Archive for the ‘Media Control’ Category

Media critic breaks down cheap intimidation tactics used by Trumps White House to control press briefing room – AlterNet

When President Donald Trump held his nightly White House press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic on Friday, April 24, a White House staffer was determined to micromanage which journalists would be seated where and Washington Post media critic Erik Wemble offers a scathing analysis in a video posted on Twitter and YouTube, explaining why the staffers actions were so egregious.

The White House is invoking the Secret Service and using cheap intimidation tactics to scare reporters into other seats, Wemple asserts in the video. And the Post media critic goes on to say, Theyre using these seats to accomplish a change in tone in the briefing room. The president doesnt want to answer or even face the sort of questions that CNN and other outlets are asking in that briefing room. It doesnt matter where you put the reporters; those questions have to be answered.

We got a bit of footage of the White House trying to reassign seats before Friday nights briefing: https://t.co/RnhDLOrflJ

ErikWemple (@ErikWemple) April 28, 2020

In video footage taken before the press conference got underway, Wemple explains, Katie Price (a White House official) is seen asking Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson to move from the back of the White House briefing room to the front row where CNNs Kaitlan Collins had planned to sit.

Wemple, in the video, asserts, Its not Prices role or job to tell reporters where to sit. Its not even the presidents job or the chief of staffs job. That job falls to the White House Correspondents Association.

In the video, Wemple explains that the WHCA was founded in 1914 when Democrat Woodrow Wilson was president and one of things it is designed to do is make sure that reporters who are likely to ask tough questions arent marginalized. In other words, someone like Collins, theoretically, should be seated near the front because she is more likely to ask tough questions. The WHCA, as Wemple lays out in the video, is designed to encourage reporters to act as watchdogs which is what they are supposed to do in a democratic republic.

Watch the video below:

then let us make a small request. AlterNets journalists work tirelessly to counter the traditional corporate media narrative. Were here seven days a week, 365 days a year. And were proud to say that weve been bringing you the real, unfiltered news for 20 yearslonger than any other progressive news site on the Internet.

Its through the generosity of our supporters that were able to share with you all the underreported news you need to know. Independent journalism is increasingly imperiled; ads alone cant pay our bills. AlterNet counts on readers like you to support our coverage. Did you enjoy content from David Cay Johnston, Common Dreams, Raw Story and Robert Reich? Opinion from Salon and Jim Hightower? Analysis by The Conversation? Then join the hundreds of readers who have supported AlterNet this year.

Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure AlterNet remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to AlterNet, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.

The rest is here:
Media critic breaks down cheap intimidation tactics used by Trumps White House to control press briefing room - AlterNet

Bauer Media suspends printing of ‘certain’ magazines and lays off 140 staff amid coronavirus fallout – The Guardian

Bauer Media, publisher of dozens of magazines including Australian Womens Weekly and Harpers Bazaar, is suspending the printing of certain titles and laying off 140 staff as coronavirus hits the advertising industry.

The announcement came just hours after Bauer title TV Week cancelled the TV Week Logies, which were originally to be held on the Gold Coast on 28 June.

The German-owned media giant refused to say which magazines would not be published but indicated some may never return to print.

However, sources say the staff of fashion magazines Harpers Bazaar and Elle and gossip weeklies OK! and NW have been stood down so they are likely to be among the titles affected.

The affected brands digital assets will continue to operate, Bauer said in a statement. The decision to resume print publication will be made once the trading environment improves.

Bauer Medias planned acquisition of Seven West Medias Pacific Magazines, which publishes Better Homes & Gardens, New Idea and Marie Claire, is expected to be completed on Friday despite speculation Bauer may have wanted to pull out.

Announced in October 2019, the $40m merger has been delayed for several weeks but Seven has told the Australian Securities Exchange the deal will now complete on 1 May.

Bauer staff were told by the Australian chief executive, Brendon Hill, on Wednesday that a restructure of the company meant that 70 people were to be made redundant and another 70 stood down.

These are unprecedented times, Hill said. The Covid-19 crisis and the strict measures being taken to control it are having a profound impact on the Australian economy and any business that operates in it.

