Video Conference Story 3 (Goodbye Newspapers)

Goodbye Newspapes

February 17, 2009

Mark Potts, a consultant for advice on new media projects, gave George Mason online journalism students a great presentation. Potts, who worked in the Washington Post “16 years something like that,” and is co-founder of backfence.com (which is a business directory for many of the major cities in the country) knows a lot about journalism. Potts started the online division of the Washington Post in 1993, so he knows a lot about online journalism. He also has a great blog called Recovering Journalist.

The core of Potts’ presentation was about what is happening to journalism (especially written newspapers). News organizations are cutting staff and as he put it, “newspapers will die this year.” According to Potts what is happening is a “perfect perfect storm” (also because of the economy). The “web has come flying in here and changed everything,” and everyone is on real time with “millions of different ways to get information.”

So, there are thousands of competitors, not only for content but also for advertisement. The biggest source of revenue for newspapers (around 50 percent) was classified advertising. Potts also emphasized that “gigantic one fits all advertising does not work anymore.” People are looking for specific adds and information and this spells “death” for newspapers.

If newspapers start charging for their online content, people will find other alternatives. Now it is way to late to start online subscriptions and if a newspaper decides to charge for online content, it has to be so much better.

Potts stated that “if newspapers go on strike the world will go on.” Potts thinks that by 2010 the news landscape will change dramatically. A lot of papers are not only laying off employeesand bankrupting, they are also starting to cut down production and distribution. The concept of a daily newspaper is going away.

George Mason student James Thompson stated, “I think that for newspapers to survive they would have to find some way to adapt by expanding the internet themselves and using their print newspapers as extension of their internet somehow. I agree with Potts that if newspapers can not adapt then in five years many will be out of business as competition continues to increase on the internet and the younger generations continue to grow accustomed to getting news from the internet more than newspapers.”

Potts stated that because there are so many sources of information, the general interest model does not work anymore. Next generation newspapers will be really local and probably have no paper product.

New forms of writing, blogs for example, are just another writing form. Blogs break news and there is also twitter and facebook.

Potts ended by saying that newspapers will mainly not exist in five years. He finished off by stating that our generation will determine what happens next.

The Yacyreta Dam

The Yacyreta dam is a hydroelectric plant (that is still being built) between Paraguay and Argentina. It is on the Parana River and next to the Paraguayan city of Ayolas and the Argentinian city of Ituzaingó.

Composed of 20 turbines, the dam is 808 metres long. It has a power of 4,050 MW that can produce 19,080 GWh per year.

Often called a "monument to corruption," the dam project was established by the Argentinian Peronist government in 1973. Dictator Alfredo Stroessner was in power in Paraguay at that time.

After ten years of being stalled, construction started in 1983. The project has cost around $10 billion when it was expected to cost around $2.6 billion. The World Bank (which provided loans for the project) estimates that the Yacyreta dam could, up to date, be a loss of $11 billion. The dam started generating energy in 1994 and parts were still being finished in 2008.

The construction and flooding caused by the dam have affected tens of thousands of people in the surrounding areas. The Yacyreta dam has also affected the surrounding wildlife. Sadly through all of this the dam is still not functioning at full capacity because water levels are not high enough. The artificial raise of water levels has affected even more people.

The dam powers about 20 percent of Argentina and Paraguay sells its surplus energy to Brazil (at very low prices).

More Sources:

Article on Yacyreta and the World Bank

Article on Yacyreta, Corruption and the World Bank

Yacyreta Binacional in Bussiness News Americas

The Itaipu Dam

The Itaipu hydroelectric power plant is the biggest of its kind in the world. Situated on the Parana River (the seventh largest river in the world) it was a joint construction venture between Paraguay and Brazil. It is run by the Itaipu Binacional company.

The ministers of foreign affairs of both Paraguay and Brazil signed the “Act of Iguaçu” in 1966, which began the studies of the hydroelectric potential of the Parana River. Construction started in 1975 and the last remaining expansions ended in 1991. The Itaipu Dam has 20 generators that produce 14,000 MW (megawatts). Around four million people resettled due the the construction of the dam and the construction of the dam also produced much environmental turmoil for the area.

The Itaipu dam is 7,919 meters long and has a maximum height of 196 meters. During the construction of the dam, approximately 50 million tons of rock and earth to dig a 1.3 mile bypass. This bypass shifted the course of the Parana River.

The Itaipu dam and surrounding area is a major tourist attraction. Since its completion in 1991, more than nine millions tourists have visited the dam.

