Race to the Finish

Everyone loves a horse race. Whether ponies, politics, or tech startups – when the best and brightest pit their talent, passion, and strategy against one another in a high stakes challenge – it makes for high drama. As Foursquare and Gowalla appear to be emerging as leaders in the location wars, things are starting to get interesting. And in this humble blogger’s opinion, one of them is bound for the winners circle.

As location based apps enjoy a post web-technology-Woodstock bump – having had their requisite coming out at SXSWi -the discussion now is simply being framed in terms of Foursquare vs. Gowalla. I’m reminded of Twitter’s ascendancy to it’s place in popular culture, when competitors were nipping at their heels. Then it was a horse race between Twitter and Pownce. Pownce was more feature rich and more stable, yet the simpler and then technically flawed Twitter ultimately dominated.

To Scale, Make Converts Out of the Dubious

Right now, the cool kids are the lab rats for location based services. I’m one of those lab rats. Yet, most of my friends and colleagues have no idea why I or  anyone else would engage in this type of online activity. They doubt the utility of these apps and harbor serious concerns about privacy. The real winner in the location wars will be the one first able to make converts of doubters. How?

Let’s go back to Twitter’s early days, when most folks I encountered would say of the service: “that sounds dumb!” It wasn’t until Twitter reached celebrities and mainstream media that “twitter” and “tweet” became part of the public lexicon. Twitter’s dominance was sealed when broadcast industry trade press touted partnerships with network news organizations – and was further propagated and amplified when local news anchors started encouraging viewer conversations around their newscasts.  Now, we’re beginning to see Foursqaure making a splash in the mainstream media trade press.

I predict we’ll be seeing local TV news stories about location based apps within the next six months.  The platform that gets their name there will be the dominant player.

So, will be that the strategy that propels services like Foursquare and Gowalla into the mainstream? Partly, but I think it will take more than that. Much of the data being shared on these platforms is information about where we shop and eat. We’re opting in to mobile market research, while sharing our brand loyalty with our respective social networks. So, there has to be a something in it for us.

This, I think will be the sweet spot where local media, local business, and consumer/users will all benefit.

Why I Think Foursquare Will Come Out On Top

Gowalla and Foursquare are both making brand and media partnerships. Gowalla currently has a better looking interface, is more feature rich, and has more of a social gaming approach. Some folks prefer the depth of the feature set. But personlly, I’m not a a big gamer and I much prefer simple. Foursquare delivers on simple.  And as with Twitter, Foursquare’s successes with adherents may be pegged to the that simplicity.

And this is where I think Foursquare has shown indicators that they’re poised to win this.  They’ve focused on strong media partnerships, and with their data analytics panel, they’ve demonstrated that to users, media, business and investors that they’re in it to create value for all.  And for their part, investors have responded to Foursquare’s positioning with agreeable valuations.

The Field Narrows

Still, my observation based hunches aside, both of these platforms are in very early stages and haven’t really scaled to a point where a definitive winner can be picked.  Foursquare and Gowalla are run by capable teams, and at the end of the day, it’s about providing the most meaningful, enjoyable experience to the greatest amount of users.  Many of my Twitter friends use one or both of these services.  As always, their (your) insights on the location wars likely inform outcomes.  Here’s a sampling.

shanebarnhill

@newmediajim I think 4S is building its user base so fast that it’ll attract the mainstream & separate from Gowalla. Best doesn’t always win

iconjohn

@newmediajim My vote goes to @gowalla. Look at all the junk FourSquare loactions, and no pics or comments.

rjamestaylor

@newmediajim – wider adoption, “noise” limited to ppl in same city, Gowalla alerts on all friend activity with no discernable way to squelch

smcgrat

@newmediajim foursquare will land into the mainstream first, which should help it secure a win. I personally prefer gowalla.

alexdc

Foursquare b/c Dennis has more experience RT @newmediajim: who do u think will win “location wars” and why? PS RT & reply @newmediajim

alexdc

@newmediajim More experience with location-based apps, after creating and selling Dodgeball to Google. Also great partnerships w Warner, etc

Foursquare b/c Dennis has more experience RT @newmediajim: who do u think will win “location wars” and why? PS RT & reply @newmediajim

Brad_King

@newmediajim to assume a “winner-loser” scenario is to mis-understand the importance of the each company, IMHO

lenire

@newmediajim what is more important then loc. Wars, is when will google pick up on this. WP added geotagging to the app, when will it be SEO

DaveTitle

@newmediajim amen. as to why, b/c 4sq taps into childhood/playground/nostalgia for key demo, also the idea of “play” in general. Gowalla? No

anniemal

@newmediajim I think there’s room 4 both. @gowalla looks cool 4 planning travel and @foursquare is my everyday check-in & connect spot.

