The rise and rise of Sangat TV - what is the technical kit behind the camera?

Sangat TV has risen this week into meteoric stardom. I've heard mutterings from other media types on how impressive their work has been and asking questions like how do they do that? 

In this post, I want to explore the how we can all produce a TV station if we wanted to here in Warwickshire and Coventry.

The Media Standards Trust and BBC College of Journalism debate on the quality of journalism in the UK

This happened last week   BBC College of Journalism @churnalert  churnalism.com

The Media Standards Trust and BBC College of Journalism held this lively debate on the quality of journalism in the UK. The motion: This house believes news articles based on press releases should be marked 'advertorial'

For the motion: Chris Atkins (Director of StarSuckers, & Taking Liberties), & James Randerson (Guardian Science/Environment Editor)Against the motion: David Higgerson (Head of Multimedia, Trinity Mirror), & Trevor Morris (former CEO of Chime Communications PR Group; author of 'PR - A Persuasive Industry?') Chaired by: Fiona Fox (Science Media Centre)

Flat Earth News by Nick Davies

When someone says to you, 'Read Flat Earth News by Nick Davies.' Do it. If you don't have a copy, get one. Sure you don't need me to say how valuable the ideas are, but if you do, then think about how you want your truth served up. Update: Seems first year Politics students at University of Warwick have FEN as required reading - then again, why wouldn't they? 

Links about the book: YouTube when Nick Davies visited CU (not the best video, but he summarises key ideas quite well). Nick Davies at Wikipedia. Google Search: Flat Earth News by Nick Davies.

#BBCdigjo Social Media Course from Sue Llewellyn and the BBC

BBC Meet Hyperlocals from the West Midlands

For the 6 June 2011 at BBC Coventry: BBC Coventry and warwickshire, public sector, hyperlocal and social media – an evening.

For the 31 March 2011 at BBC Birmingham, read on..

So who are the Election Candidates for Kenilworth?

I've been avoiding anything to do with the election at all. I noticed the BBC News website had a new ELECTION 2010 section and that made it even worse. There I was skipping TV channels last Thursday evening and thought I would give the debate five minutes. 

And like the rest of the country, I am saying in a typical Brucey way - Didn't he do well. I am now a big fan of Nick Clegg (I don't think I have ever seen him speak before that night). For the whole program (and still right now), I have no idea at all who to vote for.

So who are the candidates for Kenilworth and Southam? A quick google search gives us the BBC and Coventry Evening Telegraph as two trusted sources (The Kenilworth Weekly News gives us a promise of 'Election candidates: The full list Your choice at the ballot box,' but when we click it gives a list for 2007. Oops - not really, sorry to say there is no relationship between a paper KWN and the website (I will be writing about that very soon and spilling as many digital beans as I can). 

This website is all about how we find digital stuff and if you cannot be found on Google then you do not exist. Sorry, but that's the way it is (see my other site The Mike Downes Page for all about the that). I've had personal email replies from two of the candidates (yes, I know you know who you are) and one of the top three - nothing. Shame really - I vote soon. So to the list then, we have (in alphabetical order) James Harrison, Nicholas Milton, John Moore, Nigel Rock and Jeremy Wright.

James Harrison - Green

Nicholas Milton - Labour

John Moore - UK Independence Party

Nigel Rock - Liberal Democrat

Jeremy Wright - Conservative

How to use this site (from What's in Kenilworth?)

If you know what you're looking for, type a word or two in the search box on the right. If you are just looking, click on word from the tag cloud (this is the A-Z contents of the site, but the more time a word is indexed, the larger the font becomes).

There is also a list of the most recent posts (also on the right). You can also scroll down to the site archive and see all the 130+ post in date order.  If something is missing (and I know it is because I will not stop until I answer What's in Kenilworth? completely.

I am pleased to say that Google are indexing these posts with Google Street View showing as limited augmented reality, for example, see the road outside the Sweet Shop.

Data from the sites tell me people are looking at pages here for just over 6 minutes and at nearly a thousand page views, the site is growing in readership quite well. Remember, most people will see pages from websites these days without ever going past the front page.  This site is written as a blog and every single word is Google searchable - try it for your self from search page on this page or any Google search box on a mobile, laptop or pc. I know Google's page rank sorts pages and sites, but look at the way this site is moving up the Google rankings - it is doing well without any SEO or clever web page techniques (and there are many).

My advice, get a message, say it and Google will find you - it's that simple and that's it. I will and can show you how. I am a teacher by trade, but have used the web since it started - I find it easy, but as I have said before, I know others do not and I will help you.

I would like to put a group together to meet in person to help everyone blog and web publish. If you want to know more email me at info@whatsinkenilworth.com My idea is to meet anywhere in Kenilworth that has free wifi - that's Costa, Pizza Pizzo, Starbucks and maybe The Virgins and Castle (when I check it out). BT have a great way for home users to share their wifi signal, see at www.btfon.com - see the photo on the right for a quick map.

It seems the UK is short on good bloggers. It is the new way of mass amateurisation. In other words, anyone can be anything they like aramed with a mobile phone, laptop and some web access. Take a look at my Google Profile and see what Pete Cashmore is all about - ever heard of him? I thought not. To be well known bloggers you must be known as a result of doing something on the web, not as a result of something else. For example, Stephen Fry is well known on Twitter etc, but he was a comedian/actor first. Martin Lewis from the www.moneysavingexpert.com is known because of his website. Martin is a financial journalist, so he may not count either. If you want to know more see the Forbes Web 25 or even the Top 100 Blogs in the world. Look at number 3, it's www.mashable.com run by Pete Cashmore. I do not use mashable, I prefer www.digg.com as Kevin Rose is blogs and videoblogs how he's done it all, see kevinrose.com

Also, remember any text that is blue is a link to something else, for example, the word 'augmented reality' above links to the Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality which describes what that subject is all about. Great, because the key words in this digital age are clickable, searchable and linkable - and if you are not any of those, Google will not find you. I think of the internet these days as Google because at at 63-90% of a market share (it depends where you get these percentages - just Google Market share for yourself).

I f I have not bored you already - head on over to The Mike Downes Page and see some of the books I've read and ideas I have. See you there.