Editors Weblog: January 2008 Archives

France: Citizenside sells amateur footage of Société Générale trader for €100,000

Posted by admin on January 31, 2008 at 3:59 PM

An amateur video of former Société Générale trader Jérôme Kerviel, whose unauthorized activities caused the bank to lose €4.9bn, was sold to Paris Match and will bring in at least €100,000 in revenue. This is one of the first big deals for citizen imagery agency Citizenside.

The video depicts Kerviel as he signed his statement at the police station.

Paris Match bought the exclusivity of the video for the French press and was to publish excerpts today.

Citizenside was created in 2006 and is specialized in collecting footage and still pictures from amateurs, which it then sells to traditional media outlets.

“This video will generate at least €100,000 in revenues,” said Citizenside founder Matthieu Stefani. “The author will receive between 50% and 75% of this sum.”

Citizenside recently signed a partnership with news agency Agence France-Presse. “These images are a new source of information,” said Stefani, “we don’t do the same thing AFP does, we’re complementary.

Source: Le Monde

UK: ABCs include free local papers

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 30, 2008 at 3:32 PM

The Audit Bureau of Circulation has changed its regulations, enabling regional newspapers such as the Manchester Evening News to count free copies in their circulation figures, starting in August this year.

US: Wall Street Journal to cover sports, move to News Corp. offices

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 30, 2008 at 3:21 PM

The Wall Street Journal is to move away from its 119-old home in lower Manhattan to join the offices of corporate parent News Corporation. The Journal is also planning to start a sports page.

BusinessWeek introduces new “reader engagement index”

Posted by Barbara Nguyen on January 30, 2008 at 12:48 PM

BusinessWeek has developed a new standard for measuring reader engagement on its website. While publications like the New York Times and BusinessWeek have been known for taking big steps to promote audience participation, it now appears that BusinessWeek is set to reward top commenters on its website with t-shirts and a dinner in New York with senior editors.

US: editors complain about AP pricing and competition

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 30, 2008 at 12:13 PM

Many US editors have written to the Associated Press to complain about its planned overhaul of pricing in 2009, as well as changes in news coverage practices.

France: 20 minutes reports positive earnings for 2007

Posted by Barbara Nguyen on January 30, 2008 at 11:56 AM

20 minutes reports positive revenues for 2007, a first time occurrence for the French freesheet.

Part 2: Guardian Unlimited – blogs, video, and Web design strategies

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 30, 2008 at 10:59 AM

The Guardian boasts UK’s most popular newspaper site, yet its newsroom has been traditionally non-integrated – till the paper moves to its new premises next fall. In Part 2, several Guardian editors described the paper’s somewhat atypical approach toward its online redesign, video, blogs and user interaction.

Australia: Fairfax Media and News Ltd partner for car deal

Posted by Barbara Nguyen on January 30, 2008 at 10:58 AM

Publishers Fairfax Media and News Ltd are joining forces to co-produce their rival car sales websites. Fairfax Digital’s drive.com.au sales team will manage all car dealer listings on New Ltd’s competing site, carguide.com.au. Listings will appear simultaneously on both websites.

US: Greeley Tribune’s Spanish and English papers to merge

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 29, 2008 at 2:59 PM

La Tribuna, a Spanish-language weekly launched by the Greeley Tribune three years ago, will be merged with a sister publication, Greeley Now.

Italy: Gazzetta dello Sport bucks circulation trends in 2007

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 29, 2008 at 2:47 PM

In an email sent by deputy editor Gianni Valenti, he says “it’s been an extraordinary year for the La Gazzetta dello Sport”, the Italian pink-colored sports newspaper. The paper grew its year-on-year circulation by 0.44%, and as much as 5.8% for circulation in November 2007 compared to 2006 (see graphic), thanks to a successful transition towards more general news coverage.

Local and hyperlocal news: the good and bad

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 29, 2008 at 12:50 PM

In the latest Nieman Report, Poynter Institute media analyst Rick Edmonds tries to make sense and point out the nonsense of newspapers’ hyperlocal strategies: hyperlocal content is sometimes news, but often not, business models so far aren’t very encouraging, and trimming down the traditional print edition can be risky.

UK: Birmingham Mail launches companion site

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 29, 2008 at 11:58 AM

Trinity Mirror has launched a new website for the Birmingham Mail, as part of a plan to overhaul its regional sites. The website will feature content from the print title, but also exclusive content from Mail journalists and users including links, picture galleries and video.

US: Google taps presidential campaign advertising

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 29, 2008 at 11:36 AM

Newspapers were once, and still are, a preferred medium for political campaign advertising. But now Google is tapping those ad dollars, as all frontrunners have signed up to use Google’s Adwords and AdSense targeted advertising programs.

US: Obama’s ‘spinless’ PR seduces press

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 29, 2008 at 11:19 AM

According to The Washington Post, Barack Obama’s popularity in the presidential campaign isn’t due to lofty spins and slick public relations with the press, quite to the contrary. The candidate’s relationship with the press isn’t ostensibly focused on driving the news agenda.

