http://www.ejc.net/media_news en European Journalism Centre Copyright 2009 2009-06-22T22:17:00+00:00 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ejc/magazine/~3/-D7fc-_p8mM/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/mastering_the_mobile_phone_frontier/#When:22:17:00Z Mobile news may be called a frontier, but smart content providers are already working in this space. There are popular iPhone applications for Le Monde, The Associated Press and the BBC. This comparison of each app highlights the importance of finding an attractive and simple way to make content available via mobile phones. A clear and consistent mobile strategy cannot be underestimated.  2009-06-22T22:17:00+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/mastering_the_mobile_phone_frontier/#When:22:17:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ejc/magazine/~3/h-Ft08x2_ww/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/where_is_web_20_in_ukraine/#When:19:33:00Z Ben Colmery, a media development trainer trying to convince Ukrainian journalists to use online social networks, videos and micro-blogging in their reporting, finds that Ukraine is a country emerging from a long and brutal history of authoritarian control of information, secrecy, and propaganda. Information was long the real currency of the Soviet Union. People had money, but there was nothing to buy on the shelves. You needed information to know who had the goods that you could then buy with your money. So, information was horded, and exchanged like a commodity. In his experience in Ukraine, a lot of people still relate to information this way.  2009-06-19T19:33:00+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/where_is_web_20_in_ukraine/#When:19:33:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ejc/magazine/~3/kRab61k05jY/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/rowing_the_slaveships_of_online_journalism/#When:12:58:00Z There has been a rush of hostile reactions to Xavier Ternisien’s gloomy depiction of the working life of online journalists published last month in Le Monde. Other online content providers in France say Ternisien’s article grossly mischaracterises the daily tasks of online journalists. Further, some critics says he should include print journalists in his story about “consenting slaves.” 2009-06-19T12:58:00+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/rowing_the_slaveships_of_online_journalism/#When:12:58:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ejc/magazine/~3/raDB6RSiT4Q/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/media_pluralism_monitor_unveiled/#When:09:07:00Z How do you determine whether regulations for diversity in public broadcasting are successfully implemented? Or whether a self-regulatory body in the printed press performs well? How do you decide which kind of political influence on media outlets is undue and was not sufficiently warded off by owners or editorial staff? A new media pluralism monitor aims to answer these questions and more. 2009-06-18T09:07:00+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/media_pluralism_monitor_unveiled/#When:09:07:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ejc/magazine/~3/i1-dbQ4ZpsY/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/twitter_and_the_lone_reporter/#When:12:01:00Z News organisations need to think about their social news guidelines, as the Wall Street Journal did a few weeks ago. Social news allows reports to speak directly to the public without passing through the filter of editors. This is a possibility that news organisations need to consider, either as something to embrace or something to curtail. Many media pundits critiqued the WSJ for limiting its reporters use of Twitter and Facebook. But having no social media policy for reporters is likely inviting disaster. As reporters and other employees share more and more of their personal lives on the Internet, the line between their personal postings and their role as a face for the company will become increasingly blurred. This will, in turn, cause more and more problems as the personal views and activities of reporters impact their employers. 2009-06-12T12:01:00+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/twitter_and_the_lone_reporter/#When:12:01:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ejc/magazine/~3/ngtxgMzxg60/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/of_markets_and_muzzling/#When:20:28:00Z Governments, especially in the West, are no longer a major threat to freedom of the press. In today’s concentrated, corporate media system, it is rather the media organisation itself that may endorse or restrict journalists who pursue their professional role. A profit-oriented environment, after all, governs by the first rule of the market: maximizing profit. How does this impact journalism in a European country where foreign investors own most printing presses? Consider Czech Republic, where infringement of the principles governing the press are ensured by the Union of Publishers - the very people who own the press. 2009-06-11T20:28:00+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/of_markets_and_muzzling/#When:20:28:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ejc/magazine/~3/qnSscTB6HPk/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/the_internet_tool_of_tyranny_or_democracy/#When:06:56:00Z Professor Helge Rønning calls the Internet “the most perfect surveillance machine of all time”.  In Western countries, control of online communication is being massively extended as a matter of routine. Meanwhile, the governments of Tunisia, Yemen, China, among others, are perfecting their crackdown on the Internet in a fashion that approaches George Orwell’s dark prophecies.  