OJR front page archive for September 2012
Taking TV news to the next level in an era of disruption
September 26, 2012
In a media landscape defined by disruption, television news has pulled off a remarkable feat: it’s basically unchanged.Sure, we’ve gotten more news choppers and better graphics on weather and politics. There are a few interesting TV news apps. But, for the most part, your local TV news broadcast looks much as it did a decade ago. It’s pretty much locked into its time slot of 5 p.m. or 10 p.m. You sit, you watch. The anchors work their way through weather, traffic, sports and the smattering of local stories brought to you from the roving news truck. If you stick around long enough, maybe there is a great story at minute 22.
But what if you could harness all the emergent technologies to reshape TV news into a brand-new product, one that maximizes audience engagement, personalizes broadcasts to your interests and allows you to dig deep into digitized news archives?
The Case of Philip Roth vs. Wikipedia
September 14, 2012
As Wikipedia becomes an increasingly dominant part of our digital media diet, what was once anomalous has become a regular occurrence.Someone surfing the net comes face to face with a Wikipedia article -- about himself. Or about her own work.
There's erroneous information that needs to be fixed, but Wikipedia's 10-year-old tangle of editing policies stands in the way, and its boisterous editing community can be fearsome.
If a person can put the error into the public spotlight, then publicly shaming Wikipedia's volunteers into action can do the trick. But not without some pain.
The most recent episode?
The case of Pulitzer Prize winning fiction writer Philip Roth.
5 lessons learned: Improving civic engagement through a local news site
September 7, 2012
Four years ago a team of communication scholars, researchers and journalists set out to create a community news website that would increase civic engagement and cross ethnic barriers in a predominantly Asian and Latino immigrant city. Since Alhambra Source launched in 2010, it has grown to more than 60 community contributors who speak 10 languages and range in age from high school students to retirees. Their stories have helped shape local policy and contributed to a more engaged citizenry within a diverse community. Below are five lessons we’ve learned about creating a community news website that fosters civic engagement.