Pinterest, the social media curating site that allows users to "'pin' (bookmark) things you like -- photos, recipes, crafts, design ideas, photography, art, etc., and silo those items into 'boards,'" as MediaShift described it, might just be the next big thing for journalism, as cliché as that sounds. After all, TechCrunch just reported on Tuesday, Feb. 7, that Pinterest gets 11.7 million unique monthly U.S. visitors, having hit the 10-million mark faster than any other standalone site ever. And as Poynter pointed out, "
On Wednesday, Feb. 8, CNN indefinitely suspended commentator Roland Martin for homophobic tweets he sent during the Super Bowl, reported the Washington Post.
A former Ecuadorean journalist facing prison and millions of dollars in fines is seeking asylum in the United States, reported the Associated Press on Wednesday, Feb. 8.
Award-winning photojournalist Bryan Patrick was fired from the Sacramento Bee for manipulating photographs, the newspaper announced Saturday, Feb. 4. A review of Patrick's work showed at least photos had been altered going back to 2009, the newspaper said.
In yet another example of why the U.S. plummeted in Reporters' Without Borders' annual press freedom rankings, Miami photojournalist Carlos Miller said police erased the images on his camera when he was arrested while covering the police eviction of Occupy protesters, according to the Miami New Times.
Still frustrated with the New York City Police Department's treatment of reporters covering the Occupy Wall Street protests, a group of journalists and media organizations sent a second letter to police, demanding "more steps to resolve reporter access issues," according to the Associated Press (AP).
In an effort to "find the right people to offer insight, perspectives and ideas on the issues of the day," Canada's Calgary Herald has introduced a new initiative allowing potential sources to register with the newspaper, the Herald reported. Known as "Be a Source," the system encourages anyone with "an area of expertise," whether "politics, health care or playing the kazoo," to sign up as a source to be contacted by journalists.
Memphis police briefly detained a photojournalist and erased images he had recorded on his cell phone on Sunday, Jan. 29, according to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Police are investigating the incident, the group added.
A Mexican journalist in Canada is fighting deportation, arguing that returning to Mexico is a death sentence for her and her family, reported CBC News and the Canadian Press. Karla Berenice Garcia Ramirez, who wrote about government corruption, sought asylum in Canada in 2008, but her application was denied in 2010, and in November 2011 a deportation order was issued, the Vancouver Sun explained.
CBSSports.com blogger Adam Jacobi was fired for publishing an erroneous tweet that prematurely reported the death of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, according to Poynter. Jacobi tweeted the false news of Paterno's death, without citing his information source.