How much news in your newspaper?

[Tom Hendricks]

Here are two experiments to determine how much news. Not only is there no coverage of zines, but not much of any news. Here is my weekly e-mail club message on newspapers. Support indie media.

I've always wanted to take our Dallas daily and see how much of it is hard news. Thankfully someone else has done it for me. Clay Shirky reports on his findings for his hometown paper. Then UTNE does the same experiment. They include photos of the results. Check them out and let me know what you think.

Clay Shirky
http://www.shirky.com/weblog/2009/10/rescuing-the-reporters/

Utne - with pictures:
http://www.utne.com/Media/What-Is-a-Newspaper-For-Really-5405.aspx


Tom Hendricks
(editor of the 17 year old zine Musea)

[tim scannell]

no 'news'
xcept on TVFOX

wash times
wash examiner

weekly standard
nat review

drudge and his desk ref page

all else propaganda...no 'news in mainstream media...but
there is NOT MEANT TO BE!!! So why ask?

[Dan 10things]

People still read newspapers?

[Emma Jane Falconer]

Most people in the UK read newspapers regularly. To be fair though, that is because there are plenty of newspapers available for people who can barely read, and are keen on naked fake-tanned women. I think it's because the papers here don't even bother to pretend to be fair-handed and objective like US papers,they clearly have their own politics, and the journalists are incredibly fierce and mocking to the politicians, so there's a lot more juicy stuff to read even in serious papers. They also make serious attempts to cover international news.

[Emma Jane Falconer]

This is my paper- www.guardian.co.uk .

I pretty much fit the stereotype of their readers in that I'm a vegetarian teacher who lives in Brighton and rides a bike. My sworn enemy is the Daily Mail reader (think Uncle Vernon from Harry Potter)

[kami]

live in a one newspaper city (murdoch's) so we get no news except sports, celebs and whatever "Media Mike" our state premier wants to spruke.

[tim scannell]

HOORAY 4 MURDOCH...
supplement w/ DRUDGE
etcetera...see scannell...above
:)

kami said:

live in a one newspaper city (murdoch's) so we get no news except sports, celebs and whatever "Media Mike" our state premier wants to spruke.

[Nadia Brady]

Today's headline - thieves try to steal go-kart. http://www.thechronicle.com.au/ Even when you get over the fact that I live in a place called Toowoomba, it's still hilarious. Other headlines include 'man complains so school changes policy' and 'teenager breaks arm'.

This has been a pretty exciting day for news in Toowoomba. Population is around 100,000, by the way.

[kami]

yep - thats about it - good old rupert... and i think it was our fair city (adelaide and the news) that gave the bastard his kickstart!

tim scannell said:

HOORAY 4 MURDOCH...
supplement w/ DRUDGE
etcetera...see scannell...above
:)

kami said:

live in a one newspaper city (murdoch's) so we get no news except sports, celebs and whatever "Media Mike" our state premier wants to spruke.

[Clare Marshall]

Being a journalism honours student, I have a few things to say about news ;)

On the coverage of zines: there was recently a zine fair in Halifax. I did a TV spot on it (Will be up on thefax.wordpress.com on this Thursday or Friday coming), and there was some coverage in the University newspaper as well. Granted, we aren't the big media in the city, but the university newspaper is one of the freely available media that is in all the coffee shops, so someone is bound to read about it there.

On "news": In journalism school, we are taught news values which is basically a definition of what makes something newsworthy. If it is new, if it is timely, and if it is interesting, it is news, and you should maybe report on it. News is also about People Doing Something for A Reason that People Care about.

However, there are not enough journalists to create new news content all the time. That's why the wire exists. I don't agree that you should just take what you're given and write it up. That defeats the point of being a journalist. But given the current economic crisis, there's not enough journalists going around or enough time in the day to cover everything going on.

And yes, people still read newspapers, and there will always be people reading newspapers. People thought radio would disappear when TV came around. It's still kicking. And some of that "other" category stuff--weather, sports, comics...it's not news, sure, but it's part of what people expect in newspapers. Some people can't get that information anywhere else, or it's a daily ritual to read that, or whatever.

Anyway, that was my rant on that. Just thought I'd try and throw a perspective out there that hasn't been seen here yet.

[Bethany]

Nice to read a new perspective. Also went on and looked at some other articles on there. Good site (UTNE.Com/media).

[Amy]

like Fox ISN'T propaganda?

tim scannell said:

no 'news'
xcept on TVFOX

wash times
wash examiner

weekly standard
nat review

drudge and his desk ref page

all else propaganda...no 'news in mainstream media...but
there is NOT MEANT TO BE!!! So why ask?

[Nadia Brady]

Don't be silly. Fox news is satire... right?

Amy said:

like Fox ISN'T propaganda?

tim scannell said:

no 'news'
xcept on TVFOX

wash times
wash examiner

weekly standard
nat review

drudge and his desk ref page

all else propaganda...no 'news in mainstream media...but
there is NOT MEANT TO BE!!! So why ask?