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Daniel Honigman
Chicago-based digital strategist. Co-founder of Webby-nominated the3six5. Views expressed are my own.
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Info
- SummaryDaniel Honigman is currently the co-founder of a startup that is in the early stages of its Beta.
He was most recently the Social Media & Mobile Manager for Sears, and previously was an award-winning digital PR professional at Weber Shandwick, where he worked with clients such as General Motors, Oscar Mayer, Kraft Foods and Campbell Soup Company.
Prior to that, he was an industry-leading Social Media Strategist for the Chicago Tribune, and then The Tribune Company, where he broke new ground in the news business, having created numerous social media newsroom initiatives such as the successful Colonel Tribune (http://on.mash.to/66HCy), which was a Forrester "Groundswell" award finalist. He's also Webby Award-nominated.Specialties: Daniel is an award-winning digital professional who specializes in: online strategy, social business development, content development and production, social and new media, journalism and public relations, search engine optimization, basic HTML and Web site development, basic digital photography and photo processingExperience- Oct 2009 - PresentCo-founder / the3six5Co-founder of the3six5, a collaborative storytelling project. (More information at http://the3six5.com)
- Webby Award-nominated (2011) - Nov 2008 - PresentCo-founder / Old Media, New Tricks- Co-founder of Old Media, New Tricks, a site targeted towards people working in "mainstream" media that provides tips about social and new media.
- Aug 2008 - PresentExperienced speaker/presenter/panelist / Various Conferences/EventsI've been a presenter, panelist, speaker, moderator and lecturer at conferences, universities and venues including:
- SXSW Interactive 2011
- SXSW Interactive 2009
- Social Media Jungle at CES 2009
- Blogworld 2008
- NewsXchange 2009
- Kellogg Technology Conference 2010
- 140 Character Conference
- Publicity Club of Chicago
- TiE-Midwest: Trends in Social Media panel
- Crain's Chicago Business
- Social Media Club
- Florida Press Association 2009 Conference
- Kellstadt Marketing Symposium at DePaul University
- Ragan Conference: Corporate Communications and the Social Media Revolution
- Society of News Design Chicago "unconference"
- Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University
- Columbia College Chicago
...and others - Nov 2007 - PresentContributor / CigarJack.net
- Oct 2010 - Jan 2012Co-founder / AdYapperCo-founder of AdYapper, a startup in the ad space. Led sales, business development and marketing efforts.
- Mar 2010 - May 2011Social Media Manager / Sears Holdings CorporationSocial media and mobile marketing lead for Sears Holdings' electronics business on both the mass-merchant (Kmart) and department store-type (Sears) retailers.
So far, I have:
- Increased Sears/Kmart Electronics share of voice in digital space by 25 percent (according to Radian6 dashboard of key electronics terms).
- Launched an initiative to incorporate community-based product reviews into the Kmart gaming in-store experience.
- Created and launched the Sears Blue Blogger Crew, an effort to unify and brand the Sears Electronics (and eventually, the SHC) blogger efforts.
- Created, branded and launched the KmartGamer initiative, leveraging social media channels and tactics to help grow Kmart's video game business by roughly 300 percent, making it the second-leading department (in revenue; behind Pharmacy) of Kmart. This, in turn, has helped double overall Kmart Electronics awareness and consideration metrics, according to IPSOS. (NOTE: Exact market share proprietary, but fairly significant.) This has, in turn, resulted in greater product allocations and vendor-funded marketing resources. KmartGamer is also the winner of five Cheapy Awards.
- Instrumental part of KmartGamer blog re-imagining and launch (http://gamer.kmart.com)
- Served as an internal thought leader, hosting weekly social media training meetings with buyers; in addition, I have created an eight-week forum self-training program.
- Interviewed and quoted in various industry-related publications and podcasts about work performed in role - Jun 2009 - Mar 2010Digital Communications Supervisor / Weber Shandwick- Worked to create, develop and execute digital strategies for companies such as General Motors, Oscar Mayer, Kraft Foods, the Milk Processors Education Program (MilkPEP), Campbell Soup Company and the Cherry Marketing Institute.
- Day-to-day lead for launch of Oscar Mayer social media presence, in conjunction with $50mm "Good Mood"-themed ad campaign.
- Increased share of voice for tart cherries in social media by more than 250 percent.
- Oversaw the ideation, creation and soft launch of the Nutrition Blog Network, a Weber Shandwick-branded network for registered dietitians. (http://nutritionblognetwork.com/)
- Written white papers and other official Weber Shandwick POVs on key social media issues, such as the new FTC guidelines, for internal and client purposes.
- 2009 MarCom Award Platinum Winner for white paper on lifestreaming (http://bit.ly/2bX6J) - Mar 2009 - May 2009Social Media Strategist, Editorial Engagement Strategist / Tribune InteractiveLead social media strategist for Tribune Interactive. I work with news companies such as the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, WGN Television, etc.
In conjunction with newsroom reorganization initiatives, I implement changes that connect our news organizations at the ground level with different local communities.
Produce best practices, social media strategy/tactics, social media training for employees in Tribune markets.
Company spokesperson for social media initiatives throughout the Tribune Interactive network of sites. - Aug 2008 - Mar 2009Social Media Strategy Coordinator / Tribune InteractiveLead social media strategist for Tribune Interactive. I work with news companies such as the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, WGN Television, etc.
- Mar 2008 - Aug 2008Social Media Coordinator/Strategy / Chicago Tribune- Helped develop and implement SEO strategy and techniques for ChicagoTribune.com.
- Created, developed and ran the Colonel Tribune persona for ChicagoTribune.com, which helped increase number of overall CT page views by 10 percent.
- Strengthened Chicago Tribune interactive brand presence.
- Served as an internal consultant for several other Tribune Co. brands, including the Los Angeles Times, RedEye, Metromix and Chicago Magazine. - Aug 2007 - Jul 2008Contributor / Going.com
- Aug 2006 - Jul 2008Freelance writer / Self-employedRecent freelance work has appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, GapersBlock, North Shore Magazine, Chicago Social, UR Chicago Magazine, Concierge Preferred: Chicago, HipHopDX, Pioneer Press, NewCity Chicago, The Daily Herald, Asian-American Golf Magazine, The Daily Southtown, The Northwest Indiana Times, The Chicago Defender and on DanielHonigman.com.
E-mail me for clips. - Aug 2007 - Mar 2008Staff Writer / Marketing News (American Marketing Association)• Covered all aspects of marketing for publication targeted to more than 75K mid- and high-level executives.
• Developed mission statement and content strategy for Marketing News online presence; substantially increased blog engagement/participation, and doubled RSS subscriber base for MN blog to 4,100 in less than seven months.
• Hired by MN before first issue of redesign; brought on to help with magazine’s new voice and new Microsoft Sharepoint-powered Web portal.
Education-
2006 - 2007Northwestern UniversityMSJ in Journalism (Medill School of Journalism)
Activities: Mike Royko Fellow, 2006-2007 -
2002 - 2006State University of New York College at BuffaloB.A. in Anthropology
Activities: Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity, Lambda Alpha honor society, WRUB Radio, Spectrum, Visions -
2002 - 2006State University of New York at BuffaloB.A. in Cultural Anthropology
Additional Information-
Websites:
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Honors:Mike Royko Fellowship (Medill School of Journalism); 2006-2007 Inducted member, Lambda Alpha National Collegiate Honors Society (anthropology)
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Posts
- Feb 09, 12
There’s no other term I despise more than hump day. While most people aren’t as immature as I am, I still cringe every time I here someone say “Happy Hump Day.” I wonder if the person who says it means for it to be a double entendre. Should I smile in response? Should I wink as if to say, “I see what you did there!” Should I truthfully respond and say, “I haven’t had a good hump day since 2007!” I usually become so flustered that I regretfully reply “happy hump to you too!” Nevertheless, every Wednesday I am greeted with some variation of “hump day.”My hump day was nothing short of routine, which I find very enjoyable. After years of inconsistency I have finally found peace in my personal and professional life. Some might say that I am having it all! I am an elementary educator in Nebraska. I teach at a very diverse school with students coming from all over the world. Places may include, but are not limited to: Mexico, Guatemela, Sudan, Egypt, Burma, Iran, and Thailand. I am really aiming to start a model UN club next year, wish me luck!
One of my newest students is a little girl from Guatemala. She speaks absolutely no English and gets by mostly by imitating her classmates. We work together in a small group with other English language learners where we work on English. We draw pictures of things that begin with ‘c’ or we sound out all of the sounds in the word ‘cat.’ She works very hard but sometimes she is left very confused and just responds with the very few English words she knows.
Today we were working on the letter ‘G.’ After what seemed like an eternity of going, “guh, guh, guh,” the little girl stopped what she was doing and shouted, “Green!” It finally clicked! She began saying other words with the letter ‘G’. “Glass! Girl! Goat! Give!”
