I would like to consider under21.me for investment. The proposal was very well prepared and the hole in the market that would be filled is specific enough that the site could have a loyal following. I believe that the creator of the site has spent a great deal of time designing the objectives and goals of under21.me. The creator's background and history in the region are a plus because connections and partnerships could easily be made. I like the idea of starting small and focusing on the Scranton, P.A., area, but ideally the site should grow to have a national presence as the target audience is widespread across the country. The creator is well-suited for the job and at the very least, the site deserves some additional research by investors
If by chance under21.me cannot be launched, the next project investors should consider is B-9.com. I like the humorous idea, and I believe there is a market for the stories that will no longer stay on the golf course. Like the site devoted to cats with funny captions or textsfromlastnight.com, there is an entertainment factor that would attract a lot of traffic to the site. My only concern is that the proposed "hole" is not large enough and investors may not see the returns quickly. I would like to see if this site could grow to include stories from other sports areas such as "in the dugout," "in the locker room," etc. With more market research, I believe this site could have a shot at success - and the creator/former caddie is perfect for the job.
All proposals demonstrated potential, and I believe all could find some success.
4.20.2010
Where is my journalism degree going to take me?
I haven't got a clue.
Freshman year I entered I.C. as an anthropology student with high hopes of exploring the world and living among many different cultures. As if I were still a 5-year-old with dreams of being an astronaut (I did) or a vet (yes, again,) I decided once again that my dream needed to change. I soon declared journalism as my new career path.
Then reality hit.
All of my professors told me "newspapers are dying" and "journalism is losing hope." Relatives told me wished me a sarcastic "good luck."
Finally, I find myself taking Independent Media - a class that isn't required nor needed personally to graduate. Basically I needed to stay a full-time student, but I didn't want to take 5 PALS courses to get me through. So, over the last three or so months, I've been told countless stories of people who never paid $46k for a degree. They simply went out and made it on their own, doing what they want, writing what they want, etc. (If I knew four years ago that I could make millions by posting weird photos of cats or having my own YouTube channel devoted to celebrity gossip, maybe I would have tried it.) It's yet another slap in the face begging the question, "What are you doing at Ithaca?"
Don't get me wrong, I've learned quite a bit over the last four years, and as I prepare to graduate in a few short weeks, I'm positive I'll be using my education in the future. I think the most important thing I'll be taking away is the continuing need for good, solid reporting on topics that matter. I'll let people without journalism degrees take care of the cat Web sites and dish out the goods on Paris and Britney, while I concentrate on news and information that is vital and needs attention. I've learned the skills or reporting, perfected the "art" of the inverted pyramid and memorized the AP Stylebook. Now I'm onto learning the ins and outs of publishing - a small change in my career path, but one that would not have occured if I had not become a journalism major first.
Freshman year I entered I.C. as an anthropology student with high hopes of exploring the world and living among many different cultures. As if I were still a 5-year-old with dreams of being an astronaut (I did) or a vet (yes, again,) I decided once again that my dream needed to change. I soon declared journalism as my new career path.
Then reality hit.
All of my professors told me "newspapers are dying" and "journalism is losing hope." Relatives told me wished me a sarcastic "good luck."
Finally, I find myself taking Independent Media - a class that isn't required nor needed personally to graduate. Basically I needed to stay a full-time student, but I didn't want to take 5 PALS courses to get me through. So, over the last three or so months, I've been told countless stories of people who never paid $46k for a degree. They simply went out and made it on their own, doing what they want, writing what they want, etc. (If I knew four years ago that I could make millions by posting weird photos of cats or having my own YouTube channel devoted to celebrity gossip, maybe I would have tried it.) It's yet another slap in the face begging the question, "What are you doing at Ithaca?"
Don't get me wrong, I've learned quite a bit over the last four years, and as I prepare to graduate in a few short weeks, I'm positive I'll be using my education in the future. I think the most important thing I'll be taking away is the continuing need for good, solid reporting on topics that matter. I'll let people without journalism degrees take care of the cat Web sites and dish out the goods on Paris and Britney, while I concentrate on news and information that is vital and needs attention. I've learned the skills or reporting, perfected the "art" of the inverted pyramid and memorized the AP Stylebook. Now I'm onto learning the ins and outs of publishing - a small change in my career path, but one that would not have occured if I had not become a journalism major first.
