Kyoto, Japan - Entering central library in Kyoto University, I felt like I was alone in the room-of-hundreds-of-people.

In the computer lap, there are so many students are studying and doing there research quietly. We can access to the internet by using our user name and password. It works quite well. Students respect each other.

Getting through a thick glass door blocking warm and cold temperature during winter in Kyoto, Japan on January 2012. I walked toward the welcome desk showing my temporary library pass to the librarian to get into the house. It was about 6 o’clock in the evening and there were hundreds of students are on the go reading and doing their research. There were activities around which I could see students moving around, walking and looking for books and newspaper to read; but there was no sound heard besides whispering once a while they have something to talk.

Let’s go to the first floor.  Just besides the electronic gate where students can use their library card to enter the library automatically, I walked off the right hand side stepping up on the staircase. Here come to the computer lab. Hundreds of computers, hundreds of students and some lecturer are quietly focusing on their screen. Again, there is no noise. I am so proud of Japanese students to have habit of respecting each other while they are studying.  There is a sign of no food and telephone use. They can do anything with the computer including listening to music by using earphone or headphone. No laugh, No joke, No discussion.

Bandung, Indonesia - More than 1400 youth and children coming all over 118 countries around the world participating in the TUNZA Indonesia on the 27th September in Bandung, Indonesia.

It's Tunza 201, where more than 1400 youth and children come together over 118 countries to discuss on environmental issues “Re-shaping our future through Green Economy and Sustainable Lifestyles”.

TUNZA is the international Youth and Children conference on the road to Rio+20 on the theme “Re-shaping our future through Green Economy and Sustainable Lifestyles” organized by UNEP (United Nations Environment Program) in conjunction with the Government of Indonesia.

I feel that the conference is just awesome and I have never been to such conference like this before. All the participants including me will stay here in Indonesia for 5 days in the separated hotels to run fruitful discussions on the theme. I tell you, it’s rather bigger than what I expected.

Click to listen to audio

ពី វិទ្យុ Radio Australia  15:07:08, 15 July 2011

ការប្រើ​ប្រាស់​បណ្តាញ​សង្គម​ដូចជា Facebook, Twitter, Blog​ជាដើម​បាន​រីក​សាយ​ភាយ​យ៉ាង​ខ្លាំង​នៅ​លើ​ពិភពលោក​ក៏ដូចជា​សង្គម​កម្ពុជា​សព្វថ្ងៃនេះ។ តាមរយៈ​បណ្តាញ​សង្គម​នេះ លោកអ្នក​អាច​បញ្ចេញ​ជា​មតិ​យោបល់​ ក៏ដូច​ជា​ផ្សព្វ​ផ្សាយ​ព័ត៌មាន​បាន​ដោយ​សេរី​នៅ​លើ​អ៊ីនធើណិត។

តើ​ការ​ប្រើ​ប្រាស់​បណ្តាញ​សង្គម​នេះ​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​មាន​ការ​ផ្លាស់​ប្តូរ​អ្វី​ខ្លះ​ដល់​កិច្ចការ​សាធារណៈ​នោះ? នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​នេះ​ផ្ទាល់​នៅ​សកល​វិទ្យាល័យ​ភូមិន្ទ​ភ្នំពេញ​ នឹង​មាន​រៀបចំ​កិច្ច​ពិភាក្សា​មួយ​ស្តីពី​បញ្ហា​ទាំងនេះ។

មុននេះ​បន្តិច​នាងខ្ញុំ​បាន​ជួប​សម្ភាស​តាម​ទូរសព្ទ​ជាមួយ​នឹង​លោក​ ទិត្យ ចាន់ដារ៉ា អ្នក​ទទួល​បន្ទុក​កិច្ចការ​សាធារណៈ​ប្រចាំ​នៅ​ដេប៉ាតឺម៉ង់​គ្រប់គ្រង​ប្រព័ន្ធ​ផ្សព្វ​ផ្សាយ​និង​សារ​គមនាគមន៍​នៅ​សកល​វិទ្យាល័យ​ភូមិន្ទ​ភ្នំពេញ​ផ្ទាល់​តែម្តង។

(បទសម្ភាស៖)

របាយការណ៍ដោយ៖ ហៃ សុផារ៉ានី

The aim of this production is to examine the vulnerability of the communities, how disasters impact directly or indirectly on the communities as well as what have been done and what should be done to help those vulnerable communities.