About the author: John-Paul Gurnett is an elementary educator from Nebraska. He spends his free time practicing karaoke and dancing. He can be found online at @ro_bopanda.
- Feb 07, 12
This morning started off the same as every other. We willingly packed ourselves like cattle into the cars of the PATH train. Pressed against one another in ways that reminds me of playing "Twister" with the maximum number of people possible. This sort of proximity is never tolerated on the street--but below ground, all rules have been suspended.When the ride ended, we were like the massive herds of the Serengeti, emerging strong and single-minded. We flowed onto the streets, but were immediately met with opposition: the Ticker Tape parade for the Giants was today. Broadway was barricaded and there was no getting through. My best chance was to stick with the rest of the herd and somehow move through the impossible sea of Blue.
As the press of others unwillingly moved me, I saw an old woman shoving people to the ground in her attempts to get through. Others cursed. People grappled with the police, yelled from frustration, and all the while Giants fans were giggling, drinking, blowing horns and participating in every form of debauchery. Not for the first time, I had to wonder what it was all about. Why undertake this daily vexation?
In the office, there were no answers for me. But as I go through the same sequence back towards Jersey City–back through the seas of people, under the river and to my final exit–I start to get an inkling. Here, the sounds of chaos and madness fade. There is Donovan, chatting with neighborhood pet owners, as likely to talk about the newest restaurants as he is the best cat foods. Here is Kristen's store (always a story and some new treasure there; Kanibal never disappoints!) There is Maya and Paul's place, with their 10 month old son Leo, whom I adore. And here my favorite spot: where I live.
The lights are on, which must mean Gregg is already there. I smile as I spot Charlie in the window, probably playing with the catnip there. As soon as I open the door, I shed all the happenings of the Great Migration behind me.
I'm home.
About the author: Daniella Lekach is maker of things. She lives with Gregg and their two cats in Jersey City. Find out more here: lovedaniella.com.
- Feb 06, 12
It was a lecture day in my program at The Evergreen State College, perhaps the most traditionally-minded day of a school week that is, for me, filled with group project work, reading, discussion, and individual creative work. We’re reading Roland Barthes’ Mythologies, a work seminal to the study of symbols and deeply instructive to the way we use language on a fundamental level.My writing professor took the podium and spoke on various approaches to building meaningful abstractions, and the search for meaning in a difficult world with fewer and fewer readers in it. If the degree I will receive in the spring is accurate, it will specify that my studies in the liberal arts focused on literature's failings and how I’ve been taught primarily to destroy it.
To be even tangentially initiated to the state of modern literature is to become intimately familiar with the many failings of language itself. These failings were presented frankly to me today, literature’s common cold with cancer symptoms.
This is a routine shedding of the layer of ego that insulates a writer from his audience much like the text holds the reader at arm’s length. It is one thing to take notes, but another to bask in the glory of the beautiful failure of literature in an endless search for meaning.
After my grapple, by now a routine flexing of my muscles, I was able to return home. I opened the blinds and took a nap in the rare afternoon sun Olympia enjoyed today.
I am reptilian, but not a reptile. Sensitive to sun and heat, but unlike some cold-blooded scaled thing, I do not die surrounded by the cold of my art’s death-throes, the books I read do not rot in my stomach when I lose my source of light. Even though my professor knows the dangers better than most, he still shows his students how to construct a meaningful story, or build interesting sentences.
But like a reptile, I still crave the sun.
About the author: Anthony Preciado is a creative writing major. Find him at http://flavors.me/anthonypreciado. Photo by Patrick Thoits with permission.
- Feb 05, 12
It would be wrong to ignore that today is that holy of all days - Super Bowl Sunday. Does it matter that I really don't care who is playing? Never mind that I only have a vague understanding of the game, limited to my memories of chilly nights spent in a marching band uniform.
Nevertheless, I find myself in the midst of a Super Bowl celebration.
I celebrated today by spending most of it in my pajamas, cut off from the internet and phone due to my location in a rural piece of heaven. I read a few chapters of my current book, while indulging in the requisite junk food snacks and a few beers. I threw some darts, and listened to some boys make silly bets like who would get a word bleeped out first during the broadcast.
All in all, it was quite luxurious and lazy. I feel fantastic.
The year didn’t start off so well, and things were looking bleak if one believes the myth of the first month of the year setting the tone for the rest of it. In these first few days of February, I have had some great news about several things close to my heart. You know the old cliché of feeling like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders? Sayings like this exist only because of the accuracy of that very description.
Today is a day of celebration in many forms, not the least of which is simply spending it with loved ones, bonded in a shared understanding that today is not actually about football. While “the game” is entirely responsible for bringing some of us together earlier today, I have a new perception. I will look back on this day and feel as if it was the day I realized that 2012 will, in fact, be a wonderful and magical year.
About the author: Clara Stacy is an adventure enthusiast and outdoor industry technical writer in the Southeast.
- Feb 04, 12
I get my hair cut and colored once a year. Today is that day. I’m not a salon small-talk-maker, I don’t like the attention involved in being pampered, and I’ll admit it, I’m cheap...er...frugal. So spending enough money to feed a village in Djibouti on layers and obstetrician-approved haircolor? Stings.
One of the things nobody tells you before you get pregnant is that you can't dye your own hair.
There’s like this secret pact made by mothers—where they don’t tell you everything that sucks until you’re actually expecting. When I told a select group of friends we were trying to have a baby, everyone raved about how awesome it is to be pregnant. “Oh, you’ll love it!” they said. I smiled and nodded through my skepticism.
It was only once i saw the little pink plus sign that honesty began. Then I got all this “empathy” (read: an excuse for them to kvetch about their own experiences) and EVERY topic from nipple cream to gory delivery room details became fair game. On top of that, once people see the protruding belly (and the maternity top that confirms you’re not just fat) all there is to discuss is pregnancy and motherhood. And suddenly everyone has the right to touch my stomach??
I always swore up and down I was never having kids. I’m too independent. I love traveling and staying up all night and sleeping late on the weekends. I’m a writer—self-absorbed, moody; preferring to spend my free time among fictional characters. I don’t do screaming or crying or cleaning up after myself, much less anyone else. Yet somehow I’d convinced myself that wanting to be a mother was selfish.
I’m in for a world of hurt in July. There’s got to be some sort of gray area, doesn’t there?
So, I’ve decided to spend my Saturday evening ignoring my pregnancy. NOT in a way that’s harmful to my child. I just want to feel like me for a little while; the person I am until the screaming and crying and lack of sleep sets in. Only me with glamorous hair and waxed eyebrows. Don’t get me started on the eyebrows.
About the author: Dannie Morin is a YA author & a licensed psychotherapist in Charlotte, NC. She tweets as @DC_Morin & sporadically blogs at dcmorin.blogspot.com.
- Feb 03, 12
I am surrounded by architects today. Me, the PR girl, in a sea of them.
The morning starts with Upper Fort Garry. I click in on my bright orange high heels thinking it’s a meeting about copy changes, ready for a challenge. I leave inspired. Words like nation building, heritage and many voices all rumble around in my head. They are PR gold kind of words. Not rebuilding the historic fort at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, but giving it a modern interpretation. Pure gold.
Right after that, literally minutes from that, I am down on the ice of those Rivers in my spanky rubber boots in the unseasonably warm winter weather looking at the Warming Huts, designed in an international competition last week. The lowly prairie warming hut, an iconic piece of architecture. I feel emotional just seeing them, like a proud parent showcasing her young’s talents. I want to beat my chest and shout “Look at what we do here world. How dare you call us “Winterpeg” when we can do this.”
Then, I’m off to a lunch meeting on waterfront development. Over curried tuna sandwiches, landscape architects are chatting with me about waterfront nodes, linear parkways and reclaiming our city’s rivers. I get a glimpse in to what this city can be in the next 20 years. And, I’m at the table soaking it all in like a sponge. So fricking cool.
Walking back along Portage Avenue, I am still thinking of the exhibit I saw last night. An installation about how immigration to Canada is creating new architecture in our country. The melting pot of our city is apparent on the faces that pass me on my short stroll back to my office. I realize I am part of that mosaic myself.
Today has been somewhat surreal as I look back on it. It strikes me that this is not the “me” I would have envisioned in my childhood. Hell it’s not even the “me” I would have seen years ago. I realize that I like where I am. I am so lucky. Not just for what I am a part of but for who I have become.About the author: Clare MacKay is a PR loving mum, wife, friend, foodie, runner, shopper, reader, traveler, Julie-Cruise-Director kind of gal.
- Feb 02, 12
Today was supposed to be a big day. Last day of the Pipeline Pro.
