Ted Rall Cartoon: How (Not) to Save Newspapers

Ted Rall spotlights the strategy that too many newspapers continue to cling to...

... and another story tip from Reportr.net: Paywalls not the answer for newspaper online revenue...

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2009 Not Good for Journalists vs. Censors

Censors got the best of many journalists around the world last year, according to an alarming analysis by Reporters Without Borders reported today on MediaShift:

For the first time since the Internet emerged as a tool for public use, there are currently 100 bloggers and cyber-dissidents imprisoned worldwide as a result of posting their opinions online in 2009, according to Reporters Without Borders. This figure is indicative of the severity of the crackdowns being carried out in roughly 10 countries around the world. ...

The number of countries pursuing online censorship doubled in the past year -- a disturbing trend that suggests governments seek to increase their control over new media. In total, 151 bloggers and cyber-dissidents were arrested in 2009, and 61 were physically assaulted.

It might seem easy to dismiss reports such as this because it's happening "someplace else," such as Iran or China. However, in the wired world of today, around the world might just as well be around the block.

The next journalist/blogger/newscaster to feel the brunt of censors may live in the democracy next door. As the story notes, several European nations along with Australia are looking at ways to "control the Internet." Beware ...

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Update:

• See Mashable: "Zen and the Art of Twitter"
• Mashable: "How Social Media Has Changed Us"

On Newspapers: Looking Back and Ahead

In his final column for Editor & Publisher, Steve Outing takes a trip into newspapers' recent past and offers some predictions for the industry's future. As he notes, hindsight is always 20/20. Nevertheless, it's interesting to explore what newspapers might have done to head off the calamity they face today and the future that some still may achieve.

As much as I have loved newspapers, since the Web came along in late 1993, it hasn't been the paper, per se, that I loved -- but rather the type of journalism that newspaper companies were able to produce. While far from perfect, newspapers were able to afford the big editorial staffs, which other media forms could not, to cover their communities well and (often) uncover mistakes, corruption and wrongdoing by government and business.

Unfortunately, he notes, newspaper executives failed to see the transition to digital technology and early on could have explored Internet businesses to complement their news-gathering operations, including developing mobile and other platforms for delivering news content. Lord knows they had the money to spend, and spend they did -- on other "old" media properties instead of looking ahead.

"Ahh, that sounds so simple," he concludes. "If only someone had created a time machine in the mid-1990s, then comic-strip artists and late-night comics wouldn't be making fun of newspapers as today's buggy-whip makers."

Outing sees a variety of scenarios for the future of newspapers, ranging from small independently owned operations that can succeed in print (for a little while) to larger operations collaborating with independent journalists, bloggers and news aggregators.

Newspaper companies that do survive and prosper do so by devoting significant resources (at executive and technical levels) to mobile as the next platform of opportunity. They don't repeat the mistakes of a decade earlier made with the Web, but instead raise mobile to a top priority. ... Newspapers that do well adapt quickly to the instant nature of crowd-sourced news (e.g., aggregating and filtering eyewitness reports from Twitter), rather than fight it.

The newspapers that will succeed are those that go on the offensive, innovating and experimenting with new platforms and news-gathering models.

It's an interesting read.

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Photo credit: "Jumbo Multi-wheat Krispies + New York Times on the Kindle" by inju, courtesy of Flickr.com/Creative Commons

SPJ Offers Training for Journalists, Students

Journalists, both the professional and the student variety, have an outstanding opportunity to learn from other experts this Saturday, Oct. 24, at the University of Oregon.

The Oregon and Southwest Washington chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists will host the third annual "Building at Better Journalist" conference in UO's School of Journalism and Communication (Allen Hall). Registration opens at 8 a.m., with the keynote talk at 9 a.m.

On the agenda are sessions on writing, mobile reporting, producing video for the Web, covering business before and after a crisis, and career-building. Speakers include reporters, editors and photojournalists from the Oregonian, Investigate West, Willamette Week, KGW Media Group, ReadWriteWeb and the New York Times.

Click here for more details...

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Make "Web-first" Your News-gathering Mantra

Having trouble building that "Web-first" mindset into your news-gathering operation? This CoPress slide show may be just what you and your staff need to get rolling ... finally ...

It lays out a week-by-week to-do list and inspires at the same time. Here's an example:

Week 6-9: Really take control of live and breaking coverage. This can be as simple as posting event recaps (e.g. sports games, debates, concerts) online within a few hours after they’re over, because that’s when people will be looking. During those same events, post pictures and tweets that your readers will be interested in, and make sure to keep an eye on feedback from your users too.

