Online video: FT’s Stephen Pinches on opportunities for publishers with connected TV

Media Release: Social networks to fall under Advertising Standards Authority’s remit

March 9th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted by Laura Oliver in Advertising, Media releases, Social media and blogging

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) could see its remit extended to cover marketing activity on companies’ websites and social networks, it was announced yesterday.

Says the Advertising Association’s (AA) release, which can be downloaded at this link:

The Advertising Association (AA) has submitted the industry’s recommendations to the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), for the extension of the non-broadcast Advertising Code in digital media, which will be administered by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). This landmark move for advertising self-regulation seeks to address societal concerns and will increase protection for consumers and children.

Marketing communications activity in paid-for space online is already covered by ASA. But the extended remit could come into force by Q3 2010.

A release from the ASA states:

Currently, the ASA’s online remit covers paid-for marketing communications such as pop-up and banner ads, paid-search and viral ads. However, nearly two thirds of the complaints that we receive about online marketing activity are not presently covered by the code. The proposed extension of our remit will plug this regulatory gap, ensuring that consumers enjoy the same level of protection on websites as they do in paid-for space.

Tags: Advertising, Advertising Association, advertising self-regulation, Advertising Standards Authority, British media, communications activity, digital media, Marketing, online marketing activity, social networks, viral marketing

BBC Editors Blog: BBC links up with Global Voices blog network

March 9th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted by Laura Oliver in Citizen journalism, Editors' pick, Social media and blogging

As part of the BBC’s special series on the internet, the SuperPower season, the corporation’s website is teaming up with non-profit, blog network Global Voices “to present a different range of perspectives and commentary from around the world”.

The site will select and link to relevant posts from the network and asking Global Voices editors for their input on how mainstream media handles news.

Writes Steve Herrmann:

We are no strangers to involving a range of voices in our newsgathering process – and we have long incorporated into our journalism the knowledge, eyewitness reporting and opinion of our audiences in the UK and internationally.

But we think Global Voices, which specialises in giving individuals the tools and support to comment and report on the issues that matter to them, could add an interesting extra dimension to some of our news coverage.

Full post at this link…

Tags: BBC, global voices, SuperPower season

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – inspiration for data journalism

March 9th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted by Judith Townend in Top tips for journalists

Data: Looking for ways of incorporating data into your journalism? You should find this GapMinder presentation very inspirational. Tipster: Judith Townend.

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

Tags: #datajourn, data, Data journalism

Dan Zarella: When to publish articles to Facebook

March 9th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted by Laura Oliver in Editors' pick, Social media and blogging

According to analysis from ‘social media scientist’ Dan Zarrella, the best time for publishers to send articles via Facebook is the weekend:

While I found less articles posted on the weekends those stories that were published on the weekends tended to be shared on Facebook more, on average, than stories that were published during the week. The reasons for this probably include the fact that more than half of companies in the US block Facebook, so people can only use the social network at home, on the weekends. Additionally, the mainstream Facebook audience does not use Facebook for work.

There’s more on his methodology at this link.

Full post at this link…

Tags: Dan Zarella, Facebook

Forbes.com: US advertisers will spend more on digital than print in 2010

March 9th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted by Laura Oliver in Advertising, Editors' pick

According to a study from Outsell released yesterday, US advertisers are spending more on digital media than print in 2010.

Outsell’s annual advertising and marketing study, which collected data from 1,0008 US advertisers relating to their planned spend for 2010, suggests that 32.5 per cent of a total $368 billion ad spend will go on digital – email, video ads, online display and search marketing – and 30.3 per cent on print.

But marketers will spend 16 per cent less on mobile in 2010, the report suggests.

Full story at this link…

Tags: Outsell, us

#IWD: Why do men dominate newspaper letter pages?

March 8th, 2010 | 2 Comments | Posted by Judith Townend in Comment, Journalism, Press freedom and ethics

It has always fascinated me why male names dominate the readers’ letter pages in newspapers, the original home for crowdsourced comment. What’s more, it’s a trend that plays out online too: men are already significantly noisier on Google Buzz, for example, and dominate online comment in subjects like politics and media.

I was pleased to discover around this time last year that the unequal gender split bothered one @patroclus too (aka writer Fiona Campbell-Howes) who actually set about documenting the trend in 2008 with the blog Guardianletters.blogspot.com/.

