Sometimes you will find a blessing in disguise instead of the devil in the details.

Look no further than the “dangers” of political polarization highlighted during Dr. David Tewksbury’s hour-long lecture launching the University of Washington’s Winter 2012 Colloquium Series.

The deeply divisive influences of cable TV and Internet news are accentuated by too many outlets simply “capturing a slice of the audience”; then selectively “shaping content” to attract likeminded listeners and viewers, said Tewksbury, head of the Department of Communication and Associate Professor with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

But is this the doing of the proverbial devil so often found in the details? Or maybe a blessing in disguise? More on those questions in a minute, but Tewksbury makes clear one of his research assumptions before diving into the vast ocean of online news:

Polarization is bad.

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Tablet computers, for all their strengths, still fail to do the obvious thing: behave like paper. For this reason, creative professionals who write, sketch, or prototype by hand still carry Meads or Moleskines along with their gadgets. Why isn’t digital ink and active digitizer technology standard on tablet devices? Three case studies provide some potential insight.

1. The Apple Newton

In the 1980′s, during the time of Steve Jobs’ exile, Apple Computer created the Newton, the first PDA (personal digital assistant). It functioned most essentially as a digital notepad, with a stylus and revolutionary handwriting recognition and drawing capabilities. The Newton failed to become a mass market device and was cancelled by Steve Jobs upon his return because it failed to jibe with his vision for the Mac’s future, which didn’t include pen input: “It’s like we said on the iPad,” Jobs remarked in 2010, “If you see a stylus, they blew it.”

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Last year, a gentleman quit his job, bought a one-way ticket to London, and began a trip that would culminate in this video. The creator describes it as “17 Countries. 343 Days. 6237 Photographs. One incredible journey.”

So, this is what the world looks like at hyperspeed…

This Fall, I had the privilege of serving as a peer facilitator for a course at the University of Washington’s MCDM program. I am continually impressed by the diversity of the program, and not just by diversity in its typical measure of gender or ethnicity (though that sort of diversity is certainly present).

I’m talking about intellectual diversity: the ways in which MCDM students and faculty approach and solve problems, skills and abilities applied in novel and meaningful ways, and outcomes that far exceed my admittedly high expectations. The student work from Fall 2011′s COM 546 Foundations course - Narratives & Networks in Digital Media – exemplifies both the challenges and the opportunities that true diversity can provide.

Course Background

As a foundational course to the MCDM program, Narratives & Networks in Digital Media had the unique position of orienting Cohort 11 students both to the theory and also the application of many elements they will encounter in the program. Taking a bit of their own advice, this course was newly revamped for 2011, and co-taught by MCDM Director Hanson Hosein and Dr. Malcolm Parks. The result for this first incarnation? Engaging discussions, relevant lectures and guest-speakers, and tangible takeaways for professionals and creatives, alike.

Students in this course witnessed the rise of the Occupy movement, the start of the upcoming nomination and election season, and the death of Steve Jobs. Meanwhile, they engaged with new tools and platforms, tried valiantly to “publish then filter,” and were brought together in new and sometimes challenging ways. Students were exposed to basic principles of digital media, and become comfortable with the central tenet of the MCDM: to effect trusted and persuasive communication, professionals need to develop a compelling narrative tied to strategic network engagement.

With this post, we would like to share some of their work, some of the process, and some of the core philosophies of the MCDM program.
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On Sunday January 22^nd students and administrators gathered for the annual MCDM town hall meeting in the communications building on campus to discuss what’s hot and what’s not in UW’s digital media program. The objective of this round table event was to inform students about current and future happenings in the MCDM program and for admin to sit on the hot seat while students posed questions, presented concerns, praised what is working, and suggested future ideas for the program. There was a solid turnout; lots of pizza, and great discussion covering many topics ranging from fun obscure sayings like “fusion of innovation” to more concrete action ideas like “better student resources.” Read more…

So much of what happens here on the Flip is meant to show ways that old media models are forced to give way to compelling forms of new media and offer poignant commentary when this is both good or bad. Some folks see digital as the death of traditional print journalism however, for the innovative publications that are managing to hang-on this wild transition, digital can clearly be seen as a life-line.

There’s no other publication on the planet where this is more true than the New York Times which is constantly looking at ways of embracing digital and doing it successfully. But it’s not without growing pains. For anyone who wants to see how the New York Times is doing it, or simply how fascinating life at the Times is for reporters old and young, there’s a film playing tonight in Seattle that breaks it all down quite nicely. Page One: Inside The New York Times is playing this evening at the SIFF Cinema at the Uptown (511 Queen Anne Avenue North) and although it’s showing at 9pm, anyone who can make it likely will not be disappointed. All info and ticket purchasing details can be found here.

Simply watch the trailer above to see why the film is a must watch and if doesn’t get you excited, you probably don’t love journalism. Also, for folks interested in online news, David Tewksbury of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will be giving a talk entitled “The terms of
citizenship: Defining where online news is taking us,” based on his forthcoming book News on the internet: Information and Citizenship in the 21st Century this Wednesday in the Communications building from 3:30-5p.

From the opening minutes of the CNN Southern Republican Debate in Charleston, SC on Thursday, the tone was combative. But it wasn’t the candidates going after each other.

CNN moderator John King opened by asking candidate Newt Gingrich to address allegations of infidelity made by his former wife in an interview with ABC News.

Rather than respond to the allegations, Gingrich unleashed an angry tirade on King, and the rest of the “elite media,” to a rousing applause from the audience.

“I think the destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to govern this country, harder to attract decent people to run for public office. And I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that.” Gingrich said, leaving the CNN anchor stammering to defend himself.

Whether or not it was the right choice of opening question, one thing is clear: in the debate, as in the campaign as a whole, slamming the media is a sure way to win points with voters. Read more…

“The Church of Kopimism” was recently accepted by the Swedish government as a formal religion. The founders, who are associated with the Pirate Bay/Bit Torrent services, define their mission as follows (roughly translated from Swedish):

“Copy and share. All knowledge to everyone. If the laws of technology enable it, we should not limit the reach with legalities.”

The so-called Church of Kopimism has established organizations in several countries including Russia, Denmark, France, Canada, India, Rumania, Italy, New Zealand, Japan and the Unites States. But Norway is not one of them.

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