Mediaboss Marketing

May 19, 2014 MEDIA RELEASE

Nassella tussock control get on to it early

A dwindling pool of contractors controlling the invasive Nassella tussock is causing concern for landowners and Environment Canterbury.

Farmers whose properties have the pest are urged to plan ahead and book contractors early to avoid a spring bottleneck. A significant number of landowners engage contractors to control Nassella tussock each year, especially in North Canterbury. Environment Canterbury Commissioner David Bedford says landowners should consider moving Nassella tussock control operations to autumn or winter. This helps spread the load for contractors and landowners who face their busiest time on the farm in spring, Mr Bedford said.

Canterburys Regional Pest Management Strategy requires land occupiers to eliminate Nassella tussock plants annually to prevent seeding.

Nassella tussock can currently be found on more than 1300 properties. Most land occupiers must complete control work by 30 September with a smaller number having until the end of October.

Nassella tussock has the potential to spread to about half the Canterbury region if controls are not maintained, causing loss of pasture production and increased control costs.

Farmers must ensure Nassella tussock plants are controlled early to prevent seeding in November and a potential economic impact on the farming community in future years, Mr Bedford said. After 75 years of hard work to reduce the density of Nassella tussock and bring plant numbers down to a manageable level, it is important to build on this investment by organising the control programme in good time.

For information on Nassella tussock and other pests, go to http://www.ecan.govt.nz/pests.

For a list of contractors, contact Environment Canterbury Customer Services on 0800 324 636 (0800 EC INFO).

More here:
Nassella tussock control get on to it early

Time Posted: May 15, 2014 2:14 pm

Reports that President Michael Sata is now personally phoning privately owned media houses to harass them over the stories they carry is a serious threat to media and free expression in Zambia.

We are aware that President Sata is very intolerant to opposing views, but the idea of him now personally phoning private media houses, like he is reported to have done to Daily Nation to harass them over the story they carried regarding his impasse with the Paramount Chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba-speaking people makes sad reading.

If the entire Head of State can phone a privately owned media houses to intimidate them about a news story, we wonder how much he personally phones and interferes with government owned media houses to control their editorial content.

We know that this is not the first time he has done such a thing as he recently phoned Joy FM radio to intimidate them when they were having a live programme featuring an opposition leader.

As UPND, we have always said Mr. Sata pre-occupied himself with very petty issues at the expense of important national issues of the economy and unprecedented high poverty levels among our people.

We are also wondering why Mr. Sata is involving himself with issues to do with chiefdoms and traditional affairs when he has limited or no jurisdiction as these can ably be handled by the local traditional leadership themselves or through the House of Chiefs.

As UPND on this matter involving installation of the Paramount Chief Chitimukulu, we stand by the processes and position taken by the Council of of the Bemba Royal Establishment that the recognised Chief Chitimukulu is Henry Kanyanta Sosala, who is formerly Chief Mwamba.

We believe that whether Mr. Sata and his government recognise him or not, the traditional authorities are much older than any Zambian government and hence government recognition is merely ceremonial and purely a formality.

Zambians expect Mr. Sata and his PF government to be seriously dealing with reducing the price of mealie meal, reducing fuel costs, addressing the depreciation of the Kwacha, the high cost of living and delivering a people driven constitution than dwelling on matters of traditional affairs.

Read the rest here:
UPND questions to what purpose President Sata is personally phoning media houses

WHAT does it tell you about the state of a countrys media when the latter fails to protest in solidarity against the murder of colleagues? There is little safety in isolation.

This is the same media corps that had come together in the past after fighting off dangers to its values. But now, attacks on and the killing of Pakistani journalists have failed to elicit a collective response from within the press and from influential media house owners who appear to have prioritised corporate interests and have rivalries with competitors. That is why the government is not pressed about taking meaningful action against the mounting dangers to journalists.

Not only is the media divided in its approach, the bodies representing it have yet to act jointly through government lobbying, or even publishing an endorsed editorial demanding press protection and justice. In the ratings game, rival television channels spew hate almost in the manner of some religious extremists who incite their flock against denominations different from their own. The anchors dont realise that public opinion is moulded during their one-hour slot.

