Ramblings From the Technologically Impaired

The Silent Genocide in Guatemala

2010-04-19T22:33:00.000-04:00

Okay, enough about Belgian frites and waffles. Time to get back to the serious stuff.

In between working full-time and my graduate studies, I decided to take a little vacation.

Destination: Guatemala.

In February, I traveled to Guatemala City on my own where I volunteered through the organization, Cross Cultural Solutions. In addition to helping create a computer room for children in a school, I had the opportunity to play with the children while experiencing the culture all in a short week. And with minimal knowledge of Spanish. I was a source of entertainment for the children as I failed miserably at speaking their language.

A week was not enough to absorb the full essence of Guatemala but for what little time I had, it was an amazing experience. The volcanic and mountainous landscape was phenomenal, the people were friendly and warm despite the language barrier and the hospitality of my home-base manager was endearing.

The country has one of the most unequal economic distributions within the western hemisphere according to the World Bank and over fifty percent of the population live in poverty. Guatemala City, its capital, is adorned with vibrant colored buildings that are contrasted with stiff coils of barbed wire and cold steel bars on windows. Antigua, the country's former capital, offers more antiquity with its cobble-stone streets and beautiful churches.

Three of Guatemala's most popular volcanoes: Agua, Fuego and Acatenango

The streets of Antigua

A Mayan woman making traditional coffee

Despite the reality of poverty, I still found myself getting lost in the charm of the people and quickly adjusting to what Guatemalans referred to as "Latin American time" which offered a welcomed break from the rigid precision I am used to in my everyday life here in the States. But just as I found myself easing into Guatemala, I was reminded of the turbulent past the country has had, learning surprising details about a genocide I had never heard about.

I was aware of the Civil War that raged on for over thirty years from 1960-1996 but was clueless to the Mayan genocide that took place during it. As I sat down to hear about the country's history from the guest speaker that came to talk to the volunteers, I was completely caught off guard by the information and testimonies that were presented.

The war, fought between the government and insurgents, was sparked by a military takeover and civil unrest. The Guatemalan military targeted the country's Mayan population, claiming they were an internal enemy with a communist plot to take over the government. Over 200,000 Mayans were killed or disappeared in the conflict with the peak of violence occurring between 1982-1983. The stories of men, women and children being tortured and raped were horrifying.

Despite the atrocities that occurred, it was not until 1999 that the genocide gained attention, when the Commission for Historical Clarification in Guatemala released its report, "Memory of Silence." In the report it was revealed that the United States gave money and training to Guatemalan military who carried out acts of genocide.

President Clinton apologized for the U.S.'s role in the genocide, noting, "We are determined to remember the past but never repeat it." How ironic that five years prior in 1994, history had already repeated itself yet again in Rwanda.

Discrimination against Mayans is still prevalent today in Guatemala. Despite their contributions to the country's rich history, they are still looked upon as inferior people and it is a struggle for them to maintain their indigenous roots and lifestyle.

Below is a video with more in-depth information about the Mayan genocide in Guatemala.

Guatemala - La Cama Massacre from Suneil Singh on Vimeo.

Belgian Frites by Saus

2010-04-06T21:56:00.003-04:00

Yes, shame on me, I've been MIA again. It's amazing how much time work and grad school take.

But I digress. And I'm going to get off topic even more. But it's my blog so I can.

I wanted to spread the word about a little endeavor by one of my friends. Coming soon to Boston is Saus, a Belgian street food restaurant specializing in traditional Belgian pommes frites and Belgian waffles with dipping sauces for both. Because I'm a food enthusiast and I'm so proud of the progress my friend and her business partners have made, I wanted to give a shout-out from the virtual rooftop.

Check out their coverage in the Boston Globe and their humorous blog that follows the (mis)adventures of opening a restaurant in Boston.

It's good stuff. And the Boston Globe article talks about their use of social media...so see, my post isn't completely off topic.

If you're in the city, be on the lookout for this place.

A Modern Approach to Some Historic Landscapes

2010-01-30T22:44:00.010-05:00

Expanding on my previous post about online mapping, I thought I'd share a more lighthearted project.

Google Maps has teamed up with The National Trust, an organization dedicated to preserving historic sites throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland, to provide viewers with virtual tours of some of these countries' preserved locations.

"Trike riders" have peddled around the United Kingdom, documenting 20 historic sites including Corfe Castle in Dorset, Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire, Plas Newydd in Wales and Downhill Demesne in Northern Ireland.

While Google Maps has previously only provided street views of roads, this project allows 360-degree views of the UK's iconic landscapes.

This is perhaps my one way to view the rolling hills and centuries-old castles in the UK for now until I get the chance to head back at some point to see everything I didn't get to while I was over there.

I'm not much of a cycler (well, who am I kidding, I'm not one at all) but I'd give it a try if it meant I got to have the full access that these trike riders get.

Now that's a decent gig.

Online Mapping: From Haiti to Kenya

2010-01-23T13:57:00.008-05:00

In the recent tragedy that came from the earthquake in Haiti, it is interesting to see the role that technology has played in communication during the chaos that has ensued.

Many, many posts ago, I discussed the online mapping project, Ushahidi, which served as a portal for Kenyans to report the violence that erupted after their presidential elections in December 2007. Since then, Ushahidi has expanded to document crises in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the War on Gaza and violence in Pakistan. Its latest project has been helping those in Haiti.

With phone lines collapsed and many anxious over the fate of their loved ones, Ushahidi teamed up with Digicel, a local mobile phone operator, and established a way for people to send text messages.

Here's how it works:

People can send their message to text number 4636 via cell phone or through the Web site
The message is then translated by volunteers
Once the volunteer finds more information and verifies it, the report is mapped
Aid agencies are then able to directly act on the message

Here's a full report from the BBC.

Additionally, online mapping is being utilized to help Kenyans in a different way than Ushahidi once did. In response to the massive droughts from last year which made it increasingly difficult for herdsman to insure their livestock, satellite imagery is making it possible to get insurance. These images can gauge the severity of drought allowing herdsman to receive automatic payment for any losses. This will help replace the expensive process of insurers having to check reported livestock deaths before making any payments.

The potential for online mapping is diverse as seen by the projects mentioned above. If it can already be used in a variety of different ways from communicating during an environmental disaster to creating a more efficient way to earn a living, there will be vast opportunities for this technology to be utilized in even more productive ways as it continues to evolve.

Focus Fail: Confessions From the Distracted

2010-01-18T16:04:00.000-05:00

As a former journalism student, I'm embarrassed to even admit to this--I'm horrible at reading the news.

Growing up, I remember watching cartoons and eating my breakfast on the weekends while my parents sat at the kitchen table with our local newspaper spread out in front of them. If they weren't able to read it in the morning, as they often didn't during the week because getting two children ready for school while trying to get to work on time was time-consuming enough, they always made the effort in the evening.

Now both retired, they still sit every morning, reading each news article, discussing them amongst themselves. I noticed while I was visiting them for the holidays how different their habits of absorbing the news are from my own.

I always thought that one day, when I was old(er), I'd be doing the same exact thing because sitting down and reading the news is an adult thing to do. Well, now in my mid-20s, I say with reluctance, that I'm a legitimate adult but I sure don't have the focus that my parents seem to have.

Given I studied journalism during my undergraduate days at Northeastern, I understand the importance of the news and knowing what is going on around you but as the industry has shifted from print to digital, how I receive the news has also affected how I absorb the news.

Let's just say, I'm a bit distracted. And I'd be willing to bet that the rest of my generation may be experiencing some of the same struggles.

I became remotely aware of it within the last couple of months. Specifically, when I was reading an article about Sudan on the New York Times Web site and my eyes happened to stray away from the text to catch a teaser about traditional food for Rosh Hashanah (I'm a bit of a food enthusiast). I immediately clicked on the link to that article and soon forgot about Sudan.

Because the digital age of online journalism and social media offer so many options for obtaining news, I tend to feel a bit of information overload. Web pages are riddled with advertisements and links galore tempting readers with instant gratification for anything that grabs their attention. I never seem to have enough will power to resist those temptations and just finish the article I originally started reading.

In other instances, I have been in the middle of reading an article online, only to become distracted by another thought that I instantly feel the need to exlpore by searching on Google. Instant gratification at its best yet again.

It is not to say that the interest is not there--it is, unfortunately, a short attention span that seems to be the culprit. Information is coming at us in all directions and for me, the news has become a mish-mosh of scattered headlines that give me just enough information to have a general idea of what is going on in the world. My main source of news is through the Internet, whether it is browsing headlines on different news sites or through random items posted on Facebook and I can't help but wonder if my abundant sources for information have left me over-saturated, dwindling my patience for in-depth news.

I find this disheartening, considering my previous studies and my current studies in global and international affairs but I figure the first step to overcoming such obstacles is confronting them.

I've managed to stay informed on current events despite my failure to focus--just not to the extent that I should. So as the new year has come upon us, I guess if I had to make any type of resolution, it would be to train myself to be a bit more patient and shift away from my current distracted mentality.

Perhaps I'll take a note or two from my parents.

With Blogging Comes Responsibility: New FTC Advertising Guidelines

2009-12-02T17:03:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's been a while. Over three months since I've written anything--although it's not to say I haven't thought of things to discuss. Let's just say I've been slow to act. Between moving into a new apartment during that dreaded September 1 time frame, starting grad school, working full time and yes, I admit, a sheer sense of laziness at times, this endeavor has taken a minor back seat. But I've decided to dive back in, so to my two loyal followers (thanks, mom and dad), sorry for the delay.

Back when I was just "thinking" of topics to potentially discuss, I stumbled across this article from the BBC in October about the tenth anniversary of Blogger which chronicled its evolution from a tool to aid in-house communication to a "personal printing press" for the masses. Interestingly enough, the Boston Globe recently explored how bloggers are now being mandated by the Federal Trade Commission to disclose to readers the acceptance of any free products or payment they've received for writing about an item. As blogs have progressed from their humble beginnings, it appears they may just need to start obliging to some journalistic standards. (The new guidelines also apply to endorsements by celebrities and those on Twitter.)

This has rubbed some bloggers the wrong way, according to the Boston Globe:

Fueling the controversy over the guidelines is the fact that mainstream media such as newspapers and magazines are exempt. Some bloggers are offended by what they perceive as an attack on their ethics. Others acknowledge the problem but chalk it up to a few bad apples.

A whole new can of worms has been opened--especially in terms of defining the role of blogs in journalism. It's clear that blogging has squirmed its way into a respected form of media in many senses and, in other ways, it still remains a tool that has steered clear of journalistic norms and ethics, maintaining its free-spirited, anything goes vibe.

But if you're looking to be heralded as a respectful contributor to media, don't you need to be held up to some respectable standards? It comes with the territory.

And no, this is not an attack on bloggers' ethics. It is exactly the opposite. It is that idea of transparency for consumers which lets them know you have nothing to hide. This is a way of upholding ethics.

During some of my intern days at a consumer public relations agency, we did blogger outreach with some of our products and for the most part, writers made it a point to disclose that the products were given to them to be reviewed and as consumers, shouldn't we all be expecting that? It's not to say that every free product received by bloggers has received rave reviews, but ethically speaking, the danger is there for that to happen if there is a lack of transparency.

This is why media outlets have Codes of Ethics. The New York Times Code of Ethics states:

Staff members and those on assignment for us may not accept anything that could be construed as a payment for favorable coverage or for avoiding unfavorable coverage. They may not accept gifts, tickets, discounts, reimbursements or other benefits from individuals or organizations covered (or likely to be covered) by their newsroom. Gifts should be returned with a polite explanation; perishable gifts may instead be given to charity, also with a note to the donor. In either case the objective of the note is, in all politeness, to discourage future gifts.

PBS' Guidelines states:

Audiences must be able to trust the information in our programs, but that trust could be jeopardized by the appearance of commercialism. At one extreme would be a perception that the program was created primarily to sell the funders' productions and services. Thus, a producer must avoid any arrangement in which an entity is paying for placement of its product or service in the program. If a producer needs to use products associated with the content of the program in the course of making the program, best practice is to cover the names of those products, but if that is not feasible, then the funders products can be used so long as they are treated no better or worse than other brands. The use of particular products in a program to demonstrate a point is an editorial decision. If products are donated, proper recognition belongs in the credits. Nothing in this rule would prevent the appearance of products in the course of reporting a story about the products themselves, nor would it violate the rule if the product appeared naturally in the course of shooting a location.

Why should bloggers be faced with anything different? Why wouldn't they want these types of guidelines if they want to be taken seriously? This is of course one of the fundamental issues of blogging--a lack of a code of ethics.

But the paradox is that blogs don't have a code of ethics because it is in many ways impossible. While anyone can start a blog, the same ease is not permitted in establishing a media company. Magazines and newspapers are exempt from the new guidelines but they are held accountable through their companies by their code of ethics. This is not a viable set up for the online world of bloggers, where the majority have no one or nothing to hold them accountable. Thus another fundamental issue: how do you enforce such guidelines on the black hole that is the Internet?

That's grounds for a whole new discussion!

Nonetheless, the new FTC guidelines are at least a step in the right direction. Yes, there will be some gray areas that need clarification but you need to start somewhere, right?

Sound Off: From the Donor's Perspective

2009-08-27T17:15:00.000-04:00

I'm a little irked. I'll tell you why.

For those who live in the city, we're all used to the street teams that organizations use to collect random donations.

Do you have time to save the whales? Polar bears? Or children? Or what about stopping global warming?

You know the routine and when you see them on the street wearing their t-shirts and grasping their clipboards, you avoid all eye contact, play with your phone, anything to divert their attention from you.

For the most part I'm guilty as charged when it comes to avoiding these fundraising attempts but recently I caved in. Walking down Huntington Avenue, a notorious spot for street teams to linger, I stopped. Why, I'm still not sure, but the important thing is, I did.

After being pressured to make a donation to sponsor a...well, for all intensive purposes of keeping this organization anonymous, let's say I was pressured to sponsor something ridiculous like a computer...I insisted that I don't have the funds to make such a commitment, which is the truth. As much as I wanted to save the, uh "computers," I just couldn't commit but I was happy to make a one-time donation.

While I don't regret giving to a good cause, I'm a bit peeved with the treatment of donors by these street teams. I was barely thanked for my donation. It appeared that because I wasn't going to make a long-term commitment, my donation wasn't really good enough but they would take it anyway. In fact, I even had to repeat several times that I was willing to give some money as he kept badgering me to sponsor a "computer." I was about ready to withdraw my offer and leave him with nothing.

My story doesn't end here.

Over the next two weeks, as I walked down Huntington Avenue like I do every day, this same organization hounded me for more money on three separate occasions. I even ran into the guy to whom I originally gave my donation. I responded politely that I had already given money to them. Rather than receiving a "thank you" he said, "Great! Now you can sponsor a [computer]!" This happened with each run-in I had until finally, one woman said, "thank you."

That's all I needed. My anger has subsided...a little.

It is one thing to follow up with donors to see if they would be interested in continuing their support. This is absolutely necessary in nonprofit development and it was an appropriate question to ask me when they attempted to stop me. But it is another thing to completely disregard a donor's initial support and pressure them into more without even an inkling of gratitude.

It's all about the execution. Donors want to feel appreciated. It doesn't mean a song and a dance over how great they are for forking over some cash. It is simple recognition that the donor has given what they are capable of giving and no matter how small the amount, it is helpful to the organization.

If my money isn't making a difference, why donate?

I take into consideration that the response, "I've already donated," is probably heard on a frequent enough basis by street teams, if they even get a response at all, and the possibility that it is an outright lie people tell to be left alone is high. Fair enough. But that is the risk that is taken when using this type of fundraising technique. Therefore, the golden rule should be to thank every person that offers such a response because sometimes it is the truth and it is a bigger risk to irritate donors.

So, to the woman who actually thanked me for the donation I made, I thank her for her gratitude.

I'm ready to step off of my soapbox now.

The Holocaust vs. Rwanda: Perceptions of Genocide

2009-08-06T22:37:00.004-04:00

It's a sad reality that the phrase "Never Again," which rose from the ashes of six million lives lost during the Holocaust, is, in many ways, an empty one. Although there has not been such an industrial, systematic attempt at wiping out an entire group of people since WWII, there have been many genocides that followed and, in some instances, are still continuing.

So, it needs to be asked: What makes Cambodia, Rwanda and currently, Darfur, so much different than WWII? Why, despite all of the lessons learned and policies passed, has the world been so slow to react to other acts of genocide?

In July I finished reading an extremely intense book that really got me pondering that very question along with the different perceptions of genocide. "We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families" is an in-depth examination of the 1994 Rwandan genocide that delves into the personal stories of survivors in addition to peeling away the many layers of political red tape and cultural unrest that led up to the genocide and hindered the recovery process after its devastation. But it also puts the reader face to face with the complete lack of response from the rest of the world.

Written by Philip Gourevitch, the book covers a lot of ground and I have to admit it may take a second read to truly grasp a better understanding of Rwanda. But, nonetheless, it opened my eyes to some of the problems surrounding international aid as well as perceptions of genocide in general.

The most noticeable factor when examining these mass killings, at least to me, is the developed Western world versus the underdeveloped third world. The Holocaust was so shocking and appalling to the world not only because we had never seen anything like it, but also in a sense because the Western world views itself as such a civilized society. The Holocaust was barbaric, repulsive and inhumane--surely something a cultured and refined people would never even dream of, never mind actually carry through.

Then there is Africa. A place where tribal and ethnic groups span across the massive continent living a very different way of life than many Westerners. Unfortunately, these tribal lives can sometimes be viewed as barbaric or uncivilized to our culture when really, it is simply just another way of life--neither better or worse--than our own.

But it may be that very mindset that changes how people perceive the Holocaust versus Rwanda or even present day Darfur. When ethnic or tribal clashes lead to something as devastating as 800,000 murdered in only 100 days in Rwanda, it is sometimes seen as just another day in Africa. A lack of understanding on the Western end leads to a dismissal of human life. It is viewed as just one tribe killing another tribe which then brings retaliation and a vicious cycle ensues. There is no rationalizing with such savagery so it is best is to leave them to their own devices:

"Except for the names and the landscape, it reads like the same story from anywhere in the world: a tribe in power slaughters a disempowered tribe, another cycle in those ancient hatreds, the more things change the more they stay the same...The generic massacre story speaks of 'endemic' or 'epidemic' violence and of places where people kill 'each other,' and the ubiquity of the blight seems to cancel out any appeal to think about the single instance. These stories flash up from the void and, just as abruptly, return there. The anonymous dead and their anonymous killers become their own context. The horror becomes absurd."

Hitler's "Final Solution" was no less absurd so it is distressing to see complete indifference to the other attempts at ethnic cleansing. Gourevitch notes that despite the stark contrast between the Holocaust and Rwanda, they both tell disconcerting tales about the capabilities of human behavior, which should raise a red flag for all of humanity:

"It has become a commonplace in the past fifty years to say that the industrialized killing of the Holocaust calls into question the notion of human progress, since art and science can lead straight through the famous gate--stamped with the words "Work Makes You Free"--to Auschwitz. Without all that technology, the argument goes, the Germans couldn't have killed all those Jews. Yet it was the Germans, not the machinery, who did the killing. Rwanda's Hutu Power leaders understood that perfectly. If you could swing the people who would swing the machetes, technological underdevelopment was no obstacle to genocide. The people were the weapon, and that meant everybody."

Gourevitch's observations came years before Darfur's crisis erupted but they are still just as relevant today as they were in 1998 when the book was published. The mantra "Never Again" still rings loud after over sixty years and efforts such as the Genocide Convention that have sprung forth from the total devastation of the Holocaust have served more as a nice piece of decor in the house of politics than as a functional tool. Its idealistic premise to protect humanity has turned a blind eye to many human lives, leaving blood on the hands of many nations and Gourevitch boldly asks, "Whose world were the drafters of the Genocide Convention--and the refugee conventions, which soon followed--thinking of?"

It certainly has not been victims of genocide.
_______________________

Speaking of Darfur, be sure to read this editorial in today's Boston Globe, written by Eric Reeves, a professor at Smith College who has devoted years to research and advocacy about the genocide.

More on Micro-Lending

2009-06-30T17:15:00.001-04:00

To build upon what I discussed in my last post about micro-lending, I thought I'd include a new study that takes a closer look at the effects it has in helping people out of poverty. The results conclude that it may not be helping as much previously thought.

Given my background in journalism, I do like to play devil's advocate and present both sides of any story. In their working paper, U.S. economists, David Roodman, of the Center for Global Development, and Jonathan Morduch, of New York University, take a look at the studies conducted in Bangladesh about the impact of microcredit in households and conclude that although it does not do harm, there is a lack of evidence that it improves the lives of the poor.

Here's more information from Newsweek where you can also view the working paper by Roodman and Morduch.

In light of their findings I feel that this may be a testament that micro-lending is indeed a good method that just needs some tweaking and revising.

Micro Lending in Developing Countries

2009-06-26T17:30:00.000-04:00

During my short time at a public relations agency that focused on nonprofit and mission-based organizations, I became aware of the term "micro-lending" and its effectiveness in developing countries. So, when I saw this article in the New York Times today, it caught my eye immediately. I'm not sure why I have never thought to write about this before, but it's never too late to do so.

Essentially micro-lending is the extension of very small loans meant for those in poverty to help cultivate business and entrepreneurship. This by no means is anything new and it has been the subject of many media outlets discussing the pros and cons of such a practice.

However, the article in the New York Times pointed out that while these loans can greatly help people, it is important to teach them business education. The combination of the loans and the knowledge is a more practical way to increase the amount of success people experience in stabilizing themselves financially and contributing to the rest of society.

While the story presented a couple of success stories, the major criticisms of micro-lending is that it can leave the small guy to be taken advantage of by big banks and it that there is no way to ensure that these loans are actually being used in the manners for which they were intended.

These are valid concerns and it's encouraging to see that organizations are working to improve the system. Kiva.org, a micro-lending organization operated through the Internet, reassures lenders that these loans really are making a difference:

We are constantly working to make the system more transparent to show how money flows throughout the entire cycle, and what effect it has on the people and institutions lending it, borrowing it, and managing it along the way. To do this, we are using the power of the internet to facilitate one-to-one connections that were previously prohibitively expensive. Child sponsorship has always been a high overhead business. Kiva creates a similar interpersonal connection at much lower costs due to the instant, inexpensive nature of internet delivery. The individuals featured on our website are real people who need a loan and are waiting for socially-minded individuals like you to lend them money.

