Pure Thinking

First 'Commercial' App?

Fox & Family Guy just released the first commercial application with a Family Guy-themed app. Clips will be accessed through 4 video clips, featuring 20 show clips, games, and build your own characters. The app costs $1.99 while also linking directly to the iTunes store to purchase full length episodes. To have access to Stewie's deranged ways 24/7, just download the “Freakin’ Sweet Family Guy” app.

I find it interesting.... as Tivo eliminates traditional TV spots, others are pulling marketing and paying for it! Not a decrease in advertising I say; rather a slow shift to improved, extremey targeted, and valuable channels! What's next?

--Michelle

Adding a new toy to the summer reading list

With the recent changes we've seen in the journalism industry comes a change in how we teach it. The MU School of Journalism is just one of many J-schools adding an iPhone to the list of requirements for all students. According to associate Dean Brian Brooks, the move is meant to increase efficiency in student learning and retention, turning the iPhone into a learning device.

First of all, mom and dad, the extra money you're forking over for an iPhone won't be used to replay lectures from class. You'll be lucky if your star pupil is even present to hear it the first time, rather than nursing a hangover in the dorm bathroom all morning.

But aside from that point, what are these schools thinking? My J-school professors quizzed us on the content of five local and national newspapers at the beginning of each class. This required combing through each paper cover to cover, and if you failed the quizzes, you failed the course. To me an iPhone in the classroom feels like we're helping America close the doors quality newspapers and quality talent. Is this trend the final blow against traditional journalism, or are professors smart to equip the next generation of writers with the tools they need to survive?

--Kate

Farewell Rocky Mountain News

Last week's closing of the Rocky Mountain News - albeit not surprising - was depressing.

One of my fondest memories of the Rocky came when I was managing the media relations surrounding the opening of the Pepsi Center. Janet Reeves, the Rocky's photo editor, had sent a photographer over to capture images of the home of the Nuggets and Avs a couple of weeks before its opening. The photographer was 30 minutes late. Apparently, this was is first day on the job in Denver and he'd gotten lost. I was frustrated. I had a lot of work to do and I was going to be stuck wasting a morning with this guy who couldn’t find a 20,000-seat skyline-changing arena.

As I was impatiently waiting, I noticed the decorative arches had just been installed at the entrances to the grounds. I pointed this out to the photographer when he finally arrived and he immediately walked over to one and started shooting. To my surprise, we spent an enjoyable couple of hours together, the photographer noticing details about the arena others would have unknowingly passed by.

The next day, a photo of a shimmering arch with the words “Pepsi Center” appeared on the cover of the Rocky, credited to Barry Gutierrez.

Since then, Barry has become a Pulitzer Prize winner and has captivated Rocky subscribers with riveting images of notable Colorado happenings like the Hayman Fire and, more recently, the Democratic National Convention.

Thanks for the memories, Barry and the RMN. We'll miss you.

- Larry

It's official...

Well, they've finally done it.  The people behind Facebook received news that the social networking site has just been crowned the number one site of its kind, globally.  Does that mean we officially have to trade all forms of face-to-face interpersonal communication for wall posts, friend requests and SuperPokes?

Trendy or not?

Whether it's the latest  gossip in Hollywood or the biggest headline to hit CNN, these days it seems like the secret to success is being inline, hooked up and in touch with the world around you.  Luckily, Google can help that happen with a little tool called Google Trends. 

Unbeknownst to me, Google Trends has been keeping people up-to-date for the past two years, so if you've heard of it or if you use it, you're way ahead of me. 

For those of you who don't know, though, Google Trends lets you type any word you want into a search box and then it charts how frequently that word is searched around the world, giving you an international perspective of what's "in" and what's "out."  Hot Trends, a one-year-old addition to the Google tool, will keep you even more informed with its hourly-updated list of the 100 most searched queries of the moment.

So, if you've got a social engagement to attend, if you're looking for new small-talk material or if you're just trying to reconnect with the generation beneath you, try logging on to Google Trends to see what everyone's buzzing about.

The Dead End of Western Civilzation

The new Adbusters features a dismal article regarding the suckiness of hipsters, and it is equally brilliant and self-crucifying.

I get the vibe that the cover story was actually written by a hipster- which is of course fitting, because hipsters, wierdly enough, really like discussing other hipsters (and whatever driving force may [or may not] be behind the movement). It must have something to do with that general feeling of apathetic entitlement they throw around like, um, the term "hipster."

Anyway, it's a great article, if not a little bit over-evangelical, and you should read it. There's already a great crap-talking comment frenzy occurring in its wake, so if you're the type that likes to get fiesty where no one can see your actual face... yeah. This will make your weekend.

(Thanks for the tip off, Neil!)

 

In Times of Trouble, Co-Ed's Turn to Reading

A new study is proving that college newspapers are alive and well on today's campuses, where 82% of students continue to consider the resource a top mass media choice. This comes as a shock for the camp that is anxiously awaiting the final breath of the news medium, but does not come as a shock for the co-eds that are pick them up on their way into class - because what else are they supposed to do during an hour long lecture?

Implications include a heightened advertising interest, a bloated feeling of importance for college paper journalists, and a sweet sense of hope for the future - and intelligence of - Young America.