Online Innovators:

I have had the opportunity to meet varied individuals over my career and bring together this group of innovators was exciting and thrilling and I knew would make for a great give and take.

Staged at the National Journal Hq's I began the session trying to give everyone an opportunity to delve into their expertise.

Mario: Mr. Technolgy: What should we be looking at Mario?

The landscape will contiue to evolve you need to have at a minimum a treo or a blackberry. (he's saying this while posting his first comment on his blog).

Janet Roe: Have net and blogs changed politics? Yes, People are using them to announce and circument traditional media.

(at this time two ofthe stalwarts of old media take seats, Colbert King Washington Post and Deborah Simmons the new editorial editor at the Washington Times.)

Jimi, You just came From the first Hip Hop Journalism Conference in Miami, what were they talking about? We were just kickin it. Look not every blogger is a journalist so you should be very careful. Bloggers don't always check their facts yet mainstream media is reading them.

Rob, You-tube apparently has changed the poltical landscape have we opened a panora's box? I'm not certain but it's being used by polticians, poltico's and others to spread poltical messages.

Everyone chimes in....

Mario: You need to start blog at the least if you're a reporter.

Jimo: Wo...I don't think you want to go their. Because reporters are getting fired for things on a blog.

Rob: Look I had a blog before I worked at the Wash Times and they were pissed I posted a news item about a protest outside the building they didn't want to cover in the paper. (Times would then establish a policy not allowing reporters to talk about issues they cover on personal blogs)

Mario: Okay maybe not about what you do but maybe about you favortie hobby like cooking. The idea is that you become familar with the technology.

(jumping ahead)

The subject turns to issues rather than policy.

Jimi: I look at myself as a counterspiner. I was one of the first to say the Jena 6 story was more than what people were talking about.What about them other boys who were arrested. Shucks I called Bill Cosby a douche-bag in the Philadelphia Inq. I'm concern about NABJ weighing in on the Don Imus situation. Who are we to decide who should be fired. Remember what Baldwin said "they come for him in the day but they'll come for you at night."

Rob (He's pissed) What are you talking about. he should been called out and I take exception to what he said.

(the conversation is about to get buck wild !!!!)

I jump in to bring it back to the topic on Politics. Whew, I told you it was hot. Most of the audience is geeked about the discussion.

Charles Robinosn