Media convergence – back to reading? December 27, 2009
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We can now watch Fareed Zakaria’s GPS show online. Oh, we did cancel our cable TV and switched to a wireless (WiMax) Internet connection about four months ago. Yet, we’re getting even more entertainment than in the past – we just use our new netbook to hook up to our new flatscreen, HDTV set and we stream Netflix and other shows through Boxee and through web sites directly (like GPS). In general, working in the communications field now for technology companies that are part of the wireless and TV convergence technologies, I’ve been acutely aware of how audiences continue to splinter and more people get their entertainment on demand, online, on mobile, on DVRs, etc. Same trend is true for news (like GPS). Does this mean that Al Gore’s hypothesis that the Internet is the best new news outlet (because of if its interactive nature) will be increasingly in vogue or even a permanent trend?
More reading! Yay! 
Indeed, the Internet is a new TV and video medium, but it is still primarily a print outlet – blogging and online news sources being predominant yet (even social networks like Facebook and Twitter are predominantly text-based). However, the Internet yields short stories – like newspapers before it, it obeys by the laws of short text to keep the attention; even though indefinite amounts of text can fit onto a web page, usually articles in NYTimes.com and such outlets are split into several screens with a “next” page so as to look more manageable (vs. newspaper columns trick). All this may also mean that magazines will probably be the last print (or electronic reading device issues – like Kindle) to disappear into the video and instant medium abyss. Just like people will always read books, there is something compelling about long-form news/in-depth articles. The problem there will be finding a valid and sustainable business model to keep paying for it all.
Hodgepodge catch-up post July 28, 2009
Posted by midnightzimadreams in Civics, Gibberish, Healthcare, Life, Media, New Media, Superfluous musings, Technology.add a comment
Life has definitely been a whirlwind in the past few months. After a layoff, several long weeks of semi-disheartened job searching, grandmother traveling back to Europe, sister’s graduation, new job (which was a surprise and has become a great learning experience), and lots of reconnections with friends, one moving wedding, and finally an apartment selection (and one more wedding prep), I have decided I’ll never “find” time to resume blogging. I had even taken to sending myself e-mails from my new smart phone (wow, never had a pocket-sized computer that makes phone calls before; they’re truly come along way, despite all the criticism) during my long commute via ferry – all with subject line “blog” and a sentence or two on a topic that was capitalizing my attention that day. Well, I won’t get around to developing full blog posts out of each e-mail, so here’s a hodgepodge list, just to get it out there and hopefully start blogging somewhat regularly again:
Celebrity deaths – what do they tell us? – I thought about this when news about Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Mays, Walter Cronkite (and I’m sure I’m forgetting someone) hit within a few short days of each other. Beyond the stories I was reading about online journalism, mobile technology, etc. and how these worldwide (in case of MJ) news bits profliferated many new technologies, I was thinking that a lot of these folks were fairly young and succumbed to either cancer, heart disease, or drugs (prescrption and otherwise) – worth pondering what these trends say about U.S. healthcare issues in light of the healthcare reform debate currently playing out in government.
The world as a community – I’m not sure what I was thinking exactly here, but in that e-mail I’ve written: “Obama approach – the global community organizer? Will that work?” Pretty cool to think about how global of a community we truly are – global warming, global economic crisis, global flu epidemic (that spread lightning fast), global mourning of Michael Jackson, etc. If anything, the United States is lucky to have so global of a leader again (I think the last to be revered abroad was Bill Clinton).
Why are we so afraid of government meddling – This was a thought brought about by the healthcare reform debates I kept hearing on NPR on my commute to and from work. To quote myself again from that e-mail: “Isn’t that the point of representative government? If they really mean it, why aren’t (Republican) politicians declining their government health plans & buying their own – after all that is the ultimate free market.” No need to elaborate here, I think (except to reiterate how irritated I am by blatant and not unintentional hypocrisy).
Reaction to NPR healthcare story on All Things Considered (July 1) – “Gov $ already going more & more to healthcare & decisions are out of patients’ hands b/c of insurance rules & coverage patterns, not b/c of gov bureucrats… & it’s much costlier often than just treating…” – basically what I always take issue with when Republican (and some Blue Dog Democrats) talk about the danger of having the government make healthcare decisions for you instead of that being up to you and your doctor. Hah! Who makes those decisions now? Insurance companies. They must know better than the government. (And don’t even get me started on the whole argument of whether the government will encroach that much into the decisions anyway.)
Media splinters – As a PR professional, I started in fall 2006 targeting “top tier” publications; today, for the best impact, we target “niche” publications – audiences have splintered into specialized interests thanks to the bloggosphere, other new media on the Internet, a-la-carte news and opinion even on cable news TV networks. It took something like MJ’s death to bring the whole world’s attention to one story, like a lazer beam.
