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Clive Palmer says current cross media laws were drawn up before the internet era, but regional media rules don't need fixing. Photo: Eddie Jim

Clive Palmer says he would consider voting for the repeal of cross media ownership laws even though it could benefit Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, which publishes newspapers that have been critical of the Palmer United Party (PUP) leader.

The PUP gained a third upper house seat in last weekend's re-run of the Western Australia Senate election. A voting alliance negotiated last October between the PUP and the Motoring Enthusiast Party means Mr Palmer will control a crucial bloc of four votes, which the Coalition will need to pass legislation opposed by the Labor Party.

News Corp owns The Australian, Herald Sun and The Daily Telegraph newspapers, as well as half of pay television service Foxtel.

The Australian has run several articles questioning, among other things, Mr Palmer's treatment of employees at his Palmer Coolum Resort dinosaur park in Queensland, his business dealings, as well as a raft of legal cases he has initiated. Mr Palmer last year threatened to sue Mr Murdoch and accused his ex-wife Wendi Deng of being a Chinese spy.

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Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull is conducting a regulatory review of the media sector, including legislation that prevents a single entity owning more than two of either a newspaper, TV licence or radio licence in a metropolitan market, although the government is not expected to put forward any proposed changes to Parliament until September.

"You've got to put aside any animosity people may have and look at the issues in a professional way," Mr Palmer told Fairfax Media.

"You want independence. You don't want too much concentration of media ownership.

"However, when these laws were originally drawn up, we didn't have the internet and a lot of other things - we need to have a good look at it before we make a decision."

See the article here:
Clive Palmer mulls vote for cross media law change

Feature Article of Tuesday, 8 April 2014

Columnist: Braimah, Sulemana

By Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director, Media Foundation for West Africa.

The ECOWAS is about to roll out a major health sector intervention aimed at eliminating malaria from the region through the application of a substance called biolarvicides. Biolarvicdes, which is said to be very effective in killing malaria-bearing mosquitoes at their larvae development stage, is said to have been applied successfully to eliminate malaria in other parts of the world.

So far, very significant preparatory activities have been undertaken. The construction of three strategic factories in Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria, for the production of the anti-malarial substance is underway. The first of what is expected to be a series of region-wide sensitisation meetings to discuss strategies for implementing the programme, also took place in Abidjan on March 31, 2014.

The application of biolarvicides for the elimination of malaria across the West Africa region is scheduled to commence on May 28, a day celebrated annually as ECOWAS Day.

Even though there have been several malaria control and prevention programmes in the region over the years, two things make the impending campaign different, significant and promising. Firstly, it is arguably the first time there is going to be a region-wide anti-malaria programme led by the ECOWAS. Secondly, it is the first time, there is going to be such a broad anti-malaria programme through the application of biolarvicides.

Unfortunately, even though the date set for the commencement of the application of biolarvicdes is just a month away, there has been barely any public awareness of the entire programme. This is definitely not good for the programme.

For a major health programme such as the one under reference, public awareness, understanding and support is very crucial and this is where the media comes in.

Given that the media (both traditional and new media) remain the main sources of public information, and also the fact that they continue to wield enormous influence in setting public agenda, the malaria elimination programme will require massive support from the media in order to succeed.

See the article here:
Why the ECOWAS Malaria Campaign Must Prioritise Media Involvement

George Zimmerman Favorite TV Show Interview
CNN Interview of George Zimmerman on his favorite TV shows. I do not own any of this material, nor do I approve of George Zimmerman in general. Thanks for wa...

By: BarnyButteli

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George Zimmerman Favorite TV Show Interview - Video

This image of George Zimmerman was taken from a video released by attorney Howard Iken, who is representing Zimmerman in his divorce, on March 12, 2014. (AP)

The story was too shocking even for the person at the center of it. After all, this was the same man who was going to take part in a celebrity boxing match. George Zimmerman, the killer of Trayvon Martin, sold a painting of the hoodie-wearing unarmed 17-year-old for $30,000 in an online auction. The photo of a smiling Zimmerman holding the artwork with Justice for all lightly painted in the background is as galling as it is tasteless.

And its a fake.

That Zimmerman is painting isnt news. His $100,000 eBay sale and the dust-up with the Associated Press over his use of their photo of Special Prosecutor Angela Corey have made headlines. But upon seeing what was billed Zimmermans latest sale on a friends Facebook page, I immediately contacted Robert Zimmerman Jr., Georges brother. His response was swift.

If that were true I would denounce it as repulsive myself, Robert wrote me. There is no way George would even contemplate disparaging the likeness of Trayvon Martin. Professional digital pot-stirrers are at it again and amusing themselves by disrespecting a tragedy. He added, The circulation of these fraudulent images puts George in danger. People who believe the stories are rightfully incensed. It appears that is the objective of the parties behind the fabrication of the false news stories and forged art.

Even the smallest amount of effort would have uncovered all of this as a fake. The site featuring the Zimmerman story is called TheNewsNerd. Find it for yourself. That Im even mentioning it at all is more than it deserves. Anyway, when you scroll down to the bottom of the site, youll see the following message.

(Screenshot from TheNewsNerd)

The stories are for entertainment purposes only. They are purely satirical. And they are not funny. Not in the slightest. This particular story roiled emotions that ranged from oh NO he didnt! to pure rage. Im all for good satire, but this was dumb and dangerous.

Follow Jonathan on Twitter: @Capehartj

Read the rest here:

Dont be fooled by fake George Zimmerman art

April 3, 2014|By Jeff Weiner and Rene Stutzman, Staff Writers

The names of the six-member jury panel that acquitted George Zimmerman in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin have been made public for the first time, after a new court order, records show.

Circuit Judge Debra Nelson, who had previously ordered the jurors' identifying information be kept confidential, granted access to the names in a ruling March 21.

Zimmerman's defense asked the judge in June to keep the names secret until six months after the verdict. The judge set no timeline then, but noted in her new order they have been withheld more than eight months.

Attempts to reach the jurors by phone and in-person Thursday were unsuccessful. The Sentinel typically does not name jurors unless they've agreed to be interviewed.

In Florida, the names of jurors usuallyarepublic and are announced and used by the judge and attorneys during jury selection.

Nelson's order follows an inquiry last month by the Sentinel.

In a letter, Sentinel attorneys asked Nelson for a specific ruling on how long she planned to maintain the jurors' anonymity, noting it was already "well past the six month 'cooling off' period requested by the defense."

The defense, in its motion, argued a delay was needed beyond the trial to allow "for any community passions to cool."

The Sentinel and other media outlets opposed that delay.

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George Zimmerman jury: Names of jurors released by court ...