Welcome to Fall Term Journalism at LBCC

Thanks for checking out "Rob's Class Blog." This is where you will find work posted by my students during Fall Term 2010.

This term I'll be teaching sections on News Reporting, Photojournalism and Media & Society.

I'm looking forward to reading and enjoying the journalism produced by my LBCC students, and encourage you to check back from time to time during the term.

The class assignments produced these students also will be considered for publication by the staff of The Commuter, LBCC's award-winning student newspaper.

To find out what else is going on in journalism, new media and LBCC's Journalism program, see "Rob's Media Blog."

(Photo credit: "Third Tuesday #Olympic Journalism" by rocketcandy/Elizabeth Sarobhasa, courtesy of Flickr.com/Creative Commons.)
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PDX marketing experiment features Fiesta, clothes and concerts

Interesting story in the Oregonian about "lifestyle marketing" and creating a "cultural hub" around a product. In this case, the Ford Fiesta, which is being displayed in a downtown Portland store space that serves as a "lounge"/clothes boutique during the day and concert space at night. The story, "Ford taps local flavor to sell Fiesta," was written by Oregonian reporter Elliott Njus.

And while we're thinking of creative, innovative, interesting ideas, check out "Ten Inspiring TED Talks for Startups," a blog compiling 10 favorite TED videos focusing on innovation and creativity. (It includes two of my favorites by Seth Godin and Clay Shirky.) It's on the ReadWriteStart blog.

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Old Spice Guy: A Guide to Viral Marketing?

For those of us who can't get enough of the "Old Spice Guy," make way ...

Niraj Chockshi of The Atlantic writes how the company and its ad agency have targeted social media sites to generate buzz that just keeps on keeping on.

... and does any of this have to do with the future of news? Maybe, as this Nieman Journalism Lab post notes ...

Or if you'd like to know how Portland marketing geniuses Wieden + Kennedy are making these "ads" ...

... Or the "Man Your Grades Could Be Like" -- a terrific parody by the creative library crew at Brigham Young University.


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TED Talk Focuses on YouTube, Copyright

Here's an inside look at how YouTube is addressing copyright issues.

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Powered by Orange: A Social Marketing Case Study

If you live anywhere near Oregon, you'd have to be living in a cone of silence to not be familiar with "Powered by Orange."

Powered by Orange is the social marketing juggernaut that's boosting the image and awareness of Oregon State University far and wide. The apparent success of the campaign was summed up recently in a piece by Kaukab Jhumra Smith, "'It's OK to Be Imperfect': One School's Quest for Social-marketing Success."

As OSU's VP for University Advancement Luanne Lawrence notes in the article, not everything goes as planned when it comes to social marketing. However, most of the experiments the university is trying seem to be paying off in terms of engaging students, staff, and most important, alumni and others seeking a connection to OSU.

In addition to soaring traffic on OSU's website, the article notes an increase in first-time donations by alums and a wave of new enrollment. As Jhumra Smith points out, here's what OSU is doing:

• Recruiting bloggers from around campus to be opinion leaders.
• Training staff, students and faculty to use social media platforms to talk about the work and campus life.
• Emphasizing relationships through meetups, contests and other events.
• Soliciting videos and other submissions to build participation.
• Creating an online directory and making available marketing materials to businesses and others who want to join in the campaign.

“It’s really kind of fun to make mistakes in social media because you can learn and recover very quickly,” Lawrence said in the article. “Fifteen- to 25-year-olds are rebuilding every aspect of the industry, and I’m listening to them.”

Michael Stoner examined Powered by Orange a year ago, calling the campaign "the most comprehensive university social marketing campaign that we’ve seen to date."

Believe it.

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Meet the Commuter's Next Editor: Justin Bolger

This year Justin Bolger was managing editor of a Commuter staff that earned 15 awards at the annual statewide journalism competition. He's looking to raise the bar even higher as editor-in-chief.

On Wednesday, LBCC's Student Publications Committee appointed Bolger the next editor-in-chief at the Commuter. He will succeed Max Brown, whose tenure will wrap up with the newspaper's last issue of the school year on June 2.

The Commuter's editor-in-chief manages the daily activities of the student newspaper beginning in the summer and continuing through the school year. The duties of newspaper's top editor include:

* Setting the editorial direction of the paper.
* Appointing the managing the newspaper's staff of editors, reporters and photographers.
* Coordinating the work of the staff, including assigning and editing stories and photos.
* Leading staff meetings and other newspaper activities.
* Representing the newspaper in the college community.

In collaboration with Brown and other staffers at the paper, Bolger focused on expanding the coverage of campus news, focusing heavily on LBCC events, staff and students. In interviewing for the top job, Bolger said he would like next year's staff to maintain the paper's commitment to campus coverage but also expand interactions with readers, including more interactivity on the newspaper's website as well as more diversity of opinion in the pages of the printed edition.

Earlier this month, the Commuter earned 15 awards in the annual Collegiate Newspaper Contest organized by the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. Bolger earned a first-place award for editorial writing. LBCC and the Commuter hosted this year's Collegiate Day, ONPA's annual college journalism conference and awards program.