It’s still early in the life cycles of these startups and a lot can happen to shift advantage to one or the other of these smart, scrappy companies.  And my opinion, while informed to a degree, is just my observation based opinion.  Plus there’s probably key data, ideas and alternative viewpoints that I’m missing here.  Help me fill in the blanks in the comments below!  Thanks for stopping by

Further Reading and Alternative Viewpoints

Foursquare vs Gowalla. Too early to pick a winner, or have you decided?

Checking-In: Foursquare At SXSW Music

Why Gowalla Will Beat Four Square In The Location Sharing War

foursquare VS GoWalla Checkin Social Media map

Some Crazy Postbellum Data From Foursquare And Gowalla

On the Road Again

In a few hours I’ll be wheels up from Joint Base Andrews on a chartered 747 bound for Asia.  I’ll be accompanied by my colleagues and contemporaries from the worlds of broadcast, print, and online journalism.  We’ll be keeping tabs on President Obama has he participates in the APEC summit in Singapore, and visits regional powers China, Korea, and Japan.  And as the Fifth Estate – you guys, readers of this blog, Twitter friends -  I’m hoping you keep tabs on US.  When I get to Andrews I’m going to put together a Twitter list of journos going on the trip and I hope to share that here before we take off.  If I’m unable to turn it around that fast I’ll get it to you when we land.

AS PROMISED, HERE IS THE LIST

Work Shifters

David Baeza of Citrix Online considers the White House traveling press to be the “ultimate workshifters”.  Workshifting – the notion of working from hotels, coffee shops, or anywhere that isn’t a cubicle in an office building.  I met David and his colleague Lisa Horner when I spoke at the Inbound Marketing Summit in Boston.  After hearing my story, they knew they’d found a real workshifter.

Our office is wherever we set up our workspace and transmission facility.  The logistics involved in covering the President on a global trip are dizzying , especially for television.  We will parachute into each stop on this trip and work out of a pool transmission facility/workspace that has been set up in advance.  Each stop will be abuzz with activity as crews and reporters are transported to and from various events.  No one will be getting much sleep on this trip.  I think my last best chance of that will be on the plane.

Adventures in Sleep Deprivation

While covering the Clinton White House,  The Discovery Channel followed the White House press corps as they traveled with the President on a trip that included stops in Turkey, Greece and other countries hidden in the cobwebs of my memory.  They were shooting a documentary about sleep deprivation and we proved to be the perfect subjects.  Here is  a preview video of the documentary, and if you don’t blink, you’ll catch a glimpse of me two pairs of glasses ago.

These trips are grueling, and this one will prove to be no different.  If you want to see what it’s really to cover VIP trips, take a look at these videos.  I produced a two part web series on an around-the-world trip we did with Defense Secretary Gates back in 2007.  This will give you an idea of the schedules and workloads we endure.

Round-the-world with the SecDef

Inside the Pentagon travel pool

The Fifth Estate

So I hope you’re able to keep track of us as we travel with the President throughout Asia.  Before we head out is there anything you’d like to ask me or some of my colleagues?  Please do so in the comments below! You always know where to find me and I’m grateful that you all keep me company when I’m on the road. Look forward to hearing from you guys.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to chat with the folks at TV Newser on their podast Morning Media Menu, as a preview of my panel participation at today’s TV Newser Summit in New York City.  We covered a wide range of topics, from how I began exploring emergent, social media, to how traditional media has taken a shine to new media tools like Twitter.  Steve Garfield called into the show and talked about the Today Show’s Jamie Gangel and her introduction to Twitter last week.

