The Browser has a great interview with Francis Fukayama on his five favorite financial-crisis books. Here he is on whether companies like Goldman Sachs were really capable of committing systematic fraud: It depends what you mean by systematic. Lloyd Blankfein doesn’t get up in the morning and say, “OK. How are we going to defraud people today?” but I...
Journalism
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Most Topular Stories
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Audit Notes: Fukayama on the Crisis, WSJ on Exec Pay, Nonprofit News
CJR27 Jan 2012 | 5:14 pm -
The evolution of the mobile app: Southwest adds important new features to its iPhone app
Talking New Media27 Jan 2012 | 8:34 amSometimes one forgets that third party mobile apps basically didn't exist on any mass scale until Apple opened up the iPhone to apps in 2008, one year after the phone's introduction. Until then, the only way new apps appeared on your iPhone was when Apple issued an OS update and included something new. Some of the most useful apps created are the ones we don't use every day, apps for travel, for instance. All the big airlines have had their own branded apps for a while now. This morning, for instance, I downloaded the iPhone app from Aegean Airlines, it will come in handy this summer (don't… -
Efficiency over growth (and jobs)
BuzzMachine26 Jan 2012 | 2:29 amThe hook to every song sung at Davos is “jobs, jobs, jobs.” The chorus of machers on stages here operate under an article of faith that growth can come back, that they can stimulate it, that that will create jobs, and then that all will be eventually well. What if that’s not the case? I am coming to believe, more and more, that technology is leading to efficiency over growth. I’ve written about that here.This notion is obviously true in some sectors of society: see news and media, retail, travel sales, and other arenas. But how many more sectors will this rule strike:… -
Fox Breathlessly Attempts To Smear Obama As Anti-Catholic
Media Matters for America - Latest Items27 Jan 2012 | 1:33 pmFox figures have suggested that President Obama is anti-Catholic or anti-religion following the administration's recent decision requiring church-affiliated organizations to provide health insurance plans that cover contraceptives for women. But polling has shown that a majority of Catholics have said that insurance policies should cover contraceptives; moreover, the Obama administration has repeatedly engaged the faith-based community -- including Catholic leaders -- and has directed millions in funding to religious groups. This follow's Fox's long history of portraying Obama as… -
Pioneer Press Treasure Hunt Clue No. 7, scrambled
Journalism News latest RSS headlines - Big News Network.com28 Jan 2012 | 2:27 am< 200){ requestedWidth = 200; } Welcome to the Pioneer Press Treasure Hunt, the night of Clue No. 7. This year, the Pioneer Press Treasure Hunt is offering a sneak peak each night at 10:30 ...
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CJR
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Audit Notes: Fukayama on the Crisis, WSJ on Exec Pay, Nonprofit News
27 Jan 2012 | 5:14 pmThe Browser has a great interview with Francis Fukayama on his five favorite financial-crisis books. Here he is on whether companies like Goldman Sachs were really capable of committing systematic fraud: It depends what you mean by systematic. Lloyd Blankfein doesn’t get up in the morning and say, “OK. How are we going to defraud people today?” but I... -
Evangelicals, Mormons, and Mitt Romney
27 Jan 2012 | 5:06 pmThe New York Times runs an op-ed headlined "Why Evangelicals Don't Like Mormons," which takes on an important issue but glosses over the critical role fundamentalism plays in the phenomenon. David S. Reynolds is writing about the political woes of Mitt Romney in evangelical-heavy primaries in Iowa and South Carolina and trying to explain how evangelicals think in that... -
The Presidential Energy Narrative
27 Jan 2012 | 4:30 pmIn the last week, President Obama has rejected the Keystone XL pipeline, focused his first campaign ad on clean energy, visited the Environmental Protection Agency for the first time, devoted seven minutes to energy in his State of the Union speech, and touted fossil fuels and renewables out west. It was an environmentally charged stretch for a president setting... -
RIP: Jonathan “Jack” Idema, Media Con Man
27 Jan 2012 | 3:32 pmIn April 2004, a former U.S. Special Forces soldier named Jonathan Keith Idema started shopping a sizzling story to the media. He claimed terrorists in Afghanistan planned to use bomb-laden taxicabs to kill key U.S. and Afghan officials, and that he himself intended to thwart the attack. Shortly thereafter, he headed to Afghanistan, where he spent the next two months... -
For Obama's Vegas Visit, Competing Press Angles
27 Jan 2012 | 2:26 pmThis post has been updated since it was first published to include discussion of the first Review-Journal story. NEVADA — President Obama came to Las Vegas Thursday to promote his energy agenda in a state with a wealth of alternative energy sources—solar, wind, and geothermal. And befitting a presidential visit, especially one just nine months before a general election, the...
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Talking New Media
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The evolution of the mobile app: Southwest adds important new features to its iPhone app
27 Jan 2012 | 8:34 amSometimes one forgets that third party mobile apps basically didn't exist on any mass scale until Apple opened up the iPhone to apps in 2008, one year after the phone's introduction. Until then, the only way new apps appeared on your iPhone was when Apple issued an OS update and included something new. Some of the most useful apps created are the ones we don't use every day, apps for travel, for instance. All the big airlines have had their own branded apps for a while now. This morning, for instance, I downloaded the iPhone app from Aegean Airlines, it will come in handy this summer (don't… -
Time Inc. accomplishes goal of creating tablet editions for all 21 U.S. titles; using Woodwing as partner
26 Jan 2012 | 11:01 amAlthough they have no new app to promote, Woodwing passed along a press release reminding everyone that Time Inc. has fulfilled its promise to bring all 21 of its U.S. titles to the iPad (as well as Android, Kindle, etc.). I think it is certainly worth taking note of the accomplishment. All the apps have been in the Apple App Store for awhile now, with FORTUNE Magazine's app being the latest to get an update (very minor). “With the availability of our entire portfolio of U.S. titles, we put ourselves in a great position to take advantage of these opportunities," said Mitch Klaif, CIO of… -
Baltimore Magazine gets updated tablet edition, but no icon; app requires that the reader register to subscribe
26 Jan 2012 | 8:34 amOne wonders how some apps make it through Apple's approval process. While apps have been unfairly rejected, others get in without app icons, and with a subscription process that stretches the App Store rules. Baltimore Magazine, published by Rosebud Entertainment, has had their iPad updated this morning. You can find it pretty easily in the App Store, it is the app without an icon. The app is listed under Thumb Media Group, a company currently owned by National Publisher Services, Inc. and Fry Communications, Inc., and not the publisher. This is probably just as well as I wouldn't want my… -
Forecasting the growth of digital: declines in print won't adversely effect every publisher, but it will kill off some
25 Jan 2012 | 10:00 amFor many publishing company the migration of ad dollars to digital continues to make their executives lose sleep – even the ones that are still doing relatively well. The reason for this is that the conversation at many industry conferences is about general trends. And the general trend shows that print is in decline, while digital continues to grow. But the problem with general trends is that, well, they are rather general. I see two problems with current analysis being done in this area: 1) the assumption is that a decline in print will effect all publishers equally, and 2) that "digital"… -
Apple total sales for the iPad reaches 55 million
25 Jan 2012 | 8:15 amOne of the questions I am asked most often by publishers and other media executives is what is the total number of iPads in the market – many in Europe want to know what the penetration of the iPad is in their country, a much harder question to answer. Well, for those keeping score, Apple has now reached the 55 million mark. Apple began selling (or more accurately, shipping the iPad since they accept pre-orders) in April of 2010. April represents the first month of Apple's third quarter. Apple managed to sell 3.2 million iPads that first quarter, a number that shocked a lot of people. But…
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BuzzMachine
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Efficiency over growth (and jobs)
26 Jan 2012 | 2:29 amThe hook to every song sung at Davos is “jobs, jobs, jobs.” The chorus of machers on stages here operate under an article of faith that growth can come back, that they can stimulate it, that that will create jobs, and then that all will be eventually well. What if that’s not the case? I am coming to believe, more and more, that technology is leading to efficiency over growth. I’ve written about that here.This notion is obviously true in some sectors of society: see news and media, retail, travel sales, and other arenas. But how many more sectors will this rule strike:… -
Davos, disrupted
25 Jan 2012 | 1:53 amI’m among the disrupted of Davos. Outside, there’s an #OccupyDavos encampment in igloos (really). Down the road, someone will be giving out an award to the worst company of the world. But the disruption is no longer outside. That’s what I sensed in past years; that’s what they wanted to believe here. Now the disruption is inside. Every institution is challenged. Every. The World Economic Forum issued a list of global risks (though Google’s Eric Schmidt countered on his Google+ page that he’s optimistic; that’s because he’s a disruptor). -
Public Parts on Reding’s four pillars
23 Jan 2012 | 4:34 pmSince European Commission VP Viviane Reding’s proposal for internet regulation — under her four pillars — are the topic of discussion this week at DLD in Munich and in Europe, here is what I wrote about them in Public Parts: I fear the unintended consequences that may come from regulation. Take, for example, European Union Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding’s four pillars of data protection, which she proposed in 2011. I have no argument with one of them: transparency. Companies that collect data should be open about when that is done and how information will be used. -
#DLD12: Viviane Reding on privacy
22 Jan 2012 | 7:00 amI’m at the DLD conference in Munich. Haven’t live-blogged in ages. But the European Commission vice-president Viviane Reding is speaking and I disagreed with her rather a lot in Public Parts, arguing that her four pillars for internet governance — privacy by default, demanding European standards for storage of data, the right to be forgotten, and transparency — bring unintended consequences. Reding says that in “Europe, we have too many rules, too many conflicting rules.” So she wants to take over the rules for all Europe. Look at SOPA, too: There is a… -
Where Gutenberg worked
21 Jan 2012 | 10:08 amI took a detour on a trip to Europe so I could visit Mainz and the Gutenberg Museum, having become obsessed with the great man and his magnificent disruption as both an inventor and an entrepreneur. It was awe-inspiring to stand before the first known page of his printing (a snippet from the Sibylline prophesy, found in the binding of another book). It’s not beautiful; betas rarely are. But next to it is the culmination of Gutenberg’s art in three of his his Bibles, his masterpieces. Another case captured my imagination. In it were the indulgences the Catholic Church could make…
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Media Matters for America - Latest Items
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Fox Breathlessly Attempts To Smear Obama As Anti-Catholic
27 Jan 2012 | 1:33 pmFox figures have suggested that President Obama is anti-Catholic or anti-religion following the administration's recent decision requiring church-affiliated organizations to provide health insurance plans that cover contraceptives for women. But polling has shown that a majority of Catholics have said that insurance policies should cover contraceptives; moreover, the Obama administration has repeatedly engaged the faith-based community -- including Catholic leaders -- and has directed millions in funding to religious groups. This follow's Fox's long history of portraying Obama as… -
Conservative Media Recklessly Distort Volt Safety
27 Jan 2012 | 1:28 pmConservative media have misrepresented the results of Chevy Volt crash tests, claiming the batteries "blow up" and are a "fire trap," and suggesting that fires have occurred spontaneously during use. In fact, fires only occurred after crash tests and regulators concluded an inquiry after finding that Volts are just as safe as conventional cars. Regulators Concluded Inquiry After Finding Volts Are Just As Safe As Conventional Cars Battery Fire Happened Weeks After Pole Crash Test And Rollover Test. From the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's description of the test: During an… -
Fox's Hayes Contradicts Reality To Claim Severity Of Recession Was Fully Understood In '09
26 Jan 2012 | 3:16 pmFox News contributor Stephen Hayes claimed that it's "nonsense" for the Obama administration to argue that it "didn't really appreciate the depths of the problems the country faced when we came into office." In fact, measures of the recession in 2009 understated its depth, and subsequent revisions of economic data have shown that the downturn was indeed worse than it appeared at the time.Hayes Says Argument That The Recession Was Worse Than It Appeared Is "Nonsense," "Revisionist History" Hayes On Administration Claims: "There's Some Revisionist History Going On." From Fox News' America Live:… -
Media Myth That Cutting Taxes Boosts Revenue Revived For 2012
26 Jan 2012 | 12:21 pmCBS treated claims from Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney that the tax cuts they have proposed would increase federal tax revenue as an open question. In fact, the myth that tax cuts increase revenues has been flatly rejected by economists across the ideological spectrum, including Romney adviser and former George W. Bush chief economist Gregory Mankiw and several others who served in the Bush administration.CBS Presents Question Of Tax Cuts Increasing Revenue As He Said/She Said CBS Airs Gingrich Claim That By Lowering Taxes His Plan Will Increase Tax Revenues. From the January 25 edition of CBS… -
Daily Caller Now Publishing Anti-Islam Writer Who Pushed Obama-Is-Muslim Conspiracy
26 Jan 2012 | 9:28 amThe Daily Caller's Guns and Gear section recently featured two op-eds authored by retired Major General Jerry Curry. In previous statements Curry has raised questions about President Obama secretly being a Muslim, demanded that Obama release his long-form birth certificate or resign, and derided Muslims as inherently violent.Daily Caller's Guns and Gear Section Ran Two Curry Op-Eds The Daily Caller's Guns and Gear Section Published Curry's "Who Will Meet The Challenge Of World Leadership?" Op-Ed. In his January 9 piece, Curry criticized Obama's defense policy: Is now really the right time to…
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Journalism News latest RSS headlines - Big News Network.com
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Pioneer Press Treasure Hunt Clue No. 7, scrambled
28 Jan 2012 | 2:27 am< 200){ requestedWidth = 200; } Welcome to the Pioneer Press Treasure Hunt, the night of Clue No. 7. This year, the Pioneer Press Treasure Hunt is offering a sneak peak each night at 10:30 ... -
Printing press fire delays Sun deliveries
28 Jan 2012 | 12:03 amMETRO VANCOUVER - A fire at The Vancouver Sun's printing press Thursday night sent five workers to hospital and delayed the delivery of Friday's paper.The fire erupted at around 11:30 p.m. ... -
De La Rue to press on with cutbacks
27 Jan 2012 | 8:35 pmIt said its currency division has made "good progress" since its interim results on 24 September while order intake and enquiries were "good and consistent". De La Rue, which ... -
Lenders press Greece on reforms before aid flows
27 Jan 2012 | 8:35 pmA recent document shows that the International Monetary Fund and the EU are telling the debt-laden Greece to implement further budget cuts before it receives more loans. Defense and health sectors ... -
Venezuela - Journalist briefly detained after covering oil spill
27 Jan 2012 | 8:33 pmEspaol (IPYS-Venezuela/IFEX) - On Thursday 19 January 2012, journalist Giselle Almarza, of the Globovisin private TV station, was briefly detained and questioned after having covered an oil spill ...
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Open
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26 Jan 2012 | 10:46 am
26 Jan 2012 | 10:46 amCameron Brown, Carnegie-Mellon '95, and e-commerce director at The New York Times, shares insights into news and technology with his alma mater. -
Introducing ICE: Writing for the Web First
23 Jan 2012 | 2:26 pmICE is a customizable JavaScript library that will allow you to track changes in any element that is contenteditable, or in a TinyMCE or Wordpress text editor. At this early stage, ICE has some limitations, but we think it is a very useful tool and hope that others will help us expand the project. Patches and forks are welcome at our repository, https://github.com/NYTimes/ice/. An ICE demo is at http://nytimes.github.com/ice/demo/. -
NYT Districts API helps Fractured Atlas help artists
9 Jan 2012 | 2:10 pmThe arts, and the benefits to the public they provide, sometimes gets lost, barely noticed by government. Fractured Atlas, a New York City-based multi-disciplinary arts service organization, is finding that by creating information and data services for its members and for city arts communities, it can also provide more effective advocacy for the arts to government. Fractured Atlas uses the New York Times' District API to create and run these services and to link them to its arts advocacy mission. -
Two New Client Libraries: Times Wire and Campaign Cash
22 Dec 2011 | 11:08 amAnnouncing two new Ruby clients for New York Times APIs: Times Wire and Campaign Cash. -
New in the Campaign Finance API: Independent Expenditures
21 Dec 2011 | 10:05 amThe Campaign Finance API now supports independent expenditure data.
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The Linchpen
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Quantifying impact: A better metric for measuring journalism
14 Jan 2012 | 2:24 pmBefore Isaac Newton, words like mass and force were general descriptors, as James Gleick writes in The Information: “the new discipline of physics could not proceed until Isaac Newton appropriated words that were ancient and vague—force, mass, motion, and even time—and gave them new meanings. Newton made these terms into quantities, suitable for use in mathematical formulas.” The term information was similarly amorphous until Claude Shannon, while working at Bell Labs, quantified the concept in bits. The journalism goals and business goals for news organizations are out of… -
Highlights from #asne news hacker (a.k.a. programmer-journalist) Twitter chat
1 Nov 2011 | 2:43 pmI did a quick round-up of today’s #asnechat on news hackers. Enjoy! Update: ASNE also Storified the chat. [<a href="http://storify.com/greglinch/news-hacker-asnechat" target="_blank">View the story "News hacker #asnechat" on Storify</a>] -
Steve Jobs’ legacy and a lesson
5 Oct 2011 | 10:38 pmA few minutes ago — a few hours after news of Steve Jobs’s death became public — I tweeted the following: Steve Jobs' greatest legacy is not the products he created, but what they enabled and who they inspired.October 5, 2011 10:02 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite@greglinchGreg Linch That tweet, in plain text: Steve Jobs’ greatest legacy is not the products he created, but what they enabled and who they inspired. Soon after tweeting that, I thought of a lesson for journalism: we shouldn’t focus so much on what we do as much as what we enable, who we impact and… -
ONA11: Evening events during the conference
21 Sep 2011 | 3:36 pmHey, everyone! I’m here in Boston through Sunday for this year’s Online News Association conference. I’ve compiled a list of evening events for networking, socializing, etc.: Wednesday ONA Boston mixer Thursday AAJA tweetup (waitlist) Nieman Lab happy hour ONA official opening night reception Friday SND@ONA meetup Social Journalism/#wjchat meetup Karaoke (disclosure: I’m organizing) Saturday I haven’t heard of anything planned yet for after the OJA banquet, but people always go out after Anything I missed? Let me know in the comments! -
Rushkoff challenges Gleick’s idea
12 Sep 2011 | 12:05 amBrowsing my Google Reader on Sunday, I found a Q&A on Wired with Douglas Rushkoff discussing Program or be Programmed, a book I’d recommend to everyone. Now before you leave because you don’t care about programming (you should care) or you think this will be too technical (it’s not), I need to clarify that the book is not so much about computer programming as it is about the more general concept of programming, plus understanding the biases of digital technology. As Rushkoff says, you either use the software or you are the software; you’re either the passenger or…
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Blogslot
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Penney want a cracker?
26 Jan 2012 | 8:18 amYou may have heard that J.C. Penney is permanently cutting its prices. Well, no, it isn’t. I didn’t go to business school, but I think it’s safe to say that selling your fine Stafford Signature no-iron shirts at 2012 prices is a piss-poor strategy for 2015 and 2020 and 2050. I doubt that’s what the current executives have in mind, and even if they did, I really doubt the current executives are immortal. Not that the company will necessarily outlast them, especially if I’m somehow wrong about all this. (Note to self: Invent time machine and stock up on 20-cent shirts, just in… -
Or Perhaps Some Counterprogramming
23 Jan 2012 | 12:32 pmNot interested in the big game? Tired of the Puppy Bowl? Tune to Travel Channel at 6 p.m. Feb. 5 for SUPERB OWL SUNDAY.* Join who else but Andrew Zimmern for a tour of some places where the bird is as delicious as it is wise. Brought to you with limited commercial interruption by Tootsie Pops.** *Not really. **Not really. -
Introducing My New Sports Bar
23 Jan 2012 | 8:32 amTo put it another way: Super Bowl. Two words. -
No Problem. I'm Fine.
10 Jan 2012 | 10:30 amI had to laugh when I saw the comments on a nice DailyWritingTips review of "Garner's Modern American Usage" quickly devolve into a discussion of the plague of "No problem" as a substitute for "You're welcome" in response to "Thank you." Now, I'll continue to make a prescriptivist spectacle of myself and argue that caring less and not caring less are two different things, and that literally doesn't mean "not literally." I'll roll my eyes at the new vowel shift, which has today's youth sitting at their dusks to take their tusts (and hoping to do well to please Mom and Dodd). I'll refuse to… -
'Times' That Try Men's Souls
28 Dec 2011 | 9:27 amIf I start with $100 and end up with $250, did that money grow 2 1/2 times? A reporter and I are having a good-natured disagreement: He says yes, and I say no. The increase in question (I've simplified it for this example) was 150 percent. There's no arguing that; it's just math. To me, that translates to growing 1 1/2 times. The reporter points out that growing 1 1/2 times sounds far less impressive than doubling-and-getting-halfway-to-tripling. At first glance, it sounds like a mere 50 percent increase. I see his point, and besides that, nobody would ever say…
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MediaShift
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Poll: What Do You Think About Apple's Success?
