Posts Tagged ‘New York University’

NYU Student Becomes Online Sensation After Sending ‘Reply-All’ Email

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on December 2, 2012 | 1 Comment »

It began with a message about a tax form.  It led to an email from a student to his mother. And it quickly evolved into a unique online viral sensation.

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Meet Max Wiseltier. The New York University sophomore is currently known across campus and around the world (wide web). His claim to fame: accidentally hitting “reply all.”

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The NYU Bursar’s Office recently emailed students inquiring whether they wanted to receive an electronic version of a relevant tax form instead of a paper copy. Wiseltier subsequently tried to forward the message to his mother, along with a simple question, “do you want me to do this?”  However, it did not turn out to be a simple click-and-send.  “I have a pretty old computer, and when I went to hit the send button it froze a little bit,” Wiseltier told ABC News. “So I was kind of clicking around and must have hit the wrong button.”

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The button Wiseltier accidentally hit was for “reply all,” meaning the email meant for his mom was “inadvertently sent to every single student at NYU on the list — all 39,979 of them.” He quickly sent a second email to everyone apologizing for the faux pas. But by then, it was too late. The e-floodgates at one of the country’s leading private schools had been opened.

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As the online student news outlet NYU Local explained, “His accidental email and hasty apology triggered a rare, university-wide revelation: We simultaneously realized that any message, complaint, whim, link, video or GIF could be sent to nearly 40,000 people in an instant. We had been given a great and terrible power. For a moment we contemplated responsibility, then gleefully tossed it aside in favor of posting pictures of cats. The ensuing hours were referred to as ‘The Reply-Allpocalypse,’ ‘The Day NYU Broke,’ and ‘Will Everyone Please Just Shut Up.’”

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Along with numerous messages complaining about the ongoing email pile-up, students sent scores of sillier emails to their peers. Among them: “Does anyone have a pencil I could borrow?”; “Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses, or one horse-sized duck?”; “Is Professor Rosenblatt still having office hours at 10:45? I’m struggling with this paper. haha.” and “I’ve never felt more a part of the NYU community. Does anybody want to be my friend?”

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A few students used the reply-all function to air voices of protest, including one who listed some of NYU’s perceived failings: “Exorbitant tuition. Lazy email list maintenance. Port-Authority-quality restrooms. Union busting. Real estate speculation. What other things is NYU doing all wrong?”

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Meanwhile, on a personal level, Wiseltier’s innocent email wrongdoing has transformed him into an overnight celebrity — triggering national media attention and tons of follower and friend requests on Facebook and Twitter.

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“It started this chain reaction and created sort of a frenzy as it gained awareness and snowballed more,” he said. “It’s been overwhelming but wild and it is what it is, so I’m just enjoying it all.”  After late-night host Jimmy Kimmel interviewed him via Skype about “Reply-Allpocalypse,” Wiseltier sent a tweet with a telling hashtag: #bestmistakeever.

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NYU’s Washington Square News Publishes Standout Special Election Issue

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on October 29, 2012 | 2 Comments »

On Friday, The Washington Square News at New York University published an excellent special issue focused on numerous facets of the rapidly concluding presidential campaign.

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As Amy Zhang, the student paper’s web managing editor, tells me, “Our goal was to move past the horse race media coverage of the election that is such an unproductive component of the political theatre during an election year.  For this issue, the WSN wanted to provide our NYU community with a comprehensive guide to all the issues that affect our generation.”

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In an introductory editorial featured in the issue, Zhang reminds readers, “There is still a week left until the Nov. 6 Election Day, but that one day will decide the next four years of our lives.  In this issue, we have featured the topics that matter most to you, like health care, the economy, and financial aid.  We have outlined the platforms, ideals, and opinions of each candidate, and we haven’t forgotten other power players: the third parties, vice presidents, and first ladies.  We . . . [also] haven’t forgotten the goodies, like best celebrity tweets or election movies, that are a staple of the political theater.  We lay this information out before you as a tool to build your own truth.”

