Author Archives: Sarah Marshall

About Sarah Marshall

I'm Journalism.co.uk's technology correspondent, recommending tools, apps and tips for journalists. My background is in broadcast and local news, having worked as a radio producer and newsreader and print journalist.

Knight-Mozilla Fellowships open for entries

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The Knight-Mozilla Fellowships are now accepting applications from those who want to spend 10 months of next year as technologists “embedded in the newsroom”.

The eight partner organisations are the BBC, the New York Times, the Guardian, Zeit Online, La Nacion, Spiegel Online, the Boston Globe and ProPublica.

This year Al Jazeera English, the Guardian, the BBC, Zeit Online and the Boston Globe welcomed a developer, designer or programmer-journalist, funded to produce open-source code and solve challenges within the news organisation.

This year’s winners include Nicola Hughes, who is based at the Guardian, and Laurian Gridinoc, at the BBC.

The Knight-Mozilla OpenNews site explains the fellowships programme.

The centerpiece of the OpenNews program, the Knight-Mozilla Fellowships embed developers and technologists in newsrooms around the world to spend a year writing code in collaboration with reporters, designers, and newsroom developers. Fellows work in the open by sharing their code and their discoveries on the web, helping to strengthen and build journalism’s toolbox.

Details on the programme and how to apply are at this link.

The deadline for submissions is 11 August.

 

 

 

 

#followjourn – @archiebland Archie Bland/deputy editor

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Image by shawncampbell on Flickr. Some rights reserved.

Who? Archie Bland

Where? Archie is the new deputy editor of the Independent. It was announced this week that the 28-year-old is set to become the youngest deputy editor in the Independent‘s history and the youngest in national newspapers today.

Twitter? @archiebland

Just as we like to supply you with fresh and innovative tips, we are recommending journalists to follow online too. Recommended journalists can be from any sector of the industry: please send suggestions (you can nominate yourself) to Sarah at journalism.co.uk; or to @journalismnews.

Alan Rusbridger and Nick Davies to receive Media Society award

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Alan Rusbridger, editor of the Guardian, and Nick Davies, the journalist who uncovered the extent of phone hacking at the News of the World, are to be this year’s recipients of the Media Society award.

In a release, the Media Society, a charity that campaigns for freedom of expression and the encouragement of high standards in journalism, said:

The Guardian’s revelations about phone hacking at the News of the World have not only been the biggest media story of the year, but have also triggered a public debate about the practices of the press, with potentially far-reaching consequences.

Alan Rusbridger, editor of the Guardian since the mid-1990s, has presided over the paper’s development from a broadsheet to its current Berliner format, and its embrace of online journalism. He is an eloquent defender of the importance of journalism for holding power to account.

Nick Davies, meanwhile, has demonstrated the highest qualities of persistence in his following of the biggest media stories in recent years, while his concern for the health and future of his craft is manifest: he is an outstanding advocate of the importance of good reporting as the basis for good journalism.

Last year’s Media Society award went to Michael Grade and the 2010 honour went to Melvin Bragg.

Nick Davies has been handed several awards in the past year, including the Paul Foot Award, journalist of the year at the Foreign Press Association Media Awards 2011 and the Frontline Club award.

In February it was announced that Rusbridger was to receive Harvard University’s Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism.

Rusbridger and Davies will be honoured at a Media Society dinner on 24 May.

Future Publishing launches iPad-only title as second screen to computer

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Future Publishing has announced the launch of an iPad-only magazine to act as a second screen to the computer.

The term second screen generally relates to the use of a tablet or mobile in addition to a TV or other device.

Future’s new title, called How to Draw & Paint, is the latest in a line of Future publications to be launched without a print edition.

Previously released iPad-only titles include Teach Yourself Photoshop and the interactive editions of T3, Tap and Guitarist Deluxe.

The app magazine, which serves as a tutorial for those “using Photoshop for digital art”, utilises the interactivity of the tablet.

In a release, Tom Dennis, digital product editor for Future’s creative group, said:

We’ve taken a new approach to delivering tutorial content on iPad based on how digital artists use their tablets alongside their main computer.

