Living in a Media World November 05 Archive

	Questions, comments or suggested links? Contact me at: Ralph.Hanson@mail.wvu.edu Mass Communication: Living in a Media World, a new text for Introduction to Mass Communication classes.

November 2005 Archive

Note that some of these links are short term and will expire after two weeks. If you have access to Lexis-Nexis at your college or university library, you can retrieve many of the stories that are no longer on the web.

Main Archive List

Wednesday - November 30, 2005

Questions Worth Asking (Maybe)
- What Aren't We Teaching In Journalism School That We Ought To Be?
  According to Doug Fisher, "Do not date a stripper." Wonder how he figured that one out? (Snarky comments aside, he has some very good unconventional suggestions.)
- Penguins - Family Values or Slutty Hos?
  WP's Valerie Strauss kills all the fun by pointing out that penguins take new mates every year. Though how that makes them less humanlike is beyond me.... (March of the Penguins comes out on video this week.)
- Will There Really Be A Spike Movie? Part II
  If you can't decode that headline, you won't want to follow the link.
- Why Does NPR Love Podcasting?
  Because they have lots of great audio programming, a technically literate audience, and a new revenue stream, that's why. (Thanks to Press Notes for the link to Online Journalism Review.)
  
  Link Me

Tuesday - November 29, 2005

Tuesday - November 29, 2005
- Portrait of Podcasting as a Young Medium Dept. - Old Media, New Media, & Why Disney/ABC Gets It
  Ever since iTunes built in automatic support for podcasts, I've been a big fan of the new medium. Podcasting jumped to the public's attention last winter and officially became a phenomenon when USA Today ran two articles on the subject on one day. The idea of podcasting is that you can produce digital audio files using your computer, upload them to the Internet, and then have people listen to what you've produced on their computer, iPod, or other MP3 player (hence the name podcasting).
  
  In the "good old days," the most popular podcasts were those produced by a range of eclectic individuals. As an example, the first podcast I subscribed to (and still the one I listen to most often) is Brian Ibbot's fascinating Coverville featuring covers (new versions of old songs). You haven't lived till you hear Jason Falkner's punk version of Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now. And it was through Coverville that I discovered Skipping Discs outrageous CD Saturday Night Hay Fever - a collection of disco hits done as bluegrass covers.
  
  This is a prime example of how the Internet is providing alternatives to mainstream media, what blogger and Wired editor Chris Anderson refers to as "Long tail media." Note to my graduate students: You want to be spending some time at this site. Hint, Hint.....
  
  Then there are the podcasts that are straight rebroadcasts of mainstream content. For example, I listen to NPR's On The Media every week on my iPod as West Virginia Public Radio doesn't carry the show. And I'm a huge fan of Elvis Mitchell's weekly interview show The Treatment that runs on Santa Monica public radio station KCRW. These are old media programs being delivered using a new format in much the same way that you can buy cassettes of favorite radio broadcasts. (Except that the podcasts are free and immediately available.)
  
  So at the extremes we have totally original content with no connection to mainstream media and material from the MSM that is repackaged for distribution through the Net. And these are both Very Good Things.
  
  What has been more problematic is original podcast content that is tied to MSM programming. Much of this is simply really poor promotional materials. Take the House M.D. Foxcast, for example. (Is that name just to clever by half?) The materials they've posted so far are either breathless star interviews that you might otherwise hear on Entertainment Tonight, or else pointless extended plot summaries that save you from the necessity of watching the show. Now I'm a big fan of House, (in fact, I discovered the show through Mitchell's interview with Hugh Laurie on The Treatment's podcast) but the podcast is corporate promotional drivel. I don't have a link here for subscribing to the podcast, but you can get it through iTunes.
  
