Web Exclusive Radio

Just a few days ago, I had an internship interview with ChicagoSportsWebio.com. It got me thinking that we'll be seeing more of these online-only radio stations in the near future. Some of the most recognizable figures on Chicago sports talk radio have moved onto this station, including Jonathan Hood and the legendary Chet Coppock. I hope to hear back soon regarding this internship opportunity.

Death Threat on Message Board

This week, a story was broken that a 17-year-old in Pennsylvania threatened the life of Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin on an Pittsburgh Penguins Internet message board. The Capitals and Penguins are playing each other in the NHL Eastern Conference Semifinals. The juvenile posted "I'm killing Ovechkin. I'll go to jail. I don't care anymore." The Penguins notified local police, the league, and the Capitals. Whether criminal charges will be pressed is not yet known.

A story like this would not have broken 15 years ago since message boards were accessible to most people, but in an age where the Internet allows people to post whatever they want, these events are worth spilling to the public. People have started to take these posts seriously.

Why I Haven't Joined Twitter

I always like to find cool new things to do online, and Twitter appears to be the hottest new thing right now. Everyone from normal folks to celebrities to TV shows seems to be using it. I'll admit it's been tempting to join, but I'm not going to give in, at least not now. It's basically an alternative to Facebook statuses, and I already use Facebook on a daily basis, so I can just use that instead.

Visiting the site isn't much better either. When I get to the home page, I pretty much have to join to view everything else, something I'm not showing interest in at this time. I like to preview things before I join them. Truth be told, I only joined Facebook in the first place because my cousin pressure me into doing so. I didn't even use it much for three months afterward. So while Twitter may be cool to join, I ain't buying into it right now.

Reading Materials Online Save Paper?? Really??!

No, not really actually. Before today's class, Macek told me that our school's course catalog for next year is only available online. He then talked about how just because people post reading materials online doesn't necessarily help the environment. In fact, it hurts it since people are just printing these materials out, thus using more paper. Why things like course catalogs would only be available online is beyond me. Just give out copies like they did in years past. Newspapers may be dying and fewer being published may help the environment, but those are daily things. A vital thing like a course catalog shouldn't be posted online exclusively, thus forcing people to print out pages and pages of material. I can't believe someone didn't consider that when this decision was made.

Electronic Media in Educational Setings

Sven Birkerts may have written The Gutenberg Elegies in the mid-90s, but his predictions are starting to become accurate. He is right in saying young people have capitalized on electronic media more quickly, but these shows with 18-to-24-year-old anchors have not occurred. I think we will see these shows aired on more mainstream television in the future. Several colleges and universities around the country already air their own channels and shows. Don't be surprised to these things advance even further as time goes on. In fact, NCC TV is an idea that has started to pop up recently.

Kottke on Blogging

I don't think anyone would have been crazy enough to quit their job to blog full-time. Most people wouldn't think there was a way to make money off of that. Jason Kottke was a web designer previously and soon, he had enough support from readers to join a network and design web sites once again. A lot of people looking to get into new media should look up to this man. Making a living by just keeping a blog is dream for many, but a reality for few.

Post Numero Uno

Welcome to my blog about new media. Media itself is no stranger to my family. My oldest uncle, Thom Clark, is the president of the Community Media Workshop in Chicago, so I guess you could say this is the next generation's view on what's going on in the media today.

Let's face it. Media has gone beyond newspapers, radio, and TV. In fact, it's advancing very quickly by virtue of ways like the Internet and podcasting among other things. Our children and our children's children are not going to grow up in the same media world we did. That's why it's important to recognize just how far and how much we're advancing. For the next ten weeks, I hope you learn as much from me as I learn in class.