While looking through my past blogs today, I found an article I had written over a year ago about social media. I’m reposting it here because I feel it is still more than relevant.
Podcasting and the new ”Social Media”
It has been a long while since I last posted on my blog, so I thought tonight was as good as any to finally update.
Since last September many things have happened in the wonderful world of Tommy as I’ve progressed through one more semester of college. I have become much more active in our on-campus radio station, and am now a member of its executive board of 12. Since it is a fully student run organization (apart from our grad and faculty advisors) we, well, run the place. It’s been an extremely worthwhile experience and is definitely something not many students or adults ever get the chance of doing. It’s also something that requires a high level of responsibility, which is what also makes it challenging. Each exec has a certain role and title at the station, as well as a staff of volunteers to help. Although I’m named Digital Archives Director, my main duty is media syndication for the station. At the moment, that’s entailed podcasting on a exponentially growing degree.
When I took on this authoritative role back in December I knew basically nothing about podcasting. I knew Audacity and how to edit music, but I had no idea what a podcast was beyond exporting the finished, edited copy of a show to a mp3. The Director before me would always take it from there. Now that I know what I do I’m amazed at the incredible following podcasting and the new “social media” have created. Josh Hallett of hyku.com spoke to my PR class last semester and explained how the world of blogging and personal digital media have really reshaped our cultural landscape. From simply sharing one’s thoughts to determining political elections, “social media” and its effects have really changed the way even the professional news look at the world. Every person or organization of importance has a blog now, especially political figures. Even personal profiling sites like facebook and myspace are being used as well with politicians having their own pages and mock elections. It’s an incredible new grass roots informational tool that puts a medium for expression of opinion in the hands of the average Joe. Even though the experts have predicted that the blog boom will begin to level off, I feel that it will continue to gain importance in the political landscape as the current tech savy generation begins to age. Any medium that promotes freedom of speech from those who normally would not be heard should be supported.
My main goal this semester with the radio station has been to increase the amount of our programming that is available online, either via podcasting or mp3 streams through out website. Its been amazing to watch the stats on podcasted shows rise each week. Talk shows that have aired for two semesters but have just recently been podcasted now get regular phone calls during their airing. Hits have increased three-fold, and will only increase as we continue to register our shows with itunes and continue our syndication. Any increase in our listernership is definitely fine by me.
- Tom
It has been a long while since I last posted on my blog, so I thought tonight was as good as any to finally update.
Since last September many things have happened in the wonderful world of Tommy as I’ve progressed through one more semester of college. I have become much more active in our on-campus radio station, and am now a member of its executive board of 12. Since it is a fully student run organization (apart from our grad and faculty advisors) we, well, run the place. It’s been an extremely worthwhile experience and is definitely something not many students or adults ever get the chance of doing. It’s also something that requires a high level of responsibility, which is what also makes it challenging. Each exec has a certain role and title at the station, as well as a staff of volunteers to help. Although I’m named Digital Archives Director, my main duty is media syndication for the station. At the moment, that’s entailed podcasting on a exponentially growing degree.
When I took on this authoritative role back in December I knew basically nothing about podcasting. I knew Audacity and how to edit music, but I had no idea what a podcast was beyond exporting the finished, edited copy of a show to a mp3. The Director before me would always take it from there. Now that I know what I do I’m amazed at the incredible following podcasting and the new “social media” have created. Josh Hallett of hyku.com spoke to my PR class last semester and explained how the world of blogging and personal digital media have really reshaped our cultural landscape. From simply sharing one’s thoughts to determining political elections, “social media” and its effects have really changed the way even the professional news look at the world. Every person or organization of importance has a blog now, especially political figures. Even personal profiling sites like facebook and myspace are being used as well with politicians having their own pages and mock elections. It’s an incredible new grass roots informational tool that puts a medium for expression of opinion in the hands of the average Joe. Even though the experts have predicted that the blog boom will begin to level off, I feel that it will continue to gain importance in the political landscape as the current tech savy generation begins to age. Any medium that promotes freedom of speech from those who normally would not be heard should be supported.
My main goal this semester with the radio station has been to increase the amount of our programming that is available online, either via podcasting or mp3 streams through out website. Its been amazing to watch the stats on podcasted shows rise each week. Talk shows that have aired for two semesters but have just recently been podcasted now get regular phone calls during their airing. Hits have increased three-fold, and will only increase as we continue to register our shows with itunes and continue our syndication. Any increase in our listernership is definitely fine by me.
- Tom
