Do ya, you know, Twitter?

Do you Twitter?

Do you Facebook?

Do you care to?

Do you want the madness to stop? 

The Iowa Journal looks at social media tonight in a Friday only showing of this program at 630p on IPTV.

Social Media sounds like a party and that’s kind of what it is. The social networking site Facebook boasts 200 million users world wide. The fastest growing demographic on the site is 35 years and over. 

Now the even quicker, more ADD site is Twitter, a site that allows users to send out short bursts of information. Twitter is growing leaps and bounds---  Nielson Rating Service says the site has grown 13-hundred percent from year to year since Feb of 08.

 We begin with a look at a face to face meeting of users and then we’ll show you how others are getting into business to help others navigate these tools for their business. We head to Lava Row in Des Moines to see how this company teaches social media to businesses.

 We also went to a Des Moines area TweetUp to see what that is about. Several of you are in the piece that went that night, but not everyone will make the cut. So, please don't be mad. I didn't think Abbie Shipton wanted to see her full profile about a month from delivery. 

 Our panel discussion includes Michael Libbie, principal and owner of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications a Des Moines based Advertising Agency that specializes in traditional media messages from print to television to Social Media.  Michael also hosts a number of radio shows in the Des Moines market dealing with a issues revolving around advertising and the rural lifestyle. 

Michael blogged about his appearance and put in some very nice words about IPTV and our operation. Thanks to that. Also a great picture off set. He called it magic. TV still is to me as well, Michael. 

 Mike Templeton is the director of social media and web strategy for the Iowa Hospital Association. He uses social media on a daily basis through his job and personal life. The discussion was taped last Thursday.

 The show will only air tonight, May 29^th, 2009 at 630p on IPTV. There is no news analysis. The discussion was posted online last Friday.

 The feature is online already.

 So, if you want to watch the show before it airs, you can do so here on our site.

Paul's Add: There is a tiny, inside joke off the top of the discussion. I said, its a Paul and 2 Mike's again. That was in reference to a great radio show I did in college on KWAR in Waverly with two of my best friends named Mike and Mike. We were on before those ESPN guys came along, for the record.

The show was called Bitter Coffee with a Paul and 2 Mike's. Great radio for our time. We even got the president of Wartburg to stop by on our final show of the year. 

What I did on my summer-- from the Iowa Journal

We are looking ahead to the future of the Iowa Journal and stories we are working on for you.

This week we'll look at the flood of 2008 and what's been done to try and prevent a disaster like that doesn't happen again. That program is a little different format as well with no studio discussion, just a look at stories in Waverly, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, and Louisa County to just name a few. 

Then, we are done for a few months. I wish we weren't, but now we can devote time to traveling the state to find the next best stories for The Iowa Journal. If you miss us, please write IPTV a little note to say, we like the show, we don’t like the show, we think the host is a dink, how does his hair never move? 

You can contact us here.

I've got a few ideas that I'll try to flush out this summer. I'm hoping to get to Clinton, Davenport and Burlington to look at minor league baseball. Also we may look at the wine industry, Iowa's cold criminal cases, new teachers and some other topics that come our way. Thank you so much for reading all of this note. If you have ideas you think we should do, let me know. 

I love to hear ideas from across the state that impact all Iowans. 

Post a comment here. If you want to keep it on downlow, send me a note to paul.yeager@iptv.org

As always, check out our past stories to see some fan favorites at www.iptv.org/iowajournal

Spending the day in a tiny room

Today is a day of editing for me. 

The script is written for the first pass and is then getting a good look over by fellow producers. One who has social media knowledge, the other who only hears about it from me. So, that should make sure both groups of people can understand it. 

I'm in an Avid room today trying to piece together the story. I voice my own stories, so that's not a problem, but sometimes producers will use a scratch track to get started editing before the final voice over person comes in. I've been the scratch guy, but also been the guy coming in at the last minute.

This feature on social media is about Lava Row and the Des Moines TweetUp back in March when NBC's Today Show came to town. 

So, I've got the iTunes ready to play at  a nice soft level to keep me going as I'm locked in a Avid 3. Now you know where to find me.

Holiday News

Its amazing to think that I used to be into the news on holiday weekends. Now, its hard to think about the news that's happened the last 4 days.  

For years, my holidays were spent on a random Tuesday or Friday that was compensation for my working of a holiday. Plenty of Memorial Days, Labor Days, 4th of July, you get the picture. 

