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Why Media Sage Jay Rosen Has The Tyee on His New York Radar – TheTyee.ca

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On Oct. 23, news media pros, students, tech innovators and entrepreneurs gathered in Brooklyn for the first day of Hearken’s Engagement Innovation Summit.

Hearken, a company that creates tools for “public-powered journalism,” said those attending shared the goal “of cultivating community and improving democracy through information sharing.”

The stakes were Trump-sized. As the website put it: “With profoundly important elections coming up in the United States and across the world, this gathering had a special track on how innovators are creating engaged elections coverage.”

As the opening session got going, Geoff Dembicki walked onto the stage. He was there to talk about his work covering the climate emergency for The Tyee.

Why was a journalist from British Columbia helping to kick off this summit of U.S. journalists and democracy advocates readying themselves for their nation’s critical national election?

The Tyee had been invited to tell its story by Jay Rosen, the noted New York University professor who closely monitors digital journalism and heads a research initiative called the Membership Puzzle Project.

Membership, because Rosen and others are coming to the conclusion that the future of independent journalism rests on publications that involve their audience as members. Not just members who contribute financial support — though that is crucial — but also members who help inform and frame the publication’s areas of reporting.

Puzzle, because news organizations are still trying to figure out how best to grow and involve their membership — and for many it’s a race to survive.

That’s where The Tyee comes in. For over a decade we’ve invited readers to help pay for special reporting projects, and sometimes advise us where to focus our efforts.

This year, we built on that record when deciding how to cover the federal election. We made a close study of what Rosen calls The Citizen’s Agenda, and incorporated a lot of his ideas.

In mid-May, we asked readers to “Help shape the Tyee’s federal election coverage.” What questions did they think The Tyee should investigate — and put to candidates — during the campaign?

We received 600 responses, which we sifted and refined into 10 potential questions. We then asked readers to vote on their favourites so we could reduce the list to a manageable five issues. This time we received 2,000 responses. The fundraising drive we held at the same time exceeded our target, allowing us to add an additional question.

Our readers’ top question: “Do you agree Canada should be on an emergency footing regarding climate change, and if so what actions will your party take?’”

To read all six of the final questions, see this story’s sidebar. And here is the report we issued on all the stories — about 100 total — we produced during a very busy election season.

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‘Audience-first journalism.’ The Tyee’s Geoff Dembicki (top) joined Jay Rosen in opening the Hearken Engagement Innovation Summit.

So, back to Brooklyn. On stage for that first session, Rosen laid out elements of The Citizen’s Agenda, a concept he proposed in November 2018 on his widely read blog PressThink.

Its principles start with “know who your community is.” Then ask them, he says, “What do you want the candidates to be discussing as they compete for votes?”

If the process is done right, “journalists covering the campaign have what they need to name, frame and synthesize the citizen’s agenda. The product is a ranked list, a priority sketch. The top 8-10 issues or problems that voters most want the candidates to be talking about.”

This was not the first time Rosen had floated the idea. Nor was it the last (here’s a recent twitter thread by Rosen that cites The Tyee.) And his original inspiration was an experiment run by the Charlotte Observer in North Carolina way back in 1992.

But this year Rosen concluded that you — The Tyee’s readers — had participated in a model worth sharing with the new wave of U.S. independent media. That’s why he invited a Tyee rep to present with him at Hearken. (Luckily for us, Dembicki had just moved to Brooklyn.)

Rosen started the session by sharing his Citizen’s Agenda concept with the Hearken crowd.

Then Dembicki explained how British Columbia became home to a long-running independent site for news, ideas and solutions that depends on the financial support of its readers (we call them Tyee Builders) to do top-notch journalism.

How at The Tyee he’d gone from intern to reporter to globally known author of Are We Screwed?, a book on the climate crisis challenge.

And how this autumn Tyee Builders had empowered him to draw on his expertise to write a number of pieces addressing their prime question for the federal election.

Rosen’s prescription had played out very well at The Tyee, Dembicki told the audience, and so they might consider a similar approach. Ask your readers to tell you their coverage priorities. Treat them as members in the effort. And deliver and report back. That’s the formula that Rosen recommends and which The Tyee has put into practice.

By all accounts, attendees of the Engagement Innovation Summit were inspired by what Rosen and Dembicki shared and many intend to follow suit.

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Tyee publisher Jeanette Ageson and Jay Rosen on the streets of Vancouver. ‘A portion of the readership that feels strongly about the Tyee supports it for the others,’ notes the NYU prof.

Rosen was in Vancouver earlier this month and dropped in at The Tyee’s offices where we exchanged updates. He was happy to say the Membership Puzzle Project will continue another year at least. We were happy to say our current drive to add 500 new monthly Builders was on track to succeed.

