Newsworthiness

Passive news reporting that doesn’t attempt to resolve factual disputes in politics may have detrimental effects on readers, new research suggests. The study found that people are more likely to doubt their own ability to determine the truth in politics after reading an article that simply lists competing claims without offering any idea of which side is right. “There are consequences to

An insensitive cartoon by a Malaysian daily showing the Japanese superhero Ultraman running helter-skelter from the massive tsunami has sparked an outrage in the country, prompting the newspaper to tender a public apology. Berita Harian newspaper, the Malay-language daily, on its front page Monday apologised for the offending caricature of the popular Japanese icon running away from an oncoming...

Al-Qaeda has launched a women's magazine Al Shamikha (meaning the majestic woman), which mixes tips on skin care with articles on 'marrying a mujahedeen' and carrying out suicide attacks. The first issue of the 30-page publication was released recently by the al Qaeda-affiliated Al Fajr Media Centre and must be ordered online. Its cover features the barrel of a sub-machine gun next to the image of...

A judge's instruction backing the fair use of photos snapped by landowners at a controversial mining project in Madang, Papua New Guinea, is being welcomed by the Pacific Freedom Forum. "The judiciary in Papua New Guinea deserves praise for refusing to gag the use of photos," said PFF chair Susuve Laumaea, of Papua New Guinea. PFF has reviewed the background into the case brought by the...

The unparalleled recent events in the Middle East have offered newspapers a chance to make use of their youth pages and supplements to explain a complex situation. The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) have gathered some examples from around the world. "Newspapers – yes newspapers – are playing a leading role in providing explanatory journalism for children, who are...

NPR, PBS and local public broadcast stations in the United States are hiring more journalists and pumping millions of dollars into investigative news to make up for what they see as a lack of deep-digging coverage by their for-profit counterparts, the Associated Press (AP) has reported. Public radio and TV stations have seen the need for reporting that holds government and business accountable...

Events and controversies related to Islam dominated US press coverage of religion in 2010, bumping the Catholic Church from the top spot, according to a new study by the Pew Research Centre’s Project for Excellence in Journalism and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Much of the coverage focused on the plan to build a mosque and Islamic centre near ground zero in New York City, a Florida...

The International Press Institute (IPI) has been awarded $2.7 million by Google Inc, to sponsor the ‘IPI News Innovation Contest’, a project aimed at advancing the future of digital news by funding new ways to inform communities in Europe, Middle East and Africa. The IPI News Innovation Contest aims to encourage breakthrough ideas with the potential to create lasting impact. Grants will be awarded...

The Washington Post announced Friday it will launch Trove, a site that aggregates news and enables users to personalize their news stream based on their interests. The site, which is currently in private beta, is expected to launch in March, according to Mashable.com The details: [ Link] The announcement highlights a trend among news publishers looking to personalize news consumption based on...

A former Israeli soldier who leaked secret military documents to a journalist suggesting that the army had ignored a court ruling in carrying out targeted assassinations of West Bank militants faces years in prison. Anat Kamm, who was held under secret house arrest for four months before her case was made public, pleaded guilty yesterday to the possession and distribution of classified documents...