O-kay!
Steve's bill of indictment against moi is as astounding and entertaining as the National Enquirer. Among other nasty things, he says "Jenkins has a thing about print. He can't stand it."
No, sir, Carl's not drinking the Kool-Aid."The past few weeks have thrown up another worry about children and the Internet, as if parents don't have enough on their hands.
"I'm talking about blogs."
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February 20, 2008Wacky CNN bosses fire producer for blogging
Chez Pazienza is a writer, an award-winning television news producer Not for long, I bet. Posted by Allan Jenkins at 01:33pm in Bizarre but Expected, Career management, Is Tedious in the House?, Journalism | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (0) | TrackBack (0) February 19, 2008Is Harper's Magazine borrowing money, or is Desirable Roasted Coffee a bank? It won't be both.
WTF is it with the magazine industry these days? Are they that much in trouble? Why does Harper's Magazine -- or any magazine -- need a loan from Desirable Roasted Coffee? Or you? Do magazines need positive cash flow badly enough to risk losing almost certain future cash flow, on the chance they can borrow it now from current subscribers? Today, I received an email request for a loan from Harper's Magazine: Dear ALLAN JENKINS: And now renewing is even easier, all you have to do is click on the link below, choose your renewal option, and you're done. It couldn't get any easier. This 12-month loan is on top of the 10-month loan I have already made them. I mean, I have already paid them a 12-month subscription (which is a loan), and have received two issues to date. I find it pretty damned cheeky to come around asking for a loan extension when the "interest" (that is, my evaluation of the product) has not even been assessed. But let's move on... Oddly.... coincidentally.... who knows? ... I also received, today, through snail mail, this missive from Roger D. Hodge, Editor of Harper's. Dear Subscriber, Although I know it isn't customary for the editor of Harper's Magazine to write to you about renewing your subscription, I'd like to think that with someone who already subscribes to the magazine, I'm talking if not to a friend then at least to an acquaintance. Even if your subscription doesn't expire for another five or six months, most readers need several letters from the magazine before taking the trouble to renew, which is very expensive for us and annoying to you. Having read quite a few of your complaints on the subject, I'm not unmindful of the notion that the magazine might be running some sort of scam. The suspicion is unfounded. Any money earned as interest on early payments dwindles to a pittance by comparison with the money spent (for paper and postage) on the mailing of the additional renewal notices. If the magazine can reduce its cost, it doesn't have to raise its subscription price, and we both share in the triumph of thrift. As to the continued worth of the magazine [Here, Roger helpfully notes all the advantages I noted when I subscribed in the first place]... and if you can take a moment now to send us your renewal, I won't have to write another letter. Hodge's plea is even more... icky. While Green's was a bald grab for money, Hodge's is a baffling confession topped with a lie. "I know you think we are running a scam, but you're wrong. We make only a little profit badgering you into subscribing early. If we can get your money early, we don't have to ask for more later. We both profit, and I know that sounds real silly, but water can, actually, run uphill." (OK, I made the last part up). Well, in any financial transaction, someone profits. It's not Desirable Roasted Coffee, in this case. So we ain't biting down here. But why do they sign their names to it? Both admit their mails are annoying. I don't know about you, but if I know a mail is going to annoy a customer... especially when asking for business.. I don't send that mail. Why on earth would Hodge and Green? And I sure as hell don't ask clients for loans ("I would gladly pay you Tuesday for a cheeseburger today!") How could Harper's have done it different? I'd like to hear your ideas, either here or on your blog. But here are mine: Or what? Posted by Allan Jenkins at 11:20pm in Business, Desirable Roasted Coffee, Journalism | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (0) | TrackBack (0) January 23, 2008The 'Random, Desperate Filler in a Celebrity Obituary Award' goes to...
