In functional terms, a food blogger who writes about the opening of a new
restaurant is a journalist because he or she is communicating information of
interest to the section of the public that likes to eat out. Whether the blogger
is formally paid by an accredited "news" organization or does it for love, the
communication process is identical. All this talk of accreditation or seeking
particular qualifications for the status of journalist is a way for commercial
organizations to protect their market or other interested parties to seek
control over the news dissemination process..."shield law" that will give
reporters some protection when government and its agencies seek to bug, arrest
or demand to know sources. Its embryo bill says that a journalist is someone
"who has a primary interest to investigate events and procure material",
informing the public through interviews and observation. He or she sets out to
report the news; he or she must intend to publish that news. But, asks one
senator, is that protection for WikiLeakers? Surely we only want to help "real
reporters", who draw salaries for their work, says another. The congressional
equivalent of our own dear Westminster lobby system insists that the
correspondents it grants passes to are full-time on some corporate payroll.
Best of luck with that, and enjoy it while it lasts....The term citizen
journalism has been in the news recently because of a recent ruling against
Apple Computer by an appeals court in the USA. Apple tried to get bloggers who
had revealed trade secrets to hand over their sources, but the court said that
bloggers were covered by the same shield law as journalists and by the First
Amendment protections of the press. “We can think of no workable test or
principle that would distinguish ‘legitimate’ from ‘illegitimate’ news,” the
opinion said.
Access Investments-Building Awareness - European Union-ROMANIA
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
In functional terms, a food blogger who writes about the opening of a new
restaurant is a journalist because he or she is communicating information of
interest to the section of the public that likes to eat out. Whether the blogger
is formally paid by an accredited "news" organization or does it for love, the
communication process is identical. All this talk of accreditation or seeking
particular qualifications for the status of journalist is a way for commercial
organizations to protect their market or other interested parties to seek
control over the news dissemination process..."shield law" that will give
reporters some protection when government and its agencies seek to bug, arrest
or demand to know sources. Its embryo bill says that a journalist is someone
"who has a primary interest to investigate events and procure material",
informing the public through interviews and observation. He or she sets out to
report the news; he or she must intend to publish that news. But, asks one
senator, is that protection for WikiLeakers? Surely we only want to help "real
reporters", who draw salaries for their work, says another. The congressional
equivalent of our own dear Westminster lobby system insists that the
correspondents it grants passes to are full-time on some corporate payroll.
Best of luck with that, and enjoy it while it lasts....The term citizen
journalism has been in the news recently because of a recent ruling against
Apple Computer by an appeals court in the USA. Apple tried to get bloggers who
had revealed trade secrets to hand over their sources, but the court said that
bloggers were covered by the same shield law as journalists and by the First
Amendment protections of the press. “We can think of no workable test or
principle that would distinguish ‘legitimate’ from ‘illegitimate’ news,” the
opinion said.
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Hopes that some of the countries worst affected by the sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone are at last on the mend were fostered by reports that industrial production not only rose in Germany but also in Ireland and Greece. Irish output was up 8.7% in June, while Greek production rose by 2.5%. Falls were recorded in June in the Netherlands (4.1%) and Portugal (2.8%), France (1.5%), Finland (1.5%) and Spain (0.5%).
Germany posted a 2.5% increase in industrial production in June, while the latest survey of business confidence from ZEW rose more than expected in August.
Ben May, an analyst at Capital Economics, said the snapshot of conditions pointed to annual growth in Germany of 2%, much higher than the 0.2% posted in the year to the first quarter of 2013. "But the survey has not been a particularly good predictor of growth in the past and other timely indicators of activity point to weaker growth", May said, adding that much of the increase in eurozone industrial production had come from a build up in stocks of finished goods.
"In all, then, these data support the view that the eurozone as a whole may have exited recession in the second quarter. But we doubt that this will mark the start of a strong and sustained recovery."
Howard Archer, European economist with IHS Global Insight, said: "Latest survey evidence from the purchasing managers shows rising orders and output in July and the hope for eurozone manufacturers going forward is that current rising confidence in most countries increasingly encourages businesses to invest more, and also encourages consumers to lift their spending. Meanwhile, relatively muted input prices are helping eurozone manufacturers to price competitively.
