The Soul of a City

On December 19, 2009, In Arkansas, Culture, By Blake

Not long ago I was sitting at a local bar in Little Rock talking to a friend about the impact that sports have on cities. We were discussing the role that Razorback sports play in everyday life in Arkansas. (For example, last night Mrs. Think Tank and I saw a Christmas light display that was 1/3 Santa, 2/3 Razorbacks.) I raised the question to my friend about the value that pro sports – specifically the NFL – have on major cities, citing the miraculous season the New Orleans Saints are having.

Louisiana native and noted Saints enthusiast Max Brantley points us to a lengthy piece at ESPN.com about the Saints and the impact this team – currently 13-0 – are having on that city. James Carville of Bill Clinton political fame was in Little Rock last week to speak at the Kumpuris Lecture Series with his wife, Mary Matalin. Mr. Carville sported a fleur-de-lis tie and a Saints cap. He even threw a shout-out to Think Tank Sister for attending Tulane.

Tonight the Saints play the Dallas Cowboys, a team owned by Arkansan Jerry Jones and features a famous Razorback, Felix Jones, in the backfield (although he doesn’t get as many carries as he should). The Cowboys have a lot of fans in Arkansas, including Arkansas Business publisher Jeff Hankins. On my radio show, Arkansas Sunday Edition, a few weeks back Mr. Hankins and my producer, RJ Hawk, were giddy about the playoff prospects of that team. That was before Thanksgiving, and the Cowboys are 8-5, a game out of first place and the wild-card.

(This has become a common thing on the show. Each week Mr. Hawk gives me another in a long line of excuses for his teams’ woes.)

(more…)

Tagged with: • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

To Jeff Hankins: A Response

On June 1, 2009, In Arkansas, Local News, Newspapers and Media, By Blake

Jeff Hankins of Arkansas Business offers an interesting opinion piece today in the print edition of his publication. In it he discusses the challenges presented by the growing phenomenon called “citizen journalism.” On Twitter, he challenged me to a response. Ask and ye shall receive.

In 2003, Bowman and Willis in “We Media: How Audiences are Shaping the Future of News and Information,” published in The Media Center at The American Press Institute, defined citizen journalism as “the concept of members of the public “playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information.” The authors state, “The intent of this participation is to provide independent, reliable, accurate, wide-ranging and relevant information that a democracy requires.”

Mr. Hankins doesn’t quarrel with the notion that citizen journalism exists, or, more specifically, that it should exist. He writes, “The value, relevance and opportunities of social media and citizen journalism are clear to me. We at Arkansas Business are active participants in the phenomenon from every direction.”

Rather, his concern stems from the anonymity that permeates the online space (“anonymous blog and Twitter postings are routine”) which leads to the spreading of inaccurate and unreliable information. It’s a fair and reasonable concern; in an ideal world everyone would comment using their own name and be willing (and mature enough) to stand behind what they say. Naturally, any factual assertions would also be accurate. But we don’t live in a Walt Disney movie.

Mr. Hankins’ concern is illustrated by news that Arkansas State University president Les Wyatt was rumored to be a candidate for the presidency at Ole Miss.  Blogs reported it and television stations picked it up. It wasn’t true, but as Mr. Hankins writes, “Wyatt can’t make all that go away with a phone call to a newspaper editor or television news director.” I guess being mentioned for the Ole Miss job is a really bad thing.

But that’s not the issue, I realize. Clearly, the information was wrong, and because of the vast network of blogs along with the subsequent reliance on their accuracy by television stations, the information was disseminated to the public causing Mr. Wyatt some headache. “Leaks of confidential information and general marketing nightmares can develop and spread fast and freely,” Mr. Hankins notes.

This spreading of misinformation is a natural extension of what we commonly refer to as the water cooler conversation. People have been spreading rumors, lies and embarrassing details about friends, family members, colleagues and adversaries long before the Internet was contemplated. Don’t be foolish enough to believe this is a by-product of the World Wide Web.

(more…)

Tagged with: • • • • • • •
 
22 Comments
Leave A Response

John Brummett’s At It Again

On April 2, 2009, In Arkansas, Local News, Newspapers and Media, By Blake

First Kane Webb of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette lambasts the “Internet” (by which he means blogs) for pushing bad words. Then Jeff Hankins of Arkansas Business writes in his is 2034 prediction column, “The demand for quality information, trend stories and entertainment reading won’t go away, so credible local media will be as relevant as ever, despite what bloggers want us to think.” Now we have old media kingpin John Brummett telling us in a blog post titled “Here’s Your Journalistic Courage,”

God I love newspapers. Y’all gonna miss ‘em when they’re gone.

I knew Mr. Brummett was cranky about the Internet generally and has been whining for months about the thought that journalism could be collected and reported in a manner that didn’t involve a quill and ink. But to declare that we’re all going to “miss ‘em when they’re gone” seems rather dramatic. I didn’t know Mr. Brummett had that much emotion in him.

