I've decided to consolidate by creating one blog that's both my professional site and repository of rambling: http://recessionrenaissance.wordpress.com.
I'll still maintain this site for travel stories and photos of family, friends, and trips, but will not be posting regularly. I'm currently posting daily on the other blog, so check it out when you're bored.
Thanks. :)
Monday, July 13, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Unpublished editorial
Editorial: Amateur hour in the fourth estate
May 7, 2009
By Laura Dannen
It was a fine day for sound bytes at Tuesday’s Senate hearing on the future of journalism –- exactly what you would expect from a panel of former journalists and publishers. As Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, suggested print news may go the way of the dodo, bloggers all over the country posted, tweeted and Facebooked their favorite quotes as they watched the hearing live on CNN.com. I know –- I was one of them.
Does my blogging inadvertently reinforce Kerry’s point? I am, after all, a professional, albeit freelance journalist who rushed to post something casual online rather than submit a thoughtful article to a print publication. In doing so, I didn’t double-check my quotes or fact-check the veracity of any statements. I knew better, but I was in a self-imposed rush, with nothing other than a bad Internet connection stopping me from “publishing” on my blog.
We all want to be the first to break news to our audience of one or 1,000. Therein lies one of the greatest unsolved problems of converting mass media from print to online: maintaining accountability. In the race to produce, are we skipping some of the rules? No matter how well-trained a journalist might be, how many professional degrees held, Pulitzers won or clips clipped, the lure of journalists’ manna –- to break news –- can compel even the best to do their worst. It’s not the endangerment of newspapers we should fear, but rather the loss of their standards for fair and accurate reporting.
The queen bee of bloggers, Arianna Huffington of The Huffington Post, reminded the Senate subcommittee, “Ubiquity is the new exclusivity.” Free online news is particularly appetizing when The New York Times decides to charge $2 for its daily paper and an ungodly $6 for its Sunday edition, banking on affluent, engaged readers to stay committed to its paper product.
Will such exclusivity of readership be the “new deal” of newspapers or just a finger in the dike? Quality stories are no more confined to paper than to television, radio or the Internet. But as the delivery of news continues to be democratized, the same should not be true of its creation. Anyone can be a “citizen journalist” and break news, but how many can truly report it?
David Simon, a former Baltimore Sun reporter and creator of HBO series “The Wire,” told the committee, “The very phrase ‘citizen journalist’ strikes my ears as Orwellian.” Now, that’s a little harsh. At their core, citizen journalists are eager members of a community trying to spread the “news” as they define it. The same could be said of a gossipy knitting circle at the local library. Ultimately, they are amateurs –- and the fourth estate deserves better than that. Would a citizen journalist sit through weeks of drawn-out city council hearings? Would they embed with a unit in Iraq? Conceivably, these people have jobs, families –- lives dedicated to other pursuits. Citizen journalists will not be the downfall of our free society, but they should not be relied upon as the key components of journalism’s new business model. So who should?
Answer: all those trained and freelancing professional journalists, blogging out of boredom. By one count, there were at least 12,500 laid off from U.S. newspapers in the last two years. Quality investigative journalism –- part of what Simon calls “high-end journalism” –- is still a necessity for the well being of our democracy, but newspaper owners do not hold the patent on high-end journalism. The skill sets of editors and reporters are easily transferable, as long as someone pays to convert the medium from print to online.
Consider innovation: A quick check of journalismjobs.com would show that New York-based start-up Patch Media (Patch.com) is hiring (!) reporters and editors in New Jersey and Connecticut right now. Its model for community news blends traditional reporting methods –- contributors in council meetings, at the police stations, at Little League games –- with new media, all while a professional editor looks on.
Patch is online, free to use, and a formula that could work in every town in America. Former Time Out New York editor Brian Farnham serves as editor-in-chief, recruiting local emissaries who are “passionate –- about the Internet, about journalism, about doing a job right.” (Don’t worry: they also need a firm grasp of AP style, according to one job posting. Journalism-school degrees are a plus, too.)
The $64,000 question: who will pay for it? Patch Media is backed by Polar Capital Group, a private investment company. The model is growing… slowly. Patch is setting up shop in nine communities, including South Orange, Scotch Plains, Millburn, Maplewood, Summit, Westfield and Ridgewood. However, the news coverage isn’t comprehensive (it leeches from the Star-Ledger) and advertisers have yet to invest. Still, this model does what many publishers loathe to do: look forward, not backward. The newspaper industry could try many of the tactics recommended at the Senate hearing, such as giving newspapers non-profit status or rallying each publisher to charge for online subscriptions. Does that help journalism grow, though?
