Press Accreditation / True North Media House – Social Reporting from Vancouver 2010

25 Feb 2010

TNMH Assorted Links and Headlines

Posted by Jason Sanders

Photo by Evan "ecstaticist" Leeson (Creative Commons)

It’s a rainy, Thursday morning and there’s nothing good on tv (aside from feats of human excellence on CTV). We’ve collected some TNMH-related/social media links into a handy blog post to print off, email, or read to your friends and family.

First up is a futuristic cyberlink to True North Media House’s Flickr Group. The awesome image above was shared in the group’s photo pool and taken by the incredibly talented Evan Leeson.
Jennifer Jones analyzes a few olympic tweeters including @2010tweets, @tnmh, and @W2Woodwards.
Deborah Jones examines journalistic independence during the Vancouver Olympics.
The Tyee covers an extensive list of social media people and sites based in Vancouver.
Canada.com profiles their team of social bloggers including Robert Scales, Nadia Aly, Mariska Richters, Dave Olson, Rebecca Bollwitt, Kris Krüg, and John Biehler.
Kris Krüg’s PBS photo essay on the Olympics covers TNMH, W2Woodwards, and a host of social media mavens.

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Tags: 2010 Olympics, Alternative Media, Citizen Media, Credentials, Dave Olson, flickr, Kris Krug, Press Accreditation, Raincity Studios, Robert Scales, Social Media, the tyee, tnmh, TNMH Updates, Vancouver

Posted in: News about TNMH, Social Media Wizardry, Uncategorized

22 Feb 2010

True North Media House covers Yukon Day at the Aboriginal Pavilion

Posted by Jason Sanders

By Cherisse Dye and Jason Sanders

On Sunday, February 21st, the Yukon First Nations hosted a gathering of press and VIPs to celebrate their culture and promote business development in the territory. The morning began with a brief introduction and short intermission to encourage mingling and networking among the media and territory representatives.

A table by the speaker’s podium held five beautiful pieces of artwork designed and crafted by some of the Yukon’s most talented artists. Some artists highlighted during the event were Ken Ingemund Anderson, Nancy Hager, Ann Smith, Eugene Alfred, Shirlee Frost, Jean Taylor, Vernon Asp, and Dennis Shorty.

The energetic intermission ended as a line of drummers and dancers from the Yukon were ushered into the small venue to illustrate a small part of the deep culture contained within the territory. This would be a taste of the performance to come later.

Gifts were then exchanged between the Four Host Nations and the Yukon chiefs. The local First Nation hosts welcomed the visitors with handcrafted blankets and cravings while the Yukon chiefs thanked them with five pieces of Northern artwork.

Dakamada Dancers.

The attendees were then led to a globe outside the initial presentation area where comedians, actors, dancers, drummers and singers entertained them for the next forty minutes. Each song, dance, or scene told a short, but important part of First Nations’ history.

Dakhka Khwaan Dancers

Boyd Benjamin

Raven Spirit Dance

As the performance came to an end, the collective troupe poured out onto the stage and into the crowd for the finale, proudly celebrating their First Nation heritage with the audience. An excellent end to an excellent Sunday morning.

1 Comment »

Tags: 2010 Olympics, aboriginal house, Alternative Media, cherisse dye, Citizen Media, Credentials, first nations, flickr, jason sanders, lady_cherry831, media centre, Olympics, Press Accreditation, Social Media, tnmh, TNMH Updates, van2010, Vancouver, yukon

Posted in: Media Centres, Olympics + Media News, Uncategorized

1 Feb 2010

WGHthemovie.ca- Webisode #2 ‘True North Media House’ [video]

Posted by Jason Sanders

Note: Originally Posted by Robert Scales at Vancouver Access 2010 and Mike Browne at DOXA on January 29, 2010. Re-posted here on: February 1, 2010.

Robert Scales , founder and former CEO of Raincity Studios, introduces a webisode from Andrew Lavigne’s documentary, ‘With Glowing Hearts.” The film chronicles the Vancouver Winter Olympics’s effects on the homeless in the Downtown Eastside and it’s constantly evolving relationship with social media.

