Julie Moos offered up here views on the “Was the hurricane coverage hyped?” debate that seems to be unstoppable.  See The 6 criteria for hype & why Hurricane Irene coverage does not meet them.

So, I’m offering up my take on the coverage. I feel Ms. Moos failed to address some painfully glaring realities in the “what passes for news” determinations by media outlets today.

Ms. Moos fails to adequately address the key element of proximity.  That is what made the national cable news coverage so unrealistic.  Yes, a large portion of the nation’s population were at risk.

But, what may have made the national media outlets pay so much attention may well have been — the proximity was their own backyard, the northeast.  Specifically, we’re talking about the US media mecca – New York City.

I can almost hear the newsroom conversations now (can’t you) … “Oh, my gosh … the hurricane is coming up here … and we just had a freak earthquake.  Is this Armegeddon?”  And then, can you hear the upper management conversations (the suits).  ”If not, let’s make it look like it.  I smell a ratings bonanza!”

Further, Ms. Moos neglects to adequately address the consequence of the story.  Yes, the damages caused by the hurricane were large.  However, the string of tornadoes earlier this year caused an almost equal amount of monetary damage.  They also killed hundreds more people.

Were the tornadoes over covered … or hyped by cable news?  No … and why?  In part, it was because they were hyping the Royal Wedding when the most devastating string of storms occurred.  Yes, a foriegn wedding was more important than death and destruction in the US.  Why?  The cable channels had already committed their resources.  In days long gone, they would have bitten the bullet and covered the national tragedy despite their prior commitments.  You know, that little thing called journalistic integrity.  Today, money rules!

Face it.  The hurricane coverage on cable channels was over the top.  It was all about trying to hold eyeballs, increase ratings and NOT reporting news.

The hurricane and subsequent flooding was a major story. That’s true. Did it deserve wall-to-wall coverage? No. Hey, I’ve been through plenty of hurricanes. This one, to me, was more akin to another nor’easter than a hurricane. Do nor’easters usually warrant national wall-to-wall coverage? No. Do they get it? No. Please, people. We have picnics in category one hurricanes. Sheesh!

Finally, as far as context is concerned, there were (and are) other ongoing stories that impact more people, cause more damage, cost more money and concern the deaths of more people.  What are they?  The wars the US is currently still fighting.  Famine in Africa.  Drought in the US south and southwest. There are over 30 insurgencies, civil wars and outright wars between nations underway around the world today.  (See globalsecurity.org)

Even if we quibble over the number of wars, the consequences of any one of them likely exceeds the impact of that one hurricane.  That is particularly true for those news outlets that pretend to be covering the world.

Oh, but those stories are too complex to cover and maintain the attention of viewers.  Hey, we’ll commit the money for a Royal Wedding, but in-depth coverage on more important issues — what, are you kidding?  They don’t drive ratings.  So, we are stuck with the continued tabloidization of news.  Revenues and profits play too large a role in what gets defined as news today.  Revenues and hoped for profits played too large a role in going with wall-to-wall coverage of the hurricane.

After all that … at least sometimes you can find humor in weather coverage.

Ben Parr at Mashable has, it seems, been sipping the Koolaid.

Google Buzz Has Completely Changed the Game: Here’s How

Parr writes, “The Social Analyst … a weekly column … where he digs into social media trends and how they are affecting companies in the space.”

Mashable has become a sort of cause celebre of the new social media/network journalism. This stems from CNN’s adoption of Pete Cashmore as a columnist. “Pete Cashmore is founder and CEO of Mashable, a popular blog about social media. He is writing a weekly column about social networking and tech for CNN.com.” (Source)

I often wonder whether the sometimes cheerleader-esque nature of many Mashable (and TechCrunch, for example) posts really equal the journalistic integrity we expect from more established journalism sites. Could it be that they, unlike say … the New York Times or even Wired, for crying out loud … seek to write those screamin’ headlines that draw in readers (sans rational consideration of all sides of an issue).

The post from Ben Parr makes me question that ability to avoid the koolaid and put down the pom-pons.

Here’s my reaction to Ben Parr’s post … read it first, of course, then my critique.

