Greece: Country Report (Information Network) – Allen Bryan

Ekathemerini (Traditional): This is one of Greece’s top newspapers. Initially, this source was completely in greek, and not knowing how to understand the language, it was all greek to me (ba dum tss). All jokes aside I quickly found that there was an English section of this site, and unlike some sites where google translates the page in real time, this site has actual translators who translate the articles into English. I found this very cool and having dedicated translators for this site means that much of the information from the original articles won’t be lost in [Google] translation. The site itself is similar to the dispatch or the times in that it is heavy on the news, but it also branches off and covers a variety of different topics such as business, lie, sports, etc. which gives its readers an assortment of topics to chose from.

It is accessed at http://www.ekathimerini.com/

I chose this because I believe that in order to learn about a country it is important to look over their open sources. It is not only good for gathering information about the country but because they are typically written by journalists from within the country itself, it gives you a good idea of what and how the people are thinking, and how the society runs. This can give you a better understanding of cultural norms, and simply an overall deeper understanding of the citizens from within a country.

 

To Vima (Traditional): This is another one of Greece’s top news outlets. This one differs a little bit from the previous one in that it is more similar to a Fox, CNN, and MSNBC, in that it is more focused on the politics of the country and region. Although it is primarily about politics it does dabble a little bit into economics and religion, but usually relates these to how they affect politics. This site is good in that it gives a more specific focus and its approach to the news is similarly structured. This way if I need to find a credible and reliable news piece about politics in Greece or in the Mediterranean, then this will be the first place I go to, unlike the previous source where it is more open to any kind of news story.

It is accessed at http://www.tovima.gr/en

I chose this for similar reasons to the previous source in that using news sources from within the country itself gives a richer understanding of the culture. However, unlike the previous source, this one gives me a better understanding of the political views of the citizens and in what ways they focus these views. This will give me a better understanding of how they view their government and its relationship with its citizens. This can now only help me learn the history of the country but can give me a good idea of what the political future holds for it as well.

 

Greek Reporter (New Media): This source is very similar to that of the first one in that it incorporates many different topics in which it reports on. These topics are the news, life, entertainment, sports, etc., again, similar to the first one. One different and interesting thing I noticed with this site, however, is that there is a news tab all about Cyprus, a large island and one that has been controversial since the 1970s  when Turkey invaded and took a large portion of the land. Today there have been many attempts towards independence but this is an on-going story and one that I will probably be talking about in the future. But I digress. What makes this source different from the other two, and why I have decided to put it under the “New Media” section, is that they are solely an online news outlet while the other two continue to sell physical newspapers as well as being online.

It is accessed at http://greece.greekreporter.com/tag/greece-news/

I chose this because it gives a different point of view as the other two, arguably more formal and established news outlets. This site also has more of an international view of not just Greece but many different regions of the world (as seen at the tops of the site), and according to their ‘about’ tab “we are the Greek news source for everything that matters from all around the world.” This struck out to me as well as a lot of other things they talked about here, which I don’t have the space to quote it all, but essentially they were one of the first online Greek news sites.

 

YiaHara (Social Media): I found this source very interesting because it is a combination of social media and a travel guide. By this I mean there is a social media aspect to it, specifically called “social network”, but the site does not stop there. It is essentially a series of forums that discuss all things Greece. Aside from the social network aspect the site also includes destinations (within Greece), upcoming events, news, food, art, religion, sports, and so much more. I found this very interesting because while many social media sites also have these, they are far more difficult to find, access, and interact with, while this one has all of these options right up front and then (after creating an account) you can jump right in and learn about a variety of different things within Greece.

It is accessed here https://yiahara.com/

I chose this because it allows me to, in a way, step outside my social media “comfort zone” if you will. I am so used to sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and other forms of social media that are big in the united states and those used by my friend groups that I sometimes forget that there are so many others out there. Also, this is probably one of the best ways to find out about how the people there think, how they live, what kinds of foods they eat, shows/sports they watch, and so much more day to day aspects of their life, better than that of the first source I mentioned. While this site is great for understanding the people better, I do have to keep in mind that this is not a news site and I probably would have to be more careful accepting things other than opinions that are posted on here.

 

The World Bank (Data): This site will be a quick one to define and that’s because it’s nothing but numbers. This site dives deep into many different facets of a country such as GDP, Population, Gross enrolment rates, CO2 emissions, Poverty, Life Expectancy, and so much more. This site not only gives you the current rates but shows you graphs of the trends over the years. One cool thing I found about this site is that it goes even further than just giving you raw data and graphs but it also has a number of surveys conducted over the years as well. These surveys can also give the user additional information they might be looking for. But overall, this is a solid site for data on a multitude of countries.

