Wednesday, November 29, 2006

 

NEWS RELEASE: Fabrice Florin on the launch of Newstrust


Fabrice Florin, developer of the non-profit news-rating service, Newstrust, and
an alumnus of MGP2006, opened up the site to the public today, after almost a
year of beta testing. His email to supporters is appended below. To watch a
QuickTime video demonstration of the site from MGP2006, click here:
http://www.mediagiraffe.org/wiki/index.php/Quality:_How_Do_You_Measure_It

Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 18:29:12 -0800
From: Fabrice Florin <fab@newstrust.net>
To: VARIOUS
Subject: NewsTrust launched today - Help us spread the word

Our public beta for NewsTrust just launched today. NewsTrust is now open to the
public and we expect our community to grow rapidly, as the word gets out in
coming days.

Fabrice Florin
Executive Director, NewsTrust
fab@newstrust.net
+1 (415) 388-6688
________________________________________________________

HOW YOU CAN PROMOTE NEWSTRUST

* Recommend NewsTrust
If you know journalists or influential people who would be interested in our project, consider sending them a personal recommendation, to tell them why you support NewsTrust. When you do, please include the blurb below about NewsTrust in your message, along with a link to our site. We'd also be grateful if you would cc: me, so I can follow up directly with your contact.

* Write about NewsTrust
If you're a journalist or blogger, consider writing about us. Check our press materials below - and on our press kit page:
http://beta.newstrust.net/about/press.htm

* Invite A Friend
Please invite your friends, family or colleagues to join NewsTrust. Simply go to our "Invite a Friend" page to send them a personal invitation.:
http://beta.newstrust.net/about/invite.htm

* Link to NewsTrust
If you have your own web page or website, consider a link to NewsTrust, at this URL:
http://beta.newstrust.net/

* Bookmark NewsTrust
If you use Digg, Del.icio.us or other social networks, please bookmark NewsTrust:
http://beta.newstrust.net/

* Write a Testimonial
We'd be grateful if you could write a testimonial about why you support NewsTrust, for our home page. We're looking for a sentence or two, like a book blurb. Simply post it here:
http://beta.newstrust.net/about/testimonials

For more promotion ideas, check the press materials on our site:
http://beta.newstrust.net/about/promote.htm
________________________________________________________

ABOUT NEWSTRUST

NewsTrust is a citizen news service that helps people find good journalism online. This next-generation social network features some of the best news and opinions from hundreds of trusted online sources. NewsTrust members rate news stories based on journalistic quality, not just popularity.

It's a great way to get "news you can trust" all in one place. NewsTrust offers a fine selection of quality journalism on their free web site, which is now open to the public:
http://beta.newstrust.net/

NewsTrust encourages both media literacy and civic engagement. NewsTrust review tools guide members through careful news evaluations, based on key journalistic principles such as fairness, balance, evidence, context and importance. Independent research studies show that citizen r eviewers using these review tools can evaluate news quality reliably - and as effectively as experienced journalists.

NewsTrust publishes a quality ratings database for hundreds of mainstream and alternative news sources, to help the public identify trustworthy publications. This valuable online knowledge base about the news media was created to help citizens make more informed decisions about our democracy.

NewsTrust is non-profit, non-partisan and member-driven. NewsTrust's Executive Director, Fabrice Florin, is a former journalist and a digital media pioneer at Apple and Macromedia. The NewsTrust team includes award-winning journalist and media executive Rory O'Connor and former Lucasfilm project manager David Fox,
who bring extensive track records in content and technology development. \NewsTrust advisors include Dan Gillmor, Howard Rheingold and other digital media innovators from organizations like Google, MoveOn, Poynter Institute and the University of California.If you're a journalist and would like to write about NewsTrust, please email us at press@newstrust.net , or check our online press kit:
http://beta.newstrust.net/about/press.htm
________________________________________________________

ABOUT OUR FOUNDER

A former journalist and a digital media pioneer at Apple and Macromedia, Fabrice Florin founded NewsTrust to help citizens make informed decisions based on quality journalism. He now serves as Executive Director for NewsTrust, as a full-time volunteer. Fabrice Florin has an extensive 25-year track record as a digital media entrepreneur. Some of Fabrice¹s notable ventures include:

* founding leading-edge wireless content provider Handtap for mobile phones;

* launching web entertainment site shockwave.com at Macromedia; * pioneering interactive multimedia content at Apple; * creating a new genre of video journalism for ABC and MTV.

