media
Monday, March 15, 2010
Chapel Hill / Durham County / national / Durham / media / business / Wake County / Raleigh / News / North Carolina / Carrboro Triangle's Google infatuation continues to grow
Posted by Samiha Khanna on Mon, Mar 15, 2010 at 10:49 AM
In a follow-up to our cover March 10 cover story, "Gaga for Google's fiber," we'd like to update metrics of the involvement of the Triangle's top three participants.
Durham's still ahead in Facebook presence, with 2,180 fans on its "Bring Google Fiber to Durham N.C.," page, while 935 people have signed up for "Bring Google Fiber to Raleigh!". The western part of the Triangle is not far behind: the Facebook group "Bring Google Fiber to Chapel Hill & Carrboro N.C." boasts 906 members.
The towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, and UNC-Chapel Hill, will hold a public forum at 7 p.m. today at Chapel Hill Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., to receive public comment regarding community interest in the fiber optic trial and how residents would use an ultra-high speed Internet network.
On Thursday, Durhamites hope to make a splash by corralling thousands of locals into the Durham Bulls Athletic Park at 11 a.m. Thursday to spell out "We want Google" on the field, to pose for an aerial photograph. More here >>
Thursday, March 11, 2010
media / Wake County / Raleigh N.C. State's Technician in jeopardy, lacks staff, editor to lead it
Posted by Joe Schwartz on Thu, Mar 11, 2010 at 11:24 AM
Update (8:35 p.m. Friday): A group of Technician alumni, current staff and others concerned about the newspaper's fate will gather at 8 p.m. Saturday at Mitch's Tavern to hatch a plan. All are welcome to attend. So far, the Facebook page announcing the event shows 23 confirmed guests.
The Technician, N.C. State's student newspaper for the past 90 years, is facing extinction because of a lack of staff.
The paper's editorial board made a desperate plea for help in Wednesday's paper, the day after no one applied for the editor in chief post.
In today's edition, news editor Nick Tran gives readers a window into the problems. Former editor Ty Johnson, an occasional contributor to the Independent was suspended when his grades dipped below the required 2.5 GPA for senior leaders of N.C. State's Student Media Association. The suspension created a chilling effect, where others questioned if they could handle the burden of both reporting and classwork.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Durham / media / News Community journalism project to open newsroom at Golden Belt
Posted by Lisa Sorg on Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 12:43 PM
The local youth media project, Northeast Central Durham Community VOICE, is publishing its first print edition this month—and is moving into its new digs at Golden Belt, 807 E. Main St., in Durham.
Scientific Properties is donating space in Building 4 to the publication, which is sponsored by journalism programs at UNC and N.C. Central University. (Disclosure: The Indy leases space in the Venable Building from Scientific Properties.)
VOICE went online in Septmeber at durhamvoice.org. It is holding a general meeting Saturday, Feb. 11, from 10-11 a.m. in its newsroom at Golden Belt for area youth interested in writing, photography, video, blogging, art or journalism.
For more information on the NECD Community VOICE, contact Jock Lauterer at jock@email.unc.edu, Bruce dePyssler at bdepyssler@nccu.edu, or Lisa Paulin at lpaulin@nccu.edu.
Read the full press release here (36kb, Microsoft Word): necdnewsroom2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
education / Chapel Hill / Orange County / media Hustler founder Flynt to speak at UNC
Posted by Joe Schwartz on Fri, Jan 22, 2010 at 3:02 PM
Clarification (10:12 p.m. Friday): As UNC School of Law student Jonathan Jones commented below, Larry Flynt's speech is free and open to the public, but a ticket is required. The Great Hall of the UNC Student Union only holds 500 people, so you'll need a free ticket to reserve a space. The prices noted below apply to the second day of the symposium, which includes three panel discussions and runs from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. February 19.
Larry Flynt will come to UNC next month to deliver a speech on sexually explicit language and material.
