Scott Rosenberg: When It Comes to Corrections, Most News Sites Fail

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MediaShift | [...] Three quarters of the 28 news outlets we reviewed provide no corrections-reporting link of any kind on their home or article pages. Even media organizations that show signs of working to handle corrections carefully fall down in various ways — and lots of others don’t look like they’re even trying.

Many bury information about how to report errors behind confusing trails of links. Some provide multiple, poorly labeled avenues for feedback without telling readers which ones to use for error reports. Others provide no access to recently corrected articles beyond a search on “corrections,” which often turns up multiple stories about prisons. [Read more...]

Harris Poll: Gays, Lesbians More Social Online

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PC Mag | Gay and lesbian adults are more likely to use Twitter and check social-networking sites more frequently than their heterosexual peers, according to a new Harris poll.

Gays and lesbians also read blogs more frequently than their heterosexual peers, Harris found.

In June, Harris conducted a poll of 2,412 adults, ages 18 and over, of whom 341 self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender (271 as either gay or lesbian), Harris said. The firm said it over-sampled gay men and lesbians in order to allow for more detailed analysis of the groups. [Read more...]

New York Times: F.C.C. Indecency Policy Rejected on Appeal

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A federal appeals court struck down a Federal Communications Commission policy on indecency Tuesday, saying that regulations barring the use of “fleeting expletives” on radio and television violated the First Amendment because they were vague and could inhibit free speech.

The decision, which many constitutional scholars expect to be appealed to the Supreme Court, stems from a challenge by Fox, CBS and other broadcasters to the F.C.C.’s decision in 2004 to begin enforcing a stricter standard of what kind of language is allowed on free, over-the-air television… READ IT

AEJMC Members Attend World Journalism Education Congress in South Africa

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University of Oklahoma professor Charles Self presenting the World Journalism Education Census to the delegates in attendance.

GRAHAMSTOWN, South Africa — Joining educators from around the world to discuss the current and future challenges facing journalism education, more than 30 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication members attended the World Journalism Education Congress in South Africa.

“There’s so much traction around the world now for journalism education that there really is a lot for journalism educators to learn,” said Joe Foote, convener of the World Journalism Education Congress and dean of the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma. “We need to have integration in research, teaching and professional activities that invigorate our curriculum and learn from the way others are doing it.”

The World Journalism Education Congress brings together journalism educators from around the world to advance journalism education in their own countries and around the globe. More than 400 journalism and mass communication educators from more than 50 countries attended the congress, which ran from July 4-7. Rhodes University’s School of Journalism and Media Studies, located in Grahamstown, South Africa, hosted the congress. [Read more...]

Business Insider: Newsweek’s Tumblr Editor Leaves For Tumblr

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Business Insider | Mark Coatney, an online editor who’s gained recognition for building up the magazine’s Tumblr blog, announced on his Tumblr blog that he’s leaving Newsweek for Tumblr!

Coatney writes:

My new job, basically, will be to take the lessons I’ve learned at Newsweek and bring them to other media outlets. The mission is to show how this platform can be key to connecting journalists and readers, making the process more engaging and conversational. [Read more...]

Sports & Social Media CHAT July 22, 12:30pm EDT

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Blogs with commentary and rumors, Facebook posts with notes from athletes, Twitter updates with scores and even coach-specific YouTube channels represent some of the ways social media has changed sports and the way sports journalists do their jobs in recent years.

What do all the changes mean? And what’s next for the field?

Those questions and related issues will be addressed July 22 by professional journalists and scholars during an AEJMC LIVE online chat and panel discussion coordinated by AEJMC and the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State. [Read more...]

CNET: End of gay teen website sparks privacy concerns

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CNET| A now-defunct Web site that catered to gay youth is now ensnared in a federal bankruptcy proceeding that the founder says could result in as many as 1 million profiles being sold to creditors, putting its former subscribers’ privacy at risk.

XY, which billed itself as a young gay men’s magazine and could be found at XY.com, ceased publishing in 2007. Its founder filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year, which could put names, addresses, e-mail addresses, unpublished personal stories, and other information about gay minors into creditors’ hands.

The Federal Trade Commission recently expressed its concerns, saying in a letter to creditors and attorneys involved in the case that “any sale, transfer, or use” of XY’s personal information “raises serious privacy issues and could violate” federal law… READ IT

Rethinking Content and Distribution

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By Gary Hanson, Kent State University | Radio-Television Journalism

Not long ago, I was visiting with the parent of a prospective student who asked me what kind of media job his daughter could get after she finished our program. Given the troubled times for media companies, the question was right on target and gave me a bit of pause because he was really asking what skills his daughter will need to succeed in a world that is increasingly information and communication based.

The media world is not as bleak as it seems. More content is being produced now than ever before. Video is no longer just on television, it’s on YouTube; audio is more than radio, it’s a podcast; media writing is not just on a printed page, it’s on Web sites and blogs. [Read more...]

Public Relations Education Around the Globe

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By Patricia Swann, Utica College | Public Relations

United States invented the modern-day profession we know as public relations. The United States has also pioneered the creation of public relations education.

Public relations educators in the United States have long rallied around Public Relations Society of America’s Commission of Public Relations Education report, “The Professional Bond,” which endorses a five-course standard. Those courses include principles of public relations, research methods, public relations writing, internship, and an additional class in campaigns or case studies. [Read more...]

Curriculum Fatigue

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By Bill Cassidy, Northern Illinois University | Newspaper

How to best offer our students the skills and knowledge needed for success in their careers is undoubtedly important to all the divisions and interest groups of AEJMC. Given the tumultuous nature of the industry, not to mention the media landscape, most—if not all—journalism schools, departments, and programs have made changes in their curriculums.

I think the issue of curriculum change and development is particularly important to the Newspaper Division in large part because traditional newspaper writing and editing courses have been the backbone of journalism curriculums. But, in today’s environment, that simply won’t do. [Read more...]