November 14, 2008
Google and the flu
Talk about monitoring flu-like symptoms!
Al Tompkins of the Poynter Institute advises that Google Trends is tracking searches related to the flu to monitor the spread of the virus. The thinking is that people who feel the flu coming on are more likely to search for information about the virus. The number of searches can then be a predictor of where the flu is spreading. Google says this indicator can track the spread of the flu up to two weeks faster than methods the Centers for Disease Control uses.
(Ohio, where I Ilive, appears to be OK, although we have a slight uptick. But my friends in Virginia better watch out.)
This is very Interesting, and it stands to reason. It also is indicative of how much the average person values information. In this time-starved, anti-media world, people need information that helps them cope with life, that makes them smarter. This is the secret sauce that newspapers and other media are trying to tap into as they try to evolve their business model.
Those media who find the answer, and can make money doing it, will survive the downturn that is costing newsrooms thousands of jobs.
Those who don't? Well, there's always Google.
Posted by dhertz on November 14, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
November 13, 2008
A record of the times
I wrote earlier about the ability of newspapers to record history. Web sites, cable TV, even magazines don't have the same quality as a newspaper stored in basement and attic boxes. Take a look at this article from the Pew Reearch Center for the People & the Press.
A key paragraph in the article: "Many Americans (23%) say they are saving a newspaper with headlines about Barack Obama’s victory for posterity. Among African Americans, more than half (55%) say they are saving a newspaper with election headlines. Democrats are much more likely than Republicans to be saving a post-election newspaper (36% vs. 9%)."
It stands to follow that if you want to gauge the current state of the economy, look at the gloomy headlines of this week. I found these in only one day (Tuesday, Nov. 11) of the Wall Street Journal:
"Strains Mount on Bailout Plans"
"Retail Losses Sap A Jobs Safety Net"
"GM Stock at 1946 Level as Dire News Grows"
"Nortel Posts Big Loss, Faces Calls To Break Up"
"DHL Beats a Retreat From the U.S."
Put that in your time capsule!
I wonder how history will judge the closing of 2008. Will the headlines our children pull out of their archives become more hopeful? Or will we continue to swirl deeper into economic distress?
Posted by dhertz on November 13, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
