Rome Hartman - FishbowlNY

How Social Media Is Helping The Traditional Newsroom

Amanda Ernst — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Rome Hartman, Rachel Sterne, Michael Meyers and Scott Karp on the UGCX stage

This morning we visited mediabistro.com’s user-generated content focused conference, UGCX, to listen in on a conversation about how social media is changing the face of the newsroom.

The morning panel, moderated by “BBC World News America” executive producer Rome Hartman, featured Ground Report editor-in-chief Rachel Sterne, NowPublic co-founder Michael Meyers and Publish2 co-founder Scott Karp and conversation ranged from water-skiing squirrels to Fox News.

Sterne and Meyers talked about how user-generated journalism and informational content can change the face of reporting news, using their own models as examples of that. Both Ground Report and NowPublic use a Wikipedia type model that allows citizen journalists to publish their own work. Meyers also oversees Examiner.com, which hires expert “examiners” to write about specific topics. Karp’s company helps traditional media organizations curate social media from the Web in real time, helping reporters gather news.

The result of these new sites and tools is that “regular people, like us, or anybody, have more power to contribute to the news process,” Sterne said.

Karp pointed out another upside: traditional media organizations can quickly update or correct stories. Where once a newspaper would publish once a day, sometimes with incomplete information, now they can constantly update stories, folding information from social media into reporting done the old fashioned way. This is more important than ever, he said, since “people are following in real time.”

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Morning Media Menu With BBC’s Rome Hartman

Glynnis — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:16:36 +0000

Those of you who attended the TVNewser Summit last month will probably recall the lively panel discussion between Rome Hartman and Tammy Haddad, much of which revolved around the benefits of Twitter (Haddad) and the not benefits (Hartman). Hartman joined us on the podcast today to revisit the issue of Twitter (he’s still not a user), as well as discuss what BBC World News America, where he is EP, brings to the table (hint: it’s not Pamela Anderson’s breasts), and the recent trend in cable news toward emo-anchors.

Anchors are human beings, and if something is real and emotion is real, and frankly the events or news that produces that emotion are real, it’s hugely powerful, and it’s appropriate…Where I have a problem with it is when it’s manufactured more to draw an audience or as part of a business plan…I aspire to never have anyone cry on our program ever again. If it happens and it’s real, fine.”

Rome also makes me feel better about my disastrous NCAA bracket run. You can listen to all the past podcasts at BlogTalkRadio.com/mediabistro and call in at 646-929-0321.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Video from Today’s Summit Panel ‘New Tools of the Trade’

Glynnis — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:34:22 +0000

Everything’s better when Tammy Haddad is involved, but the BBC’s Rome Hartman very much held his own in today’s opening panel about the “New Tools of the Trade’ — namely Twitter. Hartman is not a fan of Twitter. Haddad is not a fan of Twitter not making money. Also weighing in were online luminaries Rick Klein, Rachel Sterne, Jim Long, and Michael Meyers. At the end of the session, Haddad presented Hartman with a parting gift (above).

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Lunch at Michael’s: All Hail Tina Brown!

Dylan — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 16:34:44 +0000

When a little birdie told us to switch our weekly reservation from Wednesday to Thursday so as not to miss the confab of publishing powerhouses that were expected today, we did so in a heartbeat. We’re happy to report today’s crowd didn’t disappoint. Where else could you see Newsweek honcho Jon Meacham bow down to Tina Brown at Mayor Joe Armstrong‘s table, or watch a gaggle of social swans fawn over Project Runway breakout star Tim Gunn while cooling their Jimmy Choos in the lounge? The worlds of substance and style collided today at 55th & Fifth.

