Stop 3: Ireland

McCarthy's proposals have created a storm of controversy in Ireland. (Photo is from my personal trip and was taken in Carlow, Ireland.)

 At the request of the Irish government, economist Colm McCarthy was given the task of finding a way to cut €5 billion from the government budget*.  In turn, his proposals have mobilized a fired-up opposition.

An estimated 12 thousand people gathered in central Dublin outside the Dáil, which is the country’s main parliament building, to protest Wednesday.  

McCarthy proposed significant cuts to many community programs, including those providing welfare payments, health services, child care, education, and helping the homeless.

Many believe McCarthy’s cuts, if implemented, would create considerable social chaos. Communities Against Cuts, an opposition group, said McCarthy’s proposals could also result in a loss of 6,500 jobs. Other reports have indicated McCarthy’s proposals could lead to nearly 17 ,000 jobs being lost. Ireland is currently dealing with an unemployment rate of 12.6%** (according to RTE).

*The most up to date budget I could find for Ireland was $93 billion in 2007, according to the CIA World Fact Book. That’s approximately €63.5 billion, given today’s exchange rate.

**RTE is reporting unemployment is leveling off. Economists say growth will come again in 2011, however until then, Ireland faces a serious unemployment problem.

 Check out a video clip from Irish broadcaster RTE on the protests:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0930/economy_av.html

An opinion piece in The Independent from July. This provides some background information on Colm McCarthy’s assignment.

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/the-straightshooter-with-a-mean-record-in-cutbacks-1799056.html

 Irish Examiner: “McCarthy: Bord Snip cuts unavoidable”

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/mccarthy-bord-snip-cuts-unavoidable-425716.html

Irish Times: “Proposed cutbacks increasing threat of major industrial unrest”

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2009/1001/1224255614227.html

Inside Macedonia

Majlinda

I met Majlinda the summer between my junior and senior year of high school. My friend Natalie participated in Tempe Sister Cities and was matched with Majlinda, who is from Macedonia. Majlinda answered my questions on Facebook about her country’s media and her habits.

What are your primary sources of news?

The main sources I get news from are television and online news. Also, sometimes from friends and colleagues…especially when they have international news.

Which newspapers do you read?

I read Vreme, Vecher, and Dnevnik.

 
How much does a newspaper cost in Macedonia?
It’s around USD 0.30.

Have you seen American newspapers for sale in Macedonia?

No, I haven’t seen any American newspapers in Macedonia…but I can say I have seen American magazines in Macedonia and all I can say is that they are much moreexpensive than they are in America…the price depends on the fact which magazine you are willing to buy …but right now i can’t remember any exact price of them.
What sites do you use to access online news?
www.a1.com.mk
www.on.net.mk

I asked Majlinda to tell me about internet access in Macedonia.

She said, “Internet was very expensive two years ago and lots of people couldn’t pay for it, but now many more people have internet access.”

According to Majlinda, the media in Macedonia carries a huge political bias.
 “If you want to get objective information, you have to watch and hear the news in all versions and after, with logical thinking, understand what has really happened. Each news source transmits the news in their own way depending on their political interests.”

Thanks for telling us about the news in Macedonia, Majlinda!

 Check back next week for the third stop on The World Beat.

Stop 2: Macedonia

 Macedonia peacefully declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. With the ties severed to their socialist past, Macedonia has spent the past 18 years free to stand on its own two feet. During this time, the country has seen its share of conflict (the war with ethnic Albanians in 2001 comes to mind), but at the same time, has also been achieving progress in building its government (case in point: recent elections were peaceful).

A few necessary facts about Macedonia:

•  Ethnic Macedonians, ethnic Albanians, and Roma are the three most populous ethnic groups living within the Republic of Macedonia. Ethnic conflict is an important issue that is continuing to be resolved in present day Macedonia.
• Macedonia is a European Union candidate state. (If everything remains on track, Macedonia is expected to be welcomed into the EU by the end of the year.)
• The religious composition of Macedonia is also worth noting. Approximately 67 percent of the country is Macedonian Orthodox, however 33 percent is Muslim.
• According to the CIA Factbook, as of 2007, there were approximately 685,000 internet users in Macedonia. The population of Macedonia today is approximately 2 million and various figures I accessed from 2007 show the population has not grown significantly during these two years. (Net migration is actually negative.) Given the data I have seen, it seems fair to estimate Macedonia has an internet penetration rate of 35-40%.

