Most good blog posts, or at least the ones that attract the most traffic, draw a line in the sand – taking an unequivocal position. So just on the heels of the iPad launch, scores of tech bloggers are taking that stand against the onerous, closed nature of Apple’s latest offering. And the Church of Open Media has issued it’s doctrine against the iPad decreeing it a heretical, “retrograde” device.

The iPad is retrograde. It tries to turn us back into an audience again. That is why media companies and advertisers are embracing it so fervently, because they think it returns us all to their good old days when we just consumed, we didn’t create, when they controlled our media experience and business models and we came to them.

iPad danger: app v. web, consumer v. creator -Jeff Jarvis, Buzzmachine

Update – The Chorus of Returns Begins

Your humble blogger here, updating as I sit in an airport terminal waiting for a flight to Mexico City to cover the First Lady’s visit. I felt I had to update what I published yesterday as we’re now seeing the chorus of “I’m Returning my iPod” posts.  Jeff Jarvis even made a video outlining his reasons.  Maybe this is a shift that will ultimately prod Apple to re-think pricing and exclusivity agreements with publishers.  Maybe it’s a few high profile bloggers using their influence and reach to voice concerns that are valid and point to salient shortcomings in Apple’s offering.  Maybe folks should’ve read the label before they bought it?

Why I’m Returning My Apple iPad ($AAPL)

Why I’m Returning The iPad

Look, I’m no iPad fanboy. I may eventually buy one, but I’m not suffering from the technolust that swooned those first in line to get theirs. I’m more interested in how the device will change the worlds of publishing and advertising. And now, the conversation is being framed as either/or in terms of participatory vs. walled content. I think that’s a false choice, and that there always will be choices in how we consume, create, share and interact with content. It’s perfectly fine to simply, passively consume media and that is precisely what the device is designed to do.

Lean Forward – Lean Back

I’m not sure who originally coined the terms “lean forward” and “lean back” media, but the premise is simple. If you’re not familiar with the terms, lean forward media is the kind we create, engage with, mashup, share, link to, comment on, embed in our blogs etc. Lean back is the kind we passively consume.

Examples of “lean forward” media

• blogs and the comments on them
• embeddable video
• links to content within a blog
• Twitter

Examples of “lean back” media

• books
• movies
• certain TV shows
• certain iPad content

Both of these types of media have intrinsic value and I don’t think we need to frame this as one replacing the other.  This blog falls into the category of lean-forward and I hope all of you enlightened readers here engage me and each other in a robust dialogue in the comments.  But what is it that makes people think that ALL media has to be like this blog?

What is wrong with people wanting to just be part of the audience?  I don’t buy this notion that every bit of content needs to be open to some online peer review,  or worse – the ill tempered trolls of the interwebs.  I further don’t buy the notion that all content – from blog comment, to link,  to twitter mention – is sacrosanct. Most critics of the iPad seem to hold this belief. To them I say: if you’re REALLY worried about the iPad hobbling your generativity… DON’T BUY ONE.

Walls, Windows, and Doors

Apple is building walls around it’s media empire. It want’s to set the price for apps and subscriptions and much of the content thus far doesn’t allow for much by way of sharing or commenting.  So what?  Apple is a company that’s in the business of delivering value to their shareholders.  How they get there – whether by open source or DRM ensconced walls -is up to them, not us.  The iPad is not a tool of individual media empowerment and as such, I’d equate it to a really great piece of stereo equipment.  It’s an entertainment appliance.

That’s just fine for most people.  If you’re reading this blog, you’re exceptional (on many levels).  Not just because you’re reading my blog, but that’s certainly a plus. You are part of my social graph, and I have to get your attention on Twitter or Facebook first to get you over here.   But most people aren’t this connected on the web.  In that respect, we are exceptional. We are the digerati.  But the self-ordained high priests of the Church of Open Media would have us believe that everyone is out there contributing content. That’s where I and others are given pause.