The results kept us so busy gawking that we barely finished our salad nicoise:

1. Mayor Joe Armstrong presiding over one of his legendary lunches with a host of truly impressive guests. Tina Brown arrived looking every inch the power blonde in black leather and was greeted with great fanfare by all including an enthusiastic hug from neighboring diner and former Condé Nast colleague Shirley Lord. We can’t wait for Tina’s new book, The Diana Chronicles, due out in June from Doubleday with an excerpt to run in Vanity Fair. Word is she breaks big news about the People’s Princess. We can’t imagine what’s left to reveal, but we’re all ears! Joe kept the conversation flowing among pals Liz Smith, Newsweek‘s Jon Meacham, ABC News producer Kathy O’Hearn, Random House’s Susan Mercandetti (who edited Bob Woodruff‘s new book, In An Instant. The ABC newsman’s tale of recovery following his near-death experience in Iraq as written mainly by his wife will debut at number one on the Times bestseller list Sunday, March 16. Couldn’t happen to nicer guy!).

Always the gentleman, Joe took time out from keeping things lively to introduce lunchtime chronicler Diane Clehane to two of his other guests, Vanity Fair correspondent Marie Brenner and Newsweek scribe Holly Peterson. We’ve been fans of Marie’s ever since she took on the tobacco industry in a piece that became the basis for The Insider. Joe teased that her upcoming expose on Guantanamo Bay for Vanity Fair will be even more explosive. We’re really intrigued by Holly’s new book, The Manny, — which earned her $1 million for the book and movie rights. (Not bad for a first timer.) The novel taps into the cultural zeitgeist by chronicling the fictional exploits of a male nanny who does more for Upper East Side yummy mummies than look after their kiddies. The sure-to-be-bestseller is also due out here in June from HarperCollins but is already selling like mad in the U.K.

2. Shirley Lord & Peter Brown.

3. Charlie Rose and Zoe Baird. The talkshow host looking more debonair than usual (the no tie look really works for you, Charlie) held Ms. Baird’s rapt attention throughout lunch — must have been a very intriguing tale …

4. ‘Entourage’ East: EMI president Charlie Walk with four black-suited young gents.

5. Herb Siegal.

6. Freddy Gershorn and Steve Swid.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Couric Blogs About Evening News Exec Changes

Dylan — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 11:39:23 +0000

Posted by Katie Couric today:

For so many of us at CBS News, this is a hard day. Rome Hartman, the executive producer of the Evening News, is moving on.

Rome was one of the reasons I came here to CBS. We’d known each other peripherally for years — everyone in the news business seems to know everyone else, don’t they? — so I knew his reputation. And I have to say: he is truly one of the “good guys,” a man of integrity, character and honor. In the TV news business, those characteristics are too often mutually exclusive. … He’s earned my unwavering and enduring respect, affection, and love.

And that bit about CBS wanting a “harder-edged” newscast? They’re already featuring a “harder-edged” headshot [above] of Katie — no smiles there.

EARLIER:

With Couric Stuck In Third, CBS Swaps Executive Producers

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

With Couric Stuck In Third, CBS Swaps Executive Producers

Dylan — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 10:03:55 +0000

CBS News chief Sean McManus and Couric last summer during CBS’ ‘dog-and-pony show’ for the media

Coverage of the EP shuffle at the CBS Evening News:

TVNewser: Rome Hartman was let go as the executive producer of the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, a CBS insider says.
AP: “CBS News on Thursday is expected to fire the executive producer of Katie Couric‘s struggling ‘CBS Evening News’ broadcast and appoint former CNN and MSNBC president Rick Kaplan to the job.” … “Many in the industry believed too many people were offering input and there wasn’t a clear sense of who was in charge.”
NYT: Hartman was told after last night’s newscast.
CBS News: Kaplan “worked at CBS for a decade early in his career, including a period as an associate producer for the CBS Evening News when Walter Cronkite ruled the airwaves as the ‘most trusted man in America.’” He also was at MSNBC when Couric was at Today.
Hollywood Reporter: “The network wants a harder-edged, faster-paced newscast than has been seen in the six months since Couric took to the air.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.