Saturday 30 November 2013

What mobile journalists should have on their holiday shopping lists



What mobile journalists should have on their holiday shopping lists

Here are a few ideas for the mobile journalist's holiday wish list as news production increasingly relies less on expensive, high-end cameras and laptops.

http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/media-lab/mobile-media/231559/what-mobile-journalists-should-have-on-their-holiday-shopping-lists/

Digital SLR Video and Filmmaking For Dummies



Digital SLR Video and Filmmaking For Dummies

Step-by-step guide for using your digital SLR to make quality video

With digital SLR cameras becoming more and more popular as replacements for standalone video cameras, this book helps photographers become better videographers and shows videographers how to incorporate DSLRs into their work. The book includes an overview of the DSLR video tools and process and shows how to establish camera settings for effective capture, light a scene, get sound, and achieve the film look. The book also offers the basics on editing footage into a final product using common video editing tools.

    http://www.wowebook.com/book/digital-slr-video-filmmaking-dummies/

    Thursday 28 November 2013

    Know your rights: Journalists don't need permission to live-tweet from council meetings



    Know your rights: Journalists don't need permission to live-tweet from council meetings

    A reporter's experience covering a parish council meeting earlier this month exposed an apparent gap in government guidelines on live blogging.

    Stuart Littleford, editor of the Saddleworth News, asked for permission to do live tweets from a special meeting of Saddleworth Parish Council, called to discuss controversial plans for a new school.

    The chair, councillor Graham Sheldon, agreed. But he called for a vote after another councillor objected, claiming that Littleford should have given the council one week's notice about his plans to tweet.

    http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/content/know-your-rights-journalists-dont-need-permission-live-tweet-council-meetings

    iVision for Android



    iVision for Android

    I-vision is the official VISION GROUP Citizen Journalism App for Local and International audiences.

    People can submit breaking news, business, politics, entertainment, technology, travel & tourism, photo gallery, cuisine, gadgets, and sports.

    This free app lets you submit articles, photos, audios and videos of breaking news stories and any interesting news around you.

    http://www.appszoom.com/android_applications/multimedia/ivision_ilbpq.html

    Twitter: 5 Dangers For Journalists



    Twitter: 5 Dangers For Journalists

    Twitter: a dangerous place for journalists?

    Twitter is a good example of a social media network tool that can make journalism much more efficient and also more open. It improves journalists' connective potential, both to gather news, opinion and attention but also to disseminate their own content and improve the profile of their brand. But like any new technology or media innovation, it has dangers as well as delights.

    I usually write a lot about the opportunities of networked journalism, but here are some of the possible negatives when using twitter.

    http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/polis/2013/11/27/twitter-5-dangers-for-journalists/

    5 Tips For Reporters Entering The Digital Journalism World



    5 Tips For Reporters Entering The Digital Journalism World

    Sharing quality content with their audience, engaging with readers below the line and building their brand, these are just some of the tips for new journalists shared at a journalism event today.

    Speaking at the NCTJ's Journalism Skills Conference at Bournemouth University, a panel were asked to give advice to journalists, particularly those entering the field.

    The panel featured Peter Bale, vice president and general manager of CNN International Digital; Pete Clifton, executive producer for MSN UK; and Liisa Rohumaa, a journalism lecturer at Bournemouth University.1. Build your own brandJournalists were encouraged to work on building a brand, rather than just being an entity of the news outlet they work for.

    http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/5-tips-for-new-journalists-in-digital-journalism-world/s2/a555239/

    Wednesday 27 November 2013

    UN General Assembly adopts resolution on journalists safety



    UN General Assembly adopts resolution on journalists safety

    Reporters Without Borders hails the United Nations General Assembly's adoption of its first resolution on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity and on the creation of an International Day to End Impunity for crimes against journalists on November 2.

    Adopted today by consensus by the Third Committee, this resolution meets calls that Reporters Without Borders has been making for years, in particular, in connection with the United Nations Plan of Action, and which it reaffirmed after the recent tragic death of two French journalists in Mali.

    http://en.rsf.org/un-general-assembly-adopts-26-11-2013,45512.html

    Tuesday 26 November 2013

    4 Examples Of Innovative Online Newsgathering



    4 Examples Of Innovative Online Newsgathering

    You may be accustomed to using RSS feeds, Twitter, Google Alerts and other tools for newsgathering. Here are four reporting techniques you may not have thought of.

