My Reporter's NotePad...

podcamp San Antonio takes no prisoners..!!!

editorial

Recently I registered to join fellow podcasters at podcamp San Antonio this weekend taking place in The Alamo City.  I was only able to be there the last afternoon of the 3 day gathering, but boy... let me tell you it was a very rewarding few hours.  As a professional journalist, who has been involved with the media for almost 2 decades, it sure was nice to see the faces of the thriving world of podcasting out there!!

Congratulations!!! are in order to the organizers of such a wonderful event... A FREE EVENT and open to anyone and everyone who is either podcasting now, or would like to get involved.  If you couldn't make it, I highly recommend stopping by their camp's web site at   podcampSanAntonio.org   I understand many of the sessions which were being streamed live, will now be available on demand.

Also, thank you to Patsy Robles, 411 Show, the force behind bringing back Community Access TV to San Antonio ( learn more ), and one of the camp organizers Michael De Leon at the Spurscast, who invited us to share a few words about espiBlog.org, and how journalists like myself are using podcasting to generate stories and content for the web.   It was very rewarding to see how community podcasters are joining the ranks... this is what "freedom of speech" is all about.  Keep it up everyone!!

What we liked the most of the few hours we spent at podcampSanAntonio was the ability to just talk to just about everyone.  Among a few we met and enjoyed talking and learning from.. Jennifer from the MorningBrewCast and Carol at HelloWorld.com  Our favorite word of the day..."viral" the way a podcaster goes about promoting one's podcast...  translation: "word to mouth" cyberways!!! . Our best moments.. besides the Camp and everyone we met and talked to...!! A picture with the PodcastPickle  and we enjoyed browsing through Blogger & Podcaster Magazine 

I must commend the sponsors of this 100% free event, way to go!!! visit the camp's site and find out who they are and their web links.  They have very much earned our support!!!  Unlike our "friends" at Wirecast, who we asked for a license to demo their great software, but they would rather take a $500 check instead... needless to say... thank you but NO THANK YOU!

Again podcampSanAntonio... what a great effort and work!!  We very much enjoyed meeting, listening, sharing and learning from everyone at the camp... but most importantly seeing the opportunity for the "little guy" over huge media conglomerates is well and alive ON-LINE!!.      

espiBlo.org!

Journalism or...?

Editorial

A message of hate... it seems to me are the latest Lou Dobbs -in the name of journalism- town hall meetings labeled "Broken Borders"  The most recent which made a stop -of all places- in San Antonio, Texas.

Lou Dobbs... misguided "journalist" turned advocate, extremist, and now a self proclaimed admirer of equally misguided  groups like the Minutemen, would like for CNN audiences to believe he conducts a news program and news driven town hall meetings... but it couldn't be further from the truth.  The fact is that contrary to town hall meetings where the people get to speak, Lou Dobbs shows, like the one in San Antonio last week, were "by invitation only", questions were pre-screened, and the audience, like puppets, told when to applaud or not.

His message without a bit of doubt is bias and serves only one purpose... to justify the views of the few and encourage the suffering of the many.  Lou Dobbs "Broken Borders" misinforms, disengages and only generates misguided hatred towards minorities, immigrants at large, and Latinos in particular.

Sure it's a free country... but one can't help but wonder why Lou's so call "journalism" is still presented and endorsed as a "news program" by CNN, self proclaimed, "the world's most trusted news source". 

As a journalist, I certainly have no problem with freedom of expression... but please label it for what it is... Lou Dobbs stopped being a journalist and turned into a messenger of hate a long time ago.

Knock, knock... CNN... Anyone there??

Patricio Espinoza
Editor, espiBlog.org