Friday, November 30, 2007
Flash-Bang Reporting
Friday, November 30, 2007
From Clark Bell:
Stephen Trosley, publisher of the Journal-Standard in Freeport, Ill., is concerned that sloppy journalists and bloggers are increasingly turning to a SWAT unit tactic of surprising or stunning people they are trying to overcome. Examples of the flash-bang technique are when reporters slip in a quote that can be misunderstood, use questionable sources without verification or construct a story to create a shocking situation. The principle involved, he said, is that the audience usually forms opinions or takes sides based on first impressions. Trosley warns his readers to take special note of the posting of bloggers and citizen journalists.
http://www.journalstandard.com/articles/2007/11/11/opinion/opinion05.txt
Stephen Trosley, publisher of the Journal-Standard in Freeport, Ill., is concerned that sloppy journalists and bloggers are increasingly turning to a SWAT unit tactic of surprising or stunning people they are trying to overcome. Examples of the flash-bang technique are when reporters slip in a quote that can be misunderstood, use questionable sources without verification or construct a story to create a shocking situation. The principle involved, he said, is that the audience usually forms opinions or takes sides based on first impressions. Trosley warns his readers to take special note of the posting of bloggers and citizen journalists.
http://www.journalstandard.com/articles/2007/11/11/opinion/opinion05.txt
Monday, November 26, 2007
Newspaper Lovers and Train Buffs
Monday, November 26, 2007
From Clark Bell:
Chicago Reader media maven Michael Miner's stinging Nov. 22 column wonders what it takes to keep a reporter on the righteous path in these dismal times. Miner's essay connects the dots between "the twin prophets of Chicago journalism, Sam Zell and John Lavine." Zell is the real estate tycoon who has crafted a deal to take over the Tribune Co., while Lavine continues his controversial quest to maneuver Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism into the modern age of media. Early posters to Miner's Hot Type link were especially ruffled by the assertion that "maybe it's OK that Zell doesn't give a damn about newspapers. The people who like them a lot are beginning to resemble the people who really like passenger trains." For more ouch connect to: http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/hottype/071122/
Chicago Reader media maven Michael Miner's stinging Nov. 22 column wonders what it takes to keep a reporter on the righteous path in these dismal times. Miner's essay connects the dots between "the twin prophets of Chicago journalism, Sam Zell and John Lavine." Zell is the real estate tycoon who has crafted a deal to take over the Tribune Co., while Lavine continues his controversial quest to maneuver Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism into the modern age of media. Early posters to Miner's Hot Type link were especially ruffled by the assertion that "maybe it's OK that Zell doesn't give a damn about newspapers. The people who like them a lot are beginning to resemble the people who really like passenger trains." For more ouch connect to: http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/hottype/071122/
Friday, November 16, 2007
Cyber Soldier
Friday, November 16, 2007
In September 2006, MTF's Journalism Program gathered military and media leaders to discuss rapidly changing information management during war time. The Internet generation had gone into battle - and controlling messages going to and from the front lines had reached a complexity unlike in any previous time. (The report that came out of that conference is on the foundation's website at http://www.rrmtf.org/publications/militarymedia2006.pdf.)
Chicago magazine's October issue (www.chicagomag.com) has a fascinating interview with blogger Matthew Currier Burden. The Gulf War veteran, a Chicagoan, began a blog (www.Blackfive.net - blackfive being an old military call sign for the executive officer who makes things happen behind the scenes) in 2003 about those fighting the war. When he started the blog, Burden was one of the first to blog about the war. Today there are hundreds. Yet Burden's registers some 4 million unique visitors per year, making it arguably the most prominent military blog (or miliblog) in the blogosphere.
And according to the magazine piece military officials have taken notice: Since April 2005, soldier bloggers in Iraq and Afghanistan must register their Web sites with commanders. The Pentagon also blocks soldiers' access to 13 popular networking, music and photo-sharing sites (including YouTube and MySpace). Burden's book, The Blog of War, reprinting many of the blog's entries - was published by Simon & Schuster in 2006.
