Remember this was BG (before google!) and before email even. News came via GPO Poste Restante and the travellers grapevine. So that was the end of that idea. It’s actually the closest I’ve ever been to China which is still on my list on places to visit.

But a lot has changed since that fateful day in Tiananmen Square and yet much has remained the same. The Chinese authorities began their media clampdown many months ago by suspending YouTube and more recently by blocking Twitter (what a compliment!) and Bing (Crosby??). As well as the usual quiet word in the ear of any one thinking about protesting or even acknowledging the anniversary.

So fear still rules. But fear of what exactly? Many Chinese are pretty happy with the way their economy has grown and how the modern world has been welcomed in. Sure not everyone has benefitted but there is a certain pride within the nation that much has been accomplished in recent times. Times like this are a real test for an authoritarian society. Dissent cannot be tolerated at any level.

But truth is a slippery ball and when one looks across to Hong Kong, where over 100,00 people gathered to mark the occasion, one can see that the attempt to censor and punish any kind of inquiry or examination is really a waste of time. People know.

China is a unique country with a long history and strong culture. Change comes slowly but hopefully those in charge will come to see the futility of repressing protest completely and censoring mass media. One thing though is for sure:

Tank Man is an enduring image of the 20th Century and no amount of propaganda or control can ever change that.

The Kingdom is very sensitive to any mention of reform or greater freedom of expression. It has huge strategic importance in the Gulf area and has always been a major bulwark for the West against Iraq and Iran. At the same time its treatment of its own citizens has left a lot to be desired. In some ways its an example of the ultimate trade off between human rights and strategic concerns.

But the key issue here is one of freedom of speech. Many organizations have worked long and hard around the world to support people like Fouad who are imprisoned on no charge and on spurious grounds at best.

Amnesty is one and needs no introduction but Index on Censorship is another organization doing great work in preventing and informing us on cases of repression and curtailment of speech.

It’s a cause all bloggers should support.

What is the future for print? Murdoch seems to be thinking that at some point the major papers will shut down. I agree with this though the time frame in uncertain.

This article confirms that the squeeze is on(thanks Jason!) noting that the San Francisco Chronicle is taking a major bath and should be shut down. Much of this is driven by falling advertising revenue but i think there is something else at work here.

People are generally using the internet for news and general media information. Who wants the hassle of buying a paper of which you may only read 20% of the content.

Murdoch senses something more economic. The costs of running a print media are enormous and the savings he could make by putting the Wall Street Journal online could be hefty. No distribution or printing costs. Imagine all the trees that could be saved

But think out further. Why do we read a newspaper? to get news, find out stuff, see what’s on etc.

Do we read it for editorial? Not anymore. Who cares what some editor thinks when there’s a million blogs all talking about the same thing. The blogosphere may be a holy mess but over time it will sort itself out into various structures and frameworks. Over at VortexDNA we have MyBlogDNA which will be rolling out soon where you can match your blog to others who share your DNA.

We are all editors now!

But imagine if you had the ability to create your own “paper” drawing from the net stories that you were interested in and were relevant to you. So order your subjects and away you go.

But you still want to hold something to read. Ok just print it off at home. With the printer technology we have now and no doubt coming soon, home printers will be able to handle a myriad of tasks. Have your own paper delivered and printed at home.

Now that will save a lot of money and energy too. No more wasted papers, sections of papers or rubbish i don’t want to read about.

Relevant advertising can come with it or without it.

Could this extend to magazines as well? Glossy Vogues printed out at home? Maybe that is a stretch too far but who knows?

What is for sure is that Murdoch seems to be ahead of the game here as he was with MySpace. I wonder how far ahead he has really thought.

Thoughts anyone?