This project was produced with the financial assistance from the European Commission. The views expressed herein are those of the producers; therefore, they in no way reflect the official opinion of the European Commission. Click below for the link.

Portraying Disaster

Singapore – June 24, 2011 – “I will never go to print media that doesn’t make any sense. I think print is useful for magazine that you want on the coffee table. […] I understand what they do, it’s because the revenues are so great on paper versus online, but it has to go away. I would never do anything in print. I think most people like paper just to read them, but you don’t want to go to the monument to buy more and more often,” said Michael Arrington, founder and Co-Editor of TechCrunch in a panel discussion about the evolving world of online publication and if the print media and still stay in the era of digital media in Digital, Life, Design Conference in Munich, Germany (For a TV, 2009).

Some of the media practitioners still feel that the print media is still survive. One confirmed that people might not able to look at computer screen all the time. SG-Tith Chandara

There is always a question; can print media survive in the future of technology advancement?

Impacts on Newspaper

The shift base on technology would bring the newspapers lose their audiences. An example in the Wall Street Journal, 2008 states that a paper today that used to have 10 people in London felt to have only one. And the one is predicted to be gone. This example shows the decrement of the readers. They move to online which they find it convenience to them because they just bring their mobile phone, laptop or iPad/tablet everywhere with them and access to the internet. That’s it. They don’t need to go to the news stand and buy it every morning.

From a slide presentation of the Scarborough research, in the U.S percentage of newspaper readership indicated on the left column is decreasing while internet as a new media is drastically increasing.(Gary, 2008)

Another impact would shift the journalism in the newspaper down. So to say newspaper will try to work based on audiences’ needs. Sometimes, newspaper firms might change their journalistic contents to serve audiences by publishing celebrity news, or beauty, etc.

What are the alternative resources of revenue?

“Print is Still King: Only 3 percent of newspaper reading happens online” (Martin, 2009). It’s a title of an article analyze from a research that 96 percent of readers still acquainted to read newspaper. This is good news that newspaper can stay alive. On the other hand, there are discussions whether print can fight the new technology in the future.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Rupert Murdoch said that in about 10 years later, maybe the print media can still survive. He said that once the average newspaper in the U.S felt down, but later they could recover themselves, but not through journalism. They use computer and new technology to stand up.

So, what the print media can do to survive? First of all, it needs to live with a website. One the story published in the paper, readers can seek for online article by subscribing online. Sometimes, they can have a pay per view or free for first time view. By having online media, newspaper firms can have double advertisements both on the paper and online with special price or any promotion. The multimedia would also contribute to the fleshy and attraction within the website. Then, the firms can run both newspaper, pictures on the newspaper and subscribed softcopy of pictures and videos (if possible).
The second is to digitize everything. One thing people are talking about is the news tablets which readers can bring with them everywhere and read every time. They don’t need to carry papers or hand out their mobile phone. The futurists say the products should stand on the market in a reasonable price (John, 1993).

Another, maybe the newspaper firms can run with similar industry like TV or radio or even Digital Corporation and then share resources. That would also be another benefit. For instance, there is a new initiative by the News Corp and Apple together and brings up an iPad-only newspaper, The Daily (Leslie, 2011). However, Rupert Murdoch starts from scratch with The Daily. He employs experienced reporters from well-known publications to develop the Daily. This is from very rich media integration. Accordingly, we can develop an idea, if we have a newspaper to have an app exclusively on iPad or any other new technology tablets or mobile products. This can bring more reputation to the newspaper leads to a feeling of people that they might go to the print version since they feel that exclusive app on iPad is cool.
It is still ongoing discussion about whether print media and newspaper can stay alive in the digital world. The print might need to initiate new ideas in order that they can stand in the digital market.

Though there are some impacts on the newspaper in the digital era, some media practitioner feels positive about the print media. A media training officer, Chhay Sophal still feels optimistic about survival of the print because people might not only read on screen. He added that in Cambodia at the weekend, the circulation has been increasing. Dr. Violet Valdez, the Executive Director of the Konrad Adenauer Center for Journalism at the Ateneo de Manila University said “We should continue do the journalism whatever the platform is.”

