The Original Sims

It’s often fought in London, New York, LA. But has it been argued in Belfast?

The Blogger and the Journalist, MSM and New Media.

My view is simple – Lou Reed is a Journalist, Dr Johnson was a Journalist, anyone who records and interprets the world around them in words (whether set in music, paper, web or stone) is a Journalist. At times that will extend to painting, sculpture, dance, any form of communication. Picasso was a Journalist when he painted Guernica.

I’ve been in journalism in one form or another for a long time. I don’t see it as the preserve of one group of people. But who cares what I think? Most of the time I don’t.

But there are skills that someone who has been trained in News, Reporting, Newspaper, Radio and TV has learned, developed, been taught. I do not for one second underestimate those skills and have often envied the best:

• The ability to clearly and perceptively tell a story
• The knowledge to distinguish between fact and opinion
• The detailed knowledge of McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists or a similar work.

To say nothing of turning a story around on the hoof, meeting a deadline, being first, fair and accurate. And when required, impartial.

Is a Blogger a Journalist? I think so. Can a Blogger really screw up simply because they didn’t check the facts? Oooooh yes. If an experienced Journalist can, so can a Blogger. I will never forget the day when the lawyer’s brown envelope arrived, recorded delivery, because I had been quoted (as it happened misquoted) in a national magazine about chlorofluorocarbons in a polystyrene coffee cup.

So is it worth a discussion at BarCamp? Not a discussion on MSM v Bloggers, I’m so tired of that. A discssion on what each can learn from the other. Along those lines, anyway.

Finding Bloggers will be easy – will Journos participate? I can only ask. What do you think? What’s the shape, form, agenda for such a discussion?

Spent this morning at the Eventure NEW YEAR MEDIA FORUM (Meet the Media and Plan Your Tactics for 2009)

Leading media (almost exclusively traditional media - Newspapers and Television) were on the panel and in the audience for sessions with people from PR businesses, Press Offices and PR Departments in local goverment departments.

The opening session was interesting to listen to.  Remember these are all TV and Print people.  What was being said marked two changes - first the one that affects all media these days - finance, budget and audien ces.  But there is a particularly Northern Ireland aspect to this; the changing nature of news in Northern Ireland and that is just as signicicant.

Somethings we already know: Life is getting tighter in all media businesses in particular Newspapers.  One newspaper’s business editor said that Business news once tucked away is now Front Page – however, that’s making filling the Business Pages harder.

News sales are being driven by Advertising Sections.  Top three weekly sellers by day: Jobs, then Property, then Cars.  Interesting to hear a News Man admitting something we already are aware of as consumers.  His message?  Newspapers must think about moving from News to Informing and Educating.  That’s a realistic if bold statement.

Younger people are switched off (one news man said “switched off by News Papers” I would argue they are switched off by stories) and find the news they want online.

Journalists will have to work harder – News no longer Orange and Green and readers no longer interested in O/G politics in local councils.  The news is no longer led by the Police overnight report. Journalists will have to work harder to investigate and tell the story – not just trot out the facts and get a couple of quotes from either side of the political divide.

There is a new journalistic job (new for NI traditional media, anyway) questioning and explaining policy, spending, effect on public and people. 

Younger journalists will have to learn our history – some simply don’t know what happened here over the last 40 years.

More young people know about US elections (and more interested) than Stormont.

Some tips for PRs

• Don’t tell me about the policy and the launch then trot out the Chief Executive, bring me the person who it will affect and bring me the person who will “do it””
• Remove these two words from your press releases – “delight” and “major”
• If you want newspaper space, bring me the Story not the puff piece.

My messages: 
      Core message

• If you only use the web for sending out a message you are missin two thirds of the resource; the information coming back and the conversation,
• Use the web and web tools to create your own channels,
• Use the applications (Facebook, Bebo, Twitter, blogging etc) for yourself and learn how they work,
• Observe how other people use them,
• Then use them to develop the conversation not sell a product.

Additional messages

 

• Digital media should be at the heart of a business and communications strategy
• You are embarking on a relationship not a sales pitch.
• This is what young consumers are doing now – in 15 years these are the people who will be ruling the world, business, politics and even PR.
• If you don’t have the budget, then get people who believe in what you are doing to produce web content
• Established management fear the loss of control – experiment outside work and bring evidence of how new media will work.

Very nice new design for the Financial Times - preview here.

Way back in February this year, I wrote about the remarkable similarity between the fictional West Wing character Matt Santos who becomes the first US hispanic President and then Democratic nominee Barak Obama.

Well it just got weirder.  The WW character Josh Lyman who ran the Santos campaign and becomes Chief of Staff is in part based on — well, Google it yourself:  http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3A*%3AIE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7DKUK&q=rahm+emanuel+josh+lyman

Invited to the EGSA (Educational Guidance Service for Adults) bi-annual staff meeting today I was asked to give a talk on the importance of Media Literacy.  This is a term that has not been in common usage for very long and has become popular with the rise of Web/Internet and the expansion of professional, amateur, citizen media production.

I think it’s important for two main reasons; first we need to know the agendas of those professional organisations that bring us News and Information every day, and we need to know how we can use the media (especially Web) to distribute our own information and news.