Or would we all be better off if newspapers and start-ups joined forces? As former Washington Post managing editor Steve Coll noted at the hearing, we need to protect the public interest by preserving the fourth estate. To do so, I say we invest in entrepreneurial models that shift newspapers’ resources, talent and experience online. Hire back the unemployed reporters and editors and have them teach a merry band of citizen journalists how to report. Bring new credibility and integrity to online news.
May 7, 2009
By Laura Dannen
It was a fine day for sound bytes at Tuesday’s Senate hearing on the future of journalism –- exactly what you would expect from a panel of former journalists and publishers. As Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, suggested print news may go the way of the dodo, bloggers all over the country posted, tweeted and Facebooked their favorite quotes as they watched the hearing live on CNN.com. I know –- I was one of them.
Does my blogging inadvertently reinforce Kerry’s point? I am, after all, a professional, albeit freelance journalist who rushed to post something casual online rather than submit a thoughtful article to a print publication. In doing so, I didn’t double-check my quotes or fact-check the veracity of any statements. I knew better, but I was in a self-imposed rush, with nothing other than a bad Internet connection stopping me from “publishing” on my blog.
We all want to be the first to break news to our audience of one or 1,000. Therein lies one of the greatest unsolved problems of converting mass media from print to online: maintaining accountability. In the race to produce, are we skipping some of the rules? No matter how well-trained a journalist might be, how many professional degrees held, Pulitzers won or clips clipped, the lure of journalists’ manna –- to break news –- can compel even the best to do their worst. It’s not the endangerment of newspapers we should fear, but rather the loss of their standards for fair and accurate reporting.
The queen bee of bloggers, Arianna Huffington of The Huffington Post, reminded the Senate subcommittee, “Ubiquity is the new exclusivity.” Free online news is particularly appetizing when The New York Times decides to charge $2 for its daily paper and an ungodly $6 for its Sunday edition, banking on affluent, engaged readers to stay committed to its paper product.
Will such exclusivity of readership be the “new deal” of newspapers or just a finger in the dike? Quality stories are no more confined to paper than to television, radio or the Internet. But as the delivery of news continues to be democratized, the same should not be true of its creation. Anyone can be a “citizen journalist” and break news, but how many can truly report it?
David Simon, a former Baltimore Sun reporter and creator of HBO series “The Wire,” told the committee, “The very phrase ‘citizen journalist’ strikes my ears as Orwellian.” Now, that’s a little harsh. At their core, citizen journalists are eager members of a community trying to spread the “news” as they define it. The same could be said of a gossipy knitting circle at the local library. Ultimately, they are amateurs –- and the fourth estate deserves better than that. Would a citizen journalist sit through weeks of drawn-out city council hearings? Would they embed with a unit in Iraq? Conceivably, these people have jobs, families –- lives dedicated to other pursuits. Citizen journalists will not be the downfall of our free society, but they should not be relied upon as the key components of journalism’s new business model. So who should?
Answer: all those trained and freelancing professional journalists, blogging out of boredom. By one count, there were at least 12,500 laid off from U.S. newspapers in the last two years. Quality investigative journalism –- part of what Simon calls “high-end journalism” –- is still a necessity for the well being of our democracy, but newspaper owners do not hold the patent on high-end journalism. The skill sets of editors and reporters are easily transferable, as long as someone pays to convert the medium from print to online.
Consider innovation: A quick check of journalismjobs.com would show that New York-based start-up Patch Media (Patch.com) is hiring (!) reporters and editors in New Jersey and Connecticut right now. Its model for community news blends traditional reporting methods –- contributors in council meetings, at the police stations, at Little League games –- with new media, all while a professional editor looks on.
Patch is online, free to use, and a formula that could work in every town in America. Former Time Out New York editor Brian Farnham serves as editor-in-chief, recruiting local emissaries who are “passionate –- about the Internet, about journalism, about doing a job right.” (Don’t worry: they also need a firm grasp of AP style, according to one job posting. Journalism-school degrees are a plus, too.)
