Knowing how to use the media for
your advantage makes all the difference.
Excerpts from the 2007 World Association
Newspaper (WAN) world press conference (WAN Website)
"At the same time the poll found
that a high number of respondents (over three-quarters of adults
in each country) consider newspapers and their associated web
sites extremely important because of their role as community
watchdogs, in clarifying important global issues, and providing
relevant information that is interesting to know and useful
in daily life."
“While readers don't expect newspapers
to change the world, they count on them to help see and understand
the world better,”
“newspapers need to eliminate bias, improve
writing, increase relevance to readers' daily lives, improve
visual content and presentation, and help connect readers to
their communities"
Poll by Harris Interactive
“newspapers are currently embracing the
new media revolution and novel forms of journalism, as editors
and news executives open to the idea of free papers, citizen
journalism and news as a conversation”.
“More editors than not now consider
free papers as ‘real' newspapers, as part of the transition
towards the audiences changing habits”.
“In this era of rapid and accelerating
change for journalism, the World Editors Forum believes that
editors worldwide need sharp and focused information to help
them do their jobs”.
One of the main challenges for citizen journalism is gaining
a foothold in the trust of readers. With no clear-cut ethical
or editorial guidelines, citizen journalism is usually taken
with a healthy dose of cynicism. But with such cynicism, can
the form evolve? WAN Editors web log
" Since the dawn of modern newspapers,
the staple “Letters to the Editor” page has been the only means
of transparent interaction between the newsroom and its public"
"Interactive Web tools have shaken
the foundations of a traditionally top-down industry, making
it one where the audience has a voice. Newspapers should listen"
Technocratic are currently tracking 110.9
million blogs and over 250 million pieces of tagged social media
around the world – Technocratic
web site