#FollowJourn: @ajeys/head of web

#FollowJourn: Anna Jeys

Who? Head of web for BPM Media, publishers of the Birmingham Post and Mail.

What? Multimedia editor, former news and features editor and news reporter.

Where? @ajeys and www.birminghammail.net

Contact? Find her on Twitter or email her via this page.

Just as we like to supply you with fresh and innovative tips every day, we’re recommending journalists to follow online too. They might be from any sector of the industry: please send suggestions (you can nominate yourself) to judith or laura [at] journalism.co.uk; or to @journalismnews.

Similar posts:

• #followjourn: @chriscondron/head of digital strategy
• #FollowJourn: @iainmhepburn/digital editor
• #FollowJourn: @MSNMoneyJames/editor
• #FollowJourn: @rachcolling/freelancer
• #FollowJourn: @mattchorley/London editor

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – optimising your website for Google News

SEO: Google News has released a series of tips and video advice on optimising your website for Google News. The video at this link helps explain how the aggregator works and how to get your content found. Tipster: Laura Oliver.

To submit a tip to Journalism.co.uk, use this link – we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.

Similar posts:

• Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – optimise search for your readers
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – video reporting from conferences
• Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – how to monitor your online competition
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – launching your own magazine
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – positioning Google ads

FT.com: Reader’s Digest looking to overhaul sites but won’t charge for online content

FT.com reports on the latest developments at Reader’s Digest, whose US arm recently sought bankruptcy protection.

The publication is looking to overhaul its global online activities:

“‘We were the Google News of the 1920s. We were the original aggregator,’ said Jonathan Hills, the newly promoted general manager of readersdigest.com.

(…)

“Reader’s Digest is not looking to charge for content online, he said. The new design will instead rely on a business model combining higher-quality advertising units and sales of books, CDs and other products.”

Full story at this link…

Similar posts:

• Reader’s Digest UK to file for administration
• Media Release: Reader’s Digest emerges from bankruptcy in US
• Portfolio.com: The Reader’s Digest Index
• Rob Grimshaw on the paywall backlash
• Media Business: New bidder in talks to buy RBI’s US magazines

Sunday Times: Breakingviews.com in ‘advanced talks’ with Thomson Reuters

The Sunday Times reports that Hugo Dixon is in ‘advanced talks’ to sell Breakingviews.com to Thomson Reuters – for a reported £10 million.

Dixon, former Lex editor at the Financial Times, co-founded the online financial analysis site in 1999 and could receive £2.7 million if the deal goes through. The other founder, Jonathan Ford, left in 2007 and has no remaining shares, according to the Sunday Times.

Full story at this link…

(via paidContent:UK)

Similar posts:

• MediaGuardian: Hugo Dixon on Breakingviews – and the FT
• paidContent:UK: Shiny maintains 30 active blogs despite staff lay-off
• The Shiny Media story: what’s going on?
• MediaGuardian: No integration for Times and Sunday Times, says John Witherow
• Beehive City: Alan Rusbridger vs John Witherow on BBC Radio 4

MediaGuardian: ‘Technology journalists are the ones to watch’

In this morning’s MediaGuardian, technology journalist Charles Arthur says that technology journalists are the pioneers of new gadgets, and the ones in the industry to keep an eye on:

“[I]f you want to find out how you’re going to be working in a few years’ time, watch the technology journalists.

“[The BBC's technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones] tends to be in the forefront of trying new technologies – from email to the web to Skype to cloud computing to iPhones to Facebook to Twitter.”

Full article at this link,,,

Similar posts:

• Craig McGill: Pitch by Twitter, says Guardian’s Charles Arthur
• #FollowJourn @charlesarthur/technology editor
• TBC at high noon? Telegraph-Guardian spats
• Grauniad.co.uk v Torygraph.co.uk: Round 374
• eMedia Vitals: ‘The evolution of the editor, 1982-2010′

Independent.co.uk: Racing Post’s online payment model

The Independent profiles Racing Post and outlines its new online payment system launched in July: 3,000 subscribers signed up in the first week, with membership now approaching ‘five figures’.

