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Eric Felten is a writer I respect and whose work I enjoy reading. But I completely disagree with his latest “Postmodern Times” column in the Wall Street Journal. In it, Felten discusses how the proliferation of downloading singes rather than full-length albums will save the music industry. His main point is that the $15 price tag of an album kept too many people from not purchasing at all. So $.99 downloads are enough to make up for that? It seems to me as though the music industry would differ on that. He also states that “the new age of the single might even help musicians take more artistic changes: The investment in time and money is so much less for a single that artists may be able to take risks with individual tracks that they were not able to do with the big make-or-break discs.” Actually, I would argue that it’s just the opposite. Artists and music companies seem to be taking fewer chances than ever and copying as closely as possible the sound of previously successful singles. It all amounts to a bunch of sameness that I personally find stale and unoriginal. I supposed I’m saddened that we’ll likely never see another legendary band like the Rolling Stones, Beatles, etc. We’re in an age of disposable music that seems to be on the decline, contrary to Felten’s thesis.

President Barack Obama’s push to make sure Americans have access to broadband Internet access is picking up steam. The government considers 4 megabits per second to be the minimum needed for basic Internet functions such as e-mail, video streaming and web surfing. A new map published by the federal government shows that just 5-10 percent of Americans live in areas that don’t have access to those speeds, most in rural areas of the country. This map is a huge help in closing the digital divide, as new data will be collected and released twice a year. The maps will allow the government to focus resources on the areas most lacking high-speed service.

Clearly the federal government considers the Internet to be an essential mass medium, rather than a tool to make our lives more convenient. While that point is debatable, the Internet has certainly overtaken print and many other forms of electronic media as the most influential media of the century.

I just finished my first Kindle Single and while I was only midly impressed with the single I chose, The Business of Media by Larry Dignan, I must admit the shorter length was nice and is something I would consider again if the content appealed to me. This type of format clearly lends itself to occupational books, like the one I read, but would also work as spinoffs to established characters in trade books. I have also finished three regular books on my Kindle and am now sold on e-books. While I certainly miss holding a real book in my hands and feeling the pages turn on my fingertips, the money and space savings I’ve gained outweigh that loss.

Sometimes we need a study to tell us what we already know is true. The PEW Research Center released results of a study that showed the Internet is now the #1 source of news for people younger than 30. Hardly news, of course, but still important to get verified by a reputable research organization. Television still leads overall, but the Internet is quickly gaining ground. Newspapers hold a respectable second place for the over 50 age group.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the box office take for the 50 biggest grossing tours dropped 12% worldwide and 15% in North America. The author of the story, Ethan Smith, said many in the music industry blame the economic recession for the decline.

I would argue that’s only part of it. As someone who teaches mass media to 18-22 year olds, it is apparent to me that music has become disposable. For $0.99 they can download a track, listen to it for a few weeks, and then move on to the next paper-plate song. Statistics support this theory. As Ethan Smith’s article points out, allbum sales were down 13% last year (319 million) compared to an uptick of 1% in sales of individual digital songs (1.1 billion).

If music is disposable with little value, loyalty to artists who produce their favorite songs does not exist. Without artist loyalty, concert ticket sales will inevitably suffer. Why spend $73 dollars, the average price for a concert ticket worldwide, for a band you listen to for one or two songs?

As individual song downloads continue to grow and as full album sales decline, it seems to me the days of long-lasting mega artists like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and others are a thing of the past. Sad, but noteworthy.

Count me as less than shocked that prices on 3D television sets are plummeting. Research has shown that consumers won’t adopt new technologies at high rates until there is a perceived need. As the article clearly and correctly states, there is not enough compelling programming for consumers to spend more for a TV set with 3D technology.

We purchased a new TV set in the last 6 months and considered getting a 3D TV, but only fleetingly. For one, the content is not there yet. Secondly, I am personally not all that enthralled with 3D technology in general. It’s occassionally done well, but most of the movie programming I’ve seen is gimmicky. Finally, wearing the 3D glasses at home (over my existing spectacles) is more than I’m willing to do for technology I don’t find all that great to begin with.

Some companies are in the early stages of development on 3D TVs that don’t require special eyewear. I for one am willing to wait.

One topic I really enjoy reading about is “everyday heroes,” those average citizens who go above and beyond to serve their communities or help those in need. While there are countless examples of everyday heroes across the nation, I came across this article about an off-duty Duluth firefighter who helped to resuscitate a hockey official who collapsed on the ice at the end of a period.

If you’re interested in this subject and would like to read more, I highly recommend American Profile magazine’s book “Hometown Heroes.”

One of my favorite assignments is the speech writing one I give in PR Writing. The students are paired with each other and have to pick a topic for a 10-minute speech. Then, their partner researches the topic and writes the speech and prepares all visual aids.

The students tend to find this assignment quite challenging, but it usually