Cocteau Twins, Fifty-fifty clown, off the Heaven or Las Vegas album, 1990.

Santigold. Go (Featuring Karen O – of the Yeah yeah yeahs)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtxlCsVKkvY

That’s right: Daddy Cool. Who’s your daddy?

Linocut. A detail.

Artist unknown.

via Zoori_i.

(You don’t have to tumbl to tumbl)

Which suits me just fine, as I’m afraid the schedule is too full already.

But I havent’ given up on curating stuff altogether. After playing with Tumblr for some time (which is a great community-based tool, by the way), I’ve decided to give Scoop.it a go, where I curate thing under the title Affinities. Please go have a look-see.

At any rate: Welcome back – when and if I find the time to publish.

Even among traditionally EU-friendly conservatives the EU resistance appears to be on the rise. As much as 38 percent of the Conservative Party’s voters are against membership, according to the survey.

I post this as a mere observation, not as an invitation to debate. Suffice it to say I am saddened by the news. As for my personal views on the matter, please see EU category.

“We will stop printing the New York Times sometime in the future, date TBD,” he said to attendees of the International Newsroom Summit.

That is all as one might expect. After all, we no longer use black and white TV’s, do we?

The really baffling thing about the New York Post however, is how, with the Internet edition’s sky-rocketing traffic figures, it should be possible to generate respectable revenues, wouldn’t you think? Sadly, that isn’t so. Or, again, to quote Mashable:

[…] it’s taken most news outlets quite a bit of time to come around to the realization that print isn’t the be-all-end-all of journalism. By delaying innovation, many publications have put themselves in financially dire straits while scrambling to catch up with web-friendly revenue models.

This particular newspaper has flirted with various revenue models for online content over the past several years. Readers will be subject to a metered paywall beginning next year.

[…]

NYTimes.com had previously toyed with another paywall-type mode, called TimesSelect, around three years ago. The change wasn’t as lucrative as the paper had expected; still, Sulzberger sees the experiment as educational, not necessarily a failure.

In response to my assertion the other day, that more online newspapers should try NYT’s formula for success, the CEO of Norway’s leading online tabloid, VG Nett, told me that “NYT is extraordinarily boring to look at, and unprofitable to boot,” which, ties in nicely with the information shared by Mashable (above). That said, I can’t help concluding that they must do something right, producing this kind of statistics:

Detail from Dagbladet.no's frontpage.

You don’t get that kind of figures if you’re “extraordinarily boring”. The VG Nett CEO is right though: NYT has proven itself utterly unprofitable, but ask yourself, if you love good journalism, which do you prefer, the NYT way or the Norwegian model (Norwegian tabloid Dagbladet.no, see screendump to the left)? The latter characterised by an extremely cluttered use of (huge) photographs and (equally huge) ads. Looks like the advertiser’s own website, doesn’t it, with a bit of news squeezed in on the middle.

I’m really sorry, but that really doesn’t cut it. With me, anyway. Then again, the difference between Norwegian online dailies and the New York Times is enormous. Looking at the NYT again, you have to admit there’s plenty of room for a few more ads. Don’t tell me that the advertisers aren’t interested in reaching 32 million unique users a month!

Remember when Salon.com launched their freemium model back in the 1990′s? Apparently quite a few of the magazine’s loyal readers were quite prepared to pay not to see the paid-for splash screen. I didn’t count myself among them, living by the maxim Information wants to be free, but I really didn’t mind the ads. You really can’t if you want it to stay that way. It would seem, though, that the New York Times is opposed to the cluttered appearance of Norwegian news sites, for which you really cannot blame them, but to think that this will save “The Gray Lady”:

Sorry, Mac (pun partly intended)… I don’t buy into that either. Norway’s equivalent to New York Times, former broadsheet Aftenposten, degenerated to a tabloid over the last decade, seems to believe there’s future in the iPad. According to editor-in-chief Hilde Haugsgjerd today,

[…] By charging a user fee from day one, we break the Internet dailies’ trend. The product will have a whole different set of qualities, and we are convinced that the advertisers are willing to pay more – for instance by enabling them to buy fullpage ads, Ms Haugsgjerd explains.