Are we all spoiled consumers? – “Do we expect too much from our technology, too fast? Can’t help but wonder, reading all the new smart phone reviews (partial to Palm Pre – small keyboard actually a + for me, but would like better/more solid hardware & more apps..)”
The return of yard and garage sales – Is this a sign of the (tough economic) times? I can’t remember when was the last time I saw a sign for a garage sale and they were everywhere in the late 1990s when my family first moved to the United States. All of a sudden this summer they’re everywhere again.
Interesting theory about news April 17, 2009
Posted by midnightzimadreams in Education, Grad school, Media, New Media, Superfluous musings.add a comment
A friend had an interesting point about newspapers today. We were talking about the speed with which newspapers are closing up shop these days; how 2-3 years ago the expectation was that the huge dailies (NYT-caliber) and the ultra-local small papers will survive, while everything else will be extinct thanks to declining subscriptions and advertising rates (cragislist killed the paid classifieds, which is – surprisingly – even more important than glossy ads for many print publicatons). Today, it turns out even older generation readers are canceling their ultra-local newspaper subscriptions because they get all their “news” online. Even highly educated friends of mine are enamoured with the “news” they have access to at their fingertips, 24/7, video virtually as-it-happens, and they like being able to participate in the “news”-shaping and read mostly blogs, etc. But then I have to stop and think about it – are they really getting “news” in the strict definition of the term? They are certainly getting a lot more commentary and even pure value-deprived entertainment… at least based on what I was taught in j-school just four years ago. So why are people so quick to embrace all of this other stuff that’s marketed as “news.” Well, partly because it’s tailored to their world view and interests (narrowly focused topic-based blogs, entertianing vidoes, slanted media outlets (read: Fox, MSNBC, Air America, etc.). But partly because it’s all become so ubiquitos and we’ve all become so impatient.
When the plane recently crashed in the Hudson, I remember a PR colleague say he specifically experimented with tracking all the blogs, i-reporter style web sites, various other online outlets and the big ones – i.e. the old school journalism outlets… Turns out NYT.com was the last of the bunch to upload a story. Why? Because their reporters, despite witnessing the event as-it-happened, did some journalism – they called sources in the mayor’s office, the fire department, first responders, etc. and tried to gather and confirm facts. Everyone else beat them – eyewitnesses with video-capturing cell phones who uploaded nearly real-time, etc.
At any rate, I have recently been wondering a lot about how quickly things are shifting in the communications industry. When I started in PR 2.5 years ago, we were targeting top outlets for the highest impact, most top-tier readers reached, etc. Now, we tout targeting the narrowest of publications, the most niche blogs, because readership continues to splinter into interest groups and that’s where the most powerful impact can take place.
My friend’s point was that perhaps it will take a cataclismic event, a rock-bottom of sorts, that will help people see what they’re truly being fed as “news” and only then will we as readers and consumers revive our thirst for fact-checking, balanced journalism. (The real kind, now “fair and balanced” as in Fox branding.) It’s interesting isn’t it? She even compared it to the economy with a metaphor – both will hit rock bottom (as they are spiraling out of control now) before we see a curve toward recovery.
I think this is fascinating time. Part of me wants to be in grad school to observe and analyze… but perhaps a bigger part of me wants to be in the business itself, participating, being part of the changes, truly working in, with, and during these unprecedented and increasingly faster changes. Fascinating.
27 January 26, 2009
Posted by midnightzimadreams in Family, Gibberish, Grad school, International Relations, Life, Media, New Media, Reminiscing, Superfluous musings.add a comment
I turn 27 on the 27th. I used to look ahead to this distant date and wonder what exciting things I would be up to. Turns out – not much. I do love my life – I have a wonderful family that isn’t too scattered. I live in a nice town. I have beautiful memories – recent and old. I feel peaceful and happy at home. But there are also many things I’ve yet to reach for – graduate school and the pursuit of more knowledge being the primary star.
But then I look around the world and realize that I don’t deserve to complain and whine about the things I’ve yet to achieve. I just have to do them. And what’s a better time than now – when the world is so involved, so open and yet mysterious. There is an international economic crisis. There are the persistent hunger, disease, violence and suppression problems with the difference that nowadays they are as familiar and proximate as the Internet and all of its media ancesorts can make them, ushering them into our living rooms continuously. There is so much impact to have. It’s definitely overwhelming, but it is also urgent and inviting at the same time.
Perhaps that is the significance of 27 – the year I will take the ultimate tangable action towards those abstract dreams. Amen.
