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Online social networks leak personal information to tracking sites

More than a half billion people use online social networks, posting vast amounts of information about themselves to share with online friends and colleagues. A new study co-authored by a researcher at Worcester Polytechnic Institute has found that the practices of many popular social networking sites typically make that personal information available to companies that track Web users' browsing habits, and allow them to link anonymous browsing habits to specific people.

Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Data Communications / Worcester Polytechnic Institute 08 09

PR pros are good ethical thinkers, study finds

For years journalists and others have questioned the ethics of public relations practitioners and firms. People in PR, however, appear to be getting a bad rap. That's what a new study funded by the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication at Penn State University has found. 

The research, conducted by two of the Page Center's Johnson Legacy Scholars, Renita Coleman and Lee Wilkins, is the first to measure empirically the moral development of working public relations professionals.

"It turns out that public relations professionals are good ethical thinkers," says Coleman. "They show similarity to other professionals with comparable levels of education such as journalists, nurses and dental students." 

PR pros actually scored better than orthopedic surgeons, business professionals, accounting students and veterinary students. 

The paper, "The Moral Development of Public Relations Practitioners: A Comparison with Other Professions and Influences on Higher Quality Ethical Reasoning," appears in the July 2009 Journal of Public Relations Research.

Art Science Research Laboratory Launches a New Astrobiology Magazine - what is current about Earth and Environmental science, Astronomy and Stellar Evolution. ASRL's mission is to infuse intellectual rigor and critical thinking in disciplines that range from academics to journalism. 


The Foundation for Biomedical Research (FBR) announced winners of the 8th annual Michael E. DeBakey Journalism Awards. The awards, named in honor of FBR's late chairman Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, recognize outstanding journalism that discusses the essential role of humane animal research in medical discoveries and scientific breakthroughs.

The 2009 winners are as follows: Michael Anft (Johns Hopkins Magazine), Scott Pelley and Denise Schrier Cetta (CBS News, 60 Minutes), Jonathan Hamilton (National Public Radio), Max Taves (LA Weekly). The judging panel was composed of both members of the media and the scientific community.


Lee Ann Tegtmeier, recently named editor-in-chief of AVIATION WEEK's Overhaul & Maintenance (O&M), was honored at the Aerospace Journalist of the Year Awards (AJOYA) Dinner & Presentation Ceremony, held at Le Meridien Etoile in Paris. The prizes are known as the world's most important awards for aviation writers and broadcasters.


Dipka "Dee" Bhambhani, one of Washington, DC's most respected energy journalists, will join Clean Skies News, it was announced by Susan McGinnis, Anchor and Managing Editor of Clean Skies News. Bhambhani will serve as an on-air and web reporter for Clean Skies News, covering government agencies and Capitol Hill.


Nieman Journalism Lab: Can Newspapers Get Away With Charging for Their Web Sites? The Nieman Journalism Lab is a project at Harvard University to figure out the future of quality journalism online. As newspapers try to figure out how to make money from their web sites, one Rhode Island paper is trying an old-fashioned plan: asking readers to pay for access to the news. Charging quite a lot, in fact.


Ziff Davis Enterprise has hired three key executives: Matthew Sweeney, former CEO of the Computerworld and InfoWorld brands at International Data Group (IDG), sales executive Peggy Schecter of United Business Media's TechWeb and Eric Lundquist, formerly Content Director, New Media at IDG.


The 'Excellence in Epilepsy' Journalism Award - an initiative of the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and UCB - invites journalists from around the world to submit stimulating, informed and compelling news and feature stories on epilepsy. 


Writers for Atlanta's Mundo Hispanico and Azizah Magazine Win New America Media Awards for Outstanding Journalism 


Nieman Journalism Lab: Gawker Media's Ad Chief Sees a Future in Sponsored Posts 


Five Los Angeles Area Print and Broadcast Journalists Win National Awards For Excellence In Reporting At Ethnic Media Outlets


McGraw-Hill Construction's Engineering News-Record Editors Honored by Construction Writers Association 


Dow Jones Newswires Wins Two New York Press Club Journalism Awards 


Aflac Announces Winners of Motorsports Journalism Awards of Excellence in Honor of Russ Catlin


Shape and Men's Fitness Launch Interactive Weight Loss Challenge Featuring Real-Life Stories of Four Readers Across the Country 


Spanish Broadcasting System Executive Rene Solorio Creates Innovative Internet Television Program 


American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Announces Media Orthopaedic Reporting Excellence (MORE) Award Winners 

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), the principal trade association for the software and digital content industries: "Google, Kindle, iPhone: How to Leverage Hot Content Delivery Platforms for Profits."