Unemployed Artist Uses Remaining Cash as Medium for Economic Statement

27 Apr 2009 07:30 Africa/Lagos


Unemployed Artist Uses Remaining Cash as Medium for Economic Statement

TORONTO, Canada, April 27/PRNewswire/ -- A casualty of the 2008 economic crisis, unemployed conceptual artist Brian Rushton Phillips, has used his remaining cash as a medium to comment on the downturn and his own financial uncertainty.


Entitled 'Financial Security (Blanket)', the project incorporates 208 American dollar bills, sewn together with thread, to form a makeshift security blanket.


The fragility of the blanket conjures an oxymoronic image, consistent with the current state of global unemployment, homelessness and financial insecurity.


The work has been pre-released online:


http://www.rushtonphillips.com/financial_security.html.


For further information: and press materials: +1-416-807-1341, mail@rushtonphillips.com


Source: Rushton Phillips Collaborations

For further information: and press materials: +1-416-807-1341, mail@rushtonphillips.com

Online Newspaper Audience Growth: Good News? Not Really.

The Newspaper Association of America trumpeted the release of first-quarter online audience data last week with this headline: “Newspaper Web Site Audience Increases More Than Ten Percent In First Quarter To 73.3 Million Visitors,” followed by the glowing subhead: “Newspaper Web Sites Set Records for Audience, Page Views and Active Reach; Latest Scarborough Research: Newspapers Attract Key Demographics in Print and Online.”

Pardon me, then, for reading and questioning the details and putting the data in context, something the NAA doesn’t do.

NAA reports:

• First quarter traffic to newspaper Web sites was reported as 73.3 million unique visitors (average per month) by Nielsen*.
• That’s 43.6 percent of all U. S. internet users, and up 10.5 percent versus the same time last year.
• Page views grew from 3.1 billion per month in last year’s first quarter, to 3.5 billion in 2009.
• NAA CEO John Sturm suggests this points to “digital success.”

Context:

• Each of the top three news destination on the Web (MSNBC, CNN and Yahoo!News) individually each drew more than half the unique visitors of the entire newspaper industry in March. Year-over-year, MSNBC grew 9 percent, CNN 4 percent, and Yahoo!News 16 percent.
• Yahoo!News alone gained 5.2 million uniques in March, or nearly 70 percent of the gain of the entire newspaper industry.
• Newspaper page views at 3.5 billion per month are less than one percent of total U.S. page views (386 billion in February).
• Time spent on newspaper sites in February, 43 minutes, 9 seconds per month per NAA/Nielsen, compares with total time online of 61 hours, 11 minutes and 56 seconds per U.S. person. This means newspaper sites get the attention of the U.S. online audience just 1.2 percent of the time.
• The total U.S. online audience (what Nielsen calls the “active digital media universe”) in February was 167 million individuals. As NAA does note, 43.6 percent of that audience visited a newspaper web site, but given that newspaper site traffic works out to only about 1.6 page views per reader per day, many of the newspaper site uniques are clearly represent one-time-only traffic.

NAA further reports:

Keep reading »

Tags: NAA, newspapers, online audience

How the Web Dominated the Breaking News Pulitzer Prize

24 Apr 2009 17:01 Africa/Lagos

Nieman Journalism Lab: How the Web Dominated the Breaking News Pulitzer Prize

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The three newspapers honored by the Pulitzer Prize Board for Breaking News all shared a common thread: They used the web as their primary outlet, not ink-on-paper.


The New York Times -- which won the prize -- and finalists the Houston Chronicle and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch each shifted to a web-first mentality when faced with big breaking news. That was true whether the news was a prostitution scandal (Times), a hurricane (Chronicle), or a shooting (Post-Dispatch).


"We cover news any way people need news," Chronicle editor Jeff Cohen told the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard. We cover it online, analog, digital, straight media -- any way you can serve it up, our staff is serving it up."


In-depth analysis of each of the Pulitzer finalists can be found at:


New York Times Wins Pulitzer Prize


Breaking News Winners


The Nieman Journalism Lab is a project at Harvard University to figure out the future of quality journalism online. Its site is http://www.niemanlab.org/.


