Continues on Hello Spiders

blog about unis and Guardian reporting will be on Hello Spiders blog

More on Guardian / intro on UK unis

Another Monday without anything on Media in the print version of Guardian. Long ago there were always several pages. Recently more or less a blog so one person on holiday blows it out. My conclusion -  the value offer is getting worse. Straight line projection of OFCOM numbers on newspaper decline suggests print could vanish within five years. Or it could be quicker. the product is not funded to get any better. Readers may notice. There could be a collapse.

The Reader's Editor is concerned about Trump and welcomes thinkers outside the news cycle and the "Twitter stormfronts".  They offer hope if journalists give them voice. My take is this implies that twitter offers no hope at all. There are only proper journalists to be considered. As far as I can make out the numbers on Guardian Media Group the UK print is in decline including the advertising. If the Guardian becomes mostly online and depends on sponsors for support will they eventually reconsider the model of journalism based on the restrictions of print. The web is read / write. See previous posts and links. ( Bring back Jeff Jarvis, there must be a budget somewhere. )

Then there is a briefing on university degrees. UK about to have a few weeks of clearing, recruit students for new year. Similar content in pullout on Saturday. Thing is, not much on of online degrees, or mixing MOOC with employment. Here is the paragraph ( almost the last one )

The academic route isn’t for everyone. There are plenty of alternatives, including distance learning and online courses, which can be done remotely and part-time. Further education colleges offer higher apprenticeships and foundation degrees, which combine academic and vocational study.

The Saturday version had lots of page ads from UK unis so the emphasis on campus is easy to understand. But this is part of the "Journal" middle bit of the print Guardian. It could have a bit more reporting. Continues in next post.

If the Guardian had a good look at what is happening with EdTech they may have to rethink what is happening with news.

Guardian Media Group has a problem with Corbyn and social media

Needs more space than just a tweet.

Observer yesterday bit of a worry. Another story on Labour and antisemitism , this time based on report about social media. Please make your own checks, opinion is variable. But mine is that the Guardian Media Group is out of balance. I rarely find anything supporting Corbyn or direct quotes. Again do your own check.

Online version has photo of Tom Watson. Print version has photo of Rachel Riley , described as "Countdown presenter who has spoken out on the issue" . This understates the situation as far as I can tell. Print version Aug 4th, this tweet from Aug 2nd.

Surely the attack on the Canary is part of the story? Why ignore it in the report?

Background is the continuing decline of print circulations, the age profile of existing print subscribers, the growing use of social media for news (OFCOM report ).

The Observer story is just missing things out.

By the way, no Media Guardian today in the print version. Another £2.20 spent on false information. Maybe tomorrow there will be a banner on the front to let us know if the education people are on holiday as well.

Many years ago Guardian Unlimited Talk was trashed without warning. My guess is that pro print journalists just do not like the idea of the readers making a comment. Meanwhile various forms of news social media have gained in strength. My guess is this will continue. Comment welcome.

Labour antisemitism reporting, USA policy context

Have stayed clear of this as very complicated, but recent story too far gone to ignore. I often think the Guardian agenda opposed to Corbyn is such that the antisemitism issue has more attention than news values would suggest. But his may just be me.

Still, latest example here link to Guardian story on Pompeo . Fit narrative of UK concern with LAbour and antisemitism. But fails to mention context of meeting about Israel and Palestine. See story in Medium. Similar problem with report in Express.

So how will this develop? Could be more pressure from Pompeo and Trump. But press reports should mention USA policy on Israel and Palestine. Another example of UK press just a bit limited to UK. Twitter could find more context.

Comment welcome if i missed another story in Guardian or Express.

Why no by-election ?

Putting this here because Guardian is most obvious link newspapers and recent resignations from Labour Party.

There is a report on an inside page that in a northern constituency some would welcome a by election. But this issue not in an "analysis" or editorial.

I dropped the #FBPE tag when it became so strident and obviously anti Corbyn. There is a reason for the discussion inside the Labour Party to respond to concerns that caused people to support Brexit. Just turning up the volume is not a way to persuade.

So now in the context of a Brexit crisis over the next few weeks some have decided that another split is useful in some way. If the idea is to force another referendum why do they not want more elections? They could raise the issue.

My guess it would be too easy for Leave to describe them as elite big city people, cut off from most opinion. Corbyn could do well not just on the same issues as last election but offering some version of an agreement with EU.

Am I off topic yet for this blog? Supposed to be about the Guardian, not just my opinions. May have reached a point when the mishmash of centre whatever the columnists have put together ceases to make any sense at all. Surely there was a time when G supported Labour? Maybe false memory. Anyway, will link this on Fleet Street in Europe and Cyberspace.