Twitter connects Obama to youth

On October 14th, President Obama took action to reach out to the young people  by holding a live, interactive, commercial-free discussion on MTV, BET, CMT, and others.  

The discussion was open to 225 young people in the audience and anyone with a Twitter account.

By using the hastags #mygreatesthope and #mygreatestfear, all users able to voice their hopes and fears to the president.

Many concerns were addressed at the chat. Some of which included: violence in schools, legal immigration, crime among young people, increasing the rates of black men and women in college, and fears of America turning into a communist country.

Obama answered each concern individually, enforcing the idea of unity by saying, "We're all Americans. We all want the best for this country. We may have some disagreements in terms of how to get there, but all of us want to make sure our economy is strong, the jobs are growing..."

Politically speaking, this type of discussion can enforce a sense of unity among the youth for the future. Obama is known for reaching out to the young people. He is putting forth effort to get the youth involved with issues of their nation by using Twitter and MTV (popular mediums) as means to connect.

Other media platforms that were used included MTV.com, BET.com, and CMT.com where the chats were streamed live. Not only was media used to help viewers interact with Obama, but the discussion could be viewed by way of television or Internet, which increased viewer ratings.

These forms of media should  be attributed to the unity of the nation because only a select number of individuals would have been able to contribute to the conversation without them. By using Twitter to help viewers interact, the opinions of all young people were heard and addressed.

There is much thanks to be given to technology and media for opportunities like this to be made possible.

To view a clip from the discussion, visit http://www.mtv.com/videos/news/582038/a-conversation-with-obama-begins-with-a-question-on-healthcare.jhtml.

Read more...

Social Media and Advertising

As social media like Facebook and Twitter grow, banner ads are becoming less common.

Banner ads are usually rectangular and placed above, below, or on the either side of a Website.

Even though these ads may be annoying to the average consumer, a good chunk of money is spent on them each year. Last year, $23 billion was spent on Internet advertising with one-third of that being spent on advertising involving banner ads.

Twitter and Facebook are affecting banner ads quite a bit because from my personal experience I haven't seen many banner ads on those forms of social media.

One thing that social media has been a helping hand with is the ability to customize ads based on the user's interaction or interests.

Have you ever noticed how the ads, usually on Facebook, involve your interests?

Google's managing director for media and platforms for the Americans thinks 75 percent of ads will be "socially enabled" by the 2015.

That means that the new advertising formats would allow for "on-the-fly" customization while the user currently interacts with the site.

I find this to be interesting because now social media isn't simply just for personal use. It's becoming a tool for companies as well.

Even though banner ads aren't doing so well right now there will be a new generation that evolves from that failure.

You can go to Dorian Benkoil's blog, "As Social Media Grows, What Will Become of the Plain Old Banner Ad?," for more information.

Read more...

Reality is Made for TV After All

Reality TV isn't the only thing presenting reality with an agenda like a soap opera; a recent rescue of 33 miners could be the script for a movie.

Every trapped miner has a story line. Each is a well developed character with a family waiting on the surface for their rescue. Each had a will to live, and each appeared to be "resurrected" from the earth.


When a person sees this kind of story in the news, it can stir questions about reality versus scripted reality. How much of what is shown on TV a true replication of reality--even when it is reported?
It is a strange thing to think about. How much of reality is actually shown as reality?

Over the years there has been more and more distrust of the government. It would seem like if they can't trust the government they would then turn to the media (an establishment supposedly free from the government) in order to find truth. However, the public should perhaps be cautious about putting this kind of trust in the media.

We've all heard about or been warned about biases. We all have one and we all use one--but maybe more importantly, we all are exposed to information that has been filtered through a bias.

So what does that mean for reality TV? Most would agree that it isn't exactly representative of true reality. Instead, reality TV does a lot to influence our perspective on reality.

It's our job to filter out what we want to believe and what we don't. It's our job to question what is presented as 'reality' no matter what source it comes from.

Finally, it is our job to remember that everything is presented through and experienced through certain biases and the only way to truly understand the information is to understand what parts of our own perspective are influenced by these biases.

Read more...

More Scientific Journalism is a Necessity

"Food, Fuel & Society: Stories of a Changing Landscape" was the name of the Symposium held at University of Missouri on Tuesday, October 12th to discuss Science Journalism. Ira Flatow, a radio and television journalism who hosts National Public Radio's Science Friday, was the keynote speaker for the event.

