Politico's 2014 'journalists to watch' list doesn't have a single person of color

Politico's 2014 'journalists to watch' list doesn't have a single person of colour.

A few months ago, I wrote a commentary for the Guardian about how unpaid internships create an unfair funnel system to media outlets. They create a homogenous voice that excludes those who don't have the money or privilege to work for free. This, to me, is the biggest challenge facing the media. Cities like New Orleans, Chicago's South Side or Gary, Indiana are underrepresented or misrepresented in the media because there aren't enough journalists who come from those or similar areas to tell the stories.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/29/politico-journalists-to-watch-no-person-of-color

Digital journalism: Standout news stories of 2013

Digital journalism: Standout news stories of 2013

In terms of high-impact news stories, 2013 had its fair share. But how were these stories covered online by leading news outlets and what lessons were learned, and noted for the future?

Journalism.co.uk asked digital news experts to define the stories of 2013 which were particularly significant in terms of digital journalism.

http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/digital-journalism-standout-news-stories-of-2013/s2/a555476/

The BBC's best practices for verifying user-generated content

The BBC's best practices for verifying user-generated content

Social media have set the stage for newsrooms to tap into user-generated content for their breaking news coverage. But the easier it becomes to gather content from users, the harder it can be to verify, especially on deadline.

The BBC's UGC Hub has been sourcing, checking and verifying, and distributing content since its inception in 2005, and has had to shift its approach over the years. Some of the latest BBC stories to include UGC content were Typhoon Haiyan, Nelson Mandela's death and the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

http://ijnet.org/blog/bbcs-best-practices-verifying-user-generated-content

The perils of journalism in the online age

The perils of journalism in the online age

Now, before I get into this, let me first acknowledge that I am not a Buzzfeed-hater. Their political coverage, for example, rocks. So this isn't a "we hate Buzzfeed" story. It is, however, a story about my growing concerns about online journalism.

Buzzfeed's account documented the previous week's contest between Idaho and New Mexico State, devoting over a thousand words to a meaningless game with no competitive interest (both teams were a godawful 1-10 entering the contest). If the post had a point, it's that it had no point: Neither university has a large or marketable fan base, none of the players had particularly good or bad performances, and the teams aren't even rivals.

The writer didn't even go so far as to ironically suggest that the game was interesting due to the sheer magnitude of its irrelevance, which the title more or less suggests. It's almost as if he wrote the title and then found a thousands words to substantiate it, with little regard for whether or not there was any value in writing the piece at all.

So why do I care, aside from the letdown I'm feeling after getting my hopes up over an article that I thought might be funny?

http://americablog.com/2013/12/saying-first-becomes-important-getting-right.html

Top 10 Investigative Journalism Books of 2013

Top 10 Investigative Journalism Books of 2013

Contrary to the conventional wisdom, investigative reporting is plentiful within American journalism. That is especially true in the realm of books, despite the much decried conglomeratization of publishers.

Following the economic meltdown of 2008, a pile of financial whodunits was published examining various aspects of the collapse. There's no such readily identifiable trend this year so let me simply present my list of the top 10 investigative journalism books of 2013.

http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reports/article/103039/Top-10-Investigative-Journalism-Books-of-2013.aspx

Do journalists need Photoshop skills?

Do journalists need Photoshop skills?

A couple of weeks ago I was sat at my desk trying to produce a front cover for a magazine that I'm making for my final year degree project. The first thing I wanted to do was source an image for the cover, and subsequently get rid of its background so that the person was merely a figure in the middle of the page. I soon realised that this wasn't as easy as I thought it was going to be, and after an hour or so playing around with the 'Instant Alpha' tool on my MacBook, I wanted to know if there was a quicker way – and one that didn't require forking out for the latest version of Adobe Photoshop with money I just don't have.

http://wannabehacks.co.uk/2013/12/06/do-journalists-need-photoshop-skills/

How to: get started in investigative journalism

How to: get started in investigative journalism

"Do not be captivated by the idea that you're going to be doing undercover filming or spending a lot of your time being given secret documents or working with whistleblowers," warns Christopher Hird, editor of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ), speaking to Journalism.co.uk.