You can see @jamiegangel’s interaction with the Twitter community here.  I’ve added some of the comments to my favorites.  As part of that story, Jamie spoke with David Gregory who has really embraced the spirit of dialogue and smart community on Twitter.  I’m guessing my most quotable soundbite from the podcast is:

“We’re Moving From Meet the Press, and Now We Can Meet the People”

Follow Meet the Press moderator @davidgregory and you’ll watch it happen.  He understands the value of tapping into the collective intelligence of the very smart group of people on Twitter.  Twitter is a tremendous equalizer.  The community there will give corporate titans, rock stars, Hollywood celebrities, media notables, and politicians one chance to listen and contribute, and get it right.  If they fail in those areas they get called on it. In a recent Howard Kurtz article, ABC newser Terry Moran crows about how Twitter counters:

the whole notion that newscasters speak from Olympus

- Terry Moran, ABC News

I really don’t think the folks on Twitter ever suffered from that misapprehension.

i’m really sad that I’m not able to make SXSW this year,  because it’s a great conference to discover where much of this is heading.  But last year at that very conference I witnessed first hand the challenge faced by traditional media.  As I ate breakfast at the hotel restaurant a waiter – transfixed by the talking head on the cable news show, and apparently at odds with the pundit – began shouting at the TV.  It occurred  to me that this was a rather inefficient feedback loop.  Social web tools like Twitter now give mainstream media the opportunity to do something they haven’t always been in a position to do that well.. LISTEN.  But as Twitter friend Adele McAlear put it, traditional media must understand this is about  JOINING the conversation, not controlling it.

Did you ever have control of the conversation? No. It always went on in people’s living rooms. Difference: Now you can hear it

@adelemcalear via Twitter

Still, these are turbulent times for media. Part of my motivation for embracing social web technology is precisely because it has shown to be a tremendous disruptor of traditional media and I need to watch where all of this is heading and determine where I fit in.  And as serial consultants like Michael Rosenblum, the architects of what may be the sunset of my craft, engage in schadenfreude tinged rhetoric on the web,  I’m left feeling both hopeful and fearful of what lies ahead for media workers like me.

Being asked to sit aside a panel of very savvy media influencers is a very great honor indeed.  I just hope I live up to the billing.  At the end of the day, I’m just a news cameraman try to stay relevant in a rapidly changing media landscape.

NBC’s Local Media Initiative

In a move that acknowledges the diminishing influence of one-way communication channels, NBC has renamed the Television Stations Division “Local Media Division”. There was a great deal of coverage in industry blogs. Media Week and Lost Remote have both framed the change as a fundamental shift in business.

NBC Local Media better reflects the full scope of our capabilities, as well as our ability to offer clients a fully-integrated, local media solution across the full portfolio of our assets.-John Wallace – President, NBC Local Media Division, from press release

As marketers continue to shift ad dollars from traditional media to online, it’s vital for companies like NBC to take the brand where the people are. Increasingly, that means web and mobile. As newspapers and TV move to build online, the distinction between the two becomes meaningless. Right now local “newspapers” appear to be winning online.

Creating an Engaging Experience While Building a Business

The static web sites of most TV and Radio stations have been eclipsed by the more interactive offerings of newspapers. Perhaps the economic imperative of the dying newspaper industry has forced print publishers bring online innovations to market faster. So the challenge for local media is to build an engaging, imersive, media platform that actually becomes something the community can’t live without – at the same time scaling the user base to a point where the enterprise is economically worthwhile.

What would that platform look like? What key elements would satisfy both the community and the media company? I took that question to my very smart Twitter posse and they came up with some great ideas. Here’s a small sampling:

All very smart ideas from early adopters of social web technology. Smart ideas about the evolution of local media can be found in practice and in theory, but ultimately big media companies are looking for the ones that will generate increased traffic and ad revenue. I do think it is vital for those in charge of any local media initiative to get input from outside the corporate meeting rooms. They should be talking to the local blogging, tech, and social media communities. They should be sponsoring conferences, discussions and meetups with the pioneers of the social web in their local communities.

I strongly feel that media companies need to discover and encourage the brand champions within their own organizations to use social media. While there may be some who grumble about already burdensome workloads – and believe me, TV news is a pretty thankless sausage factory – standing by and hoping that the sales and promotions departments will save careers is not a good career strategy. I’ve discovered that meeting and listening to people on the social web, through platforms like Twitter, blogging, Facebook, and meetups, has enriched my life both personally and professionally. It’s also allowed me to bring the NBC News brand into this space.

