Wrapping Up, Part 1

As I posted on the discussion board, my understanding of writing for digital environments is so much better because of the readings/study guide, assignments and feedback.

I’ve learned about the importance of consistency of presentation and appropriate formatting. I know the weaknesses in my writing and that I have to communicate more precisely, clearly and meaningfully, and to avoid industryspeak.

I also know I need to stay focused, anticipate and answer readers’ questions, be more detailed and organized, and pay extra attention to navigation and transitions.

I’ve also come to recognize that my determination to write tightly and efficiently can result in a lack of context that would be helpful to the reader.

Each assignment gave me a reality check in terms of what I thought I knew how to do. The module on blogging pushed me to try something new and greatly improved my understanding and appreciation of the important role participatory journalism plays. Your article ”Culture Clash: Journalism and the Communal Ethos of the Blogosphere” helped with that.

All these things will be useful not only at work but in my personal life. The unanswered questions I have are: What opportunities are there for me to evolve my current role? Is this what I want to do for the rest of my career?

Wrapping Up, Part 2

As we discussed, I do think this course could be enhanced by a companion Web site and a CD-ROM to go along with the textbook.

I also personally prefer changes to deadlines and assignments be made to the original list posted on Blackboard as well as being mentioned in announcements and discussion board threads. It is helpful to be able to return to the same place for that information throughout the course.

To facilitate maximum learning, I think it would be beneficial to have the opportunity to revise each assignment and/or get feedback in stages, such as with the Web content assignment. And while I appreciate the instructor’s candor, I’ll admit the tone and the assumptions behind a couple of the comments had a demoralizing effect. Last, I think the instructor should not allow one student, no matter how well-intentioned, to dominate the discussion to such an extent and essentially perform the function of validating virtually all the other posts.

A couple of readings I found the most useful are ”Beyond the News” and ”We’re All Postmodern Now” because they opened my eyes to the changing roles of traditional journalists. I also like the practical information in ”When, How to Tell Stories with Text,” ”Multimedia and Web Writing for Many Interest Levels” and ”The Roles of Journalists in Online Newsrooms.”

The least useful were the theoretical ones, such as ”Theory and Practice in New Media Studies” and “Concise, SCANNABLE, and Objective: How to Write for the Web” and ”Rhetorical Convergence: Studying Web Media.”

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FAQ

What makes your guide different?

It’s an easy read and eliminates having to visit multiple Web pages to get an overview of a channel’s programming for kids.

Are your ratings for the shows overall or specific episodes?

My ratings are based on the series as a whole.

Have you watched all these shows?

Yes, and I also have taken into consideration the opinions of my writers who cover kids programming as well.

How often are shows added to the guide?

Every time a show premieres on one of the featured channels.

Where does the listings information come from?

Tribune Media Services, the division of Tribune Company where I work.

Disney Channel Family Viewing Guide

Bio for Monique Marcil

Monique Marcil is the Director of Features for the TV Information division of Tribune Company, where she has worked for more than 13 years. Her staff of writers and editors produces TV reviews and other syndicated entertainment content for newspapers across the United States and Canada and electronic customers such as AOL and TiVo. Their content also is published on Tribune’s own entertainment Web site, Zap2it.com. Monique has a dual B.S. in journalism and public relations from Utica College and a 9-year-old daughter, Olivia.

Monique currently is enrolled in the Technology and Communication Certificate Program offered by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Disney Channel Family Viewing Guide is a class project.

Guide to Disney Channel Children’s Programming

By Monique Marcil

Welcome to the first installment of my Guide to Children’s Programming, which provides summaries and parental ratings for each show. I’ve also included my own ratings that are based on educational value, quality and originality of the story lines, appeal for the whole family, and associated online content at http://home.disney.go.com/tv/.