It is accessed at https://data.worldbank.org/country/greece

I chose this site for obvious reasons, that is it gives me good, reliable, data on many different aspects of a country. If I want to see how a country’s GDP or life expectancy is and how it has changed over the years, there’s a graph for that. Overall it is a great site for whatever quantitative information I want to find out about my country.

 

ERT1 (Visual): This is one of Greece’s top TV news outlets. From here you can find a variety of different topics in which the new station talks about. One of the main challenges I had with this site was that there wasn’t an English version of the site. This wasn’t too much of a challenge when I realized that Google Chrome could translate the pages in real time. After I activated this, navigating the site(s) became far easier. This site has many videos (which are essentially just recordings of when the broadcast was live) about news, entertainment, sports, and a series of different channels as “ERT” is essentially an umbrella/parent company for a number of different channels. One interesting thing I found while navigating this site was under their “Foreign Series” tab. Here, I found that they have different television series from all over the world, but they have been dubbed over in Greek. I don’t know why but I found that cool.

It is accessed at http://webtv.ert.gr/ert1/

I chose this because it is a Greek television and news station, and unlike the previous sources I’ve mentioned, this one gives the news in a video format similar to if you were watching the local and national news from your television; that is because the videos are recordings from the television broadcasts.  This is a good source for understanding how information is broadcasted via TV throughout the country, and how it is similar to that of other news stations around the world such as CNN here, BBC in England, and RAI News in Italy. Good for comparisons, really.

 

Process Notes:

If I’m being honest here I just Googled the different types of media that were required and then simply added “Greece” to the searches. After that, I just skimmed through the searches to find sources that I deemed to be reliable or at least the ones that were presentable, easy to navigate and gave an assortment of articles to look at. All while making sure that they were either in English or personally translated to English because while Google Translate may be okay for sources such as my last one where all I needed to translate were the headers, it would not have been good or reliable for entire chunks of text.

Strategy-wise, what worked best was being able to limit my searches to keywords in order to find specific sources, because if I gave too broad of a source or wasn’t clear in what I wanted then I ended up with completely different sources and sites than what I needed.

What I learned from searching all of this, for me at least, is that it was very easy to find international information as long as I knew where to look. I cant say this is the case for everyone, and maybe it is because Greece is a huge historical country, but there were far more sites than I had originally expected there to be. Again, as long as I knew what I was looking for there was a site in Greek about it, and luckily I was able to find English versions of these sites (with the exception of the last one) fairly easily.

What I plan to do for the next draft is to take my time to try to be even more specific in my searches in order to find even better quality sites. I feel as if I lucked out and found some really good ones this go around but maybe next time I will look even harder, read the “About” sections of each site which is honestly a gold mine in terms of the history, values, beliefs, political affiliation, and other information that can help you better understand not only what the site will be posting about, but also makes it easier to know if there are biases in the articles and if they are valid or not. Other than that I plan on utilizing the university libraries site more in order to find more precise and reliable resources, if any.

Netherlands Information Network Report #1

The Netherlands Country Report: Information Network

DutchNews.NL (New Media)

DutchNews.NL is a “provider of quality Dutch news and current affairs in English for an international audience”. This media source reaches nearly 25,000 people daily through their online webpage, digital newsletters and their social media site. DutchNews.NL acts as a kind of online newspaper, free to all, containing articles published daily on a variety of topics, including Politics, Business, Society, Sports. They also included subsections on European and International news. After digging a little deeper, I found that each topic had multiple articles published in the last week, so it seems that it is constantly updated with current news.

I chose this source because it seems to be a comprehensive and complete view on the news in the Netherlands. It covers a multiple array of subjects and is frequently updated. I will use this source to maintain a daily account on happenings in my country. It can be accessed through the web URL www.dutchnews.nl as well as on twitter @DutchNewsNL.

Elsevier Weekblad (Traditional Media)

Elsevier is a weekly news magazine published in the Netherlands and it is the most popular news magazine in the country with a circulation of 86,000 copies as of 2015. Primarily focusing on politics, this magazine has an online component as well with topical subjects as well as opinion pieces. They also try to comment on the most recent happenings around the world, as they have recently devoted entire sections of their website and magazine to Bitcoin and the American Dreamers. This magazine publication also seems to lean right-wing and be very pro-American and tout conservative ideals, manifesting in multiple positive pieces on President Trump. I found it interesting that they also devote large pieces of their publications to a section entitled “Living in America” about how Dutch citizens can earn a living in the States.

