Lindsey Campbell, the host of the the CBS-produced web-news show MobLogic, went downtown to cover the Al Sharpton-led protests about the Sean Bell shooting and she, along with Al and others, got arrested.
This produced some rather compelling footage for MobLogic and raises interesting questions about the role of the journalist in the digital age. Where is the line between reporter and participant? What happens when that line is crossed?
As NewTeeVee points out:
“I think the real difference — and improvement — lies in the towards-the-end shot of Al Sharpton, rubbing his eyes, wearily answering Campbell’s questions for MobLogic’s camera. I’ve never seen such a professionally “on” figure allow themselves to be captured so “off” before, seemingly without calculation.”
This is another example of the ways in which the traditional news media is being challenged and, in many cases, beaten, in the pursuit and delivery of current events.
Seems like others have taken a look at MobLogic, the new show from the gang at WallStrip. ReelPop seems to come up with a mixed view:
“Despite this superlative production, “MobLogic’s” flaw might be that it’s simply another snarky news comedy show. Do we need man-on-the-street interviews in Manhattan, where the citizens are hardly representative of the general American populace? (To be fair, I hardly think man-in-the-Olive Garden interviews would be more enlightening.) The producers promote “MobLogic” as a catalyst for conversation, but don’t we have enough conversationalists — pundits, bloggers, critics — and not enough investigative reporters?”
As I’ve mentioned, I don’t think there is a lot of value in offering a sort of “more-of-the-same” approach online. You really need to bring something new to the table or at least add a cool garnish.
Out in Austin there is a little festival that you might have heard of called SXSW and it has been growing like crazy with their SXSWi sideshow featuring all sorts of “new media” folks.
Thanks to the combination of lots of tech savvy attendees and a huge growth in web video technology over the last year, we’re getting to see a lot more coverage of the fest on the web. Of course, this has its downside.
For example, do we really need Beet.TV showing a video of Daisy Whitney, correspondent for TV Week interviewing Lindsay Campbell of Wallstrip fame on her new CBS Interactive show called Moblogic. Especially when the concept for MobLogic is that it is a show about interviewing people on the street!!!
Ugh.
From the people who brought you WallStrip, the daily Wall Street web show featuring hot girls, has launched a new, more general news show called MobLogic.
What’s the hook this time? Well, for starters, the host is a cute young woman who “gets it,” as evidenced by her admission that this news show “of the people, for the people” is brought to you by mega-corporation CBS (as represented on screen by a Death Star – aw, so wink-wink).
The actual content of this daily 3-minute distraction will be our cute hostess (anchor seems too strong a word and correspondent infers she’s reporting on something) going out onto the streets of New York and shoving a microphone under people’s noses and demanding they answer softball questions.
It’s almost as gripping as it sounds, as the first 30 seconds of this episode aptly shows:
Why would anyone want to watch this every day? Or ever?
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May 13, 2008 8:30 pm | 
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