Conversations in Media: David Cohn on Spot.Us

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David Cohn discusses his latest project, Spot.Us, which was made possible by a Knight News Challenge grant.

Some of the things we discuss:

  1. What is Spot.Us and what will it mean for journalism?
  2. Why people should apply for Knight News Challenge grants?
  3. How hard is it to apply for a grant from Knight?

Click here to stream the interview. Or you can download the mp3.

I’m still having some problems with the Marantz PMD 660 for phone interviews. I had to amplify this interview and my voice comes in much softer than David’s. Any suggestions for better phone recordings would be most welcome.

  • http://www.chrisamico.com/blog Chris Amico

    I mentioned this on twitter yesterday: try Audio Hijack Pro to record skype calls. The free version will let you record 10 minutes before static cuts in. You can stop and start to get more time, or spend $15 for unlimited time.

  • http://www.patthorntonfiles.com pat

    @Chris,

    I’m going to test that out soon. How is the audio quality? This might make the most sense for my audio interviews. Now I need to find a better way to post them to this blog.

  • http://www.collegemediainnovation.org/blog/2007/12/19/mojo-kits-for-multimedia-storytelling-class/ Bryan Murley

    You might also try Wiretap, which costs a little, but does have a 30-day trial, IIRC. I used it to record a skype interview with Paul Bradshaw. Very nice software.

  • http://www.ryansholin.com Ryan Sholin

    Try cinch.blogtalkradio.com to record a call as an mp3 straight to an RSS feed.

  • http://www.chrisamico.com/blog Chris Amico

    Pat:

    Audio quality depends on your set up. I have a good USB headset that I use, which means my side is radio quality. Calling another person’s computer usually means their side will be crap (here’s an example). Spend the five cents and call a fixed line, then clean it up in editing if you need to.

    For the life of me, I haven’t been able to get Blog Talk Radio to work, but I think that’s me, not the service. I have a way of breaking things.

  • http://www.patthorntonfiles.com pat

    Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.

    It sounds like Skype is the way to go. I’m going to get a headset. I might look into a bluetooth one because it will work with an iPhone too. Although, that might not sound as good because there isn’t a piece by the mouth.

    I’m going to pay for the calls because I want good quality. The other big thing I have to figure out is the best way to post phone interviews in a blog format.

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