But no, I was sorely mistaken. Yesterday was the final. Dreams of basking in the glow of the sunshine, the bikinis, and pounding surf of Hawai'i via live video whilst coding my life away in New York City were summarily crushed.
No matter. Life goes on, headphones on, Jack Johnson on. Enjoy the space that goes with not being completely slammed with tasks, go to a meeting and review the client requests. Talk about the World Cup taking place in Qatar in 2012 and just how those poor bastards are going to survive kicking the football around in temperatures of 112 degrees.
It's your duty to sew the things you love into the fabric of your life. Luckily, I'm surrounded by people that like the things I like. They send me links to live casts of surfing events, they invite me on snowboarding trips. Every morning I do an appreciation ritual where I try to stem the tide of unwavering cynicism by being thankful for some things, any things. I forgot to do it at home, so I do it silently at my desk.
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Ok, I feel a bit better. Troubleshoot some issues, learn something new. This is life as a developer at a digital agency.
Around 6:30 one of the tech directors and I leave to see the guy who invented PHP give a talk. The guy who invented the programming language that we use everyday has come to OUR CITY. The other developers are marginally interested.
We leave without them, go to the talk and drink a beer or two. I really am lucky to be here.
About the author: Gregg Meluski codes, writes, plays songs and does whatever keeps him from roaming his apartment (or New York City) in boredom. Find more at meluski.com.
- Feb 01, 12
Groundhog Day is tomorrow.
In the grand scheme of holidays, I realize the one involving a fat rodent is probably not at the top of everybody’s list, but given the other February holiday is romantically (albeit ironically) based on a massacre, I’ll take the gopher.
I blame Hallmark for my distaste for Valentine’s Day. Well, Hallmark and Mrs. Jahr, my first grade teacher. She was the one, after all, who made us decorate shoe boxes with red and pink hearts in great anticipation of that one special Valentine from our childhood crush. And like every crush I’ve ever had, he didn’t know I existed. Valentine’s Day 1980 was the first in a lifetime of Valentine’s letdowns. In the 38 Valentine’s days I’ve been alive to see, I can count on one hand the number of times it’s been celebrated like it is in the movies.
The groundhog however? He’s consistent. That bastard almost always sees his shadow and there’s always six more weeks of winter. He’s predictable. He’s dependable. There’s no build-up or letdowns with the rat. He’s a dude I can count on.
With Valentine’s Day, however, I get to deal with all the jewelry ads, the FTD commercials and the onslaught of red envelopes when I go inside any store. Like every woman with a pulse, I get my hopes up. I think to myself, “This year will be different. This year, there’ll be a card. And roses. And candy. And a candlelit dinner.” There never is.
Okay, once there were flowers, wine and a card.
Once. In thirty-eight friggin’ years.
It’s sad, really, that I can depend on a clairvoyant rat more than I can the man in my life. Now that I think about it, if that woodchuck could bring home a paycheck and kill all the spiders in my house, I might trade the hubby in.
Just kidding.
Mostly.
Happy Groundhog Day, folks.
About the author: Mel is an author, photographer, wife & mom, not necessarily in that order. She tweets as @OUBad & blogs at Blog-anista.
- Jan 31, 12
Today was a relatively typical day for someone whose work at the moment is mostly online. One thing I noticed in particular is that most of my work consisted of “sharing” in one way or another. That idea of “sharing” is probably one of the biggest cultural interactions happening right now. You know: you read an article you like, share it to your social media. Even simpler, click the little blue “like” button, and those that follow you see it immediately. Then you can talk about it. When they live across the country.
Isn’t that amazing, that we can do that? The Nerdist podcast guys were marveling about this very thing the other day; something akin to: remember when, if you saw a bit of comedy you loved, you either needed to have your VCR ready to go, and be there physically to capture it, or you had to memorize it and perform it yourself to your friends? I remember the time when, if I loved a movie, and I wanted to share it with a friend, I had to go physically see it with them (or if we were lucky and rich and it was a long time later, watch it together at one of our houses).
I remember a friend back in the late 1980s made a music video to the song “Hello” by Lionel Ritchie. She used clips from Moonlighting, and it showed the storyline, as well as went right with the music’s lyrics and rhythm. I remember what a celebration it was when one of the character's steps worked exactly in time with the beats of the song. This was before she would have had anything digital to do this with. I suspect the meme is just this experimentation with creativity, and wanting to share. Although I am glad all I had were cassette tapes to make my radio shows with as a kid. I would not want to have to erase that online presence now.
Anyway, just thought I’d share.
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About the author: Jenn Zuko Boughn is a college professor of theatrical and literary arts. She is author of a book, a blog and her tweets.
- Jan 30, 12
Silence. Ice laden trees curl up with new soft snow keeping all in its ‘round, asleep. Magic? Possibly. Winter has been wily and unpredictable in Southern Ontario. Coming and going like birds at the feeder on a below zero day. Climate change or natural phenomenon? Perhaps a little of both. Is it not often a little of both?
A little divine, a little human. A little right, a little wrong. Sun bursts through cloud storms. Too much greed not enough love. What is the key here? What are we sojourning to discover in our search for balance? Maybe it’s not about balance at all. Do trees think of balance? Chickadees, kitty-cats, apple blossoms, elephants? They simply are. Balance without description or definition. Balance creating all that is whole, one and inseparable. In balance everything comes together. Sameness and differences collide becoming a unique pattern of fusion.
Universe.
Galaxy.
Earth.
Life.
You.
Me.
Inseparable, indescribable, the wonder of beingness.
Silence. Under the laden forest where I walk, it is all here. You, me, life, everything. The daunting truth that we remain so disconnected eludes.
Harp seals struggle to find safe places to birth and nurture their young as winter ice disappears.
Polar bears become stranded and starve as their sea-ice habitat decreases. The Indigenous People of my country living on reserves go too often without basic care.
In the forest that wraps around my home is a simple truth.
We are connected.
We all spill out from the same seed, the same DNA.
Our ignorance, greed and attachment does not change that we are of the same Mother.
We share a womb. Together and unique. A stirring of matter and energy that coalesces and finds space for everything.
My cat Joey ponders simply that today she sees the squirrels trying to nudge out chickadees from the feeder. She is fed and content. Puffed up waiting for the wood stove to bring warmth. She doesn’t think about balance, or ice flows, or who will provide for her if she is hurt. She is complete.
And somewhere in the recesses of my wanting, torn and resilient heart, so am I and so are you.
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About the author: Patti Armstrong lives wild and quiet in the middle of a forest with creatures and green things and darkness, with lots of space for being, dreaming, friends and whatever comes up the drive.
- Jan 29, 12
My eyes were snapped open at the crack of 11ish this morning. I grabbed my iPhone to whip it across the room for daring to wake me (not) so early. Then I remembered it's mostly made of glass and fairly pricey. I set it down gently on my bedside table.
Friends of mine who live in other states had been up long enough to be productive and post about it. Productive. On what I'm fairly certain is a Sunday. Ridiculous.
Not that I haven't accomplished anything today. I've been working on an important writing project for a well known client of mine, researching, gathering information and creating a few drafts. But I also happen to live in a city that is essentially peerless when it comes to diversion. None of us can escape time. None of us can control time (yet...c'mon, DeLorean time machine). But each and every one of us can either make the most of every minute or become quite adept at wasting them. A city offering 24-hour access to entertainment and distractions can easily become the bane of even the most focused and ambition person.
Only those who live in Las Vegas or spend a great deal of time here understand the surreality show of this city. Yes, we have a workforce of nine-to-fivers just like any other city but even they understand - and must deal with - the altered state of time here. It seems to be less of an imposition here and more a general guideline of when we should maybe, possibly do certain things. And to be fair, it's difficult to go against that way of life when, even living in a quiet suburban community like any other in America, you are instantly reminded you live near the (in)famous Strip by the massive beam of light Luxor shines into the night sky.
At any rate, I've been acutely aware of the time all day, watching it slip away minute by minute from my bedside clock, iDevices, microwave and oven clocks, the clock on a couple of cable boxes and one in the car, and reflecting on it. And just like everyone, I wish I had more of it.
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About the author: David F. Klemt is a freelance writer and paralegal who has been navigating the altered reality that is Las Vegas for nearly a decade.
- Jan 28, 12
Today was one of the first Saturdays in so long that I had nowhere to be, nothing to do. It’s amazing the places your mind will take you when it’s not preoccupied with to-do lists.
I’ve been a little too focused on what’s next recently. I’m afraid that with all of my energy being put into reaching my goals, I’m beginning to miss out on my own life. It’s a funny thing. So often you meet people who are stuck in the past. Then you meet others, the hustlers, focused on the future. Too few people are living in the moment. I imagine it’s a happier place to live.
So today, I guess I tried to do just that. I tried to enjoy this Saturday for what it was. Enjoy the people who I encountered and the menial things that I did.
