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I read an excellent article from WSJ.com contributor Jason Fry.
Fry posted on IU’s National Journalism Sports Center site about how the embrace of social media by athletes will affect sportswriters and their coverage. The discussion was part of Social Media week in New York (Feb. 1- Feb. 5).
The article caught my eye because the debate has been an issue of interest. In December 2008 while writing for stltoday.com’s Speaking Visually graphics blog, I briefly discussed the impact of Lance Armstrong’s embrace of Twitter. Armstrong, long a technology geek on and off the bike, began communicating directly with cycling fans through Twitter.
After taking offense to an article blaming him for a rider uprising about safety, Armstrong reportedly boycotted the Giro D’Italia media last year, posting his thoughts directly through Twitter. By the end of the race, journalists were quoting Armstrong’s tweets. Today, Armstrong has over 2.4 million followers on Twitter. Shaquille O’Neal has 2.8 million.
Fry notes that the rage of Twitter and Facebook began four years ago — and that a new emerging crop of star athletes will soon break into the public consciousness having used social media as easily a primary means of communication as a cellphone.
Fry writes:
So where will that leave sportswriters?
For one thing, they will have to accept that they are no longer gatekeepers through which information must pass – reporting on a team will require not just time in the locker room, but also hours following athletes on Twitter, checking in on their fan pages, and watching their latest Ustream videos.
But that’s already happening – many sportswriters are on Twitter in part because the athletes and agents they cover are on it. As things evolve, I think sportswriters will be more free to let what athletes say through social media stand for itself. Pretty soon specifying that someone said something on Twitter will be as odd as specifying that it was said using a telephone.
The migration to social media by current sportswriters (and the new guard of journalists) likely will change the manner traditional interviews are conducted. While some athletes will use Twitter and Facebook as ways to reach out to fans, other, savvier athletes will expect beat writers and columnists to be just as comfortable using these mediums. Fry says the best stories will still be told by the talented storytellers.
Just over one year ago on the P-D Graphics blog Speaking Visually, I briefly wrote about and linked to a NYT John Branch story about the evolution of the Super Bowl logo. Through the years, the logo (as with all NFL branding) went from somewhat of an afterthought to a primary marketing feature associated with perhaps the biggest game franchise in team sports.
This year, I’ve come across Ken Carbone’s Fast Company blog where he redesigns what he calls “the worst NFL helmet graphics. Carbone gives credit to what he considers the best NFL helmet logos: Dallas, St. Louis, Philadelphia and Cincinnati.
But it’s interesting to see what Carbone does with sketches and renderings of Tampa Bay, Washington and New England’s helmet logos. The Washington prototype is impressive: a nod to the features on its throwback helmet from the mid-to-late 1960s.
Carbone’s Fast Company colleague Cliff Kuang gets a primer on this year’s Super Bowl XLIV logo, designed by Attik, an English communications firm and division of Japanese ad firm Dentsu.
 In the GOP gubernatorial primary between State Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale, Ill. (left) and State Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington, Ill. (right). Brady held a lead of fewer than 500 votes as of Thursday. There’s nothing quite like Illinois politics.
Tuesday’s Election Day turnout was much lower than expected, but three statewide races (the Democratic and GOP governor’s race primaries and the state comptroller race) were so close they are currently decided by less than one vote per precinct. Chicago’s Board of Election Commissioners abides by a series of deadlines for counting ballots, ultimately leading up to a Feb. 23 certification date. I’ve written about how Illinois counts its votes on the Chicago Explainer blog at windycitizen.com.
This is my final response addressing the City Beat interview in which I feel I am grossly misrepresented and misquoted.
Over the course of the past two days, I’ve exchanged messages with David Rolland, editor of City Beat. (Read the exchanges here.) I requested a correction of my quotes in the “You’re My Obsession” story written by Stacey Tolbert. Mr. Rolland said that because he had no access to the original story notes, he could not make changes beyond asking me to identify “problem” words he would eliminate and then add an editor’s note saying I feel I was both misrepresented and misquoted in the article. I chose not to identify “problem words” because I take issue with my interview in its entirety. Thus, Mr. Rolland did not change the story but did insert a statement reflecting my objection to how I’m depicted in the story.
Please note that I also have the written support and endorsement of Mrs. Tolbert who wrote the article. Mrs. Tolbert’s comments can be found here.
