Media news digest archive for May 2005

Joining the copyright stupidity pact? (May 31)
Charles Wright's tech column for The Age newspapaer recently pointed out the Federal Government is seeking responses to its paper on proposed changes to copyright law by July 1 this year, which can be found at this link. A local commentator worth looking is Melbourne academic Kim Weatherall via this link. On the international stage, there is disquiet over general copyright law trends, with Professor James Boyle of the USA being among the more vocal. A recent column for the Financial Times New Technology Policy Forum commented: “It is as if we had signed an international stupidity pact, one that required us to ignore the evidence, to hand out new rights without asking for the simplest assessment of need.” See this link for the article.

Meggs gets boot but Bristow survives (May 30)
The decision by the Sydney Morning Herald to dump Australian cartoon icon Ginger Meggs in favour of Sudoku number puzzles has caused angst in media circles (most notably the Media Alliance). British cartoon Bristow was also dropped, but hastily reinstated. Sudoku, meanwhile, is a number-based puzzle originally published in the USA and then taken up with gusto in Japan -- hence the name. Both News Ltd and Fairfax papers are running with it in Australia.
Ginger Meggs site -- click here
The Australian on introducing Suzoku -- click here
The Sydney Morning Herald on Bristow -- click here

TV no longer the main marketing game (May 27)
Free-to-air television is doomed to become part of the supporting cast, rather than the main player, for marketers according to a report in the Media section of The Australian newspaper. It has published an article which gives an interesting overview of the sector’s state of health. Meanwhile industry body Free TV Australia published a research document on May 3 which claims the medium is still the most effective option out there.
Australian article – click here
Free TV Australia report – click here

30 seconds to theology (May 27)
A column by media commentator and researcher Dante Chinni in Hollister Free Lance (USA) says that, despite frequent apparently lunatic episodes, the state of the media in general is not so bad. One incident he highlights is high-profile chat show host Larry King tackling the death of the Pope John Paul. He asked actor Jim Caviezel, who played Christ in a recent Mel Gibson movie, “Jim, you think he’s with Jesus now? We only have 30 seconds.” Chinni highlights the weirdness of an actor (rather than a theologian) being asked such a question in about the time it takes to read a soup commercial. See this link.

Is western media xenophobic? (May 26)
Chinaview reports that prominent speakers at the recent International Press Institute annual conference in Nairobi criticised western media for two major failings: 1. Only ever reporting bad news from Africa; 2. Reporting on Arabs and Islam in ways that reflected the perceived strategic goals of their home countries rather than the reality on the ground. Both views were disputed and you can read coverage at this link.

TV reloaded (May 25)
Newsweek has published an extensive piece on where assorted pundits see television going in coming years. The intro explains: The ethos of New TV can be captured in a single sweeping mantra: anything you want to see, any time, on any device. "We are at a watershed moment in home entertainment," says Brian Roberts, CEO of the cable giant Comcast. See this link.

Oz web place names (May 25)
Australian location names will soon be made available for registration as domain names. Two levels will be on offer: one that allows a business to include a locality in its web name; And another which allows community groups to register the locality as a domain. Examples of the community geographic domain names are www.ballarat.vic.au and www.darwin.nt.au.
Business name info: click here
Community name info: click here

New ownership law by 2006? (May 25)
Ownership law for Australian media could be changed sooner than expected. Senator Helen Coonan - federal communications minister - told The Australian newspaper: "It would certainly be desirable if we could move forward with a view to working through the package and seeing if we can get it implemented by the end of the year.” Click here for the story.

Mainstream gets into blogspace (May 20)
Mainstream publishers such as NineMSN (which is promoting the Spaces blogosphere, with a claimed 100,000 users) are fostering their own blogger networks, in an effort to 'farm' what could turn out to be a hot area for advertising. Networks like these have the advantage of being able to accurately measure audience response and bundle special interests up in a way that could be attractive to advertisers.
NineMSN's community area
Spaces at MSN
The Australian newspaper - Blogs and banners strive to co-exist

Defamation rules still unclear (May 20)
The states and the federal government may be moving closer on what national rules should be accepted for defamation. Truth may turn out to be defense on its own, though companies may gain the right to sue and there is debate over how corrections should be handled. The Australian newspaper's Media section recently did its best to untangle a complex situation. See this link.

Bloggers follow rather than lead (May 19)
From the Pew Internet project: Research suggests that political bloggers can make an impact on politics, but they often follow the lead of politicians and journalists. It has released a report called Buzz, Blogs and Beyond: The Internet and the National Discourse in the Fall of 2004, which examines bloggers during the last USA national election. See this link.