— My translation

Oy vey… We’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we.

But I can tell you this much: There’s absolutely no reason why New York Times shouldn’t succeed with a free Internet edition, with a free iPad edition, for that matter. If they are willing to let the advertisers in.

Top photograph: The New York Times headquarters. Photographer: Haxorjoe/Wikipedia

Along came the automated aggregation tools, such as Paper.li, enabling the private news consumers to compile their very own newspapers, based on tweets, stories, links and video clips from a number of sources, of his or her very own choice. The beauty of it is that there’s really no rocket science involved. Truth be told, the concept isn’t entirely new either. As I started researching the phenomenon, I suddenly remembered my old account with The Twitter Tim.es, in principle based on Paper.li‘s idea, if in fact it’s not the other way around.

Journalism’s decline

As you may have surmised already, I am a bit of a media buff. Can’t be helped, after some 30 years in the trade. On the whole I am very pleased with the general development, rendering newsprint a thing of the past in the Petterson household. I do however not subscribe to the idea that the quantity of social media represent an improvement in the quality. In general terms we must admit that the quality of journalism, even in the old media, has seen a downturn, in spite of  the technology’s added value, in terms of audio and video streaming, live reporting via Cover it Live, Twitter integration, great, animated infographics opportunities, and real-time commenting. Sadly the majority of our tech enthusiasts and social media advocates seem to take the opposite stance, making out the means an improvement in their own right, ignoring the impeding consequences for the written word – or the thoroughness with which journalism is practised.

Get your media kicks over @ media3oh Daily

In an attempt at exploring even that aspect of the growth of social media, and the consequential demise of journalistic quality, I set out to launch a blog the other day, prepared to invite some of the most influential and experienced media (and “new” media) experts as occasional contributors. I’m happy to announce that the project stranded, even before launch (as you will see), only to be replaced by the obvious Paper.li alternative; media3oh Daily, as seen to the right, with reference to Media 3.0, of course.

The daily digest regenerates every 24 hours, with stories, links and flicks provided by top notch media resources throughout the world, based on this Twitter list, growing by the day (please leave a comment if you have any suggestions).

The editor is dead, long live the editor

Now that we’re all our own editors, the institutional media find themselves in a more vulnerable position than ever before. Their feeble attempts at alienating even more of their up until recently loyal users by raising pay walls around their content, and launching freemium solutions, will only add to services such as Paper.li – and others, even more sophisticated, to come.

The Apple enthusiasts among you will of course appreciate the fairly recent Flipboard app for iPad, sporting a really appealing interface, even if it resembles the Paper.li service – in principle.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2vpvEDS00o

I have noticed how the social media optimists depict the technological development an improvement for journalism, which it could well be, but I fear it’s more of an excuse not to exercise proper journalism.

There can be no doubt that blogs writing in favour of the campaign would not receive threats of legal prosecution, whereas critical voices are threatened to silence. Granted in the letter Mr Biong received from the Nyt Norge lawyer, Ms Nina Hegdal, he is instructed to remove what they see as unjustified use of their logo only, which may seem a fair demand, if it hadn’t been for the fact that it’s used in a series of satiric campaign mock-ups – which, in the view of the public, and legal custom, is considered fair use.

Imagine, if you will, that bloggers and the press were denied any use of the BP logo in relevant articles on the Mexico gulf disaster. Unthinkable, of course. In Norway: Not so (or so they would have us believe).

Mr Biong’s real offence lies in pointing out the intentional misinformation in a campaign setting out to render Norway’s agricultural products healthier and better than that of the European Union’s, for instance, while in reality it is the other way around. In fact, some of the organisations behind (alongside the Ministry of Agriculture and Food) the campaign make out the very core of Norway’s EU opposition.