Andrew Lavigne, a filmaker has been working on a project called “With Glowing Hearts” a documentary film about the use of social media and the upcoming 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver..

In this webisode, Kris, Dave and Rebecca speak about an ad-hoc project we have been tinkering with since November 2008, it’s called the True North Media House.

Mike Browne at DOXA summarized two previously released webisodes in the series and introduced TNMH’s clip with brief bios of Kris Krug and Dave Olson.

The website accompanying the film, WGHTheMovie.ca, as well as a blog,webisodes and more information about the film has brief interviews with some of the players.

…

The latest webisode highlights the folks at True North Media House, featured are two local social media gurus, Vancouver photographer Kris Krug (@kk on twitter) and his counterpart story maker and social media activist Dave Olson (@uncleweed on twitter):

WGHthemovie.ca- Webisode #2 ‘True North Media House’ from Andrew Lavigne on Vimeo.

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Tags: 2010 Olympics, Alternative Media, Citizen Media, Dave Olson, Kris Krug, Olympics, Press Accreditation, VANOC, video, with glowing hearts

Posted in: News about TNMH

15 Jul 2009

Vancouver Sun: Social Networking’s Olympic Inclusion

Posted by Jason Sanders

Note: Originally Posted by Jeff Lee at The Vancouver Sun on November 24th, 2008. Re-posted here on: July 15, 2009.

Vancouver Sun reporter, Jeff Lee, considered the media’s role in the Olympics and highlights Dave Olson’s open letter to VANOC as an example of the changing environment.

So it was a bit surprising to discover that the Vancouver Organizing Committee seems reluctant to include some types of online reporters in its planning for the 2010 Games. On Thursday Vanoc was asked in an open letter from Dave Olson, an online writer with Raincity Studios, to allow some of his colleagues to attend the World Press Briefing.
They didn’t get an answer. But on Sunday, Renee Smith-Valade, a.spokeswoman for Vanoc, sent the following hopeful email to me.

“Undountedly online media and the Internet as a news source and foum for discourse continues to grow phenominally. That’s why we have spent considerable resources to make our website our number one source of information and why we will continue to look for ways to make it a platform for discussion as well as information and purchasing. We welcome online media interest from all sources and were encouraged to see online media representatives registered for the recent World Press Briefing.

Please follow this link to read the rest of the article and the enlightening discussion in the Vancouver Sun comments.

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Tags: 2010 Olympics, Alternative Media, Citizen Media, Credentials, Dave Olson, IOC, jim lee, Kris Krug, Olympics, Press Accreditation, Raincity Studios, Robert Scales, Social Media, TNMH Updates, Vancouver, Vancouver Sun, VANOC, Whistler

Posted in: News about TNMH

15 Jul 2009

Citizen Media and The Olympics panel at Northern Voice [video by Bruce Sharpe]

Posted by Jason Sanders

Note: Originally Posted by Bruce Sharpe at 25 Hour Day on July 7, 2009. Re-posted here on: July 15, 2009.

Bruce Sharpe thankfully covered Robert Scales’ and Andy Miah’s Northern Voice 2009 presentation: ‘Then and Now… Citizen Media and The Olympics.’

Coverage of the Olympic Games is dominated by the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) contracted rights-holder and accredited major media conglomerates. However some feel there is a role for crowdsourced documentation of both sporting events and the cultural context in which it happens.

This expert panel discusses changes, challenges, and opportunities facing grassroots media makers around the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games.

From Northern Voice 2009.

Please follow the link to read the comments and download the video via Bruce’s site.

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Tags: 2010 Olympics, Alternative Media, bruce sharpe, Citizen Media, Credentials, Dave Olson, Kris Krug, Northern Voice, Olympics, Press Accreditation, Raincity Studios, Robert Scales, Social Media, TNMH Updates, Vancouver, VANOC, Whistler

Posted in: News about TNMH

14 Jul 2009

The Tyee: “What happens to the [unaccredited media] overflow?”

Posted by Jason Sanders

Note: Originally Posted by Geoff Dembicki at The Tyee on March 23, 2009. Re-posted here on: July 14, 2009.

What happens to the overflow?

