Submitted by Alex Case:
New UK website cracks down on PR-driven journalism
Miami Herald
February 24, 2011
London (AP) — Hoax articles and lazy journalists are being pushed into the spotlight by a new website that aims to expose news outlets that regurgitate press releases – a practice known as “churnalism.”
Churnalism.com, launched by the Media Standards Trust charity, allows users to copy and paste content from news releases and compare it with articles published by British news outlets to see which reporters are less proactive and more reactive in searching for news.
Media Standards Trust director Martin Moore says the site is meant to be an “accountability tool” and would ruffle some feathers in the media.
He said Thursday that with more resources and exposure, he hopes the site can eventually expand to other countries like the United States.