Mapping the Media in the Americas - Breakthrough interactive and Web-based maps
Written by The Carter Center
07 February 2006
New Interactive and Hemispheric Democracy-Building Project Launches in Peru
LIMA, Peru....Breakthrough interactive and Web-based maps detailing media coverage during national elections will be unveiled Thursday Feb. 9, 2006, by The Carter Center, the University of Calgary, and the Canadian Foundation for the Americas (FOCAL). Developed using state-of-the-art Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, the maps are designed to increase transparency in campaign finance reform and democracy-building efforts by illustrating where media are located, how far they broadcast, who owns them, and what the demographic profile is of the electoral constituencies they reach.
Throughout the Western Hemisphere, media play an increasingly important role in transmitting information about elections and candidates. As machine politics have gone into decline, mass media have filled the role once played by door-to-door organizers in recruiting voters. Publicity is usually the most expensive single item in a campaign budget for a national office, giving advantage to well-financed candidates in establishing name recognition and communicating their programs; therefore, rising television advertising prices have jacked up campaign costs. The outcomes of electoral races may be altered by financial disparities, especially where media ownership is concentrated and owners offer price discounts to their preferred candidates. Yet there is comparatively little information about the media available to citizens; these new maps are another step to ensuring an informed electorate.
Experts from The Carter Center -- including Dr. Shelley McConnell, senior associate director of the Center's Americas Program -- and the University of Calgary will present the map as part of a day-long seminar event. Leading up to Peru’s national elections, these breakthrough interactive and Web-based maps will contribute to strengthening political processes. Peru is one of 12 countries being mapped with the new technology to provide visual context to the lines of influence the media has in shaping the campaign finance environment. The maps and their accompanying hotlinks to related reports and Web sites answer the question: “Which media reach out to which voters?” and enable citizens to better understand the impact of publicity on the vote, and therefore the influence of the money that bought that publicity.
The maps will be demonstrated live on the Internet (http://www.mediamap.info/) during the inaugural panel of the Mapping the Media in Peru: Implications for Peruvian society and Politics seminar, which will feature distinguished Peruvian government, civil society, academic and media representatives discussing the utility of the maps and the potential impact of the media on elections in Peru and throughout the Western Hemisphere. There will be opportunities for participants to experiment hands-on with the Web site during the event. Staff will be available to answer technical questions.
Agenda for this event will be posted in English and Spanish on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at www.cartercenter.org
A map of media in Guatemala will be launched April 5, 2006, and a map of Canada was made public on Jan. 17, 2006, and is currently available on the internet at www.mediamap.info.
The launch will be held at the Salon Ejecutivo I at the Sol de Oro Hotel, Calle San Martín 305 Miraflores, Lima-Perú. Please visit http://www.soldeoro.com.pe/ for directions
####
The Carter Center has observed 62 elections in 25 nations, helped farmers in 15 African countries double or triple crop yields, worked to control or eradicate diseases in Africa and Latin America, and strived to diminish the stigma against mental illnesses.
The Canadian Foundation for the Americas (FOCAL) is a think tank devoted to policy development on social, political and economic issues facing the Americas. Through research and dialogue with national and regional actors, FOCAL promotes greater Canadian engagement in the hemisphere and progress in development and governance in the region.
The Latin American Research Centre creates knowledge through disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary research that is disseminated to various user groups locally, nationally and internationally. This includes the development and operation of institutional academic programs, publications and publication series, public service activities, resource development, and cooperative research projects designed to serve the academic, business and government communities. The Centre is essential to the development and cultivation of world-class scholarship and critical thinking on issues of importance to Latin America and Canada’s role in the region.
GISuser Feature Articles
Top iPhone related GIS and Geo Tech news stories from 2009 - At the end of the year its always interesting for us to look at some of the stats and results to identify trends and more important, to see what our readers think is hot! In the "news" category it seems that iPhone related geo tech items were extremely popular.
10 Awesome GIS and Mapping apps for the iPhone - I recall last year at the ESRI UC when an iPhone was on stage showing a prototype app (think ArcPad on iPhone). It was then that I realized the iPhone platform is going to be BIG in mapping and there's a ton of opportunity for developers.
Nokia Booklet 3G, unboxing video and image gallery... Those of you in the USA who pop in to BestBuy occasionally, you may have seen a stand showing off the Nokia Booklet 3G. A sleek, 3G enabled, SIM slot (AT&T) sporting netbook.
Interesting Tweeple - 10 Geo Technology & Geo-Social Women of Twitter - given the growing love for geospatial and location-aware technologies, I’ve decided to hype 10 women that I feel make a significant contribution to the Geo-Twittersphere. If you’d like to add 10 knowledgeable and useful Twitter contacts to your Geo following list I highly suggest the following: (in no particular order)
10 Geo Social Location-Aware Apps Making Waves... With Twitter's opening of their location API to developers there's going to be a ton of third party apps that will enable Twitter users to share location-aware information via their Twitter accounts.
Signs that indicate you may be a GeoGeek (aka. GeoNerd) and some suggested Geo blogs - Chances are good that if you are a Geo Geek then you already know it and likely refer to yourself as one. However, there’s many of you out there that may be on the fence and wondering… “am I a Geo Geek?" Read on for a comprehensive list of signs you might be a GeoGeek followed up by some suggested Geoblog reading.
Real-time GPS Mapping and GIS Solution Aids Efficient Disaster Management - Saturday, February 7, 2009 will forever be known as Black Saturday in the State of Victoria, Australia. In the midst of a 10-year drought, a record breaking heat wave descended upon the state, with temperatures exceeding 45 degrees C (110-120 deg F), breaking all-time record highs in some cities - Victoria Police Use Trimble Juno SC Handhelds to Speed Assessment of Damage Caused by Bush Fires.
10 Ways Your Tech Business Can Take Advantage of Twitter - Many companies and individuals are still asking themselves how can I use Twitter in my business? The following is a small sampling of some of the ways that your technology business can use Twitter to your advantage.
2010 ESRI Federal User Conference February 17-19, 2010, Washington D.C. Walter E. Washington Convention Center - The FedUC is the largest geospatial conference for federal agencies. Connect with other leaders, decision makers, and GIS professionals.
The International LiDAR Mapping Forum 2010 - Tenth Anniversary Event! ILMF 2010 will be held from March 3 - 5, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency in Denver at Colorado Convention Center.
The NAVTEQ 2010 Global LBS Challenge Awards Ceremony will be held during Ignite at O'Reilly Where 2.0. Be among the first to hear as NAVTEQ announces the winners for the North America region. Participants will be competing for a global prize pool of $10 million and growing by showcasing pre-commercial location-enabled apps using NAVTEQ map data & products. March 30, 2010, during Ignite Where, 7:30pm - 9:00pm, at the Marriott San Jose, CA
WHERE2.0 2010 - Now in its sixth year, the Where 2.0 Conference is where the grassroots and leading edge developers building location-aware technology intersect with the businesses and entrepreneurs seeking out location apps, platforms, and hardware to gain a competitive edge. For 15% use Discount Code: whr10lbs
See more 