The 10-member Student Publications Committee consists of LBCC students, faculty and staff and meets each spring to interview editor-in-chief applicants and appoint a new Commuter editor.

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U.S. Poet Leureate Kay Ryan visits LBCC

Photo by Christina Koci Hernandez/Library of Congress

Like the next-door neighbor stopping by to chat, Kay Ryan visited with LBCC this week, sharing her poetry, insights to her craft and what it's like to be the nation's poet laureate.

She entertained more than 400 area residents who filled the Russell Tripp Performance Center for her reading Wednesday afternoon. Another 75 or so students crammed into LBCC's Library Reading Room to ask her questions on Thursday morning.

During the reading, she shared a variety of poems from her 30-year writing career. Many of them have been published or republished in her just-released collection, "Best of It: News and Selected Poems." Among those she read was "Train-Track Figure":

Imagine a
train-track figure
made of sliver
over sliver of
between-car
vision, each
slice too brief
to add detail
or deepen: that
could be a hat
if it's a person
if it's a person
if it's a person.
Just the same
scant information
timed to supplant
the same scant
information.

She also read a poem called “The Walking Stick Insect.” It was one of several Ryan poems inspired by the odd collection that Robert Leroy Ripley made famous in his "Ripley's Believe It or Not" books.

The epigraph to the poem, which is from "Jam Jar Lifeboat & Other Novelties Exposed," says, “The walking stick insect of South America often loses an antenna or leg — but always grows a new appendage. Often nature makes a mistake and a new antenna grows where the leg was lost.” Here it is:

Eventually the

most accident-prone

or war-weary

walking sticks

are entirely

reduced to antennae

with which they

pick their way

sensitively,

appalled by

everything’s

intensity.

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LBCC Looks to Select Next Commuter Editor

In two weeks LBCC's student newspaper, The Commuter, will know the next editor-in-chief.

On May 19 the college's Student Publications Committee will interview applicants vying to become next year's editor. The Commuter's editor-in-chief manages the daily activities of the student newspaper beginning in the summer and continuing through the school year.

The Student Publications Committee is now accepting applications for the position.

The current editor-in-chief, Max Brown, will wrap up his tenure with publication of the last edition for this school year on June 2. Brown took over for Ryan Henson at the end of fall term, after Henson had to return to Pennsylvania for family reasons.

The duties of The Commuter's editor-in-chief include:

• Setting the editorial direction of the paper
• Appointing the managing the newspaper's staff of editors, reporters and photographers
• Coordinating the work of the staff, including assigning and editing stories and photos
• Leading staff meetings and other newspaper activities
• Representing the newspaper in the college community

For an application and more information, those seeking to become editor-in-chief can contact The Commuter's adviser, Rob Priewe, by stopping by his office in North Santiam Hall, Room 114, or by calling 541-917-4563. Or send e-mail to rob.priewe@linnbenton.edu.

The 10-member Student Publications Committee consists of LBCC students, faculty and staff and meets each spring to interview applicants and appoint a new Commuter editor.

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ONPA Holds Annual Collegiate Day at LBCC

The Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association will hold its annual Collegiate Day journalism workshop and awards program this Friday, May 7, at Linn-Benton Community College in Albany.

More than 100 college journalists from around the state are expected to attend the event, which will include four journalism workshops and presentation of awards in the Collegiate Newspaper Contest.

This year's morning workshops are:

• "Interviewing," by KeizerTimes Publisher Lyndon Zaitz
• "Social Networking and the Media," by Corvallis Gazette-Times Entertainment Editor Nancy Raskauskas and Oregonian Sports Writer Lindsay Schnell
• "Open Records/Meetings and Legal/Ethics," by Portland State University Student Publications Adviser Judson Randall and Duane Bosworth, a partner in the Portland law firm of Davis Wright Tremaine
• "Building a Strong Editorial Page," by Albany Democrat-Herald Editor Hasso Hering

In the afternoon, the student journalists will be recognized for outstanding works of journalism printed in their school publications over the past year. These include writing, editing and photography awards. The top publications will be honored with the General Excellence Award for their staffs.

The annual contest is supported by the ONPA's Oregon Newspapers Foundation. Awards will be presented by Martha Wells, publisher of the Albany Democrat-Herald and immediate past president of ONPA.

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Luckie Shares Tips for Open-Source Newsroom

SAN FRANCISCO -- The open-source newsroom of tomorrow has arrived.

Mark Luckie, a veteran journalist and expert in using new media tools, provided journalists with a smorgasbord of open-source technology they can use to improve they way they gather, process and distribute news to their readers. Luckie, creator of the popular "10,000 Words" blog, spoke Sunday during the "Journalism Innovations III" conference at the University of San Francisco.

All the tools he demonstrated can be downloaded for free or purchased for less than $10. Luckie uses many of the tools regularly in his job as a multimedia producer at CaliforniaWatch, a project of the Center for Investigative Journalism.

