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E-Media Tidbits
A group weblog by the sharpest minds in online media/journalism/publishing

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Friday, May 16, 2008


Posted by Alan Abbey 4:46:57 PM
Whither Bush's Blog?
bush
whitehouse.gov
The President's "Trip Notes from the Middle East" blog says nothing about his current Israel jaunt. The last update was Jan. 16.
As Steve Klein noted in Tidbits on Jan. 10, the White House -- including President Bush (although I have my doubts the Blogger-in-Chief put fingers to keyboard himself) -- blogged during a presidential visit to Israel. At the time, it was perceived as an experiment.

Perhaps it failed.

The President and entourage are back in Israel this week, appearing at a conference of political and business heavyweights, including Sergey Brin (who is getting in touch with his Jewish roots) and Rupert Murdoch, in honor of Israel's 60th anniversary. Bush is pressing (not a lot) for progress in the Israeli-Palestinian quagmire, speaking at the Israeli Knesset, doing a little sightseeing (and upsetting my weekly little league practice because of road closures).

But the White House Trip Notes blog, which ran for eight days in January, so far has not reappeared. Perhaps the goal is to keep this trip's expectations -- which were low to begin with -- from being pumped up at all.

If I were the President, I might write about my visit to Masada, the ancient fortress where Jewish zealots held off the Romans. And if I were Laura Bush, I might have posted something about my visit to the early childcare health center and tunnels below the Western Wall.

In addition, some online journalism pros and semi-pros were twittering from the conference. Now, that's something I would like to see: a Presidential tweet! "Just finished my speech. Reaction was good. Now, for something to eat."


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Thursday, May 15, 2008


Posted by Paul Bradshaw 1:27:29 PM
Video Comments for Blogs
comments
SheGeeks.net
Here's what video comments look like on one site
It seems the video social media service Seesmic is already fulfilling its potential to become "the next Twitter" -- insofar as it's being used for previously unforeseen purposes.

Last night I was able to post this video comment to Howard Lindzon's blog, thanks to a new service launched this week by Seesmic in partnership with the comment-tracking service Disqus.

Video comments benefit commenters vs. the rest of a blog's audience in different ways.

From the audience's perspective, some readers probably won't be willing to play a 30-second video that they could have scan-read in a fraction of the time. Or they will feel frustrated if they do play something that turns out to be pointless waffle. But others probably will respond to the more personal connection video offers. As Russell Cooper commented on Robert Scoble's blog: "I imagine that it would create 'closer,' more personal networks than text comments alone."

Generally, you might expect that people will only click on video comments by people they recognize, or that have generated large responses.

For commenters, the benefits are more obvious. Some people are more comfortable with posting a video comment. I, for instance, find it physically easier. CostPerNews (which broke the story) pointed out, "Some people prefer firing off a quick video rather than typing out a response. While I'd rather type out comments on most blogs, I do see tremendous value in encouraging people to participate in whatever way they feel comfortable."

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Then there are the visual benefits. Robert Scoble uses these examples: "When we have something visual to talk about: Want to see what my kitchen looks like? Want to learn how to cook a meal? Want to see the injury my kid sustained and you're a remote doctor? Heck, wanna see what my kid looks like right now? How about can I show you my new cell phone's UI? Want to buy my car based on only my text? How about that piece of art hanging on my wall?"

As Howard Lindzon says: "For us stock [market] guys, I think it's a great idea for referencing charts and arguing. At the very least, it's cool and we need to work out the kinks for the good of mankind."

To see video commenting in action, Robert Scoble mentions these blogs which have activated Disqus/Seesmic video comments: Loic Le Meur, Louis Gray, SheGeeks, WinExtra, A VC, Howard Linzon, and Dave Weiner

Want to install video comments on your site? Current users of the Disqus commenting system can now activate this feature through Disqus. For Wordpress users (self-hosted, not Wordpress.com sites), here the Wordpress plugin. There's also talk of equivalents for MoveableType and Typepad. Neither option works for custom-build content management systems, however (such as the one used by Poynter Online).

