Keyword: onlinejournalism. …To say the least. Read more about Geldof’s rant that sparked it here, and some fallout here.

Nuff said. Thanks to this article for introducing me to it.

Keyword: onlinejournalism. Online media site Ourmedia has launched to embarrassing success. They “provide free storage and free bandwidth for your videos, audio files, photos, text or software”, but perhaps more importantly, “A condition of posting material is that contributors must share their work. Reworking or remixing content is permitted including the use of ‘snippets’ of copyrighted work, although ‘infringement and illegal misappropriation’ are not be allowed.” The site even has RSS feeds updating on new content. [source: journalism.co.uk]

It looks like a particularly useful site on two fronts: firstly, as a place for bloggers and webspace-starved web designers to host – and showcase – images, audio and video; and secondly, as a place to find copyright-free materials.

Keyword: onlinejournalism. Michigan Police seem to be considering schoolkids blogging as something to keep an eye on, with the implication that brats who digitally slag off their peers and teachers should be put inside.

Keyword: onlinejournalism. Given all the publicity attracted by copyright breaches regarding music and film online, it’s funny that images never get the same attention. Using images on the web without copyright clearance is so widespread as to be almost normal practice – but it’s still illegal, and you can still get sued.

So it’s interesting to see that Google News is being sued by Agence France Presse for displaying its images (and, for that matter, headlines) without permission. Of course Google use the images and headlines so that browsers can click through to the AFP site, so it’s not as if they’re claiming them as their own, but it’s very much a case worth watching.

Keyword: onlinejournalism. Journalism.co.uk continues its excellent series of interviews with top figures in British online journalism, and this one is better than most. Bale has some interesting thoughts on the place of blogs within traditional journalism brands – key quote:

“We have to embrace blogging methods but they must always be done to the same standards as anything else under our brands. I am not sure that surrendering the brand values to become an online Hyde Park Corner is the way to go.”

– and also brings my attention to one news site I’d never seen, the visually stunning Flash-based Marumushi Newsmap.

Keyword: onlinejournalism. An online media study is published and, surprise surprise, it concludes that blogs have been quite important. More interesting, and buried low down, is this finding: “35 percent of online journalists said they were pressured to do a story relating to an advertiser, owner, or sponsor, compared to only 15 percent of the national journalists”.

Worthy of further research?

Keyword: onlinejournalism. Yet another blog awards, but this one’s got some history – so it’s well worth looking at the winners from previous years. The 2005 winners have just been announced (a bit early that, isn’t it?) but you have to scroll down to the bottom of the page to see them. If only the designers of this webpage were award-winning…

Keyword: onlinejournalism. …is there one? TheStar.com debates the issue with a useful link to a discussion on the subject at mediamatters.org. The link isn’t direct – so here it is: note: this is a webcast – you can also download the mp3.

Keyword: onlinejournalism. WorkingForChange reports on SourceWatch (previously Disinfopedia) another website that monitors the influence of organisations on the news – and interviews John Stauber from the centre behind it.

(I’ve previously commented on similar sites here)