http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article en European Journalism Centre Copyright 2009 2009-11-17T13:38:41+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/Reporting_the_financial_crisis_a_media_failure/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/Reporting_the_financial_crisis_a_media_failure/#When:23:47:59Z In ancient Greek, “Krisis” referred to the point on which a plot turns toward either death or triumph. Financial journalists had their “Krisis” starting in autumn, 2008, after the collapse of Lehman Brothers symbolised an onslaught of dramatic financial turmoil. For the first time in 60 years the economy’s growth ceased; the world’s accounts consequently find themselves looking far different today than a year ago. This financial crisis may have exploded this year, but the media industry has published its business sections, websites, TV programmes and magazines for eons. Did the press fail to shine a bright enough spotlight on the dismal economic outlook? Were financial journalists too dazzled by the glittering market to predict the coming storm? A report from Covering the Crisis, a two-day event in Brussels. 2009-11-16T23:47:59+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/end_of_days_for_commercial_tv/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/end_of_days_for_commercial_tv/#When:13:38:41Z A pity though it may be, the days of linear broadcast television are numbered. Pekka Karhuvaara, the CEO of Finnish MTV Media, said Second Annual Conference of the Association of Commercial Television in Europe: “TV and Internet is a marriage made in heaven.” He may be wrong about their relationship. The Internet is the next generation, not an equal partner. The Second Annual Conference of the Association of Commercial Television in Europe (ACT), which took place on 4 November, 2009, in Brussels, suggested that the business sector is now finally beginning to accept this reality. The event was supposed to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the ACT, instead it showed indicators of a swan song for commercial television as we know it. 2009-11-17T13:38:41+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/world_press_photo_smile_it_is_an_order/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/world_press_photo_smile_it_is_an_order/#When:21:09:27Z At the site of a Second World War concentration camp, a tourist wears a T-shirt that says, Smile, it is an order!. A scene of such juxtaposition provokes a repelling reaction. Its observer, gifted with creative skills, crafts his quasi-instantaneous reflection into an award-winning series of captivating pictures. Dutch photographer Roger Cremers is driven to capture emotions. He translated his impressions of the surrealist scenes at Auchwitz-Birkenau into Preserving Memory: Visitors at the Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau, a series of images for which he was awarded the 2009 World Press Photo first prize in the category for Arts and Entertainments Stories. 2009-11-13T21:09:27+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/moldova_and_the_media_why_track_human_trafficking/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/moldova_and_the_media_why_track_human_trafficking/#When:16:27:30Z Over the past decade, myriad reports about human trafficking from or through Moldova have appeared in European and US media. The articles are often sensationalist; they obscure the issue or tarnish the image of entire countries – as well as the mainstream media’s reputation in general. This case study of the media’s role emphasises the need for the local, regional and international press to refrain from sensationalism and engage in informative or investigative journalism 2009-11-11T16:27:30+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/zdfneo_new_spur_for_german_public_tv/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/zdfneo_new_spur_for_german_public_tv/#When:09:21:20Z Nationwide German public broadcaster ZDF recently announced the relaunch of one of its digital channels. The new offering, to be on air from November 2009, is called ZDFneo, thus epitomising the channel’s intention. And there is a lot about ZDF that needs to be updated indeed. 2009-11-11T09:21:20+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/pitching_for_publication_starting_out/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/pitching_for_publication_starting_out/#When:14:10:09Z Pitching is tricky at the best of times. Things are even harder in the financial crisis, especially if you have little ‘pure’ journalism experience. With this in mind, and as part of its RELATE project, EJC presents a series on pitching best practice. The aim is simple: to help young and aspiring journalists get a ‘foot in the door’ and their names in print. Who do I contact?  How persistent can I be? Should I send teasers or links?—Just a few of the questions tackled in this interview. 2009-11-04T14:10:09+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/European_journalists_Comrades_in_Arms/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/European_journalists_Comrades_in_Arms/#When:07:55:15Z Media moguls are pushing a transition that does not prioritise the defence of quality journalism. So it is now crucial to build a strong sense of camaraderie among journalists. At the same time, shared knowledge can help the search for new revenue streams. Business ideas like the membership scheme at The Times and the Sunday Times as well as the personalised strategy at Niiu in Germany are among interesting new solutions. 