Video comments can be surprisingly powerful, especially when negative. Fellow Tidbits contributor Tish Grier notes this December 2007 TechCrunch coverage of Loren Feldman's harsh critique of Seesmic (delivered via YouTube).


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Posted by Amy Gahran 12:08:41 PM
CBS Buys CNet for $1.8 Billion
CNet
CNet.com
Was buying this popular tech news and reviews site a good deal at $1.8 billion?
The Associated Press just reported: "CBS Corp. is buying CNet Networks Inc., an online news and information provider, for $1.8 billion in cash."

PaidContent has assembled links to about a dozen of its stories that serve as background to this move. More from Poynter's Jim Romenesko.

Meanwhile, PR/media blogger Steve Rubel notes, "The ...merger is interesting. But why not buy a bunch of big tech blogs for half the price?" Good question!

...Incidentally, where did I first hear this news minutes after it broke? On the video social media service Seesmic, which Paul Bradshaw covered recently in Tidbits.


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Posted by Ernst Poulsen 9:57:42 AM
Denmark: Newspapers not Trustworthy, Relevant, or Necessary
Denmark
Jacob Bøtter, via Flickr (CC license)
According to a new survey, newspapers have lost considerable status in Denmark.
New Danish research emphasizes the trouble that newspapers are in. On behalf of the monthly business magazine Limited Edition (which published the results only in its latest print issue), Analyse Danmark asked 2800 people: If you could only access daily news through one type of media, which would you prefer to keep? Newspapers lost by a large margin.

Half of respondents preferred to keep their TV, and 27 percent would keep their Internet access. Only 23 percent would keep their daily newspaper (national, regional, niche, or tabloid).

Could it be that newspapers aren't really necessary to most people? Could it be that something is fundamentally wrong with our understanding of the needs a newspaper is meant to fulfill?

Most newspaper managers have realized that the Web is hard to beat when it comes to breaking news. Pressing "publish" has its advantages compared to starting the printing press and waking up 3000 delivery people, if you want to get the news out in a rush. Consequently we've seen a slow trend towards newspapers trying to focus on delivering next-day in depth analysis. Which sort of makes sense.

...Until you read the responses to this survey question, which was published in Limited Edition: "Today it's possible to stay informed without subscription to a daily paper:"

  • Agree/mostly agree: 79 percent
  • Disagree/mostly disagree: 16 percent
  • Neither/don't know: 5 percent

Most newspaper campaigns convey this essential message in some way: "You need the daily newspaper to stay informed." Since news consumers no longer seem to accept that argument, I'd say newspapers should look for another unique selling point.

This survey also ranked a long list of newspapers and broadcast news programs (TV and radio) according to perceived trustworthiness. All the top spots were occupied by radio and TV news. (Web sites were not rated according to trustworthiness and relevance).

Danish newspapers face an almost unbelievable challenge. The daily circulation for most of them has been dropping steadily over the last decade. This survey indicates that news consumers prefer TV and the Web, while they also view broadcast news as more trustworthy and relevant. And only one in six believe they must subscribe to a daily newspaper to stay informed.

Faced with this "mission impossible," my advice is: innovate, innovate, innovate.


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Wednesday, May 14, 2008


Posted by Amy Gahran 2:31:25 PM
Mini-Tidbits: Digital Meccas, Off-Target Ads, More...
Graffiti
Pablin 89, via Flickr (CC license)
One clue you may be in a Digerati town: geeky graffiti
Where the Digitally Savvy Things Are (Advertising Age): "To find the biggest concentration of digitally savvy consumers, you have to head to Texas, it turns out. Austin, to be exact. And the second-highest concentration of this segment is not in Silicon Valley but in Las Vegas."

87% of Consumers Say Ads on Social Networks Not Speaking to Them (RedOrbit): We're all in the relevance business now, my media friends. Survey: "56% said their online experience would be improved if social networking sites provided more targeted advertisements and offers tailored to their specific interests and preferences."

