While I was home for Thanksgiving, I was talking to a family friend who is a freshman in high school about what classes they are taking. She said she's learning basic HTML and will soon move into Javascript -- things I didn't even know existed until I arrived on the Maryland campus.
I recently read an article by The Independent, in which a study conducted by the social enterprise company MyKindaCrowd showed that 54 percent of teachers believe that students know more about coding than they do. This begs the question of whether teachers who have only recently been exposed to the technology, have the ability and confidence to influence the next generation of coders.
Our generation (if you can call us a separate one) was schooled in Word programs, Powerpoint, Excel, etc. My question for the class is how big a part of the standard curriculum in schools moving forward will involve learning to code from a young age? Certainly this skill set has taken on greater value in our society and will continue to grow with further technological advancements. Could the subject of coding eventually be on par with math, english, history, etc.?
12.03.2013
Discussion Assignment Following Our Visit to USA Today Dec. 3
Class, before the start of the next class Dec. 10, please post a comment below this post, describing what most surprised you about our visit to USA Today, and what impressed you. Please remember that this blog is live for all to see, so be tactful with your comments.
12.02.2013
What mobile journalists should have on their holiday shopping lists
With our discussion of cool and useful apps for journalists last week, I found this Poynter article on holiday shopping for mobile journalists a good and helpful read.
The article looks at various new devices to make the life of any mobile journalist easier just in time for the holiday season. Many people may not look at the holidays as the time to buy professional gifts, but there are several items listed that will thrill for a number of reasons.
The Nokia Lumia 1020 prevents users from having to take "iPhone photos." The writer, Sam Kirkland, also offers an alternative in the Olloclip 4-in-1 for iPhone users, but that looks slightly bulky and unnecessary. He additionally gives options for tripod needs.
The item on the list that got me interested was iRig's Mic Cast, an external microphone for iOS and Android devices. The mic allows users to switch on a low setting to eliminate background noise for personal, one-on-one interviews, and it also has a high setting to pick up on distant audio, which could be good for speeches or events.
Overall, this is a solid list of technologies at good prices for the holiday season. Any of these items would be helpful for a journalist to do their work, and I am glad I stumbled upon it. (And make sure to check out the section on Smartwatches-- they could definitely become the cool, new technology in the journalism industry by next year.)
The article looks at various new devices to make the life of any mobile journalist easier just in time for the holiday season. Many people may not look at the holidays as the time to buy professional gifts, but there are several items listed that will thrill for a number of reasons.
The Nokia Lumia 1020 prevents users from having to take "iPhone photos." The writer, Sam Kirkland, also offers an alternative in the Olloclip 4-in-1 for iPhone users, but that looks slightly bulky and unnecessary. He additionally gives options for tripod needs.
The item on the list that got me interested was iRig's Mic Cast, an external microphone for iOS and Android devices. The mic allows users to switch on a low setting to eliminate background noise for personal, one-on-one interviews, and it also has a high setting to pick up on distant audio, which could be good for speeches or events.
Overall, this is a solid list of technologies at good prices for the holiday season. Any of these items would be helpful for a journalist to do their work, and I am glad I stumbled upon it. (And make sure to check out the section on Smartwatches-- they could definitely become the cool, new technology in the journalism industry by next year.)
11.27.2013
How important is it for journalists to learn code?
I recently read an article in The Atlantic written by one of its associate editors that seemed to argue against the need for journalism students to learn coding.
After reading this article, I am not quite sure how important coding is for future journalists. Being in this class made me think it is essential, but this article made the impression that you should learn it all or don't learn it at all. Knowing a little bit of code isn't worth much to this editor. One of the points she made was that there are already skilled coders out there who have a computer science background. These people, she said, are going to be the ones acquiring the web design and data visualization jobs required in newsrooms.
Although, she mostly negates the idea that journalists must know code, I think this article made me more inclined to continue educating myself in coding. She makes some valid points when she said traditional writing and reporting jobs may not require much code. However, there are a variety of job opportunities open to us after we graduate, so knowing code can't possibly hurt.
The author also wrote a follow-up piece about the most important skills future journalists should learn in j-school. I think the Merrill College definitely incorporates the topics this author listed into our four-year academic plan, but this article has inspired me to educate myself in these areas even more. The skills the author lists are: statistics, data, studies, pitching, civic issues, online writing and the Internet. A lot of these are covered in JOUR352 and other journalism courses, but what do you think we need to learn more about as Merrill students? And, how do you think coding will help your future careers? Prof. Harvey - what are your thoughts on the coding article? Do you think we should consider taking the next course in coding and web design in order to really develop these skills to make them beneficial? Is knowing the basics not enough in this competitive field?
After reading this article, I am not quite sure how important coding is for future journalists. Being in this class made me think it is essential, but this article made the impression that you should learn it all or don't learn it at all. Knowing a little bit of code isn't worth much to this editor. One of the points she made was that there are already skilled coders out there who have a computer science background. These people, she said, are going to be the ones acquiring the web design and data visualization jobs required in newsrooms.
Although, she mostly negates the idea that journalists must know code, I think this article made me more inclined to continue educating myself in coding. She makes some valid points when she said traditional writing and reporting jobs may not require much code. However, there are a variety of job opportunities open to us after we graduate, so knowing code can't possibly hurt.
