When You've Only Got Time to Scan...

This week the Media & Society class is examining newspapers, their storied history and their uncertain future. One of the students' assignments is to discuss ideas for transforming newspapers so they can survive and grow.

Obviously, this is going to take some innovation. So speaking of innovation, 10,000 Words alerted followers to a unique headline service that USA Today is trying out.

Called "NewsDeck," it features scrolling headlines in eight categories that correspond to the newspaper's regular sections: News, Sports, Money, Life... When you find a headline that interests you, click and it takes you to the story on USA Today's Web site.

It's kind of funky. Who knows whether it will catch on, or if other newspapers can do something similar.

NewsDeck is one of several headline-service innovations highlighted by 10,000 Words. The others are from the New York Times, Google and DoodleBuzz.

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Facebook Alert: When Social Networking Becomes Criminal

We're all well aware that employers use Facebook to screen job applicants and that divorce lawyers love what they can dig up on the social networking site. But what about more evil uses of this routine -- though powerful -- medium.

An opinion piece on NPR.org described how Iranian agents are using Facebook to track those who may disagree with the government, along with all their friends. It's pretty frightening.

As Evgeny Morozov notes:

"... It means that the Iranian authorities are paying very close attention to what's going on Facebook and Twitter (which, in my opinion, also explains why they decided not to take those web-sites down entirely - they are useful tools of intelligence gathering).

Second, it means, as far as authorities are concerned, our online and offline identities are closely tied and we have to be fully prepared to be quizzed about any online trace that we have left."

It's unsettling to think that forwarding messages or supporting others involved in causes may land somebody in the gulag -- or worse!

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(Photo credit: "tyranny" by rachaelvoorhees, courtesy of Flickr.com)

Godin Talks Blogging with Groundswell

Most who read this column already know that I'm a fan of Seth Godin.

So here's a unique opportunity to pick up a few tips from one of the masters of marketing and media -- an interview on Groundswell by Josh Bernoff.

Asked about his daily blogging routine, Godin responded:

One reason I encourage people to blog is that the act of doing it stretches your available vocabulary and hones a new voice. You won’t get it for a while, but you’ll get it. To one person who wrote in and said he didn’t think he had anything interesting to say, I asked him whether he was boring in person too? Boring at breakfast? Boring on a date? That boring?! Probably not.

And on inspiration:

How come some people can visit a place like New York and see a thousand amazing things, take hundreds of great photos (like Thomas Hawk) or even write a novel... and other people visit, eat at Applebee’s and send home a John Lennon postcard? It's not where you go, it’s what you look for.

As a daily Godin reader, I find value in most of what Seth shares. (I have to disagree on "not eating bacon," however.) And my classes have enjoyed watching several of his speeches on TED.com. I think you will too.

Finally, as Seth urged on his own blog yesterday: "Go ahead, do something impossible."

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Making Multimedia Fun

Amid all the serious talk about journalism and its role in our democracy, it's always good to keep watch on the media landscape for all the fun stuff that many journalists and others are doing out there.

Here's a few examples, beginning with the LBCC production of the the "pop-up" roadrunner, the school's mascot. It's now getting some run on the Commuter Web site. It was put together by some of the creative types at LBCC's Student Life and Leadership office.

The second is a piece from the New York Times called "The Water Dance." Though dated and maybe better titled "The Slush Dance," it's still fun to watch, especially for those of us from not-so-mild home states. (Thanks to 10,000 Words for bringing this to my attention.)

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