Chronicling The Changing Media Landscape

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Welcome

Attention, editors: Here's your chance to run some terrific stories about the changing media landscape. The new media concentrators at Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism have reported on and written about the latest issues in online news. Handheld technologies, the rising popularity of citizen journalism and the emergence of "blogsuits" are just a few of the things that we have explored, in-depth. If you are interested in running these stories, for pay and/or for credit, please contact the individual reporters via email. Also, please CC Sheena Tahilramani at sat2127@columbia.edu so we can keep track of publication requests. Here are the headlines, followed by short abstracts of each article:

Creative Expression or Mere Mischief? Team Reck's Vlogs

by Maureen Googoo
A group of teens in New York's Washington Heights who call themselves Team Reck have posted around 40 videos on YouTube, from relatively sedate dance routines to practical jokes that some say go too far. The energetic youths are taking advantage of readily available technology to share their camaraderie and antics with the world. But what is the result? "Sometimes, you cross the line and you don’t realize it. There’s a point when it’s funny and there’s a point when it’s not. And what they did was not funny at all," said local community leader George Espinal. Critics worry about the effects of what they call such anti-social behavior, and fear content-sharing sites may exacerbate the problem.
-Interested in Maureen Googoo's article? Contact her at mag2169@columbia.edu

Monday, November 27, 2006

Mailing Lists Live on in the Digital Age

by Paul Suwan
By the time Dave Dewey took over as the administrator of the Postcard From Hell electronic mailing list in 1995, the band around which the list had originally been conceived and on whom most of its discussions focused — alternative-country pioneers Uncle Tupelo — had already broken up. More than a decade later, however, Dewey still oversees the list, known as Postcard for short, from his home in Rochester, N.Y. What it’s turned into, aside from a community of more than 1,400 independent music fans, is a good example of how e-mail discussion lists have continued to remain active and vibrant in an age when most discussion groups have moved onto such interactive Web-based forums as message boards and blogs.
-Interested in Paul Suwan's article? Contact him at pss2121@columbia.edu

The Unpredictability of Online Social Networking

by Paulo Kluber
Considering the meteoric rise of YouTube and MySpace, it's not surprising that people use online networks for various reasons. But, it is the challenge posed by trying to ring a profit out of these vast networks that has many business analysts worried. To be sure, problems lurk on social networking sites, from privacy concerns to cyberstalkers. Still, the strong interest shown in this technology by major business players--as evidenced by recent blockbuster purchases--suggests this unpredictable segment of the web is off to an exciting start.
-Interested in Paulo Kluber's article? Contact him at pfk2104@columbia.edu

Anne Sachs Leads a Fresh-Faced ElleGirl.com

by Jennifer Lai
In July, Elle Girl shut down its print operations to focus only on the web. This decision seemed to confirm what older folks have long feared—the beginning of the death of print, at least for the younger generation. Though most people over a certain age will always prefer a print magazine to its online version, it’s apparent that teens prefer browsing online to flipping through the pages of a glossy magazine. So for Anne Sachs, who was promoted to executive editor of ELLEgirl.com, this presented an opportunity to produce a publication that fully utilized the Internet’s capabilities—starting with a redesigned site and new types of content.
-Interested in Jennifer Lai's article? Contact her at jl2879@columbia.edu

Journalism in the Age of Second Life

by Brian Howard
At his office in San Francisco, Daniel Terdiman spends an average of one hour per day as his character GreeterDan Godel in the online “metaverse” program Second Life. However, Terdiman doesn’t have to worry about getting in trouble with his boss because his time spent in the increasingly popular virtual world is part of his job as a reporter for CNET, the technology-focused media company. While Terdiman says he does enjoy visiting Second Life for fun, he primarily logs on to do work-related research and interviews.
-Interested in Brian Howard's Story? Contact him at bch2108@columbia.edu

