Microlog: The Media

Popular Science+ Tue 04 May 2010
I was sure I blogged about Mag+ before, but anyway: the concept has now come to life as an app for the iPad. I want to try it for myself to make a proper judgement, but conceptually this is the kind of thing the iPad needs to do well if it’s to have any kind of longevity, IMHO.

MagCloud: Publish your own printed magazine Fri 30 Apr 2010
Very nice print-on-demand service for small-scale magazine publishing. They don’t ship to EU countries yet (except for the UK) but this could be very useful in the near future…

Irish High Court gives entertainment giants the power to disconnect whole families from the net Sun 25 Apr 2010
It’s bullshit of the highest order, of course. But at least our ISP isn’t willing to play along.

ANC's Julius Malema lashes out at 'misbehaving' BBC journalist Fri 09 Apr 2010
South Africa can’t and won’t improve until dangerously misleading relics and liars like Malema are out of the picture.

Every issue of Spin magazine on Google Books Wed 07 Apr 2010
More publications should do this sort of thing. (See also: every issue of Plan B magazine in a handy torrent.)

Pitchfork bemoans the absense of modern-day gonzo journalism Sun 06 Aug 2006
Gonzo was great when it emerged because there was nothing else like it, though now that there is we have no need for it, at least for its own sake. But the essence of gonzo — the risk-taking, the bucking of the rules — is missing, especially in the fields this piece is concerned with, where a bit of adventure would go a long way. That essense is the reason why I read Digitiser religiously in the ’90s, even though I wasn’t a gamer.

G24 launches Mon 31 Jul 2006
As previously noted here. Looks like it went live on Friday. They slipped that one out unannounced, didn’t they? Looks good so far; I may have further thoughts on it later.

Associated files losses on Irish division Thu 27 Jul 2006
Considering the sheer number of people I’ve seen around Dublin reading the Irish Daily Mail — the filthy rag that it is — I’m sure they’ll make the money back soon enough.

journalism.newsvine.com Sun 21 May 2006
Newspaper design consultant trawls Newsvine and the web for the best US media-related stories.

The New York Times Newsroom Navigator Sun 21 May 2006
All newspapers should have something like this [c/o kottke.org].

This Boring Headline Is Written for Google Sun 21 May 2006
On the so-called death of the art of headline writing, the news of which has been greatly exaggerated. I think we will be seeing more dual headlines, to compensate for the linguistic formality of search engine algorithms, but that’s as bad as it’s going to get — as if it isn’t bad enough already [c/o SimonWaldman.net].

Jay Rosen on The New York Times, blogging and 'self-absorption' Fri 12 May 2006
A bit too dense for a quick read, but there’s some excellent points raised.

Blogging the Changing Media Summit Mon 10 Apr 2006 | 0 Comments
Seems like a bit of a waste of time to me, with all the tired talk of ‘leveraging’ this and ‘monetising’ that. The most important thing I can glean from it all is that the old media vanguard seems determined to maintain their status quo and bend the web to their own will, completely oblivious to the fact that they’re hopelessly transparent in their motivations and machinations, and that the web and its users are already leaving them behind. The quality (re: podcasting, especially) might not be there yet, but at this stage it’s the freedom that’s more important. (See also: Tom Coates expands upon and clarifies his comments re: social media, which gives some more context to the argument.)

Guardian Unlimited: Podcasts Mon 10 Apr 2006
The Guardian’s new podcasting service. And they’ve gone all out, too. Talk about convergence…

Agnes Poirier: Blogging is not journalism Mon 10 Apr 2006
A journalist completely missing the point of blogging? Never! But in all seriousness, Poirier is anyway wrong in her definition of journalism. It’s neither a hobby nor a profession: it’s a practise [c/o Bobbie Johnson].

Berliner Guardian named newspaper of the year Mon 10 Apr 2006
They deserve it.

Go to the Web, young journalist! Sat 08 Apr 2006
There’s no need to shout; some of us are already looking. Though it’ll be easier in the future, when the web will be taken more seriously.

The State of the News Media 2006 Sat 08 Apr 2006
An exhaustive report covering the state of journalism in America, but much of it would apply to most Western nations [c/o kottke.org].

