Pakistan on the Brink

For MMC I and BMC II

An article by Ahmed Rashid

To get to President Asif Ali Zardari's presidential palace in the heart of Islamabad for dinner is like running an obstacle course. Pakistan's once sleepy capital, full of restaurant-going bureaucrats and diplomats, is now littered with concrete barriers, blast walls, checkpoints, armed police, and soldiers; as a result of recent suicide bombings the city now resembles Baghdad or Kabul. At the first checkpoint, two miles from the palace, they have my name and my car's license number. There are seven more checkpoints to negotiate along the way.

More at: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/22730

Monday Movie

For MMC I

Syriana.

The film explains the link between oil, terrorism and global politics.
with subtitles)

10.30 to 11.30 am.

The film, made in 2005, stars George Clooney and Matt Damon, is a geo-political thriller, which has three stories running parallel-- an American spy in Iran, a oil expert in USA and Pakistani immigrant to Saudi Arabia. The film has amazing cinematography and some parts of it are in Urdu.

Please set up the projector before the class begins so that no time is wasted.

The Dawn

This is for all classes.

As Pakistan fights the Taliban and faces counter-attacks (like Wednesday's devastating bomb blast in Lahore), I shall ask all the students to daily, at least once, visit this Pakistani newspaper site and know our neighbour's story in their own words. Its important that you know both sides of an event.

The site is The Dawn, Pakistan's most popular national English daily.

Just type The Dawn in Google or use this link

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/home/

You should also bookmark the website.

India created the LTTE and Parbhakaran

By M K Bhadrakumar

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran's death circa May 19, 2009, in circumstances we will never quite get to know, concludes a morality play.

As the curtain comes down and we leave the theater, the spectacle continues to haunt us. We feel a deep unease and can't quite figure out the reason. Something rankles somewhere. And then we realize we have blood on our hands.

Not only our hands, but our whole body and deeper down, our conscience - what remains of it after the mundane battles of our day-to-day life - are also dripping with blood.
Prabhakaran's blood. No, it is not only Prabhakaran's, but also of70,000 Sri Lankan Tamils who have perished in the unspeakable violence through the past quarter century.

All the pujas we may perform to our favorite Hindu god, Lord Ganesh, for good luck each morning religiously so that we march ahead in our life from success to success cannot wash away the guilt we are bearing - the curse of the 70,000 dead souls.

Our children and grandchildren will surely inherit the great curse.

A long time ago, we created Prabhakaran. We picked him up as an urchin from nowhere. What we found charming about him was that he was so thoroughly apolitical - almost innocent about politics. He was a simpleton in many ways, who had a passion for weapons and the military regimen. He suited our needs perfectly

What a bitter legacy!

Full article at: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/KE20Df03.html

BMC II: Understanding Feature Writing

A feature takes an in-depth look at what’s going on behind the news.

* It gets into the lives of people.

* It tries to explain why and how a trend developed.

* Unlike news, a feature does not have to be tied to a current event or a breaking story. But it can grow out of something that’s reported in the news.

It may be a profile of a person or a group -- an athlete, a performer, a politician, or a community worker or a team, a choir or a political organization. Or perhaps it’s an in-depth look at a social issue -- like violence in Canadian schools or eating disorders among young women. It could also be a story that gives the reader background on a topic that’s in the news -- like a story that explains how land mines work and the history of their use in war.

A feature story is usually longer than a news story -- but length is not a requirement! What’s more important is the form the story takes.

Think of the feature as the journalistic equivalent of an essay. Follow these guidelines:

* start with a premise or theme

* present information and opinions that back you point,

* bring the reader to a conclusion.

The feature often explores several different points of views, even when the story is about one particular person.

The story behind the news

Here’s an example of how a feature can explain and explore a story that makes news:

“Your local newspaper reports on the front page that school enrollments are dropping in your small community. The reason? Many people are being forced to leave the town to look for jobs in bigger cities and obviously, their children go with them. As a reporter you can go beyond the facts and figures in the news story by talking to one of the families who are leaving. How do they feel? What made them decide to go? What will they miss about home? What are they expecting in their new community? How do the children feel about leaving their school and their friends? Or you can look at the story from the point of view of the people who remain in the town. What’s it like to lose friends and family to far-away cities? How does it affect the school? What about the local economy?”