We like to see ourselves as a modern democracy, with obvious rights, such as freedom of expression. This blatant attempt at intimidating a private citizen, whose only crime is to voice his opinion, is a mockery of everything we hold sacred, such as democratic values.

Finally, a sample, one of many similar, from the campaign – even if it contains a logo:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upzhwud87q

Late addition: The whole affair reminds me of Norwegian farmers’ conduct in similar situations, such as earlier this year, when a good friend of mine made a huge mistake: That of using a blog title reading Bloody peasants (in Norwegian). It nearly cost him his job.

Photo: Norwegian sheep. Photographer: Jeroen Hellingman/Wikipedia

Time, or rather lack thereof, forbids me to investigate the matter in detail, if at all, but whenever this amount of classified documents becomes public domain, there’s much cause for alarm. Yes, I’m all for unearthing inappropriate conduct, especially when civilian lives are in harm’s way, as in this incident, published by just WikiLeaks earlier this year:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=25EWUUBjPMo

In supporting it, however, there’s no need to uncritically condone the bulk release of some 90,000 logs, of which there’s bound to be faulty, potentially doctored  material. I’m full aware that said newspapers (and magazine) have spent the last couple of weeks confirming loads of logs, finding them above board and in order, but they cannot possibly have managed to cover more than a fraction.

Even so, we need to take into account that we’re still dealing with classified material. Classified for a reason. By making it available to a world audience, WikiLeaks and their media cohorts expose tactical routines, secret designations, possible identities and so forth and so on. Yes, they are right to reveal unjustified civilian casualties, which, in my humble opinion, could well be done without publishing the sum total of 92,000 classified military reports.

You may well ask who stands to gain. This much, I think, is certain: Not the ISAF soldiers and their safety, not the Afghan people, whose safety largely depends on the safety of the former.

In short, since I’m so pressed for time: Dear WikiLeaks, please continue to share grave mistakes with serious implications for Afghan (or Iraqi) civilians or ISAF soldiers, even, but in doing so, please consider the overall consequences, too – and leave irrelevant material be, however classified.

Uncovering secrets for uncovery’s sake, is nothing short of stupid.

Photo: Norwegian troops running operations in the Faryab Province, Afghanistan. Wikimedia Commons

Our support of Israel’s right to exist does not pave the way to act as if the nation owns the entire Middle East, which would make our support unconditional. Well, Mr. Nethanyahu, it is not.

Today’s Israeli raid on the six-ship large flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza strip, has appalled the civilised world to such an extent that it will be extremely hard to restore what ever support we originally harboured.

Granted, atrocities take place all over the world, on a daily basis, but rarely committed by countries or powers seeking our approval and support – which is a concept of which the Israelis appear to have no understanding whatsoever.

Surely, they cannot expect us to approve or continue our support upon discarding the international community’s views. It’s most certainly of little help that the six ships transport aid workers from countries all over the world, among them my own country.

You’re in way too deep this time, prime minister Netanyahu.

As a translator—among other things—I translate books on a number of various subjects into my native tongue (Norwegian), among which, it turns out, we find the memoirs of Der Führer’s valet, secretary and driver, starting, just recently, with the former: With Hitler to the End: The memoirs of Adolf Hitler’s Valet, to be followed by He was my Chief: The Memoirs of Adolf Hitler’s secretary and I was Hitler’s Chauffeur: The Memoirs of Erich Kempka.

Here’s what I’m up against – Heinz Linge, Hitler’s former valet in a documentary shown on French TV:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxZ2UIJoo-c

Even in the introduction to the first book—which is as far as I’ve come—I realise that this is going to be a challenge.

“[…] This apparently sympathetic portrayal of the Nazi leader might sit uncomfortably with some readers,” Roger Moorhouse writes in the introduction, continuing:

[…] Yet, we are kidding ourselves if we imagine that Hitler was some one-dimensional monster – all rolling eyes and rabid ranting. He was not. As this book demonstrates, the Hitler  that  we  know  –  the  man  who  had  millions  murdered  and started  the  most  costly  and  destructive  war  in  history  –  also  had a  human  side:  he  could  be  affable  to  his  staff,  kiss  his  secretaries’ hands  and  be  kind  to  his  dog.  If  this  apparent  humanity  offends our preconceptions, then perhaps our preconceptions need altering.

