3 to read: How not to respond to John Oliver | Medium for publishers | Avoiding 10 data mistakes
By Matt Carroll <@MattatMIT>
This week: Hey newspaper guy — when John Oliver’s compliments you in his own funny way, don’t get huffy; How Medium is becoming the tool du jour for publishers; and 10 (avoidable) data reporting mistakes.
- How not to respond to John Oliver’s ode to local newspapers: John Oliver created a hilarious — and thoughtful — video on the importance of journalism. Was it cheeky? Heck, yeah. It’s John Oliver, after all. But at its heart it presented a serious defense of journalism. So what does the president of the Newspaper Association of America do? Trashes Oliver. Not smart. Margaret Sullivan, the media columnist for the Washington Post, takes the guy over the coals. A fun read.
- Understanding Medium as a tool for publishing: Medium is becoming a major player as a platform that publishers are eager to use. What’s its secret? Its incredible network that connects writers, readers, and ideas. John Battelle interviews founder Ev Williams on building a networked platform for publishing.
- How to avoid 10 common mistakes in data reporting: I’m not a huge fan of listicles because they tend to be so click-baity. But this is an exception. Sean Mussenden of the University of Maryland’s Capital News Service gives good advice for anyone interested in using data for a story. Good for newbies and veterans. eg: Don’t overestimate the meaning of your data.
BONUS: NewsPix helps digital newsrooms reinforce their brand: NewsPix is a free, open-source tool that presents a stream of news photos to readers. The Chrome extension is now open to any newsroom developer who’s interested. So dive right in. Asahi Shimbun, one of the world’s largest news organizations, just started using it. (Transparency alert: I helped develop NewsPix with my partner, Catherine D’Ignazio, a professor at Emerson College.)
- Get notified via email: Send note to 3toread (at) gmail.com
- “3 to read” online
Matt Carroll runs the Future of News initiative at the MIT Media Lab.
