Editors' Blog | Journalism.co.uk » Journalism http://blogs.journalism.co.uk Online journalism news Fri, 25 May 2012 15:55:12 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Media release: NUJ wants Scottish government inquiry into future of media http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2012/05/02/media-release-nuj-wants-scottish-government-inquiry-into-future-of-media/ http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2012/05/02/media-release-nuj-wants-scottish-government-inquiry-into-future-of-media/#comments Wed, 02 May 2012 10:21:17 +0000 Paul McNally http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/?p=44722

The National Union of Journalists is calling on the Scottish government to carry out an inquiry into the effect that editorial cutbacks are having on “a free and diverse media in the country”.

A similar inquiry was held by the Welsh Assembly last year – with a report expected shortly. The union’s Scottish organiser Paul Holleran said in a release:

The NUJ in Scotland has sought political support for our hard pressed industry for a number of years but the situation has deteriorated to where there is a serious threat to the future of titles but also to the existence of some newspaper groups. We believe there is a duty on government to intervene and help create a safer, robust environment for the press and media to operate.

A motion at the Scottish Trades Union Congress said:

Congress calls on the general council to urge the Scottish Government to set up urgently a Commission of Inquiry into the future of the media in Scotland, and to call on all member unions and the Scottish Government to promote the survival of thriving and responsible media, including:

  • supporting the creation of a Scottish Digital Broadcasting Network;
  • supporting the development of trust models of media ownership, such as the Scott Trust, which owns the Guardian and Observer Group;
  • campaigning for the development of new forms of community media;
  • identifying and prosecuting media behaviour that breaches privacy laws;
  • developing new regulatory mechanisms to replace the discredited UK Press Complaints Commission; and
  • encouraging the development of new sources of funding for investigative journalism, including academic institutions and foundations concerned with civil society and democracy.
Similar Posts:]]> http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2012/05/02/media-release-nuj-wants-scottish-government-inquiry-into-future-of-media/feed/ 0 The top 10 most-read stories on Journalism.co.uk, 17-23 March http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2012/03/23/the-top-10-most-read-stories-on-journalism-co-uk-17-23-march/ http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2012/03/23/the-top-10-most-read-stories-on-journalism-co-uk-17-23-march/#comments Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:26:00 +0000 Rachel McAthy http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/?p=43960

1. Daily Mail is named Newspaper of the Year

2. Social predicted to overtake search as Guardian traffic driver

3. BSkyB CEO confirms he pulled Sky News story on F1

4. How to: run a hyperlocal website with WordPress

5. Johnston Press CEO signals move to ‘digital first’

6. Mirror apologises for ‘Women who Kill’ model photo mix-up

7. ITV News launches new site in beta

8. Statistics authority takes Daily Mail to task over riot story

9. Evans: Thatcher’s Murdoch meeting ‘highly improper’

10. Martin Moore: Press could learn from ‘new digital publishers’

Similar Posts:]]> http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2012/03/23/the-top-10-most-read-stories-on-journalism-co-uk-17-23-march/feed/ 0 #jpod – Gender and conflict journalism: How far have we come? http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2012/03/16/jpod-gender-and-conflict-journalism-how-far-have-we-come/ http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2012/03/16/jpod-gender-and-conflict-journalism-how-far-have-we-come/#comments Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:18:40 +0000 Rachel McAthy http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/?p=43802

Image by RamyRaoof on Flickr. Some rights reserved

This week’s podcast was prompted by an event held by the International News Safety Institute, to mark the launch of their new publication ‘No Woman’s Land’, which addresses the issues facing women journalists reporting from the frontline across the world.

After the event Journalism.co.uk spoke to a number of women journalists – those who have experienced life as a local journalist in a conflict zone as well as the women in senior roles on international news desks in the UK – to find out their past experiences and assess where we are today and what still needs to be done.

Interviewees include:

  • Shahira Amin, Egyptian freelance journalist and former journalist for Nile TV
  • Liliane Landor, controller of language services for Global News at the BBC
  • Florentine Kwizera, producer on the Great Lakes service on the BBC World Service
  • Sarah Whitehead, head of international news at Sky News

Read Frances Harrison’s feature on life as a mother and foreign correspondent here.

