Category: Television

June 6, 2014 media notes: Pakistan's channel suspended; four indicted in 1999 Serbian killing; NYT can't abandon print yet

6/6/2014

For Friday, June 6, 2014, here are some media stories of note:

The Pakistan government has stepped up its media crackdown by suspending the licence of Geo News, a popular television channel, in its dispute with the country's spy agency. The New York Times reports the broadcast regulator indicated the channel will be suspended 15 days and pay a fine. The channel had reported that the spy agency was behind a shooting of one of its journalists.
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It has taken 15 years, but four Milosevic-era security officials have been indicted in the 1999 killing of a newspaper publisher in Serbia. Slavko Curuvija was shot outside his Belgrade apartment. Reuters reports the accused include the former head of the department of state security.
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Ryan Chittum, writing for the Columbia Journalism Review, says it's important economically that The New York Times not abandon print --- at least not yet. The Times cannot afford to move to a digital-only publication. Its financial position would move from black to red. It will be necessary to slowly wind down the print operation, he writes, in order to shift to a digital organization.

April 10, 2014 media notes: study on Twitter, Facebook and TV; Turkey keeps ban on YouTube; last US press council closes

4/10/2014

For Thursday, April 10, 2014, here are some media stories of note:

A new study by the Nielsen-financed Council for Research Excellence suggests our enthusiasm about the interplay of social media and the television is still a bit overblown. A survey indicates that people aren't using Facebook and Twitter often when they're viewing TV, and those who are using those platforms are posting about something other than what they're viewing. Vindu Goel, writing for The New York Times, concludes that Twitter and Facebook wield little influence on TV.
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Court ruling or no court ruling, the Turkish telecommunications authority is refusing to lift its ban on YouTube in the country. The court has ruled that the ban breaches human rights, but the government and its regulator insist YouTube postings of illicit recordings from secret security talks is part of a "dirty campaign" to topple the government.
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Craig Silverman, writing for Poynter, notes the closure next month of the last U.S. state press council. The Washington Press Council, overseen for more than a decade by John Hamer, will close when he retires in May. There is no word from its board on what will emerge in its place.

March 11, 2014 media notes: we are wrong about the web, post-mortem on Newsweek bitcoin story, Kimmel and hoaxes

3/11/2014

For Tuesday, March 11, 2014, here are some media stories of note:

Tony Haile, the CEO of Chartbeat, argues in an essay for Time.com that we have entered the age of the Attention Web. This is different from the era of the Click Web, in that it matters more that people read what they call up on the web and matters less if they share what they don't read. He says there are four myths worth confronting: we don't read what we click on, we don't necessarily read more when we share more, native advertising will not be the industry's saviour, and banner ads can work. What we think about the web is often wrong, he says.
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The revived print edition of Newsweek garnered good and bad attention last week for its story on the supposed bitcoin founder. Criticism descended on the outlet from those who dispute the subject of the profile as the legitimate founder. Newsweek, in turn, stood by the story but offered little additional evidence that its reporting was sound. That, in turn, caused NYU scholar (and First Look Media advisor) Jay Rosen to note that it's no longer 1989 and Newsweek cannot simply expect such trust. Ryan Chittum said in the Columbia Journalism Review the "trust us" journalism at Newsweek has run into a new era of accountability expectations of news organizations. And Felix Salmon at Reuters (and CJR) says Newsweek should have presented a theory, rather than claimed a fact, about its investigation on the founder.
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If you are to believe many media, there was a wolf roaming the halls of a Sochi hotel. Talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel's program generated a huge media hoax with it. Kimmel was interviewed on it and other media hoaxes his program foisted. His view: It's easy and getting easier to do so. Far from the view that, as more of these emerge, media will get smarter, he sees it differently. As long as people want to be first to post something, they will be susceptible.

