News is busting out all over.

The conversation about what’s happening to the news media has been going on for sometime.  It’s what we like to call an “evergreen” story.  But the conversation is a very profound one and one that will continue to evolve.  Whether local or national, where and how will we get our news and who will deliver that news?  Citizen journalism is gaining influence with sites like AllVoices.com, where stories in the news are augmented by first-hand accounts from people on the ground.  And social media outlets like blogs, microblogs and social networks are taking their own bite out of the news market and influence cycle.  Check out the article that appeared in the New York Times about how YouTube is cutting into the local news space.  One example mentioned in the article is VidSF, a site devoted to local San Francisco news. Many friends and colleagues I talk to cite local news as one of the last remaining reasons for subscribing to the San Jose Mercury News or San Francisco Chronicle.  Seems that sites like VidSF make that reason even more tenuous.

But there’s a difference between real reporting and content.  And that’s where the conversation gets really interesting.  There are examples like Politico, where two veteran Washington Post reporters have banded together to deliver hard news reporting through an online site.  Michael Wolff wrote a fascinating piece in the August issue of Vanity Fair that profiles the founders and how they’ve been able to crack the code and launch a successful news outlet when so many are foundering.  Is the world of politics, with its obsessive followers, uniquely suited to this kind of endeavor? It will be interesting to see how investigative and news reporters build new sites/models for delivering news.  If you have examples, please share.

After many, many years of working with reporters, it’s hard not to feel a great deal of sympathy for their plight.  Another Washington Post reporter, Ian Shapira, recently lamented how easily sites like Gawker pick up and re-post the hard work of experienced reporters.  According to Shapira, “I began wondering if most readers know exactly what is required to assemble a feature story for a publication such as The Post. Journalism at a major newspaper is different from what’s usually required in the wild and riffy world of the Internet. And that wild world is killing real reporting — the kind of work practiced not just by newspapers but by nonprofits, some blogs and other news outlets.”  Read his take on it in The Death of Journalism (Gawker Edition)  http://bit.ly/NuDxm

So what happens with breaking news these days?  Recently, we had our own experience with the news lifecycle with our client Vyatta. Here’s a quick snapshot:   A couple weeks ago, Microsoft made a big announcement about releasing Linux drivers for Hyper V, its virtualization platform. It was big news because it was the first time Microsoft made its drivers totally open.  The company used the announcement as an opportunity to tout its open source-friendly approach. The news was covered widely, lots of kudos. Within days, a Vyatta engineer posted on his personal blog – first congratulating Microsoft, and second giving the real story behind the release of the drivers. Turns out, the Vyatta engineer was doing some research on Hyper V (related to helping improve the performance of Vyatta’s software on it) and found that Microsoft’s drivers were actually in violation of the open source licensing because they included closed source components. The Vyatta engineer didn’t want to do a big public “gotcha” on Microsoft, so he quietly alerted a colleague at Novell with strong ties to Microsoft, who worked with Microsoft to resolve the issue. Microsoft released the drivers openly, the only real option for the company. Now that’s influence at work.

Once the “behind the scenes” story came out, it quickly took on a life of its own, with everyone related to open source and Microsoft blogging about the issue and taking sides. Vyatta was surprised to find itself suddenly caught in the middle of an industry dust-up.  As the story started to evolve, Vyatta took steps to make sure that its position was well understood — the company was not out to “get” Microsoft.  VP of marketing Dave Roberts wrote a clarifying post on the Vyatta blog (which we made sure went out through social media channels.)  Bottom line – there were hundreds of stories and posts about this issue and probably a quarter of them involved the Vyatta angle.  The vast majority of stories about Vyatta’s role were not antagonistic toward Microsoft and so we accomplished our goal.

This example is a reminder that we should never underestimate the immediacy and influence of the online world.  Things happen fast and take on a life of their own.  The other reminder is that online, anyone can be an influencer.  And you can expect that they will all quote each other and link back and forth with whatever facts and opinions suit them.  But by moving quickly, the online channels make it much easier to set the record straight.