Other organizations such as WomensTrust, which is dedicated to helping the women of Pokuase, Ghana through micro enterprise, education and healthcare, also make sure to detail the process for lenders states on its Web site:

We employ a group-lending model that was introduced by the Grameen Bank in the 1980s. Potential clients form their own groups of four or five women and come to the WomensTrust office for an initial screening. In order to track impact, our staff records information about their businesses, their incomes, their families, their education, and their homes.
Once the group is accepted, each woman receives a beginning loan of $40 U.S. Each group member must repay her individual loan before the whole group is eligible for its next loan. We charge 15 percent interest for each four-month loan period. That rate is well within Ghanaian banking guidelines and is set purposely high to compensate microfinance institutions for the risk they are willing to assume making uncollateralized loans to the poor and very poor. It also discourages loan clients from gaming the money— i.e., loaning it out at higher rates to others.

Each of our loan clients is issued an individual ledger book with the date and details of her loan and weekly repayments. Once a group has successfully repaid their loan in full, they are eligible for the next loan of $60 or $80 and can progress up the scale to a maximum amount of $190.

There will always be kinks in any type of system which is why I think micro-lending can have more pros than cons. It needs to have checks and balances and people who are sincere and genuine in these efforts to help people.

On the other hand, for lenders, there is the issue of return on investment (ROI), leaving some to question if this type of philanthropy may focus too much on profit. This is perhaps a bit of an oxy-moron since the whole point of investing in something is to gain something back.

If a particular project isn't advancing, I'd be questioning why as an investor. Getting a better understanding of what the challenges are and what needs to be fixed is a more feasible solution than having investors pull out their support. This, ideally, is left to the organization but it is important to keep the lender as informed as possible. I figure if someone is already investing in a project aimed to help those in need, then it is most likely not all about ROI (maybe I'm being too optimistic but I'd like to think that this is how it goes) and he or she would be willing to stick it out--especially if steps are being taken to improve the small business.

These are clearly my observances as I can't claim to know the detailed process of exactly how the relationship between the lenders and organizations work. I understand it would take a lot of manpower, time and money from these organizations to maintain that level of transparency, but again, the process can evolve as time goes on.

Micro-lending can offer some promising endeavors. It's just a matter of whether we can perfect the system. For now, we know that it is doing good in many cases and I think that's justification enough to move forward.

The Constant Battle for Women in Darfur

2009-06-25T18:30:00.000-04:00

A while ago, I ran across this article in the Boston Globe discussing the recent study by Cambridge-based Physicians for Human Rights and the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI) which examines the long-term impact of rape and other sexual violence experienced by Darfuri women refugees. I've been meaning to bring some attention to it and while I'm a little late in doing so, I still see the importance of it.

The interesting focus of this study is not the numbers of how many have been raped or abused, (although it is no secret that the numbers are high in Darfur) but rather the effect it is having on the women who continue to live in fear every day. Eighty-eight women who fled to Chad from Darfur in order to escape the attacks on their villages, were interviewed for this study and were physically examined. While some were raped in Darfur, others were raped in Chad where they are seeking refuge.

Not only do these women have to deal with the repercussions that come with being a rape victim but they are also constantly dealing with the looming threat of sexual abuse even after. There is no relief and, as the study has found, that can have dire effects for these women both emotionally and physically.

To view the report and see the work that Physicians for Human Rights is doing for Darfuri women, click here.

Philanthropy 101 for College Students

2009-06-25T18:00:00.000-04:00

If only these courses had existed while I was still in college:

Colleges and universities in Boston are embarking on a new trend that gives students first-hand experience in philanthropy, the Boston Globe reported today. I'm not just talking about whipping out the checkbook and signing away some money to a charity of choice. I'm talking about understanding the full scope of philanthropy from writing up mission statements to researching and evaluating organizations and then allocating the money in a responsible manner.

The Globe reported that Tufts University, Northeastern University (my Alma mater) and Boston University have all started these philanthropy courses and at least 10 New England colleges will start offering them next school year. As my eyes read over Northeastern, I stopped and thought, "Wait, how come I didn't know about this?" Well, that's because the university only started these classes last fall, after I had graduated. Bummer.

But no worries for me. I'm lucky enough to have a stint as a development assistant where I'm getting some first-hand experience on fundraising and philanthropy, albeit it's in the "real world" as a full-time job instead of in my former college lifestyle.

Regardless, I'm a little jealous. I think this is really a great opportunity because students are dealing with real money. There's no Monopoly paper money in these courses. The money itself is being donated to students in a sense. The Globe notes:

Two national foundations interested in promoting the teaching of philanthropy on college campuses began donating money for the courses across the country in recent years. The Sunshine Lady Foundation, established by Doris Buffett, sister of famed investor Warren Buffett, has given colleges $10,000 a year to disburse since 2003. The foundation’s Learning By Giving program will double next year to include 15 colleges across the country, including Tufts and Holy Cross.

The people behind these large grants are going to expect their money to be used wisely, even if it is a learning experience.

While this can open a whole new experience for students, who may or may not have had an interest in nonprofits to begin with, I think some of the real value is teaching them to be responsible with money. Understanding how an organization works and how donations contribute to helping the organization reach its mission is important. It might not seem so pertinent to students now, given they operate on tighter budget, but this won't always be the case. And as they are able to possibly make philanthropic decisions in the future, they'll have a better understanding of it all. It was also pointed out in the article that this could be a great asset for business students who will need to have knowledge of how to spend money in the most effective manner.

Hopefully, this can also serve as a way to get people interested in philanthropy at a young age, even if they won't be flexing those muscles for years to come. It can at least plant the seed for now.

A Few Reflections on the 65th Anniversary of D-Day

2009-06-06T13:30:00.003-04:00

Sixty-five years have passed since the Battle of Normandy changed the path of World War II and it is evident that the effects of the war have lingered as generations have passed, especially in terms of the Holocaust.

The Holocaust has become the backdrop for all discussions on genocide and time has shaped how the dark history of that era relates to the present. A few of Michael Kimmelman's "Abroad" columns in the New York Times have offered some insight into how it has remained an underlying influence in European culture.

For Poland, a country where anti-Semitism has persisted, the Holocaust has become ingrained in its identity, despite the now diluted Jewish population that resulted from the impact of the war. While the country has struggled with its own sentiment of victimhood, it appears the view has started to shift to an understanding that while both the Poles and the Jews suffered, it is all part of the same history. Kimmelman writes:

“Of course there are historical reasons why the perception of Poland is the way it is,” said Andrzej Folwarczny, the forum’s president. “On the other hand, Communism taught Poles that Jewish suffering was only one part of the general suffering of the Polish people, and that the first 150,000 or so victims at Auschwitz were Polish political prisoners. So after Communism, when more and more Jews came here and said, ‘Auschwitz is our place of suffering,’ suddenly these two sides, ignorant of each other’s narrative, clashed over victimhood.
“But gradually more Poles have come to realize that their history is not black and white, that we should be proud of Poles who saved Jews but also be clear that other Poles killed Jews, and that something is missing from our culture” — he was now referring to the Jewish population of three million before the war, today barely a few thousand — “for which we have responsibility.”

Kimmelman then discusses a survey in which residents living where the Warsaw Ghetto used to stand noted that Jewish history is crucial to their sense of pride and home. The full article is here.

On the other side of the spectrum, Germany, the offenders, have had to grapple with the devastation they brought and the millions of lives that were murdered under Hitler's iron fist. It has understandably remained a sensitive subject but in some respects, it seems that time has allowed some healing.

Mel Brooks' slapstick comedy, The Producers, recently arrived in Germany, prompting Kimmelman to ask, "Can Germans laugh at Hitler?" And it appears they can. If Israelis can laugh along with the Americans, then why can't they, suggests some Germans who viewed the show. Perhaps laughter is the best medicine. The challenge is maintaining a line between tasteful and offensive and as time removes us further from those lost through such horrific means, the challenge becomes greater.

I often think of another Mel Brooks' comedy, History of the World Part I, a comedy that fast-forwards through some of history's most momentous eras in true Mel Brooks fashion. One scene is a musical rendition of the Spanish Inquisition, a violent and torturous era that started during the 15th century where Spain attempted to unite itself under Catholocism after the Crusades. Thousands were tortured and killed yet in the film, it has been turned into a song and dance. And we all laughed. It was funny. But is that because we are so removed from what happened all of those years ago?

The Spanish Inquisition occured in an entirely different time period with entirely different mindsets but it helps illustrate my point just the same. I don't think there is any right or wrong answer but I do believe that at some point, and in some way, in order to accept the past there needs to be a little bit of comedic relief.

When it comes down to it, the evidence is still there. There are the remaining camps such as Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, there are survivor testimonies and there are pictures and film footage that make it hard to forget. And that is good. We can't afford to forget. A little laughter is a healthy way to move on, especially since The Producers makes a complete fool out of Hitler, helping those of us who weren't there to live through it see the complete absurdity of his ideology.

While years continue to pass even after the 65 that have already gone, the sheer magnitude of WWII has left plenty of lessons to learn in the present day.

Leveraging Social Media for Fundraising

2009-05-17T14:46:00.003-04:00

Social media has played a critical role in keeping us all connected--whether it is the real-time status updates we receive on Facebook or the continuous buzz generated by user comments on blogs. That connectivity has also jumped to the nonprofit world, where fundraising is undergoing a transformation.

Social networking sites have morphed beyond just keeping people informed about who broke up with who and have tried to adopt more socially conscious applications such as Facebook Causes. But, there is an important to question to ask--does this work? The Associated Press recently considered the effect of social media on nonprofits:

With millions of users worldwide, the sites would seem fertile ground for fundraising experiments — especially ones where users aren't asked to make direct contributions.
But it's far from certain that social networking will prove as effective as more traditional fundraising methods such as direct mail, telephone solicitation and even e-mails to past donors.
One hurdle to overcome is the sheer deluge of information online.

It is true that there is an abundance of irrelevant information brought forth by these sites (If I receive one more invitation to guess my own date of death or one more notification that someone threw a rubber chicken at me on Facebook, I might just poke my eye out!) but for the sake of argument, this is the type of awareness and publicity that can be extremely helpful to organizations.

Already working on tight budgets, nonprofits need publicity which can come at a costly price. In tough economies--such as the one we're in right now--the first thing to be cut back on or cut out completely is the communication, public relations and marketing efforts, which seems a bit counterproductive. If people are not aware of what you're organization is doing, or better yet, that your organization even exists, then how are you to maintain donors or bring in prospective ones?

Enter in social media--a.k.a free publicity.

So, while it is perhaps over zealous to say that social networking sites are going to completely revolutionize fundraising and bring in droves of donors, it is accurate to say that it will strongly influence fundraising.

It is an easy route for organizations to take advantage of but it is necessary to understand what social media tools work best for each individual cause. A critical question is who is your donor audience and where are they most likely to spend their time online?

Awareness is the key factor to bring in money. The more exposure given, the more likely people will be aware of the cause. It is just a matter of being strategic and smart about it, which is another obstacle for nonprofits as they are tight on human capacity and it takes time and research to understand these tools.

Here are some other recent articles that explore social media's effects on fundraising:

Media Shift:
How Charities Harness Social Media to Raise Awareness, Money

New York Times:
Charities Reap Benefits of Contests on Internet

The Boston Globe Lives On

2009-05-06T15:07:00.003-04:00

The Boston Globe reached a deal with the New York Times Co. early this morning. Unfortunately that means a 23 percent pay cut for employees. You can find the full story here.

I'm glad the paper is safe...for now.

The Case for Blogging

2009-05-03T15:23:00.006-04:00

On more than one occasion I have had the discussion with my brother-in-law and a couple of other family members about the point of blogging. Some of them don't see it.

I guess you could easily figure that I do.

I know I just posted about how sad I'll be if the Boston Globe ceases its print edition, and I will be, but I also think it's important to acknowledge the significant effects blogging has had on journalism.

While my brother-in-law argued that there are too many blogs out there serving as empty ramblings from people with nothing better to do (I'm paraphrasing here), I had to make the case that there are many that have made an important contribution to the industry as they have uncovered stories that the mainstream media has managed to overlook.

So maybe he's right--there are millions of bloggers out there who may use this platform as a means to sound off on anything and everything in which one might argue, who cares? But I still say more power to them...it's not hurting anyone. It might not be contributing to anything in the larger sense but it's harmless.

It's the bigger picture that counts. Blogs have made a huge impact on how people absorb the news and how news is broken. Back in 2007, TechNewsWorld provided a roundup of the top ten news stories brought to the forefront by bloggers. The firing of U.S. prosecuters by U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the Dan Rather scandal in which he aired a false report on "60 Minutes" that supposedly provided valuable information about former President Bush's time in the Texas Air National Guard during Vietnam were all brought to light by bloggers. I'd say that's a pretty significant impact they've made.

Recently, Marcy Wheeler from emptywheel helped break the story about the use of waterboarding by CIA interrogators on prisoners from Al Qaeda. She also had a role in liveblogging for the Lewis Libby Jr. trial. Apparently, Wheeler has had a tough time getting funding from major donors to help her put her investigative journalism skills to use, according to firedoglake. In response, a campaign has been started to raise $150,000 to support Marcy, another investigative blogger to work with her, and a researcher to help them. In less than two weeks since the post about her predicament was written, $63,000 dollars have been raised so far. The great part is, all of the donations have come directly from readers. It says something that readers recognize the impact that bloggers can have.

In addition, it's the analysis and dialogue that blogs generate that make them a valuable asset to the industry. A post on MediaShift summarized this concept well:

The blog has emerged as a powerful platform for journalists to provide context, analysis and interpretation, often including behind-the-scenes information that does not fit into the structure of a traditional news story. It has also provided journalists with a way to communicate with readers in a more conversational and informal tone, rather than in an abstract voice of authority.

All of this is important in journalism as it keeps the conversation flowing and guides journalists to be better reporters and investigators. By inviting readers to join in on the discussion, as blogs have a knack for doing, journalists help expand their reach for sources and information and often find that readers are willing and happy to be a part of something.

Blogs have continued to create that element of dialogue among those that I mentioned earlier whose main purpose is not to contribute to journalism. It still creates a sense of community among people, whether they've started a blog on vegan cooking or hunting or fashion and celebrity gossip or whatever else people feel the need to discuss. When it comes down to it, that can be valuable too as it promotes writing, thinking, creativity and a marketplace for ideas that people can share.

So while some may ask what's the point, there really doesn't need to be this cosmic, world-changing movement for every blog. What matters is that there will be some that do make a drastic impact and others that just keep the conversation going. With that in mind, where's the harm in that?

The Suspense Continues for the Boston Globe...

2009-05-03T15:10:00.003-04:00

The May 1 deadline for the Boston Globe was extended to midnight tonight as negotiations continue to determine the fate of the paper. Here's the latest coverage.

Personally, I'll be deeply saddened if the Globe stops printing. I've lived in this city for nearly six years and I was an intern at the paper. It's been a familiar face throughout my studies of journalism in Boston and as a resident of the city. As much of a fan as I am for the online world of journalism and social media, I still see the value in the printed page and I hope the Boston Globe is able to stand its ground as the industry continues to change.

SickCity

2009-04-26T14:51:00.004-04:00

The explosion in popularity for Twitter has allowed everyone to stay in tune with each other through the bountiful amounts of "tweets" but it is apparently being used for another type of tracking: people's illnesses.

SickCity specializes in "realtime disease detection for your city from messages on Twitter (and soon Facebook)." The site scans for messages about being sick ranging from a simple sore throat to the worst of the flu and allows users to track by city and illness.

Webware's Josh Lowensohn reported about this and also mentioned Google's attempt at tracking the spread of the common cold. Google's tracking depends on people's searches on Google.com along with historic data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. SickCity's data is provided in realtime and has the ability to drill down by city. Lowensohn commented that the combination of both Twitter's users and the results from Google could have some potential in the future.

This approach made me think of the potential it could have in tracking illnesses around the world in impoverished countries. Could international aid organizations use tools like this to collect data and track the spread of certain diseases? Granted, the technology is new and in the development stages but it may have the possibility to be utilized by the health and international aid sectors. It would have to be adapted from just people "tweeting" about a sore throat or a runny nose to a more defined system but given the flexibility and innovation of technology, it's not a far-fetched idea.

A Dire Sign of the Times...

2009-04-26T14:26:00.003-04:00

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Boston Globe is facing the threat of being shut down unless labor unions agree to pay cuts and ending pension contributions. According to the Boston Herald, the unions have until this Friday, May 1 to agree to the concessions.

It's just another sign of the times as print journalism struggles to stay afloat. As an intern in the now defunct Living/Arts section at the Globe in 2005, I remember when the first talks of downsizing were murmured among the the reporters. It's a little sad to see that four years later, the discussion has gotten much more serious. I personally hope that it won't come down to this but I guess we'll have to wait and see

April is Genocide Prevention Month

2009-04-03T10:09:00.004-04:00

April is a commemorative month for some of the world's greatest atrocities. Darfur, Rwanda, Bosnia, Cambodia, the Holocaust and Armenia all have anniversaries in April and the Genocide Prevention Project has taken action to spread awareness by making it Genocide Prevention Month.

Along with efforts to remember those lost in past genocides, the awareness campaign also focuses on the need for a global prevention policy especially with the current crisis in Darfur. The spotlight on Darfur is a given since the project was launched by Dream for Darfur, an organization which has raised awareness about China's influence on the genocide.

Survivors and advocates will be hosting events all around the world. To launch the month-long vigil, the film, "The Last Survivor" was debuted on March 31 at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in Washington D.C. The film chronicles Darfuri survivors and their dedication to anti-genocide advocacy.

Ironically, I haven't seen much coverage about it. A simple Google news search for "Genocide Prevention Month" turned up 12 search results with none from the mainstream media. It's quite disappointing. With the need for advocacy and awareness as Darfur's conflict is embarking on its sixth year, an effort such as this is a newsworthy topic.

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal ran a very long but eloquent commentary by Tod Lindberg, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and editor of Policy Review. While I dont count this as coverage of "Genocide Prevention Month" he made some powerful points:

Though genocides are not uniform in character, they are all political. Genocide constitutes the most extreme possible terms for settling differences: a stronger party's decision to annihilate or extirpate the weaker. Genocide is organized. It entails a project, which in turn requires leaders with a purpose in mind and their acquisition of the means of death, including followers to do the dirty work.
We simply do not have to put up with this. By "we," let me be clear. I do not mean "humanity," although I would welcome the collective conclusion of mankind that genocide is unacceptable. I do not mean the "international community," although a decision on the part of all national governments to refrain from engaging in mass atrocities at home or abroad would be most welcome, as would a collective intention to stop and punish leaders or would-be leaders seeking to deviate from the norm. What I really mean by "we" is "we who are strong enough to stop the murderous bastards before they can get away with it."

This "we" is an inclusive group; everyone with a will and a way is welcome. But its purpose must go far beyond declaratory well-wishing. It is not a bad thing but a grossly insufficient thing to join in choruses of "never again," the familiar refrain after something really bad has happened—say, six million dead Jews, two million dead Cambodians, or 800,000 dead Tutsis. No, we must act to stop the malefactors.
And by "we," in the last analysis, I mean the United States.
[...]
So, in recent memory, "we" have acted effectively, showing that we can, and "we" have failed to act effectively, revealing a gap between our professed moral sense and what we are prepared to do to vindicate it. The test of progress for this generation is whether we will be able to extend the principle of regard for others by acting when necessary to prevent or halt genocide.
[...]
In 1946, with the dimensions of the horror of the Holocaust still unfolding, the U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution declaring genocide a crime under international law. Genocide "shocks the conscience of mankind," the resolution memorably declared. This effort to "internationalize" the crime of genocide might have been the world body's finest hour. The ensuing Genocide Convention of 1948 provides for "the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide" whether "committed in time of peace or time of war" and elaborates a definition, which includes "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group."
The convention isn't self-executing, in that it doesn't compel its signatories to take any particular action if the terms of the treaty are violated. But it does provide an international legal and, more important, moral framework for preventive action in response to the risk of genocide.

Breakthrough though it was, one unintended consequence of the Genocide Convention has been a serious problem. The definition of genocide is good as far as it goes, and the prevention mandate seems to allow latitude for timely action against would-be perpetrators. But whether "genocide" as defined in the treaty is actually occurring or about to occur is a complicated question both epistemologically and legally. For if you act to prevent genocide and succeed, there is no genocide—and so you cannot prove you have prevented one. Moreover, those you act against can claim you have violated their sovereign rights, and the argument will carry weight.

If, on the other hand, there is a legal finding of genocide, then it is too late for prevention. All that is left is mitigation. Moreover, if "genocide" is the trigger for action, then the bar is rather high: Atrocities short of genocide may somehow end up as tolerable, or at least tolerated. In 2005, a year after Colin Powell announced the U.S. finding of a genocide in Darfur, a U.N. special inquiry issued a report saying that while criminal atrocities had taken place in Sudan for which perpetrators needed to be held accountable, it lacked the basis for a conclusion that those crimes amounted to genocide. The bloodstained rulers in Khartoum were delighted to characterize the report as a vindication.

That's only the tip of the iceberg for Lindberg's commentary but it's definitely worth reading the whole thing. I focused on those particular parts because it raises the conflicting issues when combating genocide. Morally, we agree it's an atrocity, but actively little is done. Lindberg beautifully outlined the politics behind it all and those are the loose ends that are in dire need of being tied up if any progress is to be made.

A Fun Way to Fundraise

2009-04-02T14:35:00.002-04:00

My roommate passed along a solution to a minuscule problem in my life: what to do with those broken electronics that you can't throw away in the regular trash due to toxic chemicals.

Enter, EcoPhones' Green School Fundraiser. It's basically a win-win situation for causes that need to raise money and consumers who need to get rid of their old electronics--even broken and damaged items. Which is great for me because so far I have a phone I managed to drop in a puddle six months after buying and an iPod that died in the middle of my tour through Europe (just in time for the 10-hour drive from Switzerland to Paris).

Schools, churches and organizations looking to bring in some much needed funds can simply start an EcoPhones fundraising drive in which people drop off their old and/or damaged goods which are then turned into EcoPhones for money.

According to its Web site, the Dallas company "is a leader in cellular phone, ink jet printer cartridge, laptop / notebook computer, iPod, digital camera & digital video camera recycling & fundraising."

I must say, they do provide a pretty penny for those electronics--up to $300 for a cell phone. For a full list visit here.

The other great aspect is that there is no cost for the organization. EcoPhones provides free marketing materials and free shipping and there is no cost to participate.

For donors it is a great solution because with money being tight these days, there is no need to empty your wallet to make a charitable contribution. Plus, you're cleaning out the clutter while helping the environment.