March 7, 2014 media notes: Newsweek's Bitcoin controversy, Americans still love TV, CJR on non-profit philanthropy

3/7/2014

For Friday, March 7, 2014, here are some media stories of note:

There are relaunches, and then there are relaunches. Witness Newsweek, sold for a dollar only a few years ago, shuttered, now being brought back to print life with today's immensely appealing cover story purportedly on the founder of Bitcoin. Problem is, not everyone agrees he is who he is deemed to be. He certainly denies it. Gawker reports Newsweek stands behind the story. Someone isn't telling the truth. There are plenty of takes on this dispute, and Felix Salmon of Reuters has something comprehensive on it.
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Americans clearly haven't abandoned the television set, no matter the new digital distractions. New data suggest the typical American continues to spend 34 hours a week glued to the first screen, Re/code reports. The younger you are, the less you watch (those over 65 are clocking in 50.5 hours weekly), and while it's true that there has been some decline in live TV viewing, t's not necessarily so that they're not watching TV. They're just delaying their viewing through the recording device.
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Steven Waldman, writing for the Columbia Journalism Review, refutes Jeff Jarvis' recent post that suggested philanthropy is misplaced with a journalism non-profit operation. Waldman says non-profits can be sustainable and can serve needs profit-seeking firms can't or won't. Philanthropy is very much needed in the sector, he says.

February 17, 2014 media notes: Media quiet on Venezuelan protests and Sochi problems, WNET returns foundation grant

2/17/2014

Here are some media stories of note for Monday, February 17, 2014:

While it appears that the Twitter photo blackout has been lifted in Venezuela, the same can't be said for television coverage of the largest protests in recent memory. Government leaders have appeared on state television to accuse opposition leaders of fomenting violence, but media have not been significantly covering the protests in which three have died. Press freedom groups believe government intimidation is suppressing the journalism.
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The Verge reports on how journalists in Russia are being muzzled in their attempts to portray Sochi and the Olympics realistically. Russians have been getting a very rosy picture, not the one international audiences are getting about hotels, empty stadiums and poor sanitation.
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WNET, the New York public television broadcaster, has decided to return a $3.5-million grant and put an ambitious series on the economic sustainability of public pensions on hold following a PandoDaily report that identified a possible ethical concern about the activities of a foundation underwriting the project.
The report said hedge fund manager John Arnold, the co-sponsor of the John and Laura Arnold Foundation, had taken a specific position on pension sustainability. WNET initially dismissed the report but has changed its mind in recent days. The station will continue to report on the subject but is looking for another funding source for the larger project, which has been featured since September.
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February 14, 2014 media notes: Greek court bans investigative report, India book withdrawn, Venezuela blocks Twitter photos

2/14/2014

For Friday, February 14, 2014, here are some media stories of note:

A Greek court has prohibited the broadcast of an investigative television show, ruling temporarily that it could compromise the secrecy of an ongoing police investigation. The Associated Press says the judge wants to complete her investigation. Meantime, an airing of it or even advertisements for it would face "severe" legal sanctions. The broadcaster, Mega TV, says it will defy the ruling and proceed with the segment of the Protagonists show.
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The New York Times says Penguin in India has withdrawn and destroyed the remaining copies of a book on Hindu nationalism. It says it worries that laws affecting freedom of expression pose a challenge to the book's content. It does not want to operate outside of the law, even if it believes those laws are "intolerant and restrictive." There are concerns the publisher was pressured by nationalists.
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BuzzFeed reports that it appears photos on Twitter are banned in Venezuela. The government has been asserting greater control over media amid widespread public protests. The block appears to be with the state-run Internet provider, although a private firm also appears to be part of the ban.

February 11, 2014 media notes: the time-shifting digital consumer, Amazon's impact, Facebook's NewsFeed algorithm

2/11/2014

Here are some media stories of note for Tuesday, February 11, 2014:

A new Nielsen report on the digital consumer suggests time-shifting and second-screen use continue to grow in the U.S. In the last year Americans on average time-shifted 13 hours monthly of television, an increase of about two hours, and their live television viewing declined nearly three hours to 134 hours monthly. Americans average four devices per household and 84 per cent said they use their tablets or smartphones while watching television. AP notes an offbeat finding: 40 per cent of those 18 to 24 use social media in the bathroom.
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The New Yorker's George Packer examines the impact of Amazon on the publishing business and on the digital marketplace. Packer chronicles the effort by Amazon to be the retailer of practically everything, including some of its industry tactics, and how its early-stage book business (now a minor element) built the leverage with personal information for Amazon to capitalize in other sectors. Packer, himself a bestselling author, is not bullish on what the company has done for its founding function.
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Journalism evolves, but it has been interesting to watch the evolution of an article in the last day about Facebook's algorithm and its impact on several viral-seeking sites, particularly the impact on Buzzfeed. Business Insider contributor Nicholas Carlson initially said the impact was dramatic on sites like Upworthy but that Buzzfeed was not particularly hurt by Facebook's changes because it regularly bought Facebook ads to support certain content. He changed that (and, to be fair, communicated he had) to give greater credit to Buzzfeed's contributors after Buzzfeed's CEO complained. In all it has been a bit of a backslide from an initial shot, something Gawker has been more than willing to chronicle.
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February 3, 2014 media notes: appointment TV endures, local digital struggles, and Upworthy finds a viral niche

