Oswego Journalism Seniors 2012 @journalismoswego2012 - Tumblr Blog

The NYT Paywall Hums Along

By Kwesi Asante

In this article from the Columbia Journalism review, The New York Time’s recent implementation of a paid subscription for its online content is discussed.

The Times has exceeded expectations since it implemented its paywall over a year ago. When the paywall was established, many of its critics said that the Times would lose readers since people would be turned off by the idea of having to pay for news.

I think that the Times’ success is a huge triumph for the journalism world as a whole. It demonstrates that people are willing to pay for quality journalism and that it’s a good business model. The Times is an established publication and it is highly regarded. I feel that a similar analogy can be made with cars. For example, there are people who are willing to pay more for a Mercedes Benz rather than buy a car such as KIA even though they both can get you from point A to point B.

The steady increase in digital subscribers over the quarters is encouraging news.

In my opinion, the Times won’t have an issue with gaining subscribers because it is a well known fact that the average Times reader is well educated and there is a correlation with a person’s level of education and their income.Times readers tend to be well off and as such have disposable incomes and won’t mind paying for a digital subscription in order to receive quality journalism.

The Twitter Explosion

By Kwesi Asante

In this article from the American Journalism Review, the increased use of the social media site, Twitter, is discussed and whether it is a beneficial tool to journalists.

I found it interesting that “Some well-known news-media names now have Twitter followings that are almost as large as the circulation of their newspapers or viewership of their TV shows.” I am not that surprised because Twitter after all is free and most people tend to spend a good portion of their time on the internet either through a computer or smartphone.

I liked the fact that this article delved into how Twitter can be a useful tool if utilized properly. For example, the Portland based paper, The Oregonian, used Twitter in 2007 to alert people of areas that were flooded and road closures during a storm. This set the precedent for other local papers throughout the United States to embrace Twitter. Twitter served as a platform through which they could inform people instantaneously of events that were occurring as well as natural disasters that they could not do with the traditional daily paper.

I also liked the fact that Twitter reached a new milestone when it was deemed permissible by a federal judge that it could be used in his courtroom by a reporter. This is extremely useful in documenting court proceedings and relaying up to the minute information to the outside world beyond the courtroom. In my opinion, it is not as disruptive as having a camera crew and reporter in the same scenario.

I found it interesting that the federal government itself had embraced twitter. For example, when there was an outbreak of salmonella in peanut butter, it notified the public that it would be sending periodic updates about the salmonella outbreak via Twitter.

The issue of whether journalistic integrity should be maintained while on Twitter was also brought up. The erroneous tweet of Ron Charles, a Washington Post book critic, was brought up. He blatantly sent out a tweet stating “Frequent contributor tells me the New Yorker is considering switch to biweekly or monthly. Recession pains.” He knew it wasn’t credible from the beginning but he tweeted it any way. This tweet turned into a wildfire that he couldn’t contain. I believe journalistic integrity should be upheld even on twitter because the reputation that people have built over their careers could be tarnished with a simple misguided tweet.

As Colleagues Salute Marie Colvin, Recent Losses Cast a Pall Over War Correspondents

By Kwesi Asante

The recent death of noted war correspondent, Marie Colvin, was a sad loss for the journalism community. She embodied what a journalist ought to be.

I must admit I was not thoroughly familiar with whom she was before reading the article but after reading it, I have a great deal of admiration for her and what she stood for. She put her life on the line just so others were made aware of the atrocities that were being committed in Syria under Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

I was fascinated with the fact that before she was internationally renowned, she was from New York. Her life story and ambition is inspirational to say the least. Her humble beginnings and her move to London where she established herself at the Sunday Times serves as testament to what a little drive and ambition can lead to.

Colvin’s death unfortunately was part of a series of recent journalist deaths since the Arab Spring which is a series of uprisings that started in North Africa and spread to parts of the Middle East. These deaths include the British filmmaker Tim Hetherington, American photographer Chris Hondros and South African photographer Anton Hammerl. These journalists were killed while covering last year’s unrest in Libya. The New York Times reporter Anthony Shadid died from an asthma attack while escaping from Syria.