Chicago magazine's October issue (www.chicagomag.com) has a fascinating interview with blogger Matthew Currier Burden. The Gulf War veteran, a Chicagoan, began a blog (www.Blackfive.net - blackfive being an old military call sign for the executive officer who makes things happen behind the scenes) in 2003 about those fighting the war. When he started the blog, Burden was one of the first to blog about the war. Today there are hundreds. Yet Burden's registers some 4 million unique visitors per year, making it arguably the most prominent military blog (or miliblog) in the blogosphere.
And according to the magazine piece military officials have taken notice: Since April 2005, soldier bloggers in Iraq and Afghanistan must register their Web sites with commanders. The Pentagon also blocks soldiers' access to 13 popular networking, music and photo-sharing sites (including YouTube and MySpace). Burden's book, The Blog of War, reprinting many of the blog's entries - was published by Simon & Schuster in 2006.
Listening Across Borders
Friday, November 16, 2007
We all know that young people are the so-called "early adopters" of new technologies, but the question remains in student media circles about how to best harness these innovations to enhance youth communication efforts. The answer also might shed some light on how to attract bright young people in the professional news media.
A recent MTF-funded proejct tackled the issue head-on with YouthLAB, an intense two-week summer program that gathered 20 teens from Barbados and Chicago "together in a virtual space to create global exchange using peer-to-peer networks and other tools of participatory media." The project hatched dozens of youth-produced videos, Skype chats and mash-ups.
You can read all about the project and lessons learned for the youth media field in a new Youth Media Reporter piece by Open Youth Networks director Mindy Faber (http://www.youthmediareporter.org/2007/11/listening_across_borders_creat.html). Better yet, you can check-out the teens work yourself at the Youth Lab Web site (http://youthlab.net/).
Interested in youth media? You can sign up for a free subcription to Youth Media Reporter on its site, http://www.youthmediareporter.org/.
A recent MTF-funded proejct tackled the issue head-on with YouthLAB, an intense two-week summer program that gathered 20 teens from Barbados and Chicago "together in a virtual space to create global exchange using peer-to-peer networks and other tools of participatory media." The project hatched dozens of youth-produced videos, Skype chats and mash-ups.
You can read all about the project and lessons learned for the youth media field in a new Youth Media Reporter piece by Open Youth Networks director Mindy Faber (http://www.youthmediareporter.org/2007/11/listening_across_borders_creat.html). Better yet, you can check-out the teens work yourself at the Youth Lab Web site (http://youthlab.net/).
Interested in youth media? You can sign up for a free subcription to Youth Media Reporter on its site, http://www.youthmediareporter.org/.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Journalism Behind Bars
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
This month’s Utne Reader has a fascinating exploration into journalism in a place few expect it –America’s prison system. The story, “Shelf Life: The Toughest Beat,” by Danielle Maestrelli, takes a look at inmate-produced newsmagazines in U.S. prisons.
As the U.S. prison population has soared to more than 2.25 million, the number of publications has dwindled from a high of 250 in 1959 to fewer than 30 official prison newspapers today. At their height, some prison publications reached a circulation of 7,500 (the Mendard Time, from Illinois) and were the primary avenue by which incarcerated voices reached the outside. While stories often provide useful information for life behind bars, they have also included courageous exposes such as the piece, “Prison: The Sexual Jungle,” a 27-page essay that chronicled the systemic sexual violence typical of most prisons. This piece earned its authors at Louisiana's Angola penitentiary a 1980 George Polk Award.
Earlier this year MTF’s Journalism Program became a supporter of the youth-produced newsletter of the Consuella B. York Alternative High School, a Chicago Public School located within the Cook County Department of Corrections. Led by inspired English teacher Joyce Hutchens, teens at York produce 3&8 Voices. York Alternative typically has some 600 students enrolled during a semester, but due to its highly transient nature serves more than 14,000 students throughout a school year.
As the U.S. prison population has soared to more than 2.25 million, the number of publications has dwindled from a high of 250 in 1959 to fewer than 30 official prison newspapers today. At their height, some prison publications reached a circulation of 7,500 (the Mendard Time, from Illinois) and were the primary avenue by which incarcerated voices reached the outside. While stories often provide useful information for life behind bars, they have also included courageous exposes such as the piece, “Prison: The Sexual Jungle,” a 27-page essay that chronicled the systemic sexual violence typical of most prisons. This piece earned its authors at Louisiana's Angola penitentiary a 1980 George Polk Award.