27 Jan 2012 | 1:10 pmThe numbers are staggering. Apple Inc. is now the most valuable company in the U.S. The company made more than $13 billion in profit last quarter, more than Google made in revenues. According to TUAW, the iPhone by itself, in three months, brought in more revenue than McDonald's made in all of 2010. So how does all that make you feel? Are you excited for Apple's success? Envious? Or are you horrified at the working conditions in Chinese factories that make iPhones and iPads? Or do you simply hate Apple products? Share your thoughts pro and con Apple in the comments below, and vote in our… -
Daily Must Reads, Jan. 27, 2012
27 Jan 2012 | 11:08 amhe best stories across the web on media and technology, curated by Lily Leung 1. Twitter to block tweets on case-by-case basis (CNET) 2. Twitter faces censorship backlash (paidContent) 3. Google spent almost $2 billion on acquisitions in 2011 (TechCrunch) 4. Facebook hires Bloomberg journalist to be managing editor (BusinessInsider) 5. Lee Enterprises leader named new AP board chairwoman (AP) 6. Will a streaming audiobooks service work? (paidContent) 7. Another meme spinoff: Ad Tech Ryan Gosling (Digiday) Subscribe to our daily Must Reads email newsletter and get the links… -
Mediatwits #35: Apple's Boffo Earnings; Get More Clicks Per Tweet; NYC vs. Silicon Valley
27 Jan 2012 | 8:00 amWelcome to the 35th episode of "The Mediatwits," the weekly audio podcast from MediaShift. The co-hosts are MediaShift's Mark Glaser and Dorian Benkoil, who is filling in for Rafat Ali. Once again, Apple dominates the headlines, this time for quarterly earnings that blew away Wall Street -- and everyone else. The company made $13.1 billion in profits in the quarter, more than Google made in revenues that same quarter. Apple was driven by the popular iPhone 4S as well as the iPad, and seemed it could do no wrong. But at the same time, the tech juggernaut found itself the subject of a series in… -
E-books and Self-Publishing Roundup, Jan. 26, 2012
26 Jan 2012 | 11:05 amThe best stories of the week from across the web on e-books and self publishing 1. NBC News enters e-book business (Deadline New York) 2. How iBooks Author compares to the competition (Mashable) 3. Amazon: Early data shows Kindle Owners' Lending Library increases sales (paidContent) 4. Is Apple's iBooks Author the right e-book creation tool for journalists? (Online Journalism Review) 5. Should we differentiate between e-books and books? (eBookNewser) 6. How Graphicly will help self-published digital comic books (VentureBeat) Sign up for our weekly E-Books and Self-Publishing newsletter This… -
Daily Must Reads, Jan. 26, 2012
26 Jan 2012 | 9:26 amThe best stories across the web on media and technology, curated by Lily Leung 1. Facebook: Average journalist has seen 320% uptick in subscribers since fall (10,000 Words) 2. New York Times disputes claim that Daily Mail is largest newspaper in the world (BuzzFeed) 3. Netflix: We do not want to facilitate cord cutting (AdAge) 4. BuzzFeed's future looks like a newsier Facebook news feed (Atlantic Wire) 5. How CNN's iReport vets citizen content (Poynter) 6. Ad QR codes proliferate in magazines (Online Media News) 7. How to win a Facebook audience: Be topical, ask questions and tell jokes…
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contentious.com
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Associated Press opens North Korea news bureau, they’ll fit right in!
19 Jan 2012 | 11:13 amNo, really: Associated Press opens news bureau in North Korea | World news | guardian.co.uk. …As if the news business wasn’t already Kafkaesque. Well, AP is an appropriate choice for this. Having done some critical coverage of several boneheaded AP strategies in digital media over the last few years, I think they see eye to eye with NK regarding the dangers of criticism, and how to respond to it. I’m not kidding: See the response from Paul Colford, AP’s director of media relations, to a 2010 KDMC story I wrote about the controversial AP News Registry program -
Adapt or your business model will die!
15 Jan 2012 | 1:51 pmI’ve long been frustrated with how stuck-in-the-mud much of the news industry and many journalists regarding their own business models or career path. Seems to me, the key skill to survive and thrive in chaotic, disruptive times is adaptability. Here’s a great example of adaptability: How the much reviled flavor-of-the-month web startup Chatroulette has found a way to make money off its inevitable tide of exhibitionists: Fast Company: Chatroulette Founder Andrey Ternovskiy Raises New Funding: “50,000 Naked Men” “Chatroulette can’t fully wean itself off… -
Input needed: HOW could a news site be a truth vigilante?
13 Jan 2012 | 5:32 pmI’ve been following, with interest, the recent flap sparked by this Jan. 12 column by New York Times public editor (ombudsman), Arthur Brisbane: Should The Times Be a Truth Vigilante? Brisbane asked NYT readers: “I’m looking for reader input on whether and when New York Times news reporters should challenge ‘facts’ that are asserted by newsmakers they write about.” This led to consternation from many Times readers, who believed this kind of revelation is part of the basic job of any news organization. GigaOm’s Mathew Ingram offered a good roundup of… -
The power of parody: Fotoshop by Adobé
11 Jan 2012 | 10:57 amThere are few things I love more than a brilliant parody. This spoof commercial, by commercial director Jesse Rosten, shows exactly why plastering media with unachievable ideals of feminine beauty hurt women. Which sounds like a really heavy point to make. But this is fun. That’s the art of really making a point. Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo. -
Doing my part to undermine Rick Santorum. You can too!
6 Jan 2012 | 11:23 amSantorum Google screenshot When you Google for "Santorum," this is the top search result. (Click to enlarge - but only if you're not too squeamish.) You can help keep this brilliant effort working. It’s time to use my power for good. Yesterday NPR reported on how the batshit crazy social conservative former US senator Rick Santorum is pulling ahead in Republican polls for the presidential race. Santorum has always annoyed and amused me. But with this, he’s officially scaring me. Today, Marketplace Tech Report reminded me about Rick Santorum’s Google problem…
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Newspaper Death Watch
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eMarketer: Online Ad Spend To Pass Print in 2012
19 Jan 2012 | 12:59 pmthis release is republished verbatim from eMarketer. More here. US online advertising spending, which grew 23% to $32.03 billion in 2011, is expected to grow an additional 23.3% to $39.5 billion this year-pushing it ahead of total spending on print newspapers and magazines, according to eMarketer. Print advertising spending is expected to fall to $33.8 billion in 2012 from $36 billion in 2011. Online Growing Even Faster Than Expected: eMarketer’s previous US online advertising forecast from July 2011 was among the more bullish estimates issued during the year-forecasting 20.2% growth to… -
Fewer Daily Newspapers Deliver Daily
12 Jan 2012 | 8:40 amTwo-thirds of Michigan households will be unable to get daily newspaper delivery after the end of this month, notes Alan Mutter in his column in Editor & Publisher. Michigan is only the most dramatic example of a quiet yet dramatic change that is sweeping the U.S. newspaper industry as publishers make the most painful cut of all and trim distribution schedules. The most visible manifestation of this trend is the experiment in Detroit in which the two major dailies, which operate as a partnership, cut home delivery to three days per week in early 2009. Mutter notes that the daily… -
Patch Business Model Flounders
5 Jan 2012 | 10:25 amWe’ve posted several positive items about the local Patch operation in our community, a one-person news bureau that has become our favorite – and most timely – source of information about local events. So we feel it’s also important to share the news that AOL’s Patch operation, a constellation of more than 800 hyperlocal news sites, looks like a train wreck. Business Inside says Patch has generated only about $8 million in revenue in 2011 on an investment of more than $160 million. InvestorPlace says revenues were closer to $20 million, but that Patch still… -
Can 1,400 Dailies Die in 5 Years? Yes
20 Dec 2011 | 12:11 pmThe Annenberg School at the University of Southern California created a stir last week with its prediction that only four US daily newspapers will still be in print in five years. “We believe that the only print newspapers that will survive will be at the extremes of the medium – the largest and the smallest,” said Jeffery I. Cole, the school’s director of the Center for the Digital Future. “It’s likely that only four major daily newspapers will continue in print form: The New York Times, USA Today, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal. At the other extreme, local… -
Do Bloggers – Even Crazy Ones – Deserve First Amendment Protection?
14 Dec 2011 | 8:26 amThe federal judge has ruled that a woman who describes herself as an “investigative blogger” is not entitled to First Amendment protection for allegedly defamatory statements she made about an Oregon attorney. Crystal Cox (right), a real estate agent and blogger from Eureka, Mont., set up a network of websites, including this one, that criticize the conduct of attorney Kevin Padrick in his role as trustee of the failed financial firm called Summit Accommodators, which collapsed in 2008 amid charges of fraud. Among Cox’ accusations is that Padrick hired a hitman to kill…
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Everyone's Blog Posts - Wired Journalists
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African Journalists awaken of Climate change
25 Jan 2012 | 6:16 amClimate change is one of the most important issues on the global political and economic agenda, African citizens are slightest responsible for climate change and will be among the most affected because of they are poorly informed about the issue. Africafaces many challenges which are currently unresolved such as climate change, poverty, droughts and the lack of peace in a few countries. In addition,Africais still suffering from the side effects of the above dilemmas and needs desperately to move on – but her weak activities attract the attention of well-wishers globally. The ongoing floods,… -
SOMESHA Concerns over the murder attempt against its chief
21 Jan 2012 | 7:28 amIt was at around 12:30pm, on Monday 9th January 2012, at Bakara Market; Mr. Daud who was assessing the situation of main Somali Market together with another local journalist named Hassan Dhaley got a message from a friend to Hassan through his phone. SOMESHA members and family of Daud who have been trafficking the incident acknowledged that On 9th January 2012, there was an assassination attempt in Mogadishu aimed to kill Mr. Daud Abdi Daud, the SOMESHA chief by forces believed sent by one of the Somali Remittance Company based in Bakara market. Hassan was informed through that message that… -
Together we can, Somali Journalists Marked tangible move for Solidarity
19 Jan 2012 | 8:53 amSomalia’s former press freedom founder who is a prominent and member of the African green writers’ commission Mr. Daud Abdi Daud welcomed the systematic movement among Somali journalists based on their unity and applying to look for the way forward of Somalia’s peace and development. Somali journalists are still continuing to work the world most dangerous place for journalists. Media professionals in Somalia have shown great courage and commitment. It is imperative that a new mood of co-operation and unity around the established media community is created. Addressed a group of… -
Banner Stands are best for Advertising your Business
19 Jan 2012 | 4:08 amBanner StandsRetractable Banner Stands Rotating Banner Stands -
Somaliland should lift media freedom without condition
16 Jan 2012 | 2:30 amThe Somali Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture (SOMESHA) joins the desperate freedom call from the local and regional journalists Unions in Somalia and Uganda in order to make sure the media solidarirty in the region. The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) condemns in the strongest terms possible the unrelenting violations against the journalists and the media by the Somaliland authorities in which they had arrested 21 journalists were jailed on Sunday 15 January, 2012, in a string of arrests and media raids in the past week suffered by the Somaliland…
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Innovation in College Media
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BYU’s Universe latest student publication to ditch the Daily
19 Jan 2012 | 8:23 amVia College Media Matters, news that the paper formerly known as the Daily Universe at BYU is cutting back to a weekly print publication. You can read more about the decision at the Daily Herald. I’ve long held that more publications will head down this path, as the Red & Black at Georgia did earlier this year. And I’m glad they dropped the “Daily” from their name, because “Daily” is a worthless appendage in an age of 24-hour publishing ability. Print Friendly -
Against SOPA/PIPA – don’t break the Internet
18 Jan 2012 | 9:15 amAs much as possible, we try to stay clear of politics on this blog, but there’s a pair of bills before the US Congress that, if passed, would have a huge negative impact on the Internet we all know and love. The bills are the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act (PIPA). A number of Web-based companies are blacking out portions of their sites today in protest against the measures, including Wikipedia, Google, WordPress, Reddit, BoingBoing, Craigslist and others. The Internet isn’t broke, and there’s no need for a new US law to attempt to fix it, with all the… -
Curated links: Back to school edition
9 Jan 2012 | 3:31 pmHope everyone had a nice holiday break. Now, it’s time to get back to the spring semester. Here are some curated links to get the mind muscles going again: The New Lazy Journalism – Seth Godin: “The hard part of professional journalism going forward is writing about what hasn’t been written about, directing attention where it hasn’t been, and saying something new.” Linking out: Support your work and serve your readers – Bleacher Report: One of the most difficult tasks to get some reporters to perform is to add links to their stories before they go… -
Idea: Reporting without writing
7 Dec 2011 | 10:15 amI’ve been thinking a lot recently about news judgement and curiosity, because I sometimes find those traits lacking in students (and professionals, for that matter). And I sometimes feel that the Journalism 101 model is broken. We spend so much time getting students to write a good lede that we neglect the basics of *reporting* the story. So I’m going to throw this idea out there just to hear what you have to think about it. The idea is for a course that is solely about reporting, not writing. Please respond in the comments. The key thought behind this is to teach students how to… -
Currated Links for Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011
6 Dec 2011 | 3:41 pmWow, this semester is flying by. Here are a few of the articles I’ve come across recently that are worth a read. You can also see recommended reading in the CICM Twitter feed. Ars Technica’s 2011 holiday gift guide extravaganza (Ars Technica): This is really a comprehensive list of geekery. Censorship, Curse Words, and a Dodgeball Championship: Student Press Trouble at Pacific Lutheran University (College Media Matters): A really dumb action by university administrators in a censorship controversy, and a good reason to host a college website off-campus. Dicing onions like a pro…
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Serial Oversharer
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It was the most money I had been paid to work in movies at that point...
27 Jan 2012 | 6:03 pmI had a story in my head this morning, something from my days working on movies, except like many of these stories, it’s a weird edge case, a thing that happened once and never again. I think I was filling in for a union grip on a pre-rig for some sort of movie out in Long Island. No memory of what it was called or who was in it, and I don’t think we saw the D.P. at all that day. And it could not have possibly been a union job, or I wouldn’t have been there. But there I was, and I think the rate for the day might have been a hundred bucks. It was the most money I had been paid to work… -
LAPD cracks down on drone aircraft use by real estate agents
27 Jan 2012 | 5:39 amLAPD cracks down on drone aircraft use by real estate agents: Hey guys, what year was Blade Runner set in again? -
I am shocked at how amazing this board game seems. (via...
26 Jan 2012 | 12:33 pmI am shocked at how amazing this board game seems. (via defective yeti) -
@1812PLUS200
25 Jan 2012 | 2:51 pm@1812PLUS200: I’m 11 tweets deep into authoring a completely ridiculous Twitter account that chronicles the War of 1812, 200 years after the fact. It’s been remarkably difficult so far, due to the fact that things don’t really heat up in 1812 until winter ends. We don’t start declaring anything resembling a war until June. And I don’t get to livetweet Dolley Madison saving that old painting until, like, two years into this thing. I’ve clearly bitten off more than I can ruminate on, but 11 tweets in, it’s making me laugh sometimes. I think this one is particularly horrible:… -
These are my worst Instagram photos
24 Jan 2012 | 3:38 pmMuch like the poetry I wrote in high school, I’ve classified some of my Lomo, Holga, and now Instagram-powered photography over the past, say, 12 years, as “bad on purpose,” as if there were some sort of meta-narrative about photography in play. In reality, the pictures I make just sometimes suck. As did the poems. It’s not that I’m not trying, it’s that I try everything and anything, and over-process at the expense of little things like clarity and meaning. If I could expose and document every button I push and filter I swish my index finger over, I would, just to have a record…
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JackLail.com
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Quick, who's a complacent monopolist?
25 Jan 2012 | 7:34 pmThe Economist called Kodak a "complacent monopolist." Does that sound like any other company you know ... or maybe an industry? -
Quotable: Journalism is a process, exchange, intimate
6 Jan 2012 | 1:02 pmJournalism in the digital age is a process rather than a product; an exchange rather than a presentation; intimate rather than abstract.-- David Frum via Tina Brown and Danny McCall -
Newspapers thought it would always be so
2 Jan 2012 | 4:55 pmJournalism professor Jay Rosen posed this question on Sunday: @johnrobinson Now if we could only figure out when (for the readers) "our newspaper" became "the" newspaper... When and how... Exactly how.Sun Jan 01 19:10:29 via webJay Rosen jayrosen_nyu @johnrobinson I'd love to read an extended blog post by you on that question. And you're the man to do it. You or @jacklail.Sun Jan 01 19:41:26 via webJay Rosen jayrosen_nyu I wasn't paying attention to my Twitter feed on Sunday so I have the luxury of reading John Robinson's excellent piece: A death in the family: How "our newspaper"… -
My most read blog posts in 2011
1 Jan 2012 | 9:08 amMy most read blog posts during 2011 include only three written in 2011. Long tail at work or did I just used to write more interesting posts? A handful of these also made the list for the most read in 2010.In the ring: Dolly vs Google (2008)Just how did Benton's Bacon become a craze? (2010)Fireworks at the lake (2007)On Being There (2007)Angry Journalist as career Yoda (2008)Clematis in early morning (2007)These days there's always a camera near the spotlight (2011)Splatter (2008)First Amendment found damaged in storm cleanup (2011)In Washington, a half-effort on open government will get you… -
Quotable: Prediction for newspapers
31 Dec 2011 | 5:16 pmNo medium has ever survived the indifference of 25 year olds.-- Clay Sirky
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sans serif
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Sachin Tendulkar, Mid-Day & the Indian Express
28 Jan 2012 | 1:42 amThankfully, Sachin Tendulkar‘s below-par performance on the Australian tour has dimmed the spotlight somewhat on the Indian media batting for a Bharat Ratna for the cricketer in quest for his 100th hundred. In Lounge, the Saturday section of the business daily Mint, columnist Aakar Patel argues why, among other reasons, Sachin shouldn’t get the nation’s highest civilian honour: “On 15 April 1999, just before the World Cup, Sachin Tendulkar’s car hit a Maruti 800 in Bandra. Tendulkar got [Shiv Sena chief] Bal Thackeray to telephone Mid Day, the paper I joined the… -
Shobha De tears into Vinod Mehta in India Today
27 Jan 2012 | 2:47 amThere are two tried and tested formulas for commissioning reviews in the shockingly incestuous bordello of Indian books that has now spread its wings into Indian journalism. The supposedly dignified formula is to get an author’s friend or associate to do the unctuous needful (say a Khushwant Singh to “review” a David Davidar) so that reputations are protected, nothing damaging is said and everybody gets called for the next orgiastic party. Its opposite recipe is to get a hired gun who will fire at will (say a Mihir S. Sharma to pump into Suhel Seth) so that the old gasbag is… -
N.Ram denies ‘landgrabbing’ charges
27 Jan 2012 | 12:02 amAfter the AIADMK won the Tamil Nadu assembly elections in a landslide last year, several DMK ministers and leaders have been slapped with landgrabbing charges by the Jayalalitha government. N. Ram, who remitted office as editor-in-chief of The Hindu last week, has been dragged into the controversy, reports the Hindustan Times. He is now threatening legal action against all media outfits that carried the “scandalous falsehood”. In March 2010, Ram had threatened civil and criminal proceedings against the “demonstrable falsehoods and defamatory assertions” in an Indian… -
How Hindu aimed at The Times but shot DNA
25 Jan 2012 | 12:05 pmIt is never a pretty sight when a giant wakes up after a nice, long slumber. After snoring through the thinly veiled insinuations of The Times of India that it was a sleeping inducing newspaper, The Hindu has woken up with a jolt through three TV, super-aggressive commercials that are already airing on television channels in the South. That’s the good news. The bad news is that while the young and ignorant reader of The Times of India fed on the 5Fs—fun, frolic, froth, fashion, and fornication—-is clearly its target, The Hindu‘s TVCs seem like a direct assault on ads… -
Only one journalist on 109 Padma Awards’ list
25 Jan 2012 | 7:14 amFor the second year in a row, there are no working journalists— i.e. those still burning the phone lines and greasing the totempole in anticipation of the big day—in the 2012 Republic Day honours’ list. Aside from the recently deceased cartoonist Mario Miranda has been decorated with the nation’s second highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan, there is only one other living journalist on the 109-name list —Vijay Dutt Shridhar of Madhya Pradesh—who gets the Padma Sri. In 2011, too, there was nobody from the Delhi set, although a number of names had done…
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adrian monck
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Making sense of Davos
9 Jan 2012 | 2:52 amWhen the World Economic Forum publishes a well-researched report on global gender gaps, sustainable consumption, water security or competitiveness, it fuels global debate. When it gathers its Members from the business world with others from a broad swathe of society (academics, artists, politicians, human rights campaigners, trade unionists, environmentalists and more), it becomes either the sinister architect of a global conspiracy or the convener of a pointless gabfest: Weltverschwörung or waffle. So what is the Forum? I can’t pretend to give you the definitive answer, but I can… -
Losing control of a TV discussion: a masterclass
30 Sep 2011 | 4:43 amWhen Jeremy Paxman engages, he is an excellent presenter. When he is bored…not so much. The clip below shows what happens when Newsnight attempts to recreate the kind of boorish conversation that would not have passed for debate in ye olde English pub of thirty years ago. By using controversialists like Oborne, and an ex-journalist Lambert, as a proxy for opinion, the programme does no one a service. Instead of being edgy and informative, Oborne is allowed to simply hijack the studio floor. A properly briefed Paxman could have taken on a real official forensically — and actually “held… -
Creative destruction
23 Sep 2011 | 2:55 pmWhen we follow through the history of particular industries and see new skills arise as old ones decline, it is possible to forget that the old skill and the new almost always were the perquisite of different people… Even where an old skill was replaced by a new process requiring equal or greater skill, we rarely find the same workers transferred from one to another… The rewards of the “march of progress” always seemed to be gathered by someone else. E.P. Thompson, The Making of the English Working Class More than thirty years have passed since my father was visited by the first of… -
Can you trust the author?
2 Sep 2011 | 3:22 amApparently not. And I owe Stephen Bates an apology. Mr. Monck, I just purchased a copy of your book Can You Trust the Media? I found your discussion of the 1940s Hutchins Commission on Freedom of the Press on p. 165 particularly interesting. You write: “The report, A Free and Responsible Press, was published in 1947 and was an astute, articulate and impassioned indictment of the mass media. It asserted that the press is free for the purpose of serving democracy and that a press that shirks its democratic duties will lose its freedom. The report calls on the press to improve itself in the… -
News of the World: victim and villain in the poisonous communication of public service
8 Jul 2011 | 3:19 amMost aspects of the News of the World’s demise have been picked over. But this is not, for all the headlines, a scandal of journalism, or proprietors, or mergers and acquisitions. Journalists are journalists, proprietors are businessmen and deals are what they do. This is a scandal of public service and public information. The most serious aspect of this inquiry is what it says about the British police service, its culture of collusion and media “relationship management”. Consider this line on Dick Fedorcio, the Met’s head of media relations, buried in a Nick Davies report about…
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JackLail.com
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Quick, who's a complacent monopolist?