American Dragon: Jake Long TV-G

This action-comedy series is about an Asian-American skaterboy in New York who possesses the mystical powers of the American Dragon. It’s his responsibility to guard all magical creatures living secretly on earth from the nasty gadget-wielding Huntsclan and other threats. Jake also must deal with school and his crush on Rose, a classmate with a secret identity of her own. He is aided by tomboy Trixie and dim-witted Spud, as well as his ancient talking dog Fu and wise ex-warrior Grandfather. His 7-year-old sister, Haley, is a gifted student with her own budding dragon powers.

Jake’s mother is Chinese and his father is Caucasian, and it’s good to see a hero of mixed heritage. The series also appeals to urban kids through the language Jake and his friends use.

Online activities: games, customized printables, quiz, e-mails to characters, poll, clips

Rating: A

Next airing: 11/26 at 1 p.m.

As the Bell Rings Unrated

The action all happens in the five minutes in the hallway between classes. Each episode takes place in front of the hallway window and starts and ends with the class bell ringing. The main characters are Charlotte, a singer and musician with a crush on Danny; Danny, a heartthrob with a crush on Charlotte; Tiffany, the not-too-bright object of Skipper’s affection; Toejam, who’s cool and rational who likes Brooke; Brooke, an opinionated brain who suspects Toejam’s feelings; and Skipper, who’s funny and always planning something.

An interesting and original concept, but it’s hard to really care about characters you spend so little time with.

Online activities: video intro, bios, poll, theme song

Rating: C

Next airing: not listed

Brandy and Mr. Whiskers TV-Y

Kaley Cuoco of CBS’ new prime-time series “The Big Bang Theory” (and formerly “8 Simple Rules”) voices pampered pooch Brandy, who is unhappily stranded in the Amazon rain forest with free-spirited rabbit Mr. Whiskers. She wants nothing to do with him, and he is determined to be her friend. They make the best of the situation with the help of Lola Boa, a reasonable but easily rattled snake; Ed, an easygoing river otter; bickering twin toucans Cherly and Meryl; Gaspar de Gecko, a sneaky boss who gets others to do the work; and stickbug Margo, who’s cool, stuck-up and jaded.

The sophisticated humor makes it entertaining for all ages.

Rating: A-

Online activities: games, quiz, poll, theme song, bios, slideshow, e-mails to characters, messenger icons, wallpaper

Next airing: 11/23 at 3:30 a.m.

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command TV-G

Patrick Warburton of the CBS prime-time series “Rules of Engagement” takes over the voice of the famed space ranger known for bravery and heroism in this series based on the movies “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2.” Buzz keeps the universe safe from baddies Emperor Zurg and Warp Darkmatter with the help of fellow Star Command Rangers Mira Nova, Booster and XR.

There’s nothing new here, but XR is especially entertaining in story lines that successfully spoof “Star Trek” and “Star Wars.”

Online activities: character bios, e-mails to characters

Rating: C

Next airing: 11/23 at 2 a.m.

The Buzz on Maggie TV-G

Maggie Pesky is a fun-loving tween fly who loves funky fashion, extreme music, and her family and friends. She lives with her parents, popular jock brother Aldrin, younger brother Pupert, and baby sis Bella in the metropolis of Stickyfeet, where her individuality causes problems with more conventional insects. Luckily her hip best friend Rayna is on her side, unlike Dawn, a pretty phoney who doesn’t fool Maggie.

This series explores being yourself vs. part of the crowd with the same sense of fun as the current theatrical hit “Bee Movie.”

Online activities: videos, game, quiz, e-mails to characters, poll, messenger icons, wallpaper, photos, character bios

Rating: B+

Next airing: 11/23 at 4 a.m.

Cory in the House TV-G

Kyle Massey reprises his role as money-obsessed Cory Baxter in this spin-off of “That’s So Raven.” Cory lives in the staff quarters of the White House with his dad, who’s now the president’s personal chef, and attends an exclusive Washington school with kids whose parents are ambassadors and politicians. It’s a big adjustment for Cory, and his struggles to avoid trouble while attempting to fit in with the first family and his classmates are the basis of the show.