... the New York Times, in its story about Heath Ledger: "Others in the crowd said their first reaction to word of his death was disbelief. Nicole Vaughan, 24, a law student at New York University, was in a seminar about Jesus when someone sent her a message about Mr. Ledger. She checked the Web, then walked to the apartment "because of the way our generation is; we sort of feel we're a part of each other's lives." Huh? How did Jesus get in there? Other than when the page editor shouted "Jesus, I need another column inch.... put in that pointless 'what our generation is' quote." Posted by Allan Jenkins at 08:09am in Current Affairs, Is Tedious in the House?, Journalism | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (5) | TrackBack (0) December 19, 2007Newseum -- wrapping fish around the world
Newseum, the interactive museum of news, has a dandy little application: Today's Front Pages Map. It gives you maps of regions of the world, dotted by cities. Drag your cursor over the city to see today's front page of that city's newspaper. Excellent for travelers who want a foretaste what their destination city is talking about, or (loosely) tracking the regional differences in coverage of stories. Posted by Allan Jenkins at 12:37am in Current Affairs, Expatriate Life, Journalism | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (0) | TrackBack (0) September 08, 2007Some bloggers are journalists when they write about politics
Dandy little report from WaPo: WASHINGTON -- DailyKos, an influential political Web site that serves as a virtual bulletin board for liberals, qualifies as a media entity exempt from federal campaign finance regulations, the Federal Election Commission said Tuesday. The FEC said the Web site, operated by blogger Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, cannot be regulated as a political committee and can freely post blog entries that support candidates. Conservative blogger John C.A. Bambenek had argued in a complaint last month that the site should comply with campaign finance laws because such entries amounted to "a gift of free advertising and candidate media services." The FEC disagreed. Posted by Allan Jenkins at 08:15pm in Citizen Journalism, Journalism, Politics | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (2) | TrackBack (1) Copy-editing blues
Posted by Allan Jenkins at 12:10pm in Journalism, Writing | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (3) | TrackBack (1) February 14, 2007Swedish Radio raps journalist for private blogging
If you work for Swedish State Radio (Sveriges Radio), you'd best not criticize the Swedish government on your personal blog. And if you post anything from YouTube, be ready for one pissed off boss. That's the message being sent George Wood, author of the pleasant Notes from Sweden blog and an employee of Sveriges Radio. In Notes from Sweden, Wood provides a service the Swedish Foreign Ministry should be eternally grateful for. In well-written, unsnarky, varied posts, Wood shows the world that Sweden is not the freezing, windy, overtaxed, overregulated backwater you might, in fact, believe it to be. He applauds Swedish innovations in energy, looks into its space program, helpfully warns against phishing and plugs local business. And that's just in the last couple of weeks. I say again, without an atom of hyperbole, the Swedes should genuinely be grateful for this guy. Except nothing can change the fact that Sweden is a freezing, windy, overtaxed and overregulated backwater. How do I know? Well, when Wood had the temerity to mildly criticize the Swedish government-- this is like an American bitching about Congress -- his boss, Anne Sseruwagi, dropped down on him like a puma out of a tree. You see, if you work for Swedish State Radio, you are apparently not allowed to express political opinions publicly. Read that again, and let it sink in. For that -- and featuring YouTube clips on his blog -- he got called onto the carpet. And was lucky to keep his job. From the Swedish press reports, it appears Wood will be able to continue blogging, at least until the bureaucrats at Swedish State Radio get their minds around the concept of private bloggers. I hope they will come up with an enlightened blogging policy, but Wood's experience indicates they might not have the mindset for it. Posted by Allan Jenkins at 06:43pm in Civil Liberty, Journalism | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (0) August 03, 2006Geography lessons... don't we need them?