Beneath the pavement, a blog! Mon 27 Mar 2006
I think Emmet overstates the significance of the rioting just a tad, but his point is valid. In events as big as this the media just doesn’t have the access that ordinary people on the street do. And now that these ordinary people are beginning to use the tools at their disposal we are seeing the picture broaden, even if only a little.

Copy Editor's Revenge Takes Form Of Unhyphenated Word Sat 11 Mar 2006
That could be me one day, that could [c/o languagehat].

Irish Newspaper Archives Sat 11 Mar 2006
This is great. But it brings up a point: if the web is supposed to be a library, information like that found in newspaper archives should really be free. It’s only a matter of time, I guess, but things like this would be better operated as public services, not merely as profit-making businesses. Governments take note [c/o ResearchBuzz].

Blogs: exposing the hidden contexts Wed 11 Jan 2006
Mick Fealty’s published reply to a typically ignorant commentary on blogging in The Irish Times.

The year of the digital citizen Wed 11 Jan 2006
In 2005, tragedy served as a catalyst for a technologically-empowered citizenry to take some measure of control over the media. Small potatoes in the big scheme of things, yes, but nonetheless incredibly significant. What we need to see now, of course, is what the public can do with this newfound influence when there is no major event to react to.

Journalists' Right of Privacy Primer Wed 11 Jan 2006
On a glance, it probably only applies to the United States. But I’m filing it here for future reference anyway.

Beer by the Barrel, Stories by the Scoop Tue 10 Jan 2006
A short but sweet little piece from the NYT peering into the lives of crime scene reporters.

The Observer relaunches Sun 08 Jan 2006
Download PDFs of the first edition for free, while it lasts. First impressions? Very good, but maybe a little overboard with the colour [c/o NewsDesigner.com].

The Observer redesign hits January 8 Sat 31 Dec 2005
I still haven’t posted my thoughts on The Guardian’s relaunch in September. Better late than never, eh?

Near-Meaningless Facts in News Articles Sat 31 Dec 2005
Dan Gillmor rails against “facts without context that suggest something but don’t deliver”.

US boy's answer to a school essay on Iraq: take a trip to Baghdad Sat 31 Dec 2005
I don’t quite know what to make of this one. The kid’s either incredibly brave or incredibily stupid.

Crunks '05: The Year in Media Errors and Corrections Thu 29 Dec 2005
Sure it could have been worse.

Evening Standard Headline Crisis 2005 Wed 28 Dec 2005
“A project that explores the doom-and-gloom agenda of London’s Evening Standard headline writers” [c/o del.icio.us/linkmachinego].

Niche magazines on MetaFilter Wed 28 Dec 2005
Though they’ve neglected to make a distinction between niche and trade publications, there’s some pretty crazy stuff here worth a look.

Journalists for sale on eBay Tue 20 Dec 2005
A downsizing newspaper puts its staff up for auction. What a neat idea! Better get my CV ready…

Irish Times goes off on one... about blogs Wed 16 Nov 2005
The irony of a newspaper that’s virtually invisible to the web behind its paywall having the gall to criticise the blogosphere hasn’t been lost on me. And honestly, does anyone check the dictionary anymore? The correct spelling is ‘weblog’. That’s one word, people. Can’t you stick to your own house style? [Gavin’s Blog has thankfully reproduced the article so we don’t have to pay to be insulted]

On the Israeli press' guilt-driven coverage of Palestine Sun 13 Nov 2005
Short and to the point, but much food for thought here.

Mike Davidson announces Newsvine Sun 13 Nov 2005
Seems like it’ll be some sort of weblog/del.icio.us/news website hybrid. I’d like to see more.

Keith Waterhouse on weblogs? Tue 11 Oct 2005
An old post from Tom Coates that deserves re-reading.

Ryerson Review of Journalism Tue 11 Oct 2005
Good media magazine produced by final year undergrads. And it’s free!

More on The Guardian redesign Fri 09 Sep 2005
See also: The Guardian’s own relaunch special report

New-look Guardian unveiled Fri 09 Sep 2005 | 4 Comments
There’s a PDF of the front page here. Hmm. I don’t know. The blue strap masthead seems a bit too close to the relaunched Independent for my linking. And typographically? It was close to perfection anyway; I don’t see why they had to go and mess with it. Strikes me as a step backwards on first impression. What do you think?

