Monday, August 27, 2012
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Dreams come true
Wow! what a journey it has been for my family and me for the past nine months. From the time I left CNN to the time I arrived at WGCL-TV here in Atlanta, I've learned a lot along the way.
I've learned never to take my job for granted again. I've learned more about networking and meeting people in 2012 than I did for the past decade. I am more appreciative of what I have now than ever before.
With the help of my wife Kelly Sanders Irwin, my family, and my friends, I overcame the fears and anxieties of not having a job to go to for the first two months of my transition. Every time I had a chance to work a shift or a string of shifts at The Weather Channel, I was always grateful for each opportunity.
Thank you everybody for reaching out to me via phone, e-mail, and facebook within hours and days of my departure and eventual transition from CNN. You all showed great care and class towards me during one of the most difficult times in my life. I will never forget you and all that you all have done for me from that moment. Even just the kind words that you said to me carried me through the early stages in Mid-November.
A special thank you and shout-out goes out to the people and members of Life Lessons in Atlanta for many things, especially welcoming me into the group. I also thank Louis Gruver for showing me the way to Life Lessons. I took a few things away from some of the guest speakers at Life Lessons. I made my resume look a little better and met new people and networked much better from the times I attended Atlanta Press Club events. I won't take networking for granted anymore.
A special thank you to Alex Sembra, Eric Ferrell, Bob Parker, Michael Scharff, and Jim Proeller for getting me into the Weather Channel as a Freelancer and for continuing to give me work for 2012 up to this moment.
One more final shoutout to Katharine Dorsett Bennett and Phil Cantor for helping me get in at WGCL-TV, where I am now. The opportunity to work there as a temp and later as a full-time staff member came faster than I ever dreamed it would. I won't let CBS Atlanta down.
The best parts about my transition were: I got to spend more quality time with my wife, I got to enjoy all the big holidays with my wife and her family in 2011, and we didn't have to pack up and move away from Atlanta to get to my current full-time job.
I will treasure my 11+ years with CNN and all of its sister networks and for the friendships that will last a lifetime. I will treasure 2012 as a time that I got to work with great and talented people at The Weather Channel and for the new friends that I have made along the way. I never dreamed that I would get to work for two major networks here in Atlanta and work with so many talented people along the way, people I would argue that are more talented than I am.
I love news, sports, television, media, and social media too much to do anything else in my career right now.
I'm excited about this next chapter in my long 13+ year career in television, and I'm looking forward to a long stay at CBS Atlanta News.
Life is good and it is getting better.
I've learned never to take my job for granted again. I've learned more about networking and meeting people in 2012 than I did for the past decade. I am more appreciative of what I have now than ever before.
With the help of my wife Kelly Sanders Irwin, my family, and my friends, I overcame the fears and anxieties of not having a job to go to for the first two months of my transition. Every time I had a chance to work a shift or a string of shifts at The Weather Channel, I was always grateful for each opportunity.
Thank you everybody for reaching out to me via phone, e-mail, and facebook within hours and days of my departure and eventual transition from CNN. You all showed great care and class towards me during one of the most difficult times in my life. I will never forget you and all that you all have done for me from that moment. Even just the kind words that you said to me carried me through the early stages in Mid-November.
A special thank you and shout-out goes out to the people and members of Life Lessons in Atlanta for many things, especially welcoming me into the group. I also thank Louis Gruver for showing me the way to Life Lessons. I took a few things away from some of the guest speakers at Life Lessons. I made my resume look a little better and met new people and networked much better from the times I attended Atlanta Press Club events. I won't take networking for granted anymore.
A special thank you to Alex Sembra, Eric Ferrell, Bob Parker, Michael Scharff, and Jim Proeller for getting me into the Weather Channel as a Freelancer and for continuing to give me work for 2012 up to this moment.
