http://www.fastcompany.com/mba/node/343?video=1

http://www.fastcompany.com/mba/node/293?video=0

It is precisely because of the way media has impacted culture over the years, absent government intervention, that I get concerned when the government tries to jump in and say, “Let us help you.”   Journalism isn’t what it used to be, particularly when you look at the declining popularity of daily printed newspaper, and now, as a quick fix, some government men (or G-Men, as they were known in the 1930s when newspapers were in at the peak of popularity)  want to come to the rescue.

I’ve got to agree with Jeff Jarvis, a professor at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism who joined me on a recent panel sponsored by the FCC to discuss the changing landscape of journalism and the potential role of the government:   In a column entitled, “How NOT to Save Journalism,” he points out that “the barrier to entry into the media business has never been lower — and that means news can grow. “
Jarvis wrote: “The government should favor neither incumbents nor newcomers, but rather create a level playing field by helping every American get open, high-speed access to the Internet. That is the gateway to the real future of news and media. I believe that future is entrepreneurial, not institutional. The industry’s institutions have had 15 years since the start of the commercial Web, and we’ve seen how far they can come. What we need now are innovators — like my entrepreneurial journalism students — to invent new forms, structures, efficiencies and business models for news.  But those entrepreneurs don’t need government help. They need to be left alone with the assurance they won’t be interfered with by” government regulators.

If you want to read why I say amen, click here

The point here is that states are looking for ways to cut budgets and are willing to jettison almost anything to get there.  I’m pretty sure that in most of these budget debates no one has really looked into how technology and broadband access can create cost savings. I know from experience it can, but am always looking for proof. I came across a story today about how the state of Oregon  has moved  to using Google Apps in every classroom in the state.  For those unfamiliar with Google Apps is it “offers simple, powerful communication and collaboration tools for any size business – all hosted by Google to streamline setup, minimize maintenance, and reduce IT costs.

Google Apps includes Gmail for business, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Google Sites, and more for $50 per user per year.” For  companies of 50 employees or less there is a free version.  So think of it as a version of Microsoft office products  that operate totally through your web browser.

The one key things is that Oregon will save 1.5 million a year  once they make the move for teachers and students, but honestly that is only one part of the value proposition. This will change the way students interact with each other, with teachers and how work is done and shared. Here are a  few examples

• All documents are stored in the cloud (over the internet) so that they are stored in a central location and available. (so the dog will never be able to eat your homework)
• Real time collaboration of documents allows to students to work on one document together real time from multiple locations ( THIS IS HUGE)
• Google Marketplace gives you access to other apps that can extend features even more. (expect an education marketplace soon)

There is a great except from the article that speaks to this

“If all goes smoothly, Casap wrote on the official Google blog, the Oregon experiment has the power to reshape the classroom experience. Students, for instance, will be able to access a range of documents from home; teachers will be able to provide feedback remotely; projects that once required hours in the library can be organized and executed via the cloud.

“It blows my mind to think about how far technology in the classroom has come since I was in school, and how far we still have to go to make sure kids in classrooms everywhere have access to these tech resources,” Casap wrote. “Cloud computing tools like Google Apps are one way teachers, schools – and now a whole state – are addressing the issue.”

Of course, Oregon students can already access the cloud, provided they have a working laptop and an Internet connection. The difference in Oregon is that the cloud itself will become institutionalized – a buzzing, whirring extension of the classroom”
So my question is why aren’t urban centers making changes like this. It gives them the dual value by saving money and also give the students access to a new suite of tools that allow them to collaborate and learn more effectively. Actually I believe in most cases there are school systems who can’t afford to give access to desktop computer tools to the entire school body now due to software licensing costs, etc.. So imagine the immediate benefits in those cases. And ALL IT TAKES IS AN INTERNET CONNECTION AND A COMPUTER, So instead of cutting teachers and cutting programs that make our younger generation more well rounded and in some cases keep them out of negative lifestyle choices let’s look at how technology and broadband access to can cut costs and improve the education experience at the same time. Let’s just take a cue from Oregon. Maybe I’ll give Governor Christie a call or better yet send him an email with the Google apps link in it. Maybe we can get some of our programs back.