The author also wrote a follow-up piece about the most important skills future journalists should learn in j-school. I think the Merrill College definitely incorporates the topics this author listed into our four-year academic plan, but this article has inspired me to educate myself in these areas even more. The skills the author lists are: statistics, data, studies, pitching, civic issues, online writing and the Internet. A lot of these are covered in JOUR352 and other journalism courses, but what do you think we need to learn more about as Merrill students? And, how do you think coding will help your future careers? Prof. Harvey - what are your thoughts on the coding article? Do you think we should consider taking the next course in coding and web design in order to really develop these skills to make them beneficial? Is knowing the basics not enough in this competitive field?
11.26.2013
Journalism and Pinterest - What Sites Do You Like?
We're talking in class today about how Pinterest is being used by news sites to engage readers and drive users back to news sites.
Your assignment today: Create an account on Pinterest and create at least three virtual boards of interest to you, with at least two pins on each.
Then browse on Pinterest for boards and pins of news sites you enjoy (go to pinterest.com/source/nytimes.com to see all pinned content from the New York Times, for instance). Select one that you find especially useful/fun/worthy of your time, and describe it in a comment to this post, below. Be sure to provide a link to the board or pin you like.
Your assignment today: Create an account on Pinterest and create at least three virtual boards of interest to you, with at least two pins on each.
Then browse on Pinterest for boards and pins of news sites you enjoy (go to pinterest.com/source/nytimes.com to see all pinned content from the New York Times, for instance). Select one that you find especially useful/fun/worthy of your time, and describe it in a comment to this post, below. Be sure to provide a link to the board or pin you like.
11.25.2013
Is sports journalism leading the way?
I stumbled across this blog post from Bleacher Report and it definitely got me thinking about how sports writers (or writers in general) will operate in the future, and if it will be any different from the way they operate now.
In the blog, the author makes the point that the multimedia work done in the sports journalism world right now is great because there isn't as much breaking news and they can take the time to plan their projects. While I agree that the multimedia work being produced in the sports field is very good, I disagree about the "breaking news" part. There is a ton of breaking news in sports, it just doesn't overlap with the features that these sites like Deadspin produce. In regular news, however, the features and the news often overlap. For instance, in the case of the Navy Yard shooting, the interactive pieces we saw in class were made simultaneously with the hard news pieces about the event.
This article also makes some other interesting points that relate to our class. A multimedia journalism expert from Ball State talks about the significance of journalists being able to code and how the market for that skill is "huge." The author makes the point that when it comes to someone saying, "there's a huge market for journalists..." you should probably stop and listen.
The blog goes in a few different directions, but the emphasis on multimedia and digital journalism is there.
In the blog, the author makes the point that the multimedia work done in the sports journalism world right now is great because there isn't as much breaking news and they can take the time to plan their projects. While I agree that the multimedia work being produced in the sports field is very good, I disagree about the "breaking news" part. There is a ton of breaking news in sports, it just doesn't overlap with the features that these sites like Deadspin produce. In regular news, however, the features and the news often overlap. For instance, in the case of the Navy Yard shooting, the interactive pieces we saw in class were made simultaneously with the hard news pieces about the event.
This article also makes some other interesting points that relate to our class. A multimedia journalism expert from Ball State talks about the significance of journalists being able to code and how the market for that skill is "huge." The author makes the point that when it comes to someone saying, "there's a huge market for journalists..." you should probably stop and listen.
The blog goes in a few different directions, but the emphasis on multimedia and digital journalism is there.
11.24.2013
The New Wave of Mobile Journalism
In the early 1990s, the Internet threatened the newspaper when it took over journalism and reporting. This Poytner article explores how the sensation of smart phones and tablets will effect the news industry as all organizations scramble to have a big presence in the mobile world.
This article brings up the debate of whether news organizations need to take the approach where they simply extend what they are already doing to their mobile site or if they need to completely focus on having a mobile presence in order to take advantage of the changes in technology. Regardless of what choice the organization makes, mobile journalism is bringing about radical changes.
Many valid points are raised in this article on why newsrooms need to become "mobile first." Personally, I am always checking my phone for news updates. I always have my iPhone and don't always have my computer or a TV near me. Tablets and iPads are so popular that it is not uncommon for a person to carry one around with them. Apps on all of these devices make it so easy to receive news updates and in my opinion, news organizations should be focusing on how they can make the biggest imprint in the mobile world.
I agree in this article that in the coming future, mobile journalism is going to surpass the web. It is accessed much easier and in crazy day to day life, not all people have time to sit down and read a newspaper or watch the news. They want to be able to find out what is going on in the world right at their fingertips.
I am not sure what effect this will have on the news industry. I think by focusing on the mobile world there will be a lot of success for many organizations. But, what do you think? What effect will this have on the world of journalism?
This article brings up the debate of whether news organizations need to take the approach where they simply extend what they are already doing to their mobile site or if they need to completely focus on having a mobile presence in order to take advantage of the changes in technology. Regardless of what choice the organization makes, mobile journalism is bringing about radical changes.
Many valid points are raised in this article on why newsrooms need to become "mobile first." Personally, I am always checking my phone for news updates. I always have my iPhone and don't always have my computer or a TV near me. Tablets and iPads are so popular that it is not uncommon for a person to carry one around with them. Apps on all of these devices make it so easy to receive news updates and in my opinion, news organizations should be focusing on how they can make the biggest imprint in the mobile world.