The news story tells the audience what happened. The feature will tell them why and how it happened, how the people involved are reacting, and what impact the decision is having on other people.

Personality in profile

Indulge your curiosity -- and that of your readers -- with a profile of an interesting person.

You can look at someone who’s making news in your community, province or country. Or it could be someone who's relatively unknown to the public but who has done something unusual or remarkable.

Here’s one example:

Your town elects a full slate of councillors to represent and serve the community. One is a 19-year-old student who was active in youth parliament and student politics. That makes him the youngest elected official in your province. But that’s not the whole story! He gets the most votes of any of the councillors, and according to the election rules, that makes him deputy mayor. What’s it like to be a politician when you’re still in your teens? What does your life experience add to the council? Are you seen as a spokesman for your generation -- but not the community as a whole? What do the other councillors think of their young colleague? Do people take you seriously?

That young politician may not be famous. But he’s certainly done something new. And his experiences will be something that others will want to learn more about.

Take a look at people from the world of sports, entertainment, politics, science, technology, business, health, international development, community activism, education, the military, the fine arts or any other field that interests you.

You can choose a subject and find out the basic facts of the person’s life and work. What have they learned so far? Are there any surprises? Is there an area of this person's life or work that the student would now like to focus on?

* Write your profile by telling your readers the facts of this person's life — while adding the color and details that make them unique.

* Talk to the person themselves whenever possible and use their own words to help tell their story.

Tracking a trend

Many of the best stories come from reporters’ observations of the world around them. Here’s just one example of how you can come across a great feature story in your daily life:

YOU are hanging around with friends at lunch time and talking about plans for the weekend. Someone says they’ve heard that the town council is considering a curfew for teens. Everyone under 16 has to be off the streets by 11pm on weekends. You have your own curfew - set by your parents - but you are surprised to learn that the mayor wants to put one in place for everyone.

You talk to some of your friends to find out what they think. You and other concerned teens go over to the town hall and ask the mayor or one of the councillors why they see the need for a curfew. You surf the Net and find out what other towns and cities have been doing.

You find that this is a bit of trend in North America.

What you now have is the basis for a really interesting feature. You have taken a little piece of information and investigated further to find out what’s going on. The story will focus on the issue and the thoughts and feeling of the people involved — namely local teenagers and the people who made the decision about the curfew.

Feature writing tips

The basic guidelines for good writing apply to all types of writing. However, if you expect to hold your readers attention for 1,000 words or more, your writing must be must be lively, specific and clear.

As a student writer you have to start with a lede that captures your reader’s attention.

* It could be an anecdote you have heard during the course of your research.

* It could be a description of a person, place or thing that draws the reader in and encourages them to learn more.

* It could a newsy lede that highlights the point of the story.

Move your story along with descriptions of what happened, quotes from people involved in the issue, and details that place the reader in the midst of the action. Make sure your ending is meaningful. Your closing words should make an impact on your readers and tie the various strands of your story together.

A powerful quote can often make for a good ending. Or you may want to come full circle and refer back to a word or an image used in your opening sentences.

MMC I Syllabus and advice

1. Writing international news reports. Difference with local news.

2. Latest world events that have been in news.

3. Stereotypes or typical images about foreign people or countries.

Study material: Refer to the notes. International news sites and previous posts on this blog.

Advice: Study widely but don't go too deep. Maintain word limit.

Don't worry: You already know the asnwers.

BMC I Syllabus and Advice

BMC I

The syllabus for the class test on Monday includes:

1. The Lok Sabha election results and analysis

2. The ongoing fight for cabinet berths and the reason behind them

3. What can you do to solve india's econimic problems

4. What happens when a journalist is under extreme pressure in a politically unstable situation. Is he forced to take sides or is he impartial?

