Will Salon survive?

Media Shift have a great interview with Salon's new CEO, Richard Gingras about whether the extremely economically troubled indy media site can be saved. The interview also looks at the redesign Salon is going through in an attempt to integrate the new technologies, and practices, that are seeing social media sites like Twitter take off. To increase profits, Salon is also launching an e-store, as well adding new categories to the site, for example next month they will introduce a food section. It's just a really good interview that leaves you wanting Salon to survive even more.

The power of home video blogs

A Russian police officer has used YouTube to expose police corruption in Russia. The video has become a media sensation in Russia, where the police force is constantly being accused of being crooked. To read more about it click through to the Guardian's article.

Or alternatively for all those fluent Russian speakers out there, watch the YouTube clip

The News Corp sites that 'steal' content

Here I go again, a post about Murdoch, well he is everywhere at the moment. Anyway there is a great post on Tech Dirt about all the sites owned by Murdoch that 'steal' content from other sites. The article shows examples of the Wall Street Journal and Fox News' Buzztracker, which links to The New York Times and The Washington Post, all linking to other sources. These are just two of the many News Corp sites listed in the Tech Dirt article that, in Murdoch's words, are 'stealing.' Click through to see who else is guilty.

Interview with Gawker's Richard Rushfield

Media Bistro have an interesting interview with Gawker's Richard Rushfield about why he left the LA Times to become a blogger. I like Rushfield's answer about the switch from old to new media. He says, "the switch is invigorating. This is where the conversation is."

I think it illustrates two important points we have covered in class. One being that working for an independent media outlet is more than just a job, it can be a saisfying, rewarding career that you actually enjoy doing. The other is that new media is about a two-way flow of information, not just about feeding people the news.

Rushfield adds:

"here were so many times when you'd write a wonderful article for the LATimes, or break some news and it would just be met by the sound of crickets. When you are at the LAT you're at a place where even the website isn't in the central flow of the nation's cultural conversation. But at Gawker one is very much in and a part of that conversation and as one who is writing, in part at least to communicate, that's where you want to be."

Rushfield also talks about his new book, Don't Follow Me I'm Lost. To read the rest of the interview click here.

Murdoch sits down to discusss charging for online news

Ol' Rupert seems to be everywhere at the moment, banging on about charging for online content. In an interview with Sky, who of course he owns, he discusses why he will be charging for online news. This media mogal's arguments don't even make any sense. Asked about Google's argument that they drive traffic to News Corp sites, he says yes but only the one page. And when asked if he is losing money with his online sites, Murdoch says no but they aren't making millions. No surprises here, Murdoch's main concern isn't his journalists' hard work getting ripped off, its about the amount of money going in his wallet. Then he goes on to defend Fox news saying they are the only "fair and balanced" news. It's quite interesting to here how he describes Fox new programs, such as Glen Beck's, to an Australian audience. It's an interesting video, even if it just shows how out of touch Murdoch is with modern media and its audience.

Independence, satire and press freedom

Australian media commentator and comedian Julian Morrow delivers a speech on independent media, censorship and media ownership at the annual Andrew Olle lecture. Andrew Olle was a respected Australian journalist.

e-Palestine

Time has an interesting article on the "e-Palestine" movement that started after the second intifada erupted, in 2000. Instead of using violence, an increasing number of Palestinians are using online activism.

Saif Abukeshek who is from the West Bank city of Nablus but now lives in Madrid says, "It's a way to achieve effective non-violent resistance."Abukeshek helps run Pal-youth.org, an online internet portal connecting Palestinians around the world. He says that their reduced mobility, along with growing internet access, has seen a serge of young Palestinians joining online communities, a movement that sociologists are calling "e-Palestine."Starting out mainly as a way for youths to socialize, young Palestinians are now using chats to discuss the news and politics with one another. To read the article click here.