Mediaboss Marketing

Over the past decade and half, the streets of Venezuela have become a battlefield for journalists. This year, the country came third-to-last in the2017 World Press Freedom Index, withindependent NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) naming Venezuelas situation difficult. The independent medias virtual blocking from official sources, and the active persecution practiced by Nicols Maduro and his government and Hugo Chvez before him against critical voices, are some of the biggest obstacles these professionals face.

The examples are many just read about Chilean-Venezuelan political prisoner (now on house arrest) Braulio Jatar, or New York Times reporter Nicholas Casey, who wasbanned from the country in October 2016.Reports abound of the countless arbitrary arrests and assaults suffered by reporters, camera crews, and photographers in the recent protests against Maduro and his constituent assembly referendum.

The shift in how information is shared in Venezuelas mass media can be traced back to Chvezs silencing of TV station RCTV 20 years ago. A large percentage of TV & radio stations and print publications are now government-owned, and only share what Venezuelans have come to know as the official version of events; the majority of the remaining private outlets recur to self-censorship in order to stay out of trouble.

This means Venezuelas citizens have practically just one place where they can find out whats going on in their own country: the Internet. And here too, there are obstacles. Venezuela has the slowest internet connection in Latin America, and a penetration of just 53% of which only 2% represent low-income communities. Right now, its becoming more and more common for opposition politicians to broadcast their press conferences on Periscope, for example, or to witness police enforcement excesses on Facebook Live transmissions.

In the context of these past 100+ days of protests, a group of journalism students from Montevila University, in Caracas, have stepped in to try and fight journalisms good fight. They turned their thesis into El Tambor a full-fledged independent online news medium, which uses tools like infographics, videos, photos, and animations targeted to millennial audiences. What began as a four person outfit is now a team of 45 young people based in Caracas and an Instagram account with over 70,000 followers with a passion and a sense of duty to keep their fellow Venezuelans informed.

Their special coverage of the almost-daily demonstrations that have been going on in Caracas has required them to remain on the frong lines, which means their reporters are often risking their lives in the middle of violent actions from police, military, and even paramilitary groups. Thats why El Tambor has started a crowdfunding campaign to acquire equipment to protect themselves in these situations, like gas masks, bulletproof vests, safety helmets, as well as additional technology to keep doing their job.

We spoke to Jorge Lander, co-founder of El Tambor, to learn about their experience as an independent news medium the social turmoil of todays Venezuela.

What are some of the obstacles journalists face today while doing their job in Venezuela? Every day when we go out to cover the demonstrations in Venezuela, we have to wear bulletproof vests, gas masks, safety helmets, and we have to identify all of our equipment with press tags to ID ourselves. Still, three of our reporters have been assaulted by both government police forces and by violent paramilitary groups looking to stop us from doing our job. Despite all these threats, we remain determined, informing our citizens and the rest of the world about whats going on, because thats our role as journalism students.

How has the experience been for the El Tambor members covering these ongoing 100+ days of protests? Going out to do coverage gives us mixed feelings and emotions. At one moment, youre photographing a protest full of chants and posters against the government, and minutes later you start seeing people badly hurt because of repression by police enforcement officers. We risk our lives doing our job because, with this censorship and lack of information, our society needs us. In spite all of this, seeing the final result seeing the debates generated by the news and knowing that our audience is thinking critically about what we post, makes us proud and gives us strength to go on.

In this particular moment, whats the importance of online media outlets like yours which inform about whats going on in Venezuela? In the middle of the censorship we experience in Venezuela, digital media has been fundamental for sharing whats going on here. Thats why the responsibility we assume as a medium is increasingly bigger; were committed to the country, and thats why all the information we post on our website and social media is rigorously confirmed. Weve witnessed how people are trusting online media more and more; theyre basically the only windows Venezuelans have to know whats going on in the country.

As journalism students, how do you see the future of your profession in a country like yours? We face Venezuelas situation with optimism. We believe deeply that there will be a positive change in our country, politically and socially speaking. Thats why we keep working with care, using the few resources we have at hand, and always fighting to overcome the obstacles. Because we know were responsible for building the future of our country; its in our hands to build tomorrows journalism. We firmly believe well be pioneers in communications here and, amidst the crisis, we see a space for learning and opportunities that will guide us to a bright future.

Donate here to support El Tambors crowdfunding efforts.

.

See original here:
Venezuelan Journalism Students Are Fighting Media Censorship. Here's How You Can Help - Remezcla (blog)

Trayvon Martin was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Walking back from a 7-Eleven to the Sanford, Florida townhouse of his father's fiancee on a dark and rainy February evening in 2012, Martin aroused the suspicions of neighborhood watch leader George Zimmerman, setting in motion a chain of events that led to Martin's death and one of the most intensely followed trials of the twenty-first century--a trial that provoked arguments about America's gun culture and racial profiling. As the case progressed, in cities across the county rallies calling for "Justice for Trayvon" were held, and everyone from President Barrack Obama to Hollywood stars to cable news personalities jumped into the debate over whether Martin's death was murder or a justifiable use of force by a man fearing for his life.

