Hyperlinking & Online Journalism

HYPERLINKSin online journalism

Glennon, Ginty & O'Connor, April 9, 2010

• Niall on the concept of the hyperlink and its place in online journalism

• Mike on the ethics of hyperlinking and the case study of WikiLeaks' Apache shooting Iraqis video

• Cian on where links are used and where links should be used

Introduction

• “A connection that allows you to move easily between two computer documents or two pages on the Internet” - Cambridge Dictionary

A hyperlink is...

• “A connection that allows you to move easily between two computer documents or two pages on the internet” - Cambridge Dictionary

• “...the building block of the democratization of information”- Daniel Luhzer

A hyperlink is...

• “A connection that allows you to move easily between two computer documents or two pages on the Internet” - Cambridge Dictionary

• “...the building block of the democratization of information”- Daniel Luhzer

• “To make reference without making a link is possible but ineffective – like speaking with a paper bag over your head” - Tim Berners-Lee

A hyperlink is...

Tim...

Image: Silvio Tanaka (CC) Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic

Tim... and a paper bag

Image: Silvio Tanaka (CC) Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 GenericBag: By Lara Schneider (CC) Attribution 2.0 Generic

BBC.co.uk

Reuters

The link dispute

• Linking users to outside information has become a contentious issue

The link dispute

• Linking users to outside information has become a contentious issue

• Newspaper publishers opposed to deep linking by blogs and news sites

The link dispute

• Linking users to outside information has become a contentious issue

• Newspaper publishers opposed to deep linking by blogs and news sites

• CopiePresse vs Google - over the aggregation of news

The link dispute

• “Our service aims to encourage readers to get a broader perspective by digging deeper into the news – finding ten articles, instead of one perhaps” - Google News

The Link Dispute

• “Our service aims to encourage readers to get a broader perspective by digging deeper into the news – finding ten articles, instead of one perhaps” - Google News

• “It’s an infraction of Belgian and EU laws, the newspapers are losing money this way and above all, Google thinks it is outside the law.- CopiePresse

Google News

Producers’ weariness

• “If you operate a web site and wish to link to Latimes.com, you may link only to the home page, latimes.com, and not to any other page or subdomain of Latimes.com” - LA Times

Producers’ weariness

• “If you operate a web site and wish to link to Latimes.com, you may link only to the home page, latimes.com, and not to any other page or subdomain of Latimes.com” - LA Times

• "You generally do not need to request reprint permission if you are requesting a text link only back to washingtonpost.com. We reserve the right however, to revoke permission at any time” - Washington Post

Govolsxtra.com

Linking and journalism

• Newsrooms relinquishing monopoly-control ‘gatekeepers approach’

Linking and journalism

• Newsrooms relinquishing monopoly-control ‘gatekeepers approach’

• To have news “supplemented by links to other original reporting done by other newsrooms – and by individuals”

Linking and journalism

• Newsrooms relinquishing monopoly-control ‘gatekeepers approach’

• To have news “supplemented by links to other original reporting done by other newsrooms – and by individuals”

• Whilst the “reported quote” is essential to journalism, the “reported link” MUST become an essential

Linking and journalism

• Newsrooms relinquishing monopoly-control ‘gatekeepers approach’

• To have news “supplemented by links to other original reporting done by other newsrooms – and by individuals”

• Whilst the “reported quote” is essential to journalism, the “reported link” MUST become an essential

Source: Scott Karp

And on to Mike...

Hyperlinks

Church / State separation

=

Editorial / Advertisement separation

Can be hard to detect online

Reluctance to link off-site• Implied endorsement

Can they vouch for content on external sites?

Reluctance to link off-site• Implied endorsement

Can they vouch for content on external sites?

• EconomicKeeping users on site so they are exposed to site ads

Reluctance to link off-site• Implied endorsement

Can they vouch for content on external sites?

• EconomicKeeping users on site so they are exposed to site ads

Source: Cecilia Friend,

Online Journalism Ethics

Case study: WikiLeaks

Examples of…

Case study: WikiLeaks

Examples of…

• Gatekeeping?

Case study: WikiLeaks

Examples of…

• Gatekeeping?

• Interactivity and authoritive referencing

Case study: WikiLeaks

Examples of…

• Gatekeeping?

• Interactivity and authoritive referencing

• Links that navigate away from a media outlet’s website

Case study: WikiLeaks

Examples of…

• Gatekeeping?

• Interactivity and authoritive referencing

• Links that navigate away from a media outlet’s website

• Cynical advertising?

Washingtonpost.com

Washingtonpost.com

Independent.ie

Independent.ie

Independent.ie

*May not be related to original enquiry

BBC.co.uk

BBC.co.uk

…links to WikiLeaks

But ads link elsewhere

But ads link elsewhere

NYTimes.com

NYTimes.com

And on to Cian...

Links in article text?

• RTE.ie - Not used

Links in article text?

• RTE.ie - Not used

• Irishtimes.com - Not used

Links in article text?

• RTE.ie - Not used

• Irishtimes.com - Not used

• Independent.ie - Only to archive

Links in article text?

• RTE.ie - Not used

• Irishtimes.com - Not used

• Independent.ie - Only to archive

• Irishexaminer.com - Not used

Links in article text?

• RTE.ie - Not used

• Irishtimes.com - Not used

• Independent.ie - Only to archive

• Irishexaminer.com - Not used

within main article text, excluding on blogs

Not just Irish sites...

• NYTimes.com - Only to archive

Not just Irish sites...

• NYTimes.com - Only to archive

• Timesonline.co.uk - Not used

Not just Irish sites...

• NYTimes.com - Only to archive

• Timesonline.co.uk - Not used

• CNN.com - Not used

Not just Irish sites...

• NYTimes.com - Only to archive

• Timesonline.co.uk - Not used

• CNN.com - Not used

• Aljazeera.com - Not used

Not just Irish sites...

• NYTimes.com - Only to archive

• Timesonline.co.uk - Not used

• CNN.com - Not used

• Aljazeera.com - Not used

within main article text, excluding on blogs

Is it all that bad?

• No, some old media outlets have started to use link in some articles

Is it all that bad?

• No, some old media outlets have started to use link in some articles

• Sites like Guardian.co.uk have started to sometimes use links to more than just the archive

Is it all that bad?

• No, some old media outlets have started to use link in some articles

• Sites like Guardian.co.uk have started to sometimes use links to more than just the archive

• And other sites, like BBC.co.uk, use the side bar to link off-site

Where to use links?

• Related articles

Where to use links?

• Related articlesFor example: Newspapers often do not link together articles which are linked (by footnote, or placement) in printed editions

Where to use links?

• Related articlesFor example: Newspapers often do not link together articles which are linked (by footnote, or placement) in printed editions

• Articles about reports

Where to use links?

• Related articlesFor example: Newspapers often do not link together articles which are linked (by footnote, or placement) in printed editions

• Articles about reportsFor example: State reports are put online, and reporters can only write so much about them

Where to use links?

• Articles on polls, surveys etc

Where to use links?

• Articles on polls, surveys etcFor example: EU Eurobarometer surveys are all online

Where to use links?

• Articles on polls, surveys etcFor example: EU Eurobarometer surveys are all online

• Articles mentioning websites

Where to use links?

• Articles on polls, surveys etcFor example: EU Eurobarometer surveys are all online

• Articles mentioning websitesSure, somebody can retype it or copy and paste it, but why not link when the address is being given?

Where to use links?

• Article referring to audio/video

Where to use links?

• Article referring to audio/videoIf it’s legal, link to it. If it’s legal but possibility offence, just link and warn.

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