Paul Andrew James Dunne's blog

I hope nobody has any last minute research assignments they need to complete because if you go to the english version of Wikipedia today you'll find it's offline. In its place you'll find a blacked-out page and the heading "Imagine a World Without Free Knowledge."

Google is also taking part in the protest 
against proposed anti-piracy legislation.

The first three stories I read in the news this morning were all I suddenly realised about censorship:

-China campaign cuts entertainment TV by two-thirds: the government says there are too many Western values seeping into Chinese TV.

-Belarus puts restrictions on foreign internet sites: a new law will restrict access to foreign websites, force users to only shop through domestic websites and force internet clubs and cafes to report users visiting sites registered abroad.

-Anti-internet piracy law adopted by Spanish government: following the US's tougher measures on internet piracy the Spanish government is implenting new laws critics say infringe on freedom of expression.
 

My dad has been eyeing the iPad's shiny screen ever since it first came out, but could never find a good enough reason to justify the rather large expense of buying it. But now, with the newest version of the iPad boasting digital versions of the newspapers he buys weekly and the new iCloud allowing him to effortlessly sync up the data from his phone and computer, Christmas was the perfect excuse. 

Saw this last night and thought people might find it worth a listen. Could it be that the hype over apps is blinding us from simply designing better websites? Wolfgang Blau, editor-in-chief of German news site Zeit Online, makes an interesting case for website design over apps here at journalism.co.uk 

This year I'm the editor of the politics section on our campus's student news website; www.theMedwire.co.uk

I'm looking for students to write for us, so if you're hoping to go into political journalism then this is a great opportunity for something that would look really good on your CV! In addition, after writing a few stories for the Medwire, you can always use them to help build your portfolio (I cannot stress enough how useful it is to have stories ready to go into your portfolio when you reach the end of the year!).

Don't let the fact it's 'politics' scare you away either. if you're fairly new to the political scene you can ease in with some easier stories of your choice or cover campus politics stories. As a member of the UMSA I'm happy to explain how things work and send you to cover relevant meetings and events.

A message for all NUS representatives and a call to all students

Now that we have reached the end of our time at the 2011 National Union of Students (NUS) Conference, let us pause and reflect. We have elected Liam Burns as the new NUS president, a president elected by 446 votes to represent seven million students. Seven million students! He is the one the vast majority of those students will come to equate with the NUS. Charged with representing the entirety of the student body he is the one who they will see on the news.

 
The Sage Centre in Gateshead, Newcastle - site of this year's NUS conference

 Hey everyone!

Just wondering if there's any interest amongst the journos in a trip to the Gillingham ice rink next week?
Students from all years, MAs included, are welcome.

Let me know if you're up for it!

Here's an opportunity some of you may be interested in...

WIN a place on an expedition to a beautiful lost world! 10 students will journey to Mount Roraima, Venezuela, to join a critically acclaimed film crew (including BBC Planet Earth cameramen) to shoot a broadcast quality documentary about Mount Roraima. The film will then be premiered at the Royal Geographical Society in December 2010.

For those of you still searching for your last portfolio pieces, the Medway Boat Race is tomorrow and could present a good opportunity!

Get there for about 12:30 to catch the warm-up training sessions. I think there might even be a press conference at some point, best thing to do is just ask the organisers when you get there!

Andrew Marr interviews the famous philosopher Noam Chomsky on his views with regard to journalism as propaganda in this video (split into 3 parts). Not recent, just something I came across. Very interesting.