One more final shoutout to Katharine Dorsett Bennett and Phil Cantor for helping me get in at WGCL-TV, where I am now. The opportunity to work there as a temp and later as a full-time staff member came faster than I ever dreamed it would. I won't let CBS Atlanta down.
The best parts about my transition were: I got to spend more quality time with my wife, I got to enjoy all the big holidays with my wife and her family in 2011, and we didn't have to pack up and move away from Atlanta to get to my current full-time job.
I will treasure my 11+ years with CNN and all of its sister networks and for the friendships that will last a lifetime. I will treasure 2012 as a time that I got to work with great and talented people at The Weather Channel and for the new friends that I have made along the way. I never dreamed that I would get to work for two major networks here in Atlanta and work with so many talented people along the way, people I would argue that are more talented than I am.
I love news, sports, television, media, and social media too much to do anything else in my career right now.
I'm excited about this next chapter in my long 13+ year career in television, and I'm looking forward to a long stay at CBS Atlanta News.
Life is good and it is getting better.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Had a dream about some wings and an old friend
A few weeks ago, I had a dream where I saw one of my friends from way back in my Arizona State University days. He was a good friend of mine in my Walter Cronkite School of Journalism classes and from my days as a fund raiser for the ASU Sundial Fund. We talked, hung out, and had a few good laughs.
Later in the night, I had a different dream where I saw a lot of fried chicken wings with some golden-brown honey mustard sauce dripping down on them. They looked so good I could almost taste them. I was getting hungry for them.
In reality, I just found my friend Keith Bogart on Facebook and we've linked up as friends on the social networking site. I would root for the Philadephia Eagles with him as long as they get rid of Michael Vick. Second, I almost got chicken wings in my two appearances over at Taco Mac in Kennesaw, Georgia. On Thursday, I got chips, tortillas, and queso. On Friday, I got a grilled chicken burrito with queso and french fries.
I'm going to score me some wings again one day. I might go for the wings with honey mustard on them and some sweet barbecue sauce on them too.
Later in the night, I had a different dream where I saw a lot of fried chicken wings with some golden-brown honey mustard sauce dripping down on them. They looked so good I could almost taste them. I was getting hungry for them.
In reality, I just found my friend Keith Bogart on Facebook and we've linked up as friends on the social networking site. I would root for the Philadephia Eagles with him as long as they get rid of Michael Vick. Second, I almost got chicken wings in my two appearances over at Taco Mac in Kennesaw, Georgia. On Thursday, I got chips, tortillas, and queso. On Friday, I got a grilled chicken burrito with queso and french fries.
I'm going to score me some wings again one day. I might go for the wings with honey mustard on them and some sweet barbecue sauce on them too.
Friday, August 10, 2012
A dream for the future of newspapers
This is one of those dreams that I didn't have when I was sleeping. My dream for the future of newspapers is that they never go away.
In recent years, I've seen a few troubling developments of their demise. The Rocky Mountain News ceased publication in 2010. It was sad for me because it was the only paper I bought in Denver when I was in my layover at Denver International Airport eight years ago. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer ceased print publication that same year and exists now only as a website. The Tucson Citizen also saw its demise that year in print and now lives on only as a website.
Luckily, those three cities were two newspaper towns and can still have one daily newspaper serve those communities and metro areas. What about other cities that are one-paper towns? What do they do if their cities' newspapers are in trouble in their print operations? Cities like New Orleans, Birmingham, and Portland, Oregon are facing such questions that I never imagined just a decade ago.
The New Orleans Times-Picayune is going to a 3-day a week publishing schedule this fall. The paper is also going to publish a special Monday edition for New Orleans Saints coverage this season. The Birmingham News is also moving to a 3-day a week publishing time frame. In Portland, Oregon, The Oregonian is facing a future of not publishing a paper every single day.
These three newspapers are all owned by Advance Publications, and they are the most notable papers that are moving towards a more web-based, digital content model. The company owns many other newspapers including The Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Newark Star-Ledger.
