What's in a Name?

In a matter of three days, Slate published five different articles with name misspellings.  The names included Edgar Allan Poe's middle name,  Kanye West's first name among others.

It's astonishing to think that one organization could allow so many misspellings at all, and even more so in such a short period of time.  It's not like I can even blame the stresses of trying to break news and these stories had to be rushed.  Multiple authors at the same organization all made the same mistake, name misspellings.  What this shows me is that there's a lack of attention to detail at Slate that needs to be fixed and fixed fast.  Because if Slate slips up on small details like names, how can we know that they won't mess up bigger facts down the road?

So I pose the question, does online journalism in general not take enough editorial steps to avoid things like misspellings?  What do organizations need to do to make sure this doesn't happen?

http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/regret-the-error/172065/slate-had-some-issues-with-misspelled-names-last-week/

The Washington Post Social Reader

Last fall, The Washington Post came out with one of the first Facebook social news apps using new technology. It brings stories from the Post, as well as partners The Associated Press, Reuters, Mashable and SB Nation, into Facebook. Much like the WSJ Social app, Washington Post Social Reader gives users stories personalized by what friends have liked and read; Facebook users read the stories without ever leaving Facebook.com.


What do you think of a big news media outlet having a greater presence on social media through this method?
How do you feel about the social reader? Is it to more information about you that friends shouldn't know, or will it get friends interested in reading the articles you read?


http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/146991/washington-posts-social-news-facebook-app-includes-ap-reuters-mashable-sb-nation/

The future of shield laws

Earlier this month, a Fox News employee named Joe Muto started writing a column for Gawker - a New York City-based "news" blog - under the alias of "Fox News Mole." Muto attacked and made fun of Fox as much as humanly possible (http://gawker.com/5900710).

Besides undoubtedly violating countless clauses of his contract, Muto is accused of stealing Fox footage and even computer tampering. A search warrant issued last week for Muto's apartment has brought media lawyers forth who argue he is protected under the state's shield law (http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/top-stories/171709/shield-law-could-protect-fox-mole-joe-muto/).

Is there any need for concern that applying the shield law in this case could weaken the possibility of a future federal shield law?

Social Networking within Social Networking

How Mashable is growing with Google+

Mashable is an independent news site devoted to digital culture and technology and was one of the first publishers to join Google+. Since joining, Mashable has been building their audience on the platform, growing Google+ into one of their top 10 sources of referral traffic. We chatted with Mashable’s Community Manager, Meghan Peters, about their first few months on Google+ and what’s made them so successful.

I think many of us realize that Google+ was a bit of a bust and most people stopped using after it was launched. I found Mashable's endorsement of Google+ to be a strange one and then was obviously curious about money relations and things of that sort. Recently Facebook bought the social networking website Instagram and also bought a newer social networking website called Viddy. How do you feel about these social media websites coming together? And is Facebook the new 21st century monopoly?

5 ways young journalists can stay motivated, thrive in the newsroom

http://www.poynter.org/how-tos/career-development/170328/5-ways-young-journalists-can-stay-motivated-thrive-in-the-newsroom/

Great motivation by Tom Huang at Poynter. Great share by Kate. 
Couple of his bullets points.

So let’s begin.

• Be a learner. I can’t think of another business where you can learn as quickly, widely and, potentially, as deeply as in journalism. Whether you are challenged to understand the latest trends on your beat, how to comb through an obscure public record, or how to employ a classic narrative-writing technique, you are learning something new every day. We make our living by our wits and curiosity. We get paid to ask questions. That’s pretty cool. So even when learning is scary and exasperating (um, what’s that latest tech tool?), let’s embrace that part of our jobs.

• Dream now. I’m pretty sure that you didn’t get into this business expecting it to be easy or to give you a great sense of security. If you are like me, you probably felt “called.” You fell in love with journalism. You dreamt about it. You decided to follow that dream. Well, now you’re here. Give it a year or two. Or three. Give it your best shot. And if your dream doesn’t work out, move on to your next dream. Dreaming gets harder when you get a mortgage and kids, and when your knees and other joints start to sound like a bowl of Rice Krispies. So: Chase your dreams now.

Unpublishing

The Columbia Journalism Review talks about a new situation the increased use of online journalism brings- 'unpublishing.' An editor at a USC digital news website ran into the dilemma after publishing a story about a woman who was laid off her job because her visa was too expensive for her employer. Fast forward a few years and the same woman is asking the editor to remove the story. She is trying to find another job in the United States but since the article is online, her issues with her visa keep coming up and hurting her chances of employment. Online journalism brings a new aspect to media in that stories from years and years ago can be pulled up in seconds. In this situation, what should the editor do? Is there a time period that an article should be removed after? Are there situations where it is acceptable to 'unpublish' an article at the request of the subject?

http://www.cjr.org/the_news_frontier/unpublishing_requests_are_on_t.php?page=all

Power in Journalism

As some of us get set to graduate in less than a month, I thought this article was a nice read. No matter how many times we've gone out for stories, we can all learn how to become a better interview-er. And although we are all talented writers/photographers/editors, conducting an interview can still be a challenge. Some tips by Beth Winegarner.

http://www.poynter.org/how-tos/newsgathering-storytelling/170873/5-ways-journalists-can-overcome-shyness-during-interviews/

Do you agree with her tips? Is there anything else to add, especially for those who are still in school and trying to secure an interview for a student publication and not a professional organization?