2009-11-02T07:55:15+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/american_ad_law_fuzzy_on_disclosure_rules_us_behind_eu_on_regulations/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/american_ad_law_fuzzy_on_disclosure_rules_us_behind_eu_on_regulations/#When:18:03:07Z As an Italian blogger, Francesco Federico has witnessed tech bloggers aplenty accepting “test units” of expensive gadgets. These handouts are never intended to be returned to their manufacturer. It has to be said, he notes, that this practice is pretty common in Italy even among professional journalists, who can often keep test samples and enjoy particularly glitzy press events. When bloggers fail to disclose these handouts in product reviews, they violate a 2007 European Commission directive on unfair advertising. But do they violate new American rules? The US Federal Trade Commission has drawn a thin and blurred line that divides established websites from “citizen bloggers.” The main problem? The FTC exonerates the former group from its new disclosure rules. 2009-10-29T18:03:07+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/brussels_exile_or_opportunity_for_german_politicians/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/brussels_exile_or_opportunity_for_german_politicians/#When:09:53:40Z The southwest German state of Baden-Württemberg has about the same population as Belgium, and is considered one of the major drivers of the German economy. Its outgoing Prime Minister, christian democrat Günther Oettinger, might not be a bad choice to fill the role of a European Commissioner. But is he going willingly and will he return to a top job like Frattini and Mandelson? 2009-10-29T09:53:40+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/the_curriculum_trap_future-proofing_youth_media_and_education/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/the_curriculum_trap_future-proofing_youth_media_and_education/#When:10:16:21Z On 15 and 16 October, 2009, the EJC hosted yet another conference in its Innovation series, titled Innovations in Youth Media and Next Generation Classroom, and I was kindly invited to moderate the Maastricht event. Here are some conclusions I drew, loosely based on my wrap-up remarks at the end of the first conference day. 2009-10-26T10:16:21+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/association_of_online_publishers_to_lobby_government_in_france/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/association_of_online_publishers_to_lobby_government_in_france/#When:19:23:51Z Seven online news publishers in France have united to defend their interests ahead of key government and parliament decisions. They have founded SPIIL, an association of the independent online press. “We represent new forms of professional news media that are developing on the Internet. As everyone knows, news websites are struggling to find viable business models. Our aim is to obtain a legal framework that allows them to become profitable,” said Maurice Botbol, SPIIL’s chairman. SPIIL wants the French parliament to support MP Patrice Martin-Lalande’s plan to grant websites a favourable VAT rate. It is also advocating for thoughtful comment moderation policies. 2009-10-21T19:23:51+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/goodbye_to_advertising_on_spanish_state_tv/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/goodbye_to_advertising_on_spanish_state_tv/#When:05:55:51Z Can the Spanish government provide a public service television station without charging its citizens a license fee or allowing advertisements to run on state TV? It’s going to try. The National Broadcasting Radio & Television RTVE, Financing Law came into force on 1 September, 2009. TVE may no longer contract any space for publicity. This means there will be “a significant reduction of advertising space in the coming months of October, November and December,” said Luis Fernández, president of RTVE. By January, 2010, advertising must be wiped from Spanish state television. 2009-10-19T05:55:51+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/innovate_to_inspire_how_can_we_empower_the_next_generation/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/innovate_to_inspire_how_can_we_empower_the_next_generation/#When:16:07:27Z Innovation is at our fingertips in our homes, schools and offices. But it’s often hard to grasp. EJC’s latest conference in a series on innovation featured passionate presentations and thoughtful responses to a host of next generation questions. 2009-10-18T16:07:27+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/iran_nukes_and_the_press_are_international_media_failing_as_they_did_before/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/iran_nukes_and_the_press_are_international_media_failing_as_they_did_before/#When:03:24:30Z Is the international press corps making the same mistake it did prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq?  On the surface, there seem to be a number of similarities between mainstream media coverage of the political rhetoric prior to starting a war in Iraq and the current case being constructed against Iran. Shall history shall repeat itself? Or when it comes to evidence of weapons and national interests, will journalists develop an approach that does not revolve around retelling official news bites without any analysis or any challenge? 