My friend and former assistant, Cameron, called me yesterday with exciting news. He told me that he got hired on full-time at his “travelling job” that he’s had for a while during school. What’s even more special about this, is that Cam has been “following in my footsteps” for a while now – he was my Entertainment reporter when I was Entertainment Editor at the CU Independent; when I was Managing Editor, he was Entertainment Editor; when I was Chief, he was Managing Editor. We’ve been working extremely close – until, of course, I moved to San Francisco. He brought to my attention that the people involved in the CU Independent that have had the most success in finding jobs after college graduation are the people that have been involved in the Entertainment Section.

I do miss certain aspects of working for the CU Independent. What is a little scary is thinking that there have only been a handful of graduating seniors from the journalism school who have been successful in getting a job out of college. What does that say about journalism?

When I first started attending CU, I knew that I wanted to major in journalism. I got involved in what was then the Campus Press right off the bat. I was a wet-behind-the-ears reporter and loved (almost) every second of it. I found my niche in entertainment and decided I wanted to move up the chain of command. I loved editing even more than reporting, however I never lost my yearning for knowledge or my curiosity.

During my involvement with the newspaper, it went through a significant name change and transformed from a print and online publication to being solely online. As Editor-in-Chief, I had to integrate a whole new environment into the mix: the social space.

Also during my reign as Chief, the beloved Rocky Mountain News, a publication that had been around for nearly 150 years, closed.

Needless to say, the closing of the Rocky was very nerve-racking for many graduating seniors. Many people thought/think that journalism is a dying industry. That people will eventually stop reading newspapers all together. That all newspapers will eventually close down and the entire industry will collapse.

I disagree.

Journalism will never die. Even though I am not directly associated with a specifically journalistic entity, I still write like a journalist, I still fact-check like a journalist, I still interview like a journalist, I still am a journalist.

Journalism isn’t dying, it’s changing.

I completely agree with the people that say “why would anyone want to read yesterday’s news in the paper when they can get last minute’s news right here on their iPhone?” While I, personally, still cherish the touch and feel of a real printed newspaper, I do think they are quickly going out of style. However, journalism isn’t about printed papers. It’s about relaying facts, opinions, stories to the mass public so they are informed. Much like many other old industries – like Advertising, Marketing, PR, etc. – they have to adapt and move with the times. Journalism now has an unlimited of venues for information, through Twitter, Facebook, blogs, readers, feeds, the list could go on forever. The Internet provides journalists with ample opportunities to be read. Journalists can utilize links, images, videos and so much more that the web has to offer.

However, does a declining newspaper industry weaken the overall quality of today’s journalism, or can journalism thrive without traditional papers?

Without a newspaper “going to print” every night, I find that some journalists are slightly more careless with the publishing of their stories thinking, “Oh, if something’s wrong, I can just go back and update it real quick.” That shouldn’t be the mentality. Journalists should take pride in their work and treat it with the same journalistic integrity they would if their article was being printed in ink, on paper. Because, in reality, it could be.

According to a testimony by Ben Scott, Policy Director of the Free Press, there are three problems journalism is facing at this time.

1. The collapse of some fairly large daily newspapers.
2. The shift of audiences to the Internet, which brings a decline in circulation and advertising revenue.
3. The increased ease of access to competing sources of news and information that are freely available and often higher quality.

Scott addresses that the close of the Rocky Mountain News and other large metro daily newspapers is largely because of the Internet.

Scott and I are on the same page in thinking that it’s not all dark and that the blogosphere is exploding with journalistic production and new opportunities are constantly appearing.

“The decline of print newspapers doesn’t mean the decline of journalism.”

Scott says that the biggest problem we face is not the decline in newspapers, it’s the possibility that this industry “failure” will result in the dissipation of tens of thousands of highly trained, experienced reporters and deter tens of thousands of talented students from going to journalism school.

For the future of journalism to succeed, we need to create and sustain a model of news production where it’s possible to earn a living writing the news. The Internet presents us with that challenge. Technology is reformatting the way we all view journalism. It’s not killing it; it’s rebuilding.

“Society doesn’t need newspapers. What we need is journalism.” - NYU professor, Clay Shirky

There are no easy answers to these problems. There’s no right or wrong way to view this apparent change. Now is our opportunity to experiment, test out theories and come up with new, creative models for Journalism to succeed.

What do you think?

You can read all of Ben Scott’s testimony here.

