interview

The newspaper industry’s been facing some rough times in the digital era. But Dan Savage, editorial director of The Stranger and star of MTV’s Savage U, is optimistic. The syndicated columnist behind “Savage Love” has 21 years of experience under his belt and says the current changes the print world is facing aren’t uncommon.

“I actually think what’s happening to print media is kind of what happened to the theater 100 to 120 years ago,” said Savage in mediabistro.com’s So What Do You Do? interview. “There were lots of jobs in the theater. That all came apart. Radio and television, a new technology, came along and just decimated — destroyed really — the profession.”

Suddenly, says Savage, hopeful actors had to be willing to work for free for years — much like the position writers today find themselves in. “When I look around and listen to people in the journalism field complain about what newspaper and print jobs are like now, for me, it echoes the history of theater classes I took in the ’80s when they were talking about the coming of radio and television and what that did to live performance.”

Wanna know how you can get syndicated like Savage? Read the full interview.

Author and journalist Susan Orlean (left) has written two nonfiction pieces that have been turned into films. She’ll discuss her new book, Rin Tin Tin, in Mediabistro’s first online Literary Festival & Workshops starting July 16. Other speakers include Rebecca Skloot, Jason Boog, and Jason Allen Ashlock. Register now.

“Four Questions With …” is a monthly series of interviews with different social media and community editors in the news industry.

So, what is it like to be a social media or community editor? What are the job responsibilities and how does one end up landing such a gig? The goal of “Four Questions With …” is to answer some of these questions and to give insight into what is a new and constantly evolving field.

This month, we talked to Matthew Keys, the deputy social media editor at Reuters. If there’s breaking news happening, you can bet Keys has already sent out a tweet about it or is posting about it on his Tumblr. In fact, you probably know him better as@ProducerMatthew.

Keys’ coverage and news aggregation of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, which he did while unemployed, nabbed him a nomination for an Online News Association award for breaking news excellence. (We also profiled Keys back in March 2011.)

Keys joined the Reuters team, led by Anthony De Rosa, as its deputy social media editor in January. Previously, he worked at various California-based news organizations as an online news producer and interactive and mobile director. At Reuters, Keys is mainly responsible with publishing to the news organization’s different social platforms and coaching the staff on best social practices.

Here are his thoughts on the social media, journalism, and what news outlets need to do in order to be leaders in the social field. Read more

From hiring Keith Olbermann and Internet pioneer  Cenk Uygur to expanding into daytime with shows featuring  Stephanie Miller and Bill Press, Current TV has undergone a great deal of changes since its launch in 2005. And co-founder Joel Hyatt, who stepped back into the CEO role in July 2012, says the network won’t be stopping its hiring spree any time soon.

“We’re going to look for budding journalists, young journalists who we think are really smart with a bright future, get them on Current,” said Hyatt in our So What Do You Do? interview.

And with this younger on-air talent appealing to a more engaged audience, the Current chief hopes to present a clearer view of true journalism on the airwaves.

“There are times in which the cable networks do a really outstanding job; there are times in which I think the job they do is embarrassingly bad,” he said. “I think that what journalism needs to do is seek truth. And that means care about facts, care about science, care about reasoning, and help provide context to the audience.”

But the reality, said Hyatt, is that “we’ve seen so much of professional journalism dissipate away to be replaced by infotainment, entertainment and frankly I think pure fraud, since it’s being passed along, purported to be news. It’s just a fraud to call it news.” Read the full interview.

“Four Questions With …” is a monthly series of interviews with different social media and community editors in the news industry.

So, what is it like to be a social media or community editor? What are the job responsibilities and how does one end up landing such a gig? The goal of “Four Questions With …” is to answer some of these questions and to give insight into what is a new and constantly evolving field.

For our March edition, we sat down with Chris Hamilton, the social media editor for BBC News. He’s held the role since June 2011, taking over from his predecessor, Alex Gubbay. Hamilton joined BBC News in 2000 after a few years working as a reporter at the Press Association. While at BBC News, Hamilton has worked on the Specials Team, as planning editor for the organization’s websites, and helped organize BBC News’ coverage of the last general election in the U.K.

Here are Hamilton’s thoughts on social media editors, journalism, and the recent backlash the BBC received last month in response to updating a part of its social media guidelines on breaking news and Twitter.  Read more

In the midst of layoffs, buyouts and unemployment all around the media world, it’s hard not to point the finger towards everyone else.

But Dr. Wayne Dyer believes all you need to break out of a professional rut is a simple attitude adjustment.

“[People are] just going through unemployment benefits and complaining that they can’t get any work. But there are opportunities everywhere if you’re open to them,” the bestselling author said in mediabistro.com’s So What Do You Do? interview.  ”Instead of waiting for the government to do it, or for the factory to re-open, they can put their attention on abundance and prosperity will show up in your life.”

First step, says the “father of motivation,” is to realize that you are what you think.

“If you’re thinking about unemployment, or how bad the economy is, or all the reasons why you can’t do something, you’ll get exactly that. Instead, align yourself with the type of energy you want to attract and those kinds of people will show up in your life.”

Read the full interview to find out how he began his multi-million dollar empire.