Chris Raine

Wow, where to begin? So much has happened in the last three months: I've made friends, I've blogged, I've re-purposed television stories for the web, I've spoken several times in class. And the memories! There was that one time we hung out at that bar, and, um, that time we made burgers! Yeah!

Time to cross that bridge.
Photo: Chris Raine

In fact, my experience in this class has been so positive that now I only slightly hate TV news, where before I really hated it. Although I still see television news anchors as soulless automatons mindlessly reading whatever tripe their corporate masters put in front of them, I now realize that some of them probably weren't like that in college.

I've also learned that I really enjoy blogging and online media in general. There's a freedom to it that doesn't exist in more traditional forms of journalism, a break from the rigidity and staleness that plagues modern news. Although most people have already gotten sick of the word "blog," there's still a tinge of newness to it, a sense that there's a new frontier to explore and we're entering the profession at just the right time to catch the crest of the wave. As the old guard of journalism struggles to comprehend the rapidly changing media environment, they'll be forced to turn to us to save their flailing industry. I'd like to think this class has helped prepare us to be those much-needed saviors.

And so I leave you, a leaf in the wind, riding this wave where ever it may take me. I don't know where I'll land, but maybe some of you will be close by when I do. Until, much love, and farewell. We'll always have 694.

When the term "blooper factory" was first uttered, my mind began to race with the possibilities. I've always like the word "blooper." To me, it's one of the rare words that sounds as funny as what it describes, like "platypus" or "fart." And a blooper factory would be a pretty sweet place to work. I can only think of two factories that would be better: a candy factory, particularly the part of the assembly line between the finished candy and the wrapping machines, and a monkey factory, which I feel is self-explanatory. (Ok, short explanation: the factory not only makes monkeys, but is also staffed by monkeys!) Mass-producing and packaging bloopers sounds like it would be nearly as enjoyable as working in a monkey factory, and there'd probably be fewer feces tossed at you. Probably.

To not take advantage of this natural resource would be akin to a Native American not using every part of the buffalo, or Malaysia not maxing the output of their monkey factories. We already produce the bloopers, so we might as well use them. Throwing them away just deprives the world of the staggering amount of stutters, Freudian slips, burp-faces, eyebrow wiggles, and poorly-timed laughs that our broadcast unintentionally produces every day.

And we can produce more! A few minor tactical changes could exponentially increase our blooper yield. First, we should never, ever turn our cameras or mikes off. Second, an anchor should attempt to distract or taunt their co-anchor whenever they are off-camera, preferably by dancing provocatively, making silly faces, or sneaking a small animal into the studio and releasing it during an especially serious story. Third, we should force our producers to write the scripts for the entire newscast in two minutes or less, instead devoting their precious time to the formulation of humorous tosses, puns and one-liners.

Eventually, using these tactics and more, we could create enough bloopers to do away with our traditional newscast altogether. KUJH can become The Daily Show of Douglas County, except with less actual news content. And maybe, just maybe, we can bring a smile to the face of some starving child in a third-world country that inexplicably has high-speed internet access. Because after all, if we're not producing a product designed solely for the entertainment of children and/or immature college guys sitting at home drinking crappy beer and watching YouTube, then what in the hell are we doing?

Oh, and our ratings would probably go up.

So let's get to work and make this Blooper Factory Fantasy a Blooper Reality. For the children.

OK, so I haven't written one of these up in a while. For whatever reason, I forget every freaking week to write about my newsroom experiences. Maybe this is because my shifts are relatively uneventful, which I think is a good thing. The whole process of re-purposing has become so natural that I don't even mind coming in on Wednesdays, even though there's about a million other things I need to be working on. In fact, it's actually pretty nice to have a four-hour block during the week where I know exactly what I'll be doing, and confident that it'll get done right. So how about that - my newsroom shift is actually empowering and therapeutic. You should put that in the class description.

Otherwise, there's not a whole lot else to report. Posting our videos to YouTube is virtually effortless - and, based on our early traffic ratings, seems to be a hell of a payoff for very little work. I'm anxious to see what the KUJH Facebook application I have stored in my head will do if we ever get it off the ground.

When I want to sit back and have a totally passive, relaxing news-consumption experience, I turn on CNN, sit back, crack open a cold one, and try not to get angry and/or fall asleep. Currently, tv.ku.edu provides a similar experience, although it rarely makes me angry.

KUJHTV - a good way to catch up on sleep
Photo: lawyersandsettlements.com

Our foray into YouTube is a step in the right direction. Users can rate our videos, comment, forward them to friends, etc. However, it's rather counter-productive to send users away from our website to provide them a fuller web experience when the capability to provide these options is well within our grasp.

Another option that would seriously increase our exposure as well as our interactivity would be to create a Facebook application. Even if the app is limited in scope or usability, simply giving users another avenue to engage in the KUJH experience is a road that must be explored. While producing an application may take some work, in the short term, KUJH should at least a profile on which we can post video and extra content. Facebook users can add the profile as a friend, and it would open up yet another network for our video to find new eyes.

