Funding or no, site continues to grade Bay Area news

March 1, 2006 by

The creators of Grade The News, a site that critiques news media outlets in the San Francisco Bay Area, will attempt to keep the site up and running after their funds run out in the beginning of March.

“The frequency of new material will gradually decline,” McManus said. “But myself and [other volunteers] will try to keep the site up for as long as possible.”

Grade the News was previously funded by several foundations, but its staff has since spent all the money it was allotted. Now, the site will stay afloat with contributions from McManus’ pocket and through any donations the site receives.

McManus also said that his work to raise the quality of Bay Area news is not done. Still to come on the site is 2005’s report card, a section that will detail the grades of popular Bay Area news sources.

The site, created in 2000, gives letter grades to several of the most popular broadcast and print news sources in the Bay Area. Here, select newspapers and television stations are rated based on seven yardsticks of journalistic quality. These include newsworthiness, fairness and context, according to site creator John McManus.

“The site helps the public distinguish high from low quality news,” McManus said. “We aim to encourage the public to make good choices about the news they rely on.”

These days, it is as profitable — or even more profitable — to churn out low quality news than it is to provide high quality stories, according to McManus. Many people are attracted to the “flash and trash” approach to news, and this, McManus said, creates an economic incentive for low quality reports.

“[News outlets] are sacrificing quality for a larger audience,” he said.

Although Grade the News finds many problems with the media, McManus said one of the most prevalent issues is not properly labeling advertising sections. Among the culprits of this offense, he said, are the Contra Costa Times and the Oakland Tribune.

After being exposed on Grade the News, most news sources correct their ethical errors, McManus said. For example, this was true for the Contra Costa Times, which properly labeled its advertising sections after receiving its critique from Grade the News.

“We try to enlarge the audience for news providers who are doing a good job and following the ethical standards of journalism,” McManus said.

“There is no site that looks as intensely at the quality of local media as we do.”

Filed Under: Uncategorized

V-logging in Knoxville: A glimpse into the everyday

November 3, 2005 by

The producers and editors at KnoxNews.com – the website for the Knoxville News Sentinel – decided to add an online-only section featuring “v-logs,” or video stories, about life in Knoxville.

RandomThis features short video stories that profile events or places around Knoxville, according to one of the web producers, Jigsha Desai.

“There are four producers and we all film random things and life in Knoxville,” Desai said. “Anything goes.”

The producers come up with their own ideas for what to film and then head out with a small digital camera to create the v-logs.

“It’s random videos with a cheap camera on the fly,” Desai said. “There are no fancy gimmicks. We’re showing life through our eyes.”

RandomThis posts video stories weekly. In addition to the videos by the web producers, RandomThis also accepts submissions from amateur v-loggers in the area.

“What we have on the site is community journalism done by citizen journalists,” Desai wrote in a follow-up e-mail. “If [the readers] find something important, we find it important too. And if they find it important to post videos of their children, pets or flowers, then we will do our best to give them the forum to do so.”

She also wrote: “In my personal opinion, the Hannah Belle’s Hootenannies is the best in terms of citizen journalism. It’s a glimpse into a newish part of American culture (the Red Hat Society), and shows in a simple way, activities pursued by the Red Hat ladies. Plus, the singing is great!”

Of her own videos, Desai’s favorite so far is a feature on the Time Warp Tea Room, a local tea house that offers drinks and food amid a display of antiques and motorcycle memorabilia. She said the video exposes a part of Knoxville that many residents may not know about.

Finding new and interesting aspects of Knoxville is a goal that Desai and the other web producers share. They want to show that news can be fun and exciting, not just dull and sad, she said.

The producers also hope to attract more submissions from viewers and broaden their video library.

“Anyone can do what we’re doing,” said Desai. “We’re just showing life through a camera lens.”

Filed Under: Technology

Dragonfire brings a new approach to news

September 22, 2005 by

Dragonfire, a newly developed online news site produced by Drexel University, is rapidly becoming the place to go to read compelling stories that the mainstream media won’t cover, according to site editor Amy Webb.

Whether focusing on the AIDS crisis in Cambodia, reports on Thailand’s growing film industry or the latest baseball predictions, Dragonfire strives to report on a wide range of topics that are relevant around the world, Webb said.

“The site tries to set itself apart from other news sources,” Webb said. “Most people approach [online news] with the idea that the goal should be quantity and speed.”

Dragonfire doesn’t worry about those characteristics but instead concentrates on producing in-depth stories that may not appear in mainstream news, according to Webb.

The site is on a two-week publishing cycle, with each section of the site going live on a different day.

“Everyone thought we were nuts,” said Webb. Although this is very slow for online news, the two-week publishing cycle seems to be working.

Instead of timeliness, Dragonfire focuses on interactive elements. Most include audio or visual effects, and some boast games, maps or forums that allow readers to further connect with the story.

The newest issue’s cover story addresses the topic of faith-based dieting. The article includes an audible interview, selections from the Bible and a photo album.

Dragonfire already has a strong readership all around the globe. Although most hits come from within the United States, countries such as Canada, India, Romania and Thailand all contain a significant number of readers, according to Webb. Because of such global interest, some stories are translated into as many as 20 languages.

Ultimately, Webb said she hopes Dragonfire’s unique features, choice of articles and concentration on quality – not quantity – will set it apart from other online news sites.

Filed Under: Sites