The Importance of Viewing the World as Readers Do (O'Reilly Media): "Publishers will soon have much more data to deal with as reading becomes more digital and more social. Publishers who see the world the way readers do and turn that data into something readers find truly useful stand a much better chance of success."

J-schools should downplay anchor careers (Lost Remote): "I don't like to shatter an intern's anchor dreams, it's time for reality. Journalism schools, as a public service, should strongly discourage students from pursuing an anchoring career. Instead, emphasize the 'do-it-all' multimedia journalist."

Thoughts On Video Commenting (The Bivings Report): "If video commenting takes off and becomes ubiquitous in the coming years, I think the best practice will be to separate video comments from regular text ones, as YouTube does with video responses."

Coming Soon: The Impact of Online Advertising Networks (Media Management Center): Report due out soon on The Impact of Online Advertising Networks. Media Management Center will announce it at Digital Strategies for Media Executives seminar June 22 and will publish a complete report later in the year.

Charter (CHTR) To Customers: We're Watching You And Cashing In (Silicon Alley Insider): "While this may seem a bit creepy, it's probably where the Web is headed. The data is being harvested anonymously. And Charter, to its credit, sent subscribers a relatively cleanly worded letter explaining the technology and how they could opt out."


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Tuesday, May 13, 2008


Posted by Amy Gahran 4:41:12 PM
China Quake: Citizen Journalism Roundup
All kinds of media, mainstream and otherwise, are abuzz today with coverage of yesterday's major earthquake in China and its aftermath. Here's a quick roundup of some of the most compelling citizen journalism, eyewitness reports, and other quake-related acts of journalism from China and elsewhere that I've found online today:

Global Voices Online: Excellent roundup of blogging, citizen journalism, and other local nonprofessional reporting about the quake. John Kennedy notes: "Twitter seems to be a top source of breaking details for the moment. Many are writing of difficulties connecting to those at the center of the quake zone over telephone, but the Internet seems to still be functioning."

QQ.com: This popular Chinese video-sharing service has set up a special page aggregating contributed videos of the quake and its aftermath.

Yupoo: Gallery of earthquake photos from a major Chinese photo-sharing site.

CNN iReport: Aggregator page of all contributed content posted to that citizen journalism site about the quake. (Tip via Twheat, an iReport producer.)

NowPublic: All submissions tagged "earthquake" on this citizen reporting site, most recent listed first. Today, it's all about China.

Shanghaiist: This "metroblogging" site based in Shanghai (part of the Gothamist network) offers several quake-related stories. (Tip via Karoli.)

Flickr: All photos on this popular U.S.-based photo-sharing site today tagged "China" and "earthquake."

Tweet Scan: Here's what everybody's talking about on Twitter today regarding the China quake. (Note: If you follow that link much later than mid-May 2008, you'll probably see more references to other earthquake events.)

For more resources, see Paul Bradshaw's post from yesterday about crowdsourcing without managers.

...On the flip side, I'm surprised that the international (English) edition of OhMyNews, a popular citizen journalism site based in South Korea, does not seem to offer any quake coverage! On a related note, in a comment to Fons Tuinstra's post about the earthquake and Twitter today. Tidbits contributor Barbara Iverson said: "On March 21, 2008 there was another earthquake in China, but apparently no one was injured and there wasn't much damage. I wrote about it for Ohmynews. com at because I thought it was noteworthy that it was reporting on Twitter and not on any traditional media websites until later. I didn't post it to Tidbits, because the consequences of the earthquake were not as serious, and so it was kind of a techie story. I guess that was like a tremblor that I should have seen as a predictor of a greater news event."


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Monday, May 12, 2008


Posted by Fons Tuinstra 2:20:47 PM
China's Earthquake: The Twitter Story
Twitter
twitter.com/casperodj
After today's major quake in southern China, many China-based Twitter users became an important primary news source.
Earlier today I got a worried message from a friend in Shanghai (where I am based). He said that that over at Nanjing street an office building had been evacuated because of a tremor. He had not yet heard about the earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale that happened 60 miles north of Chengdu, Sichuan's provincial capital. This quake was felt all over the country. Shanghai was relatively unscathed, compared to cities like Chengdu and Chongqing.