The Itaipu dam negotiations and treated were enacted during the dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner in Paraguay. The dam produces about 90 percent of the energy that Paraguay needs and 20 percent of the energy Brazil needs. For this reason only one generator is usually used for Paraguay. The enery that the rest of the nine generators (the Paraguayan half) produce, is sold to Brazil.

Thanks to these negotiations by Stroessner, the Brazilians receive a very generous, and unfair (for the Paraguayans) price for the surplus energy. In Paraguay, electricity is redicuosly expensive for such a poor country with two dams (the other being the Yacyreta dam). I speak this with personal experience since I lived there. Thanks to the corruption of the Stroessner dictatorship, and colorado governments that came after, we pay alot for electricity when it should be next to free.


More sources:
More facts on the Itaipu dam and its construction

Some more facts

Another website with facts

Itaipu dam on Encyclopedia Britannica

Video Conference Story 2

Obama’s Victory and Electronic Resources


January 29, 2009

Jose Antonio Vargas, a reporter for the Washington Post, gave a great conference and answered questions that mainly had to do with the participation of the general public in politics through electronic resources. Also, how Obama’s use of these resources helped him win the presidential election.

This video conference connected Vargas with students at George Mason University (Fairfax, Va), Pace University in Manhattan and the University of Denver. The video conference was transmitted on C-Span. The George Mason television studio is on the fourth floor of the Innovation Hall building in the Fairfax campus.

When asked if he believed Obama would have won without his electronic campaign Vargas responded that “Barack Obama would not have gotten elected without the internet.” He believes that Obamas movement had more energy and more involvement. “The fact that he (Obama) was able to raise three billion dollars from half a million donors was something that had never been seen before.” Vargas also stated about the great importance of people’s own personal networks in the organization, planning and carrying out events for the Obama campaign.

Also Vargas found it incredible how “kids organized on Facebook, took over caucuses,” and in one example, “they (kids) won Barack Obama the Iowa caucuses.”

On this issue, George Mason communication student James Thompson stated, “I think his (Vargas’) argument makes sense. Using the internet the way he did (Obama) helped him to communicate with a much larger audience than McCain by tapping into technologies young voters use to communicate more with them.”

Vargas also stressed the importance of text messaging in the Obama campaign. He stated that there are still many people without internet and that involved and organized them.

According to Vargas it is important for politicians (both liberal and conservative) to invite people into the process. He felt more energy in the democratic presidential campaign than in the republican campaign and this was and a big reason for that was that people felt more connected.

Vargas stressed the importance of youtube and other similar resources because they are a two-way form of communication. He stated “youtube is not tv.” The public has become a lot more important and is demanding and using two way communication with politicians to get what it wants.

Also, with all the information and forms of electronic communication available, Vargas stressed that“ At the end of the day it is about you,” referring to we (the general public) need to be responsible about the information that we believe and how we use it (especially to communicate). We as the public also need to do our research before we communicate or decide to believe something.

Jose Antonio Vargas in the Washington Post...

President Barack Obama on Facebook...

Interesting Blog Article on Iowa Caucus...

The Colorado Party

The Colorado Party was funded in 1887 by Bernardino Caballero and has its headquarters in Asuncion (the capital). The Colorado Party has been in power from 1876 to 1904 and from 1948 to 2008. From 1947 to 1962 all other political parties were considered illegal.

The Colorado Party (Asociacion Nacional Republicana or National Republican Association) are right wing conservatives. They are called colorados because of their red flag. The party has always been characterized by corruption, violence and the traffic of favors.

Until recently it was required to be a member of the Colorado Party if you wanted free medical care, job security or promotions and other services. The Colorado Party controlled (and in many cases still does) the whole public sector of the Paraguayan government (national and local). Through this Paraguay has always been characterized as one of the most (if not the most) corrupt country in the world. The Colorado Party also served as one of support systems for the bloody dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner (the other being the military).

During election times after the dictatorship the Colorado Party has always resorted to fraud and violence to obtain victory. But, because the Colorado Party controls the public government system it is the greater employer. That is why it always has alot of popular support. Thankfully for those of us that want a more equal Paraguay, the Colorado Party was defeated on election day (April 20, 2008) by Fernando Lugo. Lugo lead a coallition of opposing political parties.

More sources:

Interesting article on Paraguay and the Colorado Party...

Another one...

Interesting article on Stroessner, the Colorado Party and torture used...