The controversial pornography maven and founder of Hustler is the keynote speaker for the UNC's First Amendment Law Review Symposium, the eighth annual event put on by the student organization and journal.
"When you talk about the First Amendment, and you talk about controversy, one person comes to mind, and it's Larry Flynt," said Symposium Editor David Wicclair, a third-year law student from Pittsburgh.
Flynt will speak at 8 p.m. Feb. 18 in the Great Hall of the UNC Student Union. Tickets are $20 for the general public, $10 for senior citizens and students from other institutions. UNC students, faculty and staff can get in for free. They go on sale Feb. 1 at the Student Union Box Office.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Chapel Hill / economy / national / media Air America goes silent; WCHL-1360 to find new programming
Posted by David Fellerath on Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 5:39 PM
What a week for liberals: The Democrats lose Teddy Kennedy's Senate seat, the Supreme Court invites corporations to bring their cash through the front door of the electoral process, lawmakers on Capitol Hill seem ready to fold on health care reform and one-time local populist darling John Edwards admits to fathering his mistress' child and then disappears to Haiti. Oh, and the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils both lost last night.
And just an hour ago, word came that Air America, the well-intentioned, six-year effort to provide a forum for lefty politics on AM radio, has foundered.
Citing the contemporary economic climate and, more specifically, a 21 percent decline in radio ad revenue over the past year, Charlie Kireker, chair of Air America Media, informed his staff today that the network would cease its "as of this afternoon," and would soon file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy "to carry out an orderly winding-down of the business."
Locally, Air America provided overnight and some Saturday programming for WCHL-1360. The mainstay hosts of the weekdays, including Stephanie Miller, Ed Schultz and Thom Hartmann, are not syndicated by Air America.
WCHL station manager Christy Dixon told Triangulator that "We just received this news ourselves. We're beginning to look for replacement shows." She said that the new shows would continue in the station's format of progressive talk and local programming.
Air America provided a forum for lefty celebrities like Al Franken, Janeane Garofalo, Steve Earle and Ron Reagan to take to the airwaves. It also created a couple of stars, most notably Rachel Maddow, who began with the network in 2004, co-hosting a show called Unfiltered with Chuck D and Lizz Winstead. Even after moving to her television career with MSNBC, Maddow continued to broadcast on Air America.
After the jump, the memo from Kireker.
Monday, January 11, 2010
economy / media / business / Raleigh N&O announces more layoffs
Posted by Joe Schwartz on Mon, Jan 11, 2010 at 4:26 PM
The News & Observer announced plans to cut 21 jobs today, citing declines in advertising revenue.
"These reductions affect a number of areas of our operation. Some positions will be eliminated through layoffs, and some departments will have opportunities for employees in certain work groups of two or more to accept a voluntary severance package," Publisher Orage Quarles III wrote in a company memo, a full copy of which can be found on Poynter.
You can find the N&O's coverage here, and our previous coverage here.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
media / Carrboro Carrboro Free Press folds—for now
Posted by Lisa Sorg on Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 12:42 PM
After two years, Carrboro Free Press, also known as the Freep, has ceased publication, at least temporarily, according to business manager Erin Redfern. It will not be printed this week.
This was posted on CFP's Web site today:
Dear Readers:In the past month, the CFP has had serious business decisions arise in regards to our financial stability. We are taking a hiatus while we formulate a smarter business plan moving forward.
This is not goodbye by any means, but a much needed pause to consider our next best step.
Thank you for reading, and supporting the Freep.
We'll keep in touch and let you know when we go back to press.
The CFP debuted in October 2007 and was run as a co-op. According to its Web site, the CFP "has gone from an eight-page, 1,000 copy s produced “underground” at a dining room table to a 16-20 page, 2,500 copy community fixture produced by a dozen or so regular contributors."
Earlier this summer, CFP reported its circulation had increased by 150 percent, and original content had increased by more than 100 percent. Last March, CFP introduced The Distillery, a monthly arts and literature supplement.