You can hear future podcasts by signing up to the Journalism.co.uk iTunes podcast feed.

Similar Posts:]]> http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2012/03/16/jpod-gender-and-conflict-journalism-how-far-have-we-come/feed/ 0 Journalisted Weekly: Mitt Romney, Lib Dems and Prince Harry http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2012/03/15/journalisted-weekly-mitt-romney-lib-dems-and-prince-harry/ http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2012/03/15/journalisted-weekly-mitt-romney-lib-dems-and-prince-harry/#comments Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:12:15 +0000 Ed Martin http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/?p=43796

Journalisted is an independent, not-for-profit website built to make it easier for you, the public, to find out more about journalists and what they write about. It is run by the Media Standards Trust, a registered charity set up to foster high standards in news on behalf of the public, and funded by donations from charitable foundations. Each week Journalisted produces a summary of the most covered news stories, most active journalists and those topics falling off the news agenda, using its database of UK journalists and news sources.

Mitt Romney, Lib Dems and Prince Harry

for the week ending Sunday 11 March

  • Mitt Romney inches towards the Republican presidential nomination
  • LibDem debates about tax, Prince Harry in the Caribbean, and the issue of same sex marriage covered lots
  • An al-Quaeda linked terror attack in Yemen, Spain’s deficit difficulties, and Sarkozy’s lurch to the right, covered little

Covered Lots

  • Mitt Romney inched towards the Republican presidential nomination with 6 victories in 10 states on Super Tuesday, 165 articles
  • The Liberal Democrats got embroiled in internal debates about tax – particularly around their proposal for a Mansion Tax – at the Lib Dems spring conference, 147 articles
  • The issue of gay marriage became controversial – again – after the intervention of Cardinal O’Brien, 125 articles
  • Prince Harry charmed the citizens of Belize, Brazil, the Bahamas and Jamaica on the Diamond Jubilee Tour, 120 articles

Covered Little

  • Yemen militants, who have links with al-Qaeda, attack Government troops, 185 dead, 12 articles
  • Spain’s new Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, gets in a fight with Brussels as he seeks to stop Spain becoming the next Greece, 12 articles
  • Nicholas Sarkozy threatened to pull out of the Schengen zone in an attempt to woo right wing voters prior to the French election, 6 articles

Political ups and downs (top ten by number of articles)

Celebrity vs Serious

  • Rihanna takes a picture of her new hair while semi-naked, and other mischief, 67 articles vs. Ken Clarke reacts to concerns that plans to extend secret courts could threaten open justice, 8 articles
  • The All-American Katy Perry has a new boyfriend 36 articles vs. Steve Hilton – the Prime Minister’s resident ‘guru’ takes a sabbatical from government service to go to America, 30 articles
  • Tulisa, the X-Factor judge, has a tan and a new boyfriend, 26 articles vs. in the Indian elections the ruling party suffered setbacks, damaging the prospects of Rahul Gandhi, 18 articles

Eurozone leaders (top ten by number of articles)

No other Eurozone leaders were mentioned in UK press coverage.

Who wrote a lot about… Syria

Long form journalism

Journalists who have updated their profile

Rob Davies is a city correspondent at the Daily Mail. After he achieved a 2.1 in his MA in English and German Literature, Rob went to the Cardiff Journalism School where he completed the Newspaper Journalism course. He was awarded the MHP Communications ’30 to watch’ award earlier this year. Follow him on twitter @ByRobDavies

Lennox Morrison is a freelance journalist who writes for the Guardian, Independent on Sunday, Wall Street Journal Europe, Metropolitan and the Reader’s Digest. She was an assistant editor for the Scottish Daily Mail as well as being a celebrity interviewer for the Scottish on Sunday. Lennox has also had three books published, Second Chance Tuesday (2004), Scottish Girls About Town (2003) and Re-inventing Tara (2002). Follow her on twitter @LENNOXinFRANCE

All information taken from journalisted profiles as updated (2012-03-13)

If you have a profile on journalisted you can now claim it and start adding articles, links and contact details

