Media Quotes of the Week: From UK government warned don't pick a Trump-style fight with the media to journalists are not cheerleaders during Covid-19 crisis and must ask awkward questions

Downing Street spokesperson dismissing the Guardian's Dominic Cummings exclusive: “Public confidence in the media has collapsed during this emergency partly because of ludicrous stories such as this.”

The Sunday Times [£] in a leader: "The government, meanwhile, needs to be very careful about picking a fight with the media and going down the Donald Trump route. This weekend, in response to a story in another newspaper, the prime minister’s spokesman chose to say that 'public confidence in the media has collapsed'. This is dangerous territory, not least from a government led by a prime minister who made his career as a journalist."

Donald Trump on Twitter: "What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately. They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News. Not worth the time & effort!"

Casey Newton on Twitter: "In a world where the president of the United States is maybe suggesting that people inject themselves with  disinfectants to cure disease, 'how should platforms handle misinformation?' feels like a question you need a team of space wizards to answer."

Tom Newton Dunn in the Sun, quoting a Conservative source claiming Piers Morgan's clashes with government ministers on ITV's Good Morning Britain makes them more popular with the public: “He doesn’t know it, but Piers is doing us a big favour. Every time he gets shouty at ministers, the public generally takes their side. That’s why we keep sending ministers on in front of him.”

David Goodhart in The Sunday Times [£]: "I watched the BBC News at Ten last week and by the end felt emotionally drained and no better informed about anything than at 9.59pm. On too many nights, the news bulletins at 6pm and 10pm run along these tramlines: here’s something about Covid-19; here’s someone who died; here’s a sobbing relative or frontline hero telling you to stay at home, save lives and protect the NHS. Yes, it’s a bleak and emotional period, and the BBC has an impossible job trying to please everyone at a time like this, but I feel an aching lack of authority, explanation and context, and a general infantilisation of the public discourse. Too much communication has become performative rather than informative."

Society of Editors executive director Ian Murray welcoming an Electoral Commission report on the 2019 General Election which highlighted public complaints against political parties for using unclearly branded social media pages, edited video clips, and leaflets mimicking local newspapers: “Sadly the findings of the Election Commission will come as no surprise to our members who have become exasperated by political parties launching campaign news freesheets and magazines in their communities that are clearly intended to misrepresent themselves as unbiased, impartial newspapers.”

A poll for Sky News on who the public trusts on the Coronavirus: "Journalists fare very badly in the poll. Some 24% say they trust TV journalists while 64% say they do not, giving a net score of minus 40. Meanwhile, 17% say they trust newspaper journalists, while 72% say they do not, giving an overall net score of minus 55."

• LBC presenter Iain Dale on Twitter commenting on the Sky News poll: "Every journalist/columnist/commentator in the broadcast and print media needs to look themselves in the mirror (including me) and answer this question: how have I contributed to the fact that I am less trusted than the people I am supposed to hold to account?"

Mark Austin in an opinion article on Sky News: "There is a strong feeling among some out there that journalists are 'missing the mood' of the country and that what's needed is more support for a 'government doing its best... a more constructive contribution, more hope, optimism and faith'. While I get the emotional appeal of the argument, it rather fails to take into account the essential role of journalists, which is to ask sometimes awkward questions and try to hold government ministers to account. We're not cheerleaders."

Paul Bradshaw on medium: "China and Iran had more coronavirus cases than their governments said; political leaders in the US and Brazil have been criticised for encouraging behaviour which would lead to more deaths. You know about these things because journalists reported it. Should they have supported their governments and kept it quiet instead?"

[£]=paywall

Academics argue top down hyperlocals are flawed

Two City University academics Neil Thurman and Professor Paul Bradshaw have said their research shows that an attempt by a major regional publisher, Northcliffe Media, to offer hyperlocal news content is flawed.

Speaking at the ‘Future of Journalism Conference’ in Cardiff they questioned the Government’s commercial, TV-focussed local media strategy, saying that it fails to take into account the qualities of successful independent hyperlocal media outlets.

Thurman and Bradshaw, with co-author Jean-Christophe Pascal, looked at the Local People hyperlocal publishing initiative by Northcliffe, part of the Daily Mail & General Trust.

They claim that Local People has some major flaws and the sites are well behind independent equivalents in terms of engagement with users.

In particular:

• The four ‘Local People’ sites they studied fell a long way short of meeting Northcliffe’s target of getting 75% of the local online population using their sites. An average of just 8% registered on the site

• Although Northcliffe intended the network to be ‘for local people, by local people’ about three-quarters of the stories were actually written by the community publisher employed on each site.

• Comments on stories and follow-ups to discussion posts were also infrequent, with a large majority not generating a single comment or reply.

• Only a small number of stories or discussions concerned local politics, for example just 7% on ‘Dorchester People’. In contrast ‘Entertainment’ and ‘Sport’ accounted for 53% of all stories.