She never got any real answers from the newspapers she studied and eventually she let the blog run dry. But the old posts are still there to see, with some revealing graphs, too. The chart below, for example, shows the percentage split between men, women and indiscriminate for April-May 2008 at the Guardian and Observer.

Most recently, the theme was picked up by Radio 4′s Woman’s Hour in January 2010.

“Why is the letters page, of whichever newspaper you care to choose, invariably dominated by men?” the programme asked. The Observer has actually called for more women to write in.

Jenni Murray talked to Stephen Pritchard, readers’ editor at the Observer, and Sarah Sands, deputy editor of the London Evening Standard. Pritchard and Sands seemed to agree that time was a crucial factor – maybe women had less of it. Sands also identified a reluctance on the part of women to declare their opinion publicly.

But does the lack of time and innate modesty theory really hold true, when we look at the amount of female time spent, and number of views shared, on MumsNet, or fashion and food blogs and forums?

I’d be interested to see some more research in this area. It’s a theme that journalist Gaby Hinsliff picks up on in her introductory post for today’s International Women’s Day themed LabourList. Of political blogging, she says “there are too many women waiting to be invited to blog, where men just pile in”.

Like Hinsliff, I’m reluctant to see female-only gimmicks used to remedy the situation, but simultaneously intrigued by the louder male voice, a phenomenon that may be key in understanding why men dominate executive boards across so many industries. Yes, we have a lot of female journalists in the newsroom, but only a handful of women make it to the top levels of the media industry – and even fewer become CEO or editor.

Tags: Fiona Campbell-Howes, International Women's Day, Sarah Sands, stephen pritchard, The Guardian

Online video: Reuters wants to offer more raw video to clients

March 8th, 2010 | 3 Comments | Posted by Laura Oliver in Events, Multimedia

Reuters could open up more of its raw video assets to publishers and clients, Greg Beitchman, global editor, told a roundtable discussion on the future of video today:

Enabling that kind of interactivity is crucial to us (…) People are accustomed to other types of video. These days we are seeing mobile phone footage and viewers are much more flexible and you can see that filtering back into broadcast scenarios.

Speaking from Reuters own experience with handling user-generated content, Beitchman said helping Reuters’ customers manage UGC was a big part of the agency’s video business. In the post-election protests in Iran last year, Reuters’ Tehran bureau collected some video footage, but the agency was directed towards other relevant videos by users on Twitter. These clips were verified and used by the agency as part of its reporting, said Beitchman.

Adapting to viewers’ video habits – whether that’s the length of the clip or the platform its consumed on – will be crucial for both Reuters own video and to the content they supply to third-parties, he added. The agency needs to be with clients as they are establishing their business models around video to make sure its content fits their needs.

Tags: Greg Beitchman, reuters, Video

Twenty-three great new jobs this week on the Journalism.co.uk jobs board

March 8th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted by Ed Martin in Jobs

These are the latest editorial and media job opportunities from the past week on Journalism.co.uk’s jobs board:

Media studies technician
The successful candidate must be competent in the use of the following software: InDesign, PhotoShop, I-Movie, Final Cut Pro and Appleworks and be able to demonstrate the use of both camera technology and edit software.
Salary: £17,484 pro rata
Canon Palmer Catholic School
Ilford, England
>>more

Medical events producer
UBM Medica – publisher of Pulse, Practical Commissioning and C+D – is looking for an Events Producer to join the expanding events team to produce must-attend educational programmes for a demanding audience of healthcare professionals.
Salary: Competitive
UBM Medica
London, United Kingdom
>>more

Reporter
Enthusiasm, journalistic skills and new media savvy required in this reporting post with the prestigious political publishers Dods
Salary: Up to circa £20K
Dods
London, England
>>more

News reporter
News reporter for the international Catholic weekly, The Tablet
Salary: DoE
The Tablet Publishing Company Limited
London, England
>>more

Journalist
Journalist needed for a 5-day research project for a TV programme.
Salary: DoE
Current TV
London, England
>>more

Reporter/senior reporter
Journalism.co.uk seeks online-savvy news hound to cover the media industry revolution
Salary: DoE
Mousetrap Media Ltd
Brighton, England
>>more

Assistant producer – online media
Assistant producer for online media company, based in London, Covent Garden.
Salary: Competitive
Travelzoo (Europe) Ltd
London, England
>>more