Do email team@journalisted.com if you spot any mistakes or have suggestions for other journalisted weekly analyses. You can also follow us on Twitter @journalisted

All Journalisted weekly newsletter statistics are calculated based on articles published on national news websites, BBC News online and Sky News online

The Media Standards Trust, which runs journalisted, won the ‘One to Watch’ category at the Prospect Think Tank Awards

Hacked Off is reporting live from the Leveson inquiry again this week via twitter @hackinginquiry and hackinginquiry.org

Visit the Media Standards Trust’s Churnalism.com – a public service for distinguishing journalism from churnalism

For the latest instalment of Tobias Grubbe, journalisted’s 18th century jobbing journalist, go to journalisted.com/tobias-grubbe

Similar Posts:]]> http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2012/03/15/journalisted-weekly-mitt-romney-lib-dems-and-prince-harry/feed/ 0 Journalisted Weekly: Valentine’s Day, Whitney Houston and Rangers FC http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2012/02/22/journalisted-weekly-valentines-day-whitney-houston-and-rangers-fc/ http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2012/02/22/journalisted-weekly-valentines-day-whitney-houston-and-rangers-fc/#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:04:19 +0000 Ed Martin http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/?p=43198

Journalisted is an independent, not-for-profit website built to make it easier for you, the public, to find out more about journalists and what they write about. It is run by the Media Standards Trust, a registered charity set up to foster high standards in news on behalf of the public, and funded by donations from charitable foundations. Each week Journalisted produces a summary of the most covered news stories, most active journalists and those topics falling off the news agenda, using its database of UK journalists and news sources.

Valentine’s Day, Whitney Houston and Rangers FC

for the week ending Sunday 19 February

  • The newspapers loved Valentine’s Day this week
  • Whitney Houston, Rangers FC and Dereck Chisora were covered lots
  • Anglo-French entente, German Presidential resignation and Venezuelan opposition covered little

Covered Lots

  • It was Valentine’s Day, 313 articles
  • The singer Whitney Houston died aged 48, 254 articles
  • Rangers FC went into administration, facing a tax bill of £75 million, 183 articles
  • Boxer Dereck Chisora slapped opponent Vitali Klitschko ahead of their world title fight, and brawled with David Haye after it, 111 articles
  • David Cameron stated his commitment to political union between Scotland and England, after talks with Alex Salmond, 104 articles

Covered Little

  • Cameron and Sarkozy strike deal for joint military operations and could create up to 30,000 British jobs amid rising UK unemployment, 22 articles
  • German president Christian Wulff, an ally of Chancellor Merkel, resigned, 22 articles
  • Venezuelan opposition parties choose a single candidate, Henrique Capriles Radonski, to oppose President Hugh Chavez, 4 articles

Political ups and downs (top ten by number of articles)

Celebrity vs Serious

  • The new series of ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’ hit TV screens, 179 articles, vs Rupert Murdoch flew into London to reassure staff at ‘The Sun’ and promise the launch of a Sunday edition, 89 articles
  • The X Factor, not on television at the moment, 111 articles vs David Cameron considers minimum alcohol pricing amid alcohol crackdown, 35 articles
  • Sean Penn supports Argentinian claims to the Falklands, 57 articles vs further riots in Greece amid austerity debates, 46 articles

Eurozone leaders (top ten by number of articles)

Who wrote a lot about… Iran

Long form journalism

The Media Standards Trust, which runs journalisted, won the ‘One to Watch’ category at the Prospect Think Tank Awards

Hacked Off will be reporting live from the Leveson inquiry again next week via twitter @hackinginquiry and [hackinginquiry.org] (http://hackinginquiry.org)

Visit the Media Standards Trust’s Churnalism.com – a public service for distinguishing journalism from churnalism

Read the MST’s submission to parliament’s Joint Committee on Privacy and Injunctions and the House of Lords Communications Select Committee on investigative journalism

For the latest instalment of Tobias Grubbe, journalisted’s 18th century jobbing journalist, go to journalisted.com/tobias-grubbe

 