Lasting all day and broadcasted online and by many Midwest radio stations, this Symposium discussed topics such as agriculture production, food and fuel issues and immigrant farm workers.

These are all issues that Flatow would typically talk about on Science Friday, which always focuses on science, technology, environmental and health issues.

According to a study, the public wants to see more science in the news. Science Friday has over 73,000 followers on their Twitter page, over 14,000 Facebook fans, over 1.5 million subscribers to their podcasts and a website with high traffic.

There numbers demonstrate that there are people wanting and receiving scientific news. However, there are a few problems that make it difficult to include science in the media.

1. ) Science is being ignored
Many stations and newspapers are eliminating science coverage because of the total complications with including it. For example, in 2009 the Boston Globe completely eliminated it's scientific coverage.

2.) Science is often "dumbed down"
Many scientific facts are not common knowledge and it can be difficult for the average person to grasp some scientific facts. Media outlets want to entertain, not educate, so science news is being shared in simpler terms that don't get the point across instead of being fully explained.

3.) Poor communication
There are not enough scientists sharing their facts and knowledge with those writing. Journalists can't write stories about something they know nothing about, and it's hard to dig up true scientific facts to accurately report. Scientists and journalists must learn to further collaborate.

These problems may be hard to overcome, but it's crucial that we do so. Bill Allen of Missouri School of Journalism says that student journalists need to get out and understand the importance and complexity of scientific topics and learn how to effectively relay them to the public.

Flatow agreed by saying, "If you teach people to be good story tellers, they can tell a story about anything and make it interesting- even science."

Read more...

Want to be seen in Times Square? Like Corona.

Corona Light is turning to Facebook in efforts to attract more young consumers. According to a recent blog, all you have to do is find the Corona Lite Facebook group, "like" them, then upload a photo of yourself on their Times Square app.

And if you happen to be in the New York City area any time between November 8th to December 6th, you may just see your face over Times Square.

While this may not seem like someone over the top, it is interesting that no one else has ever really tried this before (as far as companies go). What better way to attract more consumers than by offering them the chance to see their face blown to mammoth proportions over one of the busiest cities in the US?

Not only may this mean more sales for Corona, but Times Square may also see a surge in tourism, with people wanting to chance seeing themselves.

It also appears as though Corona is attempting to be somewhat responsible, because whenever I attempt to go to their Facebook page, it simply redirects me to my homepage. While this may be a glitch, I also feel as though this may be happening due to the fact that I am under 21. I think this is a smart move on their part, because they will look more responsible to parents and potential future business partners.

If more companies tried this form of advertising, do you think they would have the success? Like Corona's Facebook page, and see if your face appears on Times Square.

Read more...

Why Journalism is Shaped by Search Engines

Being in the age of the internet, when we look for news, where is the first place we go?

Online.

But what about from there? Usually to Google, or some other type of resource commonly known as a search engine.

Search engines anymore are the channels that take us directly to an online news source. Whether it be a news website, a blog, forums, or any number of online-based periodicals, search engines direct our flow of gathering news. By typing in key words or phrases, the 'web master' knows to collect all relevant materials that could supplement your search...in mere seconds. -Talk about efficiency.

But often times the channels search engines use gets cluttered with a lot of the 'junk' that's out there. So while you may search for a specific topic or item, the likelihood of getting results that seem unrelated increases.

For journalists, this is incredibly problematic if you want your work to get read by the most readers possible; you want to be the first search result that comes up on any designated search or browser.

As more and more news gets shifted to online sites and in digital form, news writers must be aware of the many changes that are occurring in the methods which people gather their news.

Ross Dawson is a globally recognized entrepreneur and speaker, specializing in business strategies and consultant work for various firms. Dawson recognized seven key issues to consider as news continues to make its way on to the world wide web.

1. Traffic online provides substantial media income.

The more hits an article or a site has in a given time frame, the more money that source receives from advertisers also wanting to get views for potential sales.

2. Headline writing is becoming its own art form...and possibly even a science.

You won't just bring in the traffic by having a play-on-words field-day in a headline. While it may seem witty, you can't deceive the readers. If they expect one thing, but find another when they actually get the article, they'll leave immediately. Headlines need to be sharp and to the point, but compelling enough to draw in an audience.