Shortly after 7:00 P.M. on Sunday, February 26, 2012, seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin talked on his cellphone with his friend, Rachel Jeantel. He carried a bag of Skittles and an Arizona watermelon juice cooler as he headed along a sidewalk in the Retreat at Twin Lakes townhouse community in Sanford. When George Zimmerman, driving his SUV to Target for an errand, looked out his window he spotted Martin and concluded, as he told police in a phone call, he was "a real suspicious guy." What about Martin made him suspicious is not completely clear. What is known is that Martin was unknown to Zimmerman, young, wore a hooded sweatshirt, walked slowly in the rain--and, most central to the debates that would later ensue, was black. Asked later that night in a police interview the cause for his suspicion, Zimmerman said, "I've never seen him in the neighborhood. I know all the residents. It was raining out and he was leisurely walking, taking his time, looking at all the houses."

Zimmerman called Sanford police at 7:09 to report his suspicions....

See the original post:
George Zimmerman Trial - famous-trials.com

Yesterday,DigiTimes reported that Facebook is working on an ambient voice device to compete with the likes of the Amazon Echo. This could be a great and/or terrible idea.

Weve seen smart speakers from an online mega-retailer (Amazon), a search and ad giant (Google), and a couple of consumer devices companies (Apple and Xiaomi). Microsoft, a productivity software company, and Samsung, another consumer devices company, will likely join in with theirown ambient voice products.

But the possibility of a smart speaker from the worlds largest social networking company is especially intriguing.In the cases of Amazon, Google, Apple, and Microsoft, it was fairly clear how a smart speaker might complement their core businesses. It was also clear that the smart speaker is a major beachhead in the war of the tech platforms. But why would Facebook want to sell a smart speaker?

Facebooks device would be different than most of the other ambient voice devices, DigiTimes reports, in that it has a large 15-inch display (sourced from LG). The devices large screen may make sense because social network posts are largely visual, with text, photos, and video.

Global Data analyst Avi Greengart stresses that the kitchen counter is an important piece of real estate for tech companies, and that the new Facebook deviceif realmight be intended for that space.

Think Facebook in the kitchen: tasty recipe videos, photos of your niece, upcoming events, Greengart wrote in an email to Fast Companyon Tuesday. Its not crazy to think some consumers would welcome it, especially if positioned as a digital picture frame/smart speaker.

An important caveat here is that the deviceis just a rumor at this point, andDigiTimeshas a mixed track record when it comes to reporting supply-chain rumors. Some never actually come to fruition. A Facebook spokesperson declined to comment:We dont have anything to share at this time.

Greengart, meanwhile, has his doubts that mainstream consumers are so hooked on Facebook that they need aconstant social media ticker in the room.And Facebook has badly misconstrued consumer desires in the past. Remember when it thought people wanted a Facebook phone? Well, it turns out they didnt.

So far, one of the main jobs of ambient voice devices like smart speakers is to act as a hub from which to control all kinds of lights, switches, locks, and other accessories in the home. People like saying, Hey [assistant name], turn off the living room lights, as if telling another person in the room.

And Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has shown a special interest in the connected home. He built an AI-powered home automation system called Jarvis for his own home earlier this year. The system responds to natural language commands from the user to control lights, music, and room temperature. Zucks interest in the tech makes the possibility of a Facebook ambient home device sound more plausible.

And the home is, by nature, a very social place. Interactions among family members happen constantly. So do buying decisions. It seems reasonable that Facebook might want to extend its reach there.

But, as Jacob Kastrenakes at theVerge points out, thats exactly why a Facebook kitchen-counter device might be abad idea. It could be a real threat to privacy, or at least a reason to feel uneasy.Facebooks whole business depends on the collection of personal information for the targeting of ads. The new devicemay give Facebook a new and powerful means of seeing and hearing new forms of personal information and label it as social. Some of the ads might appear on the device itself. Others might appear on Facebook or other platforms.

The DigiTimes report says the Facebook product will be manufactured by Pegatron in China, and will be released in the first quarter of 2018. It also says the ambient device, which was designed by Facebooks Building 8 department, will be housed in a magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis.

For now, well just have to wait and see, but no doubt theres a big opportunity here for Facebook: The research firm Strategy Analytics says smart speaker sales will reach $5.5 billion in 2022.

Original post:
Facebook's Rumored Smart Speaker Is A Great And Terrible Idea - Fast Company

Facebook Inc. shares have busted out a roughly 44% gain so far this year but analysts are saying another 20% rise may lie ahead, after the tech companys earnings pushed past Wall Street forecasts.

Shares of the social network giant FB, +4.56% were up more than 5% in premarket trading Thursday. They had initially fallen in after-hours trading on Wednesday on the release of those results before reversing. If Facebook hold on to those gains in regular trading, it could become the second tech giant to hit a market cap of $500 billion in two days.

Check out: Facebooks earnings, as they happened

Analysts quickly got to work lifting price targets Thursday. KeyBanc Capital Markets hauled its own target up to $200 from $155, lauding the positive and early impact of video for Facebook.

That $200 price target from KeyBancs analysts, who maintain an overweight rating on the tech darling, would imply a 20% increase from Wednesdays close of $165.61. And that price was just short of an record.

