Welcome to the October edition of The Update, which contains information about the Institute for New Media Studies activities, sponsored events, and other news items of interest to the INMS community. The INMS Update will be distributed to our email list on the last workday of each month. In it we will review the events of the month and preview upcoming events. We will provide status reports on INMS projects and announcements of new initiatives. We hope this will help keep you “in the loop” about the Institute.

SEPTEMBER REPORT

INMS 3 YEAR REVIEW
We finished publication of the Institute’s Three-Year Review. The 36 page document details the activities and accomplishments of the Institute’s first three years. We will be distributing copies to the INMS community but if you would like to make sure you receive a copy, please contact Brandy Lietz Chaffee at blietz@umn.edu.

A .pdf version is available on the INMS website.

IRIG UPDATE
The Interactivity Research Interest Group had its first meeting in September with a small attendance but lively conversation. John Eighmey, newly arrived Methuen Chair, gave advice to Nora Paul about the testing of “flow” in terms of engagement and immersion with new media content. New PhD students Itai Himelboim and Betsy Anderson discussed the directions their research interests are taking them (Itai about international news online and Betsy about use of the Internet in Public Relations.) The “Contextualeyes” content analysis tool for websites, demonstrated at the New Research for New Media Symposium, was discussed, too. You can check out Contextualeyes yourself at: http://newmedia.colorado.edu/contextualeyes


NEW RESEARCH FOR NEW MEDIA SYMPOSIUM
On Sept. 4, the INMS convened fifty academic researchers from 33 different institutions representing 11 different disciplines for the New Research for New Media: Innovative Research Methodologies Symposium.

The event focused exclusively on the kinds of research methods being used to study new media, and the kinds of technologies available that make new kinds of methods possible. Nine invited speakers representing a variety of academic disciplines drew a crowd of academics who applied to take part in the conference.

INMS capped total attendance at fifty, despite greater interest, to facilitate a workshop-type environment that participants agreed was one of the main benefits of attendance. In research sessions, two papers were presented, followed by small-group discussion and large-group feedback.

The program included the four research sessions, an ethics workshop, a vendor panel demonstrating new technological aids to research, and an advisory session that had attendees act as consultants to direct the next wave of development in new media research methods.

Presenters, in order of appearance, included:

• Laura Gurak, Professor and Head of the Department of Rhetoric, University of Minnesota, who gave the keynote address.

• Mary Gray, PhD candidate in the Communication doctorate program at the University of California-San Diego, who presented her work with online ethnography.

• David Domingo. Professor of Journalism and Digital Technologies in the Universitat Rovira I Virgili, Tarragona, Spain, who presented his work with ethnography of online newsrooms.

• Jean Trumbo, Associate Professor in the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, who presented work on an iterative design approach to studying new media usage.

• Diego Bonilla, Assistant Professor in the Communication Studies department at California State University, Sacramento, who presented his work in tracking users through his virtual movie environment, available at aspaceoftime.net.

• Brian Southwell, Assistant Professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Minnesota, who presented his work examining cognition and memory online.

• Vincent Price, Professor and Steven H. Chaffee Term Chair in Communication and Public Opinion at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication, who presented his work with public opinion and online discussion environments.

• Charles Ess., Distinguished Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Drury University, who conducted the ethics workshop. Ess also chaired the ethics committee for the Association of Internet Researchers.

• Susan Herring, Professor of Information Science and Adjunct Professor of Linguistics at Indiana University, Bloomington, who demonstrated her method for dynamic topic analysis of synchronous chat.

• Mia Consalvo, Assistant Professor of Telecommunications at Ohio University, Athens, who presented her methodological toolkit for content analyzing video games and virtual environments.

• Larry Pryor, executive editor of the Online Journalism Review and director of the Online Program at Annenberg School for Communication, who presented his 360-degree head-mounted camera.

• Bruce Henderson, director of the New Media Center in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Colorado at Boulder, who presented his web content analysis tool, contextualeyes.

A follow-up symposium focusing on the ethical issues raised is being planned with the University of Colorado, Boulder.

New Research for New Media Symposium group photo.
See more Symposium photos.