Lessons learned from a day left to my own devices:
- It’s almost always a bad idea to try on those jeans that haven’t fit you in three years. It is purely a self-sabotage move. But if, in fact, it is that rare unicorn of an occasion where the jeans slip on... Well, damn that is a good feeling.
- Writing is always more fun when it is for yourself.
- There is nothing good on TV during the day on Saturdays. There are, however, many shows that will make you question our country’s values and definition of entertainment.
- Nothing gives you acute anxiety quite like googling your own name and looking back past page 2 or 3.
- Without definitive plans for your day, there is very little incentive to shower.
- It’s much more difficult than you would think to start reading a book. There’s a staggering level of commitment involved.
Is this what a normal Saturday is like? A Saturday with no meetings, no deadlines, and no one else to please but myself? Is normal supposed to be this boring? This painful?
In being painfully normal, I have to wonder if today was very normal at all.
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About the author: Kaitlin Maud is a Digital Strategist working in advertising. She's an active tweeter, occasional blogger, devoted Yogi & Boston sports fan.
- Jan 27, 12
I have some important news, you guys. I SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT and today I feel glorious. I was fearful, after two nights of being awoken around 4 am by the sounds of Apollo the Super Kitty taking down a water bug on the floor of my 5th-story walk up, he'd make it a hat trick.
See, I'm a teacher. A middle school teacher. A middle school Latin teacher. And I need all the energy I can get.
Today started off much the same as the usual: I accompanied my advisory to chapel, and then taught my amazingly diligent high school students for an extended period. (On the walk to the classroom, as I dodged giant backpacks in my sparkle shoes, I heard a frustrated exclamation that "everything in this world involves math!" and got a good giggle.) We learned about the degrees of adjectives and adverbs, did a little reading about Quintus and his "toga virilis", had some good times. I spotted some modern graffiti on my way out, "Danielus est melior quam Mattus" and thought, "Well, at least his grammar is correct."
But today was also very special in another way. It was Community & Diversity Day in the middle school. Senior leaders shared stories about their middle school experiences, and then led workshops for the kids. The honesty of one student's narrative, of being born in China, adopted by two dads, and becoming proud to tell his history in the tumultuous sea that is middle school, brought tears to my eyes.
While my students were in the capable hands of the seniors, I ate an awesome lunch, listened to Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings in its entirety, and played Pictionary with 15 twelve-year-olds. (My clues were Harry Potter and Mozart.) Finally, we filed into the theater to hear another teacher's story of growing up "different." It included references to her teen years such as slap bracelets and JTT, and it ended with the proclamation, "Embrace Your Inner Geek," to which an entire auditorium of teens stood and erupted into applause. As I hooted from the back row, my bespectacled, Latin-teacher self smiled wildly and thought "Damn. I'm a lucky girl."
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About the author: Jamie Nestor is a Bananagrams-loving, Brooklyn-living, cheese-obsessed nearing-thirty Latin teacher, who has passions for for cooking, education reform, and negronis.
- Jan 26, 12
It's Australia Day. Most of the world would be blissfully unaware that today is the day we celebrate (depending on your opinion) "invasion day", "first fleet day" or just "Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi" day. A lot of Aussies celebrate the public holiday by having a BBQ and a few beers. People listen to the TripleJ Hottest 100 and debate fiercely over the winner.
This year a few celebrated by having a very heated protest in which our Prime Minister was jostled and shoved as she was escorted to her car. Like Australia itself it seems that there are many different ways of "celebrating" our nation as there are versions of what we really are.
My day involved being support crew for my husband and his team as they did a 38km practice walk as part of their preparation for the 2012 Oxfam Melbourne Trailwalker. This will be his second event, having successfully completed it last year. The walk is 100km in 48 hours: this year 750 teams of 4 people will attempt it. Almost half won’t finish it with all team members, quite a few teams will drop out altogether. For those that do finish it it’s a great achievement, one worth celebrating.
Now, at the end of the day, we’re watching Red Dog – an Aussie movie about a dog traveling the Australian outback. It’s a great movie, full of friendship, love and typical Aussie humour. There’s also a fair dose of nostalgia, blokey-ness and awesome 70’s stubbies.
Australia has come a long way since the era in which Red Dog was set. We’ve evolved in so many ways. We’re still a young country but we’re maturing. Think of us as the just-about-to-graduate Uni generation: still wildly full of hope and dreams but taking on more responsibility. We’ll continue to grow and learn. We’ll continue to debate just what it means to be Australian. We’ll continue to disagree on what should have been number one in the Hottest 100.
For the record: this year it was Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know”. It’s the first time in years I’ve actually agreed with the winner. Maybe I’m evolving too.
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About the author: Dee Kelleher is the proud owner of a mid-life crisis, a dog and a cat. She has discovered an emerging artistic side which competes with her logical career.
- Jan 25, 12
There are days when I do not see the light.
I’m on the Metro before the sun is up. My office is windowless. By 7:48am my inbox included at least three times the usual amount of new emails, and the list of tasks for the day was long. Days like this can be really depressing.
Until I take inventory.
I woke up to a mix of commentary on the POTUS’ SOTUA (we’re big on acronyms in DC) and Oscar nominations.
I hopped the train with my favorite conductor, the one whose tone is just cheerful enough, who gives passengers the time at each stop, who announces “the last stop in the District of Columbia” as the train enters Friendship Heights.
Dolly, Madge, Sondre, and Eugene sang to me on my walk from the train.
A handmade banner displaying Hufflepuff pride floated over the entrance (it’s Harry Potter week, of course).
It’s my brother’s birthday.
A guest speaker addressed high school students about coming out, and students buzzed about it all day.
Students in the Lower School celebrated “Crazy Hat Day.” And the halls were some pretty crazy hats.
Lunch conversation jumped from the President’s speech to remedies for a sore throat (ginger and honey in hot water works for me) to clarifying a few important details about Hogwarts.
A colleague and I had a long and very hopeful conversation about three students who are struggling and what we need to do.
A quick glance in a window reflection confirmed that today has, indeed, been a good hair day.
A flurry of students rushed in after the last bell with questions, to which I responded in my most teacherly voice, “And where do you think you could find that?”
Another colleague walked into my office and announced, “I survived an hour and a half surrounded by fifth graders with with sharp scissors.”
I consider this inventory and chuckle at the thought that this is my “normal,” and the words of the poet emerge,
My candle burns at both ends
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends –
It gives a lovely light.
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About the author: Bill Hulseman is an educator who dreams of hosting an NPR talk-show and who occasionally rants on his blog, And That’s Why.
- Jan 24, 12
I woke early this morning, the grey light pouring through the cracks of the curtain. I work from home and the computer is only a few steps away. I want to write about space ships zooming past, but I have bills to pay, so I write about communications and networking instead.
The waves crash against the sea wall at high tide. Once the sea recedes, I'll jog along the shore, smiling at dog walkers and young men digging up lug worms for their fishing. If it doesn't rain. Everything is misty and grey at the moment, a slate grey sea under an ash grey sky, with a silver grey streak of horizon to join them. It will probably rain.
Perhaps I should bake instead.
The winter sun disappears into the grey mist, the sea and sky merging into an almost flourescent blue. Swansea's afternoon darkness manages to surprise me every damn day. My son phones me. He's an apprentice in London and lives in a small room in a shared house. He wants to tell me about someone interesting he met on the tube.
My mother emails me from the airport, flying to New York for a conference or maybe it's an exhibition, I lose track. She sends me a recipe for black bean and avocado enchiladas. I'm in that magical time, I guess, where neither my children nor my parents need me.
My boyfriend arrives home. We spend the evening on the web -- news and blogs and comics and art and stories. Amusing, thought-provoking, outrageous, enraging.
I bought a joint of beef on special and we ate it with roast vegetables and drank red wine. There's a woman I'd like to be who does things differently. She eats green leafy vegetables and always gets enough sleep and never drinks too much and always meets her deadlines. She probably doesn't stare out the window either, doesn't even notice Mumbles lighthouse glowing in the distance. So maybe it's not all good.
Today was a quiet day, an unexceptional day. I'm content. I pour another glass of wine and toast my reflection in the mirror. Tomorrow, I'll write about space ships.
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About the author: Sylvia Spruck Wrigley is an author and a pilot, writing from Swansea and Southern Spain. Her book You Fly Like a Woman is on Amazon.
- Jan 23, 12
If time machines are ever invented, please come to San Antonio, Texas at 8:00am on January 23, 2012 and ask for Chris Bolton. I have some stuff to talk to you about.
Awesome. With any luck, this could turn out to be an interesting day.
The word “Monday” is derived from an old English word meaning moon’s day. It sounds like a bit of an oxymoron to me, but I’ll go with it. On this particular moon’s day I’m having trouble sorting through all of the glitz and glam that is my life. With the ghosts of Shakespeare and Twain fighting to control my writing prowess, I reflect upon the daily happenings. Strangely enough, all I can conjure is a list of transgressions. All I can do is describe my events and let future historians sort it all out.
