Wonder how the housing market folded?  Friends of Ira Glass explain how the financial crisis happened in his audio file, Giant Pool of Money at This American Life http://tinyurl.com/5fl6z7. I caught this audible podcast episode early last summer as I faithfully downloaded my subscription at iTunes. It was worth revisiting again last week.

Now they’ve followed up with Another Frightening Show About the Economy to explain more about how our economic crisis went global. http://tinyurl.com/497nkq

Locally, we’ve been talking about the head-turning affect in our rank/reputation research group.  Podcasts noted above clearly describe the startling phenomena of rapidly matched business strategies to keep market share. Did too many heads turn?  In attempting business survival of the fittest, was lemming-like behavior the unintended consequence?

I think these American Life podcasts are excellent examples of digital storytelling that both educate and entertain.

One of my favorite sites is YTMND.com. YTMND isn’t news to a lot of people on the intarwebs, but its relevance as a social media tool remains viable. Its hordes of users constantly submit loads of new content, plenty of which contains sharp insights into a plethora of cultural, political, and social matters – but mostly it’s just there for the lolz. The submitters at YTMND could pump out enough fresh memes, or at least recycle oldies-but-goodies frequently enough, to sustain the internet underbelly all by their collective selves. It’s a machine. In 2006, Frank Ahrens at the Washington Post wrote up a more thorough examination for the uninitiated as to just what the site is all about. He actually labeled the site’s central conceit, more or less, “a new art form”. I guess for myself I’ll just call YTMND a backwater meme manufacturing center; you’ll certainly find it firmly planted as another island in the internet subculture on XKCD’s “Sea of Memes” map. Read more…

The media landscape is changing, will you change with it or fall behind?

This film explores how the media landscape is changing, as the traditional media gate-keepers (print, radio and TV) are being challenged by the rise of the amateur content creator.

With the barriers to technology and distribution becoming nearly non-existent, how will traditional media compete with the masses who will produce work for free?

This film was created by the students of the MCDM program at the University of Washington using the ubiquitous Flip Video Camera, with additional footage shot with the Canon HF10 HD camcorder, edited in Final Cut Pro.

-Kirk

The latest O.J. Simpson trial never captured the imagination of the general public. Maybe we were all too busy worrying about the financial meltdown to pay attention to more important matters. Or maybe the details of the case were not as riveting as the trial that held the nation in thrall more than thirteen years ago.

Perhaps there will never be another court case that will be followed quite as obsessively as the O.J. Simpson murder trial, but if there is, twitter would be the perfect tool for staying up to date on every twist and turn of the proceedings.

Read more…

An interactive cinematic experience, The Outbreak poses the ultimate question to viewers: “What would YOU do in a zombie attack?” Styled like a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book, the movie lets you make decisions that will ultimately decide your (grisly or benevolent) fate. No pressure, right? 

Read more…

As a young kid, back when I had a pre-Internet attention span and actually enjoyed reading words of ink printed on paper, I went through a phase of reading ‘A Boy and His Dog’-genre stories. Which kind of made sense, since I was a boy, and I had a dog.

One story in particular that sticks with me to this day is “Where the Red Fern Grows”. A key plot point in the story revolved around an odd yet apparently true fact about raccoons: To trap a raccoon (the kid in the story hunted raccoons, which I did not…and, in retrospect, yuk) you drill a hole in a log, drop in a shiny object like a ball bearing or a quarter, and then pound in a serious of nails around the circumference of the hole in the log, all pointing inwards, at an angle, towards the Shiny Thing.

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Posted by Hanson Hosein

Welcome to the newly redesigned Flip The Media blog.  In conjunction with our new program website, expanded curriculum and growing student body, we’re hoping to present a clear, provocative voice for this Communication “Revolution” (or as we like to say, the “flipping” of the media).  Thanks to the UW’s Nick Myers for his amazing coding, and to Adriana Gil Miner for managing the project.

So after my last public crash-and-burn by declaring my love for the most recent Seinfeld/Gates video — only to see Microsoft pull the campaign — I’ll put my credibility on the line again (we all have to stand for something!).

I proclaim my affection for the Fred Channel on YouTube.

I found him a few months back during a fit of procrastination, seeking out the “Most Watched” videos on the site.  I loved his hyperactive, high-pitched antics.  He’s compelling low-fi in a high-def world.

Read more…

The Twitter song. ‘Nuff said! Lyrics and mp3 here; YouTube clip below. (tip)

This post first appeared at WiredPen