I’ve mostly been on the sidelines, attending to all the nitty gritty details (resizing images, responding to questions, proofreading, etc) whilst these seven immensely talented bloggers go to town covering the lead up to the federal election that was and in its wake as our nation struggles to decide who it wants to be in charge. It’s been an incredible rewarding role and I’m not sure how I’m going to cope without the constant stream of emails from my new friends, continually filled with exciting policy debates and wisely constructed opinion pieces.

What I’ve loved most about working with these guys and girls is just how they went from students to bloggers to skilled political journalists in their own right, ‘penning’ articles catering to a previously attention deprived and politically disinterested youth.  A community was developed and lessons learned along the way.

Electioneerers, I applaud you.

Here’s just a taste of the sharp, witty and incredible poignant work that was created for Electioneering. After you’re done with this excerpt from Zach Kitschke, head on over to Electioneering to see just how capable young journalists are.

Blogger v. journalist: my election night escapades

My first press pack experience it was! And I learnt you have to be quick. With my SLR and Zoom audio recorder in tow, I was just a tad too late on the scene. While I made it over just before he started to speak, I actually couldn’t see or hear Australia’s most popular Greenie. Clambering on a chair, then onto a table, I managed to spot Brown in the centre of it all. As I stepped back to ground floor my phone started to buzz. Although I could now see the back of Brown’s head, I had unwittingly become the photo bomber in Bob Brown’s ‘Greenslide’ speech. My pocket buzzed as the messages came through – “move left!” and “get a bloody hair cut”. Feeling a little out of place I pretended to be doing something. A few photos there, a nod here…you get the picture. Bob Brown left after a while and the flash crowd again subsided.

By this stage it was becoming increasingly apparent the government had ‘hung’ itself (Hmm, I know). Joel and I put a few pieces up online as we heard from our bloggers in Melbourne in Sydney. They were also reporting a lack of anything much at their end. “Not much to see; big room with a TV” informed Fraser at the Melbourne Gillard event. “Hmm yes I’m here, but it’s a large amount of nothing”, messaged Sophie from Abbott’s do.

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You can check out the interview I did with Erica a while back or just head on over to read some of her media industry insights…

P.S – Don’t forget the Twitterature Giveaway! It ends this weekend folks, so get tweetin’!

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And it’s definitely something to be excited about. And I’m not just saying that because I happen to be writing for them. Ahem.

MAEVE Magazine is a quarterly online publication aimed at the conscious consumer. MAEVE targets 30- 40 something’s… women… grown ups… parents… people who want more from their media. MAEVE is an observatory on human kind, incorporating a plethora of ideas and inspiration to bring life to your life and your family.

Now, doesn’t that sound just AWESOME??? I often complain that something is missing from the women’s magazine world, so you can imagine how super excited I am to be given the incredible opportunity to work on such a promising project, and I know that many of you will absolutely love what Maeve has to offer.

The magazine will be launched mid-year, but in the meantime, be sure to check out the blog which is just bursting with loveliness.

Images via Maeve Magazine Blog

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GWAS Notes: Girl Power Lessons, Glossip Sickness and a Sister Site

This post by Erica, one of my favourite bloggers, broke my heart a little bit. The truths about print media mixing with the honest blogosphere are not merely folktales. Blogs mixing with big-business = no go. The internet isn’t as free as we thought it was. =(

Maeve Magazine: They Blog

Yes, it’s true – they do. After months of anticipation, Maeve Magazine – a new publication for women (for which I have the tremendous honour of writing for) – has launched it’s blog. Awesome.

10 Features I Want to See in TweetDeck

“I have a love/hate relationship with TweetDeck” – took the words right out of my mouth.

TV Will Save the World

Or so says Time Magazine. And a whole bunch of statistics. Food for thought, I think…

Write in Your Face Grant 2010

Express Media’s Write in Your Face Grant is accepting proposals now. If you’re a young  literary-minded individual, or work with them, it’s an excellent opportunity to get funding to make your ideas a reality.

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Most of these fationistas, with their penchant for leather jackets and love of fashion, want to show the world that fat people can be fashionable whilst a select few promote the idea of fat acceptance.
Something tells me that a blog that promoted skinny acceptance would perhaps fall under the pro-anorexia umbrella.

But as these new kids on the blogosphere block prove size is an issue we will all never agree on.
Grazia magazine ran an article about this new wave of Fationistas, in which fashion editor Ollie-Picton Jones penned:

It’s just as important not to promote obesity through fashion as it is striving to be too thin, which is why I’d like to see more average sized women on the whole fashion landscape.

But just what is average?

With anything bigger than a UK size 14 considered a plus size and the ‘average’ dress size of a woman in the UK a 16 it would seem most of us are a plus size.

As a size 12 I wouldn’t consider myself to be either skinny or fat. Does that then make me average?
When that picture of model Lizzi Miller, complete with small roll of stomach fat, appeared in September issue of US Glamour it prompted a flood of comments. Lizzie responded that it showed that “the world is hungry to see pictures of normal women.”

