While it may take me a little longer to find people and apps in the days and weeks following a redesign, the sudden and frequent changes can be especially disorienting for many people who have come to rely on Facebook for contact and support while they’re limited in what they can do – homebound during illness, unable to respond quickly to change, etc. Online communication and community has become a life raft for millions of people, and Facebook’s practice of frequent – and poorly announced, if at all – changes is a serious issue.

I hope that Facebook’s leaders will actively and seriously review their practices in light of users who may have temporary or permanent physical or cognitive limitations, ones that enable the these persons to be very alive and valuable members of society, able to make valuable contributions to the online community, but need stable, consistent, familiar physical and online environments. These people, their families and their friends would then be able to remain active members of the Facebook community.

From a public service and accessibility standpoint, implementing an option to keep using an older Facebook design would be a significant service to these people, and from a business standpoint would help advertisers trying to reach this audience, including families and other caregivers. Otherwise, much of this audience will be lost.

Jim Coyle

]]> http://catholicmediajournal.com/2009/12/08/soundslides-project-god-is-everywhere/feed/ 0 http://catholicmediajournal.com/2009/11/28/catholic-church-media-young-adults-views/ http://catholicmediajournal.com/2009/11/28/catholic-church-media-young-adults-views/#comments Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:38:47 +0000 Jim Coyle http://catholicmediajournal.com/?p=118 What do young adults think about the Catholic Church in the media – its roles and responsibilities and how it is portrayed by media producers? Compare their statements with Vatican documents about the Catholic Church in the media.

Credits: Produced and directed by Rachael Pope. Original music created by Eric Allen. Thanks to Jacob Popcak and Sarah Hartung for taking the time to be interviewed. Special thanks to Michelle Proffit for her advice and assistance along the way.

Click on the arrow below to view an historical timeline aobut the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

Timeline created by Matt Shiffler.

About CatholicTV: CatholicTV provides family-friendly, religious, news, and educational programming 24 hours daily. Founded over 50 years ago, CatholicTV is available in selected areas on cable in the United States and Canada, via Sky Angel and online via a live stream anytime, everywhere at the station’s web site www.CatholicTV.com. Father Robert Reed, a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston, is the Director of CatholicTV. Click here to paste this into your browser to find out how to watch CatholicTV where you live: www.CatholicTV.org/schedule/where-to-watch.aspx

Jim Coyle

Or follow this direct link to Catholic Media Journal Podcast #4.

March 2008 Catholic Media Journal blog post and comments:
http://catholicmediajournal.com/2008/03/10/the-catholic-podcasting-underground/ 

Link to the Catholic Underground Podcast’s website.

Music: Podsafe Music from www.musicalley.com
Finish Line by Steve Parsons
Removed Approval by Ardent Octopus (Theme)

Jim Coyle

The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is poised to vote on June 14-15 on a revised programming policy for its affiliated television stations which, among other policies, would not permit them to air “sectarian” programs. Part of its decision will include a definition of “sectarian.” PBS’ proposed definition appears to include such programs as “The Face: Jesus in Art” and “Walking the Bible”, but excluding programs which consist of religious services (such as the Mass). In a meeting with USCCB staff, PBS spokespersons said that its upcoming decision will be an attempt to balance the need for its affiliates to meet their statutory requirement to meet local needs and interests with a desire to prevent the PBS “brand” from being associated with particular religious views and beliefs. PBS is a private corporation whose members are the television stations affiliated with PBS, and is not a government agency, so constitutional concerns and arguments are not germane to this proposed policy. Nevertheless, PBS’ decision can be influenced by the opinions not only of its member-stations, but of the affected communities.

The national PBS leadership is receiving comments on its proposed “no sectarian program” rule from its affiliates, which include several stations owned by religious entities. Those include WLAE, a New Orleans PBS affiliate owned by a lay Catholic organization, KMBH, a Brownsville PBS affiliate owned by the Diocese of Brownsville and KBYU, a PBS affiliate owned by a division of Brigham Young University. The Archdiocese of Washington already has been informed by WHUT in Washington, D.C. that its Mass for shut-ins, which had been aired for years on that station, will be dropped.

PBS staff has [said] that the decision-making committee would find community reaction helpful. If you or your staff have a reaction to this proposed decision, please send an email or fax to: Helen Osman, Secretary of Communications, USCCB at hosman@usccb.org or 202/541-3129 before June 12, 2009. We will forward these comments to PBS immediately.

More information on this topic can be found at http://www.current.org/pbs/pbs0907sectarian.shtml.

Jim Coyle

Magazines are also cutting back their frequency of printing. A newsweekly I’ve read for years went to a biweekly print schedule, then monthly in less than a year.

Most commercial newspapers and magazines rely on advertising sales for most or all of their income. As readership has dropped, advertising sales have dropped, often significantly. And lately, even with circulation levels that were viable a few years ago, advertising sales have been sinking faster, often because of the economy.

How are Catholic print publications faring? The economics may often be different because of diocesan support for their Catholic newspaper, for example, resulting in somewhat less dependency on advertising sales. But few Catholic publications are immune from the financial problems we’re experiencing today.

If you’re involved in Catholic journalism, what are you seeing and experiencing regarding your newspapers and magazines? How do you expect Catholic news to reach your audience next year, 5 years from now?

As a reader of Catholic publications, are you seeing changes in these publications? And are you changing the way you get Catholic news?

Let us know what you’re experiencing. You can write a comment here, leave a voicemail at our comment line (1-740-314-1830), or send me a message on Twitter: I’m @iJimCoyle.

Jim Coyle

These and other online resources from the USCCB are funded by the annual Catholic Communications Campaign in the United States, an important campaign to support.

Jim Coyle

I’ve been a newspaper journalist for 20 years, and I’m worried — but excited — about the future of the industry I love. I believe new media can help journalism evolve, so it can continue to be a watchdog of Democracy. But journalists have to be open to change and trying new technology.

Check out Gina’s blog, and be sure to follow the links that interest you.

Yes, Twitter can be a distraction. But it’s also a great resource for journalists. Best of all, it can be a way to keep in touch with friends and colleagues – just be sure it’s not the only way. Stay up to date with Gina by following her on Twitter. She’s bloggingmom67.

And of course, follow me too. I’m iJimC.

Jim Coyle