    How the Urban Poor Tell Their Story



    How the Urban Poor Tell Their Story

    The urban poor are often stereotyped, viewed merely as a problem to be solved -- or ignored. Initiatives across the Global South are thus exploring ways of telling the story of poverty in an inclusive and realistic way, with examples that include a monthly newspaper for sex workers in Mumbai, graffiti art in Cairo and a manifesto for the poor in Dhaka. Read on to see more transformative narrative approaches from Cairo, Dhaka, Mumbai, Rio de Janeiro, Nairobi, Jakarta, and Mexico City -- then join the conversation on URB.im.

    Innovators enlist citizen journalists to combat India’s rape crisis



    Innovators enlist citizen journalists to combat India's rape crisis

    Almost a year has passed since the Delhi gang rape turned the world's attention to the treatment of women in India.

    The Dec. 16 rape and subsequent death of the 23-year-old physiotherapy student was covered widely by international news outlets and spread quickly over social media, mobilizing Indians to take to the streets in protest. In response, the government swiftly convicted the rapists and passed an anti-rape bill that imposes harsher punishments on sexual offenders—a set of efficient, rapid-fire actions that may have been influenced by the degree of attention the case received.

    http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/rights/india-rape-crisis-citizen-journalism

    Friday 22 November 2013

    Work the problem: Survival tips and resources for the narrative video journalist



    Work the problem: Survival tips and resources for the narrative video journalist

    Editor's note: Our Work the Problem series has covered story regret, with Esquire's Tom Junodself-editing, with Pulitzer winner Amy Ellis Nutt; and prospecting for narrative, withStorycraft author Jack Hart. Today's question:"What survival tips can you offer a reporter who is in charge of capturing a narrative in video, print and photography? Some days I fall into at least one medium." Today's guru isNew York Times video journalist Sean Patrick Farrellwho writes Viewfinder, an occasionalStoryboard column on video journalism:

    Podcast: Telling your own story – personal branding advice for journalists



    Podcast: Telling your own story – personal branding advice for journalists

    For many journalists, and freelancers in particular, creating a personal brand can help you stand out from the crowd. Achieving this is not always easy or straightforward so, as well as gathering these five tips for personal branding, we went into detail on the subject with some experienced and successful journalists.

    Thursday 21 November 2013

    In Syria, 30 journalists are missing



    In Syria, 30 journalists are missing

    Thirty journalists — half of them foreign reporters, half of them Syrian — have been kidnapped or gone missing in Syria, theAssociated Press reported this week. The number is unprecedented. Syria today is the scene of the single largest wave of kidnappings in modern journalism, more than in Iraq during the 2000s or Lebanon during the 1980s.  A combination of criminality, jihadism and chaos is bringing on-the-ground coverage of the war to a halt.

    7 Golden Photojournalism Rules by a Reuters Chief Photographer



    7 Golden Photojournalism Rules by a Reuters Chief Photographer

    What are the key tips to shooting great news photography? This video by award-winning Reuters photographer Damir Sagolj, an experienced Asia hand, shares his seven ideas on how to shoot news photos that engage audiences and tell a great story.

    http://www.the.me/7-golden-photojournalism-tips-by-a-reuters-chief-photographer/

    Exposing the Invisible: Video Profiles of Info-Activists



    Exposing the Invisible: Video Profiles of Info-Activists

    A new multimedia project called Exposing the Invisible tells the stories of activists, hackers and journalists who work "at the new frontiers of investigation." Through short films and text, the digital project by Tactical Technology Collective explores the missions of these experts and the tools they use to carry out their exposés.

    Mastering Social Media with Jon Bernstein



    Mastering Social Media with Jon Bernstein

    In the fast-paced evolution of digital journalism, it is essential to get to grips with the social media landscape around you. Pioneering website editor Jon Bernstein will lead a day-long workshop to teach you how to get the most out of your online tools.

