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Newspapers
A portrait of Adolph Ochs
The East Tennessee Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is holding three events in September about Adolph Ochs’ early years, when he lived in Knoxville. The last event will dedicate a historical plaque about Ochs on Market Square
Newspaper paywalls by the numbers
The American Press Institute has published a new report on paywalls at U.S. newspapers that finds that ‘everybody’’s doing it.’
Freedom of speech often takes courage
Good watch for this holiday weekend, “The Editor and the Dragon,” the story of W. Horace Carter (Jan. 20, 1921 - Sept. 16, 2009), a community newspaper editor in Tabor City, N.C., who courageously editorialized against the Carolina Ku Klux Klan in the 1950s as the organization was gaining power in the region around this town on the North and South Carolina border.
Does the audience even need journalists … or photojournalists?
Here’s another ‘time-suck’ post
The Social Media Day at the Associated Press Media Editors Conference at the John Seigenthaler Center in Nashville turned out newsier than I had anticipated. It had the ‘time-suck’ that went viral in the world of digital journos.
Maybe newsrooms need to kick the front page habit
Newspapers have organizational habits built around the front page - that’s how most newsrooms decide what is important, and it’s how editors transmit signals to reporters. As more and more readers go online, we need to figure out how to create habits that respond to more segmented audiences, and news cycles that have varying durations.
The old dog, new tricks problem
A great read for anyone worried about the newspaper business from John Paton, CEO of Digital First Media:
Newspapers thought it would always be so
Journalism professor Jay Rosen posed this question on Sunday:
The curse of Barbara Bain’s dog
You’d think regular reader of O’Reilly Radar would have gotten over their emotional attachment to news on paper years ago. But, no.
New Frontier Awards
Got some great news on Tuesday. From an Inland Press Association news release.
On Being There
Or “good enough” revisited. We had a video go viral this week. We had a story on Sunday about a Knoxville porn starlet who goes by the name of Barbie Cummings.
Training
FFmpeg tips: Quickly cut video clips or extract audio
Updated: Additional code examples, resource links, some corrections.
How to use (yt-dlp) youtube-dl to grab an online video
Updated: Youtube-dl has not been updated in months, try using the actively maintained yt-dlp.
Free Facebook Journalism Project Workshop
The Facebook Journalism Project
Free Facebook Journalism Project Workshop
The Facebook Journalism Project
Google Tools training for journalists coming to Knoxville
Don’t miss an upcoming free training opportunity in Knoxville for journalists. The East Tennessee chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is bringing SPJ’s Google Tools training to town on Saturday, June 2.
Journalist training opp coming up in Knoxville
[caption id=”attachment_1995” align=”alignnone” width=”1200”]
Journalism Writing Workshop with Al Tompkins of the Poynter Institute on Saturday, October 7, 2017, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Scripps Convergence Lab, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. To register, contact contact Brenda Heidt at brenda@tabtn.org, or (615) 365-1840.[/caption]
Journalism training opportunity in Knoxville in October
From the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters president Whit Adamson:
Sign up for the Murfreesboro NewsTrain before prices go up
Get signed up for the NewsTrain stop in Tennessee
Join us for an APME NewsTrain workshop at Middle Tennessee State University.
Training as a dangerous idea for journalism
My April Carnival of Journalism entry offers up training as my most dangerous idea for pushing the boundaries of journalism.
A roundup of all the responses to “What is your most dangerous idea for pushing the boundaries of journalism” will be posted sometime afer April 30.
Do you find training as an odd choice?
Tesla
What I’ve seen in five years of owning a Tesla Model Y
I’ve just hit five years owning a Tesla Model Y Long Range, one of the earliest owners to hit that mark with a Y because the first ones were only delivered in mid-March 2020, just as COVID was beginning to shut down much of the economy.
Fast Charge TN Network plugs in slowly
Tennessee and TVA’s plan to fund a network of electric vehicle fast charging stations along every 50 miles of the state’s interstates and major highways is moving at a trickle charge pace.
Tesla Model Y: What I learned in three years of ownership
I bought a Tesla Model Y Long Range, my first electric car, in the midst of the Pandemic sight-unseen. No test drive. No look at a friend’s car. Never sat in a Tesla or electric car of any kind.
Tennessee governor wants highest electric vehicle registration fee in nation
If Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee gets his way – and the Republican governor probably will with a General Assembly that has a compliant Republican super-majority – Tennessee will triple its electric vehicle registration fee in 2023 to the highest in the land.
A short list of features a Tesla does not need
Tesla has decided to drop the mobile charger as part of the standard accesssories with its all-electric cars.
