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Article recommendations from your friends on Facebook and Twitter aren't a major source of traffic for news websites, according to Pew's State of the Media 2012 report -- but they have potential to become one.

The annual release focuses on trends in the world of journalism but as news continues to be made, read and reported with technology, this year's edition is chock full of interesting data about the ways we all use the Internet.

[More from Mashable: Facebook Photos: The Key to a Successful Social Media Campaign]

According to Pew, social media use is on the rise, more people are reading the news online and advertisers are spending more money on Internet advertising than ever before. All of those factors have the potential to make social media one of the most important elements of a news outlet's business plan.

Facebook usage is up, according to Pew: 133 million users in the U.S. from 117 million last year. The social network's got 845 million active users globally -- about 54% of the world's online population.

[More from Mashable: Dont Tag Me, Bro: How to Control Facebook Photo Tags]

It's also winning the social media popularity contest in terms of time spent on the site. Facebook users scrolled through their news feed, gawked at photos of friends and played games like Farmville for an average of 423 minutes in December of last year.

Tumblr came in second (151 minutes) and Pinterest third (80 minutes). To some surprise, MySpace (13 minutes) beat out Google+ (5 minutes).

Twitter is growing as well -- 24 million active users in the U.S., according to eMarketer. That's an estimated 32% increase from last year year. The company is tight-lipped on exactly how many people use the service.

Journalists have flocked to Twitter, says Pew, giving it "outsized influence" in the media game. Its ability to disseminate breaking news before traditional wire services gives it a "critical role" in journalism, says Pew -- Whitney Houston's death announcement on Twitter 55 minutes before it was confirmed on the AP wire is just one example.

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Pew: Social Media Not Yet Driving News Traffic

SEOUL -- A wave of protests by journalists in South Korea against alleged government interference in news coverage shows no sign of abating, despite threats of legal action from their bosses.

It started with a strike launched by journalists at Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) at the end of January, demanding the resignation of the Chief Executive Kim Jae-cheul whom they accuse of suppressing news reports critical of the administration of President Lee Myung-bak.

They claim that MBC has intentionally eliminated or reduced coverage that could cultivate negative public views towards the government, including vehement protests against the country's free trade agreement with the United States.

Some 700 reporters and producers at MBC have joined the strike, resulting in shortening of its nightly news broadcast to 15 minutes from an hour and suspension of several other news programs. Their walkouts were soon accompanied by strikes staged by colleagues at the country's largest television network, Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), and Yonhap Television News (YTN), a state-financed cable news network.

About 650 KBS staff members, including 250 reporters, took part in the strike but the broadcaster's management said its news programs were not affected. Yonhap news agency, the country's flagship newswire service, was the latest to join the intensifying calls for fair, unbiased news coverage that is free from government influence.

It has been worried that the strike at Yonhap could affect nearly all news outlets in the country by disrupting them from gathering news. Union members of Yonhap went on strike starting March 15 in protest against the reappointment of incumbent president Park Jung-chan to another three-year term.

"We have lost everything from fair reporting to public trust, office democracy, and reasonable appointment during the three-year presidency of Park. We have nothing left to lose," a union leader at Yonhap was quoted by local media as saying at a ceremony marking the beginning of the strike.

Despite differences in their respective corporate situations, the underlying cause shared by the strikers is discontent towards alleged management interference in news coverage under direct and indirect influence of the government. The companies remain defiant, even though the protests grow in strength and numbers. MBC's Kim Jae-cheul has sued union members for defamation. KBS has also vowed stern action against what they call "illegal" strike.

However, the tide shows no sign of receding, with the strikers promoting various public events to convey the justness of their protests to ordinary citizens. A public concert was held on March 16 in Yeouido, Seoul, where the country's major broadcasters are located, to support the causes of the ongoing protests by journalists. Local media reported that some 20,000 citizens attended the event.

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S. Korean journalists stage walkouts against alleged gov't media control

March 18, 2012 in City

OLYMPIA Im not going to negotiate in the newsmedia.

Politicians at all levels love to utter that sentence when its to theiradvantage.

But lets get real. If they think it will help their cause, their legislation or their budget, they like nothing better than to negotiate in the media. If they get angry, frustrated, boxed in or closed out, they negotiate in themedia.

Last week, Senate Republicans and their three disaffected Democratic allies didnt just negotiate, they presented, explained and defended their brand-new budget proposal in Olympia. This annoyed some other participants in ongoing closed-door budget negotiations, who were taken by surprise at getting that proposal at the same time as the news media and the rest of thepublic.

