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media notes 10.31.13

10/31/2013

For Thursday, October 31, 2013, here are some media stories of note:

The British government has imposed through a royal charter a new regime of press regulation over the wishes of much of the industry. The BBC reports that under the new system, a panel will be appointed to oversee a regulator of independent and former press members to set standards, adjudicate and arbitrate complaints, order corrections and impose fines on those organizations in the system. The government rejected the bid by a large portion of the industry to create a self-regulatory body. Many media organizations indicate they will not sign on to the new entity, which could leave them with more legal jeopardy. The deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, calls the concerns about heavy-handedness "hyperbole" and insists no media organization will be required to sign on to the new program under the charter. Meantime, in the phone-hacking trial that begat the inquiry that begat the charter, Reuters reports that three editors have pleaded guilty as more prominent editors stand trial, which has heard of the dog-eat-dog rivalry that begat the scandal.

A new report from University of Southern California suggests Americans will be consuming an average of 15.5 hours of digital media by 2015. Last year consumption grew five per cent to some 13.6 hours daily for a total of 1.46 trillion hours, the Los Angeles Times reports. Five years ago the total was 11 hours daily. A large growth area will be video viewing: 11 hours a month by 2015, up from six hours last year and less than three in 2008.

Earlier this month some women in Saudi Arabia began flouting the law by driving. Now a journalist has been detained following his newspaper commentary in support of the emancipation of women and the particular ban on their driving. Tariq al-Mubarak, writing for the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, called for an end to the ban and the harassment of those who support women's rights.

SafeSource, based on code developed partly by Aaron Swartz before his recent death, has launched with Forbes in an effort to provide anonymity safely and securely to those who provide tips and other confidential information to journalism organizations. The journalism.co.uk sites notes the messages will travel through thousands of servers with encryption.

media notes 10.30.13

10/30/2013

For Wednesday, October 30, 2013, here are some media notes:

Alan Rusbridger, the editor of The Guardian, chronicles in a lengthy New York Review of Books piece his recent events in dealing with the series of Edward Snowden surveillance leaks. He looks at the implications of British efforts to suppress his news organization's reporting, and he discusses at length the central role of his (soon-departing) columnist, Glenn Greenwald.

The Guardian notes ewspapers have failed in their effort to gain a court injunction against the imposition of the royal charter that would establish a new framework for press regulation in Britain. In the days ahead the terms of this charter will be outlined, as will efforts by the industry to convince the government of the merits of self-regulation.

Rick Edmonds, writing for Poynter, looks at a study by the Knight Foundation that points the way to sustainability for non-profit news organizations, providing they widen their revenue streams to ensure readers contribute some funds and there is a strong effort to secure advertising.

media notes 10.29.13

10/29/2013

For Tuesday, October 29, 2013, here are some media stories of note:

Some of Britain's leading newspaper groups have gone to court to seek an injunction against the proposed royal charter. The Guardian reports they are upset with the government's "irrational" rejection of their proposed self-regulatory alternative and have asked for a judicial review of the matter. Earlier they asked the Queen not to sign the charter, which would set the framework for defamation cases when complaints about coverage arose.

Meantime, the case that spurred the inquiry that spurred the proposed charter and self-regulation made its way into court Monday. The Press Gazette said the judge in the case suggests the phone-hacking trial for former editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson could take six months.

Lately, with a U.S. media shield law in the offing, there has been debate about what or who should be covered. It has raised the question of who is a journalist and which activities define one. Now two academics have examined a range of studies to produce what they think is a description. Andrew Beaujon, writing for Poynter, notes they have a definition of a journalist as "someone employed to regularly engage in gathering, processing, and disseminating (activities) news and information (output) to serve the public role. " But the authors note that leaves out potentially large numbers of new contributors and wonder if the acts of journalism might be the better focus.

media notes 10.28.13

10/28/2013

For Monday, October 28, 2013, here are some media stories of note:

Bill Keller, the columnist for The New York Times and its former executive editor, and Glenn Greenwald, the (soon-departing) columnist for The Guardian who has been the driver on revelations on National Security Agency surveillance unfurled by Edward Snowden, have a featured exchange of correspondence in the Times. Hard to summarize, but they discuss the character of journalism, what is its mission, and how will it be financed.

Reporters at two Somali radio stations were beaten and detained over the weekend after security agents stormed their Mogadishu offices following reports the stations aired on government corruption. Reuters reports the stories aired on SkyFM and Radio Shabelle, part of the Shabelle Media Network. Thirty-six journalists were detained in the raids, which the government said was actually an eviction related to the stations' unlawful occupation of government buildings.