At 5ft 11in and 12.5 stone Miller is a healthy size for her height. And the magazine proved it wasn’t just a one off and featured plus size model Crystal Renn in their February issue.

According to Lesley Kinzel, creator of Fatshionista- fat acceptance blog, the media circus that surrounds celebrity’s weight battles and society’s obsession with compulsory skinniness is making fatness fair game for comment. Perhaps in the same way that being a ‘waif’ is?

It would seem, media aside, that personal perception plays a huge part in people’s opinions on what is a normal body.

Kinzel blogs: ‘We live in a culture in which folks can’t even come to a broad consensus on whether Angelina Jolie is hot or unappealing.’

I’m struggling to take sides.

—
Thank you to Amy for another thoughtful guest post. If you love blogging and the media, this could be you! Become a contributing blogger for Rough Review.com

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But, of course, whilst I enjoy the sound of my own voice as much as the next person, I’d also love to hear more from fellow media enthusiasts.

We have had a few irregular contributing bloggers at Rough Review, the longest serving being the delightful Brit, Amy, but given the turbulent and changeable nature of the blog in its beginnings, it’s been hard to maintain consistency.

So, my friends, this is an open call for a regular blog contributor for Rough Review.

The position is unpaid (I’m a starving student…I’d pay you in mountains of gold if I could!) and would require the following:

1. A love of all things media related.

2. The ability to contribute one blog post per week on a topic of choice. We’re aiming for a ‘columnist’, of sorts, if ya get me. Posts could include interviews, opinion pieces or whatever takes your fancy.

You may be a media professional wanting to share some insights with the world, or a student like myself who’s just trying to make sense of things, but your voice should fit in with the premise of Rough Review. Regardless, this is a chance for you to share your thoughts on the industry with other like-minded individuals. And we’d love to hear what you think about the industry and all that goes on in it.

—-

To apply, please send the following to me at admin@roughreview.com:

• A 300 word (or thereabouts) sample of writing you’d consider appropriate for blogging on Rough Review
• A couple of sentences outlining why you’d like to be involved with Rough Review
• A couple of suggestions about possible future blog posts

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below or shoot me an email.

Elizabeth

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@silentassassin8

@KittyCameHome

@kyd_journal

@PoppiesforGrace

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Back in the days of my juvenile blogging, I would blog everything and anything and somehow manage to grab lots and lots of views considering I was a 15 year old emotional teenager.Somehow my scrabble score from last Saturday, some inappropriate new names for slow computers and myself and a friend’s translation of Sense and Sensibility into ditsy-girl msn speak were thrilling reads.

I like to think I’ve grown up a bit, thus why I no longer feel the need to share such mundane things with you. However, this means I am often prone to bloggers block. Often it’s more a case of I have so many media-related things I wish to cover and so little time, that I end up not getting my pieces in within the appropriate period of newsworthiness.

*slaps own wrists*

Tomorrow, I will be proactive. Tonight I might consider purchasing this necklace, choosing to revert to my old blogging ways where anything was fair game. Hmmm…

By CupcakesAndMace

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Mochatini, however, does just that.

Its author, Manvi, posts her own personal photographs and styling as well as other lovely things she finds around her. Sounds simple, but the result is a blog where you can ALWAYS find a chic, elegant and inspiring image to kick your inner interior-designer into gear.

Manvi was kind enough to share some of her secrets with us -

Tell us a bit about yourself, where are you from and how and when did you get started blogging?

Hello, RR readers. I am Manvi Drona-Hidalgo from the blog Mochatini. I live in Washington, DC with my husband. We moved here from NYC and before that we were in Dubai, UAE where I worked and went to high school.
When we moved to DC, I started to work in the non-profit sector mostly managing website content and graphics. In 2008, I started to develop a site for my work. I had fun designing the site, logos and banners and decided to create one for myself in the process. Initially, I thought of focusing solely interiors, but soon realized my interests went farther than that. I am constantly inspired by good photography, fashion, and my travels and wanted to include those topics on mochatini as well.

Where did the name “mochatini” come from?

I sort of always had the name mochatini in mind for a future entrepreneurial project. My lil sister calls me mocha and thought why not call my blog mochatini?

How did the blog evolve? Has it changed a lot since you first started it?

I enjoy website development and banner designs, and play around a bit with the look and feel of the site. I am constantly adding plugins and widgets, as well as giving mochatini a fresh look once in a while. So yes, mochatini has changed a lot since I first started it.

Your blog is always so bright and beautiful, what inspires your elegant and sophisticated sense of style?

Thank you. I find inspiration in just about everything around me. Traveling, fashion, flowers, vintage, books, magazines, art etc.

Your feature lots of images including photos taken by yourself as well as others, have you always loved photography and styling?

I have always loved decorating. I used to constantly redecorate not only my own bedroom but also my friend’s bedrooms. I took a course in interior design at NYU, and enjoyed it every class. The course strengthened my love for interior styling and empowered me with some essential skills to pursue a career in it. I enjoy photography immensely too. I spend most of my free time styling and taking photographs.