4.18.2010
Great Quotes from Star Magazine and HARD COPY
We all know the Drudge Report has some not-so-great headlines. Sometimes only Drudge's own reporting is worse.
That's was what I thought when I read the story about Bill Clinton's supposed third child back in Arkansas.
Everyone knows that the quoted magazines make their money on outrageous rumors and completely falsified stories. Why even Drudge would lower himself to the standards of those publications is beyond me.
A few of my favorites:
"We would go to grocery stores, people would say 'That's Bill Clinton's son!' because he looks just like him!" the woman declares.
"He was good to me, he gave me money," she tells HARD COPY. "No, I'm not scared."
The entire story is a perfect example of what not to do as a "journalist"
That's was what I thought when I read the story about Bill Clinton's supposed third child back in Arkansas.
Everyone knows that the quoted magazines make their money on outrageous rumors and completely falsified stories. Why even Drudge would lower himself to the standards of those publications is beyond me.
A few of my favorites:
"We would go to grocery stores, people would say 'That's Bill Clinton's son!' because he looks just like him!" the woman declares.
"He was good to me, he gave me money," she tells HARD COPY. "No, I'm not scared."
The entire story is a perfect example of what not to do as a "journalist"
Off the Record No Longer Exists
We talked in class about Mayhill Fowler recording Bill Clinton's 'sleazy,' 'slimy,' 'scumbag' speech and the controversy it caused because she was accused of not revealing her mic. Honestly though, Clinton should not be so surprised that his opinion of the Vanity Fair writer surfaced.
With hundreds of people surrounding the rope line, all with cameras and phones recording the event, if Fowler didn't use the audio, someone else would have.
"Off the record," especially for a high profile political figure like Clinton, is hard to come by. Even if Fowler if didn't reveal her mic - she holds fast that she did - for Clinton to spew what he did, no wonder it didn't stay a secret. Hasn't he learned to filter what he says?
As for the second incident involving Fowler and the 2008 campaign, Fowler is the one at fault. If she considers herself a credible and trustworthy journalist, she should hold herself to the same standards as other press professionals. I agree with one of my classmates who said that as a member of the press, she should respect the ethical standards of the profession. If the event was "closed," Fowler should not have been there. Further, such an event probably didn't require an undercover operation.
Was she investigated like the dinner-crashing couple?
With hundreds of people surrounding the rope line, all with cameras and phones recording the event, if Fowler didn't use the audio, someone else would have.
"Off the record," especially for a high profile political figure like Clinton, is hard to come by. Even if Fowler if didn't reveal her mic - she holds fast that she did - for Clinton to spew what he did, no wonder it didn't stay a secret. Hasn't he learned to filter what he says?
As for the second incident involving Fowler and the 2008 campaign, Fowler is the one at fault. If she considers herself a credible and trustworthy journalist, she should hold herself to the same standards as other press professionals. I agree with one of my classmates who said that as a member of the press, she should respect the ethical standards of the profession. If the event was "closed," Fowler should not have been there. Further, such an event probably didn't require an undercover operation.
Was she investigated like the dinner-crashing couple?
4.15.2010
Maybe the Times is Reading my Blog...
Last time I talked about the NY Times, I criticized their story about ballet dancers using Twitter.
This morning, the Quote of the Day was from Fred Shapiro, of Yale Law School, on Twitter:
"This is an entirely new addition to the historical record, the second-by-second history of ordinary people."
Shapiro was asked to archive tweets for the Library of Congress.
Cool.
This morning, the Quote of the Day was from Fred Shapiro, of Yale Law School, on Twitter:
"This is an entirely new addition to the historical record, the second-by-second history of ordinary people."
Shapiro was asked to archive tweets for the Library of Congress.
Cool.
4.07.2010
Feeding the True Fans
If some of my friends read this post, they will say, 'Enough with Girl Talk!'But I'll continue anyway...
Girl Talk is a mash-up artist out of Pittsburgh, P.A., who quit his job as a biomedical engineer to pursue his music career. Although he is highly criticized for his constant digital sampling, he argues that his music is protected by the Fair Use laws that allow him to put limited amounts of copyrighted material into his own works.
A couple years ago Girl Talk released his latest album called "Feed the Animals" under the record label Illegal Art. Fans had the option to download the album for free from the record label's Web site, or they could pay however much they thought the product was worth. Fans who paid $10 or more would receive a hard copy of the album in the mail. For true fans, it's not a bad trade.