"Even so, conditions remain far from easy for eurozone manufacturers with domestic demand still constrained by strong headwinds in a number of countries. These headwinds include still widespread restrictive fiscal policy (despite increased flexibility now being allowed on fiscal targets), persistently tight credit conditions in many countries, elevated unemployment and limited consumer purchasing power. This is particularly true of the southern periphery eurozone countries, but France and the Netherlands also continue to face significant headwinds. Meanwhile, global growth is currently limited, which is constraining the upside for eurozone exports."
Andreas Scheurle from Dekabank said the eurozone been hauled out of recession and Germany had done the lion's share of that.
"It was made possible by our generous consumers, who have again spent more money, but the state has also dug deeper into its pockets," he said.
"But this rhythm can't be maintained - growth will become more modest and in the second half of the year, we should see plus 0.3-0.4%."
The French national statistics agency, Insee, said France's GDP growth in the second quarter had been driven by a rebound in exports, domestic household demand and public spending.
The April-to-June growth was the strongest quarterly growth since early 2011, when the eurozone was plunged into its sovereign debt crisis.
The French economy has been flat for the past two years, shrinking 0.2% in each of the previous two quarters.
French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said Wednesday's figure "amplifies the encouraging signs of recovery".
Figures just released show German gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.7% in the quarter, slightly ahead of forecasts.
New figures from France showed its economy grew 0.5%, also stronger than expected, in the second quarter.
Figures for the eurozone as a whole will be released later on Wednesday and are expected to show it back in growth for the first time in six quarters.
German GDP enjoyed its largest expansion in more than a year, driven largely by domestic private and public consumption.
Carsten Brzeski, an economist at ING, said the figures marked an impressive comeback for Germany, which saw its economy stagnate at the start of the year.
"The biggest domestic challenge remains weak investment," he said.
"Despite very favourable financing conditions and [the] strong international positions of many German companies, domestic investment has been sluggish for a longer while."
President Giorgio Napolitano on Tuesday ruled out any reversal of a tax fraud conviction against Silvio Berlusconi and issued a stern warning to his party against trying to bring down the government over the issue.
Napolitano’s statement that the law must take its course dashed hopes in Berlusconi’s People of Freedom (PDL) party that the head of state would find a way to allow the former prime minister to continue his leadership of the centre-right without restriction despite a jail sentence.
The party says that curtailing Berlusconi’s political activity would rob the 10 million people who voted for him in February’s election of their democratic choice. Several of its leading members had pressed Napolitano to find a way out.
“Any definitive sentence, and the consequent obligation of applying it, cannot but be taken into account,” Napolitano said in a statement, warning against any “fatal” crisis in Enrico Letta’s fragile left-right coalition government at a time when Italy is stuck in its worst postwar recession.
Earlier, Berlusconi’s oldest daughter Marina, 47, who heads his 6.6 billion euro business empire, flatly dismissed speculation that she could become the PDL figurehead to run the party while her father was out of circulation.
The supreme court this month confirmed a four-year jail sentence - commuted to one year - on Berlusconi for a giant tax fraud at his Mediaset broadcasting empire.
Napolitano noted that Berlusconi would not be expected to go to jail. Because of his age, the billionaire businessman is likely to serve the sentence under house arrest or doing community service.
The Czech government led by PM Jiri Rusnok has handed in its resignation, after failing to win the confidence of parliament.
The move paves the way for an early election, likely to be held by October.
The cabinet of technocrats was formed by President Milos Zeman last month, despite opposition from the main parties, who accused him of trying to increase his own power.
Mr Zeman accepted the resignation but said Mr Rusnok would stay on for now.
The government will act in a caretaker capacity until a new one can be formed.
The previous prime minister, Petr Necas, resigned in June after a senior aide was charged with bribery and abuse of power.
Two former MPs, an ex-minister and the current and former heads of military intelligence were also detained in the largest anti-corruption investigation in the country since the fall of communism.
Under the constitution, the president has a second chance to appoint a prime minister. He could also decline to name a replacement for Mr Rusnok before the next elections, scheduled for early 2014.
However, parliament has the power to dissolve itself, which would force early elections.
That is expected to happen next week.
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