Google Buzz Has Completely Changed the Game: Here’s How

Parr writes, “over 160,000 Google Buzz posts and comments per hour” are flowing through the new Google Buzz (in GMail). My question? How many of those are feeds from other sites that people are already using with dedication & devotion? We don’t know, but one guesses what you’re counting is actually RSS fed activity from other tools.

Is Google really going to get them to dig up roots and move to GMail? Seriously. Will everyone move from Twitter and Facebook into Google Buzz? I kinda doubt it (at least not without many more adaptations to the Buzz).

With regard to security / privacy issues, Parr writes, “Google is responding with lightning speed.” Um, no.

They are reacting with Facebook-like speed. Further, why would they make the tool opt-out by default. They certainly have watched all that has happened with Facebook. This was a foolish bad practice that they could have avoided altogether. Put down the Koolaid.

Yes, I and many others, have been able to fold all our email accounts into one GMail account. But, what are the numbers on that? I don’t know. Do you? Is the US adoption greater than the rest of the world per capita? I’m betting the answer is yes.

Yes, Google has an enormous user base that, if they can produce the right tool(s), Google can use to usurp and replace other sites/networks … or at least equal. However, Google Buzz seems to be more of a new version of an aggregator (much like Google Reader) than a replacement for Twitter and/or Facebook.

There is much, much work to do on interface, add-ons, and so many other areas … it is too soon to proclaim it as a world changer. Could it be? Sure (with work). Twitter took years to catch on. Google has an advantage in user base, but can they convert? Many of their labs projects seem to fizzle after only months.

I’m not a big fan of Google Buzz right now. I’m also not ready to pan it completely. I was also not a fan of Twitter at its inception. Now, I use Twitter probably more than any other site (except niche Ning communities). Let’s see what happens with new apps for Buzz. That is, in large part, what boosts the appeal and use of most (if not all) social network sites.

Sometimes, I’m not kidding, these sites (Mashable/TechCrunch, et.al.) are doing what they decry and hammer PR people for doing. You know, their skewed perception that all we do is promote … sans fair presentation of facts? Oh, they won’t like that characterization … will they?

How about all things in moderation, Mr. Parr and Mashable. Step away from the lil’ koolaid pitcher.

NPR Podcast: Link Below

Farai Chideya talks to Dan Krauss, the director of The Death of Kevin Carter, an Oscar-nominated documentary about the life, work and suicide of a Pulitzer-prize winning South African photojournalist. Carter’s winning photo shows a heart-breaking scene of a starving child collapsed on the ground, struggling to get to a food center during a famine in the Sudan in 1993. In the background, a vulture stalks the emaciated child.

Listen here in PROpenMic’s music player (right hand column – scroll down … or your My Page) or go to NPR for the story and transcript.

Do Online Reporting / Videos for the NYTimes

This is an exciting opportunity. It would be wonderful if an Auburn student or a student member of PROpenMic won, wouldn’t it?

Phil Gomes, Senior Vice President of Edelman Digital, posted this to PROpenMic. I’m sort of reposting it here in blogs, too, in an attempt to get your attention. This is a great opportunity!

I’m pleased to invite you to apply for the 2009 Win-a-Trip contest. As I wrote in my column, I will take a university student with me on a reporting trip to Africa, giving the student a chance to blog for nytimes.com and to file videos to The Times and Youtube. — excerpt from Nicholas Kristof

See the story in the New York Times, Win a Trip!

Get the complete details here: Contest Rules, How to Enter, and more…

Visit the New York Times video channel on YouTube to see the Nicholas Kristof video.

I don’t guess I need to tell you how this opportunity would likely lead to a wonderful job opportunity in the future. Read the article and read the contest rules. Please consider applying. It is a once in a lifetime challenging adventure! Go for it!

I would love to see a student we’re involved with win this!

Reformed PR practitioner B. L. Ochman writes a review of the recent Council of PR firms (CPR) critical issues forum in her blog, What’s Next.

Read the Council’s take on the event in Dangers Equal Opportunity for Smart Marketers, PR Firms, Lively Annual Public Relations Council Critical Issues Forum Addresses “Most Dangerous Ideas” for Future of PR.