For more info, check Fabrice's online bio:
http://www.newstrust.net/about/bio_florin.htm

You can email Fabrice directly at fab@newstrust.net .
________________________________________________________

SELECTED QUOTES FROM FABRICE FLORIN

"In recent years, the consolidation of mainstream media, combined with the explosion of new Internet websites and the rise of opinion news, have created a serious problem for democracy: many people feel they cannot trust the news
media to deliver the information they need as citizens. To address this critical issue, NewsTrust has developed an online social network to help people find and share quality journalism - or 'news you can trust'."

"Increasingly, commercial news providers are giving their audience more of what they want to hear, rather what they need to know as citizens. Our best hope for reversing this trend is to help citizens develop an appreciation for quality journalism over populist entertainment. Social news sites like NewsTrust have a unique opportunity to guide this process, by providing the media literacy tools we can all use to make more informed decisions as citizens."

"NewsTrust can help re-build the trust that has been lost between the news media and the public. We hope to partner with traditional news providers to invite their readers to rate stories on their sites, using our state-of-the-art
review tools. These partnerships can offer a variety of other useful benefits: increased traffic and revenue, better customer feedback, more user-generated content, improved editorial quality and community engagement."

"The first generation of social news networks mostly measures content popularity, rather than its quality. But as NewsTrust and the next generation of social news sites integrate more reliable quality measurements and
disciplined editorial processes, our collective news filters will become increasingly useful to the general public. To that end, NewsTrust is pioneering a number of collaborative evaluation methods, such as context-sensitive review
forms, source reputation databases, and meta-review tools for rating our own work. Over time, we expect to join forces with forward-thinking news providers, to start incorporating methods like these in their own services. Ultimately, the most trusted new sources are likely to be hybrids between traditional news organizations and new social networks. "

"We would like to offer the equivalent of a Weight Watchers for information, to help each of us balance our news diet over time. For example, future versions of NewsTrust could check if you¹ve been viewing too many partisan opinions or entertainment news. We might encourage you to balance your diet with more factual information, more international coverage, or read more viewpoints that you don¹t agree with. Tools like these can help each of us broaden our perspective, become more discriminating thinkers, and make more informed decisions."
________________________________________________________

TESTIMONIALS FROM OUR MEMBERS

"I believe strongly in NewsTrust because citizen involvement in returning public trust to journalism is so important to the future of democracy."
Howard Rheingold - NewsTrust Advisor, Founding Member - Mill Valley, Calif.

"There is too much good journalism in the world to sit back and allow mediocre reporting to be uncritically consumed. By urging readers to review the articles they are reading, NewsTrust gives them a stake in thinking critically about the news they consume."
Kaizar Campwala - NewsTrust Associate Editor, Founding Member - San Francisco

"I've become a much more discerning news reader after having rated articles on the NewsTrust site. As I read news articles elsewhere, I find myself noting how many and what sources are used and what kind of language is mployed."
Peggy Kruse - Founding Member - Florissant, Mo.

"I started using NewsTrust early on, in an effort to find those news stories that were better than average. I've found many great stories this way. As I've gotten more involved, I've started reviewing and submitting stories myself. It
has caused me to stop, think and learn more about what makes for better journalism. With this, I've come to better appreciate some news sources that I've not always favored, as I've come to see some of their better journalism."
Aldon Hynes - NewsTrust Host, Founding Member - Stamford, Conn.

"NewsTrust is an excellent tool for finding reliable sources and sharpening my own analytical skills. The review process helps me evaluate content and quality more effectively, see beyond my own opinions, and become betterinformed about vital issues."
Marsha Iverson - NewsTrust Host, Founding Member - Seattle, Wash.