• Practical information on topics such as ‘Amenities’, ‘Social Services’, and ‘Security and Safety’ were popular but not well-catered for by the sites’ structure.

• The sites had failed in their initial aim to be “local version of Facebook”. The researchers found the average registered user had less than one ‘Friend’, with over 90% of registered users having no ‘Friends’ at all.

The research paper concludes: "Specifically, the commercial focus of the ‘Local People’ initiative structurally restricts the editorial control of the community publisher (in fact, the community publisher is not allowed to moderate or edit content by others, or access the back end of the sites).

"This explicit commercialisation of content formalises the cliché that journalism is intended to fill the “space between advertising”, and while some may argue that this commercialisation is needed to ensure a sustainable model for hyperlocal publishing, lower advertising prices online and an increasing demand from advertisers for metrics of engagement suggest this particular commercial model is unproven.

"The closure of the Guardian’s Local project in 2011 only adds to the doubt surrounding advertising as the sole basis for traditional publishers entering the hyperlocal space.

"Doubt also surrounds the sustainability of independent hyperlocal initiatives, however, many of which rely on individuals whose departure or illness would mean an end or pause to their publishing operation.

"Notably though, the investment of effort in creating networks of blogs in an area appears to help provide some insurance against such an event: while blogs frequently close, many inspire others to publish and some are passed on to new owners. The existence of the network itself, meanwhile, appears to act as an incentive for many bloggers to continue their work."

The authors agree with the Government that newly empowered town halls and citizens will need to be held “to account” by a “thriving and sustainable” local media sector.

They disagree, however, that a TV-focussed, commercial strategy is the way forward.

Thurman said: “Successful hyperlocal media is often issue-focused, dynamic, personal, informal and low-tech. These are qualities the web does far better than TV. What’s more, we found that the established commercial local media provider we studied wasn’t enabling community participation or meeting audience interests as well as many independent hyperlocal bloggers have done.”

Professor Bradshaw added: “Lower advertising prices online and an increasing demand from advertisers for metrics of engagement mean that the commercial model for hyperlocal news is unproven. A successful commercial model is as likely to come from the independent sector as from traditional publishers or broadcasters”.

Their full report: “Can Big Media do ‘Big Society’? A critical case study of commercial, convergent hyperlocal news” is available on the City University London website at: http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/135/

Things can only get better: Journalism without ego

This is an article I've contributed to TheMediaBriefing after hearing Paul Bradshaw (pictured) making his inaugural lecture at City University. I liked his message to young journalists that they should try and make journalism better. It made me think about my start in journalism, after leaving City, and the contrast between the hardened hacks and young graduates.

When I started on an evening paper a reporter turned to me and said: “You know Jon, there’s no characters left in journalism anymore.”

He then regaled me with the antics of some of the characters, for example:

There was the journalist who scaled the outside of the Manchester Evening News building and knocked on the window.

The result: The chief sub had a heart attack.

The night out when the reporters drew up in a van alongside an innocent member of the public eating a Chinese takeaway and fired off a shotgun. The man dropped his sweet n’ sour and thought he was bleeding to death.

Result: An official police complaint to the newspaper.

Then there was the office outing to see Love Story when the tender death bed scene at the climax of the film was rudely interrupted by a journalist shouting out an unbelievably obscene remark.

Result: No more free cinema tickets for journalists.

It was a rather macho, beery world where reporters revelled in their outsider status. They shared the Millwall mantra: “Everybody hates us and we don’t care.”

It was somewhat threatened by the arrival of graduates who took their inspiration from All the President’s Men and wanted to be the next Woodward or Bernstein.

I was reminded of this dichotomy listening to Paul Bradshaw’s inaugural lecture Is Ice Cream Strawberry? at City University.

Paul urged journalists to get over their egos. “Journalists have always been jacks of all trades, and masters of none. Now that the masters of each trade can publish themselves, it is our connections across differing worlds that is our strength. But to maintain those connections we need to put people before stories, and get over our egos.”

He ended his lecture: “Technology – whether the internet, newspapers or the English language itself – is a tool. It does not want to do anything. It does not want to be free. It does not want to make you stupid. “You choose the flavour of the ice cream. You have the power, and the responsibility that comes with it. Take that responsibility – and make journalism better.”

It was the “make journalism better” bit that got me. Graduates can have the idealism knocked out of them while trying to conform to the “shock, horror” agenda of newsdesks.

But when you look at the comments about the press on Twitter, or by bloggers who know their patch or people who have been written about in the media, you realise there is no respect for poor or over the top journalism. It is reviled and ridiculed.

The traditional business model for journalism is battered. If it is to be repaired or reinvented by a new generation of journalists it seems sensible to bin some of the hackneyed old ways, try and make it better and, dare I say it, more respected.

There is just one thing.

If journalists are to have no ego, what happens to Piers Morgan?