“In July, Racing Post launched an enhanced online offering for members willing to pay £7.50 a month (equivalent to 25p a day) (…) Some are prepared to pay more. Other packages include a premium tipping service for £9.50 a month, a package that offers live online racing from the satellite subscription channel Racing UK (£7.50) or an all buzzers and bells ‘Ultimate Membership’ for £199.95 a year. More than a quarter of subscribers have chosen this ultimate package.”

Full post at this link…

http://www.racingpost.com/

Similar posts:

• DigitalSpy: Sky launches an online-only subscription TV service
• Rumour mill cranks up over upcoming New York Times ‘paywall’
• UK national papers offering collective ad package
• Media Release: Ongo adds Reuters to news feeds
• Reuters: FT resisting Apple’s efforts to channel subs through App Store

#FollowJourn @lgcplus/online editor

#FollowJourn: Robin Latchem

Who? Online editor for Local Government Chronicle.

What? Latchem is responsible for maintaining and developing LGC online. This includes both day-to-day reports and introducing digital content to complement LGC’s magazine offering.

Where? @lgcplus

Contact? robin.latchem [at] emap.com

Just as we like to supply you with fresh and innovative tips every day, we’re recommending journalists to follow online too. They might be from any sector of the industry: please send suggestions (you can nominate yourself) to judith or laura [at] journalism.co.uk; or to @journalismnews.

Similar posts:

• #FollowJourn: Dan Raywood/online news editor
• #FollowJourn: @rebeccats/reporter
• #followjourn: @chriscondron/head of digital strategy
• #FollowJourn: @iainmhepburn/digital editor
• #FollowJourn: @andyoakes/publisher

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – Online book with social media advice

A new book – also available online – offers a practical guide to using new technologies for delivering social impact: SocialbySocial.com Tipster: Judith Townend.

To submit a tip to Journalism.co.uk, use this link – we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.

Similar posts:

• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – journalist’s guide to Twitter
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – social media profile pictures
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – a checklist for news start-ups
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk
• Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – checking the reliability of a site

Atlantic Wire: a new comment aggregation site

The 153 year old US publication, the Atlantic, this week introduced a new standalone site composed of aggregated material: the Atlantic Wire.

Content by columnists and commentators leading the national dialogue will be incorporated into one feed and site, an introductory post said.

“Our team – editors, reporters, researchers, data-crunchers -systematically tracks hundreds of opinion-makers from newspapers, web sites, television, radio, and magazines.”

The post lays out the four parts of the Wire site:

• Breaking Opinions: op-eds, blog entries, and other commentary.

• Features: Various categories including ‘Spatwatch’, ‘Strange Bedfellows’, ‘Cliché Watch’, and ‘Who Won the Day’.

• The Ticker: Twitter style updates, in 140 characters or less.

• The Atlantic 50: A list of the most influential columnists and commentators, as decided by the Wire.

Introductory post at this link…

Similar posts:

• Should bloggers pay business tax?
• Forbes.com opinion channel gets a makeover
• Press Photographer’s Year Award 2011 opens for entries
• Timetable for Press Awards announced
• ONA 2008 Awards: new categories reflect developments in online news

Reuters: Google CEO raises doubts about Murdoch’s online pay walls

Eric Schmidt, chief executive of Google, yesterday questioned Rupert Murdoch’s plans to put general news content behind pay walls at some of the News Corp titles, Reuters reports.

General news publishers would find it hard to charge for their content because too much is available for free elsewhere, Schmidt argued, speaking via video link to the Royal Television Society audience in Cambridge.

“[M]y guess is for niche and specialist markets … it will be possible to do it but I think it is unlikely that you will be able to do it for all news.”

Full post at this link…

Similar posts:

• BBC Trust launches ‘its largest’ TV service review – into BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Four
• Could the Monday MediaGuardian section go online-only?
• Mark Thompson on the defence: BBC review will be ‘radical and open-minded’
• Rob Grimshaw on the paywall backlash
• MediaGuardian: Mecom pushes ahead with niche paid content