Similar Posts:]]> http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2012/02/22/journalisted-weekly-valentines-day-whitney-houston-and-rangers-fc/feed/ 0 Journalisted Weekly: Redknapp and Capello, Syria and Homs, and Leveson http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2012/02/15/journalisted-weekly-redknapp-and-capello-syria-and-homs-and-leveson/ http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2012/02/15/journalisted-weekly-redknapp-and-capello-syria-and-homs-and-leveson/#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:02:58 +0000 Rachel McAthy http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/?p=43040

Journalisted is an independent, not-for-profit website built to make it easier for you, the public, to find out more about journalists and what they write about. It is run by the Media Standards Trust, a registered charity set up to foster high standards in news on behalf of the public, and funded by donations from charitable foundations. Each week Journalisted produces a summary of the most covered news stories, most active journalists and those topics falling off the news agenda, using its database of UK journalists and news sources.

Redknapp and Capello, Syria and Homs, and Leveson

for the week ending Sunday 12 February

  • Harry Redknapp, his acquittal and England management rumours lead the news
  • Luis Suarez, Leveson Inquiry and Abu Qatada covered lots
  • Romanian PM resignation, Russian protests and Turkmenistan elections covered little

Covered Lots

  • Harry Redknapp walks free from court, acquitted of cheating the public revenue, and into speculation about managing the England football team, 464 articles – succeeding Fabio Capello, 462 articles
  • The death toll rises as Syrian government forces bombard the city of Homs, 233 articles
  • The Leveson Inquiry continues, hearing from witnesses including Mail editor Paul Dacre and recalled editors James Harding and Dominic Mohan, 190 articles
  • Luis Suarez avoids shaking Patrice Evra’s hand, reigniting racism row, before apologising, 187 articles
  • An immigration commission rules that radical cleric Abu Qatada can be released on bail, 143 articles

Covered Little

  • Emil Boc resigns as Prime Minister of Romania following protests against austerity measures, 17 articles
  • Mikhail Gorbachev criticises Vladimir Putin following protests and ahead of March presidential election, 6 articles
  • Elections in Turkmenistan, with opposition candidates all praising the incumbent, 2 articles
  • Brazilian journalist Mario Randolfo Marques Lopes and his girlfriend are kidnapped and killed, 1 article

Political ups and downs (top ten by number of articles)

Celebrity vs Serious

Eurozone leaders (top ten by number of articles)

Who wrote a lot about… Fabio Capello

Long form journalism

The Media Standards Trust, which runs journalisted, won the ‘One to Watch’ category at the Prospect Think Tank Awards
Read the Hacked Off live blog on the Leveson inquiry and follow our Twitter feed @hackinginquiry.

Visit the Media Standards Trust’s Churnalism.com – a public service for distinguishing journalism from churnalism

Read the MST’s submission to parliament’s Joint Committee on Privacy and Injunctions and the House of Lords Communications Select Committee on investigative journalism

For the latest instalment of Tobias Grubbe, journalisted’s 18th century jobbing journalist, go to journalisted.com/tobias-grubbe

Similar Posts:]]> http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2012/02/15/journalisted-weekly-redknapp-and-capello-syria-and-homs-and-leveson/feed/ 0 Journalisted Weekly: Leveson Inquiry, Tahrir Square and England RFU http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/11/30/journalisted-weekly-leveson-inquiry-tahrir-square-and-england-rfu/ http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/11/30/journalisted-weekly-leveson-inquiry-tahrir-square-and-england-rfu/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:18:34 +0000 Rachel McAthy http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/?p=41520

Journalisted is an independent, not-for-profit website built to make it easier for you, the public, to find out more about journalists and what they write about. It is run by the Media Standards Trust, a registered charity set up to foster high standards in news on behalf of the public, and funded by donations from charitable foundations. Each week Journalisted produces a summary of the most covered news stories, most active journalists and those topics falling off the news agenda, using its database of UK journalists and news sources.