Chief reporter
Financial Adviser, part of Financial Times Business, has a vacancy for an ambitious, enthusiastic chief reporter who can deliver high-quality financial services stories.
Salary: DoE
Financial Times Group (Financial Adviser)
London, England
>>more

Graduate reporter
Capacity magazine seeks a graduate reporter to cover the international telecommunications market. This role involves frequent international travel in a fast moving and energetic organisation that values hard work and independent thought
Salary: £18K per annum
Capacity magazine
London, England
>>more

Russian-speaking reporter
Russian-speaking reporter for daily industry news service.
Salary: DoE
Steel Business Briefing
London, England
>>more

TV reporter: March 2010
We are looking for a new reporter to work in the TV section of Digital Spy.
Salary: £18K
Digital Spy
London, England
>>more

Sub-editor specialising in energy
Razor sharp editing skills and a proficiency for numbers, together with a keen interest in energy, are essential qualifications for this sub-editing role available with a global publishing company.
Salary: DoE
Argus Media Inc.
London, England
>>more

Writer/Editor
This is a slightly unusual dual role. We require an investing nerd — a stock market writer who can perform editing duties as well.
Salary: DoE
The Motley Fool
London, England
>>more

News service editor
An exciting new role has arisen for an international news service editor to develop INSP’s ‘Street News Service (SNS)’ project
Salary: £24K
International Network of Street Papers (INSP)
Glasgow, Scotland
>>more

Copy editor
The position requires first-class copy-editing skills, excellent communication skills and strong news judgment. Candidates should be familiar with financial markets and capable of working well under pressure.
Salary: DoE
Dow Jones Newswires
London, England
>>more

Freelance journalists – entertainment business
Cue Entertainment is expanding its range of freelance journalists covering home entertainment as it evolves with Blu-ray, digital delivery, and 3D.
Salary: DoE
Stills Audio Motion Ltd
Benenden, England
>>more

Editorial opportunities
CNET UK has various editorial opportunities this year and would like to hear from you.
Salary: DoE
CBS Interactive
London, England
>>more

Group publisher – Film Portfolio
Would you like to work as group publisher on high profile titles such as Total Film for the UK’s largest film magazine publisher?
Salary: Competitive
Future Publishing Ltd
London, England
>>more

News reporter to cover the election
politics.co.uk, the UK’s leading specialist political website, is seeking a news reporter to help provide coverage of the general election.
Salary: £17K pro rata
Adfero
London, England
>>more

Freelance writers wanted – all topics!
Suite101.com Media Inc reaches over 27 million readers each month in English, German, French and Spanish. For freelance writers and journalists, these sites provide a new outlet for their work while delivering an audience of millions per month.
Salary: DoE
Suite101.com
Telecommute, United Kingdom / Republic of Ireland / USA
>>more

Assistant producer
Across the EMEA region, CNBC is available to 110 million households and is Europe’s fastest growing news channel. CNBC broadcasts seven hours of live programming on the EMEA markets every business day from its TV studios based in the City of London.
Salary: DoE
CNBC
London, England
>>more

Producer
Across the EMEA region, CNBC is available to 110 million households and is Europe’s fastest growing news channel. CNBC broadcasts seven hours of live programming on the EMEA markets every business day from its TV studios based in the City of London.
Salary: DoE
CNBC
London, England
>>more

News assistant
Across the EMEA region, CNBC is available to 110 million households and is Europe’s fastest growing news channel. CNBC broadcasts seven hours of live programming on the EMEA markets every business day from its TV studios based in the City of London.
Salary: DoE
CNBC
London, England
>>more

To sign up for free as a jobseeker, please go to http://www.journalism.co.uk/113/

To sign up as an advertiser, please go to http://www.journalism.co.uk/75/

Tags: job advertising, Jobs, journalism jobs, recruitment, recruitment advertising, Vacancies

US Digest: media echo-chambers; one-man bands; LA (Times) real estate agents

March 8th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted by Joel Gunter in Journalism, Journalism Daily, Online Journalism

Talking about making sausages

Dispatches from inside the “echo-chamber of mediated Manhattan” today, courtesy of the NYT’s David Carr. Carr has an interesting piece up on what he sees an increasing amount of news on the news: ‘Breaking the story that isn’t”

As a media reporter, I’m obviously not one to suggest that the activities of journalists are not a legitimate source of inquiry. But I worry that the incremental needs of an always-on Web — everyone wants to know what the state of play is at any given moment — will imperil the practice of longer-form journalism, the kind that demands time, an open mind, a lot of questions and sometimes results in dead ends.

