Reuters: Guardian journalist freed in Afghanistan

NewsNow re-enters newspaper linking fight with campaign; Meltwater takes NLA to copyright tribunal

December 17th, 2009 | 2 Comments | Posted by Laura Oliver in Legal, Newspapers, Online Journalism

NewsNow, the online news aggregator which this week said it would drop links to some newspaper sites from its paid-for service, has now launched a campaign calling for search engines, aggregators and other websites to be legally protected when linking to other online material using a headline, short quote or summary with attribution.

The Right2Link campaign, while not aimed directly at the Newspaper Licensing Agency (NLA) has no doubt been sparked by the ongoing dispute between NewsNow and the agency over its plans to introduce a licensing system for commercial services, such as aggregators, using links to newspaper websites from January 2010, which forced NewsNow to remove some links.

“Search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, as well as other new economy businesses that act as portals and link aggregators, occupy a key role in identifying links that are of interest to be read and passed on. They are a key part of the world wide web’s system of circulating information,” says a press release from the campaign.

The campaign also attacks representatives from print media groups that demand organisations obtain permission to use links to their newspapers’ websites.

But this isn’t what the NLA is asking for. It only wants to regulate areas where the newspaper links are being used for commercial gain and is a supporter NewsNow’s non-commercial services, for example its free feeds to consumers, it says.

Online media monitoring firm Meltwater, which is also signed up to the campaign but has not agreed to the NLA’s new system, is taking the NLA to a UK copyright tribunal arguing that the new system is equivalent to a stealth tax and not supported by English law.

“We use sophisticated search algorithms to help our clients find content they otherwise would have difficulties locating. The NLA’s attempt to license our clients is essentially a tax on receiving these internet links. This fee is not only unjust and unreasonable, it is contrary to the very spirit of the internet,” argues Jorn Lyseggen, CEO of Meltwater Group, in a statement.

Tags: aggregation, Copyright, Linking, meltwater, NewsNow, newspaper licensing agency, NLA

MarketWatch.com: Page views for reporters don’t cover costs

December 17th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted by Judith Townend in Editors' pick, Journalism, Online Journalism

This from 8 December, but the detail of this US post on news value is worth a read, if you haven’t picked it up before. In its last section it raises some “grim conclusions” for reporters. Aptly, it’s from the Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal Digital Network.

“If news websites give away their content, they must earn their revenues through advertising. A mainstream, general-interest news site typically earns around 2 cents in advertising revenue per page view,” writes Brett Arends.

(…)

“They [reporters] will have to live on the page views their stories generate, and the most they can earn is around 2 cents per story viewed. After factoring in the overhead for running a professional news organization – editors, managers, offices, technology, benefits, support and the like – they’ll probably be lucky to earn 1.5 cents.

“Someone hoping to earn, say, $40,000 a year as a professional journalist is probably going to need to generate around 2.7 million page views a year to do so. Assuming he or she works five days a week, 50 weeks a year, that’s nearly 11,000 page views a day.”

“Someone hoping to earn, say, $100,000 a year will need to generate about 27,000 page views a day.”

Full post at this link…

Tags: brett arends, marketwatch.com, Wall Street Journal

BBC Newsnight to broadcast Trafigura apology on tonight’s programme

December 17th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted by Judith Townend in Legal, Newspapers, Online Journalism

Carter-Ruck has issued its response (via PR firm Bell-Pottinger) to today’s high court hearing resolution that ended the legal dispute between oil trader Trafigura and BBC Newsnight.

The BBC has agreed to apologise for allegations made about waste dumping in Côte d’Ivoire on air tonight; pay £25,000 to a charity of Trafigura’s choice, as well as legal costs.

[Full story at this link]

In a Newsnight programme in May 2009, the BBC alleged that waste dumped in Côte d’Ivoire in 2006 had caused deaths, miscarriages and serious long term health effects.

“Faced with such grave, yet wholly false, allegations, Trafigura was left with no alternative but to commence libel proceedings,” the British-based oil trading firm claimed today, through its solicitors.

Although the feature published in May 2009 disappeared from the BBC’s site last week, the text and video has been made available via the whistleblowing site Wikileaks.

In a statement today, Eric de Turckheim, founder and director of Trafigura, said:

“Trafigura has always maintained that the slops cannot have caused the deaths and serious injuries alleged by the BBC. We informed Newsnight of the detailed evidence before the programme was aired – yet they chose to proceed with their highly-damaging and false assertions. We are pleased the BBC has now acknowledged that it was wrong.

“Trafigura accepts that the Probo Koala incident is a matter of public interest. However, there is no public interest in the BBC reporting damaging untruths. Such is the international reach and high-regard of the BBC, we were left with little choice but to bring these proceedings – the only libel claim we have brought anywhere in the world against any media outlet.

“With the benefit of the facts, Mr Justice MacDuff advised the media earlier this year to take note of the evidence and approach their reporting of these matters more responsibly. We hope that, in future, they do.”

The BBC statement can be read at this link. It says: “the BBC has played a leading role in bringing to the public’s attention the actions of Trafigura in the illegal dumping of 500 tons of hazardous waste in Abidjan in 2006. The dumping caused a public health emergency with tens of thousands of people seeking treatment.”

The corporation, however, has backed down by retracting its earlier claims. It now says that “the evidence does not establish that Trafigura’s waste caused deaths, miscarriages or serious or long term injuries”.

Trafigura agreed to pay victims of the waste dumping around £30 million in compensation in September 2009, having previously paid compensation of over £100 million to the Ivory Coast government. However, the company denies liability.

