Brian Williams has gone, but false news is bigger business than ever | Emily Bell

The web has simultaneously enabled an accelerated cycle of untrue stories and rumour, and the ability to debunk themEvery journalist is familiar with the type of story that is “too good to check”. It is a warning label on tales that beg to be true but probably aren’t. In the pre-social-media era, an incorrect story, and sometimes an outright lie, might have sat hidden in plain sight for months or even years. Spectacular fabrications such as those of the New York Times reporter Jayson Blair, who was discovered in 2003 to have fabricated or plagiarised elements of dozens of stories, rocked venerable institutions to their core. Last week the US news establishment took another torpedo to its hull.Brian Williams, the host of NBC’s Nightly News, was suspended last week for six months with no pay, after a military newspaper, Stars and Stripes, published a story where Williams admitted he had exaggerated a story about flying in a helicopter that came under fire in Iraq. The incident in 2003 happened when Williams was, in fact, following a helicopter that was struck by missile fire, but in retellings he shifted to a position where not only had his helicopter had been hit, but the US crew “figured out how to land safely”. It just wasn’t true. To make matters worse for NBC news executives, Williams posted a rather mealy-mouthed apology on Facebook without any of them knowing. Related: Is NBC firing Brian Williams, or just humiliating him? The conflation of information and... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #plain sight

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News Briefs: Week of January 6, 2014

Authors Guild Appeals Google Decision and more in this week's publishing news briefs. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why Is Hard News a Hard Sell for Advertisers?

Rob NormanNewspapers and news magazines' print editions are fading. Their readers are literally dying. Other industries have new demography and geography to conquer, but no new generation is acquiring a breakfast-table habit that has persisted for 200 years -- even in Myanmar, where 12 daily... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-01-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #print editions #hard sell #hard news


From frat boys to executives, Pikesville natives grow in the online photo business

Ryan Millman has come a long way since his college days of printing photos from frat parties. Now a full-blown manufacturer, he oversees a suite of four photo-related companies that churn out everything from T-shirts and photo books to canvas prints for major commercial retailers. Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2013-12-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #photo books


Scholastic News’ “8 Coolest Kids of 2013″

The editors of Scholastic News featured the "8 Coolest Kids We Met in 2013," a roundup of the most inspiring, courageous, and innovative kids featured in the magazines this year. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-12-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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News Corp buys Storyful for £15m

Social news agency distributes video and user-generated content to news organisations such as the BBC and ITNNews Corp has bought Dublin-based social news agency Storyful for €18m (£15m).Rupert Murdoch's global publishing business said Storyful would remain a stand-alone operation that would... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #5% stake


The "Netflix For Books" Business Model, And How It'll Change The Way You Read

Mark Coker of Smashwords, which recently inked a major content deal with Scribd, weighs in on how the all-you-can-read model changes the way we read, how authors make creative choices, and how everyone gets paid.Is a "Netflix for ebooks" nearing viability? Yesterday, Smashwords, the largest... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-12-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #e-reading service #largest distributor #mark coker #ll change #business model #self-published ebooks


I wrote the Anarchist Cookbook in 1969. Now I see its premise as flawed | William Powell

When I penned the book, I was angry and alienated. Today I realize that violence can't be used to prevent violenceForty-four years ago this month, in December 1969, I quit my job as a manager of a bookstore in New York City's Greenwich Village and began to write the Anarchist Cookbook. My... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #young adults #great deal


News UK sings its way into a new era, and a new home, at carol concert

I wrote the other week about Rupert Murdoch's newspaper outfit, News UK, being reborn by putting a digital smile on Wapping's face.Now, with the company's move to London Bridge in mind, the publisher has put a smile on the face of Southwark Cathedral by donating £1,000 to its All Hallows... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #merry christmas #local community


Guardian News & Media appoints David Pemsel as deputy chief executive

Ex-ITV marketing director promoted from position as Guardian publisher's chief commercial officerDavid Pemsel, chief commercial officer of Guardian publisher Guardian News & Media, has been promoted to deputy chief executive.Pemsel, the former ITV marketing director, will take over... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #global strategy #previously worked #michael bloom #key role


Bloomberg News Pays Reporters More If Their Stories Move Markets

Bloomberg News has an unusual practice of paying some of its reporters explicitly for publishing "market-moving" stories. This is one of many metrics that is factored into reporters' annual bonuses. Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #bloomberg news


News Corp. Seeks Buyer for Brooklyn-Based Newspaper Group

News Corp. is looking for a buyer for its Brooklyn-based local newspaper operation. Capital has learned that the global publishing conglomerate, which also owns The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post, has issued a prospectus to potential b ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-12-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Storm8 Gets Into the Publishing Business, Too

Social mobile games studio Storm8 announced today that it will start marketing, distributing and advising on third-party games via a new arm, Storm8 Publishing. Its first title, War of Dragons for iOS, is a Puzzle & Dragons-esque match-three game originally released as Tower of Saviors.... Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2013-12-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Like This if You Like Pandas! Facebook Says Publishers Shouldn't Fret About News Feed Changes.

The guy who runs Facebook's most valuable real estate explains why the company just changed its rules. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2013-12-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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News Briefs: Week of December 9, 2013

Swinwood to succeed Hayes at Harlequin and more in this week's publishing news briefs. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-12-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With Medium 1.0, Ev Williams Tackles The Platform's Identity Crisis

Ev Williams talks about designing the newly-launched Medium 1.0, and his vision for the blogging platform's future in online publishing."What is Medium?"Read Full Story     Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #online publishing #identity crisis #blogging platform


NUJ apologises to BBC human resources director over false accusation

Union pays Lucy Adams' legal costs after falsely accusing her department of being involved in a 'dirty tricks' campaignThe National Union of Journalists has apologised to the BBC's outgoing human resources director Lucy Adams and paid her legal costs after falsely accusing her department of... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #national union #severance payments #legal fees


Small Business Saturday Gives Indies a Strong Start

An informal survey of new and established bookstores finds that holiday sales should be up again this year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-12-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #holiday sales #informal survey #strong start


Self-published title shortlisted for business book prize

A self-published title has been included in the shortlist for the CMI Management Book of the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-11-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bezos portrait wins FT/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year

Brad Stone's The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon (Bantam Press) has won... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-11-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #jeff bezos #brad stone


Inquirer/Daily News Publisher Bob Hall Keeps His Job

A judge on Thursday rejected a request to remove Robert J. Hall from his post as publisher of the company that owns the (Philadelphia) Daily News, Inquirer and Philly.com. Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Patricia McInerney is still consideri ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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