Irish Content Farms

uvox

Noticed Margaret E Ward having a go at the free journalism sector (I presume DuffPo, Journal.ie, Storyful, and so on )

http://www.broadsheet.ie/2011/08/25/margeret-e-ward-turns-us-down-again/

I don't think there's any threat to quality quality journalism from free contributions, what do you think?

(I am also appalled not to see Sinead O'Connor and Twink on Peggy's list: http://journalist.ie/2010/11/women-contributors-to-irish-media/ - quite a few mentions of herself though. Bless.)

jdivision

It's not the free contributions, it's the fact they lift other people's work (even with accreditation, they're still lifting it) and gain from the advertising that their sites attract.

jmcc

jdivision wrote: »

It's not the free contributions, it's the fact they lift other people's work (even with accreditation, they're still lifting it) and gain from the advertising that their sites attract.

Unlike the journalists who recycle press releases and pass them off as their own work.

The problem with quality journalism is that there is so little of it and much of what passes for quality journalism in Ireland is mere windbaggery. Good Content Farms can provide commentary with links back to the original article. They drive traffic. Content Farms have shown how rare good journalism is in the Irish media. (BTW it is attribution rather than accreditation.)

As for that Storyful thing, it was laughable to see Mark Little getting the IIA's technology journalist of the year award - but then the press release recyclers who received it in the past kind of set the tone. I don't think that IIA has a TJ award this year.

Regards...jmcc

uvox

The same award they gave to yesterday's man Twenty Major? Utter buffoonery. Is he back in RTE yet? Not that he ever actuall left.

On the subject of well-qualified tech insight, according to the Phoenix, the Irish Times cybersorter, Amanda Browne, is a HR director of Kylemore.

http://www.ksg.ie/about_us/senior_management.html

Presumably well connected.

jmcc

uvox wrote: »

The same award they gave to yesterday's man Twenty Major? Utter buffoonery. Is he back in RTE yet? Not that he ever actuall left.

No. I think that both Karlin and Adrian received the award in the past. Not sure if Little is back in RTE yet. That award was a disgrace - it was sponsored by a PR company. But that's the old IIA rather than the current one.

On the subject of well-qualified tech insight, according to the Phoenix, the Irish Times cybersorter, Amanda Browne, is a HR director of Kylemore.

A cybersorter? Haven't read the Phoenix yet but is she in charge of the technology section or the website?

Regards...jmcc

uvox

In charge of neither as far as I can tell.

jmcc

Interesting the way that very little of the stuff in the Irish Times technology section is picked up by content farms. This week's Netresults column is such badly replicated rubbish that whomever is in charge of that section must really be unaware of the same Star Trek guff appearing every few months. Despite the argument about content farms not paying for content, what I can't understand is how this stuff is paid for in the first place. Perhaps content farms are the key to identifying good content.

Regards...jmcc

uvox

Haven't read it but I figure if it's Star Trek then it's Karlin Lillington. Watch out for reshash of content on immigration figures, the joy of being an intern, innovation in silicon valley, references to Sand Hill road VCs, San Jose Tech Museum, San Francisco Chronicle, the Merc, etc., etc.

jmcc

uvox wrote: »

Haven't read it but I figure if it's Star Trek then it's Karlin Lillington. Watch out for reshash of content on immigration figures, the joy of being an intern, innovation in silicon valley, references to Sand Hill road VCs, San Jose Tech Museum, San Francisco Chronicle, the Merc, etc., etc.

Yep. The Irish Times has a wonderful opportunity to reformat that section and I think that more original content would be better than that kind of recycled rubbish. The Irish Times wanted to be like the New York Times with its tech section but absolutely failed because of the poor technological quality of its journalists.

Compare this:
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/technology/index.html

with this:

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/


Regards...jmcc

uvox

Another smug article by Karlin Lillington. What this has to do with tech beats me. Plus, whatver about the holier-than-tho tone, the perspective is wrong and outdated.

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/technology/emigration-can-be-lifeblood-for-the-young-and-the-economy-1.1547766

This is at least the third such article she has written. Why?

Great job, having the Irish Times fly you to Silicon Valley to write bollocks and then insult those who suffer the emotional pain of emigration.