Media Updates

· San Francisco Chronicle
James Temple is switching beats and will become a Technology Reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle August 3. He previously covered residential and commercial real estate as well as banking. James will now be responsible for covering Yahoo!, Google and Microsoft, along with venture capital and other regional technology topics. He also is contributing to the Tech Chronicles blog. James can be reached on +1 (415) 777 7851 and jtemple@sfchronicle.com

· CFOZone
CFOZone has officially launched. The website is an interactive social network for CFOs that features original and user-generated reporting, analysis, and commentary on news, trends and other developments in corporate finance. Inquiries can be directed to Editor In Chief Ronald Fink at rfink@cfozone.com

·The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal has recently started a new column, “The Choice,” for WSJ.com’s management section. The column looks at tough decisions about leadership and management. James Citrin is the Author of “The Choice.” He is a Senior Director and member of the Worldwide Board of the executive search firm, Spencer Stuart. Editorial inquiries can be directed to Erin White who can be reached at erin.white@wsj.com

·August 11, 2009: Felicia Aronov has been named vice president, sales at Managing Automation Media. She had been publisher at Insurance & Technology. (mb)

·August 11, 2009: Robert Michael Murray has been named vice president of social media at National Geographic. He had been developer of emerging technology platforms at Georgetown University. (MinOnline)

·August 11, 2009: Jessica Amason has been named viral media editor at BuzzFeed.com. She had been lead blogger at Urlesque.com. (mb)

·August 10, 2009: Jack Klunder has been named publisher at the Los Angeles Daily News. He had been former president at the Los Angeles Times. (FBLA)

·USA Today
Paul Wiseman has returned to the Washington D.C. bureau of USA Today as a Reporter covering economics. He previously was the Bureau Chief in Hong Kong for the paper before the bureau closed. Paul can be reached at pwiseman@usatoday.com

·Associated Press
Richard Pyle has retired from the Associated Press after a 49-year career that included 6 ½ wars beginning with Vietnam where he was Saigon Bureau Chief for 3 of 5 years there; 16 years as a Foreign Correspondent in Asia, Japan, the Middle East and other areas; 10 years in Washington; and the past decade as a New York-based Feature Writer specializing in military and historical subjects. Richard plans to write his third book. He also is available for freelance writing projects and is an experienced speaker for college audiences, journalism forums and topical panels particularly focused on (but not limited to) his personal experiences in the field, the military-media relationship, and the history of American journalism. Richard, whose bio is available on request, can be reached at richarpy29@gmail.com

·Associated Press
Jerry Harkavy, a Business Reporter for the Associated Press, has recently retired. All queries related to the Maine AP bureau can now be directed to Correspondent David Sharp at apmaine@ap.org

·Reuters
Freelance Journalist Deborah Gage is a Contributor for Reuters covering venture capital and private equity effective August 11. She will also continue to write for the blog peHUB, the newsletter peWEEK, and the monthly magazine Venture Capital Journal. Deborah was most recently the Senior Technology Reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. She can be reached on +1 (408) 446 1942 and debbiegage@comcast.net. Deborah can also be followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/deborahgage

·Dow Jones Newswires
Brian Kalish has been appointed National Copyreader with the NewsPlus division of Dow Jones Newswires in New York. He was previously a Reporting Assistant for Dow Jones Newswires in Washington, D.C. Brian can now be reached on +1 (212) 416 2697 and brian.kalish@dowjones.com

·Dow Jones Newswires
Joan Magee is a Reporter covering emerging markets at Dow Jones Newswires for the summer. Joan continues to pursue her Masters degree in journalism and business at New York University. Until September, she can be reached on +1 (212) 416 2672 and joan.magee@dowjones.com, after which she will be reachable on +1 (646) 306 1420 and joanrosemagee@gmail.com

·Los Angeles Times
The New York bureau of The Los Angeles Times has moved. The new address is 220 East 42nd Street, 10th floor, New York, NY 10017. The staff produces breaking multimedia news and features about the city’s politics and culture, Wall Street and the media for the Los Angeles Times and other Tribune outlets. Journalists assigned to the New York bureau are:

·Walter Hamilton, a Times Staff Writer since 1997, covers Wall Street, economic issues and the financial markets for the Business section. Walter can be reached at walter.hamilton@latimes.com

·Times Union
Eric Anderson has been appointed Business Editor of the Times Union. He was formerly Deputy Business Editor. Eric replaces Executive Business Editor Marlene Kennedy who left the publication. Eric can continue to be reached on +1 (518) 454 5323 and eanderson@timesunion.com

·Fortune
Fortune has launched a new technology site, Brainstorm Tech, which offers analysis of tech news and trends. Content is written by the magazine’s technology team which includes:
Stephanie Mehta, Assistant Managing Editor, can be reached on +1 (212) 522 2465 and stephanie_mehta@fortunemail.com
Jeffrey O’Brien, Senior Editor, can be reached on +1 (415) 434 5250 and jeffrey_obrien@fortunemail.com
Jon Fortt, Senior Writer, can be reached on +1 (408) 728 8262 and jon_fortt@fortunemail.com
Michael Copeland, Senior Writer, can be reached on +1 (415) 434 5231 and michael_copeland@fortunemail.com
Jessi Hempel, Writer, can be reached on +1 (212) 522 6692 and jessi_hempel@fortunemail.com
Adam Lashinsky, Editor at Large, can be reached at adam_lashinsky@fortunemail.com

·Josh Lipton has been appointed Staff Writer at Minyanville.com. He was previously a Markets Reporter at Forbes.com. Josh can now be reached at jlipton@minyanville.com

·Financial Times
Gregory Meyer will be joining the Financial Times on July 22 as a Reporter on the U.S. markets team. Gregory, formerly a Reporter covering energy markets and commodities for Dow Jones Newswires, will be covering areas including commodities and emerging markets. Once he has started, Gregory can be reached on +1 (212) 641 6351 and gregory.meyer@ft.com

·Los Angeles Times
Randy Harvey has been named Associate Editor at the Los Angeles Times. He is responsible for overseeing ongoing integration and expansion of the publication’s newsgathering operation to ensure it serves print, website, mobile devices, television, radio and social media. He will also work with other Times departments to manage company and corporate-wide initiatives. Randy, who had been Sports Editor at the paper since 2006, can continue to be reached at randy.harvey@latimes.com

·DailyFinance
Alex Salkever has joined DailyFinance as a Senior Writer covering clean technology, green technology and technology. He is also the Founder and Editor of Kaunana magazine. Alex formerly served as a Technology Editor for BusinessWeek.com. Additionally, he has written travel articles for a wide variety of publications including Conde Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure, Wired, Outside, The Washington Post and Sunset Magazine. Alex, who can be reached on +1 (415) 503 9035 and alex@dailyfinance.com, welcomes pitches but prefers email contact only.

·Thomson Reuters
Michael Cahill has joined Thomson Reuters as Global Development Manager for Webcast Video Training. He was previously a Morning Producer at Bloomberg TV. Michael will be doing day of air pieces aimed at helping end users better utilize the Thomson Reuters terminal to trade on the news of the day. He will also be providing video elements for the company’s e-learning and e-training efforts. Michael can now be reached on +1 (914) 882 9176 and michael.cahill@thomsonreuters.com

·The Hill
Kimberly Hart has begun her new position as a Reporter at The Hill covering the intersection of technology and politics. She was previously a Staff Writer covering technology at The Washington Post. Kim can now be reached on +1 (202) 628 8353 and kim.hart@thehill.com

·Andrew Hay, previously Macroeconomic Correspondent for Reuters Madrid newsroom, has recently joined the New York Bureau as Filing Editor for financial and economic stories. Until Andrew’s replacement is announced, Paul Day can be contacted for all macroeconomics stories. Andrew can be reached on +1 (646) 223 6028 and andrew.hay@thomsonreuters.com.  Paul can be reached on +34 91 585 21 53 and paul.e.day@thomsonreuters.com