Envisioning Local Media

Mel Taylor outlines the key points of a recent speech by former CBS News chief Andrew Heyward. In it, Heyward outlines the current problems with the state of TV news, and discusses some forward-thinking approaches to building succssesful online platforms. Don Dodge, while blogging about newspaper strategy, puts forth ideas that are equally resonant in television’s web efforts. Essentially he says be local, be a marketplace, and be the best local search engine out there. A good example of very useful local search platform is the Boston local search platform Citysqaures.

I think the key to success in transforming local media is to build a platform that people can’t live without. It should be a place where people can connect around ideas and affinities, build their own social netowrk profile, network and create events, have a robust mobile component, and should recommend content and events based on the users profile. People want to share and create content and links. Making that easy and customizable, in a locally relevant way, is key to getting the Facebook generation passionate about local media.The bottom line is, of course, the bottom line. But while media companies have to focus on profits, they should not look at their web presence as a secondary effort, or simply repository for recycled newscast content.

For local media platforms to be successful, they will have to implement imersive, relevant, engaging, and useful experiences for the community. So my assembled readers, how would you build a successful local media platform? What are some good examples of ones you’ve come across?

“It’s been a great year with Amanda — a great experiment for both of us. We thank her for her many contributions and know that she’s about to embark on new endeavors and expect there will be times in the future that we can again work together.”
ABCNews.com statement

I wonder if the news that Amanda Congdon and ABC have chosen to part ways isn’t emblematic of the diminished value of “celebrity” in media. Congdon, whose efforts with former Rocketboom partner Andrew Michael Baron pioneered the emergence of succesful new media brands, deftly positioned herself as a crossover talent after her split with the Rocketboom creator. Big media took notice and soon she was videoblogging for ABC News. While that relationship may have never been a perfect fit for either party, it was notable that big media had validated “new” media. I think part of the problem that big media still struggles with is that in many respects, they simply try to ape and replicate what is happening in emerging social media platforms. For instance, on a number of occasions, I’ve heard television colleagues talk of making things “look webby”

Talents aside, it’s not simply an Amanda Congdon or Joanne Colan that make Rocketboom cool, it’s the fact that the entire experience is built around participation and involvement. They are simply the facitlitator or custodians of community. Their “celebrity” is merely a net effect of the interactivity of the show. I don’t know whether ABC may have failed to take this fully into account, or simply wasn’t able to replicate that participation, but it appears the end result was an experience that wasn’t entirely what fans had hoped.

Katie Couric in Iraq

Celebrity’s fickle nature isn’t limited to the new media crossover talent. Just look at Katie Couric’s less than stellar transition to CBS News. I was recently with her in Iraq as she was reporting from the region. Despite her notoriety, and the timeliness of the reporting, the CBS Evening News tied for its lowest ratings (5.5 million viewers) since she took the helm. Now, CBS has given all kinds of explanations for the shows lackluster performance since she took the job, but in my mind they made a bet on her celebrity and it simply isn’t panning out.

I think we’re entering an era where celebrity in media is of far less value then the quality and authenticity of content. There is unlimited choice in how we get news, information and entertainment. We seek content that speaks to us, engages us, and gives us avenues for interactivity and participation. We want to speak with, not simply listen to the messenger. There are so many avenues now for robust discourse, that one-way media is simply having a hard time getting through. As I always say, none of this is zero sum, but certainly the shifts are pretty obvious. There is tremendous opportunity for established media to learn from emerging media and vice versa.

There are some examples of these disparate forms of media drawing on best practices learned from one another. Big media companies are are empowering their workers with new storytelling tools. My current employer, NBC News, has embraced blogs and video blogging and is making plans to do more. Just this past week they featured the enterprising work of my friend and colleague Amna Nawaz. Amna produced this web-only video about the under-reported story of land mine victims in Columbia.

Young victims of landmines
MSNBC.COM has such a thirst for original, unique first-person content that they encourage everyone to produce original video and blogs, not just re-purposed broadcast stories for the web. I’ve even gotten in on the act.

Just as old media are taking cues from new, emerging media are drawing from the experince of their corporate counterparts. Take the webisode drama “35″. “35″ is a dramatic web video series that is shot with three cameras and switched and fed live via Ustream to the web. To me the strength of this project is that it combines the ubiquity ot the internet with the spontaneity and unpredictability of live TV. “35″ was recently featured in a Wall Street Journal article, so once again we see mainstream media taking notice of creative, upstart, emerging media. “35″ runs from September 19th through the 30th, live at 9PM EDT. The show has a post show chat where fans talk with producers.

