James Holbrooks

Massive Corporate Consolidation of Local Media Underway

by James Holbrooks | May 13, 2017 | Blog

In a deal that will allow one broadcasting company to reach 72 percent of U.S. households, it was reported this week that Sinclair Broadcast Group is buying Tribune Media for nearly $4 billion. Such a move wouldn’t have been possible a few weeks back, but Donald Trump’s new Federal Trade Commission (FCC) chairman, Ajit Pai, just began implementing sweeping changes to previously established net neutrality rules. Bloomberg explains: “A Sinclair-Tribune merger was made easier last month when the FCC restored a rule that allows TV station groups to count just half of their coverage area...

New York Times Goes to Propaganda War Against Chinese Propaganda

by James Holbrooks | May 12, 2017 | Blog

On Wednesday, the New York Times ran what can only be described as a hit piece on China. The writer, Carlos Tejada, points to videos released by China’s state media that target children. The subject of the videos? The Belt and Road Initiative, China’s ambitious plan to establish a permanent trade route linking China, Europe and Africa. “Sometimes ‘Goodnight Moon’ just won’t do the trick,” the piece opens. “So for parents struggling to get their little ones to rest their eyes for the night, China’s state propaganda apparatus has a suggestion: Tell your child about President Xi...

What If Everything We’re Being Told About U.S.-North Korea Tensions Is Wrong?

by James Holbrooks | May 9, 2017 | Blog

Ask and you shall receive. For weeks upon weeks on end, the American populace has watched Donald Trump and his administration, along with pundits in the corporate media, drone on about how China should step up its game in the effort to thwart North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. Well, it seems the Asian superpower is now answering the challenge. From the Washington Post on Tuesday: “A North Korean delegation will attend a large multilateral economic summit in Beijing next week, China’s Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday, underlining its reluctance to join American efforts to completely isolate...

The One Thing We Can’t Forget About North Korea (and Everywhere Else)

by James Holbrooks | May 8, 2017 | Blog

This article originally appeared at Anti-Media. “It was easy enough to spot my cheerleader: She was the only person shouting in a crowd of quiet, curious, shy supporters. Her visage dug with deep wrinkles, but she was full of energy and smiles. When I saw her, I merged to the right and gave her a high-five. When I did, a group of women started to cheer me, (‘Bali! Bali!’), and a bunch of kids ran toward me to get their own high-fives. The ice was broken.” Nick Busca was a foreigner running in a marathon, and up until that point, as he describes in an enlightening Quartz piece that...

Future President of South Korea Says His Country Should Take Lead on North Korea Negotiations

by James Holbrooks | May 2, 2017 | Blog

South Korea —More drills are being conducted off the Korean Peninsula in a continuing show of force by the U.S., Japan, and the currently leaderless South Korea. These drills are aimed at getting Kim Jong-un to back off from his nuclear ambitions, the mainstream narrative goes, but South Korea’s likely next president just had some surprising things to say about the United States. Moon Jae-in, 64, is a former human rights lawyer who was once chief of staff for South Korean president Roh Moo-hyun. Barring a major upset, Moon will become the south’s new leader Tuesday, and his views on...

Austria Found a Way to Tax Google Searches and Social Media Posts

by James Holbrooks | May 1, 2017 | Blog

Austria — Highlighting the difficulty both public and private establishments can have when it comes to adapting methods in the digital age, it was reported Monday that one government is now trying to tax social media companies. From a report by Bloomberg: “Austria is seeking ways to make digital services like Alphabet Inc.’s Google or Facebook Inc. pay taxes for transactions with the nation’s internet users, trying to plug gaps in a tax system still designed for brick-and-mortar business.” Continuing, Bloomberg explains something most people don’t stop to consider: how social media...

Facebook Under Fire for Allegedly Selling Emotionally Vulnerable Kids’ Data to Advertisers

by James Holbrooks | May 1, 2017 | Blog

Less than two months after announcing it would begin using artificial intelligence tools in its marketing arm, Facebook is now being accused of letting advertisers target emotionally vulnerable children. According to The Australian, a 23-page leaked document obtained by the outlet — marked “Confidential: Internal Only” and dated 2017 — reveals that the social media giant used algorithms to sift through the posts, pictures, and reactions of 6.4 million “high schoolers,” “tertiary students,” and “young Australians and New Zealanders…in the workforce” with the aim of learning about their...

John McAfee Just Announced the Most Private Smart Phone Ever: Here’s How it Works

by James Holbrooks | Apr 28, 2017 | Blog

This article originally appeared at Anti-Media. In an exclusive interview, head of MGT Capital Investments and former presidential candidate John McAfee spoke with Anti-Media Thursday night about an issue at the forefront of many people’s minds these days: privacy. McAfee, a pioneer in the realm of antivirus software, has a new product coming to market later this year that takes on the subject of personal privacy with an item that’s become a significant part of most people’s daily lives — smartphones. “There are very few apps that do not ask for excessive permissions,” McAfee told...