Source: Nieman Journalism Lab

CONTACT: Joshua Benton, director of Nieman Journalism Lab,
joshua_benton@harvard.edu


Web Site: http://www.niemanlab.org/

Singapore Film HERE Selected for the 41st Directors' Fortnight at Cannes

24 Apr 2009 17:03 Africa/Lagos

Singapore Film HERE Selected for the 41st Directors' Fortnight at Cannes

SINGAPORE, April 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Singapore continues its strong showing at this year's Cannes Film Festival with HERE by Singapore filmmaker and visual artist Ho Tzu Nyen selected for screening at the 41st Directors' Fortnight section, which is known for selecting cutting-edge films with an original directorial style.


As a first-time feature film director, Ho is also eligible for the Camera d'Or (Golden Camera) award, a distinction for best first feature film in any one of the Cannes' selections - the Official Selection, the Directors' Fortnight or the International Critics' Week.


Said Ho Tzu Nyen who is both the scriptwriter as well as the director of the film, "HERE represents a cinematic amalgamation of my interests and experiences in painting, conceptual art and sound art. I believe it to be a new kind of Singapore film - a total sensorial experience that is hopefully also a head-trip."


The film is supported by the Singapore Film Commission's (SFC) 35mm Fulfillment Fund, which helps local filmmakers defray the costs of converting the digital version of their film to a 35mm print master, a format required by the Festival.


Mr. Kenneth Tan, Director of the Singapore Film Commission and Chief Operating Officer of Media Development Authority of Singapore said, "Singapore films have been gaining traction in the international markets over the last few years. Our varying styles and genres have been featured at Cannes every year since 2005, presenting our young filmmakers with a valuable launch pad for their international film careers. I am confident that local filmmakers such as Ho will continue to make their mark around the world."


Singapore's showing at Cannes began as early as 1997 when Eric Khoo's 12 Storeys was invited under the Un Certain Regard section. This year marks the fifth consecutive year that a Singapore film has been featured at the Festival, starting with Khoo's Be With Me in 2005, which opened the Director's Fortnight. This was followed by the 2006 country showcase where 12 Singapore feature films and short films were presented at the World Cinema (Tous les Cinemas du Monde) event. In 2007, Anthony Chen's short film Ah Ma clinched a Special Mention at the Festival, while Pok Yue Weng's short film SuperDONG and Ekachai Uekrongtham's feature film Pleasure Factory were screened at Directors' Fortnight and Un Certain Regard respectively. Last year, Khoo's latest film My Magic became the first Singapore film to compete for the prestigious Palme d'Or award.


HERE is a co-production by Canada's gsmprjct media and M'GO Films and Singapore's Akanga Film Asia, Oak3 Films and Tzulogical Films. The film was shot entirely in Singapore across 11 days in a former mental hospital. It tells the story of a middle-aged man who struggles to make sense of his reality following the sudden death of his wife. The protagonist of the film, played by lead actor John Low, is selected to undergo a mysterious treatment known as the 'videocure'. While undergoing treatment, he learns a profound lesson about love and fate. HERE's screening at Cannes will mark the film's world premiere while the theatrical release in Singapore is scheduled for June this year.


Added Ho Tzu Nyen, "HERE is both a love story, and also a story about the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's idea of 'Amor Fati' or love of fate - in which the test of an affirmative life is that of someone who is willing to live his life over and over again, without making a single change."


Ho will join a delegation of film companies and directors led by MDA and SFC to the upcoming Cannes Film Festival and Market (Marche du Film) from 13 to 24 May 2009. The Cannes Film Market is a trade event that runs parallel to the Cannes Film Festival.


