That kind of overlay could add interesting context to the reporting we encounter online. But, at the risk of sounding like I’m trying to move people away from Still’s Stoll’s site, there is an opportunity for news organizations to build internal databases of this information and take a role in offering a new, meaningful level of disclosure and information about their journalists and the topics and people they cover.
If we could create standards for the structure of journalist attributes then the databases at different organizations could talk to each other and suddenly we have a very interesting and valuable database of journalists and their work. Of course, news organizations will differ in how much information they ask for and are willing to disclose.
Some outlets may feel comfortable listing phone numbers and e-mail addresses and the employment and education history of their journalists. Others may feel that’s too intrusive. Should they ask their journalists to disclose voting history if they cover politics? What about disclosures regarding any family relations that could crate conflicts of interest?
The possibilities for what could be built are intriguing, though not without challenges and questions. Stoll’s idea is a good one, as is Journalisted in the U.K. What I wonder is if we can move towards some generally agreed upon elements of disclosure that would see more consistency in terms of what news organizations share about their journalists? Can we create a structure for these attributes that enables them to be liberated from traditional bios and internal documents to live and useful and contextual?
The biggest question right now is: will news organizations that have made use of open data and voiced their support for the movement be willing to put their attributes where their mouths, and bylines, are?
Correction of the Week
CORRECTION - An earlier version of this story referred to Cain having a ‘cedar-quality’ mustache. The proper term is ‘theater-quality.’ — Politico
I think the most interested users of this db will be PR practitioners.
#1 Posted by Edward Ericson Jr., CJR on Mon 21 Nov 2011 at 11:34 AM
[That kind of overlay could add interesting context to the reporting we encounter online. But, at the risk of sounding like I’m trying to move people away from Still’s site, there is an opportunity for news organizations to build internal databases of this information and take a role in offering a new, meaningful level of disclosure and information about their journalists and the topics and people they cover.]
OK. Still's site.
Edward: Why not study "Microstyle" by Christopher Johnson and write a comment for CJR? Thanks. Clayton.
#2 Posted by Clayton Burns, CJR on Mon 21 Nov 2011 at 12:07 PM
Slow moving in not having a profile for Romenesko yet:
Search Results:
No profile exists yet for romenesko.
Create a new profile for romenesko.
Even if we had all the minutiae about a journalist, we "still" would not necessarily be making much headway. In the future, reality will be in another space. I suspect. Here is an edited version (I scanned it. I was mildly interested):
[Ira Stoll Age: 38 Average Member Rating: (2 member reviews)
Edit InfoFacebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/ira.stoll
Edit InfoTwitter Account: @IraStoll
Edit InfoPhone Number: 718 499 2199
Edit InfoEmail Address: ira@futureofcapitalism.com
Edit InfoCountry: United States
Edit InfoFrequent Topics of Writing: Business / Economics
Politics
Add a Book Books by Ira Stoll: Samuel Adams: A Life
Edit InfoWork History: Harvard Crimson Los Angeles Times The Forward
Jerusalem Post Wall Street Journal New York Sun FutureOfCapitalism
Edit InfoWebsites/Blogs:Smarter Times FutureOfCapitalism.com
Seth Lipsky].
#3 Posted by Clayton Burns, CJR on Mon 21 Nov 2011 at 12:41 PM
Thanks for spotting that typo, Clayton. We're getting it fixed.
#4 Posted by Craig Silverman, CJR on Mon 21 Nov 2011 at 12:50 PM
Edward's right about PR people being interested in this -- they're already doing it. I was recently given a sales presentation (by phone) by Vocus PR, which offers what you're talking about -- sophisticated software/database with detailed info about journalists, everything from their educational background to their interests to what they're saying on social media -- and helps clients track their approaches to each journalist. They have a team of researchers constantly updating the database.
#5 Posted by Jaclyn, CJR on Mon 21 Nov 2011 at 01:02 PM
Thanks, Craig. Jaclyn, A very interesting comment.
I can't emphasize enough that I think that Christopher Johnson's "Microstyle: The Art of Writing Little" is an excellent focusing text.
It should be swarmed by CJR for its insights.
Journalists should shed their inertia and make a far more determined effort to teach themselves and their readers the style of the future.
#6 Posted by Clayton Burns, CJR on Mon 21 Nov 2011 at 01:29 PM
"I can't emphasize enough that I think that Christopher Johnson's "Microstyle: The Art of Writing Little" is an excellent focusing text."
Everyone with a cell phone and a twitter account is versed in the art of writting little, LOL.
KTHNXBYE!!11!!
#7 Posted by Thimbles, CJR on Mon 21 Nov 2011 at 01:59 PM
Really, "Thimbles?" Is this an attempt to spark a meretricious "flareup"?
Christopher Johnson has an obviously well-earned doctorate from Berkeley in linguistics. He writes intelligently on sound symbolism, which interests me.
We shoot from the hip at CJR reader comments, do we? Anything that moves, open fire. When you hit your foot, which is always, move on to more wild and shallow statements.
We are going to need moderation at this site.
And a little bit of digging, to find out what the trolls are trying to achieve.
#8 Posted by Clayton Burns, CJR on Mon 21 Nov 2011 at 03:56 PM
That just read to me like a harmless joke, Clayton. But the Johnson book does sound interesting. I'll check it out.
#9 Posted by Justin Peters, CJR on Mon 21 Nov 2011 at 04:06 PM
"That just read to me like a harmless joke, Clayton."
I try not to be serious when I can avoid it.
#10 Posted by Thimbles, CJR on Mon 21 Nov 2011 at 04:39 PM
Thought my initial comment was brief, on topic and straight forward. Not sure why Clay thought it fodder for his pitch of Johnson's book.
I have limited interest in that kind of thing, "style of the future" though it may be. I did read "Words That Work" by Frank Luntz, who is a highly skilled putz. I also read a lot of advertisements. So I get my fill.
Gonna try to spend more time with poetry.
#11 Posted by Edward Ericson Jr., CJR on Tue 22 Nov 2011 at 01:34 PM
I suspect Ed's right, but it's worth noting that they already have lots of these services out there that charge decent money to pull a journalist's bio.
I had a flack friend pull mine once back in 2003 or so. I was shocked (and creeped out) at how much info they had--about 50% of it was flat wrong, including, thankfully, that my grandma had died a few months earlier.
#12 Posted by Ryan Chittum, CJR on Tue 22 Nov 2011 at 01:55 PM
Clay likes to pitch fodder.
One of his frequent lapses.
"Words That Work" by Frank Luntz: Since I think that you are a thoughtful person, Edward, I will read it and get back to you.
Christopher Johnson is excellent on sound symbolism. If California universities integrated cognition, English, and linguistics so as to produce three sound system tools for our language, that would be an earth-shaking revolution for our much-parasitized tongue.
A thirty-lyric Internet database with video. "Speaking Cosmetics Talk." And "Macbeth." The other way of doing it is the Cambridge UP "Clear Speech." Quite sad junk.
Let's settle on some poems to discuss: "Ode to a Nightingale." "The Sick Rose." "Sailing to Byzantium."
#13 Posted by Clayton Burns, CJR on Tue 22 Nov 2011 at 02:25 PM