Journalism flooded with numbers

There is a saying that the most dangerous act is a journalist trying to do math. However, as we near the end to 2007, this is exactly what the journalism industry is being asked to do in light of the many changes facing its future.

With the arrival of internet journalism, the industry as a whole is facing changes in their audience size, demographics and passion for the content. With these and other issues facing facing the future of journalism, decision-makers across the spectrum should remember two words: Specialized Subscription.

In sports for example, the numerous outlets to get information are growing by the day. You have national brands like ESPN, Sports Illustrated and Sporting News to name a few which have wire services and cover the national scene of sports. However to separte themselves from each other and the rest of the competition, ESPN and Sporting News have added extra in-depth content that is available on a subscription base more.

In this way, if you can lure readers to your specialized content, then they will be more likely to read your free content over other sites. Thus, you are increasing your audience which in turn will increase your advertising revenue.

Another example is the work done by Rivals.com on college athletic recruiting. They took a very specialized topic and honed in on it enough to warrant a fan to pay the subscription price. Recruiting is covered sparingly in local newspapers and more on national levels, but the idea to be specialized and charge for it has proved to be a good business move so far. Rivals.com was recently bought by Yahoo!.

The purist will say that Journalist write and shouldn’t worry about the numbers that churn their industry, but that’s just naïve. It is time the journalism community adapts and learns to swim with this flood of numbers instead of being overtaken by them.

Amazon looks to “Kindle” your reading fire

I like to read books, mostly sports, but books nonetheless. I like the feel of a hardcover, looking ahead to see where the chapter ends and the joy I feel when I can close the back cover with a sense of completion.

Can I get these same feelings after reading the same book on an e-reader? Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos hopes so.

Amazon recently released their new e-reader, Kindle, and by using the field’s latest technologies, Bezos thinks this is the device that will sticks with traditional readers.

In a cover story with Newsweek, Bezos talked about his newest frontier and offered some insight on why the Kindle will work in a field that has had few winners. For starters, he said the Kindle used E Ink, a technology that makes words appear as clear on the screen as they do in a book. It also doesn’t need to be near a Wi-Fi hotspot because the Kindle uses Whispernet, which can get internet anywhere.

The reaction thus far has been in favor for the new device, which is running for roughly $400. PC Magazine called it the best e-reader ever created and Steven Levy, as part of a sidebar to his cover story in Newsweek, said that while there are some problems and the price is up there, it would still be a good by for the active reader.

However, it won’t be on my Christmas list due to price and unfamiliarity. I would wait for the kinks to be worked out and lower prices in future models, but one thing is for certain. It is the first e-reader I have considered buying and for Bezos, this is the first step in his digital transformation.

Poke the next President

We are roughly one year away from electing our 44^th president of the United States, but this won’t be like your father’s presidential election. Gone are the days of going door to door and instead candidates are sending out friend requests. Instead of wearing jeans to prove they are normal, they are setting up online profiles to show how hip they are.

Welcome to politics in the Web 2.0 era!

In a recent study, Laura Gordon-Murnane examines each candidate’s presence on the Internet and also breaks down the effect of the Internet on traditional outlets, like debates.

When examining the top two social networking sites, MySpace and Facebook, candidates use each web site’s tools to better market their candidacy. For our purposes, I examined Barack Obama, who has accounts on both MySpace and Facebook.

On his Facebook account, Obama has links to groups that support his candidacy, as well as links to articles and videos of his presidential run thus far.

On his MySpace page, the content is somewhat similar, but it is a little more casual than his Facebook page. On MySpace, Obama had an embedded video of him on Saturday Night Live, but it is no longer available.

Also, he has a feature where you can demand Obama comes to your city to speak with a continuous tally of how many people from each city want him to come.

These are just a few of the examples that Obama used and shows a grander scheme of how the internet is being used in present day elections. Whether it is right or now can be debated, but this fact can’t be. The candidate who best utilizes the tools given to them by the Internet will have the inside track to the White House in 2008 and beyond.

A Few Powerful Men

In today’s media landscape, the vast majority of companies are owned and controlled by five men. Those five men are Michael Eisner of Disney, Rupert Murdoch of News Corp., Summer Redstone of Viacom, Reinhard Mohn of Bertelsmann and Richard Parsons of Time Warner.

This week, Parsons announced he was stepping down as the chief executive officer of Tim Warner Inc. on January 1, 2008. His departure could shrink the number to four or introduce a new member, Jeffrey Bewkes.

This comes after a summer full of rumors and lengthy discussions over the proposed purchase of Dow Jones by Rupert Murdoch and News Corp. Is this a good trend for just a few people to control the media in an era of the independent voice? I don’t think so.

In all media, but especially journalism, it is critical to keep open dialogue going without fear of being censored or toned down. Take the case with Murdoch, who is hoping to finalize his deal to buy Dow Jones, which includes the Wall Street Journal, very soon, according to the linked article above.

The Wall Street Journal is a well respected publication for many reasons. One such reason is their unbiased opinions that could be compromised by Murdoch, whose past record suggest that this could be an issue.

