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South Africas government is lobbying media executives and using its advertising muscle to win its battle for a more supine press.

A management fight at Hosken Consolidated Investments Ltd. (HCI) revealed that a cabinet minister and a company director tried to influence coverage at its e.tv channel, the nations biggest private television station that has reported on corruption and graft allegations leveled against President Jacob Zuma.

The government already controls the South African Broadcasting Corp., which has three terrestrial television channels and 20 radio stations. Its advertising provides the main source of revenue for the New Age, a newspaper that reports the positive side of news, and 24-hour news channel ANN7, which says it provides constructive, nation-building stories. Both outlets are owned by companies controlled by the members of the Gupta family who are friends with Zuma and employ his son.

Theyre using state power and resources to try and give support to a more sympathetic and less critical media, Anton Harber, a journalism professor at Johannesburgs University of the Witwatersrand, said by phone on Nov. 4. It means a decrease in public debate and accountability.

Newspapers including the Daily Sun, Sowetan and The Citizen, The Times and The New Age, commemorate the life of the former South African President Nelson Mandela following the announcement of his death in Johannesburg, last year. Close

Newspapers including the Daily Sun, Sowetan and The Citizen, The Times and The New Age,... Read More

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Newspapers including the Daily Sun, Sowetan and The Citizen, The Times and The New Age, commemorate the life of the former South African President Nelson Mandela following the announcement of his death in Johannesburg, last year.

Political interference is compounding pressure on South African media already contending with cutbacks in advertising and editorial budgets, according to Herman Wasserman, a professor of media studies at the University of Cape Town.

There is decreased tolerance and increased impatience with the media, he said by phone on Oct. 31. The future for newsrooms is quite bleak.

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South African Media Squeezed by Growing State Pressure

Former Giro director outlines struggle to clear his name against financial fraud allegations

Former Giro dItalia director Michele Acquarone has come forward with an open letter to the media that details the struggle he has faced to try and clear his name after being dismissed from his position at RCS Sport a year ago for allegedly playing a role in the disappearance of 13 million from the company.

RCS Media Group, owners of RCS Sport that manages sporting events including the Giro dItalia, Milan-San Remo, Strade Bianche and the Tour of Lombardy, fired Acquarone from his role as Chief Operating Officer last October after discovering the misappropriation of funds. It was reported that the funds were slowly withdrawn from RCS Sport accounts over several years through fraudulent bank statements.

RCS is suggesting that Acquarone should have had knowledge of the financial situation. It was reported that RCS provided him with proof of signed documents that authorised millions of Euro in transactions from RCS Media Group accounts to minor accounts for RCS Sport, accounts that he was legally responsible for.

In a letter to the media, Acquarone wrote that on September 16, 2013 an RCS Media Group control officer showed him a copy of a bank statement that looked forged and said the company had proof that signatures were forged on official documents but that that was the first time he had ever seen an RCS bank statement.

It was the first time I saw an RCS bank statement and it was the first time I went to the bank on behalf of RCS, Acquarone wrote. The banks Director told us that on April 2012 she personally warned the Financial officers at RCS Mediagroup that a staggering amount of money (cash withdrawals) was gradually disappearing from the accounts of RCS Sport. We were shocked. We immediately gave the internal alarm.

Acquarone has always maintained that he is innocent and denies any wrongdoing. He also believes that RCS Media Group has used him as a scapegoat to cover up an uncomfortable situation.

The RCS MediaGroup lawyers instead are saying that it doesnt matter if somebody forged signatures, documents and statements," Acquarone wrote. "They say (they lie) that the Financial and Management control were under my responsibility and I have the culpa in vigilando. They say that I was the Managing Director so the responsibility is 100% mine.

The RCS Media Group's strategy is quite clear, he wrote. RCS has to protect its huge core business (the publishing business, 1,3 billion Euros) and it cant let the Financial Department of the parent company (the heart of the company) be involved in a big scandal. So they had to play dirty. I was the perfect scapegoat. In the last thirteen months I took all the shit on me and nobody ever talked about the parent company involvement.

Acquarone is not under investigation by the Italian police but he questions whether the investigation into the companys misappropriation of funds is still on-going.

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Acquarone writes open letter to media

2014 US midterm elections: Live Report

Washington (AFP) - 05:14 GMT - More pot - US media project that Oregon will OK marijuana use. The move makes it the third state in which it will be legal to use the drug recreationally, catching up with Colorado and neighboring Washington.