Providing a forum for actual user-created content may be another beast altogether. While I think we should seriously consider incorporating eHub and blog/vlog posting into our website, opening up the site to the common rabble would produce a wide spectrum of consequences that I'm not sure we're prepared or equipped to handle. Still, it's something that must be considered. After all, any interactivity, however trivial or troubling it may seem, would be an improvement over the website as it currently exists.

So KUJH has finally made the leap from posting video on its own website to posting video on the most popular video-hosting site in the world. Sounds great, right? In a refreshing vacation from my usual default setting of lukewarm cynicism, I actually do think this is a great idea. At least, I don't really see any negatives to the move. I mean, that's something, right?

The future of KUTube?
Photo: KUJH TV

As was mentioned in class today, YouTube allows for comments and ratings on our videos, providing a means for viewers to interact and provide feedback. While any YouTube comments and ratings should obviously be taken with a grain of salt, the added element of even limited interactivity (there's that word again) is worthy addition to the KUJH product.

There's also the possibility that one of our videos becomes a viral sensation, which could dramatically increase our visibility amongst our target audience(s). Of course, this could also be seen as a potential negative, as the most likely recipient of viral fame would likely be some sort of "blooper" reel, where an anchor or reporter makes a series of gaffes hilarious enough to warrant the 3 seconds it would take a viewer to forward the video to friends. Honestly, though, I think any possible YouTube fame we can acquire would adhere to that old industry proverb, "Any publicity is good publicity."

Imagine a world where you can change the way you look on a whim, get free designer clothing thrown at you, have safe, anonymous sex with any number of beautiful partners, do drugs without consequence, and gamble to your heart's content. Unless you're a celebrity on a weekend Vegas trip, then Second Life is the only option to live in this hedonistic vision of Eden. And you can still get busted for the drugs or sex.

Unfortunately, Second Life doesn't really deliver on any of these fantasies. You don't really look like that, and neither does your sexual partner. The sex is unsatisfying (or so I'm told). Your clothes are pixelated. The drugs aren't really making you high. And the gambling...well, the gambling can be real. Which means you can lose real money in a fake world. That's a whole other discussion.

That looks like a lot of virtual fun.
Photo: stuff.co.nz

It's also not surprising that, in its first fully online incarnation, it virtually sucks. The graphics leave too much to the imagination. The control of your character isn't crisp. The loading times for the environment could make a monk impatient. And, worst of all, in a world where virtually anything is possible, there's nothing to do. Even the most basic of Second Life functions, communication, is terribly inefficient compared to "real-world" programs like chat programs, text messaging and even email.

So in a world where everybody is granted omniscience, what is newsworthy? People can have sex in public, metamorphosize at will, and fly. Violence doesn't exist, except where others give permission. There are very few consequences for anything an avatar does. So what events in this virtual world have enough of an impact on others that creates the need for news?

Granted, there's griefing, which has resulted in a group of extremely bored and disturbed individuals staging virtual terrorist attacks, and there's "real-world" news that can affect "play" within the Second Life universe. But do these events really constitute news, outside of briefly interrupting the mindless repetition on which Second Life thrives?

In its current form, Second Life is a long ways away from becoming an effective and efficient conduit for journalism of any consequence. As it stands now, Second Life is to MySpace as ?????? is to Facebook. MySpace was a great idea, and pretty popular for awhile, but then Facebook came along and improved on virtually every aspect, leaving MySpace to die a slow and lonely death. Whatever comes next in the arena of virtual worlds will undoubtedly condemn Second Life to the same fate.

In other words, nice try, and better luck next time.

So as most people on our fine campus probably know, "U" defeated "State" in football this weekend. I didn't go to the game, declining to purchase a $70 ticket for the privilege of sitting amongst the largest gathering of Kansas yokels since the NASCAR race the weekend before. (Attaboy, Biffle!) I know, how could I turn down a chance to go to Manhattan (KS), right? Instead, I chose the comfort of my home, the company of a few friends, and the consumption of a few too many Miller Lites and way too many slices of pepperoni, beef and onion pizza.

A Jayhawk on a computer?!?
Photo: Chris Raine

You see, I'm a member of the Jayhawk Slant. It's a website that provides in-depth coverage of KU football and basketball. While its coverage of the games and players is nice, it's the recruiting info and message boards that compels me to cough up $10/month for membership. If I'm not at the games, I'm on the Slant. It's an addiction.

And I'm not the only one. Immediately after the game, over 500 KU fans were logged on to the Slant, expressing their joy via the "Memorial Stadium Suite" premium message board. Early in the basketball season last year, nearly 1500 KU fans were on the Slant to vent their rage after the Hawks' embarrassing loss to Oral Roberts. KSU's site blows away these numbers. On April 5 of last year, on the day the basketball head coach Bob Huggins announced his resignation after one year, over 5,000 angry, drunk K-Staters vomited their venom into their internet machines.