The conversation has actually already become an old one. The paradigm shift caused by the advent of social media software (both free open source and paid platforms) has given voice to the masses in a way never seen before. Word of mouth (WOM) is now digital and spreads like wildfire, or creeps along where no one can see it – then achieves a Groundswell of reach people in PR only dreamed of just 10 years ago. 

Look at PROpenMic, for example. In less than 7 months, we’ve brought together almost 2,700 students, faculty and practitioners from around the world. The site actually achieves greater traffic and participant involvement than sites funded by multi-million dollar corporations. Some call this smart mobs or the power of mass loyalty (by individuals) to an issue and they become loosely joined together in one Web site. Whatever it is called (buzzwords fly faster than sound these days) the reality is that Web sites can now challenge what some call traditional media: newspapers, TV stations & radio.

I look at most of these discussions from the standpoint of an educator. I’m curious what the students think about all these discussions. Education was briefly addressed in the video below. I don’t know if it came up much in the overall discussion described in the Council’s article above.

I’ve seen students leave school and become the teachers – quickly. I’ve seen students leave school and begin to challenge the old school thinking of their PR managers by standing up against blast email pitches, randomly choosing media entities in markets (rather than a targeted approach to individual journalists & bloggers) and the other old school practices so dominant just one or two decades ago.

Change truly can began at the bottom and lead to even more radical shifts in practice. We’re seeing that today with the influx of savvy students essentially having a better take on the consumer’s WOM landscape than their bosses.

Read the two posts above and watch this video. Students, this could make for an interesting blog part on your part. Tell us what you think about the changes being presented to you today. Do you feel you’re going to be ready for this new landscape? Is your ‘emerging digital experiential education’ giving you some level of confidence, or is it still too early to tell?

We don’t get enough of this feedback from students. Oh, we might not want to hear some of the things you have to say … but, I do know that we need to hear them. Tell us what you think. We’re trying to help you. I’d love to see more students posting to their blogs here in PROpenMic and/or elsewhere online.

Do you have a “dangerous idea” just waiting to be expressed? We can learn from you, too.

I blame myself, really. I watch, listen to and read way too much news. Yep, there – I said it. And, I’m not ashamed.  I’m a news addict.  No, the drugs and therapy sessions are not working.

This kerfluffle about Joe Biden’s statement that Obama, if elected, will be tested in some manner during his first year (six months, whatever) in office – it just spins your head, doesn’t it.  What will be the next lame issue these goobers beat like a dead horse. Someone call PETA, please!

Well, it is quite silly all the back and forth of the talking heads out there in our pseudo-journalism world today.  Where did journalism go?  Do you know where I can find it?  I miss journalism.

Why don’t they, instead of featuring talking (and often shouting) heads going back and forth on the matter … just do a wee bit of research to answer the question for their audiences?

Hey, if I can do it … don’t you think they can, too?

So, you decide for yourself. Here is a list of some major events from the first year of each President’s inaugural year, all the way back to good ‘ol Woodrow Wilson. You remember Woodrow, don’t you? )

Let’s look at these events (go ahead, if you’re tired of the ranting) – courtesy of InfoPlease.com – and you tell me, was there just one major event that tested the mettle of each U. S. President?

Why don’t these previously vaunted news organizations do this kind of research?  They have staff and resources. I have a dog, cat, computer and an internet connection. (George & Shekiya did the research. I just sat here and … watched news). You’d think the news organizations would want to offer a few facts mixed in with all their ratings seeking nonsense. ~sigh~

No, it isn’t a perfect list.  (Hey, they’re a dog & a cat.) I haven’t combed it completely – nor put them in perfect order.  Still, I seem to recognize at least one event in the first year of each President that seems like it could have been a challenge to their mettle.  How about you?

Did I mention that I miss journalism?

Yes, it was a stupid thing for Biden to say, given the environment of this election. He spun away from the message. He caused (as he is known to do) a stupid controversy to spin out of control. Still, he wasn’t really telling an untruth. Was he? And why in the world don’t CNN, MSNBC, FOX, the NYTimes.com and so many other ‘news’ organizations just do their damn homework! Hello?

1913 – Wilson

• Suffragettes demonstrate in London and Washington, D.C. Background: Woman Suffrage
• London peace treaty partitions most of European Turkey among the victors of first Balkan War.
• In second Balkan war, Bulgaria attacks Serbia and Greece and is defeated after Romania intervenes and Turks recapture Adrianople (June).
• Garment workers strike in New York and Boston; win pay raises and reduced hours.
• Sixteenth Amendment (income tax) and 17th (popular election of U.S. senators) adopted. Background: Amendments to the Constitution
• Bill creating U.S. Federal Reserve System becomes law.
• World War I begins (June 28, 1914): Austria declares war on Serbia; Germany on Russia and France; Britain on Germany

1921 – Harding

• Um, Teapot Dome.
• Major treaties signed at Washington Disarmament Conference limit naval tonnage and pledge to respect territorial integrity of China.
• Congress passes Budget and Accounting Act, which creates the Bureau of Budget (June 10).
• U.S. Congress, in a joint resolution, declares WWI ended (July 2).
• First burial is held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery (Nov. 11).

1923 (August) – Coolidge

• Adolf Hitler’s “Beer Hall Putsch” in Munich fails; in 1924 he is sentenced to five years in prison where he writes Mein Kampf. He is released after eight months.
• Earthquake destroys one-third of Tokyo.
• Occupation of Ruhr by French and Belgian troops to enforce reparations payments.
• The second Ku Klux Klan movement in U.S. history grows, stirring widespread controversy and violence.

1929 – Hoover

• Um, the Depression started!
• Trotsky is expelled from U.S.S.R.
• First large-scale Jewish-Arab violence caused by a clash at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.
• St. Valentine’s Day gangland massacre in Chicago (Feb. 14).
• Stock market prices plummet (Nov.-Dec.). U.S. securities lose $26 billion, marking the first financial disaster of the Great Depression

1933 – Roosevelt

• Um, the Depression … still goin’ on!
• Reichstag fire in Berlin; Nazi terror begins (Feb. 27).
• Hitler becomes German chancellor (Jan. 30).
• Germany and Japan withdraw from League of Nations.
• Giuseppe Zangara executed for attempted assassination of President-elect Roosevelt in which Chicago Mayor Cermak is fatally shot.
• Roosevelt inaugurated (“the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”); launches New Deal.
• Prohibition repealed. OK, that doesn’t cound. Good news!
• Glass-Steagall Act bans banks from dealing in stocks and bonds.

1945 (April) – Truman

• FDR dies (April 12) and Harry S. Truman becomes president.
• Hitler commits suicide (April 30); Germany surrenders (May 7); May 8 is declared V-E Day.
• San Francisco Conference establishes the United Nations (April–June).
• Potsdam Conference (Truman, Churchill, Stalin) establishes basis of German reconstruction (July–Aug.).
• US drops atomic bombs on Japanese cities of Hiroshima (Aug. 6) and Nagasaki (Aug. 9).
• Japan signs official surrender on V-J Day (Sept. 2).
• Manhattan Project tests first atomic bomb in Alamogordo, New Mexico (July 16).
• A B-25 bomber flies into the Empire State Building, damaging the 78th and 79th floors and killing 13 (July 28).

1953 – Eisenhower

• Joseph Stalin dies (March 5). Georgi Malenkov becomes Soviet Premier; Lavrenti Beria, Minister of Interior; Vyacheslav Molotov, Foreign Minister (March 6).
• East Berliners rise against Communist rule; quelled by tanks (June 17).
• Korean armistice signed (July 27).
• Moscow announces explosion of hydrogen bomb (Aug. 20). Background: nuclear weapons
• Tito becomes president of Yugoslavia.
• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg executed in Sing Sing prison (June 19).
• Alleged Communist Charlie Chaplin leaves U.S. for good. Justice Dept. warns him any attempt to reenter the country will be challenged.

1961 – Kennedy

• US breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba (Jan. 3).
• 1,200 US-sponsored anti-Castro exiles invade Cuba at the Bay of Pigs (April 17); the attackers are all killed or captured by Cuban forces.
• East Germany erects the Berlin Wall between East and West Berlin to halt flood of refugees (Aug. 13). (Here’s a hint: The Cold War)
• USSR detonates 50-megaton hydrogen bomb in the largest man-made explosion in history (Oct. 29).
• There are 2,000 US military advisers in South Vietnam. You do remember the Vietnam War, right?
• OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) formally constituted.

1963 (November) – Johnson

• There are 15,000 US military advisers in South Vietnam.

1964

• Nelson Mandela sentenced to life imprisonment in South Africa (June 11).
• Congress approves Gulf of Tonkin Resolution after North Vietnamese torpedo boats allegedly attack US destroyers (Aug. 7).
• Khrushchev is deposed; Kosygin becomes premier and Brezhnev becomes first secretary of the Communist Party (October).
• China detonates its first atomic bomb.

1969 – Nixon

• Nixon begins “Vietnamization” in Southeast Asia.
• The United States, USSR, and about 100 other countries sign the nuclear nonproliferation treaty (NPT).
• Russian and Chinese troops clash along the Ussuri River.
• 27-year-old Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi deposes King Idris of Libya and establishes a pro-Arabic, anti-Western, Islamic republic.
• Stonewall riot in New York City marks beginning of gay rights movement (June 28).

1974 (August) Ford

• Um, Nixon resigns.
• Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia is deposed. A collective military dictatorship assumes power (Sept. 12).
• Ford grants “full, free, and absolute pardon” to ex-President Nixon (Sept. 8).

1975

• Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge take over Cambodia (April).
• The city of Saigon is surrendered and remaining Americans are evacuated, ending the Vietnam War (April 30).
• American merchant ship Mayaguez, seized by Cambodian forces, is rescued in operation by US Navy and Marines, 38 of whom are killed (May 15).
• John N. Mitchell, H. R. Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman found guilty of Watergate cover-up (Jan. 1); sentenced to 30 months to 8 years in jail (Feb. 21).
• President Ford escapes assassination attempt in Sacramento, Calif. (Sept. 5).
• President Ford escapes second assassination attempt in 17 days (Sept. 22).
• Carter pardons Vietnam war draft evaders (Jan. 21).

1977 – Carter

• Deng Xiaoping, purged Chinese leader, restored to power as Gang of Four is expelled from Communist Party (July 22).
• South African activist Steve Biko dies in police custody (Sept. 12).
• Nuclear-proliferation pact, curbing spread of nuclear weapons, is signed by 15 countries, including US and USSR (Sept. 21).

1981 – Reagan

• US-Iran agreement frees 52 hostages held in Teheran since 1979 (Jan. 20); hostages welcomed back in US (Jan. 25). Background: Iran Hostage Crisis
• Pope John Paul II wounded by gunman (May 14).
• Israel annexes the disputed Golan Heights territory (Dec. 14).
• Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat is assassinated by Islamic extremists during a military parade in Cairo (Oct. 6).
• President Hilla Limann is overthrown in Ghana as Jerry J. Rawlings seizes power.
• President Reagan wounded by gunman, with press secretary and two law-enforcement officers (March 30).
• US Supreme Court rules, 4–4, that former President Nixon and three top aides may be required to pay damages for wiretap of home telephone of former national security aide (June 22).
• Reagan nominates Judge Sandra Day O’Connor, 51, of Arizona, as first woman on US Supreme Court (July 7).
• Air controllers strike, disrupting flights (Aug. 3); government dismisses strikers (Aug. 11).

1989 – Bush (41)

• US planes shoot down two Libyan fighters over international waters in Mediterranean (Jan. 4).
• Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini declares author Salman Rushdie’s book The Satanic Verses offensive and sentences him to death (Feb. 14).
• Tens of thousands of Chinese students take over Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in rally for democracy (April 19 et seq.). More than one million in Beijing demonstrate for democracy; chaos spreads across nation (mid-May et seq.). Thousands killed in Tiananmen Square as Chinese leaders take hard line toward demonstrators (June 4 et seq.).
• Mikhail S. Gorbachev named Soviet President (May 25).
• P. W. Botha quits as South Africa’s President (Aug. 14).
• Deng Xiaoping resigns from China’s leadership (Nov. 9).
• After 28 years, Berlin Wall is open to West (Nov. 11).
• Czech Parliament ends Communists’ dominant role (Nov. 30).
• Romanian uprising overthrows Communist government (Dec. 15 et seq.); President Ceausescu and wife executed (Dec. 25).
• US troops invade Panama, seeking capture of General Manuel Noriega (Dec. 20).
• Ruptured tanker Exxon Valdez sends 11 million gallons of crude oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound (March 24).
• US jury convicts Oliver North in Iran-Contra affair (May 4).
• Army Gen. Colin R. Powell is first black Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff (Aug. 9).
• A San Francisco Bay area earthquake measuring 7.1 in magnitude, killed 67 and injured over 3,000. Over 100,000 buildings damaged or destroyed. (Oct. 17)