Earlier this year MTF’s Journalism Program became a supporter of the youth-produced newsletter of the Consuella B. York Alternative High School, a Chicago Public School located within the Cook County Department of Corrections. Led by inspired English teacher Joyce Hutchens, teens at York produce 3&8 Voices. York Alternative typically has some 600 students enrolled during a semester, but due to its highly transient nature serves more than 14,000 students throughout a school year.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Ethnic Media Cover the California Fires
Monday, November 05, 2007
Several recent stories from the New America Media (NAM) newswire illustrate the MTF Journalism Program’s interest in working with ethnic media around emergency preparedness.
“Ethnic Media Cover the Fires” is a roundup of stories from Southern California’s ethnic media on the devastation and targeted information to evacuees and those wishing to help. The Spanish-language publication Enlace reported on undocumented immigrants affected by the fire who are reluctant to seek help. In fact, many of these "invisible victims" apparently even remained in the canyons. Enlace provided information for those wishing to help these immigrants by donating tents, sleeping bags, blankets, water and food. This is a good example of ethnic media reaching very targeted audiences with practical, pertinent information.
The piece looks at other coverage of the fires too, such as the Chinese-language media. China News Service reported that at least 1,000 Chinese had been forced to leave homes. The Ming Pao Daily provided startling context by reporting that the area burned by the fires was roughly the size of Hong Kong. Another NAM story examined how the Mexican media is covering the border fires.
MTF’s Journalism Program recently made several grants targeting the ethnic media with an eye toward better preparing all sectors of U.S. society for emergencies. In addition to continued support of NAM, MTF has awarded grants to:
+ The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) to host a conference on strengthening coverage of emergency preparedness for journalists from Spanish-language news outlets in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean.
+ The Texas State University at San Marcos to study the ability of emergency agencies in Texas and Illinois to reach Spanish-speaking populations via the ethnic media.
“Ethnic Media Cover the Fires” is a roundup of stories from Southern California’s ethnic media on the devastation and targeted information to evacuees and those wishing to help. The Spanish-language publication Enlace reported on undocumented immigrants affected by the fire who are reluctant to seek help. In fact, many of these "invisible victims" apparently even remained in the canyons. Enlace provided information for those wishing to help these immigrants by donating tents, sleeping bags, blankets, water and food. This is a good example of ethnic media reaching very targeted audiences with practical, pertinent information.
The piece looks at other coverage of the fires too, such as the Chinese-language media. China News Service reported that at least 1,000 Chinese had been forced to leave homes. The Ming Pao Daily provided startling context by reporting that the area burned by the fires was roughly the size of Hong Kong. Another NAM story examined how the Mexican media is covering the border fires.
MTF’s Journalism Program recently made several grants targeting the ethnic media with an eye toward better preparing all sectors of U.S. society for emergencies. In addition to continued support of NAM, MTF has awarded grants to:
+ The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) to host a conference on strengthening coverage of emergency preparedness for journalists from Spanish-language news outlets in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean.
+ The Texas State University at San Marcos to study the ability of emergency agencies in Texas and Illinois to reach Spanish-speaking populations via the ethnic media.
Planting the Seeds for the Liberty Tree
Monday, November 05, 2007
The First Amendment is taking a beating, but a group of top-shelf journalists and First Amendment advocates aren't going to stand by anymore. Enter the Liberty Tree Initiative, a new campaign that aims to improve the public's perception of the First Amendment and journalists.
The project kicked off this past week at McCormick Tribune Foundation's Cantigny Park in Wheaton, Ill., with a two-day brainstorming meeting organized by the American Society of Newspaper Editors. Describing the group assembled as a "League of Nations of First Amendment professionals," Liberty Tree mastermind and USA Today editor Ken Paulson charged participants to come up with ideas and strategies for improving public sentiment on the First Amendment freedoms.
