MediaShift
By Kathy Ishizuka -- School Library Journal, 3/1/2006
The debate, now turned deadly, over Danish cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad is only the latest indicator of the media’s expanding power in shaping our perceptions of the world.
A new blog sponsored by PBS, MediaShift will track how digital media— weblogs, podcasts, citizen journalism, and other technologies—are altering society. Journalist and host Mark Glaser will provide commentary on recent developments. One week’s “Top 5” links, for example, included a personal blog tracking the firestorm over the Muhammad cartoons from the perspective of a professional cartoonist, Daryl Cagle; a blurb about a Madison, WI, newspaper that’s encouraging readers to vote to select the next front-page story; and a site that will satisfy all those wanting to see the ads that premiered during the Super Bowl—without having to watch the game. MediaShift, promises PBS, will be accessible to the average user as well as the more technically savvy. Talk-back opportunities abound and include a weekly “Your Take” question posed to site visitors, who are invited to share their views on such timely issues as the accuracy of Google News.