The $64,000 question: who will pay for it? Patch Media is backed by Polar Capital Group, a private investment company. The model is growing… slowly. Patch is setting up shop in nine communities, including South Orange, Scotch Plains, Millburn, Maplewood, Summit, Westfield and Ridgewood. However, the news coverage isn’t comprehensive (it leeches from the Star-Ledger) and advertisers have yet to invest. Still, this model does what many publishers loathe to do: look forward, not backward. The newspaper industry could try many of the tactics recommended at the Senate hearing, such as giving newspapers non-profit status or rallying each publisher to charge for online subscriptions. Does that help journalism grow, though?
Or would we all be better off if newspapers and start-ups joined forces? As former Washington Post managing editor Steve Coll noted at the hearing, we need to protect the public interest by preserving the fourth estate. To do so, I say we invest in entrepreneurial models that shift newspapers’ resources, talent and experience online. Hire back the unemployed reporters and editors and have them teach a merry band of citizen journalists how to report. Bring new credibility and integrity to online news.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Colbert: Two for two
Have to say, I'm loving Stephen Colbert's latest stunts -- including guest-editing Newsweek. Before his trip to visit the troops in Iraq, he filmed this segment with Tom Hanks. Four words: ice cream and puppies. It's awesome. Watch it.
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Tom Hanks Care Package | ||||
| ||||
Where am I, Singapore?
According to the Seattle Weekly, the Washington State Liquor Control Board -- which, if you caught the gist of the title, controls the sale of spirits in state -- has voted to increase the markup on liquor from 39.2 percent to 51.9 percent. Meaning, a 1.75L bottle of Stoli vodka costs $46.95, and our favorite, a .75L bottle of Jameson, costs $27.95.
Aiyoh! That's how expensive alcohol was in Singapore! Did I actually move? I mean, I know the state isn't taxing milk and eggs, but these vice taxes cut me deep. Though it is another way to bring in revenue during a recession...any thoughts?
Aiyoh! That's how expensive alcohol was in Singapore! Did I actually move? I mean, I know the state isn't taxing milk and eggs, but these vice taxes cut me deep. Though it is another way to bring in revenue during a recession...any thoughts?
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Singapore articles for TravelMuse.com, 6/12/09
"East Meets West in the Lion City"
http://www.travelmuse.com/articles/singapore/top-singapore-attractions
"Savory Bites: Best Singapore Dining Experiences"
http://www.travelmuse.com/articles/singapore/best-singapore-restaurants
"Singapore: Asian Shopping Mecca"
http://www.travelmuse.com/articles/singapore/singapore-shopping-guide
"Singapore's Arab Quarter Delights"
http://www.travelmuse.com/articles/singapore/arab-quarter-attractions
"Sentosa: Singapore's Island Resort"
http://www.travelmuse.com/articles/singapore/sentosa-island
Self-promotion
Websites are hard to update -- blogs, not so much. The next few entries include some of the work I've done lately, for anyone interested.
First: travel story about Halong Bay, Vietnam, for Time Out Singapore
http://www.timeoutsingapore.com/travel/feature/karst-a-spell
Karst a spell
It's hard to venture off the beaten path in mainland Vietnam. Depressed by the havoc of Hanoi, Laura Dannen made a city escape by sea to Halong Bay
An American soldier stands with his gun cocked and grin cocky, leering at the dead Vietnamese bodies below him, while his comrade-in-arms sets fire to a thatched-roof hut. Though the images are black, white and yellowing, the message is still clear.
'Well, that's depressing,' I mumble to myself, involuntarily shuddering at the photographs lining the wall of the Museum of the Vietnamese Revolution in Hanoi (25 Tong Dan St and 216 Tran Quang Khai St, +84 04 825 4151). Like many young Americans with only a limited knowledge of the Vietnam War, I had come to the country's capital city to gain a better sense of the history between the two nations. But after a day of exploration, it had already become too much: too much information on the 'American puppet administration', too many taxi drivers ripping us off, too many fake agencies masquerading as offi cial tour operator Sinh Café (see 'Original Sinh', below) and offering bogus deals. Ultimately, just too depressing.
There, though, in the window of one of two genuine Sinh Cafés (52 Luong Ngoc Quyen St; +84 04 926 1568, www.sinhcafevn.com), was an oversized photo of limestone karsts rising out of the water like guardians of the Gulf of Tonkin. Many travellers who grow weary of Hanoi escape to Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Vietnam's north-eastern coast that's a four-hour car ride away. Though its natural history is incredible – the karsts have evolved over a period of 20 million years – a tour here boasts enough stimuli to satisfy your cultural curiosity and adventurous side as well.
