Month: March 2008

Context counts

The scandal involving New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer brought out a raft of commentators and “expert” analysts, which is to be expected.  But viewers should also expect to be told a little bit about who these experts are and why…

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Cleaning up comments

Any news organization that really believes in serving the public has to listen to its audience. In the old days, that meant taking phone calls and letters. More recently, it has meant providing email addresses and actually reading the stuff…

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Live in 3-D

A rugby match in Scotland made news this weekend, and not just because the Scots stomped the English 15-9. According to published reports, it was the first international sports event ever to be screened live in hi-def 3-D. The London…

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Stay tuned for “State of the Media”

A must read for every journalist or anyone who cares about the profession is the Project for Excellence in Journalism’s annual State of the News Media Report. This will be the fifth year of the report, which is scheduled for…

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Digital news outlets expand

With news being displayed on screens in New York taxis and at gas pumps across the country, the latest entry in 24/7 news should come as no surprise. The Los Angeles Times is using digital billboards to reach drivers stuck…

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Perfect pitch

Too many good stories never make it on TV because they fail the “pitch test.” With resources tight and air time limited, news managers aren’t going to green light every story idea. If you want the opportunity to tell a…

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A multimedia bag of tricks

USA Today has been in the multimedia game for a long time. At a recent conference, senior designer Juan Thomassie shared his top tips for producing interactive stories online. Among his key points: The content often suggests the best ways…

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