This past week offered another proud moment for our ongoing work at ZonieReport.com. Jonathan Dube, an online journalism columnist for the Poynter Institute’s website, spoke with me about the state of the industry and what makes The Zonie Report tick.
For those of you unfamiliar with the institute, it is a leading voice in journalism. Headquartered in Florida, it churns out training and advice on the latest and most controversial issues facing the industry. To be interviewed for a Q&A was a real treat.
Thanks for the attention, Jon. For a glimpse, click here.
So it’s almost that time to give Arizona’s only multimedia news website a makeover…a facial…or whatever they call it these days.
I am inviting you, dear readers, to weigh in on this. Luckily for you, I have surfed through hundreds of design “themes” to narrow it down to just two. I would like you to tell me which one you like better by posting a quick comment.
MONOCHROME PRO: Slick new theme from Thad Allender, a photographer who built this to have more visuals. To me, it seems less busy and more organized than your typical news website, plus the main photo is ginormous, and it switches based on the top stories of the day. [Click here for a demo.]
And the second one is…
REVOLUTION PRO MEDIA: Here’s a very popular new theme that’s flexible enough to customize however I want. It also has a cool feature that links a string of photos to a Flickr page, ways to embed Flash and YouTube videos for Zonie Report stuff, but a pretty busy layout. [Click here for a demo or on the image to see the full page view.]
So much content makes it onto the Web with nary a peep of response.
But recently, a dozen ASU students got a response in a big way: They beat out scores of other co-eds from schools across the region in a contest for best online multimedia feature and news stories. The groups were honored in the Society of Professional Journalists’ “Mark of Excellence” event in Tucson April 12.
These kids worked hard all semester to wrap their brains around four months worth software and multimedia gear. How do I know this, you might ask? Because, as their professor, I watched them go from print/broadcast reporters to multimedia rockstars.
Congratulations to Veronica Graves, Ashley Hope, Jordan Jurkowitz, Katarina Kovasevic and Michael Struening for a story on the evolution of Glendale; and Casey Kelsey, Adrian Barrera, Jorden Allen, Heather Kucenski and Patricia Borja for a story on First Fridays in Phoenix.
Journalists — the people who deliver information to you every day in every way under the First Amendment — are multitasking more and working longer hours than ever before.
These are the latest findings according to PR Newswire and PR Week, which surveyed journalists of all stripes (but mostly newspaper reporters). Consider:
57 percent feel they are being asked to work more today than in the past few years, while 56 percent say they are contributing to other mediums outside of their official duty.
67 percent of newspaper journalists anticipate “declines in print circulation and increased focus on the Web” over the next three years.
91 percent of respondents indicated “Make my publication successful by creating appealing content for its audiences” as the top consideration of their job.
70 percent of total respondents suggest that public opinion of journalists has gotten worse during the past five years.
Readers may wonder what this means. In my humble opinion, it means more stories are being covered without depth. Since more stories are being written, more mistakes are being made, which leads to further erosion in the public’s trust of journalists (which surveys also show has declined since Watergate.)
So if you see a journalist, thank them for their hard work. They may need a hug, too.
Pat Tillman played with more guts and fire than most of the NFL players he eventually called teammates. And when terrorists attacked the U.S., he turned down a lucrative contract extension with the Arizona Cardinals to become an Army Ranger and fight bad guys in Afghanistan. He was ultimately killed by friendly fire.
Arizonans are very familiar with this story. It’s tragic. But this run is a way of recognizing a most courageous guy. And although Pat’s not from Arizona, he certainly proved that he belonged here.
My friends and I were there the day that Cards owner Michael Bidwill and former Sun Devil coach Bruce Snyder emceed a memorial at Sun Devil Stadium in honor of Pat Tillman. We sat on the grass near the 42 yard line, fairly close to where Pat once snagged a game-breaking interception. It was very emotional for me because I felt like there was a piece of Pat in all of us. And now Pat was dead.
All we can do is show support for his foundation by running this 4.2-mile event and then tipping a few back afterwards at Four Peaks Brewery, ASU-style.
I’ve got those itchy feet again. If you care to join me, don your favorite ASU T-shirt (sombreros are optional) and come to Sun Devil Stadium on Saturday, April 19. Start time is 7 a.m. for runners and 7:30 for walkers.
You can also form teams. If anyone is interested in this, drop a comment here and let me know.
Last night, I had the opportunity to go behind the black velvet curtains at Phoenix’s Celebrity Theater to spend some QT with Arizona’s quintessential independent rock band, Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers.
Not knowing what to expect, I’m fairly certain this was the *mellowest* backstage party in the history of backstage parties. A room full of about 30 people ate Doritos, pretzels and drank four cases of Rolling Rock and Dos Equis [myself included — you know, just to blend in] without ever catching a glimpse of the band. I saw Steve (guitarist), who quickly ran out. PH (drummer) was nowhere to be found 20 minutes to showtime. The bassist was in the parking lot, and Roger was in the hallway looking harried.
“I gotta go memorize the words to my songs,” he told me before bolting for a dressing room.
Not exactly what you want to hear from the lead singer moments before playing the city’s classiest venue. They played 31 songs in 2.5 hours. [Actually, it was more like 30 since Roger forgot at least two verses.]
But that’s part of the fun at a Peacemakers show, where Roger indulges the crowd by drinking whatever flask, beer or other mysterious alcoholic beverage it offers up during the set. He is a true warrior, but the all-night sing-along ends up helping him out later in the show. Everyone realizes this, and musical purists would be alarmed. But in the eyes of fans, it’s part of Roger’s rock star charm. [The band has now played 16 times in Rocky Point at a block party concert they call Circus Mexicus.]
The band is touring for its new album, Turbo Ocho. Check it out, and be ready to hear a mix of heavier rock and a five-man section of trumpets, bongos, and Latin timbales. Vivan los Peacemakers!
This past weekend I ran a 5K that benefitted Ryan House, a Phoenix nonprofit that provides care and support for children with life-limiting disabilities.
It’s truly a cool place: Ryan House is backed by Hospice of the Valley and intends to build a 19,000-square-foot facility near First Avenue and Thomas Road. The money raised goes toward the operations of the center, which opens soon.
It was pretty breezy out, so I dropped the sombrero act to eliminate wind drag. [This seemed to help, as we were headed up into the McDowell Mountains along Thompson Peak Parkway.] However, I wore the AZ colors and the TZR signs, which drew several comments in the port-a-pottie line. In fact, one Valley Realtor recognized me based on the write-up on Jay Thompson’s real estate blog. Thank you, Jay. [See below.]
The next race I run for TZR will be somewhere between Tempe and Lake Havasu City. Stay tuned.
Howdy everyone. I thought I’d call your attention to a new blog I found about real estate in Phoenix. It’s written by Jay Thompson, an East Valley real estate agent who seems very involved in Valley life. His wife, Francy, is a native Arizonan.
Check out his site for homebuying tips and the latest gossip in the local real estate industry [There’s been plenty of that recently, right?]. Jay hosts some pretty thoughtful discussions that are worth dropping in on.
This past week offered another proud moment for our ongoing work at ZonieReport.com. Jonathan Dube, an online journalism columnist for the Poynter Institute’s website, spoke with me about the state of the industry and what makes The Zonie Report tick.
Last night, I had the opportunity to go behind the black velvet curtains at Phoenix’s Celebrity Theater to spend some QT with Arizona’s quintessential independent rock band, Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers.
This past weekend I ran a 5K that benefitted Ryan House, a Phoenix nonprofit that provides care and support for children with life-limiting disabilities.