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I’m a sucker for quality profiles, so my favorite portion: “Political Portraits,” a quartet of pieces focused on students active in various political causes– a reminder that issues raised by Romney and Obama extend far beyond the election cycle and campaign trail.

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Click here or on the screenshots below to check out the issue.

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20 Must-Follow Twitter Feeds for Student Journalists

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 8, 2012 | 4 Comments »

There are four main reasons for journalists and journalists-in-training to be active on Twitter, according to noted “tech evangelist and skeptic” Sree Sreenivasan at Columbia University: to connect with an audience in new ways; to bring attention to your work; to enhance your personal and professional brand; and to find new ideas, trends and sources.

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Certain sources sporting active feeds on the social media behemoth are especially valuable to journalism students. Here is a starter list of 20 must-follow Twitter feeds– specifically those that will help students learn the craft and keep up with what journalists are debating, enjoying and attempting to understand on a daily basis.

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Some feature journalism, media and technology news. Others offer advice and job and internship listings.  And still others are kept by journalists and big thinkers whose new media maxims, mindsets and methods are worth emulating.

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The must-follow feeds are listed in alphabetical order.

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@10000words: Kept by staff at 10,000 Words, a cutting-edge “multimedia journalism blog– where journalism and technology meet.” More than 27,000 followers.

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@brianstelter: Kept by Brian Stelter, a media reporter for The New York Times renowned for his digital journalism prowess. More than 142,000 followers.

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@CICM: Kept by journalism educator Bryan Murley on behalf of the Center for Innovation in College Media, a digital think-thank centered on “helping college journalism in the 21st century.”  More than 1,500 followers.

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@collegemedia: Kept by me, a complement to this blog. More than 2,200 followers.

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@comminternships: Kept by journalism educator Steven Chappell, providing a running list of “internships and jobs of interest to students majoring in communications.” More than 1,700 followers.

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@cschweitz: Kept by Callie Schweitzer, the director of marketing and special projects at Vox Media and a leading voice among young journalists and tech-geeks. More than 31,000 followers.

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@jayrosen_nyu: Kept by Jay Rosen, an influential press critic, new media scholar and New York University journalism professor. More than 95,000 followers.

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@jeffjarvis: Kept by Jeff Jarvis, a big-time author, blogger and journalism professor at the City University of New York’s Graduate School of Journalism. More than 103,000 followers.

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@JournalistsLike: Kept by a pair of journalists who collaborate on Stuff Journalists Like, “a satirical blog about journalism and the media.”

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@Lavrusik: Kept by Vadim Lavrusik, the journalism program manager at Facebook, regarded as a cutting-edge digital journalist and media futurist. More than 23,000 followers.

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@mashable: Kept by Pete Cashmore, the founder and CEO of Mashable, “the largest independent website dedicated to news & resources for the connected generation.”  More than 3 million followers.

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@mediagazer: Kept by staff at Mediagazer, accompanying its website which “presents the day’s must-read media news on a single page.”  More than 31,000 followers.

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@NiemanLab: Kept by staff at the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University, focused on “trying to figure out the future of news.” More than 97,000 followers.

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@OHnewsroom: Kept by journalist Kevin Cobb, an accompaniment to his popular website Overheard in the Newsroom, which “delivers the best overheard comments in any newsroom.” More than 64,000 followers.

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@PBSMediaShift: Kept by staff at PBS MediaShift, a quintessential “guide to the digital media revolution. Tracking how mobile devices, social media, citizen journalism and new technology are changing the media landscape.” More than 19,000 followers.

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@Poynter: Kept by staff at The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, a renowned non-profit “school for journalism & democracy.” More than 63,000 followers.

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@profkrg: Kept by journalism educator Kenna Griffin, affiliated with her blog which serves as “a practical resource for student journalists and media advisers with the goal of creating an ongoing conversation among current and future journalists.” More than 4,400 followers.

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@romenesko: Kept by Jim Romenesko, a complement to his leading blog featuring “news, commentary and links about journalism and media.” More than 61,000 followers.

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@SPLC: Kept by staff at the Student Press Law Center, the country’s leading “advocate for student free press rights.” More than 3,800 followers.