I responded to Mr. Rolland by saying he could handle the situation as he sees fit, including making no change at all. Short of a retraction or correction, the story would still remain in its original form, misrepresenting who I am, depicting me as a chauvinist, and misquoting my comments. It’s the old adage about the “gotcha” headline on the front page in 100 pt. type, while the correction or retraction the next day is buried on A2 in 9.5 pt. type.
For the record, here is my edit of my comments. This edit reflects my actual comments and addresses the topics raised in the article by Mrs. Tolbert as well as the other six interviewees in the article. It is possible the City Beat article has harmed my reputation and my career. I am thankful that colleagues and the many people with whom I’ve worked in my career know the depiction of me in the City Beat article is inaccurate.
St. Louis-based journalist Darryl Swint agrees with Evers and Hall in that men notice breasts because they are an obvious symbol of femininity and represent complex roles.
“Studies show men are more visually stimulated than women,” Swint said. “Men’s interest in female breasts reflects a dual symbolism.
“When viewed in a sexual sense, it generates a response of male attractiveness to female sexuality. When breasts are viewed in a maternal sense, it reflects the powerful symbol of women as givers of life.”
Addressing the role of the Janet Jackson Super Bowl debacle in the breast debate, Swint believes a historical double-standard in media exists within the dual symbolism of female breasts. The depiction of bare breasts of women of color has long been published and broadcast — particularly of women in other cultures. At the same time, publishing or broadcasting of a fully exposed white female breast in mass media is unconscionable, Swint said, agreeing with Evers that visible nipples are taboo in American media.
“Janet Jackson’s three-second exposed breast was over-hyped by media and politicos,” Swint said. “Most men watching the show weren’t complaining.
“The furor did not originate with them. It originated elsewhere. And the furor was mostly directed at Jackson and not at Justin Timberlake, who was the real cause of her exposure.”
I asked Swint if Jackson had instead been Madonna or Britney Spears, would the reaction have been the same?
“No,” he replied. “I think it would have been treated as a genuine mistake if it happened to Britney and debated as a statement of empowerment if Madonna had done it. She has been known to challenge and reject societal beliefs on who a woman is and what a woman does.
“I doubt either would have received the amount of criticism about indecency leveled at Jackson.”
This is a cautionary tale of what can go wrong when an editor has an agenda against an interviewee.
FOREWARD
I posted the following on the City Beat site story comments section:
The following is from the story reporter, Anastacia (Stacey) Tolbert:
The comments attributed to Mr. Daryl Swint in the printed as well as the online version of the article were not completely accurate and didn’t fully reflect each and every remark made by Mr. Swint via a telephone interview. Mr. Swint’s comments were specifically regarding mainstream media and advertisings depiction of women and cited in numerous media analyses.
In addition, any description reflecting upon Mr. Swint as sexist in the article is inaccurate. Mr. Swint maintains both personal and professional respect for men and women and is neither sexist nor a misogynist. — Anastacia (Stacey) Tolbert
As a media professional, I conduct every interview I’ve ever done with respect. On sensitive topics, I’m careful to document quotes on audio or video and work closely with my editors to ensure consistency and complete accuracy.
In a 2004 interview for the story “You’re My Obsession” that appeared in the San Diego City Beat, I was the victim of an editor’s hatchet job. The story, written by Anastacia Tolbert, discusses America’s views on female breasts in the aftermath of Justin Timberlake’s infamous exposure of Janet Jackson’s breast during the Super Bowl halftime show.
Through negative and flip embellishments about me, the editor attacks my credibility and undercuts my comments. Seven people were interviewed in the story: documentary filmmaker Zeinabu Davis, University of Missouri Program Director Ashley Evers, Punany Poet Beatrice Hall, psychologist Dr. Teresa Foley, make-up artist Shay Picket and me.
I was the only male interviewed and, according to Tolbert, the story editor framed my comments to present a male stereotype.
Both Mrs. Tolbert and I have repeatedly tried to contact the City Beat editor over the years. Our calls have not been returned.
The theme of duality in the roles and perceptions of women’s breasts is established early in the story, first by Davis, then by Evers, Hall, Foley and later, Pickett. Each of these women addresses how other cultural perceptions of women’s breasts differ from perceptions in American culture.
Take note of how the women interviewed for the story are introduced.
In contrast, the article describes me as “an admitted admirer of women’s bodies and a member of the ‘M&M club’… and of having a “preoccupation with breasts.” None of the women interviewed in the story are introduced in relation to her sexual preference.