"NewsTrust lets me make my own personal contribution to the Fourth Estate, not by writing more news but by helping to find the gems already out there, drowning in a sea of information overload. None of us has the time to consume more than a fraction of 'all the news that is news.' But with NewsTrust we can help ourselves and each other to find good journalism."
Mike LaBonte - NewsTrust Host, Founding Member - Haverhill, Mass.

"I love NewsTrust for its accessibility, diversity and its grass-root nature. I get to evaluate stories good and bad, and then hear what people with different background and experience think of the same stories. We may vehemently disagree with each other, but I learn a lot from what others think."
Lewyn Li - NewsTrust Host, Founding Member - Boston

"At a time when corporate profit demands are increasing the commercial bias of mainstream news -- more of what people can be seduced to want and less of what they need -- and when most news on the Web is produced by neo-journalists of uncertain competence, News Trust is an invaluable guide to quality."
John McManus - NewsTrust Advisor, Founding Member - Sunnyvale, Calif.

"NewsTrust is one of the most useful ideas I've seen in a long time. The rating system is on-target and relevant, which makes it easy to find the stories that I'm interested in. And I always find pieces that I would have missed on other
sites. Great idea, great implementation."
John Taylor - Founding Member - Moraga, Calif.

"NewsTrust is now a valued part of my daily routine. I know that readers concerned about quality journalism are constantly posting worthwhile new articles, and commenting on their strengths and shortcomings, the better to
encourage critical reading from fellow readers - and citizens. An engaged community, aided by a sophisticated and easy-to-use interface, is what makes NewsTrust unique."
Warren Keith Wright - NewsTrust Host, Founding Member - Missouri

________________________________________________________

NEWSTRUST PICTURES

Download NewsTrust pictures from our site, at the addresses below.

* NewsTrust Photos:
http://beta.newstrust.net/about/files/NewsTrustPix.zip

This 5MB Zip file includes 9 photos in JPG format:
- 3 photos from last spring¹s pilot launch in Howard Rheingold¹s class at Stanford
- 3 photos from in Howard Rheingold¹s class at UC Berkeley this fall
- 3 mug shots of Fabrice Florin, NewsTrust's Executive Director

* NewsTrust Logos:
http://beta.newstrust.net/about/files/NewsTrustLogos.zip

This small Zip file includes a variety of NewsTrust logos in GIF format. Please link them to our site:
http://beta.newstrust.net/


Tuesday, November 28, 2006

 

STATEMENT: Founder and MGP2006 alum takes wraps off "Newstrust" service for finding, rating quality of news

Fabrice Florin, developer of the non-profit news-rating service, Newstrust, and an alumnus of MGP2006, opened up the site to the public today, after almost a year of beta testing. His email to supporters is appended below. To watch a QuickTime video demonstration of the site from MGP2006, click here:
http://www.mediagiraffe.org/wiki/index.php/Quality:_How_Do_You_Measure_It

Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 18:29:12 -0800
From: Fabrice Florin < fab@newstrust.net >
To: VARIOUS
Subject: NewsTrust launched today - Help us spread the word

Our public beta for NewsTrust just launched today. NewsTrust is now open to the public and we expect our community to grow rapidly, as the word gets out in coming days.

Fabrice Florin
Executive Director, NewsTrust
fab@newstrust.net
+1 (415) 388-6688
________________________________________________________

HOW YOU CAN PROMOTE NEWSTRUST

* Recommend NewsTrust
If you know journalists or influential people who would be interested in our project, consider sending them a personal recommendation, to tell them why you support NewsTrust. When you do, please include the blurb below about NewsTrust in your message, along with a link to our site. We'd also be grateful if you would cc: me, so I can follow up directly with your contact.

