Guest post by Matt Ball, MSN UK editor-in-chief (follow on twitter @thisismattball)

This post is about media coverage of Michael Jackson’s death.

I’ve compiled an album that shows:

1. Screenshots of mainstream English language websites I took early this morning - all between 1:30am and 2:30am London time, which was about two to three hours after confirmation of Michael Jackson's death came through. I picked various broadcaster sites, newspaper sites and portal sites to give a flavour of the coverage styles that were used in the hours shortly after the story broke.

2. Photos of the front page of London editions of national newspapers. In some cases we were able to find early editions that did not have the story and later editions that did. While we were working on our own coverage on MSN UK overnight one of my colleagues commented: “Thank your lucky stars you’re not repaginating dozens of pages of a newspaper right now.” Too right (I left print media eight years ago), though I think the papers did very well to turn around their coverage so quickly. The contrast between the early and later editions is stark and impressive.

Take a look at the album:

View Full Album

I’ve picked out a few websites and newspaper editions below and I’ve also added some additional screenshots of our own coverage but I do think it’s worth perusing the full album.

Websites

CNN went for striking and simple:

MSNBC used a slideshow of Jackson images:

MSN.com used what we call a ‘blowout’ on its front page (a wider promotion than is normally used in that slot on the page focusing all the links on one story):

Sky News had a similar set up:

The Sydney Morning Herald was in the minority in its choice of headline:

Here at MSN UK we led with this image and suite of links at that time:

Later in the morning we switched a different image and headline and used the additional links under the image for our other content:

And now our photo editor Ant Bennison has come up with this one (photo fans might like Ant’s blog)

And our full coverage page in MSN Music now looks like this:

London editions of national newspapers

The Guardian before and after:

The Telegraph before and after:

Related links:

Michael Jackson full coverage page on MSN Music

Michael Jackson: a life in pictures

Tributes thread on MSN UK message boards

Posted by Paul

 

Twitter, in case you haven't already discovered, is somewhat similar to instant messaging. It lets users send free text messages known as "tweets" explaining what they are doing, seeing or thinking. These tweets are delivered instantly to their followers.

Sign up to Twitter | Follow the MSN Hompage

Twitip.com has highlighted its top Twitter tools:

TweetDeck aims to evolve the existing functionality of Twitter by taking an abundance of information i.e. Twitter feeds, and breaking it down into more manageable bite sized pieces.
Twhirl is similar to TweetDeck, except it lets you access multiple Twitter accounts directly through the software.
Ping.fm lets you broadcast your tweets to social networking sites such as Windows Live, Facebook and MySpace.
Tweetburner allows you to shorten, send out and track links sent via Twitter.
GroupTweet is ideal for when you want to a tweet a certain group of your followers, friends or family.
Twitter Timer simply sends you reminders through Twitter.
Tweetbeep alerts you whenever someone mentions any keyword you want to follow.
Qwitter lets you know who has ceased following you and which tweet prompted them to do so.
TweetLater allows you to schedule your tweets for a later date/time.

Sign up to the MSN Homepage Twitter
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Posted by Paul

The MSN Homepage has signed up to Twitter. You can follow us by visiting http://twitter.com/msnhome

If you do not have a Twitter account, you can create one quickly and easily by visiting http://twitter.com

We will aim to break the news to you first and then tweet updates as a story develops.

Additionally, we'll direct your attention to exclusives and our most clicked on features.

So if you’ve signed up to the latest micro-blogging phenomenon, or plan to do so, we can keep you updated regularly with the best stories and our most compelling content.

See all MSN channels on Twitter and follow more

From today you can watch the Disaster Emergency Committee’s video appeal for aid in Gaza on MSN Video.

The video has become more than a request for donations, it has also become a news story since the BBC, later joined by Sky News, decided not to broadcast the appeal, citing concerns about editorial independence.

You can leave your views in the comments section on MSN Video or you can do so on this blog post by clicking the Add a comment below.

MSN UK’s coverage of the Middle East is based on the news feeds we receive and display, without editing, from independent providers. You can read the reports from Reuters, the Press Association and ITN in the World News section of the MSN News channel.

No matter how this issue is covered we always receive plenty of feedback from our users.

As usual, we have received comments from users on both sides. And, as usual, each side has suggested we are favouring the other.

Useful web links from Live Search

Gaza appeal:

http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q=Gaza+appeal+Disasters+Emergency+Committee+&form=QBRE

Israel:

http://search.live.com/news/results.aspx?q=israel&FORM=BNRE

Other links

BBC’s Mark Thompson explains the corporation’s decision – BBC website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2009/01/bbc_and_the_gaza_appeal.html

Gaza Appeal: Sky's Decision Explained – Sky News website:

http://blogs.news.sky.com/editorsblog/Post:5f6b7e1d-b4d9-46ed-9673-fe5cfb915482

Channel 4 statement on Gaza appeal (appears in a news report) – Channel Four website:

http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/politics/international_politics/bbc+firm+on+gaza+appeal+boycott/2910107

Disasters Emergency Committee website:

http://www.dec.org.uk/index.html

Posted by Nicole

A day after the Bank of England surprised everyone with an unprecedented 1.5 percentage point cut in interest rates there is little optimism being shown for the move. 

UK Media Coverage:

FT Columnist Martin Wolf congratulates the MPC on the bold move but sees no sudden resurgence of lending between banks on the  horizon:

• Congratulations must go to the MPC
• Editorial comment: Shock treatment

Many commentators are looking at the role banks now have to play following the cut:

• It seems galling that the cut’s biggest beneficiaries may be the banks

• When in doubt, blame the banks

• Shame of the banks

The Mail has also chosen to take a look at what was going on around the world the last time interest rates were this low.

