New Source of News and Reports about Iraq
IraqSlogger is a new source for news about Iraq. Editor and Publisher says that IraqSlogger aims to be "a one-stop-shopping clearinghouse for nonpartisan information, including material coming out of Iraq itself from natives of that country, not from foreign correspondents." Although much of this site may be of interest to government information specialists, several areas may be of particular interest:
IraqSlogger is the creation of Eason Jordan who is a former CNN chief news executive and, according to Editor and Publisher, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Committee to Protect Journalists and has won various Emmy, Peabody and Headliner awards and directed war coverage for CNN in Somalia, Yugoslavia and Iraq.
The IraqSlogger about page says:
IraqSlogger reports on traditional topics as well as extraordinary topics: black market prices in Baghdad, the buzz on Iraq's streets, the latest graffiti in Iraq, and more. IraqSlogger's contributors include journalists in Iraq, the U.S., and elsewhere who are committed to providing insightful and, at times, unconventional, reporting and analysis, as well as links to, and critiques of, reporting and analysis in U.S. and Iraqi news outlets.
Editor and Publisher says:
His site includes everything from links to op eds and articles in mainstream U.S. papers to "viral videos" and jokes from Iraq. Jordan points to "nuggets" missed by the U.S. media, such as Iraqis getting "addicted" to the TV series "Lost," or the latest kidnapping of contractors. Not merely a collection of links, it will focus on what he calls "original reporting from Iraq beyond the traditional." One of the site's unique and most valuable services is a daily roundup of news from Iraqi newspapers that few in the U.S. media have ever bothered to translate. Jordan has Arabic speakers here and in Iraq providing this service, and so far this week, these columns have gotten "far more" traffic than anything else on the site. A staffer in Iraq also monitors blogs there. -- Former CNN News Chief To Launch 'IraqSlogger' Site, By Greg Mitchell, Editor and Publisher (December 13, 2006)
Early reviews of the site are mixed. One commentator notes that "this company is mixing up the job of making available a free news-reporting service with that of hiring themselves out as private intel consultants/providers, offering themselves to the highest bidders." (What is IraqSlogger?, by Helena Cobban, Just World News, December 14, 2006.) Continue reading
NASA contracts with Google for access to images, data
Google soon will index content from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Content indexed will include three-dimensional maps of the moon and Mars, and real-time tracking of the International Space Station and space shuttle and will "allow every American to experience a virtual flight over the surface of the moon or through the canyons of Mars," according to NASA Administrator Michael Griffin. Future endeavors will apply Google's search features to scientific data.
- NASA-Google partnership ready for liftoff By Caroline McCarthy, CNET News.com, December 18, 2006
- Google To Index Content For Federal Space Agency by Aliya Sternstein, National Journal's Technology Daily, December 18, 2006 PM edition [subscription required]
New alternative to YouTube
Capitol Hill Broadcasting Network is new service that offers politicos an alternative to YouTube and similar sites.
CHBN "is a powerful, interactive, internet broadcasting platform created specifically for those with vested interests in politics and government affairs. CHBN empowers its members with user-friendly, internet video technology tools to communicate with targeted audiences and the general public. CHBN provides a free service for broadcasting member-generated political video content. CHBN is a one-stop portal for viewers to see the latest political news, legislative updates, committee hearings, speeches, commercials, and countless other political videos.More information on their About page and in this article: New Political Site Aims To Compete With YouTube by Heather Greenfield National Journal's Technology Daily December 18, 2006 PM edition [subscription required]. Continue reading
New Library Page to Collect Video, Audio Spots
In hopes that this week's postings on the use of videos to promote libraries and government information will unleash a burst of creativity (or bring existing items to light), we have established a new FGI library page. The page is called Audio and Video that Promotes Government Information or Depository Libraries and provides links to the following:
- Audio spots done by libraries or librarians (currently empty)
- Video spots
- Sources for visual materials
- Sources for royalty-free/copyright friendly audio
- Sites where you can post your video for free and get viewer stats.