I think it is unfortunate that her inquisitiveness ultimately led to her death. She broke the law when she illegally crossed into Syria. When reading this article, I couldn’t help but think of the saying “a cat with nine lives”. Colvin had lost one of her eyes while covering a previous conflict but that didn’t stop her from reporting from the front lines. She lived the life of a journalist and on her terms. Ultimately in the end, she had used up her nine lives and this should serve as a cautionary tale to all aspiring journalists. We should know our limits in order to not die prematurely.

Another Honduran journalist slain

By Kwesi Asante

The body of Honduras’ 22nd journalist to be murdered since 2010 was found on Tuesday.

Alfredo Villatoro Angel was a radio journalist who was kidnapped on his way to work last week. The Committee to Protect Journalists has stated that “an atmosphere of violence and impunity has made Honduras one of the most dangerous countries for journalists.” In comparison with the rest of the world, Honduras has the highest homicide rate per capita according to the United Nations.

This recent murder brings into perspective the constant danger that we as journalists are likely to face in seeking and reporting the truth. But me must not forget that the pen is mightier than the sword. I feel that journalists are seen as a threat because we can bring about change and expose the unfortunate corruption that is woven into the fabric of daily life.

I feel that this unfortunate series of events should serve as a reminder that we must remain vigilante in what we do as journalists.

The United Nations should be more active and enact mandates that protect journalists around the world rather than leaving it up to individual countries.

To me, events like this raise the question, “What is the purpose of the UN?” because it seems like a highly ineffective organization. The UN is all talk but never springs into action to do anything until it’s too late.

The Daily Show is as substantive as the "real" news

By Kwesi Asante

In this online article, a recent study, dating back to 2006, was conducted in which it concluded that the comedy news show, The Daily Show, contained just as much actual news as competing television news programs such as ABC’s World News Tonight and CBS’s Evening News. The study was done by Julia R. Fox who is professor of telecommunications at Indiana University.

The study used the 2004 Presidential campaign to reach this conclusion. Interestingly enough, they found that The Daily Show actually had longer news stories in comparison with its rivals. I found this surprising considering that The Daily Show is geared towards having a comical twist on actual news events. According to Professor Fox, “It should be noted that the broadcast network news stories about the presidential election were significantly shorter, on average, than were The Daily Show with Jon Stewart stories.”

The fact that The Daily Show can have just as much substance as its cable news rivals is alarming. It speaks volumes as to the quality of modern cable news. I don’t personally watch The Daily Show often as I think the addition of humor to news stories detracts from the message that we as journalists are trying to get across to readers/viewers.

It is unfortunate that people want to be entertained 24/7 in our infotainment driven world. The media industry’s obsession with ratings and viewership is corrosive in the long term. Business decisions are taking precedent over issues that impact people’s daily lives. A show like The Daily Show makes good business sense but I feel that it comes at a cost. Because of this show and its humorous spin, a lot of people are unable to grasp the scope and severity of actual news that impacts their daily life.

Journalists at BBC told not to break stories on twitter

By Kwesi Asante

The British Broadcasting Corporation recently told its journalists not to post breaking stories on Twitter before submitting them to the news desk. The BBC wants to maintain a competitive advantage when it comes to news reporting.

The BBC is aware of the importance of social media in reaching out and connecting with its audience.According to BBC’s social media editor, Chris Hamilton “”We prize the increasing value of Twitter, and other social networks, to us (and our audiences) as a platform for our content, a news gathering tool and a new way of engaging with people. Being quick off the mark with breaking news is essential to that mission. But we’ve been clear that our first priority remains ensuring that important information reaches BBC colleagues, and thus all our audiences, as quickly as possible – and certainly not after it reaches Twitter.”

I feel that this decision was made strictly from a business standpoint and I agree with their decision. They employ these journalists and as such, they should be subordinate to them first rather than a social media site such as twitter.

Having the latest breaking news can make or break a news organization. BBC is simply doing what is in its best interest. I like the fact that BBC is aware of the importance of social media and is lenient on the issue. It’s not like they are completely forbidding their staff from sending tweets. They allow it, as long as they are made after the news stories have been submitted to them first.

