A New Business Model for Journalism?

Our journalism class had a phone conference with journalist Philip Meyer recently. We all tossed out questions regarding the future of journalism and blogging.

One thing that Meyer said really struck me. He explained that journalism is going to have to start paying more attention to the business side of operations. No longer are newspapers succeeding in only print format. They are moving online, moving to mutlimedia platforms and beginning to blog.

Meyer said that as budding journalists, we need to keep our minds open to different business models that can support online and print journalism. As print news starts to decline, many papers are inclined to cut back on reporters and editorial staff. However, these are relatively fixed costs, says Meyer. Therefore, papers should be trying to cut relative costs, not fixed costs.

This conversation affirmed by belief that journalism is headed for rough waters in the upcoming decade. But, when we emerge from the madness, we'll be working in an entirely different context: new media platforms, new writing and a new business model.

Check out this link to an article that Meyer wrote on the topic of journalism’s transformationhere

Blogger Schmogger

Now time for the ultimate blogging question… Are bloggers journalists? I feel qualified to speak on this topic after successfully hosting a blog for a few months now.

In my own experience with this blog, I’ve found that the amount of time I spend writing a blog article and the amount of time I spend writing a traditional news article are drastically different. I exert much more effort and time on my traditional writing. Perhaps this is because I feel the need to fact check, attribute, edit and re-edit all my traditional entries. But in the blogosphere, who’s looking? Aside from my Professor (Hi, Scott!).

I do agree that blogs have power and potential. The ability to directly communicate with readers is so important, and blogs allow this. News will finally become interactive and conversational.

But I have to wonder if I can anticipate the same kind of success for independent, lesser-known bloggers, like myself. What are the chances that any poor soul would stumble onto Ye Ol Weblog? And, if they did, who guarantees they will stick around long enough to read my banter? Right now, the most popular blogs are those run by larger news conglomerates or professionals.

Furthermore, news and headlines may break in the blogosphere, but they never stay there. According to a survey by LexisNexis, when consumers read a breaking story in a blog, they go immediately to a trusted news source to get the entire story.

Still, I like the ability of blogs to target specific niches, like East Mediterranean cooking or rubber band enthusiasts. Blogs allow sub-topics like these to be covered in-depth, as the mainstream media giants traditionally ignore them.

I hope my own media-centered blog has interested a few journalists along the way. And, I look forward to the coming decade when, I believe, the blogosphere will realize its full potential as an information/entertainment source.

"The Landlord" and Other Internet Comedy

I was reading through the New York Times online this morning and I came across a story about comedy on the Internet. It explained the success of Will Ferrell’s latest video on FunnyorDie.com, The Landlord.

The video is a two-minute clip of Ferrell interacting with Adam McKay’s two-year-old daughter, Pearl. You may recognize McKay’s name as one of the producers of “Anchorman.” The clip has quickly become one of the most popular videos on the site with over 30 million views.

Ferrell and McKay started the video web site as a project that would incorporate the works of other famous comedians as well.

I am amazed that Ferrell and McKay, two stars who typically make millions on their blockbuster comedies, would put time and energy into a web video project. This site is a perfect example of the increasing power of the Internet as a content deliverer.

Clearly, Ferrell and McKay can see some sort of long-term benefit in working and editing a site like this. As the speed of broadband increases and the price decreases, I wonder if the Internet will become people’s primary source of entertainment. In a way, I think it already has – just look at the popularity of certain videos on YouTube, or the networking on Facebook. So, while Ferrell and McKay’s online work may not be paying off right now, I’m anxious to see what it means for the future.

This I Believe

In honor of NPR's This I Believe, our class experimented with our own audio personal statements.

To hear mine on gabcast, click here

Mainstream Blogs: The Good, the Bad, and NPR

It’s true that mediocre blogs plague the Internet. But I’m just talking about mainstream media blogs, here. The kind of blogs run by journalists from the Spokesman Review or the LA Times.

There’s two ways these blogs can fail: One, they suffer from being too much like their print edition, or they try to be too tongue and cheek, and fail to say anything worth reading. But in my search for the perfect news blog, I stumbled onto The NPR News Blog, by Tom Regan - that's National Public Radio. This blog combines the kind of interesting reporting that folks can find on NPR. And, I especially appreciate it because it tackles subjects that have been neglected by other mainstream media.

In a recent posting, the NPR News Blog discussed why the American-run Al Hurra satellite news station can’t measure up to competitors, like Al Jazeera. I didn’t even know the U.S. was providing this kind of satellite news station. That’s what I’m talking about here. I’m fed up with watching and listening to the same three news topics: the 2008 election, the war and Paris Hilton.

The NPR blog succeeds because it tackles these untouched issues. Also, it does so with the tact and freshness that accompanies most NPR reports. The language is neither too elitist, nor too snarky, and it provides links to the items it discusses. Lastly, I appreciate the standards that NPR has set up in regard to the news blog. Some of the rules include, no swearing, no plagiarism, “don’t use the comment section like that jerk talking to loudly on her cell phone on the bus,” and no conspiracy theories (to name a few).

To wrap things up here: the writing’s strong, the topics are interesting and there’s trust – what more could you ask?


Check out this link to NPR’s blog here

Beating the Figurative Drums of Journalism

Last Thursday I had the privilege of sitting in on the Journalism school’s 31st Ruhl Lecture. The speech was given by Leonard Pitts Jr., who has worked for the Miami Herald as a music critic and won the Pulitzer prize in 2005 for commentary. He published a book in 1999: “Becoming Dad: Black Men and the Journey to Fatherhood.”

His speech, “A Legacy of Drums” tackled the concept of race and ethnicity in the media. Pitts compared the media to drummers, beating the pulse to which the nation walks.

“As journalists we have the privilege to be gatekeepers,” Pitts said. “Whose drums, whose stories will we tell?”

Pitts believed that stories, especially from the media, could have the power to change expectations, stereotypes and preconceived notions. His passion about the subject was tangible in the room, as he expressed stereotypes that he has dealt with in the past.

After a few minutes of conversation with some folks who he had just met, he could tell they weren’t listening to his own story.

“I could tell they weren’t speaking to me at all,” said Pitts. “They look at me and they know my love for Reverend Sharpton and my love for Jesse Jackson. They look at me and they know I’m ill-educated.”

Pitts kept emphasizing dialogue. As journalists our job is to promote this dialogue because “you cannot know someone until you know their story.” A journalist’s job then, is to convey the stories, beat the drums that people need to hear.

There is a false notion in this country, Pitts said, that racism ended after the Civil War, but it still exists. As a country, we only have these conversations after flare-ups, like Michael Richards and Don Imus. This approach will never solve anything. We should be talking all the time about race, Pitts said.

I think Pitts’ remarks were absolutely true. As journalists we have taken on this culture of “what’s going to bring in revenue, what’s going to bring in viewers?” And, in doing this, we’ve started to abandon the quiet, but significant events that happen everyday. I think we’ve all seen this in local news outlets in particular. Here in Eugene we have the honor of getting our news from KVAL and KMTR. These stations are more about the entertainment, the show, than they are about the news, said Pitts. They highlight petty crimes and waterskiing squirrels more than powerful local issues.

So what can journalists do? How do we know which drums we should be beating? Pitts said that for a lot of people diversity is like broccoli. You only put up with it because you know it’s good for you. Well, as journalists we should eat our broccoli; report the stories that are a challenge, stories that challenge the stereotype.


For audio or a transcript of Pitt's speech, click here

Addressing and Reporting on Genocide

Nicolas Kristof spoke tonight at the University of Oregon’s symposium entitled “Witnessing Genocide: Representation and Responsibility.” Amid graphic pictures and testimonies of dead infants, sexually assaulted women and young men with their eyes gouged out by bayonets, Kristof painted a moving picture of the Darfur genocide.

Kristof, who has won the Pulitzer numerous times for his work with the New York Times, said that once he began writing about and visiting the area, he found it hard to pursue other topics. Darfur was too brutal to ignore.

In particular, Kristof underscored the violent rapes and assaults that are plaguing the women of the area.

“Rape is extraordinarily stigmatized in Darfur,” Kristof said. “Well, the government realized this would be a powerful tool. It wouldn’t get the government in trouble the way piles of dead bodies would.”

He stressed that these rapes aren’t just a normal bi-product of an ongoing ethnic cleansing, but they are deliberate efforts by the government. Even worse, the state uses force to ensure that these women’s stories are never heard. Sudan recently outlawed post-exposure drugs that would prevent rape victims from harmful diseases, like AIDS. Pregnancy from a rape is taken as proof of a woman’s adultery, and many victims are punished with prison time.

Kristof said this is a problem that can get better with more exposure, not military power. I believe that’s where journalism enters. The coverage thus far of this humanitarian crisis has been despicable – an embarrassment. In 2004, CBS spent three minutes covering Darfur. The following year, it was just two minutes.

“We need to draw attention to this because governments are embarrassed about slaughtering their people,” Kristof said.

As journalists our duties are twofold. First, we are obligated to address this genocide because it is an emerging international crisis that the public knows little about. Secondly, and more importantly, we must write about it because the simple act of reporting it - drawing attention to it - could save millions.

Inspiration Courtesy of Adrian Nicole LeBlanc

Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to hear author and journalist, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc speak at the University of Oregon. You may recognize her name from her early work at Seventeen magazine or her recent book, "Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx." She spoke to the crowd of 30 something students mostly about her book, which followed the lives of a few teens growing up in New York, among drugs, sex and violence.