3. Feedback has become faster and more accurate.

Instead of mailing in to the editor of a paper, readers can post replies, critiques, and reactions in a comment box below an article in seconds. Editors can easily read up on responses to news, see what's the most popular, and organize the top viewed news quickly. It makes balancing advertising and editorial interests much easier.

4. There must be a balance between commercial interests and media integrity.

No one wants to be overwhelmed by advertisements...and especially if they influence readers' opinions of the news. Ads need to be positioned in objective areas so they don't distract from the news itself. -Otherwise the audience won't want to read the story.

5. Recognizing that content influences search visibility.

Writing search engine-friendly text helps information get searched more easily. By using keywords, links, and trending topics, journalists can assess their audience to know what they're looking for. By doing this, the rate at which their news will be viewed increases dramatically.

6. Performance-based pay for journalists will increase.

A lot of writers only get paid for what they write, and some get paid on how much their work gets viewed. This is known as pay-per-view journalism. If journalists know their livelihood depends on writing, they'll be more intentional on making it search-friendly to get more views...because everyone wants to get paid.

7. Using advertising to gain online traffic.

As much as ads can be a pain, they're the sustaining factor of a search engine. Without them, companies like Google, Bing, and Ask.com wouldn't be able to sustain themselves for very long. Some ad companies have even begun 'bidding' on frequently searched terms as a way to gain traffic and support their own agenda.

In short, the online mode of news gathering, specifically through search engines, can change the way we view and interpret the news. By recognizing these changes and their impact on journalistic writing and reporters, it can help shape our attitudes toward this 'new' medium.

(so when newspapers eventually die out, we have a suitable 'back up plan')

Read more...

Better to Threaten Than to be Nice

Interestingly enough, a study, done by the University of Arizona, shows that threatening government agencies works better than taking the nice and friendly approach.

This study sent different government agencies letters to request public records. Some agencies were sent a friendly and polite letter, others were sent neutral letters and the rest were sent a "legalistic letter that threatened litigation for noncompliance."

Of the friendly and neutral letters sent out, half responded. Surprisingly two thirds of the agencies who received the threatening letter responded back, and more quickly to top it off.

To most the friendly letter would seem to get more responses. "Treat other how you want to be treated", right? Guess not.

To have a better chance at getting the information and in a timely manner sending a threatening letter is your best option.

The Student Press Law Center offers assistance to journalism students looking to obtain public records from stubborn government agencies.

Many still say to first use the friendly and polite approach because it can result in a more pleasant response. Then if this doesn't get journalists what they want they should send them a threatening letter.

Read more...

Rumors Upgrade From Bathrooms To CellPhones

Back when I was in middle school I found out all the gossip from the bathroom doors or by word of mouth. No matter what it is rumors are bad, but people still continue to spread them or talk about them.

Today rumors are spread easier and faster due to easy access of text messaging, e-mail, and other forms of social media like Facebook. One simple click of forward and the original message can be send to anyone on a contacts list.

In an article I read this is exactly what happened to a Duke student. She made a list about some one's sexual life and all their partners and sent it to only three people and before she knew it basically the entire campus knew about it.

She did not intend for it to spread at all and not that fast. She talks about how she regrets sending the message out. This is why you have to be careful what you say and who you tell things to.

When it comes to the Internet anything posted or submitted because it is that easy. Especially videos, pictures, and conversations. Anyone can post a video now a days to hurt some one's reputation.

It is starting younger and younger because kids ranging from 3rd-5th grade now have cell phones. It is crazy to think that little kids have this technology and who knows who well they are monitored with it.

Like the article says technology is not all bad. It is a good thing to be knowledgeable of it. However, people need to use it for the right things and not to bash other people's reputations.

Read more...

New Trend in Social Media

Facebook and Twitter have quickly become a huge part of our lives. We are connected to these sites whenever, and where ever. With them easily accessible through our laptops, iTouch, or mobile device. It doesn't stop there.

There are many social media sites that offer things that others do not. For example, Facebook is used more for staying connected with those in your network. While Twitter is more news informational by having links connected to their posts.

A recent social media service such as Stickybits and Bakodo allows a user at any given moment to let any smartphone owner to pull out their device, load a barcode scanning application, scan a code and complete activities or gain access to large amounts of immediate relevant information.