In October, Trafigura’s injunction on the ‘Minton Report’ – which looked into the effects of waste dumping – was lifted, following a five week legal battle with the Guardian.

More coverage of Trafigura and waste dumping in Côte d’Ivoire at this link

Tags: #trafigura, BBC, bbc newsnight, bell-pottinger, carter-ruck

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – recording podcasts or interviews

December 17th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted by Laura Oliver in Top tips for journalists

Audio: Top tips on how to record vocals from MusFormation.com. This list of 10 pointers is aimed at beginners too, so very useful for your first podcast or audio interview. Tipster: Laura Oliver.

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

Tags: Audio, musformation

Gately’s partner makes PCC complaint over Jan Moir column

December 17th, 2009 | 2 Comments | Posted by Judith Townend in Editors' pick, Newspapers, Online Journalism

The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) is to re-open its investigation into Jan Moir’s Daily Mail column that speculated on the circumstances of Stephen Gately’s death, following a complaint from the late singer’s partner, Andrew Cowles.

Deputy director of the PCC, Stephen Abell, told Journalism.co.uk that the complaint, made via Cowles’ solicitor Mishcon de Reya, would be now be investigated.

The PCC was due to issue a decision on the 25,000 public complaints made about the column published in October this year (the largest number made for a single article in the Commission’s history), but will now re-open its inquiry.

The new complaint changes its initial schedule, Abell said. The body will now “take the complaint forward in the normal way,” he said.

Hat-tip: Guardian blogger Roy Greenslade beat us to this one, under a piece about fast Twitter reactions and storms: full post at this link…

Tags: #janmoir, andrew cowles, jan moir, stephen gately

Put your questions to Skillset about training bursaries for freelancers

December 17th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted by Laura Oliver in Freelance, Training

Skillset, the media industry skills council, is answering questions about its new multi-platform training bursary for broadcast journalists today, as part of an online Q&A session.

You can put your questions to Alice Dudley, TV fund manager at Skillset, via the Guardian’s career section forum.

The multi-platform bursaries offer a grant of up to £800 for freelancers with an interest in working in broadcasting to spend on a range of 38 pre-selected, foundation-level courses, including an introductory course on social media and shooting video for the web.

To be eligible for a bursary, candidates must demonstrate either professional experience in the UK TV industry or the wider creative media industries with a view to working solely in TV or in broadcasting as part of a multimedia role.

There are 500 places available as part of the scheme.

Tags: Alice Dudley, Skillset

Journalism.co.uk signs up Press Association as event partner

December 17th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted by Laura Oliver in About us, Events

Press Association logo The Press Association has signed up as a media partner for Journalism.co.uk’s digital journalism event news:rewired.

The Press Association joins the BBC’s College of Journalism and sponsor Audioboo as partners for the event on 14 January 2010 at City University London.

To meet a growing demand for digital and multimedia content from its clients, the agency launched its video news wire in April. In keeping with our news:rewired session on working in partnerships, the Press Association is also planning a public service reporting pilot in collaboration with local media groups.

You can follow the agency on Twitter on @pressassoc and find out all about news:rewired at this link.

Tags: #newsrw, news:rewired, Press Association

GMG Regional Media chief exec confirms talks without naming Trinity Mirror

December 17th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted by Judith Townend in Journalism, Newspapers

This morning, we picked up news that Guardian Media Group was reported to be in talks with Trinity Mirror, over a possible sale of GMG Regional Media, which includes flagship title, the Manchester Evening News.

GMG Regional Media CEO, Mark Dodson, issued a statement to staff this morning in which he acknowledged talks with an unnamed party, but did not confirm Trinity Mirror’s involvement.

A statement is expected to be released to the media later today.

A MEN media staff member said: “If the rumours are true, then this is a huge blow for staff at the Manchester Evening News and the weekly titles.

“Staff have only just got over a series of redundancies, with more than 70 people losing their jobs.

“This is just another kick in the teeth for hard-working staff who have seen the Guardian bleed the regional titles dry over the last few years.

“The worst thing is that no-one has communicated with staff – we had to find out through How-Do, and although no-one has confirmed it is true, they are not denying it either.”

Another insider said: “A potential sale of the MEN / GMG Regional to Trinity Mirror has been the subject of much speculation for the best part of this year, if not before.”

Update: GMG has issued the following statement, which does not confirm the name of any parties:

“In line with its remit GMG keeps its portfolio under review on an ongoing basis.

“Since the publication of the Digital Britain report we have been considering the potential for further consolidation within the regional press sector, and as part of this there have been some exploratory talks regarding our regional media business.

“However these are at a very early stage and it is not clear whether they will progress or what the outcome is likely to be.”

Trinity Mirror declined to comment.

Tags: gmg regional, Mark Dodson, MEN media, Trinity Mirror

Guardian.co.uk: Trafigura’s BBC libel case could be resolved today

December 17th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted by Judith Townend in Editors' pick, Legal

A resolution is expected in the high court today, for the libel action brought against BBC Newsnight by oil traders Trafigura, the Guardian reports. A hearing is scheduled before Mr Justice Eady.

Full story at this link…

Background: Last week, one of the BBC features on Trafigura from May 2009, was reported to have disappeared online. Wikileaks.org have made the video and text available.

When Journalism.co.uk contacted Trafigura’s lawyers Carter-Ruck for comment yesterday, we were told a statement might be released today [Thursday]. BBC Newsnight, via its press office, did not wish to comment.

Tags: #trafigura, carter-ruck, guardian