Hope you are in a Tesla if you get stuck in a traffic standstill for hours
A winter storm this weekend is stretching from Arkansas through Tennessee into the Carolinas and moving in Virginia.
East Tennessee Tesla owners line up for photo shoot
Tesla’s Knoxville Service Center is officially opening after a few weeks of a soft opening. As part of the grand opening, East Tennessee Tesla owners gathered Friday morning for a group pix of around 40 cars coordinated by the Knoxville Electric Vehicle Association.
What’s it like to own a Tesla Model Y for a year
If you are thinking about buying a Tesla – and perhaps any electric vehicle – here are some random observations after one year of ownership.
Tesla: How a MY does on a 1,635 mile road trip
One of the biggest worries electric vehicles is how practical is it to take an electric car on a long road trip.
Tesla Supercharger opens in Pigeon Forge
UPDATE: The Pigeon Forge Supercharger is up and running. It’s at a shopping center on Teaster Lane near Wears Valley Road. It has 12 stalls (up to 250 kW).
Journalism
A portrait of Adolph Ochs
The East Tennessee Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is holding three events in September about Adolph Ochs’ early years, when he lived in Knoxville. The last event will dedicate a historical plaque about Ochs on Market Square
The reason why media (and news) job cuts are the lowest in years
Media and news job cuts this year are expected to hit the lowest level since at least 2008, according to data from Challenger Gray & Christmas reported by the Axios Media Trends newsletter.
Poynter’s Al Tompkins coming to Knoxville
If you’re a journalist in East Tennessee, this is a “can’t miss” event, a chance to attend a workshop led by Al Tompkins for free! (Make sure to RSVP.)
Newspaper, communications school, federal courts partnering in news coverage
Dangerous ideas for pushing the boundaries of journalism
Lots of video responses have been posted to April’s “Carnival of Journalism” of question: “What is your most dangerous idea for pushing the boundaries of journalism?”
You see them on the right in the recent posts list on this site for University of Southern California’s J556 class taught by Andrew Lih. Give them a look; they are generally around 1:40.
Here’s Paul Bradshow of the Online Journalism Blog to get you started:
Quotable: Journalism is a process, exchange, intimate
Journalism in the digital age is a process rather than a product; an exchange rather than a presentation; intimate rather than abstract.
First McGill Medal awarded
Five Ws from the Barack Obama campaign
APME
Sign up for the Murfreesboro NewsTrain before prices go up
Get signed up for the NewsTrain stop in Tennessee
Join us for an APME NewsTrain workshop at Middle Tennessee State University.
APME Social Media Day
Some random tweets from Social Media Day at the Associated Press Media Editors Conference in Nashville. The conference was held at the John Seigenthaler Center.
Is Pinterest rocking your traffic?
It is for one of the folks on a panel I’m moderating this morning during the APME Conference in Nashville at the John Seigenthaler Cemter.
Back in March in an Advertising Age piece, Steve Rubel highlighted some thoughts from Chad Parziman, director of community and social media for Scripps Networks Interactive in Knoxville.
Scripps Networks Interactive owns HGTV, the Food Network and a suite of other video and web properties.
Parizman told Rubel that the company had passed on putting a lot of resources into Google+, but did put resources into Pinterest after already seeing traffic from it.
Traffic from Pinterest is exceeding 1 million page views a month for Scripps Networks, the article said.
What’s a Facebook like really worth?
The Social Media Day at the Associated Press Media Editors Conference in Nashville has one panel that will attempt to provide some answers to the question: What’s a Facebook like really worth?
Get a great deal on APME’s Social Media Day
As part of its national Conference, Sept. 19-21 in Nashville, the Associated Press Media Editors is offering a special one-day rate of $35 for the Social Media Day on Friday, Sept. 21.
This is a great opportunity to hear some great panels and get some takeaways you can start using immediately.
It’s open to line editors and top editors at newspapers, news directors at television stations or journalism educators. APME President Bob Heisse has the details.
You’re likely to first find out about this on Twitter or Facebook
I’m getting excited about a great panel I’m moderating at the Associated Press Media Editors Conference in Nashville on Friday, Sept. 21, 2012. You remember rock super-groups? I think I’ve got a digital super-group for the panel.
EV
What I’ve seen in five years of owning a Tesla Model Y
I’ve just hit five years owning a Tesla Model Y Long Range, one of the earliest owners to hit that mark with a Y because the first ones were only delivered in mid-March 2020, just as COVID was beginning to shut down much of the economy.