Press Contact:
Marylou Johnston VP, Managing Director, global
Priority Public Relations
marylou@prioritypr.net; +33 6 87 77 49 89

Source: Media Development Authority of Singapore

CONTACT: Marylou Johnston VP, Managing Director, global of Priority
Public Relations, +33 6 87 77 49 89, marylou@prioritypr.net, for Media
Development Authority of Singapore

'Saving Captain Phillips' – Online Game captures the High Sea Rescue Mission

'Saving Captain Phillips' – Online Game captures the High Sea Rescue Mission


New York - Tuesday - 21st April' 2009 /PRNewswire/ — - Games2win.com, a global Top 50online games' company, announced the release of its real life inspired online game titled 'Saving Captain Phillips' on www.games2win.com. The thrilling game is inspired by the courageous and dangerous high sea rescue mission of Captain Richard Phillips, who was captured by rogue Somali Pirates and rescued by the crack team of US Navy SEALs.

Captain Richard Phillips was captured by Somali pirates from his ship, the Maersk Alabama and had a harrowing experience of being held captive until the US Navy stepped in and deployed the Sniper team of the Navy SEALs to rescue him. The online game recreates the actual episode and allows players to become Navy SEAL Snipers and embark on a life threatening mission to help rescue the captain.

Saving Captain Phillips:
The game begins with a scene of Captain Richard Phillips surrendering himself to the pirates in order to save his ship's crew members. The game play area is the recreated scene of Navy SEAL snipers taking positions and expertly shooting the pirates in order to save the captain. In this high stakes action game, users take on the role of Navy SEAL Snipers and shoot the enemy pirates who are in moving boats without compromising Captain Phillips' Safety.

Alok Kejriwal – Co- founder and CEO of Games2win commented: "Games2win wanted to honor the incredibly brave US Navy SEAL snipers and the heroic Captain Richard Phillips by producing an online game that recreates the events and the action that actually happened. The game is our attempt to involve the youth in this incident and make them play a personal role in helping rescue the captain. We believe that since online games play an important role in the lives of this segment of players, they (games) can be cleverly crafted to communicate global problems, their consequences and get young people involved in solving or at least in building awareness about these issues.

Games2win.com has several similar online games in the pipeline, involving political, historical and global themes.

Games2win.com creates and publishes online games for global audiences and is ranked amongst the top 50 global online gaming portals as ranked by comScore.


Press Contact:
Alok Kejriwal
CEO and Co-Founder
alok@games2win.com

Mobile + 91 98200 82558

See You in Cannes (Part 1)

See You in Cannes (Part 1)

This morning we were at the French Consulate in Ikoyi for a visa appointment and Fidelis Duker, the COO of the Abuja International Film Festival was there as well. Supple magazine and a selection of Nigerian newspapers have been given press accreditation for the forthcoming 62nd Festival de Cannes. Fidelis Duker is one of the most hardworking professionals doing their best for the sustainable development of the $236 million Nigerian film industry.

The Cannes Film Festival is the biggest and most popular film festival in the world and attracts the top stars of Hollywood and Bollywood to the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes south of France every May, but most of the so called leading stars of Nollywood are ignorant of Cannes. Supple magazine is going to convene the first forum on Nollywood and the Cannes film Festival to inform the Nigerian actors, actresses, marketers, and the general public on the film festival and why Nigeria should not be left of the competition at Cannes. Our goal is to challenge Nigerian filmmakers to compete for the highest honors at the Festival de Cannes.

~ Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima


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22 Apr 2009
23:00
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Re: The Untold Story Of Distributing Newspapers And Magazines In Nigeria

Re: The Untold Story Of Distributing Newspapers And Magazines In Nigeria
« #1 on: April 18, 2009, 01:44 AM »

What can I say, Oriks? You hit it right on the button.

I admit, I'd rather borrow a newspaper to read than buy one myself - in fact, until a few years ago, the first things I looked for whenever I encountered a newspaper were crossword puzzles and cartoons. Honestly, I can't even remember when last I bought a newspaper. As for mags, I've never bought one in my life - never! - and yet I write short stories and poems. I even published a novel last year. Says it all, doesn't it?