References:

Fora TV. (2009, January 26). The Survival of Print Media [Video webcast] [Television series episode]. In Digital, Life, Design Conference. Retrieved from http://video.ezinemark.com/the-survival-of-print-media-4329f238b80.html

H. Leslie. (2011, February 1). Murdoch Previewing iPad-Exclusive Newspaper, The Daily, Tonight. Retrieved 14 June 2011 from http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2379157,00.asp

L. Martin. (2009, April 13). Print is still king: Only 3 percent of newspaper reading happens online. Retrieved 13 June 2011 from Nieman Journalism Lab website http://www.niemanlab.org/2009/04/print-is-still-king-only-3- percent-of-newspaper-reading-actually-happens-online/

M. Gary. (2008, May). Audience Aggregation and Audience-Based Selling [PowerPoint slides]. Paper presented at the SNPS Audience Development Conference, Columbia, SC. Retrieved from www.scarborough.com/…/Gary%20Meo%20SNPA%20Presentation%20Ma y%202008.pdf

M. John. (1993, June). Papers Will Survive Newest Technology. Retrieved 13 June 2011 from the American Journalism Review website http://www.ajr.org/article.asp?id=114

The Wall Street Journal. (2008, June 9). His Space. Retrieved 13 June 2011 from the Wall Street Journal website http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121269889107049813.html

Singapore – June 23, 2011 – Since the troublesome of South China Sea became the debate all over the world, focally in Asian countries, there is a question concerning the future that what will the giant country like China do to influent the whole region and how does the ASEAN look at the conflict?

The question arise during the Asian-German Dialogue in Singapore this week in which the discussion about the conflict between China and Vietnam. What are the roles ASEAN to do on it? Once it was mentioned about the conflict of the South China Sea, it comes to another story between Cambodia and Thailand. Though we understand that well the clashes and problems were founded under the temple, but there should be some others causes behind at the ground level. There is still doubt, what ASEAN can do to solve the conflict?

“Things might be changed after the election [in Thailand],” said Rodolfo Severing, head of the ASEAN Studies Center at the Institute of South East Asian Studies.

REAN KUA: What do you think why do you need to go to private tutoring class? A mini documentary portraying what are the reasons to have private tutoring existed in Cambodia?

Click here to watch

រៀនគួរ

វាមិនមានអ្វីដែលគួរអោយភ្ញាក់ផ្អើលទេដែលលោកអ្នកឃើញមាន​ថ្នាក់រៀនគួរច្រើននៅប្រទេសកម្ពុជា។​ ខ្ញុំក៏ធ្លាប់ជាសិស្សម្នាក់​ក្នុង​ចំនោម​សិស្ស​ជាច្រើនដែលបានរៀនគួរដែរ។​ ពេលខ្លះ ខ្ញុំមិនមានប្រាក់​សម្រាប់បង់​ លើការ​រៀនគួរទេ។ ខ្ញុំសុំខ្ចីមិត្តភក្តិដើម្បីបង់ថ្លៃរៀនគួរ។​ ខ្ញុំជិះ​ម៉ូតូទៅរៀនជាមួយ​មិត្តម្នាក់ជារៀងរាល់ថ្ងៃដោយសារសាលានៅឆ្ងាយ ។​ ខ្ញុំ ទិញបាយថ្ងៃត្រង់ញុំានៅសាលា ព្រោះបើ​ទៅផ្ទះត្រូវចំនាយ​ប្រេងសាំង​ម៉ូតូ​ច្រើន និងមិនបានរៀនគួរនៅម៉ោងថ្ងៃត្រង់ទៀត។​​ នេះរឹតតែ​បន្ថែម​​បន្ទុក​ដល់​ការបន្តការអប់រំរបស់ខ្ញុំបន្ថែម​ទៀត​ក្រៅពី ការចំនាយ​លើ​​សំភារៈ​សិក្សា​ និង ការរៀនគួរ។​

