Authors
Ducks, cabbages and 'reform' in the AV Referendum
I've been accused of some things - but calling a duck a cabbage is one of the weirder ones. When I published the BBC's guidance for covering the AV Referendum (downloadable document available here), it provoked the 'Yes' campaign to organise an online petition to have my advice reversed, claim...
BBC journalism fellowships 2014-15: Applications close 11 March
BBC journalists still have time to apply for two prestigious fellowships designed to enable experienced people to step out of their day job.
Why news that’s live, social and platform-friendly is the kind that cuts through
In order to make their breaking news stand out from the crowd, media outlets are crafting journalism in a way that makes the most of popular social platforms to reach new audiences.
Jailing Twitter trolls may not be the deterrent we think it is
The sentences handed down to John Nimmo and Isabella Sorley might deter a few but I think the effect the sentences have will be far more limited than people hope.
How BBC Ebola WhatsApp service is battling virus and finding great stories
BBC World Service wanted to get vital health information on Ebola direct to people’s mobiles in West Africa. WhatsApp was the answer.
Reporting the Scottish referendum v UK election - you win some, you lose some
Our referendum project had an amazing reception, winning more than 300,000 views and the Hugh Cudlipp award. Our general election coverage failed to get a reaction.
Google not to blame for journalism's woes
Guest blog by the Google executive and former BBC journalist. Some have singled out Google as being to blame for journalism's current woes. Unsurprisingly, I disagree. If Google didn't exist, the problems of the loss of classified ad revenue, the economic crisis and the decline in subscriptio...
Carry on tweeting in Cornish courts
A surprisingly enlightened attitude to using Twitter in court has emerged in the far south-west of England. On a recent visit to West Cornwall magistrates court in Truro with a group of journalism students, I got permission to tweet during proceedings. A significant blow for press freedom? Br...
Iranian journalists face growing threat of imprisonment in pre-election crackdown
As Iran gears up for presidential elections on 14 June, the threats faced by Iranian journalists once again make depressing reading. About 50 reporters currently jailed.
Coping with the conditions for media access to Guantanamo
Guantanamo has been called a gulag. But then how many gulags open their doors to the world media? Guantanamo has a steady stream of journalists visiting. Getting access is relatively easy.
This election will be complex, simple, social. So how do we cover it? #Polis
This year’s UK election is going to be one of the hardest to report for decades, and yet for some journalists it could also be the easiest. Either way, it’s going to be a fascinating story to cover.
Reporting disasters in a connected newsroom: The evolution of BBC News
BBC News has learnt to make the most of user-generated content and social media as sources through its experience with a series of big crisis stories.
How 'You' have changed the BBC’s journalism
The Media Guardian’s recent top 100 list of the most powerful figures in media had an unusual new entry which claimed top spot: You.
Miriam O'Reilly case: an obsession with youth - or reach?
The tribunal judgment on Miriam O'Reilly, the Countryfile presenter, is fair and welcome, not just for her but for the audience as a whole - which expects to see a wide range of faces presenting programmes. But in one respect some press comment has been unfair. Channel controllers h...
When journalism meets Snapchat
The production of a Panorama film has been made public before transmission through postings on Snapchat. Is this the way for a long-running current affairs series to engage a younger audience?
How two rookie reporters interviewed the Duke of York
Days after radio training in Bristol, I found myself preparing to help two students on the verge of university make the most of their day as reporters.
The perils of the frontline - a BBC conference
Journalism can be a dangerous occupation. The International News Safety Institute (INSI) reports that 60 journalists have died so far this year. Syria, India, Egypt, Somalia and Pakistan have the highest death rates.
The dangers of accident mapping
The BBC's interactive road accident map shows how data can be made to look groovy and enlightening and that there's a great deal of potentially useful data out there. But if I've understood it right, it gives our audiences a bad steer (excuse the pun) because it doesn't seem to be unadjuste...
Cameron should practise his listening shots: why radio is easier than TV
David Cameron has never given an unconfident, unpolished interview in his life. It is what he does well, and it is why he was chosen to lead his party: when the Tories had to take on Blair they needed someone a lot more voter-friendly than Michael Howard.
Reporting conflict: competition, pressures and risk
A lot of the navel gazing about this summer's 'liberation' of Tripoli has got more to do with petty rivalries between big corporations than a genuine desire to rethink the way we report conflict.