Declaring himself at "PC guy" at the outset, he noted that he uses Macs at work and all of the software he demonstrated can be used on either system.

These days, he added, journalists at large, medium and small organizations as well as those flying solo are using these tools to better organize information, tell stories and serve readers.

Here is the list of tools he discussed during his presentation (See http://10000words.net/ji3 to link directly to all these tools):

Content Management Systems/Collaboration
WordPress
Drupal
Buddy Press
Google Docs

Audio/Video Editing
GarageBand
iMovie
Audacity

Photo Editing
Splashup
Fotoflexer

Creating Maps/Interactive Graphics
UMapper
Map Builder
PhotoPeach
Dipity

Wikis/Collaboration
MediaWiki
CoverItLive
UStream

iPhone Apps
WordPress for iPhone
FourTrack
Pano
AudioBoo

Luckie has written about most of these tools on his 10,000 Words blog.

The conference was sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California Chapter, and Independent Arts & Media.

For more information, Luckie invited e-mail at mluckie@10000words.net. Or follow him on Twitter -- http://twitter.com/10000Words.

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Journalists Highlight Violence Against Overseas Media

Teru Kuwayama is one of a declining number of photographers and reporters working in war zones. He has covered conflicts in Pakistan, Iraq, and Afghanistan, to name a few. Here is an example of his work from the front lines.

Photo courtesy of Teru Kuwayama

SAN FRANCISCO -- Photojournalist Teru Kuwayama spent a week being shuttled from one Tajik military base to another after he was apprehended and detained by Tajikistan soldiers on the border with Afghanistan. Eventually, the U.S. journalist was freed with the arrival of U.S. Army and State Department officers.

Kuwayama was fortunate, however. He had the might of the United States backing his standing as a freelance photographer in war zones from Pakistan and Iraq to Afghanistan. He knows many others, especially those in-country contacts (e.g. drivers, translators and other foreign journalists) who died pursuing stories, photos and the free flow of information in their homelands.

During a discussion Sunday titled "International News in the 21st Century" at the University of San Francisco, Kuwayama and other panelists lamented the decline not only in the number of foreign correspondents and photographers working for mainstream U.S. media organizations, but also the escalating violence against overseas journalists and those who help them report what is going on.

The talk was part of the "Journalism Innovations III" conference co-hosted by the Society of Professional Journalists and Independent Arts & Media. Joining Kuwayama on the panel were Ricardo Sandoval Palos of the Center for Public Integrity in Washington, D.C., along with SPJ National President Kevin Smith and Ronnie Lovler, international news editor for Newswire21, based in the Bay Area.

The panelists agreed that the alarming decline of foreign journalists employed by U.S. media has been part of a precipitous decline in foreign news-gathering. At the same time, the absence of U.S. journalists has emboldened foreign governments and warring factions to step up killings, kidnappings and threats against those who report the news and others who assist in news-gathering, also known as "fixers." Fixers are critical in providing logistical support, including travel, food and shelter, to foreign journalists.

They are the "undocumented labor force of international journalism," the people who do the heavy lifting, Kuwayama noted.

Sandoval Palos alluded to the growing violence in Mexico and Latin America, which has claimed the lives of several journalists and numerous threats based on stories they either have published or are reporting.

Smith, president of the largest organization of journalists in the United States, said SPJ is stepping up lobbying efforts, urging the State Department and other agencies to defend the work of foreign journalists. SPJ also is partnering with overseas journalism organizations such as the International Federation of Journalists.

Overseas, Smith added, the United States remains the "guiding light" for a free press and democracy. However, violence against journalists is on the rise, threatening the free flow of information and the pursuit of democracy around the globe.

Asked about the shrinking pool of foreign correspondents, Kuwayama described himself as a "hybrid, freelance war tourist." He has worked for a variety of news organizations, including Time magazine.

Unfortunately, Sandoval Palos said, fewer people such as Kuwayama are doing the important work of reporting news in foreign lands, particularly war zones. And those who are, need all the support they can get.

"If we don't do it," he said, "we have fewer voices that will be heard."

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LB's Student Journalists Head to SF Conference

This weekend LBCC's student journalists will mingle with the pros at the Society of Professional Journalists regional conference at the University of San Francisco. Titled "Journalism Innovations III: The New Business of the News Business," this Region 11 SPJ gathering will focus on new ventures in the "changing mediascape."

"Journalism isn't dying, it's on the cusp of a new era," declare the organizers. I couldn't agree more.

This year I've got 14 students signed up to attend workshops such as "The New Student Journalism," "Committing Acts of Journalism and Public Health," "New Media, New Ethics?" and "Building the Open-Source Newsroom." Among the other attractions is the premiere of a new documentary: "A Fragile Trust: Jayson Blair and the New York Times."

The conference runs April 30-May 2.

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Jeff Jarvis Explains It All!

At long last, here is that Jeff Jarvis lecture in the spirit of TED.

As noted a several weeks ago ... it's an interesting speech on education, media, innovation, Google, collaboration ... and it starts with the "What Would Google Do?" author declaring, "This is bullshit."

Here's a couple excerpts from the rest:

I tell media that they must become collaborative, because the public knows much, because people want to create, not just consume, because collaboration is a way to expand news, because it is a way to save expenses. I argue that news is a process, not a product. Indeed, I say that communities can now share information freely – the marginal cost of their news is zero. We in journalism should ask where we can add value. But note that that in this new ecosystem, the news doesn’t start with us. It starts with the community.

And...

We must stop our culture of standardized testing and standardized teaching. ... In the Google age, what is the point of teaching memorization?

We must stop looking at education as a product – in which we turn out every student giving the same answer – to a process, in which every student looks for new answers. Life is a beta.

Why shouldn’t every university – every school – copy Google’s 20% rule, encouraging and enabling creation and experimentation, every student expected to make a book or an opera or an algorithm or a company. Rather than showing our diplomas, shouldn’t we show our portfolios of work as a far better expression of our thinking and capability? The school becomes not a factory but an incubator.

It's a good speech that picks up on many of the concepts Jarvis continues to tout on BuzzMachine, his various talks and, of course, in "WWGD?"

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Twitter in Real Life?

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Next week, the Media and Society class at LBCC will examine new technology and the Internet, including social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook and blogging. Here's a fun video about Twitter from College Humor.

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Newspapers Add Value with "Unexpected Relevance"

When we get to the newspaper unit in LBCC's Media and Society class, one aspect of newspapers we agree that we like is how you happen upon stories, photos and other items that catch your interest as you turn the pages. You learn about things that you weren't necessarily looking for. You become engaged with something you didn't expect.

In a new blog post, new media expert Jeff Jarvis discusses this phenomenon: "Serendipity is not randomness. It is unexpected relevance."

He goes on to explain:

There’s a reason we find value in the supposedly serendipitous. ... When we read a paper and find a good story that we couldn’t have predicted we’d have liked, we think that is serendipity. But there’s some reason we like it, that we find it relevant to us.

Maybe that relevance is the unknown but now fed curiosity, maybe it’s enjoyment of good writing or a certain kind of tale, maybe the gift of some interesting fact we want to share and gain social equity for, maybe it’s a challenge to our ideas, maybe an answer to a question that has bugged us. In the end, it has value to us; it’s relevant.

To me, this discovery of something new waiting within the pages is one of the top reasons I keep buying and reading newspapers, and why we will always need editors and others to bring these gems to our attention.

As Jarvis notes, this wondrous sense of serendipity is one of the things that many media observers believe will be lost with the decline of newspapers. I agree when he suggests a somewhat similar sensation occurs through the use of Facebook and Twitter, where we're constantly discovering something new.

But it just doesn't feel the same as that comfortable encounter with the inky printed medium.

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(Photo credit: "Surprise from above" by zetson, courtesy of Flickr.com/Creative Commons)

LBCC Spring Term: Media & Society Kicks Off with Shirky

Over the break, I finished reading Clay Shirky's book, "Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations." It's an interesting exploration of society, the Internet and how social media (e.g. blogs, Facebook, Twitter) is changing the way we communicate.

Shirky emphasizes the power of the Internet as a tool to organize, and how people passionate about a cause are succeeding like no other time in history. It's not that people are more dedicated to their particular target for change, it's just that the Internet has made it more possible to quickly find people of like mind and to mobilize faster than ever before. Shirky includes a number of interesting case studies to support his claims and propel the reader through his book.

We focus on some of Shirky's ideas at the outset of my Media and Society class at Linn-Benton Community College. For a sneak peek, enjoy both Shirky's TED talk and this video from the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco.

Updated:
--For a discussion of some of the ideas in Shirky's upcoming book, "Cognitive Surplus," see this new post on Kevin Kelly's blog.



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Social Media for PR Pros Working with Reporters

A friend and local public relations professional sent me a Facebook message asking my opinion on a couple of questions she was considering for a newsletter article she was writing about social media, public relations and working with reporters.

She asked:

1. How have relationships changed between reporters and public relations professionals over the last decade?

2. What tips would you offer to a public relations professional to interact with reporters and build a trusted relationship?

Here's my response:

In this age of social media, public relations professionals have more authority – and responsibility – than ever before. This includes their relationships with news reporters and other media professionals, who they now outnumber.

With smaller newsrooms and tighter deadlines, reporters are even more reliant on public relations professionals to provide quick and accurate details about breaking news events or background information for longer-term stories. Reporters are working at breakneck speed these days to post stories online, so making immediate contact with knowledgeable, responsive PR pros is essential. Where once there existed a more clearly separate reporter-source relationship, today it’s all about collaboration.

Just as journalists are feeling more pressed to deliver, public relations professionals are under increasing pressure to stay “ahead of the story,” whether responding to an incident involving their company or setting the news agenda. And with extensive social media networks and information distribution channels of their own, they no longer have to rely solely on the news media to “get the word out.”

Meanwhile, customers as well as news and information consumers no longer have to depend on the media to find out what’s going on. Here’s where the job of public relations professionals becomes most critical, and must be most transparent. Customers want the facts and they want them now. They are savvy enough to recognize spin. And with their own social media networks, they will punish businesses and public relations professionals who mess with them. Who can afford having a Facebook campaign launched against them?!

With this in mind, here are some tips for public relations professionals looking to build a stronger relationship with the media:

1. Take full advantage of all the social media tools out there – Facebook, Facebook fan pages, Twitter, blogs, YouTube, Google maps, Flickr, Web sites, podcasts, wikis … and don’t forget old standbys such as e-mail.
2. Make reporters part of your personal and professional networks: become Facebook friends, invite people to become Facebook “fans” and Twitter followers.
3. Dedicate time every day to updating and maintaining your social media presence, making your media contacts aware of important business and industry news and articles, along with bloggers, Web sites and other “insider” resources they can use to inform readers.
4. Don’t neglect old-fashioned face time and telephone calls. Take advantage of informal “meetups” and other opportunities to connect outside of typical business “transactions.”
5. Be ever proactive, anticipating news and be ready to take immediate action.

What’s changed over the past decade? Building and maintaining a strong relationship with media professionals remains as important as ever. What’s changed primarily are the tools available, and the speed at which you are expected to respond.

A really good resource is the book “Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust” by Chris Brogan and Julian Smith. In addition to Chris Brogan, I’ve listed several other good marketing/public relations blogs in the “New Media” and “Eye on Marketing” sections of this blog (look to the right).

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(Photo credit: "News Reporter" by Truthout.org, courtesy of Flickr/Creating Commons)

Epic Video: "WOW" Can Save the World

Here's a sneak peak of a video I plan to show Spring term in Media & Society, a class I teach at Linn-Benton Community College.

The video, one of many fine works produced by TED (Technology, Education, Design), features Jane McGonigal of the Institute for the Future. In this video she shares her optimism for the future of the human race, which quite possibly could be saved by those who share the traits of the most engaged video gamers, those who play "World of Warcraft."

Gamers, she suggests, possess four invaluable qualities that could be applied to solving real-life problems. They:

• Possess "urgent optimism"
• Weave a trusted "social fabric"
• Engage in "blissful productivity"
• Desire "epic meaning"

The result of these traits is a booming number of people she describes as "super-empowered hopeful individuals," who may have the kind of determination and attitude it takes to save the planet.

With two boys who play hours of WOW and other games, I see the traits about which she speaks. I'm not sure whether my sons are quite ready to save the world, but I'm willing to let them take a shot at it...

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Ted Rall Cartoon: How (Not) to Save Newspapers

Ted Rall spotlights the strategy that too many newspapers continue to cling to...

... and another story tip from Reportr.net: Paywalls not the answer for newspaper online revenue...

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Another Very Cool Video by OK Go!

You may remember the band OK Go rose to fame in part based on its viral treadmill video for the song "Here It Goes Again." Well, the foursome is at it again with "This Too Shall Pass" and an amazing Rube Goldberg machine.

As noted by Dylan Tweney on Gadget Lab:

For nearly four minutes — captured in a single, unbroken camera shot — the machine rolls metal balls down tracks, swings sledgehammers, pours water, unfurls flags and drops a flock of umbrellas from the second story, all perfectly synchronized with the song. A few gasp-inducing, grin-producing moments when the machine’s action lines up so perfectly, you can only shake your head in admiration at the creativity and precision of the builders.

In a word: Amazing!

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Jeff's TED Talk: This Is Bullshit

Fellow TED fans ...

Another one of our favorites, "What Would Google Do?" author Jeff Jarvis, just made his debut talk to TED. (He said the video will be posted in a week or so.)

Based on Jarvis' notes posted on BuzzMachine, it's an interesting speech on education, media, innovation, Google, collaboration ... and it starts by saying, "This is bullshit."

Here's a couple excerpts from the rest:

I tell media that they must become collaborative, because the public knows much, because people want to create, not just consume, because collaboration is a way to expand news, because it is a way to save expenses. I argue that news is a process, not a product. Indeed, I say that communities can now share information freely – the marginal cost of their news is zero. We in journalism should ask where we can add value. But note that that in this new ecosystem, the news doesn’t start with us. It starts with the community.

And...

We must stop our culture of standardized testing and standardized teaching. ... In the Google age, what is the point of teaching memorization?

We must stop looking at education as a product – in which we turn out every student giving the same answer – to a process, in which every student looks for new answers. Life is a beta.

Why shouldn’t every university – every school – copy Google’s 20% rule, encouraging and enabling creation and experimentation, every student expected to make a book or an opera or an algorithm or a company. Rather than showing our diplomas, shouldn’t we show our portfolios of work as a far better expression of our thinking and capability? The school becomes not a factory but an incubator.

It's a good speech that picks up on many of the concepts Jarvis continues to tout on BuzzMachine, his various talks and, of course, "WWGD?"