25 Jan 2012 | 7:34 pmThe Economist called Kodak a "complacent monopolist." Does that sound like any other company you know ... or maybe an industry? -
Quotable: Journalism is a process, exchange, intimate
6 Jan 2012 | 1:02 pmJournalism in the digital age is a process rather than a product; an exchange rather than a presentation; intimate rather than abstract.-- David Frum via Tina Brown and Danny McCall -
Newspapers thought it would always be so
2 Jan 2012 | 4:55 pmJournalism professor Jay Rosen posed this question on Sunday: @johnrobinson Now if we could only figure out when (for the readers) "our newspaper" became "the" newspaper... When and how... Exactly how.Sun Jan 01 19:10:29 via webJay Rosen jayrosen_nyu @johnrobinson I'd love to read an extended blog post by you on that question. And you're the man to do it. You or @jacklail.Sun Jan 01 19:41:26 via webJay Rosen jayrosen_nyu I wasn't paying attention to my Twitter feed on Sunday so I have the luxury of reading John Robinson's excellent piece: A death in the family: How "our newspaper"… -
My most read blog posts in 2011
1 Jan 2012 | 9:08 amMy most read blog posts during 2011 include only three written in 2011. Long tail at work or did I just used to write more interesting posts? A handful of these also made the list for the most read in 2010.In the ring: Dolly vs Google (2008)Just how did Benton's Bacon become a craze? (2010)Fireworks at the lake (2007)On Being There (2007)Angry Journalist as career Yoda (2008)Clematis in early morning (2007)These days there's always a camera near the spotlight (2011)Splatter (2008)First Amendment found damaged in storm cleanup (2011)In Washington, a half-effort on open government will get you… -
Quotable: Prediction for newspapers
31 Dec 2011 | 5:16 pmNo medium has ever survived the indifference of 25 year olds.-- Clay Sirky
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Technology
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Ignore the 'tech trends for 2012' lists if you want your business to be the next big thing
26 Jan 2012 | 6:45 amA month into 2012 and I’m already bored of the "Top tech trends for 2012" lists. It is vital to have a view of the future, especially in tech. But the annual trend list season does bring to mind the Baz Luhrmann lyric: “advice… is a way of fishing the past from the disposal… painting [...] -
How branding has devalued the Facebook 'Like'
19 Jan 2012 | 3:00 amMany marketing and social media manager’s new year bonuses will have been based on generating a meteoric rise in the number of Facebook Likes or Twitter followers. There will have been lots of pats on the back for that iPad 2 competition that earned 100,000 followers in less than a week, or that new landing [...] -
SOPA is the equivalent of smashing the Gutenberg press
18 Jan 2012 | 2:52 amOne of the most important technological advances in the past thousand years was Gutenberg's printing press. As one Italian bishop put it, it would take three printers working for three months to produce 300 copies of a book – but it would take three scribes a lifetime each to complete the same number. Yet it [...] -
Jimmy Wales's Wikipedia shutdown shows a failure of imagination over the online piracy act
17 Jan 2012 | 10:03 amI’ve been following the Sopa (the Stop Online Piracy Act) saga with great interest over the last few months. It now seems that the legislation before the American Congress has hit the rocks after President Obama came down on the side of the fierce proponents of internet freedom. But Wikipedia, fearful of Pipa (the Protect [...] -
Google is slowly forgetting its 'don't be evil' motto
16 Jan 2012 | 4:54 amHas Google finally forgotten its "don't be evil" roots? A free Kenyan business directory called Mocality appear to have evidence of Google unethically tapping up their customers. Mocality, founded by Stefan Magdalinski, also behind Moo.com, claim that Google have been illicitly approaching their clients to win new business for their own product. Through some clever [...]
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WordPress.com News
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Chrome Users: Try the WordPress.com Extension
27 Jan 2012 | 1:54 pmWant to receive WordPress.com notifications instantly, even when you’re not on WordPress.com? Add the new WordPress.com extension for Chrome and as soon as you get a new follower or a new like on one of your posts, a notification will appear in your browser: Simply click the icon to view your latest WordPress.com notifications: Start following new blogs without visiting WordPress.com The Chrome extension also makes it easy to follow sites from your WordPress.com account by displaying a Follow button whenever you’re browsing a site that has an RSS feed. Clicking the Follow button… -
Your Stats Have a New Home
26 Jan 2012 | 10:46 amAre you addicted to checking your site stats? You are not alone. The stats dashboard has always been one of the most popular admin screens. It’s gratifying to know that people are visiting your place online. With the WordPress.com front page evolving into a one-stop shop for posting, exploring, following and reading blogs, it seemed natural to put your blog stats there, too. Stats are becoming more and more about interacting with your readers and other bloggers. You’ll still see your summary stats and chart on your main dashboard, and the full stats page in your dashboard will… -
Reblogging is Back!
22 Jan 2012 | 1:27 pmAs we mentioned last week, you can like and reblog posts directly from your reader, which displays a stream of all the updates published on all the blogs you follow from your WordPress.com account. We’ve also brought the reblog button back to the toolbar that appears at the top of the screen when you’re logged into WordPress.com. Note that you’ll only see the like and reblog options while you’re looking at individual posts. For example, you’ll see this on the left side of your toolbar while viewing http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/read-blogs: And your… -
New Theme: Newsy
20 Jan 2012 | 12:18 pmIt’s been an extra big week in the news ’round these parts, so much so that the launch announcement of our latest premium theme seems like an extra extra good way to headline our Friday. Newsy is a versatile business and news-friendly theme that offers up to ten different layouts, four footer columns, custom link and accent colors, and a custom site header. Brand and content-focused editorial teams will love publishing with this theme. Newsy: Home Page Designed by Themify, Newsy comes with an impressive set of Theme Options that afford you a great deal of flexibility with how you… -
Read All Your Favorite Blogs in One Place
19 Jan 2012 | 6:04 pmIf you feel like it’s a chore to keep up with all your favorite blogs, you can now read posts from all the blogs you follow (even the ones that aren’t on WordPress.com!) in one convenient place on the WordPress.com home page: Your reader displays all the posts across all the blogs you follow in the order they were published, with the most recent content appearing at the top. You’ll see an excerpt of the introduction to each post, the first image in the post, and thumbnails of any other images that the post contains. You can even like and reblog WordPress.com content directly…
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MediaShift Idea Lab
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The Front Line of the U.S. Censorship Battle Is Behind Bars
27 Jan 2012 | 3:30 pmA longer version of this post first appeared on MIT's Center for Civic Media blog. In our ongoing quest to trace the outline of the phrase "civic media," we began the Center for Civic Media's 2012 lunch series with Paul Wright, editor and co-founder of Prison Legal News, and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center, the non-profit umbrella which publishes PLN. PLN operates in a unique media environment, where the very act of distributing a magazine to their customers might first require winning a lawsuit. You see, their primary audience is made up of prisoners themselves. Prison… -
How Journalists Are Using FrontlineSMS to Innovate Around the World
27 Jan 2012 | 8:00 amSo much can be said in 160 characters. As we've started to look at tailoring FrontlineSMS software for journalists, we've realized just how much potential there is to use text messaging as a news source. As FrontlineSMS's community support coordinator, I interact every day with people and organizations that are using SMS in innovative ways. Increasingly, I've come across uses of FrontlineSMS as a journalistic tool, and this is particularly exciting for us as we embark on building new mobile tools to help increase media participation in hard-to-reach communities. FrontlineSMS is a free and… -
Zeega + Localore = Innovative Local Storytelling for Public Media
26 Jan 2012 | 8:00 amLast week, I sat in a conference room in Dorchester, Mass., with some of the great minds of public media to recommend which 10 producers and public media stations should be supported for year-long projects to transform the industry. Localore is a new $2 million national competition produced by the Boston-based Association of Independents in Radio (AIR), with $1 million in funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, to catalyze producer-led innovation teams at local stations. Here at Zeega, this is particularly exciting because we'll be teaming up with several of the winners as… -
Knight Lab to Help Illinois Publishers Cover Congressional Primaries
25 Jan 2012 | 12:30 pmWhen it comes to the mission of journalism, it's hard to imagine any function more fundamental than providing people with the information they need to choose their elected representatives. That's why the first major initiative of the Knight News Innovation Laboratory, announced this week, will focus on coverage of the March 20 congressional primary elections in Illinois. There are 25 contested primaries in Illinois' 18 congressional districts, the first elections under newly drawn district boundaries. As a result of the decennial redistricting process, many people will be choosing among… -
ScraperWiki Lets You Make Magic Out of Web Data
25 Jan 2012 | 8:00 amThere's a wonderful magic wand that every member of a digital newsroom wants to get their hands on. Take control and you can work wonders, untangle the world wide web of information, and even decrease your workload to fit in that extra cup of coffee. "What is this wand?" you ask, and "How can I get my hands on it?" It's the wondrous API (application programming interface). At ScraperWiki, we provide the tools to custom fit your wand to your magical purpose. Learn a couple of incantations in either Ruby, Python or PHP and you can concoct an API of web data -- only the relevant data, in the way…
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Daniel Sato
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iPhones almost a reality
14 Jan 2012 | 8:51 pmRumor on the street is, early next week reporters, photographers and videographers will all be giving the much talked about iPhone 4S. A few weeks ago, the photographers had a staff meeting to discuss the impending changes. I was unable to attend, but this is how I imagine it went for some … It is interesting who jumps on board with the latest gadget and who remains skeptical. Some staffers that you would never expect to be on board couldn’t be happier, while others who seemingly pride themselves on how hard they work want nothing to do with it. Hopefully, they will all find some… -
My first wordpress theme
6 Jan 2012 | 11:15 amOkay, technically it is a child theme of the popular TwentyTen theme, but, as you can see from the before and after above, they bear little resemblance to each other. Creating a photoblog here at The News Journal has been on the to-do list for myself, the assistant new media editor Andre Smith and our photo editor Suchat Pederson for some time now, but it wasn’t until the new iPhone initiative came through that Andre and Ashley Barnas brainstormed the format as seen above (previous iterations all took the form of a more traditional photoblog, similar to The Big Picture). While a typical… -
A grand experiment
5 Jan 2012 | 4:40 pmThe new year will bring about a lot of changes to many Gannett properties, not the least of which will be outfitting our reporters and photographers with iPhones, iPads and other accessories. Of course, this move has been met with mixed reactions within newsrooms, mine included. The usual qualms about being asked to do too much with too little … fear of the unknown for those that are less tech-savvy (will Gannett be able to read all of my personal communications seems to be the most prevalent concern). Even a digital-first journalist such as myself has a few reservations, such as if the… -
Good/Fast video doesn’t just happen
19 Nov 2011 | 3:35 pmAs a photographer turned videographer, I have read with interest about the rise and decline of video in the newsroom … and it has been no secret that Gannett (the company that I work for) is once again making a push for more video content. In general, the reaction seems to be one of been there, done that. Former Gannett employee turned instructor Wasim Ahmad called that first push misguided and wrote: “The reason it didn’t succeed was not for poor training. The training was very good. I wouldn’t be a multimedia journalism professor today without that first workshop from Lane… -
The best way to learn a new skill? Give yourself a project.
19 Nov 2011 | 2:31 pmIn the past, I would always struggle to learn new languages (programming or spoken). It would start out well enough … I’d dive in head first, scouring the internet and the bookstore for any information that I could find. I would take in the basics easily enough … I can probably print “Hello World” in more languages than I can count on my hand … but soon enough, something will come up that requires my attention, and learning actionscript/python/javascript/php/etc gets placed on the shelf. For me, the best way to learn something has been to find a project to…
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Recovering Journalist
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Must Reads
4 Jan 2012 | 12:56 pmWhere have I been? Well, let's just say I got tired of saying many of the same things over and over. Besides, other people sometimes say them much better. Two cases in point today: John Robinson, recently departed editor of the Greensboro News & Record and all-around smart, good guy, has gotten even smarter now that he's gotten some distance and perspective from his former job. (Same thing happened to John Temple.) He's blogging good suggestions on how newspapers can make themselves more relevant to and trusted by their communities, quickly and easily. Obvious… -
In Defense of Jim Romenesko
10 Nov 2011 | 3:25 pmWho would ever have believed that Jim Romenesko, the ace chronicler of journalism's foibles, would himself wind up the topic of a post in his own blog alleging malfeasance on his part. But incredibly, it's happened. Problem is, the alleged misdeeds being attributed to Romenesko are, not to put too fine a point on it, horseshit. If I understand the convoluted, garment-rending, self-flagellating post about the situation by Poynter Online Director Julie Moos correctly (no mean feat), Poynter has suddenly decided, after 12 years of running Romenesko's invaluable blog, that… -
Newspaper Next, Five Years Later
30 Oct 2011 | 2:51 pmEverybody in the newspaper business needs to read and think hard about Justin Ellis' Nieman Lab post mortem of the American Press Institute's Newspaper Next project from 2006. Then ask yourself: Why are you still thinking about it as the "newspaper" business? Because that means you weren't paying enough attention. Newspaper Next had its flaws, principally that it didn't go far enough in its "blueprint for transformation." (At the time, Jeff Jarvis correctly carped, "the project seems to be trying to move a big, old barge five degrees when we need… -
Old-School Newspapering
2 Aug 2011 | 11:59 pmYou may have already seen this—it's been making the rounds over the past day or two—but it's great: A scarifyingly hilarious story in which a group of modern-day college journalism students produce a newspaper the old-fashioned way—you know, the way those of us of a certain age did it back in the day. With typewriters, darkrooms, layout sheets and other antique stuff (they failed to find a hot waxer, though. Pity). Man, do I feel old. If anybody needs me, I'll be reading the news on my iPad, thank you very much. What is this "paper" stuff you speak of? Now get… -
Read It and Weep
2 Aug 2011 | 2:33 pmI wonder sometimes if the people who run news organizations actually look at their own Web sites. I mean, look at them the way readers do. Use them to find out what's going on, to get the news, to search for needed information. I ask because a lot of big-name news Web sites occasionally seem designed to frustrate readers as much as possible. I'm not just talking about bad design, endless lists of small-type headlines or site searches that simply don't work, often in comical ways. Those are all sins, of course, and they're chronic. Brad Colbrow added a few more in an…
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Reflections of a Newsosaur
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Daily paper going the way of the milkman
10 Jan 2012 | 7:00 amDaily newspaper delivery will go the way of the milkman in a growing number of communities in 2012 and beyond. Barring a miraculous turnaround in the economy, a sea change in the thinking of media buyers or a late-breaking proclivity for print in the sub-geezer population, publishers in ever more communities are likely to reduce the number of days they provide home delivery – or print a -
Newspaper shares plunged 27% in 2011
3 Jan 2012 | 7:00 amIn a year when the stock market flailed mightily to end up almost exactly where it started, the shares of the publicly traded newspaper companies plummeted an average of 27% in 2011.Of the 11 publicly held newspaper companies, the stock of only one – the broadly diversified News Corp. – gained ground in the last 12 months. The stock of the publishing-cum-broadcasting company rose 10.7% in 2011 -
Newspaper job cuts surged 30% in 2011
19 Dec 2011 | 7:00 amThe number of jobs eliminated in the newspaper industry rose by nearly 30% in 2011 from the prior year, according to the blog that has been tracking the human toll on the industry for the last five years. Meanwhile, a separate analysis confirms what most of us already suspected: The proportion of cutbacks was higher in newsrooms than it was for the industry as a whole – twice as high by the -
Digital giants closing in on local media
12 Dec 2011 | 7:00 amNext year will be the year that the big technology companies go after local publishing and broadcasting businesses more fiercely than ever before. Most local media companies have no idea what’s about to hit them – much less a plan to respond. Google already has feet on the street from Portland to New York City to sell search advertising and directory listings to small and medium business (SMBs). -
Making Facebook work for publishers
6 Dec 2011 | 7:00 amLast month, we discussed the generous contribution publishers have been making to the dramatic growth of Facebook, a wondrously addictive medium that seems to be commanding ever-greater amounts of time from an ever-larger number of consumers.Today, we’re going to talk about how newspapers can get Facebook to work as effectively for them as most papers have been working for Facebook.With roughly
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20 headlines from the reading list
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Poll: What Do You Think About Apple's Success?
27 Jan 2012 | 7:10 amThe numbers are staggering. Apple Inc. is now the most valuable company in the U.S. The company made more than $13 billion in profit last quarter, more than Google made in revenues. According to TUAW, the iPhone by itself, in three months, brought in more revenue than McDonald's made in all of 2010. So how does all that make you feel? Are you excited for Apple's success? Envious? Or are you horrified at the working conditions in Chinese factories that make iPhones and iPads? Or do you simply hate Apple products? Share your thoughts pro and con Apple in the comments below, and vote in our… -
Foundation: Rapid Prototyping and Building Framework from ZURB
27 Jan 2012 | 5:51 amFoundation by Zurb, a HTML/CSS framework for any kind of device. -
Typography Effects with CSS3 and jQuery
27 Jan 2012 | 5:36 amSome ideas to get you thinking about typographical effects with CSS3 & jQuery. -
Daily Must Reads, Jan. 27, 2012
27 Jan 2012 | 5:08 amhe best stories across the web on media and technology, curated by Lily Leung 1. Twitter to block tweets on case-by-case basis (CNET) 2. Twitter faces censorship backlash (paidContent) 3. Google spent almost $2 billion on acquisitions in 2011 (TechCrunch) 4. Facebook hires Bloomberg journalist to be managing editor (BusinessInsider) 5. Lee Enterprises leader named new AP board chairwoman (AP) 6. Will a streaming audiobooks service work? (paidContent) 7. Another meme spinoff: Ad Tech Ryan Gosling (Digiday) Subscribe to our daily Must Reads email newsletter and get the links in your in-box… -
The New York Times Releases New Tool For Collaborative Editing
27 Jan 2012 | 3:52 amAs more news organizations move toward web content systems that were originally intended for single-person bloggers, the need for a more dynamic tool has becoming increasingly apparent. The New York Times recognizes this and has launched some code that could help. Called ICE (“Integrated Content Editor”), the tool lets collaborators of a web-based text document track changes from multiple users. In the demo, you can select different users from a dropdown to see their various contributions and deletions in the document. You can toggle between showing/hiding changes.
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robcurley.com
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The gift: For news organizations, the holidays aren’t the only times we should give to our audience
4 Jan 2012 | 2:41 amBack in December, I saw something on Google that made me remember one of my favorite all-time lessons in journalism. My mentor and good friend, Bill Snead, called it “the gift.” And, yes, I saw at least the spirit of what Bill was talking about on Google. I learned so much while working at the Lawrence Journal-World. And “the gift” was definitely one of the most-impactful things Bill taught me back in my J-W days. Bill explained to me that newspaper readers — whether in print or online — knew exactly what to expect from us: breaking news, interesting… -
The Las Vegas Sun is now accepting internship applications
23 Apr 2011 | 1:15 pmWe are no longer accepting applications for these internships. We’re looking for a couple of talented interns to join our team in the Greenspun Media Group multimedia newsroom — home of the Pulitzer-winning Las Vegas Sun, extremely cool Las Vegas Weekly, a couple of very slick and high-profile tourist and luxury publications, and some of the most award-winning and critically acclaimed local news websites in the world. The positions we’re filling will work primarily with the Las Vegas Sun. We’re looking for interns who want to get real-world, practical experience with… -
Thoughts on Marimow: What being ‘not digital enough’ means (and shouldn’t mean) to traditional editors
10 Oct 2010 | 3:13 pmEach morning, often before I even crawl out of bed, I open Twitter on my iPhone and see what’s happened while I was asleep. That’s how I learned Bill Marimow was out as The Philadelphia Inquirer’s editor. I try to tell as many journalists as I can to love the journalism, not the medium. Love the mission, not the medium. I say this at work so much that I must sound like a broken record. I even say it at home and 4-year-old Zakki has no clue as to what the heck I am talking about. (Though the little dude does point out he wears an extra-small, not a medium.) This basic… -
Bottoming Out: A look back at our multimedia journalism package on gambling addiction
28 Jul 2010 | 12:50 amUPDATE: I originally posted this blog entry months ago, yet it seems even more relevant today! It was announced this morning (Dec. 22, 2010) that the video portion of this project just won a prestigious Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award, making the Las Vegas Sun the first newspaper to receive the award for multimedia storytelling. I can’t even begin to explain how proud I am of the Las Vegas Sun, its amazing journalists, and its commitment to powerful, creative and relevant online journalism! And a special congrats to Scott Den Herder, who was a powerful force in helping the… -
Snapshot from the Las Vegas Sun’s multimedia newsroom
23 Jul 2010 | 4:03 pmI’m often blown away by how much talent there is at the Las Vegas Sun, especially in regards to those who practice multimedia journalism. The list of amazing (and basically “text”) journalists who have not only embraced our newspaper’s mission, but excelled at it, goes on and on. Someday soon, I definitely need to write something about how each of these folks has really made what the Sun does so interesting and special. But the real reason I wanted to post something today was because there were a couple of really fantastic examples Thursday that show how the…
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Poynter. » MediaWire
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Adam Jacobi says CBS fired him over Paterno death report
27 Jan 2012 | 1:42 pm@Adam_Jacobi In a series of tweets, Adam Jacobi says CBS let him go after he published a story Saturday night saying that former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno had died. Jacobi tweets: I had an awesome 17 months… Read more -
In another election challenge to AP, Nevada GOP to release caucus results via Twitter, Google
27 Jan 2012 | 1:14 pmThe Nevada Republican Party announced Friday afternoon that it will release up-to-the minute results of its Feb. 4 caucus via Twitter and Google, enabling anyone to get the latest information without relying on a news site’s election map or… Read more -
How ‘headless body in topless bar’ was fact-checked
27 Jan 2012 | 11:08 amNBC New York Editors would have let the facts get in the way of the most famous tabloid headline in history, “Headless Body in Topless Bar.” Then-New York Post City Editor Dick Belsky explains how the paper confirmed the headless… Read more -
NYT’s Janet Robinson’s exit package exceeds $21 million
27 Jan 2012 | 10:48 amBloomberg News: Former New York Times CEO Janet Robinson’s exit package will exceed $21 million, more than previously reported -
Eric Deggans: Media hasn’t tried hard enough to make ranks diverse
27 Jan 2012 | 9:56 amWhy media critics tend to be middle-aged, white men: “I think the biggest reason why there isn’t more diversity in media critic circles is because the industry hasn’t made it happen. … People have to be developed so they’re ready… Read more
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Megan Taylor: Web Journalist
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Galileo’s Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love
24 Jan 2012 | 1:10 pmStarted reading Galileo’s Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love by Dava Sobel. -
Holy Cow. This Is How E-Readers Should Actually Work | Edudemic
24 Jan 2012 | 10:14 amHoly Cow. This Is How E-Readers Should Actually Work | Edudemic. -
Future Perfect » The Handbag Paradox
24 Jan 2012 | 9:27 amFuture Perfect » The Handbag Paradox…handbags carriers (and to a lesser extent other carriers of daily-use bags) are confronted with the handbag paradox that states: it is nearly always easier to add additional items to the bag than to sort through items to be removed, with the net result being that people walk around with significantly more stuff than they need. -
IKEA Hack: LACK coffee tables with TROFAST drawers and SIGNUM cable management
4 Jan 2012 | 3:35 pmThat Guy I Married and I recently replaced an old, tiny sofa with the IKEA KARLSTAD corner sofa. It’s huge. So huge, that we realized there was a hidden cost: We had to replace our old coffee table as well.We decided to get two of the ~30″ square LACK coffee tables. The couch is also our dining area, so really, the more table space, the better. These tables have a shelf about halfway down the legs, but we have two active cats. Anything we left on that shelf would be identified as not bolted down, and therefore a cat toy.So we needed drawers on rails that would hold from the top,… -
Daily Summary
22 Dec 2011 | 10:59 pmI read:Finished Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout. Passed it on to a co-worker in exchange for Freakonomics.Maria Popova’s Beautiful Mind The creator of Brain Pickings on how to think outside the corporate box.The 11 Best Psychology and Philosophy Books of 2011You Are Not So SmartContents Magazine Issue No. 1The Overjustification Effect
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SteveOuting.com
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Can good journalist + good capitalist = possible?
