Blog etiquette

It may be obvious, but it’s apparently worth repeating. It’s okay to quote someone else’s writings on your blog, but not to appropriate them. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle spells it out this way, after reminding readers that what’s on their site is protected by copyright law:
It’s not considered polite to paste the entire story [...]

Data as journalism

Data should be a driving force in online journalism, writes Rich Gordon of Northwestern in a post for the Readership Institute. In his view, the Gannett newspapers are leading the way thanks to the company’s restructuring of its newsrooms into converged “information centers.” Why data?

Data is “evergreen” content. Its value to users [...]

Advice to young journalists

One of the most creative minds in online journalism belongs to a guy named Rob Curley, now with Washington Post-Newsweek Interactive. He’s been called an Internet pioneer, but he’s pretty old-fashioned when it comes to his message to young journalists.
Be able to write and report your ass off, and have a great mindset when [...]

Convergence controversy

The FCC is once again talking about changing the rules that prevent companies from owning a TV station and a newspaper in the same town. But, according to the New York Times, the rule change might actually force some companies to sell off a TV station or newspaper in the same town. Here’s [...]

“Pocket journalism” via smartphone

Smartphones are getting smarter all the time. The newest ones not only have cameras, audio recorders and music players, but also WiFi, GPS mapping, and a full suite of office software. Add a foldable keyboard and you’re in business. But are smartphones really ready to replace laptop computers? Maybe for some [...]

Debate analyzer

Here’s a new way to cover a candidate debate online. The New York Times created a very cool “transcript analyzer” for the 2007 presidential debates that let users see exactly who said what and when. You can type in a word or phrase and see how many times each candidate said it. [...]

Understanding “net neutrality”

What happens if the big Internet service providers (ISPs) decided to make some online content more readily available than other content? And what if the easy access is provided just to content produced by companies that pay the ISPs for the privelege? Sounds a little scary, right?
Well, that’s the controversy behind the issue [...]

Working under pressure

Journalism isn’t an easy job anywhere in the world, but in some parts of the world, it’s downright dangerous. Wael Abbas, an Egyptian blogger, and May Thingyan Hein, a Burmese freelance reporter, have both pushed the limits in their countries by writing about controversial topics at a time when fellow journalists are being censored [...]

Tapeless in Savannah

While TV news hasn’t had “Film at 11″ for decades, many stations still “go to the videotape.” But the days of using that phrase are numbered, too. In Savannah, Ga., [market #97], the WTOC-TV newsroom went tapeless this summer. Reporter Charles Gray wrote in the station’s newsletter that the advantages are obvious: [...]

Are reporters doomed?

A British newspaper editor is predicting “the end of the reporter” in a new media world. David Leigh of the Guardian envisions a future in which “news bunnies” and bloggers will have a role to play, but not “proper reporters.” His contention is that the real power of reporting does not lie with journalists [...]