WBEZ Radio in Chicago has been promoting a Facebook app which encourages listeners to "make babies" so they can create a 'next generation' audience for the show in the future. Part of the approach includes going where millennials are going anyway. For dating. For friendship. For communication. And...

The swing vote might be more worried about heat and electricity than voting next week? The rest of our lives may get decided on Tuesday. History changed? You know all about exercising your right to vote. If you don't, you can't really complain now can you? I don't think I'm...

I got a text message from my father this morning that the 20-year-old son of my childhood best friend passed away early this morning. My dad couldn't get through to me on the phone, so he sent the text. I've written about the intersection of social media and the end...

Or: Much Ado About Nothing

I believe many things, and one of them is this: July is the height of "the silly season." In presidential politics, it seems that this time of year is reserved for the most strident posturing and the loudest rhetoric, because the candidates are trying to...

Recently, Twitter released a "transparency report" which explained in some detail the extent to which this tremendous social medium complies with requests for information from government agencies around the world. The report contains the usual assortment of good news and not-so-good news about the state of personal privacy...

With the HealthCare Decision, Some News Outlets Get Caught in Their Own Trap

The news media pride themselves on getting a story right, and most of the time, they do.

But every so often, some of them get it wrong. Very wrong. This leaves them in the embarrassing position...

Or do they?

Want a clear sign that that the presidential campaign is heating up? Simple! Look at the way the Republicans are trying to spin their social media statistics.

There is no doubt that both campaigns are nervously working their numbers on Facebook and Twitter, looking for every...

In the culture of "gaffes and gotchas," are there any good weeks?

Pundits last week were talking about the president's "Bad Week." It was, to paraphrase a now-famous saying by Queen Ellizabeth, a "septem dies horribilis," or "horrible seven days."

We all have bad days and, yes, sometimes they...

"The Kids Are Alright," but what about the rest of us?

Too often in recent weeks, the media has referred to Facebook as an IPO and a busted investment opportunity. That is unfortunate, because it distracts us from the real importance of Mark Zuckerberg's creation: It is a juggernaut of...

In late May, the Obama campaign unveiled its latest innovation in the usage of social media: The Dashboard. The rollout was impressive and the tool itself was well-received. It is more proof, as if any more is needed, that Barack Obama is a master of the deployment of social media...

Like or Unlike?

On Friday, May 18, Facebook went public. Regardless of when you are reading this post, I would wager that discussion about the implications of the IPO still dominates the news about social media, with an emphasis on what happened, why it happened, and the implications for...

If only it were that easy.

It is natural and beneficial to see social issues mentioned and debated within the context of social media. Humans are, after all, meant to engage each other in order to form relationships and to solve common problems. Social media are just a technological extension...

It is fascinating to watch the manner in which social media are affecting the political landscape. They are causing a gradual transformation in how we perceive -- and ultimately elect -- our candidates for public office.

Several weeks ago, when Rick Santorum was in the race for the Republican...

Lately, it seems that pundits of every stripe are concerned with the nature of the current "social media bubble" and when, not whether, it will burst. No surprise there. Many fads, crazes and social movements seem to belong to boom-and-bust cycles. As such, they are somewhat predictable and depressingly regular....

There is a cultural phenomenon larger than basketball happening at Madison Square Garden. And those of us who have been waiting since the early 70's for an NBA championship probably care less about the 'hashtag' #Linsanity conversation now percolating all over the internet... well unless you read Deadspin. The evil...

How Mixing Politics and Friendships Can Make for Awkward Table Talk

Picture it: You've got a tableful of tasty food and all of your family and friends are gathered around to share a holiday meal. Sounds like a lovely evening. "Could you please pass the mashed potatoes?" someone asks.

But...

How Social Media Is Fighting Back Against Occupation

The Internet, since its origins, has been a place of imagination, innovation, creation and sharing. Its growth has been nothing short of tremendous, setting the stage for the next level of content creation and publishing. In this age, we are absorbing...

Events That Shaped 2011 Via Social Media

2011 was the year social media exploded and influenced our lives in many ways. Through technology, we have become more individualized and separated, however, through social media, we have the ability to communicate relationally -- to rally around causes, voice our opinions and...

I'm a workaholic. I admit it. It would be real easy to blame technology and being in the communications industry as the reason I haven't taken a real vacation from my office since I sailed the Caribbean 25 years ago.

My family spends this week together every year. We...

Preaching To The Choir
How Americans Are Tired Of The Song And Dance

So let's take a trip back to third grade history class. We learned that there are three branches of government in this country -- two of them are the Executive and the Legislative. The Legislative Branch...