Links – Page 3

So just who does get social media?

25 October, 2010 by Einar Thorsen Leave a Comment

Matthew Eltringham:

In the last decade or more, the pressure of diminishing resources and increasing output has taken away the opportunity for journalists to do their job properly: to get out of the office and talk to real people about real things.

But the social web has given us a second chance to reconnect with people – albeit in a virtual way – and we should grab hold of that opportunity with both hands. Collaborative journalism, networked journalism, distributed journalism, mutualised journalism – call it what you will, this is the real prize that social media offers media organisations.

We should grab it with both hands, because if we don't the audience will grab it for themselves.

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Journalistic potential of public tax returns

22 October, 2010 by Einar Thorsen Leave a Comment

Eirik Stavelin on the journalistic potential of public tax returns showing income, tax paid and fortune.

These tax return lists are made public in Norway, though as Eirik points out, only to news organisations at a fee of around £450. Newspapers currently publish stories related to these figures (e.g. politician's salaries, prominent local public figures etc), but also allow their audiences to search the records for specific names online.

The article (in Norwegian) discusses how journalists can enhance their use of the data via for instance mashups and other online tools.

Now if only UK tax returns were made public…

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Murdoch: Would Serve Powerful If Bloggers, Bloviators Replace Journalists

22 October, 2010 by Einar Thorsen Leave a Comment

Rupert Murdoch on justifying journalism:

Now, it would certainly serve the interests of the powerful if professional journalists were muted – or replaced as navigators in our society by bloggers and bloviators. Bloggers can have a social role – but that role is very different to that of the professional seeking to uncover facts, however uncomfortable.

I guess he does not consider his own journalists to be "professional" then, since they prop up his own political and business interests on a regular basis…

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The Independent launches new newspaper title: i

18 October, 2010 by Einar Thorsen Leave a Comment

Evgeny Lebedev, Chairman of Independent Print Ltd:

I am very proud to launch i, which will be the first quality daily paper to have launched in Britain since The Independent itself in 1986. My father and I believe that a free press is a fundamental tool of a democracy, and we believe that newspapers still have a future, and a very important one.

Independent’s Editor-in-Chief Simon Kelner:

With the launch of i, we are again doing something radical and new, creating a paper for today that retains the essential qualities of The Independent. Ever since The Independent launched, the paper has had a reputation for innovation and boldness and now we are creating the first post-modern newspaper, attractive to those who prize intelligence, convenience and desirability.

New title will go on sale nationwide on Tuesday 26 October 2010

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Marr on bloggers: inadequate, pimpled, single, seedy, abusive ranters

11 October, 2010 by Einar Thorsen Leave a Comment

Andrew Marr's diatribe at the Cheltenham Literature Festival:

Most citizen journalism strikes me as nothing to do with journalism at all.

A lot of bloggers seem to be socially inadequate, pimpled, single, slightly seedy, bald, cauliflower-nosed, young men sitting in their mother's basements and ranting. They are very angry people.

OK – the country is full of very angry people. Many of us are angry people at times. Some of us are angry and drunk. But the so-called citizen journalism is the spewings and rantings of very drunk people late at night.

It is fantastic at times but it is not going to replace journalism…

Most of the blogging is too angry and too abusive. It is vituperative. Terrible things are said on line because they are anonymous. People say things on line that they wouldn't dream of saying in person.

Ouch! Talk about missing the point… scarily one-sided!

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