1993 – Clinton

• Twenty-two UN troops killed in Somalia (June 5).
• Yeltsin’s forces crush revolt in Russian Parliament (Oct. 4 et seq.).
• China breaks nuclear test moratorium (Oct. 5).
• Israeli-Palestinian accord reached (Aug. 28).
• Federal agents besiege Texas Branch Davidian religious cult after six are killed in raid (March 1 et seq.). Fire kills 72 as cult standoff in Texas ends with federal assault (April 19).
• Five arrested, sixth sought in bombing of World Trade Center in New York (March 29).
• Two police officers convicted in Los Angeles on civil rights charges in Rodney King beating (April 17); sentenced Aug. 4.
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg appointed to Supreme Court (June 14).
• US agents blamed in Waco, Tex., siege (Oct. 1).
• House of Representatives approves North American Free Trade Agreement (Nov. 17); Senate follows (Nov. 21).
• Clinton signs Brady bill regulating firearms purchases (Nov. 30).

2001 – Bush (43)

• Congo president Laurent Kabila assassinated by bodyguard (Jan. 16). Son Joseph Kabila takes over amid continuing civil war.
• Ariel Sharon wins election in Israel (Feb. 6). Right-wing leader chosen overwhelmingly as nation’s fifth prime minister in just over five years during worst Israeli-Palestinian violence in years.
• The long-simmering resentment of Macedonia’s ethnic Albanians erupts into violence in March. The rebels seek greater autonomy within Macedonia. After six months of fighting, a peace agreement is signed (Aug. 13). British-led NATO forces enter the country and disarm the guerrillas.
• U.S. spy plane and Chinese jet collide (April 2); Sino-American relations deteriorate during a standoff. The 24 crew members of the U.S. plane were detained for 11 days and released after the U.S. issued a formal statement of regret.
• Former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic is delivered to UN tribunal in The Hague to await war-crime trial (June 29).
• Without U.S., 178 nations reach agreement on climate accord, which rescues, though dilutes, 1997 Kyoto Protocol (July 23).
• In response to Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, U.S. and British forces launch bombing campaign on Taliban government and al-Qaeda terrorist camps in Afghanistan (Oct. 7). Bombings continue on a daily basis.
• Irish Republican Army announces that it has begun to dismantle its weapons arsenal, marking a dramatic leap forward in Northern Ireland peace process (Oct. 23).
• At a UN-sponsored summit in Bonn, Germany, Afghani factions meet to create a post-Taliban government (Nov. 27). Hamid Karzai is selected as head of the transitional government (Dec. 5).
• Taliban regime in Afghanistan collapses after two months of bombing by American warplanes and fighting by Northern Alliance ground troops (Dec. 9).
• Israel condemns the Palestinian Authority as a “terror-supporting entity” and severs ties with leader Yasir Arafat following mounting violence against Israelis (Dec. 3). The Israeli Army begins bombing Palestinian areas.
• In final days of presidency, Bill Clinton issues controversial pardons, including one for Marc Rich, billionaire fugitive financier (Jan. 20).
• U.S. submarine Greeneville sinks Japanese fishing boat, killing 9 (Feb. 9).
• FBI agent Robert Hanssen is charged with spying for Russia for 15 years (Feb. 20).
• Race riots in Cincinnati continue for several days following a shooting of an unarmed black man by a white police officer (April 7 et seq.).
• Four are declared guilty in 1998 terrorist bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania (May 29).
• Balance of the Senate shifts after Jim Jeffords of Vermont changes his party affiliation from Republican to Independent. The move strips Republicans of control of the Senate and gives Democrats the narrowest of majorities (50-49-1) (June 5).
• Bush signs new tax-cut law, the largest in 20 years – due to an economic downturn (costs him his future re-election bid) (June 7).
• Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh executed (June 11).
• Budget surplus dwindles. The Congressional Budget Office attributes this rapid change in the nation’s fortunes to the slowing economy and the Bush tax cut (Aug. 22).
• Terrorists attack United States. Hijackers ram jetliners into twin towers of New York City’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon. A fourth hijacked plane crashes 80 mi outside of Pittsburgh (Sept. 11). Toll of dead and injured in thousands. Within days, Islamic militant Osama bin Laden and the al-Qaeda terrorist network are identified as the parties behind the attacks.
• Anthrax scare rivets nation, as anthrax-laced letters are sent to various media and government officials. Several postal workers die after handling the letters (throughout October).