Tunisia, for example, was reported to block some 200 websites each day and to exercise complete control of Internet access, web surfing, and email. China even exports its know-how for web censorship to like-minded countries, as one participant observed.  2009-06-10T06:56:00+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/the_internet_tool_of_tyranny_or_democracy/#When:06:56:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ejc/magazine/~3/TFZxrQeFHTQ/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/portrait_lydia_cacho_ribeiro/#When:12:30:00Z "When I was tortured and imprisoned for publishing the story of a network of politicians, organized crime in child pornography and sex tourism, I was confronted with the enduring question: Should I keep going?” Lydia Cacho Ribeiro is an Investigative Journalist and recipient of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2008. She is also a woman who refuses to be a victim, or a martyr, but actively struggles against corruption and repression in her home country of Mexico.  The Global forum on Freedom of Expression, in Oslo, early June 2009, gave her a new platform. EJC now repeats her story as a special portrait feature. 2009-06-09T12:30:00+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/portrait_lydia_cacho_ribeiro/#When:12:30:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ejc/magazine/~3/OHv42gGWZbA/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/france_waking_up_to_news_revolution/#When:07:54:00Z French newspapers are becoming increasingly exposed to the kinds of troubles already plaguing the American press. In May, two of France’s biggest newspapers, Le Figaro and Liberation, announced that they will not go to press on certain bank holidays in order to save costs. Le Figaro will stop the presses three times a year; Libération five. While the two newspapers describe this measure as limited, some commentators say it could mark the beginning of a trend for daily papers. If all goes as predicted, in perhaps a decade the media landscape in France will be dominated by a small number of newspapers with a clear stance – some with issues once every few days and a high level of integration with their websites – and perhaps a few established pure players. 2009-06-05T07:54:00+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/france_waking_up_to_news_revolution/#When:07:54:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ejc/magazine/~3/Bjtp1zLDpNc/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/journalism_under_friendly_fire/#When:12:46:00Z The Global Forum on Freedom of Expression 2009 portrayed journalists as heroes, defending truth and an open public sphere under conditions of severe political oppression.  Yet they were also criticised for sloppy research, being sensationalistic, and sticking to a black-and-white or simply commercial rationale. 2009-06-04T12:46:00+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/journalism_under_friendly_fire/#When:12:46:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ejc/magazine/~3/cPEfGl1lXck/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/bing_news_search_extra_extra/#When:03:27:00Z Microsoft launched its new search engine, Bing, on 1 June. The expected comparisons to Google are now rolling through the blogosphere. And they’re worth following: As search engines become important drivers for news sites, it is important to watch the trends closely. Products like Bing that have the potential to change the industry quite quickly. So how does Bing stand up in the area of news search?  2009-06-02T03:27:00+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/bing_news_search_extra_extra/#When:03:27:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ejc/magazine/~3/mVWkI5YqCz8/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/wolfram_alpha_is_beta_search_service/#When:22:21:00Z The intent behind Wolfram Alpha bodes well for enterprising reporters. The “computational knowledge engine” can rifle through content in databases and directly answer questions that normally require cross-referencing. At the moment, though, it may seem a bit frustrating to ask simple questions and get no answer, especially while Google yields lots of answers. But under the hood of Wolfram Alpha is technology that, if properly fed, will deliver great results. 2009-05-31T22:21:00+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/wolfram_alpha_is_beta_search_service/#When:22:21:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ejc/magazine/~3/fHgouoKF37A/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/catalan_news_site_covers_barca_with_a_social_flair/#When:23:28:00Z There are as many elements to master in football coverage as there are in the beautiful game itself. VilaWeb, the most important online Catalan language newspaper, demonstrated a mastery of interactive football reporting this month when it utilised Facebook Connect to broadcast readers’ comments before, during and after FC Barcelona won the Champion’s League final in Rome. With a sizable Catalan presence, Facebook is a venue where Barcelona supporters are already busy trading stories, photos and thoughts about the team known by its followers to be “Més que un club” (More than a club). “We have already learned that we win more by joining others’ platforms than by keeping ourselves isolated,” director Vincent Partal said. 