Monthly Archives: October 2010

Areavoices Digest #6 -Ghosts, Gumbo, Tawny Kitaen and Dirty Laundry

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Quite a list, right?

But they are among some of the topics written about in this weeks’ recommended areavoices blogs. Some of these blogs are brand spankin’ new. Some are established but might deserve a second look.

 
1) I’m going to start with one that I think is kind of fun and very timely for Halloween. It’s called VRS Paranormal – Paranormal Files. http://paranormalfiles.areavoices.com.
 
 VRS Paranormal is a scientific research team in Fargo, North Dakota that explore claims of paranormal activity throughout the states of North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota. Using scientific methods, they try to discover possible alternatives or logical explanations to paranormal situations. They also try to help people understand through education how to cope with their paranormal environments. These guys are like our local version of the SyFy channel’s “Ghost Hunters.” Their services are free. They’re pretty new to blogging, but I think they’ve already created a pleasing blog with a lot of infomation regarding “Ghost Hunting.” Their latest post, for example, was “Ghost Pictures – Real or Fake?.” Good fun.  

 
2) When I’ve recommended food blogs in the past, I’ve gotten emails from a couple of you exclaiming, “What about Chef Jeff?” Chef Jeff is a favorite for sure!   http://chefjeff.areavoices.com. Jeff Tiedeman is the food editor of the Grand Forks Herald. He writes a great blog about food. One of his last posts included a recipe for Turkey Gumbo. YUM!

 
3) Here’s another one with it’s roots in Grand Forks. Jukebox Hero. http://jukeboxhero.areavoices.com. Jukebox Hero is music blogger Cassie Walder. She says she writes about the music she loves. “That does not include The Beatles. That does, however, include Wings. Please don’t judge. Just comment and add me to your favorites.” She frequently posts music videos which is a lot of fun. I enjoyed today’s post about Tawny Kitaen and Whitesnake. Wow! That is some serious ’80′s hair! Another fun blog.  If only, she’d blog about The Beatles. Just kidding.

4)Dirty Laundry. http://laundry.areavoices.com  “What do the crime beat and being a mom have in common? Dirty Laundry.” Justine Wettschreck is a crime reporter for the Daily Globe in Worthington, MN. She lives in a tiny southwestern Minnesota town with her husband, dog and whichever of her three children are around at the moment.
5) And this last one I mention more for information and inspiration than anything. Fargo School Talk is the Fargo Public School system’s official blog. http://fargopublicschools.areavoices.com. From what I can tell (PLEASE correct me if I’m wrong) this is our first official K12 blog on areavoices. Again, if another district is doing a blog with us, let me know. I’m trying to recruit as many school bloggers as possible and I’d like to have examples of what other districts are doing.  I’m hoping to sign up many more K12 bloggers. That will continue to be a top priority of mine and I will have more schools (and universities to recommend soon).

Areavoices 101 – More FAQ’s

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(This blog post was last revised on May 16, 2011)

Here are answers to some of our most frequently asked questions…

 

 

How do I sign up for a blog?

Easy. Just go to www.areavoices.com and start creating your profile. That profile will enable you to build a social network, leave comments on other’s blogs and create your own blog.

Who can blog? Anybody and everybody.

What if I already have a blog somewhere else? That’s okay. We’re not asking you to take it down. You’re welcome to have blogs outside of your blog at Areavoices. However, it can be time consuming and unnecessarily work intensive to maintain more than one blog. Some bloggers who started off trying to maintain two blogs end up primarily posting just to their Areavoices blog. 

How long does my blog need to be?

It’s totally up to you. You are the author and editor. You can decide to tap out a few quick paragraphs one day then the next day post your version of “War and Peace.” Just remember, people are busy and sometimes you’ll get your message across more effectively if you keep your blog post on the shorter side.

How often do I need to post?

Again, that is up to you. If you just blog for fun, as an outlet for your writing, just post whenever the mood strikes. But if you’re blogging for promotional reasons the more often you blog the more often your message is read. In the blogging world, fresh is everything. Bloggers are constantly updating their posts. To keep in the race, your blog should be updated frequently.