I guess Radiohead beat him to the idea.
4.06.2010
I Never Wanted the iPad Anyway.
I will admit that I am one of those people that always has at least one of the following items on me at all times: phone, laptop, iPod, camera. I am also one that is constantly signed into Gmail, I check my Facebook daily, and I have added close to 100 songs to my iPod over the last few days. Having grown up as a camping/canoeing/hiking/roughin' it kid, I am ashamed and sad that I've moved away from that lifestyle.
This morning, I found some motivation to reconnect with my younger years. I read this article in Time.
While so many people will be out there buying and trying, I'm comfortable with the idea that this new techie device may not have as huge of an impact on new media as everyone originally thought. I'll wait until something really revolutionary comes around before being persuaded to forfeit yet another portion of my disconnected childhood.I'm not saying that all of this new stuff is bad, I just want my share of it in moderation.
Hopefully I don't fall back into the abyss like this guy. Note the links in this articles. I know as bloggers we are encouraged to add links, multimedia, photos, etc. but this might be too much. If anything they are just reinforcing exactly what the "unplugged" idea is fighting against. I also found it ironic that so many people tweeted about how going off the grid for 24-hours is such a great idea. Let's see them actually do it now.
This morning, I found some motivation to reconnect with my younger years. I read this article in Time.
While so many people will be out there buying and trying, I'm comfortable with the idea that this new techie device may not have as huge of an impact on new media as everyone originally thought. I'll wait until something really revolutionary comes around before being persuaded to forfeit yet another portion of my disconnected childhood.I'm not saying that all of this new stuff is bad, I just want my share of it in moderation.
Hopefully I don't fall back into the abyss like this guy. Note the links in this articles. I know as bloggers we are encouraged to add links, multimedia, photos, etc. but this might be too much. If anything they are just reinforcing exactly what the "unplugged" idea is fighting against. I also found it ironic that so many people tweeted about how going off the grid for 24-hours is such a great idea. Let's see them actually do it now.
4.04.2010
Opening Night
This is a night I've been looking forward to since Oct. 11, 2009, the day the Red Sox were swept out of the post-season by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. If that series wasn't hard enough, Red Sox Nation had to watch the Yankees reclaim the throne as World Series Champions a few weeks later.
After a nice gentleman so kindly posted "Ellsbury sucks." to my Facebook wall the other day, my anticipation of Opening Night at Fenway grew exponentially. Hopefully the outcome of the game will be something to brag about.
To tie this with new media, the start of a new season means something for avid fans. My father has been blogging about the Detroit Tigers for at least five years now. After almost every game he will sit at the computer critiquing the players, the coaching, the commentators, the fans, the groundscrew, the...you get the point. For him, blogging has become an entirely new part of baseball. It allows him, and everyone else using the site, to discuss all aspects of the game. He has even made friends with other bloggers - last summer we met up with one of them and his wife at a game in Pittsburgh.
I'm not saying that this type of blogging has any real impact on the game or the future of the season, but using the example of my dad, blogging seems to have become a new social network. This time though, the only people involved are die hard fans of baseball who are looking to talk about nothing else.
Each major league team has their own blog site - search for them here. Some are still led by the original blogger who will post discussion topics that everyone else can respond to. Depending on what comes out of the fans, some of these discussions have been able to cultivate stories. Bloggers have asked questions about the game that beat writers have then addressed in their reports - like a glorified mailbag or letter to the editor.
I don't know as much about the game as my father, and I don't have time to write the, at times, exhaustively long posts like him. When I can, I do enjoy reading what others have to say. And for the most part, these blogs are serious enough that there aren't too many "Ellsbury sucks" spouts in the comments.
Go Sox!
After a nice gentleman so kindly posted "Ellsbury sucks." to my Facebook wall the other day, my anticipation of Opening Night at Fenway grew exponentially. Hopefully the outcome of the game will be something to brag about.
To tie this with new media, the start of a new season means something for avid fans. My father has been blogging about the Detroit Tigers for at least five years now. After almost every game he will sit at the computer critiquing the players, the coaching, the commentators, the fans, the groundscrew, the...you get the point. For him, blogging has become an entirely new part of baseball. It allows him, and everyone else using the site, to discuss all aspects of the game. He has even made friends with other bloggers - last summer we met up with one of them and his wife at a game in Pittsburgh.