The sun burst forth from the horizon to shower its golden rays upon the Texan soil. My still sleeping body gets bathed in the warmth of a new day. The distant drone of automobiles signals the world that the worker ants have begun their daily trudge. A snooze button gets absentmindedly pressed, for the dreams are too tantalizing to be shattered just yet. A cat utters its morning meow - a desperate begging of attention. The dreams are slipping. “Please God, just let me sleep a few moments longer!” A body begins to stir underneath. It’s at this point that my outlandish reign over moon’s day is about to begin. Mark your calendars and clear your schedules because on this day:
I woke up.
I went to work.
Sarcasm at its finest, folks.
Drumroll.
End scene.
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About the author: Chris Bolton is a 23-year-old male inhabitant of San Antonio, Texas. He has a degree in film and digital media. He’s just a normal dude.
- Jan 22, 12
The first thing I noticed this morning, as it often is after a late night with guests, was dishes. Dad was rinsing, mom drying - a pattern some forty-five years in the making. Liam, all of four years, was struggling to finish his coffee cake. His twin sister, Maisie, reclined on the sofa, sounding out letters in a book she can't quite read yet, while their older sister Audrey helped clear what was left of the breakfast table. My wife, Karen, put away the makeshift bar, noting that we had over-estimated the demand for beer (and under-estimated our guests' taste for rum). My sister Shannon sat at her laptop filing her taxes while her own twin, Erin, reclined in my father's chair with eight month-old Zoe, whose morning nap was long enough to warrant a remark.
We said goodbye to my grandmother last night in a scene amidst the kind of snowstorm that's common in New Hampshire at this time of year. Her heart, nearly ninety-three years old, had grown as tired as it was generous. There had been a brief service, at which I had managed a few words of remembrance to a crowd of people who knew her in a very different capacity than I. Later at my parents' house: a wake.
Very near the end of her life, my grandmother had related to me that she had come to find a special kind of joy in being part of a large extended family. I had associated that notion with milestones: first days of school, graduations, weddings, births, and even funerals - the milestones by which we typically measure the relentless march of family and time.
As the scene played out this morning in my parents' living room, set against the icy backdrop of Great Bay, I was aware of yet another possibility: that from my grandmother's chair (unoccupied this morning) she had found, in the mundanity of our routines, the coming and going, the celebrations and (occasional) arguments an altogether different working of definition of family - its story written not in neat chapters, easily sub-divided, but in the well-oiled mess of the morning after a painful goodbye.
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Abouth the author: Ian Fitzpatrick is a founding partner at Boston-based agency Almighty. He lives with Karen, Audrey, Liam and Maisie, just outside of town, and can be found on Twitter @ianfitzpatrick.
- Jan 21, 12
Yesterday was my birthday and tomorrow I decide if I’m moving to Mumbai or New York City. Today it’s the middle of January, and I’m sweating in Miami. I’m now 364 days away from thirty, which feels exactly the same as being 366 days away.
I woke up before my alarm because I wasn’t hung over, a sign that I’m now 29 plus. Mature. It also means I set an alarm for a Saturday morning. A year ago I would’ve hit the snooze button a minimum of 10 times. Not because I was hung over, but because no part of my being wanted to get out of bed.
Back then I was a full time adult with a steady income and serious deadlines. Between then and now I gave it all up to try something new. Something creative. A substantial step back to redefine what’s a step forward. Now I’m a student, which means there is no income, just the deadlines.
So I set the alarm to work on a Saturday because I took Thursday off to go to the beach. But the work feels a lot less like work. There are no bosses, clients or offices. Instead, today I stole internet, drank cheap coffee and I wrote. A lot.
That’s work now, and I’ve learned that doing the work is crucial in this life experiment. If I’m not working I focus on the step back, which depresses me and takes me to something close to regret. Somewhere I don’t want to go. But when I work my mind goes back to the potential step forward. The same feelings that made me take the leap to begin with.
Today felt like a step forward. Even if it was a step closer to thirty. I hope to do it again tomorrow.
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About the author: Pepe Hernandez is too old to grow up and learn Twitter. But he loves to Tumbl.
- Jan 20, 12
This morning I awake to my girlfriend Jen telling me how much she loves me as she leaves for work. Together we’ve started our own company and are almost ready to close our first major deals with retailers and can’t wait to celebrate it.
For now I still work full-time at a boutique marketing agency, so I have to wake up at 9. Last night I had a couple drinks at an industry networking event before going home to have a few more over a Skype. I can usually hold my alcohol pretty well, but today I have a slight hangover which makes getting up a little slower.
I only work 3 miles away but in LA’s morning rush-hour that’s still at least 20 minute drive, which sucks. The “long” drive without a radio gives me plenty of time to think about our company, and now we are closer than ever before to make it. I try to use that as motivation. Some days are harder than others, but today is Friday and the weather is beautiful.
The first thing I do when I get into work is turn on my computer and warm up a cup of tea. I was the first employee since the company transitioned from PR to marketing some three or four years ago, and now there are about 10 of us all between the ages of 20-30 (with the exception of our CEO). Although our boss can be controlling at times, I love everyone I work with and the work schedule I’ve been able to create for myself. I need to constantly count my blessings so I don’t get too down on why things have been taking so long with the side business. People tell me I’m lucky all the time, and I know that I really am. One…two…three…
Beach season is coming up, and I have awesome coworkers and a great girlfriend who tells me she loves me every day.
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About the author: Anthony Cerreta is an Interactive Producer who integrates social media with online marketing and traditional advertising. He is also the Cofounder of Ferbs Cosmetics tattoo cover up.
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- Dec 13, 11A few months back, I went full time with AdYapper, an early stage startup in the ad space. Since around that time, I’ve been thinking of reasons why I think journalists could make good entrepreneurs.Why is this important? Newsrooms continue to lay off reporters, and starting a business could be a great alternative to a path in the communications field, which is where many journalists go once they’re done in the news business.This is not a new concept. (In fact, we’ve blogged about it recently.) Since my time at Chicago Tribune/Tribune Company, I’ve been urging reporters to think of themselves as entrepreneurs within their beats, and within their newsrooms; however, I never really thought of just why I think the very act of reporting and writing is entrepreneurial. So I came up with a few reasons:
- Expertise: The very practice of journalism requires knowledge of a space other than journalism. Other than writing and reporting. And if there’s something a reporter doesn’t know, they learn about it.
- Hustle: This one really goes without saying.
- Contacts: Journalists have the right to ask anyone any question, at any time. (Whether they respond is another story entirely.) Through it all, journalists develop great rolodexes, and if they’re good, respect — and a good working relationship — from and among their readers and sources.
I put out a call within my network, asking why they thought reporters could be good entrepreneurs. I got one answer: “Journalists can make great entrepreneurs. Our skill sets are tuned to detect and address relevant problems,” says Jason Goodrich, a former editor at the Chicago Tribune and now CEO of Shortlist. ”We get to the ‘why’ by talking with people and analyzing the data. Maybe above all else, journalists tend to possess the right mix of idealism, skepticism and determination to bring useful ideas to life.”
Not surprisingly, Goodrich also thinks there’s a learning curve. “However, being a journalist does not qualify you for startup life,” he said. ”Entrepreneurship is about building a sustainable business. Let’s just say that there’s a lot of math involved.”
Just something to think about.
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What do you think? What are some reasons YOU think journalists could make good entrepreneurs? Do you have any examples of entrepreneurship within your newsrooms? Please leave your thoughts as comments below!
- Sep 23, 11
With all the layoffs in the news industry in the past few years, it’s easy to get down on journalism. However, journalism is not dead, it’s adapting.
Two people who know that better than just about anyone are Laura Frank and Jennifer Lord Paluzzi. The two former mainstream journalism employees spoke Friday morning at the Online News Association Conference about how they lost, adapted, survived and eventually thrived as journalists.
Frank, who worked at the Rocky Mountain News (which shut down in 2009), decided to create a news startup, the Rocky Mountain Investigative News Network, when she was laid off. The I-News Network is a nonprofit investigative organization that has found its way.
Frank, the networks executive director, says the organization makes ends meet in the following ways:
* Donations and grants (which she said was the seed money)
* Underwriting (the nonprofit world’s version of advertising)
* Partnerships with mainstream media.
* Products and services – As an example, Frank said the organization created a summer camp for high school students interested in investigative reporting.
Frank said the key is to “dip your toe in.”
“I’m not going to launch USA Today right away, but I’m going take steps that lead me toward my goals.”
Paluzzi, the managing editor of Main Street Connect in Massachusetts, said she capitalized on a small-but-growing blog about small-town news when she got laid off.
