Have a country in turmoil? Want the world to know what is going on in your city? Want aid, want attention? WANT TO BE HEARD?
Well read the subtext of this little BBC editors blog piece. It starts off as a nice little compare and contrast piece, in this hyper-technological world, where can you access the best wi-fi internet connections? But when the answer turns out to be Kabul, a secondary, much more interesting implication percolates up. Let cynical old me explain the difference between mine and the BBC’s reasoning via quotes from the article.
Premise Number One: “Using a small black box on the roof of the car, the team in Kabul can pick up a 512k broadband signal right across the Afghan capital – and all powered from the cigarette lighter in the car.”
Premise Number Two: “…it means that money we used to spend delivering the news from remote places in the world can now be spent on gathering the news.”
The BBC’s Conclusion: “And that has to be good news.”
A slightly more cynical conclusion, taken from earlier in the article: “Afghanistan is now rivalling Iraq as one of our biggest stories.”
Make it easier to report on you and they will come…