Fast Charge TN Network plugs in slowly
Tennessee and TVA’s plan to fund a network of electric vehicle fast charging stations along every 50 miles of the state’s interstates and major highways is moving at a trickle charge pace.
Tesla Model Y: What I learned in three years of ownership
I bought a Tesla Model Y Long Range, my first electric car, in the midst of the Pandemic sight-unseen. No test drive. No look at a friend’s car. Never sat in a Tesla or electric car of any kind.
Tennessee governor wants highest electric vehicle registration fee in nation
If Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee gets his way – and the Republican governor probably will with a General Assembly that has a compliant Republican super-majority – Tennessee will triple its electric vehicle registration fee in 2023 to the highest in the land.
What’s it like to own a Tesla Model Y for a year
If you are thinking about buying a Tesla – and perhaps any electric vehicle – here are some random observations after one year of ownership.
Tesla service center coming to Knoxville
With a Tesla Service Center rumored to be opening in April in the former Sears Automotive building at West town Mall (after being touted as “as opening next year” in by Tesla CEO Elon Musk in 2018), East Tennessee interest in the car company’s models should increase.
Video
Essential photo, video, productivity tools
This is a listing of programs I use regularly on my Pixelbook, a Chromebook introduced in 2017. That is to say it’s not the most powerful or fastest Chromebook and all the apps listed here work with it.
FFmpeg tips: Quickly cut video clips or extract audio
Updated: Additional code examples, resource links, some corrections.
Flooding in Knoxville
Just seven days ago, Knoxville was flooded by historic rainfall, more than five inches on in a day on top of 10 days of continuous rainy days. Here is what it looked like just outside my subdivision.
Plex just keeps getting better
Plex just keeps getting better. Coupled with the iOS app, I use it as a personal Spotify. I find it less compelling for streaming video, but I don’t own a lot of video to stream.
Tool tip spreadsheet
Above is a screen shot of Touchcast, a powerful tool for creating a new kind of video presentation. It’s one of the tools listed in an awesome spreadsheet of tools of interest to journalist (most i’ve never heard of, much less tried) from the College Media Podcast blog.
ETSPJ
A portrait of Adolph Ochs
The East Tennessee Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is holding three events in September about Adolph Ochs’ early years, when he lived in Knoxville. The last event will dedicate a historical plaque about Ochs on Market Square
Ask a lawmaker on Saturday
The League of Women Voters of Knoxville/Knox County and the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists are holding a “Legislative Webinar” on Saturday at 10 a.m. to hear lawmakers talk about key issues that will be taken up by the Tennessee General Assembly this year.
Learn more about the Black in Appalachia podcast
Journalist and activist Angela Dennis and University of Tennessee sociologist and critical studies scholar Dr. Enkeshi El-Amin will talk about the Black in Appalachia podcast in a session for the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists on Feb. 2 at noon.
TCOG Director leads session on access in a pandemic
Google Tools training for journalists coming to Knoxville
Don’t miss an upcoming free training opportunity in Knoxville for journalists. The East Tennessee chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is bringing SPJ’s Google Tools training to town on Saturday, June 2.
Awards
Golden Press Card Awards open for entries
Get you best work of 2020 recognized by entering the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists Golden Press Card Awards.
Winners named in Tennessee AP broadcast, newspaper contest
Winners of the 2016 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcasters and APME professional and college contests were announced Saturday, April 8, in Nashville, Tennessee.
First McGill Medal awarded
Tools
Ditching the file cabinet in 2023
I’m going paperless with all those pieces of paper in file folders.
Essential photo, video, productivity tools
This is a listing of programs I use regularly on my Pixelbook, a Chromebook introduced in 2017. That is to say it’s not the most powerful or fastest Chromebook and all the apps listed here work with it.
Tool tip spreadsheet
Above is a screen shot of Touchcast, a powerful tool for creating a new kind of video presentation. It’s one of the tools listed in an awesome spreadsheet of tools of interest to journalist (most i’ve never heard of, much less tried) from the College Media Podcast blog.
Open Records
TCOG Director leads session on access in a pandemic
Everything you need to know about Tennessee open records
Can I take photos of public records?
Even Tennessee lawmakers sometimes tire of government open records silliness.
Journalists
An insider-turned-critic’s view of health insurance, COVID-19, and the fate of the Affordable Care Act
A don’t miss event is coming up on Thursday evening from the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists and you can join us via this Zoom link.
Poynter’s Al Tompkins coming to Knoxville
If you’re a journalist in East Tennessee, this is a “can’t miss” event, a chance to attend a workshop led by Al Tompkins for free! (Make sure to RSVP.)
