Media

Jeff Jarvis has seen the latest movie version of the life of US broadcast journalist Ed Murrow, a man who firstly faced down Joe McCarthy’s anti American activities committee and then came to embody the mainstream anchorman. Jarvis argues that whatever claims to virtue that Murrow had, his claim to objectivity in the news has had a debilitating effect on the mainstream media’s capacity to tell a straight story (reg needed).He wonders: …whether Murrow’s triumph did not lead, if inadvertently, …

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One of the weak planks in Andrew Gilligan’s early morning reporting on the UK governments Iraq dossier was that it was based on a single unnamed source. Though the subject matter was less serious in terms of national interest, the misreporting of the circumstances of Liam Lawlor’s death at the weekend, across the Irish media, similarly seems to have been (or so the Independent alleges) based on a single source, a Guardian correspondent in Moscow. The story as published was …

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Right. A big, big thanks to those who’ve given so far. We’ve raised a credible £268 since lunchtime. I’ve asked the Big Blog Company to look at the problem and come up with an estimate so we all know what we’re going for more clearly. I really don’t want anyone to overstretch their budgets. I repeat, (and no doubt will again) if only half our regulars stretch to a tenner, we will be able to transfer Slugger to ‘industrial strength’ …

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I noted that the general tone of the Independent Monitoring Commission’s report was one of caution. And at a press conference in Dublin this afternoon members of the IMC emphasised that cautious tone. Lord Alderice, on the point that some media reports of the IMC’s 60-page dossier had said that the IRA’s criminal activity had stopped – “That is not what we have said.” Perhaps the BBC.. and RTÉ.. should reconsider the focus of their reports?From the Press Association report …

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Right, we were nearly gone there for good. It looks like we’ve road tested Moveable Type’s capacity to take comments to destruction. The same thing happened last year. Then we had to move hosts leaving the fat old 2002-4 site behind to set up camp here. But now precisely the same thing has happened. The comment script seems to have ‘bowed open’ and is leaking all over the place. For this reason the comments zone have to be closed or …

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Excellent analysis from Alan Connor on the very private nature of blogging and how one corporate ad campaign fell flat on its face when it profoundly misunderstood how blogging works. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

Interesting Daily Ireland figures from ABC. The primary figure shows a slight drop from the last figures. It will be hard news for the newpaper’s bid to break into the difficult all Ireland paper market. It won’t do the paper’s campaign to bring in serious avertising revenues in any good. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking …

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One journo expresses his grief (and paranoia?) for the loss of one of the British blogosphere’s star bloggers, Harry (formerly known as Hatchett) from Harry’s place. Whatever way you look at it, there’s some weird stuff going on here! Update: Pete’s worked out what the real scoop is here. Harry’s been taken up into liberal heaven: the Guardian that is! Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and …

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Thanks to the Stray Absent-minded Toaster. The Broom of Anger, who has been MIA from her regular place for some time, is back with a new, and cleanly swept, domain – update your records appropriately. Pete Baker

The Newsletter carries a report on a threat from republicans on a journalist with the Sunday World, a paper already under considerable pressure from Loyalist paramilitaries. Republican sources have denied the IRA were involved. Several of the paper’s journalists have been attacked throughout the troubles, and one, Martin O’Hagan was killed by the LVF just four years ago. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider …

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Third post today on the Media Conference in Derry, but we now have the names of the media panel on next Friday night. If you can’t get along, you have a chance to put your questions to: Pat McArt, editor of the Derry Journal, Paul McFadden from the BBC, Malachi O Doherty, former editor of Fortnight, and Poilin Ni Chiarian, Northern correspondent of Foinse. A selection of your questions will be asked from the floor of the event in Derry. …

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The Social Study Conference at the Tower Hotel in Derry next week. They’ll be putting the media under the microscope and asking several pertinent questions, including: are politicians and governments at the mercy of journalists?; are journalists at the mercy of the demands of media moguls?; who exactly is running the country?It’s a varied The programme including inputs from Eammon McCann and Malachi O’Doherty. A “Have I got views for you” session rounds it off on Saturday. The organisers have …

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If a newspaper’s primary role is to speak truth to power, the last place you might expect to find it is amongst a tabloid press, more associated with raking for scandal to end a politician’s career. In this week’s Blanket, Mick Hall argues that the Sunday World has been speaking its truth in the teeth of some nasty recriminations from one potent seat of power in Northern Ireland – Loyalist paramilitaries. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has …

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Open discourse, freedom of speech, new and independent voices, knowledge tools, navigation guides to the net, new news carriers, nodes in a global network, virtual conversations. Take your pick. Alan Connor on the BBC Magazine looks at a range of challenges to the independent blogger. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK …

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IF certain news stories weren’t recorded on camera, would they be seen to be as important? I doubt it, but anyway, ITN is asking the public to vote for its ‘Shot that Shook the World’. A fair selection? Locally, the Omagh bomb figures in the ‘Global Conflict’ category. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Slow blogging today I’m afraid. I’m off to Belfast in twenty minutes. Good luck to Tyrone and the Down Minors on Sunday. Happily I’ll get to see them on TV this time out rather than listening to crackling LW signals at the top of a nearby hill. I’ll blog as and when I get the opportunity over the weekend. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the …

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