There’s no doubt come 2010, Vancouver will be a media circus. On top of the 10,000 accredited media anticipated by VANOC, a further 3,000 “unaccredited” passes will be issued by the British Columbia International Media Centre.

Scales was accepted into this second group, and plans to show up at Robson Square Plaza each day for official briefings and meetings with other reporters — though he’ll be barred from all Olympic venues. As thrilled as he was to receive access, he’s concerned that untold legions of bloggers, citizen journalists and tech-savvy spectators won’t benefit from the same resources.

“What happens to the overflow?” Scales asked. “Are they not entitled to cover the same stories? Are they not entitled to have a space to collaborate?”

For the past few months, Scales and Krug have participated in talks aimed at starting an alternative media centre. The True North Media House is still a work in progress, but could see 500 Games-time passes issued to everyone from international broadcasters to figure skating bloggers. Scales and Krug envision a social media hub where pros and amateurs trade sources, avail themselves of speedy upload technology and gain access to First Nations, protest and cultural groups outside of conventional channels.

“There’s going to be all these people who aren’t sports journalists who are here to figure out what Vancouver’s about,” Krug said. “The centre is about harnessing all these individuals doing alternative or outsider coverage of the Games.”

Read the rest of the article here.

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Tags: 2010 Olympics, Alternative Media, Citizen Media, Credentials, Kris Krug, Olympics, Press Accreditation, Raincity Studios, Robert Scales, Social Media, TNMH Updates, Vancouver, VANOC, Whistler

Posted in: News about TNMH

9 Jul 2009

Alt/Indie/Social media makers meet-up to discuss Olympic ideas

Posted by Jeff Traynor

Originally posted by Dave Olson at Raincity Studios on December 5th, 2008

Thank you for sharing

Very pleased to see so many smart and engaging personalities co-mingling ideas and energy at Raincity Studios last night for our open conversation about the Olympics and “all of us”.

The 48 attendees represented many ages, motivations, backgrounds, and media channels from blogs, pods, newspapers, PR peeps, photographers, and so on. By the end, the conversations were bubbling and gifts exchanged and enthusiasm mounting.

My colleagues and I wanted to set the tone for a productive and inclusive project for anyone to participate in – no matter where they come from physically or philosophically. Scales and Krug’s remarks pointed out that we are apolitical, eager, and open for collaboration. I also think the passion for making media, changing the landscape, and being truly welcoming to our international peers came through.

What do you think? It’s up to all of us to grab ahold and create something noteworthy. Are you in?

Coverage of the meet-up

As usual, if I’ve missed a resource, please drop a comment to share your thoughts.

Raul wrote an epic VANOC 2010 Indie Social Media Meeting Liveblog with help from raincoaster
Protocol 7 blogged Vancouver Soc/Alt Media Centre and asked some solid questions about naming
trishussey and others flowed the twitters with the #2010socmed hashtag: http://twemes.com/2010socmed
Independent Media Center and the year 2010 with Dave Olson a video by Jess Sloss (socialsquared) Independent Media Center Discussion
Ianiv captured portions via a Qik video stream (your mileage may vary)
2010Vancouver.ca wrote a preview call to action 2010 “Independent Media Centre” Grassroots Initiative Kicks Off With Inaugural Meeting
Newslab previewed as well: Vancouver social media meet-up over 2010 Winter Olympics
Here’s the public chat for banter about the project

Read the rest of this entry »

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Tags: 2010 Olympics, Alternative Media, Citizen Media, Credentials, Meetings, Press Accreditation, Raincity Studios, Social Media, TNMH Updates, Vancouver, VANOC, Whistler

Posted in: TNMH Meetings

9 Jul 2009

Hello VANOC, We’re nice, local, and invite you for a coffee – Open Letter #2

Posted by Jeff Traynor

Originally Posted by Dave Olson at Raincity Studios on November 26th, 2008.

I am following up on the Open Letter to VANOC from Social Media Makers with a few notes as well as an invitation to continue the conversation with VANOC over a tasty beverage. The letter has made its way around the world with Twitters, comments, blog posts, and personal notes of support and/or confusion coming in from many corners of the globe.

