pixelated.tv Media that Matters

With the ownership of major media outlets securely in the hands of big bad corporations, it's surprising that journalistic ethics are still discussed with such reverence. Certainly the

Who's Using VNRs? Amnesty International The Nature Conservancy Greenpeace USA International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

controversy over the US government's use of the Video News Release - somewhere along the spectrum between spoon-fed propaganda and a public service for busy news editors, depending on who you ask - has left a certain bad aftertaste among those of us who try to follow higher principles in our work.

Unfortunately for the purists, the video news release is still with us, is still being widely used, and may even be the right thing for your organization.

Podcasting, streaming, and conventional radio Radio heavy infrastructure, expensive and regulated. Range: community or city. Streaming light infrastructure, quick set-up. Range: online community, worldwide. Podcasting similar to streaming, except you aren't chained to your internet connection: watch or listen later on. Range: online community, worldwide.

I remember designing websites in the late 1990s. The critical mass had already been reached, but the latecomers to the field were overlapping the second generation of the earlier sites. Everyone just knew they needed a website -- or a better website.

There was little understanding of the technologies, especially among non-profit organizations. Prices varied monstrously: One of our competitors charged $15,000 for a simple 15-page site. Our price would have been in the range of $1,000 to $2,500. Some freelancers were charging only $50 a page.

A Video News Release, or VNR is a short video piece that you provide to news editors so they have the things they need to run your story. The use of VNRs is thriving, reflecting the reality of broadcast news with more minutes to fill although with fewer reporters and tighter budgets.