DIGITAL- The top video in the Viral Video Chart right now is this clip of U.S. TV station KFYR’s latest addition to the news team, and for good reason. Within seconds of starting his first live broadcast he managed to swear not once, but twice, distracting his co-anchor and upsetting the bosses no end. So far as we’re aware he’s no longer in the same job.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_uX1RczgQA
DIGITAL- The Independent has expanded its offering with a new augmented reality version of the daily newspaper. Available via the Blippar app, the digital title will showcase interactive technology that enables readers to (not quite literally) dig deeper into the stories, and find what they want faster.
PR- The PRCA and Meltwater won a landmark case in the UK Supreme Court against the Newspaper Licensing Agency, in which it was ruled temporarily republishing articles on computer screens by accessing news websites should not require an additional license, reducing potential costs significantly.
PRINT- More! magazine is set to close. Relaunched with new focus ‘on the social media obsessed girl’ only last year, this cessation marks another loss in the increasingly struggling teen-female consumer sector, and a significant one at that, with the title in question formerly a market leader.
PRINT- Spare Rib, a radical feminist magazine that enjoyed a 21 year run before closing in 1993, will re-emerge. Guardian journalist and former editor of the now-defunct Modern Review, Charlotte Raven, is behind the move, and is currently looking to raise £20,000 from investors at a minimum of £100 each.
SOCIAL- Adobe has announced a new ‘predictive analytics’ tool, complete with Facebook integration. The application will monitor followers and fans on social media, observe their behaviour and calculate what times content should be posted at, and what content should be used to anyone signed up to the service.
SOCIAL- Boris Johnson used Google’s feted Hangout to promote London Tech City, a key initiative in Britain’s push for a greater share in the digital economy. The first high-ranking politician to use the service, it comes at a time when experts are unanimous in their verdict that the search giant’s social network is here to stay.
SOCIAL- With 72% of UK adults now visiting their online profiles daily, the fight for dominance continues. Facebook has just introduced Home, a mobile interface and one-stop shop for information, with the first built-in example being HTC’s One phone, which is dominated by the network from the home screen onwards.
SOCIAL- The tragic events in Boston led to some interesting examples of how social media can be put to good use. Google’s swift deployment of its missing persons tool- originally developed for the Haitian earthquake in 2010- being one major example, along with Twitter-led frontline reporting…
…unfortunately though, it was a double-edged sword. Reddit may have eventually assisted investigators by finding better quality images of suspects, but not before it sparked veritable witch hunts following unfounded speculation on who the perpetrators may be. Meanwhile, Epicurious used the event as a marketing crutch, sharing ‘relevant’ recipes and being lambasted for insensitivity as a result.
SOCIAL- Twitter has entered into a new ad deal with U.S. commercial giant Starcom Media Vest. The move will see the advertising agency’s clients get preferential opportunities at competitive rates, and is predicted to exponentially increase revenue for the social network. Read more on the news here.