For non-technical journalists, a free platform

Recently I met the people of Sourcefabric, who produce two free publishing platforms for print and radio organizations that want to have a web presence.


This non-profit group, based in Prague, has been helping independent media outlets extend their reach on the Web for more than a decade. (Disclosure, I was a guest speaker at their recent conference in Prague.)


Their web platform for print media (known as a content management system or CMS) is called Newscoop; their system for radio is called Airtime.

A Spanish journalist strolls through Silicon Valley

Spanish journalist Ana Ormaechea spent a few weeks at a seminar at Stanford University and was dazzled by the entrepreneurial culture of Silicon Valley.


For her, the magic in the air came from the unique blend of talented people, bold investors, big ideas and a tremendous sense of urgency.

Court news, videos drive web operation in Colombia

Versión en español aquí.

Just two years after its launch, the local news website zonacero.info ("ground zero") in Barranquilla, Colombia, has managed to attract 200,000 visits a month. This in a city of just over 1 million population.

This small staff of journalists demonstrates how knowing the community and understanding the audience can make the difference between success and failure.

How to give criticism effectively, in 6 steps

Far too often I had this conversation with a department manager: "I am so frustrated with Robert (or Roberta). He never listens and never improves. I've had it."

"Have you had this conversation with Robert?" I would ask. The answer far too often was no.

Usually the manager was afraid that confronting the employee would make things worse. The employee might create a scene.

Praise has practical benefits in the newsroom

What could be worse than to make extra effort in your work and feel that no one noticed?

The message would be clear: it doesn't really matter to anyone whether I do a good job or not.  No newsroom boss should let that happen. Judicious praise can change that.  

Time's Asia editor says it's OK to spin the news

Time magazine has transformed itself to compete in the world of digital journalism. It publishes multiple editions on multiple platforms, and the most important one is no longer the print edition.

In addition, “You never hear the word objectivity in the newsroom at Time,” says Zoher Abdoolcarim, Asia editor for the publication. “We talk about fairness and balance, yes.”

With so much news available online instantaneously, Time could no longer continue as just a weekly digest of news. It had to tell people what the news means, Abdoolcarim told an audience recently at Tsinghua University's School of Journalism and Communication in Beijing.

Do you know where you're going? Set some goals

When you are consumed by the daily demands of publishing news on your website, it is difficult to step back and think about where you are going. But you have to do this.

Otherwise your destination is Nowhereville.

There are entire websites and shelves in the bookstore dedicated to the literature on goal-setting. I will give you a story from my personal experience.