Chad of the Brickell Life blog holds up a South Florida Sun-Sentinal Tweetup invitation during Tuesday night's Miami Herald Tweetup.
By Carlos Miller
I happen to be an anomaly because I was recently hired as a weekend editor at NBCMiami.com at a time when journalists all over the country are losing their jobs.
For me, it’s the perfect job because I put in 20 hours a week, including 16 hours on Saturday and Sunday where I am responsible for all the content that goes on the site. The other four hours I spend working on multimedia assignments during the week where I utilize my video, photography and writing skills.
So it allows me to continue operating my media business, which includes working as a senior editor for Miami Beach 411, and doing photo assignments for a regular list of clients. And, of course, it allows me to continue operating this site.
In fact, it was this site that enabled me to get that weekend gig at NBCMiami because they were looking for somebody with a news background that had multimedia skills; a journalist who understands New Media, social networking and online communities.
In other words, the mainstream media is finally catching on to the fact that the digital revolution stops for nobody. You either jump on or you stay behind.
It wasn’t too long ago that I was shunned by the mainstream media because of my arrest and because of this site. They considered me just a little too opinionated. A little too controversial.
And that’s considering that I have a solid background writing for the mainstream media, including four years covering law enforcement in Phoenix for the arizona republic (and yes, there is a reason why I will never capitalize the name of that newspaper on this site).
But all of a sudden I am considered a pioneer in my field because I’ve managed to build a respectable readership with no help from a major corporation. While circulation has plummeted at almost every newspaper, my readership has skyrocketed.
And it’s not just me but people who have absolutely no journalistic training whatsoever. People who have an opinion and a passion and the drive to maintain it on a blog. Some of these people have more loyal readers than many newspapers do.
Just last week, The Miami Herald invited me and a few other South Florida bloggers to its newsroom to provide feedback on its new blog aggregator. The fact that the Herald is even acknowledging the blogosphere is astounding. The fact that they are asking our advice on their new feature is mindblowing.
But the fact is, they’ve also recently laid off 19 percent of its work force so they are desperate for solutions.
Last night, I attended a Tweetup sponsored by the Herald which consisted of local bloggers and their readers as well as people who follow each other on Twitter. This is the same paper whose star columnist denounced Twitter as a waste of time not too long ago.
And not only that, but an employee from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel was handing out flyers announcing its own Tweetup tonight. And they’re even offering free beer, parking and prizes. They would probably throw in a free subscription, if it mattered anymore.
But it doesn’t matter because with each Tweetup, they end up with hordes of new followers who will be clicking on their articles as soon as they get published online.
Earlier today, a friend and former colleague from the arizona republic, who like me, got fed up with that newspaper and launched his own news website in Phoenix called The Zonie Report, won a sizable grant from the Knight Foundation.
Adam Klawonn and his partner Aleksandra Chojnacka will receive $95,000 to create The Daily Phoenix, which will essentially promote the new light-rail system in Phoenix through multimedia and social networking methods.
Adam was always a writer but now he is a multimedia journalist, as you can see in the picture.
He, like me, is an Old Media veteran who was not afraid to dive into the New Media headfirst. He was not afraid to put a newspaper as large as the arizona republic behind him.
And it has obviously paid off.
As I said, the inmates are now running the asylum.
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12 responses so far ↓
1 Edwin // Jun 18, 2009 at 1:55 AM
The event was a great amount of fun and worth attending.
When we spoke at the event about this very topic, it got me thinking on how I can help people further their understanding of topics I am knowledgeable about. It really made the gears in the my head start to turn. Now I have spent the past day trying to come up with a concept on how I can start my own multimedia site, much like your friend Adam Klawonn. Either that or find ways on improving the existing systems in place in Old Media as you put it.
Are you coming to the Sun Sentinel tweetup tonight?
2 Carlos Miller // Jun 18, 2009 at 2:07 AM
Edwin,
I’ve spent the last year thinking of a way to launch a local multimedia news site and I’ve even applied for one of those Knight Foundation grants, but was declined.
So it was refreshing to see somebody I know win one of the grants.
Adam, of course, already was already running his site and even has writers that he pays.
He basically proved that he was qualified for that grant.
Lately, I realize that instead of trying to launch a local news site, I should just focus on building this site up because it already has a national readership.
So I have plans for the future of this site.
And I will probably hit the Knight Foundation up for a grant this year.
I’m not going to the Sun Sentinel Tweetup because I am attending a couple of other functions in Miami.
I tend to keep my partying on the 305 side of the county line.
3 genewitch // Jun 18, 2009 at 3:33 AM
Carlos: it’s awesome that you’re in charge of all the content on the weekends. what an awesome gig.
4 Edwin // Jun 18, 2009 at 3:45 AM
I really hope this becomes your launchpad to what you dream of doing Carlos. I also hope to one day work with you if I am ever to be so fortunate. Till then I’ll just practicing away at my little cell in this asylum that we now run. See you at the next event!
5 Ms Calabaza // Jun 18, 2009 at 8:30 AM
Congratulations Carlos! You will be a great asset . . . I’m not surprised you are headed for a great career. Now, if we can only get you to find a nice girl to settle down with … ha-ha, just kiddin’ …
6 goLIVEmiami // Jun 18, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Congrats on the new gig Carlos! I think that’s fantastic. I love reading your story and learning about your past experiences.
7 the bulldog // Jun 18, 2009 at 10:50 AM
tree-oh-fahv! yeaaaah
8 xdamousex // Jun 18, 2009 at 10:59 AM
Congrats, sounds like a good gig
9 Maria // Jun 18, 2009 at 11:44 AM
I already congratulated you in person, but let me do so here! Yeah, it’s funny how things have changed in the last three years.
10 Packratt // Jun 18, 2009 at 4:45 PM
You’re a busy fellow now, Carlos!
Congrats!!!
11 AdamK // Jun 20, 2009 at 9:28 PM
Great to hear about your new gig. That is excellent news.
I think you should definitely re-apply for the Knight grants. They prefer applications from “Knight communities” – the markets where KR has owned traditional newspapers. South Florida is one of those markets. Go for it!
And thanks for the kind words about The Zonie Report, Daily Phoenix… and finding a supremely cheesy photo of me on FB. Hats off to you.
Salud amigo.
12 Mallory // Jun 29, 2009 at 3:06 PM
Hi Carlos!
I’m a little late reading this post but wanted to thank you for coming out to #HeraldTweetup and for giving us props. Us tech-minded people at the paper are still working hard to push these kinds of community-centered strategies on the rest of the staff, and so far so good.
Looking forward to reading more!
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