Geeks gone violent

Here's a really interesting video on several levels. First, the style of videography is different for a news production. Second, it's a unique and interesting story. And finally, ESPN has been opening up the spigots on its content to the web. There's a reason they are called the "world wide leader in sports."

So, what's the next big idea?

The title of this LifeHacker post "Where You Find the Time" is one way to look at this video, but if you really watch it and are an open-minded media person some very interesting perspectives become very apparent. The trouble that television, newspapers and other MSM face is that they lost not only the monopoly of where info comes from but that consumers want to have more control to contribute, consume and share. So, what's the next big idea?

The power of a "renowned" photog

So it seems that Annie Leibowitz has become such a power in producing photographs of celebrity that even the celebrities feel they must do as she says. I've posted about Leibowitz's growing self-righteousness before. Here's just another chapter in the book. So much for the subject being the most important aspect of the photo. In the upper-echelon of magazine photogs it IS about the photog.

Getting out of that black hole of negativity

One of the hardest things to do in the business is to stay positive about the craft. I'm the first to admit that I can easily fall into the pull of the negative energy in the office. So here's a post to reinforce a new effort to get more positive about as many things as possible. There's lots of new opportunities out there....but print is nearly as dead as the trees used to make it. Couldn't help it.

Dead Man Walking?

This chart is as frightening as the title of the article – The Newspaper Death Watch

It's the first in a series by Advertising Age magazine. Fantastic, can't wait for the others with cheery titles like that. There are serious problems for newspapers, what most would call a perfect storm. The broken business model includes but not limited to: fracturing advertising clientèle, readers jumping online, skyrocketing production costs, increased competition and lots of missed opportunities. There are still some golden opportunities for newspapers, the only catch is that they won't look much like a newspaper when they do finally change.

I think I'll go find some kittens or something to cheer me up now....

Your paper is in the mail

So let me get this straight, the newspaper -which already has information that is hours old and been updated several times on the web- is going to be delivered via snail mail? I could see this working for a weekly paper, but doubtful it will help any other papers. The Time Herald is a five-day-a-week paper by the way. One more win for the bean counters' shortsightedness.

Rad office pranks

I could stand to to nearly all of these to folks in the office. Just don't know that many of the stiffs here would appreciate the level of caring it would take to pull off such a wonderful feat.

Found via Popurls Twitter feed

Journalism Mottos

Here's a contest that Poynter had to come up with a journalism motto using only six words. There's themes from all aspects of the biz. I think this is the best one:

It's how I change the world. -- Nick Escobar, The Elgin (Ill.) CourierNews

Stop and look around once in a while

Umm, looks like newspapers still face an uphill battle

Either newspapers are not giving their readers what they want to read and see or maybe people are just learning to be more effective in using the web. If I use a newspaper's RSS feed on each topic of my choosing, I don't have to spend as much time on the site. Let's take that one step further – if I use GoogleReader for that feed and the tease doesn't interest me I won't click on the story anyway.

Being a purist about journalism and what is important to the community is critical to creating quality journalism, but if the community doesn't care until something spirals out of control how do you maintain an effective audience? As media outlets drive 120mph with their hair on fire to the online realm -with an occasional brake check for no reason whatsoever- the online outlet really needs to have tons of forethought. Still a long way to go in the transition from a dinosaur to Optimus Prime.

Why is the ad model beginning to break?

Because online there is no middleman charging money to find eyeballs for a product or service. Newspapers and other MSM are suffocating in their over presumptuous egos of having the only gig in town that guaranteed eyeballs. The world is flat once again online. The only trick is creating something that generates momentum and utilizes the key element of the internet: word of mouth (or text really). What do you think this blog is in reality?

This is a post on VideoNuze about a Nike ad, that like other creative video ads should take off virally and share the brand in its own new way.

The next phase of convergence

Too bad it's taking place across the pond and not here in the states. Take critical note of this statement though:

“But in five years’ time there will still be people who will be working in the old way because if, for example, you’re doing breaking news, it’s going to slow you down if you’re working across more than one platform.”

There are still very difficult hurdles to overcome in the new realm of convergence. But when most of the content and tools used in the news business are all online-based in the not too distant future it will become much easier.

Found via Cyberjournalist.net

Jobs that pay over $20 per hour

This is interesting. Wonder if I take this into the boss he'll give me a raise? Take note of the growth outlook.

7. Multimedia artists and animators -- $27.90/hour

Multimedia artists and animators create special effects, animation or other visual images seen in movies, television programs and computer games.

Annual salary: $58,030

Growth through 2016: 26 percent

Industry: Arts, design, entertainment, sports and media

From CNN via popurls.com Twitter feed

Rad Journalist T-Shirts

I truly think that the "journalists get laid (off)" is the best of the bunch given the hard cold fact of more than 3,000 newspaper journalists have been laid off or fired this year.

The other good one is "Shhhh! (on deadline)"

Found via Journalistopia

Proof that democracy has been destroyed

No response needed other than – Wow.

The battle over info control

Here's an article that only scratches the surface of the ongoing battle between major sporting leagues and multiple levels of media outlets. The playing field of sending out information is getting as flat as a F1 brake rotor. Everyone wants absolute control not only of the info, but the ability to capitalize on positive image (spin) and advertising.

Longer forms are possible on the web

Executive Producer of CNN.com says there's an opportunity to present longer form video on the web. The catch? It's all about your audience. People going to CNN.com are presumably going to be willing to watch longer videos to become more informed.

Once again, YOU HAVE TO KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE.



Found via AndyDickinson.net

Are you a Churnalist?

This is out of the UK, but I found it from them following my Twitter feed.

From their "Why?" page:

Journalists are becoming churnalists. Denied the time, money and resources to do the job properly, many hacks now churn out stories without checking facts or sources.

But it’s not their fault, and the best worst best churnalism is worth celebrating.

SPJ Conference at CSU

I was asked by Metro State Journalism Chair Deb Hurley to speak to the Society of Professional Journalists Region 9 conference about online video and multimedia over the weekend. Here's a presentation I constructed through Google Docs after seeing a great example by News Videographer's Angela Grant.

It's very interesting finding the future possibilities of collaborating with others via the web on presentations or other projects with something like Google Docs. I know for a fact it is only going to accelerate rapidly in the near future.

How bad is it, really?

Are newspapers struggling or is the entire corporate environment in the US gaging and choking?

"Surprisingly the industry is just 10 percent off its historic highs (much like the stock market)," he writes, "and is still twice as big as it was 20 years ago." – Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired

Here's another link about the polarized views of the industry.