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IndieGoGo Project Seeks To ‘Free The Press, Buy The Tribune Company’

Lauren Rabaino — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:01:17 +0000

The Tribune Company is looking at potentially selling its newspapers, and one Indiegogo project from The Other 98% wants to “put the ‘free’ back in ‘free press’” by crowdfunding the money to purchase the media conglomerate. The price tag? Oh, you know, only $660 million. Today they are just over $60,000, with 30 days remaining in the campaign. continued…

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Feel Good Friday: When Gaffes Happen to ‘Good’ Journalists

Karen Fratti — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 11:30:32 +0000

The New York Post is one of those papers that you should only read with a grain of salt. It’s pretty much a place where frat boys with a communications degree go to make ridiculous puns and silly headlines. It’s the kind of pick me up, like a GIF ridden Tumblr blog, you can turn to when you want to have a chuckle and get a lesson in how not to report the news.

That’s why it’s no surprise that they made a Photoshop composite on their cover this week. You should just assume that they all are. It’s the News Corp way.

But doesn’t it sort of make you feel good about what you do?

Show and Tell

Unless you’re job is to be funny, like the Post or Gawker, making composites for your homepage photo is not a practice you should partake in. The only thing you should be doing with photo editing software is adjusting levels or image sizes. Even the most innocent offenses, like getting rid of a fly away hair or removing something distracting from the background, can lead you down a dark and uneasy road. If the picture needs work, you need to go out and retake it. Or find another one to use.

The same rule applies when it comes to video. The FOX CT debacle of too much cleavage in a Women’s History Month segment could easily happen online, too. We’re all busy, but take the time to edit and review content. What’s ‘funny’ to bored overnight editors amongst themselves will hardly be as well received in the real world. Just because we live in an onslaught of media doesn’t mean things can slip through the cracks.

Clicks and Engagement

Some have said that the new layout for the New York Times isn’t any good. Too much focus on making it readable, when other newspapers like The Daily Mail have been surviving with their completely unreadable homepage.

That’s because the Mail is a tabloid. Their strategy is to get clicks, and the more you have to click to get to the photos of someone doing something bad, the more “money” they make. Clicks and SEO are important. It’s all ingrained in our consciousness when we publish, but it should be left out of the planning and writing phase. The new layout for the Times is simply good strategy. As mobile and news pubs evolve, a focus on being readable should be at the heart of any good strategy, because that’s the business of news. Don’t get caught up in the hype. If the content is good, and accessible, they will come. You don’t need bad puns to get them. A good pun? That’s an entirely different story.

Have you spotted any other good fails on the web this week?

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Required Reading for the Digital Newsroom

Karen Fratti — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:42:55 +0000

There was a huge media event this weekend, and I’m not talking about the Oscars. It was when NASCAR took to YouTube and had a fan video of a crash taken down, in the name of the DMCA.

The posted video, showing parts of the crash not viewable in the official NASCAR version, stayed down, although copies of it circulated on sites like Deadspin. Later, Google put the videos back up; NASCAR must have realized what a silly, corporate idea ti was to block the video just as news of the crash broke.

The DMCA, and intellectual property online, is one of those looming questions surrounding digital journalism. I found myself embroiled in a lighthearted, but serious debate with another tech-minded friend about who was right in this case and its implications. Both of us found ourselves quoting and recommending books to each other by the end of it when we decided to agree to disagree. And it reminded me of how many really good, insightful books there are about copyright and digital culture that should be “required reading” for anyone with an email account.

In the name of a mid-winter Thursday, here are a couple to curl up with this weekend:

continued…

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Are You Ready for the State of the Union?

Karen Fratti — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 14:34:05 +0000

I’m all a-Twitter for tonight’s State of the Union address. Already, #SOTU is trending as media outlets and organizations prep for the big event. And, already, everyone is bemoaning, or planning drinking games, for the speech.

If you’re a cynic, it’s just more political theater. But if you, like me, are a political junkie, the State of the Union night is one whole awards season wrapped into an hour on C-Span. Provided Anonymous doesn’t hack the whole thing.