25 Jan 2012 | 4:21 pmThis month’s Carnival of Journalism, hosted by Michael Rosenbaum, asks the provocative question: “Can a good journalist also be a good capitalist?” I’ll probably open myself up to charges of being “ageist,” but here goes… Working at a university journalism program (University of Colorado Boulder), I’ve come to the conclusion that the next generation of journalists will be better capitalists than older journalists. Because what I’m seeing on this campus, and I’m sure it’s similar at other university journalism programs, is a… -
Carnivals and holiday trees, for journalists and technologists
9 Dec 2011 | 7:07 pmI missed the last couple Carnivals of Journalism, but it’s time for me to get back into the groove. This month there is a question each for journalists and for technologists. My question is: If you are a journalist, what would be the best present from programmers and developers that Santa Claus could leave under your Christmas tree? I’ll overlook the pro-Christian slant (hey, what about under the FSM tree?!) and play the game. What I’d like to receive is a written contract from some developers and technologist friends committing to spending a year of their time working on… -
‘Online news’ 20 years from now
13 Nov 2011 | 3:09 pmI recently participated (well, sort of — via a remote Skype presentation) in the University of South Carolina’s “Journalism, Sustainability, and Media Regeneration Conference.” Its organizer, Professor Augie Grant, sent a survey to everyone who attended that opened with a couple questions that I should not answer but cannot resist: “Think about all of the possible forms of delivering news and information online. In general, what ‘top of the mind’ ideas do you think ‘online news’ will look like in 20 years?” and “Now think about the… -
Google+: Just use it! (Carnival of Journalism)
27 Aug 2011 | 1:50 amThis month’s “Carnival of Journalism” asked the question: “What does Google+ mean for journalists, today and tomorrow?” Of course, I don’t have all the answers; I’m not sure yet that I have one really good answer. Google+, Google’s first serious threat to Facebook in the social-media space, is so new that we’re all grappling with how to best leverage it. (I have to laugh when I visit the Google+ Welcome page, which still mentions that the service is in “Field Trial” mode. With 25 million users for Google+, and still growing quickly, few companies would continue to call… -
The stupidity of our current media age (print-digital edition)
8 Aug 2011 | 12:06 amI just renewed my subscription to Wired magazine. $12 for another year of the print edition, plus I get the tablet edition for free to read an enhanced edition on my iPad. What a deal! Alas, I don’t want the print edition! I’d prefer to receive only the iPad edition and reduce my carbon footprint a bit by causing one less copy of the magazine to be printed, shipped around by trucks, and so on. Also, I prefer reading on my iPad over print magazines, the latter which tend to get lost in piles of paper and books around the house. But for the $12-a-year renewal offer, I have to get…
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Strange Attractor
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Is a lack of trust really what ails newspapers? Not the British tabloids
24 Jan 2012 | 10:01 amStrange Attractor has now permanently moved to charman-anderson.com. Please pop over there to to read and comment on the full version of this post. Thank you! I’m going to mix apples and oranges here a bit, mixing the US newspaper industry and the British industry. If you think that isn’t fair, then you can click away now. Some have argued that the decline of newspapers has been down to a loss of trust. A couple of examples of that point of view. James O’Shea, a former editor of the Los Angeles Times said in 2008: “(the) main problem journalism now faces is the lack of… -
Ebooks vs apps: What next for news?
16 Jan 2012 | 8:11 amStrange Attractor has now permanently moved to charman-anderson.com. Please pop over there to to read and comment on the full version of this post. Thank you! I was just writing a comment on Adam Tinworth’s blog post pointing out that there’s a huge ebook market out there that’s largely lying untapped by news organisations, but it started to get too big so here it is as a blog post. There are a few challenges that news organisations need to overcome in order to really make the best of the ebook market. The first is around file formats. A friend of mine who does web comics… -
Journalists: Create your own career
14 Jan 2012 | 5:35 amStrange Attractor has now permanently moved to charman-anderson.com. Please pop over there to to read and comment on the full version of this post. Thank you! Richard Gingras, head of news products for Google, was talking about the disruption in the journalism industry at a recent seminar for Knight Journalism Fellows at Stanford and made this observation: Perhaps in journalism it will be like it was in music for a long time: there are a lot of people doing great stuff, but only a handful, the stars, will be able to make a good living out of it. Most will be doing it for a nickel and a dime,… -
Pseudonymous commenters aren’t so bad after all
13 Jan 2012 | 8:54 amStrange Attractor has now permanently moved to charman-anderson.com. Please pop over there to to read and comment on the full version of this post. Thank you! Disqus has released an infographic of some analysis they’ve done on their comments to compare pseudonymous, eponymous (real name) and anonymous commenters. They looked at both quantity and quality and found that pseudonymous commenters are better for a community than either eponymous or anonymous commenters. To save you from having to wade through a rather pointless infographic, here are the key facts: Disqus measured Quality and… -
A healthy debate about ‘he-said-she-said’ journalism
13 Jan 2012 | 7:31 amStrange Attractor has now permanently moved to charman-anderson.com. Please pop over there to to read and comment on the full version of this post. Thank you! I credit the New York Times public editor Arthur Brisbane with starting a good debate about fact-checking in journalism, and I like Bernard Keane’s of Australia’s Crikey with a pretty level-headed summary of what Brisbane said: Brisbane’s point was that op-ed columnists have the freedom to challenge such assertions, and that the Times has been running a sidebar to presidential nomination stories that fact-checks claims by…
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The Evolving Newsroom
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Links for 2012-01-27 [del.icio.us]
28 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amMail Online goes top of the world | Media | guardian.co.uk How a tightly paywalled, social-media-ignoring, anti-copy-paste, gossipy news site became a dominant force in Nova Scotia » Nieman Journalism Lab Nearly half of News of the World's buyers give up on Sunday papers | December ABCs | Media | guardian.co.uk -
Links for 2012-01-25 [del.icio.us]
26 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amhttp://nytimes.github.com/ice/demo/ New York Times releases code to help journalists collaborate on WordPress, other platforms | Poynter. The Guardian Project The Public Laboratory | publiclaboratory.org China's green hotel goes viral :: Idealog :: the magazine and website of New Zealand creative business, ideas and innovation EcoATM turns unwanted gadgets into instant cash :: Idealog :: the magazine and website of New Zealand creative business, ideas and innovation -
Links for 2012-01-24 [del.icio.us]
25 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amRegional publisher removes paywall | Media | guardian.co.uk Cover prices put people off buying newspapers - survey | Media | guardian.co.uk Mecom to launch digital paywall and review future of 65 free titles | Media | guardian.co.uk China to expand real-name registration of microbloggers | World news | The Guardian The Economist explains its Electionism HTML5 app for iPad and Android | Technology | guardian.co.uk Kodak falls in the 'creative destruction of the digital age' | Business | The Guardian -
Links for 2012-01-23 [del.icio.us]
24 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amNew:: Jobs: business reporter, junior newspaper reporters, Close Up producer http://t.co/Ymc8Z4En #journalism -
Jobs: business reporter, junior newspaper reporters, Close Up producer
23 Jan 2012 | 2:57 amNew Zealand BUSINESS REPORTER/CONTENT EDITOR | NZHERALD.CO.NZ Reporting in to our Business Editor, we are seeking a Business reporter/Content producer for nzherald.co.nz. The duties for this position will be wide-ranging but primarily involves working closely with the Business Editor to ensure nzherald.co.nz Business section is well managed and continues to attract a growing audience. We are looking for a journalist/Editor who can combine all the duties of the Business Editor; reporting on Business, copy-tasting, editing for publication, sourcing content and liaising with Herald Business…
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Local Onliner
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New Vertical Focus: On Demand ‘Maintenance’ Info
26 Jan 2012 | 4:46 pmThe focus for vertical sites is likely to shift in coming months. In addition to regular features, such as listings, many vertical sites will also begin to blend personalized or on demand “maintenance” information with various social media features such as scheduling and reviews. We’ve seen it with garden and health sites, and also, increasingly, with car maintenance sites. DriverSide and RepairPal, both launched in 2008, have pioneered the personalized garage approach, which links car owners with auto diagnosis and leads to service providers. A new site, CarCareKiosk, aims at… -
Gilt Groupe Lays off Gilt City CEO, Closes Several Local Offices
23 Jan 2012 | 4:45 pmGilt Groupe confirmed today that it is eliminating off 10 percent of its staff, including Gilt City chief Nathan Richardson and Park and Bond CEO John Auerbach. The layoffs at the luxury-but-discounted goods provider includes closures of several Gilt Groupe offices, including Atlanta, Seattle and Dallas, and several Gilt City offices inherited from last fall’s BuyWithMe acquisition, including San Diego, Houston and Philadelphia — a purchase that occurred after BuyWithMe ran out of money. Gilt Groupe CEO Kevin Ryan implied in an interview with AllThingsD that Richardson and Auerbach… -
Home Depot Buys RedBeacon
20 Jan 2012 | 6:31 pmThe Home Depot is set to significantly boost its home contractor leads network with today’s acquisition of RedBeacon. No price was announced for the acquisition, which puts Home Depot in the same boat as Sears, which has been quietly developing ServiceLive, its own contractor leads service. RedBeacon, which takes a 10 percent commission for service jobs, was one of a number of socially driven leads companies that started in the 2008-2009 time frame. Others include Cox’s Kudzu, which has developed an intriguing partnership with Scripps’ HGTV; The Washington Post’s Service Alley;… -
The Super Lineup at ILM East March 26-28 (Boston)
19 Jan 2012 | 7:21 pmILM East is coming back to Boston March 26-28 with a lineup of do-ers and innovators that are transforming and re-defining the local space. Highlights include a featured keynote from industry legend Ted Leonsis (Groupon Vice Chair/Amex Board Member/Sports team owner/AOL mastermind), along with keynotes/interviews from Jason Calacanis, Leslie Berland, Jay Herratti, Michael Zimbalist and Michael Silberman. Other highlights of the 2 ½ day event includes a pre-conference rundown on Local search run by Andrew Shotland of Local SEO Guide; a full plate of Top BIA/Kelsey research and forecasts;… -
Local’s Spreebird Broadening its Approach to Deals
19 Jan 2012 | 5:16 pmLocal Corp. has branched out in several directions in an effort to leverage its local platform. It has recently acquired Krillion (retail and product search) and Rovion (rich media platform and integration). Another major effort is its development of Spreebird, a deals company being built on top of its acquisition of Southern California’s Screamin’ Deals. Spreebird has been mostly differentiated in the deals space by its profit share with local schools or charities. Users can designate which school or charity they want to designate 10 percent of the deal’s net proceeds for.
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Finance Information
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Practical Ideas On How Immediate Payday Advance Goes
23 Jan 2012 | 2:15 amPractical Ideas On How Immediate Payday Advance Goes One method to get a fast paycheck loan is via on the web procedure along with the lending organization. This action makes it much simpler with respect to various other individuals given that it allows them to deal with the lending organization any moment of the day. Many of us contemplate just how a fast paycheck loan deal happens, the typical setting requires you to go to the nearby lending organization, send in the prerequisites and you’ll have the cash you must have. By having an instant payday loans, the process is rather easy and… -
Zero down mortgages still exist!
15 Jan 2012 | 2:15 amTips from a Toronto Mortgage Broker: Although zero-down mortgages – or those that don't require a down payment – technically went by the wayside when the Federal government tightened mortgage rules back in 2008, lenders and homebuyers have found ways around the rule with "cash back mortgages". These products are reserved for those homebuyers who have great credit and income, but have found it difficult to save the $15,000 to $20,000 required for a minimum 5% down payment. In these situations, the lender will give the client 5% cash back on closing. When… -
Roth IRA contribution limits 2011
7 Jan 2012 | 7:00 amRoth IRA contribution limits 2011 will be exactly the same as to what will be used in 2012. While there are some small changes to income guidelines, the overall condition of the economy may still make it difficult to make more money. At the very least, as this year draws to a close, you can start thinking about how to put as much money into your retirement account before you lose the change to reduce your tax burden. Surprisingly, much of the population does not realize that there is a huge difference when it comes to conventional retirement investment accounts such as 401k and a Roth IRA. So… -
How much do ultrasound techs make
2 Jan 2012 | 3:15 amHow much do ultrasound techs make? The salary that an ultrasound tech gets paid varies based on educational qualifications and the level of experience of the professional. There are several other factors such as on call payment, overtime and hourly salary. Essentially, ultrasound technicians are involved in the diagnosis of internal medical problems using sonography and ultrasonography equipment and also conversing with patients during their visits to hospital or doctors surgeries. The use of ultrasound involves subjecting the tissues and internal organs to imaging through the help of sonic… -
Roth IRA Conversion 2011
29 Dec 2011 | 1:45 pmA Roth IRA Conversion 2011 is still possible; meaning that you can gain all of the benefits of having your savings in a Roth IRA. When income limits placed upon past conversions to Roth IRAs was removed a lot of people who before were confined to traditional IRAs because of their higher incomes, were now able to instead convert their traditional IRA into a Roth IRA. However, before you start making a decision to go through with the conversion to a Roth IRA you must be aware of the tax implications. How does a Roth IRA workWell, a Roth IRA is a special type of retirement monetary savings…
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VideoJournalism
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So why won’t you cover MY story?
8 Jan 2012 | 4:14 pmUsed to hear versions of this every day when I was still working the field. How come you’re covering THAT story? Why don’t you do some GOOD news? I called your station and they won’t cover (insert grand opening of brother’s store, daughter’s ballet recital, whatever…here). So I’m about to give away some dirty little secrets and (if you listen carefully) some pretty solid tips on how to get a bit of broadcast news coverage. All of the following is pretty much verbatim in answer to a request from a member of my husband’s church. She had a friend… -
…and so it began…
7 Jan 2012 | 10:17 amBack in the beginning it appears newreel cameramen evolved from newspaper still guys…later moving into a new medium (TV). They are converging again (on the Internet). Always wondered where the scuffle between brothers began. (Thanks Amanda Emily.) -
Did we create the monster…
6 Jan 2012 | 3:34 pm…or is the monster re-creating us? Hopping around to various newsie sites, I see a lot of moaning, groaning, and bitching about the state of broadcast journalism today. How the ethics are shot…the stories are more entertainment than news…how Barbie and Ken are running rampant in the studio. Where to lay the blame? Well favorites are consultants. Management. News directors. The new crop of (you name it: reporters, producers, crew). But we’re leaving out the most critical factor. The elephant in the newsroom discussion: the audience. THAT my friends is the monster that… -
Ingrained knowledge can be a b****…
3 Jan 2012 | 2:18 amLife is full of patterns…we live by them and a good videojournalist sees and uses them. It’s all good. Positive. Um…not always. Part of patterning is doing stuff in a certain way – a set way. Do it often enough and your body can go through the motions without the brain having to actively participate. Like driving a car – your foot finds the brake without you having to think it through. And eating…the fork finds its way to the mouth without the brain actively telling the hand to grasp the fork, the arm to extend to the plate, etc. Right now my brain is… -
Back in biz part 2…
31 Dec 2011 | 2:18 pmThe basic groundwork has been laid for the business. Right now it’s just me and the gear and my worksite, thinknews. But in order to make this viable I need an extended list of folks who have professional experience AND who I can work with. The latter is right up there with the experience because if I can’t work with someone…if I can’t trust them totally…they are useless. This next week is dedicated to contacting old co-workers and friends to get their information, gear list, and rates. The purpose is threefold: 1. Want to be able to hand off jobs I cannot take…
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Ackerman Gruber Images - Minneapolis, MN Photographers » Blog
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Bank of North Dakota for Businessweek
26 Jan 2012 | 1:40 pmRecently we traveled to Bismarck, North Dakota to shoot a portrait of the president of the only state owned bank in the United States. Making a portrait of a banker probably isn’t high on a lot of people’s list of exciting things to shoot, but Jenn and I were excited about this shoot as it took us to a state we’re completely fascinated with. Our subject, Eric, was easy to work with which always makes our job a joy. We had plenty to talk about including the Vikings and his daughter’s interest in photography. As I kid I would travel with my parents and sister to make… -
Mike Collins and Gundersen Lutheran for US News & World Report
4 Nov 2011 | 10:57 pmRecently I had the chance to work on two fun assignments for the US News & World Report. One of those two took me to Gundersen Lutheran in La Crosse, Wisconsin where I photographed Mike who has receiving chemo treatment for a rare form of lymphoma. I had no idea Mike was to be discharged that afternoon until I arrived. It made for what could have easily been a depressing story into a joyous one. I spent an exciting afternoon with Mike and his wife Mary and an endless stream of hospital staff coming in to give their well wishes. It was easy to see the staff truly cared about Mike and… -
Alisha’s Care Center for Minnesota Monthly
24 Oct 2011 | 11:57 amThe timing for this assignment from Minnesota Monthly was perfect for us. We had just returned from 26 days in Brazil and only had a few days at home before flying out to Sweden and Norway and we were glad it worked out that way because Alisha’s Care Center was one of those assignments that reminded us that being a photographer is often like being in the second grade with each class trip or in this case assignment exposing you to fascinating people and new places that you otherwise wouldn’t come across. Below are a few photos and tearsheet from our shoot, but do yourself a favor… -
Back to School Shopping at Target for the Wall Street Journal
18 Sep 2011 | 11:13 pmOn a day that I found myself at Target buying a new backpack before leaving for our trip to Brazil and a fresh box of #2 pencils I joked with Jenn that it felt like I was back to school shopping. Then ironically enough I get an email from Erica at The Wall Street Journal asking if I can photograph back to school shoppers that afternoon at Target. Hours later I was back at my local Target photographing families back to school shopping. A few photos from the assignment – -
Julie Hartje For AARP Bulletin
16 Sep 2011 | 8:48 amRecently we traveled to the Wisconsin/Illinois border for the AARP Bulletin for a story on bariatric surgery. It was great to finally work with Michael Witchita, an editor we have known and have been excited to work with for awhile. Postponing the shoot for a couple of days so I could get back in town was the first sign that this story was right up my alley. Julie Hartje had gastric bypass surgery earlier this year in response to her every-growing need for insulin to treat her diabetes. Michael asked me to take photos of Julie as she went about her new daily routine. Every aspect of her life…
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yelvington.com
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We all deserve better than SOPA-PIPA
20 Jan 2012 | 11:50 amAs of this morning, SOPA and its evil twin, PIPA, are effectively dead. A tsunami of public outrage pushed a major realignment in Congress. Plans for votes were canceled. But these bills are not truly dead. Like zombies, they'll be back, propelled by the rage of content owners. I don't share the rage, but I understand it. In the nearly 18 years I've been working in digital media, I've had to deal with a number of cases of outright thievery -- stolen images and artwork, copied stories, hijacked data, trademark violations. Once I discovered that some geek working for Lexis-Nexis was reposting… -
The new baseline skill set
13 Jan 2012 | 8:57 amI was looking at a couple of recent job postings at our newspapers and it occurs to me that the baseline skill set has quietly shifted. Students and veterans alike should take notice: Be prepared to work in multiple media, simultaneously. We're digital-first, but we still print. Be prepared to blog and interact with the public. As a writer, this means you need to develop a distinct voice, and know when and how to use it. Not everybody gets a blog at first, but you should want one -- and know why you want one. Be prepared to shoot video and still images with a smartphone. In our case, we… -
What newsrooms should learn from Kodak
7 Jan 2012 | 9:41 amSo Kodak, the company that invented amateur photography in the 19th century and invented digital photography in the 20th, is on the ropes. There are obvious lessons for newspapers and newsrooms. Here are a few of them. Your business isn't what you think it is. Kodak at its peak looked like a photography company, but it was really a giant chemical manufacturing company. Digital tech rendered the entire chemical photography business irrelevant. By comparison, newspapers looked like news and information companies, but they were really expensive commercial advertisement printing and delivery… -
Our broken patent system
5 Jan 2012 | 7:07 amBrilliantly explained in an infographic: Source: http://frugaldad.com -
A New Year's resolution for tech journalists
1 Jan 2012 | 8:00 amHere's a New Year's resolution I'd like to see made, and kept, by all tech journalists: Report first, then think, then write. Don't skip the first two steps, and don't get them out of order. Computer, networking and mobile technology is changing all of human society. Journalism about tech is important. But tech journalism today is a vast wasteland of plagiarism, rumormongering, empty snark, fanboiism, trolling, unfounded assumptions and whole-cloth invention. It's damned hard to find any actual reporting. Actual facts, when they are to be found, usually from PR handouts and spec sheets.
