The economy keeps getting worse, and we communicators keep wringing our hands about the state of media — especially with the potential demise of the Seattle Post Intelligencer.  We’re even hosting our own event, “Journalism on the Brink: Can Digital Save It” this coming Wednesday (RSVP info below).

But as I stated in my Techflash.com profile last week, I believe that at the height of chaos, when everyone else is running away, there is immense opportunity for anyone who keeps their eyes on the prize.

Here at the Master of Communication in Digital Media, we have really focused on new communication models, and social media platforms as part of this opportunity.  Read more…

Hot, Flat, and Crowded

One of my co-workers called my attention to the fact that Thomas Friedman has published his new book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded. The interesting thing, I think, with this publcation is that he has left chapter 18 for a future release and we will write it. He says of chapter 18:

In it I hope to include the best ideas and proposals sent in from readers: ideas about clean energy, energy efficiency, and conservation; about petropolitics and nation-building in America; about how we can help take the lead in the renewal of our country and the Earth alike by going Code Green.

The book was publshed yesterday and already there are six contributions to the new chapter. Not only do people have opportunities to contribute ideas but we can also vote on whether we like or dislike the contributions. Surely there will be self promoters, nut jobs and trolls but I also expect there will be bona fide contributors. Read more…