I chose this source to get an idea of the political landscape of the Netherlands and to gain an insight on to just one side of the Dutch spectrum. This source can be accessed through the website URL www.elsevierweekblad.nl and on twitter @Else4Weekblad.

De Groene Amsterdammer (Traditional Media)

De Groene Amsterdammer is another weekly periodical published in the Netherlands, based in Amsterdam. This source states that “In a time of intellectual impoverishment, De Groene offers refreshing ideas, new facts and unexpected insights”. De Groene also frequently attempts to uphold the image that they have no commercial interest and limit themselves to the things that “really matter in the world”. It seems that De Groene is the left-wing alternative to Elsevier so I am eager to take articles on similar topics from both sources and to compare the differing viewpoints. The majority of articles seem to be under the subheadings, Arts & Culture, In The World, and Identity Policy.

This is accessible in print as well as at www.groene.nl as well as on twitter @DeGroene.

@NRC Twitter (Social Media)

The Netherlands ranks 4th in the world in use of social networks so it is safe to say social media is a vital source of news for the average Dutch person. After researching the most viewed twitter accounts in the Netherlands in reference to daily news, I found @NRC, the social network proponent of NRC Media. They have over 550,000 followers and tweet daily on national news. They cover a variety of topics including technology, education and business. The account tweets out news constantly as there are normally 4 articles posted hourly. As social media is one of the main ways I as a student receive news, I wanted to use this source to show how the social aspect of media is being used in my country. The NRC twitter is accessible through https://twitter.com/nrc.

NOS Journaal (Audio/Visual)

NOS Journaal is a television program aired in the Netherlands that informs viewers of the latest news from 6:30 am to midnight. The program is aired on NPO 1, the Netherlands first national television station. NOS Journaal’s goal is to provide the most complete picture of the news of the day. I chose this source as I wanted to find the equivalent of a CNN or Fox News station that broadcasts news continuously throughout the day.

CIA World Factbook – Netherlands (Data Source)

I chose the Netherlands CIA World Factbook page for my Data source because I believe it provides the most comprehensive data on the economy, population, history and politics of the Netherlands. The Factbook is a credible source that will allow me to quickly access quantitative date over time, examples include GDP across varying years, or percentages of population that use the internet.

The CIA World Factbook is easily accessed by web at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/nl.html.

 

Reflection

At first I started using OSU library’s database and navigated to search through the Access World News Bank. As my search continued, I really wanted to research what the average Dutch person is picking up from a newsstand or grocery market in Amsterdam, so I looked up what were the most read periodicals were and came across the online sites for De Groene and Elsevier magazines. These both serve as my traditional sources and I think their good choices as they reflect multiple sides of the Netherlands political spectrum. While conducting my search, I learned how useful the translation tool is on web browsers as most of my sources were originally in Dutch. As for looking forward to my upcoming additions to my information network, I’d like to pursue more academic, scholarly sources in the Netherlands rather than media that seems to be made for the masses, which include most of the sources I have currently.

Germany- Information Network Draft #1

Ardmediathek: Although it is in the German language, this site covers the broad category of German culture within entertainment, news, sports, and even the stock exchange. Ardmediathek is run by the ARD organization which stands for The Working Group of the Federal Republic of Germany’s Public Broadcasters (translated). This site is used primarily as a German media outlet for ease of access and information among German citizens. It is updated daily with new articles on German artists and political events. More importantly, this site offers live German TV at any time of the day. The directory of mediathek is set up similarly to any news station website within the United States with the intention of being free as well as an open source to the public.

You can access this site at ardmediathek.de and on Twitter @ARDde.

I chose this site because it shows the modern cultural expanse of Germany. I was directed towards it by my German professor as a means of practice for my German language. Since then, I’ve found that it helps not only my German proficiency, but also my knowledge on German events and practices as they happen daily. I will stay up to date with this site by habitually checking on it to improve my German as well as check on German events. Likewise, I followed mediathek on Twitter to get more snapshots on major articles that are posted daily.

