hyperlinking & online journalism
TRANSCRIPT
HYPERLINKSin online journalism
Glennon, Ginty & O'Connor, April 9, 2010
• Niall on the concept of the hyperlink and its place in online journalism
• Mike on the ethics of hyperlinking and the case study of WikiLeaks' Apache shooting Iraqis video
• Cian on where links are used and where links should be used
Introduction
• “A connection that allows you to move easily between two computer documents or two pages on the Internet” - Cambridge Dictionary
A hyperlink is...
• “A connection that allows you to move easily between two computer documents or two pages on the internet” - Cambridge Dictionary
• “...the building block of the democratization of information”- Daniel Luhzer
A hyperlink is...
• “A connection that allows you to move easily between two computer documents or two pages on the Internet” - Cambridge Dictionary
• “...the building block of the democratization of information”- Daniel Luhzer
• “To make reference without making a link is possible but ineffective – like speaking with a paper bag over your head” - Tim Berners-Lee
A hyperlink is...
Tim...
Image: Silvio Tanaka (CC) Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic
Tim... and a paper bag
Image: Silvio Tanaka (CC) Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 GenericBag: By Lara Schneider (CC) Attribution 2.0 Generic
BBC.co.uk
Reuters
The link dispute
• Linking users to outside information has become a contentious issue
The link dispute
• Linking users to outside information has become a contentious issue
• Newspaper publishers opposed to deep linking by blogs and news sites
The link dispute
• Linking users to outside information has become a contentious issue
• Newspaper publishers opposed to deep linking by blogs and news sites
• CopiePresse vs Google - over the aggregation of news
The link dispute
• “Our service aims to encourage readers to get a broader perspective by digging deeper into the news – finding ten articles, instead of one perhaps” - Google News
The Link Dispute
• “Our service aims to encourage readers to get a broader perspective by digging deeper into the news – finding ten articles, instead of one perhaps” - Google News
• “It’s an infraction of Belgian and EU laws, the newspapers are losing money this way and above all, Google thinks it is outside the law.- CopiePresse
Google News
Producers’ weariness
• “If you operate a web site and wish to link to Latimes.com, you may link only to the home page, latimes.com, and not to any other page or subdomain of Latimes.com” - LA Times
Producers’ weariness
• “If you operate a web site and wish to link to Latimes.com, you may link only to the home page, latimes.com, and not to any other page or subdomain of Latimes.com” - LA Times
• "You generally do not need to request reprint permission if you are requesting a text link only back to washingtonpost.com. We reserve the right however, to revoke permission at any time” - Washington Post
Govolsxtra.com
Linking and journalism
• Newsrooms relinquishing monopoly-control ‘gatekeepers approach’
Linking and journalism
• Newsrooms relinquishing monopoly-control ‘gatekeepers approach’
• To have news “supplemented by links to other original reporting done by other newsrooms – and by individuals”
Linking and journalism
• Newsrooms relinquishing monopoly-control ‘gatekeepers approach’
• To have news “supplemented by links to other original reporting done by other newsrooms – and by individuals”
• Whilst the “reported quote” is essential to journalism, the “reported link” MUST become an essential
Linking and journalism
• Newsrooms relinquishing monopoly-control ‘gatekeepers approach’
• To have news “supplemented by links to other original reporting done by other newsrooms – and by individuals”
• Whilst the “reported quote” is essential to journalism, the “reported link” MUST become an essential
Source: Scott Karp
And on to Mike...
Hyperlinks
Church / State separation
=
Editorial / Advertisement separation
Can be hard to detect online
Reluctance to link off-site• Implied endorsement
Can they vouch for content on external sites?
Reluctance to link off-site• Implied endorsement
Can they vouch for content on external sites?
• EconomicKeeping users on site so they are exposed to site ads
Reluctance to link off-site• Implied endorsement
Can they vouch for content on external sites?
• EconomicKeeping users on site so they are exposed to site ads
Source: Cecilia Friend,
Online Journalism Ethics
Case study: WikiLeaks
Examples of…
Case study: WikiLeaks
Examples of…
• Gatekeeping?
Case study: WikiLeaks
Examples of…
• Gatekeeping?
• Interactivity and authoritive referencing
Case study: WikiLeaks
Examples of…
• Gatekeeping?
• Interactivity and authoritive referencing
• Links that navigate away from a media outlet’s website
Case study: WikiLeaks
Examples of…
• Gatekeeping?
• Interactivity and authoritive referencing
• Links that navigate away from a media outlet’s website
• Cynical advertising?
Washingtonpost.com
Washingtonpost.com
Independent.ie
Independent.ie
Independent.ie
*May not be related to original enquiry
BBC.co.uk
BBC.co.uk
…links to WikiLeaks
But ads link elsewhere
But ads link elsewhere
NYTimes.com
NYTimes.com
And on to Cian...
Links in article text?
• RTE.ie - Not used
Links in article text?
• RTE.ie - Not used
• Irishtimes.com - Not used
Links in article text?
• RTE.ie - Not used
• Irishtimes.com - Not used
• Independent.ie - Only to archive
Links in article text?
• RTE.ie - Not used
• Irishtimes.com - Not used
• Independent.ie - Only to archive
• Irishexaminer.com - Not used
Links in article text?
• RTE.ie - Not used
• Irishtimes.com - Not used
• Independent.ie - Only to archive
• Irishexaminer.com - Not used
within main article text, excluding on blogs
Not just Irish sites...
• NYTimes.com - Only to archive
Not just Irish sites...
• NYTimes.com - Only to archive
• Timesonline.co.uk - Not used
Not just Irish sites...
• NYTimes.com - Only to archive
• Timesonline.co.uk - Not used
• CNN.com - Not used
Not just Irish sites...
• NYTimes.com - Only to archive
• Timesonline.co.uk - Not used
• CNN.com - Not used
• Aljazeera.com - Not used
Not just Irish sites...
• NYTimes.com - Only to archive
• Timesonline.co.uk - Not used
• CNN.com - Not used
• Aljazeera.com - Not used
within main article text, excluding on blogs
Is it all that bad?
• No, some old media outlets have started to use link in some articles
Is it all that bad?
• No, some old media outlets have started to use link in some articles
• Sites like Guardian.co.uk have started to sometimes use links to more than just the archive
Is it all that bad?
• No, some old media outlets have started to use link in some articles
• Sites like Guardian.co.uk have started to sometimes use links to more than just the archive
• And other sites, like BBC.co.uk, use the side bar to link off-site
Where to use links?
• Related articles
Where to use links?
• Related articlesFor example: Newspapers often do not link together articles which are linked (by footnote, or placement) in printed editions
Where to use links?
• Related articlesFor example: Newspapers often do not link together articles which are linked (by footnote, or placement) in printed editions
• Articles about reports
Where to use links?
• Related articlesFor example: Newspapers often do not link together articles which are linked (by footnote, or placement) in printed editions
• Articles about reportsFor example: State reports are put online, and reporters can only write so much about them
Where to use links?
• Articles on polls, surveys etc
Where to use links?
• Articles on polls, surveys etcFor example: EU Eurobarometer surveys are all online
Where to use links?
• Articles on polls, surveys etcFor example: EU Eurobarometer surveys are all online
• Articles mentioning websites
Where to use links?
• Articles on polls, surveys etcFor example: EU Eurobarometer surveys are all online
• Articles mentioning websitesSure, somebody can retype it or copy and paste it, but why not link when the address is being given?
Where to use links?
• Article referring to audio/video
Where to use links?
• Article referring to audio/videoIf it’s legal, link to it. If it’s legal but possibility offence, just link and warn.
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