 Macedonian newspapers are online, however I have yet to find a print newspaper that offers an English translation. I still recommend checking out their sites. It’s a great chance to focus on design elements and photography.

• Vecer: http://www.vecer.com.mk/default.asp
• Dnevnik: http://www.dnevnik.com.mk/
• State owned broadcaster MRT: http://www.mrt.com.mk/
• The one exception I encountered was the Macedonian Information Agency, which is a state run site.

Now that we’ve established some background on Macedonia and checked out a few links, here’s what stood out to me:

“ Declaration on Depolitization of Education, Multi-Ethnic Tolerance and Non-Violent Communication signed” (From the Macedonian Information Agency)

The article is dry and brief—exactly what you would expect from a government news agency, but the title says it all. Since we know some background of Macedonia, from its politics to its demographics, this move is particularly interesting. Here is a country that has been through occupation, socialism, and most recently ethnic conflict, but now is publicly affirming its commitment to tolerance, non-violence, and taking politics out of the classroom. I’m well aware this will not catch on overnight, however I believe this is a very important step for Macedonia. After all, if everyone and is given a non-political learning environment and can practice tolerance, think of how much freedom of thought and innovation will surface!

 Moving on to another story, my Macedonian friend and I had no idea what the United Press International is talking about here. “Macedonia to remove star from flag” http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/09/18/Macedonia-to-remove-star-from-flag/UPI-44931253322532

 Majlinda, who you will hear more from later this week said:

“I am hearing this information for the first time…because Macedonia’s flag has no star on it…IT’S JUST A BIG SUN all around the flag.”

I looked at the country’s coat of arms, and now the story makes sense. (Note to UPI, it’s the coat of arms they are changing, not the flag.)

 The article says, “The government of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said the move was to show Macedonia is laying its political past to rest.”

The bottom line is these past few years have been crucial for Macedonia as it seeks to become more involved with its European neighbors. These policies, as symbolic as they may seem, show  the country is ready to step out of the shadow of its past.

Check back later in the week for an interview with Majlinda.

Malaysia from the inside

I couldn’t have asked for a better first interview. Sukumaran, who lives in Malaysia, was kind enough to answer my questions through email about his country’s media and his habits. I also asked him to weigh in on the Indonesian maid controversy I discussed in my previous post.

 

Sukumaran

Where do you get most of your news?

Online news sites & occasionally the newspaper

Which newspapers do you read?

The Star (a Malaysian daily, which is also available online).

www.thestar.my

 How much does it cost to buy a newspaper in Malaysia?

The Star (which is the only paper I occasionally buy costs RM 1.50 – that’s around USD 0.45)

 Do you ever see American newspapers for sale in Malaysia?

I don’t think so, never seen any on the newsstands.

**I asked this question because I am intrigued by international revenue opportunities for newspapers. In Europe, I have seen American legacy newspapers sell for approximately $5-8 USD. I am curious to find out how much revenue, if any, this generates for these newspapers and if it could be a factor in the future business model.**

Where do you go for online news?

The sites I go to are:

·         www.thestar.com.my

·         www.cnn.com

·       www.nytimes.com

·         www.bernama.com

Do you watch the news on television?

Rarely.

On the issue of hiring a domestic assistant from Indonesia:

 Sukumaran wrote to me that he and his wife have been considering getting an Indonesian domestic assistant. (He used the term domestic assistant, which sounds better to me, however some news outlets refer to them as maids.)  He noted, however, there are many factors they need to consider before making a decision.

“We have talked to many people who have in the past (while some are currently) employing these Indonesian ladies. Some have had extremely good experiences with them (so good that the domestic assistant is considered a part of the family). At the same time, we are also hearing horror stories in which we are told that they run away with jewelry, cases of child and sexual abuse etc. At this point, it seems when you hire a domestic assistant everything depends purely on your luck. You either get a good one, or not.”

