Archive for February, 2009

Will the BBC launch its own version of Twitter?

BBC Backstage’s Ian Forrester has been blogging about the attention that Twitter has been getting from the BBC and some experiments they’ve done with using the open source microblogging platform Laconi.ca: “I think as the BBC gets its heads around microblogging it will quickly notice that not only is it somewhat promoting a single startup through its wording but that
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Newsgathering IS production IS distribution (Model for a 21st century newsroom pt.1 cont.)

Above is an image representing how journalism has traditionally been done: You went and gathered your information You put it all together in an attractive package: the article, the broadcast package And someone else took that to the readers or viewers That linear process is pretty much redundant online. See the diagram below. I’ve found myself drawing this so often
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Try it, refine it – or throw it away

Try new stuff! If it doesn’t work, just stop doing it. Then move on and try something else. That’s what Mackenzie Warren, director of content at Gannett Digital (that’s the digital division of what’s currently the USA’s largest media company), advised a group of Norwegian media executives at the Norwegian Institute of Journalism this week. Now, let me first point
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New York Times lets users build things with its content (open API)

Here’s another case study to add to the list of examples of distributed journalism: the New York Times has finally launched its articles API. In other words “The Article Search API is a way to find, discover, explore, have fun and build new things. We’ve accumulated quite a few blocks/articles over the last 28 years — all of them tagged
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The biggest moments in Indian blogging history (guest post)

Pramit Singh gives a comprehensive overview of blogging history – and the blogging scene – in India. During the Mumbai Terror attacks, a blog started by Dina Mehta was perhaps the first place to provide useful links and phone numbers. During the unprecedented Bihar Floods in August 2008, a blog was the first site providing useful information. During the Tsunami
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Starting a blog? 12 ideas for blog posts

I’m currently writing a chapter on blogging for a book on online journalism [UPDATE: Now published]. It includes 12 typical blog post types to kickstart ideas. Here are the examples I came up with – I’d welcome any more: UPDATE: Also available in Japanese. Point 6 UPDATED January 20 2012 in response to this blog post (I’m now wondering: was
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More Twitter users to follow – if you’re in Norway or Sweden

Following my post on ’10 Twitter users that every journalism student should follow‘, similar lists have been produced for Norway and Sweden.

Magazine production and interactivity – what the students did

I’ve just been casting my eye over the Magazine Production work of two groups of second year students on the journalism degree I teach on. In addition to design and subbing, they were assessed on ‘web strategy’ – in other words, how they approached distribution online. To give this a little context: early in the module ideas for magazines had
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Chetan Kunte, blogging hero

Pramit Singh on the case of blogger Chetan Kunte: apparently forced to take down a blog post by a news organisation for criticising their coverage of the Mumbai attacks.

Jo Geary’s going to The Times – here’s why

The Birmingham Post’s Development Editor Joanna Geary has landed a job at The Times as Web Development Editor. Those in Birmingham who know Jo will already be wiping their eyes; anyone in London who doesn’t know Jo will soon realise just how lucky they are. How lucky? Along with the likes of Jon Bounds and Pete Ashton, Jo Geary has helped make
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