http://www.ianhillmedia.com Journalist, Editor, Online Content Producer Tue, 09 Aug 2011 23:32:16 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.ianhillmedia.com/video-we-have-to-find-a-way-to-customize-every-users-experience/ http://www.ianhillmedia.com/video-we-have-to-find-a-way-to-customize-every-users-experience/#comments Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:38:20 +0000 Ian http://www.ianhillmedia.com/?p=1681 Amani Channel has its issues - he spends the first 50 seconds or so reciting his resume - but it also sends a clear, important message: The user has to come first in today's news business.]]> http://www.ianhillmedia.com/video-we-have-to-find-a-way-to-customize-every-users-experience/feed/ 1021 http://www.ianhillmedia.com/innovation-and-the-lessons-of-rob-curley-at-lasvegassun-com/ http://www.ianhillmedia.com/innovation-and-the-lessons-of-rob-curley-at-lasvegassun-com/#comments Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:01:30 +0000 Ian http://www.ianhillmedia.com/?p=1665 209Vibe.com, a friend told me I should check out self-described Internet punk Rob Curley. Curley had been the online editor at the Lawrence, Kan., Journal-World, and my friend recommended I research (what I was told was) his work on Lawrence.com. The site was, and still is, a model for hyperlocal entertainment coverage. It's interesting, engaging and its design always seems to be ahead of the curve. Curley later went on to other media companies in Kansas and Florida before joining Washingtonpost.Newsweek and, in 2008, Lasvegassun.com. There he's continued to earn accolades and, according to a story this week on Lasvegascitylife.com, he's ruffled his fair share of feathers. The story says in part that Curley's Web-first emphasis as well as his efforts to generate revenue have earned him the scorn of some in the newsroom.]]> http://www.ianhillmedia.com/innovation-and-the-lessons-of-rob-curley-at-lasvegassun-com/feed/ 995 http://www.ianhillmedia.com/11-nonprofit-organizations-more-worthwhile-than-journalism/ http://www.ianhillmedia.com/11-nonprofit-organizations-more-worthwhile-than-journalism/#comments Sat, 09 Jan 2010 17:37:16 +0000 Ian http://www.ianhillmedia.com/?p=1621 http://www.ianhillmedia.com/11-nonprofit-organizations-more-worthwhile-than-journalism/feed/ 1031 http://www.ianhillmedia.com/whats-next-for-social-media-and-news-organizations/ http://www.ianhillmedia.com/whats-next-for-social-media-and-news-organizations/#comments Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:29:54 +0000 Ian http://www.ianhillmedia.com/?p=1596 three Twitter accounts, a Facebook page and a MySpace page (all via Tweetdeck) as well as two Google Waves. Combined, they reach a total of between 4,000-5,000 social media users, mostly in Stockton and San Joaquin County. It's gotten me thinking about the effective use of social media in the news industry (as well as my crazed obsession with the Internet, but that's a different post for a different time.) We in the online media world like to jump on the latest, coolest social media technologies and try to put them to work at our news organizations. Our theory is that social media will play an important role in the future of communication, and we in the online world need to be progressive when it comes to using new technology. I don't disagree, but given the number of social media sites out there, and the still relatively small audience for social media in some markets, I've been wondering how we can organize our limited schedules and resources to best take advantage of those technologies. Is it worthwhile to spend hours Tweeting when there are less than 500 Tweeps in your community? Should we focus on providing new content to lure users in, or should we be doing more to look for new marketing tactics to let users know we're available online? Does social media's success at targeting niche markets mean we should be moving away from providing general news coverage online?]]> http://www.ianhillmedia.com/whats-next-for-social-media-and-news-organizations/feed/ 1794 http://www.ianhillmedia.com/live-tweets-from-the-ftcs-journalism-and-the-internet-age-workshop/ http://www.ianhillmedia.com/live-tweets-from-the-ftcs-journalism-and-the-internet-age-workshop/#comments Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:20:35 +0000 Ian http://www.ianhillmedia.com/?p=1569 http://www.ianhillmedia.com/live-tweets-from-the-ftcs-journalism-and-the-internet-age-workshop/feed/ 2712 http://www.ianhillmedia.com/four-tips-for-print-reporters-who-tweet-and-introducing-twitter-com209vibe/ http://www.ianhillmedia.com/four-tips-for-print-reporters-who-tweet-and-introducing-twitter-com209vibe/#comments Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:32:30 +0000 Ian http://www.ianhillmedia.com/?p=1541 Recordnet's LENS blog and building Twitter.com/209Vibe (left), a resource for music and entertainment fans in Stockton and Modesto, California. The latter is the fourth active Twitter account that I run or help maintain. 