Comments on: The Gazette’s new hyperlocal website and the importance of moral rights http://www.craigsilverman.ca/2008/03/05/the-gazettes-new-hyperlocal-website-and-the-importance-of-moral-rights/ Award-Winning Journalist and Author Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:42:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: The CBC’s bad citizen contributor terms of use : Craig Silverman http://www.craigsilverman.ca/2008/03/05/the-gazettes-new-hyperlocal-website-and-the-importance-of-moral-rights/comment-page-1/#comment-374 The CBC’s bad citizen contributor terms of use : Craig Silverman Tue, 27 May 2008 14:02:44 +0000 http://www.craigsilverman.ca/2008/03/05/the-gazettes-new-hyperlocal-website-and-the-importance-of-moral-rights/#comment-374 [...] March I highlighted some of the problems with the terms & conditions for The Gazette’s new hyperlocal citizen journalism website. [...] [...] March I highlighted some of the problems with the terms & conditions for The Gazette’s new hyperlocal citizen journalism website. [...]

]]> By: On CBC Radio’s Sounds Like Canada tomorrow : Craig Silverman http://www.craigsilverman.ca/2008/03/05/the-gazettes-new-hyperlocal-website-and-the-importance-of-moral-rights/comment-page-1/#comment-250 On CBC Radio’s Sounds Like Canada tomorrow : Craig Silverman Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:25:18 +0000 http://www.craigsilverman.ca/2008/03/05/the-gazettes-new-hyperlocal-website-and-the-importance-of-moral-rights/#comment-250 [...] was asked to go on the show because of a post I wrote about the Gazette’s new hyperlocal/citizen journalism site, and because of my previous [...] [...] was asked to go on the show because of a post I wrote about the Gazette’s new hyperlocal/citizen journalism site, and because of my previous [...]

]]> By: Jim Duff http://www.craigsilverman.ca/2008/03/05/the-gazettes-new-hyperlocal-website-and-the-importance-of-moral-rights/comment-page-1/#comment-196 Jim Duff Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:54:22 +0000 http://www.craigsilverman.ca/2008/03/05/the-gazettes-new-hyperlocal-website-and-the-importance-of-moral-rights/#comment-196 Craig, you're right in hitting on the bottom line button. This is all about the erosion of the paid-circ market. The NADbank/ABC numbers tell us the Montreal Gazette has been bleeding subscribers for the past decade, which is why they're offering weekends-only subscribers the paper seven days a week for a penny more for six months. Why? To keep the advertisers on board. They're fighting the Globe, which offers West Island/off-island business subscribers door delivery for $3 a year. They're fighting the free weeklies in going local and door to door. We deliver free to Hudson, St. Lazare, Vaudreuil-Dorion and Pincourt. The middle two are number five and seven on the top-ten list of Canada's fastest growing municipalities of more than 10,000; the December Statscan numbers showed the biggest influx is by bilingual anglos and allos. Those are droolworthy numbers. Our paper sets the news agenda out here. We cover all municipal and regional council meetings and regularly break stories that are picked up by La Presse, the J de M and the Montreal Gazette. Only the Gaz regularly neglects to credit us when it's clear the story originated with the Hudson/St. Lazare Gazette. I've had exchanges with ME Ray Brassard over 'diffuse provenance.' He counsels me to feel flattered. These posts confirm what I've long suspected — the Gaz has to reinvent itself or die. Part of that equation will be to go free circ, maybe even tabloid in the core market. What we're seeing here is the other shoe dropping. Right now, they're paying their West Island Gazette squaretab contributors $250 for a 600-word story. Against that, free's good. Yes, I'd love to see what the Gaz has to say about all this. Craig, you’re right in hitting on the bottom line button. This is all about the erosion of the paid-circ market. The NADbank/ABC numbers tell us the Montreal Gazette has been bleeding subscribers for the past decade, which is why they’re offering weekends-only subscribers the paper seven days a week for a penny more for six months. Why? To keep the advertisers on board.

They’re fighting the Globe, which offers West Island/off-island business subscribers door delivery for $3 a year.

They’re fighting the free weeklies in going local and door to door. We deliver free to Hudson, St. Lazare, Vaudreuil-Dorion and Pincourt. The middle two are number five and seven on the top-ten list of Canada’s fastest growing municipalities of more than 10,000; the December Statscan numbers showed the biggest influx is by bilingual anglos and allos. Those are droolworthy numbers.