    From understanding the basics of social media and their applications in journalism, to the fine art of online editing, this workshop is ideal for established and emerging journalists alike. It will also appeal to anyone in a communications role who truly wants to understand the power of social media.

    http://ejc.net/events/article/storytelling-for-the-edit

    Media workers ‘targeted’ in Syria’s north



    Media workers 'targeted' in Syria's north

    Syrian government troops are targeting media centres and news providers, Reporters Without Borders has warned after the killing of a citizen journalist and the destruction of premises belonging to two media centres within a week.

    http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/11/media-workers-targeted-syrias-north-20131120191637735923.html

    Wednesday 20 November 2013

    Rethinking the Value of the Short Film: an Open Letter to Vimeo by Robin Schmidt



    Rethinking the Value of the Short Film: an Open Letter to Vimeo by Robin Schmidt

    "Do short films have monetary value?" Filmmaker Robin Schmidt, who after many short films and music videos recently completed his first feature film, digs in and offers some intriguing observations in the guest post below, as well as his idea for a solution with the help of Vimeo. After reading the post, we'd also like to know what you think. Do short films have monetary value? If so, what solutions can you come up with that will allow filmmakers to monetize their shorts?

    London Feminist Film Festival: 24-30 November in Hackney



    London Feminist Film Festival: 24-30 November in Hackney

    The festival has been extended to a whole week this year and over the seven days you can enjoy 10 feature length films and 21 short films from 18 different countries, including seven UK premieres.

    An integral part of the festival will be the post-film panel discussions. These will give filmmakers and audiences a chance to discuss the films, the feminist issues raised by the films, and wider issues of women's representation behind and in front of the camera. Panellists will include directors of the films we are showing, academics, critics and women's rights activists.

    http://www.thefword.org.uk/blog/2013/11/london_feminist_film_festival_2013

    Considering Ethics for Anyone Who Commits Acts of Journalism



    Considering Ethics for Anyone Who Commits Acts of Journalism

    Right now there are three major efforts under way to rethink journalism ethics for our changed media landscape. The Online News Association and the Society for Professional Journalists have both launched ethics discussions with their members, and the Poynter Institute recently published a majorbook on "The New Ethics of Journalism."

    Poynter is using the occasion of the book to jump-start a broader conversation about truth and trust in the 21st century, the first event of which happened this week in New York City. Sponsored by PBS MediaShift, craigconnects, the Ford FoundationAmerican University's School of Communication andNewsCred, the event featured a panel of journalists and academics from the New York Times, BuzzFeed, Huffington Post, NYU, AP, and the Seattle Times. There were some great discussions on sponsored content, the nature of truth versus facts, and the intersection of reporting, opinion and activism. But I won't get into those here. Instead, I want to talk about the one theme that seemed to undergird the entire evening: journalism's relationship with its community.

    http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2013/11/considering-ethics-for-anyone-who-commits-acts-of-journalism/

    The rise of Brown Moses: How an unemployed British man became a poster boy for citizen journalism



    The rise of Brown Moses: How an unemployed British man became a poster boy for citizen journalism

    We've written many times about how social media and what Om likes to call the "democratization of distribution" have changed the way that journalism works in a digital age, and how various media players — from The Guardian to NPR's Andy Carvin — have made the practice of "open journalism" one of their guiding principles. But there is probably no better example of this new form of journalism at work than Brown Moses, an otherwise unremarkable British man who has become the go-to source for information about weapons in Syria.

    Monday 18 November 2013

    Citizen journalism today



    Citizen journalism today

    After writing about citizen journalism for 5 full years, from the time when almost no one knew the term – citizen journalism, till now – when it's inevitable part of the media, we can definitely say that it was an interesting journey.

    We had great pleasure of doing 33 email interviews with people who are related to citizen journalism through their work – new projects, websites, programs, applications, webinars, books, training … List is really impressive and long.

    http://www.newsmeback.com/blog/personal-opinion/citizen-journalism-today/

    On show this week: the future of mobile filmmaking



    On show this week: the future of mobile filmmaking

    The future is mobile, and mobile is the cornerstone for a series of events at AUT this week exploring mobile technologies in film, education, business and creativity.

