When people from different cultures collaborate, there are often communication problems, which can be exacerbated when using online platforms. A working knowledge of how different societies use context to convey meaning can help avoid misinterpretations and confusion.

Anthropologist Edward Hall refers to high context and low context communication to indicate how much speakers rely on things other than words to convey meaning. High context societies place more value than low context societies on how something is said rather than what words are used. Many online platforms rely on low context communication; it’s important to keep this in mind when using these tools to share information with a global audience.

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As go-to sources for innovative content, amateur bloggers have been teaching mainstream media professionals some new tricks. Once considered the sideshow of journalism, blogging has taken the center ring. Even traditional media outlets have joined the fray, bolstering blogging’s reputation. But for amateur bloggers not writing for a trusted brand, establishing a trustworthy reputation remains important. For Justin Carder of Capitol Hill Seattle, consistency is key: “You do the same good stuff day in and day out for long enough, and you become trustworthy. It’s a function of effort as much as anything.”

In addition, here are five tips for gaining your audience’s trust, and writing like a pro—even if you aren’t one:

1. State your credentials: When positioning yourself as a blogger, you must inform your audience of your qualifications. Credentials inspire confidence, and the term does not exclusively apply to professional degrees. For instance, if a blogger is an experienced ballet instructor and writes about ballet’s emotional benefits, her opinion has merit, even though she is not a licensed behavioral professional.

2. Write what you know: When you write about subjects you have in-depth knowledge about, your insights are richer and more authentic than when writing about a topic requiring extensive research. “Because I care about what I write, I can help my audience by making useful suggestions, interesting observations or just making them chuckle a little at what happens to me,” explains Candy Martin, author of the Seattle P-I reader blog Mother of Style.

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I remember when first hearing about Twitter, someone explaining the concept as “Text Messaging on steroids”. As an observer more of a player in the Tweet-Mania, I came across this latest Twitter Tool: the TwitterFall, presented by a journalist as: “… Twitter on crack, on roller-skates… in a jumpsuit.”

TwitterFall is a very efficient tool to track instant news and trends via Twitter, but caution, it should be used with “moderation as it is highly addictive”. Since I discovered TwitterFall, I’ve had a hard time pulling myself away from it, hypnotized by the constant free fall of tweets on my screen.

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My friends, right now, they’re at a Wichita bar called the Anchor, celebrating our friend Barett’s birthday. My brother (also in Wichita): he’s totally jealous I’m going to see Kool Keith this Friday in Seattle. Yesterday, my best friend’s bulldog got nearly-mauled by our former neighbor’s dog. Miles apart, in different timezones. And we still know.

I bet you can see your mobile phone right now. While you’re at a computer — with the world at your fingertips — your phone is your crutch, it’s in your pocket, in your sights, within reach at all times. It’s your connection to your son that’s away at college, your wife that’s in Italy on business. You know they aced the test, went shopping and ate chocolate mousse for dessert.

You’re in the club, but, then, I’m sure you have been for a while. The club of being always on. Always connected, always in the know. I hope you’re happy. This is the end of anticipation.

The term, as far as I can tell, was first presented in Naomi Baron’s book Always On. Because of mobile phones, not to mention the internet, we spend Read more…

Caught this interesting post by a journalism junior at NYU:

I was hoping that NYU would offer more classes where I could understand the importance of digital media, what it means, how to adapt to the new way of reporting, and learn from a professor who understands not only where the Internet is, but where it’s going.

Other than the somewhat humorous comment that she considers herself an “early adopter” (because she blogs, uses social media etc. in 2008), I thought her thoughts above on her ideal education, are precisely what we aim for in the MCDM.  What is digital media?  What kind of impact does it have on communication?  Why?  And how do we leverage it for our specific purposes?

Obviously, as a Master of Communication in Digital Media program we’re not educating journalists.  But I firmly believe that journalism programs need to think more like the MCDM and train communicators with an entrepreneurial bent to “selling their message” — whether it’s a one of journalism, marketing, public relations, advocacy or entertainment.

I also recommend that you read the comments that follow her post.

Posted by Hanson