I agree in this article that in the coming future, mobile journalism is going to surpass the web. It is accessed much easier and in crazy day to day life, not all people have time to sit down and read a newspaper or watch the news. They want to be able to find out what is going on in the world right at their fingertips.
I am not sure what effect this will have on the news industry. I think by focusing on the mobile world there will be a lot of success for many organizations. But, what do you think? What effect will this have on the world of journalism?
11.19.2013
Cool Apps
Each of you will demonstrate a phone app or Web tool that you use for
reporting/research/design work as a journalist -- and post a supporting
summary about its usefulness in the comments area below. The best among these will be republished on American Journalism Review. Hint: AJR is very interested in hearing about new slide show tools.
This will count as an in-class grade.
This will count as an in-class grade.
Storify That
Please put the headlines and working links to your Storify projects about David Seymour's photo exhibit at Merrill College's Gaylord Library. Use the Comments below. Thanks!
The Power of Photos
Not sure of the power of photography in nonfiction storytelling?
The French newspaper Libération removed all images from its Nov. 14 issue to demonstrate the importance of visuals -- in a year that has been beset by layoffs of professional photographers from news organizations.
Empty boxes were left in the layout to emphasize where photos should have gone.
Brigitte Ollier, a journalist on Libération's Culture desk, was quoted as saying in the British Journal of Photography that it was "as if we had become a mute newspaper. [A newspaper] without sound..."
Editors of the newspaper explained: "It's not a wake, we're not burying the photographic art [...] Instead we give photography the homage it deserves."
An annual newsroom census from the American Society of Newspaper Editors revealed that photographers and other visual journalists have been hardest hit in the last dozen years of newspaper layoffs.
From 2000 to 2012, the newsroom staffs of photographers, artists and videographers were trimmed by 43 percent—from 6,171 to 3,493, ASNE and the Pew Research Center reported. In the same period, the number of full-time newspaper reporters and writers dropped by 32 percent—from 25,593 to 17,422, ASNE reported.
The Chicago Sun-Times in May laid off its entire photojournalism staff, the Chicago Tribune reported. Thomson Reuters let go its sports contract photographers in North America in August, the National Press Photographers Association noted. Cuts to photojournalists at Cox newspapers were announced in October.
Shrinking newsroom budgets and the explosion of citizen-generated visuals on social media have been blamed for many of the photojournalists' layoffs. (See memo from CNN's Senior Vice President Jack Womack about 2011 cuts.)
What do you think this trend portends for the business?
--Chris Harvey
The French newspaper Libération removed all images from its Nov. 14 issue to demonstrate the importance of visuals -- in a year that has been beset by layoffs of professional photographers from news organizations.
Empty boxes were left in the layout to emphasize where photos should have gone.
Brigitte Ollier, a journalist on Libération's Culture desk, was quoted as saying in the British Journal of Photography that it was "as if we had become a mute newspaper. [A newspaper] without sound..."
Editors of the newspaper explained: "It's not a wake, we're not burying the photographic art [...] Instead we give photography the homage it deserves."
An annual newsroom census from the American Society of Newspaper Editors revealed that photographers and other visual journalists have been hardest hit in the last dozen years of newspaper layoffs.
From 2000 to 2012, the newsroom staffs of photographers, artists and videographers were trimmed by 43 percent—from 6,171 to 3,493, ASNE and the Pew Research Center reported. In the same period, the number of full-time newspaper reporters and writers dropped by 32 percent—from 25,593 to 17,422, ASNE reported.
The Chicago Sun-Times in May laid off its entire photojournalism staff, the Chicago Tribune reported. Thomson Reuters let go its sports contract photographers in North America in August, the National Press Photographers Association noted. Cuts to photojournalists at Cox newspapers were announced in October.
Shrinking newsroom budgets and the explosion of citizen-generated visuals on social media have been blamed for many of the photojournalists' layoffs. (See memo from CNN's Senior Vice President Jack Womack about 2011 cuts.)
What do you think this trend portends for the business?
--Chris Harvey
11.12.2013
This is a link touching on our lesson covering poor headlines. I looked for it for our assignment but decided to take the assignment a little more seriously since most of these are pretty outdated. They are pretty hilarious and a good lesson in what not to do when writing headlines nonetheless.
Everyone is stressed with the second, more abusive, half of the semester -- read over some of these if you get a chance and need a laugh. They are both educational and amusing. --Rachel Walther
Horrifically Bad Headlines
Everyone is stressed with the second, more abusive, half of the semester -- read over some of these if you get a chance and need a laugh. They are both educational and amusing. --Rachel Walther
Horrifically Bad Headlines
11.11.2013
Banning Journalists From Using Social Media?
According to a Huffington Post article, print journalists are banned from using social media at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. Any journalist at the Olympics who is caught using technology (such as a smartphone or camera) for social media purposes (like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) will lose his or her accreditation as a journalist and be kicked out of the Olympics.
This raises the question of what the Olympics will be without live Tweets (including Twitter photos and Twitter videos) about the events? How will people who cannot watch the games live get their information in real-time?
