Jumat, 17 Mei 2013

Nieman Journalism Lab

Nieman Journalism Lab

Google’s design evolution

Posted: 16 May 2013 11:45 AM PDT

The New Yorker’s Matt Buchanan takes a look at the design culture of Google and how the company went from a “dizzying and disparate array of products,” to the more unified look you see with Google’s new releases today.

The New Yorker launches Strongbox. What are the experts saying?

Posted: 16 May 2013 11:44 AM PDT

On Wednesday, the New Yorker launched a Tor- and open-source-based file-sharing tool/tip line called Strongbox meant to allow sources to communicate information to the magazine without fear of it being traced back to them.

Since then, Source has compiled a wealth of context and information, including a litany of responses from across Twitter. Today, Source contacted some experts for further exposition. Writes Jonathan Stray:

I am also concerned that the system may still be too hard to use. The Strongbox web service has a simple, clean interface — and bravo for that — but first the user has to get Tor running. In my experience, even savvy technologists vastly overestimate the number of people who can reliably complete tasks like "download and install this software." If these users don't also understand why such drastic measures are necessary, they will find ways to accomplish their goals with much simpler tools — like email. Strongbox cannot help users who are too frustrated to get it working properly.

And then, there is “the big question hanging over any secure dropbox,” writes The New York Times’ Jacob Harris: “Will you get any useful tips?”

You have to admire the ambition

Posted: 16 May 2013 11:22 AM PDT

Now that’s crowdfunding:

The Tribune Company which houses the Los Angeles Times, The Balitimore Sun and The Chicago Tribune (along with many other local newspapers) is up for sale!

The Bad News: The only people who are bidding on it right now are infamous right-wing Billionaires, who are likely to pay something around a $660 Million pricetag to control a big slice of trusted news media.

So let’s pass the hat and raise $660 million ourselves!

Yes, we’re trying to make a point here. And yes, some might say we’re tilting at corporate windmills — but someone’s got to do it. We need to get the conversation on media ownership started. And what if by some freak miracle we do begin to approach the ridiculous sum of $660 Million? (That would be weird, but weirder things have happened – trust us.) What if we really do change the game of Billionaires vs. The Rest Of Us? It can’t hurt to try, can it?

In Short: This Could Be a Game-Changer. (Really.)

Meet the new class of Nieman Fellows

Posted: 16 May 2013 11:09 AM PDT

The announcement is up at the Nieman Foundation site. It’s a great batch of 24 journalists — half from the United States, half from the rest of the world — who’ll be spending the next year here at Harvard. (Journalists: It’s never too early to start thinking about applying. The first deadlines are a little over six months away.)
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