The SXTXState team (minus one) at the Awesomest Journalism Party Ever

It hardly seems real, but yet another whirlwind of SXSW has flown through my life, leaving me enlightened, exhausted, well-connected and honestly, a bit depressed. It’s always difficult to go back to your regularly scheduled life after being introduced to so many new ideas, people, products and concepts in a such an inviting environment, surrounded by people just like you.

This was my second year in a row to have the opportunity to attend and cover SXSW Interactive as part of the SXTXState team. Attending SXSW last year gave me the opportunity to soak in all that the festival has to offer. I’ll admit, it was a bit overwhelming, but that exposure gave me the confidence I needed to tackle this year’s festivities head on.

The key sessions that I attended typically reflected my interests, but I also took on some panels that I knew nothing about. However, the main themes that I observed during the festival focused on diversity in tech and innovation (or lack thereof), and social media’s effect on relationships and company success.

The sessions that I attended that were centralized around diversity in the tech realm had several key, recurring emphases.

• Ignoring a proper implementation of diversity (race, gender, sexuality or otherwise) will almost undoubtedly inhibit a company’s potential progression.
• The main obstacle hindering the facilitation of more women joining the hacker industry is the lack of females that are currently in the profession. Girls want to be hackers, but their environments don’t encourage them.
• When we think of “hacker,” we generally don’t think about black and brown young adults. This mind frame is slowly, but surely, changing.

The knowledge that I gained from social media related panels gave me great insight about how to properly use social outlets on a grand scale, and how I can personally use them to improve my brand and my future.

• The use of social media tools (e.g. Twitter) can lead to a wide range of perspectives that companies originally didn’t have access to.
• In order to truly understand the implications and benefits of social media engagement as a company, you have to be involved on both a personal scale and on an organizational scale.
• Put your energy into creating something great, not begging the Internet for more likes on social media sites. If you produce great content, the likes will come.

As exhausted as I am as I sit here typing this, I wish I could re-live the chaotic beauty of the festival all over again. I can only hope that I’ll have the opportunity to do it again next year. And the year after that, and the year after that…

As a whole, I sincerely believe SXTXState’s coverage of SXSWi rivals that of any “professional” coverage of the event. I continued to be amazed by my cohorts’ instinct for newsworthy content and their drive to secure interviews with the conference’s biggest names. From David Karp, W. Kamau Bell, Michele Norris, Gary Vaynerchuk, and more, our team successfully interviewed the same high-profile leaders in tech and communications as major news outlets. I attribute this success to the SXTXState model, which provides a platform for students to launch from. SXTXState allows individual participants to cultivate their own interests while rewarding the boldness and gumption of our ambitious reporters.

I count myself to be so extremely fortunate that I got to be a part of this team two years in a row. I certainly doubt that I will ever have such an exciting and rewarding experience at SXSWi as I have these last two years. Looking back on this experience, I see a few trends:

1) Data is everything… unless its not. Panels on data driven journalism, storytelling, marketing and more have dominated SXSWi. But this year, several major panels discussed the limits of data. Brands and storytellers are still employing data to communicate ideas, however, context demands traditional storytelling techniques be employed to be full effective. Data provides background on scale, however, it lacks “soul.” Traditional communication tools must be used to provide that context for data, or else it simply becomes noise. For more, check out my interview with BuzzFeed’s Jon Steinberg.

2) Communicators must find a balance between traditional and new media. Two of the most interesting conversations I had during SXSWi were with journalists Mike Isaac and Andy Carvin. Both esteemed reporters sit, admittedly, on the opposite sides of a spectrum on how they procure sources and build stories. Isaac holds true to the traditional method of gathering sources, viewing social media as a means to an end. In contrast, Carvin considers Twitter to be a fundamental part of his procurement process, breaking down the barriers to important sources. Both journalists have interesting reasons why they choose their method and it would be a superficial analysis to say that one is more “right” than the other. Rather, it is best to learn from both communicators to strike a balance between the two approaches. Both journalists offer best practices that are not mutually exclusive and that can be employed to create a hybrid approach to storytelling that brings the best of the new and old.

