Here are some media stories of note for Tuesday, March 18, 2014:
A major study released Monday tells much about how Americans consume news. They are mix-and-match consumers, with various platforms excelling at various forms of content, and they are much wider in their consumption than conventionally thought. The Media Insight Report found three-quarters of Americans, including 60 per cent of those under the age of 30, consume news daily but do not depend in the same way on front pages and newscasts.
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FiveThirtyEight, the Nate Silver/New York Times blog that catapulted to fame during the 2012 U.S. election campaign, resurfaced Monday under a new company (ESPN) and with Silver leading a much larger team. His reintroduction featured a lengthy manifesto about data and journalism, a fairly chiding message to the craft about its anecdotal dependence, and a hint about the direction he wants his group to take --- into "nerdier" territory that is prepared to sacrifice speed for accuracy but made data journalism sustainable.
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Two weeks ago Newsweek resurfaced in print with what it argued was an exclusive profile of the founder of bitcoin. Skeptics abounded, and Monday the subject of the story, Dorian S. Nakamoto, announced he had hired a lawyer to clear his name. He says he has never been involved in bitcoin, has been battling health issues, and will not comment further. Newsweek has stood behind its story.
A major study released Monday tells much about how Americans consume news. They are mix-and-match consumers, with various platforms excelling at various forms of content, and they are much wider in their consumption than conventionally thought. The Media Insight Report found three-quarters of Americans, including 60 per cent of those under the age of 30, consume news daily but do not depend in the same way on front pages and newscasts.
***
FiveThirtyEight, the Nate Silver/New York Times blog that catapulted to fame during the 2012 U.S. election campaign, resurfaced Monday under a new company (ESPN) and with Silver leading a much larger team. His reintroduction featured a lengthy manifesto about data and journalism, a fairly chiding message to the craft about its anecdotal dependence, and a hint about the direction he wants his group to take --- into "nerdier" territory that is prepared to sacrifice speed for accuracy but made data journalism sustainable.
***
Two weeks ago Newsweek resurfaced in print with what it argued was an exclusive profile of the founder of bitcoin. Skeptics abounded, and Monday the subject of the story, Dorian S. Nakamoto, announced he had hired a lawyer to clear his name. He says he has never been involved in bitcoin, has been battling health issues, and will not comment further. Newsweek has stood behind its story.