More Mexican Journalists Found Dead, Latest Deaths in Violent Region

Andrew Kunkel

This Article tells the story of how difficult it is to a journalist in the Mexican city of Veracruz, where four journalists were found dead. Guillermo Luna Varela, Gabriel Huge, Esteban Rodriguez and Irasema Becerra, were slain, dismembered and stuffed into black plastic bags and dumped into a waste canal. The cause of the violence is drug cartel wars, with the Zeta cartel fighting the New Generation cartel for control of one of the largest port cities in the country.

The dangerous cartels will often intimidate the media by demanding they show stories of them killing their enemies, while at the same time the other cartel will threaten violence if the stories are published. This leaves journalists in a difficult predicament. Cartels often will send media outlets stories, with violence to follow if they do not bend to their will.

In the last year and a half seven journalists have been killed, with journalists working in conditions similar to that of a war zone. They only travel in groups of four or five and call when they leave and return to work. Sources are hard to come by as many journalists will not talk to strangers.

"Local law enforcement in the state was considered so corrupt and infiltrated by the gangs that Mexico's federal government fired 800 officers and 300 administrative personnel in the city of Veracruz-Boca del Rio in December and sent in about 800 marines to patrol."

This piece sheds light on a very difficult region to report on. Those who try to ignore the threats are often killed. It is a sad situation, where people miss out on the real nature of what is happening around them due to the violence of cartels. It makes you realize how lucky we are in America to not have to worry about being killed for doing your job.

First Journalist To Be Expelled From China in 14 Years

Andrew Kunkel

This Article from the L.A. Times shares the story of Melissa Chan, a journalist working for Al-Jazeera's English bureau who has been kicked out of China. When asked why, the government did not give an official reason. It is rare that journalists are kicked out of China, as the last time it happened was in 1998. Most of the time the government tries to interfere with journalists and block them from gaining access to stories and sources.

Chan covered a piece on "black jails" which according to the government do not officially say exist. She believes this is one possible reason she was forced from the county. Journalists have expressed their support for Chan, who has used twitter to circumvent authorities in the Communist country.

"Frequently, she wrote of her dealings with authorities on Twitter.

There is a "strong possibility" that those dispatches played a role in her expulsion, she said. And after three months of short-term visas, "maybe they were angry that they put me on a tight leash and that didn't stop me," she said."

This article absolutely fascinated me, because it shows how restrictive some countries can be. Chan apparently violated "relevant laws" with her work, which is a loose term for doing something that the government did not like. China is notorious for censorship, trying to force companies like google to censor search results and heavily monitoring twitter. It makes you appreciate the fact that even if you report something the government does not like in America you are still allowed to stay in the country without fear of being persecuted.

Murdoch Employee Rebekah Brooks Charged in Phone Hacking Scandal

Andrew Kunkel

Rebekah Brooks, the former News International chief has been charged, along with her husband and four others, with plotting to remove boxes of documents and hide computers from police.

The phone hacking scandal involves News of the World and other papers owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch. It is alleged that reporters for News of the World hacked into the phones of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler in 2003. Court documents show that reporters asked private investigator Glenn Mulcaire to hack into phones 2,226 times over the course of five years.

“One day the details of this case will emerge, and people will see today as nothing more than an expensive sideshow — a waste of public money as a result of an unjust and weak decision,” said Brooks.

Brooks faces three accounts of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, while the others face two accounts of the same charge.

The maximum sentence for these crimes is life in prison, but the likely sentence is four to 18 months in prison.

Brooks claims that the charges are unfair because her husband, driver and personal assistant have also been arrested for the same crime. She is angry that the police are going after those closest to her.

The verdict of the case has not yet been leveled, but Brooks is a high ranking member in Murdoch’s news team. The case is one of great media interest because Murdoch’s News Corp. is one of the largest media conglomerates in the world. This case has already stopped Murdoch’s planned take over of British cable network BskyB, and the negative press caused his son James to step down as the chairman of BskyB.

The phone hacking scandal is one that brought great misfortune to Murdoch's interests in Britain. The negative press and scandal led to withdrawal from many advertisers, forcing News of the World to close in 2011 after being around for 168 years. This is more of a warning to journalists to keep their sources clean and legal, or face the dire consequences.

L.A. Kings Twitter Feed the Talk Of the Playoffs

Andrew Kunkel

While most sports teams twitter feeds are rather bland, sharing information about the tickets, scores and highlights, the L.A. Kings have taken their social media to the next level. After the teams first win over the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL playoffs, the team sent a tweet that has caused quite a stir.