Tips to get good marks:

1. Think coolly
2. Write clearly
3. Don't repeat the same ideas
4. Write short sentences
5. and most importantly,
Just follow the papers tommorow-- front page, editorial page, opinion page, and world news page.
Don't study too hard but come prepared.

Just remember: "Life is tough, exams are easy."
:-)

(Emergency: In case you are not able to understand anything, Call A Friend at 09888720338.)

Journalists deserve low pay

The demise of the news business can be halted, but only if journalists commit to creating real value for consumers and become more involved in setting the course of their companies.

By Robert G. Picard

Oxford, England:

Journalists like to think of their work in moral or even sacred terms. With each new layoff or paper closing, they tell themselves that no business model could adequately compensate the holy work of enriching democratic society, speaking truth to power, and comforting the afflicted.

Actually, journalists deserve low pay.

Wages are compensation for value creation. And journalists simply aren't creating much value these days.

Until they come to grips with that issue, no amount of blogging, twittering, or micropayments is going to solve their failing business models.

Where does value come from?

The primary value that is created today comes from the basic underlying value of the labor of journalists. Unfortunately, that value is now near zero.

The total value is the value of content plus the value of advertising. However, advertisers don't care about journalism – only the audience that it produces. Thus the real measure of journalistic value is value created by serving readers.

What are journalists worth?

Economic outcomes have traditionally held low priority for journalists. That's got to change.

Journalists are not professionals with a unique base of knowledge such as professors or electricians. Consequently, the primary economic value of journalism derives not from its own knowledge, but in distributing the knowledge of others. In this process three fundamental functions and related skills have historically created economic value: Accessing sources, determining significance of information, and conveying it effectively.

Read the whole article at www.csmonitor.com/2009/0519/p09s02-coop.html

(Robert G. Picard is a professor of media economics at Sweden's Jonkoping University. He blogs at http://themediabusiness.blogspot.com/)

Benazir Bhotto killed by US special squad, says US journalist

Caption: Late Benazir Bhutto with her husband Asif Ali Zardari, who is now the Pakistan President, in an old photograph.

Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on the orders of the special death squad formed by former US vice-president Dick Cheney, which had already killed the Lebanon’s Prime Minister Rafique Al Hariri and its army chief.

It was disclosed by reputed US journalist Seymour Hersh while talking to an Arab TV channel.

He said the squad was headed by General Stanley McChrystal, the newly-appointed commander of US army in Afghanistan. Hersh said former US vice-president Cheney was the chief of the Joint Special Operation Command and he clear the way for the US by exterminating opponents through the unit and the CIA. General Stanley was the in-charge of the unit.

Seymour also said that Rafiq Al Hariri and the Lebanese army chief were murdered for not safeguarding the US interests and refusing US setting up military bases in Lebanon. Ariel Sharon, the then prime minister of Israel, was also a key man in the plot.

A number of websites around the world are suspecting the same unit for killing of Benazir Bhutto because in an interview with Al-Jazeera TV on November 2, 2007, she had mentioned the assassination of Usama Bin Laden, Seymour said. According to BB, Umar Saeed Sheikh murdered Usama, but her words were washed out from the David Frosts report, he said.

The US journalist opined that it might have been done on purpose because the US leadership did not like to declare Usama dead for in the case the justification of the presence of US army in Afghanistan could no more be there, hence no reason for operation against Taliban.

The entire news is here:

http://pakalert.wordpress.com/2009/05/18/us-special-squad-killed-benazir/

Nobel winners demand Burmese leader's release

Nine Nobel Peace Prize winners are calling for fellow laureate and Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to be freed, calling her trial for violating her house arrest a "mockery," Costa Rica's government said Tuesday.

"The trial of Aung San Suu Kyi is a mockery. There's no legal system in Myanmar," the peace prize winners wrote in letters to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Surin Pitsuwan, the Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to a goverment statement.

Costa Rican President Oscar Arias joined Desmond Tutu, Jody Williams, Rigoberta Menchu, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Wangari Mathaai, Shirin Ebadi, Betty Williams, and Mairead Corrigan Maguire in the demand.

The pro-democracy leader's protection was necessary for prosperity and stability in Myanmar and the whole of Southeast Asia, they said.

