262, Jul 2005
This issue leads with a critical look at the media and coverage of the bombings in London this July. Have the media been asking the right questions? Are they providing an unbiased view? Are they looking for the true causes of terrorism? Readers views are sought to critique and complement the piece. Other articles look at women radio broadcasters in Fiji, the portrayal of the disabled in Middle Eastern television by WACC member SAT 7 and there is a profile of Madonna Sampson-Doyle, the first WACC scholar to graduate from the MA course in Mass Communications by distance learning, all the way from Trinidad and Tobago. Madonna affirms that she is going to make a difference. There are additionally two articles in German.
Sean Hawkey, London.
We wholeheartedly condemn the attacks in our capital city, but despite the horror, we want to understand the bombings, we can't afford not to do so. Media coverage of the attacks, that has eclipsed all other news for days, should make it easier for us to understand. Not long ago many Brits were bewildered that the Americans couldn't understand the motivations behind 9/11, because many of us felt we could. Now our media are full of indignant denial. This doesn't help us understand the events and their causes. With few exceptions, such as some commentary from The Guardian and Channel 4, the mainstream media seem to be missing some important questions.
Fiji now has a new team of community radio broadcasters following a joint training exercise conducted by femLINKpacific: Media Initiatives for Women, in conjunction with the two major women’s networks in Fiji – the National Council of Women and the Soqosoqo Vakamarama I Taukei (the indigenous women’s network), and as Fiji Nursing Association representative, Litia Veitata said: “The workshop has brought together membership of the National Council of Women Fiji and the Soqosoqo Vakamarama for a practical community radio training initiative – in fact we started learning about our women’s community radio initiative and how we can get involved from day 1 when we all got together and wrote and recorded our own stories.
Madonna Sampson-Doyle, a communication consultant and writer from Trinidad and Tobago, has achieved the MA in Mass Communications from the University of Leicester by distance learning as a WACC scholar.
Treasure Valley begins with a cartoon Pharaoh flying through the air. Like many other kids' game shows, the animated introduction soon dissolves away and a TV studio appears. But unlike most kids' programs, when the camera pans across the studio audience we see a mix of children, some able bodied, some in wheelchairs or on crutches, and some wearing hearing aids. As the show hosts explain how teams of children will compete in games knowledge and physical skill, an interpreter for each team translates the words into sign language for the deaf contestants. Even the set itself has been built with ramps and handrails to accommodate special needs.
See the full article here
See the full article here