Tag Archives: Media of Birmingham

The only site ever banned from al.com’s state blog list

Posted on October 8, 2013 by | 10 comments

al.comIn perusing the list of state blogs on al.com recently, I noticed a curious omission. This site, Media of Birmingham, was no longer on the list after having been there for years.

I asked by email for it to be reinstated, and the response from an al.com employee was that this site was “heavily anti-Advance” and that “the editors didn’t feel that it was a good fit.” (Advance Publications owns al.com.)

No such guidelines are listed on the al.com page.

I have asked for the names of said editors.

Checking through the sites (which still include my other blogs), I see these are approved for inclusion:

  • Blogs that haven’t been updated in 12 months or more (including those hosted on al.com)? OK.
  • Splogs (a k a spam blogs)? OK.
  • Broken sites? OK.

Be careful, bloggers. Any coverage of Advance or its properties could get you banned from the state’s largest website.

A copy of the email is included below.

From: —– <—–@al.com>
To: Wade Kwon <wade@wadekwon.com>
Subject: RE: Blog page addition
Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2013 4:59:34 p.m.

Hey, what’s up,

I just chased this down to see what the problem was. I assumed it had been added already.

Apparently, there was concern that the MOB blog was too heavily anti-Advance. The blog list is subject to the discretion of the editors and they didn’t feel that it was a good fit. Your other blogs, of course, were fine.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks,
—–
[job title]
Alabama Media Group

Advance emailRejection email from al.com (click to enlarge)

I’ll continue to include links to the Birmingham News and al.com on the sidebar.

Update Oct. 9: It has been added back. It was also cited on JimRomenesko.com.

Update Oct. 15: The unnamed al.com staffer referred me to Julie McKinney, the statewide community engagement specialist. I asked via email about who made the decision and what the reasoning was. She replied:

“I think [an al.com executive] and you exchanged messages, and any confusion is cleared up. Your blog is listed again. If you hear of anyone else removed who thinks they should be back, send them my way. It’s a constant evolution, and I try to stay on top of it.”

I invited her again to answer my questions, but have not received a response.

When I invited the al.com executive to respond in the comments, she declined because she “[didn’t] want to throw [her] staffers under the bus.”

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The MOB December Mixer

Posted on December 3, 2010 by | Leave a comment

Media of Birmingham

December Mixer

  • Tuesday, December 7
  • 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
  • Pale Eddies Pour House, 2308 2nd Ave N., Birmingham, AL 35203 [map]
  • Free admission. RSVP required by Dec 6th at 5:30 PM.
  • NO WALK-INS. Late fee $10.

Get into the holiday spirit with our December mixer. We’ll be at Pale Eddies Pour House in Downtown Birmingham.

Enjoy happy hour specials and invite your friends and colleagues in media (print, broadcast, online, etc.), public relations, advertising and marketing.

Free admission but guests are encouraged to bring unwrapped toy. All toy items will be donated to YWCA Santa Workshop!

Register Today

Questions? Contact us or leave a comment.

P.S. Please join our free mailing list for all the updates straight to your In box.

Want to sponsor a MOB event? It’s easy.

 

 

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October Event: Creating Professional Videos For Websites

Posted on October 13, 2010 by | Leave a comment

Media of Birmingham
October Event: Creating Professional Videos For Websites
Ed Hart, Presenter

  • Tuesday, October 19
  • 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
  • Birmingham News, 2210 4th Avenue North, Birmingham, AL [map]
  • $5, RSVP required

Creating Professional Videos For Websites

Join us next Tuesday as Ed Hart presents a “how-to” on creating professional quality videos for websites. Moderated by Randall Vaughn, Ed will show us the ins and outs of online videos from start to finish.

Bring your questions and notebooks–you’ll be getting a lot of useful information.

Join us Tuesday, October 19 at 6:00 p.m. at the Birmingham News. We’ll network from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m., and the program will begin promptly  at 6:30 p.m.

Invite your friends and colleagues in media (print, broadcast, online, etc.), public relations, advertising and marketing.

Please RSVP by Monday, October 18, 6 p.m.

Note: You must RSVP for this event — NO WALK-INS. No refunds.
Special thanks to our location sponsor Birmingham News.

REGISTER TODAY

Questions? Contact us or leave a comment.

P.S. Please join our free mailing list for all the updates straight to your In box.

                                                                    Want to sponsor a MOB event? It’s easy!

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September Event: From Day Job to Freelance

Posted on September 10, 2010 by | Leave a comment

Media of Birmingham
September Event: From Day Job to Freelance

  • Tuesday, September 21
  • 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
  • Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, 520 16th Street North, Birmingham, AL [map]
  • $16 (includes lunch), RSVP required

Transitioning From Your Day Job to Freelancing

Learn from fellow media professionals who left, voluntarily or involuntarily, their traditional day jobs and started their own businesses.

Atticus Rominger, Kate Darden, and Cary Estes join Andre Natta, moderator, to discuss how they successfully went from day jobs to being on their own. Bring your questions and notebooks–this is sure to generate a lot of useful information. (Also bring your appetite–lunch is included!)