This is the place where this brand of critics fall most deeply into the same kind of echo-chambered trap as the news industry — by thinking that most people should think and behave like themselves. But most people are not and will not ever become creators of sophisticated media. Instead they’re working in bakeries and insurance offices and having babies and teaching people to play the fiddle.

Have iPad critics fallen into an echo-chambered trap like the news industry? -Howard Weaver

The social web allows us to create, collaborate and connect in ways constantly being innovated.  Social media, citizen media – whatever you want to call it – at the minimum, gives us a window into power structures like media, press and government – transparencey.  At it’s most open, we’re allowed through the doors and given an opportunity to help shape and create content.  Increasingly traditional media are opening windows and doors and extending their brands to online audiences. By and large these are good things.

But I think there will continue to be a strong desire for people like you and me to lean forward, engage, share, embed, post, comment and shout out to the world.  I also think there are more people in this world, who are just as happy to read, watch, absorb and ponder while leaning back.  Both of these approaches are just fine and I simply don’t understand all of the histrionics of this non debate – debate.  Am I missing something here?  Please lean forward in the comments below.

Related Reading

Consumers vs. Creators (or Will the iPad Destroy the World?)

Here Is Why The iPad Won’t Save The Magazine Industry

The iPad Luddites

The Employee Blogger – Manage the Risk and Reap Reward

I wrote my very first blog post here three years ago, nearly to the day.   In 2005, I had an awakening to just how disruptive the empowered social web was to my industry, and ultimately my job.   So rather than just sticking my head in the sand, and hoping all of you would stop using the interwebs and start being better TV citizens, I dove right in and began exploring new communication channels.  My blogging, Twitter and experimentation with emerging mobile trends – such as location based services – have all been a part of my continuing media eduction.  To be honest, its also about positioning myself favorably in a troubling and uncertain career landscape for those of us who still toil in legacy media.

While anonymity was my cover early on, a modicum of web notoriety and Google ranking has put me in a position where those who employ me pay attention to what I say here and on Twitter.  Whether it’s this blog, what I say when I speak publicly, or my behavior  on the job – interacting with people face to face – it’s important that I represent the brand of my employer favorably.  I hope I do that here, but while we’re on the topic, I wanted to point you to my blog disclaimer, so that you know that these are MY thoughts, observations, and views.

Disclaimer 2.0

So, as you can see, I’m hoping that this “living, breathing disclaimer” can be an opportunity to demonstrate that I’m doing it right.   Thoughtless online behavior by a CEO or the lowest ranking worker, can put brands in a negative light.  Sometimes an insightful employee’s blog, like former Forrester analyst Jeremiah Owyang’s Web Strategy,  can take the spotlight off of the employers brand.

Recently,  Forrester Research laid out new guidelines prohibiting their analysts from blogging about research ares that they cover.  To some it’s a smart move that prevents their employees from diluting the brand.  To others, it’s seen as “Epic Enterprise 2.0 Fail” – a way of jealously preventing their personal brands from getting larger and more relevant.

Forrester CEO George Colony is well aware of that savvy analysts can build their personal brands via their positions as Forrester analysts amplified by social media (see the post on “Altimeter Envy”). As a consequence, a Forrester policy that tries to restrict analysts’ personally-branded research blogs works to reduce the possibility that the analysts will build a valuable personal brand leading to their departure. -  SageCircle

Employers struggle with the notion of their workers having a voice on the web.  At the extremes, there are two tribes – one that espouses a social media utopia where every worker has open access to social networks, and another that operates in fear and pushes to silence the rank and file.  Hopefully, a more pragmatic third tribe recognizes the risks and rewards of their employees social media use and provides a set of guidelines for them.  NPR has an approach to all of this that I admire.

As NPR grows to serve the audience well beyond the radio, social media is becoming an increasingly important aspect of our interaction and our transparency with our audience and with a variety of communities. Properly used, social networking sites can also be very valuable newsgathering and reporting tools and can speed research and extend a reporter’s contacts, and we encourage our journalists to take advantage of them. – NPR Social Media Guidelines

Policy Evolution

These policies and guidelines will continue to evolve as new technologies and communications platforms further push the boundaries of openness and transparency.

