February 05, 2010
Monitoring Change in Journalism - What's New
News on Media in Transition
5 February
Sweden: Over 100 Staff Made Redundant at Dagens Nyheter
Dagens Nyheter (DN), one of the most popular daily newspapers in Sweden,
announced plans to cut more than
100 jobs after it recorded a loss of € 9.51
million. Staff in the editorial department are most likely to be affected. The
management of DN explained that the company faces a difficult financial
situation with increasing competition from other media such as online media and
free newspapers. The management also warned that a series of further
cost-cutting programmes will be introduced after the job cuts.
http://www.thelocal.se/24788/20100204/
http://www.sjf.se/portal/page?_pageid=53,6172478&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&element_id=12689486
UK: The Guardian Launches Social Trend Index - ‘Zeitgeist'
The Guardian today announced that it is
launching a social trend index ‘Zeitgeist'. Like ‘Local Trend' of the social
networking website Twitter (See MCJ 29 January), The Guardian's Zeitgeist
provides ‘a visual map' of the most popular news and articles on its website to readers, enabling
them to see what's hot at a glance. However, Zeitgeist is still in an experimental stage. It is not clear where
this 'social trend index' will lead to or whether it is just a
marketing stunt.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/insideguardian/2010/feb/03/zeitgeist
4 February
US: Ethical Guidelines for Social Media
As an increasing number of journalists and media organisations is using
social media for news reporting and gathering, maintaining ethical standards
online becomes necessary. The Radio Television Digital News Association
(RTDNA), an association representing electronic journalists in the US radio,
television and all digital media, has released its ''social media
and blogging guidelines'' for journalists to follow. The ethical
guidelines for social media will serve as a supplement to the existing Code of
Ethics for the journalists' association'. These guidelines are mostly
based on the core principles of truth and fairness which represent the
best practice of journalism in traditional media, but they also include advice
on how to (re)use content from blogs and social media.
http://www.rtdna.org/pages/media_items/social-media-and-blogging-guidelines1915.php?g=37?id=1915
3 February
Media Conglomerate, News Corp, Records $254m in Adverse Media Climate
After winning the nation's minds as the most trusted news channel in the
US (see MCJ 29 January), News Corporation, owner of Fox News, announced its
latest triumph on making a massive profit of $254 million in the fourth quarter
of 2009 despite the adverse media climate the industry is facing. The $254
million profit came mostly from its cable film and TV
programmes, whereas written media such as The Wall Street Journal, The
Times, Sunday Times and The Sun are still trying
to implement a business model based on paid content. Rupert Murdoch,
owner of News Corp also revealed in an interview that he is in 'advanced'
discussions with portable device developers about a subscription model allowing
consumers to access media content online.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/feb/03/murdoch-news-corp-increases-profit
The Netherlands:
RNW Partners with New Internet Platform VJ Movement
Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW), the Dutch public
broadcasting service announced its new joint venture with the Internet
platform Video Journalism Movement. (VJ Movement). VJ Movement was an open
source Internet platform providing short video documentaries on "non-mainstream" issues.
Videos are produced by its members who claimed to be"experienced video
journalists" from all over the world. The website is sponsored by
various media foundations and donations from governments and other
non-governmental organisations, as well as an annual membership fee
of €35. All material published on the website is subject to its
editorial/ethical scrutiny and members of the public can complain to
its editorial team for any ethical violations.
http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/video-journalists-shed-light-forgotten-stories
2 February
Conference
Calls on EU to Act on Crisis for Media and Journalism
A conference organised by
the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) at the European Parliament has
demanded fresh action from European political leaders to confront the media
crisis that is overwhelming journalism across the region. The conference on the
future of journalism was hosted at the European Parliament in Brussels
and heard that thousands of journalists and media staff across Europe were
being thrown out of work, titles were closing down and media were in turmoil in
the face of market changes which undermined Europe's
dual system of private and public media. Speakers called for urgent action to
address the crisis and to ensure that media pluralism and high quality
journalism remains in place within the European Union.