Europa World Plus:Europa World Plus is an international reference series that provides key surveys for more than 250 countries around the world. The almanac is overseen through the worldwide publisher of Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group with data being provided from numerous sources that can be accessed through each country’s bibliography. This series keeps up to date with current nation’s elections and statistics and updates periodically to ensure concise depictions of country’s numbers. For Germany, the main statistics appear to come from the 2015 census. You may choose a country such as Germany and view its history, demographics, and specific statistics such as population, external trade, and industry from the last updated period.

This site can be accessed through OhioLink or any other library site that has authorization to use it on a subscription based fee. For Ohio State Students, search Europa through http://library.ohio-state.edu/screens/databases.html . You can also follow Europa @EuropaWorld on Twitter.

I hope to use this site as a reference page when doing research with other sources. Europa provides great overviews of countries that I am able to fact-check as I observe the credibility of articles and if their ‘facts’ hold up to the data. I selected this site because it is the most credible and unbiased source of information I can start with as I continue to dog deeper into German media and news sources. It will act as a screening source that either supports or refutes future articles and their credibility.

 

Global Voices: Articles such as Netizen Report: Germany’s New Social Media Law Puts a Price on Hate Speech on globalvoices.org are unbiased accounts of local or national events occuring in the world. Written by citizen reporters and bloggers, Global Voices depicts the people’s voice on what is going on in their region of the world. This article in particular was by the Netizen Report Team, a team of researchers and writers that work on Global Voices Advocacy. Plainly, it puts the news in the hands of everyday citizen reporters. The article focuses on a new law set forth by the German government in hopes to mitigate hate speech online. This law would charge private companies a fee if they do not take down content that is flagged as hate speech or derogatory.

This source can be accessed through globalvoices.org. It is updated on a weekly to monthly basis as large stories come out in the world. The site seems to focus on bigger events that affect the populace of a nation or nations that deserve public weigh in.

I chose this source because of its credibility with citizen reporters. It is difficult to find a source such as this that isn’t biased. Global Voices gives thorough and factual information while not swaying towards either side of the isle. I plan to use Global Voices mainly to keep up to date with major events that occur with my state locally, nationally, and internationally. The scope of Global Voices will be beneficial in observing the range of news coming from Germany and what the people have to say about it.

 

DW.com: DW.com is a German newsite that provides newspaper articles on their website in over 30 languages including English. Similar to the layout of CNN.com, users can choose from categories to read on articles of news, sports, culture, and more. New German Disaster App: Getting Help Without Cell Service, written by journalist Carla Bleiker, focuses on a new app in development that would help individuals affected by natural disasters. The app, called Smarter, would use local wifi or phone cloud services to allow users to call or located others without the use of cell phone towers or cell service. The article brings up skepticisms of the app and the hurdles that would need to jumped in order for this service to become a household name.

All articles are run through the Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international broadcaster. This source can easily be accessed through dw.com or through their Twitter @DeutschWelle. This source is updated hourly as it is one of Germany’s largest distributors of news.

I plan on looking at this source on a weekly basis. It looks to be a great source of German information as to what’s happening all of the nation. I likewise will test my German by attempting to read the articles in the German language and then rereading it in English to see what I can get out of it! This will be a good source to use in tandem with Europa World Plus so I can see what the numbers (statistics) actually mean as I read them. I chose this source because it broadens the newspan of Germany to an even larger degree from previous sources. I would like to see expansive coverage of the country as a whole so the moving parts within it end up making sense as a whole.

 

Der Tagesspiegel: Belin ist wie New York – nur in die Waagerechte gekippt is an article on Der Tagesspiegel website that harks on Berlin’s architecture and its likeness to the United State’s New York City. Since no author is published on this work, it is assumed that it comes from Der Tagesspiegel’s reporting office. Der Tagesspiegel is Berlin’s daily newspaper that covers stories and news events within the city. This article focuses on Berlin being a ‘horizontal’ New York since the hustle and bustle and size are comparative to the big apple, but not the vertical size of building. This article continues discussing the premier architect Walter Benjamin and his likeliness to Berlin’s original builders.

This article was found through the online german newspapers directory via wikipedia. It updates daily and can be accessed online at tagesspiegel.de.

I became interested in this source while trying to find local newspapers. I chose Berlin since it is a large and expanding city that carries not only history but ongoing change. This source is great for a variety of topics within a specific location in Germany. I will use this source to get a focused view on Berlin. I can see what happens with policies and events in Germany in accordance to specific regions such as Berlin.

