RIP Net Neutrality

Net Neutrality is pretty self explanatory. A somewhat even spread of power across the internet. There will be no one person who may own hundreds or thousands of sites on the internet. Neutrality amongst the net is a thing of the past. I guess it's like capitalism, it's goal is basically to destroy itself. The individual must gain and continue to gain, but where does that leave those who have not gained? The bottom. Those who "fail" capitalism are less likely to get up because those who have "succeeded" aren't about to give up their power. The rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

The same concept can be applied to net neutrality. The internet tycoons who have built web empires are not about to move over for the guy who started a blog three months ago, they keep the power for themselves. And if you are lucky enough to attract enough traffic, you may grab the attention of those web tycoons. Here's the catch, once you are picked up by Mr. Web Tycoon, you belong to him. Sure, he chased you down and told you how much he loved your work, but now he wants it and once he has it, you have lost your ability to report independently. If you decide that you are above the influence of corporate media and internet, then you are in the minority, you will also most likely be broke if you continue writing for that small blog.

The internet is a great symbol for what our country has become: a monopoly run by the selfish elites.

The Boston Marathon Media and Independent Media

The April 15th bombings during the Boston marathon devastated a city and our country. The way this story is reported will be the guiding factor which the people shape their opinions on the tragedy. This is where Independent journalists must come to the forefront and report the proper facts. Mainstream journalists will be too busy trying to write what their boss tells them to write. Having an agenda during a situation can lead to travesty within the masses. Reporting rumors of who may have been behind the bombing and throwing a total casualty number so soon after the incident when details are not sorted out are not ethical, but that hasn't stopped the mainstream media before.

Independent journalists can provide a non-biased and factual report on the event because they aren't dealing with a deadline and they aren't answering to anyone about their work except themselves.

The period between the incident and when the real facts are released is another important period within this story. The time right after the bombing is the most journalistically dangerous period because it is when journalists come up with conspiracy theories and dig for the details way before they have come out. Being the one who wants to break the details right away can get reporters into loads of trouble.

While realizing and appreciating those in your life you deeply care for, remembering those who were lost in the bombing and praying for those injured, independent journalists should use this opportunity to gain more credibility for the field of independent media.

Media's Impact on NFL Draft

Considering the NFL Draft is happening next week, I thought I'd delve into the impact the media, both independent and mainstream, has on the draft. I believe the most interesting part of the draft is the time period between the National Championship and the actual day of the draft. The period starts in the beginning of January and runs through the end of April. Keep in mind, during this time no players are actually playing in games or showcasing their in-game talent. They are put through a series of tests, both physical and mental. The way these tests are interpreted by the media can cost these young men, ages 20-22, millions of dollars.

Most everyone is familiar with the Manti Te'o "catfish" scandal. This happened a few weeks after the national championship game, which Te'o played poorly in. His poor performance in the national championship is a deserving reason for his draft stock to drop. The part which the media so grossly dramatized was the impact of the catfish scandal had on Te'o's draft stock. They thought that because he was fooled into dating a woman that didn't exist, he would have poor judgement on the football field, as if the two are so closely related.

In this case, I believe the media has too much impact. The agenda of one journalist, independent or mainstream could alter the life of a young man forever. It's unfortunate what some people feel is necessary to get "even" with athletes who may have snubbed them for an interview or played for an opposing team the reporter did not care for.

Williams vs. Clinton-1999

In a 1999 article, Drudge Report reported that a woman by the name of Bobbie Ann Williams fathered Bill Clinton's child 13 years prior to this article being published. She claimed Clinton was "very good to her and gave her money." 

This is one of the earlier examples of independent media reporting such a colossal story such as this. A story on "the most powerful man in the world," as the article states, fathering a child out of wedlock is a story that every reporter, both mainstream and independent, hopes for there whole career. The article was written by Matt Drudge, the creator of the site. The story that could have possibly brought down the president of the United States was published on a page that looked like it could have been created by a high schooler in computers 101. It shows how far independent media, as well as technology, in the last 10-20 years. 

The Drudge Report is now one of the most respected independent outlets on the web. The page is still not the most aesthetically pleasing on the web, but the material keeps readers coming back with great reporting. Small advertisements on the page are surrounded by many links to articles, the page is run the right way. No constant pop-up ads like you find on other pages. Another example of a great independent outlet making a difference in the industry.

