Reader habits keep digital subscribers: Reader habits are key to keep digital subscribers, writes Mark Jacob.
The Medill Local News Initiative looked at reader behavior that leads to subscriber retention. Too much content was found to be overwhelming.
Critique the critics: Columbia Journalism Review thinks critically about the role of criticism.
“Do we need professional critics?” it asks. “There is something useful they can do: Show people what’s missing in their culture.”
Sex abuse against freelancers unnoticed: Though sex abuse in newsrooms was a major story, writes Steven Potter, misconduct against freelance journalists got little attention.
Women are especially vulnerable, he writes. They have little recourse against abusers and remain unprotected.
Paying for hyperlocal journalism: Christine Schmidt describes attempts to connect people with the community and engaging with them.
“The ultimate goal is, well, seeing if it can sustain the salary of a hyperlocal journalist,” she writes.
Combatting disinformation: How do journalists report on disinformation “without pouring gasoline on the fire?” asks Mathew Ingram.
Fact-checking efforts can have a boomerang effect and actually entrench a false belief in some cases, he writes.
Tech companies hide behind backgrounders: Silicon Valley tech companies control information using “on backgrounder” briefings, writes Brian Merchant.
“This is a toxic arrangement,” he writes. “The tactic shields tech companies from accountability,” free of risk.
The perils of identification: Obtaining permission is not the same as informed consent, writes Megan Frye.
A New York Times story about gang violence in Honduras including real names and photos is criticized for failing to recognize dangers.
Building an ethical culture at NPR: The NPR standards & practices editor tells Victoria Kwan about language usage, social media practices and urgent ethics issues.
“The bottom line is still fact-checking and verification,” says editor Mark Memmott. “Your credibility as a journalist will depend upon how well yo do those things, more than whether you’re the most clever writer or the fastest to spot a viral tweet.”
Sex crimes victims’ privacy: A Spanish woman kills herself when a sex video surfaces, causing a sensation in the Spanish press.
Meaghan Beatley reports a plea for ethics guidelines to cover gender violence. Spain’s Data Protection Agency moves to remove online revenge porn within 24 hours.
Happy newsrooms: Define your mission, then work with others with different mindsets and skills, writes Uli Koppen.
Interdisciplinary teams involve a lot of trial and error. A great experience and “a hell of a headache,” he writes.
Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists 