Fortuna Faveat

may fortune favor us

Archive for topic “from my school days”

Build your own clubhouse

Nov 21

Posted by Patrick T. Lafferty in from my school days | 2 Comments

It is hard to put your finger on what makes a cool blogger. Is it the ability to bring down the powerful? Maybe it is the knack for telling me about the coolest gadgets before anybody else. It could be a unique fiction that tickles the reader. Whatever your preference, one thing is for sure, the hipsters that many despise in the physical world have found a footing in the blogosphere, taking the joy out of blogging for many. It is refreshing to see that they still get their comeuppance in the real world.

Wonkette wasn't allowed into her own clubhouse in Austin, TX. Source: Austinist
For many bloggers, their writing isn’t about making money, being cool, or anything of that nature. Rather, it is catharsis, exhibitionism, or the desire for a simple creative outlet that draws them into the land of blogs. Some people just enjoy putting their thoughts out there for the world to see. For these people, they could care less about being cool. In fact, they actively oppose being cool.But what about the hipsters that want to reach the top of the technorati? My writing has appeared in the searches on technorati.com, but I didn’t do anything purposeful to get there. In an effort to help some blogging poser become tres’ chic, I looked and looked for tips on how to become a cool blogger. There just weren’t any good tips. The cool kids just don’t want the rest of us to know the code to their clubhouse.

In this information vaccuum, I am forced to tell you what I think about the democratization of the Internet (nay, the world?) via blogs. I think it is fabulous. As I have mentioned in previous posts, any opportunity to give voice to the voiceless is a good thing. This is the solution to the “clubhouse” problem laid out above. Rather than play in someone else’s clubhouse, we, the sweaty masses, can just build our own clubhouse. Oh yeah, for the record, my favorite blog (and the only one I read) is engadget. They are the coolest!

Tags:

Casting light where there is none

Nov 8

Posted by Patrick T. Lafferty in from my school days | No Comments

I am jazzed about the idea of podcasting at KU. I feel giddy at the thought of it. It is the first time since coming to the j-school that I feel able to make a significant impact on the larger University community. Kick back and relax as I scoop my podcasting partners and myself. Back in February, KUJH-TV news kicked all non-journalism students off the air, shifting the focus of the station exclusively to informational programming. In doing so, film students lost a major resource for showcasing their creativity. Podcasting has the power to right this wrong.

Dan Ryckert from his former sketch comedy show “Foghat Live”

Photo: Scott McClurg/Journal-World Photo

Dan Ryckert from his former sketch comedy show “Foghat Live”

I propose the creation of podcast.ku.edu. By providing a venue such as this, the creative forces in the University community will be able to put their productions out there for the world to see. This is something that can work for film students, radio DJs, or political scientists that want to host a weekly talk show. The possibilities are limitless. Just think of it: a student-run radio talk show that doesn’t have to worry about FCC fines if someone drops an F-bomb. For journalists, we can conduct interviews that delve into a depth unheard of in other broadcast media. Think of the truly unique programming of which I cannot conceive, but has been languishing in the back of the mind of a voiceless student. I am all atwitter as I type the thought. This is the free exchange of ideas that should be at the forefront of every University. This is power to the people. This is where you just might get to hear your favorite Irish pirate discuss the pros and cons of “acoustic bangs” on cruise ships and why it might not be a good idea to sail off the coast of Somalia. There should be some editorial oversight. I suggest a student position, akin to that of a Kansan editor, which would be based in The Stauffer Multimedia Newsroom. Given that this is a web platform, there is no need for heavy editorial oversight. Rather, only the most egregious of content should be culled, including the twin threats of libel and slander. This idea is something that can be implemented immediately. We have none of the technological barriers faced by some. We just need the content. Do you have a great idea for a show that the hipsters at KJHK won’t want to air? Are you a former KUJH contributor that lost your show? Are you a freshman in the dorm that always wanted to host your version of Letterman from the commons area of your floor? Here is your chance. I am actively pursuing content. The more the merrier.

Tags: , , ,

What am I missing here?

Nov 1

Posted by Patrick T. Lafferty in from my school days | 4 Comments

When I started out researching news mapping, I didn’t think much of it. If you live in Old West Lawrence, for instance, and there is a spate of robberies in the neighborhood, this is newsworthy to you and perhaps even the citizens in other parts of the city. I assume this is the thought process of chicagocrime.org. Aside from a morbid curiosity or researching a neighborhood before moving, why is this necessary?

Isn’t the location of the crimes going to be reported in the news story? Aren’t you going to be aware that this is happening around you because you saw it on the news? I can’t remember the last time that I saw a story on the local news that didn’t highlight the area where the crime occurred. I know, this assumes people watch the news. But aren’t the same eyeballs looking at chicagocrime.org going to look at local news?