When the 2012 Summer Olympic Games were happening in London, I personally had other obligations that prevented me from watching the events in real-time. However, I was able to see updates on the winners and losers with a quick check of my Twitter. This way, I could still see the results of the events as they happened without tuning in to a television. Russia's ban on social media prevents journalists from live Tweeting the results. Does this mean that we'll have to wait a long time to find out the results of the events? Probably not. I'm sure news organizations will be able to get results up quickly without using social media, but Tweeting out results is probably a lot simpler and easier.
How will journalists handle this, though? Will they obey the rule? Or will news organizations boycott covering the Olympic Games because they cannot use social media?
Also, isn't Russia's surveillance technology an invasion of privacy? I personally don't think Russia's Federal Security Service should be allowed to get away with monitoring email, phone and social media communication. If individual spectators are going to be allowed to use social media to Tweet, Facebook and Instagram the Olympics, why is it such a big deal for Russia to monitor and ban journalists? Individual spectators will most likely live-Tweet the events and results. So if the information is going to get out there in one way or another (either by spectators or by credited journalists), wouldn't Russia prefer the information to come from credible, reliable journalistic organizations?
This raises the question of what the Olympics will be without live Tweets (including Twitter photos and Twitter videos) about the events? How will people who cannot watch the games live get their information in real-time?
When the 2012 Summer Olympic Games were happening in London, I personally had other obligations that prevented me from watching the events in real-time. However, I was able to see updates on the winners and losers with a quick check of my Twitter. This way, I could still see the results of the events as they happened without tuning in to a television. Russia's ban on social media prevents journalists from live Tweeting the results. Does this mean that we'll have to wait a long time to find out the results of the events? Probably not. I'm sure news organizations will be able to get results up quickly without using social media, but Tweeting out results is probably a lot simpler and easier.
How will journalists handle this, though? Will they obey the rule? Or will news organizations boycott covering the Olympic Games because they cannot use social media?
Also, isn't Russia's surveillance technology an invasion of privacy? I personally don't think Russia's Federal Security Service should be allowed to get away with monitoring email, phone and social media communication. If individual spectators are going to be allowed to use social media to Tweet, Facebook and Instagram the Olympics, why is it such a big deal for Russia to monitor and ban journalists? Individual spectators will most likely live-Tweet the events and results. So if the information is going to get out there in one way or another (either by spectators or by credited journalists), wouldn't Russia prefer the information to come from credible, reliable journalistic organizations?
Trip to USA Today Has Been Moved to Dec. 3
Mark your calendars: Our newsroom tour of USA Today in McLean, Va., has been moved to Dec. 3. We'll meet in the lobby of USA Today, 7950 Jones Branch Drive
McLean, Va., 22108, at 1:30 p.m. and stay till 3 p.m. Please arrange for a carpool in the comment area below.
We'll meet with social media editors Mary Hartney Nahorniak and Merrill alum Desair Brown Shaw, plus others from the newsroom. This will likely include Web news editors, videographers and others, who will talk about their jobs, the skills needed to do their jobs, and their career paths to these jobs. You will be given assigned questions to answer about the visit; your typed responses will count as an in-class grade, and will be due at the start of our last class.
Please note in the comment area below if you have a car and would be willing to drive some classmates. We will NOT be meeting in Knight Hall, unless your carpool has pre-arranged for this!
DIRECTIONS FROM THE CAPITAL BELTWAY FROM GOOGLE MAPS (Feel free to use your own GPS in lieu of this!):
We'll meet with social media editors Mary Hartney Nahorniak and Merrill alum Desair Brown Shaw, plus others from the newsroom. This will likely include Web news editors, videographers and others, who will talk about their jobs, the skills needed to do their jobs, and their career paths to these jobs. You will be given assigned questions to answer about the visit; your typed responses will count as an in-class grade, and will be due at the start of our last class.
Please note in the comment area below if you have a car and would be willing to drive some classmates. We will NOT be meeting in Knight Hall, unless your carpool has pre-arranged for this!
DIRECTIONS FROM THE CAPITAL BELTWAY FROM GOOGLE MAPS (Feel free to use your own GPS in lieu of this!):
- Merge onto I-495 W/Capital Beltway/I-495 OUTERLOOP via the ramp on the left toward Northern Virginia/Silver Spring.
- Keep left to take I-495 W/Capital Beltway/I-495 OUTERLOOP toward Northern Virginia (Crossing into Virginia).
- Take exit 46A to merge onto VA-123 S/Chain Bridge Road toward Chain Bridge Road/Tysons Corner Vienna. Stay in the right lane. Immediately turn right onto Tysons Blvd. Go .3 miles.
- Turn right onto Westbranch Drive. Go .5 miles
- 9. Turn right onto Jones Branch Drive. USA Today Building is on the right. BUT turn into the big parking lot with the guard shack BEFORE your get to the building. You will be asked to identify yourself, (tell them you're with Chris Harvey's class and meeting Mary Nahorniak and Desair Brown Shaw for a tour); you will likely be directed to park in the garage. We'll meet in the lobby for the tour PROMPTLY at 1:30. Give yourself an hour to get there and park.
11.04.2013
Is Twitter Really the Future of Breaking News?
Twitter seems to be made for breaking news. Its 140-character capacity models how reporters release information updates in short, punctuated bursts. The hash-tagging system is ideal to track and update breaking news for the mobile consumer. Historically, the platform has facilitated breaking news updates.
