Flip the Media is a blog about the digital media revolution written by the students, faculty, and alumni of the Master of Communication in Digital Media program at the University of Washington.

The blog looks at how digital media is “flipping” traditional media—and communications in general—on its head. It delves into topics ranging from microblogging and citizen journalism to online storytelling, virtual identity, monetization models, and more. Through analysis, interviews, and guest posts by industry leaders, we seek to take stock of the changes brought about by digital media and also serve as a forum for discussion and debate. We hope you will visit often and join the conversation.

Flip the Media Editorial Board

Managing Editor Peter Luyckx is a writer, editor, and marketer. He worked for four years as a Web Producer and Editor at Microsoft’s MSN Health and MSN Shopping (now Bing). He was a co-founder and publisher of the environmental newsletter The Frugal Environmentalist, and also organized small-town environmental film festivals in New England and Washington State. He is a graduate student in the MCDM program and can be followed on Twitter @peterlux.

A Chicago native and graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism, Amy Rainey is a digital journalist and a graduate student in the MCDM program. Amy worked for The Charlotte Observer for two years as a staff writer and Web producer and has interned at Chicago magazine, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Chicago Reporter, Sun-Times News Group and Investigative Reporters and Editors. She has also written for Charlotte Magazine and The Associated Press and worked for Yelp.com. For more on Amy’s work, visit www.amyrainey.com.

Suna Gurol has been working as a Web Producer since 1999, with the last six years at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. She has experience with web and electronic media projects both small and large, including most recently a online video contest promoting cancer prevention, a Spanish-language public health website, and the creation of an online supporter magazine.

Mary Janisch is a freelance editorial consultant and a second-year student in the MCDM program. During a 12-year career at Microsoft, Mary was managing editor of Microsoft Encarta and Microsoft Encarta Kids, where she managed the editorial development of multimedia and interactive features.

Iowa native and Puget Sound resident since 1994, Jeff Hora has enjoyed the evolution of his careers as a professional musician, composer, instructor, software architect, technology specialist, consultant and community manager…and those are just the jobs he was paid for.  He can be followed on Twitter (@jeffhora) and on his blog, Authentic Voice.  He is currently a student in the MCDM program and the Contributor Community Manager for Microsoft Learning.

Katy Balatero has worked as an editor and writer since 2003, most recently for Office Online, the Microsoft.com home page team, and Grist. She is a graduate student in the MCDM program, and holds a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Stanford University and an Editing Certificate from the University of Washington. In her spare time she plays violin with Lake Union Civic Orchestra and Seattle Rock Orchestra, runs, and dreams about foreign travel.

A Seattle native, Multimedia Editor Aaron Seeley is a second-year student in the MCDM program. Aaron spent 10 years in California, where he earned a B.A/ in Global Studies from UC-Santa Barbara and produced documentary videos on the Middle East for the non-profit organization Alternate Focus. Since returning to Seattle, Aaron has worked in the Interactive Department at PBS affiliate KCTS9 and as a social media strategist for the community-building firm Re-Vision Labs.

Regular Contributors

Brook Ellingwood is a Media Producer, Information Architect, and User Experience Developer. His own social Web can be followed using brookellingwood.com as a starting point.

Megan Jeffrey is a graduate student in the MCDM program at the University of Washington. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and public relations from Cal Poly University, San Luis Obispo. She has worked as an account assistant for Verdin Marketing Ink, a community manager for Serra Media and as a HubPages.com columnist. Megan is currently the social media strategist for the UW School of Drama.

Brian Johnson is a student in the MCDM program who is pursuing a career in the video game industry. He has had a lifelong involvement with video games starting with educational PC games in the 1980s. His favorite video game is “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.”

Paolo Mottola is a UWMCDM student and digital comms extraordinaire at PR firm Weber Shandwick. He can be found @paolojr and at his personal blog, Word Is Born.

Helen Pitlick has been a student in the MCDM program since spring 2009. She works with social media as an intern at Foodista.com, and in her spare time she reviews craft beer.

Rubi Romero provides consulting services as a Digital Media Specialist to non-profits, politicians and media, in the areas of social media and internet content. She specializes in the Hispanic/Latino business market in and outside the United States. Read her blog Vision Latina (http://rubiromero.wordpress.com/) to learn more about current news and trends from a Hispanic/Latino perspective.