Press Freedom Tracker
Check out the Press Freedom Tracker. Story here.
Chromebook
Essential photo, video, productivity tools
This is a listing of programs I use regularly on my Pixelbook, a Chromebook introduced in 2017. That is to say it’s not the most powerful or fastest Chromebook and all the apps listed here work with it.
FFmpeg tips: Quickly cut video clips or extract audio
Updated: Additional code examples, resource links, some corrections.
Chromebooks just got a lot more interesting
My desk with the Pixelbook connected to a KVM switcher with a PC mouse, keyboard and 26 inch monitor. I can switch from a Windows 10 desktop to the Pixelbook.
Weather
Riding out Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina
Today, two weeks after Hurricane Helene it is hard to comprehend the scope, scale, and fury of the storm that hit western North Carolina, East Tennessee, the Upstate in South Carolina and parts Georgia and Virginia.
Hope you are in a Tesla if you get stuck in a traffic standstill for hours
A winter storm this weekend is stretching from Arkansas through Tennessee into the Carolinas and moving in Virginia.
Flooding in Knoxville
Just seven days ago, Knoxville was flooded by historic rainfall, more than five inches on in a day on top of 10 days of continuous rainy days. Here is what it looked like just outside my subdivision.
Google Trends
Google 2022 search trends for Knoxville
I love Google’s year end search trends each year, but this year’s presentation of local searches is particularly good. Here are the screen shots for Knoxville in 2022.
Elon Musk is TIME’s latest Person of the year, but Dolly Parton has never won it?
TIME magazine on Monday named entrepreneur Elon Musk its “Person of the Year,” seemingly more based on his influence rather than his outsized accomplishments of which there many.
Top 25 Google search terms in Knoxville for 2020
The top 25 rising Google search terms for the Knoxville area in 2020 are not much of a surprise – almost of them had to do with “Life in the Pandemic” or the election. Popular Google Doodle Games, Kobe Bryant, Tesla stock and PS5 may be the exceptions.
Tennessee Legislature
The Tennessee Three: Petty, partisan and profoundly racist saga
The question I have is was it after the fourth or fifth round at the Good Ole’ Boys Bar did it begin to sound like a good idea to bring expulsion resolutions against two young black Democratic lawmakers, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson and one of the few women in the Legislature, Democrat Gloria Johnson?
Tennessee governor wants highest electric vehicle registration fee in nation
If Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee gets his way – and the Republican governor probably will with a General Assembly that has a compliant Republican super-majority – Tennessee will triple its electric vehicle registration fee in 2023 to the highest in the land.
Ask a lawmaker on Saturday
The League of Women Voters of Knoxville/Knox County and the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists are holding a “Legislative Webinar” on Saturday at 10 a.m. to hear lawmakers talk about key issues that will be taken up by the Tennessee General Assembly this year.
Knoxville
‘Crime of the Century’ loot remains a mystery after 92 years
Just over 92 years ago a gang of robbers, at least one armed with a tommy gun, held up a mail truck in broad daylight in downtown Charlotte and made off with over $100,000 in $5 bills, over $2.5 million in today’s dollars.
Time marches through the neighborhood
A look at how my neighborhood has changed from 1959 viewed from aerial photography.
Second Knoxville Tesla Supercharger under construction
UPDATE: This 250 kW supercharger recently became operational and should make supercharging in Knoxville a bit easier. The 150 kW supercharger in Turkey Creek was often full and with a line on weekends.
Genealogy
Bethlehem … to Seagrove published: Yearlong project crosses goal line
My Dad began writing his memoir in February of last year and over the weekend the published book went live on Amazon.
Rainwater Ramsey Tales
Innovation
Touch typing on a touch screen with your eyes closed
A touch screen app for the visually impaired. That’s ingenious Georgia Tech.
The info:
A team from Georgia Tech, led by Post Doctorate Fellow Mario Romero (School of Interactive Computing) has designed BrailleTouch for touchscreen mobile devices. The prototype app allows visually impaired people to easily type and opens the door for everyone to text or type without looking at the screen.
Innovation winners
Congrats to the Knight-Batten Innovation Award winners! All 30 ideas look exceptional.
Press Freedom
Press Freedom Tracker
Check out the Press Freedom Tracker. Story here.
Another look at recording police officers on the job
History
Bethlehem … to Seagrove published: Yearlong project crosses goal line
My Dad began writing his memoir in February of last year and over the weekend the published book went live on Amazon.