Staying Positive Might Be Hard, But It's Not Impossible

2009-03-27T12:47:00.004-04:00

With the bombardment of bad news, I thought this piece by Daniel Stone from Newsweek was a great pick-me-up. Even when it's really hard to find the silver-lining in what seems like a black hole of bad news, you can still do it, and you should--if only to keep yourself sane.

Stone, who went on what he calls "a cool scavenger hunt" to "find the lost graveyard of good news," notes that there are the wallowers (those who "soak up the latest unemployment statistics the day they come out") and the deniers (those who "turn their heads, choosing to immerse themselves in the "Back to the Future" trilogy or scrapbooking , turning off the news altogether").

But through his quest to find the silver lining, he found that it's possible even in the worst of situations and it's necessary:

But psychologically speaking, it turns out that trying to see the positive in such a negative environment isn't that bad, so long as you do for the right reasons and don't become an outright Denier of reality. According to psychologist Steven Hayes, author of the book "Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life," it's fine if you're looking at the positive just for the sake of learning something positive. "But if you're only looking for the good in order to keep the wolf at bay, then your mind will constantly be thinking about the wolf, and you don't really escape. It all comes down to your level of psychological flexibility." Some people need to keep up on the bad news so they feel prepared, or maybe more in control. It can be a way to brace yourself for even worse news, says University of Florida psychologist James Shepperd. But in most cases, the human tendency is to lean toward optimism, in hopes of a better day.

Read through the whole thing and maybe you'll find your own silver lining.

Non-Profit Newspapers

2009-03-27T12:03:00.005-04:00

The Associated Press reported earlier this week about a bill proposed by Sen. Benjamin Cardin, D-Md. that would allow newspapers to choose tax-exempt status. Given that newspapers are dropping like flies (with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and the Rocky Mountain News among some of them), this could be an alternative route to keep American journalism alive and well.

I approached this topic over a year ago when it was clear that circulation numbers were steadily dropping for some of the country's most renowned papers. Now with Sen. Cardin's proposal, perhaps this model of journalism will be here sooner than thought.

It's already been a successful approach for the St. Petersburg Times, PBS and NPR.

However, with nonprofits struggling in this economy, will nonprofit newspapers be just another branch within the sector doing it's best to tread the water?

The Associated Press also reported on this a few weeks ago noting some of the concerns of those within the journalism industry:

Several newspaper executives this month launched a public-relations campaign to counter what they call "gloom-and-doom" reports of the industry's demise.

Bill Keller, executive editor of The New York Times, said in an online exchange with readers recently that the nonprofit model has serious downsides, including conditions placed by funders. He added that endowments are no insulation against economic hard times.

On a more practical level, skeptics question whether the millions and millions of dollars needed to create such endowments could be raised during the worst recession in decades.

The proposal mentions that newspapers could operate as nonprofits if they choose to do so and Cardin notes that it is meant to preserve local newspapers and not large newspaper conglomerates. This nonprofit status would also mean no more political endorsements, which was something that never sat well with me to begin with.

With this said, it is good to keep in mind that this approach might not be the best for all newspapers but it could work for some. It's clear though that it's being considered more seriously than it was a year ago.

Update: Beyond Good Intentions

2009-03-20T11:36:00.003-04:00

Shortly after my previous post about Beyond Good Intentions, founder Tori Hogan responded to the email I had sent to her with some more detailed answers. I thought it would be best to share a little bit of what she wrote.

Hogan first came up with the idea after her frustrations with her own work in international aid made her realize that she either had to quit or find ways to improve the system. While Beyond Good Intentions was originally meant to be a book, she notes that circumstances, including a run in with Al Gore who stressed the importance of reaching out to an audience visually, led her to turn to film instead.

This is an important understanding as the world becomes more visual and interactive. Social media and the Internet have made it almost a necessity for companies, organizations and even media outlets to engage their audience beyond simple text and Web pages. Don't get me wrong--the written word will always be of great significance (I wouldn't have been a journalism major if I didn't truly believe this) but when it comes to really getting a message across visual aids have the tendency to be much more compelling. Especially in regards to international conflicts and issues that need world attention. I can read about a child in Sudan who has been orphaned and living in a refugee camp and think, "How awful!" but seeing it first hand tugs at the heartstrings with a bit more vigor.

Film also works as a better medium for this type of project because it really gets the dialogue going by seeing and hearing individuals talk about their approaches in different episodes. Reading this in one lump sum, while extremely interesting and valuable, just might not get the conversation flowing as easily.

Hogan had even originally intended to make the film feature-length but changed her mind:

Originally the film was going to be feature-length. But I began to realize that to make an impact, I needed young people to be watching it. I wanted to get a dialogue about aid started among the rising generation of changemakers and we decided that short formate on-line "episodes" would be a much more effective way to reach them.

Again, delivering the issue all at once might be effective, but it might not be the most effective method of starting a dialogue.

Hogan told me via email that the episodes will also be available via YouTube and that she is open to embracing outlets beyond the organization's Web site. She did not mention if anything is currently in the works or of any outlets she'd like to reach out to. Regardless, spreading the project will be a better route to go in order to reach maximum impact.

Beyond Good Intentions

2009-03-12T14:13:00.003-04:00

Nonprofits are in constant need of communicating the importance and urgency of their organization and this is mostly reflected in how effective the nonprofit is. Donors want to know how their dollars are being used, how the organization is being innovative and what type of results are being brought forth.

When I came across Beyond Good Intentions, I was impressed by the extensive and in-depth attempt to answer what is effective and what is not. Founded by Tori Hogan in Cambridge, MA, Beyond Good Intentions is a nonprofit that attempts to answer "What really works in international aid?" through film.

I contacted Hogan via email in February to get some more details about the organization and its film series but unfortunately have not received a response. Since I feel like this is a really important idea that's being explored, I figured I'd share what details I do have.

Documenting Hogan's efforts to travel to ten different countries over a year of filming, the series is set to launch on April 1 with ten five-minute episodes which will be aired on the Web site each week. During her travels she interviewed 63 organizations in order to look at the innovative and effective approaches to international aid.

What is notable is the range of organizations, countries and issues that she and her team were able to cover. Everything from small non-profits to large multi-national institutions that spanned from North America to South America to Africa to Southeast Asia were examined. The team covered a wide variety of issues as well, including HIV/AIDS, unemployment, education and health among many others. But the main focus was on the approaches to solving these social problems which is perhaps the bigger issue.

As far as I can tell, the only outlet that Hogan plans to display her work is through the Beyond Good Intentions Web site. I feel this may limit the reach that her work could potentially have and was curious to know her reasoning behind this.

Despite that, the series will be a great contribution to the nonprofit world as it struggles to stay afloat during these hard economic times.

Check out the trailer:

A Multimedia Look Into Darfur

2009-02-26T10:31:00.006-05:00

Returning to my journalistic roots, I'm impressed by some of the multimedia I've recently stumbled across that examine the atrocities in Darfur. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has an in-depth display of interactive journalism that really educates people in a more stimulating manner than just reading a news article or watching a two-minute news segment on television (not that these basic journalism methods aren't important).

Released in August 2008, Failing Darfur burrows deep into the five-year conflict with eye-capturing timelines, videos, photo essays and maps along with informative Q&A's and HRW Reports that have chronicled Darfur throughout the years. One of its more compelling displays is "Smallest Witnesses" which looks at the damage caused through the eyes of children in Darfur. In 2005 HRW investigators gave children paper and crayons to keep them entertained only to find that the drawings they created reflected the unwavering violence and destruction they had experienced.

The first child Human Rights Watch encountered, an eight-year-old named Mohammed, had never held a crayon or pencil before. So Mohammed gave the paper to his brothers. They drew—without any instruction—pictures of Janjaweed on horseback and camel shooting civilians, Antonovs dropping bombs on civilians and houses, an army tank firing on fleeing villagers.

In addition to Darfur, HRW has some other compelling displays that look at the dire situations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and Georgia.

The value behind this type of multimedia is that it is a powerful education tool as it is a one-stop shop of visual and engaging information. I wonder if classrooms, whether at the high school or collegiate level, use sources like this when examining foreign affairs, conflicts and genocides. Are these valuable tools able to reach a broad audience or are they staying within a more niche audience of human rights activists?

Another interesting attempt to educate people about Darfur is a viral video game that launched in 2006 and is aimed towards a younger audience. Darfur is Dying was the winning submission from a group of students from the University of Southern California who entered the Darfur Digital Activism Contest sponsored by mtvU, the Reebok Human Rights Foundation and the International Crisis Group.

I actually ran across this game in the spring of 2008 when I began research for my story on Google Earth's Crisis in Darfur map and unfortunately, I'm just getting around to discussing it nearly a year later.

The game is meant to put you in the shoes of the 2.5 million displaced Darfuris who must fend for their lives in refugee camps. In my attempts to play, my body tensed as I became a young Darfuri girl who must fetch water outside of the camp where the threat of being raped and/or murdered follows her day in and day out. While this is just a game, I found myself thinking that if I'm feeling the stress of this virtual life after 15 minutes of playing, I can't even begin to imagine the fear and anxiety those in Darfur have been living with for over five years now. This is the whole point of the game--to make people more socially conscious. It is a great way to really get people to pay attention and empathize and hopefully, take action. Again, the question is how much outreach was the game able to get?

With all of these great ways to spread information and bring awareness, the more pressing issue is how do we make people aware of these tools?

Some Optimism For Today's Economy

2009-02-09T13:57:00.001-05:00

The endless stream of depressing news stories about the down economy is unnerving for everyone but I'm hoping to maybe spread a little inkling of hope to the nonprofit world. According to Fortune, corporate responsibility is managing to survive the financial crisis--which might not be enough to ease the anger of Americans after hearing about the excessive perks Wall Street executives have received despite the $700 billion dollar bailout--but perhaps it's a very small start.

Fortune reports:

As recession-battered companies struggle to cut costs, money spent on microfinance projects in India or using more expensive environmentally-correct packaging might seem like obvious ways to save.
But a surprising number of companies see corporate responsibility as all the more important given the financial crunch, even as they reduce spending elsewhere in their businesses. Indeed, proponents of CSR like General Electric, Intel, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500) are sustaining or expanding their commitments, at least for now.
"Corporate responsibility is a nearly recession-proof commitment because it's become so mainstream," says Bennett Freeman, senior vice president for social research and policy at the Calvert Group, a leader in socially responsible investments, with about $13 billion under management. "That said, the resources to back the commitment are not recession-proof, and even the most committed are no doubt going to look for ways to cut costs."
To be sure, some companies are revaluating their efforts. Many will likely reduce their commitments to matching-grant programs for employee charitable giving, disaster relief funds, or business units focused on sustainable investments.

The encouraging news is that companies are starting to view corporate responsibility as a key component to their business, especially as consumers are losing faith in corporate leaders.

With that said, I thought I'd highlight a local effort at raising money. Virgin America Airlines is showing its support for Boston nonprofits through its What's Your Revolution? contest, which coincides with its new Boston service. Local Boston nonprofits are fighting for votes from everyday people for the chance to win $25,000 while Virgin America is also gifting $25,000 to Virgin Unite to support the participating organizations. The organizations are focused on youth education and the environment and the winner will be recognized at Virgin America's launch party in Boston on February 11, 2009.

Some of the nonprofits included are Jumpstart, Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston and Cultural Survival. For a full listing click here. Voting ended on February 6, so I'm a little late (sorry!) but I figured it was still worth noting.

Picking Up Where I Left Off: SocialVibe Uses Google Earth

2009-02-04T15:05:00.005-05:00

Shortly after my previous post about how online mapping can be a resourceful metric tool for nonprofits, I ran across this blog post from SocialVibe.

You might remember (I'm assuming for my own entertainment that I have an audience out there, however small that may be) I blogged about SocialVibe and its innovative approach to fundraising which links social networking, consumer brands and nonprofits together, waaay back in August.

charity: water, one of the nonprofits featured on the site was able to raise enough money through the thousands of SocialVibe members to build a well in Africa. The news isn't being shared just through the site's blog, but also through Google Earth.

The people over at SocialVibe have the right attitude as they note:

We're thrilled that we can not only make such a big difference in the lives of people half a world away, but that we can share it with you as well. Without you, this absolutely would not have been possible. THANK YOU for your support!

So, I just thought this was a relevant piece of news to pass along.

The Potential for Online Mapping to Measure Nonprofit Success

2009-01-09T17:05:00.006-05:00

I've often discussed online mapping in respect to human rights and how such technologies can lead to exposing crimes against humanity. Recently, I stumbled upon another use for online mapping which shifts the discussion to how nonprofits can utilize this form of social media as a form of metrics.

The Partnership for Medical Quality Donations (PQMD) launched a new online mapping tool in December which visualizes the medical product donations being made by humanitarian organizations, pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers around the world. The press release (found here) notes that this new map provides unprecedented access to information about these donations and is meant to provide a better understanding for both global health professionals and the general public about how these donations are being used.

Considering nonprofits are often faced with answering to board members, stakeholders, investors and donors about the progress of their organization, perhaps this technology could develop into a useful tool. While numbers are always a way to measure success, it isn't always the most reliable method. The Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) was onto this way before I was and wrote about it in this post from September 2007.

Numbers can be helpful but they are dry. They don't demonstrate in detail how the mission of an organization is being reached. NTEN explains this well:

Do all these numbers really tell us if we are meeting our missions? Take this number. Tell me what you think this number says about NTEN:
7158: September site visits to date at http://nten.org.
It does say a number of things. It says that we are less popular than Amazon.com and Facebook. It also says that we are not even beginning to scratch the surface of the number of nonprofits that could know about us.
But here's what it does not say:
How engaged those 7158 people are with the NTEN site, or the organization;
If those 7158 people think NTEN is worthwhile; and most importantly:
Whether or not we are achieving our mission

So with numbers, one can get a general picture of the organization. But what people, especially donors, want to hear is how their contributions are being used, which ultimately means their interested in stories about the people or causes the organization is aiming to help.

Maybe this is just the journalist in me, but I believe that everyone enjoys a good story. Especially if you make someone feel that they are part of the story. If I know my donation to a charity focusing on saving lives in Darfur helped buy medicine for a sick child in a refugee camp, then I'm going to feel like my donation was worthwhile. If I'm happy with how the organization is allocating its resources, I'm likely to keep donating.

Online mapping has the ability to do make people feel part of the story. Maps such as Google Earth's Crisis in Darfur map and Ushahidi, help visualize human rights violations but they also help to give a more in-depth story about what is happening. If this could be applied to nonprofits and how they're operating, it would give everyone involved from board members to donors a more interactive and detailed look at what is being accomplished.

Now, I'm not completely naive. I understand that this takes money and the know-how from people who are well-versed in this technology and the problem is, most nonprofits don't have the resources to do this.

The PQMD mapping tool was funded by a grant from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and developed in partnership with Loma Linda University Health Geoinformatics Program and International Aid, Inc.

But perhaps I'm an idealist and hope that as this technology advances and becomes more popular, nonprofits can get in on the fun too. It really is all about the story (again, the journalist in me) and there are so many good ones out there to tell. NTEN agrees with me:

At the end of the day, nonprofits are not about the number of widgets we move off the shelves. We are more than metrics. We are stories. We are the tales of the lives we touch and the communities we shape. And though metrics are a necessary and good part of our work, they are not the story.

Returning From Exile

2009-01-06T15:49:00.004-05:00

Lately, I've been watching a lot of television.

Having lost my job, I've spent numerous hours trying to find a new one with various reruns of sitcoms providing background noise. (This partly explains my prolonged absence from writing but now I'm trying to get back into the swing of things.)

Syndicated sitcoms aside, there's one show that I've caught that I can't quite make my mind up about: MTV's Exiled, which premiered this past August. The premise is taking the spoiled, narcissistic teenagers from My Super Sweet Sixteen and placing them in remote places in third world countries in order to teach them a lesson or two about earning a dollar. Each former Sweet Sixteener stays with a host family for one week where they are guided by someone their age.

For the most part, I must admit that I'm a fan of reality television shows (although not all of them) and to some extent I enjoy the senseless drama as a form of entertainment. Which is why I laughed a little to myself about the thought of these young money monsters heading to places such as Kenya, Morocco and Thailand to finally see that life isn't all Gucci bags and trust funds.

But the one thing I keep in mind is that this is still reality television and one week in exile won't teach these teens much more than life sucks for everyone else but them as they return home to the cushy wallets of mommy and daddy.

I'm not trying to be overly cynical because I actually do find a few positive notes about this show. If anything, it gives viewers the chance to see how hard people in other cultures truly work for the simplest of things such as water, never mind just earning money. In the first episode, Amanda travels to Kenya where she stays with Josephine from the Musai tribe and must travel four hours to get to the drinking well. Quite the time-difference from just turning a faucet.

It opens viewers' eyes to different cultures and different traditions. Of course, in a limited scope, as a half-hour television series can only do so much, but perhaps every bit does count, especially since the show reaches such a young demographic.

While the subjects of each episode are the people we all love to hate, the show is still humbling for those of us who haven't grown up with a silver-spoon in our mouth. The majority of us are not living in mansions with butlers and maids and a never-ending amount of money to spend but we live quite comfortable lifestyles. So, while we may feel inclined to laugh as Amanda shrieks over the bugs flying around her or at her complete disgust at building a hut with cow dung, we may come to realize that we might not handle these situations with any more grace than she did. (Given my irrational fear of bugs, something tells me I would've been less than graceful when dealing with the insect population in Kenya!)

Watching these host families take these Americans in with open arms, there is almost a sense of exploitation as they are used as teaching tools for the privileged. With only one week spent with the host family, each teen is whisked back to life in the States while the respectful and humble host family carries on with life as usual. It begs the question of whether there should be any type of compensation for the role these families have.

Shortly after the show's debut, Newsweek examined the response the show has received noting viewers' concerns over stereotyping and exploitation.

Whether or not these experiences really have changed the perspectives of each teen that particpated on the show is debateable but in the end, it is just reality television. Unfortunately we're just careless about who we drag into our craze for "reality."

Give Globally This Season

2008-09-14T19:33:00.005-04:00

It's hard to believe that it's already September, which means that the time is fast approaching for "giving season." The holidays always contribute to a rise in donations to charities and non-profits between November and December. With that said, there's a great Web site that makes donating a whole lot easier.

I myself have been wanting to contribute to different causes but often find it overwhelming to narrow down what social issues I want to help with. Then I came across GlobalGiving, an online marketplace that connects people to causes they are interested in while also providing progress updates so you can monitor your impact.

For me, that's the biggest selling point. As a recent college grad in an entry level position, I'm not making the big bucks, but I still want to play my part in giving back somehow. GlobalGiving breaks each donation for each charity down to emphasize that every little bit counts. For instance, the site tells you that giving $15 can help feed one elderly person for one month in Guatemala; $180 will feed one elderly person for a year and $200 will buy a maize crusher to make tortillas. I can afford $15 and know that such a small contribution can actually have an impact on someone's life.

With so many different charities out there, it's hard to know where to start. GlobalGiving aggregates all different types with helpful information about what they're trying to achieve. You can search for causes by country, by topic, by newest projects and by which projects are closest to reaching their donation goals.

The other major plus is that GlobalGiving works with legitimate organizations that must go through a due diligence review to ensure that your money is going where it should be going. The site, which is also a registered 501(c)3 organization, takes a 10 percent fee to cover operating costs while 85 to 90 percent of your donation goes straight to the charity you chose.

Not to mention, your donation is tax-deductible as well.

So as the holiday season is right around the corner, hopefully this will help make each individual experience that much easier and maybe even spur people to contribute year round.

Positive Mobility

2008-08-21T21:10:00.005-04:00

I know I've neglected posting throughout most of this month as I've been incredibly busy. I'm hoping things will pick up again here as the summer dies down.

In the meantime, I came across an interesting article by Jack Ewing that ran in BusinessWeek discussing recent data supporting the benefits of mobile phones in poor countries. Considering the projects discussed here throughout the months, especially those focusing on SMS technology, it's nice to see a report with actual evidence that this technology has had a positive effect throughout the world.

The data, issued by the GSM Association, reported the impact mobile phones have had on small businesses, the status of women and on farmers and fisherman among others.

You can read the BusinessWeek article here.

Ewing also provided an in-depth look at mobile phone technology in Africa last year. Although he provides the link in his article about the GSM Association report, I'll link to it here because it's really worth looking at.

Here's the report:

GSMA Development Fund Top 20

Feeling the Vibe

2008-08-03T20:33:00.006-04:00

While perusing through the latest non-profit news at work, I noticed a lot of buzz around a new social media platform known as SocialVibe. The idea behind this site is to allow users to select a cause, choose a sponsor and then post your badge to different networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace or your personal blog. The more active you are on SocialVibe and on social networking sites in general, the more points you can earn, which translates into monetary donations for your cause. Money is collected from the brand sponsors and everything from uploading pictures to your SocialVibe profile to inviting friends to join can help you earn points.

The concept builds on other sites such as Free Rice or the Hunger Site where the simple act of clicking a mouse can earn money or food to be donated to those in need. Just like SocialVibe these sites also depend on sponsors for their money, making it a win-win situation for all sides. Charities get more donations and further their impact, companies get their name attached to a good cause and people can become involved in an easy and inter-connected manner.

SocialVibe recently reached a milestone by raising $100,000 in donations for charity within six months of its public launch this past February. I'd say that's not too shabby and another testament to how non-profits can be strengthened through the use of social media.

My cause for now is Peace & Human Rights, as you'll be able to see from the widget posted on my sidebar. Perhaps I'll change it at some point to gain exposure for another cause, which leads me to one complaint about SocialVibe. You can only have one cause at a time. I'd like to earn points/money for a couple of different causes. This wasn't addressed in the site's FAQ but you can have up to two sponsors.

I guess I can't complain too much since, in the end, I'm trying to do my part.

The New Yorker: Way Over Americans' Heads

2008-07-28T20:45:00.006-04:00

I know I'm a bit late on covering the topic of the New Yorker's controversial cartoon cover of Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, but given my journalism background, I felt the need to comment.

I first heard of the controversy on the morning news and as the image of the picture in question appeared on my television, I couldn't help but put my head in my hands and groan.

Not because I was offended. Not because I really think Obama is a Muslim terrorist and his wife is an aggressive militant. But because I know that there are Americans out there that do have these misconceptions about African Americans and Muslims. Unfortunately, not all of us are able to make that distinction between satire and reality.