However, a recent study by the Associated Press and CNBC suggests Twitter users are not flocking to the site to consume breaking news. Only 16 percent of users say they turn to Twitter frequently for breaking news, the study, released today, says. About 44 percent of users do at least some of the time, a bleak forecast for current events aficionados praising the platform's potential to revolutionize the news consumption process.
The study is a reminder that news consumption on Twitter is constantly evolving. Media analysts must reconsider the question, "Is Twitter the future of breaking of news?" Recent data show the gap between the platform's potential and the reality is still wide. With over 500 million tweets published daily, almost 40 percent of users use the site as "a curated news feed of updates that reflect their passions." Users can customize what they want to see and breaking news may be lost in the mix.
This raises an inevitable question: How can journalists use Twitter to break news more effectively? Part of the answer lies in helping users see the platform as a breaking news source. Journalists can also utilize the latest trends and Twitter analytics to understand how users consume and engage with information on the site. It seems foolish to allow this platform to go untapped.
Graphic by: AP, CNBC
10.21.2013
Links to Your Contact Pages and Resumes
Class, please add links to your new resume pages and Contact pages (on your Wordpress sites) in a comment to this post.
Per your syllabus, the published pages (and links) are due at the start of class tomorrow (Oct. 21). Please use the EDITED text from your resume, and use inline css style (if necessary) for font sizes and styles on headlines and text.
Per your syllabus, the published pages (and links) are due at the start of class tomorrow (Oct. 21). Please use the EDITED text from your resume, and use inline css style (if necessary) for font sizes and styles on headlines and text.
10.14.2013
Gentle Reminder About Your Role on the Class Blog
Class, a gentle reminder that, along with commenting on blog threads that I start for class, each of you is required to start at least one discussion thread on a timely new-media topic. This post -- and your comments on your classmates' posts -- count toward your class participation grade. Feel free to read through past semesters' blog archives for examples....
Strong and not so strong headlines
Blog assignment due at the start of class Oct. 22: Please search through news websites you frequent for a strong and not-so-adept headline, based on our recent headline writing discussion. Explain why you think each is good or poor in a Comment under this post. Please be sure to give
the full URL and headline for each. Include a sentence or two of
constructive comments. Please be sure your criticism is tactful: Our
class blog is online for the world to see (although only the class can
comment to it.) Please don't write anything you'd be embarrassed by if
strangers see -- or if the headline writers see!
9.03.2013
Your bio, or "About Me" page for your website
Struggling with how to craft your bio for the personal website you'll be building on Wordpress later this semester?
Check out these journalists' bios -- some that lace the narrative with bits of humor -- for inspiration:
Matt Wuerker , an editorial cartoonist for Politico
Gene Weingarten, a humor columnist for The Washington Post (see bio at right of page)
Gwen Ifill of PBS
David Simon, a UMD alum and former Diamondback editor and Baltimore Sun reporter; now an author and television writer
Connie Chung, a UMD alum and broadcast journalist
Peter Baker, a White House correspondent for The New York Times
And, just for the heck of it, here's a thumbnail bio on comedian, writer and musician Steve Martin. I like the "fast facts" below the paragraph summary...
Check out these journalists' bios -- some that lace the narrative with bits of humor -- for inspiration:
Matt Wuerker , an editorial cartoonist for Politico
Gene Weingarten, a humor columnist for The Washington Post (see bio at right of page)
Gwen Ifill of PBS
David Simon, a UMD alum and former Diamondback editor and Baltimore Sun reporter; now an author and television writer
Connie Chung, a UMD alum and broadcast journalist
Peter Baker, a White House correspondent for The New York Times
And, just for the heck of it, here's a thumbnail bio on comedian, writer and musician Steve Martin. I like the "fast facts" below the paragraph summary...
8.27.2013
Welcome Fall 2013 Class!
Looking forward to a terrific semester with you, as we code, write and edit to become stronger multimedia journalists!
12.11.2012
Apps/Tips Recommended by Your Peers
A few of you recommended today that your classmates try some apps and tools you've been using for journalism and fun. Here are links to your recommendations; please feel free to add comments about how you use these:
- RecorderPlus - an app for editing audio clips from your smart phone ($3)
- Magisto - possibly just for fun - the app automatically edits your video and mixes music with it
- UStream Broadcaster - for the iphone - stream and share live moments from your device
- Google Drive- replacing Google Docs; you can work on and share documents from your phone or computer
- Evernote - Save and share things you like, things you see and hear.
12.10.2012
What Twitter-Instagram Relationship Means for News
The "Twitter-Instagram photo war," as Poynter has called it, is painting a new picture of how social networks are treating users--and how journalists should be using them. Instagram is no longer allowing Twitter to make its images viewable within tweets. Users can still post their pictures from Instagram in Twitter, but only a link to the image will show up.
In today's Poynter article on the topic, Jeff Sonderman writes, "No matter which company wins, users will lose."
What he means by that is the user experience is no longer the first priority for companies like Facebook (which owns Instagram) and Twitter. They are now moving to "capturing value," meaning they want to lock users into their own platforms and reduce integration.
As journalists, we use social media to accomplish our goals: to interact with readers and bring more people to our sites. But we also have to remember that Facebook and Twitter have their own goals as well--and they might not always coincide with ours.
