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Issues & Experts Archive > AOL merger, grading schools, mental health, Olympic woes
AOL merger, grading schools, mental health, Olympic woes
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February 7, 2011
AOL buys Huffington Post
AOL announced it is buying the news and blog website Huffington Post for $315 million. This move is a big investment in the online news content industry for the long-time Internet service provider. “This is an ideal situation for a new media startup company such as Huffington Post. They made themselves as attractive as possible to a larger investor and it paid off,” says SFU communication assistant professor Peter Chow-White. “In terms of media ownership on the Internet, it is another play in the scramble by information companies to be the portal for content on the Internet.”
SFU communication professor Robert Hackett, who specializes in journalism studies, is concerned about media ownership concentration. "This merger raises the question of whether the same process of ownership concentration that occurred a generation ago in print and broadcasting media, is occurring with respect to leading online journalism outlets,” said Hackett. “Structurally, whatever the economic benefits may be, it raises concerns about editorial independence. Our NewsWatch Canada project at SFU has found that newspapers are more cautious in covering their own parent company than they are in covering other companies or issues. Will the same process of apparent self-censorship occur online?"
Peter Chow-White, 778.782.7289; petercw@sfu.ca
Robert Hackett, 760.770.1266 (note: in California this week); hackett@sfu.ca
Bountiful school scores top marks
SFU economist Jane Friesen at the university’s Centre for Education Research and Policy is available to comment on the Fraser Institute’s latest ranking of B.C.’s elementary schools. SFU economist John Richards can also comment. The institute’s latest report card has raised eyebrows, ranking a school in Bountiful, a polygamist community, as one of 13 schools sharing the number one spot.
Jane Friesen, 778.782.3403; friesen@sfu.ca
John Richards, 778.782.5250; jrichard@sfu.ca
Fattening up mental health
“Fat” is not a dirty word but “fat free” is in our fat-obsessed society, according to Rosie Dhaliwal, a registered dietician at SFU’s Health and Counseling Services. In recognition of this being Eating Disorders Week in Canada (Feb. 6-12), Dhaliwal will engage students in signing a Fat Talk Free pledge on Feb. 9. Mental health experts consider eating disorders among the leading psychiatric illnesses plaguing higher education students. Dhaliwal can discuss this further. Erika Horwitz, SFU’s associate director of counseling, can discuss the university’s recently launched university-wide mental health strategy. Its goal is to reverse statistics that show the up to 86 per cent of mentally ill students fail to complete their degrees, largely because of stigmatism.
Rosie Dhaliwal, 778.782.4655; rda14@sfu.ca
Erika Horwitz, 778.782.3692; ehorwitz@sfu.ca
Olympic woes and kudos
First it was the mass killing of sled dogs. Now, it’s allegations that the Vancouver Olympics organizing committee had information that could have foretold a Georgian luger’s death during a practice run at the 2010 Olympics in Whistler. SFU public policy analyst Doug McArthur believes that both incidents indicate that the urban, economic and social impact of Vancouver and Whistler hosting the games warrants a lot of public reflection. McArthur, who is on Saturna Island this week, will join other experts at an upcoming public forum to discuss the aftermath of the games. What Can We Learn from the Olympic Village Debacle?, co-hosted by SFU’s School of Public Policy, takes place at SFU’s Segal Graduate School of Business on Tues., Feb. 22 from 7 – 9:30 p.m. Admission: $15 students, $25 regular. Advance registration recommended.
Doug McArthur, 778.782.5208, 604.786.0016 (cell); doug.mcarthur@sfu.ca
AOL announced it is buying the news and blog website Huffington Post for $315 million. This move is a big investment in the online news content industry for the long-time Internet service provider. “This is an ideal situation for a new media startup company such as Huffington Post. They made themselves as attractive as possible to a larger investor and it paid off,” says SFU communication assistant professor Peter Chow-White. “In terms of media ownership on the Internet, it is another play in the scramble by information companies to be the portal for content on the Internet.”
SFU communication professor Robert Hackett, who specializes in journalism studies, is concerned about media ownership concentration. "This merger raises the question of whether the same process of ownership concentration that occurred a generation ago in print and broadcasting media, is occurring with respect to leading online journalism outlets,” said Hackett. “Structurally, whatever the economic benefits may be, it raises concerns about editorial independence. Our NewsWatch Canada project at SFU has found that newspapers are more cautious in covering their own parent company than they are in covering other companies or issues. Will the same process of apparent self-censorship occur online?"
Peter Chow-White, 778.782.7289; petercw@sfu.ca
Robert Hackett, 760.770.1266 (note: in California this week); hackett@sfu.ca
Bountiful school scores top marks
SFU economist Jane Friesen at the university’s Centre for Education Research and Policy is available to comment on the Fraser Institute’s latest ranking of B.C.’s elementary schools. SFU economist John Richards can also comment. The institute’s latest report card has raised eyebrows, ranking a school in Bountiful, a polygamist community, as one of 13 schools sharing the number one spot.
Jane Friesen, 778.782.3403; friesen@sfu.ca
John Richards, 778.782.5250; jrichard@sfu.ca
Fattening up mental health
“Fat” is not a dirty word but “fat free” is in our fat-obsessed society, according to Rosie Dhaliwal, a registered dietician at SFU’s Health and Counseling Services. In recognition of this being Eating Disorders Week in Canada (Feb. 6-12), Dhaliwal will engage students in signing a Fat Talk Free pledge on Feb. 9. Mental health experts consider eating disorders among the leading psychiatric illnesses plaguing higher education students. Dhaliwal can discuss this further. Erika Horwitz, SFU’s associate director of counseling, can discuss the university’s recently launched university-wide mental health strategy. Its goal is to reverse statistics that show the up to 86 per cent of mentally ill students fail to complete their degrees, largely because of stigmatism.
Rosie Dhaliwal, 778.782.4655; rda14@sfu.ca
Erika Horwitz, 778.782.3692; ehorwitz@sfu.ca
Olympic woes and kudos
First it was the mass killing of sled dogs. Now, it’s allegations that the Vancouver Olympics organizing committee had information that could have foretold a Georgian luger’s death during a practice run at the 2010 Olympics in Whistler. SFU public policy analyst Doug McArthur believes that both incidents indicate that the urban, economic and social impact of Vancouver and Whistler hosting the games warrants a lot of public reflection. McArthur, who is on Saturna Island this week, will join other experts at an upcoming public forum to discuss the aftermath of the games. What Can We Learn from the Olympic Village Debacle?, co-hosted by SFU’s School of Public Policy, takes place at SFU’s Segal Graduate School of Business on Tues., Feb. 22 from 7 – 9:30 p.m. Admission: $15 students, $25 regular. Advance registration recommended.
Doug McArthur, 778.782.5208, 604.786.0016 (cell); doug.mcarthur@sfu.ca