“Web 3.0 is the era of experts — not writers”

March 02, 2011 Editor Journalism advicedigitalfreelancer ratesgooglepitching

The above quote is from CEO Jason Calacanis of Mahalo.com, a "learn anything" site that repurposes content from around the web. When he began his venture, he reportedly said that the site wasn't reliant on Google, and that he could build a loyal base of visitors without it.

But when Google announced its algorithm change — which aims to weed out sites that offer low-quality content — Mahalo let go a tenth of its staff, and announced the site will focus more on producing video. How? By giving "experts" the opportunity, but little or no money, to produce how-to videos.

Calacanis's assertion that "the web is moving from the home of journalism and writers to the domain of experts" is based on the (false) assumptions that journalists are not experts and that quality work, the kind that you pay for, is a thing of the past.

Not so. If Google's move is the opening salvo in a war against junk sites on the web, professional writers are out there fighting battles every day. Mahalo's retreat is a small but hopeful hint of victory.

Churnalism.com: A Writer’s Best Friend?

February 28, 2011 Editor Journalism churnalismdigital

Google's recent announcement that it is cracking down on "content farming" was bad news for media outlets producing low-quality regurgitated or repackaged stories.Further scrutiny now comes in the form of Churnalism.com, a website that asks users to paste press releases into a search engine, which then compares the text with as many as three…

Update: Editors respond to VIDA stats on female writers

February 24, 2011 Editor Journalism gendermagazinespublishingthe new republictrouble spotsvida

Recent stats from VIDA that showed how few women are getting their work published in literary magazines and journals had us and many others asking questions but coming up with few answers.Now, we hear from the people who decide what makes it into those publications. Elissa Strauss at The Sisterhood blog sent letters to the editors of the New…

Union representing Globe staff files grievance

February 23, 2011 Editor News chatelaineglobe and mailsongtrouble spots

As reported previously, editors at the Globe and Mail asked staff—and freelancers, though it's not clear how many—not to write for Toronto Life and Chatelaine, claiming that they are competing publications (though we suspect it may have more to do with this).Now a rep from SONG, the union that represents Globe staff, has confirmed that as of…

The Big Three and what they own

February 22, 2011 Editor News bellownershiprogersshaw

Sometimes we need a reminder that, despite having a strong public broadcaster, media ownership is as concentrated in Canada as it is south of the border. Recently, a brave Reddit user took the time to compile this very long list of everything that falls under the Rogers, Bell, and Shaw umbrellas. It just goes on and on and on...Hat tip to…

WaPo gets excited about aggregating news, but who’s getting paid?

February 21, 2011 Editor Journalism aggregationappsdigitalnew york timestrouble spotstrovewashington post

The Washington Post Co. has reportedly invested between $5 and $10 million in developing Trove, a free personalized aggregation service that will collect news from 10,000 sources online. WaPo's senior vice president and chief digital officer, Vijay Ravindran, says it "probably won’t save journalism on its own, but it’s a start." The site…

Star editor slams Globe cover

February 17, 2011 Editor Event eventmassey collegetoronto star

We hear that Star editor Michael Cooke made fun of the the Globe over its choice of chocolate over Egypt for an above-the-fold cover story last week - in the middle of the African country's revolution. Cooke was speaking at Toronto's Massey College. A little bird told us he said something like "If the Globe knows what it's doing, then I'm in…

Let me take this job, or shove it

February 16, 2011 Editor Bit of fun hunter s thompsonvancouver sun

Here's an interesting tidbit that’s recently gone viral: a letter from Hunter S. Thompson looking for work at the Vancouver Sun. Reading it is a treat, as reading HST (nearly) always is. The letter is from 1958 - more than a decade before Hunter achieved his first taste of fame notoriety with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. It takes a…

New Globe and Mail policy affects freelancers

February 15, 2011 Editor Journalism canadian writers groupchatelainefreelance contractsglobe and mailmagazinessouthern ontario newsmedia guildtoronto lifetrouble spots

John Stackhouse, executive editor at the Globe and Mail, has reportedly told Globe staffers they can no longer freelance for Toronto Life and Chatelaine because the magazines are now considered “competitors.” What’s more, the same policy applies may soon apply to freelancers who contribute to the paper, most of whom don’t earn enough…

Minding the gender gap in literary publishing

February 15, 2011 Editor News gendermagazinespublishingstudiestrouble spots

Earlier this month, VIDA released The Count 2010, a breakdown of women’s representation in a number of literary publications. Though not comprehensive, the study casts a light on the wide gender gap in the industry, revealing — in easy to digest pie charts — who is getting published where. For example, 36 men had their books reviewed in The…