I knew every holiday celebration in every town. Usually, the holiday's themselves weren't the problem, it was the Saturday and Sunday around them. 

Working weekends is part of the deal. Now, in my world of public TV, its just not the same. I'm still getting used to it, but it can be done. 

Thank goodness for Twitter feeds to keep me informed over the last few days. I really enjoy how that medium and following the right sources can keep you informed just enough to be dangerous and not put you too much behind. 

This week, social media is on the plate again. There's quite a bit of pressure on myself to make this feature good. I've got expectations to make this piece sing and not get another round of oh, that was weak. 

The discussion is already posted on the IPTV video page. Its an online exclusive. Tell your friends, we're hoping to have some good traffic to show for our efforts. 

See it online BEFORE on TV

How cool can we be sometimes?

In a show about social media, its only fitting that we launch the discussion of our upcoming show about social media, here on line on the Iowa Public Television website.

Thanks to fellow producer Nancy we've posted the video of the discussion recorded on Thursday afternoon about social media for next Friday's Iowa Journal. Actually, it was Nancy's idea, I just said, that would be fitting, so here you go. Thank Nancy. 

We usually will post our Thursday programs on Friday's online at www.iptv.org/iowajournal around noon. So, you can soon see our economic roundtable about underemployed and unemployed here as well. 

The social media show will also feature Lava Row and the Des Moines area TweetUp. That will be ready for Friday's airing at 630p on IPTV. 

Here's the link to the Iowa Journal's discussion on Social Media with Mike Templeton and Michael Libbie. 

Out of order social media

Sometimes in TV you had do things out of order. This would be one of those days. 

I'm not really sure how TV shows or movies or reality shows do it, but they do. They'll tape scenes way out of order as to how their seen on air. Today we taped the discussion on the topic of social media. We had Mike Templeton who is director of social media for the Iowa Hospital Association. 

Mike and I met online, but then had our own Ankeny TweetUp on my son's birthday. We were in the McDonald's Playland eating lunch before he was allowed to play on the playland, Noah, not Mike, when Mike walked into the restaurant. It is too small of a world. 

Mike got his job through a discussion with Nathan Wright of Lava Row, another part of our social media show. Nathan heard that Iowa Hospital Association was hiring a director of social media and thought of Mike. 

Small Iowa world that it is, Nathan's got family from hometown of Jesup. Now I have another connection to the Bert Rigdon family. Bert is Nathan's uncle and spent a lot of time with Bert's daughters Sara and Katey. 

So, through social media, I've made connections to old high school classmates to new business and media experiences. 

Also on the program was Michael Libbie. He's the principal and owner of Insight Advertising, Marketing and Communications. A lot of his clients are rural and he talks alot about the rural lifestyle. He does that on Sunday mornings from 8-9 on 98.3 WOW-FM in Des Moines. Libbie is showing clients how they've been able to hear the conversation around them to learn more about their business and clients. Its led to some sales leads, but also to some new products being developed when clients say, what if you made a widget that did this.... 

Mike Templeton took 12 seconds to show us what he was doing before our taping. 

This show will air on May 29th, 2009 at 6:30 P.M. on Iowa Public Television's The Iowa Journal. 

Remember how I said we sometimes have to do things in parts? I still need to finish the feature on Lava Row and the Des Moines TweetUp for that airing. 

Back to work. 

Yes, the economy is still bad for people

Are there any signs things are improving for Iowans?

What hope can we give to people about the economy?

Who or what industries are looking like they will be hiring?

What can be done in the meantime while we wait for the economy to turn?

This week we bring the phone operators and volunteers to take your questions about the economy. Its a topic that is continually on the brain of many, if not all of us.

Yes, there's been some good indicators this week, but for some, they are still without a job.

The Iowa Journal is committed to answering your questions about the economy. We've assembled an impressive panel.

Elisabeth Buck is the director of the Iowa Workforce Development. Rob Denson is president of Des Moines Area Community College. Adam Carroll is a personal financial consultant and Jim Adams coordinates the Hope@Work program at one of, if not the, biggest churches in the state, Lutheran Church of Hope.

Jim will be making his Iowa Journal debut and the rest are veterans on the program.  Glad to have Jim on the show.

You can call with your questions or email them ahead of time. Call 866.282.2846 or send an email to iowajournal@iptv.org

We're on live Thursday night from 8-9. 