We asked him: “You watch the important trends in the evolution of journalism. Where do you see The Tyee fitting into a key trend or two, and where do we buck trends?”

“A portion of the readership that feels strongly about the Tyee supports it for the others,” he responded. “That fits into the trend toward membership models in news.”

“At the same time, there is no talk of paywalls, which would not be a good fit within The Tyee’s tradition,” Rosen added. “That bucks the much larger trend toward subscription.” 
We pointed out that “The Tyee is gambling on The Guardian model — one type of membership model, without a paywall. Are we crazy?”
“I don’t think it’s crazy at all,” Rosen said. “But you need fans who are passionate about your site. The site in turn has to be passionate about something big — in your case equity and environment in British Columbia. No ‘view from nowhere’ allowed.”

When Rosen talks of “the view from nowhere,” he’s keying off the thinking of philosopher Thomas Nagel. Self-styled “traditional” news media, he says, claim their carefully cultivated “objective” voice is superior. That non-committal voice simply makes their biases harder to spot and address, he says. The resulting reporting, in trying to appear “balanced,” too often gives equal time and weight to harmful actors and false claims.

Rosen has said the “voice from nowhere” stems from “arrogance born of monopoly” in traditional media.

Breaking down that monopoly is a main reason The Tyee was established in 2003.

Perhaps it’s clear now why we are pleased to be on Rosen’s radar, as we and our members enter an exciting year in which we transform into a non-profit organization.

Rosen predicts that the future belongs to “engagement journalism” that is “audience-first and public-powered.” We could not agree more.

Happy holidays, readers. Our comment threads will be closed until Jan. 2 to give our moderators a break. See you in 2020!  [Tyee]

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Sutherland House Experts Book Publishing Launches To Empower Quiet Experts

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Sutherland House Experts is Empowering Quiet Experts through
Compelling Nonfiction in a Changing Ideas Landscape

TORONTO, ON — Almost one year after its launch, Sutherland House Experts is reshaping the publishing industry with its innovative co-publishing model for “quiet experts.” This approach, where expert authors share both costs and profits with the publisher, is bridging the gap between expertise and public discourse. Helping to drive this transformation is Neil Seeman, a renowned author, educator, and entrepreneur.

“The book publishing world is evolving rapidly,” publisher Neil Seeman explains. “There’s a growing hunger for expert voices in public dialogue, but traditional channels often fall short. Sutherland House Experts provides a platform for ‘quiet experts’ to share their knowledge with the broader book-reading audience.”

The company’s roster boasts respected thought leaders whose books are already gaining major traction:

• V. Kumar Murty, a world-renowned mathematician, and past Fields Institute director, just published “The Science of Human Possibilities” under the new press. The book has been declared a 2024 “must-read” by The Next Big Ideas Club and is receiving widespread media attention across North America.

• Eldon Sprickerhoff, co-founder of cybersecurity firm eSentire, is seeing strong pre-orders for his upcoming book, “Committed: Startup Survival Tips and Uncommon Sense for First-Time Tech Founders.”

• Dr. Tony Sanfilippo, a respected cardiologist and professor of medicine at Queen’s University, is generating significant media interest with his forthcoming book, “The Doctors We Need: Imagining a New Path for Physician Recruitment, Training, and Support.”

Seeman, whose recent and acclaimed book, “Accelerated Minds,” explores the entrepreneurial mindset, brings a unique perspective to publishing. His experience as a Senior Fellow at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, and academic affiliations with The Fields Institute and Massey College, give him deep insight into the challenges faced by people he calls “quiet experts.”

“Our goal is to empower quiet, expert authors to become entrepreneurs of actionable ideas the world needs to hear,” Seeman states. “We are blending scholarly insight with market savvy to create accessible, impactful narratives for a global readership. Quiet experts are people with decades of experience in one or more fields who seek to translate their insights into compelling non-fiction for the world,” says Seeman.

This fall, Seeman is taking his insights to the classroom. He will teach the new course, “The Writer as Entrepreneur,” at the University of Toronto, offering aspiring authors practical tools to navigate the evolving book publishing landscape. To enroll in this new weekly night course starting Tuesday, October 1st, visit:
https://learn.utoronto.ca/programs-courses/courses/4121-writer-entrepreneur

“The entrepreneurial ideas industry is changing rapidly,” Seeman notes. “Authors need new skills to thrive in this dynamic environment. My course and our publishing model provide those tools.”

About Neil Seeman:
Neil Seeman is co-founder and publisher of Sutherland House Experts, an author, educator, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate. He holds appointments at the University of Toronto, The Fields Institute, and Massey College. His work spans entrepreneurship, public health, and innovative publishing models.