Packed into a 16-passenger van, our tour group sets out for Halong City, passing through lush farmland where the verdant monotony of rice paddies is broken by rural villages. Halong City itself doesn't serve as much more than a place to load and unload buses of tourists. Meanwhile, traffic in the water matches that on land – dozens of Chinese junks bump each other at the docks, angling for your business. The original junk (a large wooden sailing vessel) dates back to the 3rd century, but the 21st-century model boasts a top deck with reclining chairs, cosy bedrooms with full-size beds and fans, flushing toilets and catered dinners.
After securing a spot at the bow of our boat, I take a deep breath as petrol fumes give way to a sea breeze. The horizon opens up as the captain navigates the channels between some of the 1,969 islets – monoliths rising 100m above the water. The panorama is so impressive, one might expect Zeus to sit atop a karst, nestled in the tropical vegetation, and demand a toll as you pass. 'They all look the same after a while,' comments one passenger, closing her eyes so she can sunbathe properly. Guess it's not heaven on Earth for everyone.
Luckily, the trip includes more than casual gazing and eye-glazing. Around midday, the boat 'parks' and we're herded into a grotto of one of the karsts, where stalactites and stalagmites close around you like the jaws of the cave. Though the guides delight in pointing out anything phallic – and one rock formation resembling a dragon face has been Disney-fied with red lights for eyes – this is as good a chance as any to become better acquainted with a natural phenomenon. Later, there's time to kayak into less visited hollows where karsts meet the sea. While pottering around in the shadows, you see locals appear seemingly out of nowhere – some on floating fishing villages, some in longboats bearing boxes of Oreos and bottles of water for sale.
Many argue that 'an authentic Vietnamese experience' is difficult to come by, since guided tours dominate exploration of this country. But it's in the stolen moments of silence away from the group that you can start to understand Halong Bay – its people, its landscape. Only two of the bigger islands are habitable, with fi shing and tourism the two main industries. History may also limit the work done among the karsts. During the Vietnam War, the US Navy mined many of the bay's channels – a chilling thought that prompts quicker paddling back to the anchored junk as the sun starts to set. *
Essential information
How to get there: Fly Singapore to Hanoi on Tiger Airways, with flights from S$138 at press time. Then book either a day trip (S$39) or overnight trip (S$64) through Sinh Café, though we recommend the overnight stay on a Chinese junk.
What to eat/drink: Food is included on the tour – lots of squid, sweet and sour chicken or pork, rice and vegetables. You have to pay separately for water, soda and beer.
Trip includes: Round-trip van ride between Hanoi and Halong Bay; boat ride; guide; swimming; lunch/dinner/ breakfast; entrance fees; general pirating if so desired (jumping off boat, climbing up ropes, but no pillaging). Kayaking costs S$6 extra.
Original Sinh
While in Vietnam's capital, don't be duped by any of the bogus Sinh Cafés around the city – these are the two real ones:
* 52 Luong Ngoc Quyen St, Old Quarter; +84 04 926 1568
* 64 Tran Nhat Duat St; +84 04 929 0304
www.sinhcafevn.com (this site is hard to navigate; best to visit the agency in person)
It's also fun to play 'Spot the fakes'. Note that the logo for the real Café has a bird with four feathers – one long, three short – and a tail split in two. Happy hunting!
And a little something for the parents (not part of the article): Greg and Laura, taking a break in Halong Bay
First: travel story about Halong Bay, Vietnam, for Time Out Singapore
http://www.timeoutsingapore.com/travel/feature/karst-a-spell
Karst a spell
It's hard to venture off the beaten path in mainland Vietnam. Depressed by the havoc of Hanoi, Laura Dannen made a city escape by sea to Halong Bay
An American soldier stands with his gun cocked and grin cocky, leering at the dead Vietnamese bodies below him, while his comrade-in-arms sets fire to a thatched-roof hut. Though the images are black, white and yellowing, the message is still clear.
