:: Friday, April 30, 2004 ::
Fair and balanced?
"It's easy to complain about the press -- I've been doing it for a good part of my career. It's part of what goes with a free society. What I do is try to focus upon those elements of the press that I think do an effective job and try to be accurate in their portrayal of events. For example, I end up spending a lot of time watching Fox News, because they're more accurate in my experience, in those events that I'm personally involved in, than many of the other outlets." -- VP Dick Cheney, in a conference call to Republican supporters. Source: The Washington Post. Link via PR Watch/Spin of the Day.
:: Andrew 06:25 + ::
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My thoughts on The State of the News Media 2004
Not that you asked, but CASE, the professional organization to which I belong, did. That's one reason why I'm here in lovely Charleston, S.C., to lead "horizon issue" discussion about what this report from Journalism.org means to higher ed PR flacks like me. So before I rush off to the meeting, here are a few of the points I'll present from the report, and my thoughts on how education might capitalize on the trends as outlined by the report:
* Education isn't considered newsworthy by most media. (No surprise there.)
* Bloggers are becoming more prominent sources for news and opinion. (Yawn.)
* The nightly news "news hole" for networks has shrunk by 11 percent since 1990 to make room for more ads, teasers, etc.
* The "Fox Effect" of cable news has less to do with ideology than with how news is presented. Fox is rewriting the way the news story is told, relying more on anchors, talking heads and talk shows than on correspondents in the field.
* People trust local TV news more than local newspapers or network news, but trust cable news networks (especially CNN) the most.
* Radio is "journalism's forgotten but stable middle child." More than 90 percent of Americans listen to radio (an increase because more are driving, and more commuting time), and they tend not to change the dial when the news comes on.
* NPR's audience has doubled in the last decade, and many of those listeners are influentials.
* The ethnic press -- especially Latino and Asian press -- seems to hold the most potential for growth among any media. But ethnic press audiences tend to trust English-language media more than the ethnic press.
* Alternative weeklies are also growing, but at a slower pace than ethnic press. (Growth in terms of circulation and ad revenue.) Their audiences tend to be in the 30s and 40s and with higher-than-average incomes and educations. (Makes one wonder just how "alternative" the alternative press is.)
Now, how should educational institutions respond to these trends? Here are a few ideas:* Get in on the blogging phenomenon -- perhaps "grow our own" influential bloggers from among some star faculty who are experts in particular areas.
* Strengthen ties with local TV, ethnic press and alternative press.
*Don't ignore radio -- especially NPR -- as an outlet for education news.
:: Andrew 07:42 + ::
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:: Thursday, April 29, 2004 ::
Roger Bannister and the Holy Grail
The following post has been certified to be free of Holy Hand Grenades, killer rabbits, swallows of any kind, or knights that say "Ni!" Only the headline references a particular movie, you silly k-niggits
As one who plods along ungracefully at an average of 8 minutes, 30 seconds per mile on a good running day, I have always been astonished by Roger Bannister's accomplishment of breaking the four-minute mile. USA Today reports on the upcoming5-50-year anniversary of that feat:Bannister's is the story of a well-lived life. He is as proud of his distinguished medical and academic careers as he is of those celebrated four minutes, less six-tenths of a second. Bannister's second act in a distinctly British life is in some respects as astonishing as his athletic feats: neurologist, author, and master of Pembroke College, one of 30 colleges that make up his beloved Oxford University.
''If you ask me in my life whether the neurology is more important or the sport is more important, the neurology tips the scale heavily in its favor because it is a never-ending quest,'' Bannister says. ''I think sport is a thing of growing up and being a student.''
Quest is an interesting word choice. It has echoes of Arthurian legend and the search for the Holy Grail by chivalrous knights.
I actually clocked in at 7 minutes per mile not too long ago. But then I hurt my Ni!
:: Andrew 07:27 + ::
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Light blogging ahead
I'm off for a meeting for a couple of days. Be good.
:: Andrew 09:07 + ::
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:: Wednesday, April 28, 2004 ::
A George Costanza moment
Glad to see I'm not the only blogger to ever have a George Costanza moment. Like George, I lack the quick wittedness to shoot a snappy comeback. (There was a "Seinfeld" episode in which George, caught snarfing down shrimp at a business meeting, was at a loss for a comeback when a colleague said, "George, the ocean called, and they're running out of shrimp." Not until much later did George come up with the ultimate comeback: "Well the jerk store called, and they're running out of you" [audio file], courtesy of this site). It seems that DJ Chuang occasionally suffers from the same affliction. Maybe DJ and I can meet some day for a match of slow wits.
:: Andrew 09:04 + ::
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Me? A subversive?
In concluding a recent about the assimilation of evangelicals into the broader culture, Tim Bednar writes: "Christian bloggers are an underground, subversive revival. I think that bloggers are the most exciting thing happening in Christendom. (I did not say most important.)"
