In This Edition: Vote For Scoop Today! – Scoops Terror In America Coverage Rates! – Lucid Lucidly Reviews Scoop
This is the seventh in a series of occasional newsletters to subscribers to the My Scoop community.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/myscoop/signin.html
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Scoop Update
#7
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Dear My Scoop Community Member…
You may recall that before the dramatic events of September 11th occurred, Scoop was in the process of re-evaluating its service offering. Some of you may have also caught up with an article on Scoop on the Mediawatch (see http://mediawatch.co.nz) show last Sunday morning.
We can now inform you that over the past couple of weeks we have been working on our plans, and thanks to a couple of advertisers (thankyou AFR and h47!) we have managed to keep afloat in the meantime.
We can now report that we will be making an announcement about our plans early next week.
In the meantime however we still need your support for the NZ Net Awards – the public voting for which closes on Monday!
To vote simply click
here… (or read on for more info…)
http://www.netawards.org.nz/vote.php
Vote For Scoop Today!
As reported in earlier Scoop Updates New Zealand's version of the Webby awards are currently underway. Finalists have now been announced with Scoop and its columnists featuring prominently as finalists. YOU ONLY HAVE TILL OCTOBER 1ST TO VOTE!!! SO VOTE TODAY!!!
SCOOP’S NOMINATIONS!
Best Internet
Coverage
Russell Brown, The Listener, "Computers"
Top Industry Personality
Russell Brown
www.mediawatch.co.nz
Best On-line Writing
CD
Sludge @ Scoop www.scoop.co.nz
Best Content Site
Scoop www.scoop.co.nz
Overall "Best Use"
Award
Scoop www.scoop.co.nz
To vote for Scoop and/or Russell Brown in the NZ Internet awards all you need to is click here:
http://www.netawards.org.nz/vote.php
...the process is simple. Enter your email address (to prevent double voting) tick a few boxes, and hey presto. Scoop receives the recognition it deserves.
Winners (* fingers crossed*) will be announced on October 3rd. You can rest assured that we will be writing back to tell you what happens.
Scoop’s Terror In America Coverage Rates!
Like most news websites around the world Scoop experienced an unprecedented spike in its online ratings in the wake of the events of September 11th in New York.
The sudden increase – particularly in NZ based traffic – has seen Scoop’s monthly page views close in on the 1 million pages a month mark. Thankyou for reading!
Unlike most news websites around the world Scoop has provided a remarkable range of comment and views on the conflict, bringing the issues alive for a New Zealand audience in a manner that they have clearly appreciated.
If you haven’t done so already please check out our special page:
http://scoop.co.nz/mason/features/?s=newyork
Lucid Lucidly Reviews Scoop
The following is a review of Scoop in the new independent Victoria University magazine Lucid….
It can also be read online at:
http://www.lucid.org.nz/lucid4/jimmy.html
Scoop - www.scoop.co.nz
For many people, reality is what they see on TV3 or read in the Dominion. Conservative, censored and stupor-inducing news more suited to a muted drone than a living, thinking human being. The news you see in the mainstream media is what happens when raw information is taken and processed through the corporate blender. Dissident views in danger of frightening the horses are censored, ignored or outright discredited. Unfortunately, the truth isn’t always compatible with corporate interests or editorial whim.
This is where Scoop and the wonders of the World Wide Web come in. Since its inception in 1999, Scoop has stood tall as a haven for the free interaction and expression of ideas. They call it ‘dis-intermediated news’. Raw, virgin and untouched by filthy journalists and editors. What this means is that what you read comes straight from the horse’s mouth. There’s no journalistic spin, no corporate or government censorship, just pure, uncensored ideas. Best of all, no opinion is given greater weight than any other, creating a level playing field where small and unheard groups, such as Libertarianz or Peace Movement Aotearoa, are able to challenge more established organizations on an equal footing, at a time when they are seldom even mentioned in the mainstream media. This means that the currency of debate is reason, not money or public support. Scoop’s policy on press releases is that if it’s legible, not defamatory and from New Zealand then they’ll print it. You can’t be much more open than that.
Now the site itself is well set out into different categories and features, and is a hell of a lot prettier than its counterpart, Newsroom. In fact, it beats the pants of Newsroom in all but one category - profitability. Unfortunately, Scoop is struggling to maintain its present form and may have to undergo a metamorphosis - whatever that means - if something isn’t done. That something is donations from the businesses, governmental agencies and general citizens who use the service. Shameful behaviour like that of Comalco, who repeatedly sign up for ‘trial periods’ of Scoops subscription services under a series of different email accounts only worsen the situation.
The loss of Scoop would be a tragedy for New Zealand media. It is in Scoop that I find the only really objective news in the country - opinions from all sides, well argued, and above all, balanced. Is Scoop just another victim of the sound bite mentality? I hope not. If there’s going to be the resurgence of intellectual thought that this country so desperately needs in order to jerk itself out of its complacency, Scoop is the vehicle that is going to facilitate it. This is my favourite site, and I’m passionate about it. So visit Scoop. Bookmark it, revisit it, contribute to it, donate to it. Become part of the Scoop community and join the struggle to keep this good good thing alive. - Jimmy Leadbeater
Regards
Alastair
Thompson
For the Scoop
Team…