Here in Denmark, we pretty much shut down for most of July. The Government decamps, the Royals go away (not that they are ever entirely present, but that's another thing), many factories close entirely and, even if you are an office worker, you can enjoy a glass of wine at a sidewalk café without worrying about being a slacker. Reporters and editors also leave town. And that is why Danish newspapers are so entertaining during the dog days: the editors and reporters leave journalism students and junior editors in charge of the shop. Now, don't for a moment think I don't fully approve: young tyros punch a resumé ticket, readers can comfortably assume nothing in their morning paper will disturb them (though the obligatory Heatwave! story accompanied by an interview with a topless girl at the beach may excite a "Hmmm...." here and there... as it has, yearly, since 1968), and the senior journalists and editors get a much needed rest so they can start gunning for the Government and the Royals in September. If you are in the PR business, of course, you have spotted the opportunity. Journalism students? Junior editors? Hell, they'll print anything -- Katy, bar the door! (I know. I once was a college newspaper reporter. I did, indeed, print anything). Yes, July is the Happy Time for small Danish businesses, because the papers will print just about any press release sent to them. Which is why I came to read this little snippet in Berlingske Tidende the other day: Advertising on homepages and search engines is becoming more widespread. And now the Danish online advertising agency [in fact, they sell SEO advice, nothing more] Addvisors has decided to open an office in Las Vegas, USA. When you are done puzzling over how that lead connects, let me direct you to why Addvisors chose Las Vegas: "It's centrally located in the USA," says owner Kim Frederiksen. When the Danish Government gets back from Nice and Tuscany and the Maldives, I suppose I should urge them to look at this initiative from the UK. If only so future Danish businessfolks don't grow up thinking Las Vegas is somewhere near Kansas City. Thousands of people have a real passion for
Geography, a subject that has never been more relevant to the
six billion people now living on our planet. In schools across the UK and
beyond, teachers who are passionate about the role of Geography
use the subject to engage young people in debates about issues that are
constantly headlining the media - drought, floods, hazards, globalisation,
famine, sustainable energy, transport policy, employment, crime, urban
deprivation, global warming. The list is almost endless. Who else, if not the
Geographers, will deal with these issues in our schools and
colleges so that young people can learn, understand and give a reasoned opinion
on things which will impact on all their lives in the 21st Century. Sadly, the media, in spite of pumping these topics into our
homes 24/7 seem to have forgotten that much of what they ask people to think
about is actually Geography. We are, therefore, asking - where
is the label? Art, history, literature, technology all get their recognition in
the media but Geography has yet to be recognised in this
important way. If you spent a whole year reading or listening carefully to a
wide range of media in the UK, you would probably still have fingers to spare as
you sat and counted the number of times that the word
'Geography' was actually mentioned....... at long last
Geographers are voicing their frustration at this situation. Amen to that! Katy, bar the door! Technorati Tags:
addvisors, amateur journalism, denmark, summer dog days, las vegas
Posted by Allan Jenkins at 08:57pm in Business, Cartography, Denmark, Education, Journalism | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (1) February 23, 2006My five favorite clicks... what are yours?
Update: the interview and the click list are published, both in Danish. I was recently interviewed about social media by Karen Grønkær Kjeldsen for eJour, an online-magazine of the Danish School of Journalism. I was afraid I would irritate them, since I have always believed (and said in the interview) that journalism is something you either can do or can't do, and training won't make much difference. But they seemed ok with that, and the interview has been published They also asked me to contribute to their "Mine bedste klik" (My best clicks) site, where they ask someone, once a month, to talk about his or her favorite sites. Now that was an honor. Here's the English translation of what I sent them Allan Jenkins Communication consultant, blogger at the PR blog Desirable Roasted Coffee.
I read 350-450 blogs -- some every day, some once or twice a month. Here are five of my 30-40 "must reads."
Technorati: Danmarks Journalisthøjskole, social media, eJour, Mine bedste klik, Karen Grønkær Kjeldsen Posted by Allan Jenkins at 09:37pm in Denmark, Desirable Roasted Coffee, Journalism | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (1) February 02, 2006What does the Denmark vs. Islam story teach us?
What started as an example of appallingly poor judgment by a provincial Danish newspaper has become multipolar diplomatic crisis. Go figure. The story thus far: * back in September, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten ran a feature that included satirical cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammad. That was a serious breach of good manners, since the editors of the paper knew that Islam considers it blasphemy to create images of Mohammad. * Muslims, both in Denmark and abroad, complained. The ambassadors of several Muslim countries called on the Danish Prime Minister to "do something" about the newspaper. Rightly, he replied that they would just have to suck it up -- in democracies, governments don't interfere with newspapers. * the situation has escalated weekly since then. The latest: boycotts of Danish goods across the Muslim world, fatwas, death threats, more calls to punish the newspaper, burning of Danish flags in the Gaza Strip (that's a new one). * in response (the high minded call it solidarity, the cynical call it circulation-building) papers across Europe have been reprinting the cartoons this week, resulting in even more fatwas, flag burnings, death threats, etc. What's to learn from all this? One obvious lesson, one that most learn by age 6, is that it is rude to mock other people's religious beliefs. It insults them, and that's just not nice. Another obvious lesson, usually learned about the same time, is that some people are too easily insulted. Yes, any one of us would feel hurt to see a cherished belief demeaned, but the faith of the faithful is only strengthened by the brickbats hurled by the uncomprehending ( so I am told -- I'm a happy secular humanist). A more appropriate response than flag burning and beatings is "Oooooo K... last laugh's gonna be on you, brother!" But the other lessons... what are they? What do communicators need to think about in a world where an article in an obscure newspaper calls down boycotts on your company? When a controversy like this can leave employees pulled in several directions: loyalty to religious faith, a desire to do a good job, a desire not to be beaten at the factory gates. And make no mistake: the controversy is pulling Danish business leaders in several directions, too. While none have called for out and out curbing of press freedom, there have been some hints. Should managers put profit over principle? Should governments curb freedom of speech so business can go on "gettin' it done"? Do we sack the religious faithful, uncertain of their loyalty? Do we sack the religious faithful because it's safer for them if we do? Do we try to dissemble, saying "Our HQ might be in Denmark (France, USA, Japan) but we are not really Danish (French, American, Japanese), so don't blame us"? As globalization progresses (a good thing, I believe), these incidents will become commonplace. Professional communicators need to be considering strategies now... before it comes to their town. Posted by Allan Jenkins at 07:55pm in Bizarre but Expected, Civil Liberty, Current Affairs, Denmark, Is Tedious in the House?, Journalism, Society | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (15) November 16, 2005Steve Crescenzo takes aim at Desirable Roasted Coffee... sit down, Steve, you're making the dog nervous.
