Mediainfocenter.org was developed and is managed by the Media Management Center at Northwestern University. It is allied with the Kellogg School of Management and the Medill School. One of its main purposes is to educate senior executives from all media industries with its data and research on some of the media’s most complex problems. It also participates with media companies in projects that engage challenging issues in terms of strategy, marketing, content and sales force productivity. The site’s development was sponsored by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight foundation.
The most prominent item on the site’s home page is a list of links to recent media-related news. The links take readers to news and research sites like New York Times, Advertising Age, Reuters and others. Some of the news headlines include, “Hulu’s a towering success-just not financially,” “Music video games primed for new dance revolution,” and “2009 newspaper ad revenue fell to level not seen since 1985.”
On the left side of the home page, readers can find a list of links, like newspaper data for example. That link has links to information about newspaper circulation, employment, ad revenue, audience demographics and more. There is another link with similar information about magazines and books, and one for interactive data. Another link on the list takes site readers to film and programming data, while another contains information about world press freedom. Another link has information about journalism schools, and another, the First Amendment.
The site also includes links to a blog, MMMCDigiMe, on the right side of the home page. The blog’s topics vary and are written by several different authors, but all relate to issues in the media. One blog is titled, “What if news searched for you?” and another, “Hyperlocal News - A Perspective from Outside.in.” The blog discusses issues that are often prominent in the news, but from a different, more personal perspective that makes readers think.
There are also links on the home page to recent media research conducted by the Media Management Center. Overall, the site is structured clearly and easy to navigate.
This site can be very useful for journalists because it contains so much relevant news, research and statistical information. The statistical information can be especially helpful to news organizations who are trying to improve their readership and need some basic information on news readership and demographics in general. It can also just help keep journalists up-to-date about current media trends. It’s important for journalists to stay in-the know about media issues so they can do journalism accordingly. Journalism education shouldn’t end after journalism school—this site is proof that it can’t, because the media is constantly changing, and journalists must stay up with what is going on.
Many of the site’s news articles and research address the issues of journalism innovation and changes. One Media Management Center study is titled, “Life beyond print: Newspaper journalists’ digital appetite,” which discusses a survey that found almost half of the journalists believe that their newsroom's transition from print to digital is moving too slowly. Some of the site’s news articles address journalism innovation, too. One article is about how the soon-to-be-unveiled Apple iPad will change the image of magazines. Another article addresses how online TV-watching is becoming an interactive experience, and another talks about the relevance of print newspapers in an online age. So clearly the site is addressing the issues of the changing journalism industry, and sends the message that journalists should be thinking about them and how to respond to them.
I would give this site a rating of 5 because it seems like an excellent resource for journalists in terms of relevant research and news. It keeps journalists in-the-know about important issues and shows them how to respond to the ever-changing news industry. Overall, it’s a thoroughly-researched, legitimate site that gives journalists the news and resources they need.
I agree with Caitlin. This website seems very throughly researched and has an abundance of information. Once I started looking around I began to se the importance of this website. I have to admit though, the first time I looked at this website it looked very overwhelming. So many things to lok at and I didn't really know where to start.
ReplyDeleteThis has to be one of the most overwhelming Web sites I have ever seen. It is almost like an information dump. The content is quite good once you get past the overwhelming nature of the front page of the Web site, but that does take some getting used to. If the rating of a 5 is based purely on content-then I would agree, but if you factor in readability and appearance then I would drop it to a 4, maybe even a three.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with all of ya'll! This website certainly has an abundance of great information and has a very structured homepage with links to different information in multiple categories. However, when you first come to the website it is extremely overwhelming. The font is very very small on the home page and there is so much information, so for people who are using the site should definitely take it one section at a time. I also agree with the high rating you gave the site because it really does seem like a great resource to use, but in my opinion the layout and appearance would have dropped it down a little lower.
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