Ghostwriting on Social Media sites?

Is Britney Spears actually responding to all those Facebook, blog, and Twitter posts? It's increasingly apparent that many of the social media sites occupied by famous brand names, such as celebs, or famous products, services, or companies, that state that one is talking to a certain someone, such as the CEO, or the movie star...aren't really being truthful. In fact, the use of ghostwriters in increasing for huge brands that can't possible individually respond to all this social network interaction. Is is ethical to state that a certain individual is interacting on a social media site, when it's not actually that person? We're not really talking directly to Ellen DeGeneres or Michael Jordan? Or the CEO of Coca-Cola? Or our favorite state senator?

We'r talking to people HIRED to be the interacters on their behalf. There are now job searches being conducted looking for social networking professionals to interact on behalf of the brand or on behalf of numerous brand clients. It's actually becoming a profession. Should we know exactly who is on the other end of that interaction? Shouldn't brands be truthful with us?

Tiger the Brand, or Tiger the person...or both

Most recent sources on the Tiger Wood brand scandal (yes, he is a brand...his own), are saying that his wife wants to stay in the marriage because she wants their family together...but that Tiger wants to stay in the marriage so his BRAND continues to be successful and worthy of being endorsed by the biggest product brand names out there.

http://www.examiner.com/x-704-Pop-Media-Examiner~y2010m1d27-Tiger-Woods-update-Golfers-wife-Elin-rethinks-divorce-reportedly-calls-it-off

If this were a psychology blog, I'd ask what you think he should do to repair his marriage...but it's a blog on the media, so my question to you is: what should Tiger do to repair his brand image? He certainly worked hard to position himself as the world's best golfer and a very decent man...and now that's a bit tarnished...how does he get back the mojo...? Can he? Are his personal life and his professional brand too inter-related?
-Jen Mullen

Mass Comm Alum Featured in 5280 Magazine

Dana Perino, 1993 graduate of the Mass Communications program at CSU-Pueblo and former White House Press Secretary, is the feature story in this month's 5280 magazine. Of all the distinguished alums of our department, Ms. Perino is arguably our most famous and accomplished graduate.

Dana's rise to the top of the PR profession began with an interest in TV journalism and political reporting. While at CSU-Pueblo (USC at the time), she worked on the KTSC public affairs program Standoff, and on Capitol Journal...a weekly review of the Colorado legislature. Dana also participated as a member of the speech and debate team which was a powerhouse in the Rocky Mountain region. After graduation, Dana completed a masters degree in Public Affairs Reporting from the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Two years ago Dana presented the commencement speech to her alma mater. During her visit she spent time with MCCNM students and members of the Southern Colorado Press Club. In her presentation to that group of students and professionals, Dana recounted her college years and the path that led to the Whitehouse. Dana encouraged CSU-Pueblo MCCNM students to not be concerned that they are graduating from a small university that lacks the reputation of Ivy League schools. She reminded them that it is possible to get "there" (wherever "there" may be) from "here".

Since leaving the White House, Dana has been employed by Burson-Marsteller, a global public relations firm, served as a commentator for Fox News and other TV networks, and has recently been nominated by President Barack Obama to the Broadcasting Board of Governors--a board overseeing government-sponsored international broadcasting.

Dana continues to offer proof that talent + ambition + determination = success!

Nipplegate... the gift that keeps giving...

The FCC plans to revisit the 2004 Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction concerning Viacom, Justin Timberlake, and Janet Jackson. The commission has submitted a brief to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals; the FCC wants to find out if CBS’s indecency violation was "willful.” The appeal may hinge on whether Viacom had access to video delay technology at the time of the 2004 Super Bowl.

Over the summer, the court asked for new briefs in the case, after the Supreme Court determined in May to vacate the Third Circuit's ruling that the fine against CBS was "arbitrary and capricious."

Viacom has until the end of the month to file a response to the court and to the Federal Communications Commission.

So… after nearly six years to reflect, do you feel the same about “nipplegate” as you did in 2004? Any resolution predictions?

Chime in...

Leno in Prime Time!

NBC's grand experiment is about to launch, and the future of prime time TV is in the balance. Okay, that may be a bit of hyperbole...but this is a bold move and TV pundits are divided on the possible outcome. The bottom line (and remember, it IS all about the bottom line) is that this will be low-cost programming, sold at reduced advertising costs, to a smaller than average audience. A 30-second spot on the new Leno show is reported to be only $55-75K. But with production costs of barely a third of most prime-time dramas, NBC may still be able to turn a nifty profit.

BREAKING NEWS! Kanye will be part of a musical act appearing this evening and there are plenty of viewers who will continue to be outraged over his treatment of Taylor Swift at last night's VMA Award Show. Will they tune in to see if Leno calls Kanye out, or will they tune out as a form of protest? The ratings should give us a bit of a clue, but you can get a preview of some of the anger directed at Kanye (and Leno) by visiting myNBC and other message boards.