* Write about NewsTrust
If you're a journalist or blogger, consider writing about us. Check our press materials below - and on our press kit page:
http://beta.newstrust.net/about/press.htm

* Invite A Friend
Please invite your friends, family or colleagues to join NewsTrust. Simply go to our "Invite a Friend" page to send them a personal invitation.:
http://beta.newstrust.net/about/invite.htm

* Link to NewsTrust
If you have your own web page or website, consider a link to NewsTrust, at this URL:
http://beta.newstrust.net/

* Bookmark NewsTrust
If you use Digg, Del.icio.us or other social networks, please bookmark
NewsTrust:
http://beta.newstrust.net/

* Write a Testimonial
We'd be grateful if you could write a testimonial about why you support NewsTrust, for our home page. We're looking for a sentence or two, like a book blurb. Simply post it here:
http://beta.newstrust.net/about/testimonials

For more promotion ideas, check the press materials on our site:
http://beta.newstrust.net/about/promote.htm
________________________________________________________

ABOUT NEWSTRUST

NewsTrust is a citizen news service that helps people find good journalism online. This next-generation social network features some of the best news and opinions from hundreds of trusted online sources. NewsTrust members rate news stories based on journalistic quality, not just popularity.

It's a great way to get "news you can trust" all in one place. NewsTrust offers a fine selection of quality journalism on their free web site, which is now open to the public:
http://beta.newstrust.net/

NewsTrust encourages both media literacy and civic engagement. NewsTrust review tools guide members through careful news evaluations, based on key journalistic principles such as fairness, balance, evidence, context and importance. Independent research studies show that citizen reviewers using these review tools can evaluate news quality reliably - and as effectively as experienced journalists.

NewsTrust publishes a quality ratings database for hundreds of mainstream and alternative news sources, to help the public identify trustworthy publications. This valuable online knowledge base about the news media was created to help citizens make more informed decisions about our democracy.

NewsTrust is non-profit, non-partisan and member-driven. NewsTrust's Executive Director, Fabrice Florin, is a former journalist and a digital media pioneer at Apple and Macromedia. The NewsTrust team includes award-winning journalist and media executive Rory O'Connor and former Lucasfilm project manager David Fox, who bring extensive track records in content and technology development. NewsTrust advisors include Dan Gillmor, Howard Rheingold and other digital media innovators from organizations like Google, MoveOn, Poynter Institute and the University of California.If you're a journalist and would like to write about NewsTrust, please email us at press@newstrust.net, or check our online press kit:
http://beta.newstrust.net/about/press.htm
________________________________________________________

ABOUT OUR FOUNDER

A former journalist and a digital media pioneer at Apple and Macromedia, Fabrice Florin founded NewsTrust to help citizens make informed decisions based on quality journalism. He now serves as Executive Director for NewsTrust, as a full-time volunteer.

Fabrice Florin has an extensive 25-year track record as a digital media entrepreneur. Some of Fabrice¹s notable ventures include: * founding leading-edge wireless content provider Handtap for mobile phones;

* launching web entertainment site shockwave.com at Macromedia;
* pioneering interactive multimedia content at Apple;
* creating a new genre of video journalism for ABC and MTV.

For more info, check Fabrice's online bio:
http://www.newstrust.net/about/bio_florin.htm

You can email Fabrice directly at fab@newstrust.net .
________________________________________________________

SELECTED QUOTES FROM FABRICE FLORIN

"In recent years, the consolidation of mainstream media, combined with the explosion of new Internet websites and the rise of opinion news, have created a serious problem for democracy: many people feel they cannot trust the news media to deliver the information they need as citizens. To address this critical issue, NewsTrust has developed an online social network to help people find and share quality journalism - or 'news you can trust'."

"Increasingly, commercial news providers are giving their audience more of what they want to hear, rather what they need to know as citizens. Our best hope for reversing this trend is to help citizens develop an appreciation for quality journalism over populist entertainment. Social news sites like NewsTrust have a unique opportunity to guide this process, by providing the media literacy tools we can all use to make more informed decisions as citizens."

"NewsTrust can help re-build the trust that has been lost between the news media and the public. We hope to partner with traditional news providers to invite their readers to rate stories on their sites, using our state-of-the-art review tools. These partnerships can offer a variety of other useful benefits: increased traffic and revenue, better customer feedback, more user-generated content, improved editorial quality and community engagement."