Like the Grammy’s or the Superbowl, I can’t wait to watch the event with the Twitter-verse. I won’t be sitting in a newsroom, but I’ll be trolling the #SOTU feed for my favorite journo friends’ take line-for-line.

I have a few favorites for tonight. continued…

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Valentines For Journalists, 2013 Edition

Meranda Watling — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 08:00:17 +0000

You’ve still got a week before your journo-sweetie will need an actual Valentine’s Day gift. But we’ve got you covered if you haven’t come up with the perfect way to say you mean the world to me. The 10,000 Words team put together our annual round up of valentines just for the journalist in your life.

This is our fifth year at it, so if you don’t find the appropriate sentiment in this year’s batch, definitely check out the previous editions for even more journalism love: 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009.

Got a good valentine idea that we missed? Share it with us @10000words using the hashtag #journolove and maybe we’ll add it in or use it next year.

There’s more!
continued…

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How to Make Online Content Less Interactive, But Better

Karen Fratti — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 12:11:35 +0000

The joke’s on us, guys. I couldn’t help laughing out loud and passing around a recent article from The Onion this week. The headline “Internet Users Demand Less Interactivity” caught my eye. The satirical piece contained gems like this quote:

Every time I type a web address into my browser, I don’t need to be taken to a fully immersive, cross-platform, interactive viewing experience,” said San Diego office manager Keith Boscone. “I don’t want to take a moment to provide my feedback, open a free account, become part of a growing online community, or see what related links are available at various content partners.

Har-har. Go ahead. Read the whole thing, I’ll wait.

Now back to business. As much as our jobs depend on curating those cross-platforms and creating sharable content, things are only funny when they’re true right? I think there are lessons to be learned from being the butt of the joke. Here’s how to keep those snarky Onion writers happy:

1. Use Video Only When It’s Compelling

Many of my colleagues working at hometown papers have been handed small digital cameras in the past years and an order from higher ups to have accompanying video for their stories and columns. We all have to be reporters, video producers, audio editors, among other things, these days. But video only works when it’s compelling. For it to be compelling, you need more training than the two afternoons in the conference room with the tech guy. Many of us are good writers and good video editors. Just as many people are not. (Full disclosure: I am not.) There is a huge difference between knowing how to put together a nice video from filming to finishing touches, and really feeling, embracing, the medium. I want to propose that while adapting is good, and learning to use Final Cut or even iMovie is a must, if you know it’s just not your thing: rebel. continued…

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Would You Watch A Newspaper Reality Show?

Meranda Watling — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:00:11 +0000

Like many work places, newsrooms often come with a set of stereotypical cast members. From the clueless out-of-town editor brought in by corporate to the cub reporter seeking a scandal in every story he covers to the this-trial-ain’t-my-first-rodeo cops reporter to the no-nonsense city editor. (I said stereotypical, didn’t I?)

That makes this announcement that NBC put out a casting call for local newspapers to be at the center of a potential reality show — shared in a posting on the National Newspaper Association website — both unsurprising and exciting. I can totally see how a newsroom could make for a good show — there’s deadline pressure, there’s quirky characters (inside and outside the newspaper), there’s always something new. It will be interesting to see how a “documentary-style reality show” would play out when much of the day in a community newspaper isn’t really dramatic. Sure, there are election nights and breaking news, but not every day, especially in a small-town paper, which seems to be their target. Jim Romenesko posted about the casting and has more details and responses to the idea.
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30 Holiday Gifts for Journalists 2012

admin — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Holidays are just around the corner and we know most of you who read this blog have a journalist or two in your life that you’ll be shopping for. Here are the recommendations from our entire 10,000 Words crew for journalistic, geeky, fun gifts. We also have a holiday gift guide from 2011 that is still relevant (2010, 2009 and 2008‘s versions are fun, too!). Anything we missed? Add your favorites and must-haves in the comments. continued…

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NY Times Redesigns Digital Crossword Puzzles

Meranda Watling — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 14:00:49 +0000

I’m a word person, but I’ve never been any good at crosswords. I’ve always thought my vocabulary was a hindrance, not so much that I don’t know the right word but that I know too many possible words that my brain can fill in the blank with two or three options and, even in pencil, that makes me afraid to commit to a potentially wrong answer. I’m more of a Sudoku gal, personally.