Iran: Zanan, women’s mag, closed down

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 29, 2008 at 10:59 AM

Iran’s leading women’s magazine, Zanan, was forced to close after 16 years of publication, after being accused of depicting Iran negatively.

UK: Journalism Leaders Forum examines end of sports reporting

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 29, 2008 at 10:43 AM

The 8th Journalism Leaders Forum, organized by the University of Central Lancashire in Preston, is beginning today with a panel discussion and webinar on the theme “Spoiled Sports: will the digital media finish off sports reporting as a credible form of journalism?”

France: regional press to benefit from ad-ridden public television?

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 28, 2008 at 7:03 PM

According to news site MediaPart, the French regional daily press (PQR) could be in talks with the government to benefit from some of France 3’s resources, in the wake of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s announcement that advertising would be suppressed on France Télévisions.

US: WaPo Co. launches Slate for African Americans

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 28, 2008 at 6:45 PM

The Washington Post Co. is to launch a Web magazine, The Root, that will target African Americans. A "Slate for black readers," according to one of its founders, Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.

What's in store for citizen journalism in 2008?

Posted by Barbara Nguyen on January 28, 2008 at 4:57 PM

According to Ground Reports, 2008 will be the year citizen journalism evolves, after having cemented its establishment in 2007. Leaders such as Newsvine, NowPublic, Orato and Digital Journal offer many similar features: proprietary content submission tools, community ratings, and even some occasional revenue share. But it’s “how these players break out of the pack in the coming year (that) will determine everything.”

The article summarizes its key predictions on what to expect from citizen journalism in 2008:

Russia: RIA Novosti inaugurates integrated newsroom

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 28, 2008 at 4:53 PM

Russian news agency RIA Novosti inaugurated its newly-integrated and converged multimedia newsroom.

New York Times mobile news through text message keywords

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 28, 2008 at 1:21 PM

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.

UK: regional papers furious at BBC’s hyperlocal plans

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 28, 2008 at 1:09 PM

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.

How much local? AJC: reorganizing two content desks

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 28, 2008 at 12:48 PM

The latest Nieman Report examines the widespread trend towards local and hyperlocal news. 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.

Hubdub.com: new site provides forum for discussion of market-worthy news and predictions

Posted by Barbara Nguyen on January 28, 2008 at 12:15 PM

Hubdub, a self-proclaimed “people-powered news aggregator”, launches its new website at DEMO 08, held in Palm Desert, California Jan 28-30. The news forum features content chosen by users to be worthy of discussion. If indeed news is deemed worthy, a market is created around the topic or question of choice, at which point predictions can be made on possible outcomes.

ACAP Answers Its Critics

Posted by Larry Kilman on January 28, 2008 at 11:34 AM

Since the recent launch of ACAP, the new standard to protect the intellectual property of anyone publishing on the worldwide web, the blogosphere has been full of comments about it -- and not all of them have been polite.

Part 1: Guardian Unlimited – journalists own the integration process

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 28, 2008 at 11:28 AM

The Guardian boasts UK’s most popular newspaper site, yet its newsroom has been traditionally non-integrated – till the paper moves to its new premises next fall. 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.

How to record, edit and incorporate audio files to fit your online journalistic needs

Posted by Barbara Nguyen on January 28, 2008 at 11:20 AM

Mindy McAdams of the University of Florida teaches a “No-Fear Guide to Multimedia Skills” as part of the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute’s two-part, eight-hour hands-on training session for journalists, mostly newspaper reporters. A helpful webpage neatly summarizes the skills and tools necessary to publish audio and audio slideshow content on news websites.

France: 90 young journos write today's l’Humanité

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 28, 2008 at 11:06 AM

French daily l’Humanité published a special edition today, created by about 90 young correspondents from the program ‘Libres échanges’.

India: Karpoor Chandra Kulish Award 2007

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 25, 2008 at 4:40 PM

Print journalistic entries for the Karpoor Chandra Kulish Award 2007 (KCK Award 2007) must be submitted by Jan. 31 2008. There’s $11,000 in prize money for the annual award, which this year focuses on “Human Development.

USA Today acquired action sports website, ad network

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 25, 2008 at 3:22 PM

Gannett Co.’s flagship paper USA Today has acquired Banquet, which operates an action sports website, social platform and ad network.

Who wants news anyway? Debate: David Simon’s WaPo piece

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 25, 2008 at 3:10 PM

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?”

YouTube extends mobile delivery to millions of phones

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 25, 2008 at 2:00 PM

YouTube.com has expanded its service to distribute video content on millions of mobile phones that have high-speed Internet capability.

World Economic Forum panel claims disappearance of print papers by 2014

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 25, 2008 at 1:48 PM

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.

US: WSJ.com to keep some content behind paywall

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 25, 2008 at 1:27 PM

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.

UK: Daily Mirror scraps mobile site

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 25, 2008 at 12:22 PM

The Daily Mirror has scrapped its mobile site, in preparation for the launch of a new one within six months. Apparently parent company Trinity Mirror decided it wasn’t worth keeping the old one until then.

