At the Blogboat event in Belgium citizen journalism expert Dan Gillmor spoke about a new book dealing with principles for news consumers, writes Dorien Aerts.

According to Gillmor, consumers should look at the news with skepticism and judgment. Moreover they should do research when something isn’t clear or when they need a second opinion.

“That’s exactly what the people who sold their stocks after hearing that Steve Jobs had a heart attack, didn’t do. It was their stupidity to immediately believe the false news. Which makes them responsible as well, and not only the citizen journalist who wrote the article.”

(When Googling, I found a lot of people blaming the citizen journalist who wrote the news (eg this one)).

The fourth principle mentioned by Gilmor is independence. He encourages news consumers to read stuff that challenges what they believe.

Last but not least Gillmor wants people to be aware of and recognize the techniques used by journalists to persuade them of something.

According to Gillmor, we are moving to the Daily Us (versus the Daily Me) or community driven news. Popularity and reputation will play the most important roles within that model.

“And whoever succeeds in combining those two, will be big”.

This Daily Us will be driven by thouroughness, accuracy, fairness, independence and transparancy, “Principles every journalist agrees on.”

In order to achieve this Daily Us, the participation of traditional media and the help of citizen journalists are needed, says Gillmor. But also parents and schools are of the utmost importance, in teaching children how to deal with news. “Children should know that Wikipedia is the best starting point, but the worst place to stop.”

Dorien Aerts takes a look at Flemish newspapers’ mobile efforts.

What kind of mobile internet services do newspapers in Flanders offer? Since the launch of the iPhone in Belgium a few weeks ago, the mobile internet has become a hot topic. It has ‘a face’ since then, and more and more people want to try it out. Here’s what’s being done…

• De Standaard (publisher: Corelio)

One of Belgium’s quality papers, De Standaard has offered a mobile website to its readers since the 16th of June via m.standaard.be.

The service contains all kinds of news, from sports and politics to celebrity updates. Apart from that, the mobile website offers the weather forecast and up to date traffic information.

• De Tijd (publisher: De Persgroep)

De Tijd focuses on financial news. It delivers daily news, currencies and the reader’s personal ‘investment wallet’ via the mobile internet.

Subscribers to the newspaper get a little extra: they have access to the archive (beginning 1998) and can search it, just like they can on the regular website.

De Tijd also offers its mobile service via a website. Readers type tijd.be and the website automatically adapts to the screen of the cellphone.

• Het Belang van Limburg and Gazet van Antwerpen (publisher: Concentra)

Locally oriented newspapers Het Belang van Limburg and Gazet van Antwerpen offer a mobile website as well. Via www.hbvl.be/palmnieuws/, Belgian, sports, society, cultural and international news is provided. At 2 and 5 pm the news is updated.

Not a surprise

Other newspapers in Flanders like Het Laatste Niews, De Morgen and Het Nieuwsblad, aren’t offering a mobile internet service (yet).

It is not a surprise however that the other four newspapers examined here are ahead of the game.

De Standaard has always been ahead in the Belgian news market when it comes to innovation. The newspaper was the first to introduce blogs on its website and work with bloggers.

Moreover, they offer a very user-friendly website combining text, pictures and video. Editor in chief Peter Vandermeersch says: “We are a news label. On paper and on the computer. Now we are also on your mobile phone.”

Financial newspaper De Tijd has a highly educated readership, interested in financial news and familiar with mobile technology. A small step, in other words, to introduce their customers to mobile services.

As for the local newspapers Het Belang van Limburg and Gazet van Antwerpen: publisher Concentra has always been known as an innovative company, introducing their mobile internet website years ago. In a Dutch article on frankwatching earlier this week it was pointed out that the local media are often the most innovative.

Added value

The mobile websites of De Standaard and De Tijd offer more than news. De Standaard’s up to date traffic information may not really be relevant when behind your computer, yet it becomes very interesting when you are on the road with your cellphone.

De Tijd offering personal investments wallets via the mobile internet means quite an added value as well. It saves readers time (they can check it everywhere) and they are always up to date about their investments.

No newspaper has chosen the mobile widget path yet, and localisation or personalisation services also haven’t been introduced.

Do newspapers in other countries offer similar mobile services? Are they ahead of Flemish newspapers?

Dorien Aerts

Belgian women’s magazine Flair has recently launched a mobile version of its product, writes Dorien Aerts.

How does it work?

Once you sign up you are sent a text message containing a link, from which you download a mobile application of Flair. When you start the mobile application, you find a very attractive interface (for girls at least) with fashion articles and information about events.

But there’s more to it. Flair goes interactive with the application: you can participate in games, polls and tests. Stubru presentators Sofie and Peter, for example, tried out the ‘Which sex beast are you’-test.

Flair magazine appears weekly in Belgium and this also applies to the mobile magazine: users get a new mobile edition every week, which is automatically installed when you start the application.

How does it not work?

It does not work on all cellphones. The cellphone my employers provide me with, for example, is incompatible. When you look at the list of compatible cellphones, there are already quite a few models on which the Flair application works. And so it does function on the cellphone of one of my colleagues (see picture above).

I find it very brave for a women’s magazine to start with a mobile version. They are the first in Belgium, and definitely not the last. And let’s hope this initiative helps to break open the Belgian mobile internet market. Something the launch of the iPhone in Belgium tomorrow will probably also take care of!