I’m interested in hearing your experiences – as a worker or an employer – with disclaimers, social media policies and the like.  I’ve already gotten some good  feedback on Twitter and Facebook.

QUESTIONS:

Greg Cangialosi over at The Trend Junkie has tagged me with the “measurement” meme in a post entitled “Metrics, Measurement, and Social Media”. In the same week author, entrepreneur and marketing strategist Geoff Livingston included me in a “DC Area’s Top 12 Social Media, Marketing, and PR blogs” list. So I’m scratching my head here. I’m a cameraman for a major network news organization, right? I’m not a marketer… or am I?

In my journey with social media, my blogging, and use of platforms like Twitter and Facebook, I’ve discovered that I’ve become somewhat of a personal micro-media brand. I’ve been able to measure the tangible results of my personal brand building in terms of hard data, and in terms of harder to measure, yet deeply enriching professional and personal connections. The hard data is readily available and demonstrates that listening to the very smart people in this space, and engaging them in meaningful conversation goes a long way in building your brand. By hard data, I’m talking about Google search ranking and analytics, Technorati ranking/authority, blog traffic data, and friends in my circle of influence on various social networking platforms.

That more difficult to define measure of my social media involvement is how it’s enabled me to connect with incredibly smart, visionary, driven entrepreneurs. With fourteen hundred Twitter friends, I have a knowledge base of deeply engaged, early adopters drawn from the ranks of venture capital, PR, marketing, social and traditional media, web strategy, and technology. Social media enabled CC Chapman to connect me to my first professional speaking engagement and meet Geoff Livingston and Valeria Maltoni. People like David Eckoff of Turner Broadcasting cite me as a case study of how to use social media on panels at Streaming Media West. I use Facebook to organize events and affinity groups. Recently, I hosted a breakfast for Seesmic CEO, Loic Lemeur here in Washington, DC. In short, I’ve become relevant in this space. None of this would have been possible without my deep engagement in social media. I see TREMENDOUS value in all of that.

Talking Twitter to marketers, Photo courtesy of CC Chapman

Twitter is my most front-facing social media tool. I post frequently every day, much of it on assignment for NBC News. People tell me they find this behind-the-scenes look into the news fascinating. Many have told me that I put a human face on “the media” that they would otherwise have no real connection with. So I think there is a real value here in being a bridge between the Facebook generation and traditional media. Those type of fuzzy metrics, while interesting, aren’t enough for corporations. They want ROI – and whether you define the “I” as “investment” or as Valeria Maltoni prefers “involvement” – a social media effort should produce measurable results. So it’s not enough that I’m the “crazy uncle” running around NBC evangelizing shiny new social media platforms. Big companies, like my current employer, want real definable results.

Kami Huyse points out that you should begin any social media effort with well defined relational objectives.

One of the things I will stress is the importance of having well-defined objectives. By definition, objectives have to be measurable, “What would you like to see happen and by when as a results of engaging in social media?”- Kami Huyse

John Bell, of Ogilvy’s 360 Digital Influence practice, helps us further define some of the nuance of social media measurement, exploring the distinction between influence, authority, engagement, and impact.

So, dear readers, how do you measure your social media activity, or in fact, do you measure at all? How are you defining reach, influence, and impact? Frankly, I’m still much of a noob at all of this. At the end of the day, at the core of my being, I’m just a cameraman..right?

Speaking at the Direct Marketing Association of Washington’s “Era of Conversation” conferencePhoto by CC Chapman

Last Thursday, I had the unique pleasure of speaking before a group of marketing executives at the Direct Marketing Association of Washington’s confab in DC. I spoke to one of the many break-out sessions on “new media basics” – fitting for me as there there is SO much I’ve yet to absorb about the social web. In fact, I began by telling my breakout session: “I have no business speaking before a bunch of marketing executives, but..”

