The Buzz Newsletter 21st October 2009

Global Journo Debate

21 October 2009

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m to Coving Uni

image source: worldjournalismincrisis.org

by Teodora Beleaga

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orld renowned reporters, producers, editors, professional bloggers, radio DJ’s and academics will gather in Coventry on the 28th of October in an attempt to answer the crafts’ currently most important question: “Is world journalism in crisis?” The event is organised by senior journalism lecturer John Mair on behalf of Coventry University and is sponsored by Richard Peel on behalf of Camelot Plc and the industry’s essential website, journalism.co.uk.

“superb line-up from the industry on an extremely timely subject”

Judith Townend, speaker for the event and reporter for journalism.co.uk said: “Journalism.co.uk is thrilled to be supporting an event with such a superb line-up from the industry on an extremely timely subject. We’re looking forward to hearing a global mix of views from the academics and journalists - and we’re especially interested to see if there will be any crisis-deniers in their midst. The interactive element is equally exciting: we’ll be gathering audience questions via Twitter (follow

@journalismnews) and the entire event will be live web-cast.” The Humber Lecture Theatre will accommodate speakers from four different continents (Europe, America, Africa and Asia), either in person or by video-chat. Producer of the conference, John Mair confessed: “I am delighted. The big names are coming to Coventry via modern technology to discuss the big issues. This is exactly where a modern university should be - at the heart of the contemporary debate”. The global conference starts at 2pm on the 28th of October in the Humber Theatre. It is free and open to all. For more details on speakers and registration please visit www.worldjournalismincrisis. org . Follow the Buzz for a Special Edition on the Conference on the 29th of October 2009

Jon Snow follows Murdoch’s trend on news charge

by Teodora Beleaga

tent available and easy accessible to everyone across the globe. However, content quality is the main debatable issue on this matter. For the time being, both Murdoch and Snow say a fee would suggests a better quality. Arguing that charging for content on the internet will be the only way journalists will still make a living in the future, Snow thinks people will find news subscriptions natural. “I think there will always be free information on the internet, but if you want guaranteed information, of high quality, then I think you may have to pay for it; and we will need you to pay for it, either wise we won’t be able to earn a living.” Moving from paid for internet news content to news on TV, Jon Snow said: “I think actually people will pay for

picture courtesy of Pete Woodbridge

„„ Access to news content, especially professional journalistic content posted on the internet should be paid for, argued Jon Snow, Channel 4’s Face of the News last week. “Free news on the internet... I think it’s fine; but if you are looking for very high quality, specific information about something, then you have to pay for it.” said Snow at the Coventry Cathedral, during a Coventry Conversation lecture he lead as a visiting professor. Jon Snow’s comment on charging news on the internet follows a rather intriguing craft’s trend set by the Murdochs, especially in response to the biggest news search engine, Google, who gives anyone free access to read the news. Google even created the Google Reader, about two years ago, in an attempt to make internet con-

Jon Snow speaking at the Cathedral Channel 4 news, very very little, maybe 10 cents, 10p a night or 5p a night. A million and a half 10ps will go a long way, every night.” He pushed this example even further commenting on how critical the subscription fee would be for journalists and media producers: “Seven million a week 10ps might keep us alive.”

Interested in Radio? image source: bbc.co.uk

BBC’s Gideon Coe by Diana Teodora Popovici „„ Radio 6Music’s presenter, Gideon Coe, starred at last Wednesday’s Coventry Conversation. He shared with Coventry students a few moments of his career as a sport journalist, as well as a radio presenter. He reminisced his Glastonbury days, being sent there as a journalist, describing them as both fun and exhausting days.

Just do it!

started worked with Radio 6Music since its early beginnings, its “just gone-digital” days, he still believes there’s a future for radio, especially for digital radio. As he puts it: “Digital radio is an ever expandable field, because one can create niches of types of listeners”. The role of a radio like 6Music is quite important, claims Coe, as “the amount of music released these days is huge and most of the good and talented artists get lost in the ocean of releases”. 6Music captures those tunes so that listeners can enjoy them and good-artists don’t have to suffer. For Coventry students he recommended working in radio only for those really interested in doing radio: “You shouldn’t go to work for a radio just for the sake of it... you should go if

you love it.” Coe admits that starting work with a radio station can be difficult, so he recommends students to: “Go where you can, do what you can, often for no money. BBC radio might be hard to get into, but commercial radios such as Kerrang! for example, which is based in Birmingham, should also be taken into account.”

The student and staff newsletter of the Media and Communications department of Coventry School of Art and Design Edited by Teo Beleaga Submissions invited to [email protected] With many thanks to Pete Woodbridge, Diana Popovici and John Mair.

image source: wilsonhs.org

Being one of the presenters that