My friend updated me fast on the social networks he uses: apparently he relies mostly on Facebook after having dumped Twitter. As I followed this story via my Twitter account, Twitter developed in just a few hours into an excellent information tool, combining different sources of information. I knew more about the earthquake than many people in China.

On the ground, in Chengdu, at least three "Twitterati" were on their way -- as one called it -- to their 15 minutes of world fame. Here's some of what they posted:

  • Casperodj: "Slightly dizzy after being shaken around by the Chengdu earthquake for several hours now."
  • inwalkedbud (In reply to casperodj): "At home in fact, cooking dinner and getting on with things. Just had another aftershock though."

Other Twitterers kept an eye on what the traditional media were reporting. In some cases they became a bridge between the Chengdu-based Twitterati and mainstream media:

  • Andrew Lih (fuzheado): "CNN's John Vause in Beijing: 900 school children in Sichuan buried; 3000 troops and helicopters, Wen Jiabao on their way."
  • Michael Darragh (michaeldarragh): "BBC says 100 confirmed dead and rising."
A third group kept a close and critical eye on the Chinese Internet, where obvious false rumors where combined with interesting factlets:
  • Kaiser Kuo (kaiserkuo): "Take this how you will, but QQ news is posting the 10 pm - 12am warning for Beijing I thought was erroneous: http://snurl.com/28fym."

Obviously, the Twitter angle will become one of the more important sidepaths of this unfolding story, next to the news about the earthquake itself. Reports of the first casualties are coming slowly. In Sichuan province, some people have returned to their houses -- but for many this will be a very long night.

(Read more on this story at Paul Bradshaw's Online Journalism Blog today.)


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Posted by Paul Bradshaw 1:30:57 AM
Seesmic: Is Video Conversation Useful for Journalists?
bradshaw
Paul Bradshaw, via seesmic.com
Paul Bradshaw posted a video asking how journos could use Seesmic. (Click to watch the video and view responses.)
I've been playing with Seesmic once again. (It's a conversational video-sharing service, somewhat like Twitter meets YouTube.) I briefly dabbled with an alpha invitation to Seesmic a few months ago and stupidly wrote it off as a vague video blogging platform.

It isn't. Seesmic is social. And I think that's very important.

Seesmic is, for me, a symptom of how media is changing. It is a symptom of how video has become as inexpensive and disposable as e-mail. It is a symptom of a generation of people who are completely comfortable with visual media, and how they are rewriting that grammar.

It is also a new and important part of the personal distributed media ecosystem that we are gathering around us. This stretches from a person's Facebook profile to their Twitter account, their blog, and Flickr and YouTube accounts. Just as not everyone is on Flickr, not everyone will end up on Seesmic -- but many will, and you'll need to know how to talk to them.

Don't mistake Seesmic for another YouTube. Seesmic is to YouTube what Twitter is to blogging. Key to this is the fact that Seesmic works with your Twitter account -- so that new Seesmic posts are cross-posted on Twitter, and video replies are even cross-posted @ the other person's name (allowing you to discover them on Twitter). I wouldn't be surprised to see it integrated with other social media platforms in the future.

Similarly, as U.K. journalist Alison Gow points out, Seesmic allows for a better interview experience than text-based communications. She uses the analogy of how face-to-face interviews are always better than telephone interviews. It's a great point. Gow also suggests that Seesmic might work well for debates and conversation alongside news articles and issues.

The great thing about Seesmic is the way it breaks down barriers: People seem more comfortable and confident, somehow, with sending a stranger a video reply based on a video post than they would sending an @reply in Twitter. I would argue this is because of the implicit intimacy of online video.

Related to that, Seesmic is an expression of the intimate, personal nature of online video -- which is a world apart from the impersonal, broadcast nature of television. If you're involved in communicating the news in any way, I recommend learning the language of online video. Seesmic provides a perfect space to do so.

