Crossmediale opwinding met Dieuwertje en de rolstoel piet.

Tagged with: sinterklaas journaal, sinterklaas, tv, crossmedia,

Terrorism is crossmedia

The shocking killing spree in Oslo is a stark reminder of the fact that violence is an extremely effective way to draw attention. Some of the media attention is due to the sheer number of casualties (77). However, Breivik is not, or not only, a psychopath going on a killing spree to satisfy a deeply felt need for revenge. While he probably used a ``rationalization’’ of the killing, his main intention seems to have been promoting his political ideas on multiculturalism. A killing spree by someone who looked reasonably normal beforehand is already very unsettling. Finding that it was meant to further stir up an emotional issue like immigration, and the treatment of the (perceived) cultural and political elite of society, makes it even more unsettling. I think Breivik was fully aware of this and made it central to his planning, because I believe what he did was planning a cross medial marketing campaign using an event as a medium to attract attention. In a perverse sort of way, he did this very well as he is so far out of the ordinary that he will not be forgotten in years to come. Needless to say, that should not be taken as a recommendation of his methods. Instead I want to begin analyzing what makes us so vulnerable.

Tagged with: terrorism, breivik, crossmedia, politics, politicians, wilders,

Wikileaks and Cablegate

In front of the Golden Wall where people are teeming in the raucous chaos of everyday life, it is all messy improvisation. That not everything runs afoul is due to the mysterious world behind the Golden Wall. There lies the world of power, like the eye of the hurricane, in mysterious silence. Restrained, reliable, as meticulously organized as a chess board, it is like a purified world of platonic ideas. At least, such is the impression of the powerless. It is reinforced by the black suites, the noiseless limousines, the guards, the protocol, the perfect organization, and the velvety quietness in the palaces and ministries. […] Once you break through the Golden Wall, what do you see? Nothing special: the ado of ordinary people, neither more interesting, nor qualitatively different from the practices of the powerless. Unlike what the powerless think, they do not yield their power in “powerful”, inescapable ways as if proceeding with mathematical certainty, but just as messy and improvised as the powerless mind their own business. Mildred and Guy, formed a cabinet over dinner, Churchill and Stalin divided up the Balkans with a stiff drink. 

Tagged with: crossmedia, politicians, internet, wikileaks,

A compass to help museums develop crossmedia services

'Museumkompas' is a research proposal submitted for a RAAK grant (www.innovatie-alliantie.nl) that will start in the spring of 2011 and will run for two years. The project will be implemented by the Crossmedialab in collaboration with several museums, Erfgoed Nederland, DEN, and an expert agency in the field of information management in the public sector (BMC).

Tagged with: crossmedia, business models, cultural heritage,

Hyves and de Telegraaf

De Telegraaf Media Group (TMG) has bought the Dutch Social media website Hyves for an undisclosed figure, rumoured to be 40 million euros .  The Telegraafs interest in the site must be relatively recent however!

Tagged with: telegraaf, social media, crossmedia, hyves,

Game on!

This morning over 100 students gathered in the centre of Utrecht to be part of the Kick-off of the MediaBattle. 

Tagged with: mediabattle, crossmedia,

Cross medial (PR) disaster management

The Deepwater Horizon accident not only killed 11 people but the oil spill is (up to now) the largest oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the second largest oil spill in the history of the United States and the third largest ever. Thus whatever way you look at it is a calamitous disaster. However, the precise amount of spilled oil is actually not very well known and lower estimates are still considerably below estimates for a rather similar incident from around 1980, the Ixtoc I spill. I had personally never even heard of that incident. Not only did it take place 25 years ago, but I fear that an even more important reason is that it took place in Mexican waters.

Tagged with: gulf spill, soclal media, media strategy, crossmedia,

Digital Communication, why won't kids choose for it?

Perhaps I am a bit occupationally deformed when it comes down to (digital) media. That’s probably because I’ve been in the media business for three decades. That must have lead to full incorporation of media as such in my life. Sometimes it is hard to understand that what I regard as important may be of utter uselessness to others who just take the media as they are. But then again, media are in every people’s lives, whether one likes it or not

Tagged with: dc, digital communication, education, crossmedia,

Competences, Blended Learning & Crossmedia

Competences are hot in Dutch higher education. But, what is a competence? It consists of three elements: knowledge, attitude and skills. These elements are very similar to the desired effects of influential communication. Crossmedia is vital in present days' influential communication. Therefore it seems logical that experts of crossmedia and experts of higher education can learn from each other. Crossmedia applied on education is called blended learning.

Tagged with: blended learning, learning experience, crossmedia,

Pandora's Neocracy #4, mobile conventions and education

VPRO (Dutch public broadcasting member) wishes to position itself as a taste community, interacting, participating, broad- and narrowcasting both DIY and prescribed content through any given media. Ergo, it positions itself as a full Monty crossmedia media brand that will incorporate any given media as log as it reaches its target audiences and – this is rather important – those audiences reach each other as well. Rising star on its firmament is mobile. During the VPRO’s presentation at the Mobile Convention in Amsterdam today, VPRO’s Erik van Heeswijk, editor in chief of the digital department, gave a stunning example. I am really sorry I haven’t got the film yet about the crossmediality of the particular example of ‘Beagle’, VPRO’s contribution to the Darwin year. This is a true crossmedia concept with blogs, a mobile site, 1050 minutes of quality TV, radio, print (both specific publications and their TV guide), etc. They also make use of third party media like Youtube, Hyves and LinkedIn. This production must have cost quite an amount. But fortunately, Van Heeswijk replied my question whether he is obliged to share their gained knowledge and expertise with the society – as VPRO is doing this great work with public money, say tax money – with a full YES. In fact, he added, he would like to encourage this. (I’ll give him a ring next week.) Mobile, as he mentioned will become a key devices through which people will look, listen, interact and participate in his community of taste. That’s one way of looking at will is going on and what will happen in the future regarding mobile.

Tagged with: convergence, convention, crossmedia, mobile, social media,