Journalisted Weekly: Leveson Inquiry, Tahrir Square and England RFU

for the week ending Sunday 27 November

  • The first wave of witnesses to give evidence to the Leveson Inquiry dominated this week’s news
  • Violent protests in Tahrir Square, and the England rugby team scandal, covered lots
  • Carina Trimingham lobbying row, Basra bombs and Welsh budget resolution covered little

Covered lots

Covered little

Political ups and downs (top ten by number of articles)

Celebrity vs. serious

Arab spring (countries & current leaders)

Who wrote a lot about… clashes between the Government and Unions over planned public sector pensions strikes

Long form journalism

Journalists who have updated their profile

  • Jack Oughton is a photographer at KKVA Fine Art Photography and Portraiture and works freelance for The Independent, the International Astronomical Union, FHM and Empire magazines, along with a number of companies. He was previously a writer intern for Catch 22 Magazine after completing a Higher National Diploma in Astronomy and Science at the University of Glamorgan. He has written several books: ‘Glamorgan University Observational Diary’, ‘A Layman’s Guide To Nuclear Fusion’ and ‘The Speech Of The Chimera’, all in 2010. Follow Jack on Twitter @koukouvaya
  • Jane Symons is a freelance health writer, media consultant and facilitator whose work has been published in publications including the Daily Express, Daily Mail, The Sun, The Times, the Telegraph and Sunday Express, as well as various women’s magazines. She has previously been editor of Sun Health at The Sun, health editor of Woman’s Own, and chief sub editor for the Telegraph Magazine. In addition, she has written two books: ‘Pregnancy: The Best for You and Your Baby’ in 1999 and ‘How to Have a Baby and Still Live in the Real World’ in 2003. Follow Jane on Twitter @janesymons1

The Media Standards Trust, which runs journalisted, won the ‘One to Watch’ category at this year’s Prospect Think Tank Awards

Read about our campaign for the full exposure of phone hacking and other illegal forms of intrusion at the Hacked Off website

Visit the Media Standards Trust’s Churnalism.com – a public service for distinguishing journalism from churnalism

Read the MST’s submission to parliament’s Joint Committee on Privacy and Injunctions and the House of Lords Communications Select Committee on investigative journalism

The Orwell Prize 2012 is now open for entries following a launch debate on ‘Writing the Riots’

For the latest instalment of Tobias Grubbe, journalisted’s 18th century jobbing journalist, go to journalisted.com/tobias-grubbe

Similar Posts:]]> http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/11/30/journalisted-weekly-leveson-inquiry-tahrir-square-and-england-rfu/feed/ 0 #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – apps and tools for journalists http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/11/21/tip-of-the-day-from-journalism-co-uk-apps-and-tools-for-journalists/ http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/11/21/tip-of-the-day-from-journalism-co-uk-apps-and-tools-for-journalists/#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:58:23 +0000 Rachel McAthy http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/?p=41207

Each week you can check out Journalism.co.uk’s app or tool of the week, brought to you by technology correspondent Sarah Marshall. The posts highlight the different ways journalists in particular can make use of the platforms and also offer a useful guide to key features. You can catch up on all the past “app of the week” posts at this link, and “tool of the week” here.

Tipster: Rachel McAthy

If you have a tip you would like to submit to us at Journalism.co.uk email us using this link – we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.

Similar Posts:]]> http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/11/21/tip-of-the-day-from-journalism-co-uk-apps-and-tools-for-journalists/feed/ 0 #wef11: Follow the World Editors Forum in Vienna http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/10/13/wef11-follow-the-world-editors-forum-in-vienna/ http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/10/13/wef11-follow-the-world-editors-forum-in-vienna/#comments Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:05:05 +0000 Rachel McAthy http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/editors/?p=40050

Copyright: Reed Messe Wien/Christian Husar

For the rest of this week I will be reporting from the World Editors Forum in Vienna, covering the panel sessions, report presentations and debates which kick off today. This year’s conference will look at “the multiple facets of an editor’s job”, from businessman to community manager, and the ways to perform best in each role while maintaining good content.

The digital world of news is rapidly changing and the opportunities for newspapers, as well as the challenges that accompany them, are undergoing constant evolution. How can newspapers continue to fulfill their core mission of producing high quality journalism, and even improve on it, despite the myriad of new responsibilities of their editors?

