While everyone agrees media is being disrupted, it’s the distribution model, rather than the content itself, that’s changed.
Alex Sherman
Diversity of choice in the Google Age
What if the Internet is providing us not with seemingly limitless choices of news sources and a diversity of viewpoints, but with about as many as we got in the early days of cable and everyone watched TV news on one of three networks.
Flooding in Knoxville
Just seven days ago, Knoxville was flooded by historic rainfall, more than five inches on in a day on top of 10 days of continuous rainy days. Here is what it looked like just outside my subdivision.
This is the view across the street. The office building was heavily flooded. The parking is about half flooded.
Reports from the front lines on the war journalists
I participated in a panel Tuesday called “I’m right, you’re wrong–you stupid jerk” or incivility towards j on social media. The panel was part of UT’s Social Media Week. Others on the panel discussion were Knoxville sports radio personality Heather Herrington, UT professor Dr. Mark D. Harmon and East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists President Annie Culver as moderator. Check out the Twitter coverage of #UTSMW19.
Here’s the video of the session.
In preparing for the session, I found a lot of research and tools just from the last year. Here are some of the best links I found.
Women are particular targets and it’s personal.
Other targets: Jewish journalists, journalists of color, journalists.
It’s on the rise. Many believe President’s Trump anti-media rhetoric is creating a climate for more hate toward journalists. Anti-media conservatives and hate groups are taking cues.
It’s affecting mental well-being, causing stress and trauma.
It’s affecting career choices and has a good number of journalists, particularly ones in the early part of their career, reconsidering career options.
The foes of journalism and journalists are winning. Attacks against journalists are affecting coverage. Some journalists are avoiding covering stories they know will generate attacks.
There is a bit of a “code of silence” about attacks; some believe there is nothing that can be done.
News organizations need to do more to help their journalists.
There are some excellent guides on how to deal with online harassment and attacks, including covering online security. Committee to Protect Journalists Safety Tips and PEN’s Field Guide.
We’re scattered
Cool map (or data visualization) from 23andMe of where my relatives, who use the service and have shared their location, are located. Many of these are pretty distant, third cousin or greater, but there is still a DNA connection.