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Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ) - Understanding News in the Information Age
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Bangor Daily News ‘Progress Edition’ Promotes Local Businesses, Advertisers
27 Jan 2012 | 8:01 am -
CBS News Hires Tillman as Dep. Bureau Chief
27 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am -
Univision Scoops ABC, Snags First Post-SOTU Interview with President Obama
27 Jan 2012 | 7:59 am -
U.S Falls to 47th in Press Freedom Rankings After Occupy Crackdown
27 Jan 2012 | 7:54 am -
Should Journalists Become Entrepreneurs?
27 Jan 2012 | 7:53 am
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Lost Remote
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The Oscars go social with Shira Lazar’s ‘What’s Trending’
27 Jan 2012 | 12:26 pmThe Oscars producers are finally figuring out that you don’t necessarily need young hosts to be hip on the social web. The team behind the Oscars seems to be developing simple and effective ways to partner with already existing influential communities. First a video in partnership with Funny or Die and now a 5-part web series with Shira Lazar’s What’s Trending show. Called Oscar Dailies, they’ll feature an “all-star lineup of film experts…including Mashable Entertainment Editor Christina Warren, YouTube Star Michael Buckley, The Hollywood Reporter’s… -
How CBC’s ‘Cover Me Canada’ leveraged social voting [Interview]
27 Jan 2012 | 10:09 amI recently wrote that a television property has yet to exist where the voting was solely on social. I was delighted when Tessa Sproule, CBC’s Director of Interactive Content tweeted at me to tell us about the social voting “Cover Me Canada, a reality elimination music show,” that aired on CBC from September to November. The Canadian television market is an important one that continues to grow in ad revenue and accounts for over $7 billion. There’s also great content that comes out of Canada that often ends up on linear in the US. While Cover Me Canada was only on for a… -
Social TV app Viggle launches with real-life rewards
26 Jan 2012 | 12:39 pmEarlier this month, we previewed Viggle, a new social TV app that’s the brainchild of former American Idol exec Robert Sillerman. Today, Viggle hit the iTunes Appstore (iPhone right now), and we gave it a spin. Viggle is based on rewards — not badges or stickers — but gift cards from Amazon, Starbucks, Burger King, iTunes and freebies like an iPod Shuffle and one month of Hulu Plus. To earn these rewards, TV viewers accrue points by checking into broadcasts, setting reminders for upcoming shows, watching videos, playing games and taking quizzes (such as, “Test your… -
Networked Insights analysis of the State of the Union
26 Jan 2012 | 11:55 amTwitter and Mass Relevance put out some very interesting data the State of the Union, and now social TV data company Networked Insights has provided us with a deeper analysis of what social comments can tell us about the president’s TV broadcast to the nation. Social TV data continues to be fascinating. From the top level analysis on the biggest moments to infographics that paint a picture of the ongoing conversation, boring traditional TV ratings better watch out for companies that have technology and know how to listen in the right places at the right time. Networked Insights Lead… -
Making movie trailers on TV more social, meet MoviePal
25 Jan 2012 | 5:16 pmSocial-savvy TV junkies usually scoff at the idea of watching commercials. DVRs, Netflix, iTunes and the on-demand culture have made TV commercials for much scripted content, irrelevant. There is an exception though when it comes to movie trailers. Trailer and film junkies get hooked up Apple’s trailer site but those who fall into the genre of of, I watch insane amounts of TV but rarely see movies (like myself), coming across a trailer that entices me on TV can get me to get off the couch. The obvious thing to do after seeing a trailer is to Google it for more information but often it…
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National Press Photographers Association
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Gordon Parks Photo Contest Deadline July 2
26 Jan 2012 | 1:58 pmThe 31st annual Gordon Parks photography contest is now accepting entries, and the deadline is July 2, 2012. Details about how to enter are on their Web site at www.gordonparkscenter.org. -
NPPA's Lawyer Details Backlash Against Photojournalists
26 Jan 2012 | 1:45 pmAs a former news photographer himself, NPPA's general counsel understands both journalism and the law as he's watched a "perfect storm" of repression grow and rage against photojournalists in the United States in recent years. Specializing in First Amendment freedoms, NPPA's H. Osterreicher has tracked how the war on terrorism somehow morphed into a war on photography. -
NPPA Announces Event Tuition Grants
26 Jan 2012 | 6:29 amUsing funds distributed by The Authors Coalition of America (ACA), NPPA is now offering to professional still photographers some tuition grants for its 2012 line-up of educational programming. -
Why UK Newspapers Are Dumping Staff Photographers
25 Jan 2012 | 7:34 amThe Guardian's Roy Greenslade lays out the rationale behind why the UK's major papers have slashed staff photographer jobs and retained picture editors who assign freelancers or buy cheaper images from picture agencies rather than create their own content. And as a warning, Greenslade points out to the writers that they're the next target. -
Best Of Photojournalism TV Entry Deadline: Friday!
24 Jan 2012 | 10:12 amThe deadline for entering this year's Best Of Photojournalism TV competition is this Friday, January 27, 2012 at 3pm EST. There's still time to take part in one of the world's largest television photojournalism contests. To get started please visit bop.nppa.org for more information.
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Online Journalism Blog
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A lesson in UGC, copyright, and the law (again)
27 Jan 2012 | 2:56 pmTerence Eden filmed the above video demonstrating O2′s phone security flaw. He put it on YouTube with the standard copyright licence. And someone at Sky News ignored that when they used it without permission. But what’s interesting about Terence’s blog post about the experience is the legal position that Sky then negotiated from – an experience that journalism students, journalists and hyperlocal bloggers can learn from. Here is what Sky came back with after negotiations stalled when Eden invoked copyright law in asking for £1500 for using his video (“£300 for… -
The £10,000 question: who benefits most from a tax threshold change?
27 Jan 2012 | 10:34 amHere’s a great test for eagle-eyed journalists, tweeted by Guardian’s James Ball. It’s a tale of two charts that claim to show the impact of a change in the income tax threshold to £10,000. Here’s the first: And here’s the second: So: same change, very different stories. In one story (Institute for Fiscal Studies) it is the the wealthiest that appear to benefit the most; but in the other (Taxpayers’ Alliance via Guido Fawkes) it’s the poorest who are benefiting. Did you spot the difference? The different y axis is a slight clue – the first… -
A new Scottish datablog (and a treemap in Liverpool)
27 Jan 2012 | 9:24 amThe Scotsman has a newish data blog, set up (I’m rather proud to say) by one of my former PA/Telegraph trainees: Jennifer O’Mahoney. This is particularly important as so much data covered in the ‘national’ press tends to be English-only due to devolution. The Department of Education, for example, only publishes English education data. If you want Scottish education data you need to go to the Scottish Government website or Education Scotland. Ofsted inspects schools in England; for Scottish schools reports you need to visit HM Inspectorate of Education. (Meanwhile,… -
Word cloud or bar chart?
27 Jan 2012 | 1:54 amOne of the easiest ways to get someone started on data visualisation is to introduce them to word clouds (it also demonstrates neatly how not all data is numerical). Using tools like Wordle and Tagxedo, you can paste in a major speech and see it visualised within a minute or so. But is a word cloud the best way of visualising speeches? The New York Times appear to think otherwise. Their visualisation (above) comparing President Obama’s State of the Union address and speeches by Republican presidential candidates chooses to use something far less fashionable: the bar chart. Why did they… -
Report: Social Media and News
24 Jan 2012 | 1:02 pmLast year I was commissioned to write a report on ‘Social Media and News’ for the Open Society Media Program, as part of the ‘Mapping Digital Media’ series. The report is now available here (PDF). As I say in the introduction, I focused on “the areas that are most strongly contested and hold the most importance for the development of news reporting”, namely: competition over copyright between individuals, news organisations, and social media platforms; the move to hyperlocal and international-scope publishing; the tensions between privacy and freedom of…
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Common Sense Journalism
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Editteach: Two good examples from NPR
12 Jan 2012 | 11:20 amIf you are teaching writing and editing, you could do worse than to have students listen to these two examples from NPR(I like using audio to help teach because it shows the power of creating pictures in people's heads while also being a bit more dimensional than just print. It also shows the necessity for all writers to use their ears and eyes in ways to pick up details like nat sound that yo can then describe in text.)Wade Goodwyn's moving and detailed story about troops returning home in December 2-11Tracy Samilton's fun story today about how Craftsman decided to debut a riding… -
Have you met his cousin, Zippity -doo-dah?
9 Jan 2012 | 7:23 pmSome headlines just write themselves ...http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/beezow-doo-doo-zopittybop-bop-bop-busted-article-1.1003302But imagine trying to do this in print with a one-coumn, tight count, like a 10 or 12.(Thanks to Gary Karr for the pointer.) -
Blackboard strikes again - RIP dropbox
6 Jan 2012 | 6:53 pmAh yes, the Blackboard overlords have struck again adding yet another reason to my list of hating this course management system.In v9.1, BB has eliminated the dropbox, helpfully suggesting that if you want to exchange files with students, use the "assignment manager."Only, did anyone think that not every file exchange involves an assignment?Dropbox, for instance, was perfect for sending a large audio editing review file privately to a student that was too large for email and then deleting it. Since the original story was not a traditional "assignment," it would be cumbersome at best to do it… -
Editteach: Dissecting another fire story
6 Jan 2012 | 7:16 amThis one is online today from a TV station site.* (Seems I'm specializing in fire stories these days.) Updated to also correct street name.Columbia, SC (WLTX)--An early morning fire is smoldering at The Salty Nut Cafe in Five Points.Not a bad lede. If you are keeping score at home and use AP style, that should be S.C., but no one says the station has to do that. One might also ask why "SC" is needed on a story from a Columbia station, but this is the "world wide" Web, so such things are in flux. Authorites say there was heavy black smoke when they arrived at 4:30 Friday morning.Again, not bad… -
From the editing trenches: Dissecting a fire story
30 Dec 2011 | 5:34 pmThere was a terribly tragic fire in Stamford, Conn., on Christmas. The day later, the following story appeared in my paper.I can't tell whether it was an original AP dispatch or was reworked on the local desk. I've found similar, but not identical, versions online that take care of some of the problems noted below.But the story provides a good case study of editing problems, especially with structure. So I present the original below annotated with my notes (I use these for my classes), and then a re-edited version. Feel free to comment: STAMFORD, Conn. — Fire tore through…
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CyberJournalist.net
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The future of television advertising
25 Jan 2012 | 9:31 amDavid Verklin, the former CEO of Aegis Media Americas, one of the five largest buyers of advertising time and space in the nation, says in this video interview that TV has moved from a device to “an experience” in the past 36 months. He believes advertisers will continue to spend a lot... -
Meet Facebook’s new app partners
19 Jan 2012 | 11:21 amFacebook has announced 60 new partners who have created apps in new categories, ranging from travel to entertainment. Users can add the apps to their timeline and share their activities with the friends on Facebook. This is the next step from the apps released a few months ago, such as Spotify and... -
Three alternate ways to access Wikipedia
18 Jan 2012 | 10:27 amWikipedia is among a number of sites blacking out today in protest of SOPA and PIPA, two bills before Congress that many in the tech community fear will infringe upon free expression and do serious harm to the Internet. You can read more about Wikipedia’s position and the bill here. And here... -
Is the ‘App Internet’ the future?
14 Dec 2011 | 7:49 amForrester Research’s Chairman and CEO George Colony said recently that the world is moving toward the “App Internet, which offers a “faster, simpler and better Internet experience.” The App Internet market is worth $2.2 billion, according to Forrester Research, and decision makers at 41% of... -
Mobile usage finally passes print
13 Dec 2011 | 2:09 pmAmerican adults spent 30 percent more time with their mobile phones this year, meaning that for the first time now spend more time with their mobile phones than with print magazines and newspapers combined, according to a new report from eMarketer. That gap is likely to continue widening. TV still...
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Editors Weblog
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Media links of the day
27 Jan 2012 | 11:51 amThe Washington Post has launched a new section on its website titled to publish links to the best coverage of the US election. The Post gathers links shared by Twitter users tweeting with its hashtag #campaignreads. Facebook hires Bloomberg's Dan Fletcher as its new managing editor, reports Forbes.The Guardian has published a map, based on the research project How Africa Tweets, showing Twitter usage across the African continent. For more industry news please see WAN-IFRA's Executive News Service -
China and India gaining prominence in international newspapers
27 Jan 2012 | 9:24 amStarting from the current issue The Economist will have a weekly section devoted to China, the paper's leader announced. This is the first time since 1942, when the a US section was introduced, that the news magazine is dedicating an entire section to a single country, the article explained. Thematic sections and blogs as well as specific columns are usually focused on a geographical area, as Banyan, the blog dedicated to Asia, which takes its name from the Banyan tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment and Gujarati merchants used to conduct business.The name for China blog has not yet… -
Mail Online is the world's biggest newspaper site, according to comScore
27 Jan 2012 | 2:54 amThe Daily Mail has overtaken The New York Times to become the world's biggest newspaper site, according to data from comScore. Buzzfeed reports that in December 2011 Mail Online reached 45.3 million users, compared to 44.8 million reached by the The New York Times.Mail Online publisher Martin Clarke told Buzzfeed in an interview that growing US audiences and the hiring of deputy editor Katherine Thompson, formerly of the Huffington Post, have helped fuel the Mail's boom in readers. The site has a strong presence in America, with permanent staff in New York and Los Angeles. For more… -
Media links of the day
26 Jan 2012 | 10:50 amWhat are the differences between Story Visualizations and Answer Visualizations? Why human filters are the future of the web: the importance of role of real editors rather than algorithms online. Latest numbers indicate New York Times traffic is flat since the paywall was implemented, says BuzzFeed (via Poynter). Reporters Without Borders reported that blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad, who had been detained for 10 months on a charge of insulting the armed forces, was released on 24 January. His release was reported on Twitter by his brother Mark. For more industry news please see WAN-IFRA's… -
Europa: six European titles team up to investigate European identity
26 Jan 2012 | 9:59 amSix countries, six leading newspapers, a huge audience and one common theme: Europe, how to explain it better, how to understand it better, how to build it better. This is the aim of an editorial project which saw six papers joining forces to produce a joint special edition on the situation of the European Union. "The state of the Union", echoing the State of the union speech US President Obama gave on 24 January, is the angle of the first issue of Europa (more will be expected in future) produced by El Pais, the Guardian, Le Monde, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Gazeta Wyborcza and La Stampa. This…
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The Newspaper Guild
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Nevada GOP to Release Caucus Results Via Social Media Instead of AP
27 Jan 2012 | 1:56 pmSteve MyersJanuary 27, 2012Poynter.orgThe Nevada Republican Party announced Friday that it will release up-to-the minute results of its Feb. 4 caucus on Twitter, enabling anyone to get the latest information without relying on a news site’s election map or the ticker at the bottom of a TV screen. The Nevada GOP will also partner with Google, whose map with results will appear on the Party’s website. AP responds: "AP has assured its members and subscribers that we will strive to exercise the quality control with the Nevada numbers that is the hallmark of our election services and work with… -
U.S. Rep. Miller Seeks DOJ Investigation Into Conduct of NLRB Member Brian Hayes
27 Jan 2012 | 1:32 pmStaffJanuary 27, 2012House Committee on Education & the WorkforceRep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, asked the Department of Justice today to look into evidence uncovered by a National Labor Relations Board Inspector General investigation that found Board Member Brian Hayes engaged in employment discussions with a law firm with business before the agency. -
Number of Union Members Grows in 2011; Slight Drop as a Percentage of Workforce
27 Jan 2012 | 12:43 pmMark GruenbergJanuary 27, 2012Press Associates Union News ServiceWASHINGTON (PAI)—Unions gained a net of 49,000 members nationwide in 2011 compared to the year before, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. But while it calculated that union membership rose to 14.764 million, it said the union share of the U.S. workforce slipped slightly, down 0.1%, to 11.8%. Women accounted for three-fourths of the overall increase, but there are still more unionized men (8.006 million) than women (6.758 million). Union density was higher among men, too, although several… -
Bonus Pay Part of Tentative Deal for Cal Interpreters
27 Jan 2012 | 9:53 amStaffJanuary 27, 2012CFI-Pacific Media Workers GuildA tentative agreement for a new MOU was reached Thursday afternoon at the end of a drama-filled bargaining session. -
Bleacher Report Hiring 20 Writers
27 Jan 2012 | 9:46 amJeff RobertsJanuary 27, 2012paidContent.orgBleacher Report is using part of the $22 million cash infusion it received last summer to hire 20 bona fide writers. The popular site currently relies almost exclusively on rabid fans to churn out buckets of barstool-style sports chatter.
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Media news, UK and world media comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk
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Super Bowl: Top 10 banned TV ads | Michael Solomon
28 Jan 2012 | 6:00 amSuper Bowl ad breaks are the pinnacle of advertising - but these commercials never made the showJust because a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl costs $3.5 million this year, doesn't mean NBC will take a company's money. After all, despite all evidence to the contrary with Whitney, the network does have standards. Over the years, plenty of commercials have been banned from the big broadcast for being offensive. Some, such as the spots PETA produces, are meant to be rejected so they can generate free publicity by going viral online. (Even major Super Bowl sponsors such as… -
News International offices searched as four more men are arrested
28 Jan 2012 | 4:37 amServing police officer among four arrested under Operation Elveden investigation into payments to policeFour men, including a serving police officer, have been arrested in connection with Scotland Yard's investigation into payments to police officers by journalists.Police are also carrying out searches of the News International offices in Wapping, east London, and the homes of the four people.A 29-year-old serving police officer was arrested at his place of work in central London on suspicion of corruption and misconduct in public office. The officer, of the Met's territorial policing unit,… -
The Hard Sell: Radio 1
27 Jan 2012 | 6:06 pm'Fern Britton would have been a more credible option. As would Dot Cotton. Or a fern and some cotton'Imagine you're a Radio 1 executive: try-hard haircut, Daily Mail-enraging expense account, the full clip. You need some "talent" to be the face of the station's New Music policy. Which of your roster of hip youngsters do you pick? Mistajam? Kutski? Kissy Sellout even? Nope, you plump for Fearne Cotton, presenter of Pet Swap and Love Island. Fern Britton would have been a more credible option. As would Dot Cotton. Or a fern and some cotton.The resultant promo, screening incessantly on BBC3,… -
The Week in TV: Birdsong, Mad Dogs and Hustle – video
27 Jan 2012 | 6:01 pmOur resident TV addict Andrew Collins guides us through a week of action, costume dramas and the best of the rest of the last seven days in television. Featuring season two of Mad Dogs, a new series of the BBC franchise Hustle and the BBC period war drama Birdsong, based on the 1993 Sebastian Faulks novelAndrew Collins -
Tim Dowling: life is tweet
27 Jan 2012 | 5:00 pm'I realise anything I say about the point of Twitter will eventually be proved idiotic'On Sunday I come downstairs to find the middle one typing furiously on a laptop while a football match roars from the television. The middle one's friend is leaning over his shoulder, staring at the screen. I lean in, too."What are you doing?" I ask."I'm providing live match commentary on Twitter," he says."But you're not on Twitter," I say."I know," he says. "I just joined for this." I watch as he types, "tottenham break with lennon but cross is poor.""How many followers do you have?" I say."None," he…
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Media: Greenslade | guardian.co.uk
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How The People revealed the Malay massacre
26 Jan 2012 | 5:25 amToday's Guardian story about the massacre of 24 unarmed people in Malaysia in 1948 reminded me of a great piece of investigative journalism by The People.When the shooting of the Malay villagers by British troops was first revealed by the paper it suffered severe criticism from the government, assorted politicians and some readers.The story, headlined "Horror in a nameless village", was published on 1 February 1970, when Bob Edwards was editor.It followed the brave decision by one soldier, a member of the Scots Guards, to counter the official version - that the villagers were shot while… -
Press freedom index: big falls for Arab trio in year of protest
26 Jan 2012 | 2:51 amSyria, Bahrain and Yemen fall backwards as uprisings fail to secure democracyThree Arab countries where popular risings have been quashed have achieved their worst-ever rankings in the annual press freedom index.But the falls by Syria, Bahrain and Yemen are among many changes that reflect a year of unrest and protest.The United States, for example, has dropped markedly due to the targeting of journalists covering the Occupy Wall Street movement. It slipped 27 places, down to 47th place out of a total of 179 countries in the survey. Britain fell from 19th to 28th (though the reason for that… -
Mail Online goes top of the world
25 Jan 2012 | 11:39 amDaily Mail's website knocks New York Times off the comScore top spotThe Daily Mail has become the leading online newspaper in the world, according to figures by the tracking service comScore.The British middle-market tabloid has eclipsed the previous, and long-time, holder of the top spot, the New York Times.The figures show that Mail Online reached 45.3m people last December compared to the NY Times's 44.8m. Trailing behind them are USA Today, the US-based Tribune newspapers and the Guardian. Mail's Online's editor, Martin Clarke, puts it down to ever-improving US traffic, and says: "We just… -
How Murdoch made a killing in China after dumping Chris Patten's book
25 Jan 2012 | 10:20 amIn February 1998, Rupert Murdoch instructed his British book publisher, HarperCollins, not to publish a book by Chris (now Lord) Patten.That fascinating bit of history, which Murdoch tried to shrug off during New Corp's takeover of Dow Jones in 2007, was retold by Patten to the Leveson inquiry on Monday.He explained that his book about his experiences as Britain's last governor of Hong Kong contained material critical of the Chinese authorities at a time when Murdoch was hoping to expand in China.Patten told Leveson: "Plainly, Mr Murdoch took the view that publishing a book critical of the… -
Mahmood at Leveson - not so assured as he admits acting 'improperly'
25 Jan 2012 | 10:03 amMazher Mahmood began his reappearance before the Leveson inquiry by admitting that he had previously been economical with the truth.During his first appearance at the inquiry, he said he left the Sunday Times in 1988 due to "a disagreement." I said in a blog posting that it was much more than a mere disagreement and I had the documentary evidence to prove it.I was then asked by the inquiry's solicitors to provide that evidence, and it formed part of the reason for his recall.My evidence told how Mahmood, when a Sunday Times reporter, had attempted to cover up an error by trying to amend a…
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blog maverick
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The TV Business Keeps Getting Stronger !