Kate Sheppard

Kate Sheppard of Mother Jones recently visited Ithaca College and will be there once again next week on behalf of Mother Jones to accept the Park School's Izzy Award for their achievements in Independent media. Sheppard is the model for the ideal career of today's journalism grad. With the mainstream media constantly making cuts to their staff, independent media is becoming the way to go for young journalists. Truth be told, schooling isn't necessary to become a journalist anymore. All you need is a blog and one groundbreaking post to grab the attention of readers, then it becomes the journalist's job to keep those fans coming back with entertaining/factual/non biased reporting. 

Her career path is the model for independent journalists. Out of college she had a couple of what she called "glorified internships." Not the traditional summer internship an undergrad would take with either minimal or no pay. Her "internships" were at independent outlets that let her showcase her skills as well as learn new forms of media, such as video and other multimedia aspects of the industry. After her internships, she was hired as a Washington correspondent for Mother Jones. She doesn't only right about politics and government, she handles environmental topics as well. Her reason for being in Ithaca a week before she is scheduled to receive Mother Jones' Izzy Award is to handle an article regarding fracking, a popular topic of late in Ithaca and other parts of central New York. 

Sheppard should be every young, aspiring journalist's hero. Her story is inspiring and sheds light on an industry that has received heavy criticism in both the independent and mainstream sectors. 

Mike Rice Exposed

The recent scandal involving Rutgers University basketball coach, Mike Rice, has sparked conversation about ethics throughout division 1 collegiate athletics. He was caught berating players with homophobic slurs and physically abusing players during practice. Rice was fired in early April, news of his conduct was brought to the attention of former athletic director, Tim Pernetti in November 2012. Rice was not disciplined after Pernetti first saw the tape late last year. He was suspended for two games early in 2013 for his conduct during a game, an incident that was not related to any of his conduct during practice.

The entire situation regarding the Rutgers coach did not receive any public reaction until the news was released a couple weeks ago. The media played an important role in the way the public perceived Rice. Obvioulsy, anyone who saw his actions would believe that he was in the wrong. But perhaps Rice may not have been fired if the media were not there to expose him. After the news was first broken, Rice was only going to receive a lengthy suspension, but the relentless reporting that television, radio and print media put into the story pressured Pernetti and Rice to be fired. The influence the media has can be found in almost any scandal in sports. The New Orleans Saints bounty scandal and the Jerry Sandusky/Penn State ordeal are the two most recent cases of media influence.

Bill Clinton Vs. The Media

The reaction to Bill Clinton's comments about an article written by Vanity Fair's Todd Purdum have raised some pretty flaring reactions itself. Purdum wrote an article about Clinton's friends and advisors may be bringing negative attention to Hillary Clinton's campaign, Clinton reacted by calling Purdum "sleezy," "a scumbag" and "slimy." He claimed his reporting was dishonest and had no real factual base considering he cited no sources.

The reaction from readers on Huffington Post was pretty unanimous. With over 2,000 comments, most called Clinton a hypocrite. The former president obviously had his fair share of controversy while in the  White House and honesty may not have been considered his forte, which is most likely the reason he received the reaction that he did.

This is another instance of huge political figures finding something wrong with anything that isn't written in their favor. While Clinton is regarded as one of our great presidents in recent US history, even he shows the biased that most other political figures do when reacting to media that isn't in their favor. His reaction to attack to the media the way he did was unfortunate, but it is yet another obstacle in media that we all must deal with.

What Does It Take To Get Recognized?

After reading Will Bunch's article on the "future of journalism," I realized that mainly muckraking journalists have been rewarded for their work throughout the history of journalism. I guess it is the excitement of finding the bad in people is what really grabs people's attention. It's a shame that good, non-uckraking reporting is not recognized more often. Josh Marshall was honored with a Polk award in 2008, the first blogger to be honored with the award. It took his work that lost Senator Trent Lott a GOP Senate leadership position. Good reporting on wars, politics and sports should be rewarded no matter the outlet (or lack there of) the writer works for.

Though it is a shame that it takes "kicking up dirt" to get a little recognition as an independent journalist, it is a good tip for young journalists. Become skilled in the craft of interrogative journalism and don't worry about making friends in the industry, this kind of skill and drive will ultimately pay off for you in your career.

Transparency Is Everything

I never understood why transparency wasn't more of a staple in the media. I don't find any comfort in a mainstream journalist's word because it is most often not their own. The process of having an article published is so extensive that the words are so mangled by the time is ready to be published it is hardly the writer's work. Any mainstream media outlet with an agenda is hard to trust because it is always "big business" or a CEO's opinion that fuels the fire and controls the material released.