"The first generation of social news networks mostly measures content popularity, rather than its quality. But as NewsTrust and the next generation of social news sites integrate more reliable quality measurements and disciplined editorial processes, our collective news filters will become increasingly useful to the general public. To that end, NewsTrust is pioneering a number of collaborative evaluation methods, such as context-sensitive review forms, source reputation databases, and meta-review tools for rating our own work. Over time, we expect to join forces with forward-thinking news providers, to start incorporating methods like these in their own services. Ultimately, the most trusted new sources are likely to be hybrids between traditional news organizations and new social networks. "

"We would like to offer the equivalent of a Weight Watchers for information, to help each of us balance our news diet over time. For example, future versions of NewsTrust could check if you¹ve been viewing too many partisan opinions or entertainment news. We might encourage you to balance your diet with more factual information, more international coverage, or read more viewpoints that you don¹t agree with. Tools like these can help each of us broaden our perspective, become more discriminating thinkers, and make more informed decisions."
________________________________________________________

TESTIMONIALS FROM OUR MEMBERS

"I believe strongly in NewsTrust because citizen involvement in returning public trust to journalism is so important to the future of democracy."
Howard Rheingold - NewsTrust Advisor, Founding Member - Mill Valley, CA

"There is too much good journalism in the world to sit back and allow mediocre reporting to be uncritically consumed. By urging readers to review the articles they are reading, NewsTrust gives them a stake in thinking critically about the news they consume."
Kaizar Campwala - NewsTrust Associate Editor, Founding Member - San Francisco, CA

"I've become a much more discerning news reader after having rated articles on the NewsTrust site. As I read news articles elsewhere, I find myself noting how many and what sources are used and what kind of language is employed."
Peggy Kruse - Founding Member - Florissant, MO

"I started using NewsTrust early on, in an effort to find those news stories that were better than average. I've found many great stories this way. As I've gotten more involved, I've started reviewing and submitting stories myself. It has caused me to stop, think and learn more about what makes for better journalism. With this, I've come to better appreciate some news sources that I've not always favored, as I've come to see some of their better journalism."
Aldon Hynes - NewsTrust Host, Founding Member - Stamford, CT

"NewsTrust is an excellent tool for finding reliable sources and sharpening my own analytical skills. The review process helps me evaluate content andquality more effectively, see beyond my own opinions, and become betterinformed about vital issues."
Marsha Iverson - NewsTrust Host, Founding Member - Seattle, WA

"NewsTrust lets me make my own personal contribution to the Fourth Estate, not by writing more news but by helping to find the gems already out there, drowning in a sea of information overload. None of us has the time to consume more than a fraction of 'all the news that is news.' But with NewsTrust we can help ourselves and each other to find good journalism." Mike LaBonte - NewsTrust Host, Founding Member - Haverhill, MA

"I love NewsTrust for its accessibility, diversity and its grass-root nature. I get to evaluate stories good and bad, and then hear what people with different background and experience think of the same stories. We may vehemently disagree with each other, but I learn a lot from what others think."
Lewyn Li - NewsTrust Host, Founding Member - Boston, MA

"At a time when corporate profit demands are increasing the commercial bias of mainstream news -- more of what people can be seduced to want and less of what they need -- and when most news on the Web is produced by neo-journalists of uncertain competence, News Trust is an invaluable guide to quality."
John McManus - NewsTrust Advisor, Founding Member - Sunnyvale, CA

"NewsTrust is one of the most useful ideas I've seen in a long time. The rating system is on-target and relevant, which makes it easy to find the stories that I'm interested in. And I always find pieces that I would have missed on other sites. Great idea, great implementation."
John Taylor - Founding Member - Moraga, CA

"NewsTrust is now a valued part of my daily routine. I know that readers concerned about quality journalism are constantly posting worthwhile new articles, and commenting on their strengths and shortcomings, the better to encourage critical reading from fellow readers - and citizens. An engaged community, aided by a sophisticated and easy-to-use interface, is what makes NewsTrust unique."
Warren Keith Wright - NewsTrust Host, Founding Member - Missouri

________________________________________________________

NEWSTRUST PICTURES

Download NewsTrust pictures from our site, at the addresses below.