How many people write blogs on areavoices?

The number is constantly changing. But as of the date of this post nearly 3,000 people are writing blogs on Areavoices.

Who owns Areavoices and what relationship does that have with the local newspaper?

Areavoices is owned by Forum Communications Company which also owns 36 newspapers, television and radio stations across North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

How can I get my blog on my local newspaper’s website?

Each newspaper, television and radio station within Forum Communications selects blogs that they would like to feature on their website. They find them by frequently searching for blogs they think their readers would like. If you think your blog would appeal to newspaper readers just let your local paper know that you would like to be a featured blogger. They’ll take it from there.

How can I get my blog to show up on other parts of the newspaper’s website?

 The key is tags. Those are the keywords that help describe the contents of your blog topic. For example if I write a blog about my favorite casseroles, I would make sure I use the tag word “FOOD.” By doing that, not only will my blog appear on the home page, but also on the Life/Food section of the website.

What does it mean to be a featured blogger?

Each newspaper, television and radio station within Forum Communications Company selects blogs from areavoices that they would like to feature on their websites. As of this date about 500 blogs are featured blogs on the newspaper, television and radio websites. As a featured blogger, your blog will be seen on the paper’s home page and within inner sections of the webpage as well, depending upon the topic of your blog post (food, travel, sports, etc.)

How does a blog get chosen to be featured?

In a variety of ways. It’s my job to go into the community and recruit potential bloggers. I’m also constantly perusing our blog roll to see who is blogging and what they’re blogging about. If I see something I like,  I send an email to the FCC properties to recommend them as featured bloggers. Sometimes, the newspapers themselves come across bloggers they like and they choose to feature them. I’m always open to suggestions. If you write a blog or read a blog you think should be featured, just send me an email: tracy.briggs@fccinteractive.com. Remember, some of the most popular web search topics are particularly appealing as featured blogs. They include blogs on the following topics: family, food, health, money and travel. But again, don’t just write a blog on these topics because you think it’s more likely to be featured. Write about what you love. If you love to write about music or cross stitching or clog dancing – do it. Your passion for the topic will shine through and it will be a better blog than if you write a blog about health just because you think that’s what people want to read.

Once my blog is featured where will it be seen?

It depends what FCC properties feature you. But on any given FCC website, your blog post will be seen on the home page soon after you make that post. Five blogs are seen on the home page at any given time. As soon as other featured bloggers make posts it rotates out and your blog will fall off the home page. However, if you put appropriate tags on your blog post, you’ll also be seen on the inner section of the website. For example: If I write a blog about food at 10:34am I’ll see my food blog appear on the home page a few moments later. By the afternoon, my blog will probably have been replaced on the home page by other featured bloggers who posted more recently. However, if I put a tag on post with the word “Food” my blog will still be seen under the Life section, under the Food ab. Blogs will stay in these inner sections far longer than they will on the home page.

How many people will read my blog?

It depends on whether you’re a featured blogger and where your blog is featured. In all, FCC newspaper, television and radio websites reach approximately 1.6 million people a month. You’ll get concentrated readership in the 4-state region (ND, SD, MN and WI) but it can also be read around the world. It is possible for you to track the number of people reading your blog from day to day.

Does Forum Communications Company edit or censor my blog?

No. You are the author and editor. However, we will keep an eye out for inappropriate or obscene material and can choose to remove a blog if it is deemed necessary.

I’m a little worried about inappropriate comments people will make about my blog. How can I manage them?

Easily. As you set up your account, you determine how you will manage your comments. You can choose to allow unmoderated comments, moderated comments, or no comments at all.

Can I add pictures and video to my blog?

Absolutely! We encourage it. To see how, go to http://support.areavoices.com

What if something goes wrong with my blog on the technical side?

We’ll help you. Go to the support blog at http://support.areavoices.com.   Or Email us at support@areavoices.com for questions or call Lindsey Guajardo at 701-451-5642.