You can follow me @navarrowwright on Twitter, hear my audio casts at http://www.cinchcast.com/navarrowwright

Businesses started in garages and dorm rooms have achieved in years what used to take decades to achieve. The playing field is more level than it’s ever been, but I can’t help but think about all the people who are still not part of this world of opportunity.  There are millions of people who are not aware of the wealth of education, health, and career information available online that could change their lives.  They are not aware that even in this time of economic depression, the barriers to creating new businesses online are lower than they’ve ever been.  Based on almost any study you get your hands on, minorities and people living in underserved communities are the ones that are on the wrong side of this equation. The FCC is introducing it’s National Broadband plan on March 17, 2010 as a means of correcting the digital divide that has plagued our country for far too long, and we have to all make sure that it includes the steps and resources necessary to bridge the Gap that keeps too many in our communities behind. We can’t wait another 25 years. The time is now. I have read a few articles on this topic where people have added their predictions for the next 25 years so it makes sense for me to add my predictions/hopes as well.

• Every public school will have broadband internet access and classes will be taught on digital literacy at the elementary school level and technology development will be taught at the middle school level.
• Mobile broadband devices will replace credit/ and debit cards as means of payment
• Entertainment will be delivered via broadband instead of cable and satellite
• Internet based health care will help change the way we interface with doctors
• There will be 10 new minority technology entrepreneurs who will make it on the Forbes billionaire list by making one of the other predictions happen. Will it be you?  I hope so!

This Sunday, Anthony Anderson, Royale Watkins, teamwork entertainment and I have partnered to bring the first interactive live comedy show to Facebook. Sunday at 8pm the Mixtape comedy show hosted by Anthony Anderson, will be streamed live on Facebook. Help us make history by making this the biggest show ever. RSVP for the show at the Mixtape fan page here http://www.facebook.com/mixtapecomedy and join us Sunday night @8pm. Tell a friend, tell all your friends and be a part of history. This project truly shows the opportunities created by broadband. On the one side it’s give us the opportunity to be entrepreneurial and  create a new experience that can reach a large audience. And for the consumer the ability to be involved in an immersive entertainment experience from the comfort of their own home. This is just one example of what you can do with broadband access and it’s my hope that endeavors like this encourage a new generation of people to see what other possibilities for enriching experiences exist online. So Sunday night join us and laugh until your side hurts and remember this is only one of many things you can do with broadband at your fingertips.

There are few cities in America where traditional journalism runs deeper than in Philadelphia. This is where Benjamin Franklin almost 300 years ago bought the Pennsylvania Gazette, considered the most successful newspaper in the colonies. Today, the Philadelphia Inquirer is the third-oldest surviving newspaper in our nation, and its staff has won 18 Pulitzers. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed watching the Philadelphia literary scene flourish and change, and have been particularly attuned to the ways the journalism market has morphed to better accommodate the realities of an increasingly Internet-based society.

Eric Newton, Vice President of the journalism program at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, explained some of those journalistic changes very well in a recent article, “Innovating to Save the News,” where he reports on the results of research conducted by the Foundation, and prepared by the Knight Commission, on the Information Needs of Communities in Democracies.

Not surprisingly, the report found that journalism as we’ve known it – news delivered on a system from “tree to paper to press to truck to your driveway” – has been thrown into chaos by the Internet. But the benefits of the mass media in the Internet age– to communities, schools, business, our environment and democracy – are more apparent than ever before. And the journalism required in this digital era in which we live must continue to adapt to meet the changing needs of our communities. In the words of Newton, “journalism does not need saving so much as it needs creating.”

The Knight Commission offers 15 ideas, from making public libraries centers for digital training and access, to championing news literacy in the public schools; creating public broadcasting that is more local and interactive, to building city hall Web sites that make public information easy to understand. And I, like Newton, believe that “America needs universal, affordable broadband access. Everyone, no matter his age, race, income, or neighborhood, should be able to go online to get whatever he wants – video, audio, photos, and text – from anywhere in the world as fast as anyone else can. In the digital age, countries without high-speed broadband will become second-class nations filled with second-class citizens, able to vote, but not knowing why they should; able to work, but not knowing how to find a job online.”