Follow Neil Seeman:
https://www.neilseeman.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/seeman/

Follow Sutherland House Experts:

https://sutherlandhouseexperts.com/
https://www.instagram.com/sutherlandhouseexperts/

Media Inquiries:
Sasha Stoltz | Sasha@sashastoltzpublicity.com | 416.579.4804
https://www.sashastoltzpublicity.com

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What to stream this weekend: ‘Civil War,’ Snow Patrol, ‘How to Die Alone,’ ‘Tulsa King’ and ‘Uglies’

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Hallmark launching a streaming service with two new original series, and Bill Skarsgård out for revenge in “Boy Kills World” are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the streaming offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Alex Garland’s “Civil War” starring Kirsten Dunst, Natasha Rothwell’s heartfelt comedy for Hulu called “How to Die Alone” and Sylvester Stallone’s second season of “Tulsa King” debuts.

NEW MOVIES TO STREAM SEPT. 9-15

Alex Garland’s “Civil War” is finally making its debut on MAX on Friday. The film stars Kirsten Dunst as a veteran photojournalist covering a violent war that’s divided America; She reluctantly allows an aspiring photographer, played by Cailee Spaeny, to tag along as she, an editor (Stephen McKinley Henderson) and a reporter (Wagner Moura) make the dangerous journey to Washington, D.C., to interview the president (Nick Offerman), a blustery, rising despot who has given himself a third term, taken to attacking his citizens and shut himself off from the press. In my review, I called it a bellowing and haunting experience; Smart and thought-provoking with great performances. It’s well worth a watch.

— Joey King stars in Netflix’s adaptation of Scott Westerfeld’s “Uglies,” about a future society in which everyone is required to have beautifying cosmetic surgery at age 16. Streaming on Friday, McG directed the film, in which King’s character inadvertently finds herself in the midst of an uprising against the status quo. “Outer Banks” star Chase Stokes plays King’s best friend.

— Bill Skarsgård is out for revenge against the woman (Famke Janssen) who killed his family in “Boy Kills World,” coming to Hulu on Friday. Moritz Mohr directed the ultra-violent film, of which Variety critic Owen Gleiberman wrote: “It’s a depraved vision, yet I got caught up in its kick-ass revenge-horror pizzazz, its disreputable commitment to what it was doing.”

AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr

NEW MUSIC TO STREAM SEPT. 9-15

— The year was 2006. Snow Patrol, the Northern Irish-Scottish alternative rock band, released an album, “Eyes Open,” producing the biggest hit of their career: “Chasing Cars.” A lot has happened in the time since — three, soon to be four quality full-length albums, to be exact. On Friday, the band will release “The Forest Is the Path,” their first new album in seven years. Anthemic pop-rock is the name of the game across songs of love and loss, like “All,”“The Beginning” and “This Is the Sound Of Your Voice.”

— For fans of raucous guitar music, Jordan Peele’s 2022 sci-fi thriller, “NOPE,” provided a surprising, if tiny, thrill. One of the leads, Emerald “Em” Haywood portrayed by Keke Palmer, rocks a Jesus Lizard shirt. (Also featured through the film: Rage Against the Machine, Wipers, Mr Bungle, Butthole Surfers and Earth band shirts.) The Austin noise rock band are a less than obvious pick, having been signed to the legendary Touch and Go Records and having stopped releasing new albums in 1998. That changes on Friday the 13th, when “Rack” arrives. And for those curious: The Jesus Lizard’s intensity never went away.

AP Music Writer Maria Sherman

NEW SHOWS TO STREAM SEPT. 9-15

— Hallmark launched a streaming service called Hallmark+ on Tuesday with two new original series, the scripted drama “The Chicken Sisters” and unscripted series “Celebrations with Lacey Chabert.” If you’re a Hallmark holiday movies fan, you know Chabert. She’s starred in more than 30 of their films and many are holiday themed. Off camera, Chabert has a passion for throwing parties and entertaining. In “Celebrations,” deserving people are surprised with a bash in their honor — planned with Chabert’s help. “The Chicken Sisters” stars Schuyler Fisk, Wendie Malick and Lea Thompson in a show about employees at rival chicken restaurants in a small town. The eight-episode series is based on a novel of the same name.

Natasha Rothwell of “Insecure” and “The White Lotus” fame created and stars in a new heartfelt comedy for Hulu called “How to Die Alone.” She plays Mel, a broke, go-along-to-get-along, single, airport employee who, after a near-death experience, makes the conscious decision to take risks and pursue her dreams. Rothwell has been working on the series for the past eight years and described it to The AP as “the most vulnerable piece of art I’ve ever put into the world.” Like Mel, Rothwell had to learn to bet on herself to make the show she wanted to make. “In the Venn diagram of me and Mel, there’s significant overlap,” said Rothwell. It premieres Friday on Hulu.

