Some media notes for Monday, September 2, 2013:
Rodney Sieh, the publisher and editor-in-chief of FrontPage Africa, writes from jail for The New York Times on the Liberian paper's harsh financial penalty handed down from the court that he could neither pay nor afford to appeal. He looks at the questionable claims of press freedom and democracy in his country, the influence of politics on the courts, and the intimidation of journalists.
The New York Times examines the challenge of reporting in Syria and the shift in this conflict to a stronger dependence on social media to help chronicle events there. A few organizations are in Damascus and elsewhere in Syria, but many are creating partnerships or relying on aggregator sites to help them build a fair picture of the scene.
Margaret Sullivan, the public editor for The New York TImes, reflects on her first year in the role. She believes she's made some progress in listening to readers' concerns and helping the newsroom understand them. She docks herself marks for some of her observations. She wishes she'd had more impact in areas like the use of anonymous sources. And she pledges to pay more attention to newsroom economics and how the Times intends to diversify its revenue through such things as conferences and events involving its journalists.
Felix Salmon, in his latest blog post for Reuters, wonders if there is too much concern and emphasis on identifying and studying the business model in today's journalism. He thinks the proper emphasis is in creating journalism people and advertisers want, even in small measure, to propel reputation, attract creators and advertisers alike, and sustain.
Rodney Sieh, the publisher and editor-in-chief of FrontPage Africa, writes from jail for The New York Times on the Liberian paper's harsh financial penalty handed down from the court that he could neither pay nor afford to appeal. He looks at the questionable claims of press freedom and democracy in his country, the influence of politics on the courts, and the intimidation of journalists.
The New York Times examines the challenge of reporting in Syria and the shift in this conflict to a stronger dependence on social media to help chronicle events there. A few organizations are in Damascus and elsewhere in Syria, but many are creating partnerships or relying on aggregator sites to help them build a fair picture of the scene.
Margaret Sullivan, the public editor for The New York TImes, reflects on her first year in the role. She believes she's made some progress in listening to readers' concerns and helping the newsroom understand them. She docks herself marks for some of her observations. She wishes she'd had more impact in areas like the use of anonymous sources. And she pledges to pay more attention to newsroom economics and how the Times intends to diversify its revenue through such things as conferences and events involving its journalists.
Felix Salmon, in his latest blog post for Reuters, wonders if there is too much concern and emphasis on identifying and studying the business model in today's journalism. He thinks the proper emphasis is in creating journalism people and advertisers want, even in small measure, to propel reputation, attract creators and advertisers alike, and sustain.