3) SXSWi continues to be three years ahead of everyone else, really. I entered into this project with the proposed goal of exploring how SXSWi approaches diversity in communications technology. How were different people from different communities being included in this event? How did SXSWi make sure they were looking toward a future where the minority is becoming the majority? Despite my ardent fondness for all things SXSWi, I was prepared for disappointment. Much to my surprise, I found that SXSWi continues to be ahead of the game. Diversity manifested in many ways, from programming, to special official SXSWi events. While women and people of color continue to be underrepresented in the technology sector, SXSWi strove to include speakers and experts on diversity. Yes, there is still room for improvement, but speaking with the many participants and speakers on diversity, SXSWi is extremely progressive.

After a whirlwind experience, its hard to believe its over. However, I’m already looking forward to SXSWi 2014 and more opportunities to meet the top minds in communications and technology.

I attended SXSW Interactive for the first time in 2012. Back then I didn’t know the difference between Java and Javascript, much less could I concatenate strings or write MySQL queries. Needless to say, most of what I saw and heard last year went right over my head.

While I was much better prepared this year, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed by that much knowledge flying at you from all directions at once. It was absolutely exhausting, and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

Some Highlights

Sir Tim Berners-Lee, photo by Megan Kilgore

I was maybe 20 feet from Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, for the better part of an hour. I wish I had been able to go to the meet-up and shake hands with a man who changed virtually every aspect of our lives, but even just hearing him speak was awe-inspiring.

I got to interview two of my favorite stand-up comedians, W. Kamau Bell and Janine Brito. And by “interview” I mean I stalked them, stared at them awkwardly while they ate barbecue and then asked them questions about how digital media affected their work as comedians. It was marvelous.

I also got to interview Aron Pilhofer, interactive news editor at the New York Times, after his panel with Cindy Royal. I knew him from volumes of readings on the future of interactive journalism. Turns out he’s a mortal human just like the rest of us, and he’s a pretty nice guy to boot.

President and CEO of PBS Paula Kerger played a YouTube video during her featured session of the characters from Downton Abbey doing the Harlem Shake. How many major media executives have such a great sense of humor about their work?

Rachel Maddow, photo by Megan Kilgore

Last, but certainly not least, I was front and center (literally) for the amazing Rachel Maddow’s talk. I would’ve liked to hear her talk more about the future of the media, but I can’t say I was disappointed with her political discussion. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in the medium, especially those of us who are constantly looking to the future, that sometimes we forget how important it is to understand the message itself. She also brilliantly summed up what I considered to be the central take-away from SXSW Interactive 2013.

Be Awesome

During her talk, Maddow answered audience questions tweeted with the hashtag #AskMaddow. One tweet, submitted by SXTXState’s Sara Peralta, asked her advice for aspiring journalists. Maddow went through a list of specific tips from producing content to taking advantage of the democratization of digital media to get your name out there. Then she summed it all up in three simple words: “Just be awesome.”

More than any other tidbit of advice from the gurus in the featured sessions and panels, the most inspiring speakers I saw echoed this message.

Be great at what you do, and you can’t go wrong.

I think it was especially rewarding for me because I’m at this crossroads of my life – nearing the end of my formal graduate education and considering where I’m going from here.

I was inspired by the startup panels I attended, and took away some great inspiration for my future career.

• If you have an idea, surround yourself with talented people and pursue it and you can make it happen.
• Passion is important – if you’re making a product just to make a buck (or a million), then garnering support around your idea is much more difficult.
• It’s all about the customer. You have to care about people too, not just your business, because you live and die by your customers’ opinions of you.
• Strategy matters. Designing a product, service or business with intentionality is key to its success and scalability.

I still have a lot of mental sorting to do as I apply these lessons and more to my career interests and goals. I can say that the most inspiring piece of advice came from a panel on minimalism. Courtney Carver shared this simple statement: “Be nice. Support good people.”

I was left with the desire to focus more on the quality of my work and my life than the need to achieve career goals that our culture stereotypes as success. I’m eager to explore, cultivate my passion, and create work that brings value to my life and those around me!