This creation of social media and barcode scanning is making it's own name called "social scanning." This barcode scanning behavior is used at a location tool for those who like to share their location with friends on sites.

Stickybits allows users to add video, text, photos and audio to the barcodes they scan in the physical world via iPhone and Andriod apps. Barcodes also help people tag, share and connect around items.

There is also a program called "Official bits" that allows companies to be more brand friendly to claim their brands and to highlight their own content.

iPhone has an app from Bakodo that first came out at as a comparison shopping tool but is now converting to more of a social scanning status.

I wonder how long this social media will last, because the act of scanning a barcode other than working at a store seems odd.

Read more...

Another Blow to Legacy Media Courtesy of Online Media

Why is it that many legacy media types are jumping ship to online media?

In an article I read today by Mark Glaser, he (Glaser) conducts an interview with the "dean of media critics" Howard Kurtz. It was announced this week that Kurtz would be leaving the Washington Post after 29 years to join Tina Brown's online only Daily Beast. Why, would a journalist/critic such as Kurtz, leave the Washington Post to join an online only media source that has been losing money since it started?

Well that just seems to be the growing trend among old fashioned journalists. Many of whom are leaving the traditional media market to join the ever growing online media market. Kurtz is quoted in the article as saying he "was enticed by the prospect of working with Brown, and helping to shape a start up."

Here's what I think. This move is definitely a blow to traditional media. Seeing a well known journalist make a move to a strictly online media source has to raise some eyebrows. In reality however I feel Kurtz has made a wise decision.

Online media is where journalism is heading. It is only a matter of time before we start seeing more and more print newspapers fade away due to lack of revenue and/or readership. As much as I wish this was not the case, it is.

Kurtz is all the wiser for making the jump now and getting his foot in the door before the proverbial herd follows. Whether or not Kurtz has success in this start up venture remains to be seen. If he does then great. If not then I'm sure there will be yet another online media source he could go to because lets face it, legacy media outlets are fading fast. Online media is quickly moving from the future to now. The only thing to ask now is who goes next?





Photo courtesy of Yan Arief, Flickr

Read more...

Patch Journalists Give Back to their Community

Patch journalist, Elizabeth Shemaria, takes advantage of Patch's "Give5" program to bring awareness of journalism to fifth grade students.

Patch, a community-specific news and information platform, has its professional editors, writers, photographers and videographers to participate in a program called the "Give5" program. This program allows Patch employees to give back to their community.

Patch is all about making your life better by giving you quick access to the information that is most relevant to you.

Elizabeth Shemaria, editor for Danville, CA Patch, shows this program in full swing.

Shemaria wrote an article on participating in the program by volunteering at Greenbrook Elementary. Here she taught fifth graders about writing and different types of journalism.

While she was there, she introduced different types of stories. They listened to a radio story, watched a video story and looked at an interactive timeline.

Other elements that she talked about how you can tell a story with writing and photos, and how sound and video clips reinforce your news story's credibility.

All in all, Shemaria was impressed with how much the students wanted to learn, and how much they already knew about her job.

Shemaria's contribution to her community has given insight to these fifth grade students about the basics behind what a journalist does. More about the local patch team for the Danville, CA Patch.

Read more...

Get the Interview

Sitting on the other side of the table in the office can be difficult to grasp sometimes.

Many people are not comfortable interviewing other people. As a journalist, you cannot fear interviewing people or introducing yourself to perfect strangers.

Being personable is simply part of a journalist's job. It is an absolutely necessity to have.

This last week, for many students in class, was the first time interviewing someone for a story.

I found some helpful tips for those of you who may have struggled or just want to improve.

Ten Tips for a Better Interview can be helpful for knowing the basic guidelines.

Tip 1: Be prepared and don't ever think you'll be fine if you slack a bit.

Tip 2: Make sure the person you're interviewing knows exactly what you are wanting to write about.

Tip 3: Be punctual. Do not be late as it gives a horrible first impression, and many people that are interviewed have busy schedules.

Tip 4: Be observant during the interview to sort of gain a better understanding of the person being interviewed.

Tip 5: Be polite. Manners are a must when interviewing people. After all, they do not have to let you interview them.

Tip 6: Listen intently but if you don't understand something, speak up. Most people being interviewed are happy to explain things further.