Do you, like I do, feel a hint of doubt upon reading that kind of reasoning, or at least the conclusions drawn from it?

Also, I must admit that I feel a bit like an instrument in the hands of people with an agenda, but have come to conclude that, whatever their motives, their right to speak, if not heard, should remain unchallenged—and, reliable or not, their stories continue to captivate, even if they’re pure fiction.

For entertainment’s sake.

So what if I’m HHH-ing (Humanising Herr Hitler)? Feeling a little soiled, of course—used, even… I can live with that.

But I won’t stand being accused of trying to gag the would-be Obergruppengauleitersturmbannführers of the world again. Do you hear me, orion 1497?

P.S. Ah, yes! I do write “humanising” with an s. Then again I write “colour” and “centre”, too. Never cared much for aluminum, see. Or Hitler. Still, submitting myself to weeks and weeks of massive brainwash… Will I be able to resist?

• I liked it. So much useful material. I read with great interest.
• found your site on del.icio.us today and really liked it.. i bookmarked it and will be back to check it out some more later
• Are you a professional journalist? You write very well.
• This post increased my knowledge… very interesting..thank you..
• I added your blog to bookmarks. And i’ll read your articles more often!

Honestly, guys… I expect a lot better. So puh-lease: The next time, please don’t try to insult my – or any other blogger’s intellect. It’s not that we don’t welcome your futile (just so we’re clear on that) attempts. It’s just that… Well you know!

Agreed?

Ample cause for celebration, in other words. With regards to Tomas, I also find solace in the fact that he did receive the Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature 2009, awarded just a few weeks ago.

This year’s Nordic Council Literature Prize winner however, is the Finnish author Sofi Oksanen, for her work “Puhdistus” (“Cleansing”).

Sofi Oksanen (born 1977) shows her full strength with her third novel “Puhdistus”. In a rich and expressive language she weaves a specific historical event, the Soviet occupation of Estonia, with a burning topical global contemporary theme – trafficking around the Baltic Sea.

The Adjudication Committee wrote:

Sofi Oksanen’s novel ‘Puhdistus’ (‘Cleansing’) takes place in two periods of time in Estonia, but its themes of love, treachery, power and powerlessness are timeless. ‘Puhdistus’ vibrates with tension: unspoken secrets and deeply shameful deeds stretch out across the book like a web and compel the reader to keep reading. With a rare precise and apposite language Oksanen describes what history does to individuals and history’s pervasion in the present.

The nominations were:

From Denmark:
Peter Laugesen, Fotorama
Ida Jessen, Børnene

From Finland:
Sofi Oksanen, Puhdistus
Monika Fagerholm, Glitterscenen

From Iceland:
Einar Kárason, Ofsi
Steinar Bragi, Konur

From Norway:
Karl Ove Knausgård, Min kamp1
Tomas Espedal, Imot kunsten

From Sweden:
Steve Sem-Sandberg, De fattiga i Lodz
Ann Jäderlund, Vad hjälper det en människa om hon häller rent vatten över sig i alla sina dagar

From the Faroe Islands:
Gunnar Hoydal, Í havsins hjarta

No nominations were submitted from the Greenland or the Sami Language Area this year.

The prize, worth DKK 350,000, will be awarded during the Nordic Council’s Session in Reykjavik at the beginning of November 2010.

Revelation postponed

I was planning on revealing a secret from our childhood days to Tomas, in the event that he won. But it’ll have to wait until he does – which, inevitably, he will.

P.S. Appropriately enough we’re entering a holiday named passover in Judaism, which could explain Tomas’s very recent misfortune.

Photos: Acclaimed Norwegian author Tomas Espedal (Photographer: Helge Skodvin, 2005) and Finnish author Sofi Oksanen (Photographer: Toni Härkönen).