I actually made this same point a few weeks ago while attending the annual conference of the National Newspaper Publishers Association in Charlotte, North Carolina. There I sat on a social media panel focused on providing new insights into the ways that journalism and the news media should be adapted to better accommodate the needs and interests of Americans in the Internet age. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 1,000 times – the revolution will not be television, but it will be digitized and placed online. And to secure our successful transition to the digital age, we can all work together within our communities and with our local, state and federal governments to ensure that all Americans are adequately prepared for, and have more than ample opportunity to adopt and use, the Internet as our primary engine of communications, economic and global success.

Net Neutrality

“You see, this is why we should have Net Neutrality regulations, because if this ever happens they can stop it”

That title sounds silly, right? Well, that’s most of what the pro-Net Neutrality sites are using as the basis of their arguments. Here is another article  that tries to “mis-educate” people on Net Neutrality  by posing hypothetical  fear scenarios based on things that have never happened.  The more I read these stories, the more I realize that people are really being misled on this issue. Here’s a great example

http://twek.wordpress.com/2009/12/12/see-this-is-why-we-need-net-neutrality-sony-pictures-entertainment-vp-quote/

Net Neutrality may actually hinder free speech not help it.

As I continue to work to inform people on all aspects of Net Neutrality, I came across this article that gives a contrasting and more realistic view of what the current proposed Net Neutrality regulations would do. Give it a read.

http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/interviews-profiles/71521-mcslarrow-net-neutrality-would-hinder-not-help-first-amendment-rights

Broadband

Broadband mapping can finally let us know who doesn’t have broadband in the U.S.

You may never have heard of broadband mapping, but it’s pretty important  to the push towards 100% access to broadband in the U.S. This article talks about its value:

http://www.fiercebroadbandwireless.com/story/broadband-mapping-grant-can-help-communities-refine-their-strategy/2009-12-13

Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneur Stories

If you are an entrepreneur or thinking about becoming one it’s always good to hear stories from other entrepreneurs. Build a Stronger America has a started a program to let you do just that.  Take a look:

http://www.buildastrongeramerica.com/share?utm_source=bsa&utm_medium=email&utm_term=update121409&utm_campaign=sharelink

What Makes an Entrepreneur?

I read quite a few good blogs about start-ups and entrepreneurship. ( I’ll list those in an upcoming post), and I was inspired by the start-up stories found at the link above.  That said, I would like to share a great article I read on what it takes to to become and entrepreneur. I encourage you to take a few minutes to read this.

http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2009/11/19/what-makes-an-entrepreneur-four-lettersjfdi/

Net Neutrality

The Net Neutrality debate continues to rage on, distracting the world from what I feel are more pertinent issues like broadband adoption. I came across an article that speaks to some thoughts I’ve been having for some time now. The point is that the people have the wrong idea about what “Net Neutrality” really is, and don’t understand that the net was never truly neutral. This article touches on that. Take a read here http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/commentary/fl-forum-net-neutrality-20091125,0,5311963.story

And of course when anyone tries to offer a different perspective you can guarantee there will be an article from the other side saying how they are a puppet of the telecom companies. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but my problem with these articles is that the authors accuse people of being influenced by other’s opinions/interests, when they are clearly being influenced by other interests as well but are unwilling to fully disclose that information. I’d be more accepting if this brand of net neutrality proponents acknowledged that the other side made some good points before trying to tear down their argument. I just believe the public deserves a full and educated perspective on an issue that’s so important.

Broadband

People still don’t realize that it’s more important now than ever to achieve the goal of broadband access in every home.  Broadband adoption has positive implications for everyone, but even more so for people of color. Whether it’s education, health care, or career advancement broadband provides so many opportunities that people can avail themselves to, so I’m glad this article speaks to that. http://www.hvpress.net/news/119/ARTICLE/8348/2009-11-29.html

Then of course after you read this article you may be surprised to know that there are people out there who don’t think this is important. I think the broadband naysayers are those who only look at the implementation costs and not the opportunity or the people who stand to benefit from broadband’s use. Take a read http://blogs.gartner.com/andrea_dimaio/2009/11/29/broadband-for-all-may-not-be-as-urgent-as-many-say/

Well that’s the daily digest for today. Let me know your thoughts on the topics above.