Cory has a unique concept, including a president who’s a single parent. Unfortunately, it suffers from predictable and unrealistic story lines. It’s Jason Dolley’s hilarious performance as Newt Livingston the Fourth, the not-too-bright son of a senator and supreme court chief justice that makes Cory worth watching.

Online activities: games, quiz, theme song, messenger icons, wallpaper, clips and full episodes, e-mails to characters

Rating: C+

Next airing: 11/26 at 3 p.m.

Dave the Barbarian TV-Y

WWE superstar John Cena voices Dave, a barbarian who’s more interested in gourmet cooking and origami than conquering new lands. Little sister Fang got the smashing-things gene, and older sister Princess Candy would rather be at the mall than in charge. Their parents, Throktar and tiny Glimia, the King and Queen of Udrogoth, are away fighting evil but can be reached by crystal ball. Fun supporting characters include Uncle Oswidge, a sorcerer whose best trick is making food disappear; Faffy, a miniature pet fire-breathing dragon; Lula, a powerful, ancient and annoying mystic weapon; Twinkle the Marvel Horse; and evil Chuckles the pig.

Both villains and heroes bumble through to a happy ending each episode, and parents may notice Twinkle the Marvel Horse’s voice and speech patterns are based on actor Christopher Walken.

Online activities: games, bios, quiz, e-mail to characters, polls, music video, photos, messenger icons, wallpaper

Rating: C-

Next airing: 11/25 at 4 a.m.

Emperor’s New School TV-G

Based on the movie, this series finds spoiled emperor-to-be Kuzco attending a school named after him and living with a kind family until he can move into the palace. His friends are Malina, a smart and beautiful cheerleader who keeps him grounded, and Yata, a vegetarian waitress who talks nonstop. The scary Yzma wants to be empress, so she’s disguised herself as Principal Amzy and concocts all sorts of evil in a secret lab everyone knows about.

Kuzco does not set a good example by lying and stealing to get ahead. However, like Shrek, this show appeals to parents with pop culture references that will go over most kids’ heads. For example, when the school puts on a show, the auditions include students channeling Don Ho, Devo and Dolly Parton. Eartha Kitt plays the evil Yzma with a great sense of humor.

Online activities: Games, photos, poll, theme song, e-mails to characters, previews, messenger icons, wallpaper

Rating: C-

Next airing: 11/26 at 2 p.m.

Hannah Montana TV-G

Fourteen-year-old Miley Stewart moved from Tennessee to Malibu with her songwriter dad and older brother. She faces all the usual academic and social challenges of high school while also living a secret double life as pop star Hannah Montana, who travels the world and entertains fans with songs written by her dad.

Miley and her dad are played by real-life daughter and father Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus, who bring humor and heart to their roles. The premise is a bit fantastic, but the characters and situations are relatable. And the music will be stuck in your head for days no matter what your age.

Online activities: games, quiz, slide show, icons, clips and full episodes, e-mails to characters, calendar, messenger icons, wallpaper

Rating: A

Next airing: 11/25 at 7 p.m.

Kim Possible TV-G

After years of fighting evil as friends, Kim and Ron are a Super Agent Super Couple and high-school seniors trying to juggle being normal teen-agers with saving the planet from supervillians.

This show combines action and comedy with irony, subtlety and satire, making it one of the sharpest and most quotable shows on television. Kim can do anything and stays true to herself. What more could the parents of an adolescent girl ask for in a TV role model?

Online activities: games, quizzes, music, slideshow, messenger icons, wallpaper, clips and full episodes, e-mails to characters, Villainster blogs, comments and bios

Rating: A+

Next airing: 11/26 at 1:30 p.m.

Life With Derek TV-Y7

Casey is a smart, outgoing and slightly dramatic 15-year-old whose mother has remarried. Now she’s part of a newly blended family with her sister, stepsister and two stepbrothers, one of whom is a handful named Derek. Derek is rebellious and a bit spoiled, but deep down he’s a softie. Casey also must adjust to a new school and new friends.

The number of blended families continue to grow each year, but despite the popularity of “The Brady Bunch,” few shows reflect this reality. This show deserves credit for giving kids in this situation characters and situations to which they can relate.