This has led to a sharp decrease in advertising revenues in Australia over the short term and we have had to reshape our organisation accordingly.

The company blamed the impact of the coronavirus in Australia on advertising revenue but the magazine industry has been scaling back for years due to the digital revolution.

Many Australia titles have closed in the past few years, including Cleo, Top Gear, Zoo, Madison, Grazia, Burkes Backyard, BBC Good Food, FHM and Cosmopolitan.

Earlier this month the company closed New Zealand Womans Weekly and pulled its business out of the country completely.

Since Kerry Packers ACP Magazines was sold by Nine Entertainment for $500m in 2012, several titles have had their editorial teams merged and others closed entirely.

Mens magazine the Picture and the 69-year-old People magazine will close at the end of the year, ending decades of printed weeklies featuring topless models and readers sex stories, after they were banned from sale at service stations.

The TV Week Logies, the annual awards night for the television industry, would be held next year, said the Bauer Media Group publisher, Fiona Connolly.

All parties agree the most positive outcome is to not hold the TV Week Logies, including public voting, in 2020 but to stage an even bigger event on the Gold Coast in 2021, she said.

The TV Week Logies is loved because it is a live event, with viewers at home enjoying seeing the red-carpet glamour and the entertainment community coming together to celebrate the television industry.

Link:
Bauer Media suspends printing of 'certain' magazines and lays off 140 staff amid coronavirus fallout - The Guardian

OUT OF THE BOX | Laugh at first bite – Ventura County Reporter

by Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer

nshaffer@timespublications.com

Back for Season 2 is What We Do in the Shadows, the FX comedy-horror series (also available on Hulu) about a trio of vampires just trying to get by in Staten Island. Ottoman soldier Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Romani Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and her English nobleman husband, Laszlo (Matt Berry), continue to navigate the mundane and mystical alike with the same absurdly hilarious results that delighted fans when it debuted in 2019.

In truth, the series isnt as funny as the 2014 film of the same name and how could it be? Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement wrote, directed and starred in the original What We Do in the Shadows, and their deft touch with dialogue combined with exceptional onscreen chemistry and comedic timing isnt easily duplicated. As talented as the television actors are, you just cant improve upon perfection.

Having said that, the series still brings plenty of laughs, and has an energy all its own. Clement (credited as the creator; Waititi directed three episodes and serves as executive producer) was smart to set the show in a different location with a fresh cast of characters, giving it room to breathe and distinguish itself from its wildly popular predecessor. Nadja brings a welcome womans perspective, and its fun to see the vampire world through the eyes of familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guilln) eyes that become more and more jaded over time. An endless parade of guest stars Tilda Swinton, Wesley Snipes, Benedict Wong, Dave Bautista, Craig Robinson, Evan Rachel Wood, several Saturday Night Live alumni further enrich this farcical feast.

The best addition, however, is Colin, an energy vampire that feeds by sucking the will and motivation out of others by boring or aggravating them a wet blanket turned up to 11. Mark Proksch (The Office, Better Call Saul) is exceptional at capturing Colins polite, droning toxicity as he haunts cubicle farms, city council meetings, buses and more. His Season 1 encounter with an emotional vampire is a thing of sidesplitting (and terrifyingly familiar) beauty. Do such creatures walk among us? Best not to ask.

Now in its second season, What We Do in the Shadows is hitting its stride, introducing other beings that add mischief to the comedy magic. A necromancer, a New York hipster/cider entrepreneur turned zombie and ghosts all come out to play with our vampires. Theres even a haunted doll, who makes for a droll companion for Nadja, desperate for some intelligent, non-male company after hundreds of years. Episode 3, which just aired on April 23, has our vampires attending what they think is a neighborhood Superb Owl Party . . . which goes exactly as well as youd expect.

Despite the mockumentary format and horror in its DNA, What We Do in the Shadows is, in essence, a paranormal sitcom, more Friends than True Blood and thats not a bad thing. Theres plenty of comedy to be mined from supernatural beings beset by the same relationship complications and trivial annoyances encountered by mere mortals. Old flames, irritating neighbors, marital squabbling, unfortunate encounters with Animal Control (as when Laszlo ends up in the pound in bat form), the frustrations of dealing with city council or being the nerd at the popular kids table theres no escape from the everyday indignities of life, even for the undead.