2009-10-13T03:24:30+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/Gone_Gitmo_allows_reporters_to_do_journalism_in_virtual_worlds/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/Gone_Gitmo_allows_reporters_to_do_journalism_in_virtual_worlds/#When:18:51:33Z Infographics previously appeared to readers as fixed and static shapes positioned alongside printing information. Today they have developed into pieces integrating text, images, 3D, sound and an increasing dose of interactivity. This modern communication process does not limit itself to presenting information, but invites the public to immerse themselves in what its being transmitted. In the virtual world of Gone Gitmo, reporters can immerse themselves in the real-life horrors of prison life at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. Is there tremendous journalistic potential for this tool and other immersive platforms? 2009-10-06T18:51:33+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/a_glimpse_at_picnic09/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/a_glimpse_at_picnic09/#When:06:23:57Z In his keynote at Amsterdam’s annual Picnic, a multi-session festival, Philip Zimbardo expressed his idea that those people who focus their speech in the present and the future time are today’s creative minds and tomorrow’s innovators. A lot of these kind of people were at Picnic, an annual September gathering in a former gasworks factory in the city of Amsterdam. Seasoned with sunshine, music, light displays and good karma, the 2009 gathering was truly a picnic of innovation and creative challenges in a non-stop vibrant atmosphere, designed to provoke quirky reactions, entertain and inspire. 2009-09-30T06:23:57+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/five_ways_news_sites_can_generate_links/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/five_ways_news_sites_can_generate_links/#When:23:42:19Z News organisations are trying to regulate use of their content and encourage visitors to pay for their news. Paradoxically, they need Google and other search engines to rank their sites in order to have a significant chance at earning revenue online. Incoming links are crucial to these search engine rankings. How can news organisations ensure incoming links in this increasingly competitive climate? Here are five suggestions from a blogger and someone who links to news sites every day. 2009-09-28T23:42:19+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/networked_journalism_will_it_spark_a_golden_era_of_journalism/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/networked_journalism_will_it_spark_a_golden_era_of_journalism/#When:20:34:28Z With journalism’s death knell sounding far and wide, is it reasonable to talk about the future of journalism? Spanish journalist Cristina Romero believes so. The history of journalism is a history of change. In the middle of the 19th century, newspapers became synonymous with all the changes happening in industrialising societies. The conditions allowing the proliferation of mass media were very much connected with the technological improvements taking place at the time: cheaper paper, a higher percentage of advertising, a faster rotary press and a growing number of consumers needing to be informed about the rapid transformation of their society. Networked Journalism is growing its roots amid similar conditions of change today. 2009-09-23T20:34:28+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/new_bid_to_boost_diversity_among_french_journalis/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/new_bid_to_boost_diversity_among_french_journalis/#When:19:40:02Z Only one or two percent of students at the prestigious Ecole supérieure de journalisme (ESJ) in Lille, France, come from a working class background, says Marc Capelle, the school’s managing director. In a bid to increase this proportion, the ESJ has launched a foundation course to help students from less substantive backgrounds pass the entrance competition for French journalism schools. Corentin Wauters spoke with Marc Capelle about the course. 2009-09-21T19:40:02+00:00 http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/freesheets_beautify_but_dont_improve_italian_media_landscape/ http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/freesheets_beautify_but_dont_improve_italian_media_landscape/#When:02:05:40Z In both free and paid-for Italian newspapers, the general quality of journalism is pretty low compared to the rest of the EU. This is in part because of the Ordine dei Giornalisti. A sort of lobby of journalists created in 1925 by Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, it controls and maneuvers the media industry in Italy. Unlike Mussolini, after Italy re-embraced democracy in 1946, the Ordine dei Giornalisti wasn’t removed. Today’s aspiring journalists still have to pass a national exam and follow the Ordine rules in order to work and present themselves as journalists. This system doesn’t help Italian journalism. As Stephan Faris correctly reports for Time Magazine, the main national Italian newspapers, such as Il Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica, La Stampa and Il Sole 24 Ore appear to be written only for a restricted few, people who already know what’s going on and that don’t expect too much to be revealed within the pages of their newspaper. So it’s hard to believe these dailies will bring change enough to the Italian media landscape. They so far produce the same kind of news we are accustomed to, just keeping it shorter. 2009-09-18T02:05:40+00:00