'Well, that's depressing,' I mumble to myself, involuntarily shuddering at the photographs lining the wall of the Museum of the Vietnamese Revolution in Hanoi (25 Tong Dan St and 216 Tran Quang Khai St, +84 04 825 4151). Like many young Americans with only a limited knowledge of the Vietnam War, I had come to the country's capital city to gain a better sense of the history between the two nations. But after a day of exploration, it had already become too much: too much information on the 'American puppet administration', too many taxi drivers ripping us off, too many fake agencies masquerading as offi cial tour operator Sinh Café (see 'Original Sinh', below) and offering bogus deals. Ultimately, just too depressing.
There, though, in the window of one of two genuine Sinh Cafés (52 Luong Ngoc Quyen St; +84 04 926 1568, www.sinhcafevn.com), was an oversized photo of limestone karsts rising out of the water like guardians of the Gulf of Tonkin. Many travellers who grow weary of Hanoi escape to Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Vietnam's north-eastern coast that's a four-hour car ride away. Though its natural history is incredible – the karsts have evolved over a period of 20 million years – a tour here boasts enough stimuli to satisfy your cultural curiosity and adventurous side as well.
Packed into a 16-passenger van, our tour group sets out for Halong City, passing through lush farmland where the verdant monotony of rice paddies is broken by rural villages. Halong City itself doesn't serve as much more than a place to load and unload buses of tourists. Meanwhile, traffic in the water matches that on land – dozens of Chinese junks bump each other at the docks, angling for your business. The original junk (a large wooden sailing vessel) dates back to the 3rd century, but the 21st-century model boasts a top deck with reclining chairs, cosy bedrooms with full-size beds and fans, flushing toilets and catered dinners.
After securing a spot at the bow of our boat, I take a deep breath as petrol fumes give way to a sea breeze. The horizon opens up as the captain navigates the channels between some of the 1,969 islets – monoliths rising 100m above the water. The panorama is so impressive, one might expect Zeus to sit atop a karst, nestled in the tropical vegetation, and demand a toll as you pass. 'They all look the same after a while,' comments one passenger, closing her eyes so she can sunbathe properly. Guess it's not heaven on Earth for everyone.
Luckily, the trip includes more than casual gazing and eye-glazing. Around midday, the boat 'parks' and we're herded into a grotto of one of the karsts, where stalactites and stalagmites close around you like the jaws of the cave. Though the guides delight in pointing out anything phallic – and one rock formation resembling a dragon face has been Disney-fied with red lights for eyes – this is as good a chance as any to become better acquainted with a natural phenomenon. Later, there's time to kayak into less visited hollows where karsts meet the sea. While pottering around in the shadows, you see locals appear seemingly out of nowhere – some on floating fishing villages, some in longboats bearing boxes of Oreos and bottles of water for sale.
Many argue that 'an authentic Vietnamese experience' is difficult to come by, since guided tours dominate exploration of this country. But it's in the stolen moments of silence away from the group that you can start to understand Halong Bay – its people, its landscape. Only two of the bigger islands are habitable, with fi shing and tourism the two main industries. History may also limit the work done among the karsts. During the Vietnam War, the US Navy mined many of the bay's channels – a chilling thought that prompts quicker paddling back to the anchored junk as the sun starts to set. *
Essential information
How to get there: Fly Singapore to Hanoi on Tiger Airways, with flights from S$138 at press time. Then book either a day trip (S$39) or overnight trip (S$64) through Sinh Café, though we recommend the overnight stay on a Chinese junk.
What to eat/drink: Food is included on the tour – lots of squid, sweet and sour chicken or pork, rice and vegetables. You have to pay separately for water, soda and beer.
Trip includes: Round-trip van ride between Hanoi and Halong Bay; boat ride; guide; swimming; lunch/dinner/ breakfast; entrance fees; general pirating if so desired (jumping off boat, climbing up ropes, but no pillaging). Kayaking costs S$6 extra.
Original Sinh
While in Vietnam's capital, don't be duped by any of the bogus Sinh Cafés around the city – these are the two real ones:
* 52 Luong Ngoc Quyen St, Old Quarter; +84 04 926 1568
* 64 Tran Nhat Duat St; +84 04 929 0304
www.sinhcafevn.com (this site is hard to navigate; best to visit the agency in person)
It's also fun to play 'Spot the fakes'. Note that the logo for the real Café has a bird with four feathers – one long, three short – and a tail split in two. Happy hunting!
And a little something for the parents (not part of the article): Greg and Laura, taking a break in Halong Bay
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