Archive for February, 2007
As promised last year, MSNBC.com has launched a citizen journalism section, and it’s called “First Person.” Users can upload video, photos and stories in response to suggested topics. MSNBC.com used First Person earlier this month with the NBC Nightly News series, “Trading Places: Caring for Your Parents,” and the site received over 6,000 stories, photos and videos. Current topics range from “unsung Americana” to silly dog photos. “This release is the first phase in an ongoing investment of surfacing user generated content onto MSNBC.com,” said Travis McElfresh, VP of technology for MSNBC.com. “Rather than creating just another free-for-all posting site, we have equipped the MSNBC.com editorial team with automated tools and filters so that they can easily and quickly identify offensive or non-relevant content before it is published. Automation and integration with relevance technology will further enhance the First Person experience and allow us to scale to some very interesting scenarios.” Of course, some of the best submissions may end up on NBC News and MSNBC.
One of the photo pages. Pics with the most votes are highlighted as user favorites.
February 27th, 2007
While I was checking a few stocks to see how hard they were hit with today’s precipitious market drop, I noticed Yahoo Finance’s new streaming quotes feature. As a stock rises and falls, the data updates dynamically in the page. Very cool.
Also, you’ll notice I added Yahoo’s new stocks widget in the right sidebar with a handful of media stocks (I can only display ten). I’m going to give it a try, especially now as the stock market is getting a lot of attention. Your thoughts?
February 27th, 2007
Update: The Dow closed down 415 points (-3.3 percent) and the NASDAQ dropped 97 points (-3.9 percent) today after a slide in Chinese stocks and concerns the U.S. economy is decelerating more than anticipated. Yesterday, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said the economy may be headed for a recession. Nervous investors are beginning to shift their money to more dependable ground. Clearly too early to see where all this is leading, but it’s certainly not very comforting for media companies that depend on advertising growth.
Another update: Right after market close here, WSJ.com is loading verrrry slowly.
February 27th, 2007
“To Iraq and Back: Bob Woodruff Reports” airs on ABC at 10 p.m after an appearance on Oprah earlier today. “I remember driving along in the tank, up that road, and standing up outside through the open hatch at the top,” he said. “When the IED actually exploded, I don’t remember that,” Woodruff continued. “But I do remember at that moment I saw my body floating below me and… a whiteness… I just saw something.” Update: Lots of video, photos and stories on ABCNews.com.
February 27th, 2007
The NBA has created its own channel on YouTube as part of a revenue-sharing deal. Users can upload and rate their best basketball moves, and the best will be compiled into a top 10 list on the site. The NBA has also uploaded selected game highlights. Press release after the screen grab…
Read the full post February 27th, 2007
U.S. media companies cut 17,809 jobs in 2006, up 88 percent over the year before, and the cost-cutting shows no signs of slowing. Meanwhile, hiring for digital media positions is running at a rapid pace to meet high demand. I’m still amazed at how most (but not all) people who work in TV are oblivious to the connection between their job security and their digital skills. Most don’t even know what “RSS” means. Most would rather read TVSpy over Lost Remote. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
February 27th, 2007
Apple is going to spend a little more time tinkering with its device that will stream video from computers to your TV. Apple TV was originally slated to come out this month. But company spokeswoman Lynn Fox says “Wrapping up Apple TV is taking a few weeks longer than we projected, and we now expect to begin shipments mid-March,” but the company’s not elaborating on the snag. (Via USA Today Tech RSS)
February 26th, 2007
One question: why?
February 26th, 2007
The Pew Internet and American Life Project has a new report (PDF) with oodles of good data about people who use WiFi to connect to the web. About 34% of internet users have gone online using WiFi. They use the web differently than those connected by a wire. From the study:
- 72% of wireless users check email on a typical day, compared to 63% of home broadband users and 54% of all internet users.
- WiFi users want more news: 46% get the news on a typical day, compared to 38% of home broadband users and 31% of all internet users.
The study also rightly notes that people generally don’t have WiFi at home without broadband. (You could, I suppose, set up WiFi to a dialup, but what’s the point?) So being able to roam your house with your laptop either changes your behavior (my guess) or the people who set up WiFi have different behaviors than those who don’t set up WiFi. And there’s this note regarding cellphone web access: “25% of internet users say they have a phone that connects to the internet using a wireless network… (of those people) half have used it to get on the internet…” Are you generating content that will make the mobile experience worth their time?
February 26th, 2007
Hearst Interactive Media announced a $8 million investment in Local.com, a business directory site. “Local.com is well positioned to capitalize on the consumer and advertiser trends that are delivering growth in the emerging local search advertising industry, said Kenneth Bronfin, president of Hearst Interactive Media in a statement. “We believe Local.com has the right strategy and can become a leader in this area.”
