Houston.BloggersPub

As a blogger, I was pleasantly surprised to see Isiah Carey AKA The Insite get his own blog segment on Fox 26 KRIV. That’s right, at 5pm everyday (and in other KRIV newscasts at times too), the Isiah Factor comes on the air.

“This is the most fun I’ve had on TV in a while,” Carey told mikemcguff.com. “It gives me a chance to tell the quirky stories and all of the crazy things that happen behind the scenes. So far I’ve had the McDonald’s customer who went off on an employee over a Hot and Spicy burger and the news crew who looks suspect.”

Speaking of news crews, any Insite reader will be able to tell you that Carey always has a great behind the scenes look into the Houston TV news world and his own KRIV stories. For example, you can watch the above clip where Carey and photographer Torrey T-Dub Walker were shooting a story in Meyerland and the cops were called on them. Here is the blog version.

“It wasn’t my idea, but the brainchild of my News Director Tom Doerr and General Manager D’art Bebel,” Carey told me. “They said, ‘Isiah, we want you to put some of the stories from the Insite on TV.’ I was like a kid in a candy store when they said that.”

I’m impressed that KRIV has such a supportive role in this. Most stations around the country would not let a reporter have their own blog segment on air, much less about a personal blog. If a segment like this was actually allowed, most likely a station would want that blog to be on its own website so it collected the ad money.

I used to work for a TV station where a manager would stop me in the halls and say they were reading my blog everyday. That actually sent a chill down my spine because I knew they weren’t reading because they liked it. Those types of incidents put a chilling effect on your blog and work.  In fact, now that blogs have been around awhile and we can look back in hindsight, I would recommend to TV station employees (and anyone at a corporation) not to write a personal blog.  It’s probably not worth your career.

Back to Carey, you might have recognized the Isiah Factor branding from a promo the station launched earlier this year.

carey2.blogspot.com

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My venture into the blogging world started in 2005 after I interviewed Charles Kuffner of Off the Kuff and Kevin Whited/Anne Linehan of blogHOUSTON for a KTRK abc13.com article (I was actually using my full name as a byline back then).  Both blogs have loyal followers and lots of influence on Houston and Texas issues.

Now a new chapter opens for Whited as he starts a blog with Evan of Perry vs World and Cory Crow of Harris County Almanac (and Lose an Eye, It’s a Sport before that).

I chatted with Whited and Crow over email about Texas Iconoclast, which they describe as a review of Texas politics, media and culture from a center-right perspective. The site officially launched a few weeks ago.

Why did you start Texas Iconoclast and what will it cover?

Cory Crow: For me, Iconoclast was all about filling a hole in Texas political coverage. To avoid the old “liberal bias” cliche I think that what you see from Texas MSM is a statist view of the world where there’s no government solution that can’t find a problem to attach itself to. Iconoclast was designed to counter that. Hopefully it will be done with with wit, and some unique insight.

Kevin Whited: I’m pretty sure you’ve heard my lament that so many political bloggers cover national politics, and so few cover local and state. I’ve talked to various right-bloggers for a long time about doing a group blog focused on Texas, but we just never achieved critical mass… until recently.

I think what you’re going to see from us is a unique perspective on Texas politics…. and sometimes the journalists who cover Texas politics. You’ll see a defense of the idea of limited government, and respect for the social mores of Texans (broadly speaking), and promotion of Texas as a place of opportunity and innovation. You might see us complain a little if those perspectives are poorly represented in MSM reporting, or if the statist perspective is overrepresented.

Why are there two separate blogs (morning roundup links and lengthier commentary)?

Kevin: As we were tossing around ideas for the site, we spent some time discussing the sorts of sites WE found most useful. The ones that came up frequently were aggregation/curation sorts of sites. For me, sites like Real Clear Politics and Brothers Judd get my day started — and in Texas, Texas Tribune’s morning roundup and Jason Embry’s roundup for the Statesman. We decided to front our project that way — but with our political perspective. We thought it made more sense to break out longer commentary in its own place.

Cory: The round-up is designed to be just that, a daily link blog of most of the news that’s news in Texas. The blog is the place where the editors (Evan, Kevin and myself) can go long-form on issues, elections, etc.

What has the reaction been?

Kevin: Good so far. I think it’s harder than ever for new blogs to get traffic, but we seem to be picking up some interest from some of the other state bloggers, and some journos and some think tankers. That’s encouraging.

Cory: So far, fairly positive. I’m not sure of the exact count of unique visits, but I know it’s growing. So far our commentary has been productive as well.

With your other blogs, are you going to run out of time/material?