Here are a few quotes:

I was looking forward to Jay's new show, but if the Jay Leno Show is going to promote the likes of Kayne West on it's debute show, especially after last night, then that states volumes about the producers of this show and NBC.

No, Thanks! I'll be watching CBS tonight!!!

If Kayne gets to sing AND now to talk as well, Jay will be rewarding bad behavior in the worst way. I have been a big fan of Jay in everything he does, but if Kayne gets more time on TV because of what he did last night, my image of Jay will be forever tarnished.

Kayne West does NOT deserve TV time. DO NOT give him publicity. If you do, I will not watch. Maybe not for a month. I like others idea about replacing him with Taylor Swift.

Well, now that Jay Leno has made his decision to not only allow Kanye West to appear on his show, but to also let him apologize to a national audience; my decision was made for me. I will not watch this show ever. Mr. Leno has decided to give this classless person just what he wants....more attention and more spotlight. I truly hope that the millions of people who were offended by Kanye's behavior tune out and show NBC just how low they have sunk in the public's opinion!

I♥RADIO

It's mixed news for terrestrial radio, certainly mixed for non-Clear Channel Radio properties. CCR recently announced their “iheartradio” iPhone application has hit one million downloads (there’s a beta version for Blackberry users currently being offered as a freebie, the apps usage is growing an average of 13% per week). iheartradio delivers 750+ radio stations to your cell phone or desktop, you can think of it as a nationwide AM/FM tuner. The application also offers videos, live performances, ringtones, song lyrics, etc. etc. Great news if you’re a local Clear Channel Radio programmer now considering your “nationwide” potential audience – bad news for anyone who believes that over the air radio will exist as is five, ten, fifteen years down the road.

Obviously, radio must move the internet, the same way that TV, cable, etc. must. However, iheartradio is great example of radio leapfrogging the web and getting to the distribution channel that really matters… digital mobile phones. To be fair, iheartradio.com is a website delivering content to PCS, it’s not an application dedicated entirely to the portability marketplace. Does it matter how the app is delivered? Local radio just went hand-held, affordable, and nationwide – it’s a new broadcasting model for 2009 (if I were Mel Karmazin, I’d probably start working overtime on that XM/Sirius satellite radio iPhone app).

All things considered, is iheartradio good news or bad news for terrestrial radio? Portability is nothing new to radio, but local stations delivered nationwide to cell phones is very fresh. Is iheartradio a catalyst for local radio programmers to reinvest in personality radio, is the app signaling an imminent doom for the music utility radio station? Local radio on cell phones sounds like more audience fragmentation, is there any silver lining on the horizon? Anyone with an iPhone or Blackberry can walk around with DC101 in their pocket… how cool is that?

Chime in…

http://www.iheartmusic.com/main.html

Twitter and second graders

Many of us in CSU-Pueblo's Mass Communications Department & Center for New Media are probably tired of the Twitter topic following our panel discussion at today's conference of the Society for the Interdisciplinary Study of Social Imagery, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share this Twitter tidbit.

Some second graders in Maine are using Twitter to communicate with pen-pals and to learn about grammar, spelling, math, online security and digital citizenship.

Do you think these students are too young to be exposed to Twitter -- or is it never too early to start educating children on social (and other) uses of technology?

What's Next for Newspapers?

The future for print newspapers is not looking good as the recent demise of the Rocky Mountain News reminds us. While no one wants journalism to disappear, it is clear that ink squirted on wood pulp has run its course and we need to look at viable alternatives. The problem is, the obvious alternatives are not looking very viable. Sure, we can report and publish the news online--but so far subscription and advertising revenue streams have been unable to support these efforts.

So what are the options. Here are a few ideas that I've heard recently. 1) Switch from commercial to non-profit and ask wealthy patrons to endow the organization to cover operating expenses. Universities use this model and many believe that there are well-to-do benefactors who would hate to see newspapers disappear. 2) Increase subscription prices and sell papers/newsletters to those who value news and can afford to pay a premium price. 3) Charge a small fee per news story (similar to an iTunes model) for content. Even music fans are starting to "pony up" even though free downloads are often just a few clicks away. 4) Allow readers to "contribute" a small fee to websites where they find content of value. This approach is being promoted by companies like Kachingle, a micro-payment service that hopes that people will voluntarily give if given the opportunity. 5) Get in line for a government bailout. Some would argue that newspaper are too important to let them fail.

It's clear that some of these alternatives have more promise than others. It's also likely that the final solution may be some combination of the above, or something else entirely. There are some journalists whose jobs depend on figuring it out, and the sooner the better. To find out what they're up to, check out the I Want My Rocky website, or the San Franciso Post Chronicle wiki. At the Rocky website journalists who are out of work are continuing to publish stories as they try to figure out their future. At the SFC wiki, journalists who may soon be out of a job are trying to be proactive as they face the future. In both cases there is much at stake and little time to waste.