Transparency on the other hand allows for readers to carefully choose whose work they read and eventually they form an opinion after reading so much of a writer's work and they decided whether or not they are able to trust a writer. Sensationalism and unreliable writing are detectable after a while and if a reader chooses to continue reading such things, they may be better off believing what they are reading is factual (I meant that in the nicest way possible).

Challenges in SEO

Search Engine Optimization is a problem that all websites have dealt with since businesses created websites or have made the move completely to becoming an online business. The challenges are all related to placement on the results page of search engines.

Black Hat SEO has been the most problematic part of search engines. Black Hat SEO refers to keyword stuffing in descriptions of pages or videos. It is most problematic when users post descriptions that have nothing to do with the video. For instance, posting a video about making soup could receive a higher place on the results page and even show up on results page it has no business being on if the person who posted the video included "Lebron James" or "Justin Bieber."

I believe the next big advancement in SEO will be the ability of the search engine to detect the difference between Black Hat SEO and the more business-appropriate, White Hat SEO. White Hat is essentially the opposite of Black Hat. No keyword stuffing, a more honest approach to posting.

Radiohead is One Step Ahead

The band, Radiohead, has managed to "make it" without the help of any big record labels. Now that they have made it into the ladder part of their historic career, they can afford to create their own website where fans can download their own music.

This type of progressive thinking amy be the next great movement in the music industry. Revenue can stream from sponsorships on artist websites. The same transformation that youtube has made. Instead of the music industry continuing to take hits from illegal downloading, they can turn downloading into a sponsorship-based revenue stream.

Google and the U.N

Independent reporter, Matthew Lee, has been a modern day muckraker since 1987. His website, Inner City Press, has focused on digging up corruption within the United Nations for some time. Internet corruption has been a micro-focus for Lee. His style is annoying, his website has an amateur appearance, but the work he does is magnificent. So magnificent, that Google banned his material from their search engine. You will not be able to be led directly to Lee's website if you were to search his name or site through Google.

While the act of kicking Lee out of the world of Google is not acceptable, what it took for him to get to that point is what journalists should continue to do. There are still many other areas of our government and talking heads on Wall Street who deserve to be investigated by journalists. Muckraking may be annoying to the subjects being reported on, but it makes the public aware, which we desperately need in our country.

Will Smith Was First Choice For Django

Will Smith was Quentin Tarrantino's first choice to play Django in the controversial film Django:Unchained. Smith said his reason for not taking the role was because, technically, Django wasn't the lead character even though that is the name in the movie title. When he spoke with Tarrantino he expressed that he would like to change the script a bit. Smith wanted Django to have a bigger role and (SPOILER ALERT) he wanted Django to be the one to kill the bad guy.

Many in Hollywood believe Smith turned down the role because it would go against the "bad guy" image he has managed to avoid his entire acting career. Even movies where he wasn't outwardly nice, there was always something redeeming in the end about his character. Being a runaway slave who goes on a killing spree after being taken in by a German bounty hunter doesn't really fit in with the rest of the roles Smith has taken on his career. This is a problem that could have been avoided if the media weren't so critical of every role actors take on. Is Matt Damon a bad guy away from the movie screen because he played a corrupt police officer in The Departed? Is Leonardo DiCaprio a bad guy because he played a slave owner in Django:Unchained? No. The media finds a way to portray bad guys in movies as bad people in their normal lives way too often. I believe it was a combination of Smith wanting to protect his image and his fear of being characterized as a bad guy by the media that led to him turning down the role of Django. Yet another example of biased, and often unfair, mainstream media outlets having way too much influence.

Ganging Up On The Little Guy

In the spring of 2007, Time Warner proposed a deal the to the US Postal Service that would increase the cost of mailing periodicals. The problem with that is that the big companies, such as Time Warner, won't see much of an increase in the percentage of revenue it takes to pay mailing costs; smaller publications are stuck with a huge spike in the cost of sending out their magazines/newspapers, etc.

The Postal Service even came up with a plan to spread the increase in costs more evenly so the smaller companies wouldn't take such a devastating hit to their profits. Time Warner would absorb more of the total hit than any of the smaller, independent publications just so they could survive. The plan was overlooked in loo of Time Warner's proposal for an equal spike across the board, which was anything but equal.

