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December 2008

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• 12.24.08
  The challenge is, indeed, one of fragmentation. But if IBM think that the answer to TrinityMirror’s woes lies internally, they’re wrong… General, Journalism | (0)

  Fair play to Patrick Smith of PaidContent for spotting this gem on the IBM website... http://www.paidcontent.co.uk/entry/419-ibms-digital-restructuring-plan-saves-trinity-mirror-30-percent-on-midl/ Cos clearly when times are hard and every penny needs to be accounted for, it's time to get the consultants in. And without the experts from IBM, who would have ever concluded that one of the travails facing the provincial newspaper industry is that it's 'fragmented'? http://www-01.ibm.com/software/success/cssdb.nsf/CS/SJDN-7MEG8E?OpenDocument&Site=default&cty=en_us Among many a managerial consultancy gem to be found in said document, one or two are worth mulling over... not least how the cost efficiencies introduced by way of central hub and multi-media many-platform thinking are getting 'news' to market that ...

  Tagged: IBM, TrinityMirror
  
• 12.21.08
  What does ‘Backchat’ do? It re-thinks the way that I service my public’s media needs. General, Journalism, MLW | (5)

  There is a real danger that me and my No1 fan could 'enjoy' a tennis match here, so I'll say no more. http://www.4ip.org.uk/blog/4ips_first_project_out_the_door_ncfc/ In fairness, it did get me to thinking about why we were able to tick a few of 4iP's boxes this winter. And I think part of the answer lies in the title. Sorry, their title... 'Rethinking Public Service Media'. Now, the danger is that I end up being some C4 cheerleader in all this, but that - to my mind - is why 'Backchat' ticked a few of their boxes. Because that was simply me re-thinking the way that I delivered my ...

  Tagged: 4iP, backchat, Loddon, MyFootballWriter.com, MyLocalWriter.com
  
• 12.18.08
  There’s a sign of the times. My old job goes down the Newsquest toilet. Serving local communities or abandoning them? Moot point, I’d suggest. General, Journalism, MLW | (2)

  As I might have mentioned before, I first cut my journalistic teeth on the wonderful weekly newspaper series that was The Wiltshire Gazette & Herald... http://outwithabang.rickwaghorn.co.uk/?p=44 Then owned by Westminster Press, there were six editions; each with their slip pages and four with their own district offices - Malcolm in Malmesbury, our Mickey (now of BBC Match of the Day fame) in Marlborough, Alex was in Chippenham and did Calne, Terry (I think his name was Terry...) was the Gazette's man in Devizes and the sixth and final edition, N Wilts, was covered by the Evening Adver news desk the floor below. Peter ...

  Tagged: MyLocalWriter.com, Newsquest, Wiltshire Gazette & Herald
  
• 12.15.08
  Sometimes all you ever need to do is link. The rest speaks for itself. General, Journalism | (0)

  Doesn't need a comment; just a wider audience... http://newsosaur.blogspot.com/2008/12/questions-about-decherds-140-raise.html#comments

  Tagged: Alan Mutter
  
• 12.15.08
  What were the two words being whispered in the marbled corridors of Ditchley Park, Jeff? ‘State’ and ’subsidy’? General, Journalism | (0)

  Clearly, as Jeff says, the Chatham House rules applied. So we have no clear idea of what was actually said - or by whom. Merely a flavour; a tone; a thrust. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/dec/15/digitalmedia-pressandpublishing But given the block that we walked around on Saturday night... http://outwithabang.rickwaghorn.co.uk/?p=196 Lines like this were interesting... "Others, however, saw no promising models, and so some considered what is not without precedent in Britain: public funds to support journalism - but this time for local papers, at least through their transition to digital..." That's where the talk is clearly heading. "Public funds to support journalism..." But to who? To Gannett? And for how long? "At least through ...

  Tagged: Jeff Jarvis
  
• 12.14.08
  Some smart, networked thinking that won’t sit easily with the preservation of medieval circulation fiefdoms. Very interesting. General, Journalism | (0)

  Only cos it's Sunday and I'm a bit bored, but if Ms Bailey and Ms McCall did wander up Whitehall, there could be a very interesting conversation to be had... particularly if they were to be met by Mr Watson, MP, and he had someone from MumsNet - or, indeed, NetMums - there beside him. http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/03/power-of-information-new-taskforce-and-speech/ Cos, we've been round that block before, too. http://outwithabang.rickwaghorn.co.uk/?p=44 And both of us holding Mr Shirky's hand, too. Fascinating.

  Tagged: Clay Shirky, Tom Watson
  
• 12.14.08
  I suspect the time will soon draw nigh for the Newspaper Society to march on Whitehall. And if it’s with caps in hand, what are you actually going to say? General, Journalism | (1)

  Earlier this year Lord Fowler and his House of Lords colleagues published a report on the future ownership of the news - a worthy and, no doubt, genuine bid by central Government to try and get a grip on where the UK media industry was heading. Given the state of this Media Nation of ours six months later, it is worth a re-visit if only to remind ourselves of what the Newspaper Society had to tell their lordships; Point 58, if anyone wishes to go and dust off a copy... “The evidence we received from the Newspaper Society, which represents the regional ...

  Tagged: Clay Shirky, Lord Fowler, Newspaper Society, TrinityMirror
  
• 12.12.08
  TMG quick to spot a hand that could help feed them; the same hand that the Newspaper Society wanted bitten off.. General, Journalism | (0)

  We have, of course, muttered much about the virtues of this new 'link economy'; that as this great beast that is the Web chews us all up and spits us out again, who can - in all honesty - afford to be all things to all men? Who can, hand on heart, be this all-singing, all-dancing multi-media hub; vidcasting here, podcasting there; when money is too tight to mention... Not the Telegraph Media Group, clearly, who - to their link credit - today emerged as the first national newspaper to proffer a hand of partnership in the BBC's direction after Auntie yesterday ...

  Tagged: backchat, BBC, BBCLocal, Emily Bell, GMG, Telegraph Media Group
  
• 12.11.08
  A 9pm update from across the Water; on the far side of the Pond. Again, thoughts on consolidation as a survival tactic.. General, Journalism | (1)

  [9pm follow up... http://outwithabang.rickwaghorn.co.uk/?p=192 ] Where next... From Mr Potts... "Sharing, clustering and consolidation. We've already seen competing newspapers starting to share resources, like the announcement that the Dallas Morning News and Fort Worth Star-Telegram will share arts critics, or the story-sharing among South Florida or North Carolina papers, or papers even printing and distributing their competitors. "Good start. Think bigger. Much bigger. We're likely to see outright combinations of newspapers covering contiguous regions, based on central shared editing, sales, marketing and printing resources. "MediaNews already is mostly down this track in the Bay Area; throw the San Francisco Chronicle into the ...

  Tagged: Johnston Press, Mark Potts, Newsquest
  
• 12.11.08
  Tis likely to be a very, very bleak mid-winter for 80 Bolton printers as the men from Gannett come a-calling… Misc | (0)

  Given the blood that appears to be splattering around the walls of Newsquest's NW operations right now... some 80-odd Bolton printers look the next to go; six days before Christmas... http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/dec/11/downturn-pressandpublishing ... it took me back to this... http://outwithabang.rickwaghorn.co.uk/?p=180 Or rather this particular line from Newsquest's digital head... “All I can say is that it is welcome news and the Trust have made a very sensible decision,” said Roger Green, managing director of Newsquest Digital Media.Three Counties Radio says it all,” he said, explaining that this type of coverage illustrated the BBC’s approach to local news… “They [the BBC] are totally irrelevant to local audience ...

  Tagged: Newsquest
  

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