The popularity of internet communities to sports fans shouldn't be surprising. The internet has largely grown up around the intense fandom associated with niche genres, such as fantasy clubs, gamers, puppy/kitten enthusiasts, and porn. Given the extreme popularity of sports in America, it's no surprise that many fans are willing to pony up a fee each month just for the privilege of speaking to like-minded people and/or to textually harass their rivals.

While I'm definitely not breaking new ground here, websites like Jayhawk Slant provide a valuable insight to news organizations on the behaviors and interests of internet audiences, and how best to appeal to those interests and create a passion in your product. Most people want to belong to a community of like-minded people with similar interests, passions, and goals. Many of these people will even be willing to pay for this. Only when news organizations can find a way to tap into this feeling of community will they be able to harness the full potential of the online medium.

And while you, the reader, ponder the deep and insightful words I just crapped out, I'm going to check the Slant for the 13th time today. Rock Chalk.

The regrettably famous pop artist Andy Warhol once said, "Everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." Pop culture is littered with the corpses of the briefly-famous, completely mediocre individuals that, for one reason or another, captured the fleeting attention span of the public long enough to eventually become a humorous trivia question.

Blogging is like painting soup cans - if some a-hole says you're cool, then you are.
Photo: uncrate.com

Naturally, the formula for attaining A-list status in the blogging world is very similar to the recipe for fleeting fame in other pop culture mediums:

- Find a general topic that will appeal to your niche market (sports, celebrities, politics or relationships always work - extra points for combos!).

- Make lots of jokes, even if they aren't the least bit funny (see: Dane Cook).

- Try to incorporate photos/video of attractive women, babies, animals, baby animals, or attractive women holding funny-looking baby animals.

- It helps if you can write well, but this isn't required.

And voila! You're the new Wonkette! Time.com will be calling soon with a job offer.

Now, of course, there are many exceptions to the rule. Some A-list bloggers actually incorporate, you know, substance into their work. Some famous blogs actually rose up to A-list status due to their quality content and their ability to spread information that can actually inform and improve humanity. But, much to this blogger's chagrin, blogging fame seems to be doled out in the same indiscriminate, soul-crushing fashion as Warhol's 15 minutes are distributed in other galaxies of the pop culture universe. For every "Knocked Up" that is produced, there's like a million "Good Luck Chucks." So it goes.

Perhaps the best method to enjoy today's top pop blogs is the same way people admired Warhol's art back in his heyday: ingest huge amounts of psychedelics and act like an giant asshole. Looks like I'm already halfway there.*

*For the record, I was referring to the "act like a giant asshole" part. I say no to drugs.

John Edwards gets it.
Photo: personaldemocracy.com

In the case of vlogs, the evolution and popularity of YouTube can not be discounted in the potential impact this relatively new medium may have on the 2008 presidential campaigns. A large source of the voter apathy in this country, particularly among young voters, is that politics are largely viewed as "boring" or "unimportant" by the attention-span-challenged youth of America. YouTube, and videos in general, may be the perfect remedy to reach the apathetic populace, as moving pictures can help some poor dullard pay attention enough to at least recognize the name "Barack Obama" or "John Edwards." And in the game of politics (as G.I. Joe constantly pointed out), name recognition is half the battle.

The evolution of politician profiles on Facebook could also play an important role in gaining recognition for a candidate and, idealistically, what he stands for. By being able to add a politician as a "friend," Facebook users can browse the content on their profile pages, instantly gaining a knowledge of who a candidate is, their stances on important issues, and what their favorite movies and TV shows are. This could definitely have a humanizing effect, and may be able to take advantage of that unfortunate segment of the population that votes based on "who they want to have a beer with."

The beauty of vlogs and Facebook in the arena of political communication is that it reaches a young audience that is largely still exploring where they stand on the issues our country faces. Studies have shown that people are unlikely to switch their party affiliation during their lifetimes, affiliations that are usually formed during their young adult years. A young voter gained today is potentially an old voter casting his ballot in favor of the same party for the next 50 years. In essence, the short attention spans of today can actually equal long-term loyalty for the foreseeable future. And any pol worth his worn copy of "The Prince" can see the incredible potential of that.

When a shift is relatively uneventful, it's easy to forget to write up your blog shift. Of course, "uneventful" is usually a good thing when you're talking about work, as "eventful" is usually a nice way of saying "crappy."

During two of the last three shifts, a story about HPV (Human Papillomavirus) has been in the queue. During the most recent shift, a discussion about a past story concerning HPV came up. This has led me to begin referring to Wednesdays as "HPV Wednesdays" or "Dirty Hump Days." Also, I know more about Gardisil than I ever desired. Did you know that the vaccine is administered via three separate injections over six months? I do. Ugh.

During our last shift we also had a "breaking news" story about confidential student records being improperly discarded by KU. That story seems pretty bland as I write about it now, but at the time, it was pretty exciting. I also got to take part in the production of a breaking news story, which is decidedly more difficult than re-purposing scripts.

I will say that as I get used to the routine of the newsroom, the shifts are becoming less of a chore, and, dare I say it, slightly enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather be playing a video game, watching amovie, sleeping, etc., but as far as class requirements go, I've suffered far worse.