How Digital Journalists Used Data to Report on Murdoch Scandal. Innovative digital journalism played a starring role in the wake of a massive document release during an inquiry into British media ethics.
The Leveson Inquiry, a judicial investigation into the culture, practice and ethics of the press, was originally called to examine the widespread phone hacking that took place at News International’s now-defunct News of the World. During the inquiry, Rupert Murdoch submitted 163 pages of evidence, including emails that suggest that Jeremy Hunt, UK's culture secretary, worked with the news organization to help win approval for a failed $12-billion takeover of the BSkyB network.
Below is a look at how three major news organizations sifted through the information and collaboratively covered the investigation stemming from British journalism's biggest scandal in recent memory. Confused by SOPA? Five Multimedia Explainers. Unless you live under a rock, it’s pretty hard to ignore the buzz that the Stop Online Privacy Piracy Act (SOPA) has generated in the last few months.
The controversial bill, along with its companion bill, Protect-IP Act (PIPA), intends to fight copyright infringement and piracy but has turned into a bitter battle between old and new media. Everyone has covered the controversial bill, from more traditional media outlets such as the Washington Post and the New York Times to tech blogs such as ArsTechnica, TechCrunch and Gizmodo. Rep. Darrell Issa, one of the bill’s main opponents, posts about it frequently on Twitter and Reddit has successfully lobbied boycots of SOPA supporters. Let’s be honest. So while Congress is on its winter recess — the House Judiciary Committee won’t pick up debating the bill until after Congress returns — why not take some time to check out the pieces below? Via: Business Insurance Blog.
Without Computer Security, Sources’ Secrets Aren’t Safe With Journalists. From Nieman Reports: What goes unsaid about the dynamics of race in the newsroom. Editor’s Note: Our sister publication Nieman Reports is out with their Fall 2011 issue, “Cold Case Reporting,” which focuses on process of revisiting old investigations to tell new stories.
Over the next few days, we’ll highlight a few stories from the issue — but go read the whole thing. In this piece, Amy Alexander writes about the dynamics of race and writing about minorities in the newsroom. This past summer a journalism controversy rooted in America’s troubled racial history erupted on the web. A young, white female reporter, Mac McClelland, wrote for Good magazine about brief stints she’d spent covering Haiti for Mother Jones. Pew Media Study Shows Reliance on Many Outlets. Matthew Staver/Bloomberg News While TV is the top source for breaking news, weather and traffic, newspapers lead in 11 topics.
The report, by the and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, surveyed news consumers and concluded that while television is the main source for three popular topics — weather, traffic and breaking news — newspapers and their Web sites are the main source for 11 other topics, like local government updates, zoning news and crime reports. New York Post Employees Told To 'Preserve' Documents Related To Phone Hacking. The legal team told employees that it "must preserve and maintain all documents and information" pertaining "to unauthorized retrieval of phone or personal data, to payments for information to government officials.
" The memo added that employees should "not destroy, discard, alter or change any potentially relevant documents as defined above, even if such documents or materials would otherwise be routinely discarded or destroyed in the ordinary course of your business. " New York Post editor Col Allan sent a follow-up memo to employees explaining that "all New York Post employees have been asked to do this in light of what has gone on in London at News of the World, and not because any recipient has done anything improper or unlawful. " News International ordered mass deletion of emails nine times. The firm contracted to manage News International's email system says it was asked to make mass deletions nine times since May 2010.
A Rift Divides Minority Journalism Groups. Scotland Yard and Murdoch Empire Intertwined in Hacking Case. Phone-Hacking Inquiry’s Tentacles Reach Out to Cameron. Murdoch Ties Start to Chafe British Leader. Matthew Lloyd/Getty Images Prime Minister David Cameron spoke Monday in London on public services reform, but faced questions on the hacking scandal.
He has been maneuvered into embarrassing U-turns nearly every step of the way, and on Tuesday performed the latest one: suddenly joining the opposition Labour Party, his bitterest foes, in calling for ’s to withdraw its $12 billion bid to buy , known also as BSkyB. Mr. News Corp Announces Buybacks as Tabloid Scandal Hurts Shares. News Corp. Weighs Next Corporate Steps.
Rupert Murdoch's News Corp could face $100m bill for US investigation into 'police payments' Doing ethics: A nice summary of the pressures we face. Poynter's Steve Myers' lengthy piece about how several media organizations were led astray by a joke photo posted on Twitter nicely summarizes the pressures we face these days.
I was especially struck by this: "When it comes to something like the tornado," Adrian Chen, who posted the photo on Gawker, told me via e-mail, "you've got to have something up quickly, and you're pressed hard by the knowledge that thousands of people are tweeting about it, basically 'scooping' you in real time. So you have to use pictures from Twitter. Long-time Murdoch associate gets drawn into newspaper scandal.