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@sree: Kept by Sree Sreenivasan, the chief digital officer at Columbia University and a highly-respected digital journalism guru. More than 37,000 followers.

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I’ll post a follow-up must-follow Twitter list for journalism students and student press outlets soon. Which accounts are missing here that should be included in part two?

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Related

Top 10 Essential Twitter Tips for Student Journalists

Twitter Interview Requests: Top 10 Rules to Follow

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Student Blogs “Determined to Reinvent College Journalism”

Posted in College Media, Future of Journalism, Journalism, New Media, tagged , , , , , , , , , on January 21, 2010 | 1 Comment »

The still relatively new batch of online student outlets with new media sense and underground sensibilities have been dubbed nothing less than full-blown “blogging fraternities.”  A new Chronicle of Higher Education feature declares that the “national wave of student-run Web outfits [are] determined to reinvent college journalism. . . . Readers devour these sites. College officials fret over them. And competitors carp about their edgy methods, which sometimes include a publish-it-now-correct-it-later approach to campus rumors.”  (Full disclosure: I am briefly cited in the piece.)

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File:Onward State Icon.jpg

Penn State University's Onward State is one of the members of the modern student blogging frat pack mentioned by the Chronicle.

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Some of the new media methods online student outfits are trying on for size, according to the Chronicle and research of mine that is cited:

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- They break news and boast high Web traffic, at times besting their student newspaper counterparts   (Chronicle piece: “Underground media has always existed. But not until recently . . . have there been underground papers published on a global distribution platform and amplified by the personal social networks of editors . . . who can share posts with more than 1,300 Facebook ‘friends.’”)

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- Yes, they occasionally dabble (responsibly) in rumor and innuendo (NYU Local founder Cody Brown previously wrote that this dabbling is part of a more widespread ‘real time’ reporting phenomenon)

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- Schools are starting to recognize their presence and marketing potential (For example, New York University has begun advertising on NYU Local.)

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- They consider the whole newsroom face-to-face meet-up thing a remnant of yesterday’s news outlet (Onward State apparently enjoys Google Wave. Staffers at other outlets with whom I’ve spoken rely upon more traditional mass e-mailing, IMing, Facebook, and Google Docs.)

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Student Journalist Spotlight: Cody Brown, NYU Local

Posted in College Media, Future of Journalism, Journalism, Journalist Spotlight, New Media, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 6, 2008 | 5 Comments »

Cody Brown is a journalism revolutionary. As publisher of NYU Local at New York University, “a 24 hour Web site about the school we call home,” Brown is aiming to “remove the distinction of who is a professional and who is a citizen and let everyone contribute in the same way, using their real names and eventually building their own reputations.”

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As CMM previously noted, the site screams innovation and is a worthy addition to collegemediatopia’s larger efforts to reinvent the journalism field. Below, Brown shares some thoughts with CMM about his early Local leadership and his larger spirit of journalistic inventiveness.

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Cody Brown at a recent NYU Local Dance Party.

Brown at a recent NYU Local Dance Party.

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Write a six-word memoir of your NYU Local experience so far.

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We started a New Media Fraternity.

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To all the new media haters out there: Why does NYU Local matter?

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Because we take your market share and advertising revenue.

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What is your position with NYU Local and general responsibilities?

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I am the Publisher. I designed the site and oversee changes in layout, workflow, and staff. My office is just off Broadway in the back row of a coffee shop called Think. Most of my time is spent answering a slew of e-mails with staff each morning and throughout the day.

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What is one thing people may not understand about the site?

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Our news is delivered in the form of a collage and we don’t claim to be the final word. We stress that our writers dig into stories and always be accurate but we think the journalistic ideal of objectivity is a corrosive myth. We value perspective. We don’t try to hide it in a style of writing that acts as the neutral party.

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Further, stories don’t end after they are published, and sometimes we will post a story even if we don’t have a great hold on it because we want to turn it over to the collected expertise of our readers- comments are always enabled. To some, this can make the site look scattered, opinionated, and incomplete but what some don’t realize is that this is the way newsrooms have and will always work. We cut the facade and bring our reader into our discussion because we think it’s an honest, engaging, and more intelligent way of understanding a beat.

