One local NYT partner fails as another regroups

Evidently beguiled by seeing their stories in the pages of the New York Times, two high-profile journalism start-ups failed at building sufficient audience for their own brands.Now, one of the two philanthropically backed ventures is folding and the other is seeking to merge with a neighboring non-profit that was wise enough over the years to cultivate multiple audiences and diversified financial

Email stumbles in digital paradigm shift

The use of email has plunged by more than 30% in the last year among consumers under the age of 24, owing to the increased use of texting and Facebook to stay in touch.That’s one of the eye-opening paradigm shifts identified in a must-read report from comScore on the fast-changing state of the digital universe.A primary activity among wired individuals since the arrival of the Internet, email use

One or Two Languages?

Is the Dutch language
suffering because of
bilingualism?

Following a Radio Netherlands Worldwide article about bilingualism in kids I wrote a blog post on Life with a Double Buggy. The conversation and discussion has been popular on Twitter and on the blog - the short version is that the article reported that the Dutch consultatiebureaus advise parents to teach their children open language only - and therefore do not encourage bilingualism in children here. This goes completely against my own experiences - and that of many others.

Want to join in or read more? Pop over to Life with a Double Buggy and let us know about your experiences. For those in other countries, what do you think about teaching your children two or more languages? 

Elfstedentocht

I have to admit I have been swept up in the euphoria around a possible Elfstedentocht (Eleven Cities Tour), but with minimal ice growth the last few nights it's not looking likely is it?

Every year I get quite excited about the idea of being able to experience (albeit this year on a television due to three sprogs in tow) such a truly Dutch sporting event. The reason why escapes me because I am no ice skater myself. In fact, I can count on two fingers the number of times I have been on ice skates - both times in an English ice rink, and both times more than two decades ago. Both times I seem to recall a lot of bum bruising, cursing and death grips (whoever happened to be near to me when I was about to plunge to the ice). And yet I am fascinated by the idea of this 200km skating tour through Friesland. I'm as gripped by the idea as any Dutchman (or woman).

When the last tocht took place in 1997, I was in England, had never heard of the Elfstedentocht (and to be honestly knew very little about the Netherlands at all) and could not have imagined my annual interest in a potential ice tour through the Dutch northern province. In 2009, I was experiencing the Dutch euphoria when ice hits and even writing about the phenomena that is ice skating in the Netherlands - (Read When Holland Freezes Over).

How things change..... and how I hope I get to see an Elfstedentocht some day!

Check this video out to feel a little of the excitement around an Elfstedentocht: http://www.rnw.nl/english/video/skating-tour-1985-caught-film

For more info and to keep up to date with happenings this year: http://www.rnw.nl/english/dossier/elevencitiestour

Publishers are flubbing the iPad

Two years after the debut of the iPad, most newspaper publishers still are fretting and fumbling over what to do about it.Even though the iPad 2 was one of most popular items at Christmas and the third-generation version of the product is likely to turn up well before Santa returns this year, many newspapers have yet to develop their very first app. Of the publishers who took the plunge, most