Dear God, I hope blogging isn't the most exciting thing happening in Christendom. Maybe in our safe aqnd sanitized, mainstreamed American church culture it is. But when I read stories like this one, I've got to ask myself, and Tim, and any other Christian blogger: "Just how subversive are we?" A bit of perspective is in order, I think.
:: Andrew 08:03 + ::
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The party of the people?
Jack Beatty writes in The Atlantic that the Republican party has become the "party of the people" in the United States. That is, the party of the rural American.
"Rural America is Bush country," Beatty notes. "It is also a museum of poverty, and its poverty shapes its politics."
As one who lives in rural America and sees its poverty firsthand, I have to agree with Beatty's assessment. Rural Americans are suspicious of the Democrats but hold to the GOP's espoused values.The Red State electorate is not fooled. They may not know the details of Bush's crony-capitalist raid on the treasury but would they reject the GOP if they did? They vote for values, strength, guns, and righteous ferocity abroad -- and the GOP delivers. The rest comes under the heading of keeping government off our backs.
That's what sells out here in the impoverished pockets of rural America, whether we like it or not.
:: Andrew 07:45 + ::
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Anarchy on the set! or, Nevermind the bollocks, here's Justin Timberlake
John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten of Sex Pistols fame, wants Justin Timberlake to play him in a new film based on his autobiography, No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs. According to Ananova, "Johnny says that when he met Timberlake he agreed to play the former Sex Pistol as long as Rotten stays away from the set."
Link via punknews.org.
:: Andrew 07:32 + ::
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:: Tuesday, April 27, 2004 ::
Toolbar madness!
At first it was just one -- maybe Yahoo's or Google's -- and you thought it was enough. But then you succumbed to the urge for more. And before long, you end up like this:
Link via Blogger Blog.
:: Andrew 07:27 + ::
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:: Monday, April 26, 2004 ::
Spring playlist
For some bizarre reason, Amy requested that I create for her a playlist of seasonal songs for spring/summer. So I'm obliging today with the bloggedy blog spring collection. I'll tackle the summer one a little later. (The summer playlist will be much easier. There are so many great summertime songs.)
This is actually the first time I've tried to come up with a seasonal playlist, and it's been an interesting exercise, so thanks, Amy, for stretching my mind. What a good teacher you must be. I hope I get an "A."
Any additions, comments, and polite critiques are welcome in the comments form.A spring playlist for Amy
Track 1. "Beautiful Day," U2 -- or if you're tired of this song, alternatively try "Turn, Turn, Turn," by the Byrds
Track 2. "Good Day Sunshine," The Beatles
Track 3. "Free Falling," Tom Petty -- a great tune for driving down the highway with the convertible top down or the windows rolled down (a la Jerry McGuire)
Track 4. "Beautiful World," Devo
Track 5. "Ants Marching," Dave Matthews Band -- I hear this tune in my head every time those tiny little ants invade my bathroom in the spring
Track 6. "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" Creedence Clearwater Revival -- good for those rainy spring days
Track 7. "Graceland," Paul Simon
Track 8. "Righteously," Lucinda Williams
Track 9. "Roadrunner," Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers -- another good driving song
Track 10. "Take It Easy," the Eagles
Track 11. "Naive Melody," Talking Heads
Track 12. "Amy," Pure Prairie League -- I threw this one in, just for grins (like you've never heard that song before, eh?)
:: Andrew 09:42 + ::
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More fun with search terms
Today was a good day for odd search-engine referrals to this blog. The terms include:
j-kwon's brother
Silver tongue
Newscasts about the 1970s disco
Analysis of O Captain, My Captain
winterland flu rotten
ramones, blog
HooBoy
blog +reggae+surf
prodigal son powerpoint pictures
Notice how few of the search terms have anything at all to do with Christianity or church? I hope visitors aren't disappointed when they discover that this is a "Christian" blog. (Or so I'm told by some. Others beg to differ.)
At any rate: Thanks, seekers, for upping my hit count today. May you be blessed on your journeys through the ether of the Net, and may you find what you're looking for. (Which reminds me: I wonder if that one person ever figured out how to write a music analysis paper on the song, Black Magic Woman by Santana.
:: Andrew 17:58 + ::
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This is going to suck up a lot of my surfing time
Just added to the blogroll: "Welcome to the Rock's Backpages Library. From here you can search our archive of reviews, interviews and features on artists from Abba to Zappa, by the best writers and from the most influential magazines. We add to this library every week."
Egad, there's a lot of stuff here. Just look at all the wonderful writing on The Clash. This is insane, and only a minimum of $4.50 to join. Money well spent, I would think.
Link via Carol Cooper, via rockcritics links.
:: Andrew 11:04 + ::
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If ever I were to visit a strip club...
...which I won't, btw. But if ever I were, I think this is the dancer I'd like to watch.
Verily I say unto you, I have never, ever visited a strip club. Not even in my wild days. I've seen a few strippers at bachelor parties, but never in a strip club.
And I'd never visited a blog about a strip club until I discovered Life at TJ's Place via Blogger.
:: Andrew 08:02 + ::
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Simon Dawes, 
