Category Archives: Popular Culture

Redefining the Social Network and Social Media

“I don’t think it is easy for MySpace and Facebook to adapt and bend to the needs of individual brands.” – Alexander Mouldovan, Founder, Crowd Factory They had names like Compuserve, The Well, Tribe and Usenet. One of them, a little regarded place called America Online, became a behemoth, though the others fell either intoContinue reading “Redefining the Social Network and Social Media”

Measuring the Impact of “Micro Memories”

“Mass media will be redefined by systems for transmitting and receiving personalized forms of news and entertainment.” – Nicholas Negroponte, Being Digital, 1996 SINCE THE DAWN of the Internet Age – and even before – we have bemoaned the wane of collective experience. In his seminal work, Being Digital, Nicholas Negroponte talked about the “DailyContinue reading “Measuring the Impact of “Micro Memories””

Social Media Tools and Modern Technology Only Tell Part of the Story

The Riverside Press-Enterprise in Riverside, Calif., requires its entry-level reporters to shoot video of their stories in addition to the written versions. The directive is optional for older or more established reporters, but the message is clear: Get with the future or get out. There is some truth and I’m sure even noble purpose toContinue reading “Social Media Tools and Modern Technology Only Tell Part of the Story”

Keeping the (Inter) Faith During the Holidays

Every year around this time I get a call or an e-mail asking for an interview about being in an interfaith marriage. The reporters all want to know why my wife and I decided to raise our daughter Jewish and whether images of Santa and a Christmas tree at my in-laws’ house will make herContinue reading “Keeping the (Inter) Faith During the Holidays”

Plenty of Shame to Go Around in Latest O.J. Simpson Drama

(Note: see update below about Fox’s decision to pull the O.J. program.) In 1994, I wrote an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times in which I said O.J. Simpson would not get the death penalty because he was rich – and rich people, especially rich celebrities, don’t get executed. Turns out I was right. Nevertheless,Continue reading “Plenty of Shame to Go Around in Latest O.J. Simpson Drama”

Ugly America: From Borat to Al Jazeera

Time is amnesic. We know there was a time without an Internet, but few can remember what that was like. There was a time when bank tellers weren’t automated and using a phone while driving required a really, really long extension cord. And of course, there was a time when most people got their newsContinue reading “Ugly America: From Borat to Al Jazeera”

Some News about News

There’s been lots of media coverage about Reuters opening a bureau in Second Life to report within the popular virtual world. So, let me see if I’ve got this right: real world media is talking about real world media covering virtual news. This is either a strategic inflection point or completely insane. Reuters’ reporting inContinue reading “Some News about News”

The Media and JonBenet: the Bottom Feels Fine When You Don’t Have Far to Fall

They don’t do original reporting. They don’t check facts, are loose with the truth and traffic in rumor. They have agendas. They just want attention. They’re not careful. They are not professionals. They sensationalize. There are too many of them. They cannot be trusted. This is how the majority of professional print and broadcast journalistsContinue reading “The Media and JonBenet: the Bottom Feels Fine When You Don’t Have Far to Fall”

Israel and Lebanon: Bloggers Come Together

I have some interesting column ideas for the coming weeks about newspapers, media and communications — but I can’t write about those now. Today, the media is not a patient to be analyzed and dissected. Today it is a window, and I can’t help but look outside. But like any window, it’s only possible toContinue reading “Israel and Lebanon: Bloggers Come Together”