What if I don’t get my registration email?

First give it a few moments. If you still don’t get the registration email, check your spam filter. If you still don’t see it, email us at support@areavoices.com, go to our blog at http://support.areavoices.com or call Lindsey at 701-451-5632.

Welcome Fargo Public Schools – FargoSchoolTalk!

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Another school has joined the conversation on areavoices. Welcome Fargo Public Schools “FargoSchoolTalk.”

The district just started it’s blog on Friday and will be a great source of information for students, faculty, staff and the community about matters surrounding education in Fargo.

Check them out at http://fargopublicschools.areavoices.com.

Welcome to areavoices!

Let’s Hear it for the Bison!

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As a UND graduate, you know that’s not always easy for me to say. 

But I must give credit where credit is due. Here’s to NDSU!

We’ve had a great week at areavoices. Just yesterday, Minnesota State University Moorhead started its Dragon News blog. In addition, I’m expecting at least a couple of K12 schools to be up and running with their blogs very soon. Details to follow!

I’ve met with school representatives over the last few weeks and one of the ways I sold them on the great possibilities of blogging was by using North Dakota State University as my example. NDSU News has been on areavoices for a couple of years. The media relations department there uses the blog very effectively to deliver the latest news and announcements from campus. Not only that, but at least one NDSU department is blogging as well. The chemistry and biology department shares with us the latest research in the field and communicates with students through it’s blog. The NDSU bowling team is even blogging.

Check out NDSU news at http://ndsunews.areavoices.com

Perhaps, NDSU realized ahead of the pack that school news is hot!

Two of our most popular blogs include the Bison media blog and the UND Sioux hockey blog, both written by sports journalists. People crave college and high school sports news! Can you give it to them?

If you work for a school or have a school you’d like to see blogging, let me know. I’d love to visit with school officials to tell them more about it. Chances are I’ll be pulling up NDSU NEWS for help! Thanks again Bison! You rock!

Welcome Dragon News!

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It was just a couple of weeks ago that I met with Minnesota State University Moorhead to talk about the possibilities of them starting a blog on areavoices. They weren’t kidding around. They hit the ground running!

In just the few short days they’ve been featured, Dragon News, has given us a wide variety of news living up to what they promised with their first post:

“Dragon News will report what’s happening on the campus of Minnesota State University Moorhead.  A university campus is filled with energy, creativity and interesting people.  On top of that, higher education, like almost every other human enterprise, is undergoing tremendous change.  This blog will offer news, features, interviews, photos and videos relevant to MSU Moorhead, its various higher education partners and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.”

Over the last couple of days Dragon News has told us about this week’s homecoming activities, told us about a “rock star” researcher, and even delivered some tough economic news today. Their news is fresh and up to date the way they want it on areavoices.

Welcome Dragon News! We look forward to keeping up to date with life at MSUM!

Area Voices Digest #5 – October 13, 2010

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Here’s our weekly look at what’s new on areavoices and what might be worth a second look.

 
1. Dragon News – http://dragonnews.areavoices.com  Minnesota State University Moorhead has started it’s official news blog. Doug Hamilton is the writer of the blog and he was really excited about getting this blog started as MSUM celebrates homecoming this weekend. He will share campus events, announcements, news from the president, etc. It should be very similar to NDSU News. 

 
2. Fargo Cass Public Health – http://fcph.areavoices.com Fargo Cass Public Health was excited to start it’s blog as we head into flu season. They want to use it to announce possible vaccination clinics, anti tobacco education, etc. But they also want to have doctors post generic health information as well. Areas such as dealing with cold symptoms or protecting yourself from skin cancer, etc. 

 
3. Red River Freethinkers = http://redriverfreethinkers.areavoices.com I’ve been watching this blog for quite some time. It’s written by former Fargo Mayor Jon Lindgren who definitely does not shy away from controversy.  He likes spirited debate. This is the group that opposed the Ten Commandments going up on city property. He posts nearly every day. They’re quick, well thought out arguments regarding the separation of church and state. I find it thought provoking.
 