Coverage of the event will be posted on Journalism.co.uk and the Editors’ Blog, and you can also follow my tweets on some of the sessions from @journalism_live.

See the full programme for the event here.

Similar Posts:]]> http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/10/13/wef11-follow-the-world-editors-forum-in-vienna/feed/ 0 Journalisted Weekly: Debt Crisis, Palestine and Dale Farm http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/09/28/journalisted-weekly-debt-crisis-palestine-and-dale-farm/ http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/09/28/journalisted-weekly-debt-crisis-palestine-and-dale-farm/#comments Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:29:33 +0000 Rachel McAthy http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/editors/?p=39776

Journalisted is an independent, not-for-profit website built to make it easier for you, the public, to find out more about journalists and what they write about. It is run by the Media Standards Trust, a registered charity set up to foster high standards in news on behalf of the public, and funded by donations from charitable foundations. Each week Journalisted produces a summary of the most covered news stories, most active journalists and those topics falling off the news agenda, using its database of UK journalists and news sources.

Debt Crisis, Palestine and Dale Farm

for the week ending Sunday 25 September

  • The Eurozone debt crisis and a tumultuous week for world markets was this week’s lead story
  • Palestine’s bid for statehood and Dale Farm travellers’ resistance to eviction covered lots
  • Floods in China, successful conjoined twins operation, and Nepal plane crash covered little

Covered lots

Covered little

Political ups and downs (top ten by number of articles)

Celebrity vs. serious

Arab spring (countries & current leaders)

Who wrote a lot about… Troy Davis’ execution in Georgia, US

Long form journalism

Journalists who have updated their profile

  • Katharine Quarmby is a freelance journalist who has written for the Sunday Times, The Guardian, Mail on Sunday, The Telegraph and for The Economist and Prospect magazines. She has written books about disability hate crime and is honoured with the One World Trust Award (1999) and the Radar People of the Year Human Rights award (2010). Follow Katharine on Twitter @katharineq
  • Hunter Skipworth is a Contributing Editor at Pocket-lint – an independent gadget news and reviews site. He previously worked as a Technology Reporter and Intern at the Daily Telegraph while taking a BA in Journalism and Contemporary History at City University, London. You can follow Hunter on Twitter @Hunterskipworth

Read about our campaign for the full exposure of phone hacking and other illegal forms of intrusion at the Hacked Off website

Visit the Media Standards Trust’s Churnalism.com – a public service for distinguishing journalism from churnalism

The Media Standards Trust’s unofficial database of PCC complaints is available for browsing at www.complaints.pccwatch.co.uk

For the latest instalment of Tobias Grubbe, journalisted’s 18th century jobbing journalist, go to journalisted.com/tobias-grubbe

Similar Posts:]]> http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/09/28/journalisted-weekly-debt-crisis-palestine-and-dale-farm/feed/ 0 Tweets of advice for aspiring journalists http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/08/18/tweets-of-advice-for-aspiring-journalists/ http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/08/18/tweets-of-advice-for-aspiring-journalists/#comments Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:01:18 +0000 Sarah Marshall http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/editors/?p=38993

Early today (18 August) we asked journalists to give their advice for those getting A level results today and those about to start a degree or a postgrad in journalism.

The best tweets of advice provided the basis for the 10 things every journalism student should know .

Here are some of the other tweets of advice from journalists, students and those in the industry.

Similar Posts:]]> http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/08/18/tweets-of-advice-for-aspiring-journalists/feed/ 0 Ten things every journalism student should know http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/08/18/ten-things-every-journalism-student-should-know-2/ http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/08/18/ten-things-every-journalism-student-should-know-2/#comments Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:59:31 +0000 Sarah Marshall http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/editors/?p=38972

If you are about to start a journalism course, here are 10 things you should know to give you the best chance of succeeding and getting a job in journalism.

Yes, you may only have had A-level results in your hand for a matter of hours, but you’re not going to make it as a journalist if you simply rely on attending classes and getting good grades.

Some of the tips we’ve come up with, most are from other journalists after we asked those who follow @journalismnews on Twitter for advice.

The suggestions are in no particular order and all are of equal importance.