Bloggers in pajamas (May 18)
From the Online Publishers Association: Will the next technology boom be built on the backs of volunteer bloggers? That's the takeaway from recent developments and media coverage of the blogging phenomenon. Vespa hired CooperKatz blogger Steve Rubel to recruit bloggers to represent the company's popular scooters online -- with the promise of exposure for their writing and not pay. Then Microsoft announced it was going to recruit 20 evangelists to blog -- for free -- about the coming launch of its new operating system, dubbed Longhorn. And IBM has also encouraged its employees to become blog evangelists as well. All this as ABCNews.com's Michael Malone reports that blogging is the "hidden tech boom" because it isn't about microprocessors or gadgets. But is it about money? An eMarketer report said that blogging had stalled in reaching the halls of Corporate America. Meanwhile, independent bloggers are banding together to try to make money with an ad network called Pajamas Media -- while also planning a blog news service.
Vespa Looks for Brand Evangelists in Blog Effort (ClickZ)
Microsoft seeks 20 bloggers (MarketWatch)
Silicon Insider: The Great Hidden Tech Boom (ABCNews.com)
Can blogging boost IBM's revenues and reduce layoffs? (Silicon Valley Watcher)
Pajamas Media -- New Blog Advertising Network (WebProNews)
Big media companies weigh blog strategies (Reuters)

Also: Week after week, the online advertising market gets hotter and hotter, and a pair of researchers believe the trend will continue for years to come. Forrester projects that online advertising (USA) will rise 23% this year to $14.7 billion, then blasting up to $26 billion by 2010, raking in 8% of all ads. Plus, paid search ads will leap from $4.2 billion in 2004 to $11.6 billion by 2010, Forrester predicts. Marketers who were surveyed said online advertising was better at driving Web traffic, delivering promotions and generating sales leads. They're also interested in utilizing new ad channels, with 64% saying they're interested in ads on blogs, 57% on RSS feeds and 52% on mobile devices. eMarketer joined in the bullish projections, saying online advertising would grow 34% this year, reaching $12.9 billion. The firm predicted rich media ads would jump 47%, and said Google and Yahoo would dominate in ad sales, taking in 23% and 21% of all online ad revenues in '05, respectively.

Unholy row for Newsweek (May 17)
Newsweek magazine is going through the uncomfortable experience of becoming its own headline after reporting on allegations of desecration of the Qur'an at the US-run Guantanamo Bay prison camp. The magazine has been roundly criticised by the American government for being irresponsible in running the reports, which ultimately led to riots in Afghanistan and the loss of at least 15 lives. However the magazine says, in its defence, that it was not the first to run such reports and that its story was used as a convenient catalyst by trouble-makers in the Muslim countries. Click here for the article.

Fox faces the hounds (May 17)
We're not yet sure whether to classify this as a blog or a full-blown website, but USA-based Newshounds is worth a visit. Run by eight self-confessed middle-aged and sometimes grumpy folk, it has set itself up as a media watchdog. The manifesto says, “Rather than serve as the public's eyes and ears, Fox and other media conglomerates have become echo chambers for the rich and powerful with whom they have become all too cozy. This blog is an attempt to counter that alarming condition. We believe that a viable democracy depends upon viable media.” See this link.

Get off -- you're ugly (May 17)
According to a local female TV newsreader, “The ugly blokes should be taken off…it is a medium based on appearance and aesthetics, and it is probably easier, more palatable, to hear your news from someone who's got a kind, nice-looking face.” Olivia Brian at Vibewire has produced a feature on women television journalists that provides a valuable insight into how the genders are faring in what can be a cut-throat industry. Click here for the story.

The age of the amorphous universe (May 15)
Melbourne’s Age newspaper speculates: “A new younger generation of executives is poised to inherit an industry that was once just about ratings, circulation and advertising. New technology has created an amorphous universe in which demanding consumers command the power, not the corporate bigwigs in the media empires.” While it may overstate the consumer/bigwig nexus, the piece provides an interesting overview of where some prominent media players sit in the digital landscape. Click here for the story.

Agribusiness turns to agrisleaze (May 13)
In the latest episode of an ongoing scandal over government agencies paying journos for positive coverage, USA Today reports that the US Department of Agriculture has admitted to paying journalist David Smith over $9000 for articles placed in magazines. See this link.

10 years of Craig's List (May 11)
One of the true pioneers of the business of building online communities, Craig's List, is celebrating a decade in business by becoming a little more corporate. Ebay has taken up a shareholding and the company is now expanding its reach internationally. Vnunet.com examines where the San Francisco company is going (click here), while Wired magazine's online archive still has a 1997 article which captures the spirit of the site's early days. Meanwhile ClickZ reports Craig's List is costing local traditional newspaper publishers around $50 million in lost employment ad revenue alone. See this link for the story.

Crikey! Bad vibes from budget lock-up (May 9)
Two websites who thought they had a guernsey at the annual federal budget media lock-up have been given the flick at the last minute. They are crikey.com.au and vibewire.net (pictured). The official line is that the treasurer's office has decided to restrict access to mainstream media, which is at best an ill-defined concept. The move is somewhat against overseas trends, which have seen increasing recognition of web-based outlets and is a little ironic given that Crikey now has very mainstream ownership links. Editor and founder Stephen Mayne commented, "We've written before about the glass jaw that keen Crikey reader Peter Costello sports, but never did we imagine this would extend to banning Crikey from the budget lock-up on May 10." He has organised an online campaign against the ban. Meanwhile Vibewire seems to have taken the setback more quietly.

