Monthly Archives: October 2008

Turning dog poo in to stories

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I’ve been spending a lot of time doing prep for teaching and training that I’m doing at the moment. So expect the slow appearance of a backlog of posts on video and other related issues. But I thought I would share something that has been in my radar for a few days.

I’ve been doing a lot of talking (shocking for me I know) about using the web for research – journalism toolbox stuff. And one of the things I have been stressing is that the web will very rarely just ‘give’ you a story. It will give you lots of data and information but the story is in the way you, as the journalist, put the things together. The phrase that I heard last week that best summed that up journalists are sense makers. Phil Trippenbach has a nice post on this so I won’t labour the point.

But whilst I was browsing for resources and examples to show my students and delegates I came across a site that made me wonder if I had to re-think that position – fixmystreet.co.uk

Fixmystreet.co.uk is a site by the fantastic Mysociety group who specialize in socially aware, achingly web2.0 sites. Top stuff on a number of levels and their other sites are worth a visit. Anyway, here is how they describe fixmystreet:

A site where people can report, view, or discuss local problems like graffiti, fly tipping, broken paving slabs, or street lighting.

Nearly 25,000 problems have now been reported across the UK, with our users following up many thousands with updates, news and notifications that problems have been fixed

Here’s an example of an ongoing problem with litter.

Fixmystreet.co.uk - tracking local problems

Fixmystreet.co.uk - tracking local problems

You can also sign up for an RSS feed or email alerts for a location. Told you it was brilliant.

So I’m showing my students the site today as we discussed ways that you can get a handle on a patch. They enjoyed it, not least because it offers, what must be, the most accurate geographic mapping of poo that I have yet to see on the web. With pictures! Anything scatological is a hit with students it seem.

I made the point that it shouldn’t replace physically getting out on the patch but it could provide some insight and a conversation opener when wandering around. But it wouldn’t throw up a story. Then we came across this entry.

Is this just about dog poo?

Is this just about dog poo?

Take a look and ask yourself if there is a story in that or not and if it’s a story about dog poo.

Locating the meaning

In terms of the way you would work a beat to get a story to pitch to an editor this site serves up a hell of a lot in just a few lines of comment. Perhaps it’s the fact that the story is located that adds the context you need. Maybe it did take my eyes on the story to make the connection. But one thing is for sure, fixmystreet proves that locally focused geo-mashups work.

So if the embryonic geotagging of your content or the occasional attempts at mapping this kind of thing have fallen of the radar or been dismissed as gimmicks, maybe it’s worth looking again.

Take more of a healthy interest in your audiences poo.

UPDATE:Because I am that plugged in at the moment I didn’t see this great interview with one of My society’s developers Francis Irving on Journalism.co.uk/ (thanks the Alex Lockward for the nudge)

links for 2008-10-23

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Interesting links for 22nd October

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Some interesting links that have made it to my delicious account today:

Free tips for successful newsrooms

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The journalism carnival is back in town and, as has become the tradition, the ringmaster suggests a topic. This month Will Sullivan posed this question

What are small, incremental steps one can make to fuel change in their media organization? (Yes, we’d all like to swing in our newsroom, lay some boot heels on chests, hoist the black flag and change everything by the end of business on Monday — but the reality is, that ain’t happening unless you have a couple buckets of cash to buy a paper of your choice and a rusty sabre.) So what are some realistic, real-world examples of free (or cheap) ways you can help fuel change at your newsroom.

It’s a good question and already the tips are rolling in.

I suppose one of the down sides of going late on a post is that many of the best things have already been said.

A lot of the posters have picked up on the idea of failure; not being afraid to try things that end up not working. Permission to fail is something I’ve talked about before and increasingly I think it’s a lesson that the media is not willing to learn. Is it a climate of fear or a slavish devotion to the daily stat that means everything has to win? Are they more afraid of risk than failure? Whatever it is it seems we are still in an industry that is on course to consume itself as it swaps innovation for a wait till someone else does it attitude.

But hold on Andy. Stop having a go and give us some tips.

