Mumbai: Online Community and Mainstream Coverage Converge

   The terrorist attacks in Mumbai unleashed unprecedented, real time unfiltered raw data on the web. 
   Within seconds of shots being fired, Twitter users in India  provided compelling eyewitness accounts and updates on the unfolding drama. According to some estimates, 70 to 80 tweets were being posted every five seconds.
   On Wikipedia, a new page was [...]

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Obama Honeymoon: Hope or Hype?

   Some pundits talked about an Obama honeymoon even BEFORE the President-elect had announced his plans to run. Check out this article speculating that Obama’s media honeymoon would end once he threw his hat into the ring.
   It’s almost two years later. Obama won in a landslide. His popularity has gone through the roof. A [...]

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The Obama Economic Boomlet

The nation is holding out hope for Obama the President. 
D.C. area businesses are banking on the Obama phenomenon to produce its own economic stimulus package. 
Entrepreneurs and local businesses are hoping Obama — “The Product” — will help their bottom line — Yes We Can — cash in!
With almost two months to go before Inauguration, the [...]

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Campaign Reflections

The 2008 Presidential campaign wasn’t just historic. It was revolutionary.
On the Democratic side, the choice was between a former first lady and a young African American man.
On the Republican side, the choice was between a war hero and a conservative, guitar-playing, slimmed-down former Arkansas governor. 
There were too many memorable moments and game changing events to [...]

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The Storm is Here

 
   I’m not really a luddite but I sometimes play one (as a devil’s advocate — an age-old journalist’s role!).
   I’m not anti-technology. I’m just skeptical. As a matter of fact, technology and I go way back. 
   I was an audiophile. I read the specs … the reviews … and compared before I bought my sound [...]

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White House 2.0: The Obama Years

   Technology was one of the stars of the 2008 Presidential election – especially with the PEOTUS (President-elect of the United States). When it came to delivering his message, raising money, and just plain connecting, President-elect Barack Obama left no gizmo untried.
   So, how will our first tech savvy President use 21st century technology when [...]

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Privacy Endangered?

A few years ago, free-associating the letters T-M-I would elicit the response – Three Mile Island. Today, ask just about anyone who is not living in a cave and they’ll say T-M-I stands for TOO MUCH INFORMATION. Thanks to the internet and advances in digital technology we are being bombarded with information. It sometimes feels [...]

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Election Night: Ground Zero

Mainstream Media  
Monday, November 3:  We covered the final day of early voting in Columbus, Ohio.   We did live reports outside the Veterans Memorial where voters lined up for hours to cast their votes. We interviewed dozens who were waiting in line but found only one person who owned up to voting for McCain. One [...]

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Politics, Videos and Voters

   Getting people to vote is one of those mystifying challenges that confronts candidates’ campaigns each election cycle. Historically, nearly half of those eligible don’t bother to vote. In 2008, we’ve seen the creative use of YouTube and other video outlets to beg, cajole, and shame people to the polls. 
   One of my favorites is [...]

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Money Matters in Presidential Politics

   If money paves the way to presidential success, then Barack Obama is about to end his journey a winner.
  His 21st century, bottom-up, grassroots campaign has smashed all money raising records by appealing directly to the masses using all the resources of digital technology and social networking. The traditional top down, lobbyist power, big [...]

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