NEW MEDIA RESEARCH BREAKFAST
Chris Boese is both an “insider” and “outsider” journalist. She writes the headlines that scroll along the bottom of CNN’s Headline News. And she operates several “blogs” or weblogs, a daily chronicle of thoughts, links, and insights. But when she came to the Institute for New Media Studies’ New Media Research Breakfast on September 10, she came to talk about her role in setting up weblogs for two different reporters covering the Iraq War. Both of the reporters, CNN correspondent Kevin Sites and Time freelance journalist Joshua Kucera were asked by their sponsoring news organizations to stop posting to their blogs while they were covering the war. Chris’s discussion of the issues of blogging and the intellectual property rights conflicts of journalists and the companies they report for led the Breakfast attendees into a lively discussion of news economics, “open media”, and the growing expectation by news audiences to contribute to the news.

This first of the 2003-2004 New Media Research Breakfast series was the liveliest and best attended session yet and we thank Chris for coming to share her research and experiences with us.

For more on the New Media Research Breakfast series: http://www.inms.umn.edu/convenings/researchbreakfast/breakfasts.html



EMERGING DIGERATI: THE MOVIE
The six Emerging Digerati showcases in the 2002-2003 series featured 25 students and professors from 15 different schools on the UM campus. From artistic websites to computer animations to digital music projects to 3D projections of space, these projects hit an interesting variety of topics and applications of new media. Cheryl Wilgren Clyne, a two-time veteran presenter in the series, came to us with the idea that the thoughts of the presenters both about their work and the series should be documented. We agreed. Emerging Digerati – The Interviews was filmed by Cheryl over the summer and presented on September 22. In it she interviews 18 of the Digerati presenters.

"Filming people you know and care about is an interesting challenge. From my point of view the content of what someone has said is as important as getting across their being. You can only hope for that.

"I learned a great deal in the past four months from everyone involved, the process of interviewing and the project itself. What was echoed over and over during this time was that it is important to extend yourself to places that you are not familiar with, especially for those of us who are really comfortable working in a room alone for many hours a day. Something that happens in the Emerging Digerati series is that you are able to learn from and meet others who you would have never encountered.

"I still haven't digested all the ways in which this has influenced me. I do know that I want to continue attending and presenting at the Emerging Digerati events and that being part of this has been an extremely positive experience" said Wilgren Clyne.

If you missed the showing and would like to see the film or would like to use it in a class or presentation, please contact Brandy Lietz-Chaffee blietz@umn.edu Wilgren Clyne is also making two short promotional versions. The 2003-2004 Digerati series begins on Monday, Oct. 6 from 6:00-7:30 at the Weisman Art Museum.



BOOK PARTY
It was over 15 years ago that the first edition of Kathleen Hansen and Jean Ward’s Search Strategies in Mass Communication came out and the most current edition was more than five years old. It was time to do a major overhaul of the book. With Jean Ward retired from the faculty, Kathleen asked Nora Paul to co-author a new version of the book, now titled “Behind the Message: Information Strategies for Communicators.” On Sunday, September 21, Jean Ward hosted a party at her home to celebrate the publication of the new book.
Information about Behind the Message can be found at Amazon.com.

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UPCOMING OCTOBER EVENTS

GRAVEL KICKOFF: October 3, 12-5:00 p.m.
Walter Library - Room 401, 402, 405
The Game Research and Virtual Environment Lab project started with a chance visit by Larry Lamb, a computer animation pioneer, to the Institute for New Media Studies. Larry had a shopping application he and his team created using the Quake II game engine. We initially brought together people across the campus - architecture, design, human-computer interaction, the library, computer science – to talk about how we might take this prototype to the next stage of development. What we discovered was a wide range of research interests in the game environment. As we started talking about creating a centralized project on game research, we found an even wider-ranging group of students and faculty who had an angle they wanted to explore. GRAVEL (Game Research and Virtual Environment Lab) was conceived.

On October 3 GRAVEL will kickoff with a public event intended to demonstrate the importance of game research in an academic setting. The Kickoff – from 12:00 to 5:00 will start with two hours of game playing at the mobile game salon provided by “The Loading Zone.” It will be set up outside the auditorium in Walter, room 401.

From 2:00 -- 3:00 three speakers from outside the U will discuss why games are important opportunities for academic research. Mia Consalvo, a professor in the Telecommunications school at Ohio University, will discuss her work in content analyses of computer games and tell why game study is an important emerging area of academic attention. Chuck Carter, an experienced game artist (one of the lead artists for the classic game Myst and currently working on a game project for Sony), will talk about things the academy could help the game industry develop (whether the industry realizes it or not.) Larry Lamb will discuss his shopping game and talk about how the game space can be used for purposeful pursuits beyond mere entertainment.