It's got a variety of good reminders, items that will make you say "duh" but wonder why you're not doing them, and a simple game plan for getting the job done.

So what are you waiting for?

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New Commuter Crew on Board for Summer

Summer may be a slow time on campus, but several LBCC journalism students are putting their reporting, writing, photography and other talents to work this summer at the Commuter.

The online campus information and entertainment resource is marking its first anniversary this summer. The new staff is looking to add a variety of new features this year and regular readers can expect to begin seeing some changes later this summer.

The core group includes new Editor-in-chief Ryan Henson, Managing Editor Max Brown and Photo Editor Eve Bruntlett.

If there's something you'd like to see in the Commuter or have other comments to share with the staff, drop them a line at commuter@linnbenton.edu or call 541-917-4451.

The editors also are looking to fill out the staff heading into the 2009-10 school year, so be sure to let them know if you'd like to contribute this summer and fall.

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Commuter Heads to 'Collegiate Day' at OSU

Members of the Commuter staff will be at Oregon State University on Friday learning more about journalism and celebrating their accomplishments at the annual awards program put on by the Oregon Newspapers Foundation.

"Collegiate Day" this year will feature seminars on newspaper design, internships, online journalism, open records/meeting laws, and sports writing. It runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at OSU.

At the awards program the Commuter is seeking to improve upon last year, when it earned Second Place in General Excellence among the state's non-daily college newspapers.

The staff already has been notified that it has won awards in these categories: best online site, best graphic, best editorial, best spot news photo, best sports photo. On Friday afternoon the staff will learn whether those are First, Second or Third-place awards.

Good luck Commuters! You've done a great job this year!

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(Photo credit: "Trophy" by bernd ploderer, courtesy of Flickr.com)

J-Schools Adapt to New Media Reality

These days, journalists must be as knowledgeable about social networking and Web streaming as crafting an effective lede and nut graf.

A story in the New York Times sums up how many journalism colleges are adapting to change, not only teaching students electronic media skills but also entrepreneurship, which they can put to use creating their own jobs in the next era of journalism.

Surprising to many, the article notes, a number of college journalism programs are seeing an increase in enrollment even as media companies are consolidating and laying off reporters, editors and others.

The attraction? Many young people continue to view journalism as an enterprising career in which they can share their ideas and tell stories through various media to make a difference in their communities. This growth trend includes the number of students taking journalism classes at LBCC as well as Oregon State University.

Meanwhile, journalism faculty are challenged to keep up with students who often are ahead of their instructors in using social networking and other technology. As the article notes:

“New media” doesn’t mean transplanting old media to a new medium; it requires a new vocabulary, a new relationship with the audience — a massive social network that now talks back — and, sometimes, a new set of expectations about objectivity and timeliness.

At stake is a generation of reporters, and the continued role of journalists as the eyes, ears and questioners for the public.

The changes are forcing colleges and universities to rethink what a journalism education should look like.

The days are past when journalism programs can be content to turn out new reporters, editors and photographers, notes Times media reporter Brian Stelter. The new media demands "all-platform journalists" adept at not only gathering information and crafting compelling stories, but also shooting and editing audio and video pieces.

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(Photo credit: "Online newswire" by noodlepie, courtesy of Flickr.com)

Jarvis to Newspapers: You Blew It!

New media advocate and journalism professor Jeff Jarvis has three words for the newspaper industry: You blew it.

In one of the better rants laying out the ineptitude of the industry to adapt in the new millennium, Jarvis comments on the state of newspapers in this BuzzMachine missive in connection with the Newspaper Association of America meeting in San Diego last week:

You’ve had 20 years since the start of the web, 15 years since the creation of the commercial browser and craigslist, a decade since the birth of blogs and Google to understand the changes in the media economy and the new behaviors of the next generation of - as you call them, Mr. Murdoch - net natives. You’ve had all that time to reinvent your products, services, and organizations for this new world, to take advantage of new opportunities and efficiencies, to retrain not only your staff but your readers and advertisers, to use the power of your megaphones while you still had it to build what would come next. But you didn’t.

You blew it.

Jarvis, author of the book "What Would Google Do?" and a professor at City University of New York, chronicles all the opportunities missed by the newspaper industry, which was too busy protecting its own turf, ignoring customers and resisting change while Google and others recognized the digital revolution and ate their lunch.

Jarvis has little sympathy for newspaper publishers who have only themselves to blame for their industry's demise. He concludes:

So now, for many of you, there isn’t time. It’s simply too late. The best thing some of you can do is get out of the way and make room for the next generation of net natives who understand this new economy and society and care about news and will reinvent it, building what comes after you from the ground up. There’s huge opportunity there, for them.