It's for all these reasons that journalists should try Seesmic. But this recommendation comes with some caveats:

  • Still in the early-adopter phase. For this reason it is good for social networking if you're in the technology field -- but not yet great if you want opinions or feedback from anyone else. So don't expect amazing results, and I wouldn't recommend spending huge amounts of time on it yet. However, the user base will change. Getting on Seesmic now will make a difference as it grows. Just ask people who've been blogging or Twittering for a while.
  • Search is lacking. Since Seesmic is video-based, as a whole it's not very searchable or search-engine-friendly. (It also poses accessibility issues.) Seesmic's search function for finding other Seesmic users is pretty poor: So far, it only searches usernames, not profiles. (I'm onlinejournalist, on Seesmic. I'm telling you that because you won't find me if you search there for "Paul Bradshaw," even though my profile includes my name.) As with Twitter, third-party tools can help somewhat. Phil Campbell created a Seesmic search service that searches Seesmic post titles and authors. But video search is improving all the time, so again expect this to change.
  • Doesn't play nice with other services. Seesmic currently lacks the sort of support enjoyed by bigger players such as YouTube. Therefore, Wordpress.com-hosted blogs currently can easily embed YouTube videos -- but most Wordpress.com bloggers cannot yet easily embed Seesmic videos. (There is, however, a Seesmic plugin for self-hosted Wordpress.org blogs.) That's why I recorded my video blog about Seesmic on... YouTube. Ouch.
  • No video backup. Your video posts are normally recorded straight to Seesmic. Therefore, you have no local backup copy and no way of getting one unless you use an FLV converter.
  • Needs stats. So far, Seesmic doesn't appear to tell you how many views you've had. That isn't great for persuading people that this is a valuable way of, for example, distributing news. Also, it doesn't allow responses from non-users of Seesmic, which limits its interaction potential. (Through Seesmic's connection with Twitter, you could "tweet" the person to respond to a video post, but that's not intuitive.)
  • What's public? It's worth noting the usual blurring of public-private boundaries that exists on all social media services, including Seesmic. Journalists using material from Seesmic should bear in mind the lessons of Virginia Tech, etc. Just because it's public doesn't mean it's yours.

These are still early days, though. Crunchbase's entry on Seesmic promises: "In the future, Seesmic users will be able to record Skype conversations, video and chat. Seesmic will incorporate RSS feeds for individual users similar to Facebook's newsfeed. Finally, [founder] Lemur sees Seesmic as potentially becoming a kind of crowdsourced online TV, with the most popular producers receiving revenue share."

What do you think? Do you see other potential? Have you found Seesmic useful? Please comment below, or post a video response.


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Sunday, May 11, 2008


Posted by Alan Abbey 6:43:04 PM
Gag Orders, Global Media and the Internet
NYP
nypost.com
When an Israeli court said Israeli media couldn't cover an investigation of Ehud Olmert, the NY Post broke the ice.
In Israel, police are investigating Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for allegedly accepting bribes or illegal campaign contributions in the late 1990s from an American businessman. The police requested -- and an Israeli court granted -- a gag order on media coverage of this investigation. But that gag order is the latest victim of the Internet and global media.

Ostensibly, this gag order was intended to enable Israeli police to continue their investigation unimpeded. The Israeli media are notorious for reporting every scrap of information, rumor and innuendo. In this case, the gag order did not stop leaks and speculation about the case, including what may or may not have been learned, the potential political impact -- even though details were missing and few hard facts were available.

The Israeli court gag order left the media here winking, nodding, and nudging their audiences by saying, "We know what is going on, but you don't." But even that didn't last. On May 6 the New York Post broke the story of the name of the alleged "bag man" for Olmert cash payments. They followed it up on May 7 with a few new details. Also on May 7 the New York Times weighed in with a better story.