The man behind the Kings social media, Dewayne Hankins has been called classless "a million times" but the effectiveness of his work has brought over 40,000 new followers to the @LAKings twitter feed over the course of the playoffs.

The question here is, how does the funny aspect of Hankins' tweets bring in new followers? Most tweets are distinctly unbiased, but the Kings have gone 180 degrees to really push their opponents and make fans laugh. The effectiveness has brought media attention to the team, which makes it worthwhile. In the page's information, it says

"Be warned, our tweets may have a slight #LAKings slant"

In this new age of social media, the Kings seem to have found the perfect mix of professionalism and humor to gain attention and followers.

The brand has found a distinctive voice, one that sticks in the mind of fans, while at the same time making fun of other teams and players.

Center for the Kings Anze Kopitar is a candidate to be the cover athlete for NHL '13, a huge honor. So the Kings twitter feed took to making fun of other candidate Claude Giroux

"At the end of the day, it's entertainment. Twitter's all about saying things that are funny. If you're not going to do that, then you're wasting people's time," said Hankins.

Laurie Fine to Sue ESPN For Libel

Andrew Kunkel

Laurie Fine, wife of accused sexual predator Bernie Fine, has filed a lawsuit against espn. The lawsuit accuses ESPN, reporter Mark Schwarz and producer Arty Berko, of improperly reporting the allegations against her husband and twisting her words to make a negative image of her character.

According to the lawsuit, Schwarz and Berko "spitefully destroyed Laurie Fine's reputation in an attempt to capitalize financially in the wake of the Penn State sex abuse scandal."

The lawsuit reads Laurie Fine "has been forced to sell her family home...to escape the predictable aftermath of the defendants' continued malicious publication of certain false and defamatory statements."

ESPN used a phone conversation Laurie Fine had in 2002 with Bobby Davis to imply that the two were in a sexual relationship and that she did nothing to stop her husband from allegedly molesting Davis. Davis, in a slander case against Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim also published comments stating that "he overheard Laurie Fine and the wife of another coach talk about performing oral sex on players and compare the players’ genitalia." This was also brought up on air by ESPN.

Davis, who told both the Syracuse Post Standard and ESPN that Bernie Fine, a coach at Syracuse's basketball program molested him in 2002 during his time as a ball boy at the university. Neither news organization ran the story, due to lack of evidence.

Once Davis' stepbrother Mike Lang came forward saying that Fine had molested him, ESPN decided that it was proof enough to run the story this past November. Lang, who is in financial trouble, told the Post Standard in 2002 that Fine never molested him. He has not commented on his change in stance on the subject.

According to the Associate Press, Libel in New York state is defined as "a statement that tends to expose a person to hatred, contempt or aversion or to induce an evil or unsavory opinion of the person in the minds of a substantial number of people in the community."

Laurie Fine will have to prove that ESPN made a gross departure from normal journalistic standards in court. The main question is whether or not she is considered a public figure. If she is not, then the case will be less difficult to prove. If she is considered a public figure then her lawyers must prove that ESPN published the information with "malice and reckless regard for whether it was true."

#Laurie Fine #ESPN #Bernie Fine #Mark Schwarz

Oswego Graduation

Those who graduate today after four years at SUNY Oswego, congratulations! You are one of the 40 percent of students who do so in a four year time, ten percent of whom are journalism majors, according to U.S. news.

Though your collegiate careers may be coming to an end, there is a bright side. According to PayScale.com, SUNY Oswego ranks on the list of top state schools in the country by average starting salary. The website depicts that Oswego grads average a starting salary of $37,600 and get up to around $69,000 midway through their careers.

The same website illustrates that the average starting pay for a journalist is about $20,000. Not great, but no small sum to the average poor college student.

Though I have another year at Oswego myself, I want to personally congratulate all of my classmates who accomplished the huge milestone of college graduation. Good luck in the real world!

U.S. News Statistics

PayScale Statistics

PayScale top state school salary list

- Jordan Lomaestro

onaissues

The tech industry’s testosterone level can make the thickest-skinned women consider a different career. But the rise of the brogrammer joke and its ensuing backlash has some benefits: It helps talented women choose worthy employers, it gives a name and face to a problem that plagues the industry and it publicly shames some of the most sexist offenders.

