Syria’s Other Army Attacks the Media

A group of hackers who support President Bashar al-Assad are targeting new sources such as the New York Times website; a Russian artist’s painting of Vladimir Putin in a negligee has been confiscated by authorities; meanwhile, words such as “twerk” and “unlike” have made it into the Oxford English Dictionary. These discoveries and more below.

On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that have found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.

Detention of Canadian Academics in Egypt Spurs International Concern The arrest and continuing detention of two Canadian professors in Egypt has generated an outcry from universities and scholars, as unrest in Cairo contributes to worries about their fate.

Syria’s Other Army: How the Hackers Wage War At 5:41 P.M. on Tuesday, a tweet from the account of the hacker collective known as the Syrian Electronic Army, which supports the regime of Syria’s President, Bashar al-Assad, said, “Media is going down…” It had been a couple of hours since the Web site of the Times had gone offline for the second time this month.

Social Scientists Seek New Ways to Influence Public Policy As conflicts in Rwanda, Bosnia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have brought public attention to the problem of mass rapes, Dara Kay Cohen has fielded calls from the news media, advocacy groups, and think tanks about the policy implications of her research.

Painting of Putin in a Negligee Seized by Russian Police; Artist Flees the Country Vladimir Putin doesn’t mind posing for shirtless photos — but paint the Russian president in drag, and you’ve apparently gone too far.

In Search of the Real Thing It seems that we recognise talent far more easily when it’s accompanied by success.

What the Sharing Economy Needs Is a Little Less Democracy Digital utopianism runs through Silicon Valley like water down the Mississippi.

Why You Should Care About the Massive Fast Food Strike The fast food strike wave that hit seven cities last month is going nationwide today as workers in more than 50 cities—and hundreds of chain restaurant locations—walk out to protest low wages.

You Need Songza in Your Life There was a time in my life when I spent hours listening to the music streaming service Pandora.

How to Fit Every New Word in the Oxford Dictionary Into 1 Article The Oxford Dictionary Online announced the addition of 44 (often absurd) new words today. Here they all are. Apols to the future of language.