The Non Blog Blog

Here is an example of why NPR, at least certain parts of NPR, don't seem to get it.

The NPR News Blog gives itself a cut line of "Looking for news in unexpected places."

But, if the last few posts are any indication -- on the TV and film writers strike, Pakistan, biking, the London police's response to terrorism -- almost all of the news it links to is in expected places: NPR itself, the New York Times, The LA Times, The Guardian, the Baltimore Sun, the Washington Times, the White House (!)..the list goes on.

This is a non blog blog. Mainstream media. Stories you can find anywhere and everywhere. Alas.

For my money, this is a powerful news blog. I always learn something I didn't know or had not heard about til I saw it here. This blog reaches out to its readers to break stories, confirm them, learn more...

Why can't NPR's blog do that?

Heck, even the Gray Lady has taken bold steps in this regard.

Third Coast 2007

The annual gathering of audio producers is something like a film festival for the ear. You sit in packed sessions and listen to a lot of creative radio and sound designed pieces, some good some truly great.

We live in a largely visual culture, so Third Coast is an exercise in pushing one sense over others: listening.

So, this morning I sat in a room and heard the noted food critic Anthony Bourdain profiled in a radio story, where he talked a lot about his teenage experiments with hard drugs. And the tawdry, depressing story of how he lost his virginity. But what made this amazing profile so groundbreaking was the creative use of sound to ILLUSTRATE the stories. Kara Oehler and Ann Heppermann were the audio graphic designers who made this tale an experience of memory in sound.

My favorite term so far: 'evocative crap.' What is it?

You should be here.

Update

Big congrats to Emily Botein and the great people at Studio 360 and Lu Olkowski, two of the winners last night at the Third Coast Festival awards ceremonies.