14 Jan 2012 | 6:53 pmBack in my broadcast.com days we had a saying that “bits are bits”. That once content becomes digital, it is naturally going to become available on any and all digital devices. Based on this, we always made the point to be platform and device agnostic. We didn’t care where or how people saw our content, as long as they saw it and we had the chance to monetize it. We also knew that our core value proposition to consumers was that on broadcast.com they were able to get content that they couldn’t get on TV. We had Yoga channels, we had cricket live and on demand, we had… -
Why Startups Shouldn’t Hire PR Firms
13 Jan 2012 | 5:31 pmA quote from my book, How to Win at the Sport of Business got picked up in multiple stories. In the book I stated effectively that “Startups should never hire a PR firm”. As you would expect, the PR Industry was not over-joyed at the comment. Articles were written about how incredibly valuable a good PR person can be to a startup. Actually, I have no doubt that a smart PR person can add value to a startup. The problem is that all things considered, it’s not enough value. The first problem with hiring a PR firm is cost. Cash is always in short supply in startups. -
You Don’t Live in the World You Were Born Into
31 Dec 2011 | 11:54 amI thought this was appropriate to start the new year. We all have the tendency to believe that we are living in a very advanced technological period. We get all excited about the new tech we got at Xmas and what we read about that will soon be available to us. In reality, everything we are excited about today is going to be incredibly old and boring much faster than we ever expect. No matter what year you were born, by the time you finish(ed) high school, its (was) a completely different world. Today’s high school seniors were born prior to the World Wide Web, wireless internet,… -
The Fan Experience at Sporting Events – We dont need no stinking smartphones !
24 Dec 2011 | 11:17 amWith the season starting tomorrow, I wanted to update a blog post I did in 2010. In just the past 18 months the number of proposals for in-game entertainment have skyrocketed. It seems like every day I get a new proposal to invest in a company that is going to revolutionize the experience of going to a sporting event. Without fail the proposal starts out with some form of “with the explosion in sales of smartphones…” Then I get the meat of the pitch which is some derivative of stats, pictures, fantasy games, social sharing via FB/Twitter or some new network to replace… -
Patent Law Kills Again
17 Dec 2011 | 3:28 pmI got this email this morning. Mark, I’ve been following blogmaverick.com for a loooong time. I’ve recently come up against a patent related issue and figured I give it a shot in running it by you since you write about patent law often. I’ll be brief… I spent the last year developing an extremely valuable piece of technology. I have caught the eye of a Fortune 500 company that would benefit most from the technology and they want to make a strategic investment in my small company. The problem is they are big, stodgy and paranoid… and they are hung up on…
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News from Journalism.co.uk
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The top 10 most-read stories on Journalism.co.uk, 21-27 January
27 Jan 2012 | 11:33 amTweet 1. How to: prepare for a journalism job interview 2. Johann Hari declines invitation to return to Independent 3. News International to launch Sunday version of the Sun on 29 April, sources say 4. A guide to mastering 100wpm shorthand 5. Women’s groups condemn ‘harmful’ stereotypes in media 6. Is your blog in this PR database of 1.3 million blogs? 7. PA editor: Name mistake ‘catastrophic example of human error’ 8. Mail Online publisher: ‘If you don’t listen to your users then you’re dead’ 9. App of the week for journalists – Flipboard 10. Tool of… -
#followjourn – @viewmagazine David Dunkley Gyimah/videojournalist
27 Jan 2012 | 11:14 amTweet Who? David Dunkley Gyimah Where? Knight Batten and international award-winning videojournalist. He also produces online magazine viewmagazine.tv. Twitter? @viewmagazine David will be speaking about online video journalism at news:rewired – media in motion, Journalism.co.uk’s conference on the latest trends in digital journalism. Just as we like to supply you with fresh and innovative tips, we are recommending journalists to follow online too. Recommended journalists can be from any sector of the industry: please send suggestions (you can nominate yourself) to Rachel at… -
AFP photographer wins political photography award
27 Jan 2012 | 9:58 amTweet The AFP has issued a release to say its photographer John MacDougall won the Rueckblende (flashback) award in Germany for 2011. The agency says this is the first time the award, which is for political photography and cartoons, has gone to one of its photographers. The winning picture of a German female soldier embracing a relative of one of three victims at a military funeral brought home the human aspect of the tragedy of Afghanistan, judges of the Rueckblende award for political photography said. MacDougall first started work at AFP in 1989 as a photo editor. According to the AFP… -
PCC and Ofcom to appear before Leveson inquiry
27 Jan 2012 | 6:50 amThe witness list for the Leveson inquiry for the week starting 30 January shows a week of evidence from media industry regulators -
#jpod: A guide to using numbers in journalism
27 Jan 2012 | 6:42 amTweet The vast majority of journalists are tasked with reporting statistics from time to time. From hospital waiting times to crime reports, company results, government figures and the annual budget, all have scope for inaccuracies and reporters can get the story wrong. This podcast looks at how numbers can lead to errors and embarrassment for journalists. Journalism.co.uk technology correspondent Sarah Marshall hears advice from Michael Blastland, author and creator of the BBC Radio 4 programme More or Less; James Ball, data reporter at the Guardian; Professor Steve Schifferes, course leader…
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One Man & His Blog
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Oh, Google, you flatter me
26 Jan 2012 | 6:48 amThis is who Google thinks I am, based on its analysis for ad serving:Google has taken between 15 and 6 years off my age. Boy, it knows how to flatter me.(Or is it just saying that I'm immature...?) -
The Million Dollar Newsstand?
26 Jan 2012 | 5:13 amRobert Andrews, writing for Paid Content:UK magazine publisher Future made $1 million in new tablet magazine revenue within a month of debuting 65 of its titles on iTunes' Newsstand$1m in a month (although it's a wee bit longer if you poke at the figures)? Damn that Apple and its publisher-unfriendly Newsstand system. -
Science publishing ripe for disruption?
25 Jan 2012 | 9:40 amI wonder how long scientific publishers can cling to their existing models when they're eliciting this level of active hostility from their customers: Once I did hear about Elsevier’s behaviour, I made a conscious decision not to publish in Elsevier journals and I started to feel bad about cooperating with them in any way. I didn’t go as far as to refuse, but if, say, I was asked to join the editorial board of an Elsevier journal and wasn’t quite sure I wanted to, then the fact that it was Elsevier was enough to make my mind up. (This actually happened. I was a little… -
I work on it, why should I read it?
25 Jan 2012 | 9:30 amJohn Robinson wants to know what we would do if… * Half of your employees — including those in the newsroom — don’t read the paper (except for their own stories)? Sadly, that's been the case in pretty much every big magazine I've worked on. News reporters are particularly notorious for never bothering to read the features, in my experience, leading to the occasional embarrassment when the run something in news that was published in a feature a month before… -
Content Strategy, Like Lightning...
24 Jan 2012 | 3:55 pmWhen I left RBI at the end of last month, with my potted plant in my arms and a cheque in my back pocket, I realised that high on my priority list was figuring out exactly what I'd just spent the best part of six years doing. Wait. That sounds bad. I knew exactly what I'd been doing; I just wasn't sure how best to describe it to the outside world, especially as it's more than possible that my next employer won't be a journalism organisation. Outside that rarefied field, the job title "editorial development manager" doesn't mean much. I'm not sure it meant much even within that…
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The American Prospect
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Why Gingrich Lost His Groove
27 Jan 2012 | 4:53 pmHas Newt Gingrich floundered in Florida because he doesn’t understand his own appeal to GOP voters? In South Carolina, the former house speaker hit upon an anti-elite message that goes straight to the heart of the Tea Party—and the political moment. It was nothing new: the kind of silent-majority red meat that white conservatives have eagerly consumed since the days of Wallace and Nixon (not to mention Bush and Palin). But it was a message tuned to a time when Americans are increasingly cognizant of wealth disparities, and aware that elites have cornered the market on economic… -
Couture's Chinese Culture Shock
27 Jan 2012 | 3:48 pmWe’re witnessing a remarkable shift in China’s relationship to global fashion: once “the world’s factory,” in Asian American fashion scholar Thuy Linh N. Tu’s words, China is now poised to be the world’s mall. While China remains a poor country with an average annual per capita consumption of $2,500 (in contrast, the U.S. per capita average is $30,000), China’s rising number of millionaires and the Internet-enabled diffusion of Western fashion consumer culture are quickly transforming the communist nation into what The New York Times has called “The Shoppers’ Republic of… -
Missing the Arab Awakening
27 Jan 2012 | 2:29 pmOn January 25, Egyptians marked the one-year anniversary of their revolution with another massive demonstration in Tahrir Square, the epicenter of what has become known variously as the Arab Spring, the Arab Awakening, or the Arab Uprising. Whatever term one chooses for the events that began with the self-immolation of a Tunisian fruit vendor in December 2010 and soon swept through Egypt, Yemen, Libya, and Syria—the last year has marked a decisive shift in the modern history of the Arab world. Though the situations in different countries have and will continue to take different paths, the… -
State of Disunion
27 Jan 2012 | 2:23 pmQuestions, comments, suggestions? Send us an e-mail at voxandfriends@prospect.org! -
Gay Marriage Moving Forward Around the Country
27 Jan 2012 | 12:22 pmIt's been a good week for gay-rights advocates. Washington state gained the crucial 25th vote needed to pass same-sex marriage. The news prompted headlines around the country, but it was hardly the only place where such legislation moved forward. In Maryland, Governor Martin O'Malley is once again pushing a gay marriage bill. Last year's bill stalled, but this time around, lawmakers are making broader exemptions for religious institutions. O'Malley and other advocates are also trying to drum up public support for the bill, which if passed will likely be put to a public vote this fall.
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College Media Matters
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Bed Bugs Attack at University of Alaska Anchorage (@TNL_Updates #bedbugs)
27 Jan 2012 | 3:14 pmAn “expanding bedbug population” is infesting student dorm rooms at the University of Alaska Anchorage, a new report in The Northern Light campus newspaper confirms. – – The article is frankly fascinating. Three things I learned: – 1) These “nighttime crawlers” like to travel: “Bedbugs are extreme hitchhikers. They are the best hitchhikers in the bug world.” – 2) One step to spot a potential infestation involves “looking for small streaks of excrement around the bed frame and mattress.” Hmm. – 3) Bed bugs are a… -
Fallout at Yale Daily News Over Star Quarterback Sexual Assault Story
27 Jan 2012 | 12:34 pmA Yale Daily News editor has gone public with distressingly significant complaints about an alleged decision by top YDN staff to hold a bombshell story about sexual assault accusations made against the university’s star quarterback. The QB Patrick Witt had been hailed as a hero this past fall for an all-around awesome pedigree that earned him a Rhodes Scholarship finalist interview– which he turned down to lead Yale in a rivalry game against Harvard. – Yet, as The New York Times reported yesterday, this Disney-ish story arc was actually a farce. He had already been… -
Daily Princetonian Honors Harry Potter in Recent Joke Issue (#harrypotter)
26 Jan 2012 | 6:42 pmIn its annual joke issue published earlier this month, The Daily Princetonian became The Daily Prophet. The Princeton University student newspaper embraced Harry Potter in a spoof-tastic edition full of stories about muggles, magic, elves, and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. – For example, in an Occupy Movement-inspired tale, the Prophet reported on student ire about allegedly unfair “magic distribution.” As the lede noted, “In a surprising turn of events at the normally apathetic university, a small number of students have taken issue with the high concentration of… -
Student Press Version of ‘Lazy Higher Ed Journalism’
26 Jan 2012 | 4:44 pmA write-up on “Lazy Higher Ed Journalism“ (spurred by a separate report on “Lazy Education Journalism” in general) recently achieved B-list viral status within the education and journalism communities. – In her Inside Higher Ed essay, Melanie Fullick charges news media with inefficient, often superficial reporting on relevant issues such as school rankings, technology’s impact on education, the value and characteristics of international students and faculty, and the various “solutions” offered as panaceas to supposedly ailing higher learning… -
Debate at Missouri’s School of Journalism: Should Students Be Allowed to Work for Multiple Media Outlets?
26 Jan 2012 | 2:51 pmA public debate is currently playing out among some profs, alums, and students within the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism centered on a campus press conflict of interest. – The basic question at the debate’s core: Should students be allowed to work for multiple, possibly competing campus media at the same time? – – The reason behind the debate: The editor-in-chief of J-School Buzz, the hyperlocal news site covering Mizzou’s j-school, recently resigned due to a conflict of interest related to her work on The Columbia Missourian, a local daily…
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You Don't Say
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Grammarnoir 1, in audio
27 Jan 2012 | 3:39 pmClick on this link to listen to a podcast of the complete installments of the first Grammarnoir serial, first published in 2009 on the occasion of the first National Grammar Day. http://www.baltimoresun.com/bal-grammar-noir-podcast-20120127,0,3990692.mp3file -
Rules of the game
26 Jan 2012 | 7:34 amYesterday I suggested that it might be profitable to consider prescriptivists as Platonists and descriptivists as Aristotelians, a conceit that garnered some appreciative comments. But Janet Byron Anderson, tweeting as @janetbyronander, was not impressed: “ IMO, the dichotomy isn't helpful. A descriptivist who writes and publishes has to respect, guess what, RULES!” and “A prescriptivist who writes, publishes has to respect, guess what, a language's anatomy.” Not entirely sure of the import of the second tweet, but I don’t plan to guess what. She got me to think… -
A new taxonomy
25 Jan 2012 | 11:11 amAre you weary of the prescriptivist/descriptivist false dichotomy? I know I am. Try a fresh taxonomy. Hard-core prescriptivists, like the members of the risible Queen’s English Society, are Platonic idealists. Though they will grudgingly concede that language changes over time, they still think that English is an external, pure reality, of which our daily jabberings and scribblings are but a smudged shadow. When they talk about establishing an academy or some other authority to realize the ideal in our mortal world, you can see, as in the Republic, just how disagreeable the result would… -
Cocking a snoot
25 Jan 2012 | 10:29 amPlease excuse my neglect of you this week, but my custom is, when I have nothing to say, to say nothing.* Today I want to explain why Bryan Garner’s tweeting as a snoot troubles me a little. Mr. Garner, whose excellent guide to English usage I have repeatedly commended to my students and colleagues, takes the term snoot from the late David Foster Wallace’s “Authority and American Usage,” which has been collected in Consider the Lobster. SNOOT was a family acronym, variously explained, for Wallace’s family custom of identifying other people’s errors in… -
Best-of joke of the week: "The Remarkable Pig"
23 Jan 2012 | 8:19 ambrightcove.createExperiences();...
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Reportr.net
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Why journalists have always had an entrepreneurial streak
27 Jan 2012 | 8:57 amFor this month’s Carnival of Journalism, Michael Rosenblum asks if a good journalist can be a good capitalist? The question is timely, given the raft of new entrepreneurial programs at journalism schools. There has always been an entrepreneurial streak in journalism, typified in the freelance journalist who makes a living by pitching and selling their work to a range of clients. Journalists, by necessity, have to be entrepreneurial in finding and chasing stories. The shift today is in the product and process of entrepreneurial journalism. I recall when I was in the Middle East for the… -
What Kodak teaches us about disruptive innovation
19 Jan 2012 | 9:28 amThe demise of Eastman Kodak is a story of a company which did not take on the challenges of disruptive innovation. After 133 years, the company has filed for bankruptcy. Essentially, Kodak was caught out by a combination of factors. The technologies that enable us to represent with world in still images changed radically with the development of digital cameras. The rise of digital was bad news for a company that made so much of its money from selling film. But technology alone doesn’t explain Kodak’s demise. Along with digital technologies came changing patterns of behaviour. -
It is not about whether the Washington Post is innovating too fast
9 Jan 2012 | 9:21 amIn a column, Washington Post ombudsman Patrick Pexton asked if the newspaper was innovating too fast. Pexton noted how “hardly a week goes by without the Web site or newspaper launching some feature, or a venture to attract more revenue, or a blog, or a social media innovation.” He later added, “I’m wondering, and readers are too, whether there’s just a bit too much innovation, too fast.” In response, the Post’s Managing Editor commented, “I actually wish it were true that we have too much innovation at the Post.” The crux of the issue here is… -
Top 10 Reportr.net posts for 2011
31 Dec 2011 | 8:51 amThe most popular posts for 2011 are dominated by Twitter and social media, as this has increasingly become a focus on my academic research. But the top five are older posts from 2007, 2008 and 2009 that continue to resonate with readers. Principles of journalism as a word cloud What a word cloud says about this blog How to find out anything about anyone online The new roles for journalists in a multimedia world Create a breaking news site in minutes with WordPress Studies find journalists use Twitter for broadcast How journalists are using Twitter Social networking sites challenge journalism… -
Predicting the future of social media
31 Dec 2011 | 8:39 amThe Nieman Journalism Lab asked me to contribute to its series looking ahead to what 2012 will bring for journalism. For my contribution, I suggested that the excitement and hype over social media may start dying down in the coming year, and this is something to be welcomed. My argument draws from Roy Amara’s First Law of Technology: With every change in technology that affects consumer behaviour, We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run. In my post, I suggest: Technologies reach their full potential when we…
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News after Newspapers
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NewsRight’s potential: New content packages, niche audiences, and revenue
18 Jan 2012 | 12:12 pmLook past Righthaven-related fears and you’ll see the possibilities NewsRight might afford in enabling and automating new ways of redistributing content. First posted at Nieman Journalism Lab When NewsRight — the Associated Press spinoff formerly known as News Licensing Group (andoriginally announced by the AP as an unnamed “rights clearinghouse”) —began to lift the veil a couple of weeks ago, most of the attention and analysis focused on “preserving the value” of news content for content owners and originators. In the first round of reports and commentary on the… -
A look back at my 2011 predictions, along with a fresh batch for 2012
20 Dec 2011 | 9:54 amHere we go again — time to have look back at my December 2010 predictions for 2011, and to go out on another limb with prognostications for 2012. Below, I’ve listed each of my 2011 predictions (somewhat abbreviated in some cases — just click back to the original post for the full verbiage). Following each 2011 prediction, read my report on how things actually turned out, plus a fresh prediction for 2012. 2011 Prediction: Digital convergence: News, mobile, tablets, social couponing, location-based services, RFID tags, gaming . . . All these things will not stay in separate silos. . . . -
Amazon enters the tablet battle: It’s all about the shopping
29 Sep 2011 | 7:38 amWhat the aggressively-priced Kindle Fire will mean for news publishers. In February 2010, before the first iPad shipments, I went out on a limb here (in a post about iPad strategies for publishers) with this prediction: I believe the biggest transformation that will be wrought by the iPad will be to bring an enormous increase in online shopping.How have things turned out so far? What might the results have to do withAmazon’s new tablet? And, most importantly for the Nieman Lab audience, what new disruptive challenges does all this throw at the elusive and precarious business… -
A call for consolidation: Dean Singleton on John Paton, collective action, and the next waves of newspaper cutbacks
21 Sep 2011 | 1:01 pmMy recent post at NiemanLab: When MediaNews Group and Journal Register Co. announced a quasi-merger on Wednesday — putting the two under a new common management structure named Digital First, with John Paton serving as CEO of both companies — it was the most dramatic combination of American newspapers companies in years. And it was also a victory for the vision of Dean Singleton, the longtime MediaNews CEO who has been a champion for consolidation in the newspaper industry for decades.Singleton, now MediaNews’ executive chairman, spoke with me Thursday about the move and… -
MediaNews group under new management
7 Sep 2011 | 1:26 pmMediaNews Group, the second-largest US newspaper company in terms of weekday circulation, a company I worked for some 13 years, publisher of the Denver Post and newspapers from California to New England, is consolidating management with Journal Register Company under CEO John Paton. This is sort of a merger without merging, but could be a positive development for both companies. Look for big changes, in any case. From Nieman Journalism Lab, here's a post linking to the announcement and a Paton blog post, along with context and background quotes from yours truly posted back in January and July…
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Recovering Journalist
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Must Reads
4 Jan 2012 | 12:56 pmWhere have I been? Well, let's just say I got tired of saying many of the same things over and over. Besides, other people sometimes say them much better. Two cases in point today: John Robinson, recently departed editor of the Greensboro News & Record and all-around smart, good guy, has gotten even smarter now that he's gotten some distance and perspective from his former job. (Same thing happened to John Temple.) He's blogging good suggestions on how newspapers can make themselves more relevant to and trusted by their communities, quickly and easily. Obvious… -
In Defense of Jim Romenesko
10 Nov 2011 | 3:25 pmWho would ever have believed that Jim Romenesko, the ace chronicler of journalism's foibles, would himself wind up the topic of a post in his own blog alleging malfeasance on his part. But incredibly, it's happened. Problem is, the alleged misdeeds being attributed to Romenesko are, not to put too fine a point on it, horseshit. If I understand the convoluted, garment-rending, self-flagellating post about the situation by Poynter Online Director Julie Moos correctly (no mean feat), Poynter has suddenly decided, after 12 years of running Romenesko's invaluable blog, that Romenesko… -
Newspaper Next, Five Years Later
30 Oct 2011 | 2:51 pmEverybody in the newspaper business needs to read and think hard about Justin Ellis' Nieman Lab post mortem of the American Press Institute's Newspaper Next project from 2006. Then ask yourself: Why are you still thinking about it as the "newspaper" business? Because that means you weren't paying enough attention. Newspaper Next had its flaws, principally that it didn't go far enough in its "blueprint for transformation." (At the time, Jeff Jarvis correctly carped, "the project seems to be trying to move a big, old barge five degrees when we need to… -
Old-School Newspapering
2 Aug 2011 | 11:59 pmYou may have already seen this—it's been making the rounds over the past day or two—but it's great: A scarifyingly hilarious story in which a group of modern-day college journalism students produce a newspaper the old-fashioned way—you know, the way those of us of a certain age did it back in the day. With typewriters, darkrooms, layout sheets and other antique stuff (they failed to find a hot waxer, though. Pity). Man, do I feel old. If anybody needs me, I'll be reading the news on my iPad, thank you very much. What is this "paper" stuff you speak of? Now… -
Read It and Weep
2 Aug 2011 | 2:33 pmI wonder sometimes if the people who run news organizations actually look at their own Web sites. I mean, look at them the way readers do. Use them to find out what's going on, to get the news, to search for needed information. I ask because a lot of big-name news Web sites occasionally seem designed to frustrate readers as much as possible. I'm not just talking about bad design, endless lists of small-type headlines or site searches that simply don't work, often in comical ways. Those are all sins, of course, and they're chronic. Brad Colbrow added a few more in an excellent…
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Twitter / themediaisdying
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themediaisdying: RT @mediadecodernyt: 'Big Bang Theory' Is Now Bigger Than 'American Idol' http://t.co/9lVT23tT
27 Jan 2012 | 4:12 pmthemediaisdying: RT @mediadecodernyt: 'Big Bang Theory' Is Now Bigger Than 'American Idol' http://t.co/9lVT23tT -
themediaisdying: RT @foliomag: Bloomberg to launch lux lifestyle title, Bloomberg Pursuits. http://t.co/VGcGrDv4
27 Jan 2012 | 4:01 pmthemediaisdying: RT @foliomag: Bloomberg to launch lux lifestyle title, Bloomberg Pursuits. http://t.co/VGcGrDv4 -
themediaisdying: Memo to media: Supply and demand are out of your hands : http://t.co/9cN1M2ss
27 Jan 2012 | 1:50 pmthemediaisdying: Memo to media: Supply and demand are out of your hands : http://t.co/9cN1M2ss -
themediaisdying: Looking for AD's to join UK @mindshareinvent team : email paul.armstrong@mindshareworld.com
27 Jan 2012 | 8:01 amthemediaisdying: Looking for AD's to join UK @mindshareinvent team : email paul.armstrong@mindshareworld.com -
themediaisdying: Am liking @wavii for it's curation of company news. Torrent needs throttling though... Are you using it? Thoughts?