Mathew Ingram, in another article on the topic, said media companies should think hard about their relationship with Twitter. "It is not just a conduit for your content to reach your users whenever and wherever you wish...it is a proprietary network built by a company with monetization and expansion on its mind, and your content is part of that equation."
But it might not always be. And it is also hard to tell which social media site is going to be at the forefront of readers' minds. It is important for us to follow these changes.
In today's Poynter article on the topic, Jeff Sonderman writes, "No matter which company wins, users will lose."
What he means by that is the user experience is no longer the first priority for companies like Facebook (which owns Instagram) and Twitter. They are now moving to "capturing value," meaning they want to lock users into their own platforms and reduce integration.
As journalists, we use social media to accomplish our goals: to interact with readers and bring more people to our sites. But we also have to remember that Facebook and Twitter have their own goals as well--and they might not always coincide with ours.
Mathew Ingram, in another article on the topic, said media companies should think hard about their relationship with Twitter. "It is not just a conduit for your content to reach your users whenever and wherever you wish...it is a proprietary network built by a company with monetization and expansion on its mind, and your content is part of that equation."
But it might not always be. And it is also hard to tell which social media site is going to be at the forefront of readers' minds. It is important for us to follow these changes.
12.09.2012
The Washington Post Plans to Implement a Paywall in 2013
One of the biggest difficulties that media organizations have faced as they transition into the new media world, has been in finding a way to make money off of websites and online content. In today’s ubiquitous internet environment, consumers no longer have to rely on a local daily newspaper to get their news and information. Anyone with an internet connection can visit the website of just about any news organization around the globe to learn about what’s happening around the world. This creates a new element of media competition, and news sites have struggled to figure out the best way to encourage visitors to their sites, while sustaining a profitable operation.
The Washington Post announced recently that it would begin rolling out a metered paywall in 2013. This paywall will likely be similar to those of many other news sites, where users are allowed to read a certain number of articles for free before being prompted to purchase a subscription.
The paywall was announced amid an environment of steep decline for the Post’s core business of print advertising. The Washington Post newspaper division reported an operating loss of $56.3 million for the first nine months of 2012. This represents a 14 percent decline in revenue from 2011.
As with many news organizations, the Post has struggled to restructure its business model to adapt to major changes in the news media industry. In recent years, most other major newspapers have elected to implement a paywall to offset losses in print advertising. Despite this, Post executives have been hesitant to implement a paywall, believing that to do so may threaten their national audience, and likewise their digital advertising revenue that comes from that national audience.
Don Graham, the Chairman of The Washington Post Co. is one of those executives that has been skeptical about the merits of news website paywalls. “We are obviously looking at paywalls of every type,” Graham said. “But the reason we haven’t adopted them yet is that we haven’t found one that actually adds profits immediately.”
As an internationally recognized and visited news website, WashingtonPost.com has developed a worldwide audience. While its online readership has increased exponentially, the Post’s print readership has declined dramatically, as has the print advertising revenues.
Post executives are facing a turning point for their organization where they need to make the difficult decision as to whether to follow suit with other news organizations in implementing a paywall or attempt to hold strong as one of the few major news sites that still provides readers all its content free of charge. The New York Times introduced a paywall 18 months ago and now has over 500,000 online subscribers.
The conundrum The Washington Post faces is in how to produce revenue in an environment where news sites are desperately trying to attract and maintain a wider audience, while their competition is giving it away for free.
The Washington Post announced recently that it would begin rolling out a metered paywall in 2013. This paywall will likely be similar to those of many other news sites, where users are allowed to read a certain number of articles for free before being prompted to purchase a subscription.
The paywall was announced amid an environment of steep decline for the Post’s core business of print advertising. The Washington Post newspaper division reported an operating loss of $56.3 million for the first nine months of 2012. This represents a 14 percent decline in revenue from 2011.
As with many news organizations, the Post has struggled to restructure its business model to adapt to major changes in the news media industry. In recent years, most other major newspapers have elected to implement a paywall to offset losses in print advertising. Despite this, Post executives have been hesitant to implement a paywall, believing that to do so may threaten their national audience, and likewise their digital advertising revenue that comes from that national audience.
Don Graham, the Chairman of The Washington Post Co. is one of those executives that has been skeptical about the merits of news website paywalls. “We are obviously looking at paywalls of every type,” Graham said. “But the reason we haven’t adopted them yet is that we haven’t found one that actually adds profits immediately.”
As an internationally recognized and visited news website, WashingtonPost.com has developed a worldwide audience. While its online readership has increased exponentially, the Post’s print readership has declined dramatically, as has the print advertising revenues.
Post executives are facing a turning point for their organization where they need to make the difficult decision as to whether to follow suit with other news organizations in implementing a paywall or attempt to hold strong as one of the few major news sites that still provides readers all its content free of charge. The New York Times introduced a paywall 18 months ago and now has over 500,000 online subscribers.
The conundrum The Washington Post faces is in how to produce revenue in an environment where news sites are desperately trying to attract and maintain a wider audience, while their competition is giving it away for free.
12.08.2012
Social media's importance in newsgathering
This story about Netflix CEO Reed Hastings being investigated by the SEC for posting information about his company on Facebook is a reminder of how widespread the use of social media is for many corporations to communicate with the public.