Alfredo Stroessner

Alfredo Stroessner was one the longest running dictators the world had ever seen. He ruled Paraguay with an iron fist from 1954 to 1989. Born on November 3, 1912, Stroessner joined the army at 17 years of age. He was named commander and chief of the armed forces in 1951 and led the coup that overthrew President Federico Chavez in 1954. Stroessner became president that same year.

Stroessner belonged to the Colorado Party that had been ruling since 1948 (and would continue to rule until 2006).

Stroessner himself was overthrown in 1989 Gen. Andres Rodriguez who had most of the country’s popular support at that time. Exiled in Brazil, Stroessner died in 2006 a very rich man.

During his regime, thousands of people were tortured and murdered. These people usually belonged to opposition parties or were socialists. One method of murder used was throwing people off planes.

Abundance and riches for those around him (usually army generals) also characterized Stroessner’s reign. The rest of the country lived in poverty.

Very good article on Stroessner...

Interesting article on Andres Rodriguez...

Video Conference Story 1

Copyright and Fair Use

Fairfax, Virginia - Claudia Holland who is the University Copyright Officer gave a very interesting and informing presentation on copyright and fair use, at George Mason University on January 27, 2009.

As Holland put it, copyrights have been around for a long time and are protected in Article I Section 8 Clause 8 of the Constitution. Protected works include everything that is registered. But this is also for a limited time. This is used to promote creation.

Works that are not protected are: ideas, methods of operation, principles and basic facts. The public domain (created by the federal government) are works that are no longer registered.

The rights of copyright owners include: reproduction, derivative, public distribution, public performance, public display and digital or audio transmission. This is at the moment in which the work is fixed n some medium. For example, photograph, painting, score, CD, flash drive, video recording, research paper, fishing lure, etc.

How long do copyrights last? This all depends on when the work was created. The copyright laws are confusing and complex but generally they last the lifetime of the owner plus 70 years. This has been defined in 1998.

James Thompson, a student in that class stated, “I knew there were rules for copyright but I was amazed by how many there were.”

What is very gray though is Fair Use. It is still not very clear what individuals can and cannot do with protected material. This can be narrowed by the purpose of use. One example is to use in an educational manner instead commercial use. Also, the nature of the material is taken into account. The portion or amount of material used is also important.

Applications supported by Fair Use include: critics, comments, news reporting and teaching. Holland finished by stating that in a court of law, fair use is used as a defense against claims of infringement.

Interesting further reading...

The Chaco War

The Chaco War (1932-1935) was Paraguay’s second and last war to date

Paraguay’s second war was The Chaco War and it was fought against Bolivia. There had been aggressions between them prior to the war, as Bolivia wanted to expand (through the Chaco Boreal region that both countries share).

The war took a heavy toll on both sides with both sides losing 100,000 men. Bolivian forces made some advances at first but were stopped and pushed back. Then Paraguayan forces started advancing into Bolivia even though they were outnumbered.

Through the meditation of other countries a cease-fire was agreed on June 12, 1935. A treaty signed in 1938 awarded Paraguay with three-quarters of the Chaco Boreal.

More Sources:

Image taken from:

Long article on the war:

Another long article on the war:

Pictures and articles on the war:

CIA facts on Paraguay:

War of the Triple Alliance

Let us start with a little bit of history about Paraguay.

Paraguay has had a rough history. Upon declaring itself independent on May 14, 1811, it became the most prosperous country in South America at that time. Three dictatorships came and during that time the country had no external debt and there was free education for everyone. Also, the government provided large amounts of land that it rented to farmers. During the third government came the War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70), a war that killed the two-thirds of the male population and devastated the countryside. Not only did Paraguay lose a lot of territory but this war also halted the country economically.

The War of the Triple Alliance was fought between Paraguay and the alliance of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Britain was also getting nervous at the thought of a powerful empire that could threaten its interests in South America. In 1863 there was a coup in Uruguay and the defeated government was allied to Paraguay. Paraguay (led by Francisco Solano Lopez) wanted to intervene. Brazil was helping the coup leaders, so war was declared on Brazil. But to be able to fight and help their allies in Uruguay, Paraguayan forces would need to cross through Argentina, which denied them. War was declared against Argentina. The coup in Uruguay triumphed, and the new Uruguayan government declared war against Paraguay. The allies created the Triple Alliance pact and received much economic help from the British (in terms of loans).

Sources:

Long article on war:

http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/tango/triple1864.htm

Long article on war:

http://countrystudies.us/paraguay/11.htm

CIA facts on Paraguay:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pa.html