Personal Reputation: What is Chris Brown's these days?

The reputation of a product or service helps determine whether target audiences will purchase or use it. The same goes for individuals. Famous people, such as entertainers, sports celebrities, or elected officials, are their own brands and have an accompanying reputation perceived by the public. Generally speaking, in our society, "good" reputations are consider preferrable to "bad" reputations. Then again, some celebs intentionally promote "bad boy' reputes because they think it makes them more famous. Case in point: Chris Brown, an entertainer with a "good boy" reputation is accused of domestic assault on his equally famous "good girl" girlfriend, Rihanna.
Apparently they are reconciling as this post is being written. Some questions to ponder: how will this domestic incident impact Chris Brown's reputation? If Rihanna returns to Chris, how does it impact her reputation? Are there sports or entertainment celebrities whose careers have actually thrived on a "bad boy" or "bad girl" anti-social reputation? Can you become famous and successful for challenging what is perceived to be decent and good in society? And if you can, what does that say about our society? Or about the entertainment or sports celebrity industries?

Factoid of the Day: Radio Legend Gone

Besides the Rocky Mountain News, the media industry witnessed another tragic loss this weekend. A radio superstar who had more listeners than anyone in radio history died on February 28th at the age of 90. Few of you will recognize his name, but your grandparents probably would. He was Paul Harvey, and his signature tag line was, "and now, the rest of the story."

DTV delayed...

Congress has postponed the shutdown of analog television signals to June 12th, the only thing left to seal the deal is Barack’s signature. Why the holdup…? A little over 5% of U.S TV households are not ready for this inevitable future. The DTV delay impacts commercial PCS and emergency response among others. Critics say not moving forward with the previous February 17th stop date will only create confusion. Consider the FCC has mandated broadcasters provide DTV Consumer Education gratis… (the commission order came in March of last year, most broadcasters have been talking about February 17th for years).

So… is the DTV delay a good move for consumers, a good move for broadcasters? Did you apply for converter box coupons, have they arrived? Are you watching TV though cable, satellite, or rabbit ears… does any of this DTV stuff matter?

A suggestion for lawmakers… please consider delaying the presidential election in 2012 by four months, just in case we find that 5% of American households are undecided, still trying to figure out whether they should vote for Clinton or Palin…

Chime in…

Factoid of the Day: Online Piracy

How much time, after a new network TV show premieres, before it is available online, via a peer-to-peer network such as BitTorrent, with the commercials removed?

Answer: About 17 minutes!

Are we entering a new era of openness in government? And are journalists up to the challenge?

President Barack Obama issued a memo on Jan. 21, expressing his adminstration's support for the Freedom of Information Act.

The memo included this statement: "The Government should not keep information confidential merely because public officials might be embarrassed by disclosure, because errors and failures might be revealed, or because of speculative or abstract fears. Nondisclosure should never be based on an effort to protect the personal interests of Government officials at the expense of those they are supposed to serve."

In light of his support for open records and the Freedom of Information Act, do you think other public, governmental bodies will follow suit and be more willing to open their records for the public? And will journalists be emboldened to make open records requests and demand government accountability?

Are we entering a new era of openness in government with the Obama presidency as a role model?

History in the making

Today we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the birth of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and in two weeks we will pause to celebrate 200 years since the birth of another former Illinois legislator--Abraham Lincoln. With less than 15 hours until the swearing-in ceremony for the first black President of the United States, it is worth noting that the 44th president is standing on the shoulders of giants. Those giants include President Lincoln and MLK Jr. Few other historical figures capture such intense devotion to the themes of freedom and justice while celebrating the strength of human character.

The Inaugural Address is expected to be yet another masterful demonstration of Obama's rhetorical skill. He will most certainly continue his themes of hope and change...while squarely acknowledging the daunting challenges that await his presidency. Previous inauguration addresses have reminded us that, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself" (FDR) and challenged us to, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" (JFK).

Mass media have historically allowed us to celebrate our finest moments, and witness our greatest tragedies, via the miracle of instantaneous community. Whether we're watching the Superbowl or witnessing planes flying into skyscrapers, TV, and now the internet, brings us together in ways that defy the imagination.

For those of you on campus Tues morning, you can watch the Inauguration and related festivities on big-screen TVs in BRH and the OUC. If you're near a computer you can watch the live stream at a variety of sites including Hulu and Current TV, where they will reprise their debate coverage with a live Twitter stream superimposed over the live video of the inauguration.

You owe it to your children to give your attention to this historic event. The country is awash in optimism, hope and faith in the ability of this yet untried president. Let's join together to wish him, and this nation, the best.