press release

Global press freedom has fallen to its lowest level in over a decade, according to a Freedom House report.

The decline was driven in part by major regression in several Middle Eastern states, including Egypt, Libya, and Jordan; marked setbacks in Turkey, Ukraine, and a number of countries in East Africa; and deterioration in the relatively open media environment of the United States. Freedom of the Press 2014 found that despite positive developments in a number of countries, most notably in sub-Saharan Africa, setbacks were the dominant trend in every other region.

The share of the world’s population with media rated “Free” remains at just 14 percent, or only one in seven people. Far larger shares live in “Not Free” (44 percent) or “Partly Free” (42 percent) media environments.

Key Global Findings:

• Of the 197 countries and territories assessed during 2013, a total of 63 (32 percent) were rated Free, 68 (35 percent) were rated Partly Free, and 66 (33 percent) were rated Not Free.
• All regions except sub-Saharan Africa, whose average score leveled off, showed declines, with the Middle East and North Africa suffering the worst deterioration.
• Triggers for country declines included governments’ overt attempts to control the news -- whether through the physical harassment of journalists covering protest movements or other sensitive stories, restrictions on foreign reporters, or tightened constraints on online news outlets and social media -- as well as the role of owners in shaping media content through directives on coverage or dismissals of outspoken journalists.
• Country improvements were largely driven by three factors: a growing ability of private firms to operate television and radio outlets; greater access to a variety of views via online media, social media, and international outlets; and improved respect for legal protections for the press.
• China and Russia maintained a tight grip on local media while also attempting to control the more independent views provided either in the blogosphere or by foreign news sources.
• The world’s eight worst-rated countries remain Belarus, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
• In the United States, the study found that conditions have deteriorated due primarily to attempts by the government to inhibit reporting on national security issues.

Miguel Figueroa, former director of the ALA Office for Diversity and Office for Literacy and Outreach Services, has been named to head the new American Library Association Center for the Future of Libraries.

As the first director of the new Center, Figueroa will be responsible for identifying and disseminating information on long term societal, technological, educational, demographic trends that may affect libraries and their future The director will also promote and support the incorporation of “futures thinking” into library policy and planning in libraries of all types.

Figueroa has served as Director of Member Programs for the American Theological Library Association in Chicago since June 2012, where he has coordinated member recruitment, outreach and development, the cultivation of relationships with external partners, communications and publications and service to volunteer committees and interest groups. His work there has included creating a joint leadership meeting for committees and member leaders, the introduction of outcome based evaluation, and serving on the ATLA executive leadership team.

Community Internet pioneer and entrepreneurial visionary Sascha Meinrath announced the launch of X-Lab, an innovative platform to anticipate, develop, and respond to what’s next in tech policy.

Meinrath created X-Lab as an incubator to rethink how technological advances support and curtail our civil rights and fundamental freedoms over time. “No one should have to make a trade-off between using technology and their human rights and privacy,” said Sascha Meinrath. “X-Lab will convene technological experts from around the globe and the brightest minds from a diverse array of different sectors to imagine, innovate, and set the agenda for tech policy interventions in the years to come.”

X-Lab’s first set of innovative programs will include:

• Commotion Tech Lab
• Circumvention Tech Lab
• PrivWare Lab
• Distributed Production Lab
• “Smart” Infrastructure Policy Lab

The Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, chaired by Rep Greg Walden (R-OR), will have a hearing to conduct oversight of the Federal Communications Commission May 20, 2014. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler will be the sole witness.

“I am pleased that Chairman Wheeler will join us in May,” said Rep Walden. “This will be our first opportunity to directly discuss issues important to our technology economy, including recent proposals regarding the incentive auctions, the latest iteration of the administration’s ill-advised net neutrality policies, and the broadcast joint sharing agreements and media ownership proceedings at the commission. Process reform also remains a top priority for the committee, and we look forward to discussing this with the chairman.”

Announcing the winners of the Congressional Management Foundation's (CMF) 113th Congress Gold Mouse Awards identifying the 87 winners including the 70 best websites in Congress and, for the first time, 17 Members of Congress using innovative social media practices to interact with constituents.

However, while praising the best legislators who are promoting transparency and accountability in government, CMF also criticized many in Congress for missing opportunities to enhance citizen engagement, according to the best practices report.

"Too few are using social media to build trust and understanding of Congress, and too many are employing 1960s-style 'Mad Men' advertising strategies -- repetitive and simplistic jargon wielded like a hammer to hit citizens on the head ... over and over again."

CMF also identified trends in congressional websites, among them:

• While still weak, Member websites have shown signs of improvement, with an increasing number providing basic legislative and casework information and links. More than three-quarters (79%) provide the Member's voting record, compared to 56% in the previous Congress.
• A majority of congressional websites lack substantive elements of accountability and transparency, such as: where the Members stand on the issues, how they voted on key pieces of legislation, and what they're doing in Congress on constituents' behalf.
• Democratic personal offices earned twice as many awards as Republicans, and Republican-led committees won nearly all of the committee awards.

Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez welcomed Terrell McSweeny as she began her official duties as an FTC Commissioner.

President Barack Obama named McSweeny to a term that ends on September 25, 2017. She was confirmed by a 95-1 vote in the US Senate on April 9, 2014.