For those just starting out, such a romanticised image of the investigative reporter as a hard-bitten, film noir icon – what the Guardian's Paul Lewis describes as "a reporter in a long mac, slightly dishevelled-looking and obsessive" – is one of many misconceptions that can stand in the way of getting the job done properly. The topic under discussion may be clandestine but the graft put into researching and uncovering the story rarely is.

http://www.journalism.co.uk/skills/how-to-get-started-in-investigative-journalism/s7/a555318/

5 Reasons Vice And BuzzFeed Are The New Face Of Journalism

5 Reasons Vice And BuzzFeed Are The New Face Of Journalism

There's still a misapprehension that young people aren't interested in news. That's not true; they're just not interested in the way it's been told over the past decade. Bar a few exceptions, newspapers were broadly slow to adapt to digital - relying too much on sustaining loyalty from their existing readerships, rather than targeting the tech-savvy generation that succeeds it.

"There's a lot of nonsense talked about young people not being interested in news," says Vice's UK MD Matt O'Mara, talking at the CMA summit in London. "They are."

http://digitalmedia.strategyeye.com/article/GztcKyCkPM/2013/12/05/insight_vice_buzzfeed_and_the_phoenix_of_new_media/

A glimpse into a very frightening future ... if politicians get to meddle in our Press

A glimpse into a very frightening future ... if politicians get to meddle in our Press

Today, however, we saw a glimpse of the future – if politicians and Hacked Off get their way and give MPs a legal foothold in the way the Press is run.

Alan Rusbridger, the editor of the Guardian – the newspaper which, along with the New York Times, did much of the digging to uncover the phone hacking scandal which led to the Leveson Inquiry and the current real threats to Press freedom which followed the conclusion of the inquiry – was before the Home Affairs Select Committee in Westminster.

http://davidhiggerson.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/a-glimpse-into-a-very-frightening-future-if-politicians-get-to-meddle-in-our-press/

A glimpse into a very frightening future ... if politicians get to meddle in our Press

A glimpse into a very frightening future ... if politicians get to meddle in our Press

Today, however, we saw a glimpse of the future – if politicians and Hacked Off get their way and give MPs a legal foothold in the way the Press is run.

Alan Rusbridger, the editor of the Guardian – the newspaper which, along with the New York Times, did much of the digging to uncover the phone hacking scandal which led to the Leveson Inquiry and the current real threats to Press freedom which followed the conclusion of the inquiry – was before the Home Affairs Select Committee in Westminster.

http://davidhiggerson.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/a-glimpse-into-a-very-frightening-future-if-politicians-get-to-meddle-in-our-press/

This Law of Economics Shows Why Print Journalism Is Doomed

This Law of Economics Shows Why Print Journalism Is Doomed

Yesterday's announcement that New York Magazine, which pioneered the new journalism, will now be coming out biweekly rather than weekly is the latest indication that high quality print magazines and newspapers are slowly but surely passing from the scene. New York's abandonment of weekly publication comes on the heels of Newsweek's closing, Time being spun off from its corporate parent (as a prelude, perhaps, to its moving entirely to the web), U.S. News and World Report devolving into a consumer guide, and the closing or shifting onto the web of a score of major daily newspapers.

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/115798/new-york-magazines-biweekly-move-explained-baumols-law

The Future of News in the Dark Ages of 2003

The Future of News in the Dark Ages of 2003

Pull up a chair and let me tell you about a primitive era in media history: the world of 2003.

People who were unfortunate enough to live—if you can call it living—through this backwards time had no YouTube, no iPhone, no tweets, and very few blogs to choose from. In fact, "blog" or "Web log" was still written in quotes most of the time.

Many Americans had internet access (54% of U.S. households), but if you were lucky enough to get it on your phone it looked pretty damn ugly. And the idea of your average person contributing to the national dialogue was pretty much out of the question. Dan Rather didn't mention his Twitter handle during the evening news broadcast. He didn't want to hear your opinion on his latest story. Why would he?

http://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/the-future-of-news-in-the-dark-ages-of-2003-1475196269/@ericlimer

Michael Gillard scoops Journalist of the Year at second annual British Journalism Awards

Michael Gillard scoops Journalist of the Year at second annual British Journalism Awards

Michael Gillard of The Sunday Times has been awarded the prestigious Journalist of the Year award at the second annual British Journalism Awards.

More than 200 people attended the celebration of the best of British journalism at the Stationers' Hall in London.

The judges unanimously voted for Gillard's 11-year investigation into gangster David Hunt which even led to a High Court victory.

http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/michael-gillard-scoops-journalist-year-award-second-annual-british-journalism-awards

New beats: where do redundant journalists go?

New beats: where do redundant journalists go?

You've probably heard the news: the Australian media is experiencing the most serious contraction in its history.