One of the points that was raised by someone of my generation was that all the words and terminology is difficult to follow sometimes.  Words like Blog, Wiki, Podcast are new and everything moves so fast, it’s hard to keep up.  I agree, but you need to take hold and learn about these things.

There was some discussion about Digital Natives (young people who have grown up with digital technology) and Digital Immigrants (older people who need to learn about it now).  But I argue that there needs to be a third in that terminology; something like “Digital Conquistadors” people who invade the language and ideas behind digital technology and use it for their own needs.

We older users of digital media need to be even more aggressive and not just as consumers but as utilisers and for others who cannot do it for themselves, as enablers.

Fantastic traditional showbiz evening in the Belfast Europa yesterday at the launch of Gerry Kelly’s biography. Old frineds like John Rosborough, Ivan Martin, Hendi, along with people I haven’t seen for a long time like Brian Kennedy and Kieran Goss.  The book was written by Gerry Kelly with Don Anderson (the first man to let me on the radio and still a great friend).

Phil Coulter did the offical launch shoe-horning the evening between returning from New York’s Radio City and Belfast’s Waterfront Hall. But the biggest round of applause was for the surprise appearance of Maeve Binchy.

Interesting conversaton with Ken Bloomfield about his forthcoming book about the BBC and the WMD crisis and the Hutton Report.  Sir Ken (former BBC NI governor) says he doesn’t expect to be welcomed warmly into any BBC building following the publication of the book. 

I look forward to it with great anticipation.

The Slugger O’Toole Awards event was held in Belfast’s W5 centre on 7 October 2008.

Download Podcast Here

This is the first glittering and glamorous Slugger Awards and almost all of the politicos, digicenti, blogerati of any note and general hangers-on are gathered for what would have been a Red Carpet Reception. But Red, like Blue, like Green, Orange and even Yellow have political connotations, so the carpet was ignored and we all just had a night on the tiles.

Slugger O’Toole has been following Northern Ireland politics for about six years. It is the oldest political blog in and about Northern Ireland. If it is not the most read, it is certainly among the top titles. And it is read widely. Slugger O’Toole is a place where the Blogosphere and Main Stream Media meet. The web site is read by Journalists, Political Professionals and bloggers alike.

Founder Mick Fealty is no journalist in the traditional sense, but is probably more of a journalist that many news reporters. If it is a journalists role not just to report events, but to seek context and wide comment on events Mick fits that role. There were awards for External Representives (MPs, MEPs and others), Journalism, Local Council of the Year, Local Councillor of the Year, Local Newspaper of the Year, MLA of the Year, Participation and Involvement, Political Blogger, Stormont Committee Chair of the Year, Up-and-coming Politician of the Year and Jobsworth of the Year.

Get more information at the Slugger Awards site.

Other sites mentioned on the podcast include the winner of the Political Blog NALIL, Alan In Belfast and WIMPS (Where Is My Public Servant).

Download and listen to the Podcast or subscribe to the DC podcasts.

Last time I sat behind a microphone and flew a live radio programme was around 20 years ago.  But with the help and support of Maurice Jay, Ivan Martin and John Rosborough, I found myself in a self-op studio broadcasting to greater Belfast.

There was a wild surge of adrenalin during the first 15 minutes on the first night, but things balanced out over the four nights.  The big challenge for me is that I’ve got into the habit of "early to bed early to rise". So I was getting to sleep much later than usual, so there was something of a Jet Lag feeling by the third night.

So thanks to all - it was fun.

Starting today, I’m doing some voluntary work for the Digital Content Industries Group in Northern Ireland.  The Facilitator’s job has been advertised and until we make an appointment, I’m doing some of the donkey work which is great.  Shortly we will be re-named Digital Circle and launch the web site.  It’s more a manifesto published online rather than a full interactive web site.  But once we get going properly, I can see fantastic potential.

The best thing about it being voluntary is that when the sun comes out, I can escape to the garden in good conscience!

It’s always worth reviewing predictions.  My favourite is Epic 2014  which I first watched about three years ago. Start at This Page http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=85631 for the background to the story and links to the videos.

There are moves every day in the internet business which bring the predictions closer (and faster) most recently the Microsoft/Yahoo failed deal – or perhaps “stalled” would be a better word than “failed”

The Irish Times comes into the office each day – but I rarely lift it to read it.  Like the Guardian, I skim the online version and sometimes take a section to read on the train home.

This story in the Irish Times from about 10 days ago is in line with the EPIC prediction from four years ago.

The report, conducted by Zogby International for the World Editors Forum and Reuters, revealed that newspaper editors were still optimistic about the future of their publications but believed they would have to adapt further for the digital age.
Some 86 per cent of respondents believed newsrooms should become more integrated with digital services as two in three believe the most common form of news consumption will be via electronic media such as online or mobiles within a decade.
"For these editors the future is self-evident and our survey shows that they see the writing on the newsroom wall," said pollster John Zogby. "The evolution of the 4th Estate is no longer questions of if, when or how. Editors now know the solution: Innovate. Integrate. Or perish."
According to the survey, 56 per cent of respondents believed that the majority of news, be it via print or online, would be free in the future. That was up from 48 per cent who answered yes a year ago.

Oh, and another good thing about newspapers online is you can find a story like this when in analogue time the paper would have gone to recycling (or to light the fire).