Online activities: slideshow, theme song, poll

Rating: B+

Next airing: 12/1 at 4 p.m.

Lilo and Stitch the Series TV-G

Based on the hit movie “Lilo and Stitch,” this series finds Lilo and her reformed alien friend Stitch hunting down Dr. Jumba Jookiba’s other 625 experimental creatures. In each episode they convince the creature being good is better, find them a home, and learn a lesson in the process.

The story lines are predictable, but the irrepressible Stitch remains irresistible. As one of the few flawed lead characters in Disney history, he makes messes kids and parents can relate to.

Online activities: games, polls, e-mails to characters, profiles of experiments, photos, postcards, messenger icons, wallpaper

Rating: B

Next airing: 11/26 at 12 p.m.

Phil of the Future TV-Y7

Phil Diffy is a teen-ager from the year 2121 stuck in the past with his sister and parents. The only person outside the family who knows is Phil’s new best friend, Keely, who helps him adjust to life in the early 21st century, But the more comfortable Phil gets, the harder it will be to leave when his dad eventually fixes their time machine.

Futuristic gadgets give Phil a dose of James Bond cool, but the story lines are full of science-fiction cliches.

Online activities: games, messenger icons, wallpaper, slideshow, quiz, e-mails to characters

Rating: C

Next airing: 12/1 at 3 p.m.

Phineas and Ferb Unrated

Phineas and Ferb are stepbrothers who spend their summer vacation doing creative things with items commonly found around the house. Phineas is a curious dreamer while Ferb is a silent man of action. They have a pet platypus, Perry, who they do not know is a secret agent. Isabella is their resourceful friend who helps them avoid older sister Candace, a tattletale with a huge crush on fast-food worker Jeremy.

This series doesn’t premiere until 2008 but previews look promising. Guest voices range from Malcolm McDowell to Vicki Lawrence to Evander Holyfield.

Online activities: games, poll, Canadace blog, games, theme song, videos and video creation, e-mails to characters, clips

Rating: TBD

Next airing: 11/23 at 7:45

The Proud Family TV-G

Fourteen-year-old Penny Proud lives with her strict but loving parents, mischievous younger twin siblings Cece and Bebe, and hard-core, supercool grandmother Suga Mama, who is the only one who really understands her. She gets by with the help of best friend Dijonay, who has a crush on the smooth Sticky, geeky Zoey and sometimes the slippery LaCienega.

Unlike many series featuring black characters, this one puts black culture front and center and pokes fun at some of the stereotypes. Black artists and performers make guest appearances.

Online activities: games, animated shorts, animated family album, animated music video, quiz, screensaver, wallpaper, e-mails to characters

Rating: A-

Next airing: 11/23 at 3 a.m.

The Replacements TV-G

This animated series is about a tween brother and sister with the enviable ability to replace any adult in their life with one phone call. Their adopted parents are an American stuntman and a British super spy, and they life in a typical town with the real star of the show: C. A. R., a cool talking car.

The idea of being able to easily and inexpensively improve your life is undeniably appealing to kids and adult alike. But as in real life, the results in the show are not always expected, and a humorous life lesson is played out in each episode.

Online activities: games, quiz, theme song, slideshow, messenger icons, wallpaper, clips and full episodes, e-mails to characters

Rating: A

Next airing: 11/26 at 2:30 p.m.

Shaun the Sheep TV-G

In this series from the creators of Wallace and Gromit, Shaun is an optimistic and naive sheep who does his own thing instead of following the flock. Unfortunately, that often leads to chaos despite the best efforts of sheepdog Bitzer. who just wants peace and quiet and tries to keep the oblivious farmer from discovering what’s really going on.

Although short and simple, the story lines are smart and funny. Rounding out the barnyard are the naughty pigs, who are greedy, unpleasant and interfering; Timmy, a cute baby lamb who always needs to be rescued; the rest of the sheep, who follow Shaun blindly; and Shirley, a huge and hungry sheep who lends heft to the proceedings.