http://europe.ifj.org/en/articles/efj-conference-calls-on-eu-to-act-on-crisis-for-media-and-journalism
Analysis:
What
Media Crisis are we Talking About? Journalists Destroy some Myths
In the past weeks, several journalists and academics published in-depth analysis of the "media crisis" and reacted to a series of current prejudices. In "Don't let Murdoch Rewrites our Media History", Josh Stearns argued that a prosperous and independent media industry is not inconsistent with public support to media, quite to the contrary. According to him, "subsidies may well have been the second greatest expense of the federal budget of the early [US] Republic, following the military". He pointed out that precisely "the commercial media that Murdoch [...] so fiercely defends have pushed diverse viewpoints off the air".
Veteran
journalists John Nichols and Robert McChesney also dismissed some myths of the
current "crisis" in their recent article on "How to Save
Journalism" published in the The Nation. "The most dangerous
misconception has to do with journalism itself. Journalism is a classic
"public good"--something society needs and people want but market
forces are now incapable of generating in sufficient quality or quantity--,
write Nichols and McChesney. "This takes us to the second great
misconception: that the crisis in journalism was created by the rise of the
Internet and the current recession. In fact, the crisis began in earnest in the
1970s and was well under way by the 1990s".
As David Simon
stated last year during a Hearing of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee,
"we know now - because bankruptcy has opened the books - that the Baltimore Sun was
eliminating its afternoon edition and trimming nearly 100 editors and reporters
in an era when the paper was achieving 37 percent profits. In the years before
the internet deluge, men and women who might have made The Sun a more essential
vehicle for news and commentary - something so strong that it might have
charged for its product online - were being ushered out the door so that Wall
Street could command short-term profits in the extreme."
When will be this debate be brought to the public in Europe?
Sources
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20100125/nichols_mcchesney
http://www.savethenews.org/blog/10/01/22/don%E2%80%99t-let-murdoch-rewrite-our-media-historyhttp://www.reclaimthemedia.org/journalistic_practice/wire_creator_david_simon_testi0719
29 January
France: Gamma and Other Photo Agencies Officially Bankrupt
The Eyedea company which owns eight photo agencies and pictures databases, including the prestigious Gamma agency, decided on 26 January to officially file for bankruptcy. Last year the group closed its subsidiary Eyedea Press (see MCJ 29 August 09) with 33 redundancies. This time, the company would lay off its 56 staff and it would be the end of one of the most important photo agency of the past decades.
http://www.lemonde.fr/actualite-medias/article/2010/01/27/eyedea-proprietaire-de-l-agence-gamma-s-apprete-a-deposer-le-bilan_1297361_3236.html#ens_id=1297435
UK: Kent Photo Agencies Face Closure as Newspapers Stop Paying
Kent News and Pictures, a British-based photo agency announced its closure as newspapers are struggling to pay for its content. The closure led to 11 redundancies at the photo agency, including eight photographers, two reporters and one freelance. The management said that tough economic conditions and poor national newspaper rates have contributed to its closure. Other photo agencies are also struggling and considering shutting down businesses. The sister agency of Kent News and Pictures, Image International, also closed last year.
http://www.journalism.co.uk/2/articles/537388.php
US: Mapping Local News on Twitter
While the future of journalism is yet to be mapped, social media 'Twitter' has no hesitation to map out local news and trends for users by launching its 'Local Trends'. The new feature will filter news and messages on Twitter according to users' localities so that they can see a trend of popular news of their local areas. In Europe, some traditional media have carried out similar test projects to recruit bloggers and users to produce their local news (see MCJ on 5 & 13 October 09).
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/techchron/detail?&entry_id=56135
US: When Partisan
Journalism Becomes a Success Story
The succes of Fox
News based on the abandonment of principles of balance and fairness
suggests that this is one of the ways taken by media
companies to attract the public. But how dangerous is this
"model" for the future?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/27/fox-news-most-popular
Global: Is an "Oversized iPhone" the Future of Journalism?
As the future of
journalism has been increasingly tied-in with the techonolgy industry, the
introduction of a new portable mobile device called 'i Pad' has created
much hype, hopes but also some sarcasm for the future
business models in the media industry. It is reported that media organisations
like the New York Times and Conde Nast are considering to struck a
deal with Apple and to start developing applications to distribute its news
content online. While the 'rumour' of business deal is yet to be
confirmed, the device which is equipped with micro-payment system (i.e. iTune)
will surely have a certain impact on how readers consume news in the
future. However, it is still unclear if users will want to carry
something that rather looks like an
"oversized iPhone".
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2010/jan/28/can-apple-ipad-save-newspapers
26 January
Australia to
Launch its Non-profit News
The idea of
non-profit news has become increasingly attractive as traditional business
models are shaken by the changing media landscape. The Foundation for Public
Interest Journalism, a non-profit organisation based in Australia, has received a generous
sum in donation to support its non-profit news project. Similar projects have
also been lauched in the US
(Spot.us - see MCJ12 November and Connecticut Mirror).
http://www.panpa.org.au/Public/Template5/ThreadView.aspx?tid=26210
Canada: Metro
Canada
Partners with Twitter-like Website
Metro Canada, a free
daily newspaper announced plans to team up with the social networking website, Foursquare, to produce local news
content. The business model of the partnership is to promote each other's
website with complementary news content. Members of Foursquare can update their
activities (at local restaurants, pubs, libraries, etc.) and post news. Metro Canada
will then post location-specific editorial content targetting local audiences.
http://www.newspaperinnovation.com/index.php/2010/01/25/foursquare-teams-up-with-metro-canada/
France: French News
Sites to Erect Paywalls
Although the
profitability of the online paid model is still uncertain, more and more online
news sites are erecting paywalls. French news sites, L'Express and Le Figaro announced that they will do so. However, definite timeframe and pricing
details are not confirmed yet.
http://www.sfnblog.com/financials/2010/01/french_newssites_offer_paywall.php
UK: 40
Editorial Staff Made Redundant at Guardian
Guardian News and
Media (GNM) announced that 40 editorial stafff have taken voluntary
redundancies as part of its cost-cutting scheme introduced in November
last year (see MCJ 12 Nov). Those who took redundancies include the deputy
editor and deputy production editor of the Guardian. The management of the
(GNM) also confirmed there are more staff members who have requested to take
voluntary redundancies. Currently, GNM is making around £100,000 loss a day.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jan/22/guardian-voluntary-redundancy
20 January
Francophone countries: Five Journalists
to Report Through Social Media Only
Five journalists will be cut off from the real world
for five days as part of an experimenting project called 'Behind closed doors
on the net' ( "huis clos sur le net") during which
they will report news through social media only. The five reporters from France
Inter, France Info (France), RSR (Switzerland), RTBF radio (Belgium) and
Radio Canada will be isolated in a house in south of France and allowed to
report only news they find on Facebook and Twitter or links posted on
these two social media. According to the project manager, the aim is to find
out whether the public can be informed through social media in the same way as
they can rely on traditional media for information.
http://radiosfrancophones.org/coproductions-evenementielles-detail.php?copro=82
Japan: Foreign Correspondents are Pulling Out as 'Crisis' Strikes at the Home Front
Foreign media outlets and correspondents are pulling
out of Japan
as western media are struggling to cope with the financial crisis at the home
front. According to the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan, the number of
foreign correspondents has dropped from its peak at 300 in the
1990s to 144 currently. Major foreign news outlets in Japan
have either shut down or cut down their operational scale in the
past year. The news magazine Time closed down its Bureau in Japan earlier this month; Newsweek also shut
down its editorial section in Tokyo;
and editorial staff of Business Week merged with Bloomberg in October 2009. The
Number of staff at the New York Times, the Washington Post and Los Angeles
Times offices in Japan
were also reduced dramatically.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100122f1.html
20 January
Canada: Toronto
Star May Reduce Job Cuts
Following negotiations
between the Toronto Star and the Southern Ontario Newsmedia Guild,
the Star is considering cancelling its plans to outsource editing jobs
and reducing the number of job cuts which were announced in November (see MCJ 9
November). The deal, which is expected to be signed on Thursday 21 January,
will save around 35 out of 100 jobs which were going to be axed
after the parent company Torstar recorded 13% drop in revenues in the
final quarter of 2009.
