Media Links Jock F. McTavish
Calgary, Canada
mctavjoc@shaw.ca
Players, Subscriptions and Feeds
In Google's world, you can find nearly any information. But as ever before, we trust certain proven voices, and the reccommendations of friends. This is the new way to find those voices. In a clamourous flood of information, good editors and efficient access are invaluable and why one should subscribe to podcasts. These are the internet equivalent of magazines - readng at your convenience - not by the scedule of radio or tv. Except they are all FREE. MIRO and iTunes are excellent, easy and enough. It is easiest to use MIRO and iTunes to control these selections. The sites themselves offer feeds, but you must learn a bit more about the mechanics.
MIRO. This project began as an open source video player and has become the largest and most respected of the aggregators. Over 5000 subscription feeds are available now. The modern version of magazines, presenting quality information to you in your own time frame. Download their player and browse the offerings to subscribe to.
iTunes - podcasts. The grandaddy of this podcast distribution. 10,000 mostly audio but increasingly video feeds. Subscribe to BBC, CBC, PBS, and more. iPOD not required. Works fine on PC or Apple. Best on laptop. Download the player and browse the podcasts. Also plays music and sells CD's for only $10.
New Media
The new highspeed internet is facilitating a rebirth of media. Against the recent trends of media consolidating in the hands of a few rich people and it's disinterest in the community of the world, the presentations of opposing and complementary views, this New Media is of the people. It is possible now over the internet to easily create and disseminate these previously unseen unheard points of view. A rebirth of the idea that ideas need to be shared is changing coopyright to "copyleft". People are sharing as never before, and production costs being taken up by initial sources, these new voices are being shared freely to new eyes and ears.
TED. Technology Education Design. "Ideas worth spreading." From this most worthy of the new media comes a flood of 18 minute presentations to the TED symposiums. If you have time for only one new view into the world as it is and might be this is it. on MIRO.
FORA. "The world is thinking" is their motto. They stream the video from authors, professors, politicians, pundits and preachers doing their work and making their appeals. Particularly excellent with FORA is their unique presentation system, identifying the video's parts and often having transcripts. iTunes offer weekly best.
Canadian Voices. CJLY Kootnenay Cooperative Radio in Nelson BC each week finds a thought provoking speech by Canadians - authors, academics, activists, artists, and citizens who explore ideas and events that characterize our country. Human rights, climate change, and media analysis, to food security, art, education, and spirituality.
Rabble Podcast Network - a growing collection of Canadian podcasts which offer an alternative take on politics, entertainment, society, stories, community and life in general. They've been handpicked and are hosted by rabble.ca, Canada's leading online news service for the progressive left.
Pop!Tech is another open conference, "a community of remarkable people, and an ongoing conversation about science, technology and the future of ideas." Focus is a bit more on technology than TED. Again offering their archives to the public for free. iTunes list the feed.
Link TV is a mixture of media presentation. They schedule independent programs on the internet, and some of this is available for later access on demand. A large archive is available. Podcasts also. They have a very large range of subjects. Their motto is "Television without borders."
Old Media - New Format
The Old Media are increasingly adapting to the new world of the internet. Some are just using the internet to desseminate their stuff without anything new in the mix. Others are reaching into their archives and presenting the best of their work that otherwise was lost in the airwaves. And some are exploring new ways of inviting the citizen into interactivity.
The CBC has just re-joined the podcasting world after an early start and retreat. They are offering an excellent selection of their best programming. The presentation is friendly . Fans of the long-standing "Ideas" and "tapestry" program will be pleased now to be able to catch it.
The BBC was among the first to do podcasts. They are offering nearly their whole on-air programming in this new computer delivered at-your-own-time podcast. Of special interest are their programs on Science, History, Religion/Ethics, Arts & Drama, Comedy, Factual.
American Public Media offers 321 podcasts. A large part of their programming is now available on demand. This page is their index of available subscriptions. They vary from short spots on science or news to hour long documentaries.
Science and Technology
Politics of Fear & Power