BBC Worldwide partners MySpace for content on networking platform

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 25, 2008 at 12:17 PM

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.

Social networking 3.0: Kaioo, nonprofit, for users by users

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 25, 2008 at 11:43 AM

Kaioo, the first non-profit “real social network on the Internet,” was launched in Beta two months ago. Unlike commercial social networks, its idealistic interest goal is to build a communication tool for users, said founder and CEO Thomas Kreye.

US papers cry out for ‘recession’, public misled

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 24, 2008 at 5:16 PM

If one only read US papers, he or she might think the country’s economy is already in a recession. And indeed, a majority of the US public thinks so - wrongly.

Learn to write for online: headlines, blogs, forums, speed

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 24, 2008 at 11:54 AM

Journalism students, as well as seasoned print journalists, should learn the differences between online newswriting and print newswriting. Here’s how to teach journalists about new publishing formats on the Web, particular attention to headline writing, and how to be reactive.

US: EveryBlock launch, hyperlocal news by zip code

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 24, 2008 at 11:15 AM

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.

Iraq: How Bush administration manipulated public and press

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 24, 2008 at 10:58 AM

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.

US: New York Times stakes in blog publisher

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 24, 2008 at 10:43 AM

Many have picked up on the fact that The New York Times Co. was among the financers of Automattic, the commercial arm of the Wordpress blog platform. In fact though, NYT Co. only contributed a small share of the $29.5 million in financing.

UK: readership decline, has society given up on hard news?

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 23, 2008 at 3:02 PM

The latest British Social Attitudes study sheds a worrisome light on newspaper readership in the UK: not only is print readership in decline, only 3% of those who don’t read print newspapers regularly consult online newspapers.

France: Ouest-France to launch “2008 Municipal Videotour”

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 23, 2008 at 2:51 PM

Leading French daily Ouest-France is to delve into online videojournalism for the upcoming municipal elections, with three mobile studios that will provide coverage from about 50 different cities.

UK: Independent site relaunches, more audio and images

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 23, 2008 at 1:59 PM

Independent.co.uk has relaunched its site with a new design, improved reader interaction and new features, including commercial services, music downloads and additional picture galleries.

Polymer Vision rolls out fold-away Readius e-Reader

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 23, 2008 at 1:42 PM

Dutch company Polymer Vision, spun out of Philips (which still has a 25% stake), has launched its miniature e-reader device, Readius. Readius’ unique feature is a fold-away screen, which makes the device extremely portable.

US college papers picking up on convergence?

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 23, 2008 at 1:24 PM

Contrarily to some previous reports, an article in UCLA’s campus paper the Daily Bruin claims that student and college journalists are incorporating new media skills and developing reader interaction.

Parallels between bloggers and Hollywood writers on strike

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 23, 2008 at 12:21 PM

Will bloggers go on strike in the future, just as Hollywood writers currently are? The question may seem strange at this point, but this will increasingly become an issue as popular bloggers churn out profit and traffic for parent media organizations – with little or no monetary compensation.

Britney and AP: pre-written obits for the old, why not for the young?

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 23, 2008 at 12:01 PM

It’s common practice to prepare obituaries of personalities long in advance. But news that the Associated Press already wrote an obit for 26-year-old pop star Britney Spears has led to controversy and a renewed debate about the practice.

Belarus: 3 year sentence for Muhammad cartoon - officially

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 23, 2008 at 11:33 AM

Aleksandr Sdvizhkov, editor of now-shuttered independent weekly Zgoda in Belarus, was sentenced to three years in a high-security prison, for reprinting controversial Danish cartoons of Prophet Muhammad in 2006.

SFN daily wrap-up

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 23, 2008 at 10:32 AM

A few news tidbits from our partner site, the SFN Blog: following managerial turmoil at Le Monde at the end of 2007, editor Eric Fottorino has stated he wants to be a “man of an historical compromise” between journalists and shareholders. In the US, AT&T has partnered the NY Times to allow wireless users to access the newspaper’s site at no extra charge.

Portugal: Publico’s ‘Vulture Cam’ attracts plethora of intrigued viewers

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 22, 2008 at 5:34 PM

An innovative initiative launched by Portugese daily Publico has been at the center of lots of media attention. The Vulture Cam enables viewers to watch live the evolution of a vulture’s nest along the Tagus river.

Reuters journalists could strike against ‘reclassifying’ of roles

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 22, 2008 at 4:21 PM

Reuters journalists have voted to ballot for industrial action, to protest against changes in their job roles as part of Thomson Corp.’s ongoing takeover.

UK news sites flooded with foreign users

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 22, 2008 at 3:46 PM

At least five of UK’s news websites now have more foreign than national visitors. Who do you think has most?

Reuters partners Newscom to supply video to online publishers

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 22, 2008 at 3:20 PM

Reuters and Newscom, a content provider for online publishers, have agreed to a deal that could lead to the inclusion of thousands of new broadcast-quality videos within American news sites.