Tip 7: Remain silent sometimes. If the person being interviewed doesn't like a question you might have asked they may become silent. Do not break the silence, usually the other person will get too uncomfortable and break the silence with the answer.

Tip 8: Make eye contact. The interview should flow sort of like a conversation, which makes your interview more personable and go better as a general rule.

Tip 9: Before leaving ask the person if there was anything you missed, and thank them for their time.

Tip 10: Review the notes you take after the interview and don't wait until the day your story is due.

Bonus tip: Take some kind of a voice recorder. For more information on that, check out Top Tool for a Journalist.

With those tips taken into consideration, you will become a pro-interviewer soon enough.

Read more...

Microsoft Falsely Uses "Angry Birds" Image

Through one way or another, everyone seems to have heard of Angry Birds- an addicting app for the iPhone, as well as numerous other phones, that has sold over 6.5 million copies, making it the prime example of an app success story.

Angry Birds gained further attention when recent promotional images for the Windows Phone 7 showed an icon of the game, leading viewers to believe Microsoft's smart phones would now have the app.

In a Twitter post, however, Angry Birds developer Rovio Mobile denied the claim.

"We have NOT committed to doing a Windows Phone 7 version. Microsoft put the Angry Birds icon on their site without our permission," the company said.

Microsoft later admitted that it had made a mistake, saying that the Angry Birds application was accidentally included on the website.

This is an obvious case of Microsoft jumping the gun with a promotional add. Microsoft may have been making arrangements with Rovio for the use of its app, but I think that it's safe to say that any agreement is now off.

Rovio is- to say the least- angry. And, it should be. The image of Angry Birds belongs to Rovio, and the fact that Microsoft used it without Rovio's permission is wrong.

Yet Microsoft fans shouldn't give up hope just yet. Rovio said in later tweets that "

We could do a WP7 version of Angry Birds, not the issue. We have not agreed to do that (yet). Will support all relevant platforms.”

I think that if Rovio is smart, it will work with Microsoft. The company will make big bucks if it expands its market to Microsoft users.

Furthermore, Microsoft should play a little nicer with Rovio and other developers if it want Angry Birds and other must-have apps that smart phone users now crave.

Read more...

Google Cars: Cool and Intriguing

Google announced its enrollment in what could be a benchmark in technology this past week.

Being more specific, according to the New York Times, Google has been working on self-driven vehicles controlled by artificial-intelligence software that allows for a human-like driving experience.

These robot-cars equipped with a GPS receiver, motion sensors, and videocameras, are capable of replicating human decisions based on the proximity of objects around the car.

These modified cars have been set and tested on San Francisco's streets without any human intervention except for a person behind the wheel and a technician to monitor the navigation system in case anything goes wrong. Fortunately, all tests have been successful.

As stated in the official Google Blog, Google's goal in the development of this technology is "to help prevent traffic accidents, free up people’s time and reduce carbon emissions by fundamentally changing car use."

Google's initiative to increase public safety and develop once-dreamed robotics is amazing, unfortunately this technology is far from reaching consumers and it makes me wonder: would this become something like the iPad?

Sure the iPad is revolutionary and allows people to multitask, but not everyone can afford one and some even think it's a waste of money.

If self-driven cars were to become only appealing and affordable to a few people, then Google's new technology wouldn't be as beneficial for society as they wish.

I believe this technology would just be useful to mark another crucial moment in U.S. history concerning technological research and development, thus, I doubt this technology could be profitable and reach a large amount of consumers.

What's your opinion on Google's innovative technology?

Note: Pictures and video of the modified cars can be found in the original NY Times report.

Read more...

Identity theft: a risk to popular newborns

According to a recent survey by AVG, an Internet security firm, "82 percent of children in 10 Western countries have a digital footprint before the age of 2"

A digital footprint includes any of a person's information that can be found using Internet search engines or websites. The article "Study: 82 percent of kids under 2 have an online presence" by Mark Milian, CNN, primarily focuses on Facebook.

The photos of children on Facebook are not the primary issue, but the personal information which is found

alongside the photos is where the problem lies.

Over 92 percent of U.S. children have photos on the Internet. The personal information that often gets disclosed (full name, birth date, family members, etc.) along with the photo can contribute to identity thefts.

"Obviously there's a privacy issue," said AVG spokeswoman Siobhan MacDermott, "if they're applying for credit [later on] and having that information readily available for people who want to compromise their identities."