• Ruth Ellis hanged, Churchill quit and James Dean was killed….

Also on the Web:

• John Redwood’s Diary: When will the banks work again
• Comment is Free: A once-in-a-generation downturn (Gavyn Davies)
• Economics Help: Drastic measures for desperate times
• The Mess That Made Greenspan: More cuts around the world
• Institute of Economic Affairs: BoE shouldn’t try to stave off recession
• MSN News search: latest on the interest rate cut

On MSN:

• Is the cut enough?
• Interest rates slashed again
• Video: the Bank’s shock rate cut

My thoughts:

Financial matters are not my strong point – I tend to take a bury- my-head-in-the-sand approach to our finances. My husband is an accountant and we always say that we’ll let me handle the words and he can do the numbers.  However, we have our own home and we also have three buy-to-let properties, so anything that could bring our monthly mortgage payments down is a relief for us.   It’s not good news for savers though, I know.  It feels like this is the beginning of a very long haul and I’m very glad that I’m off to live in the Middle East from the end of year!    

Others’ thoughts:
Savers and borrowers are debating the cut on our message boards.  sort_it says: “I have only recently become a pensioner, and since the kids left home many years ago I have never borrowed money, purely because I know in the end I would be in a mess when the time came for me to retire.  I have no mortgage or owe anything on credit cards.  Where has it got me now?  My savings which I have been putting away for my retirement are now attracting very low interest, my shares I bought with my employer are practically worthless.  So much for keeping yourself out of debt.” 

While this from sulleejeebaby sums up the feelings of many others:  “It's all well and good bringing the interest rates down but when will this be reflected with my mortgage lender?? I'm on a high interest rate and am fed up to the ears of paying over 7.5% in interest repayments....when will Libor rates be reflected with the same fall in rates??? This is key and nothing else matters.”

Your thoughts:

What's your view on the issue?  How low should rates go?  What do the banks have to do now?  Have your say on our message boards or leave a comment below.

http://boards.msn.com/UKMoneyboards/thread.aspx?threadid=838561

Posted by Nicole

The story that’s just getting bigger and bigger is the furore surrounding the on-air prank calls to actor Andrew Sachs by Russell Brand & Jonathon Ross on Brand's pre-recorded Radio 2 show.  According to reports, the BBC has received an unprecedented 10,000 calls from angry members of the public calling for action to be taken.  The topic has even been discussed in the Commons and the BBC has now suspended the pair pending further investigation.

UK Media Coverage:

The BBC News website is leading with the story alongside a feature on how the Corporation vets its programmes – one of the key questions raised by the whole sorry affair.

• Brand and Ross suspended by BBC
• How does the BBC vet its shows?

The Daily Mail's homepage has no fewer than 4 stories on the subject including Sach’s granddaughter, Georgina Baille's response to the messages and an opinion piece from Piers Morgan who says that Ross, but not Brand, should be sacked by the BBC.

• I did sleep with Brand but I want him sacked
• PIERS MORGAN: Brand is just a sex-obsessed ex-junkie... It's Ross the BBC should sack today

The Times asks how Radio 2 has gone from a station with a pipe & slippers image to a venue for obscene phone calls from a former heroin-using comic.

• BBC Station that swapped pipe and slippers for obscene calls

And both The Independent and the Telegraph feature opinion pieces on how the whole affair is evidence of deeper problems at the BBC.

• Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross at the BBC: Inform, educate, entertain...insult?

• A game of pass the buck at the BBC

Sky News asked ‘Was the Ross-Brand prank funny?’ in their lunchtime live debate.

• Sky readers were split as to whether the pair should be sacked or even if the phone calls were funny.

Also on the Web:

• Comment is Free: The funny business of causing offence
• Ian Dale’s Diary: Don’t throw all the blame at Ross & Brand
• Greenslade: Daily Mail leads Middle England against Ross, Brand and the BBC
• The Wardman Wire - Jonathon Ross, Russell Brand, Andrew Sachs and an Obscene Phone Call from the BBC
• MSN News Search:  all the latest stories

On MSN:

• Brand and Ross suspended
• Sack cruel DJs, says Granddaughter -
• BBC faces calls to sack Brand & Ross
• Video report: Sach’s granddaughter speaks out

My thoughts:

I listened to the calls yesterday on Brand's podcast and it wasn't a pleasant experience. It reminded me of school kids making prank calls from their home phone while their parents were out and it was deeply unfunny and juvenile.  The thing I'm most surprised about however is how the whole segment was allowed to air in the first place.  The show was pre-recorded and surely there was a chain of editorial sign-off?

Others’ thoughts:
Of course, commercial media companies (particularly those with broadcast or radio subsidiaries) that compete with the BBC are always likely to make the most of this story. Others believe that the whole affair is a storm in a teacup. On our message boards Zoey73 says: “The whole thing with Ross and Brand has been blown way out of proportion. I suspect that many of these people asking them to resign did not hear the show, especially those people who hate them so much ( I mean why would you sit down to listen for an hour to someone you dislike?) I think they are being made into scapegoats. There are so many worse things going on in the world, why do we have to walk on eggshells all the time. I heard the show and it just seemed to me like a bit of silly schoolboy type fun. The best thing Andrew Sachs can do is just ignore it.”

Your thoughts:

What's your view on the issue?  Should the BBC take disciplinary action?  Have your say on our message boards or leave a comment below.

http://boards.msn.com/UKEntertainmentboards/thread.aspx?threadid=829893