Much of the world will form opinions about China from the legions of mainstream broadcasters and journalists descending on Beijing for the Olympics. A lot of it is an exercise in first impressions, Western perspective and cultural context. Thirty years ago I toured China as a young reporter covering the first U.S. trade mission to […]
Two related announcements today from a U.S. journalism institute reflect the changing nature of how journalism is produced, distributed and experienced globally – and also the expanding role for non-profits and philanthropy in paying for U.S. journalism. Andrew NachisonAndrew Nachison is founder of We Media. He lives in Reston, Virginia. www.nach.com
Just when you vowed never to set foot in a commercial airplane again, the carriers go ahead and do something like this. First, fifteen bucks for a checked bag. Then, $7 for a pillow or blankie. Now $9.95 for Wi-Fi on flights of three hours or shorter, $12.95 for longer flights, sometime in the foreseeable […]
A long time ago we helped give We Media its name, so a lot of people ask why it’s taken so long to launch a blog about it. Others ask a more relevant question: Ah, why? I was thinking about those questions and the arrogance of blogging when the old joke, told by Woody Allen […]
In an open letter to craigslist, Steve Outing asks its founders and operators to help save the newspaper industry from itself. My response: Steve, It takes real chutzpah to ask Craig Newmark and Jim Buckmaster of craigslist to help newspapers salvage their classifieds businesses and thus save democracy, or at least the part of it […]
Last night Mary and I attended an outdoor concert at the Wolf Trap Center for Performing Arts with friends. On a perfect summer night, we claimed a patch of grass on the hillside, uncorked a couple bottles of wine with a gourmet picnic dinner, and talked about the things that friends talk about as we […]
The Orange County Register confirmed it will outsource copy editing and page layout to an editorial services company based outside New Delhi, India. So much for local knowledge and the sense of place that only local publishers can deliver. Dale PeskinDale is co-founder emeritus of We Media. www.wemedia.com
At this week’s Personal Democracy Forum, a sponsor distributed a low-tech, but highly effective stress toy to attendees willing to listen to their pitch: a rubber ball on an elastic string that connects to a velcro band. Strap the band to your finger and you can play catch with yourself. Which is what I came […]
I’ve suggested, among others, that leadership – or, more accurately, the lack of it — is at the heart of the news industry’s woes. The current generation of CEO’s and publishers blame unforeseen external forces – impending changes in media, economics, technology and society that were clear to others more than a decade ago — […]
An isometric landscape, Web Trend Map 3 pins down nearly 300 of the most successful and influential websites plotted against the metaphor of the greater Tokyo area train map. Different train lines correspond to web trends such as innovation, news, social networks, and so on. Whimsy and inside jokes add intrigue and fun to the […]