Anytime the TV Maldives news staff is on the computer, it's a good bet that they are on the social networking site Facebook. I wanted to blog about the tremendous influence of this site, created for US college students, among Maldivian teens and twenty somethings. However, getting a picture of someone on Facebook was nearly impossible because they would quickly hide the screen anytime I approached to see what they were doing.The influence isn't all good. Some people have jeopardized their jobs by posting pictures that would be tame by US standards but are considered too revealing in an Islamic society. It's also a huge time waster, to the point where the news director tried to ban Facebook from newsroom computers and touched off a staff rebellion. Most of these young journalists don't have computer access at home and spend many of their "off" hours in the newsroom using the computer for social networking.
For me, Facebook turns out to be a great way to keep in touch with my former students, both in the US and abroad. However, I try not to get involved in the "fun" applications, unless there is a direct connection to journalism education. No, I don't want to see your wasted party pictures. And NO I don't want to join the group "Hot Maldivian girls."
2 comments:
Hi Terry, i found your blog a little too late. Anyway enjoyed reading some of your experience. It would have been fun if you had joined the Maldivian blogger community at http://www.mvblogs.org/
Hi Terry-
It's been a long time since the old days in the KZSU Newsroom, but wanted to say "hi" after all this time. I was just reading about you in the Stanford Magazine and I must say I'm really impressed with what you've been doing in the Maldives and the great success you've had in communications eduction. We missed you last January at our KZSU anniversary marathon - 60 hours of broadcasting by alums representing each of the 60 years of the station's history. Hope to see you at a future class reunion! All the best, Bill Ledeen '76
Post a Comment