Spain: online-only El Imparcial launches

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 22, 2008 at 3:08 PM

Not much info, but a new online-only news site dubbed El Imparcial has been launched in Spain.

Integration and online “storybuilding” helped Financial Times increase circulation

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 22, 2008 at 1:49 PM

Since the Financial Times integrated its newsroom in 2006 and moved into a new one in 2007, it has been among the few British newspapers to increase its circulation, ad revenue and profits. Changes in the editorial process resulting from integration included “storybuilding,” new work shifts and lunch-hour training sessions.

Video: cheap and unskilled, or costly and high-quality?

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 22, 2008 at 12:46 PM

Do you have a video strategy? Would you rather equip all reporters with cheap cameras and produce lots of ‘quick’ videos, or leave this to specialists and produce less, but higher quality, content? Both.

Golfweek editor fired: when media blogs before reporting

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 22, 2008 at 12:17 PM

Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Dwyre described the dangers of blogging before reporting, in a day and age in which buzz and hits increasingly tend to outpace accuracy or sound editorial judgment, in which drama outweighs news.

LA Times: fighting cuts for editorial quality

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 22, 2008 at 11:39 AM

The departure of Los Angeles Times editor James O’Shea, resulting from a dispute with publisher David Hiller over cost cuts, throws light on increasing concerns for editors: how can they maintain editorial quality while the budget shrinks?

US: Triblocal continues to grow

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 22, 2008 at 10:38 AM

The Chicago Tribune has expanded Triblocal, its hyperlocal community websites, to 13 southwest and western communities in the Chicago suburbs.

US: Gannett papers outsource ad production

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 22, 2008 at 10:25 AM

Gannett Co. has joined McClatchy Co., E.W. Scripps, the MediaNews Group and several other newspaper publishers, outsourcing ad production work.

Bolivia: first citizen journalism site launched

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 21, 2008 at 5:04 PM

The newly launched AhoraBolivia.com reportedly constitutes Bolivia’s first foray into citizen journalism. The site aims to create a user-generated online newspaper.

The Atlantic, monthly mag, to go free online

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 21, 2008 at 4:41 PM

Monthly magazine The Atlantic will take down its online paywall tomorrow, in an effort for the site to become a publication of its own instead of a marketing tool for the print magazine.

Getty Images up for sale

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 21, 2008 at 3:59 PM

Getty Images, the world’s leading supplier of stock pictures and video, has been put up for sale and could be valued at an estimated $1.5 billion.

US: LA Times editor fired

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 21, 2008 at 3:58 PM

James O’Shea is the second top editor of the Los Angeles Times to leave within 15 months over cost-cutting disputes.

Promote audience participation, not free-for-all forums

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 21, 2008 at 1:50 PM

In a posting on Mediashift last week, new media analyst Mark Glaser considers how The New York Times and BusinessWeek have embraced audience participation, but are still figuring out how to harness its power and moderate the discussion effectively.

UK: press ad market to shrink in next 11 years

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 21, 2008 at 1:49 PM

The size of the UK press advertising market could go down £1.61 billion by 2019, according to a report by the Advertising Association and the World Advertising Research Centre (WARC), whereas the overall ad market is projected to grow between 16% and 38%.

London freesheets debut recycling effort

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 21, 2008 at 10:58 AM

London’s free newspapers started to roll out their recycling bins across the capital, as part of their deal to pay for the installation of 70 newspaper recycling bins across the West End.

AFP bans use of Wikipedia and Facebook as sources

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 21, 2008 at 10:55 AM

Agence France Presse banned its reporters from using Facebook and Wikipedia as sources last week, as news organizations still struggle to safely use online (re)sources.

US: Scripps Co. launches social networking politics site

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 21, 2008 at 9:03 AM

Scripps. Co. launched last Wednesday a social networking website entitled RedBlueAmerica that will focus on the 2008 elections.

UK: Internet ‘significant’ revenue for The Sun only in 14-15 years

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 21, 2008 at 8:56 AM

The Internet won’t constitute substantial revenues for The Sun for the next 14 to 15 years, according to editor Rebekah Wade.

Editors Weblog redesign

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 16, 2008 at 7:16 PM

The Editors Weblog is going through a major redesign. We will not be posting articles on Thursday Jan. 17 and Friday Jan. 18. The new design will be launched on Feb. 4 with a cleaner layout, more networking features and a daily newsletter.

Reuters hires Nokia for mobile ads push

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 16, 2008 at 5:41 PM

Reuters has chosen Nokia’s mobile media division to develop its mobile advertising revenues.

Washington Times names Post reporter as executive editor

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 16, 2008 at 3:19 PM

The Washington Times appointed John Solomon, a reporter from its rival publication, the Washington Post, to be its new executive editor.

US: Belo newspaper spinoff to bring in $51.9m

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 16, 2008 at 3:05 PM

Belo Corp. expects to gain $51.9 million from the spinoff of its newspaper and related assets into a separate publicly traded company.