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/752426--star-union-reach-deal-to-reduce-job-losses
US: Nearly Half Google News Users Bypass Newspaper
Sites
According to a survey
conducted by Outsell Inc., nearly half (44%) of Google News users bypass
newspaper sites to access information through Google News. Around 30% users
said they either use other search engines to access online news or go directly
to newspaper sites. The survey results appear to support the claim made by
creators and publishers, that news aggregators are stealing news content and
revenues from newspapers. Some major online news sites (See MCJ 11 January
2010) have started blocking news aggregators indexing their news.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5geV6xbmQ4TGruFFDfDYy4DLoPKhg
France: Government Considers Subsiding Press Distribution
Company
The French Government is
considering subsidising Presstalis, the largest press distribution company
which is going through a 'difficult time'. Le Figaro reported that the
French Prime Minister has entrusted the General Inspector of Finance to examine
ways (including financial grant) to support Presstalis in time of economic
difficulties. At the beginning of January (see MCJ 5 January 2010), the French
Government already initiated subsidy plans for news websites and free
newspapers for young people.
http://www.lefigaro.fr/medias/2010/01/16/04002-20100116ARTFIG00127-l-etat-s-empare-du-dossier-presstalis-.phpBLOCKED::http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2010/01/french_press_distribution_company_to_get.php
19 January
Switzerland: Ringier Group to Cut 29 Jobs
Ringier Group, one of the
largest media corporations in Switzerland
has announced plans to cut 29 full time staff positions at its subsidiary
newspaper group 'Blick'. The cuts are due to the recent integration of
newsrooms at Blick. Staff at the production, layout, graphic and proof reading
departments will be affected, with 28% of reduction in the production
department and 11% in the layout department. The management of Ringier Group
confirmed that they are still identifying areas for further cuts. EFJ/IFJ
members CoMedia and Impressum expressed
their outrage over the job cuts and demanded a six-month freeze on the job cuts
until the economic situation has improved.
CoMedia: http://www.comedia.ch/de/aktuell/medienmitteilung/medienmitteilung/news/ringier-newsroom-auch-viele-schreibende-sind-betroffen/55.html
Impressum: http://www.impressum.ch/impressum/de/service/Presse/blick.html
India & US: Washington
Post and Hindustan Times Sign 'Exclusive'
Content-sharing Agreement
The Washington Post and the Hindustan Times, the second largest English language
daily in India,
have signed an 'exclusive' agreement to share the Post's content. Under the
agreement, the Hindustan Times will share content including the Post's
news, opinion pieces, book reviews and columnists. According to recent figures,
the Hindustan Times has lost 0.2 million of readership since 2008 and
its advertising revenues are falling.
Source: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004059851
US: Online Journalism Courses Open New Revenue
Stream for Newspapers
Media organisations start
to extend their business to online education as many of them are struggling to
generate revenues from traditional revenue streams (e.g. adverting,
subscription). The New York Times (NYT) is offering online journalism courses
with certificates from this spring, charging $235 for credit and $199 for
noncredit per course. The NYT has been offering online journalism courses
for working journalists to improve their multimedia skills without
awarding credits. The new credit system aims to attract journalism
students who wish to study multimedia programmes which are not
offered at their universities.