What good comes from having a map that shows the location of local crimes? I really don’t see the point for the person on the street. It seems to be yet another reason for people to shutter themselves into their homes at night, leaving the streets to the criminals. It is yet another tool in the arsenal of the fear mongers. To me, and lots of other people, this is exactly the wrong thing to do if we want to make our neighborhoods safer.

Should we all don the red beret, using a news map as our attack plan?

Bear in mind, this is just one element of news mapping. But this is the one that is winning awards. Am I obtuse? I just don’t get the fascination. Tell me how I am wrong, because I really do want to understand this.

Tags: , , ,

Facebook, sweet Facebook!

Oct 24

Posted by Patrick T. Lafferty in from my school days | No Comments

Oh, Facebook. Why are you so compelling? Yes, even I, your friendly neighborhood “Irish pirate” curmudgeon, have fallen prey to the charms of the Facebook. I know, I know. But there is much to be said for this networking tool, most of which has already been said.

I have found old friends lost long ago due to cross-country moves and new friends that have added me to their list after only one meeting. It is truly fascinating to sift through the social networks of my friends and acquaintances, playing a personalized version of six degrees of Kevin Bacon. Facebook provides your degrees of separation automatically.

While this seems like tons of fun, I do think there are dangers to be found in this form of social networking. I think it is idiotic to post your cell phone number on any website, yet many do just that on Facebook, Friendster, etc. The danger most apparent in Facebook, though not unique to Facebook, is stalking.

Many people on Facebook list their class schedules. This is a powerful tool for getting to know other people in your classes and can prove very helpful with missed classes, homework and the like. But it also tells the weirdos out there exactly where you will be at a certain time. Not the most appealing thought.

Keeping this in mind, I think it is unavoidable that such networks will continue to grow. We have all “googled” our friends, both near and far. But unless that friend has a web presence or celebrity status of some sort, they are not likely to be found on google. Facebook fills this void in the social networks of college students and staff. Friendster, et al., do the same for the rest of the world. MySpace has even launched some music careers.

People my age (I am 26) are just beyond the grasp of Facebook. The vast majority of my friends from my undergraduate studies are nowhere to be found on the Facebook. The ones that are there are now staff at other universities. Yes, this makes me feel old. My point is that my 16-year-old sister is an online maven, unlike my friends. She and her friends have run through their xanga phase and now eagerly await the high school version of Facebook.

Whether Facebook is the end-all, be-all of communities remains to be seen. It has the potential, through the “alumnus” option, to maintain itself as one of the elite communities. But I don’t think it will take over the world, if for no other reason than the fact that it can only go forward, leaving most of us fogies in the dusty shelves of yearbooks past.

Tags: , ,

Achieving Critical Mass

Oct 14

Posted by Patrick T. Lafferty in from my school days | No Comments

Anyone that follows my musings on this site is going to be aware of my penchant for dissent. So when I tell you that I think the mainstream media (MSM) is floundering as a group, it should come as no surprise. In fact, it is likely to arouse some (gasp) skepticism. There’s no need to fear, the blogosphere is here to back me up.

Mark Glaser, writing for the Online Journalism Review at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California, agrees that the MSM as a whole is a slumbering giant poised for rude awakening by the likes of Yahoo and Google. Yahoo scored a major success with the introduction of Kevin Sites as the anchor to its original content aspirations. Google is changing the rules with each of its innovations, including Google Video and the entangled Google Print.

Entanglements aside, these innovations in content and reporting bely the larger issue of the decline of the MSM. Americans are growing increasingly angry about the failures of the MSM to provide us with the truth of the world outside our borders. But this is a problem long in the works. Back in 2001, there were already murmurs about the lack of reality in news coverage coming out of the world’s largest democracy.

Gallup polls conducted in the US in September 2004 found that 10 percent of adults felt “very confident” in the accuracy of the MSM’s news stories. I am no statistician, but I know enough to tell you that such figures are not doing anything to slow the decline of the MSM. Remember, this is NEWS that we are talking about. You know, the reporting of facts to inform the public. How can you or I or your friendly neighborhood Québécois be expected to support a system that cannot be relied upon to provide simple facts? The short answer: we can’t.

Tags: ,

When novelty isn’t that cool

Sep 29

Posted by Patrick T. Lafferty in from my school days, music | 3 Comments

The only thing better than making a wish list is making a wish list to be purchased with someone else’s money. I better get this out in the open right now: I am a tech-head. When someone asks me what to buy in the tech world, I get a bit weak in the knees. But when Uncle Rick asked me about cell phone cameras, I just didn’t feel that oomph that I get from, say, a TiVo purchase or a stand-alone digital camera.