It was interesting to hear the stories of a hardly intimidating woman (she was wearing a black sweat suit and tortoise shell glasses), who had immersed herself in a completely different culture. LeBlanc was still working at Seventeen, while she spent her nights engrossed in the lives of inner city teens. But, after a while, LeBlanc just couldn’t take it anymore. One day, as she was taking the elevator up to her day job at Seventeen, she took a look around her, at the interior of the elevator. It was new, clean, well-maintained – exactly the opposite of the rickety old piece-of-junk elevator she rode so often in the Bronx. LeBlanc said that by the time the doors opened to reveal the new carpet and pink walls of the Seventeen office, she just couldn’t take it anymore. From that day forward, LeBlanc threw herself into her other work, writing her book.

Once she had decided to fully giver herself to her work in the Bronx, LeBlanc was able to immerse herself even deeper into her work. And, as any journalist knows, with deeper commitment, comes better work.

LeBlanc also handed down some good tips for interviewing, especially subjects that seem intimidating. She said that subjects can often sense the judgment of their interviewer and this causes them to clam up.

LeBlanc recalled interviewing a young Bronx girl involved in a love triangle. Caesar, who LeBlanc described as a player, was living with one girl and fathering the baby of another girl, Coco. During the interview, Coco revealed to LeBlanc that when Caesar was out with his live-in girlfriend, she would clean his sneakers and iron his shirts. LeBlanc, with all her feminist, academia-centered views, reacted with shock. Coco withdrew.

“Judgment can get in the way of the most mundane interactions,” said LeBlanc, adding that it is difficult, but necessary for all journalists to separate their egos from their stories.

Ultimately, I found LeBlanc’s advice to be quite soothing, particularly for a young journalist who is not entirely sure where her career will take her. LeBlanc followed her passion and interests and, assuredly, anyone who does the same will never be disappointed.

Bloggers and Journalists: Together or Just a Fling?

Steve Outing of the Poynter institute published two articles in 2004 that discuss what journalists and bloggers can learn from each other. The unfortunate thing is, neither have bothered to listen.

Outing points out, in “What Journalists Can Learn From Bloggers,” that bloggers are working quickly to establish rules and etiquette for their postings. But, he simultaneously mentions in his parallel article, “What Bloggers Can Learn From Journalists,” that bloggers have no editor, no watchdog. So, it begs the question, if there is no one watching over bloggers, forcing them to adhere to this code they are supposedly constructing, whose to say they will abide by it? Nobody. Outing explains, “With blogging, it's up to the individual blogger. With no institution or organization watching over them and guiding their behavior, we can only hope that most bloggers adhere to a mission of accuracy and accountability.”

Usually, bloggers don’t do their own reporting. Instead, they will comment on the works of other journalists. If the blogger cites his source, then the information is more credible, but often times they don’t. Instead, they write the news more transparently, posting opinions or hunches. Outing mentions the case of Wonkette, Ana Marie Cox’s blog, which announced the victory of John Kerry before the end of the 2004 election. Obviously, this was incorrect. While, bloggers may occasionally print incorrect information, Outing says this is OK, as long as the writer is transparent about where the information came from. Bloggers, unlike journalists, are permitted to print unfounded views. To retain credibility though, it is crucial that they open up to their audience and explain that the information on their blog may or may not be legitimate.

But, don’t fret, bloggers. Outing did have some good things to say about weblogs. Whereas newspapers research, write and print the news, blogs are not so final. After a posting, readers can comment, correct and engage the writer. Blogs allow for a conversation. Often this is a space left out of most community newspapers, where discussion of issues would be crucial.

In addition, blogs permit the personality of the writer to come through the writing. It resonates with the reader more deeply than a stuffy newspaper column where personal opinions are hidden.

I am interested to watch the future of journalism and blogs collide, as I believe they will. They can’t mix entirely, though. No matter what happens, strong reporters and journalists will still be needed for newspapers and magazines. At the same time, readers will still be interested in reading the ramblings of bloggers throughout the Internet. Perhaps the future will unveil a place for bloggers and journalists to coexist.

Peacefully.


Links to Poynter Institute Articles:

What Bloggers Can Learn From Journalists


What Journalists Can Learn From Bloggers

My First Hit of Blog

Es mi dia primero!
Welcome to Ye Ol Weblog’s first posting. I’ve avoided blogs in the past because the ones I have come across (granted I haven’t read many) have been GenericEmoKid15 complaining about why nobody wants to sit next to him at lunch.
To avoid this, I would like to use my blog as a sort-of midpoint between the canned journalistic articles I write for school and work and the ramblings my poor friends are forced to listen to occasionally. In doing so, I will attempt to cite my sources (and links) as often as possible.
I’d like to discuss both the changing nature of journalism, in the face of youtube, cell phones, podcasting, and blogs. I profoundly believe that in the next 50 years journalism, as we know it, will be transferred, to a large extent, back to the people. Perhaps, something like citizen journalism.
Yes, I still believe that ordained (and employed) journalists would still have a crucial role in delivering information. Readers will always need an absolutely trusted news source that answers to editors and codes of ethics. But, bloggers will add something new: more dialogue, more opinions (some good, some bad), and more voice!
With that, I introduce my first semi-professional blog article regarding the similarities and differences between bloggers and journalists.