Blurred Keys

Does more journalism courses equal a higher standard of writing?

Shane Hegarty, over at the Irish Times blogs asks if "All these journalism courses must mean a higher standard of writing … right?"

He has got a bit of a debate going in the comments section too. We might comment more on this later. (via mulley.net)

Hegarty's post last year on a higher diploma in journalism by the Irish Academy of Public Relations is quite amusing.

NUJ's 'Journalist' magazine goes online

The National Union of Journalists’ magazine, Journalist, has gone online, with at least the April edition only being distributed in digital form.

While the publication was previously only posted to NUJ members, it can now be viewed at thejournalist.org.uk.

A PDF version is also downloadable, and is designed for printing in A4.

Student media in Ireland is all but offline

Why aren't Irish student newspapers online? Few have sites with content pages, a few more with just PDFs, others with out-of-date PDFs, and more with no working website at all.

Irish Times' €5m revamp out Monday

Cover price to go up from €1.70 to €1.80 weekdays, and €2 on Saturdays

The Irish Times is due to start rolling out an extensive revamp tomorrow, but the move appears to be far short of a total redesign.

It will include a brush-up of the main section of the newspaper, an extra daily comment page, new supplements, and a redesign of current supplements. Extra pull-outs include a travel section and a weekly pictures supplement.

According to the Sunday Business Post, the makeover will cost €5 million. Readers will be asked to cough up an extra 10c on weekdays and 20c on Saturdays.

The revamp was handled by the Scottish newspaper design firm Palmer Watson. They have recently worked with the Irish Times on a redesign of the Ticket entertainment supplement and the design of the paper's Innovation monthly business magizine. 

With Irish newspaper, Palmer Watson have previously introduced a complete redesign of the Sunday Independent, worked on a relaunch of Galway City Tribune, on the now ill-fated Dublin Daily, and also with the Irish Independent injecting more colour into the paper.

Financial journalists too close to business?

The Cleraun media forum continues next Monday, February 25, at 8pm to 9.30pm with Damien Kiberd chairing a session which will ask if financial journalists are too close to business.

Kiberd, who presents Down to Business on Newstalk, was a founder and former editor of the Sunday Business Post. He also currently writes a business column for the Irish edition of the Sunday Times.

The forums are free to attend and informal affairs. They are held near UCD at the Cleraun University Centre, 90 Foster Avenue, Mount Merrion. Cleraun is run by Opus Dei. For more see: www.cleraun.com.

CORRECTION: For a short time this post first said the above event was on 'tonight' rather then correctly saying 'next Monday, February 25'. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused.

Irish media trust up among 'opinion elites'

The 2008 Edelman Trust Barometer has recorded a rise in trust of the mainstream media in Ireland among what the PR firm calls 'opinion elites'.

The survey was conducted using 30-minute telephone interviews among 150 college-educated respondents aged between 35 and 64. All were within the top 25 percent of household income nationally.

Irish tech journalists say 'don’t call us'

A survey of Irish technology journalists revealed earlier this month that the vast majority agree a follow-up call to a press release is usually unhelpful.

The Technology Journalists’ Association (TJAI) of Ireland polled 21 tech journalists, 82 percent classed follow up calls as “usually unhelpful”, while an even larger amount, 91 percent, said language used in press releases is aimed at clients rather then journalists.

Blog awards: Best Blog from a Journalist

The long list for of the Irish Blog Awards' Best Blog from a Journalist has been apparently 'leaked' (also below the gap).

Meanwhile, Blurred Keys' list of Irish journalist who blog has expanded to just under 40.

New Irish music mag to launch March

A new monthly Irish music publication, State Magazine, is to release its first edition on March 6, describing it self as a quality monthly music magazine aimed at the Electric Picnic generation.

The magazine’s website, State.ie, is already online with content such as Ireland-exclusive interviews.

State is should stand somewhere between the mainstream Hotpress and the underground Foggy Notions.

MORE: Mag to aim at Electric Picnic generation
MORE: Ireland's new music monthly states its case
MORE: Online edit talks of his involvement

Irish Press Ombudsman opens today

The Office of the Press Ombudsman in Dublin is to open its doors for the first time today.

According to presscouncil.ie, the website of the ombudsman and the Press Council of Ireland, complaints will be accepted for articles published in newspapers or magazines after today.