Blogging in an old-school setting

Even though the Washington Post deserves to be commended for how well it has adapted to the changing landscape of digital journalism — by creating a Twitter and Facebook presence, adding the Social Reader, incorporating more online journalism strategies such as SEO, etc — this column (it's short and an easy read, promise!) by Patrick B. Pexton, the Post's ombudsman, shows it's still difficult to teach an old dog new tricks. The column primarily focuses on how the publication handles its team of bloggers and the challenges they face. 

The Post maintains incredibly high standards for all its reporters, which apply to online content equally as stringently as its print version. Some of the bloggers felt the older editors were out of touch with the unique needs of blogging as opposed to writing for the paper. Specifically, the young woman (who was right out of college, cough cough...this is relevant) in charge of blogPOST, a blog dedicated to "covering breaking news and conversations on the web" (trending topics, essentially — also relevant for this class) resigned for a series of missteps she took regarding her reporting. A more accurate term, though, would be "aggregating," as the ombudsman pointed out, which can mean treading on dangerous territory that might cross over into plagiarism. The link above leads to her most recent post, which is discussed in Pexton's column (also linked above) and was the final straw leading to her resignation. 

I think we should review the different sides to this story. Was she correct in deciding to resign? Should the Post have offered her and the other bloggers more supports, or at least been more in tune with how blogging and digital aggregating differ from brick and mortar style journalism? Or, are their high standards appropriate given their reputation, and furthermore, maybe even necessary? Is it crucial for journalistic institutions to treat online writers the same as print writers if we hope to preserve the profession of journalism and separate ourselves from any old Tweeter or blogger? Discuss!

YouTube: 7 Years and Millions of Videos Later

Seven years ago Monday, YouTube loaded its first video, the 19-second “Me At the Zoo.”  Here are some recent stats from the company, now a unit of Google.

Source: http://mashable.com/2012/04/23/happy-birthday-youtube-7-year/

o        60 hours of video are uploaded every minute; one hour of video is uploaded every second.

o        More than 4 billion videos are viewed every day.

o        More than 3 billion hours of video are watched each month on YouTube.

o        More video is uploaded to YouTube in one month than the three major U.S. networks created in 60 years.
o In 2011, YouTube had more than 1 trillion views or almost 140 views for every person on earth.
The first video on YouTube, uploaded at 8:27PM on Saturday April 23rd, 2005. The video was shot by Yakov Lapitsky at the San Diego Zoo.

What does "Breaking News" mean anymore?

Author makes some good points, although I would still be accepting of reporting something 24 minutes after it's learned as "breaking."
I do agree a news conference is not "breaking." Maybe "new developments" is more accurate, but will that get viewer's attention?  Or are they so conditioned that "breaking" is just white noise to them anyway?
Are people in newsroom just fooling themselves? Or is it a sign of being out of touch with the audience?

How “Breaking News” Broke the News
Breaking news used to be “news of transcendent importance.” Now it’s a joke.

TMZ got the news up first, 3:30 p.m. ET. Dick Clark was dead at 82, felled by a “massive heart attack.” Because I follow TMZ on Twitter, I got the newsbreak at 3:31. Because a lot of the people I follow also follow TMZ, Clark’s death was announced, analyzed, and (sorry, this is Twitter) joked about for 20 minutes. At 3:52 pm, the CNN app on my iPhone blurped and announced a message:

Television personality Dick Clark, the longtime host of “American Bandstand,” has died, a publicist says.

 

Two minutes later my phone shook again, startled by an alert from USA Today.

BREAKING NEWS: Dick Clark legendary TV entertainer, dies at 82.

Twenty-four minutes after the TMZ scoop, and this was breaking? How’s that supposed to work? Does “breaking news” have any meaning anymore?

Facebook's role in decision-making

Earlier this month, the Detroit Free Press posted on Facebook that they would soon post the 911 phone call from a teenage girl whose boyfriend (and later mother) had been killed. Facebook users sounded off about how the Free Press wanted to post the audio to the call, saying it was "sensationalistic" and "disgusting."