When dissenting voices speaking out against extremism are silenced, something needs to give. Minimising risks to the media, a joint approach (a code of ethics) supported by media house owners is required. Unfortunately, differences have come in the way of evolving a common strategy to actively engage the government in investigating the cases of murdered journalists.

Prosecuting murder cases will not fix the more complex reasons for why journalists have become easy targets, but it will act as a deterrent. Pakistans independent media, having won its freedom after huge sacrifices, is at the risk of losing its voice, not only from its usual detractors, but from vested business and political interests within.

After meeting with a delegation from the Committee to Protect Journalists in March, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif hasnt followed through on his governments commitments to protect journalists or journalism for that matter. (Two Indian journalists have been given a weeks notice to leave the country: their visas were refused, despite pledges to make Pakistan accessible to journalists.)

Addressing the protection of journalists as a negotiating point with the Pakistani Taliban, the media must work without having to appease dangerous frenemies. Safeguards include having an active media complaints commission and a joint government -journalists commission as well as appointing special provincial prosecutors to investigate attacks. The government could also be collectively approached for instituting a national training institute for mandatory safety training for journalists.

According to Amnesty International, 34 Pakistani journalists have been killed since 2008 others have been threatened, tortured and have barely escaped assassinations attempts. In hardly any have the perpetrators been brought to justice.

Investigating 70 cases, an AI report, A bullet has been chosen for you: attacks on journalists in Pakistan, looking into complaints of harassment and attacks many allegedly connected to the intelligence, establishes that any sensitive story could put journalists at risk. Attacks on the media should be examined in the larger context of violence stoked by religious extremism, political rivalries and sectarianism, reminding us that the war on terror has multiplied strains between civilian and military institutions.

Threats from state and non-state actors to censor and control coverage come from intelligence services, political parties, armed sectarian groups, Baloch separatist groups and the Taliban more frequently after 2007, when the media stood by civil activists to create public opinion favouring the lawyers movement.

View post:
No respite for media - Newspaper - DAWN.COM

In an effort to control the frenzy following the drafting of Johnny Manziel, the Cleveland Browns will limit media coverage to this weekend's rookie minicamp and other offseason activities.

Zak Gilbert, the team's director of communications, said media coverage for Saturday's rookie minicamp would be limited to regulars from the local Cleveland media and perhaps a few national writers -- though the team is still deciding what to do about the potential crush of national media.In addition, anyone wishing to cover an offseason practice or minicamp must let the team know no later than 48 hours before the event.

The team wants to avoid a media circus, with satellite trucks and entertainment networks broadcasting from team headquarters. There will be no live video of the rookie minicamp.

"We know it will bring a lot of attention," coach Mike Pettine said of Manziel on Monday. "We'll be in the business of controlling what we can control."

The media that regularly covers the team will be given usual access.

The NFL's Media Policy covers veteran minicamp only and states that all daily activities for a mandatory veteran minicamp "must be open in their entirety to local media."

One of three OTAs (organized team activity) must be open, though the team is allowed to limit videotaping or photography during parts of those sessions.

Decisions related to rookie minicamps are at the discretion of the team.

Gilbert acknowledged that training camp will be different. Because practices are open to the public, more than just local media will be given access.

Browns To Take Steps To Limit Media Access

See the article here:
Browns take steps to limit access

Rich pol parties taking control of media houses: Mamata

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee today questioned the role of a section of media and accused "cash loaded" political parties of have taking control of media houses to serve their narrow political interests. Alleging that the run up to the Lok Sabha elections has manifested an alarming role of a major section of the media, Banerjee, in a Facebook post today, said she was "shocked" with their "partial and biased" conduct. "There is hardly any room for doubt that a few major cash loaded political parties have taken up control of media houses and engaged them to serve their narrow political interests, trampling down the ethics of democracy and voice of people," she said. "The partial and biased conduct of a section of the media, both electronic and print, has shocked me," Banerjee said in her post. "The brazen personal attacks, distortion of facts, character assassination and vilification in never before manner has stunned the nation." The West Bengal Chief Minister said that this state of affairs could be overcome only if elections were held with state funding, which has been TMC's longpending demand. "These steps are essential for the sake of democracy. If the current trend continues, then the future of our democracy will, no doubt, be at stake," she added.

The rest is here:
Rich pol parties taking control of media houses: Mamata