Political scientists and constitutionalists distinguish between various types of democracy. Some favor a more direct form of democracy with referenda, popular initiatives and other forms of grass roots involvement in the political decision making process. Others support the representative model of democratic government where democratically elected representatives act as go-betweens and speak and govern on […]

There’s more to blogging than setting up your own personal website. With all that easy-to-use software available today, that’s really nothing.
Successful blogging involves a behavioral change regarding one’s media usage patterns. It’s certainly not enough to write a post every now and then. Successful bloggers are interactive types: they follow their fellow-bloggers’ writings, and sooner […]

If interested in the much debated relationship between MSM, or main stream media, and what has come to be known as citizens’ journalism, don’t miss Monday’s issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer with its well-documented analysis by mainstream journalist Leo Magno. In the third of a four part special report, Magno presents a multitude of […]

Among the many political propaganda placards, J. Howard Miller’s “We can do it” poster stands out. Used in World War II to prop up the US war efforts, you can find it all over the place today in boutiques, bars and trendy discotheques.
On my recent trip to Thailand, I came across two placards plagiarizing the […]

It’s no secret that I take online communications seriously – in my professional, and to a certain degree also in my private life. As a result, I am concerned about the audience: Communication is about communicating with other people. Therefore, I pay attention to the traffic on websites I write for.
A little while ago, I […]

After being in the hands of 16 avid bloggig and podcasting novices for two long days, the premises of my Foundation in Makati City returned to normal. The rented PCs are gone, so are the wonderful young people who worked with them.

The feedback we got at the end of the Express Yourself! workshop was remarkable. […]

As a facilitator of seminars and other educative programs, I always find it a special challenge to keep the interest and the motivation of the participants alive. This may become particularly difficult in seminars that stretch over more than one day.
It is a very different situation all together at the “Express Yourself!” workshop on blogging […]

On the surface, President Arroyo’s lifting of emergency rule is good news. But many see it as a superficial and a conditional move: According to today’s Philippine Daily Inquirer banner headline, the “crackdown continues.” Furthermore, the president has declared she would not hesitate to act “with the same force of will and determination” if deemed […]

From an e-mail of an applicant to the liberal blooging workshop in Makati City next week:
“Recent attempts to curtail press freedom and freedom of expression, through proclamation 1017, drive home the need for individuals to make the most of public venues, such as cyberspace, where one’s ideas and opinions can be freely shared. Your workshop […]

If you’re thinking about setting up your own blog or podcast and still a novice, the following announcement should be of interest to you:
“The liberal Foundation is organizing an educative activity entitled “Express Yourself,” a workshop with hands-on exercises on blogging and podcasting to be held in Makati City on 9-10 March 2006. This is […]