Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / May 22, 2008, edition 1 / Page 6
Part of Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
6 THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2008 Anew voice for China’s news Durham man provides alternate take BY COURTNEY ROLLER STAfF WRITER In an effort to circumvent the sanctions on Chinese journalists, a Durham man, Weican "Watson' Meng, runs a massively popular site for news about China, supported by contributions from average citi zens. many of whom conceal their identities for protection. Restrictions placed on Chinese media outlets by the Chinese govern ment censor a wide range of topics, and put journalists at risk of losing their jobs or being incarcerated. In 2000, Meng, 42, started the site, called Boxun.com, (pro nounced “bow shwin"), which includes coverage of top news, entertainment, finance and travel stories and by Meng’s count gets 500,000 daily views. Meng, who graduated from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, is both the chief editor and manager ofßoxun.com. “What is true or not is whatever the government says,' Meng said of Local artists drop summer albums BY JAMIE WILLIAMS DIVERSIONS EDITOR Summer's here, and with it comes lazy days by the pool and cookouts on back patios through out the Triangle. And what would either of those endeavors be without some great music? The local music scene certainly doesn't take the summer off, with releases scheduled from some of the area's heaviest bands. Granted, most wouldn't make for the best pool-side jams, but, hey, maybe you have the type of friends that want to crank things up. Here is an incredibly subjective, and completely incomplete, list of the records that we at Diversions think will be worth your money this summer. All of these share a penchant for amazingly personal power and are the types of discs that will inspire emotion, whether it be the youthful abandon of The Dry Heathens, the cathartic power of Bellafea or the beautiful guitar of Jenks Miller. •MAPAN ''express Japanese Fast Food 925-9600 Dtnf l„ or Q trTyout j x k Price Entree SPECIAL Buy 1 entree and get 2nd of 1 1 Hibachi Chicken Entree I equal or lesser value 1/2 price 11 with Drink only $A 99 ❖JAPAN !! ❖JAPAN EXPRESS 11 ''EXPRESS I Oe^asTOielMustnesntcmkmCmik 11 One wostomblMust!kswtcoh.Ckotk | |_coweo^e^ECAtsotorasJwißseMj |_cowioojjowinsaomßjjwßM/06j 261 S. Elliott Road• Chapel Hill (next to Peak Fitness) BE C00L... THINK COOL .. LIVE C00L... When the time comes to ditch the dorm or move in with friends, check out the really cool houses at: www.COOLBLUERENT ALS.c* 300 Davie Rd 4 bedrms, 2 baths $ 1840/mo. Fantastic floor plan. Terrific house f with ali a PP | ' dnces in great neighborhood! Available June Ist 4 bedrms, 2 baths |Kj|' \dj S 1840/mo Fantastic floor plan. Terrific house with all appliances in great 3’jSjyj. jSI* i. Available Aug Ist Now signing leases for 2008-2009! We make finding your new place easy... Visit our website where you can see photos of our houses, floor plans, map locations and much morel • Complete information on our houses is on-line. We only rent clean, well maintained homes. Call us soon to get a www.Coolßlueßentals.com A the situation in China ‘lt's impor tant to have a different voice." Meng, bom in Hebei, China, moved to the United States in 1996. A few years later he noticed a dearth of news about China and created the site. Meng said the people who write for the site find it encouraging to have an outlet. “We cover their story and then they start to have hope about their lives," Meng said. Bob Dietz, the Asia Program Coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said that there is both an official and unofficial system of guidance for journalists. “People who turn to the inter net and post on sites like Boxun. com are people who know that they can't get into print," Dietz said. “They have no other alternatives." Dietz explained that many people in China do not haw access to Boxun. com due to a gov ernmental ban. But people can use proxy systems to view the site, and some read arti- The Dry Heathens s jg ' Durham band The Dry Heathens is set to release its debut long player, First Contact With Ground, a collection of raucous punkv gems that call to mind all the debauchery of The Replacements with a hint of Uncle Tupelo twang. It is the type of record that cel ebrates all of the defiance of youth, delivered with an amazingly pal pable sense of place and time. The record will see its official release May 31 at a CD release party BOXUN ONLINE ► www.boxun.com original version ► www.boxun.us English translations ► www.boxun.tv video dips cles in their e-mail, which Dietz said is the most common method. Boxun.com prides itself on “independence" and “objectivity,” though Meng realizes that this might not always be the case. “We try to be independent but its difficult and therefore we rely on citi zen journalists," Meng said. “Many of them they have their opinions." Lack of credibility is one of the drawbacks of independent forms of media, said UNC journalism pro fessor Paul Jones. “The problem is always to what degree is this journalism and to what degree is it accurate?" he said. When it comes to sites that rely on citizen journalists like Boxun. com, Jones said site managers can build credibility by taking mea at Durham's James Joyce Pub also featuring local powerhouses Red Collar and Dirty Little Heaters. Bellafea Although Cavalcade, the soph omore LP from powerful Chapel Hill trio Bellafea, has already been celebrated with a CD release party, it doesn't hit shelves until June 3. It is a powerful release, to say the least, combining Heather McEntire's amazingly cathartic vocals with her heavy guitar. The band's equally powerful bottom end is provided by recent addition Eddie Sanchez, who contributes to the more meaty sound of this record, which fol lows the band's more minimal, but equally incredible, debut EP, Family Tree. It is a force