In this morning’s MediaGuardian, technology journalist Charles Arthur says that technology journalists are the pioneers of new gadgets, and the ones in the industry to keep an eye on:
“[I]f you want to find out how you’re going to be working in a few years’ time, watch the technology journalists.
“[The BBC’s technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones] tends to be in the forefront of trying new technologies – from email to the web to Skype to cloud computing to iPhones to Facebook to Twitter.”
“What happens when a reporter who authors a respected Twitter page moves to the competition? Can she take the identity with her as part of her personal brand? Can the paper assert ownership?” asks Hart Van Denburgh referencing the case of a US reporter for the Pioneer Press, who recently moved to the competition, but left her Twitter account behind.
The Pioneer Press’ own technology correspondent, Julio Ojeda-Zapata, recommends companies issue formal or informal guidelines on using social media and rules on who owns and controls branded accounts.
Channel 4 is cutting its lunchtime news bulletin and More4 News ‘as part of a cost-cutting move that will place a number of journalism jobs under threat,’ the Guardian reports.
“Staff at ITN, which produces Channel 4’s news output, were told of the decision at lunchtime today. Channel 4 said the aim of the cuts was to protect the flagship 7pm bulletin, presented by Jon Snow.”
Benjamin Cohen, technology correspondent for Channel 4 News, tweeted:
“Grim staff meeting. News at Noon and More4 News cancelled. Wonder how it will be reflected on-screen tonight (…)”
Then:
“Tweet that Channel4 News at Noon and More4 News are axed spread like wildfire. Very tough story to cover I assume.”
Update: A spokesperson for ITN told Journalism.co.uk:
“We are immensely proud of the high quality programming produced for Channel 4. Whilst we are very disappointed that the financial challenges facing the channel have left them with no option but to reduce budgets, we’ve worked in partnership with Channel 4 to identify savings which will not jeopardise the quality and integrity of the flagship Channel 4 News bulletin. We look forward to continuing to provide the programme for many years to come.”
The BBC’s technology correspondent describes his experience of using the tools to cover an Apple music event.
Over on the BBC dot.life blog Rory Cellan-Jones debates the pros and cons of Twitter – where does the professional cross with the personal? What’s public and what’s private on the web?
Cellan-Jones, the BBC’s technology correspondent, had a recent wake-up call when PR contacts tracked his Twitters. A light-hearted blog by Cellan-Jones on the topic of Scrabulous led to an equally light-hearted message to a Twitter follower, which was then quoted on another website in a more serious manner.
In the latest posting he writes, ‘It’s a ‘a useful reminder that Twitter – like so many other online forums – is a public place, and what you say there may be used in evidence against you.’ He thinks that perhaps he ‘can no longer afford to be quite so careless.’
Needless to say, Journalism.co.uk is now keenly following Cellan-Jones’ tweets. Follow us too: @journalismnews, strictly professionally of course…
Clark Boyd, technology correspondent for The World – a joint production by the BBC and US public service broadcaster WGBH – discusses the merits of podcasting in this video.
Boyd says there is a future for audio content in this form, which will not be supplanted by video.