Nonetheless, I thought it was interesting to see that the New York Times — the de facto crossword king — has redesigned its digital crosswords games this week. It’s an interesting development because, while I’m all about the journalism, I like to see news agencies realize their mission isn’t just to inform but also to entertain. That’s why newspapers print things like movie reviews, comic strips and yes, crossword puzzles. I know several people who only (or in large part) pick up the newspaper for the puzzles or who save outdated editions for the day off someday when they’ll have time to work through them. (I hope they get some of the news while they’re there, though.) So it’s nice to see the Times devoting some of their IT power to improving the digital presentation and play of one of their most popular non-news features. Note: They do charge a few bucks a month for premium access to the daily puzzles, but do offer older puzzles from the archives for free.

Not only have they rolled out an HTML5 version of the crossword, but they’ve also coupled the new style with a very in-depth tutorial and explainer on the changes. They even have puzzle maestro Will Shortz on video explaining how he works and giving tips for Crossword beginners.

Among the changes the Times says they’ve made:

Clean and simplified layout
One entry point with various options on how to solve
Redesigned personalized scorecard
New bonus puzzles
Larger squares
Redesigned leaderboard statistics with top 10 puzzlers
Cleaner color scheme of blue, gray and white

The new game play is intuitive, and because it’s running on HTML5 it’s played right in browser without me needing any extra plug-ins or anything. Even on my older Mac, it worked seamlessly and swiftly. I might even be able to get into crosswords with a platform like this. Maybe.

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Nate Silver Gets His Own Memes

Lauren Rabaino — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:59:28 +0000

For your dose of Friday journo-geek fun, we have Nate Silver and more Nate Silver.

If you’ve been living under a rock, you may have missed that The New York Times’ blogger and statistician Nate Silver accurately predicted the outcome of the election in all 50 states through impeccable data analysis. Despite criticism, much of the social web is now regarding Silver as the nerdy Chuck Norris, and memes are popping up everywhere.

For what appears to be mostly Nate Silver pick-up lines, see Tumblr for images like this:

And for a continual, hilarious flow of tweets to keep you distracted all day, open up a search for the #drunknatesilver and #natesilverfacts hashtags in a new tab (there’s now also a @drunknatesilver account and a @nateDRUNKsilver account.). You will not be disappointed. Here are a few gems:

And don’t listen to that groundhog his data is biased #drunknatesilver

— Drunk Nate Silver (@drunknatesilver) November 9, 2012

When Nate Silver read The Hunger Games he correctly predicted how far the odds were in each tribute’s favor #natesilverfacts

— Alex Lach (@alexglach) November 9, 2012

i may be late to the #drunknatesilver trend, but @drunknatesilver knew i would be, so its all good.

— Tom Channick (@tomchannick) November 9, 2012

Nate Silver wasn’t born, the probability of his existence just increased #natesilverfacts

— weldon kennedy (@weldonwk) November 8, 2012

You will NEVER beat me in a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. #DrunkNateSilver

— Drunk Nate Silver (@nateDRUNKsilver) November 9, 2012

Since the election, Nate Silver’s book The Signal and the Noise is now No. 2 on Amazon.

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Emotional Design: How Recognizing Humanity of Readers Can Help Journalists Online

Kevin Loker — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 09:13:17 +0000

One of my favorite blogs to follow is a design blog that I’ve mentioned before, Smashing Magazine. It’s great because it’s functional (I can get around it), reliable (I know what I’m getting when I go there) and useful (I learn stuff). It’s also pretty. Moreover, I want to note that it’s pleasurable, too.