 

Twitter Filters: Twitter is a heavy source of opinion in the social network of apps. With the ‘advanced search’ option, you are able to filter through the tsunami of tweets to view topics that are tailored to your liking. I used the ‘advanced search’ to view German citizen’s thoughts and feeling on immigration. With Twitter, I will get opinions of natives in the regions of Berlin, Dusseldorf, and Munich and what they feel about the massive immigration numbers coming into Germany, as well as the policies beginning to be put into place because of it. The authors being observed are all users of the Twitter app, concretley in specific regions of Germany. This can range from teenagers to politicians, so a number of opinions can and will be noted.

This source can be accessed through the ‘advanced search’ option on the desktop of Twitter.com. With this feature, the source will update by the minute. However, this brings heavy bias into play as the tweets I will be observing will be opinions on immigration rather than an analysis of what’s going on.

I selected this source because it is important to keep up to date with what the populace if feeling about trending matters. With the public opinion, I can see what splits parties and what they stand for (or at least some of their members). I believe that I will use this source the most as I am an avid Twitter user. It will be fun to see what stories and tweets I can find in different areas of the world. I know that since I have a tailored feed, it will be refreshing and surprising to see what other corners of the world have to say about matters important to their country.

Nigeria: Information Network Version 1

Vanguard: This is a daily newspaper in English straight out of Lagos, Nigeria that has been published by Vanguard Media since 1983. I will be able to access the latest news on politics, business, technology, style, and entertainment from Nigeria. According to the source: “Media: Is Bola Tinubu The Biggest Media Entrepreneur in Nigeria?”. M2 Marketing Management, 2008, this is one of the few publications in Nigeria thought to be free from political control and influence. As this corruption is a big problem in Nigeria, Vanguard will be an invaluable source of objective information. I selected this source because of its reputation and popularity in Nigeria.

I will be utilizing the online version of the newspaper, https://www.vanguardngr.com, as well as following the publication on Twitter, @vanguardngrnews. This source I updated hourly and accessible through. Although this publication is not available through the app store, I am able to stay up to date via tweet notifications.

 

The Punch:  Much like Vanguard, this is a daily newspaper in English with an online version, http://punchng.com, and an official Twitter, @MobilePunch, which I will be following to keep up to date with news from Nigeria. This newspaper was founded in 1971 in Nigeria and is published by Ajibola Ogunsola.

According to the website, The Punch is the “most widely read newspaper in Nigera.” I could not find any independent sources to verify this claim, but a 2014 article from the “About Us” page on the website alleges that the Research and Marketing Services (RMS) Lagos conducted a “current” survey in which The Punch, Saturday Punch, and Sunday Punch constituted the most widely read publications in Nigeria. (https://web.archive.org/web/20031015215403/http://www.punchng.com/aboutus#mission).

I also selected this source because of its reputation and popularity in Nigeria.

 

 

Naij.com: According to Alexa, an Amazon Company tool, Naij.com is the 7th most visited website in Nigeria (https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/naij.com), and according to another news website, YNaija, naij.com is a “Nigerian news and entertainment portal that features aggregated news content,” (https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/naij.com). The official website is https://www.naija.ng, and the accompanying Twitter is @naijcom, which I will be following to keep up-to-date on the hourly news flow.

Unlike my other two sources, naij.com is not a newspaper, rather a news website created in 2012 in Lagos and is part of the global consumer internet company, Genesis Media. Another unique feature to this source is the available content based on user-submitted stories. I think that this source will provide a different, and more personalized, approach to the news in Nigeria because of this user involvement

 

Social Media Source-President Buhari: I will be following Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) on Twitter. My first 3 sources are following this account, and I believe that it is important to stay up-to-date with what the leader of a country is telling his own country and the world about news, politics, and policy, whether this information is propaganda or unreliable, or accurate and reliable. This will serve as a point of contrast between what the press is saying and what the head of state is saying. This account does not provide information on who is running the account, but several tweets are in first person, maybe to convince people that the President is doing the tweeting. This account was created in December 2014.

 

Data Source: The World Bank Nigeria: I will be using the official Nigeria page of the World Bank database website (http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/nigeria) to keep informed about Nigeria’s population, GDP, economic growth, and development statistics. This website is published by the World Bank, and Nigeria’s page specifically is directed by Country Director, Rachid Benmessaoud, who is based out of Abuja, Nigeria. The World Bank does not have a Nigeria-specific Twitter account, but rather a “World Bank Africa” account (@WorldBankAfrica). I find this to be odd, seeing as Africa has over 50 independent countries, each with their own regional, cultural, political, and economics needs and differences, but the World Bank is a valuable and reputable source of data.