I'm looking forward to adding the video version to my media curriculum at LBCC.

p.s. The BuzzMachine comments are interesting too...

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(Photo credit: "Jeff Jarvis" by Robert Scoble, courtesy of Flickr.com/Creative Commons)

Another Cool Ad: The Human Chain - Nike

I've only seen this a few times, and it gets more intriguing every time I watch it.

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College Journalists Gaining Upper Hand in Campus Coverage

Where once college journalists competed against the pros to see who could best shine a spotlight on what was happening on campus, it now appears they may have to beat all to themselves.

An interesting new story on Huffington Post notes that cutbacks in mainstream journalism means one of the areas that isn't getting the professional coverage it once did is college campuses. Not only is this leaving the territory open for college journalists to fill the void, but it's also giving university officials more leverage to spin the news by providing their own "coverage" of higher education in the form of news releases and staff-written feature stories that newspapers, radio news bureaus and television stations are only too eager to air and publish.

I've also seen reports about a growing number of college interns and part-timers being hired to fill the ranks of a declining number of pro journalists as a cost-saving measure.

The Huffington Post article by Daniel Reimold notes:

As the professional press compresses and its original content wanes, student news media are rising to a place of uber-importance, specifically with respect to higher education reporting. Even with the hurdles of a learning curve, competing academic and extracurricular commitments, lack of resources, and occasional censorship or pressure from their host institutions, student journalists are providing coverage that greatly expands upon the deplorable 1 percent quota the professional press is currently churning out.

And they are using their student status to their advantage -- including their close proximity to campus news events and newsmakers and their inbred new media know-how -- to grab exclusives and report with extra innovation.

As with anything, these changes in the industry can be viewed with alarm or optimism. On the one hand, it gives college journalists an opportunity to serve a new audience that isn't getting what it needs in the form of campus news coverage. Those "lucky" enough to land internships and other gigs will look back on these opportunities and be thankful for the experience they gained.

On the flip side, mainstream media appears to be hoping it can get by on the cheap by replacing experienced journalists with coterie of young journalists who may or may not be ready for prime time. And you have to wonder if readers aren't getting short-changed when big-money campus institutions no longer get the scrutiny and attention that once made them one of the plum beats in many U.S. newsrooms.

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(Photo credit: "Graduation, Spring 2007, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications" by adobemac, courtesy of Flickr.com and Creative Commons)

My New Favorite Commercial of All Time

I've never purchased an Old Spice product, and doubt I ever will. Nevertheless, this commercial is hilarious.

It was a hit today in Media & Society, kicking off our unit on advertising. It's so good, we watched it twice ... it's just as funny the second time through...

Here's a couple interesting tidbits about this ad:

• It features former NFL player and actor Isaiah Mustafa (as of Feb. 27, he had 2,229 followers on Twitter)
  
• It was created by the noted Portland ad agency Wieden+Kennedy
• It took 57 takes to film the sweater dropping onto Mustafa as the shower gives way to the boat. (See the TWiT netcast: "The Making of Old Spice's Commercial")
  

Update: The ad has gone viral, with 3.6 million views on YouTube as of Feb. 27. Read all about it in "The Viral Genius of Wieden+Kennedy's New Old Spice Campaign" by Liz Shannon Miller on newteevee.com.

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Check Out New Edition of LBCC's Commuter

This week's edition of the Commuter is now available online. Inside readers will find:

• An interview with LBCC's new president, Greg Hamann
• A feature on Roadrunners basketball player Andrew Carter, and updates on the men's and women's teams
• Study abroad opportunities for students
• An update on a student group's effort to aid Haiti
• A campus debate on President Obama's first year in office
• A column on the "Vagina Monologues"
• Pictures and a story on this past weekend's Mardi Gras dance on campus
• Reviews on coffee shops in Lebanon and Corvallis
• A review on "Bioshock 2"

It hits newsstands on Wednesday morning. Or take a look at the PDF online.

The online Commuter also updates stories, photos, columns and other features during the week.

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Journal Register CEO Eyes Plunge into Future

This week the Media & Society class at LBCC will examine the newspaper industry, including its glorious history as well as its leading role in strengthening democracy.

We'll also discuss its precipitous decline and the implications for media, which the public counts on to be a watchdog on government and the power elite. We'll see sobering videos on the demise of the Rocky Mountain News and the shift from print to online-only by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

And we'll talk about the vision of new Journal Register Co. CEO John Paton "to transform our newspaper company into a true multi-media company committed to providing the communities we serve with the very best local journalism."

As he notes in an online missive to Journal Register employees:

I think accountability journalism is threatened in this country as newspapers struggle to find their way to a profitable future. And I think that threatens this country because we provide some of the key checks and balances in our communities. What we do is important and what we do is worth saving. And that means we have to change.

