NewsWatch returns to root out bad journalism

The media watchdog site NewsWatch is back in business after being bought by the internet publisher BigEye.com.

NewsWatch is an internet media critic that reports on how well news content holds up against objective criticism and independent evidence. It attracted a loyal audience and a lot of interest before it went under in May with little prospect of being saved.

BigEye.com, which also acts as a gateway to more than 6000 selected sites, announced its acquisition just days ago. It said there was a natural synergy between the two ventures and that BigEye.com looks to a 'sophisticated and literate audience'.

'NewsWatch will continue the work of its founders… by providing consumers with thoughtful, accurate media criticism and giving people a way to talk back to the big media companies,' said BigEye.com.

The editor of NewsWatch, Trevor Butterworth, has been guaranteed editorial independence. He says the mission of NewsWatch is to 'watch the media watchdog on behalf of news consumers'. The site will attempt to discriminate between good and bad journalism whether it be arrogance, bias, elitism, inaccuracy or irresponsibility.

'I think of News Watch as contributing to that goal by looking at the way the media, with all its conventions and rules, its deadlines and dilemmas, pictures the world.

'Are we being offered an accurate picture? The full picture? Is it a picture created by asking the right questions, does it capture the important facts and considers the relevant issues? Most of the time journalism does an amazing job of this task unbeknownst to the average person in the street. And then sometimes it doesn't.'

Dot.Journalism will cover NewsWatch in more detail next month.

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