Innovation

Journalism conference offers bright moments for news industry in transition

Apr 23, 2012 - Posted by Robert Washburn

The Journalism Strategies Conference at McGill in Montreal was full of interesting critiques, insights and thoughtful discussion. Professor Robert Washburn provides a summary blog on a few impressions from this past weekend where academics, journalists and students examined journalism and its role in democracy now and in the future.

Newsroom innovation increases pressure to create higher quality journalism

Mar 30, 2012 - Posted by Robert Washburn

As newsrooms become more innovative in engaging audiences, especially using new and emerging technologies, the result may be higher quality journalism, despite the predictions of doomsayers. E-journalism Professor Robert Washburn suggests the movement towards more transparency by journalists and newsrooms might lead to more competition and better journalism.

Live blogs offer alternative to Twitter during Stafford trial coverage

Mar 25, 2012 - Posted by Robert Washburn

Newsrooms are using live blog technology as a gatekeeping tool for coverage during the Tori Stafford murder trial currently underway in London, Ontario. As journalists and editors grapple with efforts to provide real-time coverage of high profile cases, Twitter alone is problematic, as Toronto Star Public Editor Kathy English pointed out recently. Professor Robert Washburn argues live blogs may be the innovative tool needed to get the job done.

Algonquin College experiments with new funding model for news

Mar 21, 2012 - Posted by Robert Washburn

Algonquin College Professor Joe Banks explains how the college is operating an innovative project to fund news stories in Canada. GoJournalism.ca is a Canadian version of Spot.us, a crowdfunding model for financing journalism. He provides insightful comments after nearly 18 months of operation.

Algonquin College experiments with new funding model for news

Mar 21, 2012 - Posted by Robert Washburn

The Journal de Montréal’s digital shift

Mar 16, 2012 - Posted by Belinda Alzner

Since Jan. 30, the Journal de Montréal and its capital city counterpart, the Journal de Québec, have had a new online presence. The president and publisher of JdeM, Lyne Robitaille, plans to market nothing less than “a site that redefines the standard for transmitting information on the Internet.”

Comparing Canadian newspapers to The Guardian's open journalism

Mar 07, 2012 - Posted by Belinda Alzner

Rob Washburn and Wayne MacPhail give two takes on The Guardian’s open journalism approach in comparison to Canadian newspapers. Washburn says that Canadian publications have failed to capitalize on the strengths of online in the way The Guardian has, while MacPhail simply says he is giving up newspapers.

Time to give up on newspapers, says MacPhail

Mar 04, 2012 - Posted by Robert Washburn

After years of trying to convince Canadian newspapers to embrace the future, Wayne MacPhail says he has had enough. With the launch of Open Journalism at the Guardian and other innovations, newspapers fail to understand the changing landscape of journalism. He makes his case with humour and sadness.

Guardian's Open Journalism approach to collaboration goes beyond Canadian experience

Mar 02, 2012 - Posted by Robert Washburn

The Guardian’s launch of its Open Journalism approach this week with the innovative, witty Three Pigs advertisement also ushers in a powerful endorsement of the collaborative approach to producing news. While Canadian newsrooms are embracing new ideas and approaches, the size and scope of this initiative paves an exciting new path. Robert Washburn opens the discussion.

Packing Journalism Into a Tablet

Feb 18, 2012 - Posted by Robert Washburn

The new iBook authoring software is being used by two alternative media outlets for telling important stories and archiving stories. Wayne McPhail continues his exploration of this new technology and its role in journalism looking at these two examples of handling content.

Innovation

edited by ROBERT WASHBURN

This section is dedicated to tracking new trends, contemporary movements and latest developments in journalism. We will discuss and share news, information and commentary about what is transforming the industry. Robert Washburn is a former correspondent at CBC Ontario Morning and he currently teaches journalism at Loyalist College.