I'm not saying that this type of blogging has any real impact on the game or the future of the season, but using the example of my dad, blogging seems to have become a new social network. This time though, the only people involved are die hard fans of baseball who are looking to talk about nothing else.
Each major league team has their own blog site - search for them here. Some are still led by the original blogger who will post discussion topics that everyone else can respond to. Depending on what comes out of the fans, some of these discussions have been able to cultivate stories. Bloggers have asked questions about the game that beat writers have then addressed in their reports - like a glorified mailbag or letter to the editor.
I don't know as much about the game as my father, and I don't have time to write the, at times, exhaustively long posts like him. When I can, I do enjoy reading what others have to say. And for the most part, these blogs are serious enough that there aren't too many "Ellsbury sucks" spouts in the comments.
Go Sox!
3.29.2010
Quotation of the Day
I receive a NY Times e-mail each morning listing the day's headlines. After the top three stories, there is a section featuring the "Quotation of the Day." Most of the time it is pretty interesting - at least enough for me to link to the story and read a little bit of it.
Today's quote was something I've never seen before: a Twitter post. The post wasn't anything that crazy, the story even less so. Apparently Twitter can "change the face of ballet." (I didn't finish the story, so I may have missed the bigger picture.) I guess it's cool that Twitter can be an outlet for this group, but I'm positive that Twitter is used by someone else who is doing more significant things with it than doing injury updates. Nothing against ballet, but the NY Times must be hurting for stories involving new media.
Today's quote was something I've never seen before: a Twitter post. The post wasn't anything that crazy, the story even less so. Apparently Twitter can "change the face of ballet." (I didn't finish the story, so I may have missed the bigger picture.) I guess it's cool that Twitter can be an outlet for this group, but I'm positive that Twitter is used by someone else who is doing more significant things with it than doing injury updates. Nothing against ballet, but the NY Times must be hurting for stories involving new media.
3.28.2010
How Can I Invest in Fat Cat Photography?
As we have been talking about financing blogs and their revenue streams, there are some things that I can't seem to wrap my head around.
Josh Marshall commented that when he started Talking Points Memo, he was struggling to feed himself and certainly did not have enough money to fund his site on his own. Kudos to him for creating something that was respected by so many that they would answer the call for help and give Marshall what he needed to launch. The work he has done is extremely important and has had a great impact on the future of journalism. At the end of it all, it was worth the risk.
Not that I'm putting TPM and "lolcats" on the same level of sophistication, but I don't understand what Eric Nakagawa was thinking when he invested in a site that features pictures of cats with grammatically incorrect captions and expected a response. He may not have been pinching pennies like Marshall, but I would never have thought that cats could bring in an ad worth $4,000. If it were me, I would have completely missed the opportunity to cash in on something that obviously has a great deal of appeal. Again, the investment paid off and the "I Can Has Cheezburger" has filled a large niche in cyberspace.
That said, if I were to create my own (serious) blog, the biggest obstacle, aside from getting the money, would be taking the risk and investing into something that may not be successful enough to bring any kind of return. I guess I'd try to play it safe with a job that promised a paycheck.
Josh Marshall commented that when he started Talking Points Memo, he was struggling to feed himself and certainly did not have enough money to fund his site on his own. Kudos to him for creating something that was respected by so many that they would answer the call for help and give Marshall what he needed to launch. The work he has done is extremely important and has had a great impact on the future of journalism. At the end of it all, it was worth the risk.
Not that I'm putting TPM and "lolcats" on the same level of sophistication, but I don't understand what Eric Nakagawa was thinking when he invested in a site that features pictures of cats with grammatically incorrect captions and expected a response. He may not have been pinching pennies like Marshall, but I would never have thought that cats could bring in an ad worth $4,000. If it were me, I would have completely missed the opportunity to cash in on something that obviously has a great deal of appeal. Again, the investment paid off and the "I Can Has Cheezburger" has filled a large niche in cyberspace.
That said, if I were to create my own (serious) blog, the biggest obstacle, aside from getting the money, would be taking the risk and investing into something that may not be successful enough to bring any kind of return. I guess I'd try to play it safe with a job that promised a paycheck.
3.23.2010
Resurgence of Obamania
(Screenshots do not do these huge headlines justice)
With President Obama signing the health care reform bill this morning, it's a no-brainer that news sites (mainstream and indy) would have it plastered all over their homepages. Huffington Post and Talking Points Memo have easily outdone everyone else. Drudge wasn't far behind, but his site featured a laughing Nancy Pelosi under an ad from the National Republican Congressional Committee calling for donations in support of her resignation.