Hastings posted on his Facebook account on July 5 that Netflix customers were viewing more than 1 billion hours of video content a month. The company's stock rose by 13 percent on the day of the post. SEC issued a warning to Netflix that it was investigating the matter and may be taking legal action because the posting may violate a Fair Disclosure regulation by posting the update to Facebook
Hastings has said he considers the post to be public since many of his more than 200,000 followers are reporters and bloggers and the news was widely reported. Also, the same information was posted on the company's blog in June. The information was not, however, released in a press advisory or SEC filing.
Additionally, Hastings says the company's stock had begin to rise even before he made the post and that the information he posted was not relevant to the stock price. He referred to the situation as a “fascinating social media story.”
I believe the issue at hand is whether information broadcast on social media networks should be considered as public as a press release or article on a company website. For journalists, it is a reminder that when looking for information on whatever beat you are covering, social media perhaps should be one of the first avenues you consider. Executive make big announcements via Facebook, Twitter and blogs now and it would be wise to friend or follow any stakeholder involved in your story.
Years ago it would have been impossible to hear from a CEO of a large corporation or elected official except through canned quotes in a press release issued by the company, but now, these people who use social media to engage the public and are taking advantage of the Internet as a place to interact and share information have become great sources for journalists.
12.04.2012
Archiving John Walsh's comments on Storify
A reminder that after tweeting general thoughts and quotes from ESPN's John Walsh on Tuesday, you're now being asked to create an archive page of them on Storify.
You were each asked to tweet at least 10 times under the hashtag JohnWalsh. When you create your Storify page, you may use two of your tweets or all of them. Or you may use a mixture of your tweets and others' -- if you trust their veracity. I am requiring each of you to write at least a strong, big paragraph of text to open the page, and to walk up/explain some additional social media with your own text.
Also remember that Jason will be posting some pics, with captions, to Flickr for you to pull into your Storify template. (Jason, please put a comment below this post to let us know how to access your pics.) and Jessica will be publishing audio -- some clips, and perhaps a longer feed -- to SoundCloud, for possible embedding on your page. (Jessica, please note in a comment below how students can find these on SoundCloud.)
All of you should be using good judgment, as you would when writing a story, so that you don't slander anyone with your posts.
And all of you should be archiving only what you believe to be absolutely accurate.
Once you've completed and published your Storify page, please link to it below, so I can easily find it to grade it. This counts as an in-class story assignment.
Thanks!
A "Twitter Helper"
On November 28, the New York Times' newly-minted public editor, Margaret Sullivan, announced that NYT Jerusalem Bureau Chief Judi Rudoren would be assigned "an editor on the foreign desk in New York to work closely with" on social media posts. Sullivan's decision came in response to criticism Rudoren received stemming from her Facebook statuses and Tweets over the last few weeks, compiled in a piece by The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg called “Twitterverse to New NYT Jerusalem Bureau Chief: Stop Tweeting!”
In addition to Goldberg's complaints, Sullivan writes: "More recently, during the Gaza conflict, she wrote one Facebook post in which she described Palestinians as “ho-hum” about the death of loved ones, wrote of their “limited lives” and, in another, said she shed her first tears in Gaza over a letter from an Israeli family. The comments came off as insensitive and the reaction was sharp, not only from media pundits, but also from dismayed readers."
Speaking of readers being dismayed, I was extremely dismayed to read Sullivan's piece. Since the re-start of fighting between Gaza and Israel earlier this month, I have turned to Rudoren on an almost daily basis for her deeply-reported, thoughtfully-written pieces, specifically about the impact that Israel's bombing campaign has had on life in Gaza. After reading a particularly captivating tale of a Palestinian family torn-apart by a bomb, I remember being so impressed that I took to Twitter to congratulate Rudoren and to tell her how much she has inspired me as a budding journalist (she replied "Thank you!") Her's is an extremely dangerous assignment -- several journalists reporting from Gaza have already been injured -- and I was amazed by how she was able to find stories from under the rubble and to shine some light on the human costs of warfare.
Understandably, Sullivan's decision was big news on social media platforms. It's rare for such a prominent journalist to be called-out in such a public way, and I'm sure in many ways it was quite embarrassing for Rudoren. My hope, however, is that this dust-up will not impact her reporting. The work she has done is simply too important to be hurt by hypersensitive readers and a green public editor intent on sending a message to other reporters.
Another question is: What does it mean to work closely with an editor on your social media posts? Will Rudoren still write her own Tweets and Facebook statuses? Considering that they are coming from her name, I sincerely hope so. This all sounds a bit too much like censorship -- of an extremely intelligent and thoughtful person -- for my taste. But maybe I'm just a Rudoren apologist.
In addition to Goldberg's complaints, Sullivan writes: "More recently, during the Gaza conflict, she wrote one Facebook post in which she described Palestinians as “ho-hum” about the death of loved ones, wrote of their “limited lives” and, in another, said she shed her first tears in Gaza over a letter from an Israeli family. The comments came off as insensitive and the reaction was sharp, not only from media pundits, but also from dismayed readers."
