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FAST FACTS
C&RL News, April 2007
Vol. 68, No. 4
Citizen journalism
A national survey of 5,384 adults found that 55 percent considered blogging to be an important aspect of American journalism for the future, while 74 percent said they believed amateur “citizen” reporters would play a key role. The survey reported that 81 percent of respondents said Web sites are an important news source, followed by television (78 percent), radio (73 percent), newspapers (69 percent), magazines (38 percent), and blogs (30 percent).
Institute for the Connected Society, “WE MEDIA –ZOGBY POLL: Most Americans say bloggers and citizen reporters will play a vital role in journalism’s future,” February 15, 2007. ifocos.org/2007/02/15/we-media-%e2%80%93zogby-poll-most-americans-say-bloggers-and-citizen-reporters-will-play-a-vital-role-in-journalisms-future/ , February 23, 2007
English language learners
In the 2003–04 school year, English language learner (ELL—students whose primary language is not English) services were provided to 3.8 million students (11 percent of all students) in public elementary and secondary schools. California and Texas had the largest reported number of students receiving ELL services. In California, 1.6 million students (26 percent of all students) received ELL services. In Texas, 0.7 million students (16 percent of all students) received ELL services.
L. Hoffman and J. Sable (2006), Public Elementary and Secondary Students, Staff, Schools, and School Districts: School Year 2003–04 (NCES 2006-307). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, D.C.: National Center for Education Statistics. nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006307< /A>, March 8, 2007
China and production
According to the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, as of last year, “China alone is manufacturing half the world’s computers, half the world’s clothes, and more than half the world’s digital electronics and this Christmas, more than 75 percent of children’s toys. Once responsible for just one eighth of the world’s growth, China and India will soon capture almost half.”
Gordon Brown, HM Treasury, “Pre-Budget Report statement to the House of Commons, delivered by the Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, “ December 6, 2006.
www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pre_budget_report/prebud_pbr06/prebud_pbr06_speech.cfm , March 9, 2007.
Information overload
According to a new report, the world generated an estimated 161 exabytes of digital information last year. An exabyte is equal to one billion gigabytes. The sources of data include photos, videos, e-mails, Web pages, instant messages, phone calls, and other digital content. The estimate is roughly equivalent to 3 million times the information in all the books ever published. The report estimates that by 2010, about 70 percent of the world’s digital data will be created by individuals. The report was assembled by the technology research firm IDC.
Brian Bergstein, “Tech Researchers Calculate Digital Info,” The Associated Press. March 6, 2007. hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/INFORMATION_EXPLOSION?ITE=WDUN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT, March 9, 2007
Gary Pattillo is reference librarian at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, e-mail: pattillo@refstaff.lib.unc.edu
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Fast Facts