05:06 GMT - Maryland surprise - In what would be a real upset, the overwhelmingly Democratic state of Maryland seems to be about to elect a Republican governor. Businessman Larry Hogan has a sizable lead over Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, who has been slammed for tax increases under the incumbent.

05:00 GMT - CALLING IT A NIGHT - We are closing our Live Report on the US elections.

Races are still undecided around the country, and final results from Alaska to Connecticut may not be known for days. But the big question has been answered. A Republican wave washed over the Senate, giving the GOP control of the upper chamber for the first time since President Barack Obama was elected.

The White House issued no reaction, but we can expect Obama to speak to reporters at some point on Wednesday and probably take questions. Obama retains some power through executive orders and the veto pen, but substantive governance will require cooperation. With majorities is both houses, the Republicans will determine the country's legislative agenda at least until the next presidential vote.

And so, with ballots from Tuesday's vote still being counted, talk over breakfast in Washington will turn to 2016.

04:40 GMT - Squeal - Joni Ernst's big win in Iowa makes her the first woman to represent the agricultural state in the Senate. The 44-year-old Army and National Guard veteran served in Kuwait in 2003 and 2004. One of her campaign ads, titled "Squeal," went viral for both friends and foes. She asserted her experience castrating hogs growing up gave her the experience needed to cut "pork" spending in Washington.

04:38 GMT - Harry Reid - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid acknowledged his was not long for the job. He released a statement making the usual vow of bipartisanship.

"I'd like to congratulate Senator McConnell, who will be the new Senate Majority Leader. The message from voters is clear: they want us to work together. I look forward to working with Senator McConnell to get things done for the middle class."

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2014 US midterm elections: Live Report

For anyone who says that using social media is not an exact science, theAtlanta-based company Insightpool would beg to differ.

Today, Insightpool unveiled the second generationof its audience cultivation and conversion platform with a slew of new features and capabilities, all designed to grant clients complete knowledge and control of their social media campaigns.

Big companies are finally getting wise to the enormous impact social media marketing has on what people buy, howthey engage with businesses, and so on.When I interviewed Insightpool CEO Devon Wijesinghe about Insightpool 2.0, he called social media the worlds largest focus group.

But its one thing for businesses to know social media marketingworks, and its another to know how it works.Wijesinghe made it clear that you cant mass message millions of people and expect a decent response. Its against the unwritten rules of social media etiquette.

Insightpools platform takes the guesswork out of social media marketing bynarrowing down the millions of potential clients, prospects, and leadsto the handful that really matter to a company. Before a business even sends their first tweet or shared link, Insightpool will tell them both how receptive a contact will be, as well as how likely they are to take the desired actionswhatever those may be.

Speaking about the analysis capabilities of Insightpools new version, company CTO Raj Gulati said:

With Insightpool 2.0, we now provide brands with our proprietary Social Predictor rankings, developed from our algorithms that are capable of analyzing over 350 million people across 60 relevant variables in under 15 minutes, to show exactly who is most likely to reciprocate an online engagement with an organization.

After the platform narrows down the list of contacts, it recommends what actions should be taken via social media, whether its sharing links, tweeting coupons, or any number of other methods of engaging users. But rather than inundating people with messages, Insightpool uses social drip marketing to slowly engage users over time, ensuring that contact is consistentbut never obnoxious.

Insightpool offers its own tools for managing clients social media, but it also interfaces seamlessly with social media tools like Sprinklr, Spredfast, and Shoutlet.

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How Insightpool 2.0 reinvents social media marketing

Robert Hannigan is shown in Manila, Philippines, in 2008. He became chief of the British eavesdropping agency Monday.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

London (CNN) -- UK spy chief Robert Hannigan called on big U.S. tech companies to do more to help governments combat terrorism Tuesday, as he described social media as "a terrorist's command-and-control network of choice."

In an opinion piece written for Britain's Financial Times newspaper, Hannigan, the new director of UK government eavesdropping agency GCHQ, said there must be greater cooperation from the private sector to tackle the threat.

His comments play into the continuing debate over the conflict between people's right to privacy online and governments' need to ensure national security, intensified by the revelations last year of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden over mass government surveillance programs.

In a rare public statement, Hannigan accused U.S. tech companies of being in denial over terrorists' use of the Internet.

Sharing secrets: U.S. intelligence leaks

Sharing secrets: U.S. intelligence leaks

Sharing secrets: U.S. intelligence leaks

Sharing secrets: U.S. intelligence leaks

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Social media: Terrorists' 'network of choice'