BBC – Democracy Live

BBC has come up with another ‘First’ – Democracy Live – http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/issues/default.stm

Could be a very interesting tool in terms of research!

Don’t have enough time to go into detail now – have to teach – but its definitely worth a look!!!

Have the ‘media’ grasped the concept of Twitter?

I only ask – a recent report from the Nieman Lab (Lowrey, 2009) suggests that Tweets need to be personalised & not simply a repeat of RSS feeds! http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reportsitem.aspx?id=101894

Now I don’t like to criticise the BBC – they are my first choice for checking the news! However it would appear that they are not taking the advice that is available for successful use of ‘Twitter’:

To illustrate:

BBC RSS Feed:

Iraq sends back UK asylum flight

Iraqi asylum seekers returned to Baghdad by the UK government are refused re-entry to their homeland, and flown back to Britain.

BBC Twitter Feed: http://twitter.com/bbcnews

Iraqi asylum seekers returned to Baghdad by the UK government are refused re-entry to their homeland, and flown.. http://bit.ly/3giUef17 minutes ago from twitterfeed

 

Spot the difference? No I can’t see any either……

Will keep an eye on this! Need to get back to work for now

Do we share too much?

This morning I noticed a Twitter update supplying a link to a Times Online ‘Dear Tanya’ question in Women/Families. The title of the question reads……..Dear Tanya: Before she died my mother told me I was born as a result of rape.

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article6871254.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=1063744

Whilst I wasn’t surprised that such an ordeal was present on this page – with the individual wanting advice – I was surprised by the comment section that followed ‘Tanya’s’ Reply.

The article was released today and already there are 5 comments and 5 recommendations.

This makes me question – are we sharing too much? is it a release? should members of the public be allowed to submit comments on such an issue. Writing into Times, I am guessing the individual is aware of the publicised nature of such a question…..how useful are public comments at such a time & again – I ask – are we sharing too much online?

Rupert Murdoch Speech – Media World Summit Beijing 2009

To see a paper copy of Rupert Murdoch’s speech at this years Media World Summit see -

http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/editors/2009/10/12/aggregators-plagiarists-and-kleptomaniacs-rupert-murdochs-beijing-speech-in-full/

Literature Review Make-Over!!!

After a week of teaching today is PhD day! My aim today is to give my literature review on Citizen Journalism a complete make-over!! After discussing a few things with my supervisor and attempting to teach my undergraduate students in SO602 how to write a literature review, I figure its time that I do some work on my own.

Hopefully this year, teaching students how to write a literature review has gone a little more smoothly! Will have to see with what they come up with as an example paragraph next week!

As for mine, the majority of the work is there already, I’m just not happy with the way it flows! Far too ‘bitty’ at the moment!

So I best stop blogging about it & get on with it

Women Use Social Media More than Men!!!

News Alert from the Nieman Journalism Lab reveals that more women are using social media than men:

For more information see – http://www.niemanlab.org/2009/10/women-use-social-media-more-than-men-whats-news-orgs-response/

The Sun Reject’s Labour

British tabloid newspaper ‘The Sun’ has backed Labour since 1997 – front pages today suggests that this is no longer the case.

A dramatic revelation by the tabloid newspaper – although – would we really expect any less from a tabloid?

For further information from The Sun see: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2661063/The-Sun-Says-Labours-lost-it.html

For Analysis from the BBC see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8281859.stm

First Day of School

University teaching starts back today……here’s to another year of joyful seminar’s, awkward silences in the first couple of weeks and some fun topics to teach Oh and not to mention a whole pile of marking

Let the game’s begin!!!

Nieman Reports: Fall 2009 – Let’s Talk Journalism & Social Media

The current issues of Harvard’s ‘Nieman Reports’ is essential viewing for anyone interested in the changes, consequences and future of journalism and social media.

For the current issue see – http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reportsitem.aspx?id=101881

In particular I would like to draw attention to three particular articles!

• Overholster, A. What is Journalism’s Place in Social Media – http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reportsitem.aspx?id=101882

• Lowery, C. An Explosion Prompts Rethinking of Twitter and Facebook - http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reportsitem.aspx?id=101894

• Gillmor, D. Media Users, Media Creators: Principles of Active Engagement – http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reportsitem.aspx?id=101898

Cartoon – Citizen Journalism

Great Cartoon!!