http://minimediaguy.org studying the media ecosystem Sat, 05 Jul 2008 20:00:08 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Legal, non-violent, direct action can succeed where Congress has failed The U.S. Senate seems poised to pass an extension of the Foreign Intelligence Security Act that will retroactively protect telephone companies that made illegal wiretaps for Bush Administration. Senators Russ Feingold and Chris Dodd have filibustered the bill but their principled ... http://minimediaguy.org/2008/07/05/can-citizens-find-and-punish-illegal-wiretappers/ Socrates swallowed poison rather than humble pie   Charlotte Yee wants to change the perception that federal employees have a cushy jobs. She used to be an economist for the Bureau of Labor Statistics until a male superior chased her around a file cabinet last year. She filed a complaint ... http://minimediaguy.org/2008/07/03/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-to-change/ The Federal Communications Commission seems poised to tighten the rules regarding products that are scripted into television shows as a guerrilla form of advertising. United Press International reports that advertisers put 26,000 "product placement" messages into the top 10 television shows in 2007. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin started talking about ... http://minimediaguy.org/2008/06/29/products-slipped-into-tv-shows-face-scrutiny/ With that pithy quote (see headline) former suburban newspaper publisher Tom Noonan encapsulates his message that serious media blogs need a business plan. And his article, "Cracking the local market" offers sensible tips on how to design an editorial product and sell it to advertisers. Noonan writes: People advertise for but ... http://minimediaguy.org/2008/06/27/until-somebody-pays-nobody-eats/ The workplace as epicenter of consumption The polling firm BIGResearch says advertising to workers on the job is the smartest way to reach consumers most likely to have money, and then spread buzz. A summary of the findings notes that: With rising pump prices and busy schedules, consumers are highly likely to ... http://minimediaguy.org/2008/06/26/shopping-9-5-what-a-way-to-make-a-living/ Rob Snell wrote the book on starting a Yahoo! store (Yesterday's item about the a House subcommittee hearing, "The Impact of Online Advertising on Small Firms," drew a comment from invited witness Rob Snell, who sent me a link to the prepared testimony he will deliver today about the promise ... http://minimediaguy.org/2008/06/25/guest-blog-mr-search-goes-to-washington/ A subcommittee of the House of Representatives will holding hearings Wednesday on "The Impact of Online Advertising on Small Firms." Texas Democrat Charlie Gonzalez of San Antonio chairs the Subcommittee on Regulations, Healthcare and Trade that will conduct the hearings on Wednesday, June 25, 2008, at 10:00 a.m. ... http://minimediaguy.org/2008/06/24/house-to-ask-how-online-ads-affect-small-biz/ A year ago, in a fit of political petulance, former Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher ordered state websites to block access to certain political blogs after Mark Nickolas, author of BluegrassReport.org, criticized Fletcher in remarks reported in the New York Times. Last week the administration of new Kentucky Governor Steve Breshear settled ... http://minimediaguy.org/2008/06/23/kentucky-governors-blog-ban-lifted/ Two important whistleblower protection bills were signed into law last year (for defense contractors and ground transportation security whistleblowers) and two more reform bills are awaiting legislative action. They will be the focus of a conference convened today by the Government Accountability Project. According to the press release: Coleen Rowley is the ... http://minimediaguy.org/2008/06/22/whistleblower-conference-monday-in-dc/ "It's the debt, stupid," says Poynter Institute business commentator Rick Edmonds, who chides newspaper chains that grew through debt-financed acquisitions, such as McClatchy, Media News and the new Sam Zell empire. They will have a hard time in this downturn as they try to pay huge interest charges with declining ... http://minimediaguy.org/2008/06/20/miscellaneous-musings-for-a-tgif-friday/