Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Web 2.0 and the future of Journalism

Much has been made of the role of Twitter in Iran in the aftermath of the June 12th elections. Unquestionably, the use of Twitter & blogging has been essential in getting out information about what is happening in Tehran, as traditional media outlets are not able to cover the events. So traditional news outlets, such as the venerated New York Times are relying on these individuals who are blogging and tweeting to get information and disseminate it via their websites.

This reliance on bloggers and Twitter users to get news out of Tehran has coincided with my own discovery of an award winning independent news website, Truthdig, that has some very impressive journalism.

In the meantime, the Chicago Tribune & the Sun Times are in Chapter 11.

Where is all of this heading?

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Summer Reading


This is the second year of GBS' Summer Reading Program and I am very much looking forward to participating again. I had a really memorable discussion about Warriors Don't Cry with the students and faculty in our group last year. It's a very powerful, well-written memoir. I can't imagine reading it and not being moved by Melba Pattillo Beals' courage and strength, particularly given her youth. I'm looking forward to reading and discussing it again this year with a new group of students.

Speaking of powerful reads--another book I'm reading--which I got from the GBS Library's Paperback Exchange Cart, by the way--is War is a Force that Gives us Meaning by veteran war correspondent Chris Hedges. It's an incredibly profound book. I don't think I can do it justice, so I've included this review from the New York Times.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Viral Culture


*Fascinating* interview in Salon with Bill Wasik, the guy who created the flash mob (in addition to working as an editor at Harper's). He speaks of viral culture & it's impact on our society--how "nanostories" like the Susan Boyle phenomenon have affected our ability to view things in a broader context.

Read it here.

And he's got a book, too: And Then There's This: How Stories Live and Die in Viral Culture

Def. putting that one in my "to buy" pile!