From that jumping off point, I discussed my nascent (only been blogging since March of this year), but reasonably engaging blogging efforts, and my use of Twitter as primary tools of social media. Essentially I riffed that if I can do it, you can do it, and basic tools are a good place to start, especially when shifting from less conversational communication. Fortunately for me, and for the rest of the attendees, there was an abundance of thought leadership on wide-ranging strategies for launching social media efforts. Overall I think it’s key to find the tools that are right for you or your organization.

For me, blogging is most rewarding when I leave my posts open-ended, and people WAY smarter than me complete my thoughts in the comments section.  Sure, you can be confrontational, and link-bait to generate traffic, but I like the notion of what Stephen Marino, of Ogilvy’s 360 Digital Influence practice calls “Return on Involvement”. The day was filled with terrific speakers, and I had the chance to meet some of the brightest minds in this space like keynote speaker Valeria Maltoni (she’s not yet convinced of Twitter so get over to her blog and give her a nudge!), and keynote speaker CC Chapman, who I’ve been eager to meet for some time. CC connected me with Geoff Livingston, another keynote at the conference who really did a great job of blogging the event with the help of Larissa Fair. Geoff pointed out, in support of Marino’s premise, that participation IS marketing.

In my presentation, I demonstrated how Twitter can be used and misused an engagement tool. At one point i called out to all of YOU on Twitter and asked if you’d say hello to the DMAW session. While waiting for some responses to generate, CC Chapman, in what can almost be described as a movie moment, stopped me and said almost chillingly: “Jim.. refresh the page”. You guys had come through!! Imagine if that hadn’t worked . There were no less than 80 immediate responses. (thank you!) I think that aptly demonstrated Twitter’s immediate, conversational, attention directing value. I also pointed out that Team Twitter had  helped shape my presentation in the comments on my blog. (again thank you!)

So despite this being my first ever presentation before a professional group, I think I was able to get people thinking about social media and what tools are right for them. Social media allows us to connect on a deep human level across social, cultural, and corporate barriers in a way we never could before. Conversations no longer happen from the top down. More importantly they are no longer controlled by corporations. Media that aren’t conversational or social are becoming less and less relevant. Funny that I felt like odd man out speaking at this event. At the end of the day I’m a network news cameraman, not a social media consultant. Ogilvy’s John Bell advises on his blog:

Spark ideas by mixing up odd-fellows and odd exepriences. Oh, and let go of the reins a bit.
John Bell

I think that’s fitting here. Social media enables the exchange of good ideas and allows the the best ones to take root and propagate, creating value, involvement, and engagement. So maybe that’s why I was invited. I want to thank Donna Tschiffely, Executive Director of DMAW, for bringing this all together. I hope i get a chance to do this again soon.

A few weeks ago CC Chapman connected me with DC area author, marketing strategist, and entrepreneur, Geoff Livingston. Somehow these two got it in their heads that I’d be a great speaker at the “New Media Marketing Day – The Era of Conversation” session that the DMAW is hosting. So I’ve got some ideas about discussing personal branding, avoiding missteps when using social media, video as conversation agent – and I plan on referencing the usual suspects: Robert Scoble, Connie Reece, Chris Brogan, and Chris Heuer to tee off some “big ideas”. I just want to make sure I’m not missing any important thoughts. Here’s my track from the DMAW website:

Track 1 – Sponsored by Executive Biz
New Media Basics: Hammers brass tacks into some of the more popular social media tactics. Forget the exotic. We’re talking about the everyday activity your organization needs right now to enjoy immediate success in the emerging social media/web 2.0 elements.
from DMAW website

This is where I need YOUR HELP. Do YOU think I’m using social media successfully? If so, why? How can big companies better use social media? What are important points that I should draw from our collective experience in social media? As always, your comments here MAKE this blog. I’m looking forward to your insights! Thanks.

yours truly… multitasking

What’s in your business communications toolkit?