However, the CFP couldn't compete with the higher-profile free weekly, the Carrboro Citizen. It also has operated in the red, but received a $50,000 loan from the Town of Carrboro's Revolving Business Loan earlier this year.
Disclosure: Indy freelancer Rebekah L. Cowell worked at CFP. Former Indy Managing Editor Kirk Ross is the editor of the Carrboro Citizen.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Durham / media Durham public access meeting postponed
Posted by Lisa Sorg on Thu, Oct 8, 2009 at 12:50 PM
The Durham Community Media Center's meeting on creating an advisory board has been postponed until Thursday, Oct. 15, from 5-9pm. It was originally slated to take place today at 5. It will be held at the Holton Center, 401 N. Driver St.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Durham / media Durham Public Access channel creating advisory board
Posted by Lisa Sorg on Wed, Oct 7, 2009 at 4:08 PM
This over the transom from the Durham Community Media Center:
The group is holding a public meeting to create an advisory board for the Durham Public Access channel Thursday, Oct. 8,
5-9 pm at Holton Career and Resource Center, 401 N. Driver Street.
Info: 354-2750
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Durham / media / News Durhamvoice.org debuts, serves northeast-central part of the city
Posted by Lisa Sorg on Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 6:15 PM
Congrats to local teens in northeast-central Durham, who have launched an online publication, Durhamvoice.org, with help from UNC and N.C. Central University. The first edition was posted this week with stories about the Durham Police Department's Operation Bulls-Ey, Samuels and Sons Barbershop and the new Union Independent School, run by Union Baptist Church on North Roxboro and Corporation streets.
Expect a monthly print edition beginning in February 2010.
Here's the text of the press release:
The journalism programs at UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. Central University have partnered with Durham civic and church leaders, volunteers and residents to launch the Northeast Central Durham Community VOICE, a community news publication serving Northeast Central Durham.
The first edition went online Sept. 24 at durhamvoice.org with neighborhood news, information, photos, videos and features provided by NCCU and UNC journalism students and local teens mentored by students and faculty.
Jock Lauterer, director of the Carolina Community Media Project at the
UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication, is leading the effort
that began more than year ago as an idea from UNC Department of City and
Regional Planning students looking for ways to revitalize the 300-block
area known as "the bull's eye" to Durham police and community
development officials for its high incidence of crime.
Lauterer believes that strong community media help strengthen
communities by encouraging a vital civic life and a developing a
positive sense of place. VOICE will be published bi-weekly online
through November and will add a monthly 24-page tabloid print edition in
February 2010. The Daily Tar Heel, UNC's student newspaper, is covering
the costs of printing 2,000 copies monthly for the first year of
publication. VOICE will be distributed at neighborhood schools, churches
and businesses.
"We want to empower youth to create a single source for local news for
the Northeast Central Durham community," Lauterer said. "And we hope the
young people putting out the paper will develop the skills to use their
voices effectively in civic discussions while expanding their education
and career options."
VOICE recruited its youth staff primarily through a series of free,
on-site photography lessons taught at NECD's Salvation Army Boys’ and
Girls’ Club, Seesaw Studio and the Durham Inner-City Garden.
The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation provided early support with a $25,000
grant for computers, cameras and other equipment for the project.
Lauterer is negotiating space for a newsroom in the new Golden Belt
complex, and he is exploring partnership opportunities with the new
Union Independent School in the NECD neighborhood.
My friend has had nothing but trouble with the pharmacist's at Wal-Mart repeatedly over the last couple of years. Today …
by Yendor on Boycott Wal-Mart (News Feature)
This article brough back so many memories. I didn't know the Otterbourgs, but I did know Bob and Mary. Bob …
by Theresa Spincic Lord on A good death: Like Sue Otterbourg, more people are taking control of the end (News Feature)