]]> http://sxtxstate.com/2013/03/david-merkoski-cleanweb/feed/ 0 http://sxtxstate.com/2013/03/top-10-takeaways-sxsw/ http://sxtxstate.com/2013/03/top-10-takeaways-sxsw/#comments Thu, 14 Mar 2013 01:43:26 +0000 Brittany Black http://sxtxstate.com/?p=9233 South by Southwest has been an amazing experience. Exhausting, but amazing. My brain has absorbed so much information and I have had the chance to meet so many inspiring and influential people. There have been fun times, serious times, exhausting times and inspiring times. Here are my top 10 takeaways from the event (funny and serious):

1. Creativity is key, but you don’t force it. 
2. Ideas are everywhere.
3. Having a free beer in the middle of the day is totally necessary, and ok!
4. Talking to people isn’t as scary as it seems
5. It’s all about the tacos
6. Take advantage of every experience you get, big or small
7. Just because someone is influential in an industry doesn’t mean they aren’t a normal person
8. Timing is everything
9. Caffeine is crucial for survival (This is already known, but it needed to be reiterated)
10. SXSW is one of the greatest experiences you can have, no matter what your industry.

Although this is a simple list, I feel like it speaks volumes. At least from my own perspective. Obviously, everyone has a different experience and may have their own takeaways but it seemed  right to solidify my thoughts into words.

Although Cindy Royal already gave people many thanks, I would also like to express appreciation. Mostly to Cindy and the entire Texas State School of Journalism and Mass Communication staff. If it weren’t for them, the five of us would not have been able to attend SXSW.  I’d also like to recognize my fellow teammates – their passion, strength and ability to still have a good time even though they are exhausted and stressed. They were a big part in making this project great.  I am excited for what is to come and hope many more SXSW experiences are in my future.

How did culinary become a hot topic on the web?

• documentaries in early 2000s food inc & super size me
• There has been a shift in the last five years – culinary has become a culture
  everybody eats

“Anyone who cooks something can put it on the web,” said Franklin
“People started to fall inlove with the journey and the process {of cooking},” said Kakoyiannis

People often emailed Franklin’s BBQ inquiring about how to cut and serve it. Eventually, they determined it would be easier to film the instructions and provide a link instead of writing it out. The restaurant paired with PBS to start a web series called BBQ with Franklin, through this project, it was discovered that passion for BBQ is not just limited to Texas, but actually worldwide.

The good thing about using the web as a platform is the micro niche groups start here, these are the communities that are the most active and engaged. It allows for the transition of a personal documentary to the commercial approach.
on Youtube, it’s all about the content. “Chefs and culinary people are finding it easier to make their own content and are then able to choose how to publish it,” said Remede. “YouTube allows for a large barrier of entry.” Using Youtube also gives an unlimited long tail, to which there is no end to when content can be consumed. Content on the web involves one of three things:

1. Utility
2. Community
3.  Entertainment

Why are people fascinated by culinary?

• nostalgia
• seeing gorgeous food
• it provides joy, you are able to share and feed people
• great shraing vehicle
• community aspect – building a connection with a restaurant creating an interactive, personal experience

How do you shoot food?
“We wanted to shoot it on location and we used DSLRs because they are easy, portable and worked with a small spacing issue,” said Robertson.
Remede tries to envision shooting it as he is eating it, choosing visually what he wants to eat.

The panel concluded with this and the discussion about food’s popularity on the web and it’s relationship to big brands and a discussion on what’s next for this culinary creative idea? If you have the skills for cooking food and shooting video, putting your projects online is a great way to reach out to a community and dial into a niche market.

A panorama of the SXTXState group hard at work in the Convention Center.

This is the sixth year of the SXTXState project and my ninth year attending Interactive. As I slowly make the transition to Music, after an afternoon of rest, rejuvenation, vitamins and hydration, I thought it would be a good time to capture some of my overall impressions of the event. The three main themes that I recognized were:

Serendipity – This was a core theme of several panels, particularly the one entitled The New Serendipity featuring Kevin Rose, Digg founder currently of Google Ventures;  Joi Ito of IT Media Lab; EFF Founder  John Perry Barlow and Colin Raney of IDEO. How can we make things happen? Is it luck? This panel discussed that your luck is a function of the work you put in. You have to make opportunities for yourself, cultivate contacts and focus on the long term, in order to make that serendipity, what seems to be random and fleeting, happen. I like the agency associated with this approach, and it is good for students to understand that this is how you take charge of your future. There is much potential for serendipity at SXSW, with the leagues of humans who attend (attendance > 30k for Interactive) and even more potential to follow up and foster these connections after.

Responsive design – from a practical aspect, I was encouraged by the number of panels that focused on responsive design. This was a much more prevalent topic than any native application format. I feel we are moving in the right direction with open Web standards, and this approach fits in well with what we are already teaching at Texas State in the SJMC – HTML/CSS and JavaScript. Our students already have a strong foundation in this, and we exercised responsive design in both this site and sxtxstories.com projects. It’s great when we are already practicing what’s being preached at SX.