The rise of online and mobile media has led to the collapse of the classified advertising business model that has long sustained media companies, especially in print, and this, in turn has affected their ability to fund the journalism that has long informed us.

http://theconversation.com/new-beats-where-do-redundant-journalists-go-20710

NY Times, AFP photographers among at least 30 journalists injured in clashes with police

NY Times, AFP photographers among at least 30 journalists injured in clashes with police

When baton-wielding riot police outside the presidential offices began to charge, Denys Danko held up the only shield he knows -- his journalist's identification card.

"I'm a reporter," said the award-winning journalist from 1+1 channel.

"I don't give a [expletive]," was the last thing he heard before he fell down.

A column of riot police charged around 5 p.m. on Dec. 1 at a crowd of protestors, some of whom had been attacked with rocks and a digger.

As the police charged, they beat everything in their path. Danko was among several dozen people who hid in the courtyard of the Writers' Union building on Bankova Street.

"Every officer running by me hit me with a club. I was hit 30 times all together. They kicked me in the head, chest, hands," said Danko, who now has seven stitches on his head.

http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/at-least-30-journalists-injured-in-clashes-with-police-332782.html

Ian Burrell: The women of Fleet Street are on the march to claim their place at journalism’s top table. It’s about time, too

Ian Burrell: The women of Fleet Street are on the march to claim their place at journalism's top table. It's about time, too.

Few could argue that the press has kept pace with other media sectors in offering equal opportunities. You look at Cilla Snowball, running Britain's biggest advertising agency (AMV/BBDO), Lisa Thomas, chief executive of M&C Saatchi Group, Nicola Mendelsohn, in charge of Facebook in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Roisin Donnelly, marketing head at Procter & Gamble, and there aren't too many similar figures in Fleet Street.

It's the British Journalism Awards tonight. Over the years, newspaper industry nights have been noticeably more macho affairs – marked by cat-calling, flying bread rolls and the odd fist fight – compared with equivalent events in television.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/opinion/ian-burrell-the-women-of-fleet-street-are-on-the-march-to-claim-their-place-at-journalisms-top-table-its-about-time-too-8976311.html

Writing for the web

Writing for the web

When writing for the web, tell the story upfront. For it to work across all possible platforms and devices, it needs to be told in essence in the first four paragraphs, around 70 words:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/journalism/skills/writing/article/art20130702112133610

Is school career advice helping aspiring journalists?

Is school career advice helping aspiring journalists?

Sometimes I find myself wondering where the help from my sixth form is when I say I want to be a journalist. My e-mail is forever being spammed by forwarded emails about opportunities for aspiring lawyers and financiers, but where are my journalism e-mails? Oh yeah, they don't exist. It made me wonder, is this common across all schools, or is it my own fault for not finding more opportunities myself?

http://wannabehacks.co.uk/2013/11/29/are-schools-helping-or-hindering-aspiring-journalists/

Journalism in the dock: first month of phone hacking trial

Journalism in the dock: first month of phone hacking trial

When Justice John Saunders opened what has been called the "trial of the century" he told the jury: "In a way, not only are the defendants on trial, but British justice is on trial."

To say the defendants in the case are prominent in the world of journalism would be an understatement of gigantic proportions. Charged with conspiring with others at The Sun, where she was editor, to intercept communications by listening to mobile phone messages, plus two further counts of allegedly making corrupt payments to public officials and two final accusations that she allegedly conspired to pervert the course of justice by removing and concealing evidence is Rebekah Brooks, former chief executive of News International, former editor of the News of the World and The Sun and, famously, a close friend of David Cameron.

http://theconversation.com/journalism-in-the-dock-first-month-of-phone-hacking-trial-20737

Journalism Media Notes

Journalism Media Notes 11.29.13

The months-long quest for British press regulation shows no sign of imminent settlement. The latest chapter features a letter from 100 prominent figures from the arts, science, academia and elsewhere who encourage publishers to sign on to a royal charter system. One year after the Leveson inquiry, there are no signs of consensus on the next steps.

http://www.themediamanager.com/3/post/2013/11/media-notes-112913.html

This online journalism startup raised $1.7M in crowdfunding and you've never heard of it

This online journalism startup raised $1.7M in crowdfunding and you've never heard of it

We've been writing a lot lately about online journalism startups like Matter — which was acquired by Medium and just dropped its paywall — and NSFW Corp., the Vegas-based venture that just merged with Pando Daily. Both have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and gotten a fair amount of attention, even though they have both failed to remain independent.