តាំងពីពេលនោះមក ខ្ញុំមានចម្ងល់ក្នុងចិត្តថាតើមាន​មូលហេតុអ្វីខ្លះ​ដែល​ធ្វើអោយ មានការរៀនគួរ​បែបនេះ?​ ឥឡូវនេះ​ខ្ញុំមានឳកាស​ល្អ​ដើម្បីសិក្សាស្វែងយល់ដោយខ្លួនឯងអំពីប្រធានបទនេះ ហើយវា​ទទួល​​បានលទ្ធផលដែលខ្ញុំជឿជាក់ថាអាចទទួលយកបាន។

Rean Kua

It’s not surprise to see many private tutoring classes in Cambodia. I am one of many students who used to receive private tutoring. Sometimes, I didn’t have money to support to pay for private tutoring; then, I borrowed money from my friends to pay the fee. Home was far away from school. A friend of mind has motorbike; he picked me up every day. I bought food for lunch at school.​ We would spend more on gasoline and miss some private classes at noon if we go home. That was another pressure to manage my schooling including study materials and PRIVATE TUTORING.

Since I was in high school, I had kept doubt in mind that what are the reasons to have private tutoring? Now, I have an opportunity to discover this topic by myself; and I am satisfied with the result.

About 20 Participants in the Khmer Rouge Tribunal Fellowship Program (KRT-FP) 2011 supported by GIZ sit in circle silently listen to a guest speaker in a classroom. They are seriously looking at a historian Henri Locard when he is talking about the history of Cambodia and the Democratic Kampuchea.

A participant for the outreach team from the Department of Media and Communication, Ngoeum Phally, 22 says the talk was very interesting that it didn’t felt her a sleep. She was noting along the speech the speaker talked continuously and occasionally paused for questions. Pages of notes on her notebook were observed from the two-hour presentation. “He points out many interesting points that I haven’t known before such as how Khmer Rouge came to power, the evacuation from the city and so on,” says Phally.

The presentation of history of Cambodia was fairly overtime because there are many questions to be asked and there are a lot of ideas to discuss over the talk.

A film by Tith Chandara

by Tith Chandara

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – A group of students from the Department of Media and Communication (DMC) at the Royal University of Phnom Penh open a discussion after the screenings of their films on the topics of “Biodiversity and Climate Change”.

18 short films including the winner of the “Southeast Asian Student Documentary Award” (SEADOCs) will be shown on the 21th January 2011, from 6PM, at Meta House Phnom Penh (#37, Sothearos Blvd.) in the framework of the GREEN NIGHT. This bi-monthly event in cooperation with SMART Mobile focuses on environmental issues and sustainable development in Cambodia. The screening will be followed by a live concert of Cambodian star musician Sonny Thet (8PM).

“SEADocs – The Southeast Asian Student Documentary Award” was created by Goethe Institut, UNESCO and GTZ. A one-week workshop held by Meta-House-director Nico Mesterharm at the DMC resulted in 18 mini-documentaries written/shot/directed/edited by 4^th year students to be judged by the Meta House jury: Alan Michaud (environmental filmmaker/founder of the “Environmental Film Festival” in Cambodia); Britta Heine (GTZ expert for climate change); Johannes Kast (media student) and Nico Mesterharm (Meta House). Nico Mesterham: “All the films show the commitment of young Cambodian filmmakers to raise awareness for pressing environmental issues. It was very tough to select three winners, as many of the student films were well done, given the short timeframe of the workshop.”

Finally the jury selected three films by Tith Chandara, Tha Piseth and Chum Sophea to compete for the “Southeast Asian Student Documentary Award” in Thailand. There the three Cambodian winners met young filmmakers from Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand for another workshop. Cambodian Chum Sophea was awarded the third price for his film “My River, my Fish”. Chum Sophea: “The screening will be a wonderful time for me and my friends. We want to educate our communities about environmental issues which concern everybody. I am very happy that I can bring fame to my department and my country. We look forward to see all of you at this event.”

Contacts:

Tith Chandara

Media and Communication Student

Tel: +855 12 568 106

Email: tithchandara@gmail.com

Nico Mesterharm

Director of Meta Art Center Cambodia

Tel: +855 23 224 140 / +855 10 312 333

Email: mesterharm@gmx.net

Chum Sophea

Media and Communication student

Tel: +855 16 254 426

Email: chumsophea@gmail.com

Tha Piseth

Media and Communication Student

Tel: +855 17 534 635

Email: thapiseth@gmail.com