“The OECD is conducting a study on the Future of News to which this discussion session contributes. Independent journalism and newspapers play an indispensable role in informing citizens. Yet currently the newsgathering and distribution process is undergoing deep changes. In OECD countries both the number of physical newspaper titles, their circulation and newspaper readership are…
For many in the traditional media business, attracting young readers and viewers is like searching for the Holy Grail, a quest that never quite succeeds as hoped. However, according to How Teens Use Media, a new “myth-debunking” study by the Nielsen company, teens really aren’t that different from other people in how they interact with mass media. “The fact is, teens are unique, but they are not…
Selected stories from the most recent issue of the Newspaper Research Journal that may be of interest to the journalism community: Copy Editing Not Great Priority for Online Stories, by John Russial An Analysis of Slogans Used to ‘Sell the News’, by Salma Ghanem and Kimberly Selber Newspaper Managers Report Positive Attitudes about Blogs, by…
Twitter may be a hot subject in many newsrooms, but in the real world … not so much. A recent survey of Canadians by Ipsos-Reid found just 26 per cent of respondents had ever heard of Twitter and only a teeny-tweety-tiny 1.45 per cent actually use it. Said a polling company spokesman: “The buzz (to) usage ratio is sort of…
The folks at Project Censored, who usually decry serious issues underplayed by mainstream media, have just released a top-ten list of “junk food stories” served and served again by the press during the past two years. See how many you gobbled up … 1.Olympic Medalist Michael Phelps Hits a Bong2. Jessica Simpson Gains Weight3. First Lady Michelle Obama’s Fashion Sense4. The Brangelina Twins5. Lindsay Lohan Dating…
Selected articles from the June 2009 issue of Journalism Studies that may be of interest to the journalism community:Claiming Journalistic Truth, by Burton St. John Is More Always Better?, by Lee Becker, Ann C. Hollifield, Adam Jacobsson, Eva-Maria Jacobsson and Tudor Vlad Changing and Staying the Same: Communication in Campaign 2008, by Lynda Lee Kaid…
Newspapers have come under a lot of criticism for not being innovative enough in transitioning from dead-tree to digital and social media. A new survey of editors by the Associated Press Managing Editors (APME) group may help explain why newsrooms find it challenging. Asked what stood in the way of change, 67.7 per cent of respondents said they didn’t have the staff and…
Here’s something to ponder: Two new investigations into the future of news that couldn’t be more different. 1. Moving Into Multiple Business Models: Outlook for Newspaper Publishing in the Digital Age. This report authored by PriceWaterhouseCoopers asserts that newspapers must keep on reducing costs, increase outsourcing of “generic editorial” functions, further centralize newsrooms and ad salesforces and continue consolidating ownership while putting more emphasis…
The ceaselessly clever innovators at Google Labs have launched a new application that could prove useful to anyone using current or recent news reports in their research. News Timeline marries the topic/phrase searchability of Google News with a graphical timeline presentation of search results. It’s worth checking out. (Try “swine flu” or “pandemic” as search terms for starters.)
For the first time ever, the number of online journalists jailed last year exceeded than those working in print, the Committee to Protect Journalists reports. Of 125 journalists in jail worldwide as of Dec. 1, 2008, 55 worked online, 53 worked in print and 17 worked in broadcast media or film. China continues to be the world leader in…