The Temptation of the Microphone

Some people love the sound of their own voice. Once they have the floor, they’re reluctant to let go. But communication isn’t about holding the stage—it’s about delivering value. Don’t be the person who mistakes airtime for effectiveness. The skill of brevity takes practice. Talk to yourself in the car. Run through how you’d explain an idea to someone in a sentence instead of a paragraph. Ask yourself: How can I say this faster, with more depth? Each time, trim the fat and refine the core. The Reaction Factor People respond differently to clear communicators. When your words are sharp, intentional, and sincere, you become more interesting, and memorable. The fewer words you use, the more each one resonates. Less is always more. Words, once wasted, cannot be reclaimed. Practice word economy in your speech, and you’ll find that people lean in, listen longer, and remember what you say, and will want you to talk more.

The Boston Bombing and the creation of New Black Media

All throughout the media coverage of the Boston bombing did you notice that something was missing?Where was the Black media's reporting on this massive event? I am not pointing fingers at any media outlet, I am just saying what was our take? I am positive that people did cover it the best they could, and if you work for a mainstream media outlet, you were definitely restricted in what you could say. As I looked at the story with so many holes in it, it was a time to question some of the evidence especially about the how the man who found the suspect in his back yard (Tsarnaev, 19, who was charged with one count of using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death and one count of malicious destruction of property by means of an explosive device resulting in death, according to a statement from the Justice Department) in his boat. He looked inside and saw the suspect and you mean to tell me he just sat there and waited for the police to come? Really?

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

Since we do not have news departments in Black radio stations anymore, we have to get back to reporting what is happening around us. Since we have the Internet we should use that medium to create news organizations that can compete with any news outlet in America.

I have some suggestions for alternative news gathering businesses we could start today.

1. An IPhone news gathering team. With this device and a great production person, you could create a news gathering team in any city that would knock the local 6pm news cast out the box. Create a website or a blog that is the go to site for news in your city. With your IPhone or Android reporters out in the field, you could get instant audio and video. You could have a daily newscast (video) that you upload everyday at 6pm or 7pm that people can watch at their leisure. Hyper local news reporting that goes deeper into any story your local TV stations cover. Example...if there was a police shooting in your city and people say that the youth who was shot, did not have a gun and there were witness's. You could interview each witness and get all the details. Mainstream media can't and won't do that. "If you want the truth about the (blank) story go to www.mynewscharlotte.com.  Create a mynewsChicago a mynewsDetroit a mynewsMiami a mynewsPhilly website and kill'em!

2. All newscast are determined by an editor that chooses which stories should be important for us to consume. Who said so? Why do you get to pick what is important for us to know? See this Internet has leveled the playing field. You want to be relevant in your radio career, then get busy doing something as simple as this. The days of waiting for a phone call for a job is OVER! (I will write more on that topic later).

3. Creating content is the business you want to be in. You and I should do this! Buy a domain name, build a website that you can update and upload content yourself!  Create a staff of creative people and teach them how to gather information.

4. Marcel who use to work with the popular Russ Parr show is pioneering on the web. He is creating his own media company called (www.wmarmedia.com).We will be creating a video blog soon so he can teach us how to capitalize off what he is learning how to master.

Marcel

5. Videocasting is the new radio!
Marcel is doing it! Check him out here (Marcel Video show).
YouTube is replacing TV watching, blogging is the new news source, especially twitter which gives you instant news within seconds. Podcasting is also the new radio without brick and mortar and radio towers. People are making a living off these pre-recorded shows that are uploaded for people to consume at there leisure.

Missed opportunities?

I hope this article is inspiring you in some way to begin your new media career online. Just like you were the hottest thing on the radio in your city, you can reinvent yourself and become even hotter, and best of all no one can tell you how creative you can be. Don't miss an opportunity to do something for yourself in the new media space!

To All of my radio friends out there I believe in you and I want you to use the God given talent that you have and shoot off like a rocket!!


Please if you have any creative ideas leave a comment!

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