·RCR Wireless News
Arden Media Company, which recently acquired the discontinued publication, RCR Wireless News, will re-launch the title on September 1 with the support of Editors Tracy Ford and Dan Meyer. RCR Wireless News, which delivers news, features and analysis on the wireless technology market, will deliver content through its website www.RCRWireless.com and daily publication of its eNewsletters. Tracy, who was previously the publication’s Associate Publisher and Editor and who is now responsible for the overall editorial direction, can be reached at tford@ardenmediaco.com. Dan, who was previously the Managing Editor of RCR Wireless News and who is now an Editor responsible for all editorial content, can be reached at dmeyer@ardenmediaco.com

·BusinessJournalism.org
Robin J. Phillips has been appointed Managing Web Editor at BusinessJournalism.org. She was previously Online Community Manager at Azcentral.com. Robin, who begins her new position August 10, will be reachable on +1 (602) 496 9190 and robin.phillips.1@asu.edu

·The Globe and Mail
Elena Cherney has been appointed Editor of the ‘Report on Business’ section at The Globe and Mail. She was previously Managing Editor of the section. Elena can be reached on +1 (416) 585 5751 and echerney@globeandmail.com

·Derek DeCloet has been appointed Managing Editor of the ‘Report on Business’ section at The Globe and Mail. He was previously a Business Columnist and will continue to write a weekly business column. Derek can be reached on +1 (416) 585 5393 and ddecloet@globeandmail.com

·The News & Observer
The News & Observer has launched the blog, .biz, which covers business happenings, deals and personalities in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill region of North Carolina. It is primarily written by Assistant Business Editor Alan Wolf, with contributions from other journalists on staff. Alan can be reached on +1 (919) 829 4572 and alan.wolf@newsobserver.com

·Going Concern
Going Concern, a new blog covering the accounting and business finance industries, has launched. It is published by Breaking Media which also publishes blogs such as Above the Law, Fashionista and Dealbreaker. The new blog will be updated several times daily and will feature news and analysis on cash and cost management, governance, risk and compliance, corporate finance, budgeting and reporting on both small and major accounting firms. All queries regarding Going Concern can be directed to Editor Caleb Newquist at tips@goingconcern.com

·Ann Arbor Business Review
The Ann Arbor Business Review will print weekly through August 13. Its online content recently moved to AnnArbor.com. Paula Gardner, the Editor of the Ann Arbor Business Review, will serve as the online site’s Business Director and Nathan Bomey will be a digital journalist. Both join the staff of AnnArbor.com to provide content in areas such as technology and real estate and development. In addition, readers of AnnArbor.com’s Sunday print newspaper will find Business Review content beginning August 16. Paula can be reached on +1 (734) 302 1715 and paulag@mbusinessreview.com

·The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Traci Bauer, most recently Managing Editor/multimedia and innovation at The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, has now assumed Neill Borowski’s position following his departure from the paper earlier this month. Traci’s new title is Managing Editor/content and digital platforms. She can continue to be reached on +1 (585) 258 2615 and tbauer@democratandchronicle.com

·Freelance Update - Laura Bell
Laura Bell, a Freelance Journalist who has written for publications including the Los Angeles Times, Small Business Opportunities and the San Jose Mercury News, has a new book out, 101 Things You Didn’t Learn in Harvard Business School which can be found on http://tinyurl.com/mzcpx4. Additional information on the book is also on the publisher’s website, http://tiny.cc/E6pl2. Laura is available for freelance assignments covering business, economics, real estate, family and personal finance. Her website is www.bellbusinessreport.com. She lives in the South Bay of Southern California and can be reached on +1 (818) 448 1193 and writer@well.com. Laura is also on Twitter at www.twitter.com/writer60

·Freelance Update - Deena M. Amato-McCoy
Deena M. Amato-McCoy, who has spent the last four years as Technology Editor for Chain Store Age, is available for freelance writing and editing assignments. She covers a wide range of topics including retail, retail technology, banking technology and diversity and workforce issues. Deena can be reached at dmam1231@aol.com