Join us Tuesday, September 21 at 12:00 at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

Invite your friends and colleagues in media (print, broadcast, online, etc.), public relations, advertising and marketing.

Please RSVP by Sunday, September 19, 6 p.m.

Note: You must RSVP for this event — NO WALK-INS. No refunds.

Special thanks to our location sponsor Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

REGISTER TODAY

Questions? Contact us or leave a comment.

P.S. Please join our free mailing list for all the updates straight to your In box.

Want to sponsor a MOB event? It’s easy.

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August event: The Birmingham Magazine Showcase

Posted on July 30, 2010 by | Leave a comment
  • Birmingham MagazineTuesday, Aug. 17
  • 5:30-7:30 p.m.
  • Infomedia, Teklinks building, 201 Summit Parkway, Homewood [map]
  • $10, RSVP required ($20 late fee)

How Can Traditional Media Co-Exist with New Media?

Learn from staff members at Birmingham Magazine as they demonstrate how they’ve incorporated social networking to engage readers online.

See how they got started with new media and what innovative tools lie in the magazine’s future including the new City Guide iPhone app.

Join us Tuesday, Aug. 17 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Infomedia. (See directions below.)

  • 5:30-6 p.m. – networking
  • 6-7 – Birmingham Magazine presentation
  • 7-7:30 – City Guide iPhone App presentation

Invite your friends and colleagues in media (print, broadcast, online, etc.), public relations, advertising and marketing.

Please RSVP by Friday, Aug. 13, 5 p.m.

Note: You must RSVP for this event — NO WALK-INS.

Special thanks to our location sponsor Infomedia.

Questions? Contact us or leave a comment.

P.S. Please join our free mailing list for all the updates straight to your In box.

Want to sponsor a MOB event? It’s easy.

Directions to Infomedia:

  • Take I-65 to Exit 256A, Oxmoor Road (Homewood).
  • Head west on Oxmoor for 0.4 miles.
  • Turn right onto Summit Parkway (just before Hamburger Heaven).
  • Head uphill, turn right into the Teklinks parking lot.
  • At the main entrance, we’ll be in the big conference room on the left.

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July event: The Sparkbox Connection

Posted on July 12, 2010 by | 1 comment
  • Tuesday, July 20
  • 5:30-7:30 p.m.
  • Sparkbox Coworking, 2309 Second Ave. S., downtown Birmingham [map]
  • $5, RSVP required ($10 late fee)

Coworking? Collaboration? Confession: These are terms you may not be familiar with, but our July event can help.

Meet the folks at Sparkbox Coworking in downtown Birmingham. Have wine provided by DeVinci’s Pizza, network with media professionals, and learn from Sparkbox’s members about their professional services and coworking life.

  • 5:30 – networking
  • 6 – table talks with Sparkbox members

Invite your friends and colleagues in media (print, broadcast, online, etc.), public relations, advertising and marketing.

Please RSVP by Friday, July 16, 5 p.m.

Note: You must RSVP for this event — NO WALK-INS. Late fee is $10; fees go to W Social Marketing.

Please RSVP by Friday, July 16, 5 p.m.

Special thanks to our sponsors Sparkbox Coworking, DeVinci’s Pizza and W Social Marketing.

Note: Ticket revenue goes to W Social Marketing, not Media of Birmingham.

Questions? Contact us or leave a comment.

W Social Marketing

P.S. Please join our free mailing list for all the updates straight to your In box.

Want to sponsor a MOB event? It’s easy.

Directions/parking: You can park on the street or in the lot at the northeast corner of 23rd Street and Second Avenue South.

Entrance to Sparkbox (look for “Filament Artists” sign).

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The path forward

Posted on July 8, 2010 by | 4 comments

Change can be terrifying. It can be unsettling. Or it can shake things up, shove things forward.

MOB nametagsChange has come to Media of Birmingham.

Our humble organization begins an exciting new phase this month, one that will help us grow and make the group more useful to members and community alike.

While big changes have rocked the industries we inhabit, we at the MOB have not done enough to prepare you for those changes that affect our companies, our careers and our lives. So let us take a peek at what’s coming next for the MOB.

In March, we started by asking for volunteers to serve on a board of directors. After we received applications, we sat down with each applicant for a short interview.

The board members have been selected and notified; you’ll meet them shortly.

This board will guide the MOB from this point forward. We couldn’t have asked for a more talented, more diverse group of passionate, innovative and experienced people to lead us.

They will canvass the membership for ideas, suggestions and help. You are the MOB; you have a say in what this group stands for and how it can best serve you.

They will formalize their own structure, so that the volunteer leadership can be sustainable. This will allow them to renew the board over time to avoid burnout or staleness.

They will plan for next month, next year and the coming years. But they will not be burdened by history. What the MOB was in 2003 in the beginning, or in 2009, will not necessarily be the MOB of 2010 and beyond. What you and they dream up can be done.

