COMM 491/690, Convergence Media (Multimedia)
Editors Weblog newsletter
(January 31, 2008) In this week's news, a piece by David Simon in the Washington Post has stirred lots of debate: is the audience simply tired of hard news? Rupert Murdoch has backtracked on his desire to entirely remove WSJ.com's paywall. Russian news agency RIA Novosti inaugurated an integrated newsroom, and there are plenty of ideas to incorporate audio in your coverage, develop mobile news services, or expand your 'geotagging' capacities to provide ultralocal news search results.
The purpose of the Editors Weblog is to bring together editors from around the world to share dialogue on improving newsroom management and editorial quality. Please do send us your views.
Kind regards,
Bertrand Pecquerie, John Burke and Jean Yves Chainon
ANALYSIS
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Part 1: Guardian Unlimited - journalists own the integration process
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In Part 1, several editors give a few details about the 'liberal-ed' approach to integration and describe some of the recipes for Guardian Unlimited's success.
http://www.editorsweblog.org/analysis//2008/01/part_1_guardian_unlimited_journalists_ow.php#more
Part 2: Guardian Unlimited - blogs, video, and Web design strategies
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In Part 2, several Guardian editors described the paper's somewhat atypical approach toward its online redesign, video, blogs and user interaction.
http://www.editorsweblog.org/analysis//2008/01/part_2_guardian_unlimited_blogs_video_an.php#more
TOP STORIES
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Who wants news anyway? Debate: David Simon's WaPo piece
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A Washington Post piece written by David Simon, entitled "Does the News Matter To Anyone Anymore," has caused quite a lot of uproar among the public and news industry insiders. Is the general audience as removed from news as some may claim, and "isn't the news itself still valuable to anyone?"
http://www.editorsweblog.org/print_newspapers/2008/01/who_wants_news_anyway_debate_david_simon.php
US: WSJ.com to keep some content behind paywall
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Rupert Murdoch stated yesterday at the World Economic Forum that he would not make all of WSJ.com free, contrarily to his initial desire to entirely remove the paywall.
http://www.editorsweblog.org/news/2008/01/us_wsjcom_to_keep_some_content_behind_pa.php
Russia: RIA Novosti inaugurates integrated newsroom
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Russian news agency RIA Novosti inaugurated its newly-integrated and converged multimedia newsroom.
http://www.editorsweblog.org/print_newspapers/2008/01/russia_ria_novosti_inaugurates_integrate.php
UK: regional papers furious at BBC's hyperlocal plans
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As the BBC plans on the launch of a network of 60 ultra-local websites, UK's regional press, which has put lots of emphasis on hyperlocal news, is outraged at the publicly-funded broadcaster's move onto their territory.
http://www.editorsweblog.org/print_newspapers/2008/01/uk_regional_papers_furious_at_bbcs_hyper.php
How much local? AJC: reorganizing two content desks
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The Atlantic Journal-Constitution (AJC) decided to kill its traditional sections and reorganize into two content departments, News & Information and Enterprise, while two production departments are specialized in developing products for Print and Digital. The paper also refocused on local news.
http://www.editorsweblog.org/print_newspapers/2008/01/how_much_local_ajc_reorganizing_two_cont.php
How to record, edit and incorporate audio files to fit your online journalistic needs
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Mindy McAdams of the University of Florida teaches a "No-Fear Guide to Multimedia Skills." A helpful webpage neatly summarizes the skills and tools necessary to publish audio and audio slideshow content on news websites.
http://www.editorsweblog.org/news/2008/01/how_to_record_edit_and_incorporate_audio.php
New York Times mobile news through text message keywords
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The New York Times has launched a new text messaging service that delivers latest news, as well as features and columns from the paper and Times Magazine to mobile devices.
http://www.editorsweblog.org/news/2008/01/new_york_times_mobile_news_through_text.php
BBC Worldwide partners MySpace for content on networking platform
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BBC Worldwide signed a major partnership with MySpace to make BBC content available via MySpaceTV. Newspapers should closely follow this type of deal, as traditional media try to harness the audience power of social networks.
http://www.editorsweblog.org/news/2008/01/bbc_worldwide_partners_myspace_for_conte.php
US: EveryBlock launch, hyperlocal news by zip code
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EveryBlock.com just launched. The news site enables users to search for stories and information by address, zip code or neighborhood. The site won't compete with traditional media, but its 'geocoding' technology and functions should be of interest to newspapers.
http://www.editorsweblog.org/news/2008/01/us_everyblock_launch_hyperlocal_news_by.php
Iraq: How Bush administration manipulated public and press
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The Associated Press reported that a study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and his administration issued nearly 1,000 false statements about Iraq's threat to national security, in the two years following the September 11 attacks.
http://www.editorsweblog.org/print_newspapers/2008/01/iraq_how_bush_administration_manipulated.php
World Economic Forum panel claims disappearance of print papers by 2014
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A futurist panel at the World Economic Forum has suggested that print newspapers will disappear by 2014. This type of prediction has been repeatedly heard in past years though.
http://www.editorsweblog.org/print_newspapers/2008/01/world_economic_forum_panel_claims_disapp.php
About this Message:
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More info: Bertrand Pecquerie,
Director of the World Editors Forum
(bpecquerie@wan.asso.fr)
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