1. You need to do much more than just attend classes. Start a blog, podcast and tweet get yourself known by building up a presence online (more on each of these below).

  2. Get as much work experience as you can. Sometimes this will turn into paid work, often it won’t. Checkout internship opportunities listed on Journalism.co.uk and other sites.

And if you’re reading this and wondering whether or not to take a course, here’s a thought.

3. Contacts, contacts, contacts. And that doesn’t mean just having a contact book. Connect with people via Twitter, engage online and get your name known within the subject area you’re interested in. It’s never been easier to do this so take advantage of social networking.

  4. Question everything. Develop an analytical brain. Learn how to spot a hoax press release, question figures and consider all the angles.

5. Be versatile. Learn to shoot video, be able to turn your hand to editing audio, get to grips with data journalism, make sure you get 100wpm shorthand, know your way round Photoshop. Journalism is not just about a notebook and pen but tools such as apps and your smartphone, Dipity, Storify and Audioboo, to name but a few.

 

6. Write, write, blog. If you’re an aspiring broadcast journalist learn how to podcast but anyone starting out should create a blog. If you don’t have a particular area of journalism you want to go into, pick a subject you are interested in and write about that. Follow others writing about that subject (see next point).

7. Hone your research skills and build up sources. Work on creating a network of contacts in Delicious, set up RSS feeds to follow subject areas that interest you, keep an eye on LinkedIn company pages. For example, if you are interested in fashion journalism, keep an eye on who is leaving and joining fashion houses listed on LinkedIn. Set up alerts to receive the accounts of these firms from Companies House. Publish the stories on your blog and pitch them to newsdesks.

  8. Get published. When you find a really strong, original story pitch it to a newsdesk ask get a byline and negotiate a fee.

 

  9. Build your brand. Your name is your brand so consider a Facebook page and create an online portfolio. If you’re thinking “I’m not the kind of person who says look at me”, get over that. You have to get your name out there.

10. Don’t give up at the first hurdle. You’re not going to have a great voice for broadcast or get your first pitch accepted by a magazine or national newspaper. When someone knocks you down, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep trying.

 

Here are five tips for aspiring journalists from Rob Mansfield.

Find out how some journalists got their big break in Journalism.co.uk’s Industy Insight video series.

Key blogs

Apart from Journalism.co.uk which has useful ‘how to‘ guides, info on handy tools and technology, daily tips for journalists and industry news here are some useful blogs to follow:

  • Wannabe Hacks, a blogging collective of aspiring journalists which is essential reading for any student journalist. Last years wannabes are now fully fledged journalists with great jobs and they’re about to hand over the reins to this year’s cohort;
  • Paul Bradshaw, head of online journalism at Birmingham City University, has a must-read Online Journalism Blog.
      • Got other tips for aspiring hacks? Leave a comment below.
Similar Posts:]]> http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/08/18/ten-things-every-journalism-student-should-know-2/feed/ 9 Questions on use of social media during London riot coverage http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/08/09/questions-on-use-of-social-media-during-london-riot-coverage/ http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/08/09/questions-on-use-of-social-media-during-london-riot-coverage/#comments Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:42:33 +0000 Rachel McAthy http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/editors/?p=38746

Over on his blog, Andy Dickinson, who teaches digital and online journalism at the University of Central Lancashire, reflects on a question he posed via Twitter last night, while monitoring activity on the platform in relation to the violence taking place in London and beyond.

http://twitter.com/#!/digidickinson/status/100678058423488512

He said his question was prompted by Tweets from journalists outside London stating that nothing was happening on their patch. But other Twitter users were quick to cast doubt on his statement.

His blog post details the points made, but one of their points was that the value of what a journalist reports is not always about news but the provision of information. That, as a trusted source, journalists could let the online community know whether or not there was substance in rumours circulating on sites such as Twitter, that violence was building elsewhere.

Ultimately Dickinson “held up his hands” (via a hashtag), and his subsequent blog post today (9 August), reflecting on the issue, and some elements of the argument he still stands by, gives some food for thought about the use of social media by journalists in these sorts of situations.