Maker, Drones and Hardware – With Bre Pettis delivering the opening keynote, the stage was set for a focus on 3D printing and modeling. There were all kinds of cool gadgets being discussed and sensors and drones were the topics of several panels. But hardware is only as good as the software that controls it, so I am hesitant to speak of it separately. Makerbots have great potential to disrupt and decentralize manufacturing, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds. Personally, I look forward to the day when I can design my own clothing and home furnishing and “print” them out myself.

Nothing quite parallels SXSW. Over the past several days, I, and more importantly my students, saw Bill Gates, Tim Berners-Lee, Elon Musk, YouTube founder Chad Hurley, Foursquare founder Dennis Crowley, scholar Henry Jenkins, Craig Newmark (the Craig!), Gary Vaynerchuk, Tumblr’s David Karp and people from organizations as diverse as Google, Yahoo, NYT, WNYC and more than my brain is able to retrieve at this point. Students were able to pursue their own interests, whether it be data, food, entertainment, non-profits or startups and push out of their comfort zones to be introduced to new and exciting topics that we will no doubt be addressing in the future. As you look around this site, you will get a sense of the wonderful opportunity these students have experienced. I am deeply proud of the hard work they each put in to make this a quality project, in design, content and functionality. My hope is that these memories will become part of them, so that when they are in professional or interview situations in the future, they’ll be able to retrieve some of the progressive pearls of wisdom we’ve been exposed to this week. I also hope to see them speaking on their own SXSW panels in the future!

I want to thank the staff of SXSW Interactive for once again curating an outstanding program. I feel fortunate to live in this community of passionate professionals who are committed to delivering the best event, year after year.

I also want to thank all you lovely people who took the time to speak to my students and attend events associated with this project. With your help, they have created a massive body of content that demonstrates our presence and participation.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t also thank SJMC director Judy Oskam for her support of this project, as well as AEJMC and the Knight Foundation for funding the activities surrounding our Ushahidi deployment at sxtxstories.com. Faculty Jon Zmikly and Jacie Yang provided great support and camaraderie for us during the event as well.

I’m still a bit in denial that it’s all over, but ready for a break to let some of this settle. I have a lot of plans for integrating into my curriculum and research and feel a great sense of renewal to propel me through the next year. I really look forward to hearing my students impressions of the overall experience.

The slideshow below captures some of our key moments. We had a lot of fun! See you all at SXSW Interactive 2014.

Last, but not least, former student and SXTXState project alum Dale Blasingame who is covering SXSW for KSAT in San Antonio, filmed this video of me on the last day, addressing some of the criticism of SXSW. Thanks Dale!

First, speaker Cameron Lord discussed the importance of owning our own skills and weaknesses. Instead of focusing on what we don’t do well and trying to improve those things, Lord said, “You can’t do everything. But you can do something really well.”

Next, Blaine Mathieu spoke about the significance of understanding other individuals who make up a team. He said there “has to be an “I” in team,” because understanding our own and others’ work typologies is important to being able to function well together.

Third, Brian Hawkins taught lessons on leadership as learned through World of Warcraft. He started by sharing the saying, “People leave managers, they don’t leave companies.” He shared four tips in being a better leader:

1. Lose the ego – Admitting when you’re wrong is authentic and people will respect you for it.
2. You can’t lead by doing – Sometimes you have to step back and just be the one watching to understand the big picture.
3. Solve the parts and not the whole – “Sometimes, to solve many problems you must focus on only one at a time.”
4. Make it epic – Make sure people feel that their tasks and projects matter.

Finally, Nicola Smith discussed the growing trend of self-learning, giving examples like Coursera and Udacity as platforms that provide education at no cost. She noted three factors driving this trend:

1. Starting to question the value of a college degree – Many successful people today are college dropouts, so others are questioning the necessity of higher education.
2. Connectivity and information – People have access to more tools and information at low or no cost.
3. Human Nature – People are curious. She shared a few examples of young kids without formal education make amazing discoveries and technologies.

This was a great rapid-fire way to hear about several different, important workplace topics and left the audience with food for thought on what they’re best at, how to work best in teams or as a leader, and how they might take advantage of new learning opportunities.