Archives for category: General Journalism

Not everyone is grousing in newsland.

I recently mentioned the launch of AngryJournalist.com, an anonymous rant site for news people fed up with their jobs.

Just a few days ago, Denver Post programmer Joe Murphy accentuated the positive by launching upbeat confessional site HappyJournalist.com.

Though there aren’t nearly as many posts, many of them include names and links. In addition, Murphy has a spinoff post that suggests other as-yet unclaimed domains, including MildlyEnthusiasticJournalist.com and IwishIwasajournalistbutIgotintoPRinstead(.com).

There is something to smile about amid the chaos and cutbacks.

(via Meranda Writes)

Social media consultant Chris Brogan has posted 10 tips for conference goers.

Since the season is about to get into full swing, here are some of the best ideas from the list:

  • Scour the web (technorati and Google Blogsearch) to see who’s coming, and reach out to people you want to see.
  • Have a really simple, brief sentence to answer: “What do you do?” “What are you working on these days?” “What brings you to the conference?”
  • Never assume people are better than you, or that you’re somehow not good enough or important. You are. And if people don’t know you yet, go in like they know you reasonably well anyway.

People naturally flock together in safe, familiar groups, especially when they find themselves amid a sea of strangers. But to learn anything new, it’s more useful to break away now and then. For the shy, there’s an entire wiki on how to start a conversation.

What do you do to get the most out of seminars / panels / expos / conferences?

(Cross-posted on Wired Journalists)