Hi, I’m Jim and I’m a Twitterholic. My addiction to the very popular, multi-platform SMS tool is mentioned with a quick quote from me, tech evangelist Betsy Weber, and consultant Cathryn Hrudicka  in a smart piece by Podtech rock star, Twitter Hall of Famer, FastCompany.com contributor, and blogger Robert Scoble. I’ve blogged about Twitter’s value as a branding tool, and have encouraged big media to empower their employees to be brand champions with these tools. Pownce, Jaiku, and Facebook are also used as examples of these new tools in the business communications aresenal. Scoble adds an interesting twist, pointing out all the behavioral data made available by seemingly mundane posts. Scary or promising depending on where you stand.

given what it and other companies spend acquiring new customers, there’s an untapped gold mine in Twitter and Facebook because we’re volunteering so much information about what we’re doing right now.Learning how to tap it correctly–both to sell to me directly and in seeing major trends in the millions of daily public posts–will be the next major challenge for these companies.
Robert Scoble, on Fastcompany.com 9/07  

He sums up the piece with a look in to the future:

If we revisit this conversation again in three years, I suspect that we’ll have found all sorts of little uses for these services, and they’ll simply become what email is today: something we must do just to participate in the heartbeat of business.  

Besides Twitter, what social media are you using to promote your brand (read what should be using that I don’t know about!)? What are you using to learn more about your community? What will be the next killer tool? In addition to Scoble’s Twitter presence, check out his Twitter link blog.

video blogging tools of the trade

So is this your idea of fun? Are you a political junkie? Are you good at multi-tasking? Do you work well with liltte or no sleep? If the answer to ALL of these questions is “yes”, I suggest you look into a once-in-a-lifetime (or once every four years at least) journalism opportunity.

NBC News, along with partner The National Journal, recently announced plans to embed video journalists in the campaigns of Presidential candidates. NBC News chief Steve Capus describes the benefits of this intimate access.

There is nothing like being there, up close and personal, when it comes to covering a presidential election, and this allows us to be there in a very big way. Our team of reporters on the road with the candidates will be in a unique position to report all aspects of this dynamic story for every single one of our platforms

- Steve Capus, President, NBC News

Candidates for these coveted positions should expect to sleep very little, work very hard, and keep up with a very demanding production schedule in terms of posting video, audio, photographs and text. Additionally these embeds will be expected to be the editorial eyes and ears of NBC News, providing extensive and accurate coverage of the campaign and the candidates. Make no mistake… this is VERY difficult work. I know, becuause i recently provided this type of coverage for the NBC Nightly News blog as we circumnavigated the globe covering the Secretary of Defense. It is grueling, punishing work, and I know from experience that Presidential campaigns are particularly draining.

Having said that, there is a unique opportunity for some great online storytelling here. While some have suggested that I have the specific qualifications to take on such an assignment, I suspect that they’re not as interested in someone who gets overtime for this job. If they’re smart, they will look at forward-thinking photographers not just, eager poli-sci majors who can find the on off switch on a DV camera. Technology is only as good as the artisans and storytellers it empowers.

Interestingly NBC News and the National Journal are entering a field already already alive with online journalists, bloggers, and vloggers, either positioned to give them a run for their money or, if nothing else, provide useful technical and editorial perspective.

When I first heard of these openings, I first thought of friend and colleague Amani Channel, not because I think he could do the job, but because he IS doing the job. Check him out!

Click To Play

Former ABC producer and Atlanta blogger Grayson Daughters has been covering Georgia politics on her blog, bringing her delightfully unique personality and rapier sharp wit to her video blogging efforts.

A-list blogger Jeff Jarvis of Buzzmachine is, is building a small political media empire, launching his Prezvid site having seen the revolutionary implications of a “YouTube” campgaign.

Video blogging pioneer Steve Garfield has been pushing the envelope of empowering video technology for years. Most recently, he’s been using bleeding edge live video tools to broadcast live video from his Nokia N95 from far-flung reaches of the globe using platforms such as Ustream, Kyte, Operator11, BlogTV, and Comvu. Hmmm, the press bus will never be the same again. I don’t have details of what technology NBC is empowering these emeds with, but I’m sure he’d be more than happy to share his vast knowledge.