So, to keep the conversation rolling, here are my annotated notes, thoughts and recaps from the past few days of opinions rolling in:

First off, Jeff Lee, the Olympic reporter from the Vancouver Sun explored the changing media landscape in an excellent article and an accompanying blog post. He talked to several interesting people and brought a veteran mainstream media eye to the conundrums in “Changes coming to media’s coverage of Olympics – But new forms of news delivery are restricted by Olympic committee rules”. He keys right in on the crux of the tension – money vs.choice.

“As traditional news organizations struggle with declining readership and cutting staff while trying to capture greater online presence, the Olympics is undergoing its own transformation. The change is also affecting broadcasters, who like the others, have not yet figured out how to fully monetize their Internet properties.

The traditional forms of media coverage — exclusive territorial contracts with broadcasters, appointment of news wire agencies by the IOC and press credentials parcelled out by national Olympic committees — are coming under pressure as people change the way they get their news.”

His article also brought an insider’s point of view from the head of the (enormous) newswire AP who raised the same questions we are within the inner-sanctum of the IOC:

“In an address to the press commission, Tom Curley, the chief executive of Associated Press, warned that the lines between traditional news delivery models are blurring. Newspapers want to use streaming video, but are restricted because the IOC licenses broadcasters for field-of-play images. Audio broadcasts are similarly restricted. According to those who were at the meeting, Curley’s address stunned many members.”

Mr. Lee (who is olympicreporter on Twitter) also published extended notes and thoughts in a blog post titled “Social networking media push for inclusion in Olympic plan” (a bit buried in the site but worth the read).

His blog post provides a full quote from Renee Smith-Valade, VANOC spokesperson, who took time on a Sunday to follow-up to Lee’s inquiry thusly:

“The IOC is the ultimate arbiter on the representation on the Press Commission, and each country’s National Olympic Committee determines which media get accredited for the Games. As the Organizing Committee we can and will encourage both entities to recognize and facilitate the immense growth of online media, however ultimately decisions for press commission membership and Games accreditation lie with them. We have not yet responded to the open letter from the social media group but will do so in the coming days.”

My colleagues and I are encouraged that VANOC has a reply in mind. While its unlikely that we would have been accredited going through the IOC and national press associations channels, we firmly contend we have value to offer by being engaged in the dialogue. We also have first-hand experiences to share about creative solutions (including non-accredited media centers) and strategies to embrace the social media makers without compromising the relationships rights-holders, corporate sponsors and the like.

This quest isn’t just “for us” – we are starting the conversation for the thousands of people who are coming to participate in the Games as “amateur” reporters, photographers, podcasters, videographers, etc. and will eagerly post their content to audiences of maybe dozens, maybe millions of viewers. Individually, the coverage is very niche, and that micro-coverage is a big part of the appeal. Further, the collective content produced by “all of us” will likely rival the mainstream media output.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Tags: 2010 Olympics, Greg Andrews, Ianiv, IOC, Jeff Lee, Jenn Lowther, Jordan Behan, Now Public, Olympics, Press Accreditation, Raincity Studios, Social Media, techvibes, Tris Hussey, Vancouver, Vancouver Sun, VANOC, Whistler, Will Pate

Posted in: Open Letters

9 Jul 2009

Open Letter to VANOC Media Relations and Press Operations from Social Media Makers

Posted by Jeff Traynor

Originally posted by Dave Olson at Raincity Studios on November 20th, 2008. This letter was sent to VANOC {mediarelations@vancouver2010.com, pressoperations@vancouver2010.com} on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008 and was cross-posted at urbanvancouver.com, 2010.dailyvancouver.com, and nowpublic.com.

Hello VANOC Media Relations and Press Operations,

I am writing today on behalf of Raincity Studios, a Vancouver-based social media company who owns and publishes a suite of media properties. We had hoped to talk about social media (blogs, podcasts, twitter, wikis etc.) at the World Press Briefing this week, however we did not receive any response from the applications we submitted to participate in the event. So, as per Mr. Furlong’s suggestion at the Vancouver Board of trade meeting last week, we are liaising with VANOC.

