So this Tuesday we're going to see our hard work pay off. We've donated money, made calls, knocked on doors... and we're going to win. After this final spurt of GOTV, we're all going to sit down and watch some good old cable news for the returns. Problem is, cable news sucks. Allow me to offer you an alternative.
(Please note the election night video quality will be much superior).
http://www.pilseninteractivemediaproject.com/
I am a co-founder of the Pilsen Interactive Media Project. We're going to be broadcasting live interactive coverage of the election. Here's our mission statement:
Honesty (not necessarily objectivity): While mainstream media outfits make the 20th century claim of objectivity and "fair and balanced coverage", we understand and are upfront about who we are and our perspective. We're 20-somethings from Chicago, who do you think we're voting for? With that said, we understand that nobody's purpose is served by spin and lies, and since we're only answerable to our viewer/participants, we'll trust you to correct us if we express nonsensical views.
Interactivity: If you have a webcam and an opinion, you can be a pundit for our coverage; our producers will maintain an open chat room and prep our viewer/participants for on-air commentary.
Open-Source: Our coverage will be built on the Web 2.0 foundation, and we'll be checking in with commentary coming in from the blogosphere's most influential voices, live-blogging Election Night.
Relaxed Atmosphere: While I may end up wearing a tie for the broadcast, the Pilsen Interactive Media Project will slash the pomposity and stiffness of regular network news, making our coverage of election a fun and laid-back free-for-all. Heck, we'll be taking a shot every time we call a swing state for Obama!
The basic tech set up is a few laptops, a projector, a webcam, a camcorder, UStream, and a hacked wii-mote. All of this leads to some pretty good things. With the projector and the wii-mote, we're able to replicate the touch screen maps you see on CNN. When all those swing states get called for Barry, they'll turn blue at a touch:
More importantly, however, is the role interactivity plays in this project. If you don't like what we've said, if you can say it better, or if we just forgot an important point, you can call in via Skype and set the record straight:
We are to cable news what blogs are to newspapers: instead of being rigidly top-down, we offer a "network" communication model where information flows both ways.
In closing, allow me to cite some choice quotes from our interview with the Chicago Maroon:
Those looking for "fair and balanced" election-night coverage might want to stay away from the Pilsen Interactive Media Project, a live webcast led by two U of C alums who promise to drink a shot for every battleground state Obama wins on November 4.
John Greenberg (A.B. 07) and Sandy Witkow (A.B. 07), who have hosted post-debate discussions on their website (www.pilseninteractivemediaproject.com), plan to broadcast election results as they come in next month—but without the typical "top-down news coverage," Greenberg said....
"Politics is all we talk about. But politics is not just our lives. Life is politics. I can think of very few things in life that aren’t political," Witkow said.
That’s why the pair decided to start the Pilsen Project, doing what they would normally do in their free time, but in front of an audience.
According to Greenberg and Witkow, their program will offer something unique that the big networks like CNN can’t provide—the viewer’s voice. Anyone who has a Skype account and a webcam can be appear on the show; all they have to do is send an instant message or an e-mail.
"We’re democratizing news," Greenberg said "What we want is a lot of people exchanging ideas. We want people to instantly be able to tell us, ’You’re wrong and here’s why.’"
While they make no claims to neutrality—their tagline is "Honesty, not necessarily objectivity"—they promise not to censor anyone and want as many people as possible to get involved.
"If you’re serious about this, you can make a serious contribution," Greenberg said. "We want to hear what you have to say."
http://www.chicagomaroon.com/...
In short, we look forward to hearing from you on election night. Please visit our website HEREand bookmark us for some netroots coverage of the election of a lifetime.
If you have any questions, e-mail us at pilseninteractivemediaproject.com or chat with co-founder Sandy, thisisawasteoftime, in the comments.
Peace.