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Is it journalism?

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That word is loaded but of course there is journalism on our site. We have scooped Washington Square News on numerous occasions. Something we do focus on (and will focus more on in the next iteration of the site) is expanding the opportunities to be a reporter. We only accept comments from those willing to provide a full name and email address because we see comments as a valuable potential source. Going online-only enables a lot more of these opportunities .

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What is one post you’re especially proud to have featured on the site, and why?

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For a school that considers itself to be a ‘A Private University in the Public Service’ it’s a basic assumption to think that, as the school grows more prestigious, its employees will gain. NYU outsourced its custodial staff to a management company that redacted the opportunity for next-generation custodians to take classes at the school.

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We caught wind of the story and posted this. She made it a quick entertaining read and NYU’s Director of Public Affairs immediately hit the comments. I was able to ask some tough questions and we put pressure on the administration.

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What is one question we should all be asking much more often about the current state or future of journalism?

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How can we get a news beat to cover itself?

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You wake up in ten years. Where are you and what are you doing?

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I’m groggy and a little hungover. I wake up on a Lear Jet booking it to Singapore. That morning things got a bit testy, the Iran oligarchy initially greeted TehranLocal.com with approval but a few stories linked them with nasty headlines and they started leaning on the information bureau to shut the site down. Needless to say, our team managed to talk them out of taking one of my limbs, we set up servers off-shore, and I hopped on a plane with just enough time to make it to the launch of ShieldYourEyes.com, our new global Internet fashion magazine. I’m wearing spandex.

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A screenshot of NYU Local's 'Collage' by staff photographer David Alvarez.

A screenshot of NYU Local's 'Collage' by staff photographer David Alvarez.

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“A 24 Hour Website About the School . . . We Call Home”

Posted in College Media, Future of Journalism, Journalism, New Media, Student Newspaper, tagged , , , , , , , , on November 7, 2008 | 4 Comments »

I’m starting the latest post in purple, in honor of the newest entrant into NYU’s collegemediatopia: NYU Local, “a 24 hour website about the school and the city that we call home.”

 

NYU Local

 

According to a MediaShift post by the one and only Alana Taylor, it came into being two months ago, as an offshoot of a journalism class survey whose results set blogs afire. The student founders tell Taylor the site’s purpose is to report news quicker, bolder, more conversational, and more all-encompassing. In respect to the latter, she writes:

 

NYU Local hopes to let anyone and everyone contribute to the site and use it as a crowd-sourcing mechanism to allow naturally good and popular writers to rise to the top. The idea would be to remove the distinction of who is a professional and who is a citizen and let everyone contribute in the same way, using their real names and eventually building their own reputations.

 

Taylor links it to a larger analysis of the print-online divide, declaring in one sub-headline “College Newspapers Are Dying Too.” It’s the only statement in the post that made me cringe. NYU Local appears to be an excellent addition to collegemediatopia. Is it a signal of college newspapers’ demise? Absolutely not! Instead, it’s a great example of the power of the Internet in allowing students with a different perspective and journalistic ambitions to be heard. Pre-Internet, the alt media options for students were limited. During my time as an undergraduate, a student publishing an alternative paper on my school’s campus was forced to print, copy, and staple 8 x 11 sheets together to make a ‘newspaper’ that he secretly distributed. Those days are over. College newspapers, though, have many days ahead, online and in print. They are simply going to have to continue to reinvent to stay relevant and match the innovation of their competition.

 

About NYU Local, at first glance: A feel-good, inviting, slapdash-style. The posts boast personality and glints of new media attitude (seen most prominently in the headers). The content presentation appears initially scattered but slowly reveals a nice mix that is attempting to go beyond the standard vertical blog (including a content slider at the top, section links such as ‘City’, ‘Entertainment’ and ‘National’, and, most appealing to me, a “Photo of the Day” sider). The most recent featured photo is below:

 

NYU Local Photo of the Day

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