There will be no cutdown version of the program this week that airs on Friday. So, if you want to catch up if you miss our on-air signal, hop onto www.iptv.org/iowajournal

If you want to see our program on Autism, that's last week's show. Also see fan favorites like auto racing in Iowa, water quality and the Out and About in Red Oak. All available on our website, any time of the day.

We will also be taping a discussion tomorrow about social media. We're talking about Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. How do we go beyond email. That will air only on Friday, May 29 at 630p. Another DTV or digital TV call in will air at 8p next week. 

Thanks for the time. 

The monkey is now blogging. Hard to believe. Check it out for longer versions of my Iowa Journal ramblings. 

Thanks for reading this last line. If you send a question to iowajournal@iptv.org and you're on this list, I'll send you an IPTV prize. 

So Much Apparent Time

Each Monday seems like the whole week is in front of you. 

It is, but its also a little daunting knowing what's ahead. This week I've got a couple of shows to put together, one on the economy and the other is a discussion of social media to be used in a later show. 

Plus I'm taking a trip to Rock Island to speak on Tuesday, so that will eat an entire day in the car in a trip I just took already this weekend. Oh well, that's the price of fame.

This week we'll need your questions about the economy. We've got the president of DMACC, a personal finance guy, the director of the Iowa Workforce Development and a guy who leads the Hope@Work program at Hope Lutheran in West Des Moines. We're live Thursday at 8p.

Any ideas on how to make a good story about Twitter/Facebook happen? I've got some ideas, so I'll get to playing around with that right now.

Iowa State Fair Food on-a-stick options 2009

The Iowa State Fair boasts nearly 200 food stands and more than 40 delectable items available on-a-stick. Here's the list as of August 2008: 

1. Pickle on-a-stick
2. Pork chop on-a-stick
3. Corn dog
4. Cheese on-a-stick
5. Cajun chicken on-a-stick
6. Sesame chicken on-a-stick
7. Carmel apple
8. German sausage on-a-stick
9. Teriyaki beef on-a-stick
10. Corn on the cob on-a-stick
11. Cotton candy
12. Veggie dog on-a-stick
13. Turkey drumstick
14. Nutty bar
15. Fried pickle on-a-stick
16. Hot bologna on-a-stick
17. Shrimp on-a-stick
18. Chicken on-a-stick
19. Monkey Tails (chocolate covered banana on-a-stick)
20. Taffy on-a-stick
21. Honey on-a-stick
22. Ice cream Wonder Bar
23. Deep fried Snickers bar on-a-stick
24. Deep fried 3 Musketeers bar on-a-stick
25. Deep fried Milky Way bar on-a-stick
26. Deep fried Twinkie on-a-stick
27. Lamb on-a-stick
28. Meatballs on-a-stick
29. Deep fried hoho on-a-stick
30. Fudge Puppy (waffle drenched in chocolate syrup and topped with whipped  cream)
31. Chili Dog on-a-stick
32. Funtastick Pork on-a-stick
33. Dutch letters on-a-stick
34. Turkey tenders on-a-stick
35. Deep fried hot dog on-a-stick
36. Chocolate covered cheesecake on-a-stick
37. Potato Lollipop (4 thick slices of russet potato deep fried and on-a-stick  with dipping sauces)
38. Pineapple on-a-stick (Fresh pineapple dipped in funnel cake batter and  deep fried)
39. Chicken lips on-a-stick (breaded chicken breast smothered with hot sauce,  served with blue cheese dressing).
40. Cornbrat on-a-stick (bratwurst dipped in corndog batter)
41. Frozen fudge brownie on-a-stick
42. Ice cream cookie sandwich on-a-stick
43. Rock candy on-a-stick
44. Salad on-a-stick
45. Hard-boiled egg on-a-stick

Health Hikes and Soda Tax

IPTV UPDATE

Friday, May 15, 2009

 

Healthy Hike inspires 16 million minutes of reading and moving!

Kids in every Iowa county joined together to move and read more than 16 million minutes during the month of April as part of Iowa Public Television’s “Healthy Hike” initiative. Dan Wardell, popular host of the IPTV Kids Clubhouse, will help schools celebrate their accomplishments this month.

 

One elementary school classroom and one library in each county was selected to participate in the competition, with students working to log minutes exercising and minutes reading throughout the month of April. The combined efforts of these 99 communities totaled 16,508,686 minutes of reading and moving.

 

Every school and library participating in the effort will receive books about exercise for the school and for the library, and a certificate for each student.

