For the full report see here.

Once again the Washington Post deserves praise for having a story that looks at an international issue (poverty in Brazil) and what a LOCAL person has done about it. (Washington Post Magazine, 12/20/07, Page 5.)

This is a local business story, a “feel good” story and an international issue story.

No need for a foreign correspondent. No need to send anyone overseas. Just someone willing to see the international connection in a local business.

Two Business Women Uplift a Foreign Economy With Lingerie

Heidi Rauch has found a somewhat unusual approach to addressing the problem of global poverty — she’s started a lingerie company.

Heidi, 38, grew up in Buffalo, attended college and graduate school in the District and took a job with the Organization of American States in 1991, fighting drug abuse in poor neighborhoods in South America. One point kept hitting home, she says: “If you can create jobs, you can create a dent in the problem of poverty.”

For rest of story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/magazine/making-it/123007.html

Congratulations to the Washington Post for seeing that there are local connections to international events.

Karin Brulliard did a wonderful story on the LOCAL Pakistani reaction to the murder of Benazir Bhutto. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/27/AR2007122702152.html?hpid=topnews)

Now, if those who insist on constantly repeating “Local Only. Local Only” could just stop their chanting and look around, they might see the world is at their doorstep and needs reporting.

New technology has opened up many new avenues to counter repressive governments. With the growth in the use of mobile phones came more oppotunities for people to share information.

The Chinese govenrment is facing the problem of being forced to allow more mobile phones while trying to prevent what it calls “rumor mongering” and “information harmul to the state.”

Much of what the censors in Beijing are trying to do is the equivelent of trying to put toothpaste back into the tube.

Here is a link to a story about the latest attempt: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/12/24/china.text.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Oh, and let’s not forget that Beijing promised a more open media environment for the 2008 Olympics.

The South Asian Free Media Association held a conference on media freedom in Pakistan this past week. The US ambassador spoke at the event and stressed the need for free media. (http://www.dawn.com/2007/12/01/top16.htm)

Knowing the contempt most US diplomats hold for reproters, at least most seem to understand that democracy and free media go hand in hand.

A while back ABC joined NPR in expanding its international coverage. They are using new technology and smaller bureaus to get the story.

Here is an update on how well it is working from AJR. http://ajr.org/Article.asp?id=4443