She said her former colleagues probably belittled her little blog until it grew into a nine-site network. She said they were then saying, “Why did we lay you off again?”
Paluzzi sought to cover small towns that were ignored by regional newspapers, which had cut back on coverage.
“The blog blossomed into something quite bigger than what I expected. That’s the fun part.”
- May 06, 11
After 16 years in the newspaper business, it’s hard to imagine doing anything else, but that’s just what I’m going to do, starting at the end of this summer. I am very excited to announce that I have accepted an offer from the University of Texas to be a full-time multimedia journalism professor. I’ll start in August, and I’ll continue at the Statesman through July.
I’m excited because this is a rare opportunity to be part of a major transformation at a great journalism school. The UT School of Journalism recently voted to change its curriculum, putting much more emphasis on teaching all journalism students the necessary tools to succeed in a still-rapidly changing landscape. I expect to be a driving force behind the school’s transformation. UT’s journalism program is already excellent, and I know the faculty and staff there want to push ahead. What sold it for me is the enthusiasm of Glenn Frankel, the relatively new director of the journalism school. He has a clear vision for what they can be in a few years, and he has won over faculty and administration.
The very hard part for me is leaving the Statesman, where I’ve worked since the spring of 1998. Throughout my career here, I’ve had incredible support and guidance from management, including Zach Ryall, Tim Lott, Fred Zipp, Debbie Hiott, John Bridges and Michael Vivio (who has since become president of Valpak). I wouldn’t have been able to do half of what I accomplished without their help. The other major reason I found success in pushing ahead at the Statesman is my remarkable colleagues. They “get it” when it comes to new media, which made my job much easier. Some of the finest journalists in the nation work at the Statesman, but they’re not just colleagues – they’re my friends. I met my wife here. I also met the best man at my wedding here. I will miss mixing it up with everyone in the newsroom, but I’m glad I’ll still be in Austin with them.
I’m not leaving because of anything going on at the Statesman or in the newspaper industry. I know that I could continue pushing the envelope when it comes to social media and new media into the future at the Statesman. I have no doubt that the Statesman will remain a national leader when it comes to social media and new media, and I’ll eagerly follow the Statesman’s social streams to get my news and to interact with the staff. The UT job was just something I felt I couldn’t pass up.
In my new role, I’m looking forward to teaching the bright minds who come to UT. I’ve been a guest-lecturer several times at UT and at Austin Community College, and I’ve enjoyed it immensely each time. I’m also going to blog about the latest techniques in the field of journalism, with professional journalists as my target audience.
This wasn’t an easy decision, but I’m very excited about where it will take me.
- Apr 14, 11
Author’s note: This is an old memo I wrote from my days at Tribune Company. I’ve edited it into a blog post and have added a couple of links, but it’s very much a media rant. Enjoy!
What is it about Zappos that makes it an innovative, well-regarded company?
It’s not that Zappos sells shoes and clothes online, and it can’t be because of Zappos’ sleek Web site. (In fact, Zappos.com isn’t the most visually attractive website.)
Every inch – well, perhaps not every inch – of the page oozes, “We care about our customers.” There are links to live chats, and a company phone number is posted in a place that’s easy to find. It’s not buried on some hidden customer service page. (Read Zappos founder Tony Hsieh’s book, Delivering Happiness, for more on this.)
The fact is this: If you go to any news Web site, how does it feel? Does it feel like the news organization cares about what you think the news is?
Newsrooms are constantly reorganizing and changing the look and feel of their digital and print products, but I believe that there’s a unique opportunity to change the way people actually experience the news.
Here’s my point: Experiment with small, cross-functional teams to change the environment in which folks experience our content. And there are some things that you can gain:
- A feedback loop or connection with readers that you’ve never had before.
- Insight that will help your figure out ways to improve the quality of your reader comments. (On this point, this OMNT post is a must-read.)
- A look into reader dynamics.
- Experience. This will help teach your community managers, digital producers or bloggers how to wrangle a community.
- Expand the reach of the online communities you’re trying to build.
Most importantly, this will let your readers know you’re listening in ways mainstream media tends not to. My vision of true “journalism on demand” isn’t just similar to a restaurant comment drop box, but is a living, breathing, dynamic community.
Here’s what you’ll need to get started:
- A Small group of forward-thinking, customer-centric – not necessarily social media-savvy – folks in your news organization. A reporter. The public editor. A web producer. A marketing team member. Someone in ad ops. A circulation manager. Anyone who really wants to gain these insights, and someone who likes side projects.
- A platform. Start small. Try putting a link on a homepage to a live chat. From there, we can possibly build forums. Events. Anything. Try to make your community vibrant and open, because if you do, you can market it somehow.
- A message. If you think of branding your platform from the start, you’ll get support from the top down.
True journalism on demand can be an industry-changer. Be willing to test technology, timing and figure out what you even want to know. Don’t rush this into looking like a hokey marketing initiative, but a real effort to connect with your readers. (Perhaps, at some point, you can extend this into a chat with your advertisers.)
This isn’t cutting edge stuff, but test with some basics, including forums, live chats, instant messenger (or Skype), and customer service-driven platforms (e.g. Get Satisfaction).
If you do this, it should be a two-way street. In addition to getting ideas from readers, you could pitch ideas to them, asking what they think you should write about. The idea that gets picked will get done in a timely fashion.
Experiment with treatments. Is your execution a blog? A forum? A poll? Is this promoted in a box with a graphic, or as a text link? You don’t know what will resonate until you try.
Lastly, steward the conversation, and have clear, concise rules of conversation. If you’re waist deep in it, you can drive a positive experience for everyone.
What examples of “journalism on demand” have you seen in the news world? Is your news organization doing something along these lines? Please leave your thoughts as comments below!
- Apr 08, 11
Guest post by Mathilde Piard
In the past few days there’s been a blog post about the top 25 newspapers on Twitter that’s been making the rounds. In fact, it’s been circulated so far and wide that I’ve heard about it from multiple coworkers who don’t tend to run in different Twitter and/or reading sharing circles as I do, and who were wondering why two of our newspapers weren’t on the list (the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Austin American-Statesman).
The problem with the post over at The Wrap is that it worked off a list from Journalistics.com from the fall. Back then, the Journalistics post only looked at the top 25 newspapers in terms of circulation because it was part of a series comparing those exact 25 papers on Twitter, Facebook, website traffic, and Google PageRank. I commented on the recent blog post to point this out, as did Jeremy Porter, the author of the original list at Journalistics.com. But because Dylan Stableford hasn’t clarified in the post that his list is just for the top 25 newspapers by circulation (although he did update it to include at the bottom a few of the omissions, thank you) and since most people don’t read comments anyway, I figured it would be best to just provide my own list of the top 25 newspapers on Twitter, one that actually goes by number of followers on Twitter, not circulation.
Some will argue that ranking Twitter accounts by number of followers is a load of hogwash, either because Twitter’s recommended list skews things or because it’s not a good measure of “engagement”. The truth is, you could argue the same about any type of metric. Companies don’t share specific traffic numbers, so the only way to compare websites to each other is to use ComScore’s number of monthly unique visitors. Uniques don’t measure how long visitors stay on sites, how many page views they provide, how many comments they leave or pages they share with their friends.
Which leads me to my next thought: we shouldn’t have to resort to manually compiling lists like these of top accounts on Facebook and Twitter (by the way, Chris Snider does this every month for the top newspapers on Facebook). MuckRack has rankings of journalists by beat and region, but only tracks individual journalists, not brands. Jeremy Porter had a great idea when he compared newspaper circulation with other online metrics – but it would be great to see that kind of stuff for more than just the top 25 (mostly national) papers. And why look only at newspapers? I keep secretly hoping Cory Bergman at Lost Remote will compile a list of top TV accounts on Facebook and Twitter, since he’s one of the only ones to cover what local television stations are doing with social media – but again, he shouldn’t have to. (UPDATE: actually, he already did, ha!). Wouldn’t it be cool to compare TV ratings or radio cumes with online stats? And why keep it to media organizations? There are so many brands out there that fudge the line between media, and, well, everything else. Just like ComScore tracks unique visitors for websites, it should also track number of Twitter followers and Facebook fans.
Anyway, here’s my list, and here’s my methodology:
- I used the top of a list that Robert Quigley had compiled on this very blog in the wake of the original Journalistics list (which didn’t really state clearly that it was part of a series comparing how the top 25 newspapers tacked online in a variety of metrics, so it too drew a lot of criticism from people who didn’t get it at first, including myself. Apologies Jeremy!) However, I kept to just the top 25-ish, because frankly I don’t have time to be as thorough as Robert was and go through nearly 200 newspapers.
- I’ve kept the list to US newspapers – no online/iPad only publications and I also took The Onion off the list. Sorry guys, it’s just easier to compare apples to apples. All the more reason somebody like ComScore should be tracking this for everybody, not just newspapers, perhaps not even just news orgs.