‘Nuff said? Yep.

Don’t even get me started on the new round of red baiting that’s going on, either.

I was raised in quite a liberal household. My parents supported McCarthy. No, I don’t mean Joe, either.

It often suprises me that, having grown up in such a liberal household, I turned out to be so conservative. Still, conservative or not – I pray I can tell the difference between facts and BS! Sheesh!

/rant

They launched (installed) the blog on September 10th, but didn’t begin posting until October 1st.

Not many posts, yet.  Eleven, to be exact, but they are underway.

Hello University! This is The Plainsman’s attempt to stretch further into a medium other than print – the Web. We hope you all enjoy picking up a paper on your way to class Thursday mornings, but now, as we get this site going, feel free to check in on the latest campus news any time of the week.

These blogs will be more opinion pieces from our staff – how we’re feeling about events going on around campus, news in general and of course sports events. We encourage anyone and everyone to leave comments to make this a more diverse forum.

They are running WordPress 2.6.2, the latest version of the software. I was hoping to find that they were running WPMU – WordPress Multi-User. That would have enabled a community of blogs from the students. But, one step at a time, right.

Among the authors are Kristin Oberholzer, Editor of The Auburn Plainsman, and others. So, go check out their blog. This should be fun to follow.

The recent editorial by John Temple, Editor and publisher of the Rocky Mountain News, is a perfect example of taking experiments with emerging digital media one step too far.

Rocky Mountain News reporter Berny Morson was sent on assignment to cover the funeral of Marten Kudlis, age 3. Kudlis was killed last week at an ice cream shop when a traffic accident sent a vehicle into the shop killing the young man and two other women involved in the crash. Morson was to cover the funeral using Twitter. That link will take you to his account to read his posts. Judge for yourself if you think they come off as crass and insensitive, as some have claimed.

The point here is that Twitter is too new to the majority of individuals out there. TwitDir reports there are 2,957,060 Twitter users, to date. That’s less than 1% of the US population, and Twitter is used worldwide. So, it is safe to say that Twitter is still relegated, primarily, to the early adopters of the world. It is easy to understand why some might find the use to be distasteful and insensitive.

Michelle Ferrier, at the Poynter Institute, wrote about the paper’s use of Twitter in Rocky Mountain News: Tasteless Tweets. John Temple chose to reply in the comments. Rather than make a rational defense of his paper’s actions, Temple felt compelled to resort to an attack on Poynter.

I find it odd that a Poynter blog criticizing a decision by a newspaper would find it adequate to ask a reporter for comment. Note to Poynter: Reporters don’t decide newspaper policies. It may make the blogger feel righteous to have said she tried to get comment. But really….This isn’t the first time I’ve had a problem with Poynter writers on this account.

Not too smart, really. It diminished his rebuttal, turning the whole thing into a bit of ad hominem. Unfortunate.

I suggest that if Temple had used a more familiar form of reporting, this whole mini-controversy would never have happened. Use of Cover It Live, for example, would have allowed the reporter to tell the story just as quickly. That tool allows for immediate coverage, yet it is not limited to 140 characters per post. Let’s face it, 140 characters for such a sensitive story is quite a limitation.

Another option would have been to use TwitPic. This would have allowed you to share photos, something everyone’s familiar with, and yet still be able to test Twitter as a channel for reporting.

Both of those options would have provided the immediacy, if that’s what you were looking for in your reporting.