  But ABC/Disney continues to show that they "get it" when it comes to utilizing new media. You can, of course, purchase a video podcast of the show Lost for $1.99 the day after it runs through iTunes. And that shows an impressive vision on the part of Disney execs. But I'm also impressed with the Lost podcast. (This free audio program is completely separate from the episodes you can buy.) The first two episodes of the podcast were mildly amusing, but nothing special in terms of content. The only thing that made them interesting was that writers and producers were talking about the show in a fun and candid way. They (and the stars who were interviewed) said little of substance, but I didn't drop off the feed immediately. But the fourth installment was fascinating. It is a full-length commentary for episode Collision by two of the writers for the series that sounded just like the commentary tracks you might get on a DVD. Now this is making great use of the new medium. The podcast provides something of interest to the hardcore fans of the show and does something that couldn't be done otherwise. (You, in the back of the room, shut up about the fact you could broadcast it as a Secondary Audio Program... Besides, ABC already feeds a Spanish dubbing over that channel.) My point is that ABC is actually finding something innovative and interesting to do with their promotional podcast.
  
  Podcasting is still a very young medium and is bound to change in ways that we can't predict. But it is going to be transformational to broadcasting the way that blogging has been to journalism and print. And the mainstream media ignore this change at their peril.
  
  Link Me

Sunday - Novemeber 27, 2005

More Playing Catch Up Dept. - Media News From Thanksgiving Week
Just because it's been Thanksgiving Week doesn't mean the media news stops. More items I just haven't gotten posted this week.
- WP's Tom Shales Gives Tribute To Ted Koppel
  Shales has a great comment on what made Koppel special: "In the 25-year history of "Nightline," millions tuned in not because Koppel seemed like the man who thought he knew everything but because he gave the impression of wanting to know everything." (Italics added.) And perhaps that's what's wrong with so much of journalism today - journalists want to be all-knowing rather than all-finding-out. Make sure you read the second page of the Shales' appreciation - you'll also see what made Koppel a man of uncommon decency.
- Journalists Around The World Face Multiple Dangers
  An editorial from the Washington Post notes with some worry the political dangers facing journalists from around the world. A cautionary tale about four journalists who have won International Press Freedom Awards from the Committee to Protect Journalists.
- British Paper Claims White House Considered Bombing al-Jazeera Back in 2004
- Transcript of Larry King Interview with Bob Woodward
- Second Record Company Makes Payola Settlement
- BitTorrent To Stop Linking To Popular Movies
- Will Google Control Access to All Online Content? No Way! Says Former WP.Com Manager
  
  Link Me

Thursday - November 24, 2005

And A Happy Media World Thanksgiving To All of You!
Just because it's Thanksgiving Week doesn't mean the media news stops.
- Woodward Talks About What He Didn't Say and Why
  Wrap up of recent developments of Bob Woodward's involvement in the Plame case from the WP's Howard Kurtz.
- Library of Congress Planning World Digital Library
  Google is major corporate sponsor of the LOC's big online collection of "rare books, manuscripts, maps, posters, stamps, and other materials." And who is surprised that Google would support such a thing?
- MTV Programming Shows for Video Gamers
  But is MTV taking gamers and gaming seriously? Should they be? Aren't video games supposed to be fun?
- Branded Entertainment Moves Into Advertising
  And advertisers are looking for the same guarantees with their placements as they got with traditional advertising.
- Real Media Riffs On The Earthquake In Slow Motion
  As we've noted here, Apple's partnership with ABC/Disney is shaking up the television business big time. Here's a link to the Real Media Riffs commentary on the fallout from the announcement.
  
  Link Me

Tuesday - November 22, 2005

Harry Potter and the Magical Box Office Dept. - Franchise Spells Early Christmas for Beleaguered Industry (With a Little Help From the Man in Black)
The latest installment of the Harry Potter juggernaut flew its broomstick into theaters last weekend, and ignited the box office in both the United States and around the world. In fact, according to Box Office Mojo, this was the fourth best weekend ever for movie revenue, with the top 12 movies bringing in $171.9 million, 20 percent better than a year ago. Goblet of Fire managed to bring in more than $102 million all by itself, putting just behind SpiderDude, Episode III, and Shrek 2.