From 3:00 – 4:00 there will be a panel of UM students and faculty who will briefly discuss their own angle on game research. Twelve people from 12 departments ranging from physics to mass communication, from innovation studies to architecture, will tell how they see game research as an important academic pursuit.

The reception from 4:00 – 5:00 will allow continued discussion, game playing at the game salon, and demonstration of the “GameWall” – 3D, large screen game playing equipment.

We hope to see you on the 3rd. Let the Research begin!

EMERGING DIGERATI – The Series: October 6, 6- 7:30 p.m.,
Weisman Art Museum
All over campus there are faculty and students exploring new ways of using new media and new technologies in their work. Emerging Digerati showcases that work in monthly demonstrations and discussions. Join us for the first of the 2003-2004 Digerati Series on October 6. All of the sessions are held with the support of the Weisman Art Musuem. This year’s series will be co-coordinated with Lynn Lukkas of the UM Art Department. Digerati sessions are the First Monday of the Months of October, November, December, February, March, and April. For more information and links to previous presentations, see http://www.inms.umn.edu/digerati/ We hope to see you on Oct. 6!

TRAVEL & PRESENTATIONS - Director, Nora Paul
In October Nora will be attending the North American Simulation and Gaming Association conference in Montreal. This group focuses on uses of games for teaching, collaboration, and team building. There will be several sessions devoted to application of computer games to these objectives and she hopes to come back with ideas of projects or research areas that might be good for GRAVEL.

Nora has been invited to speak at Marquette University’s annual Lucius W. Nieman Symposium. This year the topic is: Lessons from Iraq: The News Media and the Next War. People participating in the forum include: Michael Getler - Washington Post ombudsman, Jay Harris - former publisher of the San Jose Mercury News, Steve Johnson - Chicago Tribune television critic, David Quil Lawrence - BBC reporter, Mohammed el-Nawawy - co-author of Al-Jazeera, Scott Bernard Nelson - Boston Globe reporter embedded in Iraq, Albert Pierce - director, Center for Professional Military Ethics, Mark Stencel - washingtonpost.com; vice president for global strategy and partnerships, and Bryan Whitman - Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense.

October 20
Nora will be moderating a panel on new media challenges for broadcasters at the Minnesota Broadcasters Association conference

October 22
The Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association invited Nora to present on the Elements of Digital Storytelling at their conference.

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NEWS AND UPDATES

INMS TO CO-SPONSOR DAYPARTING SURVEY WITH MORI RESEARCH
Research design for the Daypart 2.0 study in partnership with MORI Research has been completed. Surveys are now running on Journal Interactive's host of websites including the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's JSOnline.com and on Scripps Interactive's Treasure Coast portal website TCPalm.com. Later this week, MORI will be launching a survey in Minneapolis with the Star Tribune and a national web panel survey. This follow up study examines online user behavior throughout the day. The primary research questions for online publishers are uncovering how to drive frequency based on user content preferences and how to target those preferences with contextual advertising. You can find the original study at http://www.moriresearch.com/. MORI and the INMS will publish results of the survey publicly in Q1 2004 after delivering the results to the more than one dozen participating partners.

INMS GRANTS PROGRAM
The INMS will be offering two different grant programs this Fall. The INMS grants will be awarded to projects that explore new media and new communications issues in a cross-disciplinary approach. The GRAVEL grants will be for projects involving exploration of the digital game environment that can, through the seed grant funds, grow into a larger proposal to an outside funding agency. Guidelines for both grant programs are being developed and information about them will be available on the INMS website. In addition, look for announcements about grant deadlines. If you would like to discuss a proposal idea, please contact Nora Paul, INMS Director, at npaul@umn.edu or 612-624-8593.


INMS WELCOMES - New Graduate Research Assistant, Julie Jones
Julie Jones made the bold move from Phoenix, Arizona to Minneapolis to join the School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s Ph.D. program. And we’re glad she did. Julie will be the INMS Graduate Assistant this fall. Her work in studying alternative ways to present video information online and better understand the effects of different presentation methods fits in well with the Institute’s research into digital storytelling. Her background as a television photojournalist gives her a practical foundation to the academic research she will be doing here. For the Institute, she will be working on a booklet about the Elements of Digital Storytelling as well as research into story forms.