“Pleasurable” may sound like an odd descriptor for a website, but don’t judge me yet– take a look at it. And then take a look at its article about this very subject, “the personality layer.”

Emotion is one of the handiest online tools. Simon Schmid outlines why beautifully.

As such, if you click that link, you’ve got a double-whammy of a page to learn from: Smashing Magazine is home to good content like this piece on emotional design, and it’s an example of some emotional design itself. You may not notice the subtle emotional cues as you browse, but that’s also the point—even the smallest play to emotion helps keep readers engaged. continued…

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News Cats on Tumblr Turn Journalist Woes To Laughs

Meranda Watling — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 17:18:59 +0000

Here’s a quick mid-week laugh for any reporter who has ever found themselves stuck covering a three-hour meeting with other things on their mind, combined with zero cell phone reception and several deadlines looming.

Go visit the News Cat Gifs!, the latest animated gif Tumblr to take on the myriad of first-world problems journalists battle daily.

My personal favorites of the ones posted so far:

When someone asks me to take their name off the police blotter
When I monitor Twitter
When news breaks
What journalistic problem would you like to see depicted?

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HBO Streams First Episode of The Newsroom on YouTube

Elana Zak — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 13:43:51 +0000

Aaron Sorkin‘s latest show, The Newsroom, aired its first episode on HBO Sunday night. If you didn’t get a chance to watch the show or don’t subscribe to HBO, you’re in luck. HBO is currently streaming the entire first episode on YouTube.

Promo # 3

Unfortunately, it looks like this is a one-time thing as the main HBO Twitter account tweeted that it would only be airing the first episode on YouTube. continued…

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Make Your Own THAT Intern Meme with The Washington Post

Elana Zak — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 12:43:48 +0000

It’s that time of year again where newsrooms across the country are inundated with summer interns.

The Washington Post is taking a light hearted approach to summer interns with a fun feature called “Have you seen THAT intern?” where you can turn your questionable intern experiences into a meme.

Make no mistake about it, interns are great. I’ve been an intern and remember how strange it can be to jump into an office environment where you are temporary. I have also had interns who rocked.

Unfortunately, there is always THAT intern. You know who I am talking about. And Jenna Johnson of The Washington Post definitely knows about iffy interns. She describes it ever so aptly:

With thousands of college students once again arriving in Washington for summer internships, everyone who lives here has resumed making fun of those interns. It’s just so easy to do.

Yes, it’s often cruel and unfair. And, yes, most interns are dedicated workers who contribute so much to our city. But for every handful of amazing interns, there’s THAT intern.

As in, the intern who wears flip-flops to work. Or the one who hooks up a lot. Or who is always late. Or who stands on the left.

For the past two years, Johnson has documented various types of intern blunders in a hilarious series of columns called “That Intern” on the paper’s Campus Overload blog. This year, Johnson has decided to “quasi-retire” from writing the feature but she wants readers to pick up the torch. continued…

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Newspaper Prom Dresses (As Awesome As They Sound)

Meranda Watling — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:21:14 +0000

This newspaper dress contest was too fun not to pass on.

When I was in high school (which wasn’t that long ago, eh hem, a decade), I remember some kids entering a contest for designing and wearing duct tape prom attire. This takes it to a whole other, way more awesome level.

The Detroit Free Press encouraged local students to design prom dresses made from newspapers for the chance to win $500. And what the local girls came up with is nothing short of awesome.

Users can select their favorite dress and rank them to help determine the $500 winner.

The Freep says it received more than 20 entries. You can check out the photo gallery of the top eight newspaper dressmaker finalists here. And you can vote on your favorite until midnight Thursday.

This is a great example of a way for a newspaper to engage its readership — especially its young readers — and promote the print product in a creative way. They tie it together nicely with the smooth voting/ranking mechanism and online contest. Innovative and fun for participants and other readers.

Thanks to Poynter for pointing this contest out. They also have some fun links to other newspaper fashions, including this gallery of newspaper dresses.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.