Sunday, May 9, 2010

MEMO

I think that the most financially feasible was www.irunthistown.net. I think that the creator pinpointed a hole in the market for a specific group- beginner to intermediate runners. I really like the idea of the different maps for runners based on location, type of terrain and elevation. I do not run, but a lot of people in my family do and I think that they would really appreciate this feature. My family members also often discuss what kind of shoes they should buy, so I know that they would use this feature on the site. I also think that aspect of the site has the most chances of bringing in profits. Maybe she could set up something like A store but with shoes and other running accessories to make a profit. I think that this has the potential to make a lot of money. My only concern is that the desire to profit from the sale of shoes and running accessories does not affect the unbiased reviews of these products. That will negatively impact their fan base.

I think that the “honorable mention” is www.all4girls.com. When I was younger, I would have loved a website like this. Also, since younger generations grew up with the Internet, they are more likely to use it a lot more than older people. This should boost the visits that they site gets daily.

I think that both of these sites, along with many others proposed over the last 2 weeks, have a good chance of being successful.

Is "The View" Considered Journalism?

I really hope not. But the Elizabeth Hasselbeck/Erin Andrews controversy made me think. If Hasselbeck had made her "joke" on Letterman, Leno, The Soup or Chelsea Lately, none of the public outcry would have happened. In fact, I think we can pretty safely assume that the exact opposite would have happened. People would have laughed at it because it was originally considered a joke. (And while I don't agree with what she said, Hasselbeck did have a point about some of Andrews' costumes. Most sports journalists would never wear them in public, especially on one of the most watched shows in the country).
A lot of people complained about the venue that Hasselbeck chose to make her joke. I consider
"The View" to be one of the worst shows on television. But, do some people consider it to be real journalism? If they do, they really need a dose of reality. The women on the panel are about as qualified to talk about current events as I am to discuss nuclear fusion. So, what's wrong with Hasselbeck making a joke (in poor taste) on "The View?" It's just a bunch of middle aged- old ladies gossiping. Gossiping involves jokes.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Why is this Relevant?

This has got to be one of the most useless stories I've ever read. It has pictures (with really stupid and pointless captions) of the alleged Times Square bomber, Faisal Shahzad's, Connecticut home. What is the audience supposed to learn from these pictures? Yes, he lived a "normal" American suburban lifestyle. Yes, he ended up allegedly trying to blow up a van in Times Square. Aren't terrorists supposed to blend in so that they don't draw attention to themselves? What good does showing Shahzad's child's room do? How is that supposed to help Americans understand what happened? Why don't we focus on the political implications and the reasons why this happens?

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

CNN and CBS to Team Up?

I'll admit with the finals rush that I haven't been keeping up with the news as much as I'd like to. However, I did read this on Perezhilton.com of all places. (If you want the same story from a more legitimate source, here it is) I will be the first to admit that it's embarrassing that I got this from Hilton's blog first. However, it's also very interesting that the entertainment blogger decided that this was an important enough story to post on his blog. While he does occasionally post real news stories on his blog, it's usually when something really bad happens (like the shooting in Binghamton). The only "real journalist" that he's mentioned on his site recently is Anderson Cooper, and it was only because there was a picture of him at the gym or something.

Hilton's editorializing of this story is the especially interesting part. This is the quote that I found to be most telling: "And the best part of the merger would be that the networks wouldn't need any government approval, so as soon as they are ready, they can move right into it."

I understand a blogger not wanting to have the government involved in journalism, but at the same time, wouldn't someone who has taken part in independent media want more voices out there?