The Association of Independents in Radio, Inc, (AIR), public radio’s vibrant social and professional network of reporters, producers, and sound artists blogs here about Makers Quest 2.0 (MQ2) and other inventive projects and producers that are driving the evolution of public media, new journalism, and fresh approaches to craft. MQ2 is a pilot project funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting which fuels producer-driven new media ‘life forms’ blending the power of traditional public radio outlets with digital media tools and platforms.
Let us know if you want to stay in the loop on the next phase of our project by clicking here.
Departures is HyperLoco - Insanely Good Public Media
If you want to find a public station that's got it right, swing on over to KCET-TV in Los Angeles, where the hyperlocal project called Departures is so crazy-good that I've mashed up a new word to describe it: HyperLoco.
According to the recently redesigned website, "Departures is KCET's hyper-local web documentary, community engagement tool and digital literacy program about the cultural history of Los Angeles' neighborhoods."
That doesn't sound nearly as exciting or exhilarating as the project truly is. Departures is a vibrant hub for media that takes you on an unforgettable tour of the real L.A. through the stories of people who are the heart of its communities. The site includes mapping, video portraits, audio, slide shows and more.
One of the coolest and most innovative things you'll find on Departures are its digital panoramic murals - cut and spliced mash-ups of stellar fresh and archival photography. Imagine walking down a city street teeming with people, colors, vehicles, sounds, signs, buildings. That kind of energy pulses through these online murals which are artistic, provocative, interactive and addictive.
Blog, baby, blog
I blog, therefore I am?
To blog, or not to blog, is that the question?
What's a blog got to do with it?
It's been about six months since I started writing for the MQ2 blog - a good point to reflect and revisit the purpose of this page, especially as we plan to invite others (perhaps, you?) to contribute ideas and experiences as guest bloggers.
I've done a scan of my 81 previous posts and I'm relieved to report that the MQ2 blog has delivered on its promise of profiling innovative public media work by MQ2 producers and others. Here's the breakdown by topic area:
Spotlight on fascinating/cool media projects: 26%
MQ2 grantees making waves: 20%
Public media people & developments in the news: 16%
New technologies/New ideas : 12%
Growth opportunities for independent producers: 11%
Personal/professional musings on the evolution of media: 8%
AIR goings-on: 5% read more »
Pink Ribbons & Blogger's Blues
Writing has been a bit of a struggle this week, so I thought I'd share why: I can't stop thinking about breast cancer.
Tomorrow is the DC Race for the Cure, the annual event that raises money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. I'm not walking or running in the pink-a-thon, but I am supporting a team called "Sheryl's Flowers." It's named after my dear friend and public radio pal Sheryl Flowers, producer for the Tavis Smiley Show. Sheryl lost her battle against Triple Negative breast cancer almost exactly one year ago, at the age of 42. Tavis Smiley and Clark Atlanta University recently named a journalism scholarship in her honor. The anniversary of Sheryl's death is lurking in the corners of my mind, creeping into view and demanding notice.
Also over the past year, my beloved neighbor, a mother in her 30s, has been undergoing chemotherapy and other treatments to fight breast cancer. She had to stop nursing her daughter sooner than expected. I've watched as she lost a breast, her hair and a lot of weight along the way. Her prognosis is good and for this I am thankful.
Meanwhile, one of my very best friends is headed to the hospital this month to have an elective double mastectomy, following a hysterectomy last year. A 46-year-old who has tested positive for the BRCA mutation (a predictor of ovarian and breast cancer), she has spent two years preparing emotionally for the decision to lose her breasts to save her life. She doesn't have cancer but preventive surgery is her best hope to avoid it. As the operation nears, we are all feeling a mixture of fear, relief, anticipation and doubt.
With breast cancer on my mind, I've looked to public media for some sources of information and inspiration.
In the Family is a powerful Emmy-nominated documentary film that aired on the PBS series POV, following a 2008 premiere at AFI's SilverDocs. Filmmaker Joanna Rudnick shares her journey as she grapples with the implications of inheriting the "breast cancer gene." Co-produced by Kartemquin and ITVS, the film asks the question "How much would you sacrifice to survive?" read more »
Queena Kim Jumps Off-Ramp, Heads North
Believe it or not, the journalism blogosphere's abuzz this week about something other than BP and Facebook privacy. The Bay Citizen has launched and MQ2 grantee Queena Kim is on board.
The Bay Citizen is an independent nonprofit journalism venture that boasts collaborations with The New York Times and the U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. KQED had been in the mix but opted out. The project is funded in part by Warren Hellman, who has been referred to as a milionaire and a billionaire in various news accounts.
This hyperlocal effort has a noble goal: to save journalism.