Kevin: Time always seems to be the enemy! As material goes, I think that could potentially affect Cory and Evan a little more than me, as they’ve written a lot — and smartly — about state politics for a long time on their own blogs, whereas I’ve done much less.

Cory: I doubt it. Harris County Almanac is primarily Houston/Harris County centric and I rarely venture into other topics. Plus, that blog is more based on humor and sarcasm while Iconoclast is more serious in nature. One thing I’ve learned, there’s always PLENTY of stuff to blog about.

Anything else you want to add?

Cory: I encourage people to comment, and to send us links that we might miss. Also, if anyone has something that they think needs to be addressed from a center-right perspective they can always drop us a line. We hope this grows over time into something people of all political stripes can use, even if they don’t always agree with us.

texasiconoclast.com

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I’ve been blogging about David Yarbrough since 2008 when he gave me a makeover with the pictured poncho (we met as colleagues at KTRK 13). His popular Style Points blog has landed him as a guest blogger on mikemcguff.com and now a more permanent home on the Houston Chronicle’s website.

Style Profile - Rise to the occasion with men’s fashion expert David Yarbrough - is one of the newest blogs on chron.com. Make sure to check it out.  You might actually learn something that can help you unlike the junk my blog.

http://blogs.chron.com/styleprofile/

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- Top 10 fashion mistakes men make - and how to avoid them

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Houston blogger David Yarbrough (a former KTRK 13 colleague) of Style Points blogs about the ten mental errors concerning menswear for the mikemcguff.com blog:

Freedom of expression is indeed one of the fundamentals of American life, and many a fashion statement has been made in public and private circles for generations. Some are poignant (like the tuxedo), while others, quite frankly, should not be tried at home (MC Hammer’s “diaper pants”).

For the everyday man who dresses for success, an important goal that goes without saying is to not look out of place. Here is my “top 10” list of mistakes that can turn the most savvy of men into social deviants in a hurry:

10. Not knowing how to tie a bow tie. I rated this at No. 10 only because men can use pre-tied bow ties (or perhaps rely on women) to avoid having to do it manually. For starters, the bow tie is an important part of wearing a tuxedo. Tying a bow tie, like anything else that is worth being good at, requires practice. Here’s a head’s up: If you know how to tie your shoe, you already know how to tie a bow tie. Now, prove it to yourself in the mirror.

9. Socks that expose the leg while seated. Over-the-calf socks are a surefire way to ensure full coverage when a man crosses his legs in a sitting position. Anything less is uncivilized. Who wants to see a hairy leg?

8. A lack of coordination. Not coordinating the color of your shoes with your belt. This probably is no big deal when you’re in grade school. But it counts when you reach adulthood. Same goes for the color of a pocket square matching up with the tie and/or shirt.

7. Unpolished shoes. People will quickly notice two things about you: Your head and your toes.
When it comes to the latter, your footwear conveys whether you mean business or are in casual mode. Polished shoes are the finishing touch to a professional presentation; unpolished shoes suggest that you care less than the guy who does.

6. Wearing cap-toe shoes with a tuxedo. There’s very much a regimen in place when it comes to formal wear. Patent leather shoes are the first choice, in either a plain-toe lace-up or a pump with grosgrain bow. Plan B is a polished black calfskin shoe or pump. Cap-toe shoes are more appropriate with business attire, not formal attire.

5. Excessive jewelry. Only winning sports franchises such as the New York Yankees, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys can lay claim to the “bling” dynasty, where over-the-top-looking rings are definitely for show-n-tell. Unless you’re a member of a championship team, wearing such baubles in public can distort your look. Thick necklaces also send a message of ostentatiousness. Simple, elegant pieces such as a sterling silver signet ring or a titanium watch can go a long way for men.

4. Underestimating the power of a manicure. A firm handshake says something about an individual, man or woman. A woman once commented that my hands were soft but that my nails were unusually long. I immediately went to CVS and got nail clippers. Long nails not only are not cool for a man, but dirt can get underneath more easily. Investing in a manicure (and a pedicure, while you’re at it) is money well spent.

3. Wearing patterns that compete. Guys wanting to look smart can outsmart themselves sometimes. For example, a plaid jacket may work well with a striped shirt and a paisley tie. But a plaid shirt risks clashing with a plaid jacket, or a striped tie may get lost in front of a striped shirt. Integrating solids with patterns removes clutter. In other words, less is more when it comes to wearing patterns.

2. Ill-fitting clothing. Even if you got a great deal on a Kiton suit off the rack, you will have wasted your money if you bought the wrong size. Any reputable tailor will tell you upfront whether radical alterations would work. Also, wearing trousers that are too short will result in automatic membership to the Pee Wee Herman fan club.

