Friday, September 16, 2005
CBS News is blogging itself
CBS News has created a blog about what it does, gather and report news, called Public Eye.
They say:
It was launched, apparently with little fanfare, on September 12. Now other bloggers are picking up on it and the word is out.
One of the features is Outside Voices where "Each week we’ll invite someone from the outside to weigh in with their thoughts about CBS News and the media at large." This week it is journalism prof turned blogger named Jay Rosen.
They're also saying: "PE will select one CBS News employee we want you to get to know a little bit about. We’ll ask them 10 questions from us and one question from readers." The first person they chose is their LA bureau chief, not one of the on-air stars.
One task for CBS Public Eye is to respond immediately to other blogs and public criticism of the network's news, something I recommended in my blog, How to save the CBC.
Worth reading is their "About Public Eye" (mission statement for those who went to Niagara) page.
It's pretty clear that CBS is doing this for two reasons. First, of course, they were stung by the scandal over the forged Bush service record. And they discuss that openly in the A Short History entry. Second, CBS is trying to find its new niche in the 21st century marketplace by going heavily digital in every way it can. Blogging is just one step.
One can only look up at the rain soaked walls of the Toronto Broadcast Centre today and wonder what the hell are they thinking in there?
Technorati tags
journalism, CBC, blog, news, lockout,
CBClockout, CBS,
CBS News,
4:41 PM posted by Robin Rowland
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CBS News has created a blog about what it does, gather and report news, called Public Eye.
They say:
No major broadcast or cable network has ever tried anything like Public Eye. We are learning as we go. We’re asking our audience to be unabashed and prolific in participating, honest but generous when we blunder and not too reticent if we happen to do something well upon occasion.
It was launched, apparently with little fanfare, on September 12. Now other bloggers are picking up on it and the word is out.
One of the features is Outside Voices where "Each week we’ll invite someone from the outside to weigh in with their thoughts about CBS News and the media at large." This week it is journalism prof turned blogger named Jay Rosen.
They're also saying: "PE will select one CBS News employee we want you to get to know a little bit about. We’ll ask them 10 questions from us and one question from readers." The first person they chose is their LA bureau chief, not one of the on-air stars.
One task for CBS Public Eye is to respond immediately to other blogs and public criticism of the network's news, something I recommended in my blog, How to save the CBC.
Worth reading is their "About Public Eye" (mission statement for those who went to Niagara) page.
Public Eye’s fundamental mission is to bring transparency to the editorial operations of CBS News — transparency that is unprecedented for broadcast and online journalism.
And what, exactly, is transparency? It has several aspects, but most simply it is this: the journalists who make the important editorial decisions at CBS News and CBSNews.com will now be asked to explain and answer questions about those decisions in a public forum.
Public Eye will be run by a team of independent and experienced journalists. They will take questions, criticisms and observations from our vast and articulate audience to the people of CBS News and try to come back with some answers, explanations and analyses. The Public Eye team will also report on CBS News, working sources, talking to the reporters, producers and executives who make the news, not just to the press office.
It's pretty clear that CBS is doing this for two reasons. First, of course, they were stung by the scandal over the forged Bush service record. And they discuss that openly in the A Short History entry. Second, CBS is trying to find its new niche in the 21st century marketplace by going heavily digital in every way it can. Blogging is just one step.
One can only look up at the rain soaked walls of the Toronto Broadcast Centre today and wonder what the hell are they thinking in there?
Technorati tags
journalism, CBC, blog, news, lockout,
CBClockout, CBS,
CBS News,
4:41 PM posted by Robin Rowland
Permanent Link