— Shailene Woodley, DeWanda Wise and Betty Gilpin star in a new drama for Starz called “Three Women,” about entrepreneur Sloane, homemaker Lina and student Maggie who are each stepping into their power and making life-changing decisions. They’re interviewed by a writer named Gia (Woodley.) The series is based on a 2019 best-selling book of the same name by Lisa Taddeo. “Three Women” premieres Friday on Starz.

— Sylvester Stallone’s second season of “Tulsa King” debuts Sunday on Paramount+. Stallone plays Dwight Manfredi, a mafia boss who was recently released from prison after serving 25 years. He’s sent to Tulsa to set up a new crime syndicate. The series is created by Taylor Sheridan of “Yellowstone” fame.

Alicia Rancilio

NEW VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

— One thing about the title of Focus Entertainment’s Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 — you know exactly what you’re in for. You are Demetrian Titus, a genetically enhanced brute sent into battle against the Tyranids, an insectoid species with an insatiable craving for human flesh. You have a rocket-powered suit of armor and an arsenal of ridiculous weapons like the “Chainsword,” the “Thunderhammer” and the “Melta Rifle,” so what could go wrong? Besides the squishy single-player mode, there are cooperative missions and six-vs.-six free-for-alls. You can suit up now on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S or PC.

— Likewise, Wild Bastards isn’t exactly the kind of title that’s going to attract fans of, say, Animal Crossing. It’s another sci-fi shooter, but the protagonists are a gang of 13 varmints — aliens and androids included — who are on the run from the law. Each outlaw has a distinctive set of weapons and special powers: Sarge, for example, is a robot with horse genes, while Billy the Squid is … well, you get the idea. Australian studio Blue Manchu developed the 2019 cult hit Void Bastards, and this Wild-West-in-space spinoff has the same snarky humor and vibrant, neon-drenched cartoon look. Saddle up on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Nintendo Switch or PC.

Lou Kesten

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Trump could cash out his DJT stock within weeks. Here’s what happens if he sells

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Former President Donald Trump is on the brink of a significant financial decision that could have far-reaching implications for both his personal wealth and the future of his fledgling social media company, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG). As the lockup period on his shares in TMTG, which owns Truth Social, nears its end, Trump could soon be free to sell his substantial stake in the company. However, the potential payday, which makes up a large portion of his net worth, comes with considerable risks for Trump and his supporters.

Trump’s stake in TMTG comprises nearly 59% of the company, amounting to 114,750,000 shares. As of now, this holding is valued at approximately $2.6 billion. These shares are currently under a lockup agreement, a common feature of initial public offerings (IPOs), designed to prevent company insiders from immediately selling their shares and potentially destabilizing the stock. The lockup, which began after TMTG’s merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), is set to expire on September 25, though it could end earlier if certain conditions are met.

Should Trump decide to sell his shares after the lockup expires, the market could respond in unpredictable ways. The sale of a substantial number of shares by a major stakeholder like Trump could flood the market, potentially driving down the stock price. Daniel Bradley, a finance professor at the University of South Florida, suggests that the market might react negatively to such a large sale, particularly if there aren’t enough buyers to absorb the supply. This could lead to a sharp decline in the stock’s value, impacting both Trump’s personal wealth and the company’s market standing.

Moreover, Trump’s involvement in Truth Social has been a key driver of investor interest. The platform, marketed as a free speech alternative to mainstream social media, has attracted a loyal user base largely due to Trump’s presence. If Trump were to sell his stake, it might signal a lack of confidence in the company, potentially shaking investor confidence and further depressing the stock price.

Trump’s decision is also influenced by his ongoing legal battles, which have already cost him over $100 million in legal fees. Selling his shares could provide a significant financial boost, helping him cover these mounting expenses. However, this move could also have political ramifications, especially as he continues his bid for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential race.

Trump Media’s success is closely tied to Trump’s political fortunes. The company’s stock has shown volatility in response to developments in the presidential race, with Trump’s chances of winning having a direct impact on the stock’s value. If Trump sells his stake, it could be interpreted as a lack of confidence in his own political future, potentially undermining both his campaign and the company’s prospects.

Truth Social, the flagship product of TMTG, has faced challenges in generating traffic and advertising revenue, especially compared to established social media giants like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Despite this, the company’s valuation has remained high, fueled by investor speculation on Trump’s political future. If Trump remains in the race and manages to secure the presidency, the value of his shares could increase. Conversely, any missteps on the campaign trail could have the opposite effect, further destabilizing the stock.

As the lockup period comes to an end, Trump faces a critical decision that could shape the future of both his personal finances and Truth Social. Whether he chooses to hold onto his shares or cash out, the outcome will likely have significant consequences for the company, its investors, and Trump’s political aspirations.

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