Future has more than 70 titles in Apple’s Newsstand. The publisher said the release of the Newsstand portal in October resulted in six million app downloads in the first six weeks.

In November Mike Goldsmith, editor-in-chief of iPad and tablet editions at Future, told Journalism.co.uk in a podcast that Newsstand was “revolutionising the publishing industry”

How to Draw & Paint is available from on the App Store via a 90-day subscription priced £4.99.

NYU: List of 100 outstanding US journalists of last 100 years

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The NYU has released a list of “the 100 outstanding journalists in the United States in the last 100 years.”

In March 2012 the faculty at the Arthur L Carter Journalism Institute at New York University, together with an Honorary Committee of alumni, selected “the 100 outstanding journalists in the United States in the last 100 years”.

The list was selected from more than 300 nominees and was announced at a reception “in honour of the 100th anniversary of journalism education at NYU”, held yesterday.

The list, which can serve as a ‘who’s who’ of US journalism, is at this link.

 

 

The top 10 most-read stories on Journalism.co.uk, 24-30 March

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1. Rusbridger: Guardian paywall ‘has not been ruled out‘

2. Five tools for the journalist’s toolbox

3. Two British freelance journalists killed in Syria, CPJ reports

4. Mission America: How the Guardian’s US move has added 4m readers

5. WikiLeaks: ‘We have not finished’

6. Tool of the week for journalists: Timeline

7. Orwell Prize 2012 Journalism and Blog longlists announced

8. How the Guardian’s community of commentators contributes to the story

9. Ex-cricketer awarded £90K damages in Twitter libel case

10. Lost journalists documentary hits $50k goal on Kickstarter

#followjourn: @zlwise Zach Wise/interactive producer, associate professor and Timeline creator

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Image by shawncampbell on Flickr. Some rights reserved.

Who? Zach Wise

Where? Zach Wise, is an interactive producer, journalism professor and has created this new Timeline tool for journalists (which is this week’s recommended tool for journalists)

Twitter? @zlwise

Just as we like to supply you with fresh and innovative tips, we are recommending journalists to follow online too. Recommended journalists can be from any sector of the industry: please send suggestions (you can nominate yourself) to Sarah at journalism.co.uk; or to @journalismnews.

#Tip: Follow Sky News reporter in using Bambuser to livestream video

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Here is an idea for all journalists: use Bambuser to broadcast a livestream video from your phone.

The app and mobile site allows you to stream video from no less than 360 mobile phone models.

Sky News North of England correspondent Nick Martin yesterday used his iPhone to livestream a report on queues at fuel stations.

It wasn’t broadcast live or aired later on Sky news on this occasion but enabled Martin to share live footage with his Twitter followers. A total of 45 watched it live, with current viewer stats standing at 443.

He told Journalism.co.uk:

We’ve been covering the fuel problems at forecourts across the country.

It was just a case of going past a forecourt and seeing pretty lengthy queues of 50 or 60 cars and not having a cameraman with me.

It’s a way of getting pictures in real time to Twitter followers or to a news desk.

The quality sometimes isn’t great but a way of people being able to plug into what you’re doing as a reporter.

Martin said he saw real value in the possibilities during a breaking news story, such as the riots, of the channel broadcasting the phone footage live.

Martin explained that Sky News has its own technology to allow reporters to sent high quality phone video footage to the newsdesk.

Hans Eriksson from Bambuser told Journalism.co.uk:

Bambuser has been used by several smaller local media outlets in the UK over the last year but this is the first time it’s been used this way by a nationwide media.

Bambuser is a previous app of the week for journalists.

Nick Martin spoke about his innovative uses of apps at last month’s news:rewired conference for journalists.

Here are Martin’s three pieces of advice for journalists considering using mobile phones for reporting. The liveblog of the session is at this link.

Economist seeks to build relationships with 1m Facebook fans

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The Economist has today announced that it has clocked up one million fans on Facebook.

The fans come from 180 countries, with the largest number living in the United States, followed by India, the UK, Pakistan and Canada, the Economist states in a release.

Last week Nick Blunden, global publisher, digital editions told the Guardian’s Changing Media Summit that “people want to belong and we can monetize that”.

It’s about building relationships on Facebook and monetizing outside.