Pic:Jon Slattery

Paul Bradshaw prediction: 'Journalism will be more like a musician’s career than a job-for-life'

Paul Bradshaw, visiting professor in online journalism at City University, has given the XCity online site, run by City journalism students, predictions for journalism in 25 years time.

One of his predictions is: Journalism will be more like a musician’s career than a job-for-life.

He says: "The casualisation of employment generally is a trend that pre-dates the internet, and there’s nothing to suggest that will not continue – especially as it can be facilitated by internet technologies.

"The idea that once upon a time people did not publish any journalism until they were hired by a news organisation will seem incredible by 2036. By then, the industry may well resemble the music industry of a decade ago, where you were expected to build a fan-base through regular gigging.

"So here’s a fantastical picture of a newspaper’s recruitment team in 25 years’ time: a veritable A&R department, scouring social media to see if they can pluck the next rising star before their competitors do.

"But that won’t be the end of the story: as news becomes increasingly tied to the reputations and networks of those who produce it, an increasing number of journalists will use the move to a major publisher as a stepping stone to their own independent niche news operations."

As for newspapers, Paul predicts they will still be around.

"People have predicted the death of newspapers for as long as newspapers have faced competition from other media. But newspapers survive – not because they are a profitable business (although many have enjoyed enormous margins in the past), but because they offer benefits beyond the revenue from advertising and cover price.

"Influence and status are hard to buy. As long as newspapers offer either, there will be proprietors willing to make a loss on the balance sheet, for benefits elsewhere."

Pic: Jon Slattery

Paul Bradshaw on the 'fake-debate' over blogging

Paul Bradshaw on his Online Journalism Blog has responded to Andrew Marr's comments yesterday about "socially inadequate" bloggers.

Marr, speaking at the Cheltenham Literary Festival claimed: "Most citizen journalism strikes me as nothing to do with journalism at all" and described bloggers as "socially inadequate, pimpled, single, slightly seedy, bald, cauliflower-nosed young men sitting in their mother's basements and ranting."

But Bradshaw (pictured) says: "This fake-debate was laid to rest years ago (is anyone really claiming that citizen journalism will replace journalism? Or still trying to compare blogging – a technical process – with journalism – a cultural construct?). As I tweeted yesterday: the year 2005 called, Andrew. They want their prejudices back.
Pic: Jon Slattery

Paul Bradshaw to join City University in London

Paul Bradshaw, one of the leading pioneers of online journalism in the UK, is to take up a new post at City University in London, journalism.co.uk reports today.
Paul, who took voluntary redundancy in July from Birmingham City University where he was course leader for the online media MA course, will be a Visiting Professor at City.
Journalism.co.uk says he will give a series of major online journalism and advise on plans for a new degree in online journalism.
Paul launched the "unconference" JEEcamps in Birmingham and is the founder of the Online Journalism Blog, and the crowd sourcing Help Me Investigate site.
Pic: Jon Slattery

Paul Bradshaw to leave Brum City University

Good luck to Paul Bradshaw, who it is reported today has taken voluntary redundancy from Birmingham City University where he was course leader for the online media MA course.
I've been to the last two JEECamp conferences in Birmingham and it was clear that Paul was an inspirational teacher.
There is some good news. According to journalism.co.uk Paul, who is the founder of the Online Journalism Blog, hopes he can now invest more time in his own projects and develop his Help Me Investigate site.
He told journalism.co.uk. “There are a lot of opportunities around data journalism that I want to explore and I want to spend more time on Help Me Investigate. I felt it was probably the right time to dive in to more of those opportunities and now I have time to accept offers I have been made.”

• Josh Halliday has a good piece on the background to Paul Bradshaw's departure on MediaGuardian.

Pic: Jon Slattery

How blogging changes journalists

A survey of 200 journalists who are bloggers by Paul Bradshaw, a senior lecturer in online journalism and magazines at Birmingham City University’s School of Media, is now available in a new article on the latest edition of Nieman Reports.
Bradshaw writes: "From journalistic pariah to savior of the news industry, blogs have undergone an enormous transformation in recent years. As a journalist and a blogger, I was curious to see how this transformation from blogophobia to blogophilia was affecting journalism.
"Blogging is changing journalism—at least for those journalists who blog. But alongside this conclusion resides a collection of more interesting findings."
They include: "Cutting Out the Middlemen. In generating story ideas, blogging journalists don’t need someone to tell them who the readers are and what they want: They already know, because the readers are on their blogs, telling them who they are and what they’re curious about.
"In this new blogging relationship, editors are the middlemen being cut out. The role of official sources—such as public relations spokespeople and firms—were also being diminished, as sources for stories broadened.
"Story leads now come through the comments or through private communication initiated via the blog. And once they are pursuing a story, some journalists use the blog to “put the call out” for information and sources—and rely on the transparency of their reporting process to push official sources to reply."
Bradshaw says: "A third of the respondents only started to blog in the past year, so my suspicion is that there remains room for more change. Clearly, we are only at the beginning, as the news industry faces one of the most significant transformations in its history."