CNN, BBC and TMZ?

Michael Jackson died on Thursday afternoon. I’m starting this entry with the news just in case you haven’t had access to the internet, listened to the radio or turned on any major news station over the course of the past three days. And, as much as he was the “Elvis” of my generation, I’m not going to opine on a career filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Instead, I’m going to talk about the issue of credibility in the “new” media.

The online gossip site TMZ started posting the news that Michael Jackson had died 35 or so minutes before it was confirmed by the “traditional media”. TMZ, citing sources inside the hospital, had scooped the LA Times on a story in their backyard. To my friends, this was proof that the new social media - regardless of its lack of sourcing and protocol – does a better job at tracking breaking news.

I don’t buy it. Let me see if I can explain my position.

According to Reuters, the internet is the most popular information source. That isn’t shocking to me, as I’m one of those people. I’ll watch the news when I get a chance, and read a newspaper when I’m trying to relax, but for news – timely and delivered directly to me – I use the internet. However, it takes a site some time to earn my trust. I don’t consider Facebook or MySpace a good place to find news, and unless an article from Twitter is sourced, I don’t put much credibility in that either.

What do I find credible? Those media outlets that consistently give me good information, and on the off chance they don’t, are quick to correct it. They have earned my trust because they are credible. Who falls in this category for me? The Wall Street Journal, CNN, MSNBC, BBC, ESPN, StarTribune, Pioneer Press, CNET…all names you have probably heard. The problem? None of them came out with the Michael Jackson news as quickly as TMZ did.

What I know of TMZ is that they are good at the gossip stories, but they don’t always provide the sources and fact-checking that I consider germane to a “credible” news outlet. I didn’t believe that Michael Jackson was dead until I saw it confirmed by CNN via the LA Times. I wasn’t the only one. There were thousands of people on Twitter and Facebook with posts that looked like this:

“OMG According to TMZ Michael Jackson died today! Is it realy (sic) true?” – KathyGub

This brings me to the conclusion that having the right story quickly isn't the only thing it takes to be a respected news source. You need credibility.

Are you serving up credibility to your members and clients? If you were running a story germane to your business, would your membership / clients believe you as a credible news outlet?

The Eat Sleep Publish blog sums up the power of credibility in the news like this - “It’s not true until I say it’s true”.

That’s power that resonates with members and clients.

Daydreaming as a Strategy?

How many times have you had that impossible problem or unsolvable dilemma that you just couldn't figure out...only to have the solution just "come to you" as you weren't concentrating on it?

Researches who have mapped the anatomy of the brain will tell you that when you allow your mind to wander, it is actually in a more active state than it is during focused reasoning with a complex problem. According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, having that "aha" moment requires more brain power than you can muster with your reasonable thinking.

So, the next time you're faced with a perplexing situation or problem, apply this theory by trying one of the following :

• Take a bath (that's where Archimedes came up with a way to calculate density and volume)
• Sit in a field (that's how Sir Isaac Newton come up with the law of gravity)
• Take a nap (that's where Rene Descartes came up with coordinate geometry)
• Take a walk (that's where Nicholas Tesla came up with alternating current)
• Sit and daydream (that's where Albert Einstein came up with the ideas behind relativity).

Don't take my word for it. Here is the link to the article where the scientists will explain it all for you:

A Wandering Mind Heads Straight Toward Insight

Iran vs. The Internet

If you've had the news on recently, you've no doubt seen the ongoing political unrest in Iran. This past weekend, they held elections. Elections in Iran are a tricky thing. So tricky, that in my research to figure out who the major players were, I came across this chart from the BBC:



(Click Here if you'd like to see the BBC interactive tools that go with this chart)

So, I guess it wasn't a big surprise when the government claimed that the candidate in power had won, and the opposition claimed their candidate had won. What happened next was another example of the power of the internet, and the way people co-opt tools for their use.

On Monday, there was a massive opposition rally in Iran. Organized by students using every tool available, streets were filled with people protesting the election, and a country who was used to having it's public problems filtered through a media curtain suddenly had them exposed for everyone to see.