Julie's Background
In twenty years as a television journalist, Julie Jones came to understand the craft and strengths of a video story. She began as a general news photographer in the Four Corners region of the southwest, but her career took her from New Mexico to Africa; from being a general news photographer to being a writer/producer/editor in a special projects unit.

Now she is taking that understanding into the new media environment. She is particularly interested in how we use video in an interactive environment. Armed with only questions, she came to the University of Minnesota and the Institute for New Media Studies. Working with Nora Paul was a particularly strong incentive. Julie will be at the U of M for the next four years, pursuing her doctorate degree and trying to unravel just one corner of the multimedia Rubik's cube.



INMS WELCOMES - New Student Assistant, Kat Matuszak
A University of Minnesota freshman majoring in Psychology, Kat is originally from Green Bay, WI and working as the INMS student assistant. Kat's main responsibilities include assisting with INMS events, completing various office duties and updating the New Media Networker, a data base driven site that contains a wealth of information including articles, websites and contacts to various topics and subjects about new media.

A monthly resource column
by INMS Graduate Research Assistant, Julie Jones.

The multimedia universe is vast. The ability to tell a story with any tool a story demands intrigues educators, journalists, and artists alike. That is its power. But, isn't that big, huge multimedia tool box a little overwhelming? Since each medium has its own craft and sensibilities, where do we turn when we are parachuted into an unfamiliar media neighborhood? The Digital Corner went to find little media markers in this vast universe. These websites can help you traverse in unfamiliar territory.

The BBC: On its training website, http://www.bbctraining.co.uk the BBC has offered extensive content on all aspects of media. This site is intended to drive you to a BBC workshop. However, until the funds for your plane fare land you can just visit online. There is a great deal of information rooted in this site. Here is how to find it: Visit the "Online Courses" link in the left frame. This will lead you to online modules for television, new media, journalism, management, radio, technology and safety. What more could you ask for? Well, the BBC Whales site has a great opportunity for educators. You can direct your students to their Follow Your Dream site http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/justthejob/followyourdream/ wrap/ to see day-in-the-life video clips of different broadcasting jobs. But before you leave the BBC UK site, do not miss the Microphones and Sound or the Rigorous Ricces modules, they are especially fun.

B-Roll.net: This site is infamous for its message boards. However, it is also valuable for its ordinary, life-in-the-trenches tips. Here is how to get to the nitty-gritty: Visit www.b-roll.net and link to the "Tips and Tricks" page. Television photographers around the world have posted their fixes to technical jams. Again, the audio page is especially helpful. Need more clarification? Most of the postings have an e-mail link to its author.

Webmonkey: Why not go to the source? Webmonkey is a website by designers, for designers, but for the rest of us as well. Since its content is sectioned off into "Beginners", "Builders", and "Masters," Webmonkey meets you wherever you are in the digital frontier. Their "How to Library" covers every aspect of web construction including authoring, designing, e-business, programming, and multimedia. Do not miss, however, their Hot Multimedia Tips http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/99/26/index1a.html?tw=multimedia.
Although it is a little old (1999 -- ages in online history), it is key in identifying
what tool to use, in what manner, and for what job.

The Digital Corner will continue to corner the best and brightest of online content. If you have any suggestions, please e-mail Julie Jones at: jone0882@umn.edu.

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Save These Dates:

Upcoming New Media Research Breakfasts will be held in
November, January, March and May

GRAVEL Kickoff
Oct. 3, 12-5:00 PM
Walter Library Rm 401,402

Next Emerging Digerati
Oct. 6, 6:00-7:30
Weisman Art Museum

Upcoming Digerati Dates:
Nov.3, 6:00-7:30
Weisman Art Museum

Dec.1, 6:00-7:30
Weisman Art Museum

Feb.2, 6:00-7:30
Weisman Art Museum

Mar.1, 6:00-7:30
Weisman Art Museum

Apr.5, 6:00-7:30
Weisman Art Museum

Upcoming IRIG Dates:
Murphy Hall 314 - 10-11AM
October 7
October 21
November 4
November 18
December 2
December 16

UM Web Links:

Institute for New Media Studies

School of Journalism
and Mass Communication

College of Liberal Arts

University of Minnesota

Links Mentioned:

INMS 3 Year Review

Emerging Digerati

The Loading Zone

New Research for New Media

New Media Research Breakfasts

GRAVEL

MORI Research Dayparting Project

INMS Grants

Weisman Art Museum

Society for News Design

Internet Studies Center

Digital Technology Center

Elements of Digital Storytelling