Gothamist: Changing the way people receive their news

by Brian Henderson
On a typical day, a visitor to Gothamist.com can find sports scores, convert information, New York news, or just get the latest updates on the city's mysterious maple syrup smell. Editor Jen Chung and partner Jake Dobkin's sites are changing the way that people around the world are getting news. The sites, owned by Gothamist LLC, integrate blogging and Web 2.0 with some traditional reporting to give residents of fifteen different cities on four continents quick, easily digestible news content. Gothamist sifts through local news sources to give readers what it believes to be the most important stories of the day while taking advantage of the internet's ability to provide new information immediately. The blog is a successful model of the balance between professional and citizen journalism online.
-Interested in Brian Henderson's article? Contact him at bch2109@columbia.edu

Current TV takes video blogging a step further

by Lexi Matsui
Taking YouTube.com one step farther, Current.tv broadcasts the average Joe's videos on television. Launched on Aug. 1, 2005, Current is slowly becoming youth culture's best kept secret. Perhaps the most innovative aspect of the company, which aims its content at audiences aged 18 to 34, is its famous viewer-created content (VC2). On the site's "Watch and Vote" section, viewers can upload their own three to seven-minute podcasts, which are then voted on by other users. The top-rated videos are then aired on the company's television station, which reaches an estimated 30,000 viewers. Those podcasts that make it onto television award the creator $500 for their first and second selection, $750 for their third, and $1,000 for subsequent submissions.
-Interested in Lexi Matsui's article? Contact her at amm2188@columbia.edu

Wall Street's online customers willing to pay to read news articles

by Anna-Katarina Gravgaard
While most web pages provide their news content for free, the Wall Street Journal has managed to produce a successful web page where customers must pay to read full-text articles. “People are willing to pay because it is a niche market” said Jennifer Johnson, interactive news writer at the Wall Street Journal's online edition, wsj.com. Johnson said wsj.com has 800,000 paying customers and each subscription costs $ 99 a year. She says that the website's appearance is similar to that of the print edition but adds that wsj.com also has independent reporting, interactive features, polling data and research tools.
-Interested in Anna-Katarina Gravgaard's article? Contact her at ag2567@columbia.edu

MySpace and Facebook keep Twixters from moving away from home

by Victoria Baranetsky
In January 2005, TIME Magazine published an article on twixters, the obscure generation of 20-somethings who typically live with their parents because they are still financially dependent on them. Twixters have generally been criticized for not becoming independent and moving out of their parents' homes. But being at home has been more than a burden on their parents' pocketbooks, Twixters have become more dependent on socializing through community sites such as friendster.com and more ubiquitous sites like facebook.com and myspace.com. With friends scattered across the country and the globe, community websites facilitate the twixter generation with keeping in touch.
-Interested in Victoria Baranetsky's article? Contact her at vdb2003@columbia.edu

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Mobile ESPN: Betting on Cricket

by Roopa Gona
In “Mobile ESPN: Betting on Cricket,” Roopa Gona explores the rise and fall of Mobile ESPN in the United States and evaluates its recent launch in India. While tech-blogs like Techdirt and Technorati say Mobile ESPN in the U.S. was doomed from it’s beginning, it seems like India’s expanding cell phone market makes it a perfect breeding ground for ESPN’s overseas venture. So, will Mobile ESPN survive in India?
-Interested in Roopa Gona's article? Contact her at rsg2118@columbia.edu

The Vlog Revolution

by Ahmed Shihab-Eldin
In “The Vlog Revolution,” Ahmed Shihab-Eldin explores vlogs and video blogging. He speaks with Geek Entertainment TV founder Irina Slutsky and vlog celebrity Steve Garfield about the rising popularity of vlogs and the vlogger’s motivations. While some hope to bring about social change, others are in it for the fun. Bottom line, vlogging is so easy and everyone should give it a try!
-Interested in Ahmed Shihab-Eldin's article? Contact him at ars2157@columbia.edu

Community Websites: East Harlemites Combat Perceived MSM Bias and Neglect

by Tara Kyle
Community websites give residents a way to tell the story of their neighborhoods. From personality profiles to information about upcoming events, social issues and elected officials, readers of these websites can find out a lot about their community's past, present and future. Two East Harlem websites, East-Harlem.com and EastHarlemPreservation.org, give East Harlem residents more localized coverage of news events that affect the community. As Tara Kyle shows, place blogs fill the gap left by the mainstream media’s perceived bias and neglect of East Harlem. But without the support of staff or income, their reach also has limits.
-Interested in Tara Kyle's article? Contact her at tdk2107@columbia.edu

