Online News and Perils of Defamation

Chapter 13, Online News: journalism’s strands converge

1. What do media companies need to do in relation to convergence before they can expect their journalists to work in converged news rooms?
Similar to process involved at the $US2.5million Ifra Newsplex, journalists should be trained and provided with the expertise necessary to work across multiple media environments.

2. What would be the likely outcome if someone who just wanted to work as a print journalist, because they would be nervous on television, was told by the company they worked for that they must report for television as well as print?
There are obviously several possibilities, but if they were to keep their job they would likely have to undertaken moderate training if they felt unable to pick it up themselves.

3. Is journalistic convergence just a trendy fad that will run its course then be forgotten about?
The notion of journalism convergence will always be an option, however I feel it may be avoided in the meantime until technological developments allow it to become more practical and efficient. In the mean time it is only appropriate in limited circumstances.

4. What will be the long-term outcome in Australia of relaxed cross-media ownership laws?
They will be less competition, fewer opposing voices and consequently a biased and limited collection of news and information within the country.

5. If you had a crystal ball, what would it tell you about the future of radio, television, and the web?
Television and radio will always be present in one way or another, however radio may sink into the background as music video clips become the new norm. The web is so becoming so broad and dynamic, it is already merging both television (VNR’s, Youtube) and radio (podcasts) into the one medium. Consequently, I feel TV and radio will always exist… however the lines may be blurred as to where it stops being the ‘web’ and it becomes its own media format.

6. Should the idea of multiskilling be integrated into every course in university journalism studies? Why?
Yes, because as Conley and Lamble (2006) explain, “journalism students who can become confident working across two or more different media platforms will dramatically increase their chances of finding employment and building a solid career.”

7. Is society getting to a point where life as we know it could not survive without the Internet and web?
‘Life as we know it’, definitely. Life however, I doubt it.


Chapter 17: Perils of Defamation

1. You are a newspaper editor. One of your reporters has made an honest mistake that defamed someone. You publish an apology. The person defamed is not satisfied and wants you to print a full page feature story promoting her business or she will sue. What will you do?
If she wants a story demand that she collects the information and puts it together herself. Makes a full page story with little work, aside from touching up her obvious bias. Certainly works better than being sued.

2. Would you support a ‘public figure’ defence for the media that would sharply limit the rights of public figures, ranging from premiers to cricketers and rock stars, to take out defamation suits against the media? Why?
No. Although it would make life easier as a journalist in the short term, out publications would eventually lose all credibility as they published anything without a second thought.

3. You have promised a confidential source that you will not identify her. However, you discover that what she told you is untrue. Your newspaper is sued for defamation. You try to contact the person but she has vanished. Do you reveal her identity in court? Why?
Yes I would reveal her identity. There is no fear of burning the bridge of trust we shared as a source-journalist relationship if she already did that herself. I wouldn’t want her as a source anymore so it wouldn’t phase me.