The more shared photos there are on Facebook, the more likely someone is to find them and utilize the information which accompanies them.

Most people aren't considering the information they're putting on the Internet until it's too late. It's important to educate people on how to prevent outside viewers from viewing the photos to begin with.

Facebook is in the process of fine-tuning privacy settings for these very reasons. It is now an option to allow only a small group of people to view certain information at one time.

 I would advise everyone to take advantage of these options, whether or not they are sharing information about their children, but especially if they are.

"It's a matter of being aware of what you're doing," MacDermott said. "When you're posting it to a public forum like Facebook, use privacy settings."

As easy as it is to assume no one but family is interested in newborn baby pictures, they are. And sometimes not for the right reasons.

Read more...

American Idiot?...What About American Hypocrite?

"Don't wanna be an American Idiot, one nation controlled by the media"

...but what about an American Hypocrite that controls the media?

Lou Dobbs, a reporter turning politician from CNN, has been accused of encouraging that which he does not exemplify--he has become notorious for his angry rants against illegal immigration and has called for criminal charges to be placed upon employers who employ illegal immigrants.

But, WAIT! What did we come to find, "The Nation" reporter, Isabel Macdonald? Dobbs...employs...illegal...IMMIGRANTS?! *gasp!*

Dobbs has recently joined the political arena telling Fox's Sean Hannity "that he does not rule out a possible Senate or even presidential run in 2012." We all know what position he will take on the immigration debate! ...or do we?

Dobbs 22-year-old daughter keeps five European warmblooded horses all of which are owned by a New Jersey company of which the president is Lou Dobbs himself. The upkeep of these thoroughbred animals require quite the array of labor workers.

In an investigation by "The Nation" and the Investigative fund at The Nation Institute found that like most companies responsible for the upkeep of racing horses, over half of the employees are illegal immigrants. This includes the laborers that Dobbs has employed for the upkeep of his daughter's horses.

It's no secret that politicians are not always the most honest of men and women, but it is a rare occurrence that an opinion held so highly by a particular politician is the very opinion that he or she goes against in his or her own life?

How can someone who has so violently spoken out about his detest for illegal immigrants receiving work in America, employ them himself?

Once must also consider that his angry rants against illegal immigration were present long before his political career...they began in his journalism career.

Don't be an American Idiot....but maybe even more importantly, don't be a journalist and an American Hypocrite.

Read more...

Make Way for Data Visualization

Journalist Anthony Calabrese- who specializes in data visualization and digital storytelling- said in his article "Six Stunning Projects that Show the Power of Digital Visualization," that "data visualization is taking the web by storm and, with a little luck, it might be the next big thing in online journalism."

Your question then, of course, must be "What is data visualization?"

According to Calabrese, a data visualization is a visual representation of information that comes in the form of a motion chart, an interactive dashboard, a timeline, and many other things.

Journalist can use data visualization to tell stories or present information in a way that will draw viewers in and, in some cases, awe them. Statistics become more interesting; ideas become easier to understand.

For example, Journalist Latoya Egwuekwe wanted to show how the Recession has affected employment in the United States. Her choice to use data visualization in The Geography of a Recession put her in national headlines.

If you didn't understand the country's unemployment rate before viewing her visualization, you will after.

Furthermore, data visualization has the ability to make figures that may be confusing- such as the nation's spending- easier to comprehend.

In his visualization entitled The Billion Dollar-O-Gram, David McCandless provides an easy-to-understand visualization that shows viewers where the United States is spending it's money.

One visualization I found intriguing was from Randall Munroe- who is the author of a "XKCD," "A Webcomic of Romance, Sarcasm, Math and Language."

Munroe's data visualization called Online Communities 2 shows social media sites in the form of land masses: Facebook takes up most of Asia and includes the "Northern Wasteland of Unread Updates."

As bloggers, we must remember that presenting our information in the fastest and easiest way is of the utmost importance. We want our readings to enjoy what they are viewing.

Data visualization takes confusing statistics and shows them in a new light and morphs fun facts into amazing visuals.

Read more...

Journalists in Juárez, Mexico

Last week I blogged about how reporting can be dangerous, especially in war-torn countries. This week, I wish to expand upon what some American reporters believe should be reported on the happenings in Juárez, Mexico.