Audio and Video that Promotes Government Information or Depository Libraries
Two important aspects to the preservation of no-fee fully functional access to government information are raising people's awareness of government information and convincing them of the value of having government information. Cash-strapped libraries and librarians have new tools to make these things happen. Libraries such as Fulton County Public Library are using tools like YouTube to put a new face on the library. It is our belief that depositories and their friends can do the same for the somewhat mysterious Federal Depository Library Program. So we'd like to pull together the videos and sound spots (Internet & Radio) you've been doing or will do shortly, along with some resources for producing these spots. Please send us links to video or audio spots that either promote government information in general or Federal Depository Libraries in particular. Promotional Spots Audio Video
- Air Force at Your Library (3 min) - US Air Force documents and other resources set to the official Air Force Song. Hosted by Internet Archive, Capitol Hill Broadcasting Network, YouTube and MySpace.
- Army at Your Library (1 min) - Hosted at Internet Archive, Capitol Hill Broadcasting Network, YouTube and MySpace. Selection of Army resources set to Army Song. First Daniel video to employ four seconds per title.
- Ask the Government! - Approximately one minute PSA video produced by usa.gov to extol the virtues of the information portal. Posted 8/22/2007.
- Best Titles Ever! The Video - 13 titles from FGI's Best Titles Ever page set to electronic music.
- Civil Rights Movement in the United States by Sarah Gewirtz - 3:34 minute video posted 4/14/2007 highlighting civil rights reports set to a MLK speech.
- Communism in the United States by Sarah Gewirtz - 2:37 video of communism related documents issued by various federal agencies in the 1940s and 50s set to a Joseph McCarthy speech. Brillant! Posted August 22, 2007.
- Documents on Parade: Criminal Edition - Web sites and Dept of Justice documents set to music familiar to boomers.
- FDLP - The Final Frontier (Approx 2 min) - Space. The final frontier. Available at your Federal Depository Library since the dawn of the space age. Enjoy these spacy treats and then trek on over to http://catalog.gpo.gov for more great NASA resources. Music by Victor Stellar courtesy of Podsafe Audio. Posted 2/10/2007
- Let's Cook with Government Documents! (2:06, posted 2/9/2008) - Another brillant video by Sarah Gewirtz highlighting recipes for all walks of live and cuisines from government documents.
- Marines Get Around! (approximately 1 min, posted 12/24/2006) - Roundup of documents showing how active Marines have been in our nation's history. Posted to CHBN, YouTube, and MySpace.
- Navy at Your Library (39 seconds) - Hosted at the Internet Archive, YouTube and the Capitol Hill Broadcasting Network.
- Shield of Freedom (2 min, posted 12/30/2006) - USCG documents set to the tune Coast Guard's Chief Petty Officers March.
- You and Your USA - (01:48)A walk through civics pamphlets given to our soldiers and sailors in the 1950s. Produced by Sarah Gewirtz of St. John's University/College of St. Benedict. For more information about this video, please contact Sarah Gewirtz at SGEWIRTZ "AT" CSBSJU.EDU. Posted 1/15/2007.
Production Resources
- Visual Resources
- Best Titles Ever Flickr Pool - Cover photos of weird and wacky titles issued from the Federal Government
- Govdoc Covers Flickr Pool - Pictures of web sites, document covers and movie credit slides for reuse in others' videos. Also has a discussion forum.
- FDLP Graphics - Official graphics from the Federal Depository Library Program.
- Audio Resources
- On Classical Midi - Creative Commons midi files from Bach to Zimmer.
- PodSafe Audio - - Modern music in many genres. May be reused under Creative Commons Licensing.
- Podsafe Music Network - Modern music in many genres. May be reused under Creative Commons Licensing.
- Public Domain MP3s from 1901-1920 - Public domain.
- Internet Archive Open Source Audio project - May be reused under Creative Commons Licensing.
- Production Software, Tips and Tutorials
- University of Wisconsin streaming video creation page - "tips, techniques and resources to help you get started designing and producing streaming media." Includes specific guidance on creating narrated slide shows. Thanks to Amy M Ostrom for suggesting this resource.
- Places to post video - All sites below offer FREE hosting
- Google Video - Probably the best site to avoid being filtered out in schools and libraries.
- YouTube - currently most popular video site on the Internet.
- MySpace - Most likely to get filtered by schools and libraries, special target of Congress, but hey, it has a lot of young people. Need free profile to post your videos.
- Capitol Hill Broadcasting Network
- Internet Archive - sign up for free "library card"