We believe Facebooks transition to video-centricity is helping drive incremental demand that can sustain pricing growth for the foreseeable future, said analyst Andy Hargreaves and the team at KeyBanc.

Further, we see significant opportunities to drive upside to estimates through long-form video and monetization of Facebooks billion-user messaging platforms, they said in a note to clients.

See: Facebook, Snap are sitting on a $16 billion opportunity

The highest price target for Facebook shares is $215, set by both Deutsche Bank and Raymond James, according to FactSet.

Facebook reported second-quarter revenue of $9.32 billion and earnings of $1.32 a share, both higher compared with a year ago. The social network also said it has now reached 2 billion monthly active users. Last quarter, the social networking company surprised its followers with a change in how it reports earnings, which had the effect of making its numbers clearer.

KeyBancs analysts said accelerated ad pricing which grew 24% on average year-over-year helped drive those upbeat results for the quarter. Facebooks advertising revenue was a focus for analysts, after the company slowed additions of ads to its core Newsfeed service.

Read: Facebook keeps warning about growth, but growth doesnt stop

Analysts at SIG Susquehanna also lifted their Facebook target to $200, from the previous $190, and maintained their positive rating on the stock. Shyam Patil and the team cited an impressive 2Q outperformance and lower expense outlook for driving the companys key metrics higher.

Despite the 44% year-to-date gain for Facebook, shares are still only trading at around 14 times earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. That metric is growing around 50%, which would suggest significantly more runway ahead for the stock, said Patil and the team.

The analysts said the core Newsfeed and video parts of the business will drive growth for Facebook in the short to medium term, with the Messenger platform and augmented reality/virtual reality tools picking up the baton in the longer run.

Analysts from J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. went a step higher with their price target, boosting it to $210 a share from $182, saying Facebook continues to show a rare and impressive combination of scale, growth and profitability.

A team of analysts led by Doug Anmuth said the fact that Facebook continues to generate strong cash flow even while aggressively investing was impressive. Facebook continues to be our favorite large-cap name and even with a strong year-to-date gain, he said. Valuation remains attractive, the report added as it reiterated an overweight rating.

Calling Facebook the cash flow king, Morgan Stanleys team led by Brian Nowak lifted their price target on Facebook to $190 from $175, saying ad rev growth and incremental margins highlight how early it is in the platforms monetization and potential earnings power. The bank remains overweight on the social media networker.

See original here:
Next stop for Facebook shares? $200 or more, say analysts - MarketWatch

Featuring throwback Rockford Peaches uniforms, the Arizona Batbusters are introduced at opening ceremonies for the 2017 NSA Southwest World Series at Pioneer Park on Wednesday, July 26, 2017, in Prescott. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)

Over 300 players dawning uniforms from 27 different clubs calling Arizona and its surrounding states home gathered for opening ceremonies of the 2017 NSA Southwest World Series on Wednesday night.

Home to many youth softball tournaments throughout the summer and national championship contests in years past, Pioneer Park in Prescott featured standing room only with parents and family members applauding their hometown teams in preparation for a four-day event beginning today.

Dale Pool, tournament director for the Southwest World Series, said for the Prescott area, this weekend not only brings great economic impact to the community, but a chance for the young players to make lifelong memories.

For the girls, this gives them the chance to see teams from other states, California, Nevada, or from around the state. They may meet again in other tournaments, or play in college, Pool said, adding its fun to see some of the same players return to Prescott every year.

Its wonderful to see these girls grow, not only as players, but as individuals and the great sportsmanship that they display, Pool said.

One team stood out in particular Wednesday night, wearing throwback Rockford Peaches uniforms from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, featured in the movie, A League of their Own.

Peyton Bradshaw, 15, of the Arizona Batbusters said wearing the Rockford Peaches uniforms is a tribute to the women who came before them.

As for their own chances of winning this weekends tournament, Bradshaw said her teammates are looking forward to kicking butt.

We need to go in, play hard, and focus on winning, Bradshaw said.

The Arizona Batbusters open the Southwest World Series with a pair of games in the early Thursday morning as they face AZ As Demarini Elite at 8 a.m. and Storm Fastpitch at 9:30 a.m.

Quad City Clovers third baseman Brena Lankford, 13, was the 2017 recipient of the National Softball Associations $1,000 college scholarship Wednesday night.

I was shocked. I couldnt believe it. I was really happy, Lankford said after hearing her name called over the loud speaker.

The Clovers open the tournament with a 9:30 a.m. contest Thursday against the Firecrackers.

Lankford added this years Southwest World Series gives her team a chance to take a break from the regular grind of club softball travel and just play ball.

Its fun with all the girls, and were pretty good, Lankford said. Its local, so fun.

Brian M. Bergner Jr. is associate sports editor and a columnist for The Daily Courier. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Periscope and SoundCloud at @SportsWriter52, or on Facebook at @SportsAboveTheFold. Reach him at bbergner@prescottaz.com or 928-445-3333, ext. 1106.

Read the original post:
NSA Southwest World Series gets underway Thursday in Prescott - CVR News