Despite protestations of its importance ‘no news’ statements like that would never make the front page or head of a bulletin.  As Neil Macdonald pointed out that they where [sic] more information than news. Journalism as a source of information – very valid.

A few tweets did quote authoritative voices – police etc. That was better. Some proper information in there. Many did not.

Online video journalist Adam Westbrook also offers his thoughts in this blog post, on what he calls the “messy” situation for the media using social media/user generated content. He got caught up in the so-called “mess” when retweeting video footage which was originally linked to the wrong location.

On the plus side, I do think real-time web’s ability to self correct is extraordinary. My blunderous retweet was corrected within five minutes. If you don’t mind taking stern words from other users, it’s a rock solid facet to the platform.

However, Twitter being used by journalists, who (hopefully!) question sources and try to verify, is one thing. But non-journalists aren’t necessarily as skeptical of information. A rumour to a journalist could be read as fact by someone else, especially people who are scared.

Similar Posts:]]> http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/08/09/questions-on-use-of-social-media-during-london-riot-coverage/feed/ 0 #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – open data in local journalism http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/05/23/tip-of-the-day-from-journalism-co-uk-%e2%80%93-open-data-in-local-journalism/ http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/05/23/tip-of-the-day-from-journalism-co-uk-%e2%80%93-open-data-in-local-journalism/#comments Mon, 23 May 2011 16:30:59 +0000 Rachel McAthy http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/editors/?p=35011

Over on the news:rewired site there are plenty of resources for those interested in open data on a local scale in this post, which also outlines some great examples of data journalism with a focus on ‘the local’. The topic is at the centre of debate for a session at news:rewired – noise to signal. Find out more here. Tipster: Rachel McAthy.

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

Similar Posts:]]> http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/05/23/tip-of-the-day-from-journalism-co-uk-%e2%80%93-open-data-in-local-journalism/feed/ 0 Journalisted Weekly: Royal Wedding fever, AV, and Syria crackdown http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/05/04/journalisted-weekly-royal-wedding-fever-av-and-syria-crackdown/ http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2011/05/04/journalisted-weekly-royal-wedding-fever-av-and-syria-crackdown/#comments Wed, 04 May 2011 08:48:32 +0000 Joel Gunter http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/editors/?p=34245

Journalisted is an independent, not-for-profit website built to make it easier for you, the public, to find out more about journalists and what they write about.

It is run by the Media Standards Trust, a registered charity set up to foster high standards in news on behalf of the public, and funded by donations from charitable foundations.

Each week Journalisted produces a summary of the most covered news stories, most active journalists and those topics falling off the news agenda, using its database of UK journalists and news sources.

For the week ending Sunday 1 May

  • Royal Wedding outshines AV throughout the news
  • Syria’s crackdown on protesters dominates international news
  • Syrian funding to St Andrews University and Belgium’s burqa ban hardly covered

Covered lots

  • The Royal Wedding, with Will and Kate tying the knot on Friday and the nation getting a holiday, 867 articles
  • AV referendum, with nationwide voting on 5th May, 144 articles
  • Anti-government protests in Syria, with 42 alleged deaths in Dera’a on Friday, 200 ruling Ba’ath members resigning, and foreign journalists banned from the country, 91 articles

Covered little

Political ups and downs (top ten by number of articles)

Celebrity vs serious

Arab spring

Who wrote a lot about…’Royal Wedding’

Gordon Rayner – 10 articles (Telegraph), Duncan Larcombe – 7 articles (The Sun), Martin Beckford – 7 articles (Telegraph), Richard Kay – 6 articles (MailOnline), Ann Gripper – 5 articles (The Mirror)

Long form journalism

More from the Media Standards Trust

Visit the Media Standards Trust’s new site Churnalism.com – a public service for distinguishing journalism from churnalism

Churnalism.com ‘explore’ page is available for browsing press release sources alongside news outlets

The Media Standards Trust’s unofficial database of PCC complaints is available for browsing at www.complaints.pccwatch.co.uk

For the latest instalment of Tobias Grubbe, journalisted’s 18th century jobbing journalist, go to journalisted.com/tobias-grubbe

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