Steve Crescenzo knows no greater joy in life than channeling the late Dr. Thompson in the service of corporate communication. But was it an attempt at gonzo'ism that led Steve to turn his big gun on the Coffee? Petulance issues? Flatulence? Bad hair day? Well, Steve doesn't know me, but those that do will be chuckling at that line. As one of my ex-wives used to say, "It's supposed to be a house, Allan, not a goddamned bookstore." I should be on Jeff Bezos' personal holiday card list. Let's look at how Steve says I got on his "last nerve" (and...which one was that?). [Jenkins] was talking about how he doesn’t read anything in print anymore. Well, he
actually says he reads two daily newspapers in print, but only because they are
so “hopeless” in digital form. “But as soon as they wake up and provide RSS
feeds to subscribers, I won’t touch their paper form,” he writes. No, I never said I don't read anything in print anymore. In fact, 80% of what I read is in print. Like most of us, I prefer to read articles, analyses, literature, cookbooks, letters and Christmas cards in print. Who wouldn't? But -- at five in the morning, when I start my working day -- I want to see the news now. Since my newspapers hit the doorstep at 6 or 7 am, I'd much prefer to read them online -- rather than waiting for paper? That's hardly a rejection of print. I say something else that gets Steve's back up; I'll repeat it here: “In fact, I find myself furious and disgusted every time IABC’s Communication
World comes through the door. . . . Since I have written for CW, I know the
article appears weeks or months after the blogosphere has thoroughly dissected
the issue. Any day of the week, any IABC member can go into the blogosphere and
find 50 better articles than CW publishes in a quarter. Note to IABC:
Communication World is a benefit only for those who don’t use the Internet.” Steve believes the blogosphere is just for mutually-congratulatory bloggers stroking their egos. Boy, is he wrong. Are 98% of blogs crap? Yep, leaving about 400, 000 out there that aren't. And, yes, in the PR/comms/advertising part of that 400,000, you generally see better articles, sooner, than you will see in CW. It's just a fact. And -- at the risk of exciting Steve's first stroke -- better and sooner than you will see them in Ragan's. Steve rounds out his post with what can only be called a self-stroking tribute to his own reading habits. He loves Newsweek and Time -- fittingly, he reads them while getting stoned on Margaritas, realizing intuitively they are fit only for illiterates -- and he likes his New Yorker in bed. Me? I got out of that habit when Tina Brown was editor; it was just too kinky. But it's nice with a G&T -- in the den with all the books. Steve chose to read my post in the most selective way imaginable. He also chose not to link to it, ensuring his readers would not be able to make their own notes. And he doesn't accept trackbacks (so his readers will never know of this post, either). Come on, Steve. Do better than that. The Doctor would have. Update: I see friend Shel Holtz has weighed in, and so has John Wagner. New reader? The original article that excited Steve is here: http://allanjenkins.typepad.com/my_weblog/2005/11/will_you_read_y.html
Technorati tags: Posted by Allan Jenkins at 10:52pm in Bizarre & Amusing, Books, Desirable Roasted Coffee, Journalism, Public Relations, Writers | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (0) | TrackBack (3) November 06, 2005Remembering Forbes ASAP (from Phil Gomes)
Phil Gomes remembers Forbes ASAP, the short-lived, but lovely "big thoughts about the future" magazine that flourished during the dot-com era. I'm jealous; I have only two of the four issues. Phil has them all: They're on my shelf right now, protected by motion sensors, lasers, and snarling
dobermans. If you're nice, I'll let you look at them. A box of sterile latex
gloves is nearby, lest the acidic secretions of your grubby digits come in
contact with my prize.
