Good News/Bad News

First the good news:

Some of you may know that, deep down, my greatest love is academic research related to media and religion. I've got the opportunity to work on three different projects connected with this True Love of my life....

The first two involve the interplay between religion and mass media--one project on the use of imagery by various Protestant denominations. The second is on the incursion of the KKK in Worcester, Mass in the 1920's.

Apparently, the prior research I've done on both topics is needed somewhere. The projects will be "citizen journalism"--but only in the sense that they are self-published to the web.

Why? Because most publications won't touch the subjects no matter how well-researched they might be. They are "hot button" projects, not very Politically Correct--but, in our current social climate, they are needed. Even if the mainstream is too wussy or only wants research like this from approved academic institutions.

The third is a project with a broadcast journalist, so it's a different kind of journalism--but journalism. I'm the researcher--because there's stuff that, apparently, I'm an expert on...

I'm also working on an opportunity to do some lecturing in communications...because, oddly, I've built something of a career out of blogging (as nascent as it may be)

So, over the next month or so, *this* blog will be going dark...

I'll still be writing for the Corante Media Hub (I need to put *some* food on the table--besides, I really like that job! first one I've liked in years)...

I am also contributing to Poynter OnLine's E-Media TidBits column. This is a wonderful priviledge, and I need the time to concentrate to write appropriately for Poynter...

And I'm still blogging at my girly blog--life doesn't stop happeneing and the writing over there is some of the best un-professionally published stuff I've ever written.

So what if it isn't hard-hitting and topical all the time. It's great writing. You'll like it. Heck, I may even blog about networked journalism and the people formerly known as the audience...but it'll be different.

I could care less about my Technorati Rank, too. What's it going to get me at this point compared to a well-researched piece of scholarship on something nobody knows a darned thing about? There's something terribly satisfying about watching people's faces light up when you tell them some piece of history they never knew.

I've contacted the library at my alma mater and will be breaking out the 3x5's again (yes, I have a laptop, but old habits die hard.) I'm looking forward to days in "the dungeon" reading copious copies of Christianity Today, The Christian Century, and Film Quarterly.

Honestly, that's my idea of a grand summer vacation...

and if you're going, I'll see you at BlogHer!