Miro Magic

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I first came across Miro when watching Channel 5’s ‘The Gadget Show’ a couple of weeks ago. It’s a free application for channels of internet video (podcasts and video rss). The website says, “Miro is designed to be easy to use and gives you an elegant full screen viewing experience.” Unlike YouTube the videos are usually very high quality and download completely before you start watching, lessening the chance of skipping and stuttering. (It works on the same principle as the BBC iplayer.)

The way Miro stores and manages videos is very neat, creating a library (similar to itunes) which holds your videos for five days unless you specify for it to be held for longer. The automatic deleting stops the library from clogging up with too many videos - this is particularly useful when using the automatic grab function which saves all of the videos from your favourite channels.

It was developed by the Participatory Culture Foundation, a non-profit organisation. Their mission is to "enable and support independent, non-corporate creativity and political engagement." The software was previously known as Democracy Player but as Steve O’Hear, editor of last100, explains “the feedback received was that the name evoked different, yet equally negative responses. For many Americans it conjured up an image of yet another left wing media project, and to the rest of the world it was, rather bizarrely, being associated with the policies of the Bush administration. In contrast, the new name is purposely abstract.” Take a look at Steve’s blog for some useful tips on using Miro.

With over 1,500 channels and a slick, easy to use layout, it’s hard to see why Miro won’t become the new choice for downloading videos. My favourite video so far is the world record for xylo throwing (a frisbee type toy designed by NASA).

For an easy step by step video guide on how to use Miro follow the link to watch it now.

Should the term social media be killed?

This was the proposition expressed by Steve Rubel on his Micro Persuasion blog. The basis for his argument being that the evolvement of media which has created terms such as social media and user generated content should all be encompassed under the single heading of ‘media’. Rubel writes, “It’s like we’re a separate entity from the rest of the so-called "mainstream" journalists, filmmakers, photographers, etc. who do what we do and get paid more for it. We sit in a special dish like leftover meatloaf so we need a special name.”

I can see where Rubel is coming from in that bloggers and mavens alike want to be given equal credit for their reporting of news, information and opinion. However, I do not agree with him. These categories exist for very good reasons. Take the term ‘user generated content’ which envelops all manner of material from photos to articles, much of which can be extremely entertaining. However journalists, filmmakers and photographers earn their money for a reason. This reason being their knowledge. As a broadcast journalism student I have spent three long years training in a specific field, which could be stretched further by a masters, or an internship, or experience in working for a news network. Therefore I would hope that after three years of training and possibly, twenty years in the industry (if I were to enter into a career in journalism) I would know more than the average Joe. This is why terms such as ‘user generated content’ exist and similarly I feel my colleagues would hope their skills were honed, and perhaps even superior, to professionals working in other fields. I’m sure there are a number of photographers out there who couldn’t navigate their way around the blogosphere to the same effect as an accomplished blogger.

For another view see Helena Makhotlova’s blog.

Is investigative journalism dead?

As a broadcast journalism student, journalism is a topic close to my heart; however I feel the need to ask myself why I am looking to a career in PR instead. First and foremost, is the move away from muckraking journalism which brought governments to right; here I am obviously thinking of the infamous Watergate Scandal. I’m sure Woodward and Bernstein started a revolution among young journalists in the hope that they too would have the chance to change the world using a secret source named ‘Deep Throat’.

It was in this Golden Age that the media really lived up to its name as the fourth estate. But in the modern age investigative journalism can simply not survive within the press. Commercial pressures are forcing resources and cash to be stretched to the point that no, or at least very few, editors are willing to take a risk on expensive investigations. Phillip Knightley explains that it all began with the death of the print unions, and was subsequently made worse by the arrival of media law firms. I particularly like Knightley’s quote from Rupert Murdoch just after he ended the editorial budgets on the Times Newspapers, “Never give journalists a budget. The b******s will spend every penny of it." Just give them a news agenda instead, yeah?

Today, investigative journalism has moved over to television, with the technological age paving the way for the ‘undercover documentary’. Prime time spots are filled with reporters donning hidden cameras and mini-mics, in their quest for justice. I am not objecting to this kin d of journalism, don’t get me wrong I enjoy this type of programming as much as any other, yet I can’t help feeling like saying “Is this the best we can do?”

This is not the only problem. It is clear journalism is in decline across the spectrum – for one, Politics has been made into a melodramatic soap opera and ultimately caused the public to become more concerned with trivial rubbish. It was not long ago that Blair’s new haircut made the front pages and Cameron’s dabble with cannabis in his teens caused national uproar.

So with the Internet taking the world by storm and the emergence of social networking taking over could UGC (User Generated Content) become the new method of journalism? (In 2006 Ofcom’s communications market report revealed that 41 per cent of all UK Internet users aged 25 and over have a social website homepage. This is in addition to the 70 per cent of all 16-24 year olds signed-up to social networking sites.)

To this I would answer no, despite the lack of faith I have expressed in modern journalism, I still believe it plays a vital role in our democracy. There might be less catastrophic wrongdoings uncovered and more conformist reports in today’s news output, but there are still a lot of journalists risking their lives and fulfilling their role whole-heartedly to bring all of us, the news.

Is 21 the perfect age?

Hi my name’s Beth Jones and I’ve just started a work placement at Wolfstar.  Although I have almost finished studying for a Broadcast Journalism degree at the University of Leeds,  I have decided that PR is the way forward and what better place to start learning than at Wolfstar.

Finishing uni is just starting to sink in and it’s a horrible thought, despite this I have come to the conclusion that 21 is the perfect age, or at least with my limited experience I think it is. After my holiday in Atlanta this Easter visiting my folks I realised that I must appreciate every minute of being 21. I could see the nostalgia engulfing my dad as he rattled off stories from the good old days. The one which stuck in my head, and probably the one he was most passionate about, was his drunken antics on his 21^st birthday while posted by the RAF in the Borneo jungle.

Clearly I have already had the brilliant experience of visiting Atlanta this year. Apart from the lovely weather and friendly people, there is so much else that makes it such a great city. Firstly there was the scintillating dinner at the renowned Sundial restaurant, then there is the endless number of shops in Lennox Square but my favourite activity, which any visitor to Atlanta must do is visit the Turner Field  for a Braves game. I was a baseball virgin before this trip but having watched my first game, I’m hooked! Even if you don’t want to get immersed in the game itself there is so else much to do, the best part had to be watching the crowd on the big screen, laughing and waving desperately once they realised they had been caught by the camera. Ahhh good memories!

Not only does being 21 and a student allow the freedom to travel, it grants you the luxury of time. So my next venture is likely to be a festival. As an avid fan of Global Gathering (having been three years on the trot) I think it’s time to spread my wings. However this poses a problem, as I look to fellow friends hoping for some guidance in what to do, I end up torn between Barcelona’s Sonar festival  and Benicassim near Valencia. Hmmm who knows? Any advice? Either way it’s going to be an experience not to be missed!

If your looking for something a bit different, check out the Guardian’s guide to ‘20 British festival’s you’ll never have heard of’.

All I know is I won’t stay 21 forever and as my final summer of ‘no work and all play’ draws nearer I am on a mission to make it the best yet before I embark on my journey into the depths of the world of PR.