Chris Lopez with the El Paso Times wrote an article about how it is the reporters' job to inform the world of what they see going on. Lopez focused on how it is a necessity to report about what is going on near the border, and just over it. He does not, however, see it was a bad thing to be reporting on (as the gangs in Juárez think it is), but rather just doing their job. Lopez argues that if this were happening in the United States, then the reporting would be just the same.

These are clearly people who have no fear in going out and getting the story they want. News sources from as far away as the BBC have traveled to Mexico to report on the violence. Or if they do have fears about anything, they are still willing to go get the story.

It is interesting to me that thus far, most accounts of reporters that have been murdered have all been Mexican citizens, and not so many of other nationalities. Surely the gangs know that there are other people reporting on what they are doing, yet a reaction has not been seen.

Is it up to other countries to report about issues that go on elsewhere? Or should this all be left to the natives? For the situation in Mexico, I think that it is important for other nations to keep everyone up to date, because those in Mexico are being scared into silence.

As a world, we need to keep each other informed, so that help may come to those who need it. It is refreshing to see that there are people that are willing to go get the story, and not worry about what will be said. They are seeking to tell the truth.

Read more...

Harm Social Media Can Cause

Bullying and suicide via social media has attracted a lot of attention lately.

Tyler Clementi, a freshman at Rutgers University, committed suicide on Septemper 22. This was after a video of his "intimate" encounter with another male was broadcasted live on this Internet by his own roommate, Dharun Ravi and fellow student Molly Wei.


Clementi updated his Facebook status to "Jumping off the gw bridge sorry" sometime during that day he committed suicide.

This action of his roommate and fellow student is being viewed as not only a hate crime but also an invasion of privacy. If convicted they could face up to 5 years in jail.

This incident also brings up the question about the harm social media can cause.

Many children, teenagers and even adults have experienced bullying in one technological way or another.

18 year old Jesse Logan committed suicide because of "sexting". She sent nude pictures to her boyfriend, of the time, via picture messaging on her phone.

When they later broke up her boyfriend sent these pictures to other girls in their school. These girls then proceeded to harass her until she hung herself a few months later.

A lot of focus has been put on not only bullying but bullying due to one's sexuality. Teenagers and young adults are afraid to "come out" because of the harassment they know they will have to endure.

A recent "It Gets Better" campaign has been started to tell youth struggling with their identity and sexuality that over time it gets better.

Online media is used for all sorts of inappropriate things. One man actually committed suicide live online.

Many viewers egged him on, others tried to persuade him not to while others had no idea what was going on until it was too late.

All of this just goes to show that social media is a powerful thing that should not be taken lightly.

Everyone has poked fun at or even bullied someone online at one time or another. Next time they're thinking about it they need to step back and think about the possible consequences.

Read more...

iPad Has Been A Big Hit For Apple

At first when the iPad premiered it seemed as just another novelty to have and people were unsure how many people would actually purchase the expensive electronic device. The iPad could hit in the top consumer electronic products within the next year.

According to the article below people are consuming the iPad more than the iPhone or near-ubiquitous DVD players. The iPad is continuing to grow it was not a huge hit right away like some other products made by Apple, but it is working its way up on the charts.

The iPad rates are about 4.5 million units per quarter. This is ahead of the 1 million units per quarter the original iPhone made when it was released and the 350,00 per quarter when the DVD players launched.

If this continues to be a popular consuming item the number could go up to 9 million per year business. Putting the iPad in the top five of largest consumer products placing it behind televisions and lap tops. And placing it in front of game systems. Along with these rising numbers it explains why companies like Samsung are wanting to incorporate touch screen into their products. It always is about being competitive. So I'm curious to see what Apple will make next!

http://bit.ly/aTKEpU

Read more...

When Social Media Turns Deadly

For the majority of Internet users, social medias are a way to connect people.

They bring the miles and distances between people down to a minimum, and they are a great tool for entrepreneurs in terms of business and marketing. But what people don't see is the harm that can come from being able to access, record, and broadcast information to millions of viewers any where, at any time.

Newfound victimizations have occurred over these new mediums, particularly to teenage users.

Online bullying, in recent years, has become an issue

of concern for schools, kids, and their parents. Not only has it given a new outlet to perpetuate hate, but bullying and threats online have become more severe than the typical verbal assault: When students don't have to have a name or a face to their speech, they aren't held accountable for the harm they cause.