 

Visual/Audio Source: Channels Television is an independent 24-hour news and media channel based in Lagos, Nigeria that is run by owner John Mamoh. This source classifies itself as a “watchdog” of the government, which I believe is invaluable to the press in every country. According to the African Press Organization (APO), Channels TV won the best Nigerian TV award for the 8th time in 2014. I subscribed to the Youtube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/channelsweb) to keep up to date with Nigerian news via visual information, including interviews with politicians and locals, and events in real time. This source provides live streams daily.

 

 

Reflection 

To find the sources, I first Googled “top Nigerian Newspapers” and then verified each source with its respective Wikipedia page, then its website, another website that mentions it, and finally, its Twitter account, as Twitter seems to be the easiest and most effective way to stay up to date. Googling terms like “Nigerian Twitter” was not as successful because dozens of unverified accounts were the first to pop up. I learned that searching for international information requires a lot more digging and verifying than American and British publications which I am more familiar with and which I know for a fact are reputable. To add additional sources, I plan on repeating my searching strategy, as well as digging deeper using the LibGuide and other library databases for lesser known sources. Although more difficult than finding news sources from America, finding Nigerian sources was not very difficult. I think this could be because of Nigeria’s close ties to Britain, its status as the most populated African country, and the official language being English; these factors could contribute to the output of readily available information.

Greece’s Great Fight for the Future (Written By: Elaine Rigas, Translated By: Veroniki Krikoni)

Greece’s Great Fight for the Future

Blog post by Allen Bryan (Bryan.262)

(Image by psyberartist, September 11, 2013, Omonoia, Athens, Attica. CC 2.0.)

This is an article that was published in 2015 detailing the some of the economic issues Greece has had to face since their [economic] collapse in 2012. The article begins with a quick history of the last time the country came together as a whole to vote on a pressing issue, which, at the time, was one regarding the future of democracy within Greece. Now, nearly 41 years later, the country is coming together once again to vote to either reject or accept a referendum submitted by the European Commission. Without going into great detail about this referendum, if accepted it will essentially bail out the Greek economy in exchange for 2 new austerity measures. These measures are, and I quote: “reforms for the completion of the current program and beyond” and “preliminary debt sustainability analysis.” The remainder of the article was essentially different posts from various citizens and journalists on twitter regarding the incidents that were happening in the country such as pictures of people waiting in line to withdraw money from their banks. Along with these posts, there were also a few additional notes from the author of the article about Europe’s reaction to all of this, the turmoil within the Greek political scene, and lastly, a quick note on what the future may hold.

The evidence used in this article came mostly from the tweets from the citizens and journalists that were both detailing what was happening and also critiquing them as well. Most of the critiques came from the journalists, analysts, and foreign political figures, however, while most of the pictures of what was going on within the country were by the bystanders. The pictures and statements (tweets) made by the public should probably be taken with a grain of salt for a variety of reasons. The first is that I have no way of knowing where the pictures that were used came from, how old they were, or the validity of them, the second reason is that tweets could be photoshopped or edited to say whatever the editor wants, meaning that they may not even be real, and lastly, because many of the tweets were written in Greek and translated afterwards for use in this article, and not knowing Greek I simply have to take the word of the translator that the information given is what the originator of the tweet intended. That being said, they could also very well be valid but more research would need to be done. The journalist, analyst, and political figures, on the other hand, are more valid due to their credibility. The same skepticism applies in terms of the editing of the tweets, however, but the core information and reactions given within them are powerful and detail some of the emotions and criticisms of what was going on in this region a few years ago.

Lastly, when it comes to perspectives, I once more turn to the various tweets that were cited in the article. These tweets not only give us a range of information and possible evidence as stated previously but, if real, they also show a range of perspectives as well. The tweets by the public are more raw to me. By that I mean you can truly see (in the pictures) the sense of emotion people are feeling. In almost all of these pictures, people are waiting, either sitting on a set of stairs or they are in line for the ATM/bank. This sense of “waiting”, “longing”, etc, is prevalent in not only the article but within the entire country as well. After the economic collapse in 2012 many people have been in a sort of ‘limbo’, waiting to see what will happen to them, and I believe this article, and in particular, the tweets from the public do a good job at showing this side of the public. The other tweets by the journalists, analysts, and political figures serve more as a “critical perspective”, that being in the form of criticism of the government of Greece, and in some instances of the Prime Minister and the decisions he’s made. These tweets show more of the frustrations and political impacts rather than the more personal and emotional ones such as those from the public. I believe the inclusion and use of these tweets from the writer of the article was a very good use of social media and it also demonstrates how much of a gold mine sites such as Twitter can be for journalists who, otherwise, would have had to go out to the streets interviewing anyone who would allow it to gather information about the public perspective. I’m certain many reporters did this as well, but the ease of using Twitter to gauge public makes the job that much easier, efficient, and cheaper.