With the help of communications firm Weber Shandwick, the Liberty Tree Initiative should have a solid foundation for a campaign by early next year.
The project kicked off this past week at McCormick Tribune Foundation's Cantigny Park in Wheaton, Ill., with a two-day brainstorming meeting organized by the American Society of Newspaper Editors. Describing the group assembled as a "League of Nations of First Amendment professionals," Liberty Tree mastermind and USA Today editor Ken Paulson charged participants to come up with ideas and strategies for improving public sentiment on the First Amendment freedoms.
With the help of communications firm Weber Shandwick, the Liberty Tree Initiative should have a solid foundation for a campaign by early next year.
Friday, November 2, 2007
ICFJ Training: How Do You Spell Success?
Friday, November 02, 2007
Journalism funders invest a lot of money in initiatives aimed at improving the quality and depth of reporting on pressing current issues. But how do we measure the impact of a given single event?
No two programs are just alike, so comparisons are difficult. But a quick look at the 8-day training in immigration coverage that the International Center for Journalists hosted back in April offers clues to what makes a program successful. The 21 journalists – from throughout Latin America and the U.S. - who participated attended sessions with policy experts, conducted site visits in the DC area and even created a group blog where they posted stories for months following the training. And since the conference took place, the listserv ICFJ created has been crackling, with more than 600 emails between participants.
But the volume of coverage that resulted from the program gives an even better indication of its impact. Some of the highlights:
+ Vanessa Colon of The Fresno Bee wrote stories that, for the first time, included voices of the anti-immigration movement, including one on conservative Latinos and their thoughts on immigration.
+ Ruben Tapia of KPFK 90.7 FM in California created a radio news promo intended to help undocumented immigrants know their legal rights if detained by authorities.
+ In an example of cross-border reporting, program participants Jesus Angulo of El Imparcial of Mexico and Valeria Fernandez of La Voz in Phoenix collaborated on covering a controversial case in Arizona about a Mexican tourist who was repatriated from a hospital to Hermosillo.
+ Edward Sifuentes of San Diego’s North County Times and Matt O’Brien of the Daily Review in suburban San Francisco also worked together on an investigative story about a donor to a San Diego congressman who used political clout to have the immigration status of his own employees investigated.
+ Auxiliadora Rosales of Nicaragua’s largest newspaper, La Prensa, reported on a case involving an adolescent girl who was separated from her single father after he was deported from Miami back to Nicaragua. The story was covered extensively in Central America, raising alarm about the complex issue of separating families after deportation of parents.
No two programs are just alike, so comparisons are difficult. But a quick look at the 8-day training in immigration coverage that the International Center for Journalists hosted back in April offers clues to what makes a program successful. The 21 journalists – from throughout Latin America and the U.S. - who participated attended sessions with policy experts, conducted site visits in the DC area and even created a group blog where they posted stories for months following the training. And since the conference took place, the listserv ICFJ created has been crackling, with more than 600 emails between participants.
But the volume of coverage that resulted from the program gives an even better indication of its impact. Some of the highlights:
+ Vanessa Colon of The Fresno Bee wrote stories that, for the first time, included voices of the anti-immigration movement, including one on conservative Latinos and their thoughts on immigration.
+ Ruben Tapia of KPFK 90.7 FM in California created a radio news promo intended to help undocumented immigrants know their legal rights if detained by authorities.
+ In an example of cross-border reporting, program participants Jesus Angulo of El Imparcial of Mexico and Valeria Fernandez of La Voz in Phoenix collaborated on covering a controversial case in Arizona about a Mexican tourist who was repatriated from a hospital to Hermosillo.
+ Edward Sifuentes of San Diego’s North County Times and Matt O’Brien of the Daily Review in suburban San Francisco also worked together on an investigative story about a donor to a San Diego congressman who used political clout to have the immigration status of his own employees investigated.
+ Auxiliadora Rosales of Nicaragua’s largest newspaper, La Prensa, reported on a case involving an adolescent girl who was separated from her single father after he was deported from Miami back to Nicaragua. The story was covered extensively in Central America, raising alarm about the complex issue of separating families after deportation of parents.
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