Here are some media stories of note for Thursday, July 18, 2013:
Thomas Kent, the standards editor and deputy managing editor at Associated Press, takes on the assertion that journalism as we know it is on its last legs. Kent, writing for Huffington Post, does not believe journalists are being usurped or left with only the roles of analysis or commentary. He argues that fact-finding, analyzing and presenting remain integral in professional work, that the audience still depends on these qualities and is not as social media-active as it may seem, and that networked journalism (as opposed to corporate-driven journalism) is highly susceptible to manipulation and authoritarian control.
The judge in the case of U.S. Army Private Bradley Manning (who divulged military secrets to WikilLeaks) today ruled in mid-trial not to drop the charge of aiding the enemy. The New York Times noted the connection to journalists during the trial: that it may give rise to similar prosecutions when there are leaks to media organizations. The Freedom of the Press Foundation today indicated the ruling has possibly profound implications for journalism.
Feminista Jones, the prominent social commentator writing in this instance for Salon.com, chronicles the rise of Twitter as a modern equivalent of the Underground Railroad of African American activism. She identifies the adoption of Twitter as a focal point for African America to mobilize protest and to effect policy change. In recent weeks those efforts have included concerns about comments by television host Paula Deen, the Texas anti-abortion legislation, and the George Zimmerman verdict. "They prove that 140 characters can be all it takes to spark a movement," Jones writes.
In recent days it has been reported that Google is reaching out to television networks to create an Internet-driven delivery system that would rival cable. The effort is Google's latest into this realm, and at the moment the speculation is that it will not succeed. Brian Stetler, writing in The New York Times, looks at rival Apple's latest efforts and contrasts its comparable successes at partnerships with those of Google. While Apple's grand strategy for television remains secret, it is at least holding hands with the existing players as it moves in on them.
Thomas Kent, the standards editor and deputy managing editor at Associated Press, takes on the assertion that journalism as we know it is on its last legs. Kent, writing for Huffington Post, does not believe journalists are being usurped or left with only the roles of analysis or commentary. He argues that fact-finding, analyzing and presenting remain integral in professional work, that the audience still depends on these qualities and is not as social media-active as it may seem, and that networked journalism (as opposed to corporate-driven journalism) is highly susceptible to manipulation and authoritarian control.
The judge in the case of U.S. Army Private Bradley Manning (who divulged military secrets to WikilLeaks) today ruled in mid-trial not to drop the charge of aiding the enemy. The New York Times noted the connection to journalists during the trial: that it may give rise to similar prosecutions when there are leaks to media organizations. The Freedom of the Press Foundation today indicated the ruling has possibly profound implications for journalism.
Feminista Jones, the prominent social commentator writing in this instance for Salon.com, chronicles the rise of Twitter as a modern equivalent of the Underground Railroad of African American activism. She identifies the adoption of Twitter as a focal point for African America to mobilize protest and to effect policy change. In recent weeks those efforts have included concerns about comments by television host Paula Deen, the Texas anti-abortion legislation, and the George Zimmerman verdict. "They prove that 140 characters can be all it takes to spark a movement," Jones writes.
In recent days it has been reported that Google is reaching out to television networks to create an Internet-driven delivery system that would rival cable. The effort is Google's latest into this realm, and at the moment the speculation is that it will not succeed. Brian Stetler, writing in The New York Times, looks at rival Apple's latest efforts and contrasts its comparable successes at partnerships with those of Google. While Apple's grand strategy for television remains secret, it is at least holding hands with the existing players as it moves in on them.