‘Without fear or favor’ could be an exception in journalism’s history
Some 117 years ago, Adolph Ochs, who began his career in Knoxville before buying a newspaper in Chattanooga, published a set of principles for his newest newspaper in which he said it would “to give the news impartially, without fear or favor, regardless of party, sect, or interests involved.”
Television
Newscast bunnies get into some sexy business
Local TV station WBIR has been in the news as an Easter segment last week went viral. What made everything from Gawker to the Today Show were some bunnies that in an on-air segment in front of the anchors did what … ah … rabbits often do. The Gawker headline: “Bunnies Have Sex Like Bunnies on Local News Channel’s Easter Broadcast” And CNN:
Paywalls aren’t just for newspapers
Nice piece by NetNewsCheck on the plan by Cincinnati television station WCPO, owned by E.W. Scripps, to launch a paid-content model in January.
Wordpress
New year, new CMS
After years of hosting my own site on Wordpress I have moved it to Jekyll.
Updated site
I overcame inertia and turned the lights out on my old Movable Type blog CMS and moved to Wordpress and SSL. Things went pretty well (it seems). 
Sunshine
Sunshine Week approaches
Sunshine Week is March 14-20 which highlights and celebrates access to public information and open government.
Can I take photos of public records?
Even Tennessee lawmakers sometimes tire of government open records silliness.
TCOG
Sunshine Week approaches
Sunshine Week is March 14-20 which highlights and celebrates access to public information and open government.
Everything you need to know about Tennessee open records
Sugar Daddy Google
Google is funding news projects with up to $300,000 per grant.
Google Tools training for journalists coming to Knoxville
Don’t miss an upcoming free training opportunity in Knoxville for journalists. The East Tennessee chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is bringing SPJ’s Google Tools training to town on Saturday, June 2.
SPJ
A portrait of Adolph Ochs
The East Tennessee Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is holding three events in September about Adolph Ochs’ early years, when he lived in Knoxville. The last event will dedicate a historical plaque about Ochs on Market Square
Google Tools training for journalists coming to Knoxville
Don’t miss an upcoming free training opportunity in Knoxville for journalists. The East Tennessee chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is bringing SPJ’s Google Tools training to town on Saturday, June 2.
Facebook, meet Friendster
OK, not exactly, but daily time spent on Facebook declined by 3 minutes by U.S. users in 2018 and usage is forecast to be flat to down to the horizon.
Free Facebook Journalism Project Workshop
The Facebook Journalism Project
Linux
Essential photo, video, productivity tools
This is a listing of programs I use regularly on my Pixelbook, a Chromebook introduced in 2017. That is to say it’s not the most powerful or fastest Chromebook and all the apps listed here work with it.
Chromebooks just got a lot more interesting
My desk with the Pixelbook connected to a KVM switcher with a PC mouse, keyboard and 26 inch monitor. I can switch from a Windows 10 desktop to the Pixelbook.
data visualization
Remember the COVID toll in Tennessee on this ‘more normal’ Thanksgiving
While Tennesseans look toward enjoying a more normal Thanksgiving Holiday this week with family feasts and fellowship, take a moment to remember the those who have died of COVID-19 during the pandemic and to ponder what is yet to come.
COVID-19 vaccinations by day in Knox County
Here’s a look at how COVID-19 vaccinations are going in Knox County, according to the Tennessee Department of Health. They can’t come fast enough; the rolling seven-day average as of Dec. 21 was 23.11% of the coronaivrus tests were coming back positive. (Simple visualization using Google Flourish.)
supercharger
Fast Charge TN Network plugs in slowly
Tennessee and TVA’s plan to fund a network of electric vehicle fast charging stations along every 50 miles of the state’s interstates and major highways is moving at a trickle charge pace.
Second Knoxville Tesla Supercharger under construction
UPDATE: This 250 kW supercharger recently became operational and should make supercharging in Knoxville a bit easier. The 150 kW supercharger in Turkey Creek was often full and with a line on weekends.
Elon Musk
A short list of features a Tesla does not need
Tesla has decided to drop the mobile charger as part of the standard accesssories with its all-electric cars.
Elon Musk is TIME’s latest Person of the year, but Dolly Parton has never won it?
TIME magazine on Monday named entrepreneur Elon Musk its “Person of the Year,” seemingly more based on his influence rather than his outsized accomplishments of which there many.
photos
Taylor Swift’s Bench: A bench for Taylor Swift … where she’s never sat
Here’s a photo of “a bench for Taylor Swift,” one of the odder features of the popular Centennial Park in Nashville.
Essential photo, video, productivity tools
This is a listing of programs I use regularly on my Pixelbook, a Chromebook introduced in 2017. That is to say it’s not the most powerful or fastest Chromebook and all the apps listed here work with it.
