Ok, so the guy's funny AND interesting...

OLA 2012: 1900 "Gala Luncheon: Host, CBC's George Stoumboulopoulos" February 4, 2012, 12:15 PM - 2:30 PM (in the MTCC Bldg, Room 105/106)

Just some brief notes from this keynote:

• Arrived early by ten minutes and sat with some teacher-librarians from KW.  We were served clam chowder, roast beef, choc cake...  /drool
• Some kid named "Michael" was presented with an award having something to do with "media and communications"?  I wasn't really paying attention.
• George talked briefly and then opened up the mics for a q and a session.
• He was born shy.
• Since his mother was poor and had 2+ jobs, we was alternatively babysat by the library (Albion Library) and a retirement home.
• He's gotten rid of most of his books.
• How to raise awareness?  Make a PR video.  Don't charge late fees.
• Asking tough interviewees about their mothers always softens them up, even the big tough guys.  (Brian Burke)
• Anecdote about Chretien:  He was mistaken for someone other than the interviewer when meeting Chretien in a pre-interview chat.  The PM said, when he was corrected, "Ok, yer de guy."
• Miscellaneous:  Bruins jersey.  Habs fan.  Gays in hockey.  June Colwood's last interview.  He's not afraid to "go dark".  Malton.  Catholicism.
• Will talk about ebooks on his show.
• Tempted to leave Canada (not want to but may have to...  will get fired eventually).  Time at CBC has been an emotional railroad.  Nicknamed "bombouloupolus".  But CBC is about the people.  Canadians don't support each other enough.  No such phrase as "anti-Canadian".  Canada is young.
• He doesn't plan out everything in his interviews.  Key:  find out about your interviewee's life when they were ten and remember the "human".
• Goals are a mistake.
• Documentaries on propaganda and cold war, war on terror
• Went through several phases in his education.  But eventually he took a motorcycle course and saw radio broadcasting course in the list.  Considered the army.  Finally realized that grades are currency to buy diploma.  Fell in love with radio.  Slept at station when he worked there "as a kid".
• Don't talk down to audience.  Fuck 'em if they dont get it.
• He manage his own twitter feed.

xkcd's "First Post"

From xkcd's "First Post".

The unethical treatment of news event information

We like violence. We like stories that shock and scare us. It is interesting to us. And unfortunately, this is what drives the "news" industry. It's not the fault of CEOs. It's OUR fault. We tell them that this is what we want and they deliver.

Do we really want this? We certainly act as though we do. It is what we talk about with our friends, our coworkers around the water cooler. "Did you see the news last night? Horrifying, wasn't it?" But when you speak with individuals, most people profess to find that same thing distasteful. "They only show bad news. It's all murder and mayhem." When we stop and thinking about it, considering our actual information wants and needs and how we want to be seen by others, we cry out for truth not entertainment. This is the difference between conscious and unconscious behaviour. When we reflect on our actions, we remain civilized. When we stop reflecting, due to fatigue, distractions, and misunderstanding, we act barbaric. At least in terms of our information-related behaviour.

We need to make more of an effort to stay conscious of our actions: think about what we are watching on the news, consider how it makes us feel and act, reflect on what it makes us think about and share with the people around us, and, most importantly, how it affects our actions and beliefs that, in turn, affect our media choices that are used to determine what gets communicated to us in the first place. The advice most appropriate given the video above is that we need to be the change we want to see in our environment. We exist in an echo chamber: what we do changes what happens to us which changes what we do. Recognizing that allows us to take a little control back.

No news is good news...

Here's something about me. I hate "the news". I hate news on TV, I hate newspapers, I hate radio news, I hate news magazines, etc. I hate people who read/watch the news. Well, not hate. More like pity. These are the people who think that they are doing something important by "being informed". Firstly, you can be informed in many other more effective ways. The "news" is just one of many sources of information about the world, and just like all the others it is biased. You can't get away from biased information, but you shouldn't forget that it's all biased either. Secondly, if you just read the news on the train to work or watch the evening news when you get home, that doesn't count as doing your part. And you can't say that it's all justified by the fact that it informs how you vote or give to charity. That's hardly a reason to sit through stories about local murders and how many people were killed on the other side of the world. You're only justified if you're USING this information. No one is [or rather should be] entertained by this abattoir of information.

My, my, aren't I being serious? That's enough of that.