Out of the Box is a semi-regular column by VCReporter staff and contributors about television and streaming content.

Related

Original post:
OUT OF THE BOX | Laugh at first bite - Ventura County Reporter

Cops probe videos related to Rohingya groups – The Star Online

KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Aman has opened four investigation papers into various videos posted online involving the Rohingya community, with 19 police reports received between April 2528, says Bukit Aman CID director Comm Datuk Huzir Mohamed.

Were aware issues involving the Rohingya are being discussed on social media during the movement control order (MCO) period.

It involves tensions between Malaysians and the Rohingya community but we will get to the bottom of it, he said, adding that the situation was sparked by a Facebook live session conducted by a group of Rohingya men.

They threatened and insulted Malaysians, especially the Malays. The live sessions used an account belonging to Villan Vicky, a Rohingya who stayed in Malaysia previously but is now residing in the United States.

The men in the live sessions used foul words to insult Malaysians and made derogatory comments on sexual acts. They even claimed the Malays had provoked them first.

At the end of the video, the men claimed their anger was not directed at Malays but was meant for Rohingya NGO leader Zafar Ahmad. They felt that Zafar was trying very hard to become a Malay. They claimed that Zafar did not represent the voice of the Rohingya in Malaysia said Comm Huzir.

The suspects also showed a video of them undergoing firearms training to defend themselves, he said, adding that the videos have led to misunderstanding between groups, with insults and threats exchanged.

Comm Huzir urged the public to stop speculating on investigations conducted by the Bukit Aman CIDs Special Investigation Unit.

Any article or statement on this issue should not be shared on social media or other platforms as it will lead to tension and disharmony in the country.

We will take stern action against those who cause public distress, he said.

See the original post here:
Cops probe videos related to Rohingya groups - The Star Online

Roche offers free access to mySugr Pro helping people with diabetes stay connected to their healthcare team during COVID-19 – Indiana Statesman

INDIANAPOLIS, April 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced free access to the mySugr Pro app to help the millions of Americans living with diabetes maintain their personalized daily diabetes routine during the COVID-19 crisis. This offer is especially beneficial as healthcare providers increasingly transition to remote patient visits.1,2

With the mySugr Pro app, users have access to valuable features to better manage their condition. They can create and share with their healthcare team detailed PDF reports of their aggregated diabetes data from Accu-Chek blood glucose meters, blood sugar levels, carbohydrate intake, stress levels, insulin dosages, medication, and estimated HbA1c. This efficient overview of information helps healthcare providers recognize patterns and individualize guidance. For people with diabetes, this helps prompt questions about blood sugar highs and lows for discussion with healthcare providers, enabling a satisfying experience during remote visits.3

For people with diabetes, good glucose control is important in avoiding or reducing the severity of infection. The risk of getting very sick from COVID-19 is likely to be lower if diabetes is well managed.4

"It is more important than ever for people with diabetes to feel supported in their self-management and connected to their healthcare team," said Matt Jewett, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Roche Diabetes Care, US. "Diabetes is well-suited to virtual care, and our goal is to facilitate highly productive interactions between healthcare providers and patients now and in the future."

With more than 2 million registered users worldwide, the mySugr app eases the complexity of the daily diabetes routine with data, motivation and detailed reports.

Visit accu-chek.com/mySugrPro to unlock the mySugr Pro features for free. This offer is valid until September 30, 2020.

For all further updates on our COVID-19 response, visitaccu-chek.com.

Rates of diabetes on the rise According to the International Diabetes Federation5 nearly half a billion (463 million) adults worldwide are currently living with diabetes; by 2045 this number will rise to 700 million. Controlling glycemic levels is critical in preventing long-term microvascular and macrovascular complications.6 As with many chronic diseases, the achievement of optimal therapeutic outcomes relies on both treatment persistence and treatment adherence.