    Films from all across the globe will be displayed at the third International Mobile Innovation Screenings this week, showing the amazing filmmaking that can be done just off a smartphone.

    http://www.idealog.co.nz/blog/2013/11/show-week-future-mobile-filmmaking

    Can citizen journalism end the silence on Direct Action? Errol Brandt @e2mq173 reports



    Can citizen journalism end the silence on Direct Action? Errol Brandt @e2mq173 reports

    For a political party with a belief in the power of the market, the Coalition's climate change policy is a thoroughly disappointing piece of work. Direct Action does not address the source of our carbon emissions and may be based on incomplete scientific research.

    Not that Australians would know this, given the lack of scrutiny from mainstream media.

    http://nofibs.com.au/2013/11/18/can-citizen-journalism-end-silence-direct-action-errol-brandt-e2mq173-reports/

    Syria's Silent, Chilling Epidemic of Journalist Kidnappings



    Syria's Silent, Chilling Epidemic of Journalist Kidnappings

    Thirty journalists—half of them foreign reporters, half of them Syrian—have been kidnapped or gone missing in Syria, theAssociated Press reported this week. The number is unprecedented. Syria today is the scene of the single largest wave of kidnappings in modern journalism, more than in Iraq during the 2000s or Lebanon during the 1980s. A combination of criminality, jihadism and chaos is bringing on-the-ground coverage of the war to a halt.

    Thursday 14 November 2013

    Tip: Watch WSJ video on impact of mobile on journalism



    Tip: Watch WSJ video on impact of mobile on journalism

    For those trying to get to grips with how best to reach mobile audiences with their content,this short video from the Wall Street Journal (embedded below) is well worth a watch, not only to soak up some of the advice of those within digital-native outlets such as BuzzFeed, Mashable and Circa (and those with more traditional roots, like the WSJ), but also as a useful reminder about the different ways digital content is discovered, and the resulting demand for new approaches.

    Create Your Own Virtual Newspaper with the App Follow My News



    Create Your Own Virtual Newspaper with the App Follow My News

    Follow My News is a social networking and news application where the news is generated by you. Create your own news posts, add your own photos, the possibilities are all yours. Enjoy the ability to create and follow your own newsstand of different newspapers created by people all over the world. With Follow My News make your news completely yours and completely social.

    Wednesday 13 November 2013

    Get Your Kit On: Some Low Budget Options for Filmmakers



    Get Your Kit On: Some Low Budget Options for Filmmakers

    Earlier this year I set out on a rather mad adventure to make a feature documentary about an audacious and provocative protest against the world's flagrant attempts to sexualise and commodify childhood. The film follows award-winning performance artist Bryony Kimmings and her 9-year-old niece Taylor, who decided to take on the global tween machine at its own game by inventingCatherine Bennett, a dinosaur-loving, bike-riding, tuna-pasta-eating pop star (yes, really). They vowed to make her world famous to prove that an alternative was possible, and I vowed to document their journey.

    14 Inspiring 1-Minute Films About the Environment



    14 Inspiring 1-Minute Films About the Environment

    So Twitter is ruining journalism? Really?



    So Twitter is ruining journalism? Really?

    There is no quicker way for old institutions to look irrelevant than to insist on their relevance. Today the Australian did just that by publishing an editorial not only bragging about its superiority, but underlining the "path to ruin" that is (other) journalists using Twitter.

    http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/13/so-twitter-is-ruining-journalism-really

    Tuesday 12 November 2013

    Making a Documentary



    Making a Documentary

    When it comes to making a documentary, many filmmakers have similar questions. And when it comes to getting answers to those questions, very few people are more qualified than Faith Fuller. She is a seasoned documentary producer and she stopped by filmmaking stuff to answer some frequent documentary questions.

    http://www.filmmakingstuff.com/making-documentary/

    Regional Bloggers Targeted for “Extremism” by Russian Police



    Regional Bloggers Targeted for "Extremism" by Russian Police

    Exploding logo of the United Russia party. A still from the video that got a Siberian blogger in trouble with the law. YouTube screenshot.