Recently, tools such as iChat, YouTube, and Twitter have been the most detrimental in spreading gossip, hate, and ridicule to students to the point of suicide. In the case of Tyler Clementi, a student at Rutgers University, his roommate recorded footage of Clementi and, in turn, exposed to an audience that he was gay. Traumatized by this event, which was spread across the web via Twitter and iChat on two separate occasions, he took his own life at age 18.

Celebrities, rights groups, and LBGTQA communities are appalled at the rate of suicides because of this form of bullying. In the wake of Clementi's case, four other male students had committed suicide in the same week for similar cases of hate crimes and online threats.

Video campaigns have been launched by many influential people, including Ellen DeGeneres, Neil Patrick Harris, Lance Bass and Kathy Griffin to stop these acts of hate.

A gay rights activist, Dan Savage, has recently opened up a YouTube channel called "It Gets Better" in response to these recent suicides. His goal is to raise awareness through this medium as a way to educate people about the harmful and 'dark side' of social media as it relates to cyber-bullying.

So what do WE do about it? --It starts with education.

Not only do schools need to be aware of what's going on, but so do kids and their parents; this is a very REAL concern. Counseling and outreach/support systems and groups need to be formed for those who are being victimized. The ignorance of hate speech can only be stopped once we being to acknowledge that IS a problem.

There's not much we can do about censoring social media usage without getting into legal disputes over privacy, but that doesn't mean we should sit back and let these tools be abused either. As much as culture begins to rely on technology, we need to understand that it's not an excuse to not be held accountable for our actions...especially if we're trying to teach kids about how to function and live in society.

As cliche as it might be, the wise Peter Parker said: "With great power comes great responsibility" and that's exactly the kind of mentality needed if we're going to tackle the malicious evils of online bullying in social media now and in years to come.

Read more...

Google TV Moves Forward

Google divulged on Monday Oct. 4 2010 who their partners in television will be. Although the announcement of their partners is a big step forward, they have a long way to go.

Companies working with Google to offer web are, HBO, CNBC, Twitter, Netflix and Amazon. They hope to allow on-demand viewing or build apps for TV screens.

Big hopes of this marriage is for people to chat with friends on Twitter, or just searching the internet all while watching television.

Big time television networks like ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC are not needed in Google TV's effort. Their plan is to stick with smaller networks that way they do not have to share any money.

Google's promise is to make all the living room’s audio and video as searchable and instantly accessible as the Internet’s content. To fulfill that promise it requires a great deal of cooperation from media companies.

Google TV also wishes to be a leader in with Google TV, the company wants to be a leader in the budding industry of Internet-connected television sets, or 43 million United States homes by 2015, up from two million this year.

Watching television is a huge medium which makes it the biggest for advertising . Another potential problem is that only 3% plan to own a internet-connect television set.

Google's TV announcement was held in May 2009, and should be available to public in the coming weeks. Logitech is creating a remote control which will be used for searching the TV and the Web. Viewers will also be able to use their Android phones or iPhones as a remote control and “fling” a video they are watching on their phones to the television.

Read more...

VisualCV as an Alternative Digital Resume

VisualCV is a social media that utilizes all of the information a paper resume while infusing other online media.

Although paper resumes are the traditional format of presenting professional material, online media have started to change the way employers look at resumes.

This is not to say get rid of your resume. This is simply saying to use an online resume as an alternative, and one of the social media that is available is VisualCV.

As shown above, VisualCV is an online multimedia resume that takes the form of a paper resume online, but allows users to do more than what a paper resume is limited to.

Some features VisualCV offers are a side bar where images, audio, links to other social media, writing samples, video clips and more are placed to show what you are currently working on.

VisualCV also offers convenience. With paper resumes there is a need to update, print and send to employers whereas in VisualCV updating your resume for potential employers online takes a matter of minutes for them to see instantly.

Another feature is that you get your own online url address thus making it easier for recruiters to find you.

If you are worried about the written material being taken out, don't. VisualVC still allows descriptions of recommendations, education, work experience, etc. See examples of resumes on VisualVC here.

Having an online resume is essential to have today. Because VisualVC is convenient, easy and free to use, it is a great alternative to the paper resume.

Read more...