Perhaps it has to do with the way one is brought up; my dad stopped buying papers when I was like eleven - harsh times, not enough spill-over "change" to spend on such luxuries anymore. I wouldn't have noticed if not the sudden unavailability of newspaper cartoons. After that, the only other times I really missed not having newspapers and mags around were in college; at least once every term, some hair-brained teacher would saunter into the class and ask us to look some issue in the newspapers, or (even more often) to just cut out some certain pictures from magazines and put 'em up in a card-board paper album. Sic!

But about the "Nigerian" tendency to borrow rather than buy tabloids, I think it is more than just the natural inclination to take advantage of an "awoof" - going over to the paper-stand and "paying-as-you-read", rather than buy the entire caboodle. Really, it goes beyond that - its the internet and cable TV. Switch on the TV or click at a link online, and Eureka! you get all the information and whatever else you ever wanted.

Three months, an free online magazine I subscribe to (Hackwriters.com; you probably know it) announced that it was going belly-up. The magazine accepts write-ups from subscribers and publishes select ones every month on real, hard copy publications (like you do, Oriks); the editor uses the proceeds to keep the mag and the website afloat. Then sometime in February, I get this mail saying there won't be any March publications; reasons: low sales, can't keep up with all them blog sites and online forums. I never bought a copy of the mag myself (thing was sold in USDs, darn expensive, plus I have that habit with mags, you know ), but what about them britons and americans? If even they won't buy mags and papers no more, then there's a lota trouble. And you know else? It's not just the Punch and other Nigerian papers that are recording all time lows; LA Times, Chicago Tribune, you know 'em, they are all low on sales, too - I think I posted something on that sometime ago . . .

Anyway, to cut down a long winding tale to a short winding one, it's not just the "pay-as-you-read" and "read-and-dash-me" syndrome (they contribute, yes, that has always been the status quo, even back when Punch was selling 200,000 copies); CNN, DSTv, Google, Bloggers and yes, even our own dear Nairaland have contributed more. Remember, over 70% of the newspaper buyers and almost 90% of the magazine buyers in Nigeria are either in or above the middle class, and these folks DEFINITELY won't stand at a news-stand to "pay-as-you-read".

~ By Kay 9

Video: The British Secretary of State for Business Hails the Accelerated Construction of Dubai Metro, RTA Drive towards Mass Transport

The British Secretary of State for Business Hails the Accelerated Construction of Dubai Metro, RTA Drive towards Mass Transport


Dubai, April 17, 2009 /PRNewswire/ — Roads & Transport Authority - Mohammed Al Munji:

H.E. Peter Mandelson, the British Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, praised the use of the latest technologies in Dubai Metro Project, and lauded the deluxe finishing of the metro coaches & stations. He also praised the efforts of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) in expediting the construction of this vital project in a record time. He stated that RTA was bound to complete and deliver Dubai Metro ahead of schedule judging by the fast pace of construction works in the project.

The above statement was made by the British Minister, in a meeting he and the accompanying visiting delegation held with H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA. The meeting explored ways and means of boosting relations and the exchange of expertise between the RTA and the British organizations engaged in roads & transport sector.

Al Tayer briefed the visiting British Minister on the details of Dubai Metro Project comprising the Red and Green Lines. He explained that the Red Line extended 52 km (5 km of which are underground) and consisted of 29 stations: 4 underground (Burjuman, Union Square, Riqqa and Port Saeed) and 25 elevated stations; including 2 stations at Dubai International Airport. He added that the Green Line extended about 22 km (10 km of which are underground) and consisted of 18 stations; 6 of which are underground stations.

The British Minister also reviewed the details of the deluxe and luxurious designs & finishing of Dubai Metro stations. Commenting on the stations Al Tayer said: "Dubai Metro has 48 stations one of them is the Union Square, the world's biggest metro station spanning an area of 25,000 square meters. The Station, which is one of key intersection stations of the Red and Green Lines, consists of two levels, extends 230 meters in length and 50 meters in width, and is situated at a depth of 18 meters. The Station, which comprises commercial outlets & service locations for metro users, has two entry points equipped with lifts & escalators. Four tunnels branch out of the Station bound to Burjuman & Riqqa Stations on the Red Line, and Bani Yas & Salah Uddin Stations on the Green Line. Burjuman Station, which is the other intersection station of the Red and Green Lines, has four entry points equipped with escalators & lifts".