I also asked about the prospect of setting a minimum wage for the domestic assistants. The proposed  RM 800 may be a bit much for some Malaysian families who could otherwise afford to employ a domestic assistant. He told me setting a minimum wage would be “tricky”.

“There is no standard guideline or a proper job scope set for the workers. Some employer might require the maids to only clean the house and cook. Others might take them in only to take care of a child or to provide assistance to an elderly family member. It will be difficult to quantify how much to pay for each different service. However, if minimum wage is to be introduced, then the government should also come out with a proper job scope so that the work equals the pay.”

Finally, I asked Sukumaran to offer his thoughts on the Malaysian media and how it is perceived within the country.

“A lot of people in Malaysia think the official media in this country is being heavily controlled by the ruling government. In a way this WAS true, but today with the advent of the internet and citizen journalism, alternative news media is flourishing. We now get the same news in many different “channels” and each one presented in a different perspective. In the end, I feel that now we are getting a more wholesome picture. There has been talk going on in introducing internet censorship but this has been met with passionate objections from almost everyone, including from certain components within the government itself. That said, the percentage of people benefiting from the alternative news media of today is still small as quite a big chunk of Malaysia is still not online.”

I would like to thank Sukumaran for being such a wonderful person to interview. It has been fascinating to get his “view from the inside”. If anyone has follow-up questions regarding the media in Malaysia, feel free to post them in my comments section.

Check back next week for our second stop on The World Beat.

Stop 1: Malaysia

A labor dispute in Malaysia could change the face of the foreign workforce, and with it, how Malaysian middle class families live. It is estimated approximately 300,000 Indonesians are currently working as maids in private Malaysian homes. In light of serious abuse cases and complaints regarding labor conditions, the Indonesian government placed a  ban in June on Indonesians migrating to Malaysia to work as maids.

Without the continued flow of the cheap labor so many middle class Malaysians have come to rely on, the lines of communication between the two governments are now more open than ever as they work to find common ground. Here’s a rundown of the issues at the center of the disagreement, and what–if any–steps have been taken toward reform.

• Maids are expected to work seven days per week. The Malaysia Home Ministry  announced that Indonesian maids will receive one day off per week, however this will not be officially mandated until Parliament meets again at the end of the year.
• Many employers hold onto their maid’s passport, which will no longer be allowed.
• Indonesia is demanding a fixed minimum wage for the maids, which will be documented in a contract. The number floating around at the moment is RM800 per month, which is approximately $230 USD. Media reports from Malaysia and a few blogs I have read from the country share the view that this number is too high. Currently, the mean salary for maids in Malaysia is approximately $170 USD.
• A maid’s wages must be paid directly to her each pay period, not banked until the end of the year.

Now, for your “required” reading:

The Malaysian Star:

Some background on the issues

A look at the cost of getting a maid

If you follow one link from the post, please choose  this one:

Blog ran by an agency that supplies Indonesian maids.

Views on the salary debate:

New Straits Times

Nuraina A Samad’s Personal Blog

Malay Mail

What’s Indonesia saying? Check out these search results from The Jakarta Post.

Later in the week I’ll talk about Malaysia’s media and will be featuring an interview with a Malaysian citizen.

The world beat begins…

What makes something newsworthy? Beside the big world stories, our knowledge of what is going on in the world often times does not extend beyond the boundaries of our city, state or country. Sometimes an A-1 story in another country simply isn’t newsworthy here, and vice versa. It all boils down to the element of proximity, which makes perfect sense in for-profit news ventures.

But…

Since this is a blog and I have free rein, my intent is to throw proximity out the window and share with you the compelling, entertaining or simply odd stories I find in foreign newspapers. I am fascinated by other cultures and their media, and this is a great opportunity to learn more about our global village.

 I’ll focus on a new country each week. Perhaps I’ll even feature an interview with someone from the country of the week, getting their take on what is making news.

I hope you’ll join me as I walk the world beat.