mediaindustry – Citizen Reporter

Madge, Live in Paris

MAdge Madge Weinstein is an internet celebrity, a culinary pioneer, and an extremely irritable elderly lesbian. Beyond all that, she is an inspiration to several generations of children around the world. After surviving many tragedies, including 3 Bush presidential terms and the current socio-political disaster that has gripped the United States, this podcasting diva has moved her life to Paris where she is sharing her talents with the people of France who already hate her.

A long time friend of citizenreporter.org, we went to visit her in her tiny Parisienne home where the water had suddenly been cut off. There we had the chance to ask her about her decision to leave the United States, the political and social reifications of that move, and her interest in the global occupy movement. The discussion spontaneously evolves into topics like dominance of mainstream media, the human centipede 2, and yeast.

Listen to Madge’s legendary Podcast: Yeast Radio

Murdochs, Media, and Money

I am a sucker for programs and some discussions about the future of media and what the newspaper industry will look like in 10 years. Even though I think it is discussed to death lately, with everyone just sticking a finger in the air and making a speech, I enjoy listening to people from different backgrounds and different experiences.

While I’m no fan of Rupert Murdoch and alot of his philosophy about the function and purpose of the media, it is interesting to see what he plans to do with his media empire online. More recently he has announced his intention that all his newspapers will be going to a for-pay business model where people will have to subscribe in order to get access. This comes as the conventional wisdom online says this is insane and will not work because the public has so much choice of free online news.

On a recent episode of Background Briefing from Australia Radio National, the topic was indeed media and business models online and it features a speech by Rupert’s son James Murdoch. They also get into what many executives see as a MEDIA WAR, when it comes to how the industry will work in the future. And just when you thought one episode couldn’t have more than two Murdochs, the program also gets into the media philosophy of Sir Keith Murdoch, who was critical of the public broadcasting model in Australia.

I highly recommend giving this episode a listen, especially if you’re like me, and you can’t resist more points of view and widsom regarding how media is funded and how it will be funded in the future.

Mark D on Media Work

Struggling to recover following my panel discussion gig at the European Parliament, my speech at the international school here in Amsterdam, and the last 3 days of nonstop ultimate frisbee filming during our gigantic tournament/circus known as Windmill Windup.

Thanks to all this, I was not able to meet up with my friend and thesis supervisor back in my University days, Mark Deuze. Mark was in the Netherlands visiting from his new home in Bloomington Indiana. You may recall his appearance on a previous podcast talking about trends in journalism. Throughout my “career” as a crusading podcast journalist, I’ve remembered alot of lessons that I learned during those school days, especially my many conversations with him. Just this past week at the EU, as I stepped off stage, several people came up to talk to me and often said “you seem to know your stuff” (referring to media and the media landscape). I thought to myself, well… Ive been milling over these issues for years, I do believe I know some stuff.

I digress, still not functioning at 100% after all these activities, but I wanted to post a link to Mark Deuze’s new book “Media Work” which focuses on exactly what it sounds like; the work of people in media and what is happening therein. Read the book and of course, subscribe to his blog.