Torture
In literature and film, we are drawn into a story and care about it because we believe, at some level, in the truth of the narrative. This requires what’s called … Read more Torture
Category: Information Ethics
Are you proud of our “National Book Festival?”
There’s a brief article in Counterpunch about the National Book Festival, which features our very non-warlike First Lady. It is intended as a happier source of news than the complete … Read more Are you proud of our “National Book Festival?”
Laura Bush appropriates title of IMLS grant for librarians
For years the IMLS has been offering grants for LIS research and the education of librarians not appreciably different the one announced today on the IMLS website, except that this … Read more Laura Bush appropriates title of IMLS grant for librarians
FCC study on media ownership ordered destroyed
From the AP story: WASHINGTON – The Federal Communications Commission ordered its staff to destroy all copies of a draft study that suggested greater concentration of media ownership would hurt … Read more FCC study on media ownership ordered destroyed
Myspace: the business of Spam 2.0
Really interesting reading about myspace at Valleywag: Myspace: The Business of Spam 2.0 (Exhaustive Edition). This article points out a number of things about myspace that I wish I had … Read more Myspace: the business of Spam 2.0
10 Miami Herald journalists on US gov’t payroll
In a way I think it is unfortunate that this story is about Cuba, because being about Cuba means that a lot of people just aren’t going to want to … Read more 10 Miami Herald journalists on US gov’t payroll
Data Smog
Kim Leeder at Envirolibrarian has a brief review of the 1997 book by David Shenk, Data Smog: Surviving the Information Glut, which says that the amount of information easily available … Read more Data Smog
AEJMC anti-Bush resolution
The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication passed a resolution against the Bush Administration’s anti-press policies yesterday in San Francisco, at it’s annual conference. The resolution says, “The … Read more AEJMC anti-Bush resolution
Israel targets Nablus administrative records for destruction
Prior to Wednesday, the muqata’a was a large government building in Nablus, Palestine, originally built by the British in the 1920s and used until this week for civil government functions. … Read more Israel targets Nablus administrative records for destruction
Katrina victims muzzled
A new FAIR Action Alert reports that FEMA security guards are blocking journalists from talking to Katrina victims in FEMA trailer parks. FAIR cites the original story from the Baton … Read more Katrina victims muzzled
if:Book on the “trade imbalance” in international information flows…
In a blog post on if:Book titled the myth of universal knowledge 2: hyper-nodes and one-way flows, Ben Vershbow reports on a set of interesting discussions about international information flows, … Read more if:Book on the “trade imbalance” in international information flows…
Resources for the Alternative Press
Students of media consolidation and market censorship are well aware of the importance of small, independent and alternative publishers in providing balanced viewpoints in libraries. In our practice as librarians … Read more Resources for the Alternative Press
Can History be Open Source? Wikipedia and the Future of the Past
Can History be Open Source? Wikipedia and the Future of the Past, by Roy Rosenzweig, originally published in The Journal of American History Volume 93, Number 1 (June, 2006): 117-46, … Read more Can History be Open Source? Wikipedia and the Future of the Past
WSJ claims STM journals rig impact factors
The Wall Street Journal published an article on Monday claiming that science journals routinely manipulate impact factors by encouraging contributors to cite heavily prior articles from the same journals. (The … Read more WSJ claims STM journals rig impact factors
Kathleen McCook thrown off HE-SL discussion list for addressing disinformation
Here is a bit of depressing but not surprising news. Kathleen de la Peña McCook was thrown off of the Higher Education Service Learning discussion list for addressing a bit … Read more Kathleen McCook thrown off HE-SL discussion list for addressing disinformation
Three from Progressive Librarian 26
I’ve put three articles from the latest issue of Progressive Librarian, issue 26, up on the web. They are: Towards Self-reflection in Librarianship: What is Praxis? by John J. Doherty … Read more Three from Progressive Librarian 26
The Central Problem of Library 2.0: Privacy
Library 2.0 is a powerful idea that finds itself in an awkward predicament. It is an idea that has emerged out of what amounts to a separate discourse within librarianship, … Read more The Central Problem of Library 2.0: Privacy
Print virtue and the ontology of the Bo-ring
Here’s a riddle: What does the musical interval of a fifth have to do with discussions of multiple literacies, the millenials, and Marshall McLuhan’s predicted decline of print literacy and … Read more Print virtue and the ontology of the Bo-ring
“Facts Count”: Examination of David Horowitz’s Dangerous Academics book
Free Exchange on Campus, a coalition of academic and public interest groups formed in response to David Horowitz’s “Academic Bill of Rights” initiative campaign, has just released a major report … Read more “Facts Count”: Examination of David Horowitz’s Dangerous Academics book
Bush & Co. Censorship of Science It Doesn’t Like
Here’s a good article about the Bush administration’s habit of picking and choosing what science by gov’t agencies gets published and what doesn’t, according to its political litmus test. The … Read more Bush & Co. Censorship of Science It Doesn’t Like