- In the case of the San Francisco Chronicle and the Arizona Republic, I went with the Twitter accounts that Jeremy Porter/Journalistics and Dylan Stableford/The Wrap used rather than the ones Robert Quigley had on this blog – as in, @sfgate instead of @sfchron_alert and @azcentral instead of @arizonarepublic. That seemed only fair since Robert’s list used @bostonupdate instead of @bostonglobe and @coloneltribune instead of @chicagotribune. That explains why the Chronicle went from 51st to 18th place, and Arizona Republic from 158th to 25th.
- I also added the Minneapolis Star Tribune, which The Wrap and Journalistics lists did have, but Old Media New Tricks did not. Interesting to note, it looks like the username used to be @mn_news and was changed to @startribune without claiming the old username. So I just did, to avoid someone else perhaps ill intentioned grabbing it. Hey Minnesota Star Tribune folks, if you want @mn_news back, holler and I’ll gladly hand it over.
- Because I removed The Onion from the list, I’m only confident about the top 24 or so listed. Beyond those, I had a quick look around the various lists to find the lucky #25, and that’s how I realized the fudging up of the other accounts like the Chronicle, Republic etc, so I extended the list to beyond 25, as a means or righting a previous slight I suppose J. If I missed your newspaper, I apologize. I’ll happily share the Google doc with you so you can add it yourself, or if you feel like updating Robert Quigley’s list of 200 papers (thus further emphasizing my point that someone like ComScore should really be tracking this stuff instead)
- A word about growth rates since the October lists: The Chronicle, Star Tribune and Washington Post lead with 127%, 91% and 84% (followed by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution with 63% – shameless plug, they are one of Cox Media Group’s papers – and a handful of others in the 40-50% range). Interestingly, there is one account that had a negative growth rate: The Chicago Tribune @coloneltribune account with -2%. Ouch. I wonder what the story is there.
Top newspapers by Twitter followers
Piard is the social media manager for Cox Media Group Digital
- Mar 16, 11
I find myself continuously inspired by OMNT co-creator Rob Quigley’s posts, so I felt a need to expand on the great points he made in his recent post, “The ‘gamification’ of news, and how it can be relevant.”
The gamification of news can be a powerful tool for marketing and reader engagement, but it must be done in a way that rewards all types of readers, based on their level of involvement. (Check out the Forrester Social Technographics Ladder; slide nine here is especially helpful.)
If the news is gamified as a knee-jerk response to industry trends, the user experience may end up not be a relevant one. Before you start to create a game around your publication, you’ll not only want to think about the goals — rewarding loyal readers to increase loyalty is a simple one — but what exactly you want to reward readers for.
I’ve thought of three main things news organizations want to reward readers for:
1. Reward activity.
This is the most general type of reward, and many sites and platforms do this (Foursquare and GiantBomb are two examples). News organizations can reward readers for reading, commenting on and sharing (Facebook/Twitter/e-mail) stories.This type of reward, however, is easily gamed. Think about all of those erroneous Foursquare and Gowalla check-ins meant only to boost numbers. (This led to our well-received Foursquare etiquette post.)
Rewarding basic reader activity is a great way to get your audience to spend more time on your news site, or to visit multiple times each day. The more local traffic your news organization receives, the more likely advertisers will want to get involved; incremental revenue is never bad.
2. Reward curiosity.
Once your news organization sponsors reader activity on the site, you’ll want to reward readers who take that extra step outside of the basic on-site experience.
Perhaps they follow up on a series of restaurant-related articles by following along with a Gowalla or SCVNGR activity. Reward them with a coupon they can use at one of them. Maybe they consistently read stories about their neighborhood, or their local politician. If this is the case, you might want to invite them to a sponsored summit or activity; for instance, a political debate. If a reader users a “social” ad or promotion, reward them.
3. Reward involvement.
Yes, there’s a difference between reader activity and reader involvement.
The most active news readers and followers are the ones most likely to contribute, or want to contribute — but there’s no way for them to do so.
In my SXSW Interactive panel, titled “Better Crowdsourcing: Lessons Learned from the3six5 Project,” I spoke of the need to involve one’s audience by having a built-in hierarchy of involvement.
In this case, what’s the process for involving readers at different levels? For users that read the news, how can you get them to read more? For readers that read a lot, how can they contribute? For readers that contribute, how can you make them a more active part of the stories you tell each day?
Can they be a moderator in a reader forum? Can they contribute to a blog? Would your news organization allow them to create a more specialized blog using your publication’s blog platform? If these features don’t exist, perhaps it’s important to consider them.
How big are your calls to action? If a reader submits a tip, not only should you thank them, but perhaps they could earn a special “Armchair Reporter ” achievement for doing so. If a reader posts a valuable comment on a story, they should be rewarded in some way for doing so.
What else can news organizations reward readers for doing? Please leave your thoughts as comments below!
- Mar 15, 11
One of the somewhat-obnoxious buzzwords going around the South by Southwest Interactive Festival is the “gamification” of, well, everything, including the gamification of news. In a nutshell, that means taking video-game style processes and applying them to everything, from the way we educate our children to the way we keep up with what’s going on in the community. Location-based service game SCVNGR’s “Chief Ninja” Seth Priebatsch’s keynote address on Saturday afternoon was all about using game mechanics to interest people to do important but often-mundane tasks (such as succeeding at school).
Some news organizations, notably The Huffington Post, have been keen to figure out how to add game mechanics to online news in hopes of gaining reader loyalty and increasing clicks. Users can earn points by reading articles or play HuffPo’s “Predict the News” feature, which launched at the end of last year.
“Gamification” is a goofy made-up word, but its idea, I believe, has merits. The key, as Gowalla CEO Josh Williams put it during a SXSW panel on Monday, is to make the game useful and relevant to real people, not just the early adopter crowds that attend SXSW.
Foursquare has about 7.5 million users, and Gowalla has about 1 million. Both have been around for two years and have been pushing their services pretty hard. What will it take to push those numbers into nationwide acceptance? Relevance.
Williams, who says he dislikes the term “gamification,” said Monday that virtual “badges are bullshit.” He said to truly reach the masses, these services have to go beyond “checking in” to places or earning virtual badges. For his part, Williams says he wants Gowalla’s service to mean something to people’s lives. He said the goal of Gowalla is to help people explore the world around them and archive vacations, complete with pictures, comments and more — all put into a neat little box that you can review.
Williams makes a lot of sense. There’s some fun to becoming the “mayor” of a location on Foursquare. There’s also some fun to collecting virtual items for your passport on Gowalla. However, it takes earning good discounts, archiving valuable memories or gaining valuable content — something — to make it worthwhile to the general population. Gowalla, for instance, worked with TOMS Shoes and AT&T to give Gowalla users a chance to earn a pair of shoes (which also means TOMS gives a pair to a needy child somewhere in the world). That’s value that will make people want to keep using your service.
That got me to thinking about what value a news organization could offer by making the news more of a game. There’s no question that mobile and location are going to be an even bigger part of the landscape in the years to come as more people get better smart phones (and as the smart phones continue to evolve at a blistering pace).
So, what if news organizations started adding location data to each URL? This idea came up while I was chatting with Gowalla developer Rob Mack at a party later Monday night. Imagine a reader using her smart phone to open your news app while she’s sitting at a coffee shop. Instead of just the latest, or even hand-picked top stories, appearing on the main page, what if it had a section that showed news that was relevant to the area around that coffee shop? What if the “game” were that users get points for reading the news about all sections of the city (as they travel and check your stories, a map fills in, showing they saw the latest news for that area)? The game mechanic added in could also just be to show which of their Facebook friends had read the same stories, at the same location. So when you log into the app at that coffee shop, it tells you that three of your friends read the news from your site from that same shop. Users could also leave comments on the story that are location-specific or just a tip about the coffee shop (which could be displayed next to your news organization’s review, which also could appear thanks to location tagging).
This wouldn’t be “gamification” just for the sake of having a game. Users would get value in return — relevant, targeted news content and a communal experience.
Other ideas I have for using location to “gamifiy” the news include a fun online mobile scavenger hunt or tagging user photos and news tips at locations, which could appear on a news organization’s website. Or what about giving users a virtual tour of your city, using your news content? That’s exactly what I did for the Statesman — I set up virtual “trips” on Gowalla using the Statesman’s content to get people to explore Austin.