Before joining the FTC, McSweeny served as Chief Counsel for Competition Policy and Intergovernmental Relations for the US Department of Justice Antitrust Division. She joined the Antitrust Division after serving as Deputy Assistant to the President and Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President from January 2009 until February 2012, advising President Obama and Vice President Biden on policy in a variety of areas, including health care, innovation, intellectual property, energy, education, women’s rights, criminal justice and domestic violence.

McSweeny’s government service also includes her work as Senator Joe Biden’s Deputy Chief of Staff and Policy Director in the US Senate, where she managed domestic and economic policy development and legislative initiatives, and as Counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where she worked on issues such as criminal justice, innovation, women's rights, domestic violence, judicial nominations and immigration and civil rights. She also worked as an attorney at O'Melveny & Myers LLP. Commissioner McSweeny is a graduate of Harvard University and Georgetown University Law School.

The Energy Department has released new guidance to help US industry strengthen energy delivery system cybersecurity.

Developed through a public-private working group including federal agencies and private industry leaders, the Department’s Cybersecurity Procurement Language for Energy Delivery Systems guidance provides strategies and suggested language to help the US energy sector and technology suppliers build in cybersecurity protections during product design and manufacturing.

The new guidance focuses on helping utilities and other energy sector organizations purchase technologies that include cybersecurity protections and features -- improving the overall reliability and security of energy delivery systems and ensuring that the testing, manufacturing, delivery, and installation of new technologies emphasize cybersecurity requirements.

This energy delivery systems guidance builds on the Cybersecurity Procurement Language for Control Systems guidance developed in collaboration between industry, the Energy Department, its Idaho National Laboratory, and the Department of Homeland Security in 2009.

BIA/Kelsey, adviser to companies in the local media industry, forecasts the local television advertising market will grow by nearly eight percent in 2014, after dipping in 2013.

According to its first edition of the quarterly Investing In Television Market Report, the firm reports that in 2013 the industry earned $700 million in online revenues and $18.4 billion in over-the-air revenues, an 8.5 percent drop from 2012, which was an exceptional year for political advertising. For 2014, BIA/Kelsey anticipates combined local TV revenues (over-the-air and digital) to reach $20.7 billion in 2014.

“This year there will be a significant uptick in ad revenues driven by political ads in hotly contested states,” said Mark Fratrik, senior vice president and chief economist, BIA/Kelsey. “Additionally, we're seeing the ability of local stations to maintain their loyal advertiser base, which means they consistently receive recurring ad revenue that boosts their profitability."

Despite its current position, the television industry is experiencing competition from video media solutions. Over the next five years, for instance, online video will experience a strong annual growth rate of 31.5 percent and out-of-home video will grow 9.2 percent. As a result of these changes, local television’s share of local video in 2018 will decrease from 67.5% in 2013 to 59.4% in 2018, even with the higher total revenues shown above ($22.1 billion in over the air revenues).

We are delighted to announce that Christopher Mims is the new technology columnist for The Wall Street Journal and WSJD.com, the Journal’s online and mobile home for tech coverage.

Mims, 34 years old, is coming to the Journal from Quartz, where he has served as lead technology reporter and, most recently, technology and science editor. As a writer, he has consistently provided provocative and insightful stories, columns and blog posts about an array of technology and science topics, from Facebook’s plan to find its next billion users to the history of the pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks.

As a freelance journalist before joining Quartz, Mims was a prolific writer for publications ranging from Technology Review and Smithsonian.com to Wired, the Atlantic, Scientific American, Discover, Slate and Glamour. He has a degree in neuroscience and behavioral biology from Emory University. In his new role, Mims will produce a weekly column for print and online readers, as well as blog posts and videos for digital platforms.

The Federal Communications Commission took steps to provide more spectrum for general consumer use, carrier-grade small cell deployments, fixed wireless broadband services, and other innovative uses, through the creation of a new Citizens Broadband Radio Service.

The FCC proposed rules for the Citizens Broadband Radio Service in a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that advances the Commission’s efforts to meet the growing demand for spectrum by proposing to make 150 megahertz available in the 3.5 GHz Band. The FNPRM proposes innovative spectrum sharing techniques to unlock the value of the spectrum between 3550 MHz and 3650 MHz, and seeks comment on extending the proposed service to 3700 MHz.

Specifically, the FNPRM proposes a three-tiered access and sharing model comprised of federal and non-federal incumbents, priority access licensees, and general authorized access users. Together, the proposals seek to promote flexibility and innovation by leveraging advancements in technology to facilitate sharing between different users and uses, including incumbent government uses.

Federal and non-federal incumbents would be protected from harmful interference from Citizens Broadband Radio Service users. Targeted priority access licenses would be made available for a variety of uses, including mobile broadband.

General authorized access use would be permitted in a reserved amount of spectrum and on an opportunistic basis for a variety of consumer or business-oriented purposes, including advanced home wireless networking. Access and operation within the 3.5 GHz band would be managed by a spectrum access system, a dynamic database or databases that incorporates technical and functional requirements necessary to manage access and operations across the three tiers. In addition, the FNPRM seeks comment on technical, auction, and allocation rules.