The problems experienced by newspapers and journalists using Atex’s content management system have been well documented – especially Johnston Press’ run-ins with the technology. So it was dismay that Journalism.co.uk saw this badly cropped photo on the front of our local paper the Argus in Brighton today:
This is how it should have looked from an image of the graffiti on JP’s Hastings & St Leonards Observer site:
Future of News group organiser Adam Westbrook has summarised last week’s meet-up on his blog and also updates on the birth of three UK splinter groups: in Brighton, South Wales and the West Midlands. Full post at this link…
On Sarah Booker’s suggestion, I set up a page for the Brighton group: places are filling fast for our first meeting on 8 February, featuring developer Simon Willison (behind the Guardian‘s MP expenses crowdsourcing project and wildlifenearyou.com) and the Argus online editor, Jo Wadsworth. So put your name down quickly!
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UK local newspaper title the Brighton Argus has published an apology on its website to Martyn Smith, the Bafta-nominated TV director, producer and writer, after wrongly identifying him its story Brighton TV producer escapes jail for “repulsive” child porn collection.
The Argus has offered an unreserved apology and to its credit published it online at 7:15pm on 22 December – just over 24 hours after the story was published. The original story also appears to have been taken down from the site, though a cached version remains in Google News.
Interestingly the story is (at time of writing) the third most popular story on the paper’s website – good news for the wrongly identified subject?
This, and an excellent post from Andy Dickinson, made me consider how online tools on newspaper websites (such as traffic counts and commenting systems) can be used for transparency in such cases.
Dickinson’s post refers to a recent apology by the Northumberland Gazette – a Johnston Press title that has a pay wall in place on its website. The apology in this case was published behind the pay wall.
Whether this was purposeful or an oversight, it suggests that pay walls will throw up problems for newspapers, transparency and the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) with regards to its recommendations for publishing apologies and corrections, says Dickinson.
If I am going to pay someone for this stuff then one of the things I should want to know is just how accurate their content is and how transparent they are.
I for one would like to see all corrections and clarifications made free and visible on all parts of media orgs websites before the paywall. That way I can make an informed choice.
What other simple tools or processes should online newspapers be using to encourage transparency?
#FollowJourn: Jo Wadsworth
Who? Web editor of The Argus.
What? Leader in editing the Argus website, develops daily news service, and builds communities.
Where? @jowadsworth
Contact? jo.wadsworth@theargus.co.uk
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 judith or laura at journalism.co.uk; or to @journalismnews.
Journalism.co.uk has learned that Newsquest is considering closing the printing presses for the Argus in Brighton.
Fifty-three jobs could be lost as a result, Journalism.co.uk was informed by a member of staff at the paper, and a 30-day consultation period will be undertaken.
We will follow up for further information with the concerned parties, although an enquiry to Newsquest Sussex yesterday about proposed subbing job cuts received this response: “We do not comment on our business.”
Update: The company did not wish to comment, when contacted.
(Jon Slattery beat us to it and noted reported closure of the presses on his blog too).
Yesterday we reported:
“There is speculation among staff members that the Argus will move ‘most if not all’ of its production to the Southampton centre in the future.
“‘They’re also proposing to move a subbing job focused on ad features, and six advertising jobs on the Propertynet online system, to Southampton,’ the chapel member said.”
A nice hyperlocal story in which Journalism.co.uk plays a wee bit o’ a role.
A few weeks ago a good discussion got going at the Frontline Club on the future of regional media.
Roy Greenslade, journalism professor, blogger and resident of Brighton said:
“It’s for the good of the whole community that it [a local newspaper] acts. That loss is something people won’t necessarily be fighting for because they don’t know they’re losing it. We as journalists – that’s our job – it’s for us to ensure that we try and fight to save it.”
In the audience, next to your very own Journalism.co.uk contingent (we didn’t quite out-number the ex-Press Gazetters) sat Jo Wadsworth, who started as web editor of the Brighton Argus in February.
Now – as context – Jo Wadsworth had corrected one ‘Weige’ on Greenslade’s blog a little while back. Weige had it on ‘good authority’ that the Argus didn’t have an online team. Oh yes it does, retorted its new web editor.
Fast-forward a few months: Greenslade’s comments at the Frontline got Wadsworth thinking. Wouldn’t it be good to get him to put his hyperlocal money where his hyperlocal mouth was, she cheekily joked to Journalism.co.uk afterwards. Go on… we egged her on. J.co.uk, for one, had been impressed by his local butcher knowledge over a drink in the bar afterwards.
So, today comes this announcement from Roy Greenslade:
“So, dear readers, since I happen to live – at least part of the year, anyway – in the city of Brighton and Hove, I am planning to become the community reporter for the Kemp Town area of Brighton.
“Now that’s what I call going back to basics.”
Jo Wadsworth had this to say to Journalism.co.uk: “We were talking after the Frontline event about Kemp Town, where I’ve just moved to, and it became very clear he was passionate about the neighbourhood he’s lived in for many years. From there, it was an obvious step to take to invite him to be our newest community correspondent – and the first, I hope of many more.”
And Greenslade? His patch is not exactly defined yet, he told Journalism.co.uk, but he has started to form some ideas.
“I hope to take up topical issues raised by the people who live in what is a very diverse community, whether it be the proposals to develop the marina and the Blackrock shoreline or the continuing annoyance of litter and rubbish on the streets. And I expect to open a dialogue with the city’s councillors who represent the area. What do they do? Who are the community police officers, and how do they operate?
“I want to highlight some of the characters who one sees on the streets and in the shops. I also plan to deal with some of the rich history of the Regency houses, which were originally homes to the titled, the famous and well-heeled. Though there are many blue plaques in this area, for example, many the names mean nothing to current residents. Who was Harrison Ainsworth, for instance, the man who once lived in the Arundel Terrace house where I have lived for 38 years?
“I guess I might get into arts and culture too, with the Bombay Bar as one obvious prospect.”
We’ll keep you posted with the link to Greenslade’s content when it goes live. Journalism.co.uk, also residents of Brighton, will definitely be making the most of his local contribution.
A study by the University of Sussex has suggested that newspapers are a better way to reduce stress than listening to music or going for a walk.
The South Wales Argus has added an innovative multimedia element to their campaign against hoax callers to the fire service.
The paper has added audio clips of hoax calls to their campaign page in the hope readers will identify the culprits.
“The campaign will feature particularly nasty or persistent callers that continually blight the life and death work done by firefighters,” says the Argus, which has selected seven calls so far.
According to results release by its parent company Gannett, Newsquest’s network of newspaper websites in the UK recorded 4.8 million unique users last year.
While this is a rise from last May’s ABCe figures – which showed a figure of around 4.5 million unique users to the sites – the numbers seem low, given the portfolio includes over 180 websites, boasting such titles as The Herald in Glasgow, The Press in York and Bradford’s Telegraph & Argus.
Are the numbers smaller than expected? – I’m trying to get hold of someone at Newsquest and I’ll let you know the response.
Update – No one at Newsquest could give me an official comment, as the figures were released by Gannett and not them. One contact, however, did point out to me that whatever the level of traffic announced the fact that Newsquest participates in the ABCe audit gives a reliable point of reference.
Newsquest, Northcliffe, Kent Online and the Midlands News Association are the only regional news publishers to have their sites audited – where are the other players?
‘There are some people who see conspiracies everywhere. As every newsroom knows, there is no shortage of people complaining that the CIA is plotting to murder them or the Government is putting brain-changing chemicals in Spam.’