News by media issue

The Knight New Media Center Multimedia Training Program accepted applications through Nov. 3 for 20 fellowships for traditional mainstream journalists to attend a expenses-paid seminar that combines practical instruction in multimedia reporting with in-depth exploration of media convergence and other critical issues for online news operations. The week-long seminar takes place at the University of California at Berkeley. Three more such sessions are planned during 2007.

A Boston Globe story Oct. 25 speculated that two prominent Boston businessmen, including retired General Electric chief Jack Welch, may make an offer to buy the Boston Globe from the New York Times Co. Despite the Globe's continued poor financial results, the Times Co. insists the paper is not for sale.

ORIGINAL LINK:

http://www.boston.com/ae/media/articles/2006/10/25/local_group_may_bid_f...

What is the Forum?

The New England News Forum will launch in early 2007 as a collaboration among news professionals, citizen journalists, educators and the public to promote vigorous, trusted, accountable journalism – and accountable government.

Why start this now?

Buffeted by changing advertising economics, new expectations from audiences who now have cheap technology for do-it-yourself news, and caught amid lagging regional growth, New England news media are reexamining the role they can afford in civil society. They face uncertainties, questions and opportunities posed by the Internet and multimedia technology. As a a result, they need fresh insight and new tools for remaining connected with and trusted by readers, listeners, viewers and users.

The population of young adults (25-34) in all New England states declined much more sharply than the national average from 1990 to 2004, a Jan. 10, 2007 fact sheet from the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire shows. During that time period, the population of young adults in New England declined nearly 25 percent, compared to the national average decline of 7 percent.
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MISSION

The New England News Forum is a non-profit collaboration among news professionals, citizen journalists, educators and the public to support vigorous, independent, trusted, accountable journalism -- and accountable government. We strengthen and expand understanding and relationships among news consumers and creators by considering coverage, access, accuracy, bias, fairness, ethics, emphasis, privacy, freedom of information and technology change.  
(TWO-PAGE PDF DOWNLOAD ABOUT NENF)

Here is a list of New England News Forum founding collaborators, as of Dec. 7, 2007. Affiliations are for identification purposes only. Names are in alphabetical order.

Posting of media-issue regional case studies will begin after March 1. We expect to review specific news stories, incidents or policy issues involving one or more New England media organizations or web-based news resources. Use the submission form to propose a study.

We also invite forum postings, subject to our acceptable use policies.
Other Notes:

It is a Story content type but I chose the "Review" from the Type drop down list. In that way, this link goes to all posts that used "Review":

NENF would be happy to add a calendar listing for your event to our website. An appropriate listing should address one of the media issues or regional issues we track. We'd like to review your submission before we post it. Send the usual details of time, date, place, subject, speakers a URL link for details and email/phone contact to us by EMAIL.

You can search events by going to the calendar search page, or by clicking on specific months or dates on the calendar in column No.

Writing in The Portland Phoenix, Sara Donnelly describes a traditional concept of "news councils" and suggests the New England News Forum is weighing whether to ever hold "hearings" as a media-accountability tool.

Incoming Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has told a meeting of the Massachusetts Newspaper Publishers Association that he would support a state shield law for journalists. "I think the shield law is very important," the Herald quoted him saying. "I've been very concerned about the jailing of reporters." Patrick also criticized the state's media for cynicism during the gubernatorial campaign, the Herald reported.

The Associated Press reported that on Feb. 16 the house in Washington state appoved a bill that would protect journalists from facing prison for not revealing confidential sources. The vote was 96-0. The state senate was considering its own measure. The Washington state bill would grant reporters absolute privilege for protecting confidential sources - the same exemption from testifying in court that is granted to spouses, attorneys, clergy and police officers. Currently, Washington has no shield law, but its courts have ruled in favor of qualified privilege based on the First Amendment and on common law. (SPJ ROUNDUP ON SHIELD LAWS)