Journalism as a Conversation

While I was a doctoral student at Missouri School of Journalism a few years back, I worked as a research assistant in the lab above. It’s one of only a few such labs in the country that focuses on how people psychologically and physically process news and information.

Among the more groundbreaking findings? Super graphic, disgusting ads (think about some of the anti-smoking/anti-drug public service announcements of recent years) can actually backfire, inhibiting people’s ability to process the message. Cool research — hard to conduct but cool.

seoulbrother:

The problem is that journalists don’t know shit about business. Culturally, they don’t want to. I often hear from journalists who are downright hostile to corporations and even capitalism not because they’re commies but because they believe they’re above it all (there is the root, I believe, of much of their cynicism about Google and other large technology companies). - Jeff Jarvis

I don’t see a problem with making money, either. I do have a problem when journalists try to make money. First, it’s corrupting. Second, as Jarvis says above, journalists are shitty at it. Third and finally, they’re not the ones who should be trying to make money.

I don’t agree with the notion that journalists see business as beneath them. The attitude Jarvis describes has nothing to do with elitism and everything to do with doing their jobs as ombudsmen, scrutineers and good old-fashioned degenerates. You want them to be skeptical. …

Even before Albert started working at The Seattle Times, where I used to work, we talked often about why the hell everyone expects the journalists at news companies to fix the business model. I used to think it’s because journalists are the rock stars there — why else does the company exist but for news? — and have the most at stake. Doesn’t matter — ain’t gonna happen for reasons outlined above. What needs to happen is a serious purge in the Advertising Department of those unable to make the mental shift to a new day and way on the Internet. Online advertising doesn’t work the same way as traditional print advertising. Until news companies get that, mainstream news will suffer. 

roughnightforlulu:

History, bombs, a riot…and combative Wikipedia editing

“For the past 10 years I’ve immersed myself in the details of one of the most famous events in American labor history, the Haymarket riot and trial of 1886. Along the way I’ve written two books and a couple of articles about the episode. …”

I’m making this article required reading in my next digital reporting class. If an expert professor on the most famous labor riot in American history can’t edit Wikipedia for factual accuracy, what the hell is Wikipedia’s purpose? 

Need a drink after reading this passage: 

“Last year, women made up only 22 percent of the local radio workforce, compared to 29.2 percent in 2010. Women’s representation in sports news hasn’t budged since 2008 (just 11 percent of editors, 10 percent of columnists, and 7 percent of reporters are women). In one year, women dropped from 20 percent of behind-the-scenes entertainment television roles to just 4 percent. Worldwide, women are the subjects of 24 percent of news stories. Just 21 percent of Sunday morning television commentators are women. Only a third of speaking characters in films are female (and about a quarter of them are dressed sexily). Women direct 5 percent of films. And it’s not for lack of talent or enthusiasm: Women make up 73 percent of journalism and mass communication graduates.”