H. E. Mattar Al Tayer then accompanied H.E. Peter Mandelson, the British Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in a tour of the Trade Center Station on the Red Line, where completion rate touched 80%. The Station has a capacity to handle 11,000 passengers per hour per direction. It extends 130 x 30 meters and has two entrances equipped with escalators and lifts.

Dubai Metro Stations are fitted with platform screen doors synchronized with the train door opening and closing mechanism in order to provide the highest levels of passenger comfort, safety and security as well as preserving the efficiency of the air-conditioning system operating in the interior of both stations and train carriages from the external climatic impacts. Most stations are linked with air-conditioned footbridges providing roomy corridors for public crossing over Sheikh Zayed Road. These crossings, which are fitted with travellators and boast high quality finishing, are bound to revolutionize the culture of linking and interacting between pedestrians and the city. Ultimately they are set to boost the drive towards minimizing the reliance on using private vehicles.

At the end of the meeting, Al Tayer invited the British Minister to attend the launch of the first stage of Dubai Metro passenger service slated for 09/09/2009.

Contact Details:
Roads & Transport Authority
P.O.Box: 118899
Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Tel. : 00971 4 2844444, Fax : 00971 4 2065555
Call Center : 8009090
info@rta.ae




Contact the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Nigerians Report
Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima
publisher@guarantysuccess.com
Tel: 234 07066379246

Nigeria's El-Rufai a Victim of Trial by Headline, Say Lawyers

17 Apr 2009 16:53 Africa/Lagos


Nigeria's El-Rufai a Victim of Trial by Headline, Say Lawyers

Crass tactics of intimidation and slander against Nasir el-Rufai reveal political persecution by the State, argue defense lawyers

LONDON, April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement that represents the views of Amsterdam & Peroff:


Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, the highly regarded former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FTC), Abuja, Nigeria, has been relentlessly targeted in recent weeks by state-controlled media with aggressive slander and false accusations, prompting his international defense team to denounce this "trial by headline."


Viewed as a popular potential political competitor, the Nigerian government has initiated a politically motivated investigation against El-Rufai, which is ironically being carried out by the once-respected Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), presenting a slew of implausible charges related to his exercise of discretion to allocate land in accordance with Nigeria's Constitution and the Land Use Act, during his tenure as Minister of Abuja between 2003 and 2007.


"The EFCC's ongoing attempts to slander and taint the reputation of El-Rufai are not indicative of a legitimate case, but rather illustrate their fear and willingness to violate the law in persecuting a potential political opponent," said Robert Amsterdam, a Canadian lawyer on the international defense team. "There are few other individuals who have opened themselves up to such a high level of scrutiny, and even fewer who have testified before Senate hearings and published lengthy responses to even the most absurd allegations."


The false accusations against El-Rufai attempt to argue that in his duties as FCT Minister he was allegedly responsible for improper allocation of land. However, any review of the records in Abuja, (FCT) clearly show that all beneficiaries of these alleged parcel distributions were ordinary Nigerian citizens, and that El-Rufai's conduct was strictly in accordance with the laws of Nigeria and the objective of the restoration of the Abuja Master Plan and the City's economic revitalization.


"In many countries, Nasir El-Rufai's excellent stewardship of the Abuja region would receive accolades and admiration," said Chief Rotimi Akeredolu SAN, the lead Nigerian defense lawyer on the case. "Unfortunately, in our country today a capable and ethical politician like El-Rufai is persecuted to stamp out any alternative opinions, while those who have looted the treasury walk free on the streets."


The defense team for El-Rufai vigorously denounces the government's slander campaign of false accusations, and announces that a new international campaign will be initiated to bring justice to this case, highlighting the unlawful actions of the EFCC in pursuing groundless, political cases.


Source: Amsterdam & Peroff

CONTACT: James T. Kimer for Amsterdam & Peroff, +1-917-355-0717,
james.kimer@ksocialmedia.com

The Untold Story of Distributing Newspapers and Magazines in Nigeria

Nigerians reading newspapers at a news stand.