to be reckoned with. Saporoe? Special! One Month FREE! and a SSOO Visa card when you sign anew lease at /jjfly the verge www.LiveAtTheVerge.com j Recycle these items at the Curb JRqSF and Apartment Complexes: Plastic Bottles, Metal Cans, Glass Bottles* *“ Mixed Paper (junk mail, cereal boxes, milk cartons), Magazines, Newspapers & Phonebooks NO plastic bags, pleasel Recycle Corrugated Cardboard at 24-hour Drop-off Sites and Solid Waste Convenience Centers. Recycle Batteries, Motor Oil, Oil Filters and Antifreeze at Solid Waste Convenience Centers. Bring Paint, Pesticides and other Chemicals to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection rj-*r —\ Mon-Fri 10am-6pm l Saturdays 7:30-12 noon f Orange County Landfill Eubanks Rd. Chapel Hill. Recycle Computers, Televisions and other Electronic Equipment at Solid Waste Convenience Centers f==jj Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, 7am-7pm V-JJ Saturday 7am-5 Sundays 1-5 C | =°~) For more information and center locations visit www.co.orange.nc.us/recycling/ Orange County Solid Waste Management KtfNrtLu 968-2788 recycling@co.orange.nc.us News “We cover their story and then they start to have hope about their lives ” WEICAN "WATSON" MENG, BOXUN COM CREATOR sures like citing sources and allow ing reader comments, which serve as a means of fact checking. People who post on Boxun.com can redact their names and the English version does not allow read ers to post comments on stories. Meng, for all his efforts, does not see himself as a political activist. “I consider myself a businessperson and a newsperson," he said. Meng said he hopes people use Boxun. com, among other news sources, to get “the whole story." “We work hard. We earn little," Meng said. “It's very rewarding to see that we do have an impact." Contact the State £2 National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu. Jenks Miller tmksmMsr HeSI Jenks Miller, of Horseback and Un Deux Trois among others, will release a solo LP titled Approach ing the Invisible Mountain on June 24 at Nightlight in Chapel Hill. Billed by label Holidays for Quince as an “improvisational guitar record,' Approaching the Invisible Mountain sees a departure from the gorgeously dreamy noise of Horseback's 2007 release, Impale Golden Horn. Miller's latest work sees him working his electric guitar for all it's worth, stretching its capabilities far left of center without ever forsaking listenability. And that has become Miller's reputation, making the seemingly avant-garde accessible. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call Miller-one of the area’s most versa tile and innovative musicians. Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu TALK ABOUT A BUMPY RIDE bt nk —— WKM I '' ? Mg UsJt* .jnr DTH/AUAN SHARPE A t approximately 10:40 a.m. Tuesday, a man driving down Cameron Avenue collided with a stone and jL JLrhain barrier. The car ripped the barrier from its cement base, causing the car to flip over completely. The driver then crawled out of the car, apparently unharmed. Easley panel calls for longer e-mail storage Critics say mass deleting occurs BY DEVIN ROONEY STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR The panel assembled by Gov. Mike Easley to review public records law regarding e-mails made its recommendation to the governor Tuesday. The panel recommended that Gov. Easley extend the storage period for e-mails from 30 days to 5 years, and that he require all state employees to complete public records training. The panel proposed a system for data back-up that would also be archived to make the records searchable and more readily avail able to the public. But critics say the plan falls short because it doesn't require employees to save all e-mail cor respondence related to state busi ness, and employees will still be able to delete e-mails that could be significant to the public. Sue Wilson, president of the Sunshine Center at Elon University and the chief of the North Carolina and South Carolina Associated Press bureau, is among those crit ics. “I'm disappointed that they did not recommend policy changes that would have better protected e-mails from the kind of deleting that some in the administration * FREE Celebrity Meet & Greet * FREE Live Entertainment ■BLgpK * FREE APBA National Tour - f| Sea Doo Surf & Turf jet Ski Racing Championship * FREE Celebrity Entertainment W 8 ♦ FREE Sun Fun Gospel Fest! * FREE HUGE Kids Zone Area * FREE Hot Air Balloon Rides * FREE Boat Rides * FREE Parade of Cartoon Characters ummnmtuuMi For o Complete Listing of Events go to Smfmfasthnl.com Chr Daily Har Hrrl have told us has gone on rather routinely." Wilson said. “They're not their documents, they're our documents and whether they’re on e-mail or on paper they are documents that belong to the public." State Auditor Leslie Merritt wrote to Franklin Freeman, the chair of the panel, stating that e mails aren't just important for the general public. "They tend to confirm the occur rence of actual events and provide a unique window into the opera tion of state government," Merritt said in the letter. “E-mails serve as information in the audit trail," he added. The issue of saving e-mails has brought to light a fundamental di agreement about what constitutes a public record. Gov. Easley has said that docu ments without lasting administra tive value do not have to be saved. This argument has been chal lenged by 10 N.C. news organiza tions who filed a lawsuit in April, alleging that Gov. Easley has will fully violated public records law . Easley filed a motion on May 13 asking that the suit be thrown out because it fails to prove that the records exist, and that the demands of the suit are too far-reaching. This motion means the suit could ultimately end up in court. Contact the State a National Editor at stntdesk@ unc.edu.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
May 22, 2008, edition 1
6
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75