Jon Friedman from MarketWatch was exactly on point when he wrote in his Media Web blog:

The magazine is sticking its finger in the eye of every bigot who hates the Obamas because they're African-Americans, every racist who seeks to polarize the electorate and every ignoramus who mistrusts the senator from Illinois without examining his record and background.

The New Yorker was indeed satirizing the ignorance of Americans who are quick to make generalizations and stereotypes without examining the underlying issues. But, as I suspected, there are many out there who will look at this magazine cover and say, "Look, Obama really is a Muslim terrorist!" It didn't take long for me to find videos on YouTube supporting this but I refuse to draw attention to specific ones because regardless of my political views, there is no need for such bigotry, hatred and stereotypes based on religion and skin color. If you so desire to seek such commentary, it'll be easy enough to come across.

Now the issue at hand is the New Yorker's role in publishing such a controversial cartoon. Journalism provides commentary on society, and a liberal publication such as the New Yorker is known to do that through its cartoons. But, given the sensitive nature of the cartoon and the inability for some to make the connection that it is satirical, should the New Yorker have expressed more caution? Where is the line of responsibility drawn?

I can't really say I have any solid answers for that and I'm pretty sure no one really does. The magazine cover has the potential to reinforce these negative stereotypes but as journalism, it is a great piece of social commentary. It's not the New Yorker's fault that some people can't get past their own biases and Obama unfortunately has to go on damage control over issues that are irrelevant to his presidency. In addition, Muslims have to fight off the stereotypes they've been battling since 9/11.

Then again, this controversy in itself proves the New Yorker's point in the first place.

Bashir's Indictment Brings Mixed Views

2008-07-16T14:30:00.005-04:00

Following up on the indictment of Sudan's president Bashir, a more in-depth look into reactions around the world is necessary and it looks as though the majority are leaning against the ICC's decision.

The Economist published a great piece that captured the teeter-tottering question of whether this will actually help Sudan or indeed hurt it even more:

"Will things get bloodier if the indictment goes ahead? It is not clear either way. Last year the court indicted the minister for humanitarian affairs in the Sudanese government, together with a janjaweed leader. There was certainly no reduction in the violence then, but nor did it get worse. Nor is it clear how the UN Security Council will react. Justice must give way to peace, pragmatists cry. But there can be no lasting peace without justice, idealists reply."

Reactions from bloggers in Sudan, the rest of Africa and other regions offer a sobering view on the genocide charges with fear looming about what will become of the already unstable nation. Global Voices Online compiled this extensive look into the blog world. I'm not even going to try and summarize because they provided such an in-depth collection of the overall opinion floating around that it's best if you take a look for yourself.

But I will draw attention to some who have come to the defense of the indictment to provide a more balanced debate. Support of the decision has surfaced in Kenya with this article reporting that Kenyans believe Bashir should appear to the ICC to state his role in the genocide. An editorial that ran in Kenya's Daily Nation called the move "the single most important development in the long struggle to end the mass slaughter in the Darfur region," because it will send an important message to leaders across the world--including the U.S.:

"American forces in Iraq have been accused of activities verging on war crimes. There will be some who think President Bush should also be in the dock."

Other supporters have included human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Refugees International who issued this statement on Reuters, citing the decision as "correct and necessary." HRW issued a press release also voicing support.

The general argument on the human rights front is that this indictment will send a forceful message along with becoming a catalyst to end the atrocities that are occurring.

I'm teeter-tottering on this myself.

This is the first indictment on the Hague's behalf and the concept of ownership can be extremely powerful--as discussed in my posts about satellite imagery making a compelling argument for human rights abuses. Being held responsible for acts of genocide is just another facet to that ownership.

But it's necessary to take into consideration the dire consequences this could have, which bloggers throughout Africa, including the Sudanese, are rightfully expressing concern for. Not only may this result in backlash from the Janjaweed against civilians but also the UN peacekeepers and humanitarian aides.

It's too early to determine whether the indictment will have any positive effect on the crisis in Darfur but all situations need to be carefully weighed as the ICC moves forward.

Sudan President Faces Charges of Genocide

2008-07-11T16:57:00.003-04:00

According to the Washington Post today, President Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan could be charged with acts of genocide by the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. It would be the first time the Hague has charged a sitting head of state with war crimes.

Evidence of genocide will be issued by ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo on Monday, leaving open the possibility of an arrest warrant for Bashir.

This is a major step in the Sudan crisis but there is apprehension from UN officials who fear that this may cripple peace efforts with the country and endanger peacekeepers. The other issue to examine is that Bashir has continually resisted peacekeeping efforts and has failed to live up to agreements with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

It's a bit of a hairy situation given the vulnerable condition of the country and the political situation. African Loft offers an interesting analysis of the situation noting that along with the safety of UN peacekeepers the role of China and Russia in the crisis is crucial. China is a large supplier of guns and ammunition to Africa while Russia, who has shown support for several tyrannical African leaders may be influential in working against the ICC's charges.

The story should be interesting as new developments unfold. In the end, all politics aside, there is a need for some type of action to be taken.

Anonymous Texts Helping To Fight Crime

2008-07-07T21:10:00.008-04:00

I've often written about how text messaging or SMS can be utilized for human rights, as it has been in projects like Ushahidi in Kenya and Sokwanele and Kubatana in Zimbabwe. Apparently, a trend in using SMS to fight crime has been emerging right here in the United States.

Just over a year ago Boston became the first city in the nation to allow citizens to send in tips to its anonymous hotline, Crime Stoppers, via text messaging.

More cities are starting to implement similar systems, according to the Associate Press which reports that Tampa, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Indianapolis, New Orleans and Detroit have all jumped on the bandwagon.

The texts are virtually impossible to track since they pass through a server that encrypts cell phone numbers before they get to police. This, along with the ease and popularity of sending text messages, makes it an ideal way for police to receive tips, especially with younger citizens who rely on texting just as much as they do speaking to communicate.

With successful human rights campaigns using SMS internationally, it only seems logical that a system like this could be used to report crime on a national level.

Armenian Genocide Monument in Boston

2008-06-26T13:27:00.003-04:00

I thought I'd take a moment to digress from my usual ramblings and discuss a bit of local news. Today, the Boston Globe reported that the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (MTA) approved the Armenian Heritage Foundation's request to build a monument paying homage to the 1.5 million Armenians killed during the first genocide of the 20th century. But of course, it hasn't been without debate and controversy.

The monument, which is set to be constructed on the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, was proposed eight years ago with Mayor Thomas M. Menino opposing it, noting that it would open a floodgate of other requests for monuments on the Greenway.

Pish Posh!

The Bostonist was kind enough to point out in a 2006 article that there are plenty of monuments throughout Boston (such as the Holocaust memorial in Faneuil Hall) yet the request for monuments seems to be under control. And what about the Soldiers and Sailors monument on Flagstaff Hill in the Commons or the Leif Erikson monument on Comm Ave?

The article drew a valid and unfortunate conclusion:

"...the Armenian Genocide, like the Holocaust, has its naysayers, foremost among whom is the government of Turkey. Perhaps because the Armenian Genocide took place from 1915 to 1922, its deniers have had more success than those who would deny the Holocaust - the matter is a hot enough topic that the Wikipedia page on the event is closed to comments. Nevertheless, the consensus among historians seems to be that the Ottoman Empire really did kill as many as a million Armenians just because they were Armenians. That hasn't stopped a local teacher, with the aide of a Turkish-American organization, from suing the Massachusetts Department of Education to require the teaching of the Turkish version of events (i.e., no massacre, just lots of inadvertent death, and the Armenians aren't nice anyway) alongside the more historically accepted version."

President Bush's refusal to recognize the mass killings as genocide last October is bound to cause some political tensions when raising the topic of a monument commemorating a genocide. But regardless, all political jargon aside, it is what it is. One and a half million people murdered over the fact that they were Armenian is no different than the murder of six million Jews during WWII. If we recognize one, we need to recognize the other.

The sad thing is, this isn't a matter of recognition. It happened. Perhaps it's time we faced the facts.

Just A Personal Update

2008-06-24T16:13:00.003-04:00

As I've mentioned in some previous posts, I've been on an intense search for a job now that I've graduated college. But, my search has come to an end. I've found a job within the PR field working with non-profit clients (which was exactly the line of work I wanted to get involved in).

Hopefully, as time goes on and I get further into the non-profit world, I'll be able to incorporate some of the lessons I learn at work with some of my insights here.

So stay tuned.

Getting Active the DigiActive Way

2008-06-24T15:14:00.004-04:00

My attention was recently drawn to a new site (well, it launched in February so I'm a little behind, but better late than never) known as DigiActive. The site's co-founder, Amine, described it to me as an organization that "seeks to promote and explain the digital tools of social change so activists can use them effectively."

What I really like about it is the different types of information it provides. DigiActive combines a substantial helping of human rights campaigns and issues along with guides, tools and examples on how social media is being used for human rights. So a bit of education with a bit of "can-do" attitude makes it a great resource for people interested in getting involved in social change or those who are already knee-deep in it.

It even has an introduction video to digital activism which includes commentary from some of the major sites involved in human rights including Global Voices Online, Ushahidi and FrontlineSMS. It's not the most thrilling of videos but does give some good advice on how to get started with Daudi Were (blogger for mentalacrobatics.com and Ushahidi) noting that it really comes down to basic journalism: grabbing a notepad and a pen and writing what you see.

Check it out:

The feature that stands out the most to me is its Activist Map which makes finding different campaigns easy, interactive and fun. With about a dozen different campaigns, the map gives a snapshot of information about the issues each one covers. Hopefully, as the site expands, it will include even more campaigns.

The other great aspect is that DigiActive is extremely eager for user participation (which makes sense given that social media depends on it) and encourages people in a variety of ways including an email list, writing for the site or adding their cause to the Activist Map among others.

So, whether you're interested in just trying to learn a little more about what's going on in the world or whether you want to take the extra step in getting involved, DigiActive is a good way to get going.

Ogaden: The Darfur of Ethiopia?

2008-06-17T14:44:00.002-04:00

Darfur, the tormented region of Sudan, has played a pivotal role in demonstrating the power of satellite imagery for human rights ( as I discussed here) but a new region has come to light. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) released information on June 12 that satellite imagery has been used to uncover evidence of brutality in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia.

Lars Bromley, project director for the AAAS Science and Human Rights Program was behind the project and also handled obtaining the satellite imagery for the Crisis in Darfur map. The "before" and "after" images that were gathered displayed tangible proof that the Ethiopian military has attacked civilians and burned down villages within the region.

In addition, Human Rights Watch issued a report on the same day as AAAS about the surge in violence and extent of the abuse to which civilians have been subjected, including executions, torture and rape at the hands of the Ethiopian military.

Although the conflict has been brewing for years between the Ethiopian government and an Ethiopian Somali rebel movement, it came to a peak in mid-2007 with ethnic Somali civilians as the main victims.

The New York Times' Dot Earth Blog, covered AAAS' use of satellite imagery and considering the Ethiopian government has had a tight grip on who is allowed within the Ogaden region, more exposure is bound to result from something as concrete as these documented images.

While satellite imagery wasn't used for Darfur until years after the conflict had erupted, it has still paved the way for exactly the purpose it was meant for: to bring light to human rights issues at the beginning of the conflict. Yes, these images of Ethiopia are coming forth a year after the height of violence, but one year versus four years down the line (as in the case of Darfur) can make a dramatic difference. It demonstrates the evolution of the use of this technology and can hopefully be even more instrumental in uncovering humanitarian issues as they happen or even before they happen.

Getting Back on Track

2008-06-10T17:35:00.010-04:00

After three weeks in Europe (which I was sick with bronchitis through most of) I've finally returned to Boston and I'm attempting to get my blog rolling again. Unfortunately, a little thing known as unemployment and my recent college graduate status has forced me to spend a lot of time looking for a job upon my return but I'll be doing my best.

With my focus on human rights, I figured I'd share some of my experiences at Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps in Poland. My friend and I stayed right near the market square in Krakow (an amazing city) and took a tour to see the camps which was extremely humbling.

I must admit that I was a little disappointed with the actual tour of the camp because it focused so heavily on the history of the Holocaust in general. While I understand that there are many out there that have not studied the major details of what happened in those camps, I am familiar with them and wanted to learn more about the inner workings of the camps. Certain parts of Auschwitz were revamped into more of a museum feel but we were shown where prisoners assembled for role call as well as one of the crematoriums and prisoner cells where people were starved and tortured.

Above is a picture of the entrance to Auschwitz with the infamous sign that read "Work will free you." I couldn't get a clear shot given all of the people and the fact that I'm only five feet tall.

This is just another view of the camp. The barbed wire and watch towers are still in tact and it's such an eerie and desolate place even after over 60 years.

I found Birkenau to be a bit more unsettling simply because it is exactly as it was left after liberation, unlike Auschwitz, which I mentioned was revamped a bit.

These are views of the rows and rows of prisoner barracks in Birkenau. The top picture shows the ones that are still in tact while the bottom one shows the remaining chimneys of the ones that were destroyed by the Germans as they evacuated the camps. Looking out from the watchtower that we were able to climb up, it was easy to see the massive amounts of people the camp held given the countless barracks that disappeared into the horizon. It was quite disturbing.

These images are of the "bathrooms" the prisoners used and the barracks they slept in in Birkenau. I can't emphasize enough how unsettling it is to see this in person but it really is something I'm glad to have gotten the chance to do.

It would take me forever to describe all of the amazing things I saw in Auschwitz-Birkenau so I'll spare you the details. If you ever do get the chance to visit them, I highly recommend it. It may be depressing when you're there but it is so worthwhile to see.

I'm hoping to start posting again on a regular basis and dedicate more time to this so stay tuned.

Few and Far Between

2008-05-09T23:51:00.002-04:00

My lack in posts has partly been due to a crazy week after graduating college, spending time at home with my family in Rhode Island and preparing for my three week trip to Europe.

With that said, I leave for Europe on Sunday and will unfortunately not be able to give much attention to my blog for the time being.

It's my first time abroad so I'm very excited and will be sure to share a little of my experiences here.

I'll be back in June.

Mapping Genocide: Google Earth and Darfur

2008-05-01T15:16:00.014-04:00

*Final Paper

Chances are you’ve never heard of Furawiya—a village of 13,000 in northern Sudan primarily made of farmers. The people who lived in this thriving community depended on livestock as disposable income and had shops and open markets. Now, it is described by John Heffernan from Physicians for Human Rights as a “virtual ghost town” in the online video Lives Destroyed: A Refugee's Story.

The village was demolished in January 2004 by the Janjaweed militia in a conflict that has raged since 2003 and continues today. Furawiya is one of the many villages that have been victim to the violence and destruction plaguing the Darfur region. Now between 8,000 and 10,000 people from Furawiya are living in refugee camps along the border of neighboring Chad.

Furawiya’s story can be found on the PHR Web site, but it is also part of a bigger project exploring how new media can play an active role in spreading education and awareness about
human rights issues.

While the conflict in Sudan seems worlds away for most Americans, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) and Google Earth have collaborated on an innovative project to place these human rights violations in front of everyone’s eyes.

In April 2007, the two launched the Crisis in Darfur Map on Google Earth—a virtual map of the Earth that uses high-resolution satellite imagery to view different parts of the world. Layered with data and multimedia, the map includes testimonies, videos such as the story of Furawiya and images of the different damaged and destroyed villages as well as images of refugees and internally displaced people, providing an interactive experience for others to learn about the crisis.

The project is the brainchild of Michael Graham who was an intern at the USHMM when he proposed it. He had wondered how mapping technology could be used to shed light on issues such as Darfur even before Google Earth’s launch in 2005. Now, as coordinator of the museum’s Genocide Prevention Mapping Initiative, he has seen his idea come to fruition.

“I had been having ideas along that before Google Earth,” he said. “Then Google Earth came out officially while I was at the Museum and it was sort of an ‘A-ha!’ moment.”

It was then that a team of volunteers known as Bright Earth was established and explored different mapping tools while collecting data on Darfur from destroyed villages to humanitarian access and refugee camps. The team worked with United Nations agencies, the U.S. Department of State and numerous non-governmental organizations like Amnesty International, a human rights organization that provided testimonies of the atrocities in Darfur. However, the team lacked the high-resolution imagery to present the data and thus the collaboration with Google Earth began, with Google agreeing to make obtaining the necessary imagery a top priority.

“We prioritized the acquisition of high-resolution imagery which is important in being able to see what is going on in the region,” said Kate Hurowitz, a spokeswoman for Google. “The ability to provide that was a big contribution to the effort.”

Combining the mass of data collected with the high-resolution imagery created a whole new use of multimedia for human rights. In addition, Google also agreed to make the Darfur layer on Google Earth as default content, making outreach even easier.

“[Darfur] was so important and we felt strongly that people needed to see what the Museum was offering,” said Hurowitz.

Since Google Earth’s launch in 2005, there have been 350 million unique downloads, according to Hurowitz, clearly making it a powerful tool with the potential to make an impact.

The use of multimedia has greatly affected the way people obtain information around the world, particularly in news coverage. As Graham noted that newspapers give the general big picture with text and photos, people have become desensitized to issues such as Darfur. The point of the museum’s Mapping Initiative is to “re-sensitize” people to it.

“Visual media can be much more effective,” he said. “For me, Google Earth is perfect as a presentation tool to see with your own eyes what is happening and showing people what that looks like. An 80 page report may be well researched and comprehensive but it’s easier to dismiss.”

Tribal clashes between “non-Arab black African” Muslims and “Arab black African” Muslims—known as the Janjaweed—peaked in 2003 after decades of drought, oppression and small scale conflicts in Darfur, according to the Save Darfur Coalition. In order to oppress the rebel groups formed by the “non-Arabs,” president Omar al-Bashir responded by increasing arms and support for the Janjaweed who have wiped out entire villages, destroyed food and water supplies and systematically murdered, tortured and raped hundreds of thousands of Darfuris.

After nearly five years of genocide in Darfur, more than 90,000 people are believed to have been killed by the conflict, about 200,000 are believed to have died from conflict-related causes and 2.3 million have been internally displaced, according to a 2008 report issued by Amnesty International.

In February, violent attacks resurfaced leaving thousands to flee to Chad and many others dead. As the crisis continues, it has grown more important for people to become aware and motivated to take action.

Some of the stories are horrifying,” said Selena Brewer, a Darfur researcher for Human Rights Watch (HRW). Brewer was in Darfur in 2004 working for another organization, noting that the last couple of months before her departure in 2005, there was massive violence. As the years have gone by, people have turned a deaf ear to the situation. “People are treating it as business as usual and it’s really not,” she said.

What have left an impression on Brewer are the people of Darfur. Along with smiling faces, she commented on their charm and sense of humor despite the atrocities they have witnessed. But one incident has made a big impact on her.

Right before Christmas in 2004, there was a series of attacks leaving 30,000 displaced. Children had seen their families killed in front of them, women were raped. Brewer, accustomed to seeing children laughing and playing in the camps, was shocked by the stark contrast of the newly arrived displaced villagers.

“They had completely hollowed eyes and were desecrated from exhaustion,” she said. “These groups were silent. To see a whole community in that state is hard to describe.”

Online mapping tools such as Google Earth have made it possible for people to bear witness to stories like these and have shown the importance of satellite imagery. Mainly used by the government, geospatial technology is relatively new in the public realm.

“Behind [Google Earth] is the underpinning of geospatial information systems (GIS),” said Frank Taylor, an entrepreneur who writes the Google Earth Blog, which is not affiliated with the company. “It’s been around for a long time and is well established. It’s been used by the government but not well known by the general public.”

Geospatial technology refers to the different tools such as GIS, satellite images and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) that are used to map and analyze specific locations of the earth. The federal government has used it for everything from managing forests to determining voting districts, according to the Geospatial Information & Technology Association.

Google Earth has combined satellite imagery with GIS, which is any system used for capturing, storing, analyzing and managing data for mapping and has opened this type of technology to the general public.

It has evolved for public use from mapping services such as MapQuest to more complex visualizations like Google Earth. While people are able to direct themselves from point A to point B or hone in on their house using satellite imagery, geospatial information can make a far more compelling argument when it comes to human rights violations.

“Google Maps really shook up online mapping because it was interactive,” said Taylor. “Google Earth had a profound influence on how important it is to zoom in with satellites.”

Other factors making Google Earth a powerful tool is its ease of use. Along with satellite images, all of the information is found in one area and the user is able to customize the layer as they see fit. The interactivity creates a whole new level of learning, providing a different experience from reading an article in the mainstream media.

Beyond raising awareness, the bigger challenge is motivating people to take action. While there is no way to monitor how many people have been influenced by the map to join an advocacy group, lobby congress or donate money, a case study report on the project noted that “more than 100,000 have visited the “What Can I Do?” page on the museum’s site to find out how they can help.” The page provides a variety of ways to take a stand including contacting the media to tell them there is a lack of coverage on the issue and communicating with decision-makers such as the U.S. government and the United Nations about the need for humanitarian assistance.

While crediting the Crisis in Darfur Map as a great awareness tool, Joshua Goldstein, a graduate research assistant at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School noted that the obvious pushback to a project like this is that “at the end of the day you’re not saving lives.” Although awareness about Darfur is critical, Goldstein makes the point that awareness that leads to activism is even more crucial.

Despite declaring the conflict in Sudan as genocide in 2005, President Bush has been criticized for being too lax in his peacekeeping efforts. Motivating the American people is the key to getting the U.S. to act, said Goldstein.

“For America to play a role, the public needs to be motivated. Maybe we have these incredibly fancy tools,” he said, referring to Google Earth, “but maybe there’s a limit to what people can feel. How do you motivate someone from looking at a map to contribute to change?”

The potential of Web mapping lies in developing better ways for people to communicate. Ushahidi, a site using mapping technology to report acts of violence during the post-election times in Kenya, is a great example of what mapping can do, said Goldstein. The site relies on citizens to report what they see as it is happening using SMS, or text messaging, and e-mail reports. He suggested that the real difference will be when the technology can be used for emergency and early warning alerts.

“We’re at a really interesting point where we can see all of these experiments,” he said. “It’s a pretty fascinating space but there’s a lot of room for improvement.”

Rallying for change is a necessity for human rights violations such as Darfur, but raising awareness is also a critical factor in the United States. According to Be a Witness, a campaign of the American Progress Action Fund and the Genocide Intervention Fund examining media coverage of the crisis in Darfur, the mainstream media are not doing their job. In analyzing broadcast news coverage in 2004, Be a Witness found “the ABC, CBS, and NBC network nightly newscasts aired a total of only 26 minutes on genocide and fighting in Sudan. ABC devoted 18 minutes to Darfur coverage, NBC five and CBS only three. By contrast, Martha Stewart's woes received 130 minutes of nightly news coverage. Stated differently, only about 1 in every 950 minutes of news coverage in 2004 covered the genocide in Sudan.

