Low-Wage, High-Tech Workers Fight Invisibility With A 'Zine
Ignored by U.S. mainstream news, young low-wage temp workers are the coal the new economy runs on. So they created their own (bilingual) magazine to ask hard questions, share their stories and self-organize. Handed out in parking lots and written in cafes, De-bug helps define what it means to be "young and temporary" in Silicon Valley. From Media Alliance-San Francisco Bay area

Art And Bombing
When news doesn't provide history and context, you have to go elsewhere. This online collection of map-like drawings offers a view of "Places The United States Has Bombed." From elin o'Hara slavick, bombings

Cote D'Ivoire: Government Losing The Battle In The Western Press
Restrictions on the press after the September 19th rebellion began have dramatically changed the media landscape in Cote D'Ivoire. The rebels, however, have been more successful than the government in promoting their image to the western press. For more regional coverage, visit the new preview of MediaChannel:Africa. From Index on Censorship

Press Freedom In Afghanistan
With 150 publications serving Kabul alone, press freedom in Afghanistan has taken a radical turn since the fall of the Taliban. However, regional imbalances remain and Pashto-language publications catering to the country's largest ethnic group are noticeably few, according to this new report. From Reporters sans frontières

Buy Nothing Day: November 29
Feel like global marketing and hyper consumerism is eroding our cultures, communities and environment? Join the culture-jammers, educators and families worldwide who celebrate Buy Nothing Day to "detox from comsumerism":

* MediaChannel Issue Guide: Christmas Consumerism
*Teaching ideas for Buy Nothing Day

World Bank: Fighting Poverty Requires Press Freedom
"Free and independent media can expose corruption in government and the corporate sector, provide a voice for the people/citizens to be heard, and help build public consensus to bring about change," concludes a new World Bank report featuring journalists and economists from around the world. But does a free press require more than just a free market? From World Bank

Report: Community Radio In Afghanistan?
Illiteracy is the norm, telephone and electric services have been destroyed but new media are emerging from a formerly silenced public. Community radio can be a key system to help reconstruct Afghan communities and communication. From Communications Policy & Practice - Benton Foundation

The Death Of The Free Internet
The leading public-interest media advocate in Washington warns that corporations are planning to control - and charge money for - what you see and do online. A Media Culture feature. From AlterNet/Independent Media Institute

Watching TV In Iraq
Flipping the channels on satellite TV in Iraq, passing Hollywood movies and news shows, peace activist Jan Øberg concludes that, despite censorship and the tight grip of state control, Iraqis learn more about the West from their media than Westerners learn about Iraq from theirs. From Transnational Foundation

Filmmaking And Reflecting African Culture
Production in Africa "is an act of resistance" declares award-winning filmmaker Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda as he discusses the challenges facing the continent's film industry. From UNESCO - Communication, Information and Informatics Sector

Child Soldiers Online
On Childsoldiers.org, youth in Sierra Leone share writings, pictures, oral stories and music to bear witness to the impact of civil war on their lives and communities. With donated computers and limited Internet access, war-affected children are connecting to their peers worldwide and bringing global attention to the issues of the child soldier. From Digital Divide Network
Plus: Visit the new preview of MediaChannel:Africa!

The Right To Broadcast In Guatemala
Community radio is vital to Guatemala's mostly Mayan communities, but broadcast frequency auctions are trampling on the public's right to communicate, warns activist Carlos Andrade. From World Assoc. for Christian Comm.

Ethics Vs. Economics In Global Internet Policy
In the lead-up to the UN World Summit on the Information Society, a UNESCO director breaks down the issues of global Internet development. For the sake of fairness, freedom, access and control, we must develop better policies "in the general interest of humanity." From UNESCO - Communication, Information and Informatics Sector

Fiji's Media Mess
It's an ongoing battle between the government and the press, where the Prime Minister has to pay to get his speeches aired and ministers regularly hurl insults at journalists. As a new media law looms, local media must address their own failures if they want to ward off censorship. From Pacific Media Watch

The Press Freedom Index
The U.S. is 17th, Italy is at 40th and Saudi Arabia is below Zimbabwe: With Northern European countries scoring best and several Asian nations listed as the worst, this report ranks the press freedom records of 139 countries, based on the rights and independence they afford to journalists. From Reporters sans frontières

Hip Hop Activism In South Africa
Empowerment and self-development are side-effects of HIV Hop, which educates on HIV/AIDS through community radio and youth culture. It's one of the inspiring projects from South Africa's Bush Radio. From Netherlands Institute for Southern Africa

Microsoft's Media Monopoly
When all video goes digital, the company that controls the formats and players will wield tremendous power. That's the big story behind a Silicon Valley lawsuit. A two-part report. From Salon.com

How The U.S. Brands Its Wars
In an age when TV news stories are packaged with catchy titles and logos, it's no surprise that the U.S. government uses clever names and marketing strategy as a key part of war efforts, writes Norman Solomon. From FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting)

Multinational Advertising And The Globalization Of Consumers
What happens to information and culture when advertising profits are media's goal? This special report begins to explore the issues. From Global Issues

The Violence Online Festival
"Violence is an expression of speechlessness, of lack of communication," says the curator of this online media art project featuring over 150 collaborators from more than 30 countries. To view the work, you need an up-to-date browser and the latest plug-ins. From VioLENS Festival Tabor (CZ)