4. Don’t we all love Food blogs? I know I do and  All About Food by Sue Doeden. http://sdoeden.areavoices.com    and this is a good one.  Great pictures, great recipes, great writing.
 
5. And finally I want to recommend two hockey-related blogs:
Rink and Run – http://rinkandrun.areavoices.com- Minnesota Duluth hockey and endurance sports from Kevin Pates of the Duluth News Tribune. This one qualifies as “an oldie, but a goodie.” It’s been around since 2007. It’s well written and full of great information
 
The Cullen Connection – http://mattcullen.areavoices.com – Your chance to interact with Moorhead’s Matt Cullen as he goes through his first year with the Minnesota Wild. It’s written by Forum sports and is updated almost daily. It’s a lot of fun for Minnesota hockey fans. This blog has been up and running for a couple of weeks now.

As always I’m looking for the best blogs! Let me know if you have a favorite!

AREAVOICES DIGEST #4 – Oct 6, 2010

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AREAVOICES DIGEST #4 – Oct 6, 2010
 

Here’s this week’s look at some areavoices blogs you might have missed. Check ‘em out. They’re good reading!

 
Addie Weaver: from Woodbury to the World   – http://addieweaver.areavoices.com
Addie Weaver is a mental health professional with a Master’s in Counseling Psychology. She is embarking on a missionary journey that will take her from her home in Woodbury, MN to 11 countries in 11 months.
 
Reel Quickies – Movies – TV shows – Reviews – Actors – Cinema – http://reelquickie.areavoices.com
Laurel Woiwode is a native of North Dakota, originally from the southwestern part of the state. She’s a graduate of Jamestown College with a double major in English and History. I think her entertainment blog is a lot of fun. I particularly enjoyed her “Quote Quiz” category where she asks you where certain movie quotes came from.  She says, ”My love of watching and analyzing films grew from my love of literature and writing. And maybe because I didn’t watch much TV as a child.Some of my favorite movies are: The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Love Actually, The Patriot, The Negotiator, and Seabiscuit. My favorite TV shows are NCIS and Lie To Me.”  

Doing it Downtown – One Downtown, One Blog, One Million Possibilities. http://doingitdt.areavoices.com
Deneen Gilmour is the MSUM professor who channels her Writing for the Web students’ work onto this blog, which highlights the downtown Fargo scene. It features music and events. The stories and multimedia here are created by each semester’s online journalism senior seminar class. Gillmour was a daily newspaper journalist for 16 years before getting her Ph.D. and moving into academe.  I believe The Forum is already featuring this blog. It’s also a great example of how schools, both universities and high schools can utilize blogging as part of their curriculum.
 
North Dakota Outdoors and Beyond – the outdoors, hunting, fishing, trapping and more  http://dougleier.areavoices.com
What I think I appreciate most about this blog, written by Doug Leier of ND’s Game and Fish Department, is his daily committment to giving the readers relevant information. His posts are usually pretty brief. But I think it gives readers what they need to know about his topics. Of course, this would appeal most to the ND properties, but his information is also relevant to out of state hunters looking for licenses, etc.
 
Outdoors with Sam Cook- Exploring the North Woods – http://samcook.areavoices.com
Many of you are probably familiar with this outdoors blog written by Sam Cook, a writer with the Duluth News Tribune. He’s been blogging for 3 years now, so he’s had ample opportunity to make it great.   I’m not AT ALL an outdoorsy person, but I really enjoyed his writing. His pictures are beautiful and give you a real sense of being there.  

Happy reading! And for you bloggers out there don’t hesitate to give me a heads up about blogs you like to read. They might appear in my news digest!

Eric Sevareid a blogger?

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A blogger?

 

It’s a crazy thought, right? To think that one of the pioneers of broadcast journalism would embrace this relatively new and sometimes under fire medium? After all, the critics claim bloggers aren’t real journalists. They don’t check their facts, they enflame their audience with partisan political spin, or just give us worthless, mean-spirited gossip. But is that the whole truth?