The New Express newspaper in China has apologized for the reporting of Chen Yongzhou only days after defending him and standing by his stories of malfeasance at a construction machinery firm partly owned by the state. The Associated Press said the paper said Sunday that Chen had been incited by others who paid him to report inaccuracies.

media notes 10.26-27.13

10/26/2013

For the weekend of October 26-27, 2013, here are some media stories of note:

In the days ahead Britain will have a clear sense of the direction of press regulation in the country. The Guardian is reporting that the three political parties attempting to craft a royal charter on the matter are ready to make some concessions to the news industry to accommodate some of its concerns. Further, any subsequent changes to the charter will require strong support of both the industry self-regulatory body and two-thirds of the MPs in the House of Commons and a similar level of support in the House of Lords.

Glenn Greenwald, writing in (but soon departing from) The Guardian, argues that journalists are under-attending to the latest developments in the surveillance revelations, specifically on the responses by European leaders to information they and their citizens have been under surveillance by the National Security Agency. Greenwald argues that, if they're so concerned, they should be offering Edward Snowden asylum for revealing the information. He says it is now impossible for Barack Obama to suggest this widespread surveillance is all about anti-terrorism.

A reporter in China, arrested last week following his stories on a partly-state-owned construction machinery company's financial problems, has confessed on state TV to inaccurate and damaging journalism. Agence France Presse says Chen Yongzhou's admission was treated as less than sincere.

media notes 10.25.13

10/25/2013

Here are some media stories of note for Friday, October 25, 2013:

When you really want to ask a higher authority for help, there are few more exalted avenues for an appeal than the Queen of England. The Guardian reports that seven global journalism organizations have written to urge her not to sign the proposed royal charter that would establish a regulatory regime for the British press. The signatories describe the charter as "toxic" and as camouflage for "repressive" press controls and say it will chill journalistic freedom of expression. The final draft of the charter is due to be submitted to the privy council next week, then is scheduled under the legal process to be signed by the Queen.

Meanwhile, several British press organizations have moved swiftly to signal how they will implement an alternative to the royal charter: a press regulatory body that will be operational some time in 2014. The Independent says the organizations have identified the selection process for panel members in what it describes as the toughest regulatory entity anywhere in the world.

Maria Konnikova, an author and psychology PhD writing for The New Yorker, reviews the science behind online comments and the particular impact of anonymity. She concludes that the suppression of online comments simply shifts those who misbehave to other venues. "Whether online, on the phone, by telegraph, or in person, we are governed by the same basic principles. The medium may change, but people do not," she concludes. "The question instead is whether the outliers, the trolls and the flamers, will hold outsized influence—and the answer seems to be that, even protected by the shade of anonymity, a dog will often make himself known with a stray, accidental bark. Then, hopefully, he will be treated accordingly."

U.S. advertising regulators are taking notice that sponsored content, also known as native advertising, has the potential to mislead consumers. In recent months the National Advertising Division, an investigative unit of the Advertising Self-Regulating Council, has examined two case and ruled in one that an advertiser need to modify practices. The New York Times reports the effort is one more area in which sponsored content is under scrutiny as it develops and helps digital outlets strengthen their business models.

media notes 10.24.13

10/24/2013

Here are some media stories of note for Thursday, October 24, 2013:

A new Pew Research Center study suggests Facebook is a common but incidental way Americans get news. Its poll found most American adults don't go to Facebook for news, but find news while on Facebook for other purposes. Only 4% said it was the most important way they get news. Still, Facebook appears to provide news to people who otherwise might not get it. Those who receive news on Facebook are highly engaged users and news consumption doesn't appear to displace their other Facebook activities.

Glenn Greenwald, in his first extensive interview since announcing his departure from The Guardian for a new journalism venture financed by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, argues that a revolution is taking place in how news organizations cover government and institutions. Secrets will not be viable if they involve activities that run counter to the consciences of any of the extensive number of people with access to the data. That, in turn, will alter the power dynamic. Journalism will find opportunities in this context. Newsweek, now an online-only organization, reports on his views from Brazil.

The Columbia Journalism Review decided to examine the coverage of surveillance in four major U.S. newspapers (The New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times) following recent revelations, and it found a "remarkable" result: The media tilted to the right on the issue. The survey examined the use of certain key words that indicate a pro- or anti-surveillance stance: terrorism and surveillance on the one side, liberty and privacy on the other. While the stance was not overt, it suggests media remain reluctant to appear soft on terror, the Review concludes.