27 Jan 2012 | 4:23 amthemediaisdying: Am liking @wavii for it's curation of company news. Torrent needs throttling though... Are you using it? Thoughts?
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Kirk LaPointe's themediamanager.com: on journalism standards, ethics and the public - Curation/Blog
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New York Times public editor on the need for diligent fact-checking
22 Jan 2012 | 10:58 pmArthur S. Brisbane caught some flak a week or so ago when he wrote about the need for fact-checking --- or as he called it, truth vigilantes --- at his news organization. Some inferred he meant the TImes needed to publish facts instead of fiction and thought it was an obvious sentiment.But Brisbane was after something more, a form of regular challenging of assertions that often slip into stories without much thought. In some instances a countering view will "balance" that assertion. Brisbane believes that's a false balance. What he wants is a reality-check, or some sort of measured… -
Canadian election law to change, will permit real-time results nationally
15 Jan 2012 | 12:47 pmFor nearly two decades of Canadian elections now, it has been evident that technology has overtaken the law in how results are permitted to be transmitted. The Elections Act does not permit results to be broadcast in any time zone before polls have closed. The reasoning is that Canadians should not be influenced by the results from a time zone whose polls have closed and where results can be gleaned.Of course, that was a more enforceable matter when there was not an Internet; only Canadians who were phoning across the country could share results. But once the Internet surfaced,… -
New York Times public editor gets an earful for something he didn't ask
12 Jan 2012 | 6:09 pmArthur S. Brisbane, the public editor of The New York Times, posted a blog entry early today asking for input on a dilemma: Should the Times rebut assertions that aren't obviously wrong but deserve fact-checking?The immediate response was a little wide of the mark. Many inferred he was asking if the Times should report or check facts. He had to post a second entry to clear it up.Along the way a raft of critics used the opportunity to be a bit snippy, to say the least.But Brisbane's point is that many assertions are made and not rebutted; they're left alone and are questionable. He wondered if… -
Revealed: The London police guide to ethical issues involving journalists
5 Jan 2012 | 1:28 amA newly released report for the Metropolitan Police in London offers some interesting guidance on how officers should be wary of the press.The report urges police to avoiding drinking with journalists, to watch out for flirtatious reporters, to be mindful of tricks to disclose sources, to expect to be taped, and to seek lots of permission before providing much information. Bribes are possible, conniving is likely, and lying is never out of the question with the media.The report, written by Elizabeth Filkin and commissioned by the former chief of London police before his resignation, examined… -
The Economist: Blogs have improved standards
30 Dec 2011 | 12:33 pmThe Economist, in one of its leaders this week, argues that blogs have on balance contributed to the improvement of standards. This is not a new argument, but it is new in coming from The Economist.The newsmagazine asserts that the blogosphere has helped readers find resources (academic papers cited in blogs are better consumed, for instance) and widened participation in discourse. "Admittedly, for every lost prophet there is a crank who is simply lost. Yet despite the low barriers to entry, blogs do impose some intellectual standards. Errors of fact or logic are spotted, ridiculed and…
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State of the Fourth Estate
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Crowdsourcing to Save Chuck [Blast from the Past]
27 Jan 2012 | 12:40 pmEditor’s Note: Back in April 2009, I wrote a post on a long-closed blog of mine about a show that had recently become a favorite of mine, NBC’s Chuck, and how crowdsourcing online among the small community of Chuck supporters was driving interest to save the show from cancellation after two seasons of low ratings. That post means a lot to me because it ended up somehow picking up a link from Mashable and then on IMDB. In honor of the show’s series finale tonight – almost three full years later – here’s that post. Shortly after the Academy Awards this year,… -
Facebook Timeline Apps: When it Comes to Health, it’s Fitness – For Now
24 Jan 2012 | 10:50 amFacebook’s quest on engagement and centering around activity and less around status updates from pages could mean that the power of apps that plug into the Timeline will be huge to actually getting people to do something. Last week’s announcement about Facebook’s new apps is important to keep an eye on based on who decides to get involved. For me, I always look immediately to the health categories, and a very common trend among social media is present already. Flip through the categories and you’ll see the common denominator of news, music or other fun things to share… -
Chart of the Day: Your Tablet as the Evening News
23 Jan 2012 | 3:19 pmI have thoughts on this, but even standing alone, it’s brilliant and makes a ton of sense: the tablet is fundamentally a reading/entertainment device. If you can connect a tablet app to some other primetime activity, perhaps there’d be something fascinating that could be done? via PaidContent -
Today in Commenting Irony
9 Jan 2012 | 10:47 amI could make a series out of comments like these, but this may be one of my all time favorites. From a post on THCB that is worthy to read on its own on health care and social media, this gem appeared in the commenting section: I love when this stuff happens. -
QOTD: Assuming the Costs of Piracy
5 Jan 2012 | 4:38 pmWonkbook is on the trail of some of the claims about the cost of piracy to the economy, but buried within the post is one of my favorite arguments. Brad Pulmer writes: Part of the difficulty here is that it’s not always easy to tally up the true costs of piracy. For instance, if a person illegally downloads a movie or song that he never would’ve downloaded otherwise, then it’s not clear what the losses are (the benefits, by contrast, are much clearer). That point of availability beyond the market, to me, is always fascinating. Just something I’m thinking about during this debate.
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Nieman Journalism Lab
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This Week in Review: Debating Google and evil, and a case study in breaking news accuracy
27 Jan 2012 | 10:00 amGoogle, social search, privacy, and evil: Two weeks after Google raised the ire of Facebook and Twitter by privileging Google+ within its search results, engineers at the two companies (plus MySpace) came out with a sharp response: A browser bookmarklet not-so-subtly titled “Don’t Be Evil,” that removes the extra weighting Google+ results get in the new Search Plus Your World feature. Search Engine Land’s Danny Sullivan has a thorough explanation of what the tool does, and search veteran John Battelle described what this “well-timed poke in the eye” means… -
David Skok: Aggregation is deep in journalism’s DNA
27 Jan 2012 | 9:00 amBelow are a few quotes. Can you guess when each was written, and to what they refer? Just what I want to read and just what I have time to read. It enables one to keep abreast of the times without wasting a lot of time reading a whole column to obtain a single fact. Sounds a bit like an online aggregator, doesn’t it, pulling a few salient points from much longer work? One more: Your magazine is concise and to the point. It represents five good magazines in one. These are, in fact, a series of subscriber comments sent to Time magazine in the weeks following its launch on March 3, 1923. -
MinnPost ends 2011 in the black
26 Jan 2012 | 5:00 pmMinnPost, the nonprofit regional news site in Minnesota, ended 2011 in the black for a second year in a row, according to its annual report published today. Its year-end surplus — a bit more than $21,000 — isn’t exactly retire-to-the-Caymans money. But in a sector where so many nonprofit news outlets are struggling to find sustainability, the four-year-old operation is demonstrating that it can support itself. MinnPost makes money from public radio-style memberships, advertising, grants, and events, including its annual MinnRoast. CEO Joel Kramer told me he is most pleased with the… -
The newsonomics of global media imperative
26 Jan 2012 | 11:00 amLet’s elevate, for a moment. Let’s take a NASA view of the media landscape, enjoying the clear, whole-earth picture of our struggling news planet. The wide view would tell us that, although the U.S. often believes itself to be the straw that stirs the global drink, we make up but 5 percent of the world’s population. Our special friends in the U.K. make up only another 1 percent. While much of the world’s digital inventiveness and entrepreneurial investment is born in the U.S.A., the marketplace for digital news, media, and information products has been going… -
New Facebook data: Be topical, ask questions, and tell jokes to win audience
25 Jan 2012 | 2:02 pmWrite about current affairs. Add in a little commentary (or a question). And, for the love of all that is holy, include a link. Those are three of the takeaways from some new data that Facebook just released on the use of its Subscribe feature — the social network’s way to let journalists and readers connect without broaching the knotty issue of “friending.” Facebook’s Vadim Lavrusik and Betsy Cameron write: “People discover journalists to subscribe to on Facebook through their friends in News Feed; Facebook search; our “people to subscribe to”…
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Failure Magazine's Feature Articles
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The Siege of Leningrad
27 Jan 2012 | 11:01 pmIn “Leningrad,” author Anna Reid recounts the siege and contends that the death toll would have been far lower under a different sort of government, one better prepared and more responsive to the challenges faced by the city’s citizens. -
Agent Orange, Vietnam
9 Jan 2012 | 11:05 pmIt’s been more than four decades since the last use of Agent Orange in Vietnam, but the impact of the U.S. military’s defoliation campaign is still being felt by the Vietnamese people. -
Fed Up With Lunch
12 Dec 2011 | 12:12 amChicago speech pathologist Sarah Wu revolts against unhealthy school lunches and becomes an unlikely part of the school lunch reform movement. -
Jonestown: The Untold Story
7 Dec 2011 | 11:55 pmIn “A Thousand Lives,” author Julia Scheeres makes it clear that Jim Jones never intended for his colony in Guyana to succeed. In fact, he explored many different means of killing his followers, including loading them onto a jet plane and crashing it. -
The Berkeley Pit
4 Dec 2011 | 10:28 amButte, Montana toxic lake holds the unusual distinction of being an EPA Superfund site, and on the list of “places to go, things to see” at Visit Montana dot-com, the official travel site of the Montana Office of Tourism.
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Bonnier News
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How to Hit 5 Million
25 Jan 2012 | 8:55 amChildren's digital game developer has gotten 5 million downloads of its popular games. But what's the story behind the success? Digital toy producer Toca Boca has hit yet another milestone: 5 million downloads of its apps made for young children. From its first app, Helicopter Taxi, to the newest in the family, Toca Kitchen, the company has seen huge success with apps that parents love - but more important, kids seem to love even more. "We've been successful because of a combination of fantastic products and managing to get international visibility," says Emil Ovemar, producer and one of the… -
Magazine Readers Travel to China
24 Jan 2012 | 9:57 amSpecial trips arranged by magazines for their readers is increasingly popular. At Sweden's Bonnier Tidskrifter, China is the destination of choice, says Oscar Sandberg from BT Experience. Readers who travel with magazines - the trend for magazine readers to take group trips arranged by the magazine continues to be a hot trend. At Sweden's Bonnier Tidskrifter, the various magazines will have some 25-30 trips set up for their readers. And one of the biggest destinations is China. M-magasin took 160 of its readers last fall and this year, more titles are following suit. First out is Allt om… -
Håkan Rudels on Books
24 Jan 2012 | 9:16 amBonnierförlagens new publishing director talks about the future of the book industry. Today, Bonnierförlagen announced that Håkan Rudels has been named publishing director for the Swedish publisher, which includes Albert Bonniers Förlag, Wahlström & Widstrand and a number of other publishing houses. We talked with Rudels about his position and the future. What is your background and what have you been doing up until now? I'm an economist from the beginning and before I started at Bonnierförlagen I was sales manager for a bookstore chain. I also tried the dot.com thing - I worked at… -
New Food App from Bonnier Fakta
19 Jan 2012 | 2:40 amLCHF-recept hits No. 1 in all categories at Sweden's App Store. Swedish book publisher Bonnier Fakta has launched a new iPhone food app based on Anna Hallén's popular LCHF - low carb high fat - cookbooks, which have sold more than 60,000 copies. "The app has been a storybook success," says Magnus Nytell, who's worked with the app at Bonnierförlagen, of which Bonnier Fakta is a part. The app has been among the top ten paid apps in all categories since Jan. 2, even hitting the No. 1 spot for four days last week. The new LCHF-recept app. contains a range of recipes… -
Parenting Partners with AOL
19 Jan 2012 | 1:29 amBonnier Corp.'s Parenting Group and AOL Inc. have announced a strategic sales alliance that will bring Parenting.com content to AOL. The partnership is intended to significantly grow Parenting.com's audience and AOL's reach in the valuable parenting category, with links to Parenting.com articles featured on the AOL home page and across multiple Lifestyle channel properties. Additionally, The Parenting Group will collaborate with AOL to package integrated digital advertising programs that incorporate media assets from both brands. Beginning in the first quarter of 2012, Parenting.com's content…
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Life At Bonnier
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Marit Danielsson to TV4
26 Jan 2012 | 4:31 amMarit Danielsson changes jobs and media type - from magazines to TV - but stays within Bonnier. This spring, Marit Danielsson will become the head of factual programming for the TV4 Group. Her chief duties will be the intake and content of the companies factual programming. Her first duties will be ordering programming for morning news magazine Nyhetsmorgon and Efter 10. Danielsson has for the past five years served as editor-in-chief for different magazines at Bonnier Tidskrifter, most recently for Allt i hemmet, where she has been editor-in-chief since Sept. 2010. She has long experience in… -
Scuba Diving's Sea Heroes
26 Jan 2012 | 3:27 amRecognizing the crusaders for clean seas is what Scuba Diving’s Sea Heroes is all about. U.S. sport interest title Scuba Diving doesn't just write about pristine ocean environments, it does its part to support those who are working hard to keep the world's bodies of waters clean. Which is why the magazine together with others started the Sea Heroes award program last spring. And now it will continue into 2012. Last year, five heroes were chosen and Shawn Heinrichs was declared the overall winner. The first hero this year will be named in the May issue of the magazine. Along with a story and… -
7:30 at Tara
13 Jan 2012 | 6:51 amSwedish woman's magazine Tara celebrated 11 years with a dinner for readers. When Tara turned ten last year, the Swedish women's magazine held a big party at Stockholm's Nalen club, with advertisers, partners and freelancers. But for its 11th birthday, the magazine wanted to do something completely different and decided it was the readers' turn to celebrate with Tara. The idea, based on TV4's popular food program Halv åtta hos mig (7:30 at my place), came from the editorial staff of the magazine. And became a contest for fans of the magazine, primarily subscribers. "We… -
Stig-Helmer Offscreen
12 Jan 2012 | 7:25 amThe latest Stig-Helmer film in cult series premieres with something extra. Lasse Åberg's latest film, The Stig-Helmer Story, featuring the beloved film character who first appeared in the Swedish cult classic Sällskapsresan in 1980, premiered on Christmas Day 2011 and has - as usual - been a big success with filmgoers. In connection with the film, Svensk Filmindustri and star and director Lasse Åberg together with production company Viking Film and licensing company Bulls, have come out with licensed products based on the character and film series. First out just before the premiere was a… -
Doing Unto Others
16 Dec 2011 | 11:41 amCelebrate the spirit of giving. The winter holidays are a time for celebrating - and a time for giving. Bonnier companies have hit on a number of different ways to support and help their viewers and readers support a wide range of causes. List Verlag and Hörbuch Hamburg Verlag are donating part of the sales revenues from Der heilige Erwin und die Liebe by Jasna Mittler to three street magazines in Germany. Erwin, the main character in the audiobook was once homeless himself. Thienemann has donated books to children's charity The Ark. And at Carlsen, not only do employees vote on who will…
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Common Sense Journalism
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Editteach: Two good examples from NPR
12 Jan 2012 | 11:20 amIf you are teaching writing and editing, you could do worse than to have students listen to these two examples from NPR(I like using audio to help teach because it shows the power of creating pictures in people's heads while also being a bit more dimensional than just print. It also shows the necessity for all writers to use their ears and eyes in ways to pick up details like nat sound that yo can then describe in text.)Wade Goodwyn's moving and detailed story about troops returning home in December 2-11Tracy Samilton's fun story today about how Craftsman decided to debut a riding… -
Have you met his cousin, Zippity -doo-dah?
9 Jan 2012 | 7:23 pmSome headlines just write themselves ...http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/beezow-doo-doo-zopittybop-bop-bop-busted-article-1.1003302But imagine trying to do this in print with a one-coumn, tight count, like a 10 or 12.(Thanks to Gary Karr for the pointer.) -
Blackboard strikes again - RIP dropbox
6 Jan 2012 | 6:53 pmAh yes, the Blackboard overlords have struck again adding yet another reason to my list of hating this course management system.In v9.1, BB has eliminated the dropbox, helpfully suggesting that if you want to exchange files with students, use the "assignment manager."Only, did anyone think that not every file exchange involves an assignment?Dropbox, for instance, was perfect for sending a large audio editing review file privately to a student that was too large for email and then deleting it. Since the original story was not a traditional "assignment," it would be cumbersome at best to do it… -
Editteach: Dissecting another fire story
6 Jan 2012 | 7:16 amThis one is online today from a TV station site.* (Seems I'm specializing in fire stories these days.) Updated to also correct street name.Columbia, SC (WLTX)--An early morning fire is smoldering at The Salty Nut Cafe in Five Points.Not a bad lede. If you are keeping score at home and use AP style, that should be S.C., but no one says the station has to do that. One might also ask why "SC" is needed on a story from a Columbia station, but this is the "world wide" Web, so such things are in flux. Authorites say there was heavy black smoke when they arrived at 4:30 Friday morning.Again, not bad… -
From the editing trenches: Dissecting a fire story
30 Dec 2011 | 5:34 pmThere was a terribly tragic fire in Stamford, Conn., on Christmas. The day later, the following story appeared in my paper.I can't tell whether it was an original AP dispatch or was reworked on the local desk. I've found similar, but not identical, versions online that take care of some of the problems noted below.But the story provides a good case study of editing problems, especially with structure. So I present the original below annotated with my notes (I use these for my classes), and then a re-edited version. Feel free to comment: STAMFORD, Conn. — Fire tore through…
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Poynter. » Mobile Media
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Even on smartphones, your news is more likely to be found through social media
10 Jan 2012 | 11:14 amThe average person looking at a smartphone screen right now is more likely to come across news from your organization through a Facebook or Twitter app than through your own news app. Recent studies of mobile and tablet audience behaviors… Read more -
Nielsen: One-third of mobile users downloaded news apps in past month
9 Jan 2012 | 4:16 pmNielsen Wire One-third of tablet and smartphone owners in a Nielsen survey said they had downloaded a news app within the past 30 days, and 19 percent had paid for one. The chart below shows survey results for news and… Read more -
How would a split affect Barnes & Noble, Nook business?
5 Jan 2012 | 11:52 amBarnes & Noble is exploring whether to spin off or sell its Nook e-book and e-reader business line, according to paidContent and others. What would that mean? It would separate the fast-growing Nook business (up about 70 percent annually… Read more -
Late caucus results expose flaw of print replicas, potential of native apps
4 Jan 2012 | 9:49 amMornings like this one have always been a problem for newspapers. When the Iowa caucuses results — or other late news — breaks on or after the print deadline, most front pages feature an inconclusive story. That’s an unavoidable… Read more -
Reports: Apple plans iBooks-related announcement this month
3 Jan 2012 | 8:40 amTechCrunch | All Things D Apple is planning a “media-related” announcement later this month in New York, Kara Swisher writes. Alexia Tsotsis confirms the report and says the event will “unveil improvements to the iBooks platform” and attendance will… Read more
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Miller-McCune - Smart Journalism. Real Solutions.