As a heterosexual male, I am attracted to women. In my story introduction, this was distorted to being “an admirer of women’s bodies.” When asked my occupation in the interview, I responded that I work in media. In the story, my response was distorted to being a member of “men in the media.”
Before I’m even quoted, my credibility already has been assassinated.
In the interview, I addressed the prevalent theme of duality in the story, saying that while men are aware of the dual roles of women’s breasts as nurturing mother and as physical symbols of female sexuality, my main point was addressing the historic double-standard in American media in which breasts of women of color were published and broadcast, while publication and broadcast of white female breasts remain taboo.
I also mentioned my belief the outrage and controversy surrounding Jackson’s exposure was fanned more by media hype than by the audience watching the game. And I also mentioned that (at that time) an industry disproportionately lead by men is problematic.
Tolbert asked me if I felt America’s cultural reaction to the exposure would have been the same had it been Madonna or Britney Spears. My response? I thought had it been Madonna, perception would be that she’d planned it as a statement of empowerment. Had it been Britney, it would have been lampooned. But neither would have faced the criticism leveled at Jackson.
WHAT I LEARNED
Unfortunately, the first thing I learned was even with good intentions to address a problematic facet of the media industry, “gotcha” tactics can easily mischaracterize someone. It dismisses credibility, hinders dialogue and undermines well-thought comments.
I learned because of the distortion of me in this article, I’ve had to refute the stereotype and explain my comments to family, friends and to and prospective employers. Some past employers have been thoughtful enough to ask me to address the story. The story may even have cost me jobs. I know firsthand how much stereotypes cause negative perceptions.
I know there will be cynics. And I also know while media have the ability to give voice to the voiceless, they also have the means to distort the message.
 The new iPad (Photo courtesy of Apple Inc.) Apple unveiled its new tablet device, called iPad (not iSlate) Wednesday afternoon. The device, available in April is a multimedia tool the folks of Apple hope will wedge its way into your life between your iPhone and laptop. Previously, I asked seven questions about the iPad. From the presentation and various coverage, here are the answers I’ve learned.
1. Will there be one tablet media format? Brad Stone reported on nytimes.com’s Bits blog that the iPad’s iBook app will use the ePub book format which is also used by Barnes & Noble and Sony. Stone also reports that it is unclear what digital rights management standard will be used with the app and whether eBooks purchased through Apple’s app store will be transferrable to other devices using the ePub standard. For those hoping for a long-anticipated Flash/Flash Lite-compatible version of Apple mobile devices, the drought continues. As the iPhone/iPod Touch before it, the iPad does not support Flash video playback — interesting considering many newspaper and media sites continue to use it for web video. But Steve Jobs and company made it clear they view the iPad as a canvas for an emerging multimedia experience.
2. Is Steve Jobs in Don Corleone mode? It still appears that Mr. Jobs is one of if not the most influential leader in guiding and developing the media consumer experience. Several of the largest book publishing houses are already on board with offerings for the iPad. Even rival booksellers have created apps for the iPhone allowing downloads from their virtual bookstores. Since Apple crows the iPad will run virtually all iPhone apps unchanged, it appears iPad customers will still have those online bookstores as a purchase option. That is, unless the iPad only reads a specific rights-managed version of the ePub virtual book standard. The proprietary nature of Apple’s iTunes-iPod system caused lawsuits in Europe and grumblings stateside, leading the Cupertino, Calif. company to jettison its rights-managed song versions. It doesn’t make sense for Apple to go through the entire ordeal again and maybe draw interest from the government over monopoly accusations. Reportedly, Jobs is also trying to get several networks interested in providing premium content on the iPad for a subscription fee. And now Apple has a larger canvas on which to promote its movie sales and more expensive iTunes LP offerings.
3. What has the competition in store? The iPad is a multimedia tool — a hybrid canvas positioned between a laptop and an iPhone. It is beyond an electronic tablet and much more expensive. Amazon’s Kindle DX is an eReader with a similar price point — making the versatile iPad look like a no-brainer choice between the two. The competition knows Apple’s new creation can easily take money from its coffers and thus will respond either with more versatile or more specific devices. Look no further than the number of touch-screen-clad smart phones pioneered by HTC but popularized on the iPhone. The iPad’s color screen alone provides a different user experience from black-and-white eReaders.
4. What of the book publishing industry? As mentioned above, the book publishing industry has taken notice of Apple’s impact upon the music industry and a few book houses have tasted the Cupertino kool-aid. What still remains to be seen is how books on the iPad will evolve. With stunning color available, will could see illustrations become a part of the virtual book reading experience. But will traditionalists rebel?