"The mission of The Bay Citizen is to enhance civic and community news coverage in the Bay Area, stimulate innovation in journalism, and foster civic engagement. Across the nation, the field of journalism and access to local news about civic and cultural issues are in jeopardy. In the Bay Area, local newspapers have cut their newsrooms by nearly 50% in the last five years. And coverage of civic news topics – including education, government, the environment, science, health, and arts – have been cut dramatically compared to topics such as sports and entertainment. Professional journalism is worth saving. The Bay Citizen aims to provide unbiased and independent coverage of news, which we believe is critical to a functioning democracy and the information health of our communities."
Queena Kim, co-creator of the MQ2-funded CyberFrequencies podcast at KPCC's Off-Ramp, has been hired as Community Editor. Her job is to build and strengthen the connections between The Bay Citizen and the citizens it aims to serve and engage. She explains more in her inaugural blog post. read more »
Catch the Zing at Our June 1st Webinar
When Memorial Day is a memory of barbecues, picnics, American flags.
And June opens the screen door to summer:
Bees, butterflies, grasshoppers, fireflies.
Buzz, flutter, chirp... and ZING!
Get your summer season off to a smart start by signing up for the AIR/PRPD Webinar: "Spreading the Zing: A New Vision of Public Media's Impact."
As public radio producers, stations, and networks move beyond broadcast platforms, many are asking 'what is the picture of success for public media?' A groundbreaking new research paper "Spreading the Zing: Re-imagining PublicMedia through Makers Quest 2.0" contends that as we consider the impact of media work, we have an opportunity move beyond traditional measures which place strict emphasis on our most loyal, converged audience. The new paradigm calls for us to put elements such as influence, relevance, and craft along side AQH, cume, or page clicks. read more »
Corporation for Public...Games?
Do we need a Corporation for Public Gaming (CPG) to invest in the development of nonprofit public interest games? Are you ready for a new network called National Public Games (NPG) to provide gaming content on par with NPR News?
These are questions on the agenda at this week's 7th Games For Change (G4C) Festival in NYC. This annual conference brings together gaming geeks and academics, media makers and social justice strategists, all of whom want to tap into the explosion of interest in interactive gaming as a source of enlightenment and empathy.
G4C is a nonprofit that "seeks to harness the extraordinary power of video games to address the most pressing issues of our day, including poverty, education, human rights, global conflict and climate change." Suzanne Seggerman, the co-founder of G4C, has been promoting the idea of a CPG for several years. read more »
Magazines of the Future
Are you a big magazine reader? I used to be. These days, except for Mother Jones, nearly all of the magazines that arrive in my mailbox are for kids (New Moon Girls, Cricket). And fortunately, the AARP magazine formerly known as Modern Maturity hasn't found me yet.
But I grew up in a home where Newsweek, Ms., and, (of course!) National Geographic were all savored - and saved - as treasures. For a number of years, I subscribed to an array of publications, everything from Tikkun to The Nation, The Sun, Emerge, The Advocate, E magazine.
On some level, I believed that the number and of diversity of magazines I digested reflected my identity and self-esteem as an educated, informed, curious, cultural person, even if I didn't subscribe to the New Yorker. And when I used to interview people for newsroom jobs, I always asked them where they get their news and which magazines they read on a regular basis, a litmus test of sorts.
Scratch all that. Nowadays, nearly all of my nonfiction reading is online, and magazines simply remind me of air travel, doctors' offices, and curb recyclables.
A few recent developments got me wondering what the future holds for magazines. The Washington Post announced plans to sell Newsweek magazine. Perhaps no one will buy it. Discover magazine is also up for grabs. The Nation finally updated its website to include interactivity and social networking. Nearly every month, another seemingly popular mag "goes archival." A bitter blog called Magazine Death Pool functions as an obit page for the magazine industry. read more »
Megapolis: Sounds Sprawling
This weekend, Baltimore will host a barn-raising for those of Sound Mind: the aurally fixated among us who not only notice but can wax poetic about an awesome mix; we who never forget a voice; those who like to tinker with tape and technology to transport listeners to lush and immersive audio environments, inventors experimenting with sound and story to create new and engaging media experiences, people who think with their ears and are inspired by what they hear.
Megapolis Audio Festival is a magnet for DIY-ers, including musicians, audio artists, documentarians, and radio folks. AIR is a sponsor and several AIR members are presenting and participating. So, look out and listen out for AIR's Sue Schardt and Erin Mishkin. Also, two MQ2 grantees will be in the house: Shea Shackelford and Jenny Asarnow.
Shea and his Big Shedmates Jennifer Deer and Jesse Dukes will present The Place + Memory Project, in what they are calling a Documentary Square Dance.
"Together we will create our own audio map—a remembered landscape of sound and stories. To start things off, we’ll explore some of the stories we’ve already gathered. Then we’re going to get you on your feet and help you jog each other’s memories. After you’ve shared dozens of memories with each other, you’ll use your cell phones to record some of your favorite stories. Finally, exhausted from documentary bliss, we’ll all sit back, look at and listen to what you’ve created, and talk for a little while about what it’s all worth."
Swing your partner, do-si-do! read more »
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