It's Monday. And though I miss NPR and all my amazing colleagues, I gotta say there is something REALLY nice about not waking up at 4:30 am (something I had to do every day for the past two years).
Of course it helps that it's lovely and sunny here in Los Angeles... perfect weather for sitting in the backyard with the pups - and getting right back to work. I'm currently working on a story for NPR and KQED's The California Report about an independent, nonprofit online daily news source called Voices of San Diego. And really, the timing couldn't be better...
Journalism is changing. It's scary and as I can easily attest, sometimes it's very very sad. But it's also exciting... I firmly believe that this is an era in which new ways of storytelling can thrive. In fact, that's something I hope to be learning more about when I travel up to Berkeley in a few weeks for a weeklong workshop at the Knight Digital Media Center. I am very excited to learn some new skills... including, gulp, video. (note, there's a reason i've done radio all these years - cameras frighten me - but it's time to be bold!)
Part of our pre-workshop homework is to analyze some of the new forms of media. And there's a lot out there to get really excited about... But, and I hate to sound like a Luddite, there's some of it I still just don't get.
For instance Twitter. I'm on there. And I tweet. occasionally. but i can't help but feel like the world really doesn't want or need to know what I'm up to all the time... I guess I'm not feeling alone on this one, coz today I discovered this gem.
Disagree with me? please do! tell me what I should be tweeting. and why!
Thanks for all the great work. I loved the west coast perspective. You are absolutely correct about twittering. It's either a fad that will pass or the beginning of the downfall of society as we know it. The listeners of KCLU send their love.
ReplyDeleteHi Alex: Tweeting is good for the "instant moment", but if providing indepth analysis, forget it! It takes toooo much time, and based on the quality of work that we are familiar with, tweeting would likely take too much time and be a distraction. But tweeting would be is great for soliciting opinions, facts, and/or information to enhance the story. You, Alex Chad, Lou, Mike and Madeline are the the best, and I can not wait to hear your contribution to the CA Report report about the San Diego Non profit. BTW KQUD is a great station. I lived in SF for many years, have many friends in the area and know that the station has a lot of support. Also, the BBC is not good at 9:00 am, especially if you listen late in the evening while working late. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteAngie in LA
Dear Alex, Thank you for your work on Day to Day which was one of my favorite news shows. Good luck with your new ventures! Best, Rob in Los Angeles
ReplyDeleteTwitter is an absolute waste of brain cells. Stay strong!
ReplyDeleteHey Alex. The video about Twitter was very funny! Thanks for the link. I don't use Twitter for sending messages but for getting the latest news. I just read headlines from different newspapers across the world that I follow. Yes, npr is one of them :)
ReplyDeleteI like that Twitter gives you only headlines and a link to the article. That way you quickly have a good news overview without having to check every single website. It's like my private news agency.
I enjoyed the last episode of D2D very much - just as I enjoyed the ones before - and I was glad that you made me laugh and not cry. Also, good to hear the after-party was fun!
I've actually learned how to harness twitter a bit. The first effort is to filter out the what-am-I-doing-now noise and focus on following others who have similar interests. I had an amazing experience reaching out to other criminal defense attorneys which pointed me to a couple expert witnesses I would've never found on my own.
ReplyDeleteHi Alex: Thanks for the inspiration to renew my membership to KPCC. I just heard over the air that you did the same. Stay classy!
ReplyDeleteI second what Wieland said about Twitter. The point of Twitter isn't just what you tweet, but the people you connect to and what you learn from them. I learn a lot through Twitter that might not know otherwise, and often I get word of news through it faster than any other route. I follow a lot of people in public media, and it's an invaluable grapevine for getting the word on what's up.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, I see journalists using it to solicit opinions and tips, and to link to what they're working on.
Here's a post I wrote for one of my blogs about what I see as Twitter's value for some users and audiences.
Thanks from Italy. I podcast-ed your show everyday, and you will be sorely missed from the West Coast to Europe and beyond. Thank you for your great work and I look forward to seeing your name and hearing your voice in the future. Ciao!
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