After having seen the movie last night, I can comfortably predict that this movie is going to do well in the long run. I thought it was a magnificent adventure film that's very true to the nature of teenagers - magical or otherwise - and my teenager, who primarily goes to movies in order to hang with friends, is looking for a reason to go see it a second time. And repeat business is the key for a blockbuster. (Just ask the millions of teenaged girls who went to their weekly Titanic cryfest.)

Although Potter got the bulk of the attention, Walk the Line, the Johnny Cash biopic, also opened well this weekend to good crowds and excellent reviews.

Link Me
Questions Worth Asking (Maybe)

Monday - November 21, 2005

I-Want-What-I-Want-When-I-Want-It Dept. - Options For Consuming Television Continue To Grow
- TiVo To Support iPods and PSPs
  Owners of TiVo digital video recorders will soon be able to transfer television shows and movies they've recorded to portable video players such as the video iPod and Sony's PlayStation Portable. The files will have digital watermarks on them to keep them from being distributed over the Internet. This sounds to me like a very consumer friendly system. Though it is still time consuming and complex, it is designed to let consumers view video in the time and manner that they want. It is not designed to make paranoid content providers happy. BTW, if you haven't seen the PSP, it has stunning video quality for such a small device. If I were interested in video-to-go, I would much rather watch it on the PSP than on an iPod.
- Fox To Distribute Movies Through Movielink
  The idea that consumers should be able to choose how they want to consumer their media continues with 20th Century Fox joining the legal online movie downloading service Movielink. While Movielink has yet to take off, it may be that the service is still too restrictive (For example, it only works with Windows 2000 and XP). But as Stephen Sondheim wrote, "Something's Coming."
  
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Saturday - November 19, 2005

Weekend Update
I've added a couple of new blogs to the list at right, including a really interesting student blog out of Washington, D.C. called Liberating Our Heritage. Excellent political commentary from the libertarian perspective.

Also, Plamegate: The Opera got mentioned in Wonkette.

Friday - November 18, 2005

The Fat Lady Hasn't Sung Yet Dept. - Plamegate: The Opera Enters The Fourth Act; Woodward Drops "I-Knew-About-Plame-A-Month-Before-the-Stories" Bombshell

You may recall that in my Oct. 12th entry I wrote:

Any of you who thinks Miller testifying before the grand jury was the closing act of this political opera is confused. It is at best at the close of the second act (of a three or four act show

I've now got a firmer handle on how this opera should be staged.

The first act has two great arias in it, "There's yellowcake in Niger" sung by The President, and "Ambassadors and Agents" sung by Robert Novak.

The second act features arias, ensembles, and a lot of recitative. Patrick Fitzgerald kicks things off with "Tell me a story," followed by the trio with Judith Miller and Matt Cooper "I've got a subpoena." Cooper then has his show stopping duet with Time editor Norman Pearlstine, "We've run out of options" followed by his aria "I have been released." The act ends with the giant choral number "Judy's turn to cry..." as Miller heads off to jail.

Act three picks up two-and-a-half months later with Miller's testimony before the grand jury. She starts with a reprise of "I have been released," followed by Scooter Libby's "Dear Judy, the aspens are turning." Following an extended recitative from Miller "I really don't recall," comes the major ensemble piece of the act, the incredibly snarky "We've never really liked her" sung by a large cast of reporters and bloggers. Prosecutor Fitzgerald then has his major aria of the show, "Scooter Libby, I Accuse You." Audience members will no doubt break out in great applause at the end of his powerful number, thinking that the third act is coming to a close. But then the bloggers break out with a quick tempoed "It's Fitzmastime" as a transition to the surprise true end to the act - Bob Woodward's dramatic, "I'm sorry, I knew it all along."

The question now is how to end this opera. Will it turn out in the end to be a tragedy or a farce? It certainly can't be comedic at this point.

Think this is all too far fetched? Try taking a listen to my favorite contemporary opera, John Adams' incomparable Nixon in China.