US Metro up for sale

Posted by Barbara Nguyen on January 16, 2008 at 12:46 PM

The end has indeed come for Metro freesheets’ three American titles, Metro Boston, Metro New York, and Metro Philadelphia. Metro International S.A., the worldwide publisher of the free daily newspapers, has opened up bidding on the US titles, according to an executive briefed on the deal.

UK’s Manchester Evening News: convergence’s archetype

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 16, 2008 at 11:56 AM

In 2006, when the Manchester Evening News decided to make the paper free in central Manchester, while keeping paid-for distribution in the city’s outskirts, few fellow publishers understood such a decision. Yet at the heart of this commercial move lays a greater will to adapt to the decline of print ad revenues by becoming a converged media group, and the Evening News now boasts the UK’s most integrated regional newsroom.

Le Monde fined €300,000 for defamation

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 16, 2008 at 11:12 AM

Le Monde was struck with a substantial €300,000 fine in damages to Barcelona’s football club, after the paper published an article judged defamatory about the club’s alleged doping practices.

Social networking still to grow in 2008

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 15, 2008 at 3:27 PM

According to a report by Experian, the social networking phenomenon is set to continue booming. Newspapers better catch up with the Web 2.0 bandwagon, and develop more than simple user profiles.

BBC's iPlayer scores big, could revolutionize way shows are viewed

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 15, 2008 at 3:03 PM

More than one million visitors went to BBC's newly launched iPlayer site during the fortnight ending Jan. 7. Over three-and-a-half million programmes have been watched via the iPlayer since it was launched on Christmas Day.

Thomson and Reuters set to merge in Q2

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 15, 2008 at 2:47 PM

Thomson and Reuters should finalize their $17 billion merger early in the second quarter.

UK: Telegraph video soars, audio podcasts don't work

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 15, 2008 at 2:08 PM

Telegraph.co.uk's video-oriented online strategy is paying off, as video on the site drew 3.4 million hits on the site in November, by some 794,000 unique users. Ed Roussel, the digital editor of Telegraph Media Group, also explained why podcasts don't work.

The source was joking

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 15, 2008 at 1:54 PM

Last week, a Hamburg newspaper reported that Thomas Joschko, manager of a computer company, had fired three non-smokers because they threatened to disrupt the work atmosphere, asking for a smoke-free environment. The story was picked up widely in German and international media.

Irish Times works towards integrated 24-hour newsroom

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 15, 2008 at 1:43 PM

The Irish Times is on its way to integrate print and online operations, attempting to become the country's first 24-hour newspaper.

US Metro titles to be bought by Examiner group?

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 14, 2008 at 3:23 PM

Could it be the end of Metro freesheets' adventure in the US? According to the Phoenix, representatives from the Examiner group, which publishes other US freesheets, are bidding on Metro's three American titles.

AP launches "Ask AP" Q&A column

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 14, 2008 at 1:55 PM

The Associated Press is launching a new Q&A column entitled "Ask AP" in which it proposes to answer reader questions about the news.

UK: Convergence think tank to examine media mergers

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 14, 2008 at 1:35 PM

Editors are concerned after ministers commissioned a 'convergence think tank' study that could trigger regulatory changes for online news, without involving newspaper journalists.

Mistaken predictions due to media enthusiasm for Obama?

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 14, 2008 at 12:38 PM

The Guardian has a piece today reviewing the inaccurate predictions of some UK papers concerning the primaries in New Hampshire, giving Barack Obama winner over Hillary Clinton.

UK: Telegraph.co.uk to launch 7 Web TV shows

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 14, 2008 at 11:52 AM

The Telegraph site is to launch seven new TV programmes, including a weekly political talk show that will feature conservative MP Ann Widdecombe, a cooking programme and one-minute arts review.

US: Chicago Tribune narrows down width

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 14, 2008 at 11:33 AM

The Chicago Tribune is to debut its new look and narrower width today, with a change in its traditional blue banner-like template.

Sydney Morning Herald calls on participation for Earth Hour 2008

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 11, 2008 at 3:39 PM

Have you heard about Earth Hour? An initiative supported by The Sydney Morning Herald, Earth Hour aims to get people worldwide involved in the struggle against climate change and excessive energy consumption by having them switch off their lights at a given hour.

US: WSJ.com gives free entry to op-eds, videos and more

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 11, 2008 at 2:11 PM

The Wall Street Journal is concretely paving its way towards a free online model, by giving users free access to all editorials, op-eds, video interviews and commentary.

US: Britney “big deal” for AP, LA Times sends 3 reporters

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 11, 2008 at 12:49 PM

Three Los Angeles Times editors have gone online to defend the paper’s use of three reporters to cover Britney Spears’ latest meltdown. And an AP memo recently told journalists that “now and for the foreseeable future, virtually everything involving Britney is a big deal.”

Obama wins primaries in New Hampshire – when prediction overtakes reporting

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 11, 2008 at 12:15 PM

On Tuesday, Barack Obama won the primaries in New Hampshire, once again defeating Democrat rival Hillary Clinton. Does that sound right? UK readers of the Telegraph, The Independent and The Times opened their print edition the next day to read stories that had been written in prevision of Obama’s victory in New Hampshire.

