The London Guardian is expanding its RSS feeds (XML). The Guardian first offered an XML feed to readers in 2002; it is a general front-page feed. The Guardian also already offers a subscription service in about 25 specialized content areas.
Thanks to Journalism.Co.Uk and Library Stuff.
Yesterday, the Department hosted Robert Jensen, associate professor at the University of Texas - Austin, for a conversation about media, war and politics. He is promoting a new book, Citizens of the Empire: The Struggle to Claim our Humanity. I found the title intriguing, given former Sen. Gary Hart’s admonition yesterday that election 2004 will signal whether America wishes to be an empire or a republic.
Jensen suggested that there are three criteria to evaluate when organizing a critique of media coverage — coverage which should provide information that citizens need to actively participate in civic matters:
These days, it’s rare that I have the opportunity to attend a newsworthy event and then read about it afterward, contrasting my experience with the ‘reported’ facts. So I relished the opportunity to see how the Kerry speech was reported, both locally and nationally.
Locally, the most obvious was positioning in the printed paper. The Seattle P-I placed the story above the fold, with full-width headline. The Seattle Times placed the story below the fold, in the right column; they placed far more emphasis on a Microsoft campus being built in India. Web site placement and column inches continued that trend. I have to re-think my subscription to The Times.
“Attack” charged
If I failed to mention it yesterday, I found Kerry’s tone and words to be extremely measured. He didn’t (proverbially) froth at the mouth. His dispatchment of Administration shortcomings was, in my view, indirect. He mentioned the Bush Administration by name once; he mentioned the President by name once.
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Commentary
My first impression was of height. There was the veteran who led the Pledge, Hart and Kerry — lined up on stage in ascending order. Kerry towered over both men. As a colleague in the Department says, this could prove advantageous in the debates — if we are allowed to see the difference. I have doubts.
He was articulate; he’s not as stiff as Al Gore (thank goodness). His face lights up when he shares a genuine smile — as when he broke into a grin when seeing someone in the audience (former Sen. Max Cleland (D-GA)?). We need to see that face more often, instead of the poker-faced, measured persona more often on view.
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Mid-morning today in Seattle, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) laid out a four-point strategy designed to create a “secure” America. This is the first in a series of policy speeches planned from now until D-Day, June 6.
The speech comes on the eve of the dedication of the WWII Memorial in Washington, DC, an event which will provide incumbent President Bush with an opportunity to wrap his administration policies in the flag.
Former Sen. Gary Hart (D-CO) set the context in his introduction when he asserted that this election will demonstrate if America wishes to be a “republic or empire.”
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Steve Rubel and I had coffee while I was in NY last week, and we talked about the importance of blogs for corporate communications. This week he’s exploring the idea that micropublishing might be attractive to journalists who are tired of media consolidation. Given that many of the top blogs — as measured by Technorati et al — are being written by journalists, this isn’t a crazy idea.
In a twist on the “equal time” rule, the Herald-Sun in Durham, NC is offering candidates in local and state elections (six counties) a free blog on the newspaper website. I’m not sure which is more amazing — the offer itself or the fact that only four candidates have taken the paper up on the offer of a “free website” (at this writing). Four others have activated their blogs (ie, their names are linked to a blog page) but they aren’t blogging.
Thanks to Jeff Jarvis via Poynter
According to cNet, Microsoft has paid Opera $12.75 million in damages rather than face a law suit.
The complaint stems from 2003 versions of MSN, when the company deliberately created stylesheets that caused the site to render improperly in Opera. However, then, as well as today, MSN fails the W3C validator.
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The BBC reports that Bill Gates endorsed blogs and RSS at the Microsoft CEO Summit in Redmond last week. He cited the ease of communication as a reason business should use the tool. Microsoft does not currently make blogging software. Thanks, Dan Gillmor.
How to create buzz in a networked world? Fast Company spotlights BzzAgent, which implements eRoots campaigns for a variety of products.
They’ve buzzed products as diverse as Estee Lauder facial masks, Lee jeans, Rock Bottom Restaurants, and a book by Fast Company columnist Seth Godin.
However, no cash changes hands although network members do get to keep the new products that they promote.
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