George Seldes may have died long before the blogging boom, but he was, in many ways, the first true blogger. He didn't have access. He didn't have funding. He didn't have help. But with pure desire, determination, and thorough reporting, Seldes created one of the greatest independent media outlets of our time.
Bloggers now have a much larger field to pick stories from. They have readers and followers who can keep their eyes and ears open to help generate content. Seldes did it all himself.
Watching him talk with such fervor about his craft is really inspiring. Here's an interview with him from 1983.
The daily 4 o'clock martini break is pretty awesome too.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Lessons We Can Still Learn From Ida B. Wells
We have a tendency to think that things that happened in the past don't apply to us. We rationalize with "things were different then" and "now, that would never work." But there are certain ideas and techniques that can transcend eras, and that is the case with the journalism of Ida B. Wells.
Wells did what every independent journalist today attempts to do: shape the discussion in the mainstream media. She worked incessantly, researching and attending lynchings to make her reporting as accurate as possible. Wells did her own investigating to get the story no one else wanted to touch.
Her persistence angered a lot of people. It ran her away from her home and threatened her life. She had to carry a gun with her for protection. But Wells kept going, fully embodying a principle that isn't only indicative of independent media, but of journalism as a whole.
She built the watchdog role of the media in a time when that was very difficult, because you had to go to the direct source to get a story. It isn't like now, when independent media outlets can investigate from the comfort of their own home via the internet and telephones.
Wells was a true trailblazer in the profession, not only being black, but also being a woman. This was a time when she was rejected from mainstream media because of what she looked like and her gender, but that didn't stop her. She worked hard and earned their respect (for the most part). Truly an inspiration to those of us looking to make a difference in media.
Wells did what every independent journalist today attempts to do: shape the discussion in the mainstream media. She worked incessantly, researching and attending lynchings to make her reporting as accurate as possible. Wells did her own investigating to get the story no one else wanted to touch.
Her persistence angered a lot of people. It ran her away from her home and threatened her life. She had to carry a gun with her for protection. But Wells kept going, fully embodying a principle that isn't only indicative of independent media, but of journalism as a whole.
She built the watchdog role of the media in a time when that was very difficult, because you had to go to the direct source to get a story. It isn't like now, when independent media outlets can investigate from the comfort of their own home via the internet and telephones.
Wells was a true trailblazer in the profession, not only being black, but also being a woman. This was a time when she was rejected from mainstream media because of what she looked like and her gender, but that didn't stop her. She worked hard and earned their respect (for the most part). Truly an inspiration to those of us looking to make a difference in media.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
New Media Can't Be Spun
The push and pull between mainstream, traditional media and new media is becoming stronger, particularly with government involvements in foreign countries. In this piece by Arianna Huffington, she details how many traditional journalists consider the experience of being there crucial to their reporting, and that being there comes at a cost.
While that isn't wrong, it doesn't mean that new media doesn't do that as well. One advantage that new media has that traditional media doesn't is access to their audience. New media makes their audience a part of their news team, opening up a new platform to have more information at their disposal.
The presence that New York Times columnist Roger Cohen was referring to is the presence that is given to the traditional media. When a government is controlling your access, they can control the message and content of stories.
The presence that new media is able to get a hold of can be infinitely more valuable. First hand accounts from people who are in the areas that are being blocked off from tradition media can give a much better idea of what is truly happening on the ground.
When the government controls the ground coverage, they can spin it anyway they want. With first hand accounts going to new media, that control is taken away. It is raw, pure information. That's scary for countries trying to quell their people.
While that isn't wrong, it doesn't mean that new media doesn't do that as well. One advantage that new media has that traditional media doesn't is access to their audience. New media makes their audience a part of their news team, opening up a new platform to have more information at their disposal.
The presence that New York Times columnist Roger Cohen was referring to is the presence that is given to the traditional media. When a government is controlling your access, they can control the message and content of stories.
The presence that new media is able to get a hold of can be infinitely more valuable. First hand accounts from people who are in the areas that are being blocked off from tradition media can give a much better idea of what is truly happening on the ground.
When the government controls the ground coverage, they can spin it anyway they want. With first hand accounts going to new media, that control is taken away. It is raw, pure information. That's scary for countries trying to quell their people.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Independent Media
Welcome to my blog for Special Topics in Journalism: Independent Media! Here I will be sharing my thoughts on our course material and important issues facing independent media today. Enjoy!
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