Online activities: games, singalong, wallpaper, screensaver, clips, printable color-ins, face masks and activity pack

Rating: A

Next airing: not listed

The Suite Life of Zack and Cody TV-Y7-FV

Zack and Cody are 14-year-old twins who live with their mom in a luxury hotel in Boston where she works as a lounge singer. The hotel is a playground for the brothers, and their mom and the staff work overtime trying to keep them out of mischief.

The hotel setting inspires fresh story lines and characters, and actors Dylan and Cole Sprouse have great energy. But it’s Ashley Tisdale and Adrian R’Mante who steal the show as a gift shop clerk and bell boy, respectively.

Online activities: games, quiz, music, slideshow, clips and full episodes, e-mails to characters, printable doorhanger, messenger icons, wallpaper

Rating: A-

Next airing: 11/26 at 7:30 p.m.

That’s So Raven TV-G

Raven is a psychic teen-ager whose 5-second visions of the near future are always getting her and her family and friends in trouble.

Star Raven-Symone goes for the laughs with physical comedy and willingness to look silly in a seemingly limitless supply of embarrassing situations. The writing is funnier than most tween shows, and Raven helps promote a positive body image for girls who aren’t stick thin.

Online activities: games, slideshow, clips and full episodes, e-mails to characters, printable stickers, book labels and locker poster

Rating: A-

Next airing: 12/1 at 2 p.m.

Wizards of Waverly Place – TV-G

The three Russo siblings are secretly wizards in training preparing for a test that will determine which of them gets to keep their powers when they grow up. They live in New York with their parents, who own a restaurant. Their dad also teaches wizard class, making it harder to get away with using magic on each other without getting busted.

Magic fans will like this fun show, which has appealing actors and interesting if not original writing.

Online activities: games, quiz, tour of the Wizard Lair, music, slideshow, messenger icons, wallpaper, clips and full episodes, e-mails to characters

Rating: B-

Next airing: 11/23 at 8:30 p.m.

FAQ

Blogging, Part 2

I linked to coverage of the conference that would give a more complete account of the sessions, as well as specific sites mentioned by panelists. I did not link to the panelists themselves because I include the link where all the bios can be found. The biggest challenge I faced in organizing information is what to include and what to leave out, as well as remembering to make note of the specific times things happen. Challenges faced in formatting include being unable to fix the spacing in the list of names for the first panel and lack of graphics, such as photos of panelists and the slides from Oreskes’ presentation.

Blogging

ONA Conference 2007 – Friday, Oct. 19

This is my first online conference, and I’m looking forward to it, especially after reading about the speakers. It should be a nice complement to the AASFE Conference, which historically has more of a print focus, although that is changing.

8:30 a.m. – Content/Design Workshop: Finding Your Voice Online

Panelists: Dan Froomkin, WashingtonPost.com; NielsenWatchdog.org; Amber MacArthur, CityTV; Daniel Lyons, Forbes Magazine; Rick Hancock, Quinnipiac University

The room is half-full. Attendees are an even mix of male and female, old and young, some from as far away as Alaska and Switzerland. A few have laptops, but most are just there to listen. I am the only one with a tape recorder, and I can’t get close enough. I wish the person who keeps coughing loudly nearby would stop.

The panel discusses why voice is so important online. Basically, as Froomkin says, ‘No one wants to read a bored blogger.’ The challenge, everyone agrees, is to have passion without compromising journalistic values such as fairness and accuracy.

Jay Rosen is in the audience. He points out that we should not confuse voice and unvoice with news and opinion, and that the only people worth reading are people who know something.

I think about a longtime writer on my staff who doesn’t like to take a position and wonder what that will mean for his career if he can’t or doesn’t want to change.

9:45 a.m. – General Session Membership Meeting

I decide to skip this and try to find a quiet place to check e-mail and see whether the recording of the first session is good enough to transcribe. It isn’t. I miss how transcripts of all sessions are provided at the TV Critics Association press tours.