Independent media is looked down upon so severely by the mainstream media. The issue with that is that the mainstream media outlets are most often owned by the big players in the industry who hold most of the power, enough power to put an independent outlet out of business if they choose to.

Are Bloggers Considered Journalists?

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/10/bloggers_might_be_excluded_fro.html

The link above leads to an article which poses two pretty big questions in the field of media. Are Bloggers Journalists? And where is the line drawn for the ban on bloggers being involved in state government meetings?

Oregon decided to ban al bloggers from state government meetings. There reasoning was that they are not journalists, and if the line is not drawn at bloggers, then the meetings no longer become private and anybody who calls themselves a blogger would be allow in to and report on the meeting.

Bloggers are just as, if not more, professional than the rest of the mainstream journalists out there. Whether they admit it or not, a mainstream journalist's articles always come through as biased because of the publication they work for. Depending on the political opinion of the publication, they most often lean noticeably in one direction or another. The independent blogger will most often report with no bias or they will be up front about it. After brief research, there is no question that Democracy Now! leans left and that is often how they report. There is no attempt to cover up any bias as there is in mainstream media.

As for bloggers being banned from reporting on state government meetings, that is absurd. That is just another attempt for the government to exclude media that won't necessarily report in their favor. They are using the age-old excuse that bloggers are not journalists to protect their reputation as an upstanding government.

1,000 True Fans

http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/03/1000_true_fans.php

I love the idea of 1,000 true fans. It makes starting a blog, business or any other type of venture seem much more doable. With the economy acting the way it is, it is hard for anyone to get a safe, well-paying desk job somewhere. This has become the new age of entrepreneurialism and the 1,000 true fans theory proves that. Surviving with a small group of readers is very doable. The theory behind 1,000 true fans is that those 1,000 people will buy everything you put out as well as drive hundreds of miles to see you perform or go to a book signing. They 1,000 of the most loyal fans one could ask for. The point beyond having 1,000 true fans is to have them branch out and do some free advertising for you by constantly using, therefore promoting, your product.

This concept is seen all the time in blogging. All it takes is one post to get somebody hooked, and then they'll send your blog to someone else, who sends it to someone else, etc. Like starting a fire, the hardest part is to get it going, after that it's just a matter of watching it grow. As a young journalist, this idea both excites and encourages me.

His Fans Greenlight the Film

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/18/AR2006081800210_4.html

This article about Robert Greenwald and John Gilliam was fascinating because of the concept behind the whole thing. They were to make a political movie about Iraq and the ways in which the US government was doing wrong by the troops serving, the Iraqi people and employees of the US government themselves. The film was meant to inform, inspire and incite change.

The film was to be funded largely by donations from those who wanted to see the movie made. Greenwald and Gilliam reached their goal of $200,000 in 10 days, in fact, they exceeded it. The faith Gilliam and Greenwald had in their cause and their fan base was extraordinary, and so were the efforts of the donors who contributed to the film. Of course their efforts would not go unnoticed; each donor received a credit at the end of the movie, making the credits some of the longest cinematic history.

This type of filmmaking is sure to inspire people in the future to put themselves out there because sometimes, like in the case of this film, your product may be more intriguing than you believe. These two men managed to make a political movie released in the heat of midterm elections with the help of no major Hollywood corporation. They "stuck it to the man" with the help of the beliefs of their fan base.

Inside Jokes Become Jobs

http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2007-07-13/bloggers-bring-in-the-big-bucksbusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice

Blogs such as Go Fug Yourself and I Can Has a Cheezburger were respectively created by pairs of friends who turned their websites, which were only intended for a handful of people, into lucrative blogs that have become their jobs.

I Can Has a Cheezburger has involved its readers through asking them to contribute to the site. They are rewarded with a posting on the main page if their submission permits. Not only are you making your readers feel more important, but you are cutting the work you have to do as a blogger as well. There is less pressure for you to come up with new material multiple times a day to keep readers coming back. They will always be coming back if they want to keep contributing.

The best part about being so interactive with your readers is that you are inspiring other people to become bloggers and you may be inciting the next great blog of our time.

