ASSIGNMENT 2 - DEADLINE 6 August 2009 16h00

First read my introduction, second read the relevant literature, third answer the two questions given below in your blog.

Your blog this week has to be completed and posted by Thursday 6 August at 16h00.
For this assignment you do the following:

Find the Coetzee and Barendt readings made available to you, and aquaint yourself with the concepts 'freedom of speech' and 'censorship'.
Note that 'freedom of speech' is defined as a basic human right, and is one that is also entrenched in the South African Constitution and Bill of Rights.

You will notice that 'freedom of speech' is not an unlimited right, i.e. people should be free to speak their mind, and as an extension, people should be free to publish their knowledge, insight and opinions in the media without fear of prosecution; however, if free expression means injury to anther person or group, as e.g. in hatespeech - then it has some limitation: you cannot in the process of speaking your mind defame or criminally offend (by crimen iniuria) another person or institution.

Censorship is a form of silencing people - state censorship can disallow some forms of political debate (then the state may be accused of violating democratic rights of its citizens); state censorship can also forbid the publication in the media of certain kinds of information -- e.g. they may forbid publication of state secrets in time of war, or - as was the case in the 1980s in South Africa - they can forbid the publication of any reference to (or picture of) persons that they regard as enemies. Did you know (e.g.) that it was illegal back then to publish any picture of Nelson Mandela, and similarly it was illegal to cite anything that Oliver Tambo may have said or written? (So, treasure the freedom we have gained since then!!)

Now, consider how state censorship can forbid public debate in the media on election results following a national poll that was not, in general democratic terms, "free and fair". Recent news reports on elections in Iran claimed that such censorship made it very difficult for those opposed to the new government to debate the process and to voice their protest. If there are only state controlled media - i.e. the state owns and oversees all radio, television and newspaper reporting - open discussion, fair exchange of ideas, is disallowed. EXCEPT ... that with new media ... there are now ways around this kind of censorship that were formerly not possible.

The questions you have to answer in your blog:
1. What are the limits of state censorship that have been made clear by recent events of state oppression in Iran.

2. Refer to the two websites (a blog and a report from an e-version of BBC) cited below, and go to the You Tube clip of which the link is given. Make sure that you read the full stories AND the comments that they drew.
(a) Explain how the use of 'new media' in these two cases enabled protest/criticism that would formerly not have been heard.
(b) Also, if a person or institution feels that use of new technologies has defamed them - what recourse do they have? How can they expect the injury to their good name to be repaired?
http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/smashed-guitar-youtu-4850/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8173731.stm

Readings and Assignment - WEEK 2 (1)

1. Congratulations: 12 students have signed up as followers of the lecture-blog titled CMS interactive - that's great!

2. I am very impressed with 6 of you who also already have created your OWN blogs - and I want the other 6 to do the same as soon as possible - even today!
If you are not certain how to do this, there are at least two options, namely (i) go to http://www.blogger.com/home - some place in the top right hand corner you will find a link that says "create a blog" - click on that ... and follow the instructions; (ii) ask a friend to help you ... 6 have already got it right, so there are guys who can advise you!

3. I have given some personal responses to those who posted their assignment on "blogging as a form of 'new media'. General comment will go out as soon as I have received work from all.

4. There have been a few queries about what exactly I am going to expect of you - what you have to do in this course - I am busy typing up a nice regular word document, which I shall send through to you via ms Williams before the end of the day (which is Wednesday 29th July!).
That will give you more than just the "one step at a time" that the blog does - I realise a nice course outline and overview will help a lot - so, its on its way!

In the mean time - keep blogging ... this one is learning by doing!

Good luck, and enjoy!

Critical Media Studies - 2009

Readings and Assignment - WEEK 1

1. In follow-up to the first lecture we had in June, you need to make sure you have a clear understanidng of

Definitions of the media, and of news
Various modes of news production and representation

Media: various instruments used in circulating news, information ... also entertainment
News: recent events that meet a set of 'selection criteria' - already discussed
(see Fowler 1991)

Modes of news production and representation: audio (radio), visual (print, i.e.
newspapers and magazines), multimedia (sound and text and visuals,
i.e. TV and i-net)

2. Also in follow-up to the first lecture, you are to register as followers of this blog, so that I can receive a weekly report from you ON THIS BLOG.

3. And finally, you are to follow the link provided on this site to create your own blog.
Thus you will be working directly on my blogsite, AND you will be writing your own blog.


4. There are readings available with Mrs Williams, from
Coetzee, J.M. 1996. Giving Offense – essays on censorship. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

These readings are an introduction to the TOPIC

Freedom of Speech : Freedom of the Press

This is the topic for week 2 - so you need to prepare the reading in order to make good sense of the work that will be introduced next week.

I'll be checking my site as from Thursday 23 July when I expect to see all class members registered as followers on my blogsite.

Enjoy the adventure of using New Technology!