Here are two questions: Mr. Brummett’s columns appear online at ArkansasNews.com and are linked to regularly at ArkTimes.com.  If those two Web properties didn’t exist, would his column? If “That TV Woman” Kristin Fisher hadn’t stared him down would he even be mentioned in any of this talk of new media and its impact on journalism?

If you answered NO to question No. 1 and NO to question No. 2 then give Mr. Brummett a shout and tell him to chill.  That damn Internet is keeping him afloat.  And it can keep newspapers afloat, too.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • •
 
11 Comments
Leave A Response

Predictions and Generalizations Abound in Arkansas!

On April 1, 2009, In Arkansas, Local News, Newspapers and Media, Public Affairs, By Blake

Jeff Hankins of Arkansas Business takes a look into the future and predicts what will be happening in news, business and his own life in 2034. Of relevant note to readers of this blog:

Print publications like this will still be around, but there will be fewer of them. Daily and weekly newspapers will consolidate because of a combination of reader habits and population shifts. The demand for quality information, trend stories and entertainment reading won’t go away, so credible local media will be as relevant as ever, despite what bloggers want us to think. The commodity is and will be national news and information that we can get from dozens of sources.

I agree with everything he’s said right up to the “despite what bloggers want us to think.” Man, that’s the second generalization in as many days (Thumbs Up: Kane Webb). What’s the deal?

As a blogger who also comments frequently on the future of news, I’ve said repeatedly that the market will trend substantially towards quality, credible and relevant local content, and the publications (print, online-only, or a hybrid) that survive (and thrive) will be the ones that recognize that. Seems to me that this blogger and that newspaper man agree.

Tagged with: • • • •
 
1 Comments
Leave A Response

Ark. Business Celebrates 25 Years

On March 20, 2009, In Arkansas, Local News, Newspapers and Media, By Blake

It’s not all bad in the news business . . . yesterday Arkansas Business celebrated it’s 25th anniversary with a reception at the Pleasant Valley Country Club. The Think Tank made the invite list, but was in Russellville and could not attend. Readers will be treated to a 132-page anniversary edition next week. Lance Turner of AB notes more on his blog.

Tagged with: • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

The Newspaper Business in Arkansas

On November 24, 2008, In Arkansas, Corporate, Newspapers and Media, Public Affairs, By Blake

Mark Hengel of Arkansas Business has a story in this week’s edition of AB about newspapers in Arkansas and their continual search to develop an online business model that works.  Hengel interviews Arkansas Press Association presiden Tom Larimer, Arkansas Democat Gazette publisher Walter Hussman, and goes on the record with his own boss, AB publisher Jeff Hankins.

Arkansas Business’ web property, arkansasbusiness.com, is up 26%, notes Mr. Hankins.  And it offers all of its content for free.  The Arkansas Democrat Gazette’s online property, arkansasonline.com, comes with a monthly cost, although readers can get all of the paper’s northwest arkansas content for free at nwanews.com.  Mr. Hussman observes, “That’s much more competitive up there,” Hussman said. “The Morning News [of Springdale] offers content for free, and it really hasn’t hurt us that much because it’s a smaller market.”

A fellow Think Tank reader and I just had a fruitful discussion about the future of the newspaper business.  She raised the question of whether we’d see magazines and newspapers around two decades from now.  My response was yes, we would.  There’s always going to be a market for them, especially at the community level.  But I also noted that we’d see more robust online properties that supplement content provided in print editions.  The most sustainable and attractive sites will include blogs, v-casts, podcasts, online exclusives, and much more. It will cost newspapers in the short term by investing in the infrastructure to support it.  But it will pay off many times over as more and more young people enter the marketplace.  Being able to capture that audience, and keep them engaged, will be the true test.

And despite what newspapers believe, carving niches is critical.  That is, perhaps, one explanation for why arkansasbusiness.com is doing so well.

Tagged with: • • • • • •
 
1 Comments
Leave A Response

Arkansas TV tonight

On November 4, 2008, In 2008 election, Arkansas, Newspapers and Media, Politics, By Blake

KTHV : Jeff Hankins and Lance Turner of Arkansas Business providing local color both on television and on on THV2.com amd Comcast 233 beginning at 7:00 p.m.

KARK: Arkansas Democrat Gazette columnist, radio host and blogger Pat Lynch and Republican consultant and radio host Bill Vickery.

Tagged with: • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

End of day political round up – - UPDATE

On November 3, 2008, In 2008 election, Arkansas, Politics, Voting, By Blake

An election eve end of day round up . . .

MORE PREDICTIONS: Clinton School Dean Skip Rutherford picks Obama 338 – 200. Arkansas Business chief Jeff Hankins also predicts Obama.

TWEET. TWEET. Ark. Times editor and blogger in chief Max Brantley joins the rest of us on Twitter.