11:00 a.m. – Keynote: Michael Oreskes, Executive Editor of the International Herald Tribune

It’s a full house. Everyone’s got phones, blackberries and computers going as we wait for the speech to start. I get a seat in the front row and position my tape recorder by the podium.

Oreskes begins by talking about the panic over the future of newspapers and quotes German publisher Matthias Doepfner telling colleagues ‘’not to commit suicide out of fear of dying.’’ I understand what he means and think about how it applies to more than journalism.

The talk itself covers pretty familiar territory. At one point Oreskes shows a slide he took from yesterday’s presentation by Hilary Schneider, executive vice president of Yahoo!’s Local Markets. It lists the core values of journalism, which he says are more important that ever:

Obligation to truth

Loyalty to others

Discipline of verification

Maintain an independence

Serve as an independent monitor of power

Forum for public criticism and compromise

Make the significant interesting and relevant

Keep the news comprehensive and proportional

Exercise political conscience

The next slide shows how Tim Besley at the London School of Economics has charted the relationship between press freedom and national income per person. He points to the Web site Malyasiakini.com as evidence that the method by which journalism is distributed is not the most important thing. OK, all this economics is new to me. It’s also very dry, and I start thinking about how it could be made more interesting online with interactivity.

A few people get up and ask questions, which I think takes guts. Of course, it’s also a really smart way of getting noticed.

12:15 p.m. – Lunch

I debate looking for the salespeople from Tribune but decide to do some more work instead. Other attendees sit together, discussing their jobs and the sessions. This is a whole different crowd than I’m used to at conferences. Features editors from big newspapers can be intimidating enough, but these are higher-level editors and what they do is not considered snack food.

2 p.m. – Content/Design Workshop: Integrating Multimedia in Storytelling

Panelists: Don Wittekind, University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill (moderator); Len De Groot, South Florida Sun-Sentinel; Matthew Ericson, The New York Times; Xaquin Gonzalez Veira, Newsweek

It’s standing room only, and I can’t read the screen from the back of the room.

Veira is the first to speak. I have trouble understanding his accent, but am duly impressed by what I can see of the slides showing all the cool things he’s done.

De Groot is next. The Sun-Sentinel is also owned by Tribune and recently redesigned its Web site. He talks about the benefits and drawbacks of integrating multimedia when you have a centralized structure. When he says Flash opened a world of possibilities and made low-hanging fruit affordable, I think of all the low-hanging fruit we have yet to grab. He says the challenge is getting enough local autonomy to innovate. Tell me about it.

Ericson is the deputy graphic editor at the Times. When he reveals they have 30 people work on maps, charts, diagrams mostly for the paper and also the Web site, you can feel the resource envy in the room. He describes how now a multimedia producer sits in the department to help focus on the Web at the same time. I think about how great this would be.

The session ends and everyone rushes Ericson. My leg is asleep from sitting on the floor. I get up and accidentally tip over my soda.

3:15 p.m. – Content/Design Workshop: Integrating User-Generated Content

Panelists: Dean Wright, Reuters (moderator); Patrick Cooper, USA Today; Lila King, CNN; Linda Strean, Greatschools.net

As I wait for this to start, I can’t help thinking how many of today’s panelists are younger than me and all of them are farther ahead then I’ll ever be. I tell myself I am where I need to be for my daughter right now.

Wright talks about how users will find a way to generate content even if mainstream media doesn’t want it. He says the media has a responsibility to showcase the conversations around the content.

I think about how we are being asked to begin posting our weekly columns to Zap2it in a blog format using TypePad to allow comments. I agree we should allow comments, but I’m not sure the current format of the content works as a blog. My concerns have been brushed off.

King talks about CNN’s citizen journalism initiative ireport. Anyone can send a story, photo or video to the newsgathering group. They launched the project and then figured it out. I think about our new product development process and how needing to know so much that is unknowable in advance has slowed the launch of new products at such a crucial time.

