The challenge for journalists in finding new ways of reaching the young and other news and views for Thursday 21 August

• A sense of destiny inspires China’s maritime claims – “China’s creeping occupation of the South China Sea is not primarily motivated by oil, let alone by its diminishing stock of fish. It is about two things: strategic position, and what the nationalists running the country today view as its ‘manifest destiny’, to borrow a phrase from American history.The sense that China is entitled to possession of this sea lies deep in the nation’s history of viewing its neighbours, especially those untouched by Chinese culture, as inferiors.
• Teenagers and the news game – “Let’s not be too depressed about teenagers and news because they are getting plenty of it, just via different means than their parents. But the challenge for journalists is to find new ways of reaching them while building a reputation as trusted guides to what is happening in the world. And, as we know, ‘trust’ and ‘journalist’ is not an obvious piece of word association for many people these days.”
• I watched the media turn away from explaining the world - Anjan Sundaram, the author of String Stringer: A Reporter’s Journey in the Congo - “The western news media are in crisis and turning their backs on the world, but we hardly ever notice. Where correspondents were once assigned to a place for months or years, reporters now handle often 20 countries. Bureaux are in hub cities, far from many of the countries they cover. And journalists are often lodged in expensive houses or five-star hotels. As the news has receded, so have our minds.”

• Worse than the 1930s: Europe’s recession is really a depression - “Eurozone GDP still hasn’t gotten back to its 2007 level, and doesn’t look like it will anytime soon. Indeed, it already wasn’t clear if its last recession was even over before we found out the eurozone had stopped growing again in the second quarter. And not even Germany has been immune: its GDP just fell 0.2 percent from the previous quarter. It’s a policy-induced disaster. Too much fiscal austerity and too little monetary stimulus have crippled growth like almost never before.
• Would you pay more to live next to a park? – “Ministers look for ways to fund the upkeep of green spaces that benefit neighbourhoods. Analysis suggests a link between green space quality and house prices, aiding the case for a park tax.”
• The Advantages of Dyslexia – “With reading difficulties can come other cognitive strengths.”
• Europe’s Latest Grass-Roots Movement: Cannabis Social Clubs