NEWS UPDATE & FOLLOW UP
Google to Block YouTube Video in Brazil
- Google Brazil to Take Down Controversial Video Chief Arrested Over Video
- Google Brazil Chief Arrested Over YouTube Video
Cal Enacts Anti-Social Media Snooping Law
- Praised by ACLU
- Prof Goldman is a critic
- See Backgrounder for May 16th CLBR on this topic
FTC Watch
- Updating Ad Guidelines to Address Social Media Due This Year
- FTC to Ad Networks: Justify Data Collection
Baseball Playoffs in DC for First Time Since 1933
Congrats to Nationals on ending Washington’s fall drought.
Living Social Helps Fund Keeping Subway Open For Extra Inning Games
This is National Banned Book Week
Click here for more information.
The Presidential Debates
Imagine if Mayberry’s Sheriff Andy Taylor faced a reelection challenge from, of all people, Otis the Drunk and Deputy Barney Fife. If today’s media covered the debate between these fictional television characters, it would be a no win situation for Sheriff Taylor since the media would declare a victory for Otis if he managed to stand up for the entire debate and herald Deputy Fife’s performance so long as his gun didn’t go off by accident, while seizing upon even the slightest misstep by the venerable Sheriff.
Many are familiar with Woody Allen’s maxim that “eighty percent of success is just showing up,” but watching past debate coverage you would think that is the sole criteria for being our commander in chief. With the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates only hours away amidst a time of great crisis, it is imperative that the media step back from the spin chamber and remember that they are covering a debate between candidates seeking to hold the two most important offices in this country. Too much is at stake for this to be another exercise in spin.
This is a point I raised in 2004 in the column below which remains very relevant today.
Cyber Law & Business Report 