Good morning. Here are 10 media stories.
- It happened so fast
On Wednesday, Ben Popper wrote for The Verge about why Meerkat’s popularity has dipped so quickly. “The backlash and scrutiny from the press that built them up will no doubt be brutal. And it’s tough to compete with a product being pushed by the same platform you’re relying on for distribution and engagement. They have millions in the banks and some very famous funders. I think mobile live streaming is here to stay, but you’ll have to stay tuned to see who survives.” (The Verge) | “The ugly truth that U.S. tech media has declined to mention even in passing is that Meerkat had never been a hit to begin with. All those breathless media reports about ‘the hot new app’ and ‘the break-out app’ were deeply misleading at best — and cynical legerdemain at worst.” (BGR) | Jay Rosen has a Storify about his exchange with the author of that piece, who didn’t name any of the tech journalists responsible for the hype. (Storify) | Still, these new apps have a lot of possibilities for journalism. (The Guardian) | And these new apps have a lot of possibilities for covering the 2016 election. (The Huffington Post) | But Meerkat’s rival, Periscope, already has “a harassment problem.” (Business Insider)
- Daily Telegraph editor quits
Jason Seiken is quitting his job as EIC at The Daily Telegraph. (Business Insider)
- The screenshot revolution
Screenshots are becoming a more popular way of sharing stories on social media and, when headlines don’t do the trick, of helping people know what’s really in the piece, Charlie Warzel reported for BuzzFeed News on Tuesday. Many news organizations have created their own templates for making those screenshots look better. (BuzzFeed News) | There are many tools to clean up that screenshot, including the free app OneShot. (Journalism.co.uk)
- A correction for that cancer/smartwatch story
On Thursday, a correction was added to Nick Bilton’s New York Times story on “The Health Concerns in Wearable Tech.” A study referred to in the article “was not a longitudinal study in which patients were followed over time.” (The New York Times)
- Fox News as talent scout
On Wednesday, Jack Shafer wrote for Politico on Fox News’ record of picking presidents. “If the road to the nomination runs through Fox, it must be longer than the Trans-Canada Highway, as the network has yet to nominate a candidate despite its vigorous plumping of the political fortunes of Palin, Gingrich, Santorum and Huckabee and its willingness to serve as a second home for Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Donald Trump, Ron Paul and all the rest.” (Politico)
- Citizen journalism in Afghanistan
The site Paiwandgah works with citizen journalists in Afghanistan. Citizen journalists mostly use Facebook to file reports. (ICFJ)
- ‘Nerd Prom’
There’s a new documentary about the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner and it’s called “Nerd Prom.” “Filmed over the last year, Nerd Prom methodically dissects the purported rationales for the gala—April 25 this year—and the glamorous parties that surround it. The dinner itself is supposed to be about celebrating White House correspondents.” (Washingtonian)
- TGI April 2
You don’t have to look hard at all to find a lot of April Fools’ roundups. Here’s one on some journalism shenanigans. (Poynter) | Next year, I’m adding two more tips for journalists to survive the day. 1. If it’s about cats, don’t believe it. (Poynter) | And 2. Do not pull a racist prank and call it satire. (Poynter)
- Front page of the day
The Virginian-Pilot on California’s drought.
(Courtesy the Newseum) - Job moves, edited by Benjamin Mullin
Lisa Batty is now marketing director of advertising at Time Inc. UK. Previously, she was strategic business development director there. (Time Inc.) | Nikole Hannah-Jones is now is now a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine. Previously, she was an investigative reporter at ProPublica. (The New York Times) | Jamillah Knowles is now an online producer and social media deputy at Reuters. Previously, she was UK editor for The Next Web. (Email) | Jonathan Allen will be chief political correspondent at Vox. Previously, he was D.C. bureau chief at Bloomberg. (Poynter) | Jason Millman will be associate health care editor at Politico. Previously, he was a health care reporter at The Washington Post. (Email) | Robin Radzinski Wong will be vice president of current production at Fusion. She has worked at Oxygen and Style. (TVNewser) | Job of the day: The Washington Post is looking for a digital editor and producer. Get your résumés in! (Journalism Jobs) | Send Ben your job moves: bmullin@poynter.org.
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