But there is an online media startup that is substantially larger than Matter and NSFW put together, both in terms of funding raised and in number of subscribers — and yet it gets surprisingly little attention. That's because this particular crowdfunding success story is based in Holland. Known as De Correspondent, it launched in September, having raised a relatively massive $1.7 million in donations from almost 19,000 people.

http://gigaom.com/2013/11/29/this-online-journalism-startup-raised-1-7m-in-crowdfunding-and-youve-never-heard-of-it/

Know your rights: Journalists don't need permission to live-tweet from council meetings

Know your rights: Journalists don't need permission to live-tweet from council meetings

A reporter's experience covering a parish council meeting earlier this month exposed an apparent gap in government guidelines on live blogging.

Stuart Littleford, editor of the Saddleworth News, asked for permission to do live tweets from a special meeting of Saddleworth Parish Council, called to discuss controversial plans for a new school.

The chair, councillor Graham Sheldon, agreed. But he called for a vote after another councillor objected, claiming that Littleford should have given the council one week's notice about his plans to tweet.

http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/content/know-your-rights-journalists-dont-need-permission-live-tweet-council-meetings

DoJ admits Assange case is doomed because WikiLeaks is a journalistic entity

DoJ admits Assange case is doomed because WikiLeaks is a journalistic entity

Ever since WikiLeaks and its controversial leader Julian Assange first caught the eye of the U.S. Department of Justice several years ago, we and others — including NYU journalism professor Jay Rosen — have been arguing that the organization is effectively a journalistic entity, and therefore deserving of all the protections that the First Amendment and freedom of the press entail. Now it seems as though that message has finally gotten through to the DoJ.

According to a piece in the Washington Post that quotes unnamed officials close to the Obama administration, the department has decided not to pursue charges against Assange for releasing classified documents that were given to WikiLeaks because "government lawyers said they could not do so without also prosecuting U.S. news organizations and journalists." Justice officials apparently referred to this as their "New York Times" problem, according to the Post.

http://gigaom.com/2013/11/26/doj-admits-assange-case-is-doomed-because-wikileaks-is-a-journalistic-entity/

Twitter: 5 Dangers For Journalists

Twitter: 5 Dangers For Journalists

Twitter: a dangerous place for journalists?

Twitter is a good example of a social media network tool that can make journalism much more efficient and also more open. It improves journalists' connective potential, both to gather news, opinion and attention but also to disseminate their own content and improve the profile of their brand. But like any new technology or media innovation, it has dangers as well as delights.

I usually write a lot about the opportunities of networked journalism, but here are some of the possible negatives when using twitter.

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/polis/2013/11/27/twitter-5-dangers-for-journalists/

5 Tips For Reporters Entering The Digital Journalism World

5 Tips For Reporters Entering The Digital Journalism World

Sharing quality content with their audience, engaging with readers below the line and building their brand, these are just some of the tips for new journalists shared at a journalism event today.

Speaking at the NCTJ's Journalism Skills Conference at Bournemouth University, a panel were asked to give advice to journalists, particularly those entering the field.

The panel featured Peter Bale, vice president and general manager of CNN International Digital; Pete Clifton, executive producer for MSN UK; and Liisa Rohumaa, a journalism lecturer at Bournemouth University.1. Build your own brandJournalists were encouraged to work on building a brand, rather than just being an entity of the news outlet they work for.

http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/5-tips-for-new-journalists-in-digital-journalism-world/s2/a555239/

Journalist creates web app for audio transcription

Journalist creates web app for audio transcription

A journalist has created a free web app to make transcription easier. Called oTranscribe, the application has an audio player and text editor which removes the need to toggle between two programmes, such as iTunes and Word, when transcribing an interview.

The browser-based app allows you to upload audio and then use keyboard shortcuts to play and pause, add time stamps, and slow down and speed up the recording. The transcription is auto-saved so if you lose internet connection or close your browser, the text is not lost.

http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/journalist-creates-web-app-for-audio-transcription/s2/a555258/

The Need for Listening and Empathy in Journalism

The Need for Listening and Empathy in Journalism

Two recent blog posts raise this question: Just how often do news organizations actually listen to their communities?

In his post, former News & Record editor John Robinson argues that his paper doesn't dedicate time or resources to the issues he and many other readers face on a daily basis. And the News & Record isn't unusual. In fact, Robinson says this problem isn't limited to newspapers: "TV news has the same news diet," he writes, "and it's not in touch with mine."