In 2005, news coverage revolved around the Michael Jackson scandal, the infamous Runaway Bride and the relationship between Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.

Although Brewer acknowledges that coverage has been sparse given the intensity of the issue, she is at the same time surprised that Darfur has remained a topic in the news for so long.

“It has stayed to some extent in the news for five years,” she said, noting that the crisis in the Congo has barely managed to get coverage. For her that is a testament to why the visual aspects of mapping projects like the museum’s is so important. The use of high-resolution satellite imagery has provided a window into parts of the world that people had little access to before, thus motivating people to take action.

“It gives many more people ownership of Darfur,” said Brewer. “There are stories of so many groups working on Darfur, putting their heart and soul into activism and they haven’t even been to Darfur. But they feel it as personally as I do. That ownership is incredible.”

Another project that intends to spark people into action using satellite imagery is Amnesty International’s Eyes on Darfur Web site. Like the Crisis in Darfur Map, Eyes on Darfur incorporates mapping technology and multimedia, including videos, testimonies and pictures, to create a compelling presentation.

The site launched in June 2007, shortly after the Crisis in Darfur project and along with exposing the genocide, it also helps monitor villages at risk. Information on monitored villages is provided on the site where people can then email, print or fax a letter to President Bashir.

Inspired by Amnesty International’s previous use of mapping technology to expose the Zimbabwean government’s forced eviction campaign, the success in Zimbabwe led to the realization that this type of technology could be applied to Darfur.

"Darfur was always something we aspired to use this technology for,” said Blätter.

To make the project a success, Amnesty International teamed up with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which helped collect the satellite imagery, a tedious and time consuming task, according to Lars Bromley, a project director at AAAS who worked on Eyes on Darfur. Bromley also served on the advisory board for the USHMM’s Google Earth project.

Because the Sudan region has so many remote villages, it was hard for Bromley and his team to match coordinates to images especially to villages that had been destroyed.

“The challenge of finding the coordinates of a town is significant,” said Bromley. “You come up with coordinates for an actual town and then see what images are available for those coordinates but it’s generally a different process without a pre-existing image of what a village looked like beforehand. It’s a meticulous process of identifying two images and changes.”

Despite the challenge, the site has made an important impact. Blätter noted it has gone viral with 85,000 viewers per day averaging six and a half minutes per visit, which is a big deal in what she refers to as the “techie-world.”

The outreach ability of satellite imagery has also greatly affected the Sudanese tactics in Darfur. Blätter said that until the recent bombings in February, scorched earth attacks, which were common in the beginning of the conflict, have been rare due to the powerful evidence these images have provided.

They recognize we intend to make it harder for violence to take place,” she said.

Together, both Eyes on Darfur and the Crisis in Darfur Map have been instrumental in raising awareness and in motivating people to take action. The USHMM has also realized the use of this technology to spread awareness about the genocide of World War II, using Google Earth to create another layer known as Mapping the Holocaust. Along with mapping key sites of the Holocaust, the museum’s Holocaust Encyclopedia provides historical content to further educate people in an interactive way.

Although the Genocide Mapping Initiative has been successful, some at the museum needed a little convincing that Google Earth was a good endeavor for the Museum.

“Some disagreed about whether it was worth pursuing,” said David Klevan, education manager for Technology and Distance Learning Initiatives at the museum. “Was it the best way to use the museum’s resources? Eventually, the project got support with the understanding that it would draw a much larger audience to the museum.”

That’s exactly what happened once the layer launched in Google Earth. The museum’s Web site has experienced a significant spike in web traffic. The case study referenced earlier also reported, “Two months after the launch, the museum's Web site is still receiving 50 percent more traffic than before. The project has significantly expanded the global reach of the site -- the percentage of the visitors from outside the U.S has jumped from 25 percent to 46 percent over the past year. The number of hits from Sudan alone increased more than tenfold.”

This is good news for Klevan,who has been an influential part in integrating multimedia on the museum’s Web site to make it more interactive. The site now features online exhibitions of a lot of the displays guests will find in the actual museum alongside exclusive online presentations. Visitors to the site will find a plethora of pictures, documents, videos of survivor testimony and informative animated maps.

“The biggest challenge is how to make the site a place where people come and do things and engage in activity,” said Klevan, who acknowledged that the explosion of multimedia is still new for everyone.

Despite the new territory, the museum is embracing multimedia to the fullest extent by launching its newest project on April 4 with Google Earth known as World Is Witness, a “geoblog” that documents and maps genocide and related crimes against humanity. Blog posts found on the World Is Witness site appear in a layer on Google Earth while images of Google Earth are available on the site, providing multiple platforms for people to explore.

The innovation behind these projects has the potential to be instrumental in preventing future human rights violations through early warning systems. The world was slow in reacting to the extermination of six million Jews during World War II and the massacre of an estimated 800,000 Rwandans in only 100 days in 1994.

As thousands of Darfuris continue to live in refugee camps fearing for their lives, Brewer, who continues to raise advocacy about the crisis in Darfur at Human Rights Watch, has seen the meager conditions they live in. With little food and water, it is unsafe for the men to leave the camp, as they will be killed by the Janjaweed militia. Instead, women and children are sent to retrieve what they can, often facing the threat of rape and abuse.

Brewer notes that the biggest factor to contributing to change is staying informed.

“[Genocide] is so hard for people to believe,” she said. “Even I hear stories from Darfur and I’m staggered.”

World is Witness

2008-04-23T16:15:00.004-04:00

The delay in my posting has been due to finals and projects...but I'm proud to say, I'm officially done with college! I'm attempting to keep this blog up and running but we'll see how that goes once I find a job and get sucked into the world of being a full-time adult.

For the time being, I'd love to point your attention to a new site, or "geoblog" as its being called, by the United States Holocaust Museum. World is Witness launched on April 4, so I'm a little late (the whole finishing college thing got in the way) and it is the second major collaboration with Google Earth to document crimes agaist humanity.

The first was its Crisis in Darfur Map, (I'll be posting my final paper from my Reinventing the News class which focused on the topic, on this blog) which solely focused on the genocide in Darfur.

It's a great awareness tool and it paved the way for World is Witness, which more broadly focuses on numerous human rights issues around the world. It's called a "geoblog" because of the combination of blogging and Google Earth--while you can view the blog posts on a layer of Google Earth, you can also view the mapping aspects of Google Earth on the blog. So, there's multiple platforms to access the site through.

The first posts are from recents visits to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda and provide a glimpse into the 1994 genocide. It also, like Crisis in Darfur, provides multimedia including pictures, testimonies and videos for an interactive learning experience.

iConflict: A Growing Concept

2008-04-14T16:24:00.008-04:00

Using social media has helped pave the way for citizen journalists to report news to the rest of the world and shed light on human rights issues. That's why I was happy to see a site like iConflict, which enables users to connect, discuss and share news on international conflicts and crises.

Launched in March, it relies on citizen journalists to upload news stories from the mainstream media as well as their own stories, including their own images, videos and experiences. The site divides conflicts into areas, known as "hot spots," and includes Sudan, Zimbabwe, Israel and Afghanistan among others. There is also a blog reporting on different issues around the world.

What is appealing about iConflict, is the combination of journalism--specifically citizen journalism--and the focus on international crises. It's a great way to spread awareness and get a diaglogue rolling on important issues that are occurring around the world.

iConflict has a great concept but has a long way to go in making this an effective awareness tool. As of now, there are only about three or four active members posting stories, and they appear to be from the mainstream media instead of a combination of both mainstream and citizen journalism. A "thumbs-up/thumbs down" icon appears next to each story but it is unclear what the criteria is for rating stories or how other members are rating them. The site would also benefit from categorizing the "hot spots" by conflict along with by region.

But iConflict is still in its infancy given that it was launched less than a month ago and has the potential to fix all of these kinks. In a blog post about the site's launch, other features are promised in the future:

Originally produced video newscasts from our offices in New York and Washington, DC that will be syndicated on itunes and youtube, online discussion and commentary on user submitted news stories, interactive data mashups on countries in conflict, applications on external social networking sites, and other innovations

Should iConflict implement these features, it really does have the potential to become a great site for people to come together and discuss the issues in the world. What would be exciting to see is it expand on a global level with people contributing their experiences from all over. Think about the current election turmoil in both Kenya and Zimbabwe. Although news stories on these issues are uploaded onto the site, it would be much more enriching to hear reporting from citizens who are actually experiencing the events as they happen.

Even with the long way it has to go, iConflict is a great concept that if done correctly will be an asset to both journalism and human rights.

FrontlineSMS for Coffee and Democracy

2008-04-13T14:10:00.003-04:00

A few months back, I discussed how SMS, or text messaging, is a tool being used for social change and I ran across an interesting service being used in a couple of projects earlier in the week and thought it was worth noting. It's called FrontlineSMS and is described as "the first text messaging system to be conceived, designed and written firmly with the needs of the non-profit sector in mind."

Currently, it's being used for two projects, one in Uganda and one in Zimbabwe and the different spectrum that FrontlineSMS is being used for really speaks to the importance of this type of technology.

In Uganda, it is being used to bring together coffee farmers and dealers in a positive way by distributing prices from five large buyers to 150 farmers via SMS. What this does is open up markets for the dealers by providing more access to larger quantities of coffee beans along with better quality beans. Once a week, the prices are collected through phones, entered into FrontlineSMS and then distributed through text messages to the farmers.

In Zimbabwe, FrontlineSMS is playing a critical role in the election process which is teetering on the border of turmoil after the country's incumbent president, Robert Mugabe was charged with rigging the March 29 election. Currently the election committee is refusing to release the results between Mugabe and his opponent, Morgan Tsvangirai. Mugabe was supposed to appear at a regional on April 12 summit to discuss the election but did not show.

Kubanta, an online community of Zimbabwean activists, is implementing FrontlineSMS in its eletronic activism campaign which keeps citizens up to date with the latest election news. In addition, the site encourages people to respond to the text messages in its "What Would You Like A Free Zimbabwe To Look Like" campaign:

We send out notifications of public events, inspiring quotations, selected comments from current and past articles and statements and we convert some of our web site content into thought provoking tasty 160 character messages.
What we really value is getting to know what you think, and to facilitate this you can respond to any SMS we send out. Democracy is a two way thang!

Kubanta recognizes the vulnerability that the current election is bringing to Zimbabwe, noting:

"Zimbabwe is on a knife's edge between democracy and chaos. Results still have not been released from the 29 March elections--and fears are rising that Mugabe will resort to violence and fraud to hold on to power."

The New York Times reported violence spreading throughout the country as tensions increase for Mugabe to release the results.

FrontlineSMS is another great example of the tools out there that are used to communicate, inform and motivate social change. Hopefully, Zimbabwe can steer clear of the chaos that Kenya has been experiencing.

Kenyan Leaders Finally Reach A Deal

2008-04-12T16:44:00.003-04:00

As an update to my post on Ushahidi, Reuters reported today that both Kibaki and Odinga have reached an agreement over a power-sharing cabinet.

This is some good news after a tumultuous start to 2008 for Kenya.

Ushahidi

2008-04-11T14:38:00.005-04:00

As promised in my previous post, I want to take a look at the site Ushahidi, which allows citizens in Kenya to report acts of violence during the post-election times.

First, an apology for the lack of posts. The end of the semester always results in an overload of assignments so I have been busy tending to tests, papers and projects. I have many more posts in mind, but have had little time to write them!

As many are aware, Kenya has been experiencing a bit of turmoil since their presidential elections in December 2007. The dispute began after charges that the election had been rigged by the current president, Mwai Kibaki. After learning that Kibaki won the election, riots, resulting in the death of more than 1,000 Kenyans, erupted.

In response to the violence, Ushahidi was established and it is unique in the sense that it relies on citizens to shed light on the chaos via email and SMS reports. What I like about this site is how in-depth it is. Along with the map on the main page, which allows users to sort through the different categories such as looting, rape, deaths, riots, etc. there is an interactive timeline of events. It really gives the viewer a clear sense of how the conflict panned out. It's evident that the bulk of violence occured in the first couple of months directly after the election, but there still is tension in the country with the latest report on the timeline stating, "Anxiety Increases in IDP Camps As Supplies Dwindle" on April 7. Each incident is researched for verification by local Kenyan NGOs. The site's blog also offers thorough coverage of the conflict along with the numerous efforts by people and organizations to help.

Another interesting aspect is how quickly the site was created. Within two-weeks of the rioting, Ushahidi came into existence, which has allowed the site to be so in-depth so early on in the conflict. Other maps chronicling violence usually post information after the fact, such as Google Earth's Crisis in Darfur map.

Although Kibaki and his contender, Raila Odinga agreed to share power in February, there has been a power-struggle for both parties in establishing a coalition cabinet. Odinga suspended talks with Kibaki this past Tuesday, calling for a cabinet equally sharing posts among the two parties and thus leaving Kenya without a clear end to the dispute.

Still Feeling the Chill of the Cold War In a New Media World

2008-04-04T20:33:00.004-04:00

Given the recent focus on human rights in such areas as Tibet and Kenya, I thought I'd share this excerpt from an article in Oxford Analytica, which was posted on Forbes' Web site. Unfortunately, to see the entire report, you have to register and pay but regardless, the short excerpt gets the main point across: ethnic conflict is an increasing problem.

The article then provides a brief summary of the three most recent ethnic conflicts--Tibet, Kenya and Kosovo.

It's something that I never gave too much thought to simply because in my lifetime it's always been around. But as I read that ethnic conflict has dramatically increased since the end of the Cold War when previously it was social class that played a major role in dividing citizens, it made me think a little more.

I looked into the history of the matter and came across this report analyzing conflict in Africa. It's not a quick read so I can't say that I read into it completely but I skimmed and got the gist of it:

The notorious genocide and ethnic cleansing in Rwanda and to some extent Burundi, civil wars in Liberia Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Coˆ te d’Ivoire and Somalia, minority uprisings in Nigeria, and separatist agitation in Cameroon and Senegal, represent reference points of the turbulence in the African continent. In addition, conflicts of varying magnitudes, mostly local but no less state-threatening have ravaged many other countries including Ghana, Zambia and Benin which were regarded for a long time as peaceful and less prone to deadly conflicts. Although the conflicts generally have deep historical roots that date back to the colonial and even pre-colonial periods, they became more prevalent and destructive in the post-Cold War period.

I was also able to dig up this article form the New York Times in 1993 examining the increase of refugees around the world after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Considering the 15-year difference between the articles its clear that the situation is lacking in improvement.

But what is interesting and extremely encouraging is the role that new media is playing to help citizens spring into action--especially the conflict in Kenya. The country, which has suffered turmoil after its recent presidential election in December 2007, has made a big scene within the African blogosphere which was recently covered by MediaShift.

An online community worthy of noting is Ushahidi which allows citizens to share acts of violence they witness via SMS or e-mail reports as it is happening. The fascinating part to this is how quickly the site was established considering the unrest in Kenya began at the end of December 2007. It was up and running by Jan 9. More on Ushahidi will be touched upon in another upcoming post.

Ushahidi is not the only site that was able to come together in such a short period of time. MediaShift notes other sites like Mashada and Kenyan Pundit had created methods such as hotlines and Google mashups, respectively, to document the violence.

While Kenya was one of the first African countries to create an online community, other countries have been jumping on the bandwagon:

I remember when I started blogging in June 2004 the number of African bloggers was quite small and most were in the Diaspora. There was also a substantial number of Westerners blogging on Africa. I used to have Darfur and DRC categories because there was hardly Africans writing on these at the time. Now I hardly write about either as there are so many Sudanese and Congolese bloggers who are far more knowledgeable than I am.

Interestingly it was around the time of the 2006 elections that I began to notice Congolese bloggers. There are now active blogging communities across languages — French, Portuguese, Arabic and Swahili — and across countries and regions. Nonetheless three countries dominate the blogosphere, South Africa* (see below), Kenya and Nigeria, and there is a tendency for bloggers to remain within their linguistic and geographical communities.

As online communities such as the ones in Kenya continue to spring up and rely on citizens to uncover conflict as it happens, it will hopefully be easier to combat violence. Perhaps it can even lead to action before unrest unfolds.

In News We Trust

2008-04-01T13:07:00.008-04:00

On Easter weekend, I had a brief conversation with my family about the state of the media and how blogs have been an intricate part of keeping it in check. When I commented that a lot of people don't trust the media, my brother-in-law chimed right in stating that he is always skeptical of what the media reports.

This conversation is a tiny drop in the bucket of how many feel about the journalism in this country so it is interesting to see how new media is playing a role in combating it. NewsTrust is a non-profit, non-partisan project that provides a "trust network to help citizens make informed decisions about democracy."

Along with submitting stories to be reviewed, people can review stories and even the reviewers themselves are "reviewed" in a sense with a "transparency rating." The more members reveal about themselves and the more experience they have on the site, the more trustworthy their reviews become.

The idea is to help guide people to understand good journalism from not so good journalism and I do find it a valuable way to share ideas and perspectives on different stories. While there could be potential for a site like this to become a breeding ground of political insults and low blows, most of the reviews I've rummaged through are well thought-out, educated comments that really provide a foundation for discussion.

What I also like about the site is the variety of sources it has. Everything from your traditional print outlets to blogs to broadcast are covered and helps provide a good roundup of media coverage. And the other interesting part to this is that it's the users that determine the top sources. In the FAQ section of the site it's noted:

Our highest rated sources are featured more prominently on our site, based on ratings from our members. (Note that all source ratings on our site are still PRELIMINARY, as stated in our disclaimer below.) We also feature noteworthy sources in the "Featured Source" section of our home page. In order to be listed, a source has to receive at least 6 story reviews, or 10 trust ratings (these preliminary settings are periodically adjusted, based on average number of reviews per source).

So if anyone thinks a particular news source should be included, all they have to do is start submitting stories and rating stories from that source.

Another good site is Politifact, an effort by the St. Petersburg Times and the Congressional Quarterly to examine the truth behind the campaign claims in this year's election.

With projects like these hopefully the media will be able to restore its trust with the public.

Leave Your Egos At the Door

2008-03-27T19:25:00.003-04:00

A couple of weekends ago, while indulging in my vice of entertainment television, I cringed as I watched two broadcast journalists make complete--for better lack of terms--asses of themselves. It's never good when you hear Joel McHale from E!'s the Soup mention a broadcast gone awry.

I'm not sure when it took place but the person who posted it on YouTube originally uploaded it last summer and noted it was from a few years back. Regardless, it was dug up by the Soup and aired again.

Let's just say both the anchor and the reporter took a few low jabs at each other...live. It's best if you take a look for yourself:

If there's one thing that annoys me in broadcast journalism it's the cheeky banter between anchors but this video takes it to another level and is a sad display of journalism. I can't lie and say I didn't laugh when I saw it but the initial reaction was my jaw dropping in disbelief.

Be Kind and Help a Reporter

2008-03-25T16:44:00.008-04:00

Working in both public relations and print journalism, I understand both sides to the media. Clients want to get coverage and journalists want interesting stories and sources to support those stories. PR gets a lot of flack from the journalism side but the way I see it is journalists need PR just as much as PR needs journalists. It's a symbiotic relationship. Not that I'm saying reporters don't and can't come up with great stories on their own--that's so far from true. But the PR world can sometimes help nudge some new ideas into journalists' heads.

Why not support that symbiotic relationship with a site like Peter Shankman's Help a Reporter Web site? What started out as a Facebook group turned into a full Web site for the publicist who charges nothing for the service and wittingly noted that "the good Karma is immeasurable."

Okay, so some are going to be a little skeptical and question whether this will turn into a ploy for media-hungry publicists to go wild but Shankman is doing his best to ensure that this is a serious way for reporters to get the appropriate sources through the appropriate people.

On the site he states:

This is really the only thing I ask: By joining this list, just promise me and yourself that you'll ask yourself before you send a response: Is this response really on target? Is this response really going to help the journalist, or is this just a BS way for me to get my client in front of the reporter? If you have to think for more than three seconds, chances are, you shouldn't send the response.

This doesn't mean that there isn't potential for things to go awry as pointed out in this blog post from the New York Times' Small Business Blog, Shifting Careers. But with all projects, there's a risk of being taken advantage of.

Profnet has been a major player in linking together journalists and experts but the catch is PR professionals have to pay. Help a Reporter may bring some hefty competition given its no-cost stance.

Google Does Good

2008-03-24T14:58:00.008-04:00

In tandem with my mid-term paper which examines how non-profits use a variety of different new media tools, I've been meaning to post about Google's launch of it's site for non-profits, simply called Google For Non-Profits.

Google announced the launch on March 18 on it's official Google blog so I'm a little late in posting but better late than never.

The self-dubbed "one-stop shop for tools to help advance your organization's mission in a smart, cost-efficient way" covers everything from grant writing with Google Docs to spreading an organization's message with Blogger. Other tools include YouTube's non-profit program, a checkout program for donations and Google Gadget Center where you can create your own gadget (it sounds like virtual arts & crafts for adults). Then, of course, there's the simple tools like using gmail.

The "Checkout" feature allows users to process online donations for free until 2009 and has no monthly, gateway or setup fees which is definitely a plus for non-profits.

They even have a feature for non-profits to share their stories about how Google has helped their non-profit grow.

One feature that I personally find interesting is the use of Google Maps and Google Earth to put an organization and its mission on the map (literally and figuratively). Using these maps can help demonstrate the scope of a problem. Take for instance, Google Earth's Crisis in Darfur Map (my topic for my final paper). It maps out the issue in an interactive way that really shows people the urgency of the genocide in Darfur. While this example is on a much larger scale, this type of technology can also be used on a more local level such as mapping out the amount of homeless children throughout the state of Massachusetts. This can further promote and educate people about a cause in a whole new way.

Google also provides helpful tutorials for each feature to make the process as easy as possible.

Hopefully this will be a useful tool for non-profits to make that leap into using technology to their advantage.

Tackling Technology the Non-Profit Way

2008-03-20T21:50:00.014-04:00

*Mid-term Paper

In Nigeria, teenagers are learning about sex through cell phones--and it could be saving lives.

"Can the early signs of HIV show within a week of infection?” is one of the tens of thousands of anonymous SMS, or text, messages that have been sent in to the Learning about Living program, which is designed to spread education about sexuality and HIV/AIDS prevention. By providing answers to the questions teenagers would normally feel embarrassed or shy about through mobile phones, e-mail and a toll-free phone number, all at no cost, this program aims to educate teenagers through this mobile connection.

