The news as we know it is ending but technology might save it, Michael Wolff writes in Vanity Fair. He points to the research we’ve all seen: under 30s have no “news habit.” When they want information, they don’t browse…
How to save the news
Month: September 2007
People Meters: Coming soon to a market near you?
By the year 2011, Nielsen Co. plans to triple the size of its National People Meter (NPM) TV-ratings panel. By that same year, the company says it will have Local People Meters (LPM) in 56 markets and those sample homes…
Video driving clicks
A new “clickmap” tool is making some ask whether video may be a bigger driver of clicks than previously thought. According to Poynter’s E-Media Tidbits, a researcher at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) has developed a new tool for tracking…
Hyperlink to keep stories alive
Hyperlinks aren’t just a simple way to add interactivity and context to a Web story. They could also be a way for news organizations to keep users apprised of what’s new on a story without having to update the original.…
FCC News: VNR fines and minority media-ownership
Here’s another good reason to avoid using a Video News Release (VNR) without proper attribution: You could be fined! According to the Hollywood Reporter, for the first time ever, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau is calling for a $4,000 fine against…
Owning the first 1:00
For the past several years, a trend has been developing in the production of television newscasts. Producers are being charged with the goal of “owning the first minute.” In the September 2007 issue of RTNDA’s Communicator magazine, writer Paula Pendarvis…
Lists as sources
Sometimes good story ideas fall in your lap (or show up in your email). The following is a post from the Criminal Justice Journalists listserv on Friday, 9/21/07: If all goes according to plan, the FBI will put out its…
Do your homework
How can you avoid being suckered by sources or stampeded by the competition? Do your own homework. That’s the advice from Stuart Taylor of the National Journal. His book about the Duke lacrosse case, “Until Proven Innocent,” says the news…
Use a voiceover, already
Why do so many news Web sites use full-screen text instead of voiceover narration for video and slide shows? Angela Grant, multimedia producer at the San Antonio Express-News, believes “producers are afraid of using voiceovers because they are ‘like TV.’”…
Natural sound matters
Natural sound makes stories come alive. It lets viewers experience something close to what it was like to witness a story in person. A story without nat sound is flat and dull. Want proof? Watch this video from former TV…