This is not one of those age-related crises. At least I don’t htink it is. If anything it is an interesting fascination with the number. Besides the fact that it is 27 on the 27th, it has also been sort of dear number. The favorite of mine is 3, 2+7=9=3^3.
Wordle – fun, fun, fun! November 4, 2008
Posted by midnightzimadreams in Gibberish, Media, New Media, Superfluous musings, Technology, Writing.add a comment
Check out this fun toy. I played with this blog and created a pretty fun image of words in random colors/fonts/directions that sizes each word according to how frequently it appears in the particular text sample. You’ll see what I meant!
It’s a cool little applet that I stumbled upon while reading an RSS feed from an Intel blog and it’s really quite a fun way to visualize your text. I like that they’re described as clouds and also the fact that they show just what’s been most prominent in your writing, whether you like it or not, whether you expected it or not. 
What clothes’ colors say September 6, 2008
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Hypocrisy turns yet another eerily dangerous corner September 6, 2008
Posted by midnightzimadreams in Civics, Elections 2008, Media, Psyche, Writing.1 comment so far
The United States cries foul when other countries suppress their freedom of the press, yet…
I don’t know about you, but this worries me! If the United States starts arresting its own protesters and journalists and charging those who dare speak out and question any political establishement with terrorism of all things… then why should the rest of the world pay attention to our condemnation of the Chinese censorship of the Internet, the Russian mysterious killings of journalists, kidnappings of newscasters and closing of media outlets in Iraq and Afghanistan, or the open prosecution of reporters in the Philippines?
How a presidential candidate should respond to a hurricane September 1, 2008
Posted by midnightzimadreams in Elections 2008, Media, New Media.add a comment
McCain really doesn’t belong at the Gulf Coast soaking up publicity. It’s just more sleazy pandering. What was he doing when Katrina hit? And now he’s just overcompensating and posting for the press. I wish he had a better sense of what to do, and more importantly, what not to do in situations like this. Leave it up to the experts, the rescuers, the government currently in charge to do all the work. You go in and try to meddle, you simply pull resources and attention away and onto yourself.
Barack Obama sent an e-mail to supporters urging them to donate to the Red Cross. Much more appropriate response for a presidential candidate: https://donate.barackobama.com/redcross
P.S. Don’t even get me started on why the White House still has the photo of McCain and Bush with the birthday cake, just as Katrina was making a second landfall, on the press releases web page. Cake first! I mean… Country first!
Shame on you, O’Reilly! August 29, 2008
Posted by midnightzimadreams in Elections 2008, Media.1 comment so far
Bill O’Reilly cried foul today that NBC news put a heading under their breaking news banner asking how many houses Sarah Palin brings to the Republican ticket. Fine, low blow, editorialized heading that doesn’t belong on a news network. But then O’Reilly has the nerve to portray Fox News as righteous … sorry, but you can’t give NBC flack for their blunder when Fox runs this. (Yes, I know it’s a montage, but watch the channel once in a while… this splice is remarkably easy on the Fox b.s.) O’Reilly makes me want to weep for the integrity of profession of journalism, in which I was trained.
Instant news May 26, 2008
Posted by midnightzimadreams in Media, New Media, Reading, Superfluous musings.add a comment
Both in high school and college I had teachers and professors (one at each level of education) who were obsessed with current events. We had to follow the news and take pop quizzes every class period on what’s in the news at that time. It was great. I actually acquired my news skimming, CNN watching, NYTimes reading, Economist subscribing and NPR listening habits just from exercises like that. And somewhat from my journalism professors whose habits rubbed off on me (the NPR bit from a prof who listened to it in her car on our way to an FCC hearing as extra credit; The Economist from actually some Political Science junkies at the international studies program office in Germany where I was studying abroad and taking POLS classes).
It’s funny because now I actually listen to NPR’s “Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me” show during my workouts and laugh at all the gags on the week’s news they come up with. It’s especially entertaining because there’s rarely a newsworthy nugget that I’ve missed and learn from the show itself. I love it! I’m really glad that these habits were instilled in me and I must say I am a tad surprised at how familiar I am with the news when I really do wish I read more of The Economist, and read more news in general, diversifying my sources. Must be doing a-OK. Although, I also feel like a lot of people, especially young people, get so much more news (and different stuff, not just what’s in the mainstream (even if they’re the good ones, my sources are still “mainstream”) and different interpretations of it from the Internet that I inevitably feel left out, breathing in the dust as everyone else speeds off on RSS feeds, news forums, blogs (aka the new-age pundits galore), podcasts (OK, I do listen to a couple – literally – of these), video logs, You Tube commentary, specialized news aggregation web sites, e-ncyclopedias, etc. etc. etc.