Global News Post #1 – Puerto Rico

Authorities Are ‘Whitewashing’ the Devastation and Death Toll in Puerto Rico

“For more than two weeks since the storm, Puerto Ricans have faced life-threatening shortages of food, water and fuel. More than 90% of homes are still without electricity, 60% without water, and 75% of telecommunications networks are still inoperable.”

While the people of Puerto Rico were working hard to rebuild, media outlets were reporting key statistics such as access to electricity and water, however other statistics that were reported, were said to have been ‘whitewashed’. The death toll on the island was reported to be a very low number despite the amount of devastation that occurred. Information that about the death toll that media sources were receiving was drastically different from what the U.S. government was releasing.

After the media drew attention to censorship, the data that went missing on FEMA’s website soon reappeared. While the debate of the accuracy of the reported information was going on, Illinois Congressman Luis Gutierrez, who is of Puerto Rican descent, decided to see for himself what was really happening on the island. What he saw was indeed not what was being portrayed in the U.S. Along with the censorship of the real crisis the people of Puerto Rico were facing, the president’s administration continued to control the narrative by only promoting and encouraging “good” news. Donald Trump went to Twitter several times to boast of “successful” relief efforts and lash out against the “fake news media”.

The purpose of reporting data on emergency management is critical to determine the amount of disaster relief a place needs. It helps determine how to understand and makes decisions about how to allocate resources when needed. When an area needs relief the way Puerto Rico does, a country that has had issues with infrastructure long before Hurricane Maria, it makes it more difficult to do this when government agencies in place to help can censor information needed to determine relief.

Today, Puerto Rico still doesn’t make breaking news headlines and hundreds of thousands of people are still left without power, according various news outlets that have reported on updates concerning the island. Only time will tell if Puerto Rico will get the attention and help they so desperately need.

 

Carrión, Ángel. “Authorities Are ‘Whitewashing’ the Devastation and Death Toll in Puerto Rico · Global Voices.” Global Voices, 11 Oct. 2017, globalvoices.org/2017/10/09/us-authorities-are-whitewashing-the-devastation-and-death-toll-in-puerto-rico/.

Who Are the #Istanbul10? – Jules Albat Turkey Blog Post #1

Last July, a group of 10 human rights activists were arrested in Turkey while they were having a workshop on digital security and information management in Istanbul. The were accused of “aiding a terrorist organization without being a member.” Some were released but they have been arrested again. These arrests were criticized by the whole human rights community notably with social media posts and drawings of the arrested activists.

After more than 100 days, the 10 human rights activist were released. 8 of them are awaiting trial. Two of them are released but they can’t get out of the country. Of the 10 activists, 8 are Turkish, one is German and One is Swedish. The governments of Germany and Sweden have summoned the Turkish ambassadors  to condemn the arrests. The European Union also released a statement in favor of the release of the arrested.

International support is growing for these activists. Many human rights organizations especially Amnesty International have organized protests.

The sources of the articles are statements of countries and amnesty international, tweets of organizations and journalists. The sources explain why the three articles are showing only the side of the human rights defenders and are critic of the Turkish government.

 

Sources :

Rahman, Zara , and Arzu Geybullayeva. “After 113 Days Behind Bars, #Istanbul10 Human Rights Defenders Are Released Pending Trial · Global Voices.” Global Voices, 12 Dec. 2017, globalvoices.org/2017/10/26/after-113-days-behind-bars-istanbul10-human-rights-defenders-are-released-on-bail/.

Rahman, Zara. “#Istanbul10 Human Rights Defenders Have Been Behind Bars for 100 Days · Global Voices.” Global Voices, 28 Nov. 2017, globalvoices.org/2017/10/12/istanbul10-human-rights-defenders-have-been-behind-bars-for-100-days/.