209Vibe on Twitter is designed to serve as a local entertainment wire. Promoters and musicians Tweet or send me information about upcoming concerts and events and I (re-)Tweet it. I also re-Tweet entertainment stories from local news organizations and occasionally interact with performers. My goal is to make Twitter.com/209Vibe the first stop for local residents who want to know where they can go for nightlife in their community. In its first five days, Twitter.com/209Vibe attracted 85 followers and been added on three lists. It may not sound like much, but considering there are probably less than 40 active Tweeters in Stockton, I'm very happy with the results so far. It's gotten me thinking a bit more about best practices for print reporters who Tweet. Reporters who have a smart, realistic approach to Twitter can use it to reach readers and build the sense of community that's vital in the new media world. ]]> http://www.ianhillmedia.com/four-tips-for-print-reporters-who-tweet-and-introducing-twitter-com209vibe/feed/ 1071 http://www.ianhillmedia.com/the-best-tweets-from-the-yale-conference-on-journalism-and-the-new-media-ecology/ http://www.ianhillmedia.com/the-best-tweets-from-the-yale-conference-on-journalism-and-the-new-media-ecology/#comments Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:10:57 +0000 Ian http://www.ianhillmedia.com/?p=1526 Some of the most interesting discussions about ideas presented at journalism conferences doesn't happen at the conferences themselves. It occurs on Twitter. Conference attendees typically pick a hashtag for the event and use it to provide live coverage of presentations. Observers from around the world then offer their opinions on the ideas discussed. Interesting conversations about the future of journalism often ensue. Here's a round-up of some of the most interesting Tweets from "Journalism and the New Media Ecology: Who Will Pay the Messengers?", a conference held over the weekend at Yale.]]> http://www.ianhillmedia.com/the-best-tweets-from-the-yale-conference-on-journalism-and-the-new-media-ecology/feed/ 1721 http://www.ianhillmedia.com/first-step-media-futurethree/ http://www.ianhillmedia.com/first-step-media-futurethree/#comments Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:53:20 +0000 Ian http://www.ianhillmedia.com/?p=1512 can't be confident that newspapers will return to prominence. The decline of print (and television news, and radio) most likely will continue, as shown by the evidence in part one of this series. New media evangelists, meanwhile, haven't proven that they're ready to replace print. That's because even some of the biggest Internet sites have yet to discover a working financial model that can ensure their long-term stability, as illustrated in part two of this series. If we admit that we as journalists don't have all the answers, perhaps we'll be more likely to search outside our profession for advice.]]> http://www.ianhillmedia.com/first-step-media-futurethree/feed/ 3366 http://www.ianhillmedia.com/first-step-media-futuretwo/ http://www.ianhillmedia.com/first-step-media-futuretwo/#comments Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:32:24 +0000 Ian http://www.ianhillmedia.com/?p=1493 part one of this series, you know that the facts and statistics show a pretty bleak future for old media. But that doesn't mean the new media evangelists are correct in assuming that the Internet is ready to fill the gap left by the fall of newspapers. It's just not going to happen until online news finds a way to generate significant revenue. Of course, news sites aren't alone in their struggle to make money online. Very few Web sites have found financial success or have a sound business plan, and as a result Internet startups remain a risky investment. Consider the fiscal house of cards that is Facebook, which was founded in 2004.]]> http://www.ianhillmedia.com/first-step-media-futuretwo/feed/ 2638 http://www.ianhillmedia.com/first-step-media-futureone/ http://www.ianhillmedia.com/first-step-media-futureone/#comments Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:11:30 +0000 Ian http://www.ianhillmedia.com/?p=1486 and the old media model will bounce back? Consider that circulation's long, slow tumble has now become a free-fall. It's at its lowest point since the 1940s and not showing any signs of rebounding. The loss of readers, joined with the economic downturn and the multitude of media options available to consumers today, has advertisers looking to spend their money elsewhere. So revenue also is decreasing fast.]]> http://www.ianhillmedia.com/first-step-media-futureone/feed/ 2406