Flip the Media » ashleyb

Reporting Mumbai Attacks Through Social Media

ashleyb — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 01:22:02 +0000

“It’s total chaos over here. Army and Navy have been called in to assist police. The attackers are everywhere – in hotels, on the streets, in vans. They are firing indiscriminately.”

“there was just another blast at the Old Taj, the whole thing is surrounded by smoke as I type this. and 2 terrorists just been shot dead by the police.”

Using free social media tools, the South Asian Journalist’s Association (SAJA) has achieved a sense of immediacy and urgency in their reporting on the Mumbai terror attacks. The coverage includes forums (from which the two lead quotes are taken), online radio, resource pages, Twitter and Facebook pages, and a media critique. http://tinyurl.com/6ywvhg

It is hugely affecting. Is it journalism?

My take is that, while it is not traditionally sourced and vetted, it is valid as crisis journalism. SAJA has used social media technologies to surround the story and solicit multiple viewpoints, from bystanders tweeting in the city, to experts all over the world versed in Mumbai’s political and social intricacies. Users on the forums are posting links to mainstream media coverage as well as personal accounts. The story is messy, and we need to assemble it ourselves, but it is there for us to find – and in a disaster situation, a great volume of constantly-updated information can be more valuable than one well-edited piece that tries to encompass the event.

However, I thought this piece was also interesting. Based on the level of discourse on the SAJA Twitter feed, the author argues that Mumbai can teach us all some lessons in responsible tweeting. Essentially, she urges “citizen journalists” to act a little more like the pros. http://tinyurl.com/5p8cyk

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Bad Taste, Yes. But Pornography?

ashleyb — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:22:32 +0000

Another day, another tale of teens “sexting,” or using cell phones to exchange graphic pictures of themselves and/or significant others. [http://tinyurl.com/54wzu2]

Some senders have been charged with possession and distribution of child pornography; recipients have, for the most part, not been punished.

Is this fair? For me, the charge sounds like overkill when applied to sending one’s own picture, but starts to fit the bill when applied to sending pictures of others.

Thoughts?

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Which Kind of Genius Are You?

ashleyb — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 02:26:49 +0000

Here’s a research problem for you: How do you quantify creativity?

Economist David Galenson used statistics, biography and history to create what Wired writer Daniel Pink calls a “unified theory of creativity.” He hypothesizes two types of genius. The conceptual innovator – think Picasso — typically succeeds early in life. The experimental innovator — Cezanne – is often a late bloomer.

Here’s the link to the quiz on Galenson’s site, which gives advice for both types on realizing your potential.

Which is interesting, but apropos of our class, I was more intrigued with the research. To measure each artist’s career peak, Galenson looked at artists’ auction prices through the years, and at which of their paintings were included in art history textbooks and museum retrospectives. Paintings chosen for inclusion tended to be from the period of time when the artist brought the highest price at auction. Galenson identified this period as the artist’s peak.

After finding peak ages for hundreds of artists, Galenson saw a pattern. Artists were falling in two camps: Young Geniuses (early success) versus Old Masters (late success). He then examined their biographies to see if each camp had defining characteristics – and that’s how he came to his theory.

In the end, is it valid research? I’d say yes. Galenson used statistics to determine the career peaks, and then he let the data guide him. When he saw two overwhelming patterns, he asked “why?” again. Eventually he developed a hypothesis that fit.

Others – those in the art world in particular – think Galenson is out of his depth. They cite the inevitable exceptions to the theory, and say he’s using statistics in an unquantifiable realm.

What do you think?

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Flip the Media » ashleyb

Reporting Mumbai Attacks Through Social Media

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