* NewsTrust Photos:
http://beta.newstrust.net/about/files/NewsTrustPix.zip

This 5MB Zip file includes 9 photos in JPG format:
- 3 photos from last spring¹s pilot launch in Howard Rheingold's class as
Stanford
- 3 photos from in Howard Rheingold¹s class at UC Berkeley this fall
- 3 mug shots of Fabrice Florin, NewsTrust's Executive Director

* NewsTrust Logos:
http://beta.newstrust.net/about/files/NewsTrustLogos.zip

This small Zip file includes a variety of NewsTrust logos in GIF format.
Please link them to our site:
http://beta.newstrust.net/

Thursday, November 23, 2006

 

LIBEL: California high court gives some immunity to web publishers


FULL OPINION TEXT:
http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/S122953.PDF

BELOW FROM:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/21/technology/21internet.html

By BLOOMBERG NEWS
Published: November 21, 2006

The California Supreme Court said yesterday that Internet publishers could not be held liable if they posted defamatory comments written by others, a victory for online companies like Google and AOL.

The court, in a unanimous decision, said those claiming defamation could sue only the original source of the comments, not publishers or distributors, even if the distributor was an individual. Internet users are protected by the same 1996 Communications Decency Act that grants immunity against defamation claims to publishers in most circumstances, the court said, overturning a San Francisco appeals court.

The ruling means that plaintiffs claiming defamation cannot get around the 1996 federal law by filing state suits. Internet service providers, search engine companies and civil liberties groups said that holding Web
publishers liable would force Internet companies to keep track of every posting in every discussion group.

The case represents the first time an individual sought the same immunity from defamation liability that is afforded to Internet service providers under federal law, the court said.

"It's good news for free speech on the Internet because the Internet can't be the vibrant forum for free speech that it's become if users and Internet service providers alike have to worry about getting sued when they republish something that someone else says," said Ann Brick, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union.

The case involved a Web site operator who received and posted an e-mail message critical of a doctor.

----------------------------------------------------------------

BELOW FROM:
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2169219/california-court-rules-web

California court rules on web defamation
Website owners 'not responsible for third-party comments'

By Iain Thomson, vnunet.com 21 Nov 2006

ADVERTISEMENTThe California Supreme Court has ruled that internet service providers and bloggers cannot be sued for third-party comments posted on their sites.

In the case of Barrett versus Rosenthal the court found that only the originator of the content could be sued, but that third parties who repost the material should be immune from prosecution.

The ruling has profound implications for the future of internet content. We acknowledge that recognising broad immunity for defamatory republications on the internet has some troubling consequences," said the court.

"Until Congress chooses to revise the settled law in this area, however, plaintiffs who contend they were defamed in an internet posting may only seek recovery from the original source of the statement."

The case stemmed from two doctors who ran websites debunking some alternative medicines and seeking to identify medical fraud.

Ilena Rosenthal, an alternative health practitioner, posted a letter from a third party on her website which accused the two doctors of being Nazis and " hired guns for vested interests", and suggested that both had
engaged in criminal activities.

The two doctors sued and the courts initially found in their favor. During her appeal Rosenthal received extensive support from Google, eBay, Amazon and free speech groups, and today's ruling was hailed as a victory for free speech.

"By reaffirming that Congress intended to grant protection to those who provide a forum for the views of others, the Court has ensured that the internet will remain a vibrant forum for debate and the free exchange of ideas," said Ann Brick, staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California. "Any other ruling would have inevitably made speech on the internet less free."

The ruling does not protect the original poster of the comments, but found that internet sites should receive the same protections as "common carriers" like telephone companies rather than being seen as publishers
responsible for content.

"The Supreme Court's opinion strengthens protection for speech on the internet," said Mark Goldowitz, director of the California Anti-SLAPP Project and counsel for Rosenthal. "Justice Corrigan's opinion protects against the 'heckler's veto' chilling speech on the internet."

----------------------------------------------------------------

BELOW FROM:
http://www.freespeechcoalition.com/FSCView.asp?coid=980

Calif. Ruling Rejects Libel for Online Republishers

By: Michael Hayes (Courtesy of XBIZ.com)

Posted: 11/21/2006

Sacramento, Calif. - In a decision that could have profound repercussions for web publishers, bloggers and anyone who posts to online message boards, the California Supreme Court said those who republish defamatory
statements online couldn.t be held liable.

