Paparazzi agencies delay People iPad app launch

Celebrity magazine publishers could have problems getting their products onto the iPad device, according to the Hollywood Reporter, as photo agencies are reportedly “banding together” to try and reach an agreement with one title – People magazine – to seek extra compensation for use of their images.

This has been linked to the postponed launch date of the publication’s new app, although this is denied by a spokesperson for the magazine in the report.

While the standoff centers on one publication for now, just about any other brand that makes photos of the rich and famous their stock in trade is watching nervously from the sidelines. Whatever deal they strike could set the terms of trade for the industry going forward.

See their full report here…

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BBC: 100 days of government in 100 seconds

As the coalition government enters its 100th day in office, the BBC has created a 100 second video slideshow documenting events so far.

The slideshow begins with David Cameron’s speech outside Downing Street as he steps into the role of Prime Minister, before moving through a string of events covered by the broadcasters, from the resignation of David Laws and the “unavoidable” budget to Cameron’s recent visit to Pakistan to discuss the terrorist threat.

See the full piece here…

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Press freedom group reaffirms support for WikiLeaks after criticisms

Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has “reaffirmed” its support for WikiLeaks, following their publication of an open letter to the whisteblowing site accusing it of being irresponsible in its publication of the Afghanistan war logs.

RSF says its criticisms of the way the material was made public do not mean it supports any kind of censorship of the group, an “unfair accusation” it claims has been made by online papers reporting the story.

We reaffirm our support for WikiLeaks, its work and its founding principles. It is thanks in large part to WikiLeaks that the world has seen the failures of the wars waged by the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan (…) A media is responsible for what it publishes or disseminates. To remind it of that is not to wish its disappearance. Quite the contrary.

See their full post here…

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#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – building a digital community

Community: Neil Perkin, former director of marketing and strategy for IPC Media, shares his top 10 tips for building a digital community in this expert blog post. Tipster: Laura Oliver.

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

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California journalism students to be provided with iPads

Journalism students at a US university will be given iPads during their course to help them learn to file multimedia news stories from the latest technologies.

According to a release on the University of Southern California’s website, students on the Specialised Reporting course will be given the device as part of training to prepare them for reporting from various locations.

Course professor Bill Celis says the students will be encouraged to “push the boundaries” of the device in their production of multimedia journalism.

“Students can file stories from the field that include audio and slideshows. I’m teaching the same vital journalism skills I’ve always taught while ensuring the students have experience in the latest and emerging technologies.”

Hat tip: phoneArena.com

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New US local paper paywall divides readership

Yesterday’s paywall launch on the website of New York Times Company owned paper the Worcester Telegram and Gazette appears to have divided its users, according to a report by the EditorsWeblog.

Following in the footsteps of national publications, the site has introduced a payment model which charges users to access local reports, although does offer a free allowance of up to 10 articles a month. Those with print subscriptions will have not have to pay extra to access content online.

One reader thinks, “as someone who moved from the area 20 years ago, but still likes to think of the area as home, I guess I’ll be looking for a new source to keep current on the news- I won’t be paying to read an article because I think I recognize a name in a byline.” Another writes that, “I will now rely on the local Spencer Leader, Barre Gazette, and word of mouth to alert me news and happenings.

Not all comments are negative, as readers who already have a paid subscription to the print version have full access to the online content. “As a paid subscriber who has been supporting the free online access, I am most pleased with this new policy,” a reader stated.

See the full post here…

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#followjourn: @_JackRiley – Jack Riley/digital media editor

#followjourn: Jack Riley

Who? Jack Riley, digital media editor at the Independent.

Where? Jack has a blog on the Independent website, older posts from which are archived at this link. You can also find him on Journalisted and LinkedIn.

Contact? @_JackRiley

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 laura at journalism.co.uk; or to @journalismnews.

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Google recruits BBC head of development and rights

Google has again recruited from BBC staff as part of attempts to encourage online publishers to make more of the media giant’s news platform, this time hiring the broadcaster’s head of development and rights Madhav Chinnappa.

According to a report by paidContent:UK, the position is likely to centre on improving relations between Google News and newspaper publishers as many continue to question the value of the site to them – as demonstrated in a debate at the Frontline Club last week, attended by another former BBC recruit Peter Barron, who previously edited Newsnight but now heads up Google’s communications and PR department.

It’s a new post, and a sign Google is increasingly keen to dampen increasing scepticism, from some newspaper publishers, regarding its attitude to content, and instead come to amicable arrangements.

See the full post here…

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Google buys social payment provider Jambool

Google has bought start-up Jambool and with it Jambool’s online social payment service ‘Social Gold’, which allows developers to build payments directly into games and apps.

According to recent reports across media sites, including paidContent, the Shaping the Future of the Newspaper blog and TechCrunch, the platform, which enables companies to manage their own virtual currencies, will form part of “the backbone” of Google’s plans to harness the power of social media.

See Jambool’s statement on the purchase here…

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paidContent: AOL hyperlocal network Patch plans 400 new sites

paidContent reports today that AOL’s hyperlocal venture Patch could become the biggest new employer of full-time journalists in the US, with plans to add hundreds more sites by the end of the year.

According to the media site, Patch’s president Warren Webster told them the company plans to add 400 new hyperlocal sites to its network of 100 so far, doubling its current advertised state coverage.

Webster says that Patch is selecting towns to expand to based in part on a 59-variable algorithm that takes into account factors like the average household income of a town, how often citizens vote, and how the local public high school ranks; the company is then talking to local residents to ensure that targeted areas have other less quantifiable characteristics like a “vibrant business community” and “walkable Main Street”. Patch hires one professional reporter to cover each community; each “cluster” of sites also has an ad manager who is the “feet in the street” selling ads.

See the full post here…

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