Who knows where all of this is going, but from my vantage point this is at once daunting as it is exhilarating. But for someone who makes a living in media, it’s vital to keep on top of trend. Seeing what resonates with audiences, what do they ignore, what engages them -these will be the measures of success in this dizzyingly changing media landscape. This seems clear though, treat your community, your audience as a valuable partner in your media and youll likely have a winner. Celebrity in and of itself is of limited value.

Veil of Secrecy

I was editing a video in my home office when the call came in. The caller ID showed the number for the NBC News desk..that’s never good on a day off. On the other end was my deputy bureau chief. In cryptic, enigmatic language, she was telling me that me our departure schedule for the President’s trip to Australia had changed. What she never actually said, but i heard loud and clear, was that the President of the United States was going to Iraq.

And so an otherwise languid day off before an overseas trip, quickly became an urgent day of preparation. On this trip, I was assigned as soundman to veteran NBC News cameraman Rodney Batten. With us were NBC White House correspondent John Yang and Senior White House producer Antoine Sanfuentes, plus uplink engineers from our New York technical operations department. We actually loaded a satellite transmission pack on Air Force One, which we believe is unprecedented.

Jim Long and Rodney Batten

Because of operational security, none but the “travel pool” are given even limited details of the trip. As far as the news desk at NBC knew, Air Force One was departing on Monday. So as the NBC pool team was about to enter the base under a cloak of secrecy Sunday, an assignment editor dutifully called us with our Monday “in-time”. As some of my readers know, I’ve had a close call in Iraq, so I’m never too jazzed about going over there. But if there were ever the safest time and place in Iraq, this was it. Still I was glad to be getting it out of the way at the beginning of the trip.

We met on Andrews Air Force base at an unusual location, where a security detail confiscated all of our cameras, phones, and computers. All of us were then taken to a special hangar on base that houses the two 747′s primarily designated Air Force One. Seeing those two birds looming above, facing nose-to-nose, as we drove into the hangar was an inspiring sight. Once all the travel pool press had boarded we were sealed in our cabin. We were told to keep the windows shut on the plane and to remain in the press cabin. The president was secreted out of the White House in what we later learned was a small, two car motorcade package.

Wheels Up to Iraq

After an hour or so of sitting in the hangar, we could feel that we were being towed. And at 20:05 we were wheels up for Iraq. Press secretary Dana Perino came to the back of the plane to “gaggle” about the details of our trip. That’s when the destination was confirmed: Al Asad airbase in Anbar province. Reporters pressed her on whether Bush was actually on the plane or not. Turns out he was, as was Secretary of State Rice.

White House spokesperson Dana Perino briefing press on AF-1

After a twelve hour flight, Air Force One gently touched down at the Al Asad air base in the Anbar province of Iraq. Mr. Bush stepped off the plane to begin a day full of meetings, some for cameras, others not. The President met with troops, his cabinet, local tribal leaders, and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (I errantly refer to him as “President” in the video.) It was was a seemingly endless day of photo-ops, motorcade movements, and absolutely no time to spare.

Air Force One on the Flight Line at Al Asad

Katie Couric of CBS News

In a brief break in the action during closed meetings we were escorted to a “hold” where we bumped into Secretary Gates’ traveling press pool and former NBC colleague Katie Couric. It was a nice little reunion and she introduced us to her new boss, CBS evening news executive producer Rick Kaplan. Kaplan was acting as her second camera crew shooting with a small DV camera. The day was capped with a series of one on one interviews with the President and TV networks. We were then rushed to the motorcade, then out to the plane to begin our journey to Australia.

The entire time I was there, I was desperate to get some dispatches from Iraq out on Twitter. Newsweek photographer Khue Bui kindly offered up his powerbook so i get some tweets out. It was great to get such kind thoughts and well-wishes from the Twitter community. I’m still going through replies, but it buoyed my spirits to see that folks wanted to make sure I was safe. That really meant a lot to me. Like I’ve said before, no matter where I am in the world, I’m never traveling alone.

POST TRIP HAZE

that’s me on the left getting a shot of Secretary boarding her plane in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Days after I’ve unpacked my luggage, off-loaded the gear, and generally adjusted to this time zone, I still find myself in a bit of a post Mid-East trip haze. Just a week ago, I embarked on a trip with Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice to the Middle East. I was the US TV pool camera for the journey that included stops in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the Palestinian Territories.