In a response to Robinson, Kevin Anderson notes that many newsrooms are "subsisting on the fumes cast off by official life: crime, council meetings and planned events." They're spending much less time, Anderson says, on "the lived experience of their communities."

http://stearns.wordpress.com/2013/11/26/empathy/

How AP builds deep-dive Explore pages from the archives

How AP builds deep-dive Explore pages from the archives

Journalists and photographers from the Associated Press have captured some momentous occasions in history, and earlier this year the newswire decided to launch a new online platform to showcase just some of that content, and the surrounding stories.

It began with the 50th anniversary of the day 'the burning monk' Thich Quang Duc, set fire to himself in protest in June 1963. As the anniversary approached, the creative team along with the corporate archives team considered ways they could make use of the "ton of terrific content" they had access to from years gone by, to re-tell the story as it happened.

http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/how-ap-builds-deep-dive-explore-pages-from-the-archives/s2/a555221/

IPSO FACTO: No EU conspiracy for state control of the press (PS The PCC is useless)

IPSO FACTO: No EU conspiracy for state control of the press (PS The PCC is useless)

The PCC is requiring both the Sunday Telegraph and the Daily Mail, which repeated the story without properly checking its provenance, to set the record straight – at least in part. However, the PCC cannot seriously believe that its intervention even remotely offers adequate redress for the the entirely spurious claims of a sensational article that was riddled with factual errors and deliberate misrepresentation. (See 'What we asked for and what we got', below.)

http://inforrm.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/ipso-facto-no-eu-conspiracy-for-state-control-of-the-press-ps-the-pcc-is-useless-mike-jempson/

Journalist faced prison for posting media relations number

Journalist faced prison for posting media relations number

Carlos Miller is not one to back down. As the founder and publisher of Photography is Not a Crime, a leading blog about free speech and press rights in the U.S., Miller has made it his mission to publicize examples of government overreach and the suppression of journalists' and other newsgatherers' rights. And although he frequently finds himself taking law enforcement officials to task through a combination of original reporting, analysis and activism, Miller never expected that his work would lead to a criminal charge punishable by a decade's imprisonment.

http://cpj.org/internet/2013/11/journalist-faced-prison-for-posting-media-relation.php

Tip: Remember these CV tips for journalism jobs

Tip: Remember these CV tips for journalism jobs

Journalism is one of those industries where the very best jobs are rarely advertised. Whether you are just looking to get a foot on the ladder or your favourite publication is openly looking for applicants, your CV needs to be well prepared and eye-catching to stand out from the rest.

http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2013/11/25/tip-remember-these-cv-tips-for-journalism-jobs/

4 Examples Of Innovative Online Newsgathering

4 Examples Of Innovative Online Newsgathering

You may be accustomed to using RSS feeds, Twitter, Google Alerts and other tools for newsgathering. Here are four reporting techniques you may not have thought of.

http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/4-examples-of-innovative-newsgathering/s2/a555202/

Q&A: The Guardian’s Gabriel Dance on new tools for story and cultivating interactive journalism

Q&A: The Guardian's Gabriel Dance on new tools for story and cultivating interactive journalism

In trying to provide context around the story, Dance and his team used a blend of data visualizations, videos, social media integration, documents, and animated GIFs. Dance doesn't see it as a collection of bells and whistles, but as a way to take advantage of the tools the web provides to help make stories more engaging. "I'm not above the idea of saying the Internet is a competitive place — there's a lot of cats and babies on the Internet," Dance said. "It's our challenge to engage our readers in a way that captivates them. And the idea I can captivate them while telling them this incredible story, there's no reason I shouldn't be able to captivate them with such an insanely interesting story."

http://www.niemanlab.org/2013/11/qa-the-guardians-gabriel-dance-on-new-tools-for-story-and-cultivating-interactive-journalism/

2 Swedish journalists abducted in Syria

2 Swedish journalists abducted in Syria

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Two Swedish journalists were abducted in Syria as they were trying to leave the country, Sweden's Foreign Ministry said Monday.

The men were "taken" on Saturday as they were on their way out of Syria, spokeswoman Catarina Axelsson said. She declined to give other details, and said Swedish diplomats in Beirut were trying to get more information on the situation.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/2-swedish-journalists-abducted-syria

Police contact with Press must NOT be curbed

Paul Martin shared with you:   Police contact with Press must NOT be curbed Mail Online - Lord Stevens calls for new media guidelines to rebuild 'trust and confidence' Journalists must be able to hold police and forces to account, he will say Available on the App Store.