Now, I think joining the resources does create a better product, but it also can be troublesome if those in power don’t use it properly. So, as we await to usher in a new face to their exclusive and powerful club, we can only hope Bewkes can keep Time Warner as the top media cooperation and not make it a constricting filter of information.

Citizen Journalist showing good returns

As journalism continuously undergoes changes, one of the most constant themes is bridging the gap between traditional journalist and the consumer. Some of the earlier measures have including feedback areas and other forms of voicing their opinions, but the newest wave is citizen journalism.

Citizen journalism has been a somewhat common practice at smaller publications where the number of staff was low, but now it is being utilized by bigger media corporations for breaking news stories and more.

This form of journalism had its break into the mainstream landscape during Hurricane Katrina in the fall of 2005. During Katrina, when access into the gulf coast region was difficult at best. Using citizen journalism, the stories in remote areas and of those demographics getting overlooked were able to be brought to the public’s attention.

MSNBC, the company which ran the above Katrina coverage, has their own section on its page for citizen journalist to send in stories and add to the ongoing coverage of breaking stories. Recently, this has also been employed by major outlets in the coverage of the wild fires in San Diego and other surrounding areas.

In The Baltimore Sun, it talks about stories from people directly affected by the fires and what they went through in the process. As said in a quote from Nancy Lane of CNN, you just can’t get those types of stories from a professional journalist.

Now, citizen journalism won’t make traditional journalist obsolete, but it is a real part of journalism going forward. With more staff cuts each year and the area of coverage growing, newspapers and the Internet need reporters at all possible scenes to bring their readers some sort of coverage on breaking news stories until their reporters can get there. From the early returns, they aren’t have bad at it.

E:60 carries on news magazine movement

Journalism has taken on many forms over time and has undergone many changes in the process. From print media to the first broadcasts, journalism has been shaped and reshaped time and time again.

One such change has been the emergence of television news magazine shows, which was pioneered 40 years ago by CBS with “60 Minutes”. The show was revolutionary for television and provided a staple for American culture with the ticking clock

Roughly 28 years later, HBO unveiled the sports counter-part to “60 Minutes,” with Real Sports hosted by Bryant Gumbel. The show has pushed the issue on many topics related to sports, like race and international incidents. They also added a debriefing segment after each story where the reporter would be asked questions by Gumbel and add any more interesting tidbits for their story.

However, with the debut of E:60, ESPN’s try at a news magazine show, the landscape for this market has been changed.

Away are the stiff suites and traditional camera work and in their place are young reporters who show up to their production meetings with open collars and jeans. They have a clock too, but in 2007, the clock has turned digital.

E:60 has video of the production meetings, see why the reporter wants to do the story and what problems they have with the story. They also have “web bios” for each of the reporters that allow you to get to know the people telling you the stories.

So, for news consumers today, there is the traditional (60 Minutes), the modern (E:60) and the in-between (Real Sports). With journalism organizations trying to find what connections to the young adult demographic, has ESPN hit the mark with their new show?

E:60 will have to overcome some issues in breaking away from the conventional way of doing this type of show, but being bold and being committed with air time and money will make this show a success and change the way we as a society look at in-depth reporting both in sports and other genres.

Digital Problems getting real-life answers

We have seen great advancements in technology over the last few decades, but with that, we have widened the gap between those with access to the technology and those who don’t. This gap has affected those in this country and around the world.

One such problem area is in rural areas, where connectivity is kind of sketchy. Some Canadian Township decided not to invest in newer technology to improve wireless service, but they were then without internet for some time, the article said.

They eventually had to make the financial investment and upgrade, but it is these issues that communities and society in general have to deal with in deciding which side of the divide they want to be on.

One quote in the article stated that not having high-speed internet for your kids puts them at a deficit in school.

However, there are programs being developed that will help erase some of gap. In North Carolina, there is a new project underway where used computers are collected and upgraded to then be given to families who need them.

There is a similar program gaining national attention with the XO Laptops. In this program, you can buy a laptop for $399 and in the process, you also buy a laptop for a child in a developing country, the article said.

Programs in theory and on a small scale are nice, but unless policy is behind it, the movement will flame out without much concrete results. While it isn’t a mainstream issue like the war in Iraq, health care or the budget, the digital divide is gaining traction around debates, like the one shown in the YouTube video below.

Is the divide ever going to disappear? No, but if we can continue to see these programs implemented and have serious political discussion on the issue, the gap can shrink and information can be received more freely.

Community is just a click away

Community is a word that has a different definition for each person, depending on their upbringing and their current state of mind. It is dependant on age, race and sex. So, with all of these factors, you can imagine the conflicting views on community.

Generally speaking, a community is a group of people who share many of the same likes and dislikes and can count on one another. This can range from talking about your favorite sports teams to your family to how to beat the newest game on Xbox 360.

Over the last half century, this sense of community and togetherness has been reshaped to bring in the Internet. Some of the same characteristics of a community still apply in that it is a group of mostly like minded people who have come together to meet new people and lean on each other.

An online community is just that. It is a community space entirely online where you know the person’s screen name and preferences, but not much else. There are many benefits to being a part of an online community and it starts with not having to sacrifice.

