2008 Presidential Election: Huffpost citizen journalist had major impact

Mayhill Fowler, a citizen journalist for HuffingtonPost's "Off the Bus" project, posted a report that launched the "Bittergate" uproar that nearly derailed Obama's 2008 campaign. The Bittergate of 2012 campaign: "47%-gate."

In getting a later scoop, Fowler said she didn't hide that she was recording ex-President Clinton as he savaged a Vanity Fair reporter as "sleazy" and "slimy" and "dishonest" and "a scumbag, while greeting voters in public as he campaigned for his wife in June 2008. BUT Clinton obviously did not know Fowler was a HuffPost "citizen journalist." Should she have ID'd herself? (She clearly got a more honest take from Clinton than if he'd known she was a journalist.)

Should public figures know nowadays that anything said in public -- especially rants (or racism) -- will be recorded and available forever? Exhibits A (and A1) features a U.S. senator and B features a comedic actor.

Edward Snowden Coverage: If U.S. Mass Media Were State Controlled, Would They Look Any Different?

My June 2013 piece on some of the mainstream media reaction to Snowden and his revelations about widespread NSA surveillance.  NY Times journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin's commented: "I'd arrest him [Snowden] and I'd almost arrest Glenn Greenwald." Meet the Press host David Gregory asked Greenwald, "Why shouldn't you, Mr. Greenwald, be charged with a crime?"

Blogger Took Ethical Action

Here's an example of a blogger acting quite professionally and ethically. Ken Krayeske, who questioned University of Connecticut's basketball coach about his huge taxpayer-paid salary -- announced in Oct. 2009 that he wouldn't be covering Hartford City Hall because his girlfriend had a job there. If he'd disclosed the relationship and kept covering City Hall, that  might have been sufficient from an ethical standpoint.

AOL's Journalistic Value$

Soon after AOL announced its merger with HuffingtonPost in February, 2011 Business Insider (followed by the Boston Globe) published leaked AOL documents offering a glimpse into that company's journalistic approach -- not one that Arianna Huffington would endorse. (H/t to former indy media student Leah T, for posting the Insider's summary of AOL's guidelines.)

Indy Musicians Stay in Touch with 'True Fans' . . .

. . . by using Facebook, reported NPR's Laura Sydell in 2010. The report discusses cellist Zoe Keating and singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega.

YouTube Videos/Web TV News Can Have Impact

The Young Turks is a web TV phenom, and YouTube played a major role in its success; here's a Turks' video on media censorship. A London daily recently profiled Cenk Uygur and The Young Turks


Brave New Films' "McCain's Mansions" played a role in the 2008 election campaign, thanks in part to YouTube.

Early You Tube Stars Get Real Income

What the Buck? Here's Michael Buckley's "My You Tube Story." According to a Dec 2008 NY Times report, "You Tube Videos Pull In Real Money," Buckley earned over $100k in the previous year (plus an HBO development deal) from his YouTube video-commentaries or rants about celebs.

For years, my 17-year-old daughter's favorite YouTube star and main source of daily news has been Philly D (of "The Philip DeFranco Show"), who offers his take on current events and celeb news. (Should I have been monitoring my daughter's online activities better?)

YouTube star Lisa Donovan or ""Lisa Nova"has talent for sketch comedy and parodies. Like Tina Fey, she liked to play Sarah Palin, including in this infamous McCain/Palin rap. Later she launched a company promoting hundreds of YouTube video producers. Cory Williams and his smpFilms hit the bigtime with "Hey Little Sparta" (aka "The Mean Kitty Song" -- 78 million views). He told the NYT in 2008 that he was earning over $200k per year, partly from (ugh!) product placements in his videos.