That's about right, because were a great read: unusually thoughtful articles from a wide variety of thinkers. If Forbes ever wants to publish a box-set, I'm there. Technorati tags: Posted by Allan Jenkins at 09:27pm in Journalism, Technology, Writing I Enjoy | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (0) | TrackBack (0) October 11, 2005ConvergeSouth Notes by Kevin Howarth
Josh Hallett helpfully passes on a link to Kevin Howarth's notes from ConvergeSouth, last weekend's "new media, journalism, and web creativity" conference in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. I liked this quote from the Duncan Black (atrios, blogger at Eschaton): "The media rarely admits its mistakes. You should love mistakes - in the sense
that mistakes should be analyzed and part of the conversation." Isn't that the start of many conversations? While a desire to exchange information is behind most conversations, the richest conversations spring from disagreement, difference of opinion, or the correction of mistakes. Posted by Allan Jenkins at 09:49am in Citizen Journalism, Journalism, Online Media | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (3) | TrackBack (0) September 30, 2005Straits Times: Blogs Much Worse Than Porn
Carl Skadian, Straits Times reporter, has recently discovered blogs. And they scare the bejesus out of him. Get a load of the lead: Posted by Allan Jenkins at 08:39am in Bizarre & Amusing, Citizen Journalism, Civil Liberty, Journalism | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (3) | TrackBack (0) September 22, 2005Attention Saudi Dawn & Drew Fans: this Book is for you
My September paper copy of Wired has a spread on "countries that censor Web content -- and what really offends them (oddly, the article does not appear in the online edition). The list of offenders isn't surprising, but what scares them can be. Saudi Arabia blocks 100% of porn, for example, but also takes a hard line on humor, making it doubly hard for Saudi fans of Dawn & Drew, I suppose. Uzbekistan doesn't like porn either, and bans gmail. China is soft on porn, but bans Wikipedia. The criminals that run Burma really hate email -- and don't even think about eBay. "Bloggers are
often the only real journalists in countries where the mainstream media
is censored or under pressure. Only they provide independent news, at
the risk of displeasing the government and sometimes courting arrest. Reporters Without Borders has produced
this handbook to help them, with handy tips and technical advice on how
to remain anonymous and to get round censorship, by choosing the most
suitable method for each situation." It's available in English, French, Chinese, Arabic, and Persian. Posted by Allan Jenkins at 04:42pm in Books, Citizen Journalism, Civil Liberty, Journalism, Law, Online Media, Society | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (0) | TrackBack (0) September 19, 2005Desirable Roasted Coffee is not Tripe...
On Monday afternoon the first in a series of three
debates hosted by the European Parliament on the implications of the
information society highlighted a number of issues in the use of
so-called weblogs. Major concerns were the accountability of "bloggers"
and the protection of privacy - or rather the lack of both. I enjoy living in Europe, my home for over 20 years. Since I get back to the American South fairly often, I'm able to feed my desires for the best of that region, without being overly irritated by the things that prompted me to leave. If I could ever be prompted to leave Europe, it would probably from a fit of pique sparked by the distrust European officialdom has always shown innovations in media. Example: 15 years ago, it was illegal to have a satellite dish in Denmark. Why? People might watch who knows what all! And while that "what all" might be as innocent as a Turkish soap opera, it wouldn't be Danish. Example: 7 years ago, I was on an IFPMA panel discussing the intersection of health care and the Internet. I was seated next to a functionary of the Belgian health ministry, who sputtered so vehemently that all online discussion of pharmaceuticals and treatments should be illegal, even jailable, that my notes today are even wet with his spittle. I naively thought we were past that. But now the European Parliament is holding hearings about blogging. And... they are getting pretty poor advice from the usual suspects: journalists frightened to death, who are willing to drag in any red herring rotting behind the fishmongers. Here's a quote from the "debate". "As Karlin Lillington, a technology journalist of the Irish Times pointed out, "journalists
face libel laws, whereas some bloggers behave as if they're in the Wild
West. Bloggers will state things without saying where they got them
from. And increasingly, blogs are used to promote products without
making this clear"." This is fairly easy to parse. Wild West (or cowboy, or John Wayne) is a code-phrase for the US. Americans roar with laughter when I tell them this, but that's just how it is. So what Lillington is really saying is "[European] journalists face libel laws, whereas some [European] bloggers behave as if they're in [the United States]". Well, that's bullshit. Libel laws apply to everyone. To the extent that those laws and court precedents differentiate between two classes, it's journalists, not "private" citizens who get the better break. And bloggers are suspect because they promote products? Well, Desirable Roasted Coffee doesn't and doesn't intend to. But what if I did? What business is it of the European Parliament or the Irish Times? Not much. We bloggers had at least one ally: Thomas Burg, of BlogTalk.net, saw things very differently, saying "weblogs are not about content but about sharing, learning and connecting with other people".