I had the pleasure this weekend of attending Not So Wild a Dream: The Legacy of Eric Sevareid. The symposium in Bismarck was put on by the Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation, The Dakota Institute and the North Dakota Humanities Council. The symposium was a chance to learn more about this North Dakota native and broadcast giant. It serves as a precursor to a documentary being released in 2012, the 100th anniversary of his birth.

The men behind the documentary are Clay Jenkinson of The Dakota Institute and David Borlaug, Executive Director of the Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation. The pair has already given us documentaries on North Dakota Governors Arthur Link and Bill Guy. Sevareid is their next undertaking. I was lucky enough to assist them in conducting a few interviews about this remarkable man. We interviewed broadcast professionals such as Bob Schieffer, Dan Rather, Bob Edwards and Nick Clooney just to name a few. They painted a picture of a man few of us had the opportunity to meet. Even those of us who grew up listening to Sevareid on the radio or watching him on television didn’t necessarily know or appreciate the extent of his greatness. A little background for those unfamiliar with him.

Eric Sevareid was born in Velva, North Dakota in 1912. After graduating from the University of Minnesota and working as a newspaperman in the Twin Cities, he took a job in Paris. In 1937, he was recruited by Edward R. Murrow of CBS news to help cover World War II to Americans not yet drawn into the conflict. Murrow’s boys, most in their 20′s, created broadcast journalism the way we know it. Following the war, Sevareid worked in television news, best known for his commentaries at the end of the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite from 1963 to 1977.

During our interviews this weekend, common themes emerged about Sevareid: His great intellect, superior writing skills and his demeanor. A demeanor someone described as “A dour Norwegian air.” Many agreed Sevareid’s brooding quality stemmed from his serious committment to news. To him it wasn’t enough to hear the news. One must THINK about the news. He knew that by putting a current problem into some kind of historical context a solution might present itself that otherwise would not have been evident. The interviewees agreed on a lot and even disagreed about a little but one comment stood out to me above all others. I suppose because of my new career trying to attract new bloggers to areavoices.

From broadcast veteran Nick Clooney: “IF ERIC SEVAREID WERE AROUND TODAY HE’D HAVE A BLOG.”

If I wasn’t already grateful to Nick Clooney for giving the world his son, George, I would be now. Did he really mean it? Would Eric Sevareid really join us in blog world?

Clooney explained. To Sevareid, it wasn’t enough for the news to wash over you. To passively sit and take it all in. To Eric Sevareid, it was the responsibility of everyone in a democracy to participate, to think about the news, to get involved. His commentaries weren’t really commentaries at all. They were analyses of ongoing news events. He would dissect a problem and by thinking through it, would help us to better understand it. He seldom told us what he thought or what we should do. It was about the information and making sure Americans were informed.

Certainly, most in the blog world are not writing about the fall of France or the Battle of Britain. But that makes Sevareid’s core values no less relevant.

In this haphazard media world, where being first seems to matter most and fact-checking falls by the wayside, blogging is the perfect platform. Certainly, you can type out a couple of quick lines and post immediately. But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about blogging the way Sevareid might. A form for deeper reflection. In today’s television world, would the major networks or cable news channels allow Sevareid 2-3 minutes to sit and read his thoughts. No fancy graphics or video, just one man reading his words? Doubtful. And if they did allow him on air wouldn’t he face pressure to change? Wouldn’t he be asked to conform to the angry rhetoric of the other experts and talking heads? Each shouting their opinion louder than the next guy? It seems blogging would be the better platform for this man called “the great news philosopher.” It’s a platform where he could do his research, get the facts, and present data he thought the mass media just might be missing. You can do this too. What you write is more important than you know. Whether you’re writing about current events, telling us about your travels or sharing one of your favorite new recipes. You’re putting it out there. Enlightening and informing the world. Helping others learn and grow. I think Eric Sevareid would find that pretty cool.