2/3/2014

Here are some media notes for Monday, February 3, 2014:

Sunday's lopsided Super Bowl declined in the ratings from last year's (although it remained in the top five ever), but David Carr of The New York Times notes its attraction is a reminder of the continuing power of live television and its must-see qualities. Even as network television ratings slump and social media creates a second screen to discuss, so-called appointment television like the Super Bowl, Grammys and Oscars endures and thrives.

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Steve Waldman, writing for Poynter, examines why local news innovation isn't working as well as national news in the digital space. He notes that venture capital and advertising tend to want national plays. He suggests philanthropy is going to have to shift its focus into local media to encourage start-ups and others interested in local-only outlets.

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Felix Salmon of Reuters takes time and some mathematic competence to explain the qualities of Upworthy and why its posts are so viral on Facebook. He believes the company has found a niche of attractive headlines that Facebook encourages as a satisfaction of user curiosity. He also thinks it will run its course.

January 29, 2014 media notes: Al Jazeera journalists on trial, local TV news ratings up, Twitter-CNN-Dataminr deal

1/29/2014

Here are some media stories of note for January 29, 2014:

It has gotten quite serious for the 20 Al Jazeera journalists, including four foreigners, under arrest in Egypt. They have been referred to trial on charges of joining or assisting a terrorist group or for spreading false news that endangers national security. British media have joined forces today to call for their release, while other media worldwide have denounced the detentions.

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It is not exactly a full rebound, but the slumping ratings for local television news in the U.S. appear to have stabilized and inched up again. New data from Pew Center's FactTank suggest morning ratings are up six per cent, early evening ratings are up three per cent, and late-night ratings are up one per cent. Considering the previous trend lines, these are hopeful signs for the format. The reasons aren't clear, although there were several large local stories at the time the ratings were taken.

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Twitter is a wonderful platform, but wading through Tweets for the substance of news is often a tricky task for newsrooms. Twitter, CNN and Dataminr announced today a partnership that will deliver alerts into newsrooms (the rollout to news agencies starts later this year) that will essentially not disrupt workflow. An algorithm will identify and deliver the content. Twitter's head of news, Vivian Schiller, says the new tool will "help surface relevant content" more quickly and lead to a better news experience.

January 10 media notes: journalism's next big problem, the native advertising boom, and the second-screen experience

1/10/2014

For Friday, January 10, 2014, here are some media stories of note:

John Lloyd, the director of journalism at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, notes the next big problem for journalism is . . . irrelevance. Political leaders don't necessarily need the press the way they once did, he notes, and they watch the press sufficiently to know how to swerve around it to communicate. Even if declining revenue appears to be the major challenge for the mainstream, Lloyd believes a looming and lingering issue is the poor relationship.

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There are others who might opine that one of journalism's looming problems is how it will raise the money to sustain its efforts. The revenue might be there, but the means to achieve that revenue might create more problems. Case in point: native advertising, the editorial-style sponsored content.

MediaPost reports that a new J.P. Morgan outlook is bullish on native advertising as the key to revenue growth in the years ahead. It says consumers are connecting to native advertising and clicking through its content to discover goods and services. This is particularly true on mobile, but increasingly so on desktop computing. A stigma attached to native advertising is disappearing, it asserts.

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Why watch TV only when a second screen is inviting your participation? A new study finds nearly half of Americans keep an eye on (and sometimes some keyboard strokes on) social media as they view programs.

Hollywood Reporter says the study for the major television producers organization indicates only 13 per cent of those who employ a second screen find it significantly improves the experience. But roughly two-thirds indicate there is some improvement to the viewing, an indication that a second-screen strategy is a good idea but needs tweaking.

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