Segregated news (May 9)
The very different coverage afforded two very similar cases of disappearing brides-to-be (both middle-class, but one white and the other black) in the USA has sparked a controversy over racial prejudice in media. Cynthia Tucker at Yahoo News says, “As American news consumers, we are discriminating about the sort of victims worthy of our concern. Pretty, middle-class, young, white -- yes; old, ugly, poor, black, brown -- apparently not.” Click here for the story.

Alexander Orwell (May 9)
The Australian Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance has given the gong for the year's most impressive effort to restrict media freedom to the Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer. “In keeping with the spirit of George Orwell, author of 1984 and Animal Farm, the 2005 judges agreed on Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer as the worthy recipient of the Australian Orwell, on two counts. First, for his lack of support for SBS journalist John Martinkus, who was kidnapped by Sunni militants in Baghdad on October 17, 2004. Second, for blocking access to The Australian's Michael McKinnon to documents relating to legal advice received by the government on the incarceration of Australian citizens in Guantanamo Bay under Freedom of Information legislation (FoI).” Russian President Vladimir Putin won the Gold Orwellian International Prize. See this link.

FM history online (May 6)
La Trobe University student Peter Marcato has completed a brief history of the introduction of commercial FM radio in Australia -- something that, surprisingly, did not exist until now. You can see an abstract and download the document at this link.

Free media equals good governance (May 6)
From AllAfrica.com: Zambian Deputy Chief Justice David Lewanika has declared that a robust media is essential for good governance. "It is clear that there cannot be good governance if the media does not have freedom to disseminate information. And this cannot be assured if legal barriers continue to protect the state officials from scrutiny of their activities and conduct. If we truly want to develop our democracy and realise the benefits of good governance, we have no choice but to put in place progressive policies and legislation on access to and dissemination of information, and other legal regulations that foster a culture of openness, transparency and accountability," he said. See this link for the full story.

Contempt or public interest? (May 5)
The Australian Senate is currently holding an inquiry into how leaks from parliamentary committees should be treated. Currently, such leaks can (but almost never) attract a charge of contempt if they are deemed to interfere with the running of parliament, but there is desire among some politicians to make any leak punishable as contempt. The Press Council submission on this says, in part, “In most cases, there is a public interest involved in the disclosure of information on matters of public concern, in a timely fashion. But, even more iniquitous and hypocritical is the implication that it would be proper to punish as a matter of course the journalist (and possibly the editor and publisher), while not even pursuing the perpetrator of the 'leak'.” A complete list of submissions can be found at this link.

More frequent newsletters (May 5)
Our most recent monthly newsletter broke the 1Mb mark in size, which has prompted a decision to publish more frequently – probably weekly. Email us here if you would like to subscribe to this free service.

Broadband uptake boosts online TV (May 4)
From the Online Publishers Association: The advent of more ubiquitous broadband connections has given all those old ideas for interactive TV and online video a new life. Just the latest example is the Open Media Network, birthed by the folks behind Kontiki (and Netscape), which offers online viewing of mainly public TV and radio content -- and the option for anyone to upload their content. OMN joins similar grassroots media efforts like Ourmedia, and commercial efforts of startus such as Brightcove. Google is also offering a service for anyone to upload their video, while Yahoo is focusing more on indexing video all over the Web. Meanwhile, big broadcasters would like to tap into search revenues -- and sell their content -- but are worried about being Napsterized.
Search giants court TiVo (News.com) Click here
Search engines, startup media sites dream of becoming video hubs (OJR) Click here
Netscape pioneers launch free content network (News.com) Click here
The Video Content Acquisition Binge (PaidContent) Click here
Internet Piracy of U.S. TV Shows on the Rise (AdAge) Click here
An Early Peek Into the Vlogosphere (ClickZ) Click here

Abandoning the news (May 4)
The Carnegie Corporation in New York has commissioned a study into the media use habits of young people. It warns the business is in for major changes. “There's a dramatic revolution taking place in the news business today and it isn't about TV anchor changes, scandals at storied newspapers or embedded reporters. The future course of the news, including the basic assumptions about how we consume news and information and make decisions in a democratic society are being altered by technology-savvy young people no longer wedded to traditional news outlets or even accessing news in traditional ways. In short, the future of the U.S. news industry is seriously threatened by the seemingly irrevocable move by young people away from traditional sources of news.” See this link.

Five years of degradation (May 2)
Australia's Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) has released a report documenting what it describes as an ongoing degeneration of media freedoms in recent years. Released on April 30, the 24-page report is entitled Turning Up The Heat: The decline of press freedom in Australia 2001-2005. Christopher Warren, the Federal Secretary of the organisation, warns that it is easy for the incremental losses to go un-noticed, until it's too late. Click here to see our summary.

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