Sent from my iPhone

Media degrees aren’t career suicide after all

Media degrees aren't career suicide after all

Do you want the good news or the bad news? Well I'm afraid you don't have much choice in the matter, but because I'm an optimist it'll be the good news.

It turns out that despite the steady stream of warnings from various career people, and the scoffings from countless snooty columnists, studying for a media-related degree may not be the employment suicide that it's thought to be.

http://wannabehacks.co.uk/2013/11/22/media-degrees-arent-career-suicide-after-all/

Podcast: Telling your own story – personal branding advice for journalists

Podcast: Telling your own story – personal branding advice for journalists

For many journalists, and freelancers in particular, creating a personal brand can help you stand out from the crowd. Achieving this is not always easy or straightforward so, as well as gathering these five tips for personal branding, we went into detail on the subject with some experienced and successful journalists.

http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2013/11/22/podcast-telling-your-own-story-personal-branding-advice-for-journalists/

In Syria, 30 journalists are missing

In Syria, 30 journalists are missing

Thirty journalists — half of them foreign reporters, half of them Syrian — have been kidnapped or gone missing in Syria, theAssociated Press reported this week. The number is unprecedented. Syria today is the scene of the single largest wave of kidnappings in modern journalism, more than in Iraq during the 2000s or Lebanon during the 1980s.  A combination of criminality, jihadism and chaos is bringing on-the-ground coverage of the war to a halt.

http://blogs.reuters.com/david-rohde/2013/11/15/an-epidemic-of-journalist-kidnapping/

How redundant journalists can make money from their skills

How redundant journalists can make money from their skills

A former regional newspaper chief sub believes he has found a way for redundant journalists to make money from their skills.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2013/nov/21/local-newspapers-mediabusiness

Journalists Who Tweet About Being Laid Off: Necessary or Just Awkward?

Journalists Who Tweet About Being Laid Off: Necessary or Just Awkward?

We've talked a lot on the blog about how Twitter for journalists can be a blessing and a curse.

It can be used for finding sources, breaking news and making connections regarding potential work — but for announcing you've been laid off?

Laurie Muchnick, who was the highly-respected books editor at Bloomberg up until Monday, tweeted this to her nearly 6,000 followers:

"Not sure how to put this so here goes: Bloomberg is cutting arts coverage, including books, so today was my last day there."

http://www.mediabistro.com/10000words/journaliststwitterlaidoff_b24525

New survey claims all local newspaper journalists have been bullied

New survey claims all local newspaper journalists have been bullied

All journalists working for local newspapers have been bullied, harassed or discriminated against, a new survey has shown.

Worse still, some female reporters were offered promotions in exchange for sexual favours.

Cathy John, senior lecturer in cultural theory and policy at Arts University in Bournemouth interviewed more than 4,000 people working across a range of creative industries, including journalism.

At national newspaper level, three out of four journalists have experienced bullying, harassment or discrimination.

John said bullying within newspapers was "exceptionally high" compared with other industries.

She said: "All survey respondents working in local papers had been bullied, harassed or discriminated against."

http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/new-survey-claims-all-local-newspaper-journalists-have-been-bullied

Police relationship with crime reporters under strain, research finds

Police relationship with crime reporters under strain, research finds

A string of prosecutions and the chilling effect of the post-Leveson era have plunged relations between British police forces and crime reporters into a deep freeze, according to new research.

A survey and interviews with crime reporters and media relations staff, or "police communicators", conducted as part of a personal dissertation project by BBC London home affairs correspondent Guy Smith, has revealed that both believe the relationship to be strained. But the research flags up a gulf in understanding between the two groups, indicating that police media staff little appreciate the level of despair displayed by journalists.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/nov/20/police-crime-reporters-leveson-inquiry

NCTJ and BJTC accredited courses – what’s the deal?

NCTJ and BJTC accredited courses – what's the deal?

Only 15 universities in Britain are listed as offering NCTJ accredited undergraduate degree programmes. That's not actually very many considering the amount of universities there are. It's something I had no idea about when I was thinking about applying to do journalism at university, and I imagine there are many young people in the same position.

http://wannabehacks.co.uk/2013/11/18/nctj-and-bjtc-accredited-courses-whats-the-deal/

Syria's Silent, Chilling Epidemic of Journalist Kidnappings

Syria's Silent, Chilling Epidemic of Journalist Kidnappings

Thirty journalists—half of them foreign reporters, half of them Syrian—have been kidnapped or gone missing in Syria, theAssociated Press reported this week. The number is unprecedented. Syria today is the scene of the single largest wave of kidnappings in modern journalism, more than in Iraq during the 2000s or Lebanon during the 1980s. A combination of criminality, jihadism and chaos is bringing on-the-ground coverage of the war to a halt.