I admit I am part of the problem. As of this writing, I do not have a print subscription to any newspaper. I buy my newspapers only on Sundays for the coupons (and the news content), at the airport for having something to read, and at a city that I am visiting on vacation or business.
I too have embraced digital delivery of my news content on many levels. I slowly adapted from just being a print reader to being able to get the news more electronically. Here's my digital diet and it varies day by day. I go online to some of my favorite news websites, turn on my smartphone and go to some of my favorite apps, or just simply watch TV or listen to the radio for my news and information.
Print publications have to take their products to the streets and market them to young people. They are the future and they have gotten more tech-savvy in recent years. Newspaper companies need to sell young people on the value of being able to hold a piece of paper in their hand and not worry about damaging the product if something gets spilled on it. Newspapers need to add value inside their products by having a reader special for some discounts on restaurants or tickets to sporting events.
Print companies have to work with other electronic media and new media companies to partner on content and costs of production.
The latest example I have found of new partnerships is between my hometown paper, a TV station, and a sports Network. The East Valley Tribune has entered into a partnership with KNXV-TV for news coverage and is already partnered with Fox Sports Arizona for additional sports coverage. Partnerships like these will help preserve the newspapers in all of the major cities across the United States and keep people employed in their respective fields.
On a personal note, I grew up with the East Valley Tribune. It morphed from the Mesa Tribune (along with the Tempe Daily News and Chandler Arizonan) to become the East Valley Tribune in 1999. In 2009, the newspaper stopped being a paid daily publication and became a free three-day a week newspaper in Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, and Queen Creek, Arizona.
I hope I'm wrong on this prediction: The increasing costs of print publication and the irreversable downward revenues will eventually leave many cities without their daily print edition of the newspaper.
Here's my solution: Newspapers need to partner up with one major television station, one major radio station, a regional cable channel, and a new start-up internet website/news outlet to keep their papers relevant in their cities. Costs will go down, subscriptions and day of newspaper sales will stabilize, and newspapers will continue to exist in the form that we know them in.
My dream for the newspapers: They stay around forever.
In recent years, I've seen a few troubling developments of their demise. The Rocky Mountain News ceased publication in 2010. It was sad for me because it was the only paper I bought in Denver when I was in my layover at Denver International Airport eight years ago. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer ceased print publication that same year and exists now only as a website. The Tucson Citizen also saw its demise that year in print and now lives on only as a website.
Luckily, those three cities were two newspaper towns and can still have one daily newspaper serve those communities and metro areas. What about other cities that are one-paper towns? What do they do if their cities' newspapers are in trouble in their print operations? Cities like New Orleans, Birmingham, and Portland, Oregon are facing such questions that I never imagined just a decade ago.
The New Orleans Times-Picayune is going to a 3-day a week publishing schedule this fall. The paper is also going to publish a special Monday edition for New Orleans Saints coverage this season. The Birmingham News is also moving to a 3-day a week publishing time frame. In Portland, Oregon, The Oregonian is facing a future of not publishing a paper every single day.
These three newspapers are all owned by Advance Publications, and they are the most notable papers that are moving towards a more web-based, digital content model. The company owns many other newspapers including The Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Newark Star-Ledger.
I admit I am part of the problem. As of this writing, I do not have a print subscription to any newspaper. I buy my newspapers only on Sundays for the coupons (and the news content), at the airport for having something to read, and at a city that I am visiting on vacation or business.
I too have embraced digital delivery of my news content on many levels. I slowly adapted from just being a print reader to being able to get the news more electronically. Here's my digital diet and it varies day by day. I go online to some of my favorite news websites, turn on my smartphone and go to some of my favorite apps, or just simply watch TV or listen to the radio for my news and information.
Print publications have to take their products to the streets and market them to young people. They are the future and they have gotten more tech-savvy in recent years. Newspaper companies need to sell young people on the value of being able to hold a piece of paper in their hand and not worry about damaging the product if something gets spilled on it. Newspapers need to add value inside their products by having a reader special for some discounts on restaurants or tickets to sporting events.