http://www.nytimesknownow.com/index.php/emerging-media-journalism-certificate/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2010/jan/18/online-education-new-york-times
12 January
Global: AOL to Close Offices and Cut Further 1,000 Jobs
AOL, the global media and communications
company announced further job cuts worldwide. Its UK office will be severely affected
as the management said there will be a ''significant reduction'' of staff. Many
of its European offices will also be closed, including those in Spain, Sweden,
Germany and France. In
November 2009, AOL announced restructuring plans to cut 2,500 jobs and save
$300m a year. Since then, around 1,100 staff have already taken voluntary
redundancies.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/12/aol-cut-jobs-shut-offices
UK: Scottish MP Calls for Free Newspapers for 18-year-olds Following
Similar Experience in France
A Scottish MP of the Labour Party, Pauline McNeil, has
called on the Scottish Government to provide free newspapers to 18-year-olds to
promote the culture of reading newspapers. She also proposed that
newspapers make news more relevant to young people by organising visits to
newsrooms. The National Union of Journalists welcomed the initiative.
A Similar free newspaper scheme has been launched in France and some German newspapers
have introduced youth editions to attract a younger readership (see previous
MCJ in December) to revitalise the declining readership in the newspaper
industry.
http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2010/01/scotland_young_people_to_get_free_newspa.php
11 January
Canada: Canwest Files Bankruptcy and Seeks Buyers
Canwest, one of Canada's
largest international media companies, owning 10 dailies and 26 community
newspapers filed for bankruptcy today and is seeking potential buyers. Canwest has been operating under creditor
protection due to its large debts since early 2009. Its flagship National Post
newspaper was put under court protection in October
2009 after a rapid drop in
advertising revenues. The company currently employs around 5,300 staff. If Canwest could find potential buyers to pay its debts, most staff
jobs and newspapers would be preserved, said the management.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jacxGlrbkJekLwF6bRU0jbSie2sw
US: Study Shows Newspapers May Remain the Main
Source of New Information
The prophecy that newspapers are dead has again been proven wrong as
a new study shows that newspapers still remain the leading source of news for
the public. The study conducted by the Project for Excellence in
Journalism shows that around 95% of the news came from ‘old media' like
newspapers. By contrast, a
majority of digital news outlets are criticised by the study as repetitive and
commentary.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/business/media/11baltimore.html?ref=media
UK: News International Starts Blocking News
Aggregator
Times Online, the flagship UK online newspaper of News
Corporation has finally introduced a technical block to prevent news aggregator
NewsNow.co.uk indexing its content. The blocking system followed the
announcement by News Corporation's owner, Rupert Murdoch in November 2009 of plans
to erect paywalls to block aggregators. However, News International, the UK arm of News
Corporation has not yet confirmed if they have plans to block other news
aggregators like Google and Yahoo.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jan/08/digital-media-newspapers
8 January
UK: Sky News Encourages its Staff to Use Twitter
for News Gathering and Reporting
As social media becomes an increasingly important tool for journalists,
Sky News, one of the major UK
news broadcasting media, announced plans to install Twitter software across its
journalists' computers as part of the drive to encourage more use of social
media for news gathering and reporting. Twitter, a microblogging and social networking tool has become
increasingly popular for both readers and publishers. A recent research shows
that the average US
newspaper has around 18,000 Twitter followers and tweets 11 times per day. Some
publishers are considering selling paid tweets to advertisers to open up a new
revenue stream.
http://www.journalism.co.uk/2/articles/537082.php
http://www.sfnblog.com/circulation_and_readership/2010/01/study_finds_average_us_paper_has_18000_f.php#more
http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=141294
7 January
France: French Government Proposes ‘Google Tax' on
Online Advertising
The French Minister
of Culture, Frédéric Mitterrand, announced a series of proposals to protect
online content and improve remuneration of creators on the Internet. The proposals
include creating a ‘Google tax' that will be levied on online advertising
revenues generated by major Internet giants like Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, etc.