By May 8, the pressure on the Israeli cops and courts from domestic media was too much, and the gag order was partially lifted. What kind of pressure? Well, the Israeli was media saying things like, "We can't tell you what's going on, but go to the New York Post."

The gag order was officially lifted May 8 at 11 p.m. Israeli time. Minutes later the media went public with stories that had been sitting in the can for two days, and Olmert made a statement on TV addressing the matter and declaring his innocence.

A few observations about this incident:

  • Domestic gag orders are useless. If it wasn't obvious before, today media is global. Everyone with a computer has access to the world's news. Just one day of reporting got this story out, and everyone in the country knew what was going on. Domestic Israeli bloggers worried that they could run afoul of the law if they linked to the Post story, but they should not have worried -- everyone found out about it.
  • Gag orders and political agendas don't mix. All week there were selective, damaging leaks hyping the story and the threat to Olmert -- who is currently the subject of other ongoing investigations.
  • There was very little original reporting on this story, despite the hype. The Post and then Times stories are it. For all the hundreds (if not thousands) of references to the story now online, the vast majority point to the Post story and comment on it.
  • Being first is still crucial. The Times story is better than the Post's, but the Post's was first -- and that's where everyone links.

...As for Olmert: It seems likely that he will survive this scandal as he has survived others in the past.


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Friday, May 9, 2008


Posted by Maurreen Skowran 1:50:19 PM
Building the Future of News? Get the Right Tools
I saw the future last week.

The NewsTools 2008 unconference drew about 150 people who are thinking about, working on, or living the future of news and journalism.

Much of NewsTools, the latest event sponsored by Journalism That Matters (JTM), was held mostly at Yahoo headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif.

While technology was the main focus, I was more interested in learning about behind-the-scenes tools that could provide a new foundation for news organizations. The most exciting of these combine alternative revenue options with new structures -- new connections among journalists, and between journalists and communities.

On May 2, while NewsTools was happening, Poynter's Rick Edmonds advocated charging readers more for newspapers, to shift the revenue burden from advertisers. Several conference participants want to take that idea further, to eliminate ads from their news operations. For instance:

Of course, public support for journalism might depend on how well we serve the public -- and on how much the community understands and values good journalism.

To set the context for the conference, organizers worked in advance to map the old newsroom model of how news is created and the new news ecology. Visual communicator Sherrin Bennett also drew diagrams illustrating the evolving relationships among the news audience, other community members, and the news media.

newsroom
Journalism That Matters/NewsTools2008 and Sherrin Bennett
NewsTools 2008 participants created this "value map" illustrating how news was created in the "old newsroom ecology." (Click to enlarge.)

One role that seems to be emerging is the "community weaver." This position might or might not be part of a traditional news operation, but it floats in the space between the traditional news media and the community. This role, among others defined by NewsTools participants, helped redraw the news enterprise of the future -- with a focus that goes beyond news to engagement and building relationships with the communities we serve.

Another theme that emerged was building bridges by helping the public learn news literacy. NewsTrust is one service that helps people become more discriminating news consumers. NewsTrust participants evaluate news stories using traditional principles of journalistic quality, and those evaluations are published on the site.

Rebuilding journalism for the 21st century requires more than doing our current jobs better. It calls for reaching out to journalists, to other fields, and to the public. Seeing through other eyes widens our own vision to new possibilities.

If you want to do more than hold on while the news industry slides down, I urge you to help build a new ladder up. I urge you to open your mind to new tools, techniques and connections.

Journalism That Matters will hold its next barn-raising, focused on local independent media, June 4-5 in Minneapolis. If you go, be prepared to collaborate.

JTM events are unusual (at least for media events) in that participants actively contribute instead of passively listen. These unconferences are a series of conversations, not lectures. The responsibility is shared.

Take it. Step up to the plate.

...So now you might ask: "Well, Maurreen, what are you doing?"

For starters, I've donated money to projects more revolutionary than mine.

Your turn.

What do you think? What are you willing to do? Please comment below.
 
Michelle Ferrier contributed to this E-Media Tidbit.