The pictures and accounts were not being streamed through the normal media channels, the minute by minute details of what was taking place were coming through YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. Authorities, unsure of where the information was coming from, restricted all journalists - including Iranians - from reporting on the streets. Some of the foreign journalists were forced to leave Iran because the visas they had been issued to cover the election were not extended.

The flow of information, however, didn't stop. The Iranian government worked to shut down as much internet and cell phone access as they could. People outside of Iran started using Twitter proxies to help allow people inside Iran get the stories and pictures out. And, as of this morning, the unrest continues and the pictures and videos keep coming out.

Twitter has been hammered in the press lately for being the ultimate in vanity - people really don't care what you're doing every minute of every day. But as I watched this unfold on Twitter late Sunday night, I thought Twitter had proved its value. 140 characters at a time.

To follow updates of the Iran Election on Twitter, do a search for #iranelection.

The world is a different place

Yes, the world is a different place when you are out touring on a bike. The first few days of 'getting in shape' were deadly. I couldn't think about much except breathing, pumping the peddles, and staying upright. Once you get into the groove - it's a pleasant change; time to think and time to see the world from a different perspective. Gotta tell ya... everything - buildings, homes, gardens, and streets look different when you are on your bike instead of in your car. Besides that, you can see places you have not seen before. (Especially if you take a wrong turn and get lost in a maze of cul de sacs, and unknown roads. ) What I really thought about was this; if we look at what we do, and what our organizations do from a different perspective - how would that change our thinking, our view of the issues, and our problem solving? I think it would change a lot. From my bike ride I learned that there are some gardens and lawns that are even worse off than mine. Made me feel better. (I learned other things too. I will keep you posted.) Maybe we should change our views about what we do and how we do it when we are tackling the plans, the budgets, the problems, the time management. It just might make a difference.

Technology

How cool is this web-book? Do you like it?


Produced by MSAE and The Coghlan Group.

Tips for the MSAE Golf Classic

The 24th Annual MSAE Golf Classic is taking place on July 23rd at The Refuge Golf Club in Oak Grove, MN.

You can register here on the MSAE Website.

This tournament is a best ball scramble format, so you don't need to be a good golfer in order to participate and enjoy the day. However, if you'd like to improve your golf game prior to heading out, I've found a good tip video from golf pro JC Anderson and the Golf Channel.

Write this down. It will really help.

Live from the MSAE Annual Meeting & Technology EXPO

I have to be honest - when I woke up this morning and thought of making the trek to and from downtown St. Paul during rush hour for the MSAE Annual Meeting, I nearly caved in and went to the office instead.

I'm glad I stuck with the original plan.

The session started out with Fred McGrath leading us in meditation. In with the cool blue air, out with the bad red air. Now, I'm a native Minnesotan and the whole thing seemed very goofy to me, but truth be told I did feel better after participating, and given the absolute stillness of the room, others thought it was a pretty good thing as well.

After running out to take a quick conference call, I caught the "State of the Industry" panel. Moderated by Kent Eklund, this panel looked at ways to adapt to the changing times and provided some concrete examples of taking stock of the situation you are in and working to better your position.

After taking a stroll through the EXPO, I sat in on Eric Piela's presentation on Best Practices for E-Mail Marketing. With an engaging presentation style and a rapid delivery of information, I learned that there are people who know about sending e-mail, and then there are people who specialize in it. It was very informative and entertaining.

We've just finished lunch, and after one more spin through the EXPO I'm going to grab a chair and listen to Warren Macdonald talk about the Challenge of Change.

That's my report from the MSAE Annual Meeting. If I can get my hands on any of the collateral materials presented, I'll work to get them posted. There are a handful of people who are Tweeting this program as well...and if you want to see the comments, just search #MSAE in whatever Twitter program you use...and you can join the conversation.

The tradeshow still alive and well

Some think the tradeshow format is dead. We don't. In fact tomorrow is MSAE's 53rd Annual Meeting and EXPO. Everyone wants more business, everyone needs to connect, everyone is looking for new ideas - and what better place to do that than a tradeshow, because that's what it is all about? It is more important than ever, that we make the time, to take the time to re-energize, reconnect, and and share our expertise, our experience and our knowledge - Not via email or twitter, but face to face, person to person, colleague to colleague, friend to friend. It's a good thing.