Romenesko readers who can’t get enough news about the American TV business have several options. After starting your tour with Poynter’s most popular blog (which has several items a day about the world of broadcasting), you can try these new-ish free sites:
- TVNewser.com: From Mediabistro comes this blog that brings you news and gossip about TV all day long. I read TVNewser, which is written by Brian Stelter, several times a day to keep up with developments big and small — and far more ratings numbers than I can handle. Read the “about” section to learn how an 18-year-old cable news junkie became a go-to guy for many people in the TV industry.
- TVNewsday.com: This site, launched in January by Harry Jessell, a former editor-in-chief of Broadcasting & Cable magazine, is all about the business side of broadcasting. I asked Jessell how his site is different from TVNewser. His reply: “TVNewser focuses on network news and does a great job. That’s why I put a link to it in a prominent place on my site. TVNEWSDAY is about (and for) TV broadcasting — the station community. Also, TVNEWSDAY is not a blog. Although it does a lot of linking to stories on other sites, it is impersonal and keeps a high wall between opinion and news.”
- BCBeat.com: Broadcasting & Cable runs this blog about the business of TV, a group blog written by, among others, John Eggerton. In the world of blogs, BCBeat’s postings appear much meatier than most. A lot of old-media publications are encouraging their reporters to blog and this might be a good model for them.
And here are three resources that have been around for years:
- TVSpy.com: Don Fitzpatrick’s daily e-mail newsletter, “Shoptalk,” is a must-read in hundreds of newsrooms around the country. For busy TV journalists, the once-a-day-message-in-my-inbox is an easier way to keep up than going out to the Web looking for stuff.
- LostRemote.com: Cory Bergman and Steve Safran were among the earliest bloggers about the news business. Their site is a great way to keep up with the convergence of TV and the Internet. Sites like this can highlight items I might otherwise have missed. In a recent posting about the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, Bergman wrote: “Kudos to NBC for producing what I believe is the best-written six minutes of television I’ve ever witnessed. Earlier tonight, I saw an early feed of the Olympics open in standard definition. Then I raced home to watch it in high-def. The writing, poetry. The voice, eloquent and unique. Not your typical dumbed-down-to-the-lowest-common-denominator stuff. But smart, engaging writing that danced with spectacular photography.” Now I need to find a tape of this.
- TyndallReport.com: Andrew Tyndall’s weekly and annual scorecards are the most-cited statistics about how much time each network devotes to various stories.
UPDATE: Within minutes of this column being posted, I received a couple of messages asking why I hadn’t mentioned NewsBlues.com, another popular resource. I know the site well, but don’t read it because it requires a subscription ($4.95 for a one-week trial; $15.95 for three months; $24.95 for six months) and I wanted this to be about free sites (and have now added the word “free” to the opening para). Plenty of people in the industry do read it, so am adding it to the list. Reader Ruth Ann Harnisch sent in this endorsement: “I’ve made NewsBlues my homepage so that I can start my day with Mike James’ snarky take on the biz, along with a helpful daily grammar lesson from Mrs. B(luezette). The self-proclaimed Surly Editor dares to write what the rest of us are thinking, or would be thinking if we were that clever. Just a few extra words (“silently grinding his teeth”) and this story is made real. No PR (pee-ahr to NewsBlues) goes unpunished.”
YOUR TURN: So, what did I forget? Let me know by leaving your feedback here or by e-mailing poynter@sree.net. Meanwhile, I am finally getting around to my follow-up column about Social Networking for Journalists and am looking to connect with readers at LinkedIn.com [my profile]. Please share your tips and thoughts about using LinkedIn and its competitors.
NOTE: WEB TIPS FRAPPR PROJECT — Help us create a collaborative media project by joining 220+ of our readers at http://www.frappr.com/poynterwebtips. I wrote about in my most recent column, “Your Own Google Maps.”
When you get to the Frappr page, click on “add yourself” on the right of your screen.
If you live in the U.S., put in your name and zip code. Attach a photo (if you wish — optional!). Remove the “Create a Frappr Account for me” (if you don’t want one) by clicking on checkbox. Hit “Add Me.”
If you live outside the U.S., put in your name, then click on “Not in the U.S.? Click Here.” Start typing your city and a menu with your city should show up. Attach a photo (if you wish — optional!). Remove the “Create a Frappr Account for me” (if you don’t want one) by clicking on checkbox. Hit “Add Me.
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