Robert Hernandez: January 2011 archive
Is social media Gutenberg or Guttenberg? It's actually both
January 30, 2011
Social media means different things to different people.For some, tools like Twitter are at the Gutenberg level, while others place it at... the Guttenberg level. (Sorry Mahoney)
But the "debates" on whether it is the next printing press that causes revolutions around the world or the next Police Academy 3: Back in Training, focusing on what we're having for lunch, to me, are looking at it wrong.
When I teach how to use social media for real-time reporting, I tend to get some of the same questions and comments either praising or dis'ing these applications.
- Why do I want to know about what celebrities had for lunch?
- It's what caused the mass protests in Egypt, right?
- Doesn't it hurt your relationships in real life?
- Twitter is the news source. Traditional news orgs are screwed.
Not exactly.
Twitter, Facebook and other social media applications have greatly affected our lives and influenced our culture... but, remember, it's just a platform. A tool. An appliance, if you will.
I tell folks to frame social media apps just like a telephone.
There are hundreds of incredibly insightful, powerful conversations happening over the phone right now. But, there are also several thousands of mundane and truly painful "conversations" as well.
It's not the telephone's fault. It's how people use it.
Extend this clunky metaphor to radio, TV, and printed publications. There is quality and there is crap. But, without a doubt, these platforms have each enhanced the way we communicate, share information and interact.
I was lucky enough to be in Washington, D.C., when Egypt erupted. D.C. is one of the few cities that carries Al Jazeera English.
With the news network on the television set and Tweetdeck launched on my laptop, I watched the coverage unfold, noticing that the station's live coverage was the fastest and most complete news source. And, as they reported, I and other viewers tweeted/retweeted. More...
No comments | 
Archive Link
Carnival of Journalism: Two vital journalism institutions working together
January 25, 2011
NOTE: This is my entry – late entry – to the Carnival of Journalism, a collection of blogs writing on a single topic, organized by Spot.us creator David Cohn. This is a revival of the Carnival and in this first, returning edition, the topic is "The changing role of universities for the information needs of a community." I decided to approach it from my recent experience in the academic world, following my time in the newsroom. You can read the round-up of other entries here: carnivalofjournalism.comNewsrooms, meet classrooms. Classrooms, meet newsrooms.
I know you've known each other, tolerated each other and even have talked smack about each other for decades. But guess what, you both need each other.
And you both need to change, adapt and evolve fast.
That's my conclusion as I start my fourth semester in academia, after 10 years in newsrooms. (For the record, I don't consider myself an "academic." I prefer the term "hackademic." Actually, I prefer Web journalist.)
I know in newsrooms we're busy putting out the daily miracle (every 15 minutes online) and are always short on resources. We are on the leading edge of content evolution online, but we don't have time, money and, sometimes, the skills we need to experiment and grow. We often don't have support from the top either.
Let's be honest, we often dismiss academics ("those who can't, teach") and have some issues collaborating with anyone, whether be it another newsroom or a university.
I know in classrooms we put in longer hours (even though people don't see it) working with aspiring journalists. These students are called the future of journalism on a good day, but are dismissed as clueless dreamers on a bad day – often called both by people in the newsroom.
I know that the "students" who fill our classrooms are no longer students, but journalists. And, while they are surrounded by haters (from parents to working journalists to even professors), this force of young journalists can't be stopped. Thank God.
I also know that in academia there is some time to think. We have more time to reflect and share those thoughts. We actively are talking about journalism... even though some might have not practiced it in some time. Does that mean their analysis is invalid? No... but some people do dismiss it.
Often, but not always, academia has access to grants and more funding. My jaw has dropped when I've heard about the amount of money funding some projects that didn't deliver. I know in newsrooms many of us would make miracles happen with a fraction of that money.
On the other hand, when funding is given for something innovative, well, some in academia have not innovated in a while. Don't get me wrong, I think there are more professors who are "getting it" than leaders in the newsroom. But being innovative and risk-taking isn't something that is always engrained in every tenured professor.
Let's be honest again, we in academia often dismiss those in the newsroom as being arrogant and unaware that they need help. I know many of us have spent years trying to partner with local newsrooms, only to get frustrated and give up.
Both sides are imperfect. Journalism is imperfect.
Both sides need to evolve in their own way. Journalism needs to evolve through them.
Both sides need each other. Journalism needs truly them.
So, how do we do it? More...
