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Style Guide Basics

All new writers and journalists should become familiar with at least The Associated Press Stylebook, and the Chicago Manual of Style. Usage rules and even spelling may vary between the standards, but the key to good writing remains simplicity and consistency.

Media Industry Evolution in Middle East

The Arab Spring gave new meaning to the power of social media. Ever since the advent, the news and media industry in the Middle East has been evolving rapidly. The growth, particularly of the Arabic platforms of social media networks and mobile broadband access presents the industry and marketers with many new opportunities and content challenges.

New Digs for BBC News

BBC’s New Broadcasting House is finally taking off with the move of BBC World News this month. Despite running late and over budget, the building is certainly impressive and holds much potential with respect to its goals. Successful collaboration however will take more than just a unified physical location, the right processes and journalist mindset needs to be in place.

Convergence and Journalism

Technology convergence affects the entire journalism value chain: from news production processes through to the ultimate consumption by the end user. This article looks at some of the drivers of this convergence as well as the current technology trends that are likely to impact journalism in the near future.

Editorial control of talk shows in South Africa

Freedom of speech in South Africa was dealt a serious blow recently by a decision to centralise editorial control of all SABC radio talk shows. The blanket directive covers content related to political issues and governance and has caused an uproar by many media activist groups in the country. For now, the public have little choice but to hope that any political meddling will be exposed through alternative channels.

News Website Design Series – Part 1

This is the first article in a series on news website design. Part 1 of this online design series covers the subject of appearance and layout of news websites. Subjects addressed include colour schemes, layout formats and responsive design considerations.