Farmhouse News

On February 1st, five radio station representatives will embark on a 5 day experiment in the Perigord Region of Southern France. They will be staying in a farmhouse where they will be isolated from all sources of traditional media and instead only granted access to Twitter and Facebook. The goal of the project is to understand the legitimacy of news from social networking and micro-blogging sites.

Language. Social media allow us to access worldwide events faster than ever before from multiple perspectives however, even in this new global information exchange not everyone speaks the same language. Look at the experiment participants' Twitter accounts and you will notice it’s all in French. My high school French c’est terrible, therefore following this in real time n’est pas un option. Even though the web is in fact world wide, the language barriers on Twitter and Facebook still pose a problem when gathering information.

Real Time. Unlike newspapers where you have to wait until the next day to learn of yesterday's news or even, heaven forbid, until the evening 6 o'clock news, social media has the advantage of watching an event unfold in real time. Traditional media relies on the information being passed from the source to the reporter to the editor back to the reporter to the public. Social media lets the public access the initial information much faster than the now-dated multi-step process. The reader can be tipped off at the same time as the reporter. However, social media is full of information and you pay the price of speedy news with the risk of inaccuracies. While the public now has access to an event as it unfolds, I personally make sure to wait until a trusted news source reports the story before calling it fact.


In addition to simply reporting the news, traditional media outlets provide interpretation and analysis, unlike social media’s short matter-of-fact messages. Social media can be seen as a summary of what's happening, while traditional media provides the commentary and details. The 5-day isolation experiment had me questioning how I'd do in that situation. Would I have an accurate picture of the world's events if my only source of information was Twitter and Facebook? Or is the story in the details only traditional media can provide by way of an experienced journalist? Or have we entered a new generation where Facebook and Twitter are the new morning newspaper?

Expert Commentary on Today’s Top Fashion Designs? Child’s Play.

The question has been batted around social media in the past year, what makes a journalist? The question becomes even more intricate when you pose it in an arts related genre. Style is subjective. While fashion has a rich history and is a technical industry, originality and attitude can rule all.

Milan, Paris, Tokyo, New York, fashion weeks are an exciting staple for fashion journalists. A front row seat and backstage pass to New York Fashion Week previously reserved for only the editorial team of the nation’s top fashion magazines and experienced bloggers is now offered to bloggers who have yet to go to prom. In this case, Tavi.

Tavi Gevinson is a mere 13 years old, but her blog “Style Rookie” caught the attention of Rodarte, who decided to use Tavi’s unique fashion commentary for their new launch at Target. Included in this partnership was a spot in the front row at the Rodarte runway show during New York Fashion Week, complete with backstage pass to discuss the new line with senior editors from Seventeen, Teen Vogue, and even Vogue.

The experience was taped, mostly by Tavi herself, and released on YouTube. In the three weeks since its release, the video has been seen over 13,000 times. The video is, of course, supplemented with posts on her blog “Style Rookie,” where Tavi creates outfits using Rodarte’s new Target pieces to complete her unique style.

Tavi has earned herself rights that others have struggled through years of schooling and latte orders for. Is she a fashion Einstein, or a generational normal who simply got lucky? In a time where journalists are getting laid off by the boatload, you have to wonder where we’re headed in the new decade. Is there or should there be a distinction between laptop-owning fashion enthusiasts and classically trained journalists

Via Heidi and Sara