In a “meat” community, you won’t find someone with all of your likes and dislikes and your passions will differ. Online, communities are tailored to enhancing your passions by bringing together people who share that passion.

The biggest difference though is that your community doesn’t exist of Matt’s, Kevin’s and Lindsay’s from Yuba City. Your best friends in an online community are FBAddict, Muddenguts and superle, from NorCalPreps.com.

Message boards aren’t just for niche sites like NorCalPreps.com either. Media giants like ESPN and CBS have also joined the game. In the end, when you are trying to get out your opinions or information, it isn’t about who you know, but what you know in online communities.

Sports and the emergance of the internet

The debate is newsrooms across the country used to center around whether to use a photo or not and which story they wanted to lead with. Now, the debate involves how long traditional newsroom will last in the Web 2.0 era.

While both sides of journalism can moved toward the center, taking ideas from each other along the way, online and print still are two distinct fields. This is especially true in the coverage of sports, where it hasn’t been either or but rather a joint effort.

Sports, like others beats, used to be localized in that what happened with your favorite teams pretty much stayed in that area. New York Yankees’ outfielder Mickey Mantle’s passion for drinking and partying stayed in New York for the most part, as did the extracurricular activities of New York Jets’ quarterback Joe Namath.

There was a trust between journalist and subject that information would be past along in exchange for the journalist to be a filter before it hit the presses. It was more about how many points somebody scored and not how many bars they hit. However, once the Internet exploded, veteran journalists in the print business were at a crossroads.

Start dishing the dirt with new internet writers and message board junkies or start shoveling dirt on their careers. The decision was pretty easy and today, the dirt is flying at a record pace.

Now, it isn’t up to beat writers what information gets out, but what message boards and talk show listeners want and can get a hold of. That is why a story about a drunk Joe Namath stayed in the news for so long and ultimately called for a more in-depth look at Namath’s life on 60 minutes.

The same can be said in the case of Mantle, whose exploits were brought to a full national spotlight after a cover story in Sports Illustrated.

Stories that also took off in the Web 2.0 era were the unceremonious firing of football coach Mike Price and the drinking and eventual firing of basketball coach Larry Eustachy. In the past, these stories would have been big news in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Ames, Iowa, but now, they became national headline sports stories.

This follows the theory of David Weinberger when he says that the new media is controlled by us and we have taken the power from the authority or, “dictatorship of experts.” The general masses for the most part decide what can get covered and in this model, the consumer would control what gets coverage and what gets pushed inside and especially with the Internet, the readers have been heard.

Will there ever be a day when either the Internet or print is no more? Of course not because the Internet brings in too many readers with its interactivity, while print brings some credibility to the news. It is an unceremonious marriage that will take journalism into the next phase of development together.

Insiders are just a click away

In a time when experts in their respective fields were well-respected journalist with impressive credentials, nobody could have seen this one coming.

Meet Ecklund, the anonymous hockey insider who started gaining notoriety during the NHL Lockout after the 2003-2004 season, according to his website. It states that Ecklund’s identity isn’t reveled to protect his sources and make them more willingly to share inside information. He is now considered one of the most respected insiders in the hockey world.

This is one of many examples of non-traditional experts who are moving into the world of sports journalism. The other fade appears to be that of gathering information from around the country. HoopsHype is one such site that gives the readers a lot of information for them to read through.

Doing this allows the common fan with an internet connection to become an expert. This plays into the theory set by David Weinberger in his book, “Everything is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Order.” In there, he says that the new media is controlled by us.

With all of these new outlets for up-to-date news, major news outlets have tried to control the problem by adding more experts. It has hoped that more experts would mean some more breaking stories, but it has been almost the opposite. New websites ran by fans with little or no journalism experience has been posting their stories within minutes of their release.

Web 2.0 has changed the way sports is being covered by making it more open for non-insiders to infiltrate the old guard. Now, you don’t have to grade out high with a journalism degree or put in the necessary years as a local beat writer. Everybody can be an “insider,” if they want to put in the time.

Nation's Pastime Meets New Technology

New technology has not only changed the way the media is delivered, but the way we digest it every day. In efforts to keep readers interested longer, news agencies have started using their web sites to add new forms of media and display options in addition to the written word.

Baseball coverage is one field where this new idea has been adopted with highlights and live analysis. This has led to more in-depth coverage than you could find in your local paper, but it has also led to problems of confusing the reader.

A positive example can be found on ESPN and their coverage of the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays game on Thursday night. On one page, you can find the score, game recap, video highlights, related articles and the upcoming schedule for both teams. In a traditional newspaper, that could force you through two or three pages and still, you might not get this much information.

Contrarily, the traditional print media has struggled to put a complete game package together online since it is usually spread throughout the section. For example, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has tried to do similar things with their coverage of the Atlanta Braves. It hasn’t worked as well because they don’t have video options and some of their tagged articles don’t always pertain to the actual game.

Newspapers have been covering baseball for years, but it is getting harder to match the product good online productions have. With the available technology making it easier to navigate the web, top notch web sites have the inside track on bringing in the loyal fan every morning. And in journalism, that’s the bottom line.