Projects such as this are becoming more prevalent around the world, as the use of mobile phones has jumped from 1 billion in 2005 to 3.5 billion currently. In 2005, Katrin Verclas saw an opportunity within the surge of mobile connectivity and helped create a hub of information to further connect non-profit and non-governmental organizations.

Enter Mobile Active, a global community for people who are using mobile technology for social change. As co-founder and coordinator, Verclas runs the Web site, manages its blog and helps plan conferences about the use of cell phones for social change. Learning about Living is one of the site’s featured programs.

“Mobile Active decreases the learning curve to inspire, to think creatively, provide resources and how-tos and break down those disciplinary fields,” she said.

Verclas, who is from Amherst, Mass. has been in the non-profit technology field for ten years and has a variety of different experience. Along with Mobile Active, she serves on the board of directors of the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN), a membership organization of non-profit technology professionals focused on connecting non-profits with each other and educating them on the use of technology. She has a background in IT management, IT in social change organizations and in philanthropy and has led several non-profit organizations. Currently, she’s working on a publication exploring mobile use in civil society with the UN Foundation and Vodafone Foundation Group. In addition, Verclas works as an independent consultant, working with non-profit organizations and foundations.

She has her hands full but has still managed to create this global community, depending on a variety of social media tools to keep it thriving. This is a feat that some non-profits have embraced wholeheartedly while others have struggled due to lack of resources.

Regardless, there is no denying that social media has played a major role in how nonprofits and social activists get their word out. According to a recent survey conducted by Eric Mattson and Nora Barnes at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, 75 percent of America’s largest charities were using some form of social media and 46 percent reported that social media is an important aspect to their fundraising strategy.

The study’s results were removed from the Internet as the link leading to the survey, which was posted on several Web sites, report that the file can not be found. However, numerous discussions about the results were found in Computerworld, a trade publication focusing on IT management for medium-to-large companies, Small Dots, a nonprofit technology blog by Beth Dunn and Global Neighbourhoods, a blog focused on how social media affects business and culture written by Shel Israel.

In an interview with Israel, Barnes noted the most popular form of social media for these charities is blogging. For Verclas, this is what keeps Mobile Active going as she looks for different advocacy campaigns using mobile phones while also depending on the site’s 3,000 registered users to pass along their own stories to be included in the blog. The site is starting to implement more types of social media tools including Google Video, YouTube, social networking sites such as Facebook and its own wiki.

“A volunteer network is hard to maintain,” she said comparing it to the art of plate spinning seen in the circus. “It feels like you have to keep spinning the more plates and channels you have. Partly because we’re not funded, it gets a little hard.

This is precisely the problem that smaller non-profits such as Mobile Active face. Small budgets and small staffs create a limited amount of resources as well as a disconnection with the technology.

“Most non-profit staffs aren’t as tech-advanced as the audiences they’re trying to reach are,” said Dunn, who is also director of communications for the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod. “There’s a resistance in the staff to use technology because they think their audience doesn’t use the technology.”

Despite being the largest hunger-relief agency in New England and one of the largest food banks in the country, the Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) has found its outreach outside of traditional methods to be restricted. Although the organization launched its new Web site in January, it doesn’t have any form of interactivity for its viewers or any plans to make it more interactive

"Here in the non-profit world, we’re lacking in manpower to keep up with that,” said Heather Robb, the organization’s marketing manager.

The GBFB is attempting to take a different approach by using a new local social media Web service known as good2gether.com, which is free for non-profits. Set to launch in April in six markets including Boston, New York and San Francisco, good2gether serves as a platform for non-profits to link their volunteer opportunities and events as well as donation requests alongside related articles on newspaper Web sites. Organizations create their own profile and then it is distributed through good2gether’s Do Good Channels which can reach across Web sites for major media outlets, on corporate intranets, at social networks and on college and university Web sites.

The idea for good2gether came to Greg McHale, the company’s CEO, after Hurricane Katrina. As he was looking on Boston.com for stories related to the storm, he noticed there were no direct links to non-profits that were helping victims. That’s when he figured that providing relevant information, such as volunteer opportunities to help victims of Katrina, right alongside articles talking about the topic could motivate more people to help while helping non-profits leverage free traffic, newspapers drive local content and ad revenue and sponsors deliver their message of commitment to social responsibility.

“It’s an incredible opportunity as you’re reading an article about Katrina, Darfur, cancer and in each one of those stories is an opportunity for you to get involved,” said McHale.

This is what the GBFB hopes good2gether will do for its cause as it is always in need of more volunteers as well as money and food donations. Robb noted that the organization alone doesn’t have the ability to reach out in that capacity but a platform like good2gether is a useful tool to implement.

Another interesting aspect is the effect it could have on newspapers which are trying to get more traffic to their Web sites.

"There’s not a single newspaper in the country that’s not looking to go local,” said McHale. “Newspapers are desperate for local content and this makes their news product more useful.”

Dunn, who recently wrote about good2gether in her blog, sees a lot of promise in a business model like McHale’s and said it is a win-win situation for non-profits.

It seems like it would be foolish not to get involved in it for a non-profit,” she said. “It is an interesting concept to be able to offer people the opportunity to take action right away.”

Just as McHale has found a way to use new media to help non-profits adapt, another non-profit organization has been steadily adjusting in its attempt to shed light on human rights issues. Long before streaming online video was even a twinkle in the eyes of tech-geeks everywhere, Peter Gabriel, singer for the now defunct band Genesis and now a solo musician, understood the power that video can have. In 1992, he launched Witness, an international human rights organization that uses video and online technologies to expose human rights violations.

Using a video advocacy model, Witness provides human rights groups with the technology, equipment and training to create successful video campaigns. It also helps human rights groups devise a strategy to reach out to its targeted audience usually consisting of policy and decision-makers within local governments.

Now, with online videos within everyone’s reach, it made sense for Witness to move its campaign videos online but the organization also saw an opportunity for expansion. Last November Witness, launched The Hub, a global platform for human rights where anyone can upload videos, audio or photos and find ways to connect people to resources, advocacy groups, campaigns and actions. Serving a much broader audience than Witness, the site had 5 million hits within the first two months of launching.

“It’s sort of an acknowledgment of a continuance of our video advocacy model,” said Matisse Bustos Hawkes, communications and outreach coordinator for Witness. “It’s not about being a YouTube model for human rights. It’s to create more open space.”

Bustos Hawkes, like Verclas, has a vast amount of experience in the non-profit field. Based in New York, she has seven years under her belt developing and implementing communications strategies specifically focusing on campaigns led by the use of visual media for social change.

While online video has been used for shallow, pointless causes such as Chris Crocker’s cry for people to leave disheveled pop-star Britney Spears alone, it has the potential to do much more, especially in terms for international coverage.

“When [online] video was up there at first, it was a big deal. The amount of international coverage has diminished since the 2,000s and even the late 90s. It’s opened a window to the world,” said Bustos Hawkes.

Whether an organization is trying to open a window to the world or just shine a little extra light in their corner of the world, blogs are the perfect place for non profits to get a hold on understanding how to use social media, said Dunn. More than a third of the charities in the UMass Dartmouth survey report using blogs and 62 percent of respondents say they are very familiar with it.

But before writing a blog, it’s necessary to start reading them first.

“It’s really important to be a listener first—to be a consumer first of the media,” said Dunn.

She also suggested starting out at Web sites such as the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN).

Other considerations, she noted, is for non-profits to not invest in social media as a brand but rather as an individual. For example, people don’t want to see the American Red Cross with a Twitter account; said Dunn. They want to see a person affiliated with the American Red Cross. There’s a level of personal connection needed.

The intimidation of technology can easily overshadow the benefits of using social media tools, especially when a non-profit is pitching them to its board of directors. Dunn suggests focusing more on the objective and outcomes of using such tools instead of the tools themselves. By more clearly identifying how these online instruments can further the cause, it’s more likely that the board of directors will actually get on board with the organization.

Verclas is still busy spinning all of her “plates,” managing the blog and wiki, aggregating content and networking through social media sites such as Facebook, Orkut (a popular site in Brazil) and Twitter. Not to mention she’s currently planning a conference in South Africa.

Not everyone involved in the non-profit sector may have the technology experience Verclas has, but there are plenty of resources to help organizations choose which tools are right for them.

Verclas can be the first to testify that after figuring out what works best, it’s just a matter of balancing them all:

"You have to keep them spinning in order for them to be effective."

Walking the Tightrope

2008-03-19T22:17:00.006-04:00

In print journalism's current state of "transitioning" or "adapting" or whatever anyone would like to call it, I sort of picture it wobbling up on a tightrope as everyone watches in silence, waiting for it to fall to its demise.

In the effort of keeping the physical paper alive, there's been a lot of discussion (especially right here from me) about focusing on local content. So, I found it interesting when I read this article from MediaShift questioning how far newspapers should go with local news. Should national and international news be left for other outlets? Some expert's assessments suggest that newspapers can go too far in their local coverage and readers still want that extended national and international coverage--even it is not in-depth.

I completely agree. It makes me think of those pesky little Boston Metro papers scattered all over the T because commuters are too lazy to dispose of them in the proper manner. There are many a times when I was able to get my daily dose of news--local, national and international--just by grabbing the Metro and reading a few headlines and small articles (and then throwing it in the recycling or trash bin!).

We need to have that connection to the rest of the country and the world. While in-depth coverage is a necessity, it's not always a possibility for every outlet, especially the smaller ones, but eliminating it completely is not the solution. Although many get their news coverage online not everyone does as the article makes a valid point about:

“The grand assumption behind this is that everyone’s reading their news on the Internet,” wrote Mike Ho. “Certainly MediaShift readers are. But not everyone is, and here’s where it gets hairy. The Internet-connected community, while getting larger, still excludes large swaths of the population based both on age and socio-economic status. If local papers skimp on national news because ‘everyone’s getting it online,’ they’re forgetting that not everyone is online, not even in the net-savvy San Francisco Bay Area, the readership for the example you cite.”

Basically the print industry just needs to find its balance--between local and non-local and print and new media. It's a wobbly time for the field of journalism but it seems to be holding its arms out at both sides keeping everyone in suspense.

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

2008-03-18T20:58:00.003-04:00

Nowadays there is a strong focus on local content so it makes sense that as circulation and ad revenue decline and foreign and national bureaus all but disappear, newspapers jump on the bandwagon. But it seems communities are coming together and forming their own online forums where news and insights are shared and people are connected.

In class, we heard from Lisa Williams who created the local blog site H2otown and during WBUR's broadcast of its weekly show, Radion Boston, Cape Cod Today was featured. Even Boston has a site--9Neighbors--run by Rick Burnes, co-founder of Faneuil Media.

It's a community-ranked news site where Bostonians can share their pictures, blogs and news all while connecting and making friends. The site even has its own blog where Burnes posts about different projects the site will launch and helpful tips for users.

I particularly liked its newest endeavor, its Pothole Map where users can submit those pesky potholes throughout the city streets which are displayed using Google Maps.

I found some other interesting local information such as the fact that Martin Scorsese will be in East Boston shooting for his new film Ashecliffe. Shooting will be near Sumner Street. How ironic-- I use to live on Sumner Street. There goes my big chance at becoming an extra. I wasn't a fan of living in Eastie but it sure would have made it better if there were some movies being filmed right off my street while I was there!

Projects such as these do have the potential to create some competition for newspapers although I don't see it as a threat. It's an interesting alternative to the smaller issues that won't be covered by newspapers but mean a lot to the community. Take for instance, the deplorable service provided by Comcast (besides my own horror stories, I've heard too many to count from other customers) and the fact that there is virtually no other cable company to choose from throughout most of the city. Even Universal Hub commented on it. Both stories were pulled onto
9Neighbors along with other issues specific to communities throughout the Bean. These are most likely not going to be covered by the mainstream media.

For more pinpointed local coverage and for a little connectivity to those in the community, these sites offer a great way for people to communicate.

WBUR's Radio Boston--Breaking News

2008-03-16T09:46:00.001-04:00

It seems everyone in the world of journalism is talking about the future of print media...or better yet, if print media even has a future. This was the topic of WBUR's weekly show, Radio Boston with host David Boeri. The show included commentary from the media world including former Boston Globe assistant editor, Stephen Kurkjian and Northeastern University professor and Media Nation blogger, Dan Kennedy.

Amidst the Globe's recent announcement for its voluntary buyout program, which will reduce the staff by 80 people, the newspaper, along with other struggling Boston paper, the Herald, is trying its best to adapt to the new media world. But circulation and job cuts have continued to drop throughout the years.

On the show, Boston Globe editor Marty Baron joined the discussion for a couple of minutes. He noted that this is a time for reinvention, saying, "We are in a new world--a new media world, an it's increasingly a digital world--and we have to adapt to that."

The Globe's attempt at adaptation is evident in its Web site Boston.com which serves as a dominant news source in the Boston area. These types of newspaper sites are popping up all over and have proved valuable as an Associated Press article reports that online audiences grew about 6 percent for newspapers in 2007. The problem is, Kurkjian points out, finding a proper online business model that will earn newspapers a profit.

For now, the Globe has focused on its local coverage and cut back on its foreign and national coverage. Kurkjian thinks this is a good way for newspapers to stay afloat--by focusing on beats and continuing with enterprise and investigative journalism.

But newspapers like the Cape Cod Times have received competition in local coverage from sites like Cape Cod Today, a site run by blogger Walter Brooks which is made up of 150 Cape Cod bloggers that cover local stories.

Through reporting by WBUR's Meghna Chakrabarti, it's clear that there is a disconnect between "old media" journalists and "new media" journalists. There is a misconception that bloggers are writing "in their pajamas and slippers from the basement of their mother's house" (as one Cape Cod Today blogger noted).

I have to admit, I'm currently in my pajamas and, yes, in my basement. But not my mother's basement. My bedroom just happens to be in the basement of my apartment. But regardless, that doesn't mean there aren't a lot of legitimate blogging journalists.

Kennedy pointed out that it was a blogger (Joshua Marshall of Talking Points Memo) that won the George Polk Award. It was a big step for new media and it was covered in a New York Times article appropriately titled, Blogger, Sans Pajamas, Rakes Muck and a Prize.

The role of blogging was recently discussed in class and there seemed to be a general consensus that there is a range of blogging which serves all different purposes. On the lower tier, there are blogs like mine and millions of others that share their thoughts on every subject under the sun. It provides connectivity and communication. On a middle tier, there are those like newspaper blogs which act as a supplement of more information for news stories. On a higher tier there are blogs like TPM that serve a purpose of original reporting and investigating to find the latest news. They are journalists in every sense of the word. This kind of variety makes the role of blogging very ambiguous in the world of journalism but it's safe to say there is value in it.

New media has the newspaper business shaking but it is those that embrace it that will be able to benefit from it. The Washington Post launched a series called The Future of Journalism and recently interviewed Jim Brady, the executive editor of WashingtonPost.com. When asked if he thinks digital journalism is a complete breakaway from traditional standards or a part of the continuity, I thought he summed it up well:

I think it's part of the continuity. New forms of delivery come up and previously existing forms need to adapt to these changes. There are now new forms of journalism and storytelling through video, picture galleries, databases and more. It's just a different way to deliver information. But in the past print, TV and radio have all figured out how to adapt and reposition themselves when new channels have emerged. Digital neither compromises nor changes the standards for journalism.

Radio Boston's discussion was an interesting one and provided a lot of insight into the current issues of newspapers. There is indeed much that has changed and much that will continue to change and it's not easy to predict where the road will take journalism. Let's just say it's going to be a bumpy ride.

The Purpose of Puppets and Video Resumes

2008-03-14T20:34:00.007-04:00

I recently had the chance to experience the hilariously raunchy Broadway musical Avenue Q at the Colonial Theatre and found its satirical theme of finding one's purpose in life to be quite ironic.

As the cast (including Princeton, a recent college grad) sings about being broke, unemployed and dreaming of finding that purpose, I couldn't help but laugh as I realized I'm sort of in the same position. I'm still dependent on my parents, I'm only an intern who will soon need to find a job and I might not be trying to find my purpose in the deep, philosophical way but I'm wondering how long it's going to take to find a job and where that job is going to be.

So it's no surprise that I've been beefing up my resume, getting my portfolio and references lined up and of course, searching the possible job prospects that are out there. But I always have to wonder, how will I, among the hoards of other candidates, stand out to employers?

I'm confident that with my experience (three 6-month co-ops and an 8-month part-time internship at newspapers and PR agencies) and my education at Northeastern, that I have a lot to offer and will eventually find a job once I start looking. (I won't start until April or May since I will be heading off to Europe for three weeks and won't be able to work until June).

Regardless, there are a variety of ways for students to display their work. I came across a video resume on YouTube and was surprised that given all of the emphasis on video and multimedia in my classes, that I hadn't considered this before. I won't be heading out and creating one as I'm not a fan of the camera but for those who don't get camera shy, this is a great method.

The video I stumbled across was for a videographer who will be graduating this May.

This makes sense. A videographer creating a video resume. But I looked a little further and found an engineer's video resume.

They're both completely different but yet effective. Of course, the handy paper resume will always be needed but this is definitely a more creative way to feature yourself--especially for journalism students who are learning new multimedia tools to create these types of packages. So learning these skills to create journalistic stories may just help them find a job. While a candidate's portfolio will speak for itself, those interpersonal and communication skills are what video resumes will get through to prospective employers.

Time explored the video resume in this February 2007 article, noting the collaboration between online job boards such as Jobster and social networking sites like Facebook to launch career sites featuring video resumes.

One issue raised by Time was the possibility of discrimination based on gender, race and age, although there have been no cases thus far. It does open the possibility and then there is the argument that those lacking the technology may therefore lack access to the job:

But George Lenard, a St. Louis, Mo., employment lawyer, can envision a case centered on "disparate impact." If an employer requires applications by video, then those without video cameras and broadband-equipped computers might argue they lacked access. Of course, he adds, the live interview process is hardly infallible. He cites a 2000 Princeton study that examined orchestras' penchant for hiring male musicians as an example of "disparate treatment." When screens were put up--now a common practice in auditions--the gender skewing disappeared.

All issues aside, the idea of the video resume completely changes the job seeking strategy. No one is able to predict for sure whether this will take over or simply be a flash in the pan but with the increasing technology and the need to stand out in a crowd, video resumes offer a solution.

Driving For A Cause

2008-03-13T12:27:00.007-04:00

The oppression of women in the Middle East is no secret. So when I stumbled across this BBC article about women's rights activists in Saudi Arabia who posted a video on YouTube to protest against the ban for women to drive cars, I found it to be a testament to the good that video can do.

Although Saudi women are allowed to drive in residential areas, they are not allowed to drive on main highways. The woman in this three minute video defied Saudi law and drove directly onto forbidden territory.

The video was posted to commemorate International Women's Day.

It might not be the most interesting video in the world (and unless you speak Arabic, you can't understand it) but it is a bold move by these women.

It's simple and short but here it is:

As she drove, the BBC reports she said:

Many women in this society are able to drive cars, and many of our male relatives don't mind us driving...I hope that by next year's International Woman's Day, this ban on us will be lifted.

The most recent example of citizen journalism's effect on society is the turmoil in Burma which came to a high point this past fall. The Wall Street Journal covered the peak in citizen journalists in this article. The surge in blogs, pictures and videos and text messages helped bring the civil unrest in Burma to the forefront and helped shed light on the power of citizen journalism.

People can visit Burma's YouTube channel, Burma Digest to view the efforts made by everyday people.

If people in Burma are able to utilize new media in this way, perhaps there is a chance for women in the Middle East to do so as well. In fact, the woman in the video, Wajeha Al Huwaider has had quite the experience challenging the Saudi government.

It's easy to get bogged down in the meaningless amount of videos out there, so I found it refreshing to see something so simple yet so daring posted online. A basic task such as driving on a highway is nothing people in the United States think about but yet this video is garnering coverage from all over.

It's a small but bold reminder on the power that new media is having in the world.

The Sequel To My Class Presentation

2008-03-12T15:06:00.006-04:00

After I presented in class the other day about the Spokesman Review's Transparent Newsroom (which I also blogged about last month) I came across a blog post from Mark S. Luckie's 10,000 Words which tackles the subject of opening the newsroom to the public. Luckie honed in more specifically on news meetings rather than the S-R's more broad attempt through blogging in addition to broadcasting its news meetings over the web.

The post attests to the exact dilemma as discussed in class: what is the value of doing this? He suggested the same point that I made during class that the value lies in reducing the misconception that we the media are the bad guys. He writes:

We all know there are conspiracy theories abound that reckon "the media" has this agenda or that slant or is trying to sway the public in way or another. In reality, most of us are just nice guys trying to perform a service to the global community. Its sad to say, but a great deal of the public doesn't recognize that.

Luckie's solution to the problem is making meetings open to the public. Clearly this has the potential to cause some problems as he is quick to point out that this is not the answer for every newsroom noting, it could "create more trouble rather than lessen it."

Regardless, the idea here is it's at least something to explore.

Professor Kennedy brought up the valid point in class that opening meetings to the public could present some sticky situations should a sensitive story break. Let's say there's a tip that a governor is involved in a prostitution ring (Oh, wait...that already happened!) But you get my drift. Sensitive information on a story can't always be revealed to the public if journalists are to do their jobs correctly. What if the allegations in a potential story are wrong?

So it's clear that there is some discretion that needs to be taken. Journalists will need to feel out what is for the public's viewing. The danger lies in overcompensating and creating a stiff environment that looks staged. With a few minor adjustments suggested by Luckie (i.e. "tucking in those shirts and cutting down on the in-jokes and swearing") keeping it relaxed and natural can be productive for both the public and the newsroom.

Experimenting is a good way to find out and as noted earlier by Luckie (it deserves repeating), this isn't for every media outlet but it's time to admit that the newsroom is changing.

Practicing What Educators Teach...Even If They Don't

2008-03-10T20:26:00.006-04:00

A journalism student at the Medill School (Northwestern University) has made a bit of a splash in the journalism world after challenging dean John Lavine's use of anonymous quotes in the university's alumni publication, Medill magazine. David Spett, a senior journalism major questioned the quotes praising an advertising course which appeared in the publication's 2007 spring issue.

Spett drew from his own education at Medill which has taught him (and has been a golden rule throughout all of journalism) that anonymous quotes should be avoided at all costs. He therefore raised an eyebrow at the dean's use of them for a simple letter from the dean which provided an update on what the university's current students are doing in the world of journalism.