In brief, we’d like to have a conversation about how to allow fans and amateur media makers to document their Olympic experience while keeping out of the way of the IOC IP lawyers. As a company and as individuals, we’ve produced extensive, non-accredited coverage of Beijing 2008, Torino 2006, SLC 2002, and Nagano 1998. With the next games literally in our neighborhood, we’ll be hosting an independent, international media centre at our Gastown loft office. As part of this, we’ll organize events like photo walks and aggregate fan-made content for the enjoyment of a worldwide audience. We’d like to work with you to do this for mutual benefit.

As you likely know, Vancouver is a hub of innovative journalism with companies like ourselves, Now Public, and others plus renowned conferences like Northern Voice. Raincity Studios/Bryght is also an “official weblog service provider.” My colleagues Robert Scales and Kris Krug were published in the academic paper “Pathway: Critiques and Discourse In Olympic Research,” participated in the 9th International Symposium on Olympic Studies in Beijing and will be presenting about the experiences at the noted SXSW Interactive conference in 2009.

Among my colleagues and myself, we’ve posted thousands of photos, dozens of audio and video podcasts along with hundreds of blog posts, updates etc. from several Olympics. Additionally, we’ve cooperated with mainstream media and published Olympic-related coverage in the LA Times, BBC online, plus outlets in Poland, Brazil, Shanghai, and so on.

In Torino, Scales and Krug (and others) tested cutting edge equipment for Comvu and produced a cross-ocean symposium “Athletes and Social media” between Turin and Vancouver. In Beijing, they tested camera for Qik and contributed to many mainstream media outlets. Our own media properties include DailyVancouver.com, UrbanVancouver.com, Hockeynw.com, plus dozens of other presences, and we are allied with dozens of other media properties in BC and around the world.

Mr. Scales is China desk editor for Now Public and has presented to numerous international business groups about Olympics and business. Mr. Krug is ranked #4 on Vancouver Sun’s “Internet Most Visible in Vancouver” list, both Krug and Scales were included on Tech Vibes “Vancouver Digital Media People to Watch 2008″ list and appear on various other “best of” lists.

As for myself, I’ve produced extensive photo essays of event venues and published interviews with Canadian athletes like Duff Gibson, Ross Rebagliati and Crispin Lipscomb and written magazine articles about Olympians. I also appear on CBC Radio One discussing sports culture and new media as the producer/host of the Canucks Outsider podcast.

Bear in mind, aside form the occasional stipend, we do this work for no pay.

We are aware of your obligations to media rights holders and are seeking to provide an entirely different sort of coverage than the accredited media provide. We are not looking to cover events per se but are instead interested in covering the cultural stories, athletes’ families’ stories, and stories from fans who saved and traveled from around the world for this experience. In other words, we plan to encourage and aggregate fan coverage of the individual’s “on the street” experience of the Games. We are locals who have watched (and helped pay for) the development of the Games since before the Plebiscite – as a result, we are tuned in to the issues and excitement surrounding the Games.

To begin our liaison relationship, we would like to attend the media briefing portion of the Worldwide Press Briefing on Thursday. We would also schedule a follow-up conversation with the appropriate point of contact to discuss how we as a weblog vendor company, and as individuals, can be involved in providing amateur coverage of Vancouver/Whistler 2010.

With Best Regards,

daveo (and Robert Scales and Kris Krug)
–
Dave Olson
Community Evangelist
Raincitystudios.com

PS These links will provide a flavor of our point of view:

* Raincity Studios Olympics posts
* Olympic overage at Daily Vancouver
* Beijing kick off post
* Krug’s Flickr Olympics photos
* Scales’ Flickr Olympics photos
* Olson’s Flickr Olympics photos
* You Tube videos
* Olympic Outsider podcast feed
* Scales’ Olympic coverage on Now Public
* SLC 2002 photo/video essay
* Torino/Vancouver Symposium

1 Comment »

Tags: 2010 Olympics, Credentials, Dave Olson, IOC, Kris Krug, Press Accreditation, Raincity Studios, Robert Scales, Social Media, Vancouver, VANOC, Whistler

Posted in: Open Letters

WGHthemovie.ca- Webisode #2 ‘True North Media House’ [video]

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