WEC Class Notes

Shuntaro Tanikawa used to think poems came down like inspiration from the heavens. Now, at the age of 90, he sees them as growing from the ground. Tanikawa is among Japan's most famous modern poets, with over 100 poetry books. He rose to fame in the 1950s with his poem, "Two Billion Light-Years of Solitude." His works have been translated into several languages, and Tanikawa has worked as a translator himself, including for Charles Schulz's Peanuts comic. He also wrote the lyrics for the Japanese theme song of the TV series Tetsuwan-Atomu, known as Astro Boy in English. Now, poetry is no longer a job for Tanikawa. "Writing poetry has become really fun these days," he told The Associated Press at his home in Tokyo. He said he doesn't have projects anymore because of his age, which has made walking and going out more difficult. But he also said he is working with his musician son, Kensaku Tanikawa, on what they call "Piano Twitter." He's alre...

Japan's parliament on Monday passed legislation making "online insults" punishable by imprisonment amid rising public concern over cyberbullying sparked by the suicide of a reality television star who had faced social media abuse. Under the amendment to the country's penal code - set to take effect later this summer - offenders convicted of online insults can be jailed for up to one year, or fined 300,000 yen (about $2,200).  It's a significant increase from the existing punishments of detention for fewer than 30 days and a fine of up to 10,000 yen ($75). The bill proved controversial in the country, with opponents arguing it could impede free speech and criticism of those in power. However, supporters said the tougher legislation was needed to crack down on cyberbullying and online harassment.  It was only passed after a provision was added, ordering the law be re-examined three years after it goes into effect to gauge its impact on freedom of expression.  Under ...

 

Media desensitized consumers Because younger news consumers are exposed to graphic images online and through other new media, concerns journalists have about presenting highly graphic images of war to readers/viewers may be unfounded, finds a new University of Arizona study. At a time when journalists are still trying to closely monitor the amount and type of graphic images seen on traditional media such as television and film, young audiences or the "YouTube" generation in particular, might receive graphic visual images in a far different way. If this is the case, there might be serious implications for the media. In a study published in the recent issue of Visual Communication Quarterly, UA associate professor Shahira Fahmy examined whether the level of "graphicness" depicted in photos of conflict influenced viewers' perceptions. Fahmy and Christopher McKinley, a doctoral graduate from the UA department of communication and an assistant professor in the depart...