Ultimately the technology is just a tool. It’s the stories, and the people who tell them that make the difference. What these video journalists will offer is access.

Having this team of reporters on the trail with the candidates and their top staff day in and day out will provide our audience of political junkies with the inside stories and interesting tidbits that they otherwise would not get.

- John Fox Sullivan, Publisher and Chief Executive, National Journal Group

It’s important to note that these embedded video journalists will be just part of a much larger effort by NBC News to cover this wide open Presidential race. Ultimately, the news is covered by people not technology. It’s the people of NBC News that are the formidibale force that Polticial Director Chuck Todd brings to bear on NBC’s coverage.

The sheer volume for one thing… The fact that we’ll [be] so transparent about what we’re reporting… Both in print and thru video is something that will be unprecedented for a major news organization. It is revolutionary as far as a network is concerned.

- Chuck Todd, NBC News Political Director

Part of me thinks i should still apply for the job, just for grins, then watch them laugh as I slide my salary requirements across the table. What do you think? Should I apply?

Hey if you know any good candidtates or you think you’re one yourself, leave a link in the comments section!

Midway through our round the world trip with Secretary of Defense Gates, we made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan. Arriving under the cover of darkness we landed in Kabul Sunday evening. We had switched from the E4B to a C-17 for our descent into Kabul. I’ve corkscrewed into BIAP a number of times so i’m familiar with combat landings in this aircraft. Still, when the red lights go on and the security guys don the armor plate, I’m reminded of just how dangerous a place like Afghanistan can be.

Gates arrives in Kabul

Gates’ plane touched down around 1930 local time, and we accompanied him to Camp Eggers. The Secretary had made on the record comments on the flight from Singapore, expressing cautious optimism about progress on the ground in Afghanistan, so traveling press headed right to the PAO to file their stories. We had to shoot a standup and take a voice track for CNN correspondent, Jamie McIntyre and then get the tape to a local “fixer” who would ship it to the feedpoint.

Jamie McIntyre, soundman Johnie Roth, Jim Long

Kabul nightlife

Afterwards, some of us unwound outside our housing talking with great young soldiers before we called it a night. While accommodations at the base weren’t quite as nice as the the Shangri-La we’d just left in Singapore, I slept well and was up at 0500.

Waiting to get a shot of Gates boarding his helo

Monday was a big day for the Secretary. Boarding helos, we choppered to Morehouse Commando Training Camp just on the outskirts of Kabul, where the first ever Afghan Special Operations Force battalion. We followed Gates as he reviewed the training and spoke with Afghan commanders. Afghan National Army Lt. Col. M. Farid Ahmadi spoke with Gates as he toured the training camp. He was very proud of the his men saying they were the best people for the job. CNN’s Jamie McIntyre interviewed him about the Army’s progress.

Jamie interviews Lt. Col. M. Farid Ahmadi

Then it was back on the helos to a flight back to the LZ in Kabul. Gates met with US commanders before we moved to the Presidential Palace, where the Secretary would later meet with President Hamid Karzai. Security at the palace is thorough to say the least. After being screened, we did the typical waiting associated with these types of events and then lined up for a shot of Gates arriving at the palace. Commander Greg Hicks had kindly pre-set my tripod for the joint press conference between Gates and Karzai, so my only challenge was positioning myself for the photo op with the two leaders.

This is all about a burst of pure physical speed up the stairs, elbowing past what seemed like 15 local camera crews. Good thing I’ve got a long stride! In the press conference Gates and Karzai touched on a number of topics ranging from reconstruction, to Afghanistan’s suppression of the Taliban’s rumored spring offensive, to Iran’s involvement with the emergence of sophisticated new IED’s.

Next, we were off to Kandahar in Southern Afghanistan, where the Secretary met privately with troops, to get “ground truth” from the boots on the ground – labeled as a free and open discussion about what works and what doesn’t. We were allowed what felt like 30 seconds for a photo op at the top. I think at this point in the trip the Secretary of Defense had grown tired of seeing me and more than once remarked in this photo op that as soon as they could speak freely (hint for me to leave!) they would begin the open dialogue.