Speaking of readers being dismayed, I was extremely dismayed to read Sullivan's piece. Since the re-start of fighting between Gaza and Israel earlier this month, I have turned to Rudoren on an almost daily basis for her deeply-reported, thoughtfully-written pieces, specifically about the impact that Israel's bombing campaign has had on life in Gaza. After reading a particularly captivating tale of a Palestinian family torn-apart by a bomb, I remember being so impressed that I took to Twitter to congratulate Rudoren and to tell her how much she has inspired me as a budding journalist (she replied "Thank you!") Her's is an extremely dangerous assignment -- several journalists reporting from Gaza have already been injured -- and I was amazed by how she was able to find stories from under the rubble and to shine some light on the human costs of warfare.
Understandably, Sullivan's decision was big news on social media platforms. It's rare for such a prominent journalist to be called-out in such a public way, and I'm sure in many ways it was quite embarrassing for Rudoren. My hope, however, is that this dust-up will not impact her reporting. The work she has done is simply too important to be hurt by hypersensitive readers and a green public editor intent on sending a message to other reporters.
Another question is: What does it mean to work closely with an editor on your social media posts? Will Rudoren still write her own Tweets and Facebook statuses? Considering that they are coming from her name, I sincerely hope so. This all sounds a bit too much like censorship -- of an extremely intelligent and thoughtful person -- for my taste. But maybe I'm just a Rudoren apologist.
12.02.2012
NYPD Officer Helps Homeless Man
By now I'm sure we've all seen the incredible tourist cell phone photo of the NYPD officer giving a homeless man a pair of shoes. This Storify story put together by journalist Bill Mitchell on Poynter does a terrific job of highlighting the power of social media and the speed news can travel at today.
The photo was posted on the New York Police Department's Facebook page just last Tuesday and on Thursday night, it had nearly 445,000 likes. According to Mitchell's Storify post, by the next morning the photo had surpassed half a million likes, over 38,000 comments and 181,000 shares. New York Times ran a story on it Thursday morning and the author of the story, J. David Goodman had posted the story on his Twitter account and was tweeting updates as the act of kindness was getting more and more news coverage and even New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg had tweeted the original story.
In addition, the story made the Yahoo home page, the front pages of several newspapers as shown by Mitchell in his Storify story, and both the tourist, Jennifer Foster, and the officer, Lawrence DePrimo were on the Today Show chatting with host Savannah Guthrie Friday morning. The story was re-tweeted many times on Twitter. The Storify story does a great job of visualizing the events, shows the breadth of the coverage and also gives viewers a chance to get more information on the story by clicking the various elements.
The photo was posted on the New York Police Department's Facebook page just last Tuesday and on Thursday night, it had nearly 445,000 likes. According to Mitchell's Storify post, by the next morning the photo had surpassed half a million likes, over 38,000 comments and 181,000 shares. New York Times ran a story on it Thursday morning and the author of the story, J. David Goodman had posted the story on his Twitter account and was tweeting updates as the act of kindness was getting more and more news coverage and even New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg had tweeted the original story.
In addition, the story made the Yahoo home page, the front pages of several newspapers as shown by Mitchell in his Storify story, and both the tourist, Jennifer Foster, and the officer, Lawrence DePrimo were on the Today Show chatting with host Savannah Guthrie Friday morning. The story was re-tweeted many times on Twitter. The Storify story does a great job of visualizing the events, shows the breadth of the coverage and also gives viewers a chance to get more information on the story by clicking the various elements.
12.01.2012
More and more readers using mobile apps to read news
According to an article from Poynter, Pew Research Center has found that 37% of cell phone users are using their phones to get news. The study surveyed over 2200 men and women. The rates were individually far higher for certain groups, including those with household salaries of over $75,000, college students and also the 18-29 age group.
After our recent class visit to USA Today in which we learned about the redesign of their website, the results of this study go to show how important app design and mobile website layout are for news organizations. USA Today changed their website to match the interactive experience and lateral navigation, given the high usage they discovered on the tablet and phone apps.
With the popularity of smartphones and tablets still growing, it will be interesting to see if other news organizations also revamp their websites to match their apps. USA Today seems to be quite unique when it comes to the lateral navigation element. Popular news sites like The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post and The Washington Post each have similar layouts with more traditional navigation, while their apps are less cluttered and allow for quicker navigation. It would be interesting to see what their motivation is for a different web versus mobile experience and perhaps it is intentional. Still, I would be surprised if other news organizations do not follow suit in coming years.
After our recent class visit to USA Today in which we learned about the redesign of their website, the results of this study go to show how important app design and mobile website layout are for news organizations. USA Today changed their website to match the interactive experience and lateral navigation, given the high usage they discovered on the tablet and phone apps.
With the popularity of smartphones and tablets still growing, it will be interesting to see if other news organizations also revamp their websites to match their apps. USA Today seems to be quite unique when it comes to the lateral navigation element. Popular news sites like The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post and The Washington Post each have similar layouts with more traditional navigation, while their apps are less cluttered and allow for quicker navigation. It would be interesting to see what their motivation is for a different web versus mobile experience and perhaps it is intentional. Still, I would be surprised if other news organizations do not follow suit in coming years.
11.29.2012
Newsroom Social Media Policies
After reviewing the Associated Press' social media guidelines and the guidelines of at least several other major news organizations (see links on class schedule to those of The Washington Post, L.A. Times, Reuters and NPR), please comment below on 1.) at least one policy point that you strongly disagree with and believe should be removed from the guidelines; 2.) a policy point that you think should be added to one of the newsroom guidelines.
A few strong paragraphs defending your comment should suffice.
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