The unanimous ruling deals with the 1996 Communications Decency Act. Earlier court rulings had construed Section 230 of the statute to provide a shield for companies such as AOL and eBay from liability for defamatory
remarks made by others, provided that the companies make a good faith effort to restrict access to material that could be considered "obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing or otherwise
objectionable."

In drafting the law, Congress "has comprehensively immunized republication by individual Internet users, intending to protect online freedom of expression and to encourage self-regulation," Associate Justice Carol
Corrigan said.

The case arises out of allegedly libelous statements made online by Ilena Rosenthal, a women.s health advocate, who published a letter by co-defendant Tim Bolen attacking Pennsylvania psychiatrist Stephen Barrett
and Canadian doctor Terry Polevoy for their unfavorable views of alternative medicine.

Alameda County Superior Court Judge James Richman tossed the libel suit in 2001, but a San Francisco appellate court reinstated the case saying that an email from Barrett threatening to sue Rosenthal put her on notice that
she could be held liable for publishing Bolen's letter. That ruling prompted a range of online companies, including Earthlink and Amazon.com, as well as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, to file amicus briefs on behalf of Rosenthal and Bolen, arguing that imposing liability after a potential plaintiff sends email notice threatening to sue could
chill free speech.

While the court said, "recognizing broad immunity for defamatory republications on the Internet has some troubling consequences," the justices concluded that lawmakers would be the ultimate arbiters of the issue. "Unless Congress revises the law, anyone who claims to be defamed by an Internet posting may seek damages only from the original source of the statement," Corrigan said.

EFF attorney Lee Tien praised the decision, saying that "it's so patently obvious that users are protected by the plain language and policy of [Section] 230."

In decision, Corrigan noted that the defamation jurisprudence developed over the lengthy history of offline publishing isn.t always a source from which judges can rely upon without accounting for changes in technology.

In offline defamation cases, the law distinguishes between "publishers," such as newspapers, and "distributors," such as newsstands. Distributors can only be held liable if they are given notice of a defamatory statement
contained in the publications they sell.

Corrigan said transferring such distinctions to the online world could chill free speech because of the ease with which anyone could use the so-called "heckler's veto," thereby putting online publisher on notice and potentially opening them to liability.

Possibly leaving open a remedy for plaintiffs who are victims of particularly egregious conduct, Justice Carlos Moreno wrote in his concurring opinion that the law and the ruling should not be read to immunize Internet users who republish libelous speech if they have conspired with the originator of the statement.

----------------------------------------------------------------

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Section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C.
Chapter 1, Section 107, the material above is distributed without profit
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copyrighted material from this blog for purposes beyond fair use, you must
obtain permission from the copyright owner.


Saturday, November 04, 2006

 

Business Week writer says OhmyNews unable to make sustained profits


Business Week Online posted a story Nov. 1 by the magazine's Seoul bureau chief reporting that citizen-journalism pioneer OhmyNews is struggling to make sustained profits. To blame: The competitive online advertising market. Still, the outfot supports over 65 professional journalists on $6 million in annual revenues.

ORIGINAL URL:
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/nov2006/gb20061101_539412.htm

Media November 1, 2006, 8:42AM EST text size: TT

OhmyNews' Oh My Biz Problem

Moon is BusinessWeek's Seoul bureau chief
With Kenji Hall in Tokyo

The Korean site for citizen reporting hasn't had much success so far with its moves into other markets.and it's in the red at home

by Moon Ihlwan

Remember all the hoopla about the disruptive impact to mainstream media from "citizen" journalism? One of the pioneers in the field is Seoul-based Web site OhmyNews. It made a huge splash in 2002, when its unique brand of participatory journalism by amateur writers played a critical role in the South Korea presidential race.