Still, a photo slideshow after the service could have been just as easily shared via Flickr and a Flash-based service like this example from Paul Stamatiou. You could even add to the photo stream as the service progressed, quite easily, if you simply prepared in advance by creating the Flickr account and embedding the code in your paper’s Web site.

Regardless of how you do it, all of those examples still allow the the paper to cover it live, or quickly, with media forms that all readers would recognize.

Preparation, however, seems to be an area where John Temple failed in this instance.

I fear John Temple over-reacted in his effort to defend the process. His editorial actually refers to a lack of preparation and training for his journalists. It seems to me that his experiment was not well thought out.

Irony of ironies, Rocky Mountain News editor and publisher John Temple has his own Twitter account. It has one post in it from 05:01 PM July 23, 2008. The post? “Test”. That’s it.

John, that’s not enough of a test to prove Twitter ready for coverage of a funeral. I know. You may well have been following and reading others in Twitter to gain an appreciation for how it is used. Still, the meager effort you’ve made on your own part doesn’t help boost your defense of Twitter’s use to cover a funeral.

Now, all that being said, Rocky Mountain News has been a leader in online news coverage and experimentation. So, I don’t wish to be too critical. The reality is that these types of mis-steps are bound to happen. It is inevitable. As papers seek to use all the tools at their disposal, there will be instances where the practice doesn’t fit the story. That simple, yet too often difficult to predict.

It may be that Rocky Mountain News is so far ahead, they too are caught in that unfortunate situation we can all find ourselves in … wanting to try out the new shiny things, but losing sight of the best interests (and sensitivities) of our audiences.

If you are interested in the subsequent news coverage of Marten Kudlis’ death, visit these two follow-up stories. The accident did raise new questions. Lawmakers call for immigration review and Ritter: Review ‘broken system’

OK, I’ll admit. This is a little bit of a personal rant. I don’t do this much, but I’m kinda fed up – just a wee bit – so, I’m venting. )

Local news reported in a social network / emerging digital media kinda way.

When I first thought of this for classes, some time ago, I’ll admit to having that image of Al Franken’s SNL faux coverage of politics flashing through my mind. But, today it really is possible and provides students with realistic and valuable experience.

As we embark on our class activities at The Loveliest Village, students may wonder why we’ll be doing all this local reporting using lil’ cameras, laptops and social media / social network software platforms to publish.

Well, if it is good enough for CNN, it’s good enough for us, right?

Now, imagine using the skills my students develop in these exercises and then share those stories, videos, photos and more with news outlets online and print.  Hey, they are seeking content. Get the drift? This is how we all may be doing a good portion of media relations in the future.

Actually, forget the future.  I had students doing it today.  This summer they pitched and delivered stories, video and photos.  This semester they are collaborating with multiple news outlets to place stories they will create for class.  Yep, it is not just what they post in The Loveliest Village.  These news outlets have actually sought us out for content.  No kidding.

So, students will create content much the same as CNN is now doing.  Pretty cool, huh.  ;o)  And people said I was nuts.  Sorry, couldn’t resist.

Well, some people said I was crazy.  Didn’t know what I was talking about. Why show students how to do this?  Hmm?  If it is good enough for CNN, I guess it’s good enough for us. )

According to that PRWeek article, at CNN journalists “…will report for broadcast and digital mediums with lightweight kits, including wi-fi-enabled laptops, cameras, and editing tools.”

So now, our students will be able to understand how major media works – the new way.  They’ll be sharing the content that reporters are looking for in this new world.  Not only ‘are’ we way ahead.  We’ve ‘been’ way ahead, for some time.  Update: And, by the way, it isn’t just major media.  Local … local … media has sought us out to create content for their sites.  Hello?

What CNN is now doing is what we’ve been talking about and doing for a long time now.  )  Just sharin’ …. just sayin’.

/rant

Just thinking out loud, here. What do you think.

Is a trend developing, or continuing? Does the trend sound familiar?

Techmeme tweets: “Key News Audiences Now Blend Online and Traditional Sources (Pew Research Center) http://tinyurl.com/5ghn9g”.

Is this an example of research that shows why all this stuph we’re doing in classes is important?

Key News Audiences Now Blend Online and Traditional Sources : Audience Segments in a Changing News Environment (Pew Internet Research).

And, a question. Has Epic come true? Just askin’.