    Regional authorities in Russia are cracking down on local opposition bloggers, persecuting them for alleged "extremism." On November 6, 2013 Andrey Teslenko, a blogger from the Siberian town of Novoaltaisk,announced on his LiveJournal blog [ru] that he was approached by police who questioned him about a video called "Let's remind the crooks and thieves about their 2002-Manifesto," which appears on his page [ru] on the social network VKontakte.

    http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/11/10/regional-bloggers-targeted-for-extremism-by-russian-police/

    Designing a mobile-first newsroom



    Designing a mobile-first newsroom

    The Multimedia Education Center is a mobile-first newsroom designed for mobile-first journalism. Everything within the lab is mobile, with walls on wheels and furniture that can be easily moved.

    Too often newsrooms consist of "wooden desks with a computer, mouse and keyboard, and a printer in the corner," Robb Montgomery, a journalist who worked on developing the lab, told Journalism.co.uk.

    http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/designing-a-mobile-first-newsroom/s2/a554706/

    Why journalists must use social media to promote their work



    Why journalists must use social media to promote their work

    A young acquaintance was applying for an online reporting job at an internationally renowned news organization.

    But the interviewer did not focus on the job candidate's articles. He wanted to know more about the metrics of audience engagement with the candidate's stories -- time spent, social sharing, search traffic.

    http://ijnet.org/blog/why-journalists-must-use-social-media-promote-their-work

    Thursday 7 November 2013

    How the Syrian War Subreddit Scoops Mainstream Media



    How the Syrian War Subreddit Scoops Mainstream Media

    On the afternoon of October 31, U.S. newspapers began reporting evidence of an Israeli airstrike targeting Hezbollah-bound missiles in Syria that occurred the night before. It was a big story—indicating that Israel was continuing to flout international law to prevent Hezbollah from getting weapons.

    http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/11/07/how-the-syrian-war-subreddit-scoops-mainstream-media.html

    Study: 96% of UK journalists use social media each day



    Study: 96% of UK journalists use social media each day

    Almost all of the UK journalists who responded to a study into social media and journalism have said they use such platforms every day.

    The related report, published today, states that out of the 589 journalists from the UK who took part in its worldwide 2013 Social Journalism Study – carried out by Cision and Canterbury Christ Church University – 96 per cent interact on social media "on a daily basis", and 92 per cent do so on Twitter in particular.

    http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/study-96-of-uk-journalists-use-social-media-each-day/s2/a554687/

    Wednesday 6 November 2013

    Three young journalists shortlisted for the UK Foreign Press Association Awards



    Three young journalists shortlisted for the UK Foreign Press Association Awards

    Three young journalists from developing countries have been shortlisted for a prestigious press award.

    The reporters, two from Africa and one from India will be flown to London for the UK Foreign Press Association Award

    http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/content/three-young-journalists-shortlisted-uk-foreign-press-association-awards

    Journalism in Syria, impossible job?



    Journalism in Syria, impossible job?

    Syria is now the world's most dangerous country for journalists. According to a Reporters Without Borders tally, more than 110 news providers have been killed in the course of their work in Syria since March 2011 and more than 60 are currently detained, held hostage or missing.

    Tuesday 5 November 2013

    Differentiating a Blogger from a Journalist



    Differentiating a Blogger from a Journalist

    Blogging has become one of the most popular online activities in recent years. Just about everyone has learned how to establish a blog, from housewives to professional SEO company owners to Internet marketers. And one of the debates that have arisen from the activity's popularity concerns the similarities and differences between a blogger and a journalist. Some people say they are irked by bloggers trying to pass themselves off as journalists. Some people say it's no big deal and still others just can't see the difference between the two. So, what is the real score? How do you distinguish a blogger from a journalist and vice versa?

    Why is the media so quiet on protecting journalists and other civilians in warzones?



    Why is the media so quiet on protecting journalists and other civilians in warzones?

    The news coming out of the ongoing conflict in Syria is tragic and, for many, too horrible to look at for long. While the reportage is appreciated, one can't help but wonder whether it would be different if foreign correspondent Marie Colvin and the other 32 journalists killed there in 2012 were still alive and reporting on it.