Just. One. LINK!
So there I was five minutes ago, reading a story in the Washington Post about a group of innovative young journalists in Kenya who produce a grassroots web video show called "Slum TV." As I finished the piece I had what I'd guess is a pretty common thought: "This sounds like a cool project. I'd like to look at their website." So I scanned the Post article for a link. Scanned again. Went back to the beginning to catch the link on the first reference to the site. Went to the end to see if there were "related links." Checked out the sidebars for "more information." Gave up, went to google.
If I'm SlumTV, I'm pissed. That's activist partners, donors, more media attention lost. No small thing for a grassroots organization. Get a great piece in the Washington Post and can't even get a few thousand pageviews out of it. Sheesh.
(Yes, these are the things I get outraged over. It's a publisher thing). The link is here.















It's not surprising. It's the economics of web publishing, all about keeping the eyeballs on your site.
The Times, I've noticed, seems to be a bit more willing to put in external links.
March 25, 2008 10:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Andrew if they provided the link it would only be convenient for junkies like ourselves who decide to dig a little deeper than a piece produced by americans about Kenyans! I like you googled it, found it, read and listened to it, and now I am thinking what a coll project to do here in the states with our most blighted communities. I believe hearing the daily lives of individuals who live in underserved commmunites throughout the world might be able to expand their voices by hearing the problems that other face across the globe and connect them almost like a co-op. In essence all of the voices could help eachother by connecting their shared trials and tribulations and also by giving them a venue to discuss the role of problem which are most needed to being solved.
I smell a grant application, coming, any takers!
March 25, 2008 11:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Andrew,
We'll redefine SlumTV if you are it.
For sure SlumTV would be heads above netTV.
And then we'll redefine netTV as ScumTV, which is a fitting appellation.
We bros in da' hood be hangin' together! You down wit' that dog?
March 25, 2008 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
You're going to have to take another crack at that question. I have no idea what you're asking me.
March 25, 2008 11:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
If the fine work done by the group in the story and by the TPM crew are SlumTV and also unworthy of one little link by the corporate media, then we need to redefine both SlumTV to be a positive and netTV (and the WaPo, etc.) as a negative.
The question was a poor attempt to imitate speech patterns of some slum residents and compliment your work. Geez, no way you're gonna qualify for the slum designation! :-)
March 25, 2008 12:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am really confused gozone, and no you do not have my head spinning. I think Andrew is addressing a question as to whay the link was not placed in the article, when many times links are placed in articles in the WAPO! I aslo think he is saying Kudos to WAPO for doing the article but then dropping the ball on the link for those of us who would follow the bread crumbs down the rabbit hole!
March 25, 2008 12:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hmm..
Maybe it is a "publisher thing" and I just don't understand.
March 25, 2008 12:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was confused as to what you were really saying? It seemed as if you were saying that the Slum TV piece in the WAPO was somehow Andrew's doing? Which it isn't as he said he was just reading the WAPO this morning and came across this wonderful article about the hardships people face in poverty in Kenya, and how there is a group of activist who tell their stories vis-a-vis internet media. The WAPO who has used links embedded in their stories in the past did not do it this time, thus having the need for us junkies to google search for it! Maybe it was not in there because if an IT problem or maybe it was because the did not know of the link, whatever the case it would have been helpful to have the link accessable via the article!
March 25, 2008 1:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dear Andrew,
thanks to you! people find our page. Its nice to see
that our project receives some attention.
hi to all internet junkies!
alex
slum-tv
March 26, 2008 7:16 PM | Reply | Permalink