June 2006 Archives

As the Internet sends the business models of traditional media organizations into turmoil simultaneously placing the power of publishing at the fingertips of the masses, much concern has been raised about how the journalism that sustains our democracies is being affected. Panelists and delegates at the Media Giraffe Summit came together to try to find a “new definition of journalism.”

The French daily Libération published today the last column of its editor-in-chief for 33 years, Serge July. Two weeks after chief shareholder Edouard de Rothschild asked him to leave amid a financial crisis at the leading left-wing paper, July said he was "extremely sad" to be quitting after 30 years.

What is totally clear in this last column is that Serge July didn't want to resign: he was forced out by the main shareholder. What is not clear is the result of the bargaining between the editor and the shareholder: two weeks ago, July said, "OK, I am ready to leave if Rothschild invests 15 million euros (18 million US $) more in the newspaper (after 20 million euros in November 2004)". But today the shareholder didn't announce his final decision, asking for new savings between three and six million euros. 

Serge July will certainly continue to write columns, but no more in Libération! It's a "divorce à la française" with some confusion: six months ago a majority of journalists refused to hear their editor in a general assembly and today the newsroom reacts as an orphan dedicating the cover page and seven pages to the leave: one fifth of the today's newspaper!

Source: Liberation

The Swedish Market Court just slapped Metro International with a fine of half a million kronor (close to $70,000) for running an ad that covered the entire front page of its 11 November 2004 Swedish edition, blurring the line between editorial and advertising content.

The implications of introducing a new London afternoon freesheet might not seem that far reaching, but when Network Rail announces the winning tender for its distribution contract in two weeks, even Britain’s national newspapers could get caught up in the soon-to-be-surging free paper competition.

Rupert Murdoch has plans to sell several of News Corp’s local US television stations in order to buy back an 18 percent shareholder stake from billionaire John Malone, The Australian reported Thursday.

Traditional media searching for ways to expand their digital assets must first confront this question: build or buy? Some analysts, like Viacom chief financial officer Michael Dolan, swear by the build-first-then-buy method.

As the humid summer season falls on Western Massachusetts, I've returned to the area where I grew up to see what's happening at the inaugural Media Giraffe Summit. The first session gathered some of the "usual suspects" as they called themselves to discuss how journalism will stay relevant, to whom and in what forms.

After a year and a half of controversy, on Thursday the South Korean Constitutional Court struck down a provision of the Newspaper Law, a victory for the nation’s daily papers who denounced the regulations as violating the principles of press freedom and fair market competition.

Former Mirror Group executive David Montgomery announced plans to purchase Norway’s Orkla Media by the end of July, the Guardian reported Wednesday, a sweeping move that further extends his reach over European media.

In February, NBC fought YouTube.com to remove hundreds of clips from the viral-video site. Now the two are pairing up in a deal that lets YouTube feature select clips from certain NBC series, the first agreement of its kind between a broadcaster and viral-video outlet.

People in the UK, France, Germany and Spain can now access Google News and gmail with mobile phones. The service — already available in the U.S. — will be compatible with most mobile phones, according to Journalism.co.uk, but charges for Web access depend on the mobile company.

A promotion by The Times of London that offered readers a free DVD if they indicated their interest by text message generated 100,000 responses. The promotion was the first of its kind, according to the Guardian, and The Times — owned by Murdoch’s News International — hopes to reach readers through a broader media spectrum by using more text offers in the future.

Source: The Guardian

Bloggers are often portrayed as having a tense relationship with mainstream media, defying traditional reporting practices while seeking recognition and credit for their work. But several recent announcements imply a dawning awareness that serious bloggers produce legitimate work.

Several potential partners have expressed interest in French publishing group Socpresse’s plans for a free nightly paper in Paris, including French television stations TF1 and M6, 24heures reported. The Bolloré group, which distributes the French free nightly Direct Soir, is also reportedly considering the project.

The Chinese government wants to reinforce restrictions on press freedom, trying to push a law through Chinese parliament that fines media who report on epidemics, industrial accidents or natural disasters, 24heures reported Monday. The government is responsible for the dissemination of this type of information, according to the proposed law. It is unclear whether or not foreign media would be affected.

Source: 24heures (in French)

Consumer-created content has simultaneously drummed up tremendous support from Internet users and provoked anxiety among traditional forms of media struggling to adapt to the online grassroots movement. But it’s also worrying the media’s source of revenue: advertisers.

Juan Varela at Periodistas 21 reports that Spain's top selling daily, El Pais, has launched an edition for Sony's popular video-game device, Playstation Portable. The PSP version will join El Pais' PDA and cellular phone editions as the paper expands its multimedia distribution offerings.