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Thursday, May 8, 2008


Posted by Amy Gahran 3:04:57 PM
Are Government Officials' E-Mails Public Records?

records
Dieselboii, via Flickr (CC license)
Public records aren't what they used to be...
In today's Watchdog Tipsheet from the Society of Environmental Journalists, Joseph A. Davis reports on a lawsuit that aims to clarify whether Washington State government officials' e-mails are considered public records that could be covered by that state's public records act. If so, this could aid journalists, activists, and others who seek insight into that state's government decision-making.

The case (Building Industry Association of Washington, vs. Pat McCarthy, Pierce County Auditor, and Pierce County, Washington) is currently before the Washington State Supreme Court. SEJ, Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington, the Washington Newspaper Publisher Association, and the Washington State Association of Broadcasts recently filed a joint amicus brief in support of the case.

Davis explained, "The Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) seeks to overturn a trial court order dismissing the claim that Pierce County unlawfully destroyed e-mails it requested under the Washington state Public Records Act. ...At issue [in this case] is whether the burden of proof is on the government or the record-requester to justify why information should be withheld."

And the brief says, "As numerous news stories illustrate, a government's e-mails can show that concerns were ignored, that pressures were exerted, or even that lies were told -- aspects of the public's business that do not pop out of press releases. ...If the voter-approved Public Records Act ...is to function as voters intended, it must be interpreted to protect public access to e-mails."

The debate over government e-mails has cropped up in other states lately, including North Carolina, Missouri, West Virginia and Tennessee.

What's the situation in your state? Check out the Open Government Guide from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and search for: e-mail.

(Disclosure: I do freelance writing for SEJ's main Tipsheet, which covers environmental issues.)


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Wednesday, May 7, 2008


Posted by Amy Gahran 2:53:59 PM
Aggregating News: Still a Business Model?
China
nytimes.com
The New York Times offers a series of country-specific news aggregators. What's the point?
Recently Chinadev asked me if I would allow them to post content from the RSS feed of my weblog China Herald in their news aggregator. Similarly, a few weeks ago, another new aggregator, China.alltop.com, also asked to post my content. And I discovered, by accident, that the New York Times new China aggregator posted my content without asking. And there are whole row of other China news aggregators I might have forgotten by now.

Of course, I would not refuse to participate in any service that would bring traffic to my site. Also, they would actually not have to ask me to link to me. But when aggregators don't tell me they're syndicating my content to their site, it's very likely I would never discover what they're doing. And I am opposed to them reproducing my complete content, rather than just linking to my site.

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Do country-specific news aggregators still make sense if they only collect news from others, without adding any value?

Personally I don't think so -- but then, when it comes to China I might not be your average news consumer. I subscribe to feeds from many China-based blogs and sites, and I also read the Google News feed on China. Together, these are better than any aggregator I have seen. When I need news about other countries or subjects, I turn to the search engines. But I might turn to the New York Times to check their aggregators, now I know they have them.

Do you still use aggregators to get your news?


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Pre-11/2002 Archive

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Amy Gahran (USA)

Tidbits
Contributors:

Alan Abbey (Israel)
Paul Bradshaw (UK)
Matthew Buckland (S. Africa)
Juan C. Camus (Chile)
Thomas Crampton (Hong Kong)
Michelle Ferrier (USA)
A. Adam Glenn (USA)
Rich Gordon (USA)
Tish Grier (USA)
Barb Iverson (USA)
Steve Klein (USA)
Vincent Maher (S. Africa)
Maryn McKenna (USA)
Joe Michaud (USA)
Bill Mitchell (USA)
Steve Outing (USA)
Kim Pearson (USA)
Ernst Poulsen (Denmark)
Katja Riefler (Germany)
Laura Ruel (USA)
Ken Sands (USA)
Ezra Shapiro (USA)
Maurreen Skowran (USA)
Mac Slocum (USA)
Fons Tuinstra (China)
Monique van Dusseldorp (Netherlands)
Peter M. Zollman (USA)
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