Interesting stuff I saw online from Oct. 18 to Nov. 25
Here’s some of the stuff I thought was interesting while stomping through the Internet from Oct. 18 through Nov. 25:
- Report: Journalists turn to social media – Blogs & Content – BizReport – "Comparitively, only 40% of journalists between ages 50 and 64 thought communications tools were important and only 60% felt that bloggers could shape opinions."
- AT&T may limit Web subscribers' data use – CNN.com –
- City of Mesa using Twitter to get word out – Steve Doig, a professor at ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said he sees the move as an interesting idea that may foster more transparency within city government.
- cybersoc.com: 10 tips for live blogging a conference or event – "Here some tips…to help make it easier to track and participate in the back channel at conferences" (or events).
Why my social media intern must work in St. Louis
Since posting a job for a social media intern in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch‘s newsroom, I’ve been asked twice whether that person will be required to work in St. Louis. It’s a fair question. Certainly in the 21st Century it’s conceivable that a job like that could be done remotely.
The Chicago Tribune folks who take care of Colonel Tribune’s persona on Twitter, Reddit, Facebook, Digg and other sites could probably do the work in Michigan as easily as Michigan Avenue.
Scott Hepburn, who blogs at MediaEmerging.com, was kind enough to pass my internship along on Twitter. And he’s one of the people who asked why it had to be in St. Louis. In fact, he posted the question to his Twitter followers. Since he indicated he might blog about it, I thought I’d go ahead and post the answer I gave him: Read more
St. Louis Post-Dispatch seeks social media intern
Forgive the institutional language, but I want to get all the bases covered. Bottom line: Folks! I need an intern! Let me know if you’re interested!
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch seeks candidates for a paid internship in the online staff of our newsroom, focusing on using social media to publish content, engage our audience and encourage reader-generated news, photos, videos and more.
This person will help update, promote and publicize our fledgling social networking site, MySTLtoday; help develop and participate in blogs; increase our profile on external social networks such as Digg, Twitter, Facebook, FriendFeed, YouTube and more; help integrate reader-generated content into our primary site, STLtoday.com; and help develop training for newsroom colleagues on the power and function of social media.
This spring internship will run from late-February into mid-May — 13 weeks. Exact dates are negotiable. We’re seeking applicants in their junior year of college or higher.
To apply, you’ll need to demonstrate first that you’re a solid journalist, with good writing skills and sound news judgment. Second, show us you’re engaged in social networks. Do you blog? Twitter? Post YouTube videos? Other sites? How have you used your presence in social networks to advance your life — personally or professionally?
Submit a resume, a portfolio of your journalism and a 500-word essay describing why social media is a vital tool for journalists and ways they should embrace it. Applications must be postmarked by Dec. 12; send it to Kurt Greenbaum, c/o St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 900 N. Tucker Blvd., St. Louis, Mo., 63101. Or e-mail your package to me.
::UPDATE:: Why this internship is based in St. Louis.
Diminishing returns as story comment volume grows
An My point is simply that a larger audience automatically leads to a conversation of lesser value, relative to the number of participants.
The post is pretty thoughtful and compelling and doesn’t come off like the typical screed against story comments. It makes a lot of sense, actually. Yeah, of course: The more comments, the more likely some of it is going to be garbage.
I suppose you can always make the case that story comments are entertaining, too. They’re not just designed to be informative.
The blogger numbers Haaretz.com, USA Today, the Daily Mail among the worst offenders.
Also thought the graph was interesting, suggesting the “economics of story comments.”
Maybe good judgment should have preceded the photos?
Why is this gesture popular?
This is an actual e-mail sent “to whom it may concern” at the Post-Dispatch. Identifying information has been removed.
Good Morning. Last night, I attended a Halloween Party at [a local nightclub], dressed as [a specific entertainer]. Kevin C. Johnson took pictures of me, as well as took my name, to post the pictures online in the iParty section of your newspaper.
After thinking a little bit more about the pics that I took last night and attempting to exercise some good judgment, could you PLEASE not post any of the pictures of me dressed as [that entertainer] at [a local nightclub] last night online that you took of me, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE not include my name.
I am actually a law student soon to be graduating, and I don’t want those pictures to get out to attorneys and potentially ruin my ability to pass the bar and possibly my professional career. So again, I BEG YOU not to post any pictures of me online. THANK YOU.
Kevin Johnson is the nightlife reporter for the Post-Dispatch and, as it happens, he wasn’t at the party in question; nor did he take any photos. iParty is a gallery we run on STLtoday that features lots of names and faces from the nightlife scene, however.
It’s interesting to see an e-mail like this after so many reported incidents, so many columns and articles warning about the perils of the virtual paper-trail we leave behind by making ourselves so public online.
The e-mail amused me.
By the way, can someone explain to me why that gesture (see above) is so popular? We hardly have an iParty gallery that doesn’t have someone striking that pose. Odd.
(::NOTE:: Welcome, Stumblers! Thanks for visiting. Please consider subscribing to my feed.)
Kurt's Tweets- Bravo. RT @pwthornton: "Banning unsigned online comments undermines the media’s role as a forum for debate.” http://bit.ly/bmZsOn
- I would like to just take the two steps forward and skip the one step back. How about that? Would that be OK?
- Still seeking talented journalists to run #Patch sites in two south St. Louis County communities. Know anyone? http://ow.ly/2Axnv
- Waiting for a listings collector to give her more #Patch marketing cards. The work never stops.
- Realizing how woefully out of touch I have been with this part of the county. (@ Saint Louis Bread Company) http://4sq.com/5z5Bfh