Tag Archives: us

Ariana Huffington: ‘Journalism will not only survive but thrive’

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“…but the discussion needs to move on from ‘how are we going to save newspapers’ to ‘how do we save and strengthen journalism, however it is delivered’,” Huffington Post founder Ariana Huffington said yesterday in her testimony on the future of journalism to a US senate sub-committee.

“We’re in the middle of a golden age for news consumption (…) the future of journalism is not dependent on the future of newspapers.”

Lots of very interesting comments from Huffington – obituaries for many newspapers are unnecessary; press credentials for events need to be reviewed to include more digital journalists.

Full post and videos at this link…

Christian Science Monitor: Boston Globe closure by New York Times postponed

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The New York Times has suspended a move to shut down the Boston Globe following an agreement with six of the titles seven unions.

The paper is reportedly set to lose NYTimes Co $85 million this year – but could it be saved and restructured to create a model for recession survival, asks Alexandra Marks from CSM.

Full story at this link…

New Voices journalism grant winners for 2009 announced

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Eight hyperlocal, community media projects from across the United States have been chosen as New Voices grant winners for 2009.

New Voices, which is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, helps to finance the launch of local news projects. It also provides technical support to create new ways for people to take part in public life.

The judging panel made its decision from more than 300 applicants, which all have a specific geographic community focus.

The winners include GrossePointeToday.com, Oakland Local and Backyard News.

A full list of the winners can be see at this link.

New York Observer: Variety and the shifting Hollywood ‘press corp’

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“There is no power structure. It’s all turned inside out and upside down. Everyone claims victory, but no one seems to have it, nobody is powerful enough to measure it. And, above all, it’s one nasty, mean, shrill place,” says John Koblin about Hollywood and the now shared agenda between ‘established’ press and online independents.

Variety is one title facing this challenge – and looking to pay walls, for archive and specialised content, to boost falling revenues from advertising.

Full article at this link…

ASNE: Newspaper staff numbers fall, as online journalists rise

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Missed this release from the American Society of News Editors (ASNE) detailing the results of its annual employment survey in the US daily newspaper industry.

Figures from last year suggest a loss of 5,900 newsroom jobs at daily newspapers – a drop in journalists of 11.3 per cent.

In contrast, the 2008 survey suggests 2,300 newsroom journalists were working online-only – and increase of 600 from 2007.

Full release at this link…

Advancing The Story: Is state-funded news ethical?

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KOTV and KWTV, two Ohio-based broadcasters, are to run stories about a state-sponsored insurance program – and getting funded by the state themselves for doing so, according to Advancing The Story.

ATS suggests the way in which the programmes are being broadcast hasn’t been transparent enough about the state aid.

But is there a way for news organisations to run paid-for stories in an ethically responsible way?

Full post at this link…

FTM: Google’s Eric Schmidt leaves newspaper conference ‘unscathed’

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Followthemedia reports on Eric Schmidt’s address to the Newspaper Association of America (NAA) yesterday, in which the Google boss said he believed a mixture of ad-supported free content, micropayments and access-all-areas subscription will have to be included on the newspaper website of the future.

But according to FTM, Schmidt didn’t suggest enough ways for Google and newspaper publishers to work together – but then the publishers in the audience didn’t challenge him enough either.

“He [Schmidt] basically believes a newspaper will have its print and internet numbers right if readership is at least five times higher – preferably 10 times higher – on the web than it is in print,” says FTM.

“But again, he didn’t address, and no one asked him, how print was to stay in business with so much of the advertising spend diverted to the web and how maybe that 5:1 or 10:1 ratio could mean that the print financials were no longer viable.”

Full story at this link…

Also, a full but unofficial transcript of the Q&A at PoynterOnline (with removal of incomplete sentences, Julie Moos notes): ‘Transcript of Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s Q&A at NAA‘