Aung San Suu Kyi has spent 13 of the last 19 years in jail or under house arrest at the hands of Myanmar's generals, most of it at her lakeside house in Yangon.

The 63-year-old is now on trial at the notorious Insein prison outside Yangon, facing up to another five years' detention on charges of harbouring an American man who swam to her home.

Critics say the military regime has trumped up the charges to keep her locked up during elections due next year, and also to beat a May 27 deadline when her latest six-year period of detention expires.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee said last week in a rare open letter that the imprisonment of Myanmar's 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate was "totally unacceptable."

Here is world news

For MMC I: Use these sites to find and use news for your group websites. Also mention at the story's end from which site you took the news from.


1. BBC World

http://news.bbc.co.uk/

2. Inter Press Service

http://ipsnews.net/

2. New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/

3. Reuters.com (International)

ttp://www.reuters.com/

and Reuters India

http://in.reuters.com/

4. Asian Wall Street Journal

http://www.wsj-asia.com/

Risks of reporting

Photo caption: Kenji Nagai, this 50-year-old video journalist from Japan, died in Army gunfire while he was capturing the pro-democracy uprising in Burma on September 27, 2007. This photo, by Adrees Latif, later got the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Story.

These sites will explain what we talked in class.

For BMC I: How journalists work under a set of pressures and risks in hostile nations. And also know how free is the press in different countries.

For MMC I: Follow these sites regularly to know what's happening and also pick news and info from them to post in your group websites.

1. Reporters Without Borders

http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=20

Important: You must go through this report on the situation of local journalists in Swat Valley of Pakistan which was captured by the Taliban recently.

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=30742

2. Global Journalist

http://www.globaljournalist.org/

She is Burma's Nelson Mandela

She has been put under house arrest by Burma's military dictators for 13 years now.

Today, she will again be put on trail and may be sent to five years in prison.

Only because she has been demanding, with the rest of the Burmese people, for democracy in the country. (So realise the value of Indian elections).

She was given the Nobel Prize for Peace but she can't move out of her house. She inspires millions but has been made helpless by the Burmese government.

She studied BA from Delhi's Lady Sri Ram College in the 1960s and later, she also lived in Shimla, as a fellow of the Institute of Advanced Studies in 1987.

Please stand up beside her, as she faces another trail in her fight for democracy.

Read her full profile here:

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE54H1CG20090518?sp=true

What made Prabhakaran unique?

Do you know that when Vellupillai Prabhakaran started the LTTE, he was just 18 years old, an age while most of you are in school or college! He was a shy man, but a born leader. He was single minded and believed in sacrifices to achieve the goal of freedom. He was first to create suicide squads.

His idols were Subhas Chandra Bose (he too founded the military group of INA) and Bhagat Singh.

Also, interestingly, he died just three days before Rajiv Gandhi's death anniversary and two days after the Congress, led by the widow of the man Prabhakaran had killed, returned to power.

Read the full profile of Prabhakaran here.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3236030.stm

Anand Giridhardas

For BMC II

This is the blog of a young Indian-American journalist Anand Giridhardas who does reporting on India for The New York Times and International Herald Tribune.

Notice his use of English, and his qualities in feature writing.

http://anand-g.blogspot.com/

The mayawati rally

For BMC I and MMC I

This UP election rally coverage by New York-based young Kashmiri journalist Bhararat Peer is a masterpiece. A must read.

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090515/REVIEW/705149996/1008

The 2014 General Elections

The Congress Party has not just won the 2009 General Elections. It has also won the 2014 General Elections. The May 16, 2009, win has ensured an uninterrupted 10-year Congress rule.
Why?
Because in the BJP's time, as a national party of any consequence, is over. With Advani bowing out, it will cut the party's last link to its Ram Mandir past. The party will become more powerless in front of the growing charm and activities of Rahul-Priyanka.
The BSP has already stopped growing. The Left may rise again, but not as much.
But what after 2019? Ha..ha..

Hi

The new blog is ready. ROCK-AND-ROLLA!