Among the most irked was Gov. Chris Gregoire, who has been the chief cat herder of the Legislatures overtime budgeting process. When she took questions from reporters a few hours later, its a wonder the video didnt show steam coming out of her ears. She didnt negotiate, mind you. She did say that one thing Senate Republicans were proposing, charter schools, is DOA and lobbyists who want to see their bills signed better be calling legislators to give them a not-so-gentle push towardcompromising.

But when it came to discussing what options shes proposed for legislative leaders to consider, her answer was emphatic: IM not going to negotiate in themedia.

Protestations about negotiating in the media are a corollary to another theorem of public officialdom: that elected officials must discuss some things behind closed doors so they can speak freely. Makes one wonder what theyre self-censoring from their normal publiccomments.

In truth, everyone negotiates in the news media when its to their advantage and complains about it when its not. Like John Kerrys stance on the war in Iraq, theyre against it until theyre forit.

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Spin Control: ‘Media’ negotiations are only problem when they don’t work - Sun, 18 Mar 2012 PST

We often are asked if it is possible to block or control employee use of social media and digital communication. The technical answer is yes, but the follow-up question is: Why would you want to go through the trouble?

Instant messaging, Facebook, LinkedIn and other forms of digital communication and social media regularly are used by todays best and brightest employees and they would just as soon find a new job than give up their way of life.

This is just one issue associated with finding, managing and incentivizing a new generation of workers. This new workforce is the most technically adept age group to enter the workplace, and their approach to work, pay and quality of life is significantly different from their older peers. Because of this, a new set of management tools and human resource strategies will be necessary to attract and retain this valuable pool of talent.

The business use of social media and alternate means of digital communication is growing. I dont know of any company that is not thinking about how they can best leverage these technologies to help grow their business, attract talent and increase productivity.

Lets take a look at a few ways that these tools and the new generation of workers are influencing the way business is done today.

Hiring: The traditional methods of advertising job openings are being replaced or enhanced by the use of social media. Posting a help-wanted ad on an electronic job board may attract a few candidates, but the existence of the post is enhanced by using social media to find potential candidates.

The instant communication and the speed at which news of a new job opening can travel though social sites can help uncover great candidates that may not be actively looking.

Managing: Working 9 to 5 is out. The new normal is working when it is convenient and when work does not get in the way of life. Its not that the latest generation hates the regimented work routine, they just dont get it. They want to work whenever they can from wherever they are. Building the technology, processes and capabilities to enable flexible work schedules and virtual office capabilities will help attract and retain talent.

(Page 2 of 2)

Incentivizing: Its not that money and the job are not important, they are just not more important that life. With a flexible work environment and incentives tied to productivity and creativity, it is much easier to motivate the younger generation of employees.

Originally posted here:
Embracing social media helps businesses

TORONTO (Reuters) - Bell Canada's parent has agreed to buy Astral Media, its largest content provider, in a C$3 billion ($3.02 billion) deal to lock up more of the programming carried over its media platforms and expand its presence in French-speaking Quebec.

Complementing BCE Inc's C$1.3 billion acquisition of CTV last year, the deal announced on Friday highlights the company's drive to control the costs of the content distributed through its cable, internet and telecom properties.

BCE's strategy is part of a global trend - the growing popularity of tablet computers and smartphones as platforms to view content has blurred the lines separating telecom carriers, media and cable companies. That has forced providers to venture outside their traditional domains to boost revenues and win a competitive edge.

"All telephone companies are trying to reinvent themselves," said Macquarie analyst Greg MacDonald. "Carriers, cable and telephone companies are buying content providers, and even going so far as to buy the content itself."

BCE, already Canada's largest telecom provider, will acquire more than 20 television services operated by Astral, including HBO Canada, the Movie Network, Canal Vie and Disney Junior. In radio, the deal gives BCE 80 stations, including Virgin Radio, EZ Rock and Boom.

In an important aspect of the deal, Astral positions BCE to compete more effectively against Quebecor Inc, which owns a rich array of French-language content and rival telecom company Videotron that operates in the province of Quebec.

Astral - based in Montreal along with Quebecor - has a strong presence in Quebec, Canada's francophone heartland. Its assets will enable BCE to raise its profile in one of Canada's biggest media markets and broaden out its national footprint.

"Bell's acquisition of Astral firmly establishes our company as Qubec's media leader," said BCE Chief Executive George Cope. "The acquisition also represents content cost certainty for Bell, as Astral represents Bell's single largest content cost in our TV business today."

Astral also owns digital media assets and nearly 10,000 outdoor advertising signage locations spread across Qubec, Ontario and British Columbia. It employs about 2,800 people across Canada, with about half of them located in Qubec.

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Canada's BCE to acquire Astral Media for C$3 billion