Cooper talks about CNN’s football blog squad and how editors looked through the comments and asked users who knew what they were talking about to participate. He also mentions CNN’s blog Pop Candy, which is about pop culture events as people experience them through their lives.

King says sometimes CNN packages comments as a story. I definitely would read more comments if they were packages and edited like stories. I have no patience for wading through them to find something worth reading.

4:15 p.m. – Coffee break

I spend the time talking with the office.

4:45 p.m. – Winding down

Booths are packing up and there are crumbs and pieces of paper littering the carpet. The crew is setting up the ballroom for the final presentation and evaluation forms are passed out.

5:15 p.m. – Superpanel: Journalism Next: Impact of Aggregators, Blogging and Social Networking on the Industry

Panelists: Maria C. Thomas, Vice President and General Manager, NPR Digital Media (moderator); Meredith Artley, Executive Editor, Latimes.com; Josh Cohen, Business Product Manager, Google News; Ian Clarke, Founder, Thoof; Anil Dash, Chief Evangelist, Six Apart

The panel is late starting. Everyone’s looking weary, but there’s a very good crowd for late Friday. I get a seat in the front row and put my tape recorder on the table with the panelists.

Artley is from the L.A. Times, which also is owned by Tribune. I am so jealous she spent five years working in Paris for the International Herald Tribune. She mentions they’re adding 15 positions to their online group, but of course they’re all based in L.A.

This is by far the most interesting session, with topics ranging from whether journalism can learn anything from Radiohead’s decision to release its latest cd initially only through its Web site and invite people to pay what they think it’s worth (yes) to what journalists have to do to give readers what they want and not just what they need and whether people consume their content in a vertical format and if it needs to be presented in a categorized way (no).

Clark talks about how Web sites like Thoof work hard to figure out what your interests are through statistical analysis of people’s relative interests in different topics, such as people interested in Microsoft Windows are 20 percent more likely to be interested in a story about religion than Mac users.

Dash jokes that it’s because Mac users already have a religion – Amen to that! – and gets a big laugh from attendees. I’m not sure I like the idea of having information filtered for me this way.

The discussion turns to Google News allowing unedited comments on stories by participants in the stories and verifying their identity and the much smaller Thoof not allowing comments and relying on users to do the verification. I like the idea of letting people in a story add to it.

Dash takes this opportunity to tell the group to stop having anonymous comments on their sites and gets some applause. I respect him for not prefacing it with “I think’’ like I tend to do, which takes some of the power away and minimizes the message. Clarke suggests Slashdot’s approach of allowing anonynous comments and letting the reader decide whether to read them, and a bit of a debate ensues before talk turns to how to make the registration process as streamlined as possible. I hate to register anything more than an e-mail address to gain access.

Artley says Tribune has to think more like a start-up by having an innovative mindset, moving faster and getting over fear of failure and making mistakes. I really hope that will happen as part of the Transformative Change process the whole company is going through.

My tape runs out.

6:05 – Educational portion ends

Some of the panelists rush off to catch planes, many attendees head for a reception hosted by CBC.ca, and I rush to meet a friend for dinner at a French restaurant I picked. It’s the closest I’m going to get to Paris for a long time.

Retrospective:

I enjoy these conferences because you get face to face interaction with people you can learn from. However, I always leave feeling keenly the limitations of my location and lack of online experience, which is only heightened by the added pressure of blogging the conference. The last session is the only one that appears to have no coverage on the ONA Web site or available online unless you buy it at www.actsonline.biz, and I am glad to have taped it for reference here.

Online content for Zap2it

I have narrowed my focus to a guide for parents to ongoing and new series for kids on the major networks and cable channels, including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW, Nickelodeon, Disney and Cartoon Network.

The guide will be updated every time a show premieres, and the reviews will be based on the series as a whole, not specific already aired episodes. In the case of new shows, screeners often are available.

The reasons for the guide are to help parents find the best in children’s programming and monitor viewing; respond to the increasing demand from our customers for parenting- and family-related online content; and attract new users to Zap2it.