5. Are current and immediate future networks ready for tablet streaming? This is one of the more interesting portions of the iPad presentation. 3G-capable versions of the iPad will be available with network access on AT&T for a monthly fee with no contract. AT&T’s data network troubles are well-documented, but here’s where it gets interesting: the 3G versions of the iPad will be sold unlocked. We’ll see if this means you can go down to your local Apple store, buy one, walk to your tMobile or Verizon store and activate your shiny new iPad on a data plan. This seems too much like a great way for AT&T to lose business for there not to be a safeguard. The fact that iPad lacks a camera makes me wonder if it was done to prevent cannibalizing Apple and AT&T’s iPhone relationship. A camera and a broadband WiFi connection would take VOIP phone calls and make them video conferences through any number of chat programs: AOL, Apple’s iChat, Google’s GChat and Skype.
6. Will tablet PC makers open source their devices for developers? To me, the most exciting part about the iPad is that just as with the iPhone, Apple has given developers open source code to go crazy with new apps. Of course, Apple also makes a tidy little sum from each app and in doing so, created a billion-dollar industry mobile companies are all trying to emulate. The forthcoming revision to the App store will apparently contain a way for individuals or companies to manage sales of its apps.
7. What will the iPad user experience be like? The iPad tactile experience is readily familiar to anyone whose ever owned an iPhone or iPod Touch. A new version of Apple’s iWork suite incorporates the tactile interface, but will Microsoft follow suit with an iPad-specific version of its popular Office Suite? The future will tell how this new tool will be used by artists, individuals, businesses, media and media consumers. Five years ago, you couldn’t tune your guitar with your cell phone using an app. Today, you can. Other media companies are emulating Apple buy developing online media stores and, via open source, allow developers to create apps (and make money for both parties). Google is doing this with its Android OS mobile platform and various smart phones that run it, such as Motorola’s Droid and Google’s own forthcoming Nexus phone. With any good tool, people learn how to use it and incorporate it into their lives. That’s the beauty of innovation.
 Steve Jobs of Apple Inc. Media are whipped into a frenzy surrounding the “imminent” release of Apple Inc.’s tablet computer, known in some circles as iSlate. For more than a year, tech sites, geek blogs and journalism foundations have examined whether a sustainable iPod-iTunes-style content, distribution and revenue model can work.
Pundits who doubted big media would give Apple Inc., Sony Corp. and other cell phone and electronic reader manufacturers the keys to the kingdom are seeing signs of profitable new revenue streams. When Conde Nast reports selling $39,000 worth of GQ iPhone edition downloads and the New York Times announces another paywall attempt for its website starting in 2011, media companies, tech companies, tech retailers and media consumers took note.
The question is no longer whether big media will join forces to create a giant paywall for news content. Rather, the question is which media company will hit the motherlode of new revenue streams, causing its competitors to play catch-up. The resulting games of one-upmanship could lead to price wars that benefit media consumers everywhere.
Personally, here are several issues I hope to see addressed:
1. Will there be one tablet media format? With Apple set to jump into the game, will it develop is own standard for an interactive media experience, as it did with QuickTime, when the rest of the competition ran WMV or FLV media files? We’ve heard the development rumors and the top secret development projects, but will the user experience of an Apple tablet be so radically different from current Windows-driven tablet PCs or netbooks that it revolutionizes the industry — just as the iPod redefined mp3 player interfaces and the iPhone showed cell phone companies how to make paid apps into a gold mine?
2. Is Steve Jobs in Don Corleone mode? In other words, after music companies repaid his efforts to create a paid music download revenue stream with the iTunes store by ganging up on Apple to raise its iTS fees before starting an industry music download store, has Jobs already inked the media companies who get the right to get in on the alleged iSlate content store when it bows? Rumors of Condé Nast publications and the New York Times’ participation have circulated for some time, but have any other big media companies like Gannett, Tribune Co., CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC/Walt Disney Corp., CNN or Cox be an inaugural member of the content club? Will any of these companies subsidize the cost of any new media content delivery system to solidify revenue streams and attract major advertisers?
3. What has the competition in store? Considering the vast differences between the two Amazon Kindle readers and updated tablet versions by Sony and Dell, will we see a flurry of development in order to adapt to one or several media industry standards? Will media companies align themselves around particular hardware manufacturers, ensuring that a user experience of the Wall Street Journal’s online edition on the Kindle is vastly different from that on a Dell tablet PC?