Another proposal suggests imposing higher tax on internet providers to
compensate revenues lost due to illegal downloading. The
proposals to support content creation will require about 50 million euros of
financing in 2010, then 35 to 40 million a year in 2011 and 2012.
http://www.lemonde.fr/technologies/article/2010/01/06/le-ministre-de-la-culture-recoit-les-conclusions-de-la-mission-zelnik_1288356_651865.html
http://www.liberation.fr/medias/0101612445-une-taxe-google-pour-soutenir-la-creation
Germany: Newspaper Publishers to Launch ‘Youth
Editions' to Recruit Young Readers
As newspapers are gradually losing
readership, German newspaper publishers are thinking of innovative ways to
recruit new readers. DuMont Schauberg, one of the largest publishing houses in Germany
announced plans to launch a news supplement aimed at a younger audience for its
daily newspaper Berliner Kurier. The launch of the youth edition is
expected to re-invigorate the print media by engaging young readers. Similar ventures were launched earlier and have
proven successful. Spiegel, the German news magazine, launched its youth
edition in 2009 recording a paid circulation of 72,000 copies for its first
issue on federal elections. Weekly newspaper Die Zeit also launched a
similar initiative with "KinderZeit", providing news and
entertainment to its target audience of eight to twelve year olds.
http://www.wuv.de/nachrichten/medien/berliner_kurier_startet_2010_kinderkurier
6 January
US: Non-profit
News Site Launched in California
A US non-profit news site, California
Watch, focusing on investigative journalism, launched the 'save the future
of journalism' initiative in December. California Watch, funded by the Centre for Investigative Reporting employs a team of 13 staff producing investigative
news that is free to readers. Unlike other non-profit news sites, California
Watch has proven successful in adopting a 'syndication-fee model'. Local
and regional newspapers had already published many of its stories on their
front pages even before its official launch last month.
http://www.editorsweblog.org/newsrooms_and_journalism/2010/01/non-profit_news_publisher_helps_readers.php
http://www.knightfdn.org/news/press_room/knight_press_releases/detail.dot?id=355086
5 January 2010
France: Government Subsidises New Websites
Online news publications in France will share in state aid for the first time, according to the daily newspaper Le Monde. Eighty per cent of the aid will be in the form of subsidies while the rest will be loans. The announcement follows the controversial state subsidies of the French press which totalled EUR 1.2 bn in 2009 and included a free newspaper scheme for young people. A new body representing online news publishers, Syndicat de la Presse Indépendante d'Information en Ligne (Spiil) has been debating whether or not to accept similar subsidies for some time. Several online-only sites are eligible for the state subsidy.










Comments :
S Abshier
March 14, 2009 at 20:06
It would appear that since journalists the world over have ceased to report the news, but instead, tell the readers how they should be thinking, the readers have quit reading and the result has been the reduction in advertising. So the public has had its say about the way they prefer their news to be reported. When reports quit using the old: Who, What, Where, When, and Why formula to write the news, the reader’s quit reading. Maybe it is time to rethink the way "journalist" now present news to the public, and their reporting practices be reviewed, revised and revisited.
journostudentforafreeinternetpress
May 15, 2009 at 11:07
Are there Journo organizations coupled with savetheinternet-like organizations who are working specifically to to find a balance, so that corporate news outfits working with corrupt governments (for instance) don't destroy the last bastion of a free press (the internet)? If so, where can I find info on this type of consortium/org/etc... Any help would be appreciated.
Zeina Masri
June 24, 2009 at 19:01
I don't think they should impose an Internet tax because online we get different sources, buying newspapers and magazines will cost me a lot. Also, bloggers in the Arab world are very effective in promoting democracy and knowing that in Lebanon we have concentration of ownership in television and newspapers.Most of the media outlets are owned by March 8 and very few are owned by the Majority March 14 so we need this diversity.Maybe in the Netherlands and in the West it is different
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M. UMER KHAN GHAURI
December 13, 2009 at 03:06
IFJ have to consult with its member that how can Journalist's job security can be secured in Asian and African countries where every day many journalists coming under job cuts by their newspapers or TV channels, this is a big problem to be consider in first place. M. Umer Khan Ghauri, Member:- Pakistan Federel Union of Journalists (PFUJ) /KUJ unit Unit : Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) Senior Staff Reporter:- Daily NineOclock Karachi Pakistan Email: Journalistghauri@gmail.com Cell : 92-345-3252669
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