3.02.2010
ST: International Journalism meets ST: Independent Media
During the Spring 2009 semester, I took International Journalism with Vadim Isakov. A few of the required readings in the class can tie in with what we have been discussing as far as international indy media.
*Unfortunately you need an Ithaca College username/password to access a couple of them.
First, PBS Frontline featured an interview with Vladimir Pozner, Russia's most influential political TV talk-show host. He discussed the impacts of government controlled media in Russia and explains why free speech is not a high priority for the young country. Watch the video (or read) here.
Second, an article published in the International Communication Gazette addresses the use of blogging during the 'tulip revolution' in Kyrgyzstan. "The authors found that the blog did indeed become a unique and rich source of information not available from other local sources or the world press. They suggest that samizdat blogs can serve to incite or sustain democratization in Third World countries, even those undergoing uneven economic development." (Excerpt from abstract.) The entire article can be found here.*
Finally, Columbia Journalism Review published "Musharraf's Monster: In Pakistan, independent TV is young, powerful, and biting the hand that fed it." Read it here.*
*Unfortunately you need an Ithaca College username/password to access a couple of them.
First, PBS Frontline featured an interview with Vladimir Pozner, Russia's most influential political TV talk-show host. He discussed the impacts of government controlled media in Russia and explains why free speech is not a high priority for the young country. Watch the video (or read) here.
Second, an article published in the International Communication Gazette addresses the use of blogging during the 'tulip revolution' in Kyrgyzstan. "The authors found that the blog did indeed become a unique and rich source of information not available from other local sources or the world press. They suggest that samizdat blogs can serve to incite or sustain democratization in Third World countries, even those undergoing uneven economic development." (Excerpt from abstract.) The entire article can be found here.*
Finally, Columbia Journalism Review published "Musharraf's Monster: In Pakistan, independent TV is young, powerful, and biting the hand that fed it." Read it here.*
2.17.2010
Reminds Me of the Jim Mora Rants
I never get sick of watching the Jim Mora rants on YouTube featuring the coach tearing apart reporters who, arguably, ask the wrong questions at the wrong time. The incident at UConn leaves me with the same, "What were they thinking?!?" reaction. It seemed to everyone, including myself, that the coach had "owned" the reporter. Calhoun: 1, Reporter: 0.
The story that came as a result of the coach's outburst is one thing, but in the world of journalism, the heated exchange (and its aftermath) meant something much more.
Blogger Ken Kreyeske's approach is an example of what can become of asking the questions that no one else want to. The answer spun the story away from Huskies' Basketball and placed a critical eye on a topic that would hit home for more than just the fans of UConn. People who don't pay the slightest bit of attention to NCAA athletics are now following a man who is getting paid a sum of money that seems a bit excessive given the status of everyone else on a payroll.Mainstream media outlets finally started following the story that mattered - but only after an independent blogger broke the silence.
When allegiances get in the way of telling the truth and publications move away from holding a "watchdog" status, consumers need to be able to look for other outlets that can provide them with additional information. This information has the power to change views on political, economic and social ideologies. Kreyeske and the many other contributors to indy media are extremely valuable to the changing media landscape. At the end of it all, my scoring has changed.
Indy media: 1, Mainstream media: 0.
The story that came as a result of the coach's outburst is one thing, but in the world of journalism, the heated exchange (and its aftermath) meant something much more.
Blogger Ken Kreyeske's approach is an example of what can become of asking the questions that no one else want to. The answer spun the story away from Huskies' Basketball and placed a critical eye on a topic that would hit home for more than just the fans of UConn. People who don't pay the slightest bit of attention to NCAA athletics are now following a man who is getting paid a sum of money that seems a bit excessive given the status of everyone else on a payroll.Mainstream media outlets finally started following the story that mattered - but only after an independent blogger broke the silence.
When allegiances get in the way of telling the truth and publications move away from holding a "watchdog" status, consumers need to be able to look for other outlets that can provide them with additional information. This information has the power to change views on political, economic and social ideologies. Kreyeske and the many other contributors to indy media are extremely valuable to the changing media landscape. At the end of it all, my scoring has changed.
Indy media: 1, Mainstream media: 0.
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