Not only are the trips physically grueling, but they pack so many stops in so few days that the entire experience is a blur. There are always memorable moments though. After a refuel stop in Shannon, Ireland we arrived in Sharm El Sheikh where Rice met with Gulf state leaders and Egyptian President Hosni Mubuarak. It was that meeting with Mubarak that cemented my street credz as a “seasoned” photojournalist.

Egyptian photo ops are by far, the most insane crushes of humanity i’ve ever encountered. Think Who concert. It’s amazing that no camera crews aren’t trampled to death entering these meetings for 30 seconds of shooting. In the first photo op, I held my own, but a bunch of Egyptian press elbowed and squeezed past me. No problem.. so those are the ground rules eh??

Gates, Rice, Mubarak in Sharm El Sheikh

On the Mubarak photo-op, I decided that I would be the first camera in the room, and I enforced that decision in vigorous fashion, shall we say. We all got stuck in the doorway, but finally with a strong final push I broke through and got in. Well, seems as though the Egyptian press were not at all pleased with my determination and cried foul to our Embassy representative. Oh Mary please! Look… if you’re going to dish it out you’d BEST be able to take it! The don’t fly me all around the world NOT to get the picture.

“When the Egyptians complain about you.. it means you were doing your job.”
- Israeli cameraman

Later at stops in both Israel and the Palestinian Territories, my counterparts in camera there confirmed that the Egyptian photographers were, bar none, the most ruthless. An Israeli cameraman remarked that that when the Egyptian crews complain about you: “It means you were doing your job!” As i did an end run around the same camerman, to get into a photo op later, he jokingly remarked: “no wonder the Egyptians complained about you! How did you get in front of me!?”

What can I say… it’s a gift.

Here’s the TV Pool team. Front row, L-R: me, CBS correspondent Kimberly Dozier, Back row, L-R: NBC soundman Johnnie Roth, NBC State Department producer Libby Leist

This picture was taken as we motorcaded to the airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. We’re reminded of the instability of the region at every stop along the trip. Each motorcade vehicle, including this one we’re seen riding in here, is heavily armored top to bottom. So much so that the strain on the engines caused by the weight is evident. Having had a very close call myself in Baghdad a few years ago, the potential for danger is always in the back of my mind. Bulletproof glass, armor plate, and automatic weapons sitting on the floorboards are just reminders of the risk.

Imagine then, the courage of colleague, and traveling TV companion Kimberly Dozier. Dozier was gravely wounded and nearly killed in a car bomb attack last summer that took the lives of CBS cameraman Paul Douglas, soundman James Brolan, a US soldier, and an Iraqi interpreter. This was the first time I had met Kimberly, but I’d met Paul in Europe and had worked with him on Presidential trips a number of times, so the attack struck close to home for me. I was hesitant at first to ask her about her recovery and her recall of the incident, but toward the end of the trip I found that she was very open about it. Aside from being a lovely person, I truly admire her courage. She dropped off the trip in Ramallah to do some stories from the region. Frankly, if I had gone through what she had, I’d be enjoying my retirement. I hope to get to work with her again some day.

MAINTAINING VIDEO SILENCE

Click To Play

Let’s just say i was “discouraged” from doing a video blog of this trip, so I’m only able to give you a video appetizer here. Because of my video efforts on my trip around the world with Defense Secretary Gates, other networks complained that my video blog material should be distributed to the pool. NBC complied of course, but for the life of me, I can’t imagine that my mini DV footage will do anything other than sit on a shelf. It never occured to me that what amounted to an innocuous travelogue, would stir up controversy. On this Mid East trip, Rice was joined by Secretary Gates. The traveling Pentagon press confided to me that there are now new ground rules about blogging on the Secretary’s plane. Essentially there will be none of it. So for now, I’ll have to contain my video blogging to non-pool assignments.

boarding the Secretary of State’s plane

Today I embark on a decidedly old-media journey. I’m heading to the Middle East with the Secretary of State, that will include stops in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel, and the West Bank. Once again NBC is VIP pool for this trip, which means we represent all of the US TV networks.

On this trip, I won’t be doing any video blogging. On the last trip, there was concern expressed by some of the other networks that my mini-DV footage wasn’t immediately distributed to the pool. NBC did distribute the video, and for the life of me, I cant’ imagine that my blog video will do anything other than sit in libraries unused. So for now, I’ll maintain video silence.