I went to Borders yesterday to use a coupon. I love bookstores. In fact, I could spend days in a bookstore. I love the way they smell, the sounds, the fact that I’m surrounded by so much more than just, me. Anyway, I digress. I walked into Borders and on the very first table (yeah, I’m one of those people that stop at each table and peruse the “recommended readings” and wonder to myself if they really are all they’re cracked up to be) is a book that’s entire cover is filled with text. Intrigued, I picked it up and read the cover.

I’m sorry, I lost interest in your message after the first paragraph and couldn’t be bothered to finish it. No doubt it was very clever and devastating and if it makes you feel good, please consider me abashed or chagrined or whatever it was you intended me to feel after reading your brilliant, scintillating words. In the meantime, allow me to congratulate you on your decision not to breed, as clearly a person of your qualities represents a full stop on the genetic paragraph; the evolution of your line need go no further.

Your Hate Mail Will be Graded - John Scalzi

A little disclaimer: First of all, this is sarcasm and I know that. No, I did not read the entire book. Heck, I didn’t even read the back cover. But if you’ve been around these parts for a while now, you know that I gain meaning from just about anything.

These words got me thinking. I have been a writer since the fifth grade. I love to write. As social media slowly overtook the world, I began to use my blog to cultivate my writing. I have since then expanded my reach and also have allowed myself to be affected by other’s blogs. I read blogs to learn, get ideas, laugh and so much more. I can’t even explain in words how much I gain from reading blogs every day. But the words of Scalzi worry me. Albeit sarcasm, there is truth in joking and these words make me wonder about whether my words on my little blog are “brilliant” and “scintillating.” Whether I am, in fact, making an impact on my readers like the blogs I follow are to me. It makes me think about writing in general and how the Internet has changed writing over the past couple years.

For example, when I was a freshman in college (2005) I joined what was then the Campus Press. I was a wet-behind-the-ears reporter ready to go out there and make a difference in the world with my writing. I would write drafts and drafts and drafts of my pieces before submitting them to my editor who would then make edits and I’d write even more drafts of the same piece. I would perfect my writing before anyone (other than my editor, and sometimes a parent) would see it.

Now, with the Internet being the prevailing entity of communication, I feel writing gets pushed to the wayside. I fire off emails without using spell check. I tweet 140 characters with, sometimes, mortifying spelling errors. I publish blog posts with grammar errors and fragmented sentences (which I swear is a stylistic choice). We all do. Now. But I go back and change every single one. I go back and change every error (that I’m aware of), I correct myself when I’m wrong, I don’t publish half-assed blog posts, I put thought into what I write. I’ve always been taught to think before I speak. I treat writing the same way. Especially with the Internet – it’s permanent no matter how badly we want to believe it’s not. Everything we publish is out there. Forever. That’s the beauty of it.

The Internet has been filled with so much spam and nonsense and I think that a lot of people don’t take the time to weed through the sludge to find the real gems. And that’s unfortunate. There are a lot of people out there, just like me, who still take pride in their writing. I have been blessed to meet, virtually and in real life, some of these fabulous writers that don’t fall into the stereotype of “nonsense-bloggers.” That still value the art of words. That write to provide something for everyone. That are out there to affect and change people’s lives – one letter at a time.

It’s actually fitting that this is my 100th post on my beloved blog (for all of you who are still here reading, thank you!). Today, something very interesting happened in my side of the blogosphere. The lovely Miss Lizzy Marie of It’s Unbeweavable won the 20 Something Bloggers’ Featured blogger of the month. This is incredible and I do not know of anyone more deserving of this honor.

However, amidst Liz’s undeniable excitement, a certain someone deemed it appropriate to rain on her day. I’m not going to go into details of how he did this, but let me just say, it hurt me in a deep way to see someone so quick to judge one of the most amazing people I have ever known.

I, among many others, came to Liz’s rescue, showing this certain someone that she has many, many people on her side supporting her.

See, I have always loved to write. Blogging has given me the opportunity to reach others. To write for myself, but so others can hear and be affected. I have always believed that words are incredibly powerful - they can affect the lives of others. That, alone, is why I write. That, alone, is why I blog.

Liz is one of the most open, honest and entertaining writers I have ever encountered. She talks about real-life stuff that so many people can relate to. Not to mention, she is a wonderful friend. I am so blessed to have found her in this huge blogging universe.

So, I stood up for her. That someone who ruined Liz’s day and represented everything I hate about stereotypes, insensitivity, disrespect and ignorance, posted a blog post about the events of the day, and I, among many others, responded. Here is what I said:

I know I don’t know you, so I won’t assume that these comments are falling on deaf ears. However, I just wanted to reiterate what many other people are saying. It was wrong of you to judge Liz with little to no information. I know you know this, thus your apology, however, I wanted to share a little story.