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/11/syrias-silent-chilling-epidemic-of-journalist-kidnappings/281574/

Tip: Watch WSJ video on impact of mobile on journalism

Tip: Watch WSJ video on impact of mobile on journalism

For those trying to get to grips with how best to reach mobile audiences with their content,this short video from the Wall Street Journal (embedded below) is well worth a watch, not only to soak up some of the advice of those within digital-native outlets such as BuzzFeed, Mashable and Circa (and those with more traditional roots, like the WSJ), but also as a useful reminder about the different ways digital content is discovered, and the resulting demand for new approaches.

http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/2013/11/13/tip-watch-wsj-video-on-impact-of-mobile-on-journalism/

Alastair Campbell: I hate what Dacre and Murdoch have done to journalism

Alastair Campbell: I hate what Dacre and Murdoch have done to journalism

One of the most powerful critiques of modern journalism came from the Guardian's Nick Davies. In his book Flat Earth News, he detailed specific acts of press distortion, manipulation and lying. But more, he made a convincing analysis that the corporatisation of the media is what has led to its decline in trust and accuracy. He calls it a cancer and argues it is beyond cure. I hope he is wrong, but three things are clear:

http://www.theguardian.com/media/media-blog/2013/nov/13/alastair-campbell-journalism-lectures?CMP=twt_gu

Alastair Campbell Attacks Media's Murdoch-Dacre Generation For 'Desperately Clinging On To Power'

Alastair Campbell Attacks Media's Murdoch-Dacre Generation For 'Desperately Clinging On To Power'

The era in which British media is dominated by newspaper barons such as Paul Dacre and Rupert Murdoch is coming to an end, according to former Downing Street Director of Communications Alastair Campbell.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/11/12/alastair-campbell-attacks-dacre-and-murdoch_n_4264423.html

So Twitter is ruining journalism? Really?

So Twitter is ruining journalism? Really?

There is no quicker way for old institutions to look irrelevant than to insist on their relevance. Today the Australian did just that by publishing an editorial not only bragging about its superiority, but underlining the "path to ruin" that is (other) journalists using Twitter.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/13/so-twitter-is-ruining-journalism-really

Home Sec suggests BBC must be curbed to protect local newspapers

Home Sec suggests BBC must be curbed to protect local newspapers

Home Secretary Theresa May suggested today that the BBC may need to curb its activities at a local level to protect local newspapers.

She said: "If the BBC can provide all the locally-significant news, what reason is left for local people to buy a newspaper? That's as dangerous for local politics as it is for local journalism.

http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/home-sec-suggests-bbc-must-be-curbed-protect-local-newspapers

Why journalists must use social media to promote their work

Why journalists must use social media to promote their work

A young acquaintance was applying for an online reporting job at an internationally renowned news organization.

But the interviewer did not focus on the job candidate's articles. He wanted to know more about the metrics of audience engagement with the candidate's stories -- time spent, social sharing, search traffic.

http://ijnet.org/blog/why-journalists-must-use-social-media-promote-their-work

Sun editor: journalists have gone back to traditional methods

Sun editor: journalists have gone back to traditional methods

The Sun editor David Dinsmore said his paper's journalists had gone back to "knocking on doors" in a more tightly-regulated era in which it was more difficult to pay for stories.

Dinsmore said a "lot more consideration was given to things" in the post-Leveson era, but said the biggest impact had been the 2010 Bribery Act.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/nov/11/sun-editor-journalists-david-dinsmore?CMP=twt_gu

Has the phone hacking trial created a new form of journalism?

Has the phone hacking trial created a new form of journalism?

The dead tree press is dead, all hail the new journalism.

The publishers' grasp is loosened now that a legion of bloggers and tweeters can break news and break the monopolies over it.

Up to a point.

Looking at the reporting of the phone hacking trial you would be forgiven for thinking that old models of reporting the news had been swept aside by something altogether more immediate and democratic.

http://www.newstatesman.com/media/2013/11/has-phone-hacking-trial-created-new-form-journalism

Who better to give lectures to journalism students than Alastair Campbell?

Who better to give lectures to journalism students than Alastair Campbell?

Now, if I were the sort of lazy, formulaically minded, indeed "garbagic" journalist that Alastair Campbell so understandably despises, this article would be very easy to compose. It would go something like this:

"Alastair Campbell teaching journalism to students? Oh, that's like putting Dracula in charge of the blood transfusion service. Or making Tony Blair a Middle East peace envoy… The man who gave us the dodgy dossier? Maybe he can tell the students how to make up stuff about chemical weapons… 45 minute warning… sexing up… conspiracies… Dr David Kelly… blood on his hands… Tony Bliar… you couldn't make it up… who does this man think he is… time will tell… I think we should be told…"

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/who-better-to-give-lectures-to-journalism-students-than-alastair-campbell-8927947.html

Advice to young people trying to get into journalism

Advice to young people trying to get into journalism

I very frequently get emails from young people, usually studying now at one of my alma maters, asking me for advice on how to enter journalism. Obviously, their hope is that I have an internship or something even better to refer, but I just don't. And really, I don't. But I do try to respond honestly with my advice.

http://andreaskluth.org/2013/11/07/advice-to-young-people-trying-to-get-into-journalism/

Study: 96% of UK journalists use social media each day

Study: 96% of UK journalists use social media each day

Almost all of the UK journalists who responded to a study into social media and journalism have said they use such platforms every day.

The related report, published today, states that out of the 589 journalists from the UK who took part in its worldwide 2013 Social Journalism Study – carried out by Cision and Canterbury Christ Church University – 96 per cent interact on social media "on a daily basis", and 92 per cent do so on Twitter in particular.

http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/study-96-of-uk-journalists-use-social-media-each-day/s2/a554687/

Three young journalists shortlisted for the UK Foreign Press Association Awards

Three young journalists shortlisted for the UK Foreign Press Association Awards

Three young journalists from developing countries have been shortlisted for a prestigious press award.

The reporters, two from Africa and one from India will be flown to London for the UK Foreign Press Association Award

http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/content/three-young-journalists-shortlisted-uk-foreign-press-association-awards

17 Phrases Only Journalists Ever Use

17 Phrases Only Journalists Ever Use

Reporters use strange and wonderful language that normal people never would. Here's a handy guide, from Romps, Tots and Boffins by Robert Hutton.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/patricksmith/phrases-only-news-reporters-use

Why is the media so quiet on protecting journalists and other civilians in warzones?

Why is the media so quiet on protecting journalists and other civilians in warzones?

The news coming out of the ongoing conflict in Syria is tragic and, for many, too horrible to look at for long. While the reportage is appreciated, one can't help but wonder whether it would be different if foreign correspondent Marie Colvin and the other 32 journalists killed there in 2012 were still alive and reporting on it.

http://theconversation.com/why-is-the-media-so-quiet-on-protecting-journalists-and-other-civilians-in-warzones-18481

It's Time to Let Journalists Do Their Jobs

It's Time to Let Journalists Do Their Jobs

As we went to press, news broke that the partner of The Guardian reporter Glenn Greenwald--who helped release the Edward Snowden revelations--had been detained under British anti-terrorism laws while traveling through England on his way home to Brazil. The episode was designed to send a message to Greenwald (and all journalists) that if you publish sensitive documents, we will come after you. Just to make sure the message was clear, the border police held Greenwald's partner, David Miranda, for almost the entire 9 hours the law allowed under section 7 of the U.K.'s Terrorism Act 2000.

http://www.econtentmag.com/Articles/Column/Media-Redux/Its-Time-to-Let-Journalists-Do-Their-Jobs-92855.htm

Why journalists need to learn about metadata

Why journalists need to learn about metadata

Data on our data is called "metadata." It's there every time we leave an electronic record behind. When we take a photo, it will have data about the camera, the time it was taken, and probably the name of who took it if geolocation and face detection are enabled on the device. So taking a picture now is much more than just a photo. It's telling information about yourself.

http://ijnet.org/blog/why-journalists-need-learn-about-metadata

New BBC reporting unit tracks stories taking off on social

New BBC reporting unit tracks stories taking off on social

The BBC has launched a new unit and platform to investigate social media trends around the world and the stories behind them.

The first story, about a piece of CCTV footage that has gone viral in Malaysia and why people share material online, will be broadcast from an in-tweet video on the#BBCTrending hashtag at 5pm GMT today.

http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/new-bbc-reporting-unit-tracks-stories-taking-off-on-social/s2/a554598/