The debate continues on whether journalists need to learn how to write code and whether journalism schools should teach them how. In recent days journalist Olga Khazan sparked the debate by suggesting her time would be better spent learning how to report well instead of code badly. But Meranda Adams, writing for 10000 Words, argues (and uses data-wise journalist and professor Robert Hernandez to support her) that at the very least a modern journalist should know some basics about HTML and CSS or what they're discussing when they pitch the idea of a data project.

media notes 10.23.13

10/23/2013

For Wednesday, October 23, 2013, here are some media stories of note:

New data regulations proposed by the civil liberties committee of the European Parliament are raising concerns by publishers and journalists. The regulations aim to strengthen personal privacy, but they also require that journalists prove to administrators of the regulations there is a legitimate interest in obtaining materials and to gain consent of those mentioned in articles or featured in photos to use the material. The regulations also permit citizens the right to erase material from the Web, a matter bound to engender media opposition. The Columbia Journalism Review notes the regulations now move to member countries to deal with specific wording before a vote is held some time next year.

A new British poll suggests the public is much more optimistic than the craft of journalism is about the future of investigative journalism. The YouGov poll indicates about 29 per cent of the public was not optimistic about the survival of investigative work, while 62 per cent of journalists were. The Guardian reports the findings were released at a London panel on journalism where editors expressed concerns about state power and access to information.

Facebook has reversed its stance for the second time and removed from its network a violent video that featured a beheading. The social network had argued a day earlier that the video should remain because it did not wish to impinge on free expression. Initially when the video surfaced in May it had been taken down. AllThingsDigital reports that Facebook finally decided this wasn't the test case to determine where to draw the line.

media notes 10.22.13

10/22/2013

For Tuesday, October 22, 2013, here are some media stories of note:

Facebook is taking a quick clobbering from critics for permitting video of a beheading to appear on its platform. The British prime minister, among others, has denounced the move. Given its efforts to keep the social network pristine (no adult content, for example, and a recent ban on a breastfeeding video), Jonathan Freedland of The Guardian writes of its boundaries: "In Facebook's world, a beheading is OK but an exposed nipple is not." While it might be troublesome to its financial state to permit free expression, once it adopts "community standards" it has a challenge in drawing the line. In this instance, he argues, Facebook got it "spectacularly wrong." Facebook has committed to revisiting its approach. UPDATE: Late Tuesday it reversed its stance and took the video down.

Mistakes happen in journalism, but the punishment is typically a reprimand or a rather public embarrassment that comes with a correction. Not so this week at The Associated Press, where Huffington Post reports three employees have been fired for an erroneous report alleging that a Virginia gubernatorial candidate had lied to federal investigators.

Olga Khazan, writing for The Atlantic, dispels the notion that journalism schools should be teaching students how to write digital code. Journalists aren't necessarily any good at programming, she writes, and their precious learning time would be better spent learning how to write, edit and present. Leave the coding to the coders, she argues. It's nice if some of them want to be journalists, but journalists shouldn't be driven to be them.

media notes 10.21.13

10/21/2013

For Monday, October 21, 2013, here are some media stories of note:

David Carr of The New York Times looks at the arrival of tech money and ideas into journalism with the recent involvements of Pierre Omidyar, Laurene Powell Jobs, Jeff Skoll and Jeff Bezos as new journalism proprietors. Technology and journalism, once antagonists, are giving "bromance" a try, he writes. Carr also interviews Omidyar, and while there are no details of his new enterprise (that includes Glenn Greenwald, among others), there is the sense that it will aim to be general interest in nature and recognize the challenge of getting people to pay for the most serious elements of journalism.

Others have examined the role of the article in digital article --- as a means, not an end --- but Frédéric Filloux in his latest Monday Note has an extensive look at how the story serves as a gateway to knowledge in the newer environments of technological sophistication. Filloux notes the article serves as an audience concentrator, an entry point to the web's depths, and a potential promotional vehicle that will drive (with the proper separation of editorial and marketing) revenue.

This will be a big week in the drive to create a new form of press regulation, or self-regulation, in the U.K. The Guardian notes the results of two recent public opinion polls on which approaches have the most support. It appears the public wants an independent press, but also an independent form of oversight. Draft contracts on a self-regulatory system will be circulated this week, and it is unclear how many newspaper companies will sign on.

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