I joined the blogging universe almost a year ago. I joined because I love to write. I love to write about anything and everything that moves me. That’s what is so wonderful and free about blogs and the Internet in general. I have met some amazing people (both male and female) through their blogs, and Liz is one of them.

I stumbled upon Liz’s blog in the usual way, you know, following some links and such. On that particular day, she had published a blog post that linked back to a previous post from a few months back about being single, combatting loneliness and not settling for less than one deserves in a relationship. Liz’s open and emotional writing reached out to me, touched me, affected me, and helped me through a tough time in my own life. I reached out to her to let her know her words inspired me and how much I appreciated her honesty and openness. We’ve been very close friends ever since. That’s the beauty of writing and why I like to write - you can touch people’s lives just by being honest about your own. I admire Liz for that and I encourage you to embrace the idea that there’s something, someone, some blog, out there for everyone and Liz’s, while it may stray from your personal taste, can and obviously does touch the lives of many. She deserves this award.

I sincerely hope that this has been a learning experience for you as you go on your own respective journey defining yourself and your writing. Never underestimate the power of words - whether positive or negative, yours or others’.

Let this lesson that he (hopefully) learned be a lesson to all. Whether blogging, writing, speaking, etc., choose your words wisely because you never know who’s life you are affecting with each one.

Oh, and don’t mess with my girl.

It may seem as though I have been neglecting you, but, like everyone else in the home-stretch of Q4, I’ve been so busy. In fact, I went on my first business trip! I feel so “grown-up” saying it, and I felt even more “grown-up” getting on a plane, staying in a hotel, and going to meetings with clients for two days.

I went to Los Angeles, Calif. with my supervisor to meet with one of our big clients. We met to a) meet face to face for the first time (for me at least), b) discuss progress from the past month we’ve been working with them and c) discuss social media plans for 2010.

Sidenote: Holy crap it’s almost 2010.

Anyway.

Let me just say, we came up with some awesome ideas while locked up in a conference room for eight hours each day. We have now mapped out an entire social media plan for the first half of 2010; complete with promotions, execution plans, timelines and prizes. I’m stoked.

It was an incredible learning experience for me. Not only was I in meetings all day long with VPs and Directors, I was also managing other clients during some (rare) difficulties. I learned about the inner-workings of this company and now have a better understanding of the kinds of things they do and the detailed process in which they do them.

But what I learned form the most, was my supervisor. He. Is. Awesome. You see, my vision of what agencies do goes a little like this:

“I’m preparing for a business trip. It’s with this client and this is what they want and this is my plan and this is how I’m going to execute it. Period.”

However, with my supervisor, this wasn’t the case. I have no idea how much he prepared for this business trip. I know we prepared a presentation (that we didn’t even present), but as far as I know, that’s about it. Funny thing is, he didn’t need to prepare. He has an incredible understanding of business and how business should be. Instead of walking into a meeting with predisposed plans and predetermined methods, he walked in to the meeting with an open mind. Want to know the craziest part? He listened. Our company actually listened! We listened to what the client had to say. My supervisor asked questions that were thought provoking and incited the client to describe (in detail) their goals, how they see social media contributing to their personal job and how we, Context Optional, could help them achieve their goals. Now, these goals varied depending on each individual job, but that didn’t matter. My supervisor continued to listen and respond no matter what the goal was. From there, we devised plans that incorporated everyone’s goals and (hypothetically) achieved them. It was incredible to watch and be a part of.

Now, you may be asking yourself why I put the word listen in italics each time it was mentioned. That’s because people don’t listen anymore. I don’t know whether it’s because they’re preoccupied, distracted, careless, or all of the above, but people don’t listen. Therefore, they don’t respond properly. They don’t succeed with clients because they don’t make them happy because they don’t listen.

Context Optional listens. And I am so lucky to be a part of that. I am so exited to see all of our big ideas, pitched to head-honchos, come alive.

Twitter recently announced lists, an easy solution for adding a group of your brand’s favorite to your Twitter page.  Lists are like bookmarks on your browser, or a blogroll on your blog, but for your brand on Twitter allow you bring relevant brand related content to your Twitter page.

Here are five ways your brand can benefit from Twitter Lists:

1. Follow Other Brands or People in Your Industry

It can be hard to navigate the vastness of Twitter.  Twitter Lists allow you to group users that are important for you to watch.  Well crafted lists help your firm build credibility among those in your industry as well as make it easy to @reply and retweet industry peers by following them in the same place.

