A variety of strategies and expectations remain, but online media conversations can’t happen in good conscious without at least a glancing mention of business sustainability. That was my first takeaway from the New Media Unplugged #UncappedLive event held at the historic Sigma Sound Studios in Center City Philadelphia Tuesday night. On behalf of Technically Philly, [...]

Do news organizations have responsibility for their outcome? That became the final and, I think, as yet unanswered close to a discussion I led during the final session of the third national BarCamp NewsInnovation, held Saturday April 30 at Temple University and rounding out the inaugural Philly Tech Week. [See past BCNI write ups here.] [...]

It’s very easy to politicize what is around us. I fight that urge, too. Whenever accusations about cops and misdeeds make their way into headlines, most of us either rush to defend them or revile them. Wherever we rush to usually has to do with what camp we most align: either (A) policing is damn [...]

The second annual BarCamp NewsInnovation was held last month at Temple University — see my notes here. In addition to sharing all the failures we’ve had at Technically Philly, I spoke with founder and editor Shannon McDonald about the progress we’ve had with Northeast Philadelphia hyperlocal NEast Philly, including most prominently the breakdown of where [...]

When you’re launching a business or a brand, a check for domain availability has to be part of the brainstorming. I worked with Shannon McDonald to launch a hyperlocal news site for Northeast Philadelphia. Initially in late 2008, she wanted the product to be the Web presence of a print product she wanted to call [...]

It’s about finding the right mix. I’m working with a couple, following many and thinking about a great number more hyperlocal, niche and other online-only news sites in this country of ours. I talk a lot about where content comes from in a healthy, efficient news-gathering entity today or in the near future. Whether it [...]

You just aren’t doing everything you can. It’s the seemingly unintentional, passive-aggressive jab that I sometimes get from older or otherwise more established journalists, writers and editors. Most often and in many ways, I’m sure the sentiment is pristine in its accuracy, often abutted by the never-to-be-defended-against “it takes time,” which, of course is always [...]

Shannon McDonald unwittingly speared a wide, if brief, revisit to a conversation about race and prejudice in one of the largest police forces in the country. She is 21-years-old. It was early December when Neal Santos, another friend of mine, was ensnared in his own media firestorm. Ever hear of Zunegate? Santos, the assistant online [...]

Update: 7:40 p.m. on April 23, 2009: The involved officer was suspended with intent to dismiss. That news also came from the Inquirer and Daily News. Update: 10:12 p.m. on May 6, 2009: Ms. McDonald was the feature of a cover story in the Northeast Times. The attention has probably subsided enough to write this [...]