Simple ideas such as commenting on fashion and posting comical pictures have brought these from inside jokes into worldwide comedy.

http://gofugyourself.com/
http://icanhas.cheezburger.com/

The Growth of Talking Points Memo

http://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/independentmedia/symposium/symposiumdetails/

The 2008 symposium involving Josh Marshall and Talking Points Memo was ahead of its time. Today in 2013, we are aware that reaching a wider, more diverse (in all respects) audience is key to keeping news honest. The dangers of having just a few news sources controls the world's news reporting puts the public in danger of losing their independence. Becoming a slave to mainstream media may leave you biased and misinformed.

Before the explosion of Twitter, thee was much less of an understanding for independent media. Not to say that everybody who has a Twitter is a credible journalist, but it opened the eyes of many who never thought to blog or disseminate news in their own way.

It makes sense that the number of minorities who prefer reading independent news outlets aimed at them is as high as it is. 29 million U.S citizens said they preferred "ethnic" media to mainstream media. The ability to read news that doesn't come from an outlet with an agenda is something that should be valued and is found in independent media.

Marshall, as well as the other speakers at the symposium five years ago were all independent media minds that were far ahead of their time and it is no wonder why Talking Points Memo has taken off the way it has.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a revolutionary ahead of her time. Her vision for female equality was so far advanced from the barbaric thoughts of the masses. Her impact was not only felt in the media, but throughout the country during the Women's RIghts Movement. She is one of the more overlooked suffrage activists in the history of the United States. She is often overlooked in loo of Susan B. Anthony. I hadn't ever heard of Stanton until my second year in the journalism program. Now there are multiple classes where I am learning about Stanton. There should be more of an effort to teach about the doings of Stanton and the rest of the activists in the Women's Rights Movement.

Juan Gonzalez

Sitting in on Juan Gonzalez's visit was an interesting trip through the history of minorities and the way they impacted media. I had never heard of Gonzalez before this evening. I was overwhelmed with his appreciation of the history of hispanics and blacks in journalism until I learned he was hired at the NY Daily News just months after it became policy to employ minorities. Gonzalez believes it is that rule that give him a job at such a prestigious daily newspaper. The instances of race riots and differences in the way these pioneers saw journalism was revolutionary. Identifying the propaganda and corruption within mainstream journalism was key for the progress made in journalism.
Gonzalez spoke of one advance after the other. The reason for new advances in journalism was the decentralization of each new phase of journalism. First came the U.S postal system, after that was decentralized by the government, the radio became a tool for journalists to use for protesting. Television and the internet eventually came about. I believe the internet is the best tool yet. Government can do their best to regulate what information is released, but it is just too big, too open to the public and too free for the government to begin to regulate the information.
Gonzalez is an inspiration to all young journalists, especially hispanic and black journalists.

Bearing Witness 2.0

I believe what China did was right. While it did protect the traditional journalist, it discouraged those who thought of covering the event, which hurt the growth of journalism. They removed whatever freedom and independence there was in journalism by closing the area off. The Chinese media crossed the line on this one.
I do understand why they did what they did. They tried to control the coverage of the incident, but that does not give them the right to deny thousands of citizen journalists the right to deny access to the event.

Ray Lewis

Following the Baltimore Ravens' second Super Bowl title, questions have come up about future Hall-of-Famer Ray Lewis and the possibility of his using performance enhancing drugs. In my personal opinion, you must be crazy to think Ray Lewis wasn't taking a PED. Lewis suffered a torn triceps muscle in the later part of the season, at least late enough to confidently say he would not play for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs. The normal recovery process for the injury Lewis suffered is six months, he came back in 10 weeks. Another suspicious element to the Lewis story is how he performed this miraculous recovery in the last year of his career at age 37. Many would say when Lewis returned from his injury, he was playing even better than he was before he was hurt.

Bill Simmons wrote an article grantland.com asking why no journalists or reporters have asked Lewis whether he has taken any PEDs since suffering his severe tear in his triceps muscle. The best point in the Simmons' article was made about Lewis' age. He compared Lewis to other older superstars who both returned from injury abnormally fast and also players who posted career-bests later in their careers. In addition to his head growing at the age of 35, Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs at the age of 36. Prior to that record-breaking season, he had never hit even 50 home runs in a single season. A subject more similar to Lewis would have to be Mark McGwire, who hit 70 home runs at age 34 after tearing a pectoral muscle. 

The two baseball players mentioned in the paragraph above were both linked to PEDs and both denied entry to the Baseball Hall of Fame, as I believe Lewis should be also. I am not saying there are no former NFL players in the Hall of Fame who have taken PEDs, but it should be taken into consideration during the voting process for Lewis because I do believe he can be linked to them.