Kit loans

Before I get too far on my more structural high horse tip wise I wanted to suggest a really practical one based on my particualr area of interest, multimedia.

How about a subsidised scheme for reporters/journalists/photographers to buy kit. OK, it isn’t free but I’m not talking big cameras. Make it a  choice of dictaphone or digital stills camera.  Offer a loan towards the price of purchase and a payback through salary but make it clear that the kit is theirs not property of the company. Putting a stills camera in the hands of reporter or a dictaphone in a photographers pocket will up the multimedia stuff you get. This stuff is journo kit 101 now. Any indivdual journo knows that they should have this stuff but don’t expect them to buy it and subsidise your operation. Meet them half way.

Then give them some time to play on this kit – maybe snappers showing journos how to frame a shot in return for interview tips. In fact give them playtime full stop.

Playtime

I’ve said this over and over again , make some time, even if it’s just an hour a week for your staff to play. Try the web, join a club, anything that gets them out of the run of the daily grind and in a different mindset. But one thing I would add is that this is not just the responsibility of the management to make the space. Individuals have to use the time to play, not to go home early.

That attitude adjustment is an important one because everyone involved in large media organsiations needs to realize that whilst the value of the large brand is going down the value of the individual journalist is on the increase – sorry, have you seen audience/circulation figures lately. Giving time for journalists to invest in their identity is staff development and an investment that will pay you back. The only thing that will happen if you don’t is that they will go elsewhere and take all their personal brand equity with them.

And if all of that sounds a little esoteric, not the real world tips that Will was asking for, then I present my evidence in the form of the bloggers in the Carnival but better still look beyond to the Twitterverse and social networks. Here in the UK you can look at  Jo Geary, Alison Gow, Sarah Hartley, Dave Berman, Louise Bolton and there are loads more (can’t include you all).

These are all individuals passionate about journalism and what that means. So much so that they stay in industry and innovate. But they do that by teaching themselves, putting themselves out there and learning new stuff everyday. What’s the best they can hope to get for their effort? Copied.

It may be the sincerest form of flattery but it ain’t a business strategy.

Giving a little space for more people like them to find their feet does work. Just ask them how much more they would be doing with even a bit more headspace.

Take a risk

Whilst I’m in a tip mood try this one which involves a risk. I’m not going to explain myself on this. I just wonder whether anyone else will think that this might work:

  • Start some communitity forums, then leave them alone for 6 months. No rules, no moderation. Get journos to participate but as punters. Be there but don’t control. See what you have after 6 months.

links for 2008-10-16

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NCTJ create Video training resource

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I’m back in work after a stint of what’s known around here as freshers flu. (all the new students bring more than just eager minds to class)

I know I have a lot of things that I need to post to make good on stuff I started before a bit of a work induced blogging hiatus. But I had to pass comment about this.

According to Hold The Front page the NCTJ (UK based newspaper training body) have created a video guide for all journalists struggling with video.

The eight-minute film has been produced by Lloyd Bracey, chief examiner for online and video journalism at the National Council for the Training of Journalists.

It’s essentially a 101 on how to shoot a neat interview and a sequence with some other stuff thrown in. Go and have a watch, it’s pretty good.

Good as it is though, I have a problem.

The overriding claim is that this is aimed at reporters making the shift to video – newspaper people and in that respect I don’t think it succeeds for a couple of reasons

  • It’s over 8 minutes long – Why isn’t it broken in to easy bite sized chunks? One for each section
  • It has no supporting material – Where is the ‘multimedia’ why not text and images and video on the same page.

From what I’ve seen, right across the board of all newspapers, people have moved well beyond this. By looking at what other newspaper journos are doing you get a better feel for what is required.

The skills and advice the video offers are sound and very well presented. It would make a great basic tutorial for starters. But it isn’t the only one out there. To stand out and really offer that advice to newspaper reporters it needs more application.

The truth is it’s a way behind where the industry is at and I would have expected the NCTJ to be reflecting a better application of the medium in their practice based on what their industry is already doing.

links for 2008-10-02

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