Our paper sets the news agenda out here. We cover all municipal and regional council meetings and regularly break stories that are picked up by La Presse, the J de M and the Montreal Gazette. Only the Gaz regularly neglects to credit us when it’s clear the story originated with the Hudson/St. Lazare Gazette. I’ve had exchanges with ME Ray Brassard over ‘diffuse provenance.’ He counsels me to feel flattered.

These posts confirm what I’ve long suspected — the Gaz has to reinvent itself or die. Part of that equation will be to go free circ, maybe even tabloid in the core market. What we’re seeing here is the other shoe dropping. Right now, they’re paying their West Island Gazette squaretab contributors $250 for a 600-word story. Against that, free’s good.

Yes, I’d love to see what the Gaz has to say about all this.

]]> By: Matt http://www.craigsilverman.ca/2008/03/05/the-gazettes-new-hyperlocal-website-and-the-importance-of-moral-rights/comment-page-1/#comment-187 Matt Thu, 06 Mar 2008 06:09:43 +0000 http://www.craigsilverman.ca/2008/03/05/the-gazettes-new-hyperlocal-website-and-the-importance-of-moral-rights/#comment-187 Nice breakdown. Really nice. I'd like to see The Gazette respond to this. What we all know is that the first time The Gazette or Canwest "steals" a contribution from one of its West Island writers or photographers, that will be the dagger through the heart of this project. A thousand journalists working for free also means a thousand journalists watching the administrators of the site closely. But I also agree that it would be nice to see this project succeed for everyone involved. Poor design, though, as Fagstein points out. Would they restrict their above-the-fold content to a bunch of photos without cut-lines on their physical paper too? I doubt it. Nice breakdown. Really nice.

I’d like to see The Gazette respond to this.

What we all know is that the first time The Gazette or Canwest “steals” a contribution from one of its West Island writers or photographers, that will be the dagger through the heart of this project.

A thousand journalists working for free also means a thousand journalists watching the administrators of the site closely.

But I also agree that it would be nice to see this project succeed for everyone involved.

Poor design, though, as Fagstein points out. Would they restrict their above-the-fold content to a bunch of photos without cut-lines on their physical paper too? I doubt it.

]]> By: Fagstein » Gazette creating West Island hyper-local website http://www.craigsilverman.ca/2008/03/05/the-gazettes-new-hyperlocal-website-and-the-importance-of-moral-rights/comment-page-1/#comment-185 Fagstein » Gazette creating West Island hyper-local website Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:50:24 +0000 http://www.craigsilverman.ca/2008/03/05/the-gazettes-new-hyperlocal-website-and-the-importance-of-moral-rights/#comment-185 [...] Craig Silverman, a freelancer and blogger, takes issue with the terms of service, which he accuses of “bad faith” because it demands you waive moral rights (i.e. the right not to have your work distorted to say [...] [...] Craig Silverman, a freelancer and blogger, takes issue with the terms of service, which he accuses of “bad faith” because it demands you waive moral rights (i.e. the right not to have your work distorted to say [...]

]]> By: Roberto Rocha http://www.craigsilverman.ca/2008/03/05/the-gazettes-new-hyperlocal-website-and-the-importance-of-moral-rights/comment-page-1/#comment-182 Roberto Rocha Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:28:15 +0000 http://www.craigsilverman.ca/2008/03/05/the-gazettes-new-hyperlocal-website-and-the-importance-of-moral-rights/#comment-182 Great post, Craig. Very insightful and well thought out. These are indeed important points for The Gazette to consider. Thanks for the quick feedback. Great post, Craig. Very insightful and well thought out. These are indeed important points for The Gazette to consider. Thanks for the quick feedback.

]]> By: Chris Moran http://www.craigsilverman.ca/2008/03/05/the-gazettes-new-hyperlocal-website-and-the-importance-of-moral-rights/comment-page-1/#comment-181 Chris Moran Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:31:04 +0000 http://www.craigsilverman.ca/2008/03/05/the-gazettes-new-hyperlocal-website-and-the-importance-of-moral-rights/#comment-181 I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you. Chris Moran I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you.

Chris Moran

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