The form will be 50-75 word synopses of the premise of each show; ratings based on educational value, as in whether there is a lesson or information being conveyed; quality and originality of the story lines; appeal for the whole family; associated online content that complements the show, such as games and contests; parental ratings; and photos.

Zap2it will host the content, which will be synopses, overall ratings and photos for the shows. The synopses will look like the Best Bets section on Zap2it but with the addition of ratings and a photo for every show. They also will be in third person and informal in tone.

I will Webify the content by including links to the associated content online, allowing parents to write their own reviews/rate the series, an FAQ with a guide to the parental ratings; and a bio that includes my credentials, which are 10 years as a mom and the director of Features in the TV information division of a major media company.

Assignment 8

Proposal

Expand the Zap2it.com audience with reviews, best bets, blogs, and daily e-mail and text-message advisories guiding parents to the best in kids and family programming. Build a community around the content with the ability to comment, forums, user-generated reviews and best bets, and links to and from sites such as indymoms.com.

Audience

Under-55 middle-class men and women who have children up to age 12 and live in the United States. This is based on the following demographic profile of Zap2it’s current audience:

- 53.4% Male

- 46.6% Female

- 20.5% A18-34

- 59.9% A18-49

- 66.6% A25-54

- 48.6% HHI $75,000+

- 45.2% Bachelor’s or post-graduate degree

source: Nielsen//NetRatings NetView six-month averages

Purpose of Web Site

The purpose of Zap2it is to guide readers to what to watch and where to watch it. It also supplies text-based content feeds, including some with photos, to an affiliate network that includes 350 top local newspaper and cable Web sites.

Frequency of Publication

Zap2it is updated multiple times daily.

The Competition

-TV Guide

-Parents Television Council

-Yahoo

Geographical Information

The intended audience resides anywhere in the United States.

Information Challenges

Current readers are TV and movie lovers who are not accustomed to finding kid- and family-oriented content on Zap2it. They primarily are interested in photo galleries, breaking news (casting, cancellations, pick-ups), celebrity gossip and discussing what happened on TV the night before. They like genre shows (“Lost,” “Supernatural,” “Heroes”), prime-time dramas with a relationship bent (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Gossip Girl,” “Dirty Sexy Money”) and a few comedies “The Office,” “How I Met Your Mother”).

Responses to Challenges

Build a community of parents with blogs, comments, advisories, and both editorial and user-generated content based on the following information about Zap2it’s audience:

Behavioral Profile:

- 24.5% visited a blog other than their own yesterday

- 27.2% visited an online forum yesterday

- 6.5% posted to their own personal blog yesterday

- 9.7% updated their personal Web site yesterday

- 33% provide frequent advice on TV programs

- 36.6% provide frequent advice on movies

- 8.1% discussed a TV program on IM/email yesterday

source: Nielsen//NetRatings @Plan Spring 2007 Release

FAQs

-What is the background of the editorial staff writing the reviews and best bets?

-What criteria are used to judge programming?

-What is the difference between kids best bets and family best bets?

-What are the parental ratings and where do they come from?

Other Sources of Information for the Audience

-Parents Television Council (PTC)

-American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

-National Education Association (NEA)

-Talkingwithkids.org

-Memorabletv.com

Findings on Parental Management of Kids TV

According to televisionwatch.org, 91 percent of parents in a 2005 nationwide survey say a) they personally take some steps to manage what their children see on TV and b) more personal involvement is the best way to keep kids from seeing what they shouldn’t on TV.

The tools most commonly used by parents are:

-personally watching TV with their child (63 percent)

-limiting their children’s TV shows (61 percent)

-using the TV ratings (52 percent)

Technical Limitations

The audience’s level of computer technology varies, from operating systems to connection speed, and interest in video has been tepid at best. Therefore it seems best to avoid content requiring advanced browser features such as third-party plug-ins.

Global Audience

Currently the audience is not international. It is national, so it is necessary to be sensitive to nationalities and cultural groups within the United States, including blacks, Hispanics and Asians.

Style Guide

The Associated Press Stylebook