Gavin O'Reilly thinks participative journalism is a "dangerous precedent" for the newspaper industry Sat 06 Aug 2005
Sure, if you’re lost behind the times, maybe…

The Daily Mail Watch Sat 06 Aug 2005
Because somebody needs to keep an eye on them. I can’t even touch the rag myself; their newsprint has cooties.

The New York Times explains the editorial process for Op-Ed columns Tue 02 Aug 2005
Treating their readers like equal partners, eh? That’s refreshing. But I have to ask, would we be seeing this today if not for the Internet?

Newsmap Tue 02 Aug 2005
A graphical representation of popularity of news stories via Google News. (more info here). Nicely done.

Blogging the beat Mon 01 Aug 2005
Another link for my thesis.

Guardian Newsblog: The BBC and 'terrorism' Wed 27 Jul 2005
It just goes to show that words don’t often have a clear and precise meaning. Derrida was right, ha!

Newspapers warn of threat to America from 'Londonistan' Wed 27 Jul 2005
The Guardian Newsblog also comments. Is it really so hard for the American media to accept that London is a multicultural society?

The Nanny Blog Controversy Mon 18 Jul 2005
When you read the nanny’s reply, I’m sure you’ll agree it’s the latter. What’s worse is that the New York Times printed that trash, and won’t retract it; my confidence in them is waning.

Naughton: Why I have serious doubts about the 'citizen reporters' Mon 18 Jul 2005
He finds it ‘macabre’ that the first thing someone does after an explosion is to photograph the scene, but isn’t that what photojournalists do for a living? What message does that send: if you’re an amateur you’re being ghoulish, but if you’re getting paid for it you’re providing a public service? I understand the point Naughton is trying to make, but really, what precludes someone who doesn’t work as a journalist from reporting like one? Where’s the line that separates a freelancer from a ‘lay’ person? It’s a fair question.

Roger Mosey defends the BBC's London coverage Mon 18 Jul 2005
Seems reasonable to me. I stand by my opinion that the BBC had the best coverage on the day; they refrained from spreading rumour, and in turn broke the facts faster than the others. (By the way, here’s a link to that Fox News opinion piece Mosey mentions, which is pretty much what you’d expect from that ignorant, self-important, morally-corrupt Bill O’Reilly.)

Do US visa requirements for journalists cover bloggers? Sun 17 Jul 2005
Better question: do they cover freelancers? Looks like I’ll have to apply for an ‘I’ visa when I eventually make it Stateside.

Worst "journalism" ever Sun 17 Jul 2005
Read the article Matt links to; it really is disgraceful. And people say blogs have no quality control?

News Media vs. Journalism Sun 17 Jul 2005
Lots of thinking here. An important idea to discuss in my dissertation.

London Bombings: The Unread Newspaper Tue 12 Jul 2005

'We had 50 images within an hour Tue 12 Jul 2005
In contrast, Tim Porter argues that citizen journalism has jumped the shark.

The Guardian and London's day of terror Tue 12 Jul 2005
A good insight into the production of a daily paper amid the chaos of last Thursday.

Weblogs prove their worth Tue 12 Jul 2005
To cite for my dissertation.

Fox News again, showing their true colours Sun 10 Jul 2005
That’s Fox News. Voted ‘News Channel of the Year’ by the Ku Klux Klan. Probably.

Fox News slammed over 'callous' line Sun 10 Jul 2005
What do you expect? It’s Fox News.

Front page reactions Sun 10 Jul 2005
Plus more from Canada, and the Americas.

Regret the Error Thu 30 Jun 2005
“Reports on corrections, retractions, clarifications and trends regarding accuracy and honesty in the media.”

Tim Porter on newsroom innovation Thu 30 Jun 2005

The bloggers have all the best news Mon 27 Jun 2005 | 0 Comments
I’ve read around this topic and I tend to agree with the concensus: British (and Irish) people are far better served by our mainstream media outlets, so we don’t really have that urge to shake things up.

Here's to you, cliché writers everywhere Wed 22 Jun 2005

How to do a blog interview Tue 21 Jun 2005
Some handy hints here.

BBC rethinks plans for journalism college Mon 20 Jun 2005
It’s a shame. There still seems to be a strong bias among older hacks against the worthiness of journalism education.

The 11 Layers of Citizen Journalism Mon 20 Jun 2005
I haven’t read this yet. I’ll get around to it, I promise.

