Media Mayhem

Gonzo journalism

I'd like to see this movie.

posted by Spikey Em @ 10:54 PM 0 comments

The evolution of Boston slang

In my latest video, Billy Baker and I talk about tonic, dungarees, bobos, and other Boston words:

posted by Spikey Em @ 6:18 PM 0 comments

MTV's new show about newspapering

MTV's new series, "The Paper" will premiere on April 14th. After watching the trailer, I assumed it was a fictional comedy show about students who work at their high school newspaper...but apparently it's unscripted. And they're already casting for next season:

MTV News & Docs is casting for another season of The Paper, which chronicles the inner workings and outside lives of a high school newspaper staff. The chosen staff will take us through the story breaks and stressful deadlines all the while balancing the normal pressures of high school. We're looking for interesting, inquisitive young journalists to share their lives with us... and a proud, dedicated school that's willing to open up their doors to our producers. [Filming would take place next semester, in fall '08.] Interested parties should contact Claresa Mandola, Casting Director, to discuss making a video application: (212) 654-4871 or castingspring08@mtvstaff.com. (Make sure to include your name and phone number!)

posted by Spikey Em @ 6:33 AM 0 comments

Online mag takes multimedia to a new level...

Wanna see what the future holds for magazines? Well, when you have a spare moment, you should check out Flyp. It's a new online publication that's full of multimedia goodness, like this feature story on The American Dream.

posted by Spikey Em @ 6:58 AM 0 comments

Commenting on Globe blogs

The Globe's nightlife blog, Go To It (formerly known as Flipside), has mostly been a one-sided conversation....until now.

I'm happy to say that readers can now post comments to the blog. For real...check it out, and spread the word.



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posted by Spikey Em @ 3:09 PM 0 comments

Sole Survivor

Here's a video I made about Alden Shoe Co., one of the few American footwear companies that produces shoes in the US.





shoes, video, Massachusetts, journalism, media

posted by Spikey Em @ 8:34 PM 0 comments

Investigative Journalism, Global Economics, and Unanswered Questions

A couple of months ago, The Observer published this jarring report about children in India slaving away in factories to produce clothing for The Gap.

The Gap said that the factory was operated by an unauthorized subcontractor of one of their subcontractors, and they had no idea what was going on in there. Other publications followed up on the Gap's response.

I give major props to the reporter who uncovered this story, and I'd love to read more of this kind of investigative journalism on the business beat. Of course, I realize most media outlets can't afford to send out correspondents to the far-flung factories of the world, to navigate the ever-growing labyrinth of supply chains forged through globalization.

But damn, I would really like to know more about this stuff. There must be other folks out there who feel the same. Seriously. I'm so tired of reading newspaper and magazine articles that are merely reviews of some new gadget or fashion, which serves more as an advertisement for the company than it does for anything else.

Because here are the questions I always wonder, whenever I read about a product: "Where does this come from? Who made it? Are they okay? And how does this thing impact the environment? Will it be leaching toxins into the environment centuries after I'm gone?"

But I rarely find answers to those questions in standard product reviews found in most magazines and newspapers. More often than not, an article about a product names the company, but doesn't say where the product is manufactured, how many workers its takes to make one, how much those workers get paid, the long-term (and short-term) impact(s) the product has on the environment, etc.

I'm not the only one looking for answers. The city of San Fransisco has tried to enforce an anti-sweatshop ordinance, to make sure that city contracts bought products that were made under fair and safe working conditions. You'd think that would be feasible for at least one American company to do, in order to land a sweet contract with a big city. But get this - the companies that bid on the contracts...they refused to reveal their subcontractors. And San Francisco had to rethink their regulations.

I'd love to see more in-depth reporting on the companies that operate right here in our backyards.

Don't consumers deserve to know exactly what they're buying? Even if you don't think they are....I think a lot of them -- as well as public officials, investors, shareholders, etc. -- would be very interested to know.

....Aren't you?

tags: media , newspapers , journalists, journalism, sweatshops, economics

posted by Spikey Em @ 4:13 PM 0 comments