Thursday 17 December 2009

Add a link...it takes a blink!

Just a blink and you'll be catapulted in a whole universe of information. That's the magic of linking, the right answer to the web-writers dilemma: keeping the balance between the unlimited space in the web and limited time and the impatience of the audience.

The temptation of linking often strikes woth what is called "the ethic of the link", a list of ethic criteria suggested by the Poynter Institute. These guidelines are a precious tool for the reporter to make his way through texts, images and videos without compromising accuracy, credibility, honesty, transparency and independence.

Beware of ...

The secret to limit unwanted consequences lies in testing the newsworthingness of linking by following some essential steps:
  • is the information povided in the link relevant to the main story?
  • is the the link content or format struggling with your news organization's values and ethics?
  • is the link trustworthy?
  • can the link content be offensive?
  • is there the risk of plagiarism?
And be aware of...
In websites - as in the other media - the author has the responsibility of the contents he's giving to the reader and the way of presenting them.

He should never undervaluate the impact od the subjects covered in the main story and supported by the link, and the power of images.
Linking to images implies choices requiring a considerable understanding of the audience and of its possible reactions, as this monthly column in News Photographers shows. Evaluating the consequences of a wrong choice can be extremely difficult.


Linking without sinking
The potentially unlimited ocean of information a link opens is great. It gives access to original sources and additional information relevant to the news.

As Jay Rosen says in describing the ethics of the link, linking means "building out the potential of the web to link people" and "connecting people to knowledge wherever it is.

But there's a risk. The risk of getting lost in an ocean of images, videos, texts, links, links to links... making it hard to foresee the implications of every single link. That's the reason why the writer should always be aware of the content of the link he's using to support his story.


Linking is not just a matter of catching the readers' attention in thousands of news and information.
It's a matter of keeping the reader's attention focused on your story and give him credible, accurate and transparent b - though in a simple and clear style - news and stories.

Tuesday 8 December 2009

Press Freedom...Exercise 1

This is he first assignment we got as Press Freedom Course participants. We were asked to choose three website from a list and evaluate them, regarding the information credibility.

Before going trough the suggested sites, I wondered about the attitude I should adopt in evaluating them. I'm a reader and a journalist at the same time, with my own cultural, religious, social background and paradigms affecting my opinions. Anyway, I think I will consider aspects such as "are the news sourced directly?", "does the site clearly states its views?", "are news agencies reliable?" ...

Al Arabiya 
As for Asharq Alawsat, the name itself reminds me of established news organisations. I think this be considered as a sign of reliability and credibility. I immediately identified them with the famous TV channel and the newspaper, respectively. News are directly sourced and credibility is conceived by reliable news agencies, too.

English and Arabic versions are quite different in terms of design. I wonder whether they are different in terms of contents and insights, too. 

Minnpost 
On "About" we can find its mission and goals, together with its identity: a no profit journalism outlet, based on donors (sponsors, adevrtisers, members), which promises "a thoughtful approach to news".
The presence of donors makes me wonder about how can reliability and credibility be assured. This makes me think about the future of journalism and information.

I wonder whether MinnPost can be compared to those outlets affiliated to no-profit agencies or organizations. In Italy we have "Peacereporter", which was created by the Italian NGO "Emergency" and "MISNA-Missionary International Service News Agency, in 2003".
People writing and working for "Peacereporter" are volunteers sharing the same idea: abolishing war. They are professional journalists, but also NGOs members, missionaries, people working in conflict areas mainly.

Gawker
I had never read about Gawker before and I'm not familiar with this kind of websites. I would say it's not the kind of website I usually choose when searching for news or stories connected to my job or my interests.
Articles published on different medium are commented and presented in a different perspective. At first it looks like a celebrity gossip website, but I've spent some time on it and I realized it's something more than that: it mirrors transformations affecting our society.
For example, the story of Amanda Knox, convicted by an Italian court for murdering her study abroad room-mate, inspired the traveltips presented in the article  How not to get arrested when you're abroad. A Foxy-Knoxy inspired guide
Contact info for writers and sources mentioning are positive elements which convey a sense of credibility. They give the reader the tools to verify information.

Sunday 6 December 2009

welcome...

This blog, called "Tea Leaves", was especially created for the "Freedom of Expression in the Digital Age" ICFJ course.
Actually, this is the only blog I've ever created.
So...I guess this is the first post of my first blog...