No comments | Archive Link
Crowdsourcing 'Web journalism rock stars of color'
January 18, 2011
For this week's blog post, I chatted (through e-mail) with up-and-coming journalist Emma Carew, the driving force behind a new Web journalist of color spreadsheet.Recently, there seems to be an ongoing conversation about diversity in our newsrooms (especially Web newsrooms) again. One of the results from that conversation is the spreadsheet you created. Can you describe this project and how it came about?
Following Retha Hill's post on MediaShift IdeaLab about diversity at recent ONA and NewsFoo conferences, I was excited to weigh in during the Twitter chat on #mediadiversity. People mentioned hearing, "we can't find any qualified minorities," for speaker presentations and conferences. I was shocked to hear this, because I could have easily listed a dozen or more journalists of color doing amazing things with journalism and the Web -- these are people I look up to, who have mentored me. We all left the chat on Twitter promising to take action and spread the good word. A few days went by and when no list to promote these fine folks appeared, I knew it was something that I could initiate. By reaching out to my network, we were able to assemble about 75 names, all top-notch journalists of color working with journalism and the Web. Anyone looking to put together panels of amazing journalists looking to share their story, no longer has an excuse for putting together an all-white, all-male conference.
How have the names been selected? What has been the process? Is there a general criteria for who makes this list?
About eight contributors are continuing to cultivate the list, which is open for public viewing. Anyone can nominate themselves or others by contacting one of the authors. Our loose criteria have been these: journalists of color, doing great work in Web journalism, and who would have something interesting to share on a panel. The goal is to identify as many Web journalism rock stars of color as possible. More...
No comments | Archive Link
Errors happen - it's what's next that matters
January 10, 2011
On Friday, December 13, 2002, I killed a man... a teenager really... but only for 15 minutes.I was a few months into my new job at The Seattle Times where I was running the homepage. The news broke that a 17-year-old teen was shot in the head by a Seattle police officer during an attempted robbery and the brief was sent my way to post.
For some reason, I assumed a gunshot to the head was fatal and wrote the headline stating that the teen was killed.
After getting rightfully chewed out by the reporter, I learned that you can survive that injury.
More than eight years later, after hearing the news coverage and premature reports of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' death, I can't help but be reminded of my error and the lessons I've learned.
Throughout my career, I've heard people say that the Web – and now the real-time Web with social media – is a liability. A "tangled Web" of ethical problems.
Let's just get this out of the way: Errors happen in journalism all the time and, for the most part, by accident.
It doesn't matter what the medium is – pixels or paper, newswires or tweets – facts can be misled, misreported or misunderstood. Errors happened before the Internet. Errors happen in newspaper, radio and TV journalism.
The bottom line is that errors happen.
What matters, in my opinion, is what you do after they happen. More...
1 comment | Archive Link
Digital + Diversity: What does your newsroom reflect?
January 4, 2011
If you ask a Web journalist what the newest, important tool a news organization needs to embrace today, they'd probably say Social Media. They're right, it's not a fad.If you were to ask them to make a prediction or guess where the future of technology is headed, chances are they'd say mobile. Smart phones are getting smarter, smaller and cheaper. (And, one day Verizon will carry the iPhone - I believe!)
If you were to ask me what one element newsrooms need to embrace, outside of technology, my answer is a simple one: diversity. Can we make that a New Year's resolution?
I'm not talking about being politically correct. I'm talking about having diverse experiences and points of view that shape and literally define what is news.
I believe that the lack of diversity -- gender, age, religion, sexual-orientation, socioeconomic background, politics, bus riders, cyclists, video game addicts, etc. as well as ethnicity -- in our newsrooms in all roles, especially leadership ones, is one of the main causes of lower circulation and loss of general reader/viewer engagement.
Again, I'm not talking about being politically correct. I'm just saying if we are not a mixture of all our communities, how are we expected to relate and be relevant to all those communities?
Let me give you an example:
One of the early Web specials I did as a journalist was the 20th anniversary of the AIDS epidemic. I was representing SFGate.com as I sat around the table with print reporters and editors. You have to understand, the San Francisco Chronicle was crucial in the news coverage or AIDS 20 years before with the incredible work by Randy Shilts.
These people were professionals and I was still the relatively new kid working with a new medium.
But as they spoke, all of their stories were about gay, white males. No one talked about the fact that the fastest growing HIV/AIDS demographic was straight, black females.
They were the pros. I was just a punk kid.
Staying quiet is one of my biggest regrets in my career. I swore no matter how awkward or uncomfortable, I had to always speak up.
That chair I occupied was for all the communities I was a part of... and all the others that weren't at the table. I have to rep everyone. You know, that voiceless thing. More...
7 Comments | Archive Link
RSS Feed