The quotes in question have received attention from Washington Post and Chicago Tribune websites, as well as coverage in Editor&Publisher, Poynter's Romenesko blog. Here's one of them:

I came to Medill because I want to inform people and make things better. Journalism is the best way for me to do that, but I sure felt good about this class. It is one of the best I've taken, and I learned many things in it that apply as much to truth-telling in journalism as to this campaign to save teenage drivers.

Spett interviewed all 29 of the students that were in the class Lavine referred to in the article and every one of them said that the dean hadn't interviewed them. Click here for his column about the scandal in the Daily Northwestern. Click here for Lavine's article.

The dean was later cleared by the provost, Daniel Linzer who agreed with the results of the committee that reviewed the situation, concluding there was not enough evidence to show that the quotes were fabricated.

The Online Journalism Review spoke with Spett about his recent ethical uprising in this article, noting that "this 'readers as fact-checkers' thing is catching on."

Despite a little backlash from Gawker.com against him, Spett's challenge to his dean is a good one. There is little, if any, reason to have used anonymous quotes in the article in question. There is no possibility of harm to the sources or any top-secret information being revealed. If there was a legitimate reason, a proper disclosure as to why would be needed.

While Gawker.com refers to the whole scandal as inane and comments that "these J-school people just CANNOT SHUT UP ABOUT IT," I see the importance of it as a student. If we're taught about the integrity of journalism and the leaders in our education don't practice the very thing they are preaching, it is unsettling, even if it is just an alumni magazine, as Gawker is quick to point out.

Spett did his job as a journalist and as we've discussed in class, others are taking up the task of fact checking as well with sites like the St. Petersburg Times' PolitiFact.com which investigates the claims made in political stories.

Keeping journalism in check can only be possible if the standards are followed at all times.

Get Blogged

2008-03-01T13:13:00.008-05:00

Given our class discussion a couple of weeks ago about how to search blogs, I thought it would be appropriate to point out that the new blog directory, Blogged.com launched earlier this week.

Click here for some coverage from the social networking blog, Mashable.

Our class discussion focused around sites like technorati and Google's Blog Search and the different capabilities to search blog content. Blogged, on the other hand, serves more as a directory where users are allowed to search through different categories to search for blogs that cover specific topics.

I recently used it at work to find blogs that covered a specific topic for a research project for one of my clients and found it to be relatively useful. It provides a nice round-up of a variety of different categories whether users go through the categories provided on the site or use the search tool to type in a customized search. When users click on a blog in a search, the site also lists other blogs that are related to the one they are looking at.

Users also have the ability to create profiles and list the blogs they frequent adding a type of social bookmarking aspect to the site.

Blogs are ranked on an editorial scale based on frequency of updates and the quality of writing, according to an article on Webware. The article also noted the Blogged.com team will replace its ratings with user ratings if they get enough user reviews.

It's a helpful site for finding blogs on specific topics and finding blogs similar to the ones you already read so give it a chance and get blogged.

On a quick note: My posts might be a little sparse within the next week simply because I'm enjoying my last Spring Break before I enter into a world where Spring Break doesn't exist. Given it's my first one in four years since I was always on co-op during the spring semester, I'm going to take advantage of it.

The Sky is the Limit in the Air Force...Unless You Want to Read a Blog

2008-02-28T17:36:00.006-05:00

Wired's blog on National Security, Danger Room, reports that now the Air Force is tightening its restrictions on which blogs its troops can read. This comes recently after my post about how Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV is calling for less restrictions on blogging for soldiers in the Army. Caldwell encourages soldiers to blog and send videos to their friends and family saying in his blog that it has an "overwhelming affect."

Any independent sites with the word "blog" in its web address are blocked and apparently, Air Force officials in the Air Force aren't so happy. Wired reports that one official said the restrictions are "utterly stupid, it makes me want to scream."

Even more disturbing, in my opinion, is the claim by the Air Force that blogs aren't legitimate media outlets. Clearly this is an awful cop-out meant to reinforce its reasons behind the tightened restrictions that blogs shouldn't be read on official time. As one Air Force official against the restrictions pointed out:

I'm certain that by blocking blogs for official use, our airmen will never, ever be able to read them on their own home computers, so we have indeed saved them from a contaminating influence. Sorry, didn't mean to drip sarcasm on your rug.

It's amazing that if blogs aren't considered legit media outlets they're creating such a stir. Blogs are what have the mainstream media shaking in its boots and now, a blogger has won the prestigious George Polk Award. Joshua Micah Marshall of Talking Points Memo was awarded for his coverage of the firing of eight United States attorneys. So, I guess there's no need to take bloggers seriously, right?

Making a statement such as that makes the Air Force look a bit ignorant but it's refreshing to see that a lot of officials are frustrated with the limitations.

The military is touting security issues for keeping a tight leash on soldiers in the Army when it comes to blogging and the Air Force is also on the bandwagon. Of course there are security concerns but blocking every independent site with the word "blog" is not the way to go.

The military's battle over blogs started last year and has continued so it will be interesting to see any developments now that the Air Force is jumping in.

Blogs are making a quite big splash for not being a legitimate media outlet.

It got me...

2008-02-24T21:42:00.002-05:00

Whatever illness has been floating around out there has finally gotten to me...

Complete with coughing, body aches, chills, sweats and sore throat (and who knows, maybe even a fever but I don't have a thermometer!), I've been battling something awful since this past Thursday night which has kept me away from posting here and functioning in any part of society. Up until today--I've managed to gain some functioning back--it has also kept me from writing my mid-term paper for this class unfortunately.

So, my lack of posting within the last few days is a result of me being ill and my lack of posting within the next few days is due to attending classes, going to work and getting this paper done.

I'm still coughing up a storm but I'm on my way to getting better.

Regaining Trust For a Healthy Relationship

2008-02-21T16:44:00.007-05:00

The press has always had a shaky relationship with the public, especially after the Jayson Blair, Stephen Glass and Janet Cooke debacles. Can you really blame the public for losing its faith in American media?

Revisions of codes of ethics such as the New York Times was an attempt to ensure the public that it would never happen again but the mainstream media might need to find new ways to win over the hearts of the public as they turn to alternative ways to find news.

That being said, I'd like to commend the Spokesman Review from Spokane, WA on its efforts. I stumbled across this article on Poynter noting the Review's attempt to lay everything on the table for its readers.

It's called the Transparent Newsroom and consists of blogs, briefings and live webcasts about everything the newspaper is doing. Editor Steve Smith discusses coverage in the blog, News Is a Conversation, notes from daily news meetings are shared, live webcasts of its weekday meetings are streamed on the Web site and discussions from the editorial board are shared along with other blogs giving insight into the inner workings of a newsroom.

Talk about being able to keep a watchful eye. What more could readers ask for? It's a clever way of using new media and driving reader participation as readers are encouraged to give feedback. In fact, managing editor, Gary Graham just introduced a new reader feedback feature on Feb. 15 in addition to his regular commentary on journalism issues. He writes:

More than 30 Spokesman-Review readers have agreed to participate in a little experiment.
Continuing the Spokesman-Review's commitment to transparency and bringing more readers into our daily conversations, I've asked this group to respond to a series of questions about the latest edition of the newspaper. Their comments will help us understand more about reader preferences and reactions.
Each morning, I will email three or four readers of the group a series of questions. After all of my volunteers have had an opportunity to answer questions and critique the paper, I'll recruit a new group.
Our morning news meeting opens with a critique and comments about the paper from various editors, reporters and photographers. This is my attempt to expand that conversation.
Let there be no mistake about this. It is not a scientific method of reader research. I'll not pretend otherwise.

This direct approach is perhaps the best way to rebuild the relationship between the mainstream media and the public. Sure, peering in on the latest news meeting might not be the most exhilarating part of someone's day but the option is there for those who are concerned about the media.

From another perspective, this could be helpful in a different way. To piggyback on Professor Kennedy's discussion about how journalists need to be more open, the Review's Transparent Newsroom is a great way to do this.

Normally, journalists hoard their ideas (I'm guilty as charged myself) for fear of someone else running off with it but by throwing it out there on the Internet, we may be able to improve that story and make it even better than it would have been if we hadn't been so greedy. This can even be a result of posting those news meetings for everyone to see. Readers can suggest ideas, propose sources and help build a better story. Readers want to be heard and want to participate...this is what has led to citizen journalism.

Poynter's Mallary Jean Tenore suggests this could be a possible downside noting:

The downside to being so transparent is that the paper opens itself up to criticism from the industry, and it becomes easier for newsroom competitors to see what the paper is up to.

But she also points out the benefits outweigh the risks according to Ryan Pitts, the online director for the Review:

People will criticize the paper whether editors know about it or not, so it's better that editors be aware of the criticism, Pitts said. If it's good, thoughtful criticism, then the paper will consider making changes. If it's inaccurate, the paper works to counteract it with the truth.

The blogs are a bit bland in appearance and could probably use a little sprucing up but it's the idea that matters the most and it seems like the Spokesman Review is onto something. Poynter also made sure to shed some light on a few other mainstream media outlets that are experimenting:

Similar to The Spokesman-Review, WFTX-TV, a Fox-affiliated station in Cape Coral, Fla., addresses the public's concerns in its "Viewers' Bill of Rights" and its "Viewers' Voice" feature, which gives viewers a chance to discuss their thoughts on the station's recent coverage of events.

And...

At The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., members of the community are invited to attend the paper's page one meetings. The number of people who attend the meetings fluctuates, and sometimes no one attends, but the invitation is always there, says Linda Williams, senior editor for news at The News & Observer.

The paper also hosts a readers' panel, which the paper's public editor, Ted Vaden, oversees. The rotating group of readers who make up the panel meet with various editors on a monthly basis to talk about what they do and don't like about the paper.

Keeping the mainstream media on a tight leash might be the way to gain back the public's trust and give them the good feeling of having the upper hand--just like any other healthy relationship.

Politcker.com

2008-02-19T20:02:00.006-05:00

I'm not one to usually cover politics, not because I don't think it's important--it's just not really my niche. But I ran across this tid-bit of information at Poynter about a new political website known as Politicker.com and thought it was worthy of a little discussion.

The basis is a national network that provides local political news tailored to each state. The project was launched by New York Observer publisher, Jared Kushner and is off to a solid start with 10 states including:

Arizona
Colorado
Maine
Maryland
New Hampshire
New Jersey
Nevada
Oregon
Vermont
Washington

Eventually Politicker will have individual sites for all 50 states (Kentucky is scheduled to go up this week) and a national site aggregating the local content.

It's a nice way to pull together information and present it in a nice, convenient package but Jay Rosen, a blogger and journalism professor at New York University makes a valid point in this New York Times article. The majority of the content is pulled from local newspapers (at least from what I noticed on the New Hampshire site) and it could use a bit more original reporting. But, that's probably in the works as the site is in its beginning stages.

As far as local ties go, James Pindell, a former political blogger for The Boston Globe, is the managing editor for Politicker and will be hiring young journalists with the responsibility of building each state site. Seems like a great opportunity for up-and-coming journalists looking to get their foot in the door.

Editors for the site will be anonymous and consist of "lawyers, lobbyists and former officeholders" which makes me raise my eyebrow with a little bit of concern. Kushner insists that the site will have no political agenda so I guess that makes me wonder why there is a need for any anonymity at all. I like the concept of this site, but this whole slew of mysterious editors rings a slight warning bell.

For those interested in the site for the upcoming election, the Times reports that Politcker.com plans to have 20 states with sites by Election Day and then will expand to all 50 states by the end of 2009.

No word on when Massachusetts' site will launch.

Update: James Pindell was nice enough to comment on my post, noting that there is plenty of original content on Politicker.com. I perhaps was not clear in my observations when I said that the site could benefit from more original reporting. While I did see some original reporting along with the local content pulled from newspapers, I think the site will prove to be even better as more original reporting comes through. The wording of my original comments may have led some to believe that there was no original reporting at all, so my apologies and thank you to Mr. Pindell for his comment.

The Pains of Dial-Up

2008-02-18T13:02:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to post a quick note about the lack of posts over the last few days and within the next couple of days.

I've returned to my parents home in Rhode Island for some family birthday celebrations over the holiday weekend and yes, it pains me to say, my parents still have a dial-up Internet connection. Due to the painstaking slow page-loading, I can't even stand to stay online long enough to continue my normal posting.

My mother decided to play a prank on me when I first arrived and convinced me that she and my father had indeed made the switch to wireless. I was not amused.

Anyway, I'll be returning to Boston tomorrow night where my high-speed Internet awaits and should be up and running at a normal pace.

Filling the Foreign Gap

2008-02-14T17:14:00.004-05:00

American news coverage isn't known for being very worldly and the declining circulations and ad revenue of newspapers isn't helping the situation. As this has lead to more and more job cuts, foreign bureaus are disappearing fast. But this isn't just for newspapers. Even broadcast news is lacking in coverage.

According to an article published in 1998 by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, a 1997 study by Harvard showed that time spent on international news coverage by network television declined from 45 percent in the 1970s to only 13.5 percent in 1995. For newspapers, the amount of space dedicated to international coverage dropped from 10.2 percent in 1971 to less than two percent in 1998.

While September 11 was supposed to be the wake-up call for Americans to start paying attention to the outside world, it seems like we're still stretching out our limbs and yawning. More recent studies discussed in this 2007 Columbia Journalism Review article, show that the overall number of foreign correspondents working for American newspapers fell from 188 in 2002 to 141 in 2006.

Philip S. Balboni, president and general manager of New England Cable News, is attempting to change all of this with the launch of his Global News site, the first U.S.-based site devoted only to international coverage. It's expected to launch early next year and will include correspondents from 70 countries. Balboni will be leaving the NECN next month.

Along with wire services for breaking news, the site will also use free content supported by advertising and premium content sections available to users for a small subscription fee.

It's a good step for journalism as it's sad to say that in 2008 the United States still doesn't have a site like this.

Discussions in my ethics class last semester focused around the notion that the media caters to what Americans want to know about and that seems to be the latest Britney fiasco or which celebutante has ended up in rehab. As a 22-year-old, yeah, I admit I love learning about the latest celeb gossip, but only to a certain extent. I'm still aware of the current crisis in the Congo or the recent violence and unrest in Kenya or the disturbing genocide occurring in Darfur. I would hope that the American media could give the public a bit more credit than this and it's encouraging to see plans in development.

Global News could be filling a big void that is not necessarily the complete fault of the mainstream media since, as mentioned before, the dropping circulation and ad revenue is clearly the culprit.

My only complaint is the small fee to subscribe for some of the content. I'm used to getting my online content for free and I kind of like it that way.

The project is a year away so there's no telling right now whether this will bring Americans up to speed with what's going on in the rest of the world but it's at least an attempt. People can't be forced to learn about what they don't want to, but at least we can say it's out there.

The Washington Independent

2008-02-14T16:23:00.003-05:00

After posting about gathering news the non-profit way, I stumbled across an interview with Allison Silver, editor of the Washington Independent--the newest of the non-profit start ups--on the Online Journalism Review.

It launched on Jan. 28 under its parent site, Center for Independent Media, and combines news coverage, blogging and commentary. With a strong focus on politics (given the current election), Silver said readers can expect to see a wide array of coverage on the economy, finance, national security and the environment.

She also noted "part of all informed discussion about the future of journalism involves the non-profit model."

It's continuing support for the push on non-profit journalism.

For the complete interview click here.

Discovery's Earth Live

2008-02-12T21:26:00.007-05:00

I ran across this article on Wired about the Discovery Channel's new visualization tool, Earth Live, which gives real-time satellite data of the Earth--everything from cloud cover to water vapor to sea surface. It's purpose is to help people understand global climate change on a larger scale by allowing users to manipulate different climate features in near-real-time.

The Discovery Channel may not be a media outlet in the way that newspapers and magazines are considered but this new application is something I think journalists can learn from. It includes a combination of interactivity, news stories, videos and research that will keep viewers interested and wanting to come back for more information--which is exactly what newspapers need.

Users can create their own stories by adding different "layers" of clouds, rainfall, water vapor, etc. or read other stories about Hurricane Katrina or the tornadoes that ripped through the Midwest earlier this month. Users can also look at different world news from around the globe or look into climate research from around the globe.

Wired's Alexis Madrigal makes an interesting point about the potential an application like this can have:

Combined with new scientific datasets (like maybe Google's stockpile) and a bit of futurism, visualization tools like Earth Live could help make a compelling case about taking action on climate change. Imagine if we could see how some societal change, like the deforestation of the Amazon or a world wide switchover to compact fluorescent lightbulbs or growth in nuclear power, would impact the earth.

She also noted that the site is lacking in stories and content, which I agree, but considering this is a new endeavor, I'm giving Discovery the benefit of the doubt that it will beef up the material in the near future. Regardless, it's very innovative--both from an environmental aspect and from a journalistic aspect. Should the site become more involved, users will definitely have an incentive to continually come back for more.

Implementing a similar interactive applications within the journalism field has the potential to bring more traffic to newspaper Web sites and generate more interest with viewers--who might actually stay on the site for a little longer.

Newspapers, the Non-Profit Way

2008-02-10T17:10:00.001-05:00

It's no secret that newspapers' circulations are declining and that there is a need for a new standard of operation. Yes, a lot of print publications are reaching to go digital and move into new media but that still doesn't solve any problems for the ever decreasing rate of newspapers.

An interesting approach that I first heard about in my ethics class last semester has popped up recently in the February/March issue of the American Journalism Review and also online at the Poynter Institute. It's the non-profit approach.

While there are new non-profit, grant-funded news projects driving investigative and enterprise journalism, government funding is another route that newspapers may be traveling down. Nicholas Lemann, Columbia Journalism School Dean, sees direct government subsidies as a last resort for newspapers but sees a lot of promise in indirect subsidies from non-profit organizations.

Government funding clearly presents some sticky situations though and may lead to trespassing over the line of the First Amendment, as Amy Gahran states, "Uncle Sam probably wouldn't provide newspaper funding without very strong and uncomfortable strings attached."

But funding from non-profits may be a way for newspapers to maintain quality journalism--if done right. AJR's Carol Guensburg uses NPR as an example of how nonprofit journalism can work, noting that it gained a third of its revenue from non-profit funding in 2005.

The St. Petersburg Times is another example of how this model has worked. Even in a 2006 article by Forbes, attention was brought to the need for newspapers to find a different business model, highlighting the Times' non-profit approach.

The Times is owned by the Poynter Institute, which is a not-for-profit organization, therefore stripping the paper of its corporate ties. But as the article in Forbes points out, the relationship between the Times and Poynter is unique because the paper's owner and editor, Nelson Poynter (who-you guessed it-also founded the Poynter Institute) gave the paper away to the institute. This is not the norm as we all know lots of money is usually involved in buying or selling a newspaper. They're not just given away therefore making this type of affiliation a less attainable goal for other publications.

This relationship saves the Times from the pressure of worrying about producing a profit for its parent company but does not leave the Times without the problems among all publications today--cutting costs due to the loss of readers and the struggle to transition to new media.

Regardless, there may be something to learn from this type of model and it may become more standard practice as newspapers climb this uphill battle to stay afloat. One of the newest endeavors is ProPublica, a non-profit newsroom focused on investigative journalism with lead funding from the Sandler Foundation. With 24 working journalists dedicated to investigative reporting, their stories will be distributed to traditional news organizations, free of charge, for publication or broadcast. Paul Steiger, former managing editor at the Wall Street Journal, is serving as editor-in-chief of ProPublica.

It's an interesting time for journalism and newspapers will have to find a way to adapt. The non-profit approach may not solve all of its problems but it may be able to at least keep newspapers' heads above the water for a little while longer.

A Whole New Spin On Pitching

2008-02-06T19:48:00.001-05:00

For freelancers and editors, making a match for a good story can be rough but once again, new media can help out. Enter, Reporterist.com, a "news exchange where freelancers and editors can connect" according to one of its creators, Sindya Bhanoo, a graduating Berkeley journalism school student.

While the Web site is in its beginning stages, it has a lot of potential to bring together freelancers and editors in a whole new way. It gives editors the chance to find stories that are appropriate for their publication and it cuts through the process for freelancers who normally need to wait to hear from editors before pitching elsewhere.

Freelancers can upload their work and submit it to a specific publication where editors have the chance to view the story for two weeks and decide to publish it. After two weeks it can be submitted to other publications. Another great feature is the ability to create an online portfolio where editors can see past work and learn about the freelancer.

In a Q&A with Bhanoo by Jean Yung from the Online Journalism Review, Yung positioned the site as a sort of "eBay" for journalists, asking her if editors can bid for stories. Bhanoo clearly states, "The intention is not to turn it into an eBay." While freelancers can post a minimum price for their story, they can also accept a publication's default price.

This project can also be an interesting avenue for citizen journalists who have no formal journalism training. It gives even those with no news reporting experience the chance to get their ideas out there.

The site was formerly a private site at Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism but has recently gone public and is ready to start expanding to journalists from all over. In November, the site collaborated with Media News Group papers including, Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune, San Mateo County Times, Times-Herald, Tri-City Weekly, The Piedmonter, The Montclarion and Berkeley Voice.

The site's blog reported:

All the editors were receptive and told us that there is a definite need for relevant freelance work. We've already had more than five stories purchased through reporterist since that meeting, and many more articles uploaded by freelancers.

As the word spreads to editors and freelancers, Reporterist could definitely carve a niche within new media and the journalism field. As a student getting ready to enter into the "real world" I see this as a useful tool and an easier way to get into freelancing.

Only time will tell as Reporterist branches out but it looks promising.

Blogging From the Battlegrounds...of WWI

2008-02-04T20:22:00.001-05:00

My previous post regarding soldiers blogging from the battlegrounds reminded me of an interesting blog that I ran across in January. I've been meaning to write a little blurb about it but managed to get a little sidetracked. Now it seems fitting to tie it in with my previous post.

William Henry Bonser Lamin is a blogger from England...well, sort of. He's actually a WWI soldier from England whose war letters are being brought to life through new media. His grandson, Bill Lamin, has taken William's letters from the battlegrounds and is posting them on a blog exactly 90 years after they were written.

Here is some coverage from ABC News.

It's interesting to see these letters being revived and to reflect on how far communication has come. While soldiers today have access to the Internet and blogs, soldiers back then relied on the old pen and paper method as family members anxiously awaited the next letter to arrive in the mail. Even though that eagerness is still there with those who have loved ones in the war today, the instantaneous communication has got to be somewhat of a relief.