1. Taking “casual Friday” too far. In work environments where suits are worn every day (law firms, accounting firms, banks, to name a few), blazers and khakis for men might be considered an option. The “casual Friday” concept, however, has encountered a rather slippery slope. Jeans and T shirts, shorts and sneakers can test the sartorial sensibilities of the workplace. In the words of some dapper-looking ESPN talking head: “C’mon, man!” Common sense has to kick in sometime, where a man doesn’t have to look like a grunged-out skateboarder in his cubicle. If your take your image seriously, others will treat you accordingly.

David Yarbrough has served as a fashion consultant on various Houston television stations.

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The news of me reporting at KIAH 39 News was reported in this morning’s Houston Chronicle Ken Hoffman column. READ THAT HERE Hoffy said some nice things in there and I thank him for that.

I didn’t blog about starting at KIAH 39 for fear that I would blow it. After all, I haven’t reported on live TV since 2001. Things went fine though. Am I ready to win my next Emmy or AP award with the two stories I’ve done? Not yet. But since they are my first two stories, and I haven’t written or interviewed folks for TV in more than a year or so, I’m pretty happy with the results.

SEE MY FIRST TWO STORIES HERE:
- 20 Year Old Cold Case Arrest
- West Orange-Stark Quarterback Dies After Collapsing During Football Game

The producers were happy how I used some old job skills and web produced my West Orange player story into a newspaper style report for 39online.com (at least newspaper style for most TV station sites that is).

People are asking me when I will show more personality on air. Didn’t feel that was too appropriate since both stories so far dealt with death.

As Hoffman noted, NewsFix is coming and people are leaving the station. But actually the vibe is pretty good there. The station is filled with some great folks who have been very welcoming and helpful. In fact the place is filled with a ton of former KTRK 13 and KHOU 11 folks. Last Saturday I was with four former KTRK employees and that says something since all television stations have less staff working on weekends. Knowing a lot of people going in, and the fact many staffers seem to know me from this blog, has made the new gig a lot easier.

One funny story actually relates to this blog. I was recognized by someone while shooting my last story. He didn’t know me from 39 yet, he recognized me from mikemcguff.com! He thought I was shooting video with a photographer for the blog you’re reading now! I’ve only done that once or twice from what I can remember.

Here is my last story on video:

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OK here it is. I told you I was going to use your suggestions to apply for the KIAH 39 NewsFix Imaginator position. This is the job Tribune Company says will revolutionize news.

Thanks to everyone who has shown support for my application process - from those in the Houston media to bloggers.

Please comment your critiques on my cover letter for the Imaginator job. Think of it as your way to let KIAH and other TV news managers know what you are thinking. Considering what the job is calling for and the tone of the job description, should I cuss more? Be more rock and roll? Talk myself up more? Use proper spelling and grammar?

Here it is:

I saw a bumper sticker on Loop 610 last weekend that read “TV Sucks: Ride a bike.” While I am not much of a bike rider anymore, I have to say much of TV does suck including local news. News viewers are not turning it on as much, not tuning in, only dropping out.

We can change that.

For NewsFix to work, you’re going to have to hire someone like me who is tuned into the Houston community (even more rare, I am a native Houstonian). Things that work on TV/radio in Houston…only work here. Did you ever see a Marvin Zindler report?

My blog has more than 20,000 unique readers a month. I was voted top Twitterer in Houston by the Houston Press readers for 2009. Keep in mind that I am only some dude with a free blogger.com account…imagine what I could do with a damn TV transmitter!

My bosses at KTRK used to say Mike McGuff is the best at merging television and the web. That’s why I’m the only person in Texas to have two Lone Star EMMY Advanced Media Awards to my name in two years. Not only that, but I also won First and Second place in Best Online/Special Content from the Texas AP in the same year!

But before you throw my resume out because “I have too much TV experience” keep reading. What I’m saying is you need a guy like me who knows what’s really going on in Houston and is connected. There are people in this city who would love to contribute to the newscast. Want investigative reports? Groups like Texas Watchdog are doing the journalism, NewsFix could provide the time. Want to know what hot new restaurant is going into that old famous building in Montrose? Swamplot has your answer. Want the latest society scoop, Culturemap knows.

I’m the one to bring all these parties together and actually get it on TV so viewers aren’t being subjected to some guy giving his opinion on high gas prices in the predictable “man on the street” interviews. Don’t even get me started on live shots at night where it looks like the reporter is reporting from their closet.