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Traffic Solution: Make Drivers Less Lonely
27 Jan 2012 | 6:00 amRather than moaning about too many cars on the road, the Ridesharing Institute says the real key to battling traffic congestion and pollution is filling empty passenger seatsTraffic Solution: Make Drivers Less Lonely On Miller-McCune - Smart Journalism. Real Solutions. - Nationally Acclaimed Politics, Science and Culture Coverage -
Numerology Doesn’t Know the Score
26 Jan 2012 | 6:00 amVarious ways of assigning numbers to events, people, and actions is an ancient parlor game, but let’s not take it beyond that.Numerology Doesn’t Know the Score On Miller-McCune - Smart Journalism. Real Solutions. - Nationally Acclaimed Politics, Science and Culture Coverage -
Women Eye Dance Moves to Find Thrill Seekers
24 Jan 2012 | 6:00 amHow to spot thrill-seeking men on the dance floor, "sweet" personalities in public, and bidding fever on eBay.Women Eye Dance Moves to Find Thrill Seekers On Miller-McCune - Smart Journalism. Real Solutions. - Nationally Acclaimed Politics, Science and Culture Coverage -
Conservatives’ Politics of Fear a Biological Response
23 Jan 2012 | 4:42 pmResearchers looking at how we fixate on threats uncover more evidence of a biological component to the red-blue divide.Conservatives’ Politics of Fear a Biological Response On Miller-McCune - Smart Journalism. Real Solutions. - Nationally Acclaimed Politics, Science and Culture Coverage -
Morning People May Be More Creative in the Afternoon
23 Jan 2012 | 12:38 pmNew research finds problems that require a flash of illumination to solve are best approached during the time of day when you’re not at your peak.Morning People May Be More Creative in the Afternoon On Miller-McCune - Smart Journalism. Real Solutions. - Nationally Acclaimed Politics, Science and Culture Coverage
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ProPublica: Articles and Investigations
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Ernie Lopez to Face Charges Again
27 Jan 2012 | 1:59 pmby A.C. Thompson A Texas district attorney has decided to re-try an Amarillo man on charges that he sexually assaulted a six-month old girl, just days after the state’s appeals court threw out his 2003 conviction. ProPublica, PBS “Frontline,” and NPR examined the case against Ernie Lopez last year, raising questions about the soundness of the medical evidence used against him. The appeals court ruled that Lopez had received ineffective counsel because his lawyer failed to challenge testimony by the medical examiner and other prosecution witnesses that the child’s… -
By the Numbers: Life and Death at Foxconn
27 Jan 2012 | 11:09 amby Lois Beckett An investigative series by the New York Times and a performance piece by Mike Daisey featured on This American Life have put the spotlight on Foxconn, the Taiwanese company whose massive Chinese factories manufacture some of the world's most popular consumer electronics. As well as working with companies like Dell, Motorola, Nokia and Hewlett-Packard, Foxconn assembles popular Apple products like the iPhone and iPad. Here's a quick look at what we know about Foxconn. (The company disputes workers' accounts of abusive conditions. In a 2010 company report, Foxconn said it… -
Podcast: SOPA Opera
27 Jan 2012 | 10:51 amby Minhee Cho When popular websites like Wikipedia and Reddit decided to blackout their pages last week in protest of SOPA, otherwise known as the Stop Online Piracy Act, the controversial bill got thrown to the forefront of public discussion. The problem was, as ProPublica's Dan Nguyen soon realized, it was extremely difficult to find information on where members of Congress stood on the bill. "When I set out to look up information I was disappointed at how hard it was to really find much," Nguyen said. "Part of it is just the way information in general is organized for our government. It's… -
Drive-by Scanning: Officials Expand Use and Dose of Radiation for Security Screening
27 Jan 2012 | 8:30 amby Michael Grabell We're seeking anyone who has had personal experience with certain X-ray devices. Please see the bottom of the story for information on how you can contribute. U.S. law enforcement agencies are exposing people to radiation in more settings and in increasing doses to screen for explosives, weapons and drugs. In addition to the controversial airport body scanners, which are now deployed for routine screening, various X-ray devices have proliferated at the border, in prisons and on the streets of New York. Not only have the machines become more widespread, but some of them… -
Dems Governors’ Gathering Gets Big Bucks Selling Prime Spot Next to Gov. Cuomo
26 Jan 2012 | 2:45 pmby Cora Currier New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will spend this weekend discussing infrastructure projects at the Democratic Governors Association's winter policy meeting. The meeting will focus on public-private partnerships, and Cuomo is the big draw, a rising star who just unveiled a massive infrastructure fund for the state. He's also the event's big fundraising draw, luring the "private" in "public-private." The Wall Street Journal and New York Times obtained a letter from a lobbyist to prospective corporate donors, offering them a spot on the panel with Gov.
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ProPublica: Podcast
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Podcast: SOPA Opera
27 Jan 2012 | 10:51 amDan Nguyen joins the podcast this week to talk about the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and his popular news application illustrating where members of Congress stand on the controversial bill. -
Podcast: The Data Behind Our Pardons Investigation
8 Dec 2011 | 2:30 pmNew data from ProPublica found that white criminals are four times as likely as minorities to receive a presidential pardon. Director of Computer-Assisted Reporting Jennifer LaFleur sits down with the podcast team to explain this racial disparity and the mysterious process of awarding pardons. -
26. The Shrouded Role of Special Interest Groups in Influencing Elections
15 Nov 2011 | 12:57 pmThis week, ProPublica’s Marian Wang and Lois Beckett discuss their respective reports on the Federal Election Commission and redistricting, and how these might determine our next elected representatives. -
Podcast: Why the TSA Continues to Rely on Controversial X-Ray Scanners
3 Nov 2011 | 2:35 pmReporter Michael Grabell joins the podcast this week to talk about airport X-ray scanners, and how the TSA is marching millions of passengers through these machines every year despite having a safer alternative against the potential health risks. -
Sebastian Rotella on the Alleged Iranian Terror Plot
18 Oct 2011 | 9:16 amIn this week’s podcast, senior reporter Sebastian Rotella explains why the foiled Iranian plot to kill the Saudi Arabian ambassador on U.S. soil was atypical of how the Quds Force normally operates, and how this case increases concerns about growing activity by Iran and Hezbollah in Latin America.
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Reporting on Health
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Health Media Jobs and Opportunities: Health Research, Scholarship and Training
27 Jan 2012 | 2:45 pmHealth media professionals looking to teach and train, take note: Michigan State University seeks candidates for the Knight Chair in Environmental Journalism. Members on the East Coast may want to check out the latest reporter and editor openings listed this week. read more -
Sprouts Be Gone: Restaurants Turning Away Amid Food Safety Concerns
27 Jan 2012 | 2:23 pmSprout woes, primary care boosts, skin lightener dangers and more from our Daily Briefing. read more -
The Limits of Self-Control: Patients May Be Better Off Without California Nursing Board
27 Jan 2012 | 7:00 amIs a bad cop better than no cop at all? The elimination this month of the California Board of Registered Nurses raises the question. read more -
Creating Livable Cities -- A PBS Documentary Offers Lessons for Sane and Healthy Lives
26 Jan 2012 | 5:37 pmHow does our urban environment affect our health? A new PBS documentary series hosted by public health expert Dr. Richard Jackson examines the issue in depth. read more -
Health Reform Poll: About That Individual Mandate
26 Jan 2012 | 1:03 pmPredicting the individual mandate's fate, a boost for global health, and school lunch surprises, plus more from our Daily Briefing. read more
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MilitaryReporter.net
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Pentagon 2013 budget priorities are available
26 Jan 2012 | 1:32 pmSecretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey released documents related to FY13 major budget decisions today at a Pentagon press conference. The document, entitled “Defense Budget Priorities and Choices,” is available here: http://www.defense.gov/news/Defense_Budget_Priorities.pdf . The document, entitled “Fact Sheet: The Defense Budget,” is available here: [...] -
The Associated Press flubs it, again.
25 Jan 2012 | 8:59 amToday is a good example of how reporters and headline writers show their ignorance about the military, and how wrong the Associated Press is — again — in their reporting. An AP story that hit the wires said U.S. military forces were able to free two hostages in Somalia in a nighttime raid on Jan. [...] -
The Difficult transition from military to civilian life
24 Jan 2012 | 11:51 amJournalists, take a look at your own community. Military service is difficult, demanding and dangerous. But returning to civilian life also poses challenges for the men and women who have served in the armed forces, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey of 1,853 veterans. More than seven-in-ten veterans report having had an easy [...] -
Details, details: When will the movies get it right?
20 Dec 2011 | 10:58 amThe other evening I had a chance to watch the corny movie ”Captain America: The First Avenger.” I like these kinds of movies — “Thor,” ”Green Lantern,” “Iron Man” – all the heroes that I grew up in DC and Marvel comics. And I look forward to the future release of “Sgt. Rock” and “Sgt. Fury and His Howling [...] -
What is the highest duty of a combat reporter?
11 Dec 2011 | 11:46 amThe other day, I was taking questions from journalism graduate students at Columbia College Chicago — a class taught by one of my professional colleagues Jackie Spinner, a combat reporter who survived mortar attacks, car bombs, the Battle for Fallujah (Iraq), and a kidnapping attempt outside of Abu Ghraib prison. During the Q&A I was [...]
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SixEstate
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Content Marketing News Roundup — Friday, Jan. 27, 2012
27 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amSocial Networks for Writers Regardless of genre, writers of all kinds can stretch their creative muscles, seek feedback from peers, and find a new outlet for their content with some interesting social networking sites for writers. Writers-Network is a good resource for poets who are looking for a high number of readers. For writers who like to dabble in other genres, Inked-In is a great place to contribute to blogs and join Facebook groups. If you’re a journalist looking for a place to throw in your ideas and maybe scout out some freelance opportunities, Gather or Suite 101 are great… -
A Super Bowl First: The Social Media Command Center
26 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amI’ll be honest, I’m a Philistine. I don’t care for organized sports. Not a bit. Therefore, the fact that I am writing this should demonstrate the magnitude of what is happening at this year’s Super Bowl. In an historic move, this year’s Super Bowl will feature a Social Media Command Center, and I’m not talking five geeks in a basement, either. While the game is a one-day event, the Command Center will be up and running for about two weeks and will mainly be concerned with serving the Indianapolis area. Cynthia Boris of Marketing Pilgrim describes it thus:… -
SOPA: The Internet Goes on Strike
20 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amWikipedia’s anti-SOPA blackout. As an online content creator, I’m worried about the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). Very worried. As a matter of fact, it is the last worry anyone wants to have in the current economy — fear for your livelihood. Of course, after yesterday SOPA is not just the topic of conversation of the Internet nerds. With the Internet titans like Wikipedia and Google blacking out and displaying prominent links to the anti-SOPA resources, it has entered the daily news. And let me tell you, the news is coming thick and fast. That’s a good thing. SOPA… -
Content Marketing News Roundup — Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012
18 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amAre Newspapers Civic Institutions or Algorithms? Since 2007, the newspaper industry has taken a massive hit, and remains more uncertain than ever. Dominic Basulto sees the news industry as becoming more and more algorithmic, as a result of “appification.” Instead of paying to read an entire issue of The New York Times (which looks the same to every reader), people can use apps that will determine what they are more interested in, and direct them toward that information specifically. “In the physical world, they may not be willing to pay two bucks for a newspaper on the… -
Google Search Merges With Google+
12 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amGoogle’s unification of Google+ and search has everyone in an uproar. In simplest terms, when you search for information on Google while you’re signed in on Google+, the results will include results from your circles as well as the normal search-engine results page. Here’s an example. The first red arrow points out the notification of “personal results.” The second is aimed at the icon which will appear next to all G+ results. Immediately underneath, you can see the first standard result for comparison. According to the Official Google Blog, there are three…
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Joe Gullo
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Twitter will selectively censor Tweets
26 Jan 2012 | 5:41 pmTwitter has decided to censor Tweets on a country-by-country basis. In a Twitter blog post Twitter says, “As we continue to grow internationally, we will enter countries that have different ideas about the contours of freedom of expression. Some differ so much from our ideas that we will not be able to exist there”1. In order for Twitter to be available in some of these countries they will have to censor Tweets. In the past to conform with countries with less freedom of expression rights Twitter would block the Tweet globally. The new plan would only censor the Tweet in the… -
Google wants to track and sell your every move
26 Jan 2012 | 2:46 pmGoogle is releasing a new privacy policy that will go in effect March 1st. First they’re going to have a single privacy policy instead of having one for each of their services. This idea of consolidation doesn’t just stop at their new privacy policy. It also continues for their whole user experience. “Our new policy reflects our desire to create a simple product experience that does what you need, when you want it to”1. So this means their services will be working together to provide a single user experience. For example, if you plan meetings on Google Calendar, it… -
3 ways to maximize customer’s Social Media experience
25 Jan 2012 | 3:37 pmNo matter what your industry is, social media is an excellent customer service and sales tool. Your social media accounts connect you to the online world. Look at these stats: There are 250,000,000 Tweets per day1 100,000,000+ active users on Twitter2 There are more than 800 million active users on Facebook3 Foursquare has around 15 million people worldwide4 Your company has the potential to reach there large amounts of people on multiple social media platforms. By utilizing this potential here are some tips to maximize social media experience for your customers: Personalize. Make each… -
2012 President Obama’s State of the Union Address
24 Jan 2012 | 7:11 pmYou can watch President Obama’s State of the Union Address below: “Article II, Sec. 3, of the U.S. Constitution requires that, ‘The President shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.’((http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/thepresidentandcabinet/a/souhistory.htm)) What Twitter is saying What are your reactions and comments? Let me know your thoughts. -
Lessons from Joe Paterno’s false death report
22 Jan 2012 | 10:47 amAs a young journalist, the false report of Joe Paterno’s death is an important journalistic lesson for both new and veteran reporters. Here are some lessons I have learned: Take a moment before clicking the publish button – no matter what the platform. Use multiple sources and consult others in the newsroom. Being first doesn’t mean it’s right. If you’re first and get it right then it’s like hitting the lottery; however, if you’re first and wrong, you look really bad. Your reporting matters to people, no matter the story. You could be doing a feature…
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American-Journal Many Stories, One Nation
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Legacy of the Black Cowboy
18 Jan 2012 | 8:16 pmSlideshow Hosted by PhotoShelter Sitting outside of the equestrian arena, Billy Ray Thunder held out his right hand and attempted to stretch his fingers. The middle finger was gnarled in a permanent bend, and the one next to it was broken and swollen, cocked in an unnatural state. Thunder wrapped a piece of white medical tape around the two disfigured fingers, hoping they would function well enough to endure the impending eight-second ride. While the appearance of his fingers was enough to make most people cringe, Thunder didn’t seem to give it much thought. A professional cowboy, he… -
Cooper River Bridge – Charleston, S.C. (c. 1939)
18 Jan 2012 | 7:59 pmThe Cooper River Bridge was a 2.71-mile span over the Cooper River in Charleston, S.C. It was built at a cost of nearly $6 million and officially opened Aug. 8, 1929. The bridge would later to be renamed the Grace Memorial Bridge. To keep up with increasing traffic demands along U.S. Route 17, a new $15-million bridge opened in April 29, 1966, parallel to the Grace Bridge. That bridge was dedicated in honor of Chief Highway Commissioner Silas N. Pearman. A 1998 environmental impact study determined that both the Grace and Pearman bridges should be replaced. The Arthur Ravenel Jr. -
Monkeys, Riding Dogs, Herding Sheep
4 Jan 2012 | 7:45 pmI will never forget that day in 2002 when sportswriter Matt Coffey came up to me and said these magical words: "monkeys, riding dogs, herding sheep." I just stared at him. A big smile across his face, Coffey slowly repeated what he had said. "Monkeys. Riding dogs. Herding sheep." It had to be among the top 5 of things ever said to a photographer at a small-town newspaper. All I could say was, "I'm in!" Off we went to the professional rodeo, which was being held nearby. There, we found Tim "Wild Thang" Lepard, a former rodeo clown and bull rider, who in the late 1980s began putting… -
Extracted Dreams, Implanted Realities
4 Jan 2012 | 6:49 pmSlideshow Hosted by PhotoShelter Somewhere between teenage fantasy and the reality of poverty are the girls of Glouster, an old company town in southeast Ohio. They're coming of age in a former coal boomtown with few modern resources, struggling as they attempt to craft their own aspirations. The community is home to the state's poorest school district and is regionally notorious for crime and dysfunction, which has risen in the last decade with the influx of prescription drug abuse and heroin. But for these girls, the lightness of their youth allows them to quietly defy the cards they have… -
A Holiday of Healing
22 Dec 2011 | 8:58 pmSlideshow Hosted by PhotoShelter On a recent December day, the parents of a young fallen Marine turned their grief into an outpouring of love for thousands of American heroes. John and Susan McColley hosted a Christmas wreath laying at Quantico National Cemetery in Virginia. With the help of volunteers, the couple laid a wreath on the grave of their son, Sgt. Jonathan "Eric" McColley, and the tombs of 2,000 other soldiers. Eric McColley, 23, died when his helicopter crashed in Africa in 2006. He had served in the Marines for five years, including a tour in Iraq. The McColleys purchased the…
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Online Journalism
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Journalism and public relations student’ blogs
18 Jan 2012 | 11:32 amOnline Media 1:30 section Kelly Anderson Tara Boyd Caitlin Cruz Harmony Huskison Olivia Khiel Leila O’Hara Torunn Sinclair Preston Sotelo Cassie Strauss Online Media 4:30 section Erin O’Connor Charissa Heckard Charles J. Hall Mohamud Ali Vanja Veric Haley Madden Ali Lasoh Haley Buntrock Hayden Packwood Osej Serratos Sonya Chavez Hannah Shive Devin McIntyre Samantha Koukoulas Michelle Rivas David Sydiongco Monique Zatcoff Daniel Escobedo Amanda Faraci Sebastian Zotoff -
Digital and social media class syllabi
21 Dec 2011 | 2:55 pmI try to identify and share recent syllabi that I believe would be of use for the academic community. I know many educators are working on their syllabi over winter break. If you have one you would like to share related to digital media topics, email me or post it below. I have also posted other syllabi in previous posts. Be sure to browse those posts as well. Tim Currie | University of King’s College | Audience and Content Strategies Marcus Messner | Virgina Commonwealth University | Reporting for Print and Web and Business of Media Susan Currie Sivek | Linfield College | Introduction… -
Focus on the homepage to grab attention
21 Dec 2011 | 12:24 pmI wanted to share with you my Online Media students’ portfolios. The group sought to capture attention by incorporating graphics, rollovers, and pictures on their homepages. You can also browse portfolios from past semesters. Mauro Whiteman Gabriela Rodiles Kayla Frost Connor Radnovich Aiyana Havir Alex Gregory Kelsey Roderique Josselyn Berry Kate Kunkel Brittany E. Morris Alex Lancial Pearce Bley Dani Schenone -
Encourage students to design with the intent to help
20 Dec 2011 | 3:54 pmMy students completed their final projects for my Online Media class. Their projects impressed me. Many students have not had any technical skills training prior to this class. I was also moved by my students’ desire to help people with their research and reporting on difficult topics. I try to encourage students to create a site that reflects quality and experimentation. I ask students several questions as they design their final projects: Is this information meaningful? Are you helping? Why is this information important? Will people understand what you are trying to communicate? I… -
A Job is in the Details: 10 Tips on Elevating a Portfolio
28 Oct 2011 | 2:38 amI strive to help my students understand how to visually communicate their work with people. One way of reaching people is through their professional portfolio. If your school or department does not help students present themselves professionally online, your students will struggle finding employment. To help my future students and other people, I post my Online Media 305 students’ portfolios every semester. I was asked to present on how I help students with this task at the Journalism Interactive conference. In my presentation, I shared some of the advice I give my students. 1. Clean…
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Human Rights and Sacred Journalism Blog | Witnessing LifeHuman Rights and Sacred Journalism Blog | Witnessing Life | Human Rights and Sacred Journalism Blog | Witnessing Life
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Interview with Multimedia Journalist – Scott Anger
26 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amScott Anger is the founder and creative director at Pandau, an interactive company that designs, implements and manages campaigns around storytelling projects and documentary films. As an independent journalist and award-winning documentary filmmaker, Scott has more than twenty-five years experience. He’s worked for The Los Angeles Times, National Public Radio, British Broadcasting Corporation, Voice of America and PBS’ FRONTLINE. In addition, Scott has produced several feature-length documentary films, teaches storytelling and documentary production techniques and is a lecturer. -
8 News Links Worth Clicking
20 Jan 2012 | 7:42 amWorkers’ strike at Halyvourgia Ellados steel industry in Greece Private Prison Companies Fund Anti-Immigrant Legislation Oxfam Exposes How Aid Is Used for Political Purposes How the ‘Scramble for Africa’ led to the partitioning of several ethnicities across newly created African states. Follow @WitnessingLife on Twitter for interesting links every week. Welcome to The Lede! Women’s Security in South Sudan: Threats in the Home ? The first in a series of reports on women’s security in South Sudan. Provides an overview of threats experienced by South Sudanese women (and… -
Henri Cartier-Bresson’s Alchemy of the Image
17 Jan 2012 | 12:47 pm“To take a photograph is to align the head, the eye and the heart. It’s a way of life.” – Henri Cartier-Bresson Magnum Photos is a photo agency founded in 1947 by Henri Cartier Bresson, David Seymour, Robert Capa and George Rodger. When I first arrived at Magnum Photos in New York in the spring of 2006, I had no idea of its legacy. My friend Maryam called me one day and told me to go and apply for their internship as encouragement to not abandon my love of photography. I learned about Cartier-Bresson and his philosophy, it transformed how I looked at photojournalism… -
A Touch of Spring for LGBT Arabs
12 Jan 2012 | 1:44 amCAIRO, Jan 11, 2012 (IPS) – With a yearning for human rights playing a vital role in the Arab revolts; putting an end to discriminatory LGBT laws may determine how the future democratic process unfolds. “As a gay Arab, I feel represented in these protests in every way and I’m confident that one day there will be a gay rights movement sweeping the Arab streets,” 22-year-old Egyptian biology student, Khaled tells IPS. “But to get there we have to achieve other levels of freedom such as transparent governments and building institutions where no human rights… -
8 News Links To Challenge Mainstream Media
8 Jan 2012 | 11:52 pmDahr Jamail on birth defects in Fallujah’s newborns. Obama’s latest arms deal with Saudi Arabia. How the Syrian revolution’s media war has become almost as fierce as the battles on the streets. Follow @WitnessingLife on Twitter for interesting links every week. Welcome to The Lede… Video: Film Footage from Palestine back in 1896 It is becoming a trend among influential GOP candidates to call out the Palestinian people as “invented” or even “non-existent”. First we had Republican candidate Newt Gingrich calling the Palestinians an…