Media
Remembering another Rukeyser
Reading about Louis Rekeyser’s death last week and listening to a special hosted by CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo reminded me of an interview I did years ago with Rukeyser’s remarkable father, Merryle S. Rukeyser (Jan. 3, 1897 – Dec. 21, 1988).
News
On Being There
Or “good enough” revisited. We had a video go viral this week. We had a story on Sunday about a Knoxville porn starlet who goes by the name of Barbie Cummings.
News Sentine
Journalism experience of over 100 years is leaving the building
News Sentinel Editor Jack McElroy notes the departures late next week of three long-time newsroom folks, Gerry Segroves, Lynn Lewis and Fred Brown.
Media Strategy
Back to Top ↑UGA
Back to Top ↑Asheboro
Henry King, one rare journalist
Henry King was a cotton mill worker in a mill town called Franklinville, who began submitting articles to the newspaper and it began to print them. He eventually left the mill, but not the mill town for writing. He didn’t get his first full-time job as a newspaper writer until he was 40.
North Carolina
Henry King, one rare journalist
Henry King was a cotton mill worker in a mill town called Franklinville, who began submitting articles to the newspaper and it began to print them. He eventually left the mill, but not the mill town for writing. He didn’t get his first full-time job as a newspaper writer until he was 40.
Radio
WNOX, a beacon in radio history
Knoxville’s rich radio history, particularly with WNOX, the first radio station in Tennessee (yes the first) and the 10th (or the eighth depending on who is counting) in the nation.
Media Bias
The slant on media bias
The Wall Street Journal is among the most liberal media outlets in the U.S., more liberal than the New York Times and NPR. And the Drudge Report is left leaning, yes, left leaning, more left leaning than CNN.
One study found:
The most important factor driving the slant of a given newspaper is … the political leanings of the people who buy it. In other words: newspapers are giving the people the news that they want.
Online Comments
The ‘tragedy of comments’
Gawker Media mastermind Nick Denton said Sunday at South by Southwest Interactive that he plans to institute a new commenting system on his family of sites within the next six weeks; one that still allows anonymous comments, but which makes commenters into moderators. On certain stories, the new system will only allow certain users to comment at all.
For every 2 blog comments that are interesting, 8 will be off-topic or toxic, says @NickNotned here > bit.ly/y3hDzx - Agree?
-- Matthew Cerrone (@matthewcerrone) March 12, 2012
Local News
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Music
An Appalachian stereotype you may have missed
Success is not one of the stereotypes of Appalachia or its people. If you watch TV, the images are of the violence and drugs of “Justified,” moonshiners like Popcorn Sutton, the crazy dancing outlaw Jesico White of West Virginia and a host of other images in which “role model” never comes to mind.
Future
Some people to follow on the ‘Future of News’
Liz Heron, who posed the question of “Who’s your favorite thinker on future-of-news issues? Why?” will be the keynote speaker Sept. 21 on what is being billed “Social Media Day” at the Associated Press Media Editors Conference in Nashville at the John Seigenthaler Center. Join us at the APME Conference Sept. 19-21!
Heron is Director of Social Media and Engagement for the Wall Street Journal.
Suggestion: Mine these recommendations for people to follow on Twitter.
[View the story “@lheron et al. on "Future-of-news thinkers"” on Storify]
E.W. Scripps
New Scripps Digital Division starting to make noise
This has been a bit under the radar, but a lot of work has been going on with the E.W. Scripps Digital Division, in which I now work, since early last fall. You’ll be hearing more as a lot of projects and initiatives are in the pipeline. Stay tuned, there are some exciting things in the works.
For me at a newspaper, itt’s been fun having more contact with our TV station digital folks and being part of a newly created division with a bevy of bold new ideas. On the downside, a lot of talented Scripps digital foks based in the News Sentinel building in Knoxville and who were with what was known as the Scripps Interactive Newspaper Group did not to move to Cincinnati.
Is Pinterest rocking your traffic?
It is for one of the folks on a panel I’m moderating this morning during the APME Conference in Nashville at the John Seigenthaler Cemter.
Back in March in an Advertising Age piece, Steve Rubel highlighted some thoughts from Chad Parziman, director of community and social media for Scripps Networks Interactive in Knoxville.
Scripps Networks Interactive owns HGTV, the Food Network and a suite of other video and web properties.
Parizman told Rubel that the company had passed on putting a lot of resources into Google+, but did put resources into Pinterest after already seeing traffic from it.