Lamin is combining the old school letters with the new method of blogging but is still keeping the anticipation by only posting letters on the exact dates they were written. The last one was from January 29, 1918 which seems to bring some confusion as Lamin notes at the end of his grandfather's letter:

This is a strange letter that doesn't quite make sense. I've indicated the ends of pages so that the reader can make their own judgement as to any interpretation. I wonder whether there's a page missing or the rum bottle that was "left out" has something to with it. I hope the latter!

Lamin won't disclose anything about his grandfather's fate during the war leaving readers waiting and wondering. And he has received a good amount of hits for this blog. Lamin wrote:

A Milestone. Yesterday, 28th January, Harry's blog recorded its millionth page load! While not too exceptional in WWW terms, it is way beyond anything I imagined when I started publishing the letters.

It is a clever way to use a blog and the letters are a great reminder to how far we've come.

Blogging From the Battlegrounds

2008-02-03T13:37:00.001-05:00

During the first Gulf War in 1990, war coverage as society knew it changed forever. For the first time, war was televised live, most notably in CNN's coverage from the Al-Rashid Hotel during the first night of air strikes. While televising these events live brought forth concerns about protecting sensitive military information from Iraq, it also brought about instantaneous coverage that was unprecedented in previous wars.

Fast forward nearly 20 years later while we are again at war with Iraq, and once again, the media has changed. Lt. Gen. William Caldwell IV, who previously commanded the 82nd Airborne Division and now heads the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, one of the Army's main intellectual centers, is encouraging soldiers to share their stories using new media.

Caldwell wants soldiers to blog and post their videos on YouTube to friends and family in an effort to get soldiers to expose everyday military life in Iraq. He writes in his blog Small Wars Journal that not only will this have an "overwhelmingly positive effect" but will also play a critical role in how the Iraqi media portrays American soldiers. Caldwell writes:

The enemy video tapes operations and then distorts and twists the information and images to misinform the world. What if we had documented video footage of the same operations which refuted what our enemies say? By the way, that is not enough, we have to get our images out FIRST! The first images broadcast become reality to viewers. If we wait until we see the enemy’s images, we are being reactive and we have already squandered the opportunity.

It is an interesting concept as we move away from the traditional media roles. There will always be a need for traditional war reporters but adding the military view straight from the horse's mouth adds a whole new dynamic to the media.

However, as Wired notes in its coverage about Caldwell's statements, the military has a variety of restrictions when it comes to the media due to concerns about leaking restricted information. Even though official sites haven't been immune to leaking official information (as Wired points out), YouTube has been banned on military networks, influential blogs are blocked and everything that soldiers post online must be reviewed by commanding officers.

This type of media coverage poses security concerns but only if it is not approached in the right manner. It can still be a positive way to inform the public about the war and proper rules and regulations should be implemented but the current restrictions should be loosened a bit.

This is not a new issue as soldiers have been blogging for a couple of years but seeing a top military general encouraging blogging is sure to help step up the efforts to make it easier for soldiers.

It is definitely an interesting turn that has given a completely new point of view in war coverage. It has the potential to do a lot more with better military support.

Calling For All Storm Stories

2008-01-31T19:10:00.001-05:00

The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, WA found an interesting way to use Google Maps and reader participation with its Storm Stories page on its Web site.

Readers are encouraged to submit their photos, videos and comments about the recent 12 inches of snow they received.

Colin Mulvany, the Review's new multimedia editor, wrote about it in the paper's blog, Mastering Multimedia.

This is a fun way to involve the readers and drive traffic to newspapers' Web sites. It also helps to build that sense of community for the readers as many of the comments submitted gave thanks to helpful neighbors. This is an important asset to newspapers since a sense of community is part of what draws readers to pick up a newspaper. But in this case, it will draw them to the Web site.

Combining multimedia and reader participation is definitely a wise way to go. As Mulvaney points out, there may not be hoards of comments (only 60 at the time of this posting) but it could gain popularity as the word spreads and has the potential for different uses in the future.

Well, if it's only ethnic cleansing...

2008-01-30T21:04:00.001-05:00

On a completely different note from my usual observations about social media and the world of journalism, I feel the compelling need to comment on the recent violence in Kenya resulting from a disputed election between the current president, Mwai Kibaki and the opposition leader, Raila Odinga.

Earlier reports today noted that the surge in violence has left 800 dead and the Kikuyu--the tribe of Kibaki--are the major victims.

Jendayi Frazer, a U.S. envoy to Africa is calling the violence ethnic cleansing and not genocide but circumstances remind me of the grim genocides of the past (and that are currently happening) that start out as small incidents.

The genocide in Darfur has gone on since 2003 and has not gained the attention it deserves. Other genocides include Rwanda in 1994 and the Cambodian Killing Fields in 1975. Not to mention the death of 11 million people, 6 million of them Jews, in the Holocaust during WWII.

Perhaps lesser known is the first genocide of the 20th century. No, it wasn't the Jews in WWII, it was the Armenians in 1915 during WWI. It is estimated that one and a half million people died between 1915 and 1923. There is still controversy surrounding the mass murder of these people as the Turkish government has continually denied it ever happened.

In Kenya, the recent election controversy was the straw that broke the camel's back after decades of tension from grudges over land. Using a term like "ethnic cleansing" is an easy way to avoid providing aid.

The Associated Press Reports:

In Washington, the State Department appeared to back away from Frazer's characterization of the violence as ethnic cleansing.
''Very clearly, there is a very serious situation, if not crisis, with respect to people being displaced in Kenya,'' spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. He said experts from the State Department's Office of War Crimes Issues were compiling information about the violence but had not yet made any findings.
But he noted ''ethnic cleansing,'' unlike ''genocide,'' is not a legal term with a set definition.
''If they do document any instances of atrocities, we'll have to look at what next steps to take, but at this point we're not there yet,'' McCormack said.

Until the situation is deemed "genocide" no legal action needs to be taken, which is disturbing. Ethnic cleansing is not any less minor of a situation than a declared genocide and efforts should be made to combat it.

Here is a video from Reuters about some of the violence:

The atrocities of WWII left everyone with the motto, "Never Again" engrained in our heads but somehow we've managed to let millions more slip through the cracks. This is by no means just the United States' responsibility. It is everyone's responsibility.

One Text At A Time

2008-01-29T16:24:00.001-05:00

Apparently, cell phones are even more innovative than I knew when it comes to social change.

In response to my earlier post regarding how social media has affected nonprofits, Katrin Verclas from MobileActive.org shared a bit more about the capabilities of cellphones. MobileActive.org is an organization focused on social change through the use of mobile phones.

Now, maybe this is old news to some people, but it's news to me. I am the person who didn't even want a camera phone but, alas, had to give in because apparently cell phones aren't made without them anymore.

I am, however, aware of some of the interesting, creative art projects that use cellphones as I wrote about them a few years ago at the Boston Globe. So, I'm not completely in the dark but I'm not completely in the light either.

Here are a few services that different organizations offer through SMS (better known as text messaging):

The Human Rights Campaign:

America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality.

Its Corporate Equality Index, which rates American businesses on their treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, consumers and investors, was made available via mobile phones. By texting "SHOP" and the name of a business to short code 30644, the businesses' corporate equality rating will be sent to your phone.

MobileActive.org gives more in-depth information.

Climate Counts:

A nonprofit organization funded by Stonyfield Farm, Inc. working to bring consumers and companies together in the fight against global climate change.

By texting "cc" and then a company name to 30644, Climate Counts will deliver that company's carbon footprint score to your phone. Click here for more information.

Blue Ocean Institute:

A conservation organization working to conserve sea life.

It's mobile service, Fishphone.org "enables restaurant patrons, supermarket shoppers and chefs to make healthy, informed and sustainable choices when deciding which fish is right for them—and the environment...consumers can text 30644 with the message FISH and the name of the fish in question, and within seconds FishPhone will text back with Blue Ocean’s environmental assessment."

These are some interesting ways to use a cell phone that could (and is) developing further.

I conducted a few different Google searches and was not able to find any other SMS-based advocacy campaigns but I'm sure they're out there.

Disclosure: Stonyfield Farm Inc., which funds Climate Counts, is a client of the public relations agency at which I am currently working.

One Click At A Time

2008-01-27T18:16:00.001-05:00

Shortly after I posted about Free Rice and how social media has helped social activism, I received an interesting invite from Facebook to join the group, "Feed A Child With Just One Click."

A variety of websites like The Hunger Site, Hungry Children, Ripple and Poverty Fighters have set up a method where users simply have to click on a link set up on each site to help fight hunger.

For example, on Ripple's website sponsors pay a small amount to have their advertisement shown on the site. When "ripplers" click on a cause, they will see the sponsor's advertisement and Ripple then donates all proceeds from the advertisement to the charities that fight poverty.

It's a bit of a win-win situation for both advertisers and social activists and an innovative, easy way to involve everyone.

In addition, I forgot to mention YouTube's effort to help nonprofits through its Broadcast Your Cause program in my earlier post. It provides nonprofit organizations with their own channel to spread their message, increased uploading capabilities and the option to drive fundraising. It's yet another way that social media is being used to spread social change.

One Grain of Rice At A Time

2008-01-27T10:27:00.002-05:00

It's evident how social media has changed the way we communicate but it's also interesting to see how it has affected social activism. Blogs, viral videos and social networking sites have created endless possibilities to spread the message about different social causes.

Most recently, I came across FreeRice.com in this USA Today article that ran on January 23. It's an interesting and fun concept. Basically, it's a dictionary word game where you guess the definition to a word, but here's the catch--for each word you get correct, the cash equivalent of 20 grains of rice is donated by site advertisers to the U.N.'s World Food Program.

It was created by John Breen, a computer programmer and anti-poverty activist, as a way to help his son with the SAT's. The site launched as a sister site to Breen's hunger-awareness site, Poverty.com and has raised $258,000 in donations so far.

The word about the game has spread through sites like Facebook and blog coverage, demonstrating how helpful social media can be in helping social activism.

There are a variety of sites and blogs dedicated to helping non-profit organizations utilize new media tools in order to further their causes and others dedicated to social change. Global Voices, Change.org, Witness.org, The Hub (presented by Witness) and Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media are some of the few that are dedicated to social change through using new media.

While mainstream media has been accused of ignoring important stories such as the genocide in Darfur, blogs and other sites have, in a sense, picked up the slack, bringing more awareness to social issues. It has also forced the mainstream media to pay more attention as blogs influence coverage more and more.

What's interesting about Free Rice is that it really is an easy way for anyone to help out. For all of those moments spent poking around on Facebook because I want to procrastinate doing a little school work, perhaps I can be a little more productive.

On a slightly different note, even cell phones have been an effective tool in social activism. MobileActive.org is "a global network of people (and their tools, projects, and resources) focused on the use of mobile phones in civil society." Providing guides for nonprofits to use mobile phones in order to expand their cause, the site has been a common ground for information on launching peaceful demonstrations across the world through text messages and political ringtones.

While I might not be launching any political demonstrations with my cell phone anytime soon, I might take some smaller steps with Free Rice. Bad for procrastination but good for helping to solve world hunger, one grain of rice at a time.

Newspapers Take a Lesson from Hollywood and MTV

2008-01-26T17:07:00.001-05:00

During my time as a co-op in a high-tech PR agency last January, there was a lot of talk about new media and how PR professionals could use it to their advantage when pitching to the media.

Advice given by a well-known reporter from a well-known newspaper (both name and publication escape me--hey, it was about a year ago!) during a professional development session, included using videos as a new and innovative way to reach out to the media. Simply put, a video pitch. This reporter said he had yet to receive a video pitch from a PR professional but if he did, he would certainly notice.

Fast forward to January 2008 when I came across this article yesterday from the Online Journalism Review about newspapers taking their own advice of finding alternate ways to pitch to their customers.

Both the Dallas Morning News and the St. Petersburg Times have individually embraced viral videos as a way to pitch their stories in an attempt to gain new readers. Two to three minute videos act as movie trailers (or a music video in the case of the St. Petersburg Times) providing an effective way to lead people to read the newspaper.

Hollywood Meets the Press

DMN's videos are basically like movie trailers but for newspapers, advertising their investigative stories that will run in its print edition. They are dramatic and they are effective, using emotional testimonies from sources, intense music and powerful tag lines. If there was any way to sex-up investigative journalism with new media, this is a good way to go because it grabs the viewer's attention (a hard thing to do with our dwindling attention spans in this instant-gratification type of society) while also presenting the story in a serious, professional manner.

Currently the publication has only two videos but plans to use this type of marketing in the future.

"Unequal Justice"

"Texas Youth Commission"

While "Unequal Justice" investigates how 56 convicted murderers in Texas were sentenced to probation rather than jail, "Texas Youth Commission" examines the abuse scandal by the state's agency created to rehabilitate young offenders.

Anthony Moor, Dallas Morning News' Deputy Managing Editor/Interactive noted:

I’m not going to say that this is a breakout way to reach the audience, but we have to do things like this. It’s not like we don’t understand what YouTube is about. And because of the way that news and info is being distributed on the Web, we have to gain new job skills within our current titles. For example, a traffic acquisition manager – not the types of things that newspaper or website editors do. We thought this is a good way to experiment with that.

He has an extremely valid point. This willingness to be adaptive and flexible is going to be the only way that newspapers can plan on moving forward in a world engulfed by new media. This isn't to say that I see newspapers disappearing but I do see a need to accommodate innovative ways to keep up with technology.

MTV Meets Newspapers

The St. Petersburg Times took a different approach by creating a music video to promote Politifact, its collaborative effort with the Congressional Quarterly to fact-check statements made by the presidential candidates.

This may not have the dramatic effect that the DMN's videos have but that's because it's an entirely different ball game. Clearly trying to reach out to a younger audience, the SPT's video uses its staff in the video and is humorous and clever. As a young voter, I found myself interested in Politifact. As a journalism student, I wanted to be on their staff since they seemed like a fun bunch to work with.

Is This the Future?

A search through Google and YouTube didn't turn up any other publications that have tried this but perhaps it is an alternative route that newspapers will be willing to take. While online readers grew six percent in 2007 for newspapers, something like this has the potential to not only increase web traffic for newspapers but to also lead people to actually pick up a newspaper and follow through with reading the printed story that is being advertised in the trailer.

It's an interesting collaboration between journalism and new media that is encouraging to see.

Clarification...

2008-01-22T21:37:00.001-05:00

I had the pleasure of receiving a comment from Paul Conley whom I referred to in my first post about employers not offering training in online journalism to their staff.

Conley wanted to emphasize that in regards to students, he's all for training in online journalism and feels that it's an important part to a journalism student's education. He stated:

You're right--I don't believe that publishers should be paying to train journalists for the Web. Understanding how journalism works online is a required skill for today's reporters and editors. And I have no tolerance left in 2008 for professionals who haven't taken the time to learn these skills. But I feel very differently about journalism students. And I've worked very hard these past few years to ensure that journalism students are trained for the Web.

While I examined his original blog post from a student's perspective, I did make sure to call out that he was referring to B2B publishing. My main point behind my post was to emphasize that it never hurts to expose journalists to the new media that is becoming more and more a part of journalism--even those stuck in their ways and even those (like me) who aren't the most tech- and internet-savvy.

Thanks to Paul for his comments.

Down, Down, Down

2008-01-22T20:23:00.000-05:00

"Stocks worldwide have taken a plunge."

That was the gist of what I heard when my radio alarm-clock jolted me out of my sleep at 7 a.m. What a way to start the day.

I was hoping that my ears had heard wrong after a nice three-day weekend of sleeping in late. Clearly I was just suffering from waking up so early.

Nope. The stocks did plunge worldwide. I made sure to confirm it this morning when I got to work and saw this Boston Globe article.

All eyes are on the U.S. as the world is waiting for us to slip into recession with them following right behind. Definitely not the most encouraging of news, especially after reading this article in yesterday's Washington Post discussing the influx of people in the U.S. who are skilled but jobless.

I can't help but be concerned as graduation is creeping closer and closer. With the unemployment rate jumping up to five percent last month--the highest it's been in two years--finding a job seems like it will be an uphill battle.

The Washington Post reports:

In November, nearly 1.4 million people -- almost one in five of those unemployed -- had been jobless for at least 27 weeks, the juncture when unemployment insurance benefits end for most recipients. That is about twice the level of long-term unemployment before the 2001 recession.

As my job search begins within the next couple of months, I know not only will I be competing with all of the other recent college grads, but also with those who are highly skilled and more experienced than me. I've watched my roommates (who are also in the journalism field) struggle after they've graduated so I'm preparing to grin and bear through it.

I guess the only thing I, like everyone else can do, is cross my fingers and hope for the best. What will be will be.

Aussie Reporter Demands Apology

2008-01-20T17:10:00.002-05:00

Sixteen-year-old Corey Worthington recently threw a party involving alcohol for hundreds of kids at his Aussie home while his parents were on vacation, resulting in a $200,000 fine. While his antics were careless, his January 14th appearance on Australia's news program, A Current Affair, had me more appalled at the journalism than anything else. Here's a clip of his interview:

The reporter who interviewed Worthington was smug as she chastised the boy for his irresponsibility but she took it one step further when she demanded he take off his sunglasses and apologize to his parents, neighbors and Australia for what he had done. Worthington had no problem apologizing, even if it was nonchalantly, but refused to take his glasses off because they were "famous" and people liked them. The reporter was not the least amused. But what more could she have expected from a 16-year-old who was getting his 15 minutes of fame?

Perhaps she should be chastised for her awful reporting skills. While A Current Affair is known for being a tabloid news program in Australia, it is still concerning to see a journalist make such a bold move. There is a professional standard that needs to be upheld when interviewing someone, regardless of what the person has done. She even went so far as to tell him to take a good look at himself and think about what he has done. Apparently she has taken the role of the moral police.

While Worthington is soaking up the limelight (including web sites dedicated to the proclaimed "party hero," other sites offering to slap some sense into the kid and Facebook groups dedicated to either loving or hating him) I commend his refusal to take off his sunglasses, as gaudy as they were. Why should he have to take them off and submit to the demands of this television reporter when the only responsibility she has is to get the story--not pass judgment? Viewers can form their own opinions about the shirtless, nipple-pierced teenager with the tacky sunglasses. He clearly didn't make a good representation of himself but I guess that's his prerogative and it's clear to viewers who don't need the reporter's commentary.

I find it discouraging to see this type of journalism being practiced. Maybe some see this as me making a mountain out of a molehill but it's the bigger picture I'm looking at. Worthington's interview may be a drop in the bucket to all the stories out there, but I see the interjection of opinion to be a bad habit that broadcast journalism has gotten itself into.

Cutting Corners with Social Networking

2008-01-18T14:26:00.001-05:00

In my last class with Professor Kennedy, we discussed why people are drawn to social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and the list goes on. But then we transitioned to the advantages it can have for journalists whether it be as simple as finding contact information for sources or using these sites as a way to immerse themselves into the web culture. Social networking has put people at journalists' fingertips with a virtual directory of phone numbers, addresses, email and instant message user names.

But as Jennifer Woodard Maderazo from PBS's MediaShift points out, journalists' dependence on such sites can lead to some sloppy reporting. Accuracy and fact-checking are the basic and fundamental principals in which journalism is based on so how much trust can one put in social networking sites when there is so much room for error?

Woodward Maderazo focused on fake profiles and how easy it is to be fooled, using the multiple MySpace profiles of Bobby Banhart, the finalist from the trashy MTV-reality TV show, A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila as an example.

Despite the low-importance factor of Bobby Banhart, the example raises a critical issue when journalists cut corners by going straight to a person's profile instead of using it as a catapult to talk directly with the source. Woodward Maderazo pointed to the danger of fake profiles in the case of Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Journalists lifted quotes from a Facebook page that was supposed to be his but turned out to be a fake.

Social networking sites are a great tool for journalists but there is a line that needs to be drawn. Use them to find information about sources and contact sources but never skip the important step of following through with the source. It seems like common sense but if journalists from mainstream media outlets like London's Evening Standard, Canada's Globe and Mail and Agence France Presse are making such a drastic error, perhaps it needs to be reiterated.

I myself have only dabbled briefly in using new media to find sources--mainly for a story I wrote in the fall of 2006 for a magazine writing course. Despite the sensitive topic (the barriers to healthcare that transgender people face), sites like Craig's List and LiveJournal were extremely resourceful when I was having such a hard time finding sources. While some were hesitant to talk, they were more than willing to point me in the right direction of people that were willing or to medical sources I could reach out to. I built this story from the ground up starting with just an idea and reaching out online resulted in finding great sources which I spoke with in person or on the phone. I know that without the use of social networking sites, I never would have been able to produce it.

So these sites are great tools but like every tool, they come with precautions. It's easy to cut those corners in such a fast-paced society that wants information at the speed of light but getting the information right is the first priority.

Welcome

2008-01-16T21:09:00.000-05:00

A couple of days ago I came across a blog posting by Paul Conley, a journalism mentor and media strategist for publishers and nonprofits, stating that employers should stop offering training in online journalism to their staff. Interesting...

He argues that the web is a culture and you cannot train someone to be part of a culture and although this is in regards to B2B publishers, I wanted to apply it to a much broader demographic: students--like me.

I agree with Conley that the web is a culture but not that "it's a waste of time and money to teach multimedia skills and technology to someone who hasn't already become part of the Web." Or that "there's no need to teach skills and technology to the journalists who are already part of Web culture, because the culture requires participation in skills and technology."

Take me for instance. I'm as technologically impaired as they come and I've managed to avoid anything more than checking my email, using Google and of course, checking the social networking site, Facebook despite growing up with the Internet. But as I get ready to launch my journalism career, whether it be in print (a loosely used term now that everything is online and print circulations are on the decline) or public relations (which I've been dabbling in over the past year) I'd like to think that I'm not a lost cause just because I haven't become completely immersed in the big black hole known as the World Wide Web.

No matter what career path I choose, new media has become and will continue to be an essential part of what I do. That is why I signed up for Professor Dan Kennedy's course, "Reinventing the News: Journalism of the Web."

Frankly, my blood pressure rose as I found out I would need to keep a blog (the very one you're reading now) and it's still a little high even after I've started my first post.

But, I wouldn't say it's too late to teach me the web-savvy skills I've somehow steered clear of for so long. Dan Gillmor from the Center for Citizen Media feels the same, emphasizing the importance of journalists learning new tactics.

While I may not be employed full-time (yet) I think it can only be helpful for journalists to be trained in online journalism or at least exposed to the issues that new media is bringing forth. That's what this class is for me. Nobody can teach me to be part of a culture but I am involved in it (even if it is minimally) and I guess it's time that I jump in a little further.

I'm up for the challenge.

Welcome to my blog.