UPDATE: The Rambling Freshman has put together a cool poster for Plamegate. Thanks, Dave.

Link Me

Wednesday - November 16, 2005

Does Music Radio Have a Future in the Era of File Sharing and iPods?
Blogger (and Wired editor) Chris Anderson asks whether broadcast radio has any relevance in determining what music young people listen to. He writes:

I grew up in an era where radio largely determined music culture and was by far the strongest marketing vehicle for new artists, but I suspect that my kids won't think of radio as a music medium at all. Given the numbing effect of Casey Kasem and America's Top 40 on my adolescence and early music taste, this may be no bad thing.

He brings this up in an entry about a new radio format known as Jack FM. I'm not entirely clear on what this format represents, but it apparently involves a longer playlist than a typical Clear Channel station would have, and it doesn't have DJs.

This brings up an issue that I've been giving some serious thought to in my ethics class. Is file sharing a replacement for buying music, or is it, through the use of portable MP3 players a replacement for radio? I think it matters.

This interesting discussion comes from a fascinating blog called The Long Tail focuses on how mass communication is changing now that we no longer need the same types of mass media distribution channels that we've had in the past. (This is way too simple of an explanation, but Anderson explains it here. Thanks to Media Daily News for the link.

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Tuesday - November 15, 2005

Everything Starts Out As Porn Dept. - Naughty Pictures Popular On Portable Video Players
One of the dirty little secrets (sorry...) in the media business is that so many of the inventions that we depend on find early use as devices designed to deliver pornography. Photography, the movies, VCRs, even the printing press, all got pushed into profitability through their use as pornography delivery systems. (See, for example, this article by Peter Johnson from the Federal Communications Law Journal on the subject.) Apparently porn is the one form of media content people have always been willing to pay for. That said, users of Apple's new video iPod and the cell phones that handle streaming content are downloading explicit material at a prodigious rate, according to Mike Musgrove in Tuesday's Washington Post. Musgrove notes that the alt-porn site Suicide Girls had 1 million video downloads for the new iPod in just a week. (Sorry, I'm not giving you the link to Suicide Girls. You can find that on your own.)

Link Me
Questions Worth Asking (Maybe)
- Does Anyone Care That Martha Stewart's Apprentice Is Being Canceled?
  Actually, I do, because it's a "very good thing."
- What Made Sony Think Music Consumers Wanted CDs To Install Spyware On Their Computers?
  Oh, I'm sorry. Copyprotected Sony CDs don't put spyware on your computer. And even though they don't, Sony's promising not to do it anymore....

Friday - November 11 - 2005

Sturm und Drang Dept. - Making a Fuss Over the WP's "Secret Prison" Story
If you could get your nose out of the rantlogs long enough last week to pay attention, the Washington Post's Dana Priest had a great story about the CIA's secret prisons in Eastern Europe. Not surprisingly, the story has stirred up a hornets nest of controversy. This is as it should be; great journalism should upset a great number of people. Here's a round up of items that deal with the story, either directly or tangentially.

Link Me
- WP Ombudsman Deborah Howell
  Howell's column is about the bigger issue of the Post's use of anonymous sources, but she spends a fair amount of time talking about Priest's story as it was based heavily on anonymous sources.
- Online Chat With Reporter Dana Priest
- Editorial from New York Times on Post Story
  It's tough having to praise the competition for a job well done, but the Times has done so.
Coming Attractions: Judith Miller Resigns From New York Times

Wednesday - November 9, 2005

Remember When Flash Mobs Were Fun? Paris Rioters Organize With Cell Phone Talk and Texting
If you've been paying attention to the news this week, you already know about the two weeks of rioting by youths in Paris. What isn't as well known is that the rioters are using cell phones, text messages and e-mail to organize themselves. I remember when the communicators on Star Trek were as fictional as warp drive. Now they are routine. It was just a couple of years ago that flash mobs were a fun social phenomenon. Now they are social unrest. Thanks to Intro to Mass Comm student Paul Muncy for this item. (UPI)

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BBC Starts Arabic Language TV Service; Shuts Down Several Eastern European Language Radio Stations
The BBC has long been known for its endless number of local-language radio stations, both on regular broadcast frequencies and shortwave. But with the fall of communism and opening up of the Eastern European press, the voice of the British Empire has decided to shut down several of its Eastern European stations. And the newest priority is sending television programming and news to the Arabic speaking world. The story ran on this last weekend's edition of NPR's On The Media. Link will take you to both text and audio.