4. What of the book publishing industry? Will publishers be shoved to the sidelines once media consumers experience colorful, dynamic and interactive magazines and newspapers on tablet PCs? Will the publishers’ solutions run afoul of writers holding traditional views of words-on-a-page-and-your-imagination user experiences for electronic books or will a new standard using illustrations and photography emerge?
5. Are current and immediate future networks ready for tablet streaming? If tablet manufacturers align themselves with cell providers (instead of only cable/WiFi providers) can those providers networks withstand the imminent explosion of data-driven network traffic? We’ve already seen AT&T Mobility’s public relations nightmare of iPhone-driven network traffic surges lead to spotty overall service in some major cities, the indefinite delay of iPhone-laptop tethering and the commitment of billions of R&D dollars to upgrade its network to withstand the current usage rates. As Verizon drops its unlimited usage plans from $99 to $69, and AT&T trims its iPhone unlimited voice and data plan, will the industry standard of tiered usage plans prove to be a lucrative draw for cellular providers as consumers flock to get the most bang for their tablet bucks?
6. Will tablet PC makers open source their devices for developers? This gets a bit dicey if Big Media wants to play only where an iron-clad paywall exists, but will the tradition of open source innovation continue with these new devices? Will multimedia artists, filmmakers, gamers and designers be unleashed upon this new canvas and use it to create innovations we can’t currently fathom?
7. What will the iSlate user experience be like? This one is going to be fun. If we use the leaked info about test editions of the New York Times and other publications along with the tactile/download interface of the iPhone as a guide, the possibilities are incredible. Imagine an HD-quality presentation with weblinks, tactile multimedia interfaces that allow you to view video, listen to audio, check relevant stats and other data, make VOIP or cellular phone calls (providing its on a cellular network); auto-refresh for new updates and join live, real-time discussion of the article/subject using social networking tools or a multimedia chat interface. The user experience could enhance or revolutionize eLearning from the elementary to the collegiate level by adding a structured, guided and interactive experience to the learning process. Imagine a pro football game in which a frustrated QB on the sidelines gets an instant tablet update from the Offensive coordinator above, showing video of coverages, situational graphics and charts and a revised offensive game plan. Imagine an Alpine Tour De France stage in which a directeur sportif can watch respiratory and geo-positioned data of his team, needing only to send electronic chirps or audio clips to instruct riders on what to do and when to do it.
Needless to say, the addition of a tablet PC into the hands of media consumers will lead to a host of applications and innovations. In time, these questions and many more will be answered.
Nexus One. The rumored Apple tablet. Droid. Netbooks. iPhone 3G.
It’s an amazing time from a technological point of view. The exchange of information and ideas is being revised and adapted to new technologies. Media in particular, having taken their share of lumps over the past two years, have mobile and possibly tablet-formats on which to disseminate, host conversations, and even sell advertising.
Social media, in less than two years has become a new tool for media to reach readers, sources and newsmakers in real time. Twitter is often the first conduit of media information, hearkening back to the teletype and wire cables of yesteryear. Everyone may not have a laptop, but nearly everyone does have a smartphone.
On another note, I’ve made career choices that will bring me closer to what I want to do (and allow me to do it). It’s a new year. Both the present and the future are full of opportunity.
I had a great time at the 05.16 SND-Chicago meetup. It’s great to discuss innovation possibilities in multimedia with a diverse range of journalists, marketers and programmers. And it’s always great to see classmates from grad school and the Detroit/Munster Monsters crew. Everyone in the room got it: old model – information business. new model – custom information AND delivery system business. How do you get the requested info into the eyes, ears and thoughts of your audience? Any way they want it. More to come …
Everyone has a theory about what form journalism will take and what media it will include. Alarmists predict the end of newspapers and books. Others mention how the public is overloaded with access to limitless information at every turn.
As more of the public obtain information, news and entertainment online, news web sites must provide all three in an easily navigated manner. These sites should also take advantage of social networking elements that allow the public to weigh in on topics, coverage, events and people in the news as well as take ownership of the site by creating online IDs and uploading news, event or even pet photos.
Such an online-savvy public demands access to news and entertainment in multimedia format: text. photo slideshows with or without audio; video; static or motion graphics. It is the responsibility of journalists to bring a compelling human story the fore, no matter the format. Multimedia packages must be comprehensive with each piece contributing a unique angle to the whole story. As a multimedia journalist, what motivates me is creating packages that allow people inside the story where they can view from those different angles.
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