That said, the idea of an all-in-one device -€“ mp3 player, cell phone, digital still/video camera, and pda -€“ is very appealing. I just haven’t seen anything yet that really impresses me. The new Rokr phone, also known as the Itunes phone, is nowhere near worth running out to buy. Sure, it is cool that you can answer a call while listening to your music. But there are many points that I see as very “uncool”.

You have to wear those stupid earbuds that also have a dangling microphone on them and the device only holds 100 songs. For those of us with sizeable digital music collections (I am holding strong at 25,000-plus mp3s) narrowing that down to 100 songs to take with you hardly seems feasible, let alone worthy of the expense. Not to mention the “sort of” bluetooth technology that works for voice, but does not work for the music.

Of most interest to journalists, the camera of the Rokr seems pretty good and does shoot both stills and video. But if you are listening to your music and then the phone rings, how are you supposed to use the camera at the same time? Can you manage to get the shot without getting tangled up in the headphones?

I’m not saying I need all of my music with me at all times, or need to use all of my technology simultaneously, but we have the technology, so why not use it? There are other phones out there that can hold as many as 1,000 songs. For you mac-ers or mac-ees or whatever you call yourselves, no, they don’t have the intrepid design of the Itunes phone. Call me crazy, but I would rather have my choice of 10 times the music than the rather boring layout of the Ipod. I would rather a company give me far too many options than a half-assed attempt at ingenuity. No, seriously, call me crazy. I dare you.

Tags: ,

Is there a thinker in the house?

Sep 21

Posted by Patrick T. Lafferty in from my school days | 2 Comments

I am growing increasingly aware that my perspective on journalism education is far different from that of my classmates. I entered the graduate program at KU so that I might study why journalists do what they do, both good and bad. I came here thinking that I would be among a community of scholars that wants to think about what we are doing as journalists. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that just isn’t happening here.

I didn’t come here to be taught how to be a journalist. Personally, I don’t think that requires much training. I guess the only training I think you need to be a journalist is complete when someone hands you a pad of paper (or a digital camera or a digital recorder) and says, “Go find out what happened!” The rest is interdisciplinary.

You need to be a good writer, you need to take good pictures, you need computer skills, you need to be able to think on your feet, and you need to have an ethical frame of reference that recognizes the duty that journalists have in society, not a re-hash of Aristotle. Journalists are no less important than lawyers, yet are far less revered. I happen to think they are more important. Lawyers do not control the public’s perception of the world around them; journalists do. This is an awesome power that needs to be recognized and contemplated.

My classmates, at least in open discussion, do not do that.

They want job skills.

They are here to learn how to be journalists.

They are here to make good grades.

This is a problem.

This is not going to be the most popular blog entry of the week. People are going to be angry about this. I can see it now: “How dare you tell me what I am thinking?” “Who are you to sit in judgment of journalists?” I am a citizen. That should be enough. Moreover, I am a citizen in their midst. I am simply finding out what is happening. I am a journalist.

The future of journalism education is bleak unless we start talking about our impact in a serious manner. Let’s start today. Leave me a comment.

Tags: , , ,

What’s In A Catch Phrase?

Sep 18

Posted by Patrick T. Lafferty in from my school days | No Comments

I love catch phrases, especially when the mainstream media (MSM) gets a hold on them. (Do we smell the fetid stench of sarcasm?) In the never-ending quest to capture the life force of anything that seems to actually be thriving, the MSM has landed upon the Citizen Journalist. It isn’t just MSNBC that is trying to catch the authenticity of the eyewitness news. Hell, many local newscasts are called Eyewitness News.

The problem is, eyewitness news is hardly reliable. Defense attorneys and psychologists are the first to tell you that you cannot rely on what a person thought they saw. Entire academic departments are dedicated to the study of false memory. So what are these major media outlets doing trolling for citizen reports? My best guess is that they just want your pictures. Well, that, and they want you to feel empowered. Don’t let all this power go to your head. You citizen journalists aren’t bloggers.

Bloggers are the hyenas nipping at the heels of the lionized MSM. While there can be overlap in the two groups, generally speaking citizen journalists are eyewitnesses to breaking news stories that phone or email their stories in to the MSM. Bloggers, whose definition is a bit more mottled, generally do the writing themselves and have editorial and creative control over their content. If anything forecasts the future of journalism, the decentralization of the blogosphere might be it.

