These examples illustrate how an interesting story may lead to a topic.
Blogs and Podcasts
In the late 1990’s “blogging” began
to evolve. Web logs -- also known as “blogs” -- are
Internet journals in which people post personal diary entries,
chronicle their hobbies or become virtual journalists, publishing
everything from political commentary to news reports. In late
2004, a similar technology called podcasting emerged. Podcasting
is a method of publishing files -- usually audio -- via the Internet.
The name comes from the combination of the word “broadcasting”
and the brand name “iPod” (Apple’s personal
digital audio player ), but almost any MP3 player in combination
with a personal computer can serve the purpose. Podcasting allows
people to create their own virtual “radio shows” by
playing music or voicing their ideas, and distributing these via
online subscription services. Blogging and podcasting give individuals
access to a mass audience that only major television and radio
broadcasters previously enjoyed.
Thinking Questions: What are the implications of blogging and podcasting
for the future of television, radio and newspaper journalism?
Who gains from the democratization of Internet publishing and
who stands to lose? Will the Internet remain a mostly wide-open,
public domain or will it gradually be constrained by private interests
and a variety of laws?
Other Possible Categories: Arts & Entertainment, Business
& Industry, Social Sciences & Culture
“Virtual” Healthcare in Africa
The health care system in many African countries is aggravated
by a chronic shortage of African physicians and health care professionals,
many of whom do not receive adequate continuing training. Those
who receive training abroad often stay overseas after finishing
their studies rather than returning to work in Africa. A variety
of international organizations are delivering medical care and
instruction in new and innovative ways by leveraging Internet
and satellite technologies. One example is the Africa Foundation’s
“telemedicine” project, in which U.S.-based doctors
and dentists utilize streaming video on the Internet to provide
virtual patient consultations and training sessions for medical
personnel in remote African regions.
Thinking Questions: In what other ways is technology improving healthcare?
Are there limits to technology’s ability to solve chronic
problems like a shortage of doctors in low-income communities?
How else could technology be used to improve people’s wellbeing
and standard of living?
Other Possible Categories: Social Sciences & Culture,
Business & Industry, Health & Safety
Outsourcing
The terms "outsourcing", "offshoring", or
“nearshoring” are often used to refer to the movement
of jobs from regions with high labor costs, such as the U.S.,
Western Europe, and Japan, to countries with relatively low labor
costs, such as India, China, and the Philippines. Already commonplace
in the manufacturing sector, outsourcing has recently spread to
the service and high-tech industries, effecting workers who are
traditionally among the most highly-paid and highly-skilled in
their home countries. In fact, U.S. market research firm Forrester
Research, predicts that by 2015, 3.3 million U.S. service jobs,
totaling $136 billion in wages, will move offshore, fueled by
advances in digitization, the Internet, and high-speed networks.
Thinking Questions: In what other ways has technology changed
the way people do business with each other? What impact will the
globalization of business have on developing countries? What job
skills are necessary for the 21st Century?
Other Possible Categories: Social Sciences & Culture, Business & Industry
Citations:
- "Weblog.” Wikipedia. 12
Jul. 2005.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog>.
- “What is Podcasting.” How
Stuff Works. 11 Jul. 2005. <http://computer.howstuffworks.com/
podcasting1.htm>.
- “Cutting-edge health care training
in Africa.” Home page. 24 Oct. 2002. University of Oxford.
7 Aug. 2003 <http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/po/
021024.shtml>.
- “International Telemedicine - Using
Western technology and medical expertise.” Home page.
Africa Foundation. 7 Aug. 2003 <http://www.africafoundation.org/
projects/health_care/technology.asp>.
- Engardio, Pete, Aaron Bertstein, Manjeet
Kripalani, Frederik Balfour, Brian Grow, and Jay Greene. “The
New Global Job Shift.” Business Week Online 3
Feb. 2003. 15 Aug. 2003 <http://www.businessweek.com/
magazine/content/03_05/b3818001.htm>.
- Mieszkowski, Katharine. “White-collar
sweatshops.” Salon.com 2 July 2003. 15 Aug. 2003
<http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/
2003/07/02/outsourcing/index.html>.
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