2009-05-29T23:28:00+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/catalan_news_site_covers_barca_with_a_social_flair/#When:23:28:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ejc/magazine/~3/mbPhEOxven8/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/postcard_creative_companies_conference/#When:23:37:00Z "There is no reason for Las Vegas to be there,” Sir Ken Robinson pointed out this week at the Creative Companies Conference. He delighted an international crowd gathered at Amsterdam’s Muziekgebouw with a charming mixture of humor, inspiration and provocation - all wrapped in perfect Oxford English. The Element, his new book ("I wrote it myself - this much I guarantee”, he quipped) covers how to find ways to succeed in a world that is changing faster than ever before and concluding that long-term-success will depend more and more on continuous creativity and consistent innovation. His speech was the brightest of so many highlights during the one-day conference. 2009-05-28T23:37:00+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/postcard_creative_companies_conference/#When:23:37:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ejc/magazine/~3/WRAiyeLrXj0/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/revisiting_the_paywall/#When:00:16:00Z All newspapers should respond to the now famous changes in the news dissemination industry. But it’s hard to know which business models - subscription, free, micropayment, advertising only, tip jar, nonprofit - are worth trying. While neither is likely to emerge a perfect or final response, two new attempts warrant a closer look:The Wall Street Journal and its online micropayment structure and The New York Times’ reader application and Kindle DX partnership. 2009-05-25T00:16:00+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/revisiting_the_paywall/#When:00:16:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ejc/magazine/~3/hAuVUR9JwrU/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/swine_flu_media_fever/#When:22:51:00Z Crises are not necessarily understood in their early phases, especially when they involve the emergence of a viral or bacterial hazard. But when the 24/7 news production system gets going and there is no capacity to build understanding, journalists report on every rumour and whisper without asking sceptical follow-up questions. Who does this benefit? And when tough questions are asked, they’re often seen as argumentative. Why? 2009-05-20T22:51:00+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/swine_flu_media_fever/#When:22:51:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ejc/magazine/~3/AADmWRbQH6c/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/french_anti_piracy_bill_carries_new_status_for_online_press/#When:07:15:00Z The Creation and Internet bill, passed 13 May by the French parliament, has been one of the most bitterly debated proposals in the current legislature. Although it mainly deals with filesharing, some articles and amendments cover online journalism. The bill grants “online press services” similar rights to the print press, a move considered by many to be long overdue. It is also meant to relieve those in charge of news websites of some of the responsibility for content published by users on their sites. It states that a news website boss can be considered legally responsible for reader commentary only when it can be proved that he “effectively knew about a specific illegal content and did not remove it”. 2009-05-18T07:15:00+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/french_anti_piracy_bill_carries_new_status_for_online_press/#When:07:15:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ejc/magazine/~3/79zdpf_0ayk/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/readers_want_articles_not_newspapers/#When:21:50:00Z Marissa Mayer, the vice president of search and user experience at Google, effectively explained earlier this month just how Google has changed news consumption habits. In the same way that mp3 files allowed music fans to buy songs instead of CDs, Google’s search engine has allowed news consumers to deal with individual articles rather than whole publications. 2009-05-17T21:50:00+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/readers_want_articles_not_newspapers/#When:21:50:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ejc/magazine/~3/ngi-1NxnSX0/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/kazakhs_protest_internet_censorship_law/#When:09:44:00Z On 13 May, online protests across Kazakhstan sent a strong message that the Kazakh people are unhappy with their government’s efforts to block online content within the country. Shouted protests for a free Internet briefly interrupted last month’s Eurasian Media Forum in Almaty, but the issue was mainly hidden from the international press visiting the glitzy an interactive conference about the world’s biggest stories. The open setting of the EMF couldn’t be more different from the way Kazakhstan manages its own notoriously restricted media; Kazakhstan’s press has again been deemed NOT FREE by Freedom House in 2009. 2009-05-14T09:44:00+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/kazakhs_protest_internet_censorship_law/#When:09:44:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ejc/magazine/~3/cD1HhCRudr8/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/science_communication_gets_savvy/#When:08:28:00Z The new communication ecosystem could facilitate a slightly different co-operation between Europe’s scientific and the journalistic communities, or at least prevent further misunderstandings. 2009-05-14T08:28:00+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/science_communication_gets_savvy/#When:08:28:00Z