Link Me

Tuesday - November 8, 2005

The Earthquake Continues - You Read It Here First
On Oct. 14, I wrote that October 12th, 2005, was the beginning of the next phase of the earthquake in slow motion that's been shaking up the television industry since the late 1980s. It wasn't that Apple's newly announced video iPod was revolutionary, it was that Apple was selling individual episodes of ABC's prime time lineup the day after they aired for $1.99, without commercials. The problem the broadcast networks are facing is that people just don't want to watch commercials anymore, but commercials pay the bills. What's the alternative? Apple is suggesting on-demand, pay-per-view video that you can keep on your computer or iPod as long as you want.

Now CBS and NBC are following suit, albeit with a more limited and less revolutionary approach. These two networks will sell commercial-free episodes of current series for 99 cents each through Comcast and DirectTV. Read the USA Today article for specific details about the two different systems. But the big difference is that the ABC programs are lower quality video, but available long term and can be moved among different devices. The CBS/NBC shows will be full broadcast-quality video, but will have limited availability. In the case of NBC, viewers will only be able to hold onto the programs for a week.

Of course, not everyone is enthralled with all the new choices. Some people, believe it or not, just want to watch a bit of basic broadcast television. As USA Today is reporting, only 3 percent of the people who don't have premium digital TV service say that they want it. The earthquake is clearly continuing.

Link Me
Questions Worth Asking (Maybe)
- Is Bob Novak Coming Back to CNN?
- Will Killing Grokster Kill File Sharing? (I Don't Think So...)
- Because I Can Dept. - Have We Ever Gotten Better Value for Our Tax Dollars Than With Spirit & Opportunity?
  I don't care that this item has nothing to do with mass comm. I am so impressed with the success of the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. They were designed to run 90 days; they've now been sending back data for more than 600!

Monday - November 7, 2005

Gene Weingarten Takes A Seriously Funny Look at the Washington Post
The Washington Post has an ongoing in-house critique that involves staffers reviewing a particular issue of the paper. Most recently, this was done by Post humor columnist Gene Weingarten, who along with some humor gives a terrific look at what is right and what is wrong at the Post. Surprisingly (and accurately, I would say) the topic of left/right bias isn't an issue. Instead, he suggests that the paper has been selling itself short when it comes to promotion:

Listen, I left my house at 10 a.m. this morning and went in search of anything within walking distance that I could purchase for 35 cents or less. (I live in downtown DC, across from Eastern Market, so this wasn't an empty exercise.) I just got back, and I have my purchases arrayed on the table before me. They are:

A slice of liverwurst; a cardboard container of cole slaw the size of a shot glass; a two-inch strip of turkey jerky; an underripe singlet banana; a raw chicken gizzard; an age- wrinkled cucumber ("Still good for pickling!") and The Washington Post of Nov. 2, 2005....

I would like to suggest that if this particular product is not selling the way we wish it to, and if the future looks bleak to us, it bespeaks a failure of imagination in the field of marketing. The Washington Post--print edition--may be an atavism, an ancient technology, but so is the doorknob. If we cannot persuade the public that this remains the single greatest bargain on Earth, we need to rethink the way we sell ourselves. And I'm not talking about "rails." I'm talking about salesmen, selling the CONCEPT of a great newspaper in new and
provocative ways.

Weingarten also opened the critique up to the readers of his weekly online chat at the Post's web site. His complete critique, along with an good discussion of its significance is posted at my favorite press blog Fishbowl DC.

