by A.man.I

I’m going to have to take a brief hiatus from the blog. I need to start writing my thesis and have other business to take care of.

In the meantime, I’m going to be reposting some of my favorite episodes. Since so many folks are thinking about and talking politics, I’ll set it off with that history making politician from Chicago, Sen. Barack Obama.

by A.man.I

I didn’t make it to the 2008 National Conference of Media Reform, but thanks to the Internet and YouTube, I can keep up with all of the speeches.

Here’s Dan Rather’s address.

by A.man.I

OBAMA SHAKES HIS ONLINE MONEY MAKER: SOCIAL NETWORKS
As Obama supporters bask in the glory of his Presidential nomination, what is yet to be seen is how the Internet will play into the upcoming election. Obama is writing the book on online political campaigning. From MySpace, facebook, YouTube and Twitter, Obama is all over the social networking map.

Are the efforts paying off? Well, Obama has had no problem raising tons of money. According to the Politico, his campaign raised 272 million dollars through April. What do you think supporters will do now that their man is the candidate? Mo’ money, mo’ money, mo’ money!

JOHN MCCAIN STEALS OBAMA’S SLOGAN
John McCain’s campaign gets five stars for biting (that’s old school hip-hop slang when one emcee steals lyrics from another). The HuffingtonPost is reporting that McCain’s new look and slogan looks similar to Obama’s, and if you haven’t noticed McCain is talking about “change” a lot these days.

On Wednesday, the McCain campaign put out a new homepage, featuring his new, Obama-like slogan, and an image that seems uncannily similar to Obama’s trademark campaign logo – the red and white stripped valley under what appears to be a blue sun (or in McCain’s case, blue sun rays).

It reminds me of the days when the record labels would copy and release whitewashed versions of songs from black artists. Note to McCain: You can’t steal soul power!

WHAT’S NEXT FOR HILLARY?
TheVillager shares some thoughts about Clinton’s defeat.
TPM reports that Clinton will suspend her campaign Friday.
CNN’s Carol Costello takes a look at Clinton’s plan B.

by A.man.I

I’m actually in Chicago heading back to Atlanta, and just got word that Obama clinched the nomination.

from AP

Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois sealed the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday, a historic step toward his once-improbable goal of becoming the nation’s first black president. A defeated Hillary Rodham Clinton maneuvered for the vice presidential spot on his fall ticket.

I wish I would have had time to interview some locals. This trip was all work and no play. I’m on my way to the airport.

by A.man.I

The American Journalism Review published an interesting article that examines the issues dealing with professional journalists who blog.

Here’s how the NY Times deals with the issue:

“If a staff member publishes a personal Web page or blog on a site outside our company’s control, the staff member has a duty to make sure that the content is purely that: personal. Staff members who write blogs should generally avoid topics they cover professionally; failure to do so would invite a confusion of roles.”

Read full article here.