Journalism, leadership and the realities of change
There's an interesting post on the WAN-IFRA blog now, which details are the key attributes of an effective editor, leading at a time of industry disruption. It’s a subject close to my heart as it was the topic of my MA, and I agree with a lot of the points made by David Boardman, Dean of the... Continue Reading →
I had a bit of a think before adding to the Allyson Bird 'Why I Left News' discussion. If you haven't read it, the link will take you to a post that obviously comes from the heart about a decision that has caused her a lot of anguish and consideration. However. Days later, this paragraph is... Continue Reading →
I'm starting to think social media has made me a less-than-tolerant communicator when it comes to certain issues. This is why: 1. I assume everyone has already seen whatever Twitter is buzzing about and so knows what I'm talking about.2. "Because it's wrong" is not a comprehensive and thorough enough explanation of why I detest MSM... Continue Reading →
I always find the Pew Research Centre data fascinating - the information is all based on US findings, of course, but it's a wonderful insight into the way people think (and, given the right technology, operate). The latest one - Learning in the Digital Age - is no exception. It's packed with stats and graphs, although... Continue Reading →
This started out as a tweet rather than a blog post but it's going to take more than 140 characters. If I were microblogging, I'd settle for saying I disagree with Kelvin MacKenzie's views on getting into journalism and the mertits of college courses, and leave it at that.But I think it's a bit more... Continue Reading →
Image via CrunchBaseI read Judy Sims' excoriating blog post on (some) newspaper execs today; it struck a chord with me in the light of my last post on five things I thought newspapers should do next year as she also has an issue with the iPad goldrush:"So along come the steering committees, working committees, pay... Continue Reading →
If you know what this is......the chances are you've brushed up against newsdesk or page design in a newsroom at some point. Everywhere I've worked it's been called something different - The Book, The Plan, The Dummy, the Flatplan - but recently I've started wondering if it should be called The Box, because we think... Continue Reading →
I was talking to friend and colleague Neil MacDonald (over on Twitter as xxnapoleonsolo) the other day about dodos. It had been a long, rather difficult week, and I happened to express the opinion that dodos deserved everything they got, as they hadn't been able to evolve fast enough to overcome changing circumstances.The rather tortured... Continue Reading →
Today brought what can only be described as the worst appeal for work experience with a newspaper I've seen in two decades of working in a newsroom. It is a genuine application - in case you were wondering - and I wanted to share it, verbatim, missing caps and all, because I still can't quite... Continue Reading →
The 'Newspapers are dead' discussion looks set to drag on (and on) without any real conclusion or particularly illuminating insights but there is a side debate that does interest me: Do we still need newsrooms?I read the Journalism Iconoclast blog regularly and was intrigued by a post there recently that suggested: Telecommuting can replace the... Continue Reading →
Alison Gow | Building the New 