- Global Voices - https://globalvoices.org -

U.N. reform: when you talk, will they listen?

Categories: Development, Governance, Humanitarian Response, International Relations, Media & Journalism, Announcements

Newsmaker Tedturner [1]

When you talk, will this man listen? Let's find out on Tuesday. [1]


What is your opinion of the United Nations [2]? What kind of impact has it had on your country and people? How should it be reformed [3]? Who should lead it?

Global Voices is hoping to share your views in a conversation with the U.N.'s largest private donor [4], media mogul Ted Turner [5]- a.k.a. “The Mouth of the South [6].”

HOW TO JOIN US ONLINE: On Tuesday September 19th at 4pm New York time, 19:00 20:00 GMT (please note corrected time!), Ted Turner [7] will sit down with Reuters [8] journalist Paul Holmes and conduct a conversation which will be webcast live online around the world. Click here [1] to watch the webcast and read more about the event.

HOW TO SHARE YOUR QUESTIONS AND VIEWS: As you watch or listen, you can join the discussion by clicking here [9] and participating in a live online chat. I will be in the room, along with Caribbean editor Georgia Popplewell [10] Alice Backer [11], and Kamla Bhatt [12]. The four of us will be raising our hands aggressively to ask questions on your behalf.

HAVE MORE IMPACT BY BLOGGING: A great way to help influence the conversation is by blogging your views on the subject before the event even starts. Please tell us what questions Paul Holmes ought to be asking Ted Turner, and what you think the conversation should focus on. When you write your blog post, please be sure to tag it with “gv-un [13]” in Technorati [13] and/or del.icio.us [14]. Or share the link with us as trackback to this post, or paste it in the comments section of this post.

Here is the text of the Reuters blurb [15] announcing the event:

As the United Nations General Assembly convenes in New York this September, Reuters invites you to glean insight into the United Nations. This Reuters Newsmaker features A Conversation with Ted Turner. Nearly a decade ago, Turner pledged to donate $1 billion through the UN Foundation for United Nations programs over a ten-year period. As that anniversary approaches, Paul Holmes, Reuters Political and General News Editor, will sit down with Turner to discuss his investment, his views of the current state of the United Nations, and what’s next for the often controversial organization. The audience will participate in the conversation through an open microphone session followed by a reception.

Note that Turner has some fairly strong criticisms of big U.S. media [16]. He has said that if he was still running CNN, he would do some things differently [17] and focus more on international news.

Is the legendary “Mouth of the South” as good at listening to and conversing with people from around the world as he is at broadcasting his own views?? Let's put him to the test. It should be interesting. [1]