Few doubt that OhmyNews, which galvanized younger voters, contributed to the election of President Roh Moo Hyun, who was portrayed by Korea's mainstream newspapers as a dangerous leftist with little chance of victory. OhmyNews readers, prompted by citizen journalists' reports that Roh was trailing in the vote, sent out a blitz of text messages urging friends to vote for Roh, and he prevailed by a narrow margin."Ordinary citizens found a medium to serve their interest and express themselves," says OhmyNews Chief Executive Officer Oh Yeon Ho.

OhmyNews has since become one of Korea's most influential media outlets. However, the site continues to look for a profitable business model and is expected to lose money in 2006. This comes after a several years of very modest profits. OhmyNews, set up in 2000, now has about 90 full-time staffers.65 of them journalists.and some 44,000 citizen contributors. Together, they produce around 150 articles a day. This year, it expects revenues of about $6 million, 60% of which come from online ads and the rest from the sale of the company's news product to Internet portals, and from miscellaneous services.

Korea-specific?

Oh is hoping to expand the company by exporting his citizen-journalism approach to foreign markets, but right now OhmyNews remains more of an interesting online editorial experiment than a viable business. "I think it was a Korea-specific phenomenon," says Park Sung Hee, journalism and communications professor at Ewha Woman's University in Seoul. Other industry watchers also express doubts that citizen journalism will turn out to be a going concern. Had it been an attractive global model, "someone would have made lots of money by now," adds Stephen Bear, Seoul-based director of McKinsey's Korean operation (see BusinessWeek.com, 5/4/06, "OhmyNews: "Voices from the Street").

Indeed, dozens of media outfits inspired by OhmyNews, including U.S. journalist Dan Gillmor's Bayosphere, didn't pan out. Internet analyst Jay Park at Samsung Securities in Seoul argues that OhmyNews was successful because it was politically motivated, not business-oriented. Liberal Koreans, particularly those in their 20s and 30s, have held a deep distrust of mainstream newspapers in the country, most of which reflect conservative views. Ordinary Koreans fully recognize that major media companies have maintained ties with the major governing parties and political establishment that go back to the country's post-war military dictatorships.

Fans Abroad

Oh is a former reporter at a magazine published by dissident journalists, and he concedes that his company probably won't rake in sizable profits going forward. "I want OhmyNews to be sustainable, but my ambition is to spread citizen journalism around the world, not to make money," he says. He's even willing to help journalists elsewhere set up OhmyNews copycats without any strings attached or licensing agreements. The company does have its fans abroad. OhmyNews secured $11 million in February from Softbank Corp. (which holds a controlling stake in Yahoo! Japan (YHOO)) to help boost its finances, set up operations abroad, and develop its international English language edition.

OhmyNews' English-language news division is produced by nearly 1,500 citizen reporters from more than 100 countries, plus five professional editors based in the U.S. and Korea. While the page is aimed at a global audience, its strength is in developing countries, where many people feel local views aren't fully reflected in Western media. Its Japanese-language version, the first joint venture overseas together with Softbank, hasn't really made any impact so far since its launch just two months ago.

Blogging Rivals

Critics say OhmyNews will have a hard time trying to repeat the sensation it sparked in Korea. It competes for the attention of Net users in increasingly crowded markets, many of which might not really crave its maverick style of journalism. Apart from social-networking sites and portals that are increasingly developing into important news distributors, the explosion of blogging worldwide will probably make a dedicated citizen-news site less attractive in the future.

Even in Korea, fierce competition for online advertisements is expected to push OhmyNews into the red this year, according to company executives. "In any industry, no business model is sustainable unless you constantly seek innovation to adapt to new changes,"says OhmyNews Communications Director Jean Min. He adds that his company will soon come up with a revamped version that befits the Web 2.0 era. One option under consideration is giving readers certain editorial rights, Min says, without offering further details.

OhmyNews execs say the biggest difference between blogs and their service is the role of professional journalists. Blogs don't have the credibility of OhmyNews, where professionals screen, edit, and fact-check stories from ordinary folks to filter out inaccuracies and potentially libelous claims, the company argues. Whether that kind of quality control will differentiate OhmyNews from competing sources of news and commentary remains to be seen. For the moment, though, the company remains long on idealism but short on a workable business strategy.


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