links: 12/30/2008

Sorry I’ve been out of commission due to the holiday and some personal reasons. To make up for lost time, I’ll be posting some links  from the past few weeks that are worth checking out. Here’s the first batch:

-Journalistopia: “25+ of Danny’s Favorite Multimedia Tools”: Danny Sanchez gives a list of 25 of his favorite multimedia tools, most of which are available online for free.

-CyberJournalist.net: “ASNE proposes taking ‘paper’ out of name”: The American Society of Newspaper Editors announced the week of Dec. 16 a plan to remove “paper” from its name and expand membership to include online-only news Web sites and journalism educators, according to a press release.

-MediaShift: “Can U.S. Laws Protect Online Speech from Foreign Libel Suits?”: As content moves online and is accessible world wide, legal questions emerge as to whether those who live and act in countries with more free speech protection can be prosecuted for libel in other nations. Jeffrey D. Neuburger, a partner at Proskauer Rose LLP, looks specifically at the case of Mahfouz v. Ehrenfeld and its implications as an example.

-MediaShift: “Your Guide to Alternative Business Models for Newspapers”: Mark Glaser takes a comprehensive look at alternative business models to fund newspapers and journalism, providing examples and a prognosis for each. The models he looks at include blog networks, classified networks, crowdfunding, customized papers, hyper-local ads, niche sites, paid content and others.

-Pew Research Center: “Internet Overtakes Newspapers as News Source”: The internet has now surpassed all other media except television as a main source for national and international news, according to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press at the beginning of December.

Reading list: 12/14/2008

Each week I highlight five articles or blog posts worth reading. These pull out some of the main discussions going on in the online journalism world in the past week as well as some useful resources. Here is this week’s reading list.

1. “Pulitzer Prizes broadened to include online-only publications primarily devoted to original news reporting” : The Pulitzer Prize Board, which awards one of the most prestigious recognitions in journalism, announced it would consider news organizations that publish only on the Internet this week. The Pulitzer Prize has traditionally honored the work of American newspapers appearing in print. Simon Owens went a step further in taking a look at what it actually means and who qualifies on MediaShift.

2. “NPR to cut 64 jobs and two shows” : The news of National Public Radio‘s cuts reached audiences this week, involving the first organization-wide layoffs in 25 years.

3. “Google’s Chrome out of beta, but only Windows-friendly” : Google officially launched Chrome this week, its challenger to Firefox and Explorer, though it does not yet have a Mac version.

4. “Where to find the best in flash journalism” : Mark Luckie on his 10,000 words blog highlights sites that showcase some of the best examples of journalists using Flash to create interactive graphics and multimedia. He also includes links to tutorials on Flash for both the novice and advanced user.

5. “YouTube videos pull in real money” : The New York Times reported this week that making videos for YouTube since the organization invited members to “partner” to add advertising to their videos, now is earning successful members six-figure incomes.

*Extra: Here’s a bonus link for those of you who follow the Spokesman-Review out of Spokane, Wash. The Spokesman-Review shared a sneak-peak at its redesign this week via Twitter. You can check it out here.

Want some more links to explore. Check out previous week’s reading lists.

The skills you need to be a journalist today

Scouring the articles, literature and blog posts that have been written about the skills journalists need today as well as talking to reporters and editors in the industry shows people going into the field of journalism are expected to be multi-skilled as a matter of “professional survival” and able to exercise their skills across platforms.

Here is a list of the skills journalists need to get a job today in the order of the frequency they were mentioned by professors and professionals:

Reading list: 12/7/2008

Each week I highlight five articles or blog posts worth reading. These pull out some of the main discussions going on in the online journalism world in the past week as well as some useful resources. Here is this week’s reading list.

1. “What we now know about blogs”
On Teaching Online Journalism, Mindy McAdams highlights interesting statistics and segments of Technorati‘s annual State of the Blogosphere report. The report is also worth checking out in its entirety, which includes a survey of over 1,000 bloggers about their background and practices.

2. “Online journalists jailed more than any other medium“
This Editor & Publisher article covers findings released Thursday by the Committee to Protect Journalists that found that “45 percent of all media workers jailed worldwide are bloggers, Web-based reporters, or online editors.”

3. “New York Times creates alt home page with aggregated links“
The New York Times announced the launch this week of “Times Extra,”an alternative view of its home page, this week that includes links to other news sources and blogs across the Web. You can now test out the feature by clicking on “Try our EXTRA home page” button located under the site’s flag on the right.

4. “40 ways to deliver killer blog content“
Blogger Chris Brogan gives 40 ideas from his experiences blogging on how to create blog content that gets people talking and reading.

5. “The top gifts for online journalists, 2008 edition“
Robert Niles of the Online Journalism Review highlights the top gifts online journalists are craving this holiday season. This list is great to check out if your are a journalist and wondering what to invest in next and as a resource for your loved ones to know what to get you. Personally, I’m asking Santa for the Flip Ultra (see #3 on the list).

*One of the other top stories about the industry this week has been layoffs, particularly those at Gannett Co. newspapers. For a summary and links to recent cuts, see my earlier post.

Want some more links to explore? Check out previous week’s reading lists.

News industry gets a rough start to the holidays with rounds of layoffs

Coming into the holiday season, it’s been a rough week for the news industry with layoffs and cuts around the country. Here’s a roundup of some of what’s been going on:

-Former Gannett Co. reporters are covering their own layoffs as reports came in this week that the company was laying off hundreds of employees across the country. Gannett reportedly announced in November that it would cut its workforce by 10 percent by the beginning of December. A Gannett spokesperson told Editor & Publisher that this would mean about 2,000 positions. On the Gannett Blog, John Hopkins, started by a former Gannett editor and reporter, tracks reports of losses at Gannet papers to try to get a number on the layoffs. As of Thursday, cuts number about 1,800. Hopkins writes that he expects that number to climb as three of the largest of Gannett’s 85 dailies have yet to disclose figures.

-For non-Gannett newspapers and news magazines, this week was not terribly pleasant either. The Chicago Tribune  told employees they would be laying off about a dozen newsroom employees with more cuts expected in January. The Bakersfield Californian laid off 25 employees, or about 10 percent of its work force, Wednesday. Santa Barbara News-Press‘ parent company announced Wednesday that it would be eliminating 17 positions. Time magazine‘s managing editor informed the staff that the magazine would begin layoffs this week.

-Total layoffs and buyouts at U.S. newspapers for 2008 have now reached about 14,658, according to Erica Smith’s Paper Cuts site, which tracks news of newspaper layoffs.

-The TV industry also faced cuts this week as CNN announced plans to eliminate its entire science, technology and environment news staff. NBC Universal also has been reported to have announced cuts in all levels of the company of about 500 jobs, or 3 percent of its work force.

Washington journalists give advice for students

I recently sent out an informal questionnaire to more than 50 reporters in Washington state about their perceptions of journalism and the effects of the Web. I received ten responses from reporters across the state. In a series of posts, I am sharing some of what they wrote.

Ten Washington journalists who responded to my recent survey shared their advice for today’s journalism students. Here are their words of wisdom: