Satire

It's Friday January 7th.

Barely three weeks into his new gig as CNN's president, Jonathan Klein had to apologize after an unfortunate comment about the tsunami disaster in Asia. He bragged in USA Today that CNN correspondents were able to, "FLOOD the zone immediately."

Currently, I guess leadership like that is the reason CNN's ratings are soaking the competition, making networks like Fox News seem wet behind the ears...

This is The Current ...get it?

Tsunami Radio

We started off the show with some sound of Sri Lankan radio, broadcasting to listeners across the devastated island. Not many broadcasters fared as well as the Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation. Some local stations in affected regions have gone off the air completely.

In Aceh province, Indonesia for instance, several radio stations have been completely destroyed. While dealing with the dead and dying is still a huge concern, re-establishing communications is also a priority. Help is on the way to some of the hardest-hit regions.

Internews Network is an American organization that's setting up portable FM radio stations in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. We reached the President of Internews Network. David Hoffman was in Arcata, California.

Broadcasting in South Asia

Big news organizations might have difficulty getting in and out of badly affected areas in Southeast Asia but information's flowing nonetheless. That's because many people are armed with cell phones and laptops, and they're blogging and text messaging each other fresh images and information.

And we in the West have been inundated with their stories. But what about the places where the press weren't free and open even before disaster pointed a spotlight on the region.

To talk about how the news moves in different countries in Asia, we were joined by Rod MacDonell. He is the Executive Director for Canadian Journalists for Free Expression. And before that he was an investigative journalist with the Montreal Gazette. He has also worked for the World Bank in South East Asia as a part of its media training program. He was in our Toronto studio this morning.

Listen to The Current: Part 1

(Due to streaming policies, some segments may be altered or not available)

The Current: Part 2

Personal Media

In our first half hour, we talked about how news moves across and within the areas devastated by the tsunami. And because we in North America seem to be mostly glued to our sets and stereos, it might seem like television and radio are our primary links to the other side of the planet.

But Paul Saffo, a technology forecaster at the Institute for the Future, disagrees. He thinks that it's personal media such e-mail and text messages, that are the true tools of communication - and are changing the way we view this disaster. He was in San Francisco.

Music Bridge

Performer: Zubot and Dawson
CD: Chicken Scratch
Cut: CD 13 “Lonely Jackson Trigger”
Label: True North Records
Spine #: TND 277
www: www.zubotanddawson.com

Swan Documentary

Every year at this time, majestic trumpeter swans migrate down from Alaska to warmer climes. Many fly down to Judson Lake, near Abbotsford, along the southern edge of British Columbia. They settle on the still bed of water---water surrounded by lush green farmland and ancient evergreen trees. But danger lurks beneath the surface of this idyllic scene.

That's because Judson Lake actually straddles two countries. On one half live Canadians Kevin and Wrenneta Sinclair. The other half of the lake is on the US side of the border. And as CBC reporter Salma Nurmohamed discovered, between this divide, the lives of the swans are perilously perched.

Salma Nurmohamed is a CBC Reporter based in Surrey, British Columbia.

Listen to The Current: Part 2

(Due to streaming policies, some segments may be altered or not available)

The Current: Part 3

Palestinian Elections – One Voice

This Sunday more than one million Palestinians are expected to vote for a successor to Yasser Arafat. Mr. Arafat, who died last November, was the first and only elected president of the Palestinian Authority since it was established in 1996.

This time around, there is a big push to get out the vote. It's led by a group calling itself pro-peace. And "OneVoice" has pulled out all the stops. It's calling on community and religious leaders. Bt it has also enlisted a little bit of Hollywood help. It's running a TV ad featuring Richard Gere - along with local religious leaders.

For more on this effort to get out the vote, we were joined by Fathi Darwish. He is the Palestinian director of One Voice in Ramallah.

Palestinian Professor

Many people around the globe will be watching this weekend's election - and weighing what it will mean for the future of that region.

Nahla Abdo recently returned from six months in the Palestinian territories where she was helping establish a Ministry of Women's Affairs for the Palestinian government. She is a professor at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Palestinian Elections – Analysis

Sunday's election will mark the first time Palestinians have headed to the ballot box in nearly a decade. Voting will take place at three-thousand polling stations across the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.

To talk about the political implications of this election -- and the expectations of Israelis – we were joined by Barry Rubin. He's the author of Yasser Arafat: A Political Biography. He is also the director of the Global Research in International Affairs Center. We reached him in Tel Aviv.

Last Word

We wrapped up today with comedian Jon Stewart. He hosts The Daily Show. Last October, you may have caught Mr. Stewart's memorable appearance on the CNN program, Crossfire. It was a week before the American presidential election, and Mr. Stewart became exceptionally punchy with conservative co-host Tucker Carlson. He accused Mr. Carlson of sullying the political discourse in America by confusing shallow entertainment with authentic debate.

Well, CNN's new president says he agrees with Mr. Stewart. Yesterday, Jonathan Klein announced that Mr. Carlson's contract won't be renewed and Crossfire will be cancelled. CNN says it will focus more on news of the day and less on shows featuring head-butting debates. We ended this week on The Current with a bit of that bombastic blast from the past.

Listen to The Current: Part 3

(Due to streaming policies, some segments may be altered or not available)

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