Blogs should thus be seen as free conversations between people who do
not need to adhere to specific rules, rather than as news postings on
the Internet. But he was quickly shot out of the saddle (obligatory cowboy metaphor) by Aidan White, General Secretary (note to Aidan: Socialism is dead... get a new title) of the International Federation of Journalists: "a democratic society sets certain norms and
standards which should not be thrown out of the window. He deplored the
lack of a global legal framework to combat child pornography and
libellous or hateful weblogs on the Internet."
Note, students of rhetoric, how deftly Aidan White connects your unregulated blog to abhorrent crime, libel, hate, the discarding of democratic norms. You'd look positively anti-social... even criminal... if you object now to having some "norms" and "regulations" put on your blog. And Karlin Lillington is also quick to question your values, your morals, your stand-upness for the law if you happen to be a citizen journalist: "As regards privacy, Lillington acknowledged
that weblogs after last December's tsunami were a useful source of
information and that pictures taken by passers-by after the bomb
attacks on the London underground were posted on the Internet quicker
than by any established news organisation, but she also stressed that
these did somehow damage privacy. However, she added, "these are not new crimes, there are just new tools to commit them"." Well, Karlin Lillington, that makes it clear. Now I know exactly the difference between a paid Irish Times journalist and a blogger who both witness.... no, hang on... I'll get it right in a minute! Bear with me... Posted by Allan Jenkins at 12:55pm in Bloggers, Blogging, Citizen Journalism, Civil Liberty, Communication, Expatriate Life, Journalism, Politics | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (0) | TrackBack (0) July 20, 2005Media Law Blog for Journalists and Bloggers
As they more and more often bump up against the law, (US) bloggers might do well to subscribe to the Media Law blog ("A Blog About Freedom of the Press"). Written by journalist/attorney Robert J. Ambrogi, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Newspaper Publishers Association & clearly a guy who asked "why be a member of one derided profession when I can choose two?" Sample post: Yesterday's
jailing of New York Times reporter Judith Miller for refusing to
disclose her sources heightens national attention on reporters' shield
laws. For anyone wanting to learn more about reporters, subpoenas and
shield laws, there is no better resource on the Web than The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Its special section, Reporters and Federal Subpoenas,
provides in-depth and frequently updated coverage of efforts to enact a
federal shield law as well as of ongoing legal controversies involving
reporters' subpoenas. A separate section, The Reporter's Privilege,
is a detailed examination, written in 2002, of the law regarding the
reporter's privilege in every state and federal circuit. It provides
statutes and cases and discusses both substantive and procedural issues. Hat tip to Cyberjournalist.net. Posted by Allan Jenkins at 01:37pm in Citizen Journalism, Journalism, Law, Online Media | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (0) | TrackBack (0) July 05, 2005Politicians Deal With Newcomer, The Blog
An interesting twist on the "bloggers are/are not journalists" is buried in yesterday's Washington Post article Politicians Deal With Newcomer, The Blog. The short story: an anonymous commenter on the Not Larry Sabato political blog speculated on the political ambitions of Shayna Englin, spouse of Northern Virginia politician David Englin: "First came this posting on the site virginia2005.blogspot.com:
"David isn't the only Englin with designs on public office. . . .