In war for talent, ‘brogrammers’ will be losers - CNN.com (via onaissues)

Media Development Loan Fund

Is journalism in crisis? This question is asked by freelance journalist and digital strategist Kevin Anderson. He writes that a 2010 study in the UK found that between 15,000 to 20,000 journalists have lost their jobs since 2001. Cuts have continued for the past two years as well. Another 2010 found that between 2007 to 2009, newspaper circulation dropped dramatically in many developed countries, including dropping 25 percent in the UK and 30 percent in the US. He says that with the recent decline in newspaper circulation, independent journalism has become very important. He also writes that while newspaper circulation might be down, audiences are up. Anderson also says that the future of journalism is digital. But while newspaper circulation is down in developed countries, it is booming elsewhere. A report by The Economist showed newspaper circulation up as much as 13 percent in Asia and 30 percent in Africa. It is for some of these reasons that Anderson says he joined the Media Development Loan Fund (MDLF). The MDLF is a mission-driven investment fund for independent news outlets in countries with a history of media oppression. It provides lost-cost capital to help journalists establish and build sustainable businesses around professional journalism in challenging environments. It is important for independent journalism to have a chance to flourish, especially in less developed countries. The MDLF has been doing great things for years to make this possible. Check out the MDLF website HERE.

- Brian Earley

10 Ways a Journalist Can Use Twitter

As journalists, we realize Twitter it becoming a bigger part of reporting lives. Mary Jean Tenore of Poynter outlines ten ways Twitter can better a journalist, and even make their jobs easier.

In short, Tenore points out that in her four years on Twitter, she discovered it is easier to find story ideas, share news, and talk with other people. She write the article targeting those believe Twitter is just "one more thing." and maybe be tentative to try it.

My favorite tip she points out is that Twitter has the ability to turn investigations into story telling efforts. The social sites ability to interact with so many people, allows others to react to the stories you are telling. For example, reporter Wendy Norris used Twitter to investigate reports about Pharmacies making condoms less accessible to customers. She tweeted, "“Heading to the grocery/drug store this week? Join fun, stealth crowdsourcing project. No disguise needed. DM me if you’re in Colorado.” She got 17 volunteers, and eventually disproved the accusations.

Tenore also explains how Twitter can be used to build one's credibility. Because word spreads so fast, false tweets can ruin a reporter. However she doesn't discourage journalists from being active on Twitter. Rather she encourages frequent tweeting to get your voice out there by live tweeting breaking news events.

The website can be found at Poynter

Jordan Lomaestro

Network or Cable News?

Barry Wygel

It would just make common sense that the 24-hour cable news networks do a better job covering the news. They have 24-hours a day to do it, while the networks have on average a 30 minute show that with commercials is only 18 minutes.

But a new survey by the Project for Excellence in Journalism shows that the networks may do a better job covering the news. The study found “that network news provides some of the best television journalism we have in terms of range and quality of reporting.” The study found that the cable news networks tended to focus on softer news.

The trend may be changing though. The study also found “an arc in the content of nightly news broadcasts; there was a departure from hard news in the 1990s toward more tabloid-style stories. As the news researcher Andrew Tyndall has observed, crime, once a largely local story, was the biggest topic on nightly news in the 1990s, even though the crime rate was actually declining.”

www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/04/alterman_networks.html/

Television Comedy Gold

Barry Wygel

We all love television news bloopers. One of the many reasons why television is better than print. Check out this great television blooper of Australian weather man Steve Jacobs doing a live reports from a zoo. He is in the middle of his live report when a large pelican flies into the camera shot and begins attacking the poor reporter. He, unlike many news people, takes it in stride and you can hear him laughing as the pelican is trying to bite him.

www.thestarryeye.typepad.com/pets/2010/02/pelican-attacks-austrailian-weather-man-during-live-report-from-zoo.html/

Also check out this video of local Syracuse anchorman Rod Wood getting attacked by a bee. This wasn’t live on television but the cameraman decided to post the video on the internet. Uncomfirmed reports are that the camera person was fired for posting the video, but 72,000 hits later, the video is comedy gold. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4rJTgFY944

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