Lemann Adds Fuel to a Fiery Debate

by Joy Polanco
Citizen journalists are tired of the old media versus new media debate. In a rebuttal to Nicholas Lemann’s New Yorker piece on citizen journalism, “Amateur Hour: Journalism Without Journalists,” Joy Polanco asks several citizen journalists to respond to Lemann. Polanco concludes, from the robust and vehement responses she receives, that the argument surrounding citizen journalism is far from over.
-Interested in Joy Polanco's article? Contact her at jap2144@columbia.edu

Bloggers Beware: Internet libel lawsuits--What the blogosphere can learn from its most sued blogger

by Bess Kargman
For nearly a decade, Luke Ford has been chronicling the porn industry on his blog. Now, he's the most hated guy in porn. In "Bloggers Beware: Internet libel lawsuits--What the blogosphere can learn from its most sued blogger," Bess Kargman interviews Ford and his pro bono attorney, Justin Levine. It turns out that most bloggers don't realize the legal dangers lurking in the blogosphere--the past few years have turned up almost 50 "blogsuits" and the number keeps growing.
-Interested in Bess Kargman's podcast? Contact her at brk2101@columbia.edu

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

An Effort to Preserve Multimedia Archives

by Sheena Tahilramani
The preservation of news coverage provides a credible source through which the youth can experience history. With the rise of the Internet and the increasing popularity of online news, how will today's multimedia news coverage be archived for future generations? In "An Effort to Preserve Multimedia Archives," Tahilramani talks to Debra Bade, an editor in the News Research and Archives department at the Chicago Tribune and Nora Paul, director of the Institute for New Media Studies at the University of Minnesota School of Journalism to discuss the standards (or lack thereof) of archiving online news content.
-Interested in Sheena Tahilramani's article? Contact her at sat2127@columbia.edu

Internet Multitasking Syndrome

by David Cohn
The overflow of information on the Internet can cause distractions--in the workplace, at home and within relationships. In an age of instant communication people are accustomed to getting news from multiple sources quickly and constantly. But with so much information on our plate, are we all developing Internet Multitasking Syndrome (IMS)? In this article, Cohn explores the ubiquitousness of the internet and the symptoms of IMS. Do you suffer from Internet Multitasking Syndrome?
-Interested in David Cohn's article? Contact him at dc2298@columbia.edu

Blogs: Getting The Scoop

by Stephanie Merry
Are blogs increasingly beating mainstream media to the punch? With cases such as Comedy Central's scoop on Donald Rumsfield's resignation or even the falsified military documents that led to Dan Rather’s resignation, it seems so. Or, are these cases mere anomalies? Whether bloggers see themselves as journalists or not, they certainly serve as influential catalysts, complicating the role of mainstream media. Stephanie Merry explores the how of it all in this article, "Blogs: Getting the Scoop."
-Interested in Stephanie Merry's article? Contact her at sam2178@columbia.edu

Internet Access: A Playground for Self-Promotion

by Teri Berg
With the help of technology, Nelson Torres has turned WTF Wrestling Outlaws, a wrestling group in Harlem, into a one-man show and a fledgling promotions company. In "Internet Access: A Playground for Self-Promotion," Berg explores the world of WTF Wrestling Entertainment and the role that Internet access could potentially play in the company's success.
-Interested in Teri Berg's article? Contact her at tb2231@columbia.edu

The Pandora Phenomenon

by Lorenzo Morales
In "The Pandora Phenomenon," Morales explores Pandora.com, a private Internet jukebox micro-tailored to fit every individual user’s taste. He goes behind its simplistic screen facade and speaks to Pandora's founder, Tim Westergren, about The Music Genome Project--a project in which each attributer is considered a “gene” in the long chain of music’s DNA.
-Interested in Lorenzo Morales' article? Contact him at lam2164@columbia.edu