UK: Mirror.co.uk to tap regional papers for local items

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 11, 2008 at 11:40 AM

Trinity Mirror is going to tap its network of 53 regional newspaper sites to provide local coverage to its flagship title site Mirror.co.uk.

US: Morning Call rethinks newsroom

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 11, 2008 at 11:15 AM

Local paper Morning Call, Pa., is rethinking its newsroom and editorial processes. Changes will include creating an “innovative universal news desk” and reorganizing the visuals department to enhance digital offerings, as well as the creation of new editorial positions.

Does new media affect quality of news coverage?

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 11, 2008 at 11:01 AM

According to a survey by Omnicom’s Brodeur, nearly half of reporters and editors across the media believe that “new media” sources (blogs and social networks) have a “very” or “somewhat” significant impact on quality of news coverage.

US: AP lets affiliates upload and monetize

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 11, 2008 at 10:43 AM

The Associated Press (AP) has launched a tool that enables affiliate news sites to directly upload and monetize their own content including video.

Identifying Trends for the Future of Newspapers

Posted by Larry Kilman on January 10, 2008 at 5:31 PM

The World Association of Newspapers has asked leading newspapers executives to identify the current trends they believe will have an impact on the future of their businesses. Some are profound and others are seemingly minor -- but all have the potential to shape the future of newspapers.

AccessInterviews: Website to aggregate all journalistic interviews

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 10, 2008 at 4:34 PM

Rob McGibbon, a freelance journalist in the UK, has launched a website, AccessInterviews.com, that aims to offer a comprehensive collection of journalistic interviews. If successful, this site will certainly become an invaluable resource for all journalists – and readers.

Finland: newspapers take competition to the Internet

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 10, 2008 at 4:03 PM

Finnish newspapers are struggling to transition to a strong online model, and it seems only tabloids have entered the online race full on, in a context of tense competition.

UK: Guardian and Observer should merge some editorial

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 10, 2008 at 3:14 PM

Roger Alton, who stepped down as editor of the Observer on Jan. 1, has acknowledged that merging part of the editorial teams of the Guardian and Observer is essential.

US: Traffic to video-sharing sites doubles

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 10, 2008 at 2:53 PM

Daily traffic to YouTube and other video sharing sites has soared in the past year, nearly doubling, up to 48% of adults, according to study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

US: a single article makes a Parade of all newspapers’ credibility

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 10, 2008 at 12:40 PM

Dozens of readers have reacted angrily after the Parade magazine published, as an insert in numerous newspapers, a “seriously outdated cover story” and interview of Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto, 10 days after her assassination, wrote Chicago Tribune’s public editor Timothy McNulty.

US: Teen paper L.A. Youth to celebrate 20th anniversary

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 10, 2008 at 11:45 AM

L.A. Youth, the paper by and about teens, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in January with a special edition. The paper has successfully grown from being produced by a handful of teens to becoming the largest teen paper in the nation.

US: citizen journalists blog and YouTube the campaign

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 10, 2008 at 11:13 AM

The rise of citizen journalism and pro-am coverage is undeniably affecting overall media coverage, and traditional media can’t do without a share of ‘new media’ anymore. Last Saturday’s debates were jointly hosted by the ABC network and Facebook.

FT chief John Ridding: quality matters

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 10, 2008 at 10:52 AM

In a short interview with Reuters, Financial Times (FT) chief executive John Ridding gave an outlook on the FT in the 21st century: stay focused on a specific audience, the Wall Street Journal is one among many competitors, and quality of journalism remains newspapers’ core value.

US: Belo Corp TV stations to provide video to Yahoo

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 9, 2008 at 5:41 PM

Belo Corp and Yahoo should engaging in a new partnership, as Belo plans to designate 13 television stations to be Yahoo’s exclusive local news video providers.

UK: Telegraph ends PM PDF version

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 9, 2008 at 5:33 PM

The Daily Telegraph has ended its Telegraph PM edition, a daily printable PDF version.

US: NYT City Room blog evolves into print

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 9, 2008 at 5:25 PM

The New York Times’ local news blog City Room, launched last June, will soon make its way into the print edition. The online-to-print move is also a good example of print-online cross-promotion.

Readers are dumb: make stories easy to read

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 9, 2008 at 5:03 PM

In a Q&A with Le Monde, former Marianne boss and journalist Jean François Kahn argues, rather controversially, that journalistic writing and the style of text-based news will have to evolve in the era of Internet and visual media, to be shorter and less complex.

US: Off the Bus pro-am campaign coverage thrives

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 9, 2008 at 4:37 PM

In a Q&A with the Online Journalism Review, USC Annenberg professor Marc Cooper reviews his experience with Off The Bus so far. One of the main lessons “is that both sides of the debate over old and new media have been right, and you have to find the right hybrid.”

World Newspaper Summit To Focus on Growth

Posted by Larry Kilman on January 9, 2008 at 3:07 PM

Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf has agreed to open the World Newspaper Congress, World Editors Forum and Info Services Expo 2008, the global summit meetings of the world's press, to be held in Göteborg, Sweden, next June.