Geybullayeva, Arzu, and Ellery Roberts Biddle. “Who Are the #Istanbul10? Learn About the Work of Jailed Human Rights Defenders in Turkey · Global Voices.” Global Voices, 26 July 2017, globalvoices.org/2017/07/26/who-are-the-istanbul10-learn-about-the-work-of-jailed-human-rights-defenders-in-turkey/.

News Post 1: Bloggers on Hunger Strike in Algeria

In Algeria, Two Imprisoned Bloggers Go on Hunger Strike

Abrougui, Afef. “In Algeria, Two Imprisoned Bloggers Go on Hunger Strike.” Global Voices, 12 Oct. 2017, globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/5471251457_7e660a158b_o.jpg.

This article focuses on the extent of the state’s crackdown on free press and expression in Algeria, showcasing two bloggers who were both in a state of a hunger strike after  being imprisoned for content shared on the internet. Blogger Merzoug Touati was imprisoned for conducting an interview with an Israeli official over political sentiments in Algeria in response to austerity measures. Blogger Slimane Bouhafs, a Christian convert and activist, was arrested for a series of Facebook posts denigrating Islam which included cartoons by French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo of the Prophet Muhammad (saws). This is part of a growingly inhospitable climate for the press in Algeria, especially for independent operations and individuals.

The article uses primary evidence including the blogs of the individuals in question, as well as previous reporting on this website on the issue of the Algerian press and statements by respected human rights organizations such as Amnesty and Reporters Without Borders in respect to these specific cases and the condition of freedom of the press in Algeria in general.

The article is critical of the Algerian state and its human rights record, and is written by a journalist who focuses on social media, privacy rights, and press freedom in the Middle East and North Africa.

 

Insulting the National Anthem Is Set to Become Illegal in Hong Kong

https://globalvoices.org/2017/11/07/insulting-the-national-anthem-is-set-to-become-illegal-in-hong-kong/

Currently a Special Administrative Region under the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong struggles with its identity. A law passed in the PRC in October 2017 barring the public from maliciously changing the national anthem, which has become a form of protest for many. Criminal penalties have also been enacted which can include removal of political rights as well as up to 3 years of imprisonment. Hong Kong is now set to adopt these new laws as well, apparently stemming from protests at a football game in 2015. The new laws are another cornerstone in the attempt to further patriotize the citizens of the PRC and Hong Kong. Some are quick to point out that the history of the anthem is often excluded. It was written by Tian Han, an anti-imperialist who was tortured to death during the beginning of the Cultural Revolution.

Hong Kong fans booing the Chinese national anthem at an Asian Cup match.

The article itself links to Hong Kong news sources (mainly Hong Kong free press, who partnered with Global Voices for the post) as well as Wikipedia to provide cultural background for those who may not have knowledge on who people like Tian Han are. Hong Kong is continually facing pressure from China to further reduce their autonomy. The post likely comes from the viewpoint of those pushing for a more independent Hong Kong.

“Hong Kong football fans boo Chinese national anthem once again at Asian Cup match against Malaysia.” Hong Kong Free Press HKFP, 10 Oct. 2017, www.hongkongfp.com/2017/10/10/hong-kong-fans-boo-chinese-national-anthem-asian-cup-match-malaysia/.

 

Lost in Translation?

https://globalvoices.org/2018/01/13/japanese-media-struggles-to-translate-trumps-shithole/ by Nevil Thompson

This article depicts how language barriers still remain a problem because the desired meaning behind something said in one language may be tough to convey in another. On January 11th 2018, President Donald Trump, during about protecting immigrants, referenced to countries such as Haiti, El Salvador and other African countries as “Shithole” countries. The trouble in translation is conveying just what this word’s meaning in English is in each news reporting outlet’s individual language. Within that language will mostly likely contain colloquial dialects that must also be taken into account. The article focuses on how new’s agencies within Japan decided to report their translation.

While the translation of the word itself is interested to me, mostly because I study Japanese here at university, the way it is used and who it’s referring to was disrespectful, unethical, and could very likely hinder relations between the United States and the countries president Trump was referring to.

 (Image credit: Global Voices)

Romaji (English spelling)  for those who cannot read Kanji & Hiragana is provided below.

Reuters : “Fuketsu na Shokyokoku”  Huffington Post : “Kitanai Benjo” Sankei : “Benjo no youni kitanai kuni” Nikkei : “Koedame no youna kuni” AFP : “Koedame Kuni” BBC : “Koedame mitai na kuni”