Among the changes he is pushing are:

• Making better use of new technology, such as social media
• Equipping every news reporter with a Flip HD video camera
• Shifting the newsroom's orientation to "outside in," emphasizing collaboration with readers and the community at large
• Establishing "Community Journalism Media Labs" that can capitalize on the efforts of news entrepreneurs
• Forming an advisory board to better connect with its audience
• Announcing a new profit-share plan for all employees

If we do this right we will become a company of ideas where all employees and our communities debate what’s best for our future. And preserve our cherished role of providing checks and balances. And because I believe if we do this right we will become a much more vibrant and profitable company with a dynamic future, I want to make sure all employees share in that future.

None of these changes is particularly innovative in isolation. However, taken as a whole they portend a sea change for a company that includes 19 daily newspapers, 324 "multi-platform products" and an audience of almost 14 million people in 10 states from New York to Michigan.

I wish Paton luck and perseverance for the Journal Register Co. They are on the right track. The time is right to make this leap of faith, rather than wallow in the glory of the industry's past.

The old model is broken and change is coming, he notes in a slideshow that references two of our featured experts this term: Clay Shirky and Jeff Jarvis (author of "What Would Google Do?")

Change indeed.

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Update: Troy Record publisher weighs in

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Three Words to Propel Me in 2010

Clarity. Prioritize. Act.

These are the three words I'm using to guide my professional life in 2010.

Clarity: Keeping it simple. Focusing on specific goals. Making it clear to others what's most important, right now. In recently completing my MBA it became apparent that the most successful leaders are those who provide Clarity - focus and direction - to their organizations.

Prioritize: It's OK to scratch off items that have been on the "to do" list for three weeks. If I haven't done them by now, they aren't going to get done, and how important are they anyway? Each day I want to focus FIRST on those activities that will advance my life, my career, my organization and the success of my students.

Act: It's too easy to put off 'til tomorrow what can make a difference today. But why? As Nike likes to remind us: "Just do it." Not only do you get a great feeling of satisfaction for getting things done, but you're one step closer to achieving those BHAGs - Big Hairy Audacious Goals - ones that really make a difference.

Where did this "three words" concept come from? Chris Brogan, social media expert and author of "Trust Agents." In his first blog post of 2010, he shared his "new" three words and how this activity helps in his personal and professional life. As he explains:

Pick three words that help you the way a lighthouse helps a ship in a storm. Give yourself a word that guides you towards a powerful new opportunity, and that keeps you focused on what comes of this year.

Use these words as starting points for tangible goals, SMART goals that can be measured and have dates to accomplish tasks by. These words sit above the actual goals, and set your guiding principles in place

I've been narrowing my list of three words for several weeks. Some of the words that didn't make the cut this time around? Listen. Think. Patience. While I've resolved to improve these habits in my daily life, Clarity, Prioritize and Act seemed more conducive to achieving some specific goals I have in mind for the year ahead. More on those another time.

For more on choosing three words to focus on goals and getting things done, see:

• Chris Brogan: My 3 Words for 2010
• SAMBA Blog: My Three Words for 2010
• Seth Godin: The Thing About Goals

What are your three words for 2010?

(Photo credit: "Three Golden Keys" by krish.Tipimeni, courtesy of Flickr.com/Creating Commons)

What Will Google Do in China?

Recently, students in my Media & Society class talked about the challenges Google faces in China: namely, subjecting the Google search function to censors in exchange for access to a huge online market.

Now that it appears Chinese authorities are tracking down activists by monitoring Google searches, the company is re-evaluating its business in China and whether is goes against the company credo: "Don't be evil."

Jeff Jarvis, author of one of our class textbooks ("What Would Google Do?"), updated the company's status in China after an interview with Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Here's an excerpt from Jarvis' latest post on BuzzMachine:

“We made a decision that was consistent with our values,” Schmidt said. “We’re not going to operate differently in China as opposed to the rest of the world,” said (David) Drummond.

When is Gooogle going to do something? “It should happen soon,” Drummond said.

Was Google’s original stance on China — making it an exception to its own rules — a mistake? “We said consistently we would evaluate the position,” said Schmidt, “and people didn’t believe us.”

On the attacks, Schmidt said the company had a moral need to “make sure our systems are safe from attack anywhere.”

Check out the rest of Jarvis' post, which also covers transparency in Google advertising, hassles in Europe, as well as Android and the company's phone strategy.

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See also:
Google reconsiders China policy

Five Writing Tips from 10,000 Words

Add these to your list of tips to improve your writing. These come from 10,000 Words, one of my favorite journalism sites.

In addition to improving your writing, Mark Luckie presents these ideas to capitalize on concentration:

1. Eliminate distractions
2. Write down ideas when you have them
3. Use a better spellchecker
4. Tame the Web
5. Use natural remedies

I plead guilty to allowing myself to be too easily distracted by the overload of interesting stuff on the Web. So that's my focus in the days ahead - Get it done, then it's OK to sneak a peak at Twitter, Facebook and e-mail...

Also see:

• Advice from a master blogger
• Make stories better with personal connections
• Still more tips for bloggers

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p.s. Forgetting good ideas that arrive in the shower is not an issue for me, I worry more about forgetting to spray away the cream rinse...