Take that!

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(Photo credit: "Jeff Jarvis" by eirikso, courtesy of Flickr.com)

Odes to the P-I, Rocky Mountain News

I don't really have much to say about these videos. One chronicles the end of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in print, though it continues online.

The other focuses on Denver's Rocky Mountain News, which remains online in a state of suspended animation. (Former staffers of the Rocky Mountain News have just launched a new online news site called INDenverTimes.com.)

Sadly, these videos speak for themselves. They are "must-see" if you are a fan of newspapers. Unfortunately, I fear they are not the last of their kind.

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Final Edition from Matthew Roberts on Vimeo.

A Crash Course in Photojournalism

Looking for a crash course on photojournalism? Mindy McAdams has just what you're looking for in a new post on her very helpful and inspiring blog, Teaching Online Journalism.

In this seventh post of her series, “Reporter’s Guide to Multimedia Proficiency,” she tackles photojournalism. In "Learn How to Shoot Decent Photos" McAdams covers those basics on why still photos still matter, and why it's essential for young journalists to know how to take a good photo. She writes:

"Every journalist should be able to capture a decent photo in a breaking news situation. You might be the only journalist on the scene. Sure, today it’s likely that 100 people with cell-phone cameras will be on the scene too — but why shouldn’t YOU be the one who captures the Page One image that gets picked up by Reuters or AFP and zapped around the world?"

She goes on to say that you don't need the most sophisticated photo equipment to get the job done. What matters is that you know what makes a good photo, and that you can get the shot when it counts.

Finally, she has the same message I've been drilling into my students this term: Practice, practice, practice!

"Shoot lots of photos of EACH thing you think is worth shooting. Since photojournalism is real life and not posed, your subjects will be moving and changing. Part of the trick to getting a good shot is to shoot waaay more pictures than you ever did on your summer vacation."

So, what are you waiting for, get out there and take some more photos!

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(Photo credit: "Kuwait Free Photographers" by NoNo^Q8 - Free Photographer, courtesy of Flickr.com)

Bloggers Excel Where Other Media Won't

Where newspapers and other media neglect to cover issues important to readers, bloggers are filling the void, according to a Simon Owens on MediaShift.

He chronicles several places where bloggers have taken on a particular topic -- politics, crime, land-use planning -- and gained a significant following. Why? Because people passionate about those issues see that bloggers share their passion and often are better connected than those in the media.

Another attraction? Bloggers aren't afraid to call it as they see it. And why shouldn't they if they've built their credibility by providing readers with the most timely, accurate and extensive coverage. Owens notes:

"As city daily papers continue to strain under the pressure of massive reporter layoffs, hundreds of knowledgeable and independent local bloggers are rising up and finding themselves with small, niche audiences that sometimes provide massive political sway."

The rising ability of bloggers to better serve these "niche audiences" is one of the reasons we're teaching young journalists this valuable skill.

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(Photo credit: "Moo cards..." by Mexicanwave, courtesy of Flickr.com)

Good Job Advice for Journalism Students

I remember earning my journalism degree and thinking I was ready for my dream job as a reporter at the Los Angeles Times or the Orange County Register. That was several dream jobs and more than 20 years ago.

Which is to say you never know when or where your career in journalism will lead you. New media professor Mindy McAdams has some good advice for young journalists who will be looking for work before they know it: Think of that first job as the stepping stone to the job you really want.

"If you see the kind of job you would like to have, then make sure your first job will serve as good preparation for that future job," she writes in her online journalism blog.

With all that's happening online, this is one of the most exciting times ever to be getting into journalism. Sure the media is going through some tough times now, but that will change.

As always, young journalists should be looking for any way they can to get their foot in the door, whether it's an internship or a part-time/freelance reporting gig. Think twice about holding out for the the next opportunity to come your way. As McAdams points out:

"That first two years might be tough — long hours and low pay, just like you’ve been told all along. But I believe there is still light at the end of the tunnel for young journalists who pay their dues (just like always) and acquire a flexible skill set.

"Read those job ads, and make note of what the jobs you really want are asking for."

** For even more good information/inspiration on getting ahead, see this blog post on "Everyday Journalism" by Suzanne Yada.

** Also see the great advice in "Top 10 List of Tips for Journalism Students" by Greg Linch.

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(Photo credit: "Me & My Powerbook" by Brian "DoctaBu" Moore, courtesy of Flickr.com)