Print companies have to work with other electronic media and new media companies to partner on content and costs of production.
The latest example I have found of new partnerships is between my hometown paper, a TV station, and a sports Network. The East Valley Tribune has entered into a partnership with KNXV-TV for news coverage and is already partnered with Fox Sports Arizona for additional sports coverage. Partnerships like these will help preserve the newspapers in all of the major cities across the United States and keep people employed in their respective fields.
On a personal note, I grew up with the East Valley Tribune. It morphed from the Mesa Tribune (along with the Tempe Daily News and Chandler Arizonan) to become the East Valley Tribune in 1999. In 2009, the newspaper stopped being a paid daily publication and became a free three-day a week newspaper in Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, and Queen Creek, Arizona.
I hope I'm wrong on this prediction: The increasing costs of print publication and the irreversable downward revenues will eventually leave many cities without their daily print edition of the newspaper.
Here's my solution: Newspapers need to partner up with one major television station, one major radio station, a regional cable channel, and a new start-up internet website/news outlet to keep their papers relevant in their cities. Costs will go down, subscriptions and day of newspaper sales will stabilize, and newspapers will continue to exist in the form that we know them in.
My dream for the newspapers: They stay around forever.
Dreaming of Mafia Wars
Late last night or early this morning, I had a dream where I was playing Mafia Wars. In the dream, all I had to do was hold the "attack" button, and my 'enemy' would be defeated much faster and my 'jobs' would be completed much, much faster. That step would eliminate my need for constantly clicking on the mouse.
In reality: I played some more Mafia Wars this morning. I haven't played in more than two days, so I was due for some gaming. I have advanced to level 2094 and I'm about a month away from completing construction of my '5-star restaurant' in Las Vegas. I've already completed my '5-star bank vault'.
In the game, I'm a 'trillionaire.' In real life, I guess I'm a thousand-aire.
Here's hoping for more social gaming in the future and that I will be the best gamer I can be.
In reality: I played some more Mafia Wars this morning. I haven't played in more than two days, so I was due for some gaming. I have advanced to level 2094 and I'm about a month away from completing construction of my '5-star restaurant' in Las Vegas. I've already completed my '5-star bank vault'.
In the game, I'm a 'trillionaire.' In real life, I guess I'm a thousand-aire.
Here's hoping for more social gaming in the future and that I will be the best gamer I can be.
Dreaming of Newspapers
Late this morning, I had a dream where I was coming home for work late last night. In this dream, I saw a big SUV filled with a bunch of local newspapers in the back. Two of them that I remember was the "Cherokee Tribune" and the fictional RED ANGEL in red letters.
I met this man and I asked him if I could buy one of his newspapers, and he said yes. Not only that, he gave me a big hug for wanting to buy one of his papers. In the dream, the newspaper would have been enough. The hug really wasn't necessary.
I was so happy to get my Cherokee Tribune and I was going to start reading it. When I got ready to read the paper, I woke up.
In reality, I may still have a neighbor that delivers newspapers on the side. I read at least four print editions of the following newspapers: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Marietta Daily Journal, the Cherokee Tribune, and the Cartersville Daily-Tribune News.
I love newspapers and I hope they never go away in their print version.
I met this man and I asked him if I could buy one of his newspapers, and he said yes. Not only that, he gave me a big hug for wanting to buy one of his papers. In the dream, the newspaper would have been enough. The hug really wasn't necessary.
I was so happy to get my Cherokee Tribune and I was going to start reading it. When I got ready to read the paper, I woke up.
In reality, I may still have a neighbor that delivers newspapers on the side. I read at least four print editions of the following newspapers: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Marietta Daily Journal, the Cherokee Tribune, and the Cartersville Daily-Tribune News.
I love newspapers and I hope they never go away in their print version.
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