You Break the News

Things aren't moving fast enough for you in our hyper-cyber world? Then how about these two news items. Just as many over-35s are getting used to a world in which it seems everybody but them is participating in an online block party known as Myspace, now it turns out that YouTube, an upstart service in which people with too much time on their hands can upload their own homemade video clips (and download others)has ALREADY surpassed Myspace as the most popular community site on the Web.

Give yourself all of 10 seconds or so to let that news become part of your body of knowledge. Now, consider that CNN is reportedly going to announce tomorrow (Tuesday) that it will be establishing a new program to allow viewers to send in digital audio or video clips from breaking news events. This, of course, takes a giant leap from just a few years ago when networks and local stations began accepting (and occasionally paying for) video of breaking news (or just cool video) from the public.

Although CNN says it will have editors scrutinize the video in the same way they currently do with news tips and reporter-generated stories, you can be sure that the day is not too far off when an elaborate video hoax will somehow find its way onto the air. Still, these developments give viewers still more power in a world where the words "media" and "general public" are becoming harder to distinguish. This news proudly brought to you by your neighborhood blogger.

Don't Believe EVERYTHING You Read (But Worry About Those Who Do)

This past week, NBC's Today show broadcast a story about yet another quirky web site. This one, called Urbanbaby.com, is a resource for young mothers, including tips, expert advice and even a message board with questions and answers from readers. The site is also localized, with a number of new cities about to be added to the original seven. While the "water cooler" conversation aspect of the information provided is of indisputable value to new mothers, there is also a cautionary note. Some of the entries are not for the easily offended (a recent entry in which a mother allegedly told another she had a sexual dream about her and then offered a real-life massage comes to mind). But, while some entries have more value and less titillation than others, the fact is they all remain on the board for all to see.

That can be the downside of the web for businesses. Internet postings that are untrue, unfair or even scurrilous last just as long as the accurate and valuable. Due diligence requires that we monitor what is being said about us on the Internet and work to get the truth out. Among the actions we can take are to counter the innacuracies and/or to publicize our positive messages for balance. That can be easier said than done, but it is an investment worth making. And a well-crafted plan can make all the difference in the world in how we are seen by an audience that increasingly makes its decisions by what it reads online.

Let The Good Times Roll

Who would have believed just a couple of years ago that in 2006, all three major network newscasts would feature new anchors. Many would (and do) say, "Who cares?" a reaction reinforced by the ratings. Fewer and fewer Americans depend on the major networks' nightly newscasts to tell them what happened each day and, worse yet, it's part of a trend that shows no signs of abating.

Nevertheless, by the time Katie Couric signs on as the anchor The CBS Evening News in September, all three of the networks will have had recent turnovers. In fact, NBC's Brian Williams, who signed on as Tom Brokaw's successor on December 2, 2004, is now the dean of the nightly anchors on NBC Nightly News. At ABC, Charles Gibson gained a few weeks on Couric by taking over the helm of World News Tonight.

Will Couric's star power be enough to propel CBS to number one? Does Williams have anything to worry about in holding on to NBC's traditional number one slot? Or can Gibson's maturity secure first place for ABC? Perhaps more importantly, will the network newscasts evolve over the next few months or years into something very different from what they present today? Or will they follow the standard trend of denying the reality of their own obsolescence until they officially become anachronisms? Experience suggests the latter. Stay tuned.

50 Pages a Week

Rarely if ever do I use this space to endorse a product or service. There's plenty of that out there already. But I found a magazine a few months ago that is the best example I've ever seen of brevity and an international perspective that one rarely sees in the domestic media. It's called The Week, which calls itself The Best of the U.S. and International Media. And it is. Each issue begins with a look at how the main stories of the week were covered both domestically and internationally, a combination that often serves to show how differently we see the same stories. There's also the Controversy of the Week. The world at a glance gives us short snippets of interesting stories from other countries, few of which you probably saw in domestic newspapers. Never too highbrow, each issue has a page featuring gossip from your favorite tabloid, but there are also pages devoted to the best national and international columns, political cartoons, arts, music, stage, cinema, travel and business. A two-page essay called The Last Word is consistently interesting, and the final page gives you the highlights of the coming week on television. If it all sounds a bit cluttered, it is, although it is compartmentalized in an easy-to-read format.

And, most importantly, it is absolutely addictive. A recent issue featured the various ways the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was viewed in various U.S. cities, a question-and-answer page on the search for a humane form of execution, short articles on bloggers and Ann Coulter, and a last word on the overnight world of UPS.

I can't get enough of this magazine. Try it (no, I'm not getting any residuals for this), and see if you don't learn a ton of new things in each and every issue.