Retiring superannuated: Merrill Perlman traces the origins and uses of the word “superannuated,” and decides it should be used seldom.
Keeping the usage to once in an “annum” or so would be super, he writes.
Imagining Journalism’s Audience
Imagining journalism’s audience: The digital age did not sharpen newsroom perceptions of their target audiences, writes James G. Robinson.
“The central irony of the newsroom is that while many journalists’ decisions are made with readers in mind, the audiences for their work often remain unfocused, imagined abstractions, built on long-held assumptions, newsroom folklore and imperfect inference,” he writes, based on a Tow Center for Digital Journalism report.
Using The Right Word
Using the right word: A memo from the NPR standards editor says sexual abuse victims under 18 should be called girls and boys, not women and men, reports iMediaEthics.
Clarifications came when NPR listeners were upset about the language used in reporting on Jeffrey Epstein and R. Kelly.
Audience Engagement
Audience engagement: Chip Scanlan writes about the power of talking to people in person, “a step that might once have seemed banal, but now seems almost radical.”
“There’s no substitute, as any experienced journalist knows, for face-to-face encounters,” he writes. “Though phone or email interviews may sometimes be efficient or necessary…., only in person can an interviewer observe the nuances of body language, details of environment and give reassuring nods and smiles that create trust and intimacy.”
Paying For Hyperlocal Journalism
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.
Binging On Advice
Binging on advice: Slate has four advice columns for parenting, general questions, sex and pets, writes Laura Hazard Owen.
“Once you start reading Slate’s advice columns, it’s hard to stop,” she writes. “Unlike in newspapers of old, where you had to wait for the next week’s column to come out, you can binge on Slate’s online archives.”
Combatting Disinformation
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
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
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.
Keeping Ticked-Off Subscribers
Keeping ticked-off subscribers: There are ways to keep angry newspaper subscribers, writes Laura Hazard Owen.
Try renewal discounts, extending or upgrading existing subscriptions and reminding customers of the “full” subscription price.
Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists 