Spotlights

more on Rio

2012-01-18T14:22:00.000-08:00

Once Magazine • City of Violence: the Brutal Drug War in the... http://blog.oncemagazine.com/post/15743798941/city-of-violence-the-brutal-drug-war-in-the via @OnceMagazine

Freedom on the decline - Story by Devex International

2010-01-14T12:09:00.000-08:00

Freedom in the World 2010

For the fourth consecutive year, global declines in freedom outweighed gains in 2009, as measured by Freedom House’s annual survey of political rights and civil liberties, Freedom in the World 2010. This represents the longest continuous period of decline for global freedom in the nearly 40-year history of the report. In a year marked by intensified repression against human rights defenders and civic activists, declines for freedom were registered in 40 countries in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and the former Soviet Union, representing 20 percent of the world’s total polities. Authoritarian states including Iran, Russia, Venezuela, and Vietnam became more repressive. Declines in freedom also occurred in countries that had registered positive trends in previous years, including Bahrain, Jordan, Kenya, and Kyrgyzstan. “The news for 2009 is cause for real concern,” said Arch Puddington, Freedom House Director of Research. “The decline is global, affects countries with military and economic power, affects countries that had previously shown signs of reform potential, and is accompanied by enhanced persecution of political dissidents and independent journalists. To make matters worse, the most powerful authoritarian regimes have become more repressive, more influential in the international arena, and more uncompromising.”

"Blame it on Rio" strikes again on Robin Williams

2009-12-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

Brazil's leading newspaper O Globo is running a poll on the number of Brazilians offended by
Robin William's comments. Almost 41% of the of the 5200 participants say the comment is prejudicial.

Read AP story:

The Washington Post
No joke: Rio upset by Robin Williams' Olympic line
The Associated Press - Tuesday, December 1, 2009 2:13 PM
RIO DE JANEIRO -- Robin Williams may have to scratch Rio de Janeiro off his list of possible vacation sites.
Some citizens and officials in the Brazilian city are upset with comments the comedian made on a recent appearance on the "Late Show" with David Letterman, saying Rio received the 2016 Olympics because it sent "50 strippers and a pound of blow" to compete with Chicago's entourage that included President Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey.
Williams' comments have been replayed several times on news shows across Brazil on Tuesday. Mayor Eduardo Paes says Williams is envious of Rio's achievement.
Rio's Olympic Committee said its lawyers will see whether legal action against Williams is possible.

--------------

And for those who want to make fun of American politics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puMz1Q3E000

Jingle bells ringing, time for kidnappers' bonus

2009-11-30T10:23:00.000-08:00

Brazilian police alerts: "lightning kidnappings" will increase during the holiday season.... .
To the idealist at heart. The Robin Hood legend does not carry over, these kidnappers make no class distinctions .
See original story on TV Globo:

Sequestros-relâmpago devem dobrar em dezembro

A polícia alerta: no fim do ano o número de casos pode aumentar por causa do 13º.

LINK DA NOTÍCIA
http://g1.globo.com/bomdiabrasil/0,,MUL1397038-16020,00.html

Simpson's special

2009-11-16T16:45:00.001-08:00

Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock was in Rio early November investigating details of Homer's kidnapping in 2002. He found a city of sexual freedom, contagious samba and beaches packed with cariocas (locals) singing and dancing in skimpy bikinis.
Homer's obtuse fearlessness and the monkey attack in Copacabana raised Brazil's alert level from orange to red. "Blame it on Lisa!" said the local authorities who are now concerned the Simpsons' will refuse to participate in the 2017 Olympics.
The Special on the Simpsons will air on national television January 2010 on Fox TV.

Bolivia votes again...

2009-01-25T21:37:00.000-08:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123292151925913589.html

Great sense of humor

2009-01-25T21:25:00.000-08:00

clubcultura.com/clubhumor/maitena

Benjamin Button

2009-01-25T20:49:00.000-08:00

The curious case of Benjamin Button

A Hollywood movie that makes you think of mortality, a theme not normally

considered as "mass entertainment".

Superb.

Tim Lopes

2008-12-21T21:13:00.000-08:00

Just read that one of Tim Lopes' killer, Xuxa, is now out from jail after serving a few years in prison. How is that possible?

Award winning journalist, Tim Lopes was tortured and brutally killed in 1992. He was reporting in Vila Cruzeiro, a favela in Rio de Janeiro.

What kind of justice is this? A few years later the killer is given parole. No wonder Brazil has one of the highest crime rates in the world. Over 90% of the homicides go unsolved, and of those who don't a few years in jail will do it.

The murder of Tim Lopes has not only put an end to his life and his excellent reporting, but also sent a message to the journalist class, stay away, "we" judge, "we" kill. Meaning "we" , the drug dealers whose reign continues to grow in Rio de Janeiro. We as media, are hostages of a corrupt and inept judicial system where the victims are guilty, and the murderers are set free.

Interview given on reporters' kidnapping by drug gangs

2008-12-17T22:07:00.000-08:00

Excellence in Multimedia coverage

2008-12-17T21:00:00.000-08:00

These are great examples of international multimedia coverage. All three, New York Times, NPR and BBC are leaders in international news coverage and use of multimedia. The last link is a multimedia story, the shoe episode in Iraq, probably the most viewed image of the year, and an issue that concerns all journalists.

links: www.nytimes.com/2008/12/12/world/africa/12cholera.html?_r=1

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyld=98266034

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7782422.stm

New book on Brazil "Samba, Axe and pitada de Pimenta malagueta"

2008-12-10T14:12:00.000-08:00

Stories on Brazil, its culture, people, and customs. It should be fun and easy to read. Kind of a beginner's book on Brazil for gringos..

In gringos I mean non-Brazilians like me, not necessarily north of the Rio Grande.

I must say I did not find Brazil an easy place to comprehend, even though I am a next door neighbor. Brazil has magic, secrets, mystique, power, extreme love and anger... powerful combination of vibrant emotion.

Two Brazilian journalists, Marcia Carmo, and Monica Yanokiev wrote an insightful book on Argentina... their book instigated me to work on a similar project.

Web headlines that could be improved.

2008-12-07T22:08:00.000-08:00

Economy in turmoil and bailout plan adrift.

This is not new, it lacks novelty, punch. Not enticing enough

Job losses amount as economic picture worsens.

Here again weak headline. It needs to tell more of the story. What numbers, or how.

Oversight for auto bailout a key issue as drive for vote looms.

Does not tell a story or attract the reader.

Potential Obama pic visits education department.

Does not tell a story, or is this headline enticing.

Senators propose changes at DHS

It does not tell a story, and could explain more.

Enticing headlines

2008-12-07T21:53:00.000-08:00

This is for the journalism class:

Are you the future of journalism?

This title was catching because it caught my attention, since the future is now, and I am a journalist. It got the point across, and made me want to read more. Alluring title.

4 ways to produce a web story better than the NYT.

Here again , enticing headline. Journalists love competition and what more than with the NYT. Persuasive.

Obama warns economy will worsen.

Here it gets the point across. Situation will get worse, the headline makes the story a must.

Top 12 Facebook marketing hacks.

Gets the point across and entices the reader.

Schools with highest carcinogen levels.

Here it is an alarming headline, tells a story in one line... there are schools with high carcinogen levels.

Outstanding Brazilian Blogs..

2008-12-07T21:10:00.000-08:00

I think the following blogs are an essential tool do understanding present day Brazil: Blog do Mino, Blog dos Blogs, and Blog do Luis Nassif.

Mino Carta won the Foreign Press Award in 2006 for its outstanding reporting. Blog dos Blogs, is an open debate on Brazilian politics and Luis Nassif is a must. He was the first journalists to introduce internet reporting. He has won several awards for economic coverage, including the Comunique-se award 2008 - where he was elected the best by fellow journalists.

RSS feeds

2008-11-30T23:34:00.001-08:00

iGoogle

Food supply

2008-11-30T22:37:00.000-08:00

Mercosur leaders meet to discuss possible solutions for the financial crisis that has hit the agricultural market. Leading breadbasket countries like Argentina and Brazil are expected to reduce their 2008/09 crop due to tighter credit.

Brazil will import wheat from Russia instead of its traditionally supplier, Argentina.

Argentina was hit by a drought, government policies, and high input costs that dropped production.

Brazil and Argentina are the 2nd and 3rd largest soybean producers in the world. The situation going forward looking grim.