·Freelance Update - Sheena Harrison
Sheena Harrison is available for freelance writing assignments. She specializes in covering small business, entrepreneurship and general business topics. Sheena has written for CNNMoney.com, Crain’s Detroit Business and The Detroit News. She is based in Metro Detroit and can be reached at sheena.harrison@gmail.com

Who Are the Most Influential Women in Media in the Bay Area?
So Forbes just released its annual list of the most influential women in media. Oprah Winfrey, check. Barbara Walters, check. Ellen DeGeneres? OK. Tyra Banks? If you must. Which got us wondering: Who are the most influential women in media in the Bay Area? Sure, we’re not New York. Nor are we L.A. But things are cracking here: This is… read more.

Twitterati

·Marcus Chan, a Technology Editor at the San Francisco Chronicle/SFGate.com and a new media lecturer, is tweeting at www.twitter.com/mchan

·Nicholas Carlson, Editor at The Business Insider’s Silicon Alley Insider, is tweeting at www.twitter.com/NichCarlson

·David Lawsky, a Senior Correspondent at Thomson Reuters covering Silicon Valley from San Francisco with a focus on venture capital, is tweeting at www.twitter.com/davidlawsky

·Patrick Thibodeau, a Washington, D.C. based Reporter for Computerworld as well as Publisher of the local blog aggregation and news site, DCBlogs.com, is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/dcgov
Corri Hess, a Reporter for The Business Journal Serving Greater Milwaukee, is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/corrihess

·Arlyn Tobias Gajilan, the Business and Technology Editor for Newsweek.com, can be found on Twitter at www.twitter.com/arlyntg

·Rex Crum, who covers the business of technology for MarketWatch Dow Jones in San Francisco, is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/rexcrum

·Matt Kelly, Editor-in-Chief of Compliance Week, tweets on corporate compliance and governance issues at www.twitter.com/complianceweek

·Jim Finkle, a Technology Reporter for Reuters based in Boston, can be found on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Jimfinklereuter

·Freelance Journalist Deborah Gage, who is a Contributor for Reuters covering venture capital and private equity and who was most recently the Senior Technology Reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, can be followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/deborahgage

·Freelance Business Writer Heidi N. Moore is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/moorehn

·Ali Velshi, Chief Business Correspondent for CNNMoney.com, can be followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/alivelshi

·Bizmore, a new online network and hub for business owners and executives, is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bizmore

·Pat Curry, former Senior Editor at Builder, the official magazine of the National Association of Home Builders, is now freelancing full-time, blogging for Cyberhomes.com, and tweeting about housing and real estate trends at www.twitter.com/patcurry

·Maggie Overfelt, a Freelance Journalist who covers small business, technology and management for CNNMoney.com and other publications, is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/maggieoverfelt

·Bruce Blythe, a Chicago-based Freelance Financial Journalist, former Bloomberg News Reporter and former Crain’s Chicago Business Assistant Managing Editor, is now twittering at www.twitter.com/BruceBlythe

·The Journal of Commerce is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/JOC_Updates. In addition, Editorial Director Paul Page is tweeting at www.twitter.com/paulpage

·Nancy Cook, a General Assignment Business Reporter at Newsweek.com who occasionally contributes to the print publication, can be followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nancook

·FierceWireless, the trade publication authored by Phil Goldstein that provides analysis and coverage of the news and people shaping the wireless industry, is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FierceWireless

·Larry Dignan, Editor in Chief of ZDNet, can be followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ldignan

·Theo Francis, a Washington Correspondent for BusinessWeek covering financial and regulatory issues, is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/theofrancis

·Mike Krey, Silicon Valley Bureau Chief for Investor’s Business Daily, is tweeting at www.twitter.com/michaelkrey

·NYConvergence.com, a blog about wide-ranging digital media technology news in the tri-state region of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nyconvergence