• J-Source

    Is content really king?

    Yesterday, we told J-Source readers to go check out Ira Basen‘s new article in Maisonneuve about algorithms and content farms. Today, Basen shares his thoughts on the top farm, Demand Media, and a little bit more of his experiences working for them.

  • J-Source

    When the game ignores your deadline: Freelancing to the buzzer

    When freelancer Chris Fox agreed to cover the Ontario University Athletics Women’s hockey final for the Kingston Whig-Standard, he didn’t realize what kind of commitment he was making. The historic game went into six overtimes, left Fox scrambling to make his deadline, and get to his next assignment.

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    Tracking a Tiger: The multimedia lifecycle of a Calgary Herald story

    From e-mailed press release to front page news, Calgary Herald web producer David Hedley tracks the coverage of a baby tiger’s death at the Calgary Zoo. This is the story of the multimedia lifecycle of a typical cityside assignment. But it’s also the story of the successes and challenges faced by a Postmedia Network newsroom…

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    Social media and news: Tapping into the digital audience

    When a severe snowstorm swept into Southern Ontario in December it stranded hundreds of people on a highway near Sarnia, including Colin Stewart. While waiting to be rescued, Stewart used his BlackBerry to update friends and family on Facebook. As a result of some techsavvy reporting– and before rescuers even reached the scene — Canadian…

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    Horrors vs. taste: CBC producer describes the newsroom debate

    Broadcasters and publishers know they can count on at least two responses to portraying graphic images of death and destruction: complaints about disgusting or invasive displays of blood and gore; and, journalists writing stories about media’s insensitivity or sensationalism.    According to one broadcaster, the gatekeepers are constantly debating the responsibility of revealing the cruelty…