by A.man.I

I’m preparing to travel to Chicago for the 2008 Unity Conference which runs from Wednesday to Sunday. I plan to bring you the best coverage in the blogosphere from the event. That’s the plan at least.

This will mark a new beginning of sorts for me. I usually attend the conference to network and job hustle. This time, I’ll be looking for clients. I’m working on a master plan, and hope to find organizations that are looking to learn more about integrating social media into their news operations.

There are different ways mainstream outlets can get engaged in the new media space, like Twitter, facebook, and YouTube. Some companies are doing a great job like CNN, NPR, and the New York Times. Others, however, are still far behind. I’ve been randomly visiting newspaper sites, and I’m surprised how many still don’t even have a basic RSS feed.

In addition to the media consulting, I’m hoping to find outlets that are looking for regional coverage in the southeast. My partner in crime Mario “SupeShooter” Page and I are looking to step up our ENG/EFP services for news outlets, are we’re trying to become a go-to breaking news team. I suspect that many of the bigger papers are producing video content, and they most likely need help doing so because video production is not a native skill in the newspaper biz. Wish me luck.

Below is an interview about bloggers with St. Pete Times TV critic Eric Deggans from last years’ NABJ conference.