Traffic from Pinterest is exceeding 1 million page views a month for Scripps Networks, the article said.
Georgia Tech
Are you ready for your cell phone to explode?
At a panel last week on “Mobile Devices and Beyond,” Bruce Thomas, director of the Wearable Computer Lab at the University of South Australia, held up his smartphone and said: “I just want to get rid of this.”
Culture
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Drones
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Paywalls
Digital paywalls are the newspaper model now
2013 was the year when paywalls became the norm for newspapers.
Legal
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movable type
Updated site
I overcame inertia and turned the lights out on my old Movable Type blog CMS and moved to Wordpress and SSL. Things went pretty well (it seems).
Hurricane
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First Amendment
First Amendment Encyclopedia launched
Middle Tennessee State University has launched a “First Amendment Encyclopedia,” containing more 1,500 documents significant in the First Amendment’s history.
Leonard Pitts
Back to Top ↑Pixelbook
Chromebooks just got a lot more interesting
My desk with the Pixelbook connected to a KVM switcher with a PC mouse, keyboard and 26 inch monitor. I can switch from a Windows 10 desktop to the Pixelbook.
Elections
What issues are important to Tennessee voters
This is an interactive chart that will update. Click on a county to get county level trends. (Sorry, this embed doesn’t seem to work anymore because it’s not AMP compliant. I’ve substituted a static image.)
Google Earth
A flyover of Gay Street
I’m experimenting with Google Earth Studio, the new web-based animation tool for Google Earth. I suspect it replaces the aging Google Earth Pro desktop program. It certainly appears more powerful.
DNA
We’re scattered
Cool map (or data visualization) from 23andMe of where my relatives are located.
ETSPKKJ
Poynter’s Al Tompkins coming to Knoxville
If you’re a journalist in East Tennessee, this is a “can’t miss” event, a chance to attend a workshop led by Al Tompkins for free! (Make sure to RSVP.)
Poynter
Poynter’s Al Tompkins coming to Knoxville
If you’re a journalist in East Tennessee, this is a “can’t miss” event, a chance to attend a workshop led by Al Tompkins for free! (Make sure to RSVP.)
Open Meetings
TCOG Director leads session on access in a pandemic
FFmpeg
Create video slideshows with ImageMagick and FFmpeg in minutes
Updated: Sept. 21, 2022. Code examples have been updated after noticing some issues.
ImageMagick
Create video slideshows with ImageMagick and FFmpeg in minutes
Updated: Sept. 21, 2022. Code examples have been updated after noticing some issues.
slideshow
Create video slideshows with ImageMagick and FFmpeg in minutes
Updated: Sept. 21, 2022. Code examples have been updated after noticing some issues.
Year in review
2020 in review from Google, Facebook, Reddit and Twitter
2020 is nearly done and here’s a look back at the year that got sick.
Crowdsourced
The storming of the Capitol is archived
The FBI and District of Columbia police are searching for people involved in the violence at the Capitol on Wednesday – and they’re finding them and they are likely to find and arrest more.
Podcasts
Learn more about the Black in Appalachia podcast
Journalist and activist Angela Dennis and University of Tennessee sociologist and critical studies scholar Dr. Enkeshi El-Amin will talk about the Black in Appalachia podcast in a session for the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists on Feb. 2 at noon.
Open Meetings/Open Records
Sunshine Week approaches
Sunshine Week is March 14-20 which highlights and celebrates access to public information and open government.
future
Post-Pandemic: Return to normal after COVID-19 pandemic unlikely
As more American get COVID-19 vaccinations, people are looking forward to a “return to normal”; visiting relatives, eating in restaurants, nightlife and concerts, and even casual shopping in a store.
Big Bald
Sun on Big Bald Mountain
Here is a photo of Big Bald, part of the Bald Mountains as seen from the Wolf Laurel Country Club in June 2021.
broadband
Rural Tennessee tangled in turn-of-the-century internet speeds
Lack of high-speed internet in much of rural Tennessee is well known, but today the White House is emphasizing the disparities in broadband access with a new map that visually and vividly highlights the problem.
digital divide
Rural Tennessee tangled in turn-of-the-century internet speeds
Lack of high-speed internet in much of rural Tennessee is well known, but today the White House is emphasizing the disparities in broadband access with a new map that visually and vividly highlights the problem.
9/11
9/11 from my photo archives
A lot will be written and broadcast about 9/11 on its 20th anniversary on Saturday. Here are a few glimpses from my personal time machine.
New York
9/11 from my photo archives
A lot will be written and broadcast about 9/11 on its 20th anniversary on Saturday. Here are a few glimpses from my personal time machine.