I always try to eek out as much video as possible from these events and don’t like to try the principals patience. As much as the OSD bristles at comparisons between Rumsfeld and Gates, I must say this Secretary of Defense has yet to scowl at me. I’ve been to these events with Rumsfeld and at a very precise point in the photo op, Rumsfeld would shoot an unmistakable look at the camera crew, which unequivocally meant LEAVE THE ROOM.

We left Afghanistan that evening flying out of Kandahar on the C-17 that brought us there. This was my first trip to Afghanistan and it was a truly unique experience, but I am quite content that we’ve left and are on our way to Normandy for D-Day memorial ceremonies.

NBC producer Courtney Kube

At this point it’s important to note that, working to coordinate all of the logistics, update editorial elements, and generally make sure things run smoothly, is a tremendously hard-working, capable, and talented colleague of mine named Courtney Kube. Long after we’ve all gone to bed she’s on the phone coordinating satellite feeds, writing ediorial notes and doing it all with personality and energy that are miles long.

Flying from Asia to Europe, we’re watching Saving Private Ryan on the plane as I write this. Fitting as we gear up to cover the Secretary’s participation in D-Day ceremonies at Normandy.

Here’s what my traveling buddies filed From Kabul.

Mark Mazzetti, The New York Times

Kristin Roberts, Reuters

Peter Spiegel, The LA Times

Donna Miles, Armed Forces Press Service

Jamie McIntyre, CNN

Robert Burns, Associated Press

Ken Fireman, Bloomberg

Jim Mannion, AFP

Guy Raz, NPR

Jim Long blogging somewhere over the Pacific, en route Singapore

Friend and social media rock star Chris Abraham once told me that I blog in the “rarified air” from my perch as a network news cameraman. Today, I blog from the very thin air, 35000 feet above the Pacific Ocean, en route to Singapore with Defense Secretary Gates.

Secretary Gates and Admiral Keating brief press at Pacific Command HQ

NBC News is the US TV Pool traveling with Gates, which means the video I shoot will be used by all five of the big networks. We are flying on this impressive aircraft,
the Air Force E4B.

Air Force E4B on the flight line

Of it’s long list of operational capabilities, the one nearest and dearest to the heart of this blogger is that it has broadband! Now all it needs is a global coffee chain franchise. Lord knows it would fit! I’ve been able to sneak out a Twitter or two here and there, in flight. Pretty cool!

Recently, friend and blogging cameraman Lenslinger, bristled a bit at some of the new media musings of myself and some of my contemporaries, proudly proclaiming his determination to lug around his old camera and continue his Quixotic quest to tell well crafted, lovingly shot television stories as he’s done for years. Well on this journey, I’m equally entrenched in the trappings of old media. So much so that we’re actually carrying two Ikegami HL-V55 cameras, both in their “autumn years” – one PAL, one NTSC.

With us on this trip is veteran CNN Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre. Jamie is filing stories for CNN, and as the pool crew we’re responsible for getting him on the air.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN Pentagon Correspondent

Jamie and I are both videoblogging our journey and I’m eager to see what he puts together. (frankly I hope he’s not a better shooter than me!) So I guess then, it’s not a strictly old-media junket. In fact, we had dinner last night with Roxanne Darling of Beachwalks at Alan Wong’s in Honolulu. Beachwalks is a soothing online TV show that is life instruction for stress free living. Roxanne was a wonderful addition to the group and a refreshing diversion from echo chamber discussions of missile defense, Iraq and other Pentagon chatter.

I’ll keep you posted on the Round the World With Secretary Gates videoblog. I’m looking forward to getting home as we continue our westward journey.

How will big news media reach out to fragmented audiences in a networked world of infinite choice? How does network TV news reclaim audiences that have given up on the evening news all together? How will my employer connect deeply with people who have lost their faith in traditional media? How about this: empower your most passionate employees to engage and even drive online conversation using drop dead simple social media tools.