How much video? Part 3: Nouvel Observateur: TV-like shows, with an edge

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 9, 2008 at 11:53 AM

For the French weekly Le Nouvel Observateur, it’s been a year since they have walked the walk by building an in-house studio. Video has simply become essential. “We can’t do without it anymore,” said Malika Elkord, deputy editor of the Nouvel Observateur. Will video ever be dominant in the publication though? Not to be considered yet. “Video is only a plus, but it is still essential,” she said.

Outlook on China: learning Marxist journalism

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 9, 2008 at 11:42 AM

The Washington Post’s Edward Cody wrote an interesting outlook piece on the notion of journalism as seen in China: “For China’s Journalism Students, Censorship is a Core Concept,” claimed the headline.

US: Baltimore Sun has no public editor, but a Q&A blog

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 9, 2008 at 10:59 AM

The Baltimore Sun is introducing a new Q&A Blog but has ridded itself of its public editor position – former public editor Paul Moore has been appointed as the newsroom’s deputy managing editor for operations, but his previous position won’t be filled.

France: Parisien creates section focused on purchasing power

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 9, 2008 at 10:48 AM

On Jan. 8, Le Parisien and sister title Aujourd’hui en France launched a new section called “Your Purchasing Power,” no doubt in response to the population’s increased concerns with decreased buying power.

France: 20 Minutes available on iPhones

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 9, 2008 at 10:38 AM

A tiny note: 20minutes.fr, the eponymous freesheet’s site, has been available on iPhones since late last December, in preparation for the launch of a mobile site mid-January. Articles are pre-loaded to enable users to browse without being connected.

US: Mercury News editor departed after three-section paper proposal?

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 9, 2008 at 10:33 AM

Puzzled staffers are trying to figure out the reasons for the surprise departure of San Jose Mercury News editor Carole Leigh Hutton last week, which may have been due, among other things, to her boss’ refusal to structure the paper around three sections.

When journalism is a consumer product

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 8, 2008 at 1:33 PM

Is online journalism becoming a consumer product? Are paychecks ruling the editorial agenda instead of news principles? The Miami Herald’s Edward Wasserman argues so.

How much video? Part 2: Figaro, from Handycam to in-house studio

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 8, 2008 at 12:13 PM

As the Figaro readies the launch of its own in-house video studio (still fully under construction when visited), Bertrand Gié, head of new media for the paper, agreed to give us a few words about the role of video within the quality daily.

Just Published: Engaging Young Readers

Posted by Larry Kilman on January 8, 2008 at 12:11 PM

Newspaper companies are optimistic about their ability to capture the time and interest of a new generation of readers, no matter what media channel the young prefer, according to a new report from the World Association of Newspapers.

US: washingtonpost.com to go through major redesign

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 8, 2008 at 12:08 PM

The Washington Post has hired The Wonder Factory of New York to help it undergo a major overhaul of its website, the biggest since the site’s creation.

UK: Mail on Sunday to relaunch

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 8, 2008 at 11:59 AM

The Mail on Sunday will relaunch next weekend, adopting a two-section format, divided between various types of news on one side, and a second features-heavy section. In symbolic fashion, it has also appointed an Internet critic and dropped its TV review.

What journalists can’t do: death of ‘miliblogger’ Olmsted

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 8, 2008 at 11:35 AM

Several papers have reported on the death of US Army major Andrew Olmsted who blogged from Iraq for the Rocky Mountain News. According to the paper’s editor, Olmsted’s work illustrated how bloggers can produce content that couldn’t be achieved by journalists.

European press barons turn to India

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 8, 2008 at 11:18 AM

The Independent retraces a recent trend, which isn’t likely to end: European press publishers are increasingly turning towards India to launch new publications and create new revenue streams, in today’s most promising newspaper market.

Long live print

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 8, 2008 at 10:55 AM

In The Times of London, Jonathan Weber, founder and editor of NewWest.net, hailed that the future of media is online, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, but also predicts a “comeback of sorts for print” this year.

US: Miami Herald to outsource copy and layout to Indian Mindworks

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 8, 2008 at 10:23 AM

The Miami Herald has said it is outsourcing part of its copy editing and layout design work to Mindworks, a prepress production firm based in New Delhi, India.

How much video? Part 1 – The 2007 boom

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 7, 2008 at 3:59 PM

Video, video, video. In 2007, the ‘V’ word was the new craze for newspapers internationally. And this is bound to continue in 2008. But just how much video should newspapers seek? Is it an optional plus, should all reporters be assigned to capture video, or should a newsroom even have its in-house studio? In Part 1, we take a look at several examples of how newspapers have included video.

Web Site Launched for Cross-Media Measurement Initiative

Posted by Larry Kilman on January 7, 2008 at 3:51 PM

The World Association of Newspapers has launched a new website to support and promote the use of cross-media audience measurements that will allow publishers to provide a more complete picture of their reach than print circulation alone.

US: NYT partners CNBC for online content

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 7, 2008 at 3:44 PM

The New York Times and CNBC have agreed to share online content on each other’s sites.