Potos
9/11 from my photo archives
A lot will be written and broadcast about 9/11 on its 20th anniversary on Saturday. Here are a few glimpses from my personal time machine.
WiFi
Upgrading the Wi-Fi seemed such a simple idea
A few weeks ago I decided to upgrade my aging, but rock solid Wi-Fi network.
COVID
Remember the COVID toll in Tennessee on this ‘more normal’ Thanksgiving
While Tennesseans look toward enjoying a more normal Thanksgiving Holiday this week with family feasts and fellowship, take a moment to remember the those who have died of COVID-19 during the pandemic and to ponder what is yet to come.
Dolly Parton
Elon Musk is TIME’s latest Person of the year, but Dolly Parton has never won it?
TIME magazine on Monday named entrepreneur Elon Musk its “Person of the Year,” seemingly more based on his influence rather than his outsized accomplishments of which there many.
NASCAR
NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace’s life was shaped by an event in Knoxville
ESPN’s E60 documentary “Fistful of Steel – The Rise of Bubba Wallace,” which debuted Tuesday night, highlights how an event in Knoxville changed the NASCAR driver’s life and the life of his family — forever.
Analytics
My top YouTube videos of 2021
Here are my top YouTube videos based on views in 2021. The No. 1 video had more than four times the views of the next one.
YouTube
My top YouTube videos of 2021
Here are my top YouTube videos based on views in 2021. The No. 1 video had more than four times the views of the next one.
Ditching the file cabinet in 2023
I’m going paperless with all those pieces of paper in file folders.
Productivity
Ditching the file cabinet in 2023
I’m going paperless with all those pieces of paper in file folders.
Pandoc
Ditching the file cabinet in 2023
I’m going paperless with all those pieces of paper in file folders.
Invasive Insects
Emerald ash borer making ash trees a memory
I have firsthand experience at how devastating an invasive insect called the emerald ash borer can be. Small it may be; inconsequential it is not.
Emerald Ash Borer
Emerald ash borer making ash trees a memory
I have firsthand experience at how devastating an invasive insect called the emerald ash borer can be. Small it may be; inconsequential it is not.
Schools
More than 340 books banned in Tennessee public schools
(Update:More than 1,100 books have been banned by Tennessee school systems in the first half of the 2024-2025 school year.)
Photos
The Castle at Jockey’s Ridge visible again
A castle buried at Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head on North Carolina’s Outer Banks has emerged from the dune’s shifting sands, according to The News & Observer in Raleigh.
Jockey's Ridge
The Castle at Jockey’s Ridge visible again
A castle buried at Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head on North Carolina’s Outer Banks has emerged from the dune’s shifting sands, according to The News & Observer in Raleigh.
Outer Banks
The Castle at Jockey’s Ridge visible again
A castle buried at Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head on North Carolina’s Outer Banks has emerged from the dune’s shifting sands, according to The News & Observer in Raleigh.
Home Security
DIY: How I converted a dumb home security system to a smart system
This month I replaced an ancient security alarm system with a combination of DIY solutions.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Ella V. Costner: Poet, nurse, veteran, storyteller, bootlegger
In the spring of 2015 I participated in a GoSmokies group hike near the Cosby Campground that included a stop at a cemetery that includes the grave of Ella V. Costner, known as the “Poet Laureate of the Smokies.”
Medical
A mostly forgotten medical first on June 14, 1965
June 14th of 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of a little-known medical miracle involving one of my cousins.
CMS
New year, new CMS
After years of hosting my own site on Wordpress I have moved it to Jekyll.
Jekyll
New year, new CMS
After years of hosting my own site on Wordpress I have moved it to Jekyll.
Crime
‘Crime of the Century’ loot remains a mystery after 92 years
Just over 92 years ago a gang of robbers, at least one armed with a tommy gun, held up a mail truck in broad daylight in downtown Charlotte and made off with over $100,000 in $5 bills, over $2.5 million in today’s dollars.
Charloote
‘Crime of the Century’ loot remains a mystery after 92 years
Just over 92 years ago a gang of robbers, at least one armed with a tommy gun, held up a mail truck in broad daylight in downtown Charlotte and made off with over $100,000 in $5 bills, over $2.5 million in today’s dollars.
Cocke County
‘Crime of the Century’ loot remains a mystery after 92 years
Just over 92 years ago a gang of robbers, at least one armed with a tommy gun, held up a mail truck in broad daylight in downtown Charlotte and made off with over $100,000 in $5 bills, over $2.5 million in today’s dollars.
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