interested you can read the entire Arrive Green Issue online here.

Day of Silence

I tried tuning into one of my favorite internet radio stations this morning only to be reminded that it is one of thousands that are protesting an upcoming drastic royalty rate change with a Day of Silence. The change, which will go into effect July 15 (and be retroactive to January 1, 2006), could cause many small, independent broadcasters to shut down. A list of participating internet stations (including some of the largest like Yahoo! Launch, Rhapsody, and Pandora.com) can be found along with more details in RAIN (Radio And Internet Newsletter). To let your elected officials know your feelings about the rate change go here.

What Conservative Majority?

A new report from the media research group Media Matters for America gives evidence that the idea of a conservative majority in America is in fact false. "The Progressive Majority: Why Conservative America Is a Myth" includes a range of issues:

• The role of government - Americans support an active government that tackles problems, provides services, and aids those in need.
• The economy - Americans support increasing the minimum wage and strong unions, and believe the wealthy and corporations don't pay their fair share of taxes.
• Social issues - Americans support legal abortion and embryonic stem cell research; opinions on equal rights for women and gay Americans have grown dramatically more progressive in recent years.
• Security - Americans support a progressive approach to national security, emphasizing strong alliances and diplomacy over the indiscriminate use of military force. On domestic security issues, progressive approaches to crime and gun control enjoy wide support.
• The environment - By enormous margins, Americans favor strong environmental protections, a core progressive belief.
• Energy - Americans support energy conservation and the development of alternative fuels.
• Health care - Americans clearly favor universal coverage and are more than comfortable with government solutions to the health care problem.

Read more about the report here. Or download a full version here(PDF).

A Fair(y) Use Tale

Disney characters explain Copyright Law and Fair Use in this entertaining Fair(y) Use Tale created by Professor Eric Faden of Bucknell University. It's also available for download via the Fair Use Project at The Center For Internet and Society at Stanford University.


via Mica

Story Corps Follow-Up

As mentioned previously I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in StoryCorps with my mother at the mobile booth in Richmond, VA. This morning an excerpt was broadcast on our local Public Radio station. They did a marvelous job of synthesizing our conversation about my grandfather down to a few poignant minutes. You can listen to it (and others) here.

CNN agrees to make debate footage accessible.

CNN has agreed to make footage from the upcoming presidential debates available to the public without restrictions (read: copyrights). CNN's notice about this appears here.

ALR on tour: Youth Peace Summit, Richmond, VA

One of my former students and I ran a workshop on media awareness this weekend for the Richmond Peace Education Center's annual Youth Peace Summit. We had a terrific group of kids who were not only familiar with what we were talking about (the power of media/corporations to influence their lives and their communities), but eager to work on a project deconstructing magazine ads. Thanks to RPEC for asking us to participate.

Crispin Glover on Corporations

While David Lynch's comment about product placement was amusing it's also nice to hear a more nuanced discussion of the problem with corporate movie making from Crispin Glover on VBS.TV.

Thanks Mica!

Feminist vs. Fox

What happens when a feminist writer/activist goes on Fox to discuss violence against women?
Jennifer Pozner, director of Women In Media and News (WIMN), decided to find out. You can read about her appearance and why she agreed to be a guest speaker on Hannity & Colmes (after initially declining) on the WIMN blog. You can also watch her on the show (or read the transcript if you can't stomach the actual program).

Hearst Gets Greener

Hearst made quite a statement last year with the opening of it's entirely green NYC headquarters.
This week they have announced a new consumer website which will be entirely focused on earth-friendly living called The Daily Green (link).

The Daily Green will be a one-stop Web destination where the fast-growing community of green consumers can find each other and everything they need to know to embrace a more energy-conscious, natural foods-oriented and environment-friendly lifestyle.

The Daily Green will feature daily eco-tips; the day’s key national and international environmental news; advice on how to enjoy a more sustainable life with smart energy and product choices; delicious recipes for meals and school lunches that are more hormone- and pesticide-free, compassionately raised and “as local-as-available”; and ideas for creating a more toxin-free home. While content will be an important element of The Daily Green, it is the community of followers of the green movement that will inform the sensibility of the site. For example, Weird Weather Watch, a user-generated photoblog of climate change snapped by backyard environmentalists and camera phone climatologists will be an important feature, as will user-submitted recipes and tips. In addition, the site will give a voice to the leaders of the country’s most important environmental organizations through blog postings and site links.

The beta version will launch on Earth Day, April 22 2007. Check back here for further investigation at that time!

Until then you can go read
more about the Hearst Tower (Link)

Media Consolidation Visualization

Mother Jones magazine has created this lovely chart (PDF) showing the continued consolidation of the media over the last 25 years from multiple players to a mere 8 companies. It was included as part of a feature on newspaper deregulation: Breaking The News.