Distributing newspapers and magazines in Nigeria is not an easy task, because there is no good infrastructure for the distribution of newspapers and magazines in the 36 states of the most populous country in Africa. With a population of over 140 people, Nigeria is the largest market in Africa and there are over 65 million users of GSM phones in Nigeria spending over $78 million weekly on phone calls. This awesome population of millions of people can afford to read newspapers and magazines if you know how to reach them daily, weekly or monthly.

We can attract some millions of the over 65 million users of GSM phones to buy newspapers and magazines if we can convince them to appreciate the fact that buying and reading more newspapers and magazines will be of great benefit to sustainable development of the Nigerian press and very important to nation building. It is possible.

I have been in Lagos city since last August, working with the Publisher of the new Supple magazine and following him to supply thousands of his magazine to distributors and vendors

We have to wake up early at 5 am and drive to the office of the Newspapers and Magazines Distributors Association of Nigeria on the Marina in Lagos, where scores of distributors and vendors gather everyday by day to share and circulate newspapers and magazines of all sorts.

They get to their workplace at dawn and I have seen them using candle lights in their large warehouse when there was a power outage. I have seen many young women among the young and old men carrying and sharing newspapers and magazines with total professional concentration. These conscientious Nigerians make me proud of being a Nigerian whenever I see them at work even in the dim candlelight. I wonder if some of them have taken their bath before leaving their various houses and rushing to their daily workplace before 5 am!

After supplying to them, we move on to Ikeja to supply to our distributors in the state capital. We also supply hundreds of copies of Supple magazine to the other distributors and vendors in other states through the distribution network of the National Daily newspapers.

Until you have handed your publications to the vendors you will not rest, because without these vendors your newspaper or magazine will not be well distributed all over Nigeria.

The Punch is the largest circulating newspaper in Nigeria and believe it or not, the circulation is not up 100, 000 copies daily in a country with over 140 million people! The irony is the fact that The Punch was circulating over 200, 000 copies daily when the population of Nigeria was less than 120 million people. Why?

Many reasons have been given for the gradual drop in the figures of copies of newspapers and magazines sold in Nigeria. But the truth is the figures of the readers have not dropped over the years. In fact, the readers have been increasing, but the majority of them do not buy the copies of newspapers and magazines they read daily. They have been sharing the copies bought by their colleagues in the workplace or neighbours and thousands more actually pay less to the vendors to read the newspapers on the spot and then drop them and many of these copies have been returned as unsold to the publishers.

If you are in Lagos city or other urban towns and cities in Nigeria, you will notice small crowds of people milling around news stands of vendors and gazing at the covers of the displayed newspapers and magazines. Many of them read the headlines and first paragraphs on the front pages and others pay less then the cover price to read more pages of the newspapers before leaving the spot. The vendors have nothing much to lose if the copies of these newspapers passed round among so many “on the spot” readers are returned unsold, because they make extra money from these passersby on each copy of the various newspapers and also collect their daily commissions from the distributors or publishers. In fact, some publishers use shortcuts to bypass the major registered distributors and engage the vendors to sell their newspapers and magazines directly to the readers on the street. The publisher of the Castle real estate and property newspaper employs his own vendors. The Guardian and The Punch also have their own vendors.

Millions of Nigerians will prefer to pay less to read fewer pages of newspapers and magazines than to pay more for more pages, because most of them will read only what attracts them and skip or glance over the adverts and other uninteresting things before dropping the newspapers and magazines. Most of them are interested in reading sensational breaking news on politics, crime and social gossip of romantic or erotic scandals and the millions of applicants prefer to look for vacancies and that would be all. Therefore, I can bet that newspaper of only 10 pages on these topics selling for as little as N50 will sell more thousands of copies than The Punch or The Guardian of 50-100 pages. In fact, they regard most content as garbage and the less garbage or page fillers the better for them.


~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima is the Media Consultant of Supple magazine and the President/CEO of International Digital Post Network, LLC.




Hello! Have you read Half of a Yellow Sun?