Month of Bizarre Media Moments
We're currently experiencing the largest media paradigm shift in decades and it's just the tip of the iceberg. Over the past 30 days, I collected a few situations that have blown my mind. They're highlighted below. This demonstrates just how quickly our media environment is changing. Call them bizarre, call them fascinating, call them Big League. Just don't call them alternative facts.
- An entire interview with Elon Musk conducted via on-the-fly Direct Messages by Gizmodo resulted in this article. Welcome to the world of democratized journalism. Hat tip to the Gizmodo team for their active and opportunistic listening. Talk about flipping the old school rules upside down.
- NBA laid down the kindness law. If you're wondering why NBA teams are being obnoxiously nice to one another on Twitter, here's why. The league office powers that be have implemented a new rule -- The Golden Rule on Twitter. Hello, comedy central.
- "Alt" accounts are the new form of revenge. Days after National Parks Service social media accounts had their hands slapped (via a gag order) for reporting facts, "Alt" (Alternative) accounts like this one started to surface and spread like wildfire. Nice summary here of the madness. The growth and engagement on some of these accounts are unmatched. Clearly there's a craving for unfiltered, un-bought and un-bossed information.
- When Under Armour CEO, Kevin Plank, shared his somewhat polarizing political opinions, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who endorses the brand, voiced his own opinion and set the record straight using his microphone. Great case study on how WE are the media. You, me and The Rock. Social Media is the equal opportunity space. Interesting to see how a potential PR crisis situation can be navigated diplomatically. Any questions were put to a halt with the click of a few buttons.
- Something we never thought we'd see: The New York Times turns "fake news" and "alternative facts" into a marketing slogan to reinforce their credibility. Once again, nothing is off limits. Walter Cronkite would be shaking his head.
- As Snapchat files for IPO, we see a glimpse of the risk assessment verbiage: "This demographic may be less brand loyal and more likely to follow trends than other demographics." and also it says "Falling user retention, growth, or engagement could make Snapchat less attractive to advertisers and partners which may seriously harm our business." Whoa. A true sign that times are a changin'.
- The White House should be seeking a proofreader according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Evidentially alternative words are also a thing.
I leave you with a little bit of thought-candy: Here's my recent interview with professional storyteller and award-winning director Morgan Spurlock. We discussed how to become more effective with storytelling as we navigate through this bizarre time. There are no rules. Enjoy!
The post Month of Bizarre Media Moments appeared first on Amy Jo Martin.
