Thumbs up to this great new curation tool. I wonder how publishers will get past the possible copyright restrictions here in order to make it a feasible platform for their journalists?
Bundlr ( gobundlr.com ) from Bundlr on Vimeo.
Tag journalism
Online News Association: Has Social Media Killed Photojournalism?
Another great session last night with the UK branch of the Online News Association. This time we met to discussed the impact of social media on photojournalism in the delightful surroundings of the Telegraph HQ in Victoria, London. The event was well attended, hosted by Kathryn Corrick, with speakers Turi Munthe from user-generated photo aggregator Demotix, and photojournalists Paul Lowe and Edmond Terkopian.
I’ve included the first ever ONA UK Livestream below, my notes/links follow.
onauklive on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free
Paul Lowe
Uncertain paths of peace – example of early ‘open text’ photojournalism
Burn magazine
Vincent Laforet – building audience through web based media
Media Storm
Emphas.is – more collaborative process with photojournalists
Turi Munthe
Modern photojournalism has been democratized with the development of technology and cheaper costs of equipment. Many more ‘voices’ are now available which is great, but the competition is fiercer than ever before. Demotix are there to help the ‘cream rise to the surface’ aka the best citizen photographs are found.
Edmond Terkopian
The increase in competition has pushed people from photojournalism into news photography to make a living. Photojournalism is a not a part-time hobby, it’s the pursuit of the truth. Many photojournalists support their work by news photography but they are not the same. It’s all about quality.
There were some good issues raise in the debate. What exactly is ‘Quality’ in a world of abundance? When 60 photographers turn up to one event, are the photographs really all that different? Who places the value on a piece of work, the photographer, the publisher or the public?
The Larry Towell Crisis In Afganistan project was held up as a good example of how photojournalists are reaching out to social networks to fund their passions. It’s a very strong collaborative approach – visitors are asked to contribute in exchange for the experience that the artist is about to undertake.
I loved this project and it’s a business model that can be applied across the whole creative industry. Electronic music artists Underworld have used this approach in launching their albums. You purchase the album, but you’re signing up for the tour experience that unfolds in the months ahead. The fan feels closer to the artist.
Final Thoughts
I wonder if the creative industries need to do a better job at demonstrating their value in a world where everyone can have access to the same tools? Is beauty truly in the eye of the beholder? Do publishers need to make more of their photographic resources? We’re all so used to seeing images every second that their value has become transient. Could publishers benefit by highlighting the individual behind the work? Could this be an area where tablet publishers (Murdoch/Branson) could really make a difference?
A very informative session, discussing a topic that I knew very little about.
Parrot AR Drone demo at ONA UK Meeting December 14th 2010
Last night I attended a brilliant session by the Online News Association in London where participants demoed some very flash technology currently being used in the field by journalists. Some great ideas were circulated about the impact of technology on journalism but I just had to grab some footage of the Parrot AR Drone which was demoed by Tom Cranstoun from the BBC. The fold up Apple TV also looked a bit nifty.
The future of journalism or just a big boy’s toy? You decide!
Here are some ONA UK photos from the night.
And here’s me!
Harry Evans on journalism
‘It is no good printing the truth once’
Some great words from Sir Harold Evans. Grabbed this from the Guardian this morning. Inspiring stuff.
Online news, online curation and Google Books
Yesterday three great things happened. Firstly, I became a member of the Online News Association. I don’t write news as part of my role here at MSN, but I have some involvement with the daily entertainment news desk which is run by our brilliant Senior Editor Colleen Last. There may be the whole debate about ‘is curation actually journalism’ but, as a publisher, we are still responsible for the the news we serve up, be it from PA or Reuters. So the same strict attention to detail is part of the process. Plus, visitors will always vote with their feet, or eyeballs if the news is late or lame.
Anyway, I’ve joined ONA to give me a further insight into the complexities of news reporting. I’ve only been to the one session so far with guest speaker Guido Fawkes, but that was good enough. I look forward to loads more interesting debates.
The second great thing that happened this week – Mike Ward, head of the Department of Journalism at the University of Central Lancashire, visited us. It was good to exchange questions and get a little closer to the issues he is involved in. At MSN I’ve taken for granted the multi-tasked nature of our roles. We don’t have the formal structures that, say, a newspaper might adopt in an online team. If a team member has the talent (or inclination) then they might be writing blogs, shooting and editing video, recording podcasts, scripting shows etc. Does this produce a Jack of all trades master of none? I think it encourages editors to think about the different ways they can tell a story with the tools that are available to them. But, Mike certainly got me thinking about the expectations we place on journalists to get the job done.
Lastly, in the evening I attended a session on ‘Google and the Digitisation of Books’ organised by the Stationer’s Company. Here, Santiago de la Mora discussed Google’s strategy in this area and details around the Google Book settlement issue. Very interesting and left me with the following questions:
- Will the settlement result in Google actually getting a copyright agreement passed into US law?
- Will Google start to charge for these books?
- Will Google adopt a DRM approach to digitalisation? If so, look what DRM did for the music industry with disastrous consequences.
- Will Google start providing a commercial digitalisation service where companies can use their technology, but not their distribution network?
So, there you go. Three great things. All I need to do is top that today and I’ll be lined up for an excellent weekend. Until next time.
Stick it up your punter: Steve’s review
Just finished reading ‘Stick It Up Your Punter’ by Peter Chippindale and Chris Horrie – a fantastic book on the history of The Sun newspaper and the impact it’s had on modern journalism. It’s absolutely hilarious.
From Larry Lamb to Kelvin MacKenzie, the book charts the rise and rise of the paper from the late 60s, clearly outlining Murdoch’s strategy to monopolize the media of the working classes. I haven’t a clue how much is true, so it perfectly represents the subject it covers.
It’s also of personal interest to me because, besides telling me how Page 3 was invented, it also describes the political history of the UK and how Murdoch’s papers curried favour with the ruling parties, moving from Labour to the Conservatives and back to Labour in 1997. Sounds familiar?
Back in the 60s my dad used to be a printing compositor working in Covent Garden. I’ve never really understood how someone who once benefited so much from the trade unions could have become so pro-Thatcher in later years. Reading this book, I think the penny has finally dropped.