February 26th, 2007
The Apple site has a great promotional video of the Washington Post’s online video efforts, and it’s worth a look. The WaPost now has 50 reporters carrying video cameras. I think it’s safe to say that’s the largest web video photography team in news.
Plus, check out OnBeing, the video project profiled in the clip. Very snazzy…
February 26th, 2007
PoMo Blog (and my work colleague) guru Terry Heaton’s newest essay deconstructs the voyeuristic nonsense of the recent news (”news”) cycle. The nonstop, wall-to-wall Anna Nicole and Britney’s head coverage is rationalized because “that’s what the audience wants,” right? Well, in the postmodern world, writes Terry:
…this is just an excuse to validate and continue our behavior. Blaming the audience is also quite absurd, because our culture itself has no internal governor anymore. Without it, can we really say people are to blame for watching what we put in front of them?
Terry doesn’t see an end to the pandering coverage:
The assigning of blame in all of this is counter-productive. It simply is what it is. Mass marketing demands a mass audience, and we will keep doing what we’re doing.
But he does find the answer and the savior for journalism in the 2.0 online world:
… this (1.0-style voyeurism) shouldn’t stop traditional media companies from entering the Media 2.0 world and playing by its rules instead of their own. The opportunity exists to grow new brands, built on different guiding principles and unafraid of connecting with the people we’re trying to serve. The experience can be humbling, but there is much the mainstream can do to actually advance the cause of expanding the public forum in the cyber world. By encouraging and supporting the effort, it won’t matter how much its core efforts pander to voyeuristic information, because the higher calling of journalism—with argument—will be served elsewhere. We might actually behave our way into something significant.
I’ll only add that I wonder why the “news” networks bother with the news at all…
February 26th, 2007
Congrats to Kevin Roach on being named the Associated Press Executive Producer of Online Video. Kevin goes to the AP’s Washingon-based Online Video Network after serving as ND at WDTN in Dayton, Ohio. He has a background in online as well, having served as a regional director of IBS. (Disclosures: I consulted for the AP’s Online Video Network and worked with Kevin in the early days of New England Cable News.) Full press release, after the jump.
Read the full post February 26th, 2007
The Tyndall Report was always a must read for the rundown of the networks’ nightly news stories. But now the site’s new iteration is a must see. The new Tyndall Report (RSS), is a video-centric marvel. The site has the rundown from the ABC, NBC and CBS nightly newscasts with links to the videos as well. And the nets can breathe easy as the links are to the “official” versions of the pieces. This is one of those “why didn’t anyone think of this before” ideas. Andrew Tyndall has spent months on this, and it’s a one-stop for newsies, people who just want to see the news, and “the media is a liberal conspiracy” theorists alike. (Once you’re on that bandwagon, you’re bound to find only the evidence that supports your theory anyway.) Disclosure: I offered Andy my thoughts while he was in development, for what they were worth. Have a look. (Via B&C, RSS)
February 26th, 2007
We’ve been following Google’s test of a video syndication network that involves a three-way ad revenue split between the content provider, any site that wants to post the video, of course, Google. Now Google has added Dow Jones (WSJ), Condé Nast and Sony BMG Music Entertainment to its list of heavy-hitting media companies giving the service a try.
February 26th, 2007
Coming today, BitTorrent is launching a download site with films from Warner Bros, Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Lionsgate along with TV shows such as 24. The idea is to influence 20- and 30-something guys who regularily download illegal torrents to upgrade to paid legal downloads. “We have to program for that audience and create a better experience for that content so the audience converts to the service that makes the studios money,” said Ashwin Navin, president and co-founder of BitTorrent. Like most sites, TV show downloads are $1.99 a pop, and movie rentals will run $2.99-3.99 for 24 hours. The BitTorrent advantage? Faster downloads due to its P2P nature. BitTorrent said movies will download in half the time and TV shows in one-third the time as its competitors. Downloaded content is protected by Windows DRM, and as such, will only play in Windows Media players. But the question remains: will the new service convince people who have downloaded free torrents for years to suddenly pay for the same thing?
Adds Rocker in comments: “Once you give them a legitimate way to do it, you start to go after those who insist on stealing it. But it’s less about the tiny percentage of people who’ve been stealing for years, than it is about the much larger numbers of ‘normal’ consumers who will be embracing these technologies in the years ahead, and will be willing to pay a fair price.”
February 26th, 2007
Tribune board members were close to settling on an internal overhaul of the company — which included spinning off its TV stations — when a Chicago real estate magnate made a last-minute proposal, reports the NY Times. Sam Zell’s offer would involve buying the entire company with help from an employee stock ownership plan. But the WSJ reports that Tribune is leaning in the direction of its self-help plan. Tribune has made no comment, and the company aims to make a final decision by the end of March.
February 26th, 2007
Next Entries
Previous Entries
