How long will local media ignore a global story?
Today makes one week since I received a cease-and-desist letter from the Tulsa World, claiming that by linking to their articles and quoting from their articles (for the purpose of comment and criticism), I was infringing on their copyright. I posted their letter and my response, and notified some friends and acquaintances in the blogosphere. The story has received hundreds of links, including from most of the most-visited blogs, and was mentioned two days in a row on CNN's Inside Politics. BatesLine has gone from being about the 2000th most linked blog to, as of yesterday, the 178th most linked blog. This story is getting attention around the world.
So far, most local Tulsa media outlets have ignored the story. Only Talk Radio 1170 KFAQ and KTUL's website (but not the TV station) have covered the issue.
It's possible the other local media outlets just aren't hip to blogs and don't appreciate the broader implications of the World's legal attack. Maybe you, dear reader, can help educate them.
Take a minute today, call a TV station or a radio station, call OETA, call the Daily Oklahoman, and encourage them to cover the story. As more Tulsans know about this story, more Tulsans will be able to see through the Tulsa World's bias, and more Tulsans will know about alternative sources of news and perspective on local politics.
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I am not sure we really qualify as local media since we no longer publish a 10,000 or greater tabloid newspaper but instead just publish on the web, but the Tulsa Computer Society's I/O Port Newsletter has covered the subject, and it is being discussed in the TulsaNow forum. It was also covered in TulsaTopics
michaelbatesdotcom
this could have been you.
Source: UPI
Support sought for jailed Iranian bloggers
Date: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 7:19:25 AM EST
TEHRAN, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- A newly-formed Internet bloggers group is urging its members around the world to seek the release of two imprisoned Iranian bloggers.
The Committee to Protect Bloggers is asking those with blogs -- or Web logs -- to dedicate their sites Tuesday to the "Free Mojtaba and Arash Day," reports the BBC.
The call is in support of Arash Sigarchi and Mojtaba Saminejad, who are imprisoned in Iran. Iranian authorities are clamping down on blogs, which are free sites through which people publish thoughts and opinions.
The group has a list of actions it says bloggers can take, including saying nothing on a blog except 'Free Mojtaba and Arash Day'
"That would mean you could see that phrase 7.1 million times. That alone will shine some light on the situation," says the group. "If you don't have one, find one dedicated to that -- it takes about 30 seconds."
Technorati, a blog search engine, tracks about 6 million blogs and says more than 12,000 are added daily worldwide, the BBC reported.
Big-city media usually don't run stories on petty theft.