Speaking of the online world, you could totally dominate with what I can do. Wanna experience how much I know about online? This cover letter was crowdsourced. Yeah, I took reader suggestions from my blog for ideas on this letter. You think Tribune is getting buzz off NewsFix? Well so am I! In fact, I want to bring in a camera to record my job interview with you! This is why the trades and news sites as far as Seattle pick up my coverage of the coming KIAH revolution.

Together we can stop the brain drain and BS in local news. Hurry up and call me, the viewers are dropping like flies out there from boredom. Don’t let that be on your conscience.

As promised, if I get called in for an interview, I would like to bring in a video camera for at least part of it to be shown on this blog (it would be great to get a few minutes of the NewsFix pilot on mikemcguff.com too). I’m also considering the dress code. They want rock n’ roll so I was thinking about slinging my electric guitar around my shoulder and heading into the job interview. I guess that is for another post though.

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KIAH-TV’s plan to air anchorless news has NYC anchors wondering where bond with viewers has gone
Word that KIAH 39 Houston is considering anchorless news called NewsFix has TV anchors wondering whether this is the next wave of TV news or just a stunt to draw attention by a station with low ratings.

The Bachelor Pad Weatherman reveals all: Jonathan Novack spills on his tell-all, his comedy career and Ali
Jimmy Kimmel and everyone else may refer to him as “The Weatherman” but we still think of Jonathan Novack as our hometown heartthrob.

Call former KENS 5 anchor ‘Judge Marrou’
Maybe KENS-TV should launch a new afternoon show called “Judge Chris,” considering the station’s most popular anchorman in San Antonio history just added that title to his resume.

Russ Martin Scores Early
Russ Martin returned to the North Texas airwaves on July 12, and in the first three days, he brought in some big numbers for KEGL 97.1. In the 18-to-34 demo, during the 6 to 10 a.m. slot, he took the station from No. 15 to No. 3.

Fox News’ Digital Divide
Dominant cable news net’s site lags rival CNN.com. Why?

Who is spending money on Houston radio
The #1 radio advertiser in Houston last week was Gallery Furniture with 855 spots. Coming in #2, was Verizon with 801 ads, while Chase was #3, up from #67, with 635 commercials.

Six reasons to watch local news project TBD’s launch
Washington DC television station WJLA and parent company launch new kind of news website.

Fox bets on BlogHer
Twentieth Century Fox is betting that BlogHer — the world’s largest conference for social networking women — is on its way to becoming the new Comic-Con.

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The panel discussion I was on with Dean Betz of chron.com this past Saturday at the Wordcamp Houston conference held in the Houston Museum of Natural Science went quite well.

It was lead by Monica Danna aka Cosmopolitician and we discussed the line between online journalists and bloggers. Plus how the 2009 FTC Online Disclosure Law has affected the way bloggers do their thing.

Thanks for all of the great feedback in the event and afterwards on Twitter. It’s even still coming days afterwards and I appreciate that.

What I am writing about here is what happened towards the end of the event. Having one of the top people at chron.com gave the audience (and me) great insight to chron.com’s future.

Here are the things Dean answered from audience questions that I am now posting from memory:

- The Houston Chronicle has no plans to cut home paper delivery service. What you will probably see however is the paper’s size and dimensions physically shrink.

- The paper side of the operation is continuing to publish new niche products.

- The idea of a pay wall is over. Newspapers were thinking about it, but realized like the rest of us, they just aren’t going to work.

- However there will be a premium area on chron.com with special content.

- Chron.com is developing an iPad app. There will also be apps for other tablet types other than Apple.

- One of most important things in 2010 that chron.com has done is to put reader tweets on the front page of the site.

I am excited to see what comes next for the Houston newspaper and its website.

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Here are some helpful links I will be talking about during the Journalist vs. Blogger: Understanding the FTC Online Disclosure Law panel at WordCamp Houston.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Revised Endorsement Guides (for bloggers/social media)

FTC Seeks to Clarify — and Justify — Its Blogger Endorsement Guidelines

FTC Endorsement Rules Get Their First Workout

Is the FTC Really Going To Sue Bloggers?

FTC Endorsement Rules Get Their First Workout

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I’m pleased to announce I will be on a panel discussion concerning the media and blogs with Houston Chronicle notable Dean Betz Saturday. It will be moderated by Monica Danna aka Cosmopolitician.

It’s all apart of the all day WordCamp Houston taking place at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

WordCamp Houston scored a great keynote speaker too - Matt Mullenweg, founder WordPress + Automattic. You can’t get much better than the guy who created WordPress for a blogging conference!

http://www.wordcamphouston.com

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