Einar Thorsen

Professor of Journalism and Communication at Bournemouth University

Publications | Conferences | Teaching | Projects

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French pro-am news website, Rue89 forays into print from online

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Savita Sauvin:

While the decision to go from online to print was an editorial and commercial one, according to founder Pierre Haski, this move aims to "replicate in print the spirit of the website: serendipity and an eclectic choice of stories written both by journalists and non-journalists, accompanied with selected comments from our web audience."

The former online-only title will now be available on print as a 100-page, micro format magazine costing €3.90 per issue and €34 for an annual subscription. The magazine will select 10 percent of its online published content that deserve another reading experience and give stories a second life, while creating a new revenue stream from sales and advertising on print.

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5 Things the Library of Congress is Archiving Online

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Sarah Kessler:

So what does the Library of Congress think is worth saving? Here are the portions of today’s web your grandchildren will be able to access through the Library of Congress:

1. Twitter feeds—all of them […]

2. National Election Candidates’ Internet Presences […]

3. Facebook Pages—A Selective Few […]

4. Notable Historical Events […]

5. News Sites That Give Permission

Unlike libraries in some other countries, the Library of Congress has no legal mandate to preserve the web. Therefore, the web archive team can’t collect everything they would like to without asking permission. Because news sites and blogs earn money on their content, the Library needs to get consent before it includes their pages in the archives.

Grotke says that few news organizations that the web archive team contacts for permission ever respond, which means that not much of the content in the web archives comes from news sites.

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BBC – dot.Rory: So was it an internet election?

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    Rory Cellan-Jones:

    "Just about every debate I attended on this issue before the campaign ended with everyone agreeing that television, and the debates in particular, would be decisive.

    But the internet, from social media to Google to good old-fashioned news websites, did play a significant part in the way many people experienced this election – and that was very different from what happened in 2005.

    The web was successful in getting more people to engage with the campaign, it played a role in the way parties sought to persuade voters into their camp and to organise that process. It was also a source of news – although this was one area where its effect was smaller than expected."

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    Del.ici.us tags: rorycellanjones electino2010 internet campaign onlinenews

Analysis: With work, comments can be a worthwhile addition to news sites – Editors Weblog

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    Analysis: With work, comments can be a worthwhile addition to news sites – Editors Weblog

    Alexandra Jaffe on comments associated with online news:

    "But most website editors agree: comment boards have too much potential to get rid of them entirely. The comments on an article offer journalists a valuable link to their readers, where readers can guide coverage, point out mistakes, and sometimes offer valuable tips and sources.

    […]

    Interactivity is key because news media is a business; newspapers must listen to their readers if they are to keep them as consumers.

    […]

    But how can editors ensure that the comments add rather than detract value from the article? News sites and blogs across the web have tried a number of different strategies, but the rules and regulations for online commenting are still in their formative stages. Across the comment boards, there seem to be four overarching themes in comment moderation that will likely shape the future of online commenting: Timing, trust, identity and incentives."

    Del.ici.us tags: ugc alexandrajaffe comments onlinenews onlinejournalism trust identity moderation