The Re-Branding of Katie Couric?

Up All Night with the Associated Press

New York Times article about how the A.P. will be reworking itself into the 24-hour news cycle.

MediaBistro.com

Don't know if anyone is familiar with this site, but I haven't heard anyone mention it yet. Media-related news, job postings, online classes, events, and other helpful things. You can also sign up for their Daily Media Newsfeed, whiich is great for staying on top of what happening in this rapidly changing industry.

Just in time for the holidays

Go elf yourself!!

I'm very impressed by the use of Flash on this Web site. The choreographed dance at the end is the best.

Charlie Rose October: Everyone agrees, Iran has no nuclear weapn.

When ElBaradei, the director-general of the IAEA, was on the Charlie Rose program in October, he said Iran does not have a nuclear weapon so there is no reason to speak of force.

Proof: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlie-rose/mohamed-elbaradei-in-octo_b_75485.html

The biggest weaknesses of news sites

Jon Friedman of Marketwatch recently released a list of what he felt was the biggest weaknesses of news websites. He focussed on the layout, the staffing, and other issues that are facing media companies as they look to create a presence for themselves on the internet.

The New Guy

I recently had the opportunity to interview soon to be ASU Professor Dan Gillmor for a class assignment. Here are some of the unique qualities about this world-famous blogster news man:

Before entering journalism, Mr. Gillmor was a professional musician.
At one time or another I sang and played clarinet, sax, guitar, banjo and piano -- but I haven't touched anything but guitar and piano in a long time. Guitar and voice were my primary instruments in our band, which did
everything from early jazz to rock to country to whatever we felt like (we wrote much of our own material).

One of Mr. Gillmor's best qualities is his willingness to take risks. When asked how he will encourage his students to do the same, he replied:
One way we'll encourage this is to give good grades to students whose projects fail, provided they work hard on their ideas and planning. Venture capitalists often fund people whose previous companies have failed, on the principle that the people have learned an enormous amount from what went wrong.

And his ideal student:
How many adjectives do we have room for? Top of the list: inquisitive,
hard-working, adventurous, honorable.

Um....yeah

Reserve a spot in heaven! This really has no educational value. It's just insanely weird...

Moon Photo Retouched

Remember that article we read in class about NASA asking amateur star seekers to watch for a meteor because their labs can't cover the immense amount of sky? Here's another example of amateurs and obsession put to good use. Posting information on the internet is opening yourself up to thousands of fact checkers. Here's a story of an amateur who could potentially embarass an entire country.

Internet Disturbances

How the internet and techonology continues to mystify and terrify me....I know this is nothing new. In fact, I would hope they would have something like this. But the practice of running prank names to alleviate bordeom? Another example technology turning up in the wrong hands.

T Magazine

NYTimes.com has launched its latest endeavor, T Magazine, a luxury style online magazine. From what I've read, T is getting mixed reviews from the media. Some are applauding its use of Flash, others say it has chosen style over substance.

Check it out and let me know what you think. Can flashy graphics make up for poor editorial content?

NFL.com Streams Packers-Cowboys Game

It was one of the most anticipated football games of the year, and hardly anyone got to see it. The Packers-Cowboys game was aired on the NFL Network, a channel that only 1/4 of American households receive. Due to an impasse in negotiations with most major cable carrier, the NFL Network is not offered to many people, shutting out the majority of fans for the dozen or so games that are to be shown on the network in December. The game was to have live look-ins on NFL.com, but the League decided to simulcast nearly the whole game, possibly succumbing to the pressure of the fans.

It is a shame that the greed of NFL owners and the major cable companies is preventing people from enjoying one of their favorite pastimes. At least some people were patient enough to sit through the web simulcast.

TeleFlip

Are you a mobile journalist with a budget? Do you need to send/receive emails from your cell phone, but don't want to fork out the money for a data plan or an expensive BlackBerry?

TeleFlip is a service that allows you to get your email on your phone via text message. Your phone doesn't even need an internet plan, you don't have to download any applications, no smart phone required. You can receive and reply to email with your phone.

Additionally, an older TeleFlip's service allows you to send an email to anyone, by simply sending an email to [yourfriendsmobile#]@teleflip.com

... the only thing you might need is a calling plan with unlimited text messaging. This is far cheaper than the data plans the cell phone companies offer.

Screenwriter's Strike-Super Funny!

This is a pretty funny video on the "repercussions" of the strike. Thought you might need a laugh during this high-stress time in the semester. Enjoy!

DNA Testing and Prison

I can't remember, but thought we talked about this in class. The New York Times has a great multimedia feature about how DNA has played a role in freeing those that have been wrongly-convicted of crimes.

On the site there are photos, audio interviews of those that have been freed and what it is like now that they are out of prison. At the bottom their is a soundslide of one man's experience. It is very heart-wrenching hearing these stories.