As a media reporter reporting on a media reporter reporting on over-zealous media reporting, I’m really obviously not one to suggest that the activities of journalists are not a legitimate source of inquiry.

As Carr puts it, “the manufacture of sausage is sometimes as much the point as the sausage itself”.

These US Digest posts are little more than an aggregation, a round-up of published material, but Carr has the close online scrutiny of ongoing stories in his sights.

Twitter and blogs may have become part of advancing the story, but it’s more likely that incremental updates on what the reporters are up to — or misleading rumors about same — may harden the opposition, button up sources and sometimes derail investigations.

So at what point does the navel-gazing jeopardise good stories? How much talking about making sausages spoils the taste of them?

Carr’s piece may have been prompted by the attention paid to his paper’s coverage of the Governor Patterson scandal, which he refers to as “wild and wildly off-base rumours”. Paying the most attention was the ever-vigilant NYTPicker.

“The deeper sounds of a small journalistic orchestra”

Journalists complaining about cost-cutting moves toward ‘one-man band’ journalism isn’t anything new. Journalists extolling the virtues and opportunities of ‘one-man band’ journalism isn’t anything new either.

But using a handful of good examples Howard Kurtz has produced a decent, objective edition of Media Notes today looking at both sides of the coin. Lazy journalists living in the past be warned, it also includes some intimidating tales of multi-tasking.

The highlight of the piece is the story of one journalist’s remarkable transformation, graduating from suits and ties to baseball caps and a dirty hatchback:

A coat-and-tie journalist who has worked in television news for 27 years, Broom had to reinvent himself – with the aid of a three-day boot camp on shooting video – when he joined the Gannett station in 2007. Now he wears a black jacket and black Channel 9 cap and rarely goes to the newsroom. Instead he cruises the area in an unwashed white Honda hatchback, its front seat filled with a Dell laptop, police radio, tripod and Sony HVR-V1U video camera.

Kurtz’s article is balanced, and doesn’t jump to defend the profession against the suggestion that journalists should be able to do it all, but there is a simple reminder that standards may be at risk:

A one-man band is cheaper, quicker and more nimble — but cannot produce the deeper sounds of a small journalistic orchestra.

No press pass, no get out of jail free card

Student journalist Cameron Burns finds himself on the other side of the story today in The Daily Californian, after finding himself charged at by riot police on a California freeway at the end of last week.

Covering a demonstration over public education funding for student paper The Daily Californian, Burns had left his press pass in the office and was tackled to the ground and arrested alongside the protesters, despite repeated assertions that he was a journalist.

The result? A twenty hour stint in jail and a court appearance scheduled for April 6.

L.A. Times disappears behind paywall Johnny Depp

From Reuters, news of dismay among the L.A. Times’ readership after the front page – “our most valuable real estate” according to Times’ spokesperson John Conroy – was replaced by a mock front page adorned with a huge advert for Tim Burton’s new Disney-backed Alice in Wonderland adaptation.

It seems some readers have been particularly offended by the decision to use a mock-up front page in the background of the ad, which includes the paper’s masthead, although the word ‘advertisement’ is written underneath in small letters.

“We made it clear that this was a depiction of the front page, rather than a real front page of the newspaper,” said Conroy. “We had an unusual opportunity here to stretch the traditional boundaries and deliver an innovative ad unit that was designed to create buzz.”

Perhaps the style of the L.A. Times advert is particularly galling, but as the Reuters article points out, it is not the first quality newspaper to exploit the value of the technique, called a ‘cover-wrap’.

The nationally circulated USA Today drew criticism for a pseudo edition of its newspaper distributed at an AIDS conference in Geneva as a promotion for a pharmaceutical company. The Wall Street Journal and other dailies have run partial wrap sleeves around the outsides of their papers.

I’m not sure how the film reviews page rates in real estate terms, but the film producers are in luck significantly less people will have gone for a viewing there, where the film didn’t make quite the same splash.

Fading to Black have an image of the cover here.

Tags: cover-wrap, David Carr, Howard Kurtz, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, the daily californian