Link Me

Friday - November 4, 2005

Site Updates
A number of updates to the site today.

I've eliminated most of the NY Times columnist links from the commentary section because the Times has gone pay-per-view for all of its interesting op/ed page material. It may make economic sense (may...) but it will also keep the paper's writers out of the blogosphere. For example, both David Brooks and Frank Rich, vibrant voices from the right and the left, are only available to subscribers. (I've put in a search link to the StarTribune where you will be able to read some of David Brooks work, however.)

I've also added links to both the Drudge Report and the Huffington Post to the Media Gossip and Blogs section, and fixed a number of broken links. All the fixes are marked with NEW tab.

BTW, in the Morgantown blogosphere, how can there be so much going on with so little comment from Unknown? The Freshman has had a lot to say, but UniversityJan has been quiet.

Link Me

Thursday - November 3, 2005

Everything From the Margin Moves To The Center Dept. - More on the New Times - Village Voice Merger
You know, if you changed the names from alt-publishers New Times and Village Voice to Rupert Murdoch and Gannett, the story would largely read the same... Oh, I forgot, the story does have Murdoch's name in it as the former owner of the Voice. As you may recall, New Times and the VV recently decided to stop their long-time alt-weekly war and get married instead. The surprising part is that this link is to an excellent commentary on the merger that ran in NT property Westword.

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CNN Shakes Up Anchor Desk
Aaron Brown is out! Anderson Cooper is in! Wolf Blitzer never went away! What does it all mean?! (And where is the interobang when you need one‽) Also, USA Today's Media Mix asks whether the nomination of Alito for the Supreme Court was a media management strategy.

Link Me
Questions Worth Asking (Maybe)
- What Ever Happened to Journey?
  Thanks to online student Elena for the link.

Wednesday - November 2, 2005

Why We Still Need MSM - Great Reporting From the Washington Post
With all the folks posting snarky blogs and ideologically driven internet news sites, and with all the cable commentators talking about easy-to-find domestic news, it's easy to start questioning how much we need traditional news media like the major papers. But today's lead story in the Washington Post on secret prisons being run by the CIA is a perfect example of what a serious news organization can do that the new commentator/reporters can't. The role of the press in the United States is to be a watchdog on the government, something the press forgets all too often these days. But the Post has done a great job with this story exposing government action to the light of day. (Also, as you read the story, note that the reporter has left out some important details at the request of the government in order to protect national security.)

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Tuesday - November 1, 2005

Living in a New Media World
Way too much serious, think-too-hard news to blog about lately, so let's step away for a bit and take a look at what has been happening in the world of new media.
- Google Goes Back To Scanning Books
  Google paused briefly in scanning books into its online digital library when publishers started making a fuss. But the search giant has resumed scanning and posting once again, starting with out-of-print titles that publishers will have a hard time claiming hurts their sales. But Google will get back to scanning current books eventually, and that's when things will really hit the fan. Must reading for anyone interested in the future of publishing and libraries. (The Globe & Mail)
- Have Video Games Reached the Status of Mass Media?
  I have been raising this question for several years now. I think that video games have gradually becoming more and more movie/TV like every year, and no one does this better than game publisher Rockstar. Say what you like about the Grand Theft Auto series (and there's a lot to be said about them!), it has redefined what video games can be. (Newsweek)
- AOL Founder Steve Case Leaves Time Warner Board
  Back in the 2001, AOL merged with Time Warner in a deal that was sometimes billed as a takeover. The company's name of AOL Time Warner soon got cut back to just plain ol' Time Warner. And now Steve Case is leaving the company's board of directors. Funny how this scenario keeps playing out over and over again - founder makes something big out of something small and then company looses its identity as part of a corporate giant. (Washington Post)
  
  Link Me
Questions Worth Asking
- What Makes House The Best Show On Television?
  Not the most interesting - that would be Lost. But definitely the best.