I do not have a vision for the MOB. I have been fortunate in having a hand in guiding this group for the last few years, and blessed to have Andrea Walker as a partner in coordinating events this past year.

But it is time for a new group to take the reins. My vision ended with assembling this board. After I hand over the virtual keys to them, my role will be that of member and volunteer, and if needed, advisor.

I am extremely grateful to the new board for stepping forward to take on this assignment. I’m thankful for our many volunteers over the years who have helped this group grow and pull off great events. I tip my hat to founder Christina Tutor for getting us started on the right foot.

And I step aside with only one regret: that we didn’t do more as a group in these last few years.

I look forward to many more years of MOB membership, to attending panels and mixers not as a harried greeter but as a regular attendee, and to posting more exclusive updates about Birmingham’s media scene to our website.

Change has come to Media of Birmingham, and with it, new possibilities.

Wade Kwon

Photo by J&M Photography and Design.

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June event: Summertime in SoHo

Posted on June 3, 2010 by | Leave a comment

Michael's Steak and Seafood Restaurant

  • Tuesday, June 15
  • 5:30-7 p.m.
  • Michael’s Steak and Seafood Restaurant, Aloft Hotel, 1903 29th Ave. S., Homewood [map]
  • Free, but you must RSVP (else, $10 late fee)

Get into the summer spirit with our June mixer. We’ll be at Michael’s Steak and Seafood Restaurant, inside the Aloft Hotel in Homewood.

The happy hour specials:

  • $5 house wines,
  • $2.50 domestic beers,
  • $5 well drinks,
  • Half-price appetizers.

Invite your friends and colleagues in media (print, broadcast, online, etc.), public relations, advertising and marketing.

Please RSVP by Friday, June 11, 5 p.m.

Note: You must RSVP for this event — NO WALK-INS. Late fee is $10; fees go to W Social Marketing.

Please RSVP by Friday, June 11, 5 p.m.

Special thanks to our sponsor, W Social Marketing.

Questions? Contact us or leave a comment.

W Social Marketing

P.S. Please join our free mailing list for all the updates straight to your In box.

Want to sponsor a MOB event? It’s easy.

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May event: iPad Mania

Posted on May 5, 2010 by | Leave a comment

iPad

  • Tuesday, May 18
  • 5:30-7:30 p.m.
  • Rogue Tavern, 2312 Second Ave. N., downtown [map]
  • $5

Apple has sold more than 1 million iPads to date, but what does it mean for your outlet, your clients and your audience?

We’re bringing in three Birmingham technology experts to talk about their vision for the iPad and how it relates to media and advertising businesses.

brian caubleBrian Cauble (@briancauble) is the co-owner of Appsolute Genius, an iPhone application development company in Birmingham. His other interests include promoting local entrepreneurship through Birmingham Entrepreneur, participating in social media and a huge attachment to college football. You may have seen his app reviews on Media of Birmingham.

John GarrettJohn Garrett (@garrett98) is chief strategic officer at Infomedia Consulting Group. Previously, he worked as a business consultant for Apple. He’s a husband and a father, as well as an avid poker player.

Jeff VreelandJeff Vreeland (@jvreeland) is a father, a husband, the owner of VM Technologies and a social media apprentice. He’s a contributor at political blog TechRepublican and has a personal blog, Social Jeff.

Join us at Rogue Tavern for happy hour specials, networking and a hands-on look at the iPad.

  • 5:30-6 p.m. — Networking
  • 6-7:30 p.m. — Table talks with each expert

Invite your friends and colleagues in media (print, broadcast, online, etc.), public relations, advertising and marketing.

Please RSVP by Friday, May 14, 5 p.m.

Note: You must RSVP for this event — NO WALK-INS. Late fee is $10; fees go to W Social Marketing.

Please RSVP by Friday, May 14, 5 p.m.

Special thanks to our sponsor, W Social Marketing.

Questions? Contact us or leave a comment.

W Social Marketing

P.S. Please join our free mailing list for all the updates straight to your In box.

Want to sponsor a MOB event? It’s easy.

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April event: Pollenfest 2010

Posted on April 12, 2010 by | Leave a comment

Cantina

  • Tuesday, April 20
  • 5:30-7 p.m.
  • Cantina, 2901 Second Ave S., Pepper Place, Lakeview [map]
  • Free, but you must RSVP (else, $10 late fee)

Feeling yellow? Come on by the MOB mixer for April at Cantina in Pepper Place in Lakeview.

Invite your friends and colleagues in media (print, broadcast, online, etc.), public relations, advertising and marketing.

Please RSVP by Monday, April 19, noon.

Note: You must RSVP for this event — NO WALK-INS. Late fee is $10; fees go to W Social Marketing.

Please RSVP by Monday, April 19, noon.

Special thanks to our sponsor, W Social Marketing. Also thanks to J&M Photography and Design for shooting this event.

Questions? Contact us or leave a comment.

W Social Marketing

P.S. Please join our free mailing list for all the updates straight to your In box.

Want to sponsor a MOB event? It’s easy.

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