Google Reconsiders China Policy

Kudos to Google for taking a second look at the censored search service it offers in China.

After hackers, possibly Chinese government types, used the search engine to track down dissidents and activists, Google announced that it was reconsidering its service in China, which provides a stripped-down version that excludes items deemed inappropriate by the Chinese government.

For years, Google has said some search was better than no search in China and it was hopeful its service would help liberalize the flow of information in the communist nation.

So much for that...

Other stuff to see:

• Jeff Jarvis: "What Google Should Do"
• NY Times: "Google's Threat Echoed Everywhere, Except China"
• NY Times: "Google Would Abandon Lucrative Market"

Photo credit: "Google_China" by googlisti, courtesy of Flickr.com/Creative Commons

2009 Not Good for Journalists vs. Censors

Censors got the best of many journalists around the world last year, according to an alarming analysis by Reporters Without Borders reported today on MediaShift:

For the first time since the Internet emerged as a tool for public use, there are currently 100 bloggers and cyber-dissidents imprisoned worldwide as a result of posting their opinions online in 2009, according to Reporters Without Borders. This figure is indicative of the severity of the crackdowns being carried out in roughly 10 countries around the world. ...

The number of countries pursuing online censorship doubled in the past year -- a disturbing trend that suggests governments seek to increase their control over new media. In total, 151 bloggers and cyber-dissidents were arrested in 2009, and 61 were physically assaulted.

It might seem easy to dismiss reports such as this because it's happening "someplace else," such as Iran or China. However, in the wired world of today, around the world might just as well be around the block.

The next journalist/blogger/newscaster to feel the brunt of censors may live in the democracy next door. As the story notes, several European nations along with Australia are looking at ways to "control the Internet." Beware ...

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Update:

• See Mashable: "Zen and the Art of Twitter"
• Mashable: "How Social Media Has Changed Us"

New Term Focuses on Feature Stories

With the start of a new term this week at Linn-Benton Community College came working with a talented group of aspiring feature writers. Two dozen students are enrolled in Feature Writing (JN217).

As they embark upon their reporting and writing quest, they would welcome story ideas from around campus and around the community. Several of the students are interested in pursuing stories on the college's new "pay to print" process, baby boomers coming back to school, parking challenges and campus construction. If you have ideas for additional stories, please leave a comment.

(Today students launched their own blogs, many of which can be viewed below in the column to the right.)

I'm looking forward to working with the students this term and seeing their work published in The Commuter, LBCC's student newspaper and online site.

Some More Social Media Links

Here is a pair of interesting social media pieces:

• "A Satirical Take on Social Media in 2009," a snappy slidecast by Rob Cottingham passed along by Reportr.net
• "Five Easy Steps to Stay Safe (and Private!) on Facebook" in the New York Times. (Sure it's from September, but good advice is always timely...)

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NY Times Columnist: Twitter Is Here to Stay

Wondering why Twitter matters or why you should pay attention to it? Some excellent answers to those questions can be found in "Why Twitter Will Endure," by New York Times columnist David Carr.

Carr sums up the short and glorious history of the micro-blogging site, his own initial skepticism, and why it is succeeding -- exponentially.

"... Has Twitter turned my brain to mush? No, I’m in narrative on more things in a given moment than I ever thought possible, and instead of spending a half-hour surfing in search of illumination, I get a sense of the day’s news and how people are reacting to it in the time that it takes to wait for coffee at Starbucks."

I had Twitter running last night during the Rose Bowl (following various hashtags -- #rosebowl, #oregon, #goducks). It was fascinating to follow the flow of the game from the perspective of fans and media types worldwide, including many at the game. At times the number of tweets flowed faster than my computer could update them. Who needs TV anyway?

Why do I think I've become hooked on Twitter? Carr sums it up nicely:

On Twitter, anyone may follow anyone, but there is very little expectation of reciprocity. By carefully curating the people you follow, Twitter becomes an always-on data stream from really bright people in their respective fields, whose tweets are often full of links to incredibly vital, timely information. ... The best people on Twitter communicate with economy and precision, with each element — links, hash tags and comments — freighted with meaning. ...

Twitter is incredibly customizable, with little of the social expectations that go with Facebook. Depending on whom you follow, Twitter can reveal a nation riveted by the last episode of “Jersey Shore” or a short-form conclave of brilliance. There is plenty of nonsense — #Tiger had quite a run — but there are rich threads on the day’s news and bravura solo performances from learned autodidacts. And the ethos of Twitter, which is based on self-defining groups, is far more well-mannered than many parts of the Web — more Toastmasters than mosh pit.

See also:
Steven Johnson: "How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live"
CommonCraft: "Twitter in Plain English"
Clay Shirky: "How Social Media Can Make History"
Oregonian: Portland Snowstorm Prompts Twitter Alerts
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Photo credit: "Time Cover Story: How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live" by steve garfield, courtesy of Flickr.com/Creative Commons