"How much of Blade Runner has come true?" I'm especially fascinated intrigued frightened by this article.

Kayaking in the Rain

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It seems the outside world can only understand what is happening in the aftermath of the Iranian presidential election through the use of electronic devices. As seen in the tweets of thousands of people protesting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's assumed re-election and through the gory iconic photographs and videos from mobile phones of Neda Agha-Soltan's death, the new symbol of rebellion in Iran. The photograph along side this BBC article is of a protester taking a picture of herself using her cell phone camera to arrange a protest. The article is interesting, but the photo speaks louder to me in understanding the transmission of communication in a muted country.

The Evolution of Journalism

"The web has turned us all into content creators, publishers, and influencers. Social media has created a new ecosystem for the distribution and consumption of information. But, there's a problem: that ecosystem is built on a foundation of free content. As ad revenue all but disappears, traditional news and online media organizations are feeling the pain of giving something away for free."- Mediabistro

Last night, I volunteered for a mediabistro event with a panel discussion on the evolution of journalism. Here's a little bit about what was discussed:

Newspapers and magazines are in a lot of trouble. Since the net is free, everyone who is in the new world of journalism will need to learn how to compete with free.

Should content be free?

NY Times is thinking of charging a monthly fee of $5 for use of their website, which will set the standards for other news based websites.

How do websites survive if they are free?

Through advertisements. Advertising is a robust business. Media could learn from the porn industry because at least they know what they are selling.

Or through having fundraisers and paid networking events like NPR.

Twitter is free and an excellent way to advertise. It doesn't have a business model itself, but can be a very useful tool for small businesses.

What can freelancers do on twitter?

Tweets extend whose in your networking view.
Being genuine is important when tweeting.

"Do what you do best and link to the rest"

Be open, link to a story and give a little bit of own perspective.

Tweeting is a powerful way to find sources.

Huffington Post is a great example of a blog that combines aggregated information and original content.

Future Predictions from Panel about Journalism:
Newspapers will be reliant on their digital platforms.
Print will still remain.
News organizations will be far more specialized.
Many sources will be curated through several channels.

Berry Picking in New Hampshire

The Coffin Was Too Confining

With all the vampire craze going on, I thought it would be appropriate to find a story on Anne Rice, known for writing "Interview with a Vampire" amongst other seemingly gothic novels. Her life has changed since the death of her husband of 41 years. After his death, Rice moved out of New Orleans to San Diego. Though, the biggest change is in her writing from blood thirsty vampires to a series of books on the life of Jesus Christ.

This article warrants for being a great example of a feature article. According to Roy Peter Clark a feature story should "illuminate lives lived in our time", "take advantage of expanded set of language and narrative strategies," and have the foundation of being a "human interest" story. This story hits upon all of those points. Here's a link to "The Coffin Was Too Confining," from the New York Times.