On the subject of charging for access to content, he said that people will pay for the experience of “being informed”.

Today’s release states:

The Facebook community regularly discusses, debates, comments and share posts, with those regarding world leaders and international events generating the most responses. One of the most popular posts of all time focused on the Economist’s 2009 “The Man Who Screwed An Entire Country” cover and received over 130,000 likes in just a few days.

The Economist states that it “reaches over 3.5 million people through all of its social media properties, including 2.1 million individuals on Twitter and 400,000 users on Google+” and a “growing global circulation” (now 1.5 million including both print and digital), according to figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulation.

The news outlet is now asking readers how they consume the title’s content.

To mark the milestone, the publication has asked its Facebook community to tell or show how they consume Economist content. Fans have been posting their experiences and photos, which include reading indoors, outdoors, by the pool, floating in the dead sea, on tablets and even reading in diapers for one young adopter, aged 13 months.

New one-day training courses from Journalism.co.uk

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Journalism.co.uk runs a range of training courses to help boost your skills in a particular area of journalism.

Here is a list of the training courses we are running this spring. We will be adding more soon.

Successful freelance journalism

  • Date: 2 May
  • Tutors: Olivia Gordon and Jo Payton

Do you want to know how to get off the ground as a freelance writer and build a successful business? Led by two experienced and in-demand journalists, this course on how to be a successful freelance journalist will help anyone thinking of working as a freelance journalist, as well as new freelancers, or those who are already working in the field but want a refresher to up their game.

Advanced online research skills

  • Date: 3 May
  • Tutor: Colin Meek

An intensive course covering quick tips for slicker working and a range of other investigative techniques and strategies for taking your desk research to the next level.

Online sub-editing

  • Date: 4 May
  • Tutors: Emmanuelle Smith and Jane Wild

Whether you’re a print sub-editor looking to update your skills and transfer them to the web, or looking for that first job in online journalism, you will benefit from this one-day course. As the media and the way in which readers consume it evolve, multi-skilled journalists who can produce great copy for the web are more in demand than ever.

An introduction to data journalism*

  • Date: 9 May or 28 May
  • Tutor: Kevin Anderson

As governments and institutions release more data, complex numbers have become an important part of many stories. Data journalism is now a skill that can set you apart in a competitive job market.

*This is the last time we will be offering this course led by Kevin Anderson due to his commitments – so take advantage of the final opportunity to learn from this former BBC and Guardian data journalist.

Intermediate data journalism

  • Date: 29 May
  • Tutor: Kevin Anderson

Now that you know the basics about data journalism, get ready to take your skills to the next level. You’ll leave the course with more confidence on how to tame data, make more powerful visualisations and build stronger cases from your investigative reporting.

Media law refresher

  • Date: 21 May
  • Tutor: David Banks

A one-day course offering an update on key aspects of media law that can affect anyone publishing in the UK.

It covers areas such as libel, contempt, reporting the courts, sexual offences, children, privacy and confidentiality and copyright.

The course includes updates on the legal areas being explored by the Leveson inquiry, such as Bribery Act, RIPA, Data Protection Act and Misuse of Computers Act.

Online media law

  • Date: 11 June
  • Tutor: David Banks

A course that focuses on the media law that particularly affects those working in new media.

The course covers libel, contempt, privacy and confidentiality, copyright, Data Protection Act and Misuse of Computers Act with special reference to cases affecting those working online.

Adding a second string to your bow

  • Date: 23 May (evening)
  • Tutor: Steve Bustin

Times are tough for freelance journalists, with increasing numbers of writers chasing a decreasing number of commissions, leaving many facing a reduced income.

This course examines ways to boost your income by developing a ‘second string to your bow’, developing and selling other services such as corporate copywriting, PR services and paid public speaking.

How to set up a hyperlocal news site

  • Date: 28 May
  • Tutor: Philip John

Want to get a head start in the exciting new world of hyperlocal journalism? This course will guide you through the process, from inception to sustainability. You’ll learn about using the right mix of technology, how to encourage contributions and marketing on a tiny budget, plus we’ll cover the unique set of issues facing hyperlocal sites.

To suggest a course or find out more email me using this link or call 01273 384291.