There's going to be an Englin running for Congress in 2006, but not the
one you think. I know for a fact that Shayna has already been getting
pledges for money for her race." "Then a slightly
more disturbing note appeared on the same Web site: "Driving home
tonight, guess what I saw on the Englins' front lawn??? Democrat Greg
Werkheiser. I walked back to try to listen into the conversation but
couldn't hear much without being obvious." This, perhaps not surprisingly, outraged Shayna Englin: Shayna Englin... said ... she was "chilled" to learn that people were spying
on her home and posting what they saw on the Internet. "It's
creepy. That somebody would spread rumors on Jim Moran's seat, that's
not all that surprising. The fact that somebody is keeping tabs on who
we have over to dinner, that's more problematic," she said. "The whole
thing about being anonymous is that there's no accountability. They can
literally post anything." The blogger said he did not know whether the postings about
Shayna Englin, which were e-mailed to the site anonymously, were true.
The group did not call her for a response. The goal is to rush
information into the public domain. Otherwise, he said, "it would give
her a chance to delay or deny that rumor." "We don't
have the same standards as [the mainstream media]," he said. "If
someone makes a defamatory statement, that has nothing to do with us.
We are not responsible for what other people are saying on our blog.
It's kind of like a hotel pool. There's no lifeguard. You are
responsible for yourself." The problem with this approach (especially when directed against politicians) is that once these politicians get elected, they may turn their guns on bloggers. Posted by Allan Jenkins at 12:27pm in Bloggers, Citizen Journalism, Journalism, Public Relations | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (0) | TrackBack (0) May 27, 2005Becker-Posner See No Need for Blogger Ethics Codes, but Argue for Sales-Tax on E-Commerce
Desirable Roasted Coffee's Code of Blogging Ethics is voluntary (and applies to this site only). I wrote it partly in response to Nick Denton's call for a formal blog ethics committee (seconded by Jason Calacanis), a call that I considered and consider naive and unworkable. This week on the Becker-Posner Blog, US Circuit Judge Richard Posner and Nobel-prize winning economist Gary Becker argue that exempting bloggers from formal and voluntary ethics rules makes sound economic sense. Posner notes: "...the argument is that since the mainstream media have adopted ethical
standards concerning such matters as reliance on anonymous sources and
retraction of errors (with electronic media such as television stations
subject to formal regulation), so should bloggers. "Nevertheless I think this “exemption” of blogging from the ethical
standards applicable to the mainstream media makes good economic sense
because of economic and technological differences between those media
and the 'blogosphere'." I paraphrase his reasons: In short, no "cost" is borne by society by the lack of a common code of blogging ethics. Posner does argue, though, that the law banning sales-tax imposts on e-commerce distorts the market and imposes a externality on society. Becker agrees on both counts. The posts are the sort of 2000+ word full-feeds that may drive you to distraction if you are in a fast-food frame of mind. But if you want some mind-candy to noodle over this weekend, I highly recommend Posner's post and Becker's reply. What do you all think? Do we need a blogging code of ethics? Do we want sales-tax on e-commerce? Link: The Becker-Posner Blog: Blogging, Spam, and the Taxation of Internet Transactions—Posner. Posted by Allan Jenkins at 06:35pm in Citizen Journalism, Economics, Ethics, Journalism, Law, Online Media | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (0) | TrackBack (0) May 26, 2005Should We Pony Up for New York Times Op-Ed Columns?