Wikia Search launches

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 7, 2008 at 3:38 PM

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has launched Wikia Search today, a search engine that allows members to rate results and improve the relevance of search results for other users.

Bill Gates: entering the new digital era

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 7, 2008 at 3:28 PM

Microsoft chairman and founder Bill Gates said that the new digital era is dawning, speaking at the 41st annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last night.

UK: Guardian partners with Pluck

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 7, 2008 at 2:59 PM

Pluck and Guardian News and Media have announced a new partnership. The Guardian has selected Pluck’s SiteLife Social Media Platform to enhance its community services and reader interaction.

UK: review about integration at The Times, Telegraph and Financial Times

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 7, 2008 at 1:38 PM

Must-read. Guardian media blogger Roy Greenslade toured some UK newspapers to see how they’re reacting to the online revolution. Many have chosen the road to integration.

Trends to keep track of in 2008

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 7, 2008 at 12:04 PM

The Newspaper Association of America (NAA) has identified eight trends to keep track of in 2008 for news organizations, including audience measurements, hyperlocal coverage, outsourcing and multimedia branding.

Mercury News top editor resigns, replaced by Media News VP from Denver

Posted by Robb Montgomery on January 4, 2008 at 4:55 PM

Carole Leigh Hutton, executive editor of the San Jose Mercury News since May, is being replaced by David Butler, VP for news for owner MediaNews. The Mercury News is in the process of rethinking its role in the digital era. "I think we can create a new business model," says CEO Dean Singleton in a Mercury News story. The leadership change comes as the paper struggles to reinvent itself for the high-tech Silicon Valley crowd.

(Source: San Jose Mercury News)

France 24 pries into CitJ with ‘Observers’

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 4, 2008 at 4:40 PM

The news channel France 24 is experimenting with a beta project dubbed The Observers, which lets the audience do the reporting but relies on experienced editors to supervise the content.

How many journalists want digital-only?

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 4, 2008 at 12:11 PM

Do journalists want to go all digital? Or rather, what proportion of journalists would want to go all digital if they could? Scott Karp, Publishing 2.0, opens the discussion.

Nuclear blast on Czech TV compares to Orson Welles’ Martians

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 4, 2008 at 11:32 AM

Seeing a familiar mountainous landscape blow up amidst a nuclear blast, while watching a weather report on TV, can certainly lead to a panic outburst.

UK: Sunday Mail omits mention of ‘disputed allegations’

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 4, 2008 at 10:59 AM

Trinity Mirror’s Scottish paper the Sunday Mail was found guilty of inaccuracy by the Press Complaints Commission (PCC), after it published an article last year without mentioning that some of its allegations were disputed.

SFN Blog wrap-up

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 4, 2008 at 10:38 AM

Some news bits from our partner site, the SFN Blog: according to Newsosoar Alan Mutter, the value of the US newspaper industry has decreased 42%, or $11bn, since 2004. Also read about the Financial Times’ acquisition of U.S. global fund management news and commentary site Money-Media.com, and plenty more media-related business news.

New SFN Partner for World Association of Newspapers

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 3, 2008 at 5:26 PM

Atex, the world’s leading provider of content management software and services to the global media industry, has become the latest Strategic Business Partner of the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) in the Shaping the Future of the Newspaper project, WAN announced today.

US: New York freebies have settled in

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 3, 2008 at 5:17 PM

US freesheets, after lukewarm early years compared to their European equivalents, seem to be bucking the trend of decreasing revenues suffered by urban paid-for dailies.

US: Kentucky Post closes print, goes online

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 3, 2008 at 4:29 PM

A new website is being launched for The Kentucky Post, which was shuttered at the same time as its sister title The Cincinnati Post. KYPost.com will carry on the Post’s coverage online in collaboration with WCPO-TV, a Cincinnati TV station also owned by Scripps.

US: Orlando Sentinel focuses on local, cuts NASCAR coverage and award-winning reporter

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 3, 2008 at 4:11 PM

The Orlando Sentinel is cutting its national NASCAR coverage to increase its focus on local coverage. Ed Hinton, perhaps the US’ best and most popular NASCAR writer, will be leaving the company.

Free WSJ.com would need 12-fold traffic growth

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 3, 2008 at 3:49 PM

If WSJ.com were to go free, it would require a twelve-fold increase in traffic to compensate its losses from subscription revenues, according to a report by Bear Sterns analyst Spencer Wang.

6 course proposals for J-schools

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 3, 2008 at 2:24 PM

“Can today’s j-schools (…) prepare students for the new world of New Media? Of course not.” The answer is provocative but Pajamas Media’s Steve Boriss (who also blogs for The Future of News) offers his list of things journalism schools should be teaching.

UK: Web ad spend to exceed TV in 2009

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 3, 2008 at 11:57 AM

According to Group M, a media buying agency, UK internet ad spend will exceed that of TV in 2009. This would mark a major shift in media trends, since TV has been the leading advertising medium for about half a century.

January 2008 Archives

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