POLLS: MO (tied); FL (McCain +1); NC (McCain +1); VA (Obama +4); CO (Obama +4); GA (McCain +2); MN (Obama +3); NV (Obama +8)

GOTTA HAVE ‘EM: McCain campaign manager Rick Davis admits McCain must win these states: OH, VA, NC, FL, CO, and IN to have a chance at 270.

CAMPAIGNS GET MEAN: An Iraq war vet calls John Murtha a “fat little bastard.” Al Franken lobs this at Norm Coleman: “This is about Sen. Coleman’s political sugar daddy.”

ELECTION NIGHT COCKTAILS: Ark. Times hosts a party at Rumba. Sen. Mark Pryor and Rep. Vic Snyder’s supporters head to Cothams. The Obama campaign will be drinking at Sticky Fingerz. Republican Party of Arkansas and the Young Republicans will gather at the Holiday Inn Presidential.

UPDATE: Green Party will gather at Juanita’s.

COOL VIDEO FEATURE: NY Times writer and blogger Katherine Q. Seelye takes a look back at a two-year campaign.

NOW THAT’S A STREAK: NBC News and First Read blogger Dominic Montanaro: “Obama has now led in 111 straight national polls with methodologies we trust.”

OH NO THEY DIDN’T: Dick Cheney’s hometown newspaper the Casper Star-Tribune endorses Obama.

FAVORITE BOOKS: John McCain: “For Whom the Bell Tolls;” Barack Obama: “Song of Solomon;” Max Brantley: “North Towards Home;” Philip Martin: “The Great Gatsby;” Rep. Steve Harrelson: “A Pryor Committment.”

SOUTHERN DELICIOUS: John McCain’s enjoying friend chicken and peach cobbler with Joe Lieberman, Tom Ridge and Mel Martinez, and isn’t thinking about the speech he’ll have to give tomorrow night. Says McCain speechwriter Mark Salter: ” I don’t work until the day of.”

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: McCain and Obama will be interviewed by Chris Berman at halftime of the Steelers-Redskins game tonight.

DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YA: Philip Fulmer is out as Tennessee’s football coach at the end of the year. Think Tank early projection for his replacement: Butch Davis, Springdale, Arkansas native and current coach at North Carolina.

COMING SOON: My predictions.

Tagged with: • • • • • •
 
1 Comments
Leave A Response

The MSNBC bias

On May 27, 2008, In Arkansas, Culture, Government, Local News, Politics, Public Affairs, Voting, By Blake

As readers of this blog know, I watch MSNBC quite frequently. “Morning Joe,” is the best morning show on television, and the early evening political coverage (“Road to the White House” with David Gregory and “Hardball” with Chris Matthews, especially) is much more comprehensive than anything I can find on CNN or FOX. I enjoy their panels, which often include a mixture of Democrats (Harold Ford, Jr., recently), Republicans (Pat Buchanan, mostly) and journalists.

That said, it’s no secret that MSNBC, and more particularly, Keith Olbermann and Matthews (to a lesser extent, in my view), have been ardent Obama supporters. But as we saw with the media’s swift and visceral reaction to Hillary Clinton’s comments regarding Robert F. Kennedy, these guys aren’t alone in suggesting that the race is over (others, as I linked to below, have called for Clinton to quit next week, if not now).

Isaac Chotiner, writing in the New Republic, suggests that MSNBC’s coverage may end up hurting Obama. He writes,

“In fact, MSNBC’s bias has actually hurt the Illinois senator. After all, it was the Obama cheerleading from MSNBC (among others) that helped lead to Clinton’s New Hampshire comeback. And even if you think (as I do) that the Clintons have made too big of a deal out of the “sexist” and “unfair” portrayal their candidate has received in the press, if you watch enough MSNBC, you realize that their claim isn’t without truth. How could you believe otherwise when Olbermann, with his trademark hauteur, told Hillary that “voluntarily or inadvertently, you are still awash in this filth [of the campaign],” or when Matthews took such self-evident glee in trouncing Clinton in between the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary? Similarly now, by mocking Clinton’s decision to stay in the race, Olbermann has only bolstered her argument that “the boys” are trying to push her out. And finally, on a number of primary nights, but most notably in Pennsylvania and Ohio/Texas, MSNBC has become so excited by early exit polls that it has raised expectations that Obama ultimately could not live up to.”

I still don’t know how much credit to give to media outlets when it comes to elections. Last week, I listened to a panel of local journalists who talked about this. Arkansas Democrat Gazette op-ed writer Kane Webb particpated in the panel (which also included Arkansas Business publisher Jeff Hankins and Arkansas Week host Steve Barnes), and he wrote the following piece about it in Sunday’s paper (sorry, but it’s only available to subscribers) . His response to whether the media influences politics: “Yes, maybe, I have no idea.”

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response
Go To Top »