Climate change and misleading billboards

Fresh rulings from the U.K. Press Complaints commission, the first on a complaint over the contentious current reporting on climate change, the second on associating an innocent person with theft:

http://www.pcc.org.uk/news/index.html?article=NjE4OQ==

http://www.pcc.org.uk/news/index.html?article=NjE5MQ==

Social Media 101 - a great intro

Better publishing ideas?

What impact will the iPad or any other digital device have on the future of newspapers? Check out this good exploration:

http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=141788

How journalists do video

Print journalists have been trying - often without success - to master the basic components of shooting video for newspaper websites. Charlie Brooker breaks it down, with some humour (warning - a spot of bad language occurs near the start):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtGSXMuWMR4

S and P sees more trouble ahead for print media

OK, it's a forecast for U.S. media, and Canadian newspapers tend to do a bit better than their American counterparts. All the same, interesting reading ...

http://seekingalpha.com/article/183912-u-s-media-and-entertainment-outlook-remains-bleak-especially-for-print-related-industries

News on the web

One of the first all-online political newspapers was the American "Huffington Post," which has garnered financing and respectability. Read a short piece about its founder and her views on 'new' media in today's Toronto Star:
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/755743--website-founder-ahead-of-her-time

The missing watchdog

Freedom of information is one area that press councils take seriously. In Ontario, it's part of the press council mandate to defend it and push for access to information from government. Yet the federal government has gone more than six months without a permanent access-to-information watchdog:

http://www.ottawasun.com/news/canada/2010/01/23/12588666.html

When a corrections policy fails

Check out this article in the Washington Post about the paper's backlog of requests for corrections:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/20/AR2009032002272.html

The freedom to report trials

The terrorism trial of the Toronto 18 has proven difficult for newspapers to cover, argues the Globe and Mail in this editorial on publication bans and other justice dilemmas:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/editorials/silence-affects-the-core-of-justice/article1437091/

The Star's public editor on responsible journalism

Kathy English comments on the recent Supreme Court decision(s) on what constitutes responsible journalism.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/article/751450--supreme-lessons-in-journalism

Online commentary and its dangers

After the death of Calgary Herald reporter Michelle Lang, the outpouring of anonymous feedback included abuse, cruelty and comments that we'd never allow in a newspaper or make face-to-face.

The Ottawa Citizen's Leonard Stern explores the dangers of anonymity in online postings. Click on this link:

Intent to injure

NYT to charge for web content?

First it's Rupert Murdoch and the Wall Street Journal. Now, The New York Times sees a future in charging for online content:

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2010/01/new_york_times_set_to_mimic_ws.html

Press can be partisan, in the U.K.

The Press Complaints Commission in the U.K. has just issued two new rulings. One concludes that newspapers have a right to be partisan; the other deals with accusations about papers reporting on issues deemed to violate personal privacy. Have a look at the press releases, which you can find under the "news" section (left-hand column) of the PCC website.

http://www.pcc.org.uk/index.html

Newspapers and new media

Why do social media matter, and what influence could they have on traditional news media? Rob Granatstein suggests you watch this four-minute video (to view the screen without impediment, click on it as it plays):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8

Google out of China?

Restrictions on free speech by the Chinese government have always caused Google some discomfort. That, and illegal activity toward Google's site, have now prompted the country to reassess its presence in China. Read about it here:

googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-approach-to-china.html

The Mojo journalist

Today's "print" journalist is more than that - he/she is proficient at shooting video, writing the script, doing the standup and yes, writing the story for the newspaper after that is done. Here's a humorous video put together by a young Montreal Gazette journalist who was hoping to leave his job for a year. Remember, this guy is a PRINT journalist. (Thanks to Elizabeth Thompson, my colleague, for pointing this one out.)

mojotrotters.com/2010/01/telling-my-boss-im-leaving/

Rupert Murdoch's way?

Managers and owners of daily newspapers are watching and waiting as media mogul Rupert Murdoch, owner of the Wall Street Journal, goes head to head with the Internet over whether customers will pay for online content. Maclean's lays out the issue in this article:

http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/01/08/rupert-murdoch-vs-the-internet/3/

J-Source and responsible journalism

J-Source is the definitive website if you want to know the buzz in the Canadian media, particularly the print media. If you click on it right now, for instance, you'll see follow-up on the death of a Canadian journalist in Afghanistan. But you'll also see discussion of what, exactly, constitutes "responsible journalism" now that the Supreme Court of Canada has said such a defence may be considered when a paper is sued for libel-defamation.
http://www.j-source.ca/english_new/

More on Canwest, from the Toronto Star

Let bidding begin, CanWest creditors say - thestar.com

Canwest owned by the banks - for now

Here's the Globe and Mail's coverage today of developments at one of Canada's biggest newspaper chains, Canwest, no longer owned by the Asper family:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/canwest-newspapers-go-on-block-despite-ceo-aspers-objections/article1424971/

Learning about new media

The Canadian Association Of Journalists is hosting this conference Jan. 30 in Toronto. You don't need to be a member to go. Here's the press release:

"The Canadian Association of Journalists and the CAJ Education Foundation are kicking off the decade with a groundbreaking conference where news staff and management can learn about emerging techniques, technologies and models to transform journalism for the 21st century. The conference focuses on skills, strategies and tactics that journalists and their organizations can start implementing immediately.

"Just a few of the leaders speaking at the conference

"* Jim Brady, president, digital strategy, Allbritton Communications; former executive editor of WashingtonPost.com
* John Cruickshank, publisher, Toronto Star
* Michael Lee, chief strategy officer, Rogers
* Patrick Lor, president, Fotolia North America
* Rachel Nixon, director of digital media, CBC News
* Kenny Yum, editor, GlobeandMail.com

"The conference is structured in four tracks:

"1. A novice to intermediate track will teach working journalists key principles of how and why to use existing and new tools, techniques and technologies, including social media such as Twitter and Facebook.
2. An intermediate to advanced track for journalists already familiar with social media, online and computer fundamentals, who wish to build upon and apply those skills and knowledge to investigate and tell stories in new ways.
3. An executive and senior manager track to help decision makers explore and understand strategic issues, news and business models.
4. An "unconference" style track to enable attendees to self-organize, discover and engage in deep-knowledge grassroots sessions.

"Become a member to save more on conference fees.

"DISCOUNTED EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION ENDS JAN. 15
With times so tough in the media industry, professional development is more important than ever. For journalists who have been laid off, this conference is a great way to learn new skills, veer off on new career paths and, of course, stay connected with what's happening in journalism. To help our unemployed colleagues attend the conference, the CAJ is offering a special rate of $45, the same fee paid by student members.

"Registration is available at www.caj.ca."

A ray of sunshine?

For a sunnier view of the future of the print media, read Mike Strobel's column in the Toronto Sun. Here's the URL:
http://www.torontosun.com/news/columnists/mike_strobel/2010/01/06/12361696-sun.html#more

Journalists are still proving their worth

Ottawa Citizen editorial writer Elizabeth Payne reflects on a grim year for print journalists, capped by the death of Calgary Herald reporter Michelle Lang.
Embattled journalists are still proving their worth