I missed the New York Times' recent announcement of its plan to charge US$ 49.95 a year for on-line access Op-Ed columnists. While I am full of sympathy for the business managers of the Times -- surely it cannot be easy watching lucrative classified ads being sucked away by Craigslist and eBay -- I suspect they overestimate the willingness of many online readers (such as me) to pony up. Virginia Postrel takes the same view on her Dynamist Blog noting that much of the content will remain free in other places because of syndication: "...it seems likely that the Times is underestimating online
readers' elasticity of demand and is risking its status as the
most-talked-about (and blogged-about) newspaper in the world. Besides,
as various blog commenters have pointed out, (examples here and here), since the columns are syndicated you can find many of them on other newspapers' sites." The sweetener that the Times is almost surely betting on -- and it nearly catches me -- is that the service also gives access to the Times archives back to 1851. Moreover, the service is free for dead-tree version subscribers, giving many Americans an incentive to subscribe for home delivery. Still, if the major political bloggers are no longer able to link to the NYT Op-Ed columnists, will it reduce those columnists' influence? Every one (well, except the President) who matters in politics already reads the Times, so maybe columnist influence won't take much of a hit. All in all, a gamble for the NYT. I'll lose out, of course, because I live in Copenhagen. If I lived in the States, I probably wouldn't notice. Posted by Allan Jenkins at 01:02pm in Corporate Management, Journalism, Online Media | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (0) | TrackBack (0) May 22, 20051-in-4 Americans Would Let Government Censor Press
22% of Americans say the government should be allowed to censor the press, probably because only 14% can name "freedom of the press" as a constitutional guarantee. The survey, conducted by the University of Connecticut, also found that 53% of Americans believe that articles that cite unnamed sources should not be published. The survey echoes an earlier poll in which Junior Americans were found to be just as censorious as Mommy and Daddy. Via The Nation Posted by Allan Jenkins at 10:22am in Civil Liberty, Journalism, Law | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (0) | TrackBack (1) May 09, 2005Huffington Launches Celeb Blog; Allan Jenkins Not Listed But that's Surely a Clerical Error
Arianna Huffington, conservative used-to-be and progressive wanna-be, launched her celebrity blog today. A lot of work remains to be done before the blogosphere is going to give this more than a smirk. First, the posts range from the inane to the deranged. Second, they are obviously pre-canned. Hunter Thompson has been dead for weeks, but just now we are getting John Cusack's take on the memorial service Third... forget about comments or trackbacks. This is a celebrity blog, not a low-life real blog. But... let's see how it goes. If these well-known people can buckle down to blogging, without the advice of lawyers and publicists, it's only good for introducing the public to citizen journalism. But I do want those trackbacks and comments... otherwise, it's just a website. Posted by Allan Jenkins at 07:41pm in Bloggers, Journalism | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (2) | TrackBack (0) NYT's Adam Cohen Calls for Better Code of Blogging Ethics
Adam Cohen's editorial in Sunday's New York Times will almost certainly cause writhing and gnashing of teeth in the blogosphere. But the offended, when they calm down, should re-read the piece closely. Cohen is sometimes off-base. But his point is sound: bloggers, in attacking mainstream media (IMSM) -- must keep ethical standards that at least meet MSM's ethical standards. (Yes, I am aware that the New York Times, CBS, Washington Post, etc, have had ethics lapses, but another's failings are no excuse for one's own). Most -- let us say 95% -- bloggers could have the ethics of an alley-cat without anyone knowing the difference. But the most-read 5% have influence, however minor, in their profession, hobby, political party. And those at the very top? If Ana Marie Cox, Duncan Black and Josh Marshall don't have huge readership on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, who does? Cohen writes: "The thing about influence is that, as bloggers well know, it is only a
matter of time before people start trying to hold you accountable.
Bloggers are so used to thinking of themselves as outsiders, and
watchdogs of the LSM (that's Lame Stream Media), that many have given
little thought to what ethical rules should apply in their online
world. Some insist that they do not need journalistic ethics because
they are not journalists, but rather activists, or humorists, or
something else entirely. But more bloggers, and blog readers, are
starting to ask whether at least the most prominent blogs with the
highest traffic shouldn't hold themselves to the same high standards to
which they hold other media." He concludes: "Bloggers may need to institutionalize ethics policies to avoid charges
of hypocrisy. But the real reason for an ethical upgrade is that it is
the right way to do journalism, online or offline. As blogs grow in
readers and influence, bloggers should realize that if they want to
reform the American media, that is going to have to include reforming
themselves." Cohen's piece goes to the heart of the "Are Bloggers Journalists?" discussion, since bloggers can't have it both ways. Courts are unlikely to allow "But I'm a reporter" claims when the blogger, on cross-examination, admits to not getting two or more sources, checking facts, revealing payments, etc. These bloggers will quickly learn that being a "reporter" has, in fact, little to do with a title, but much to do with adhering to standards. Cohen calls for bloggers to publish ethics codes. Why not? It's easy to do. I published the Desirable Roasted Coffee Code of Blogging Ethics -- a contract with readers -- because I believe to have a readership is a privilege, and a trust. Influential bloggers are far more privileged -- and the trust is greater. Pledging to a code of ethics wouldn't be a bad move for them. Posted by Allan Jenkins at 08:31am in Bloggers, Citizen Journalism, Desirable Roasted Coffee, Ethics, Journalism, Online Media | Permalink | | |||||||||||