Guardian confirms earlier switch to the 'Berliner' format Fri 17 Jun 2005
I’m really looking forward to it. I’m like a newspaper nerd or something.

US bloggers convene to learn journalism Wed 11 May 2005
You need more than a two-day conference if you want to do it properly. I’m speaking from experience here.

Traditional media eagerly eying blogs Wed 11 May 2005
It’s all talk so far; I’ll believe it when I really see it

That's one way to pitch a story Wed 11 May 2005
I wish people would give us MAJers stories like that.

Extra! Extra! Tiger Headlines Roar! Wed 11 May 2005
Don’t the really dry ones look hopelessly out of place?

Straight Story, Curved Universe Wed 11 May 2005 | 0 Comments
Sometimes fiction does tell the greater truth; the problem lies where this fiction is presented as truth itself.

All the News That's Fit to Blog Wed 11 May 2005

editorsweblog.org Tue 10 May 2005
‘Practical issues with real solutions for working editors.’ Okay then.

The Annotated New York Times Mon 18 Apr 2005

Yahoo! News brings RSS to the masses Mon 18 Apr 2005

DIT FM is now on the air Mon 18 Apr 2005
Be sure to tune in daily at 4pm BST for my classmates’ magazine shows (plus the news bulletins every hour).

How to succeed as a citizen media editor Tue 05 Apr 2005
Something else for my thesis research. I should really start a separate blog for this stuff.

Digging Deeper Tue 05 Apr 2005
It’s like Shattered Glass all over again!

The Impact of the New Media Tue 05 Apr 2005
I have not read nor listened to this yet, but it has relevance to my thesis so I’m linking in case I forget.

US freelancers win right to 'net royalties Tue 05 Apr 2005

Society for News Design's 26th Creative Competition Tue 29 Mar 2005
Some very nice designs here; something to inspire the design for the class magazine that I’m supposed to be working on right now.

Google News source index Mon 28 Mar 2005
That’s a lot of sources.

The Fox Blocker Sun 27 Mar 2005
This came around months ago, but I never linked to it at the time.

The scissor sister Wed 23 Mar 2005

The Zimbabwean Wed 23 Mar 2005
This will be one to watch. And a nice clean design too, courtesy of The Guardian.

The Case for Comics Journalism Sat 19 Mar 2005
I linked to Joe Sacco’s special for The Guardian a couple of weeks ago; this short but smart article gives some context to it.

Society for News Design contest winners database Wed 09 Mar 2005
I don’t know about you, but none of the images are loading for me right now.

The most useful websites for reporters Thu 03 Mar 2005
Overwhelmingly US-centric, but there’s lots of valuable stuff here nonetheless.

The B-List Thu 03 Mar 2005
And: “For the A-list, daily reader attention will be about equal to that of the average US daily paper.” Fair enough, but what does it all mean?

Journalistic.co.uk Thu 03 Mar 2005
Yeah yeah, I’m not from the UK, but I’m sure close enough for this to be of use.

Another independent paper shut down in Zimbabwe Thu 03 Mar 2005

Paper for Zimbabwe expats Sun 13 Feb 2005

Village recognised in newspaper awards Sun 12 Dec 2004
I’m sure it was the overall design that got their attention, because the front page has taken a turn for the worse in recent weeks.

Web of Influence Wed 08 Dec 2004
One of the best introductions to weblogs I’ve read, and it’s filtered through a foreign policy perspective so it’s worth a read for the initiated, too.

10x10 Sun 14 Nov 2004

Blogging As Typing, Not Journalism Sat 13 Nov 2004

New media clampdown in Zimbabwe Sat 13 Nov 2004

Simon Waldman reviews Dan Gillmor's We the Media Sat 13 Nov 2004

Eyetrack 2004 Heatmap Thu 28 Oct 2004

How the Manchester Guardian reported the first days of the Boer War Fri 15 Oct 2004

Fake News! (Dot Com) Fri 15 Oct 2004

Zimbabwe court drops Daily News case Thu 23 Sep 2004

Bloggers Versus Journalists Thu 16 Sep 2004

The Best of Eyetrack III Mon 13 Sep 2004

The NPPA's Best of Still Photojournalism 2004 Mon 13 Sep 2004

The Language of Advertising: Building brands using sound symbolism Sun 22 Aug 2004