Webby Awards Announce Nominees 04/13/2010

On Tuesday, the 14th Annual Webby Awards announced finalists for the Internet’s top honors.  The “Oscars of the web,” as CNN International anchor and correspondent Errol Barnett  called the honor in a tweet linking to his segment about the nominees, will be handed out on June 14. The ceremony will mark the end of Internet Week New York 2010.

Internet and pop culture standouts nominated this year include Twitter, foursquare, “The Hangover” star Zach Galifianakis, David After Dentist, Texts from Last Night, Hulu, Mashable, and ColbertNation. According to the Webby Awards, NYTimes.com leads with 15 nominations, followed by BBC with nine nods; and The Onion, Next New Networks and CollegeHumor, each earning six nominations. Beliefnet, for which I monitor and contribute to its community discussion boards, was named one of the nominees in religion and spirituality.

This year, the international award honoring excellence on the Internet launched the Webby People’s Voice Awards. Judges such as Martha Stewart, David Bowie, and Arianna Huffington will pick the winners among the finalists, but fans of these sites can vote for their favorites through April 29. Click here to register and vote: http://webby.aol.com.

“What makes The Webby Awards so much fun is that fans help select the winners, and now that they can vote on our partner networks like AOL and YouTube, we’re expecting more people than ever to participate,” said David-Michel Davies, executive director of The Webby Awards, in a press release. “Over the next three weeks, we’re going to see who has what it takes to win the battle for Web supremacy.”

Obamas Visit Red Cross Headquarters 01/18/2010

 

Flickr image courtesy of http://www.redcross.org/

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama on Monday visited the American Red Cross headquarters, located near the White House in Washington, D.C. The pair toured the Disaster Operation Center, a 24-hour operations command post that coordinates disaster services activities; during large-scale disasters addition DOCs may be available.

During the visit Monday, Obama thanked employees and volunteers, complimenting them service.

The president also sent his first tweet. He hit send “Send” button on a message a media team member typed: “President Obama and the First Lady are here visiting our disaster operation center right now.” The next message: “President Obama pushed the button on the last tweet. It was his first ever tweet!”

Archived Chat: What Are Digital Editors Looking For? 11/20/2009

Archived Chat: What Are Digital Editors Looking For?.

Free teleconference on freelancing 11/16/2009

Information obtained from Richard Prince’s three-times-a-week online column, Journal-isms:
Freelance writer Katherine Reynolds Lewis, former money/work reporter in Newhouse News Service’s Washington Bureau, has organized a free teleconference on “How to Succeed As a Freelancer or Consultant.” Co-sponsored by the Washington chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association and CurrentMom.com, the teleconference runs from 2-3:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday. To register, visit http://workfreelance.eventbrite.com/

According to AAJA, the speakers include

Speakers include:
* Joe Grimm, creator of JobsPage.com, Poynter columnist and visiting journalist at Michigan State University
* Stephenie Overman, freelance writer and DC Society of Professional Journalists’ freelance coordinator
* Katherine Reynolds Lewis, freelance writer for outlets such as About.com, MSN Money and Parade, and founder of CurrentMom.com, a site for entrepreneurs
* Victoria Lim, media trainer, freelance journalist, consultant and convergence expert
* Arnesa Howell, freelance writer for magazines including People and Money.

Topics to be covered:
* Starting a freelance career on the sidelines of your day job
* Balancing fun or prestigious assignments with bread-and-butter work that pays the mortgage
* Is this the golden age of freelancing? Or a good time to flee to the safety of a solid employer?
* Pitching and cultivating relationships with editors or other clients
* How to think like an entrepreneur, not an employee

Journos Using Facebook 11/10/2009

The Poynter Institute  will host a Webinar Thursday to help journalists effectively use Facebook to reach new audiences, enhance their storytelling and engage online readers.

The event, offered via Poynter’s NewsU, begins at 2 p.m. Eastern time on Nov. 12.

Ellyn Angelotti, interactivity editor of Poynter Online and adjunct faculty at Poynter, will demonstrate how news organizations are using Facebook. Participants will explore best practices and techniques for building an online presence.

The one-hour Webinar costs $24.95. For more information and to register, go to www.newsu.org/FacebookWebinar09.