How do you think design blogs differentiate themselves from the millions of other blogosphere?

I think everyone is different and bring their own unique perspective and style which sets each one apart.

How much of your time is dedicated to blogging, working on ideas and/or posting?

I spend about 3- 4 hours or so on blogging, research, ads, development and emails. When working on original content and photographs, I easily spend more than 8-9 hours.

What do you love most about blogging?

I love talking about my passion, sharing inspiration, connecting with like-minded and the wonderful sense of community.

Any tips for those interested in becoming a ‘design blogger’?

I believe it is important to collaborate and inspire rather than compete with other bloggers. You bring your own unique perspective and sense of style. It might take a while to find your voice and establish your readers, but stay true to yourself. Also, always credit your sources, especially with images.
Other than that, have fun!

Thank you again Manvi for sharing your design blogging knowledge as well as your beautiful images with us! =)

Be sure to check out Mochatini.org in all its delightfulness.

xx

All images by MDH from Mochatini.org

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For me, finding Girl With a Satchel was a really exciting experience. GWAS is a media blog written by Erica Bartle, a former editor of Girlfriend magazine. The blog is so unique in the way it mixes new media with the old, discussing the changing magazine landscape and the wide range of cultural connections we share such as celebrity, fashion and lifestyle online. I loved it instantly – I love magazines, I love blogs, I love pretty things – is she reading my mind??

So you can imagine how excited I was when she agreed to share her thoughts with me recently…

RR: Girl with A Satchel continues to be praised for the way you’ve taken your love of print media, magazines, and created a new niche in the blogosphere. How did it all come about?

EB: I was working for Australian teen magazine Girlfriend in 2007 and felt the urge to create an online home for myself – I was due to be married in four months’ time and working as the deputy editor of the magazine, so the blog allowed me to express my thoughts and indulge my passions (print media) in a way that was transportable and instantaneous at a time when my life was undergoing a massive change.

How has GWAS evolved since it began?

It is an industry meets personal blog, which I sometimes find hard to reconcile, so (spoiler alert!), you may see the evolution of GWAS into another blog sometime soon. I’ve been lucky in that I’ve found a niche to address – and, really, who doesn’t love a glossy magazine?

Your analyses of the magazine industry are both insightful and a really special aspect of your blog, do you think the blogosphere has a lot to offer the print media in terms of bringing a critical eye to the industry?

Blogs have tended to be hyper-critical of magazines and the industry, which has been a good thing for shining a light on some of the more dubious business practises. However, having worked in magazines, I’m familiar with the constraints and pressures that editors face, so hopefully there’s an element of empathy that comes across in my blog posts. I think it’s important to keep the magazine industry honest and in check, as it really is so influential, particularly for young women.

GWAS has translated many characteristics of a glossy magazine into the online format. As a trained journalist, do you find your skills acquired both at university and through the workplace have relevance online? Or can anyone be a good blogger?

I think it helps to have a media background, but it’s not essential. There are many beautiful, authentic and addictive blogs out there created by people without a lot of experience or industry nous. You have to play to your passions. My blog’s aesthetic is important to me, as it’s my online home – I have to look at it all day! – and it represents who I am in a visual sense. Pretty is of the essence! In that respect, blogs are very much like magazines – melding images and words to create something visually stimulating and worthy of reading! I am learning as I go about what suits the online medium best in terms of copywriting: I was always an over-writer in print, and am much the same online. It’s hard to edit yourself back, so that’s been a challenge.

Do you plan your posts ahead of time in an ‘editorial calendar’ sort of way? Or do you prefer to post spontaneously?

I have a very general weekly schedule, with regular posts, such as ‘This week in the satchel’, ‘Media Musings’, ‘Cute & Chic’ and ‘Playlist’, while other posts are written up according to what’s on the media agenda, what catches my eye and, with the more personal posts, whatever God’s pressing into my heart to wax on about.

What types of posts do you find are most popular?

Going by the comments, it’s the more personal posts. One I wrote about my marriage last year garnered a lot of feedback. However, I tend to have a lot of inactive readers who drop by without ever leaving a comment, which makes it difficult to judge. The general feedback I’ve received is that a good mix of insightful industry posts, glossy news and personal views is the way to go.

What’s the best part about being a full-time blogger?

To be uninhibited about my personal views and to share my life experience with other women (and some men!)

Any tips for those who’d like to start their own blog?

Find a niche and/or a strong voice. If you have achieved something or have a particular passion that’s not been overly addressed, then that’s the way to go. Blogs can be all-consuming, and hungry and exhausting, so you need to be regularly inspired to post! For me, that means having a full and flourishing life outside the blog, and also daily commitment to my faith and prayer life, dog walking and time with my husband, family and friends. It’s good grounding for a solitary gig. Coffee helps, too!

Thanks Erica! And be sure to check out Girl with a Satchel!

xx

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