References

[1] Virtual Diabetes Care during COVID-19: Practical Tips for the Diabetes Clinicianhttps://www.centerfordigitalhealthinnovation.org/posts/virtual-diabetes-care-during-covid19-practical-tips-for-the-diabetes-clinician. Accessed April 21, 2020 [2] The mySugr vouchercode can only be redeemed one time per user until September 30, 2020. The voucher code will enable mySugr pro version for 185 days. Void where prohibited by law.[3] Teresa L. Pearson, MS, RN, CDE, FAADE, Telehealth: Aiding Navigation Through the Perfect Storm of Diabetes Care in the Era of Healthcare Reform, Diabetes Spectrum2013 Nov;26(4):221-225.https://doi.org/10.2337/diaspect.26.4.221. .Section 7: Diabetes and Telehealth, Lines 7-10, Section 11: Nonface-to-face services conducted through live video conferencing or "store and forward" telecommunication services, Paragraph 3, Lines 7-13 https://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/26/4/221%5B4%5D American Diabetes Association FAQ, Do people with diabetes have a higher chance of experiencing complications from COVID-19? Paragraph 2, Line 1 https://www.diabetes.org/covid-19-faq. Accessed April 21, 2020[5] IDF Facts & Figures, February 20, 2020: https://www.idf.org/aboutdiabetes/what-is-diabetes/facts-figures.html. Accessed April 21, 2020[6] UK Prospective Diabetes Study Group: "Intensive blood-glucose control with sulphonylureas or insulin compared with conventional treatment and risk of complications in patients with type 2 diabetes (UKPDS 33)." Lancet 352(9131): 837-853 (1998).

About mySugrFounded in 2012in Vienna, Austria, mySugr specializes in all-around care for people with diabetes. Its app and services combine diabetes coaching, therapy management, unlimited test-strips, automated data tracking, and seamless integration with a growing number of medical devices to ease the daily burden of living with diabetes. The mySugr app has more than two million registered users and has received an average 4.6 star rating in theAppandPlay Store. The mySugr Logbook as well as the mySugr Bolus Calculator are both medical devices.

The mySugr App is available in 79 countries and 24 languages. mySugr joined the Roche Diabetes Care family in 2017. In addition to its headquarters in Vienna, the company has a second office in San Diego, California, and currently employs more than 175 people. For more information, please visitmysugr.com/en/for-media.

About Roche Diabetes CareRoche Diabetes Care has been pioneering innovative diabetes technologies and services for more than 40 years. More than 5,500 employees in over 100 markets worldwide work every day to support people with diabetes and those at risk to achieve more time in their target ranges and experience true relief from the daily therapy routines.Being a global leader in integrated Personalized Diabetes Management (iPDM), Roche Diabetes Care collaborates with thought leaders around the globe, including people with diabetes, caregivers, healthcare providers and payers. Roche Diabetes Care aims to transform and advance care provision and foster sustainable care structures. Under the brands RocheDiabetes, Accu-Chek and mySugr, comprising glucose monitoring, insulin delivery systems and digital solutions, Roche Diabetes Care unites with its partners to create patient-centred value. By building and collaborating in an open ecosystem, connecting devices and digital solutions as well as contextualise relevant data points, Roche Diabetes Care enables deeper insights and a better understanding of the disease, leading to personalised and effective therapy adjustments. For better outcomes and true relief.

Since 2017, mySugr one of the most popular diabetes management apps is part of Roche Diabetes Care.

For more information, please visit http://www.rochediabetes.com, http://www.accu-chek.comand http://www.mysugr.com.

About RocheRoche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people's lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have made Roche the leader in personalised healthcare a strategy that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible.

Roche is the world's largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management.

Founded in 1896, Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society. The company also aims to improve patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. More than thirty medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organization Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and cancer medicines. Moreover, for the eleventh consecutive year, Roche has been recognised as one of the most sustainable companies in the Pharmaceuticals Industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).

The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is active in over 100 countries and in 2019 employed about 98,000 people worldwide. In 2019, Roche invested CHF 11.7 billion in R&D and posted sales of CHF 61.5 billion. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information, please visit http://www.roche.com.

All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law.

For more information please contact:- Amy Lynn (amy.lynn@roche.com)

Excerpt from:
Roche offers free access to mySugr Pro helping people with diabetes stay connected to their healthcare team during COVID-19 - Indiana Statesman