Besides I’ve brought work to do on the plane. It’s a long flight, and Chris Brogan reminds me that I’ve got plenty of work to do!

Sadly the NBC News family received horrifying news today. Friend, colleague, and former producer for Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams, Eric Wishnie, was killed in an accident in New York City early this morning. I’d worked with Eric on many occasions, always on extremely high pressure jobs involving anchors, Presidents, and other VIP’s. Despite the pressure cooker environment of these assignments, Eric was always extremely generous and thoughtful. I can tell you from years in the biz, at that level you don’t have to be kind. It’s just the few remaining PROS who are.

So that’s all from the flight line of Andrews AFB. The Secretary of State is on her way. Next stop, the Middle East.

The real value proposition of social media is that it connects people on a deeply human level with hundreds, thousands, even millions of networked people across time and geography. Social networks, empowering core constituencies of passionate users around targeted, niche market content, are emerging as a powerful media marketforce.

As I googled around looking for evidence to support my belief, that vertical market social networks, that combine video content with social media, will be the drivers of future web growth, I once again went back to the well of Jeremia Owyang’s blog, WebStrategist. Web Strategist is a tremendously valuable repository of thought leadership on all things Web 2.0. Of particular interest to me has been Jeremiah’s posts on social networks. For anyone interested in dipping their toes in the water, he has a huge list of “white label” social networking solutions for you budding (like me) web entrepreneurs.

Earlier this year, August Capital’s David Hornik was featured on Web Strategist in Jennifer Jones’ audio podcast Marketing Voices. In it he
said a number of things that resonated with me.

This is the new television.

huge numbers of like minded people are getting together to engage in a conversation.

i think we’ll see increasingly specific social networks.

-David Hornik of August Capital

You’ll find the entire audio podcast at the end of this post.

He goes on to speak about how marketers need to associate their brand with
the meaningful conversations taking place on these social networks,
specifically vertically oriented networks. This brings me to two very
exiting developments in my transition from old media work horse, to new media
entrepreneur, that build on this rise in niche market content and social
networks.

Vertical Market Social Networks and Video, Telling Your
Community’s Story

I’m happy to announce that, last week, I joined the Board of Advisors for
BluChipz.com. I also came on as an investor in a now closed friends and
family round of funding. BluChipz CEO Craig Ridley is developing a social
network for athletes that gives voice to these young rising stars. Craig understands
that for a social network to be succesful, you have to give people the tools
to connect on a meaningful human level. Here’s Craig Ridley in his own
words.

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While I’ve demonstrated my confidence in Craig and his executive team with a significant financial investment, (suffice to say Craig HAD to buy lunch that day!) through my company Verge New Media, I’ve been investing time, money, energy, and all of my mental towards CraftyNation.com CraftyNation is a place where passionate, creative, crafty people can connect, share ideas, showcase their projects, and keep up on the world of craft. People who scrapbook, knit, bead, quilt, design and make beautiful things will be inspired and empowerd by each other AND by fun, converstaional, episodic video content. We’re designing CraftyNation so that the users are participants. We want members of CraftyNation community to have a stake in its development. We soft-launch a beta version this week just before our trip the the Craft Hobby Association show in Chicago this weekend!

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Video As the New “Lingua Franca” of Online Content, Finding the Best Video Storytellers

A niche market social network that i frequent is b-roll.net, which has recently updated, adding teriffic video sharing capability, with rating, embedding, and bookmarking features. B-roll.net is sort of a neighborhood bar for old news cameramen like me. These are the best of the best folks, so check them out. Folks on this site will generally have shoulder, back, and knee problems from carrying professional TV cameras around for years (18 for me).

Kevin Johnson started the site as a place to share his personal stories from his overseas news assignments. Dissatisfied with one way communication, Johnson quickly realized the value of creating a place where TV news photogs can share ideas, often in a “vigorous” fashion. Here you’ll find the likes of “Lenslinger” Stewart Pittman, and video journalist proponent, and consultant, Michael Rosenblum. And, of course you’ll find me! If video is part of your web venture, b-roll.net is where you’ll find the best storytellers in the world.

So if social networks are in fact, the “new television”, what will the new channels be? And who is out there building them?

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!

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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!