Or, this could be called how to piss off a room of journalists.
This video, linked by Michael Silence yesterday, explains a lot of things on different levels about how both print and broadcast journalists in Knoxville had to deal with Lane Kiffin earlier this week. It’s long, but watch it and you are going to see some things that will literally boggle your mind.
The news director from Ch. 10 isn’t going to take any B.S. That was rather refreshing.
UPDATED: Please read Katie Allison Granju’s update on this story and our hero from this throw down, Bill Shory from WBIR.
I’ve been thinking a lot about blogging over the past few weeks and how things have changed since I started doing this. I’ve talked to several bloggers, and then I read this by Busy Mom, and I realized I wasn’t alone.
1. I’ve recently thought about hanging up the blogging thing. My community has changed, and I’m not sure what I think about that.
Despite the fact that it may look like I have already done so, I probably won’t.
However, I do admit to being discouraged by several things, including a sharp increase in online smug self-assurance and righteousness in the name of “discussion”.
When I started blogging, things were a bit different. I was gainfully and fully employed, I thought it was the coolest thing I’d done in awhile and it was groovy. I really had no preconceived notions about what would happen because I was living in the moment. And, then again, there was Brittney Gilbert at NiT that brought a community of people together. Funny and poignant, Internet evangelists, political junkies and a cast of characters that came together as she guided the new boat through the choppy waves of the Tennessee blogosphere. Those relationships have pretty much stayed pretty strong, be it online or blogging relationships that evolved into real friendships. We had a sense of each other. We came together despite geographical location and it was of the good.
Times change and because we don’t have the original NiT anymore (although I am a friend of Christian Grantham who had to weather the storm after Brittney’s departure), it was different.
Morphing into the future, there have been efforts to regain the steam that drove a unified network of bloggers in Tennessee, but none have, or ever will I suspect, garner that sort of community again. As I don’t live in a metropolitan area, I’m not given the option to go to the new phase of tweetups, geek breakfasts, social media gatherings without several days of scheduling and planning, I commend that this things are happening and that they are very powerful in establishing community.
The issue that I go back to is what Busy Mom said. I thought about hanging this thing up. It was in the cards a few weeks back but then I went to BarCamp Nashville and I realized that it was my responsibility to have fun and feel relevant with my online presence. I did, however, think of putting my hat on the rack and keeping the computer in its’ bag. I have, however, started to have a good time with it again because I realized that blogs have peaks and valleys. The online community changes and it’s good to know that rolling with the tide isn’t always a bad thing.
This goes for Newscoma as well.
Last week’s blogger brouhaha that occurred when a Memphis businessman and blogger was nominated, and then dissed in a meeting got me to thinking about the state of the Tennessee blogosphere. And it was Jackson Baker who said this:
Which brings me to the Ross controversy, which I haven’t weighed in on up until now. I have from time to time over the years tipped my hat to the independent blogging community. Though most blogs are oriented to point of view rather than to objective journalism per se, the best bloggers have made enormous contributions to news coverage and thoughtful consideration of the public weal. Everybody else — the CA, the Flyer, the TV and radio stations — have had to take note. Increasingly, blogs break important news, and no self-regarding “traditional” journalist can risk not having several blogger URLs on their computer bookmark lists.
And once again, we learn how rapid and responsive online networking can be.
Both journalists validate that as bloggers, we are making a difference. Be it as entertainment value, social change or just being a part of a community, I was reminded that I am still part of an online community. A sad fact that I’d forgotten for some reason. It was good for me to read Busy Mom to see I wasn’t alone. And Say Uncle hit the whole Joe Brown controversy on the head quite well.
Our evolution here in Tennessee for each and every blogger is personal and very real. And we are part of this state whether folks want us here or not.
So there is the story. Take it for what’s its worth. Hell, I’m just a blogger. Wanna see a picture of a turtle?
Michael Silence has lent your kind hostess a computer while I get all adjusted and stuff.
I’ve been sort of light blogging due to having to steal computers the past day and also I didn’t want to bore you guys anymore with the laid off stuff.
But, I needed to say, it’s amazing the connections we have with the online community. And Michael, thank you.
While you are visiting Mike, check out his new contributer, Shane, who’s bellied up to the bar and doing great.
Sadcox and I’s new project called NewsTechZilla started off very well and we’ve been very fortunate. Lots of folks have been very encouraging and we are both mightily excited.
I offer my humble gratitude to everyone, especially Michael Silence, for helping us launch this on January 1st.
Sharp offers the bottom line of the endeavor: “Our plans are to write about what we know, what we want to learn and hopefully be a guide for other journalists trying to be viable in new markets. There is some fantastic information out in the blogosphere that we will spotlight all in one convenient location.”
Adcox called it, simply, “citizen journalism for journalists.”
Here’s what Sharp told me in an e-mail: “We will most likely banter with each other (Scott and I) to keep it sort of personal but one of our objectives is citizen journalism for everyone. Scott knows technology (I’m the news hack), and he is really good about making tech lessons simple. I’m the grand encourager.
“With this, plus linking to interesting sites, our hope is that it will become a go-to place for ongoing conversation about what’s happening, what has happened and what’s next.
“A good example of the most recent power of citizen journalism would be the TVA Sludge Spill. It’s average folks that fueled that.”
Umm, I’m Sharp. Adcox is sadcox, if you were wondering.
This has been a lot of fun and it’s also extremely challenging. We also are encouraging guest columns from folks who might have something to say about citizen journalism, how to use video (I’m still a novice on that one) and social media networking. Drop us a line if you are interested in being a part of this new community.
As everyone feels an ownership and personalizes their own experience when it comes to news, I truly believe everyone is entitled to their voice.
Think of it as writing a letter to the editor. Send me a shout at newscoma at newstechzilla dot com.
Blogs incorporate more multimedia, including video with the advent of YouTube. Twitter-style “microblogging” is popular among the younger, “short-attention-span” digital generation.
As an old-timer, I don’t get some of it, but I find all of it quite fascinating.
Lastly, while barriers to entry remain low and there’s an unlimited supply of pixels, readers’ time is finite.
Blogging is increasingly competitive as sophisticated readers become more selective. Launching a new blog is easy, but establishing a brand and growing an online community is hard work. Fortunately, people do it anyway, giving individual voice to millions in the “marketplace of ideas.”
Neal will be representing Tennessee at the Democrat Convention as a, you got it, official blogger from Tennessee.
Read the story, but be sure to check out the comments at the Commercial Appeal about Tennessee Open Records.
Here’s one by COR415 to get you over there:
A government that hides what it is doing is not a “government of the people” but a “government over the people”. The founding fathers must be turning in their graves if they know what has happened to this country.
Just four days ago I got an email from Scott Karp suggesting that his Web startup might have some tools that could make covering an election interesting — really interesting.More emails … phone calls … more emails … phone calls. The result: An idea to let some savvy political followers (except me) find links to the best stories out there and make a list of them that lets readers get the benefit of their foraging and expertise.
Who the hell is Scott Karp? Folio: mag tagged him as one of the 40 most influential people in publishing in 2007. He left his day job as director of digital strategy for the publisher of The Atlantic magazine last year to devote his full energies (and then some) to a startup called Publish2.com.