In 2015, the mythical date when all things will be revealed, my money is on things being largely the same. The Internet will continue to leech viewers while television news will have devolved into a complete punditocracy. But we can see that already from the vantage point of 2005. Ten years from now, we will see the tipping point. Can you guess which way it is going to tip? Your guess is as good as mine. Tell me which direction you think things will fall.

Tags: , ,

Patronize me, please!

Sep 7

Posted by Patrick T. Lafferty in from my school days | No Comments

With bloggers such as the Poynter Institute’s Jim Romenesko earning an annual salary of almost $170,000 for his efforts, it would appear that the age of blogging for a living is upon us. A media institute like Poynter seems more likely to have a celebrity blogger making six figures, but what about the idea of a patronage system like the one that supported DaVinci, Michelangelo, and the other ninja turtles during the renaissance? That is the game plan being implemented by well-known blogger Jason Kottke.

Kottke quit his job as a web designer in early 2005 as the first step in an experiment to see if he could survive on patronage alone. So far, so good. He is still at it, though he did decide to take Labor Day weekend off. Artists. I tell ya!

Another wrinkle in the future business model of blogging is the corporate blogger. This variation-on-a-flack stratagem is geared towards giving corporations a fresh face and providing key publics with timely information. As WSJ.com mentions, these bloggers don’t make nearly what a celeb like Romenesko pulls down. But I must say, in the world of flackery, it seems to be the place where some heart and soul might filter into the bottom line.

As a relative newbie to the world of blogging, certainly new to following it this closely, I would have to choose Directnic.com’s in-house blog as one of the best efforts thus far to reach key publics. Originally created as a personal blog, this has become a tool to bring the outside world a look inside the chaotic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Directnic.com’s Michael Barnett has catapaulted himself into position as a media darling based on his impassioned response to inhumanity that he saw going on around him. Barnett’s musings have become a must-read for those wanting the inside track on the progress in New Orleans.

Blogs cannot be ignored. Their power and immediacy have brought down media giants. As this information venue continues to develop into a money-making scheme, experiments with advertising, subscription, and patronage systems are likely to continue. Personally, I would love to see a renaissance of patronage. The most romantic of the three models I mentioned, it would allow professional blogging to become something more than the musings of an individual or corporation. The arts might even find a foothold in a blogger’s space, spawning modern masterpieces as-yet untold.

Blogs have been around for years but were only discovered by the mainstream media during Rathergate. Who would have thought that the ugliness of partisan politics would have the ability to spawn a resurrection of the arts?

Tags: ,

Who cares about MTV anymore?

Aug 31

Posted by Patrick T. Lafferty in from my school days | No Comments

This is the question that Dave Sirulnick is surely asking himself as he watches MySpace climb atop the newest media pedestal. Sirulnick, for those who don’t know, is the Executive Vice President of MTV News who has been a trend-setter at MTV since its inception. He can’t be happy about this new darling of the youth culture. MySpace poses a direct threat to his baby and is now under the control of his corporate overlord’s sworn enemy. Rupert Murdoch, with the gristly flesh of MySpace still stuck between his teeth, can’t wait to run into Sumner Redstone at the next meeting of the Illuminati, basking in the glory of his latest feeding, er, acquisition.

Back to the question at hand: is MySpace the future and if not, what is? Is it the giant-killer that can bring down the MTV Goliath? The answer to these questions is a resounding “maybe.” MySpace may be News Corp’s answer to Viacom’s dominance of youth culture, specifically youth news sources like MTV News and The Daily Show. Personally, MySpace is much more appealing to me than the thought of wading chest-high through a big, steaming pile of Laguna Beach during a commercial break, trying to find the next big band to break on the LA scene. But I have recently escaped MTV’s demographic, so my opinion is about as valid as, well, a big steaming pile of Laguna Beach.

Unfortunately, audience inertia is working against the kids on MySpace. Inertia, or indisposition to motion, exertion, or change, lends its power to television networks well before an Internet upstart. MTV clawed its way to the position of dominance in youth culture over the last three decades and is not likely to roll over now. If anything, MTV is likely to fire back with an incarnation of a MySpace-ish cyber-world.

Are you still reading this? I didn’t scare you off with my admission of demographic obsolescence or my reverence for the hard work of MTV producers over the years? Well, your tenacity has earned you a reward: my vision of youth news in the future. The youth of the industrialized world (Yes, all of them!) will have something akin to a Palm LifeDrive, with more of a tablet PC feel to it. On it, they will keep their schedules, music, games, etc., and will download all their news wirelessly via RSS feeds or whatever news collection technology the future brings with it onto the one-inch terabyte drive. Slide it all into their back pocket and off the kiddies will go, ready to face the world -€” or as much of it as can fit on a 2″ x 3″ screen.

Tags: , , , , , , ,