Mobasoft President Michael Bailey blogged on the vexing nature of corporations overcoming their fear of the transparent nature of social media.

Once they seem to be getting it, how difficult is it to let them know that it is okay to be human, without giving away the store, another way of saying that would be that you don’t need to divulge company secrets to let people know what is going on within the company.
-Michael Bailey, President, Mobasoft LLC

Considering the increasingly confrontational mood at the fringes of the new media/old media dialogue, it’s no surprise that many companies are shying away from the transparency and openness of social media. Some companies are setting those apprehensions aside in favor of comprehensive branding strategies that include social media. In an interview with Intel Internet Strategist Bryan Rhoads, Pod Tech’s Jeremiah Owyang gives us a compelling case study for big companies harnessing the conversational power of social media. While it would be patently absurd to suggest that a big media company replace the promotions department with legions of Twitter-ers, I believe a a healthy mix of traditional an non-traditional branding will be key to spreading the brand across millions of channels.

I don’t know if people in big media fully understand the power of the one on one, human connection that social media enable. I was in the newswroom talking to one of my favorite NBC News correspondents the other day about Twitter. I’d emailed him my feed, and ultimately he asked, what most people who’ve given Twitter only a cursory glance typically inquire: “Who cares?” When I was first introduced to this “attention director” I felt the same way. Evidentally, people DO care about what I’m doing, and I care about what they’re doing. It’s strangely addictive, to the point where I go back through a day’s worth of Twitters to see what my friends have been up to.

What’s perhaps unusual about the nature of my Twittering is that I do it from the “rarefied air”, as friend and social media guru Chris Abraham put it, of my perch as a network news cameraman. My posts range from my need for fresh coffee to the chopper landing of the President of the United States. I’ve come to discover that people in this early-adopter, social media influencer, ecostystem have really become intrigued, by the very simple, human observations of a worker-bee toiling in the salt mines of TV news. Many of my friends who follow me on Twitter have told me that they’ve rekindled their interest in TV news because of my enthusiasm for what I do. I guess I do have a pretty cool job. At least that’s what my Twitter friends tell me!

In a post entitled “Why I Switched to NBC News”, consultant and social media evangelist Connie Reece uses podcasting tools to describe how my “rarefied air” twittering has influenced her news viewing habits, with her lovely Texan radio voice.

Last week I was asked to be Brian Williams’ cameraman as he anchored NBC Nightly News from our Washington bureau. I took this opportunity to give my Twitter friends a behind-the-scenes look at live network news. Take a look at these responses.

I had a similar response when I was a guest cameraman on the set of Meet The Press, with Tim Russert. Take a close look at the comments section of that post. At a time when ratings battles are decided by margins of thousands, any effort to engage one more passionate user of your product is worthwhile. If the response of my Twitter friends is any indicator, putting a human face on your brand really does make a difference. Ironically, I use Twitter to direct attention to my blog and new media venture. But because my day job is so demanding of my time, I “tweet” a great deal about it. I’ve been genuinely surprised by the positive comments I get about NBC’s efforts. I truly believe that I help people understand that a lot of dedicated, talented people work very hard to put together the news product.

I’ve blogged about how, in a world of unlimited choice, it is now incumbent upon journalists to promote their own work. Twitter and other social media tools allow you to direct peoples attention, using links as marketing tools. For me, this is about connecting with people and building my brand. Turns out, it’s becoming precisely that for my current employer. As the fragmentation of media continues to sour the economics of being technical worker in my chosen field, I continue to seek out the attendant opportunity created by this disruption using social media tools. Fortunately, we both seem to benefit from it!

So I wonder, do any of my assembled readers engage in social media that inadvertanly champions the brand of their employer? Is that type of “unauthorized” discussion welcome? I’m kind of out on a limb here. While I simply talk about what I’m doing on any given day. Just so happens that I Twitter about a lot of high-profile stuff. The likely outcome of this little experiment (The people I work for watch what I do) would be one of the following:

I’ve listed those outcomes in order of desirability. I’ll Twitter the results.