Writing for fun

Words is my life.
Its official, I’ve even got the t-shirt to prove it thanks to Rachel.
I love reading them, I enjoy writing them even more.
Blogs are brilliant as I get exposed to so many words, ideas, styles, prejudices and plenty of inspiration whenever I want it. Best of all, these words are pinging at me from [...]

Newspapers need to invest in people too

Some depressing, but not totally unsurprising, news from TrinityMirror.
Fresh from much-trumpeted investment in new technology across the group, particularly in its regional papers such as The Birmingham Post, comes warnings of further “efficiency savings” after it revealed profits would be down 10pc this year.
Such efficiency savings have become regular occurrences for TM titles in recent years.
But [...]

Editors complain about too much choice

Having mulled over the BBC’s plans to increase its local video output online and the less than enthusiastic response of The Newspaper Society for a few days I’m still left with the same question.
Isn’t one of the big plus points of the “digital revolution” the fact that we now have more choice?
So the Society’s attitude would [...]

Social networking - friend or foe?

Nine out of ten people want specific guidelines for the media on the use of personal information published online.
According to the study carried out by the Press Complaints Commission, 89% of those questioned believe clear regulations were necessary and would help them more easily seek redress if material is wrong or intrusive.
Concerns about the amount of [...]

Blogging in newspapers - the 3Cs still apply

One of my old editors kept banging on about the 3Cs - credibility, credibility, credibility.
If there was one basic mistake in a front-page exclusive splash then that story was ruined in his eyes.
His attitude irritated the hell out of me when I was a reporter because I felt he couldn’t see the bigger picture - [...]

Abandon all hope for journalism

The public’s trust in journalists has dropped significantly in recent years.
Is anyone surprised?
Today has seen a classic example of why the profession is suffering such a bad image.
The Sun splashes a “world exclusive” about twin baby girls abandoned by their ageing parents ”because they were the wrong sex” at a Midlands hospital after being conceived through [...]

Newspapers and blogging…a bit more

Not much to add about this issue at the moment as I’m still in a bit of a post-birthday weekend fog, but a few interesting pieces have cropped up in recent days.
Firstly, The Birmingham Post’s editor has blogged about “ownership” of the title’s blogs.
Marc Reeves poses five intriguing questions regarding the role of blogs on [...]

Newspapers and Transmedia Storytelling

I’m intrigued by the concept of Transmedia Storytelling being outlined over on the EyeCube blog.
In particular I can’t help thinking that the model being successfully used in films, TV and video games could be adapted to aid newspapers in securing their long-term future?
The idea is that the creative process in fiction these days is enhanced by harnessing the input of [...]

Blogging in “our” newspapers

No blinding flash of revelation here, just a decision to write down what has been in my head for quite some time regarding journalism, newspapers and blogging.
It has been brought into sharper focus in recent days by the storm in a check-out queue created by one of The Birmingham Post’s guest bloggers.
I wondered on my [...]

24-hour news - never wrong for long

Another enjoyable dissection from Charlie Brooker this week - and I’m delighted he’s reserved his ire this time for the idiocy of 24-hour news channels.
Highlighting several examples of the folly of rolling news programmes as they try desperately to fill every available second, even if they are clueless about the story they are allegedly covering, Brooker’s [...]