2. Recognize or Watch Valued Customers

Use Twitter lists to connect with your customers.  By creating a List of your customers, it’s very easy to follow the customers you care most about.  Lists make it easier to send out tweets or messages to the designated list members, which is a great way to recognize important tweeters to your brand. If you’re concerned about listing your customers on a public forum, you can also keep that list private and just refer to it yourself.

3. Create an Employee List

Many times brands create Twitter accounts that then appear to be run by “robots.”  Customers value knowing who they are talking to. A Twitter List that highlights the Twitter accounts of your employees allows customers to reach out to representatives that might cater to their needs more precisely than if they contacted the master account.  Include official company accounts, employees who tweet for your company, and any personal accounts that employees wish to share as well.

4. Showcase Experience

Brands can use Twitter Lists to showcase with whom your company has worked and the kind of work done. This is a valuable way for other users to see what you’ve been up to and how you stay connected.

5. Increase Your Following

By using and promoting your Twitter Lists you can drastically increase your following. Think about it this way, you’re including industry specialists, clients, employees, etc. in your Twitter Lists – chances are, if you’re this involved, you’ll get added to lists as well. It’s a “snowball” effect and before you know it, you will have been completely infiltrated into the Twitter world. Being added to a Twitter list allows users who may not be following you to see your tweets. This increases your visibility and puts your brand out there so others can follow you.

Check out Context Optional’s Twitter Lists!

I don’t think I ever truly understood this saying/excuse/line before. Until now.

It’s true. And it’s awesome.

I know I’ve said it before, but my job is amazing – and no, I’m not just writing this because some of my coworkers read my blog. I’m writing this because, every day, no matter how stressed out or overwhelmed the “real world” may be, I feel like the luckiest damn girl in the world.

I’ve always had a great work ethic. Even when I worked in various restaurants and bars throughout high school and college, I was always the one going above and beyond. I’ve always believed that you only get places if you work for them. Nothing is going to fall into your lap.

But, I have never had as much motivation to work hard as I do now. I am constantly given more and more responsibility at work. Many people might run scared from that – at the slightest sight of adversity. But me? I like a challenge. And while, at times, this week I wanted to throw my laptop off the 14^th floor of my office building, I truly and whole-heartedly love being so busy. Of course, it helps a little bit that I couldn’t have found a dreamier dream job. This job and I, just fit.

I’m dipping my toes in so many puddles and learning more and more each day. I am in a constant state of learning. I love it.

Who knew, at 22, that I would be exactly where I want to be?

With all the talk of Twitter and Facebook slowly taking over the world, we’ve all seemed to forget about MySpace. Many of us don’t even equate MySpace with social networking as we once did. It seems as though MySpace is now just a place for musicians and advertisements.

During the past six months, MySpace activity has dropped significantly. According to Mashable.com, MySpace’s U.S. traffic dropped from 55.6 million unique visitors in August to 50.2 million in September. Wow. That’s more than five million users in one month.

MySpace is in a downward, accelerating spiral. It’s losing millions and millions of dollars for News Corp., not to mention three executives and countless staff layoffs the past few months. MySpace is losing users like, whoa.

Full article

Social media can seem overwhelming. Trying to keep up with what your friends are doing on Facebook, following experts on Twitter and reading up on blogs can be time-consuming. Once you’ve exposed yourself to the social sphere and are just as addicted as everyone else, it’s important to strike a balance between work and social life.

This is a challenge that many brands across the social networking world face every day. How do I make my page stand out among the millions of others? How do I get individuals to visit my page, and keep coming back?

Full article

I saw this video online, got chills. The statistics are profound. Left me speechless.

Welcome to the new world…

We all know it. We’ve all been there.

We’re going through Facebook friends, seeing what everyone is up to, and, of course, seeing who from high school you know is engaged, getting married, single, pregnant, already a mommy, whatever. It’s an addiction, really. Or maybe it’s just the nosy in me.

Sidenote: Holy crap to all the friends I knew in high school that have kids and are getting married/are engaged… Congrats, I guess. But wow. I’m getting old.

Anyway.

I’m perusing my newsfeed and come across more than a handful of people that were listed as in “complicated” relationships. I’ve never understood the meaning of a “complicated” relationship. You’re either in a relationship, or you’re not. And if you’re in one of those transitional, in-between stages, you just don’t publicize that.

Anyway, here’s something I found online that was relatively amusing.

For women…

For men…

Go ahead. Overanalyze THAT.