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Now you can know the future of media!

Yesterday, the folks who run I Want Media (which I get in a digest form every day) held (yet another) panel discussion about The Future Of Media: 2010. Panel participants were: Dan Abrams, NBC News legal analyst; Josh Cohen, Google News senior business product manager; David Eun, AOL Media president; Jonathan Geller, Boy Genius Report founder . . . → Read More: Now you can know the future of media!

MPI Workshop Mardi Gras weekend

I’m in St. Louis this weekend for the Mid-America Press Institute/Ill. Press Foundation “Innovation and managing change in the newsroom” workshop. You can follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #mpichange, or read articles at the mpinews web site.

Also, watch Monday for an announcement about our Spring . . . → Read More: MPI Workshop Mardi Gras weekend

Student blogs take on campus newspapers

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that upstart student blogs are challenging their more established newsaper counterparts.

The article takes a look at how fledgling blogs at many universities are causing headaches for campus broadsheets — scooping stories, attracting online readers, and not to mention wooing advertisers.

From the Chonicle:

… (Student blogs) are challenging student newspapers in Web hits, says Daniel . . . → Read More: Student blogs take on campus newspapers

10 blog links for the new year

I hate writing numbered list posts (despite the advice from blog experts that people like to read them), but to help get back into the swing of a new semester, here are some links that have come through the RSS reader recently, curated for your enjoyment:

Eight things your college newsroom needs to change (if . . . → Read More: 10 blog links for the new year

Using social media to land a job

As student journalists master the different ways social media can be used to report news and strengthen a publication, tools such as Twitter, Facebook and personal blogging can play an important role in nabbing a job or internship.

Think of it this way — it’s a bit more complicated than just sending out a resume and hard-copy . . . → Read More: Using social media to land a job

On twitter & the media

For little over a year I have been interested in this thing I’m sure many of you have heard about called twitter. I started off curious how this, then relatively new, social media tool might be used by college media. It wasn’t until I threw caution to the wind and started tweeting did I really understand why people were using twitter.  I used twitter for myself, not the paper or any attempt to pretend I was a media organization.  While I like twitter, I still see many media and businesses not using it how I, a user, would like it to be used.

I spent the past few months talking to other twitter users, attended a few tweetups and along with my own preferences have compiled a list of things media organizations and companies should do, and not do when using twitter.

1. Do NOT use twitter as an RSS feed! I removed the NYT and both my local papers because all they did was push out headlines to their stories.  Don’t know why but this really bugs me as a twitter user. If all you are doing is pushing your stories you are not using twitter right.

2. Do NOT push out a ton of updates at one time. I greatly dislike getting up in the morning or after a long day coming home to find my twitter feed filled up with a ton of updates from one media or business. I don’t mind it from my friends, they aren’t selling me something or just trying to get my eyeballs on their site. When a media/business does this it comes across as pure advertising. Personally, I think 2-4 GOOD updates a day works for me, though nothing is wrong with just one a day either! It is all about finding balance.

Continue reading On twitter & the media

My, how times have changed

Via the CMA Listserv:

“We’re not in it to make money.” . . . → Read More: My, how times have changed

Viacom/Time Warner battle – just the beginning?

What has only made headlines today is the announcement of Viacom pulling over 18 channels off cable giant Time Warner if a new retransmittal fee is not agreed upon.  Shows like Sponge Bob, Dora the Explorer, Colbert, The Daily Show – basically all Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central shows will no longer be seen by tons of subscribers.

Great, so what does this mean, nothing new right. Certainly not for college newspapers. What you might have missed is why this problem has come up. In a nutshell, decreasing ad revenues is forcing content providers to find other revenue streams. Turning to subscribers is one way to shore up a decline in ad sales.  Cable companies don’t want the increase because they have to pass it along to the subscriber which can cause them to lose customers.

Like an iceberg, this is just the tip. Here in the pacific northwest, satellite provider Dish Network is having a similar battle with Fisher Broadcasting.  Certain local channels have been off air now for two weeks for those Dish Network providers in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, northern Ca and parts of Nevada. Want to watch a playoff game on CBS in Boise? Too bad, KBCI is off air for Dish Network subscribers. Want to watch the BCS bowl games on Fox in northern CA? Will have to go to your local bar for those games if you use Dish. Continue reading Viacom/Time Warner battle – just the beginning?

Will Sullivan live!

Will Sullivan (aka the Journerdist) is on campus at EIU for the next two days, talking to journalism classes about all sorts of journalism geekiness. . . . → Read More: Will Sullivan live!

Hack the debate: Twitter plus current.tv

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeHere’s an interesting angle on the debate tonight at Belmont University in Nashville: Hack the Debate. I missed it the first two times around, but it might be easier to handle than CNN’s fever chart of undecided voters.

Current TV will broadcast the debate live and overlay debate-related Twitter messages in near-real . . . → Read More: Hack the debate: Twitter plus current.tv