Author Archives: Paul McNally

News Corporation ‘working around the clock’ to fix Daily bug

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News Corporation has said it is “working around the clock” to fix a technical problem in its new “iPad newspaper”, the Daily, that has prompted hundreds of complaints and negative ratings from users.

Readers have left comments on the Apple’s US app store to complain of frequent crashes, load problems and other stability issues when the Daily attempts to fetch a new update of the newspaper.

Since its high-profile launch in the US last week, the product has attracted more than 3,600 reviews on the Apple online store.

While about a third of people gave the app the full five stars, the next most common rating was one out of five, with almost 1,000 people giving it the lowest score possible.

One reviewer wrote: “Is this the future of news? The app crashed the first time I ran it. After rebooting and restarting it hung while downloading the current edition.”

Another person adds: “Very slow loading, better fix it within two weeks or we are gone.”

In a blog post on the official website, the Daily’s tech developers wrote: “We’re working around the clock to improve the stability and functionality of The Daily.

“We’ve had massive uptake since Wednesday’s launch, and with that kind of audience scale in such a short period of time, we’ve seen some stability issues and bugs that need to be addressed.

“We’re working as quickly as we can to find these problems and fix them. The beauty of the application ecosystem is that we can constantly iterate on and improve our product, and we’re aiming to put out an update within the coming weeks.

“We are addressing the technical issues that we’ve seen and we want you, our readers, to know that this is a major priority for us.”

News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch says the Daily will “push the boundaries of reporting”, offering news, features, photography, audio, video, and graphics for 99 cents a week or $39.99 for an annual subscription.

As first journalist dies in Egypt protests, CPJ compiles list of attacks

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An Egyptian photographer has become the first journalist to die covering the anti-Mubarak protests.

Ahmad Mohamed Mahmoud, who worked for Al-Ta’awun, died from gunshot wounds sustained a week ago when he was shot by a sniper.

Journalists face ongoing attacks and detentions in Cairo. The Committee to Protect Journalists has compiled a round-up of the latest attacks on the press.

Telegraph: IPC Media considers selling off more titles

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Magazine publisher IPC Media is considering selling off more titles, after disposing of 20 publications shortly before Christmas.

Sources have told the Daily Telegraph that senior IPC executives are taking a detailed look at the whole portfolio, but no talks with interested parties have begun yet and a full sell-off of the whole business is “unlikely”.

IPC Media completed a major strategic review of its titles in December, selling off 20 magazines in the space of just a few months, including Loaded, Web User, Caravan and Guitar & Bass.

Speculation that more sales are on the way comes as Sylvia Auton returns to IPC Media as chief executive after spending four years in the US as executive vice president of parent company Time Warner.

A Time Warner spokesman told the Telegraph: “Of course we conduct regular reviews of all of our businesses to ensure we remain competitive, but there is no plan for any further action at IPC.”

IPC’s titles include Nuts, NME and Marie Claire.

Hyperlocal funding situation is ‘seriously challenged’, warns Claire Enders

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The funding situation for hyperlocal websites in the UK remains “seriously challenged” – and that means they will be run by unpaid “activists and enthusiasts” for some time yet – media analyst Claire Enders said today.

Speaking at a Westminster Media Forum event on local media, the founder and chief executive of Enders Analysis said hyperlocal websites could learn from the model succesfully used in community radio, where hundreds of volunteers give up their time because they “care a lot about their communities”.

She said there would never be a shortage of community activists and enthusiasts interested in getting involved and giving up some spare time.

“The income picture for local websites has turned out to be seriously challenged,” Enders told the forum audience. “They have to exist out of a very enthusiastic, activist level of engagement.”

A recent Ofcom report found the UK community radio sector attracts more than 25,000 volunteer hours a week, with the average station having 75 volunteers on board.