{"id":8995,"date":"2014-03-18T10:14:38","date_gmt":"2014-03-18T14:14:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=8995"},"modified":"2014-03-18T10:16:33","modified_gmt":"2014-03-18T14:16:33","slug":"could-software-defined-radios-empower-citizen-journalists-in-north-korea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/03\/could-software-defined-radios-empower-citizen-journalists-in-north-korea\/","title":{"rendered":"Could software-defined radios empower citizen journalists in North Korea?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"USB<\/a>

USB SDRs like the RTL-SDR could inspire a generation of SDRs that not only receive, but transmit information across the North Korean border.<\/p><\/div>\n

I was recently interviewed and quoted in an article<\/a> by\u00a0Ole Jakob Sk\u00e5tun at NK News<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em>Sk\u00e5tun is exploring the possibility of using inexpensive SDR dongles<\/a>\"\"\u00a0as a means for citizen journalists to receive and potentially send<\/em> information across the North Korean border:<\/p>\n

(Source: NK News<\/a>)<\/p>\n

“While North Korea recently\u00a0ranked<\/a>\u00a0second-to-last on Reporters Without Borders\u2019 World Press Freedom Index, new ways of using digital radio broadcasting might prove a valuable tool for those who wish to increase information flows into and out of the country.<\/p>\n

So-called software-defined radio (SDR) technology, brought into the country on USB devices, could be used for receiving and, potentially, sending data \u2013 text, audio and video files \u2013 on radio band frequencies.<\/p>\n

SDR technology is a radio communications system where all components typically implemented via hardware for standard radios have been made into software. Loaded onto a flash drive-sized USB-dongle, they have the potential to turn any computer with a USB port into a receiver and transmitter.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Radio experts and NGO representatives said that something like this might have potential as a new way of bringing information into North Korea, and in certain cases provide a tool for citizen reporters working inside the country to bring information out.”<\/p>\n

[Continue reading…<\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Click here to read the full article, How digital radio could break North Korea\u2019s information blockade<\/em>\u00a0at NK News.<\/a><\/p>\n

(NK News <\/i>is\u00a0an independent, privately owned specialist site focused on North Korea.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was recently interviewed and quoted in an article by\u00a0Ole Jakob Sk\u00e5tun at NK News.\u00a0Sk\u00e5tun is exploring the possibility of using inexpensive SDR dongles\u00a0as a means for citizen journalists to receive and potentially send information across the North Korean border: (Source: NK News) “While North Korea recently\u00a0ranked\u00a0second-to-last on Reporters Without Borders\u2019 World Press Freedom Index, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,26,158],"tags":[1871,2662,2664,474,2663,2661,317],"class_list":["post-8995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-radios","category-software-defined-radio","tag-dprk","tag-mark-freeman","tag-nk-news","tag-north-korea","tag-ole-jakob-skatun","tag-sdr-dongles","tag-thomas-witherspoon"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-2l5","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12823,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/03\/roundup-of-software-defined-radios\/","url_meta":{"origin":8995,"position":0},"title":"Roundup of software defined radios","author":"Thomas","date":"March 25, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Many thanks to several readers (including Mike and Greg) who have shared a link to RTL-SDR.com's Roundup of Software Defined Receivers. The list gives an excellent, comprehensive overview of SDRs currently on the market. I encourage you to check it out. Indeed, while you're at RTL-SDR.com, take a look\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"RTL-SDR","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/RTL-SDR.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/RTL-SDR.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/RTL-SDR.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6842,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/07\/a-very-inexpensive-software-defined-radio-based-on-the-rtl2832u\/","url_meta":{"origin":8995,"position":1},"title":"A very inexpensive Software Defined Radio based on the RTL2832U","author":"Thomas","date":"July 5, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to Benn (AK4AV)\u00a0for passing along this article from the IEEE which describes how a $20 USB digital TV antenna tuner can be transformed into an impressive, flexible software defined radio: http:\/\/spectrum.ieee.org\/geek-life\/hands-on\/a-40-softwaredefined-radio The article incldes the following embedded video from the IEEE: Here is another informative video via YouTube:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "How To"","block_context":{"text":"How To","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/how-to\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"DE_DVB_T_1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/DE_DVB_T_1-300x228.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2924,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/03\/woodboxradio-will-be-shipping-the-new-elad-fdm-s1-sdr-this-month\/","url_meta":{"origin":8995,"position":2},"title":"WoodBoxRadio will start shipping the new ELAD FDM-S1 SDR this month","author":"Thomas","date":"March 9, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"According to WoodBoxRadio, the ELAD FDM-S1 software-defined radio will be shipping this month (March 2012). This is an intriguing SDR and boasts some pretty impressive features--download their spec sheet here. Can't wait to see how it compares to other popular SDRs. The FDM-S1 is available at a \"special\" price of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Manufacturers"","block_context":{"text":"Manufacturers","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/manufacturers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/ELAD-fdm-s1.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":44328,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/videos-rtl-sdr-youloop-combo-and-exploring-sdrs\/","url_meta":{"origin":8995,"position":3},"title":"Videos: RTL-SDR\/YouLoop combo and exploring SDRs","author":"Thomas","date":"July 14, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Rob, who writes: I recently made another video on the AirSpy YouLoop - this time paired in a configuration that shouldn't really work. I used it with an RTL-SDR v3 dongle in direct sampling mode, and signals still came in. This was somewhat of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/L59DDxpGRKA\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4015,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/07\/advances-in-software-defined-radios-could-will-change-our-wireless-world\/","url_meta":{"origin":8995,"position":4},"title":"Advances in Software Defined Radios could (will) change our wireless world","author":"Thomas","date":"July 31, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Note that I'm not speaking strictly of the HF spectrum here. But mark this:\u00a0 a radio revolution is, right now, in the making. ARS Technica just last week published an article entitled, \"How software-defined radio could revolutionize wireless\" in which the authors argue that software defined radios (SDRs) might not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/radiocommunicationsnetwork-300x227.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6861,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/07\/using-the-rtl2832u-20-sdr-for-hf-trunk-tracker-scanning\/","url_meta":{"origin":8995,"position":5},"title":"Using the RTL2832U $20 SDR for HF & trunk-tracker scanning?","author":"Thomas","date":"July 8, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"In response to our post on inexpensive SDRs based on the\u00a0RTL2832U, Jeff Benedict writes: Here's a website that has a lot of info on cheap SDR gear. \u00a0They have a write-up on an external board which adds HF capabilities. \u00a0I have one but haven't done anything with it yet. http:\/\/www.hamradioscience.com\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "How To"","block_context":{"text":"How To","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/how-to\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"DE_DVB_T_1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/DE_DVB_T_1-300x228.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8995","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8995"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8995\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8995"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8995"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8995"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}