It’s not just the newsroom that needs to be thinking about this. Priebatsch pointed out in his keynote that the reason Groupon is so successful is because it uses game mechanics effectively to hook users. It gives out a “free lunch” by giving steep discounts, it has a time element (clock is ticking on each deal), and it encourages team play by having a “tipping point” before the deal is active. And Groupon is moving into news organization’s advertising territory in a hurry. Why can’t news organizations, which already have the retailer relationships set up, and the news content to make the app worth using, fight to take it back? Some are trying various Groupon-like services, including my parent company CMGd, which created DealSwarm. What’s the next step, though? If I could guess, it would be adding that element of location to the mix. There’s huge potential for advertising when it comes to location-based information and gamification. News organizations are used to reaching local retailers, and location is a natural when it comes to shopping. Imagine that that same woman sitting in a coffee shop reading your news learns, thanks to a banner ad or some type of alert, that there’s a sale two blocks away.
These might sound like far-down-the-road ideas, but more and more people are using smart phones in lieu of computers (or newsprint or TV stations, for that matter). It’s time to start thinking about how news organizations can add value in this space. Williams said that a new location-based service starts up “every week” but we forget about them almost as fast. The reason they go away — they don’t focus on value. News organizations have something they don’t — good content. They just need to think about how to use it in new ways … and make it, dare I say, a game.
- Mar 15, 11
I’m honored to be included on a panel that is part of South by Southwest’s new Tech Summit, which is open to all SXSW badge holders and has an international flavor to it. The panel, which is scheduled to be at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday on the sixth floor of the downtown Hilton, will focus on how social media is changing the landscape outside of the United States.
David J. Neff, an Austinite who uses social media for social good, is going to moderate the panel, which also includes Tolly Moseley, a tech-savvy book publicist, and Kate Schnepel, who in on the board of Wildlife SOS, an Indian rescue organization.
For my part of the panel, I’m going to:
- Discuss whether Malcolm Gladwell is correct in saying that social media is almost incidental when it comes to the changes we’ve seen in the Middle East
- Talk about the evolution of the media’s coverage of the Middle East situation, thanks to a combination of social tools and old-fashioned journalism
- Show off some examples of media organizations that are pushing the envelope in their coverage of the Middle East
For those of you who aren’t leaving on Tuesday (or just coming in for the music portion of the festival), drop by and add to the conversation.
- Robert Quigley
- Feb 23, 11
It’s a time of shrinking newsroom budgets, and often one of the first things to go is the travel budget, especially for conferences. That’s a shame, because conferences are fantastic for fostering innovation in newsrooms. A journalist returning from a good conference should have a half dozen ideas to try, plus new contacts to help make them happen.
If your organization can only afford to send someone to one conference all year, I strongly suggest the South by Southwest Interactive Conference, which begins in a few weeks in Austin, Texas. It’s not your typical journalism conference, but I think that’s part of what makes it so great. Not to knock on other journalism conferences, but in this day and age, I think journalists need to see first-hand how the rest of the tech world innovates.
What journalists will get out of it
- Networking. The conference is filled with people working on the bleeding-edge of the tech world. If you’ve ever been to a journalism conference, you know that some of the best things you learned and best connections you made happened between panels, during that 20-minute snack break. At SXSW, the halls of the Austin Convention Center are filled with the 20-something CEOs, designers and programmers at mobile, gaming and social media companies — and much more. You’re as likely to bump into Twitter cofounder Ev Williams as you are Jeff Jarvis. Add an incredible list of side parties (and official parties) to the networking opportunities: You can go to a party thrown by Mashable one night and hardcore Android enthusiasts the next. I’ve found that the tech crowd loves journalism, and they’re excited to share their products and ideas with media types.
- Great panels, mixed with some OK ones. Not every panel is going to be a hit, but there are so many to choose from that if you land in a stinker, you can get up and wander into another one. Some of the best panels I have attended were discovered that way. Before you go, make a game plan of what panels you absolutely want to attend, but be ready to tear up your plan as necessary. I think it’s good to break away from journalism panels and just look for ones that sound interesting, though if you want a good list of journalism-related panels, Poynter put one together.
- Optimism! I’ve been to a few media conventions in the past few years, and the general mood felt pretty dour. The industry has been beaten down, and it shows. At SXSW Interactive, you won’t see that. Instead, you’ll see enthusiasm for the future and innovations that excite everyone. What journalists need to remember is that a lot of these innovations could be and should be used in newsrooms to not only make our jobs more interesting and make us more valuable employees, but help our organizations’ bottom lines.
So, you want to go this year?
It’s going to cost you. The tickets for the Interactive portion of the festival started at $450 for early registrants, but it has gone up to $750 now. If you’re starting this late, good luck finding a bed to sleep in, too. The hotels are booked within 10 miles or so of the festival, and even hotels on the shuttle route are booked, so include the price of a rental car and just pray you can find parking.
I think if your organization can still swing the higher costs, and you don’t mind trying to figure out the hotel/parking situation, it’s still worth going this year. Otherwise, start planning for the 2012 festival. Book your hotel and purchase those tickets in September. Better yet, submit a panel idea in the summer (it’s great exposure, and panelists get free SXSW badges).
If you do attend, be sure to look me up. I’ll likely be checking out a crazy panel or heading to the TechCrunch party, but I’ll definitely stop, say hi — and share ideas.
- By Robert Quigley
Gowalla CEO Josh Williams, at the Statesman Texas Social Media Awards during SXSW in 2010
Rodolfo Gonzalez/American-Statesman photo - Jan 10, 11
There’s been a lot of buzz in the business and media press about Quora, a relatively new social media platform. This post will hopefully help you make some sense of it.
First off, what is Quora?
Quora’s a dynamic ecosystem of questions and answers. Think of it as a forum, a wiki and a Twitter stream combined. (It could also be used like Help A Reporter Out, if you’re familiar with that.) Here’s a quick video explainer:
Playing by Quora’s rules:
Right now, Quora’s TOS dictate that site users “must provide us accurate information, including your real name, when you create your account on Quora.” This means that brand pages are not allowed. (Sorry, Colonel Tribune, New York Times, Austin American-Statesman and others.)
The community is backing Quora up; it’s a tight-knit group of early adopters who seem to be compelled — and rightfully so — to keep Quora brand-free.
This is not to say, however, that news organizations can’t provide compelling, useful answers to questions pertaining to its coverage areas.
Once you’ve set up your Quora profile — under your real name, of course — here are a few things you can do:
- Monitor the topic pages for your subject areas. For instance, if I were a sports reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times, I’d monitor Chicago, the Chicago Bears, the Chicago Cubs and some others.
- Interestingly enough, there was no Chicago White Sox topic, so I created one. Reporters should create topics that haven’t already been created for their coverage areas; this in turn will get them additional visibility on Quora, help distinguish them as early adopters who will contribute to the site, and will also uncover local Quora users as they identify the topics they’re interested in.
- Build your network of sources and experts. Quora is still in its infancy; this means many “influential” sources are on there. Leverage those experts in your content as the need arises.
- Incorporate Quora questions and topics into blog posts and articles. The Quora audience may be vastly different from your online news audience. Leveraging the discussions there could generate additional buzz and digital “street cred” with your readers. (UPDATE 1/19: Here’s a post/video by Paul Gailey showing how to incorporate Quora into WordPress blogs.)
- If a news organization doesn’t have a clearly defined platform for reader questions (e.g. “what is the best Chinese restaurant in town,” “where can I find a public transportation schedule”) use the Quora API to stream relevant questions on your news site.
Looking ahead:
In the long run, brands may not be allowed on there, but reporters absolutely should be. But should brands be there?
My short answer: an enthusiastic yes — all news organizations (and brands) should be allowed on Quora, provided they play by the rules and are good Quora-zens. (Quora citizen, for short.) Take some time to learn about the community before you really dive in. (A hat tip to Lucretia Pruitt for writing this quick guide on Quora.)
How do you think reporters can use Quora? Are you already using the service? If so, what have you done with it so far? Please leave your thoughts as comments below, and we may add your points to the above list. (Crediting you, of course!)
UPDATE (1/11): I’ve set up a Quora question on the topic here. Please feel free to jump in there as well!
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Posts
Reading: A new fad is taking the country by storm: It’s called “Bradying.
Holy Cow! It’s Rick Ross, doing his best Harry Caray impression.
(If you don’t know who Harry Caray is, watch this.)
Talk about capitalizing on a meme.
‘30 Rock’ Unleashes ‘Shit Liz Lemon Says’ | THR
Smart smart smart.
Photo: Enjoying a tasty winter stout. #beer (Taken with picplz at Daniel’s New Empire in Chicago, IL.)
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Posts
Reading: A new fad is taking the country by storm: It’s called “Bradying.
Holy Cow! It’s Rick Ross, doing his best Harry Caray impression.
(If you don’t know who Harry Caray is, watch this.)
Talk about capitalizing on a meme.
‘30 Rock’ Unleashes ‘Shit Liz Lemon Says’ | THR
Smart smart smart.
Photo: Enjoying a tasty winter stout. #beer (Taken with picplz at Daniel’s New Empire in Chicago, IL.)
