Thursday, November 3, 2005

News is more than "wow! did you hear that! or "wow! did you see that on TV last night! or "wow! I read this crazy story in the paper...." Saving journalism isn't about saving jobs Every time we hear about another cutback in newspapers -- and there are plenty of them these days -- we automatically hear the notion that journalism jobs must be saved to save journalism. I'm afraid it's time to challenge that assumption. Saving journalism isn't about saving jobs or even newspapers. In fact, the goal shouldn't be just to save journalism but to grow it, expand it, explode it, taking advantage of all the amazing new means to gather and share news we have today. Start with the real goals, which are informing society, keeping power in check, improving people's lives, making connections (right?) and then ask what the best ways are to do that today. After that, you can ask what the role of journalists and newspapers should be.... [BuzzMachine] WOW is good. But not enough. 7:10:01 PM    comment []

All the news that grabs eyeballs and ears CNN Ousts Evening Anchor and Embraces Rising Star New York Times, By BILL CARTER Published: November 3, 2005 ...Mr. Klein said the moves were made chiefly to elevate the profiles of the two news figures whose popularity has been growing at CNN, Mr. Cooper and Mr. Blitzer. "We want to expose Anderson and Wolf to more people," Mr. Klein said. He said Mr. Cooper, who is 38, had so stood out for his "passion and enthusiasm," especially during the coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and its impact on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, that "his name has been on the tip of everyone's tongue." The evidence, he said, was in the ratings and the number of people "both in the audience and among observers of the industry" who have been talking about him. Mr. Cooper's 7 p.m. show had 36 percent more viewers over the last month compared with a year earlier. The 11-to-midnight portion of "Newsnight" has also gained viewers with Mr. Cooper on the show the last month. That hour has been up about 27 percent over the previous occupant, a replay of Mr. Dobbs's newscast. Mr. Klein also noted that Mr. Cooper has started to turn up as a character satirized on "Saturday Night Live" on NBC, a development that he said was "a sure sign" that people were becoming more aware of him. He would not comment on rumors that the broadcast networks were taking note of that awareness. Mr. Cooper's name has emerged in speculation about future talent plans at CBS News; such talk did not surprise Mr. Klein. "Fortunately we have him under contract," he said... Just as clearly, CNN no longer embraced Aaron Brown. When Mr. Brown joined CNN from ABC News in 2001, he instantly became the most important news figure on the network, a designation exemplified by his central role in the coverage of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. But his 10 p.m. program, frequently cited as a serious effort to summarize the news of the day, never seized a large audience; like other CNN programs, it fell far behind its competition at the Fox News Channel. Mr. Brown's style, which combined a low-key delivery with occasional sardonic humor, never seemed to connect with a wide audience.... Saw an interview with the Chairman of another news channel who talked about never being sued for getting it wrong and having such great ratings for years. Oh, and, in the early years, throwing together who ever was in town. No theme, no context, just interesting stuff. 7:00:59 PM    comment []

Umm, your tax dollars at work sort of Half of federal farm subsidies go to 22 of 435 congressional districts WASHINGTON - Half of government farm payments over the past decade have gone to just 22 of the 435 congressional districts, according to an analysis by the Environmental Working Group. The group [Arizona Daily Star: World] Grazing fees in AZ fall far short of costs The U.S. government spends about six times as much to manage grazing on public lands in the West as it receives in grazing fees from ranchers, a new congressional report says. In Arizona, the U.S. [Arizona Daily Star: World] 6:54:50 PM    comment []

Today's Recommended Reading designing for life stages People often ask me why designing for teens or older folks is different, why age matters. There are many different ways to slice up age and life stage. Mooshing together various theories, i have my own hypothesis about three critical life stages in Western culture that affect a lot of our social technologies. The first is identity formation; the second is contributive participation in society; the third is reflection and storytelling. [apophenia] 6:37:55 PM    comment []

Let's see, "Think Local, Act Local" no, "Think Global, Act Global," no.... hmmm European Disunion: Citizens' Fears over Globalization and Jobs Divide the EU When citizens of France and the Netherlands voted last spring to reject a proposed treaty establishing a constitution for the European Union, many commentators fretted about whether the votes would derail the 50-year-old process of European political and economic integration. Nearly six months after the referendums, experts say the votes have indeed brought the formal integration process to something of a standstill. But they say that may not be a bad outcome. For once, voters, who rarely have a chance to participate in any kind of EU decision-making, were asked what they thought -- about the direction the EU is moving in and, closer to home, about EU policies that directly affect their jobs.   Nearly six months after the referendums,..[those] who follow developments there say the votes have indeed brought the formal integration process to something of a standstill. But they say that may not be a bad outcome. For once, voters, who rarely have a chance to participate in any kind of EU decision-making, were asked what they thought. The 'no' votes were cast for any number of reasons -- some local, some pan-European -- and the signals they sent were at times conflicting. But voters largely made it clear that they have deep concerns about the direction in which the EU is moving, particularly with regard to policies that relate to globalization and jobs. And now, these observers at Wharton and elsewhere say, leaders across Europe are being forced to take note. Politicians will have to make the case for integration clearer to the millions of people who are affected by it if they want the integration process to continue and a constitution to be ratified somewhere down the line.... [Knowledge@Wharton] 5:35:17 AM    comment []

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