Matt Sanchez

Strategy Room

I've spent the past day as a commentator in the Strategy Room, the Fox's new web-based program that is quickly becoming a popular stop on the Internet.

I first caught on to the Strategy Room during the 2008 elections.  Like most people, I was looking for insider information, something a little more than sound bytes. 

A few days later, one of the Fox producers asked me about coming on the program.  The focus was on politics, initially, but we got to talking about pretty much everything from the bailouts to the European economy. 

The show is less formal and is developing a loyal following.  Contributors enjoy having enough time to develop an idea without being forced to cut to a commercial break.  I felt at home, I've been doing plenty of European TV where they tend to expect commentators to develop a thought a lot more thoroughly than the frenzied pace of 24 hour cable news. 

This is not an indictment of the cable news networks, there is a certain art to appearing on those shows, and many cable news shows can be entertaining, but the Strategy Room format does have many merits that the 1/4 million audience is currently enjoying.

Martha MacCallum has been a pioneer of the web format, I appeared one of her programs two years ago, when most networks were still trying to adjust their video delivery interfaces.       

As all networks are attempting to figure out the best way to harness the power of the Internet (Even the Europeans are getting into the act)  a program like Strategy Room at Fox can help cultivate brand loyalty as well as efficiently promote the broader news network.    

Fox isn't the only one attempting to decipher the Internet/media rating/profitability equation, CNN's Strategy Room attempts the same feat, and both networks are competing aggressively in the ratings. 

"It's Not TV" — It's The Strategy Room

The "studio" is an open room with a table and a couple cameras at the end of a long hallway on the Foxnews.com floor. The "control room" is essentially a person sitting at an audio board. Amid the wires and audio equipment is an XBOX, where guests from Shepard Smith to Geraldine Ferraro have hit the sticks for a round of Guitar Hero.

TVNewser visited The Strategy Room today, located on the 14th floor of the News Corp. building, home to Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network. The Foxnews.com program streams nine hours a day non-stop, even staying "on air" while anchors and guests switch between hours.

"It's rough by design. It's not TV, it's a different platform," EP of Fox News Digital Mike Straka tells TVNewser.

cont...

Media Professionalism

Hot lights, glaring cameras, slow teleprompters, sometimes people just crack. 

Caution, you're about to enter a No-Censure Zone.

*Hat tip to Gawker.

Alex: Future Therapy Patient

Moveon.org has placed an ad critical of John McCain and the Iraq War.  The 30 second spot shows an actress, baby in lap, asking John McCain about his comment about staying in Iraq for "100 years".  The baby's father is nowhere in site, but it's interesting that the mother feels she'll be able to make decisions for Alex, her infant son. 

This type of ad takes momma's boy to a whole new level.

I must have blinked

I completely missed this story on CNN talking head, Richard Quest, arrest in Central Park at 3 am with some drugs in his pocket, a rope around his neck that was tied to his genitals, and a sex toy in his boot--according to the police report. He was accompanied by an unidentified male.

I have to ask myself if Quest's personal habits have an effect on his business travel reporting.  Will there be some kind of backlash against Quest, or will everything be ok once he reveals whether or not he was playing "safe" with his midnight male park escort?

According to the New York Post article quest is "one of the most popular faces on CNN".  I'm not sure we will see Quest on CNN again after this bust, or is this a new type of travel reporting the Ted Turner news station will soon be rolling out.  One thing is for sure, Quest is in demand.  The post reported that:

Quest was once offered a position for the English-language version of the controversial Al Jazeera network, but said he turned it down because being gay and Jewish, he didn't think it would be a good fit.

Sounds like a pretty sober assessment Dick.

Update:  Turns out Dick is currently in re-hab.

Wanted: Controversy--apply within

Periodically, reporters will put out requests to help gather information.  Just the other day, I got this one.

I'm looking to speak with medical and military personnel who can share their experience with (or knowledge of) soldiers that have self-inflicted injuries. I'm particularly interested in intentional injuries -- or other creative methods -- that have successfully gotten reluctant soldiers shipped back home or prevented them from being shipped to the frontlines. I understand the sensitivity of this inquiry and am committed to protecting the confidentiality of each source -- and each soldier -- on a case-by-case basis. Contact: ****
D*****  T***.****l@newsweek.com

If you ever wondered how a news outlet creates controversy, look no further than the request above.  Personally, I never met someone who tried to injure himself in order to return home from Iraq or Afghanistan, but I did stumble upon a few women who got pregnant in a warzone to achieve that same goal. 

The problem with the above request is that it starts off with a foregone conclusion--some soldiers overseas want to injure themselves in order to go home--and sets out to find proof, through a mass e-mail.  To be fair, I don't know how many incidents or persons this Newsweek reporter has found to fit the description above, nor do I really know if records are kept on this sort of thing.  Unfortunately, this looks like another attempt at pandering to sensationalism.

...and counting

Redeye just held a party for the 300th episode of the little show that could.  Beside the free red and white sangria was the consensus that the city of New York has officially been child proofed.  Case in point, I mistakenly walked toward Alphabet City and to my surprise, the former seedy part of town looked pretty much like any other Starbucks studded section of the Lower East Side.

In this gentler ghetto I saw trendy types hanging in and out of bars.  Even the sidewalks were clean, as the cigarette smokers dutifully discarded the trash they had in their mouths in rightly designated bins.  In the recent past, a trip to Alpahbet City was a walk on the wildside, where sticky sidewalks hinted at an edgy neighborhood.  Now, soles clinging to Avenue A through D means the dogwalkers are neglecting their duty.

POV

Most reasonable Americans understand there's an obvious slant to any presentation, but the mainstream media has been caught one time too often with their fingers in the credibility cookie jar. 

The paradox is that people with an obvious bias: Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and even Bill O'Reilly come off as much more credible, because they are fairly up front about who they are.

You either like their message or you don't, but you can't really complain that they fooled you. 

 

The same can't be said for far too many who are pretending to be "middle of the road", neutral or unbiased.  Readership is falling at many traditional newspapers, and viewership is down for the major news networks. 

Being honest and up front pays off, but there is a caveat here.  Not all those with an expressed bias have done well, Rosie O'Donnell and most of the performers over at Air America know exactly what I mean.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nearly 70 percent of Americans believe traditional journalism is out of touch, and nearly half are turning to the Internet to get their news, according to a new survey. cont...

Accute Case of Media Bias