Open Letter to VANOC Media Relations and Press Operations from Social Media Makers
created on Thu, 2008-11-20 10:31
NOTE: Sent to VANOC {mediarelations@vancouver2010.com, pressoperations@vancouver2010.com} Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008.
Cross-posted at: urbanvancouver.com, 2010.dailyvancouver.com, nowpublic.com, etc.
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: http://raincitystudios.com/search/node/olympics
* Olympic overage at Daily Vancouver: http://2010.dailyvancouver.com
* Beijing kick off post: http://raincitystudios.com/blogs-and-pods/daveo/beijing-2008-social-medi...
* Krug's Flickr Olympics photos: http://flickr.com/photos/kk/tags/olympics
* Scales' Flickr Olympics photos: http://flickr.com/photos/raincitystudios/tags/olympics
* Olson's Flickr Olympics photos: http://flickr.com/photos/uncleweed/tags/olympics
* You Tube videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/robertscales
* Olympic Outsider podcast feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/olympicoutsider
* Scales' Olympic coverage on Now Public: http://my.nowpublic.com/user/6247/assignments
* SLC 2002 photo/video essay: http://olsonboys.org/galleries/olympic-gallery.html
* Torino/Vancouver Symposium: http://2010.dailyvancouver.com/torino/symposium
Well written Dave. Bravo!
Well written Dave. Bravo!
well said daveo
This is an awesome article daveo! Well said and I hope you get some traction on this.
Stephan Wiedner
noomii.com (formerly paircoach.com)
P.S. Say hi to Robert, Hub, Mark & Mariska for us.
Beyond Robson Joins the Cause
Bloggers Unite! :)
A Huge Step Forward
I really enjoyed reading this and, while I knew a little about Raincity Studios before today, I had no idea just how involved you guys were with Olympic content. Great read. Thanks.
Thank you
I think I speak for all Vancouverific and Olympic-interested bloggers when I say you've done a great service for the cause. Nicely done, Dave.
Social Media = FULL DISCLOSURE
Great letter Dave !
Unfortunately, it's going to take more than a well written later to rock VANOC off its podium.
Social media represents full disclosure, and as you also know VANOC operates with a heightened lack of transparency and in full secrecy mode.
First you have to prove you're willing to look the other way regarding controversial issues before they will even consider welcoming you into their clique.
We've invested considerable time and money endeavoring to understand their fear of social media - not simply for the exercise, but to help our clients leverage Olympic momentum.
The following three paragraphs are excerpts from a recent post on my blog.
from OlyBLOG.com
"Olympic host regions operate inherently as both an oligopoly, and a monopoly. Consequently, unless you are a trusted IOC partner or supplier, getting an invitation to the media table will be incredibly challenging. The IOC, its affiliates, partners, and sponsors do not welcome competition. They say they do, but their actions unfortunately prove otherwise.
For example, in 2006 VANOC actually barred me and a client from a news media conference where my client was, in part, the subject of conversation. When some members of the local news media heard we were barred, they offered us their credentials to gain entry. Jacques Rogge and John Furlong were present, so in one respect I suppose news media wanted to see the fireworks when we asked Rogge and Furlong questions about how the IOC and VANOC treat small businesses in Host regions, but it's also possible the journalist wanted to send a message that VANOC should treat citizens in our Host region fairly.
We declined the mainstream news media credentials because only two hours previous we held a press conference of our own, which turned out incredibly well. " end of excerpt
We didn't even try to obtain media passes for the World Briefing last month. Instead, we tracked down about 60 of the international journalists on the tour and emailed each of them information about the impact 2010 is having on our community. Some of them asked to be added to our media list. We also now track what they report in their respective countries and comment on their websites. Basically, they came here, but we now have access to their audience.
If anyone is interested you can read more and view a video about
mainstream media, social media and 2010 at OlyBLOG.com