 

The schools that logged the most moving/reading minutes will be treated to a visit from Dan Wardell when they take their celebratory “Healthy Hikes” to their local libraries. Dates and times are yet to be announced. The top ten communities are: 
1^st place: Lamoni Community Schools, Lamoni (5,245 average minutes read/moved per student)

2^nd place: Southeast Webster-Grand, Dayton (4,150 average minutes read/moved per student)
3^rd place: Villisca Elementary School, Villisca (3,592 average minutes read/moved per student)

4^th place: Clayton Ridge Elementary, Guttenberg (3,547 average minutes read/moved per student)
5^th place: West Sioux Elementary, Hawarden (3,487 average minutes read/moved per student)
6^th place: North Tama Elementary, Traer (3,383 average minutes read/moved per student) 
7^th place: Prince of Peace, Clinton (3,230 average minutes read/moved per student) 
8^th place: St. Rose of Lima, Denison (3,163 average minutes read/moved per student)
9^th place: South Winn Elementary, Ossian (3,149 average minutes read/moved per student)
10^th place: Marnie Simons Elementary, Hamburg (3,142 average minutes read/moved per student)

Students in these top 10 classrooms will each receive a Healthy Hike jump rope, in addition to their certificates.

Chariton and Columbus Junction will also receive visits from Dan Wardell to recognize their outstanding commitment to the effort through community partnerships.

 

Programming Highlights Next Week

Tonight at 7:30, Iowa Press features an interview with State Sen. Mike Gronstal (D-Council Bluffs), discussing the work of the recently completed 2009 legislative session. The program will be rebroadcast Sunday at 11:30 a.m., and will also be available at www.iptv.org.

 

Tonight at 8, Market to Market will explore a "soda tax" being considered by the Senate to help pay for an overhaul of the nation's health care system, and the USDA's monthly supply and demand estimates that have revealed reduced stockpiles of major grain and oilseeds. The program will be rebroadcast Sunday at noon and will also be available at www.iptv.org.

 

Sewing with Nancy, Saturday at 3:30 p.m., gives tips on sweatshirt appliqués for kids. 

Be more amazed on Nature Sunday at 7 p.m. This all-new episode takes viewers to the largest waterfall in the world – Victoria Falls. 

On Monday at 8 p.m., Kennedys: American Experience tells the family’s story of ambition, family loyalty, and personal tragedy. The film is updated with information about Sen. Ted Kennedy’s battle with cancer. 

Tuesday at 9 p.m., Frontline: Inside the Meltdown investigates the causes of the worst economic crisis in 70 years, and how the government responded.

Then at 10 p.m., on IPTV World, Intelligent Talk Television: Understanding the Economic Meltdown features a lecture by James Bernard, Jr., general manager of MarketWatch.com, given in Iowa in September 2008. 

Blueprint America, airing Wednesday at 7 p.m., examines the steps that need to be taken to move our infrastructure systems forward.

Thursday’s The Iowa Journal features a special call-in program addressing Iowa’s economic concerns. Tune in Thursday at 8 p.m., or visit www.iptv.org to watch online. 

The Economy Call In

Live Call-in Program on Jobs and Iowa’s Economy:

On the Thursday, May 21 edition

of The Iowa Journal

 

(Johnston, Iowa) – On Thursday, May 21, The Iowa Journal focuses on jobs – layoffs, job searches, entrepreneurship, and other issues facing workers in the current economy. Viewers will have the opportunity to call and ask questions of an expert panel during this live, one-hour broadcast at 8 p.m.

        The program will feature experts on a range of workforce issues. Personal financial consultant Adam Carroll will address the challenges to household budgets that arise with a layoff or job change.  Robert Denson, president of Des Moines Area Community College, will discuss the importance of gaining new skills and re-training to adapt to the changing economy. Elisabeth Buck, director of Iowa Workforce Development, will offer insights into resources available to workers, as well as opportunities for Iowans to change career paths following job losses.

        The panel will also feature Jim Adams, coordinator of the Hope@Work program at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines. Recently, group participation has grown from 10-15 individuals a week to 35-40.

        Viewers can call in during the live broadcast, or they can email questions ahead of time to iowajournal@iptv.org. 

        For more information about The Iowa Journal, visit www.iptv.org/iowajournal or call (515) 242-3146.

 

Autism

The Iowa Journal looked at Autism on Thursday, May 14. 

Sally Pederson and Ethel Faust were the guests.

We had a lot of ground to cover and did in our 17 minutes. The show is online at www.iptv.org/iowajournal