Jeff Sonderman of Poynter points out that there were several journalistic issues about this story: "Was the 911 audio sensationalistic, or valuable reporting? Does a teenage caller deserve more sensitive treatment? Was it right to embed the audio on the news website’s homepage, rather than deeper in the site, so readers would not be confronted by it?"

http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/media-lab/social-media/169623/how-the-detroit-free-press-used-facebook-to-involve-readers-in-a-controversial-publishing-decision/

However, the main question is: How much of a role does/should the audience have in what gets published? What is the role of journalists; to cater to the audience or to simply publish what they think is necessary? The Free Press eventually published it despite Facebook comments. Should they have withheld the audio or not?

Memes in the Media

With social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook already popular, it seems that many meme sites are now becoming influential as well.  People are constantly sharing funny jokes with their friends, and many internet memes relating to public figures in the news, such as "Texts from Hillary" have gone viral.  There is even a "University of Maryland Memes" page on Facebook that has thousands of followers.  What do you make of this trend, and do you think it will last, or just fade out like other internet fads?

Some examples:
quickmeme.com
whatshouldwecallme.tumblr.com
textsfromhillary.tumblr.com

Not to change your mind or anything...

Broadcaster Ranks Among Top 10 Worst Jobs

By Andrew Gauthier on April 11, 2012 11:41 AM

Being a broadcaster is the worst.

That’s according to a new jobs report from CareerCast, which ranked the best and worst professions of 2012.  TV and radio broadcaster ranked #10 on CareerCast’s list of worst jobs, just behind butcher and a few notches better than newspaper reporter.

Here's the best jobs: Jobs Rated 2012: Ranking 200 Jobs From Best to Worst

Web Developer is # 15.

From "misfired" to fired

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2012/04/09/58611/nbc-producer-fired-over-zimmerman-call/format/print

NBC Producer Fired Over Zimmerman Call

By Frazier Moore

 

Associated Press, April 9, 2012 6:15 AM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) -- NBC News has fired a producer for editing a recording of George Zimmerman's call to police the night he shot Trayvon Martin, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said Saturday.
The person was not authorized to talk about the situation publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The identity of the producer was not disclosed.
An NBC spokeswoman declined to comment.
The producer's dismissal followed an internal investigation that led to NBC apologizing for having aired the misleading audio.

Report: ‘Seasoned’ NBC staffer misfired in Zimmerman case

By Erik Wemple

George Zimmerman, victim of accidental or deliberate misportrayal by NBC? (AP/Orlando Sentinel) Reuters reported last night that a “seasoned” staffer at NBC’s “Today” show was responsible for the much-discussed George Zimmerman foul-up. Citing two anonymous NBC sources, Reuters revealed that that NBC interviewed a “half dozen” employees as part of its investigation into how the show misleadingly edited the dispatcher’s call with Zimmerman that preceded the killing of Trayvon Martin.

Reuters story: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/06/us-usa-crime-martin-nbc-idUSBRE83502B20120406

The Today show's editorial control policies - which include a script editor, senior producer oversight, and in most cases legal and standards department reviews of material to be broadcast - missed the selective editing of the call, said the NBC executive.

Executives have vowed to take rigorous steps to formalize editorial safeguards in the news division following the incident, one of the sources said.

NBC News staffers who have been working on the Trayvon Martin story for several weeks in Florida were at first "in shock" over the incident, and later furious, another source, who is an NBC producer, told Reuters.

Majority of people who read news now get it on handheld devices

How will this affect the type of journalist you become?

Majority of people who read news now get it on handheld devices

by Jeff Sonderman
Published Apr. 9, 2012 11:54 am Updated Apr. 9, 2012 11:55 am

Pew Internet
More than half of Americans who regularly read news get it on handheld digital devices, according to new research. The Pew Internet & American Life Project found 54 percent of news-reading adults turn to cell phones, tablets or e-readers (question 23). There’s good news for writers: ”41% of tablet owners and 35% of e-reader owners said they were reading more since the advent of e-content.”
The main focus of the Pew survey was on e-books and how Americans are embracing them. A few interesting facts:

• One-fifth read e-books. 21 percent of all American adults said they had read an e-book in the past year.
• The prototypical e-reading person. The most-typical e-reader owner is a woman, 30 to 49 years old, who graduated from college and has a household income exceeding $75,000.
• E-book readers pay. Only 48 percent of people had purchased the most recent printed book they read; the majority had borrowed it or acquired it some other way. But a higher number, 64 percent, had paid for their most recent e-book.
• Pros and cons. Readers prefer e-books over print books because of efficient purchasing, ease of use while traveling and having a wide selection. But they prefer print books for reading with a child and for the ability to share them with others.

Class Discussion Links 4/2/12

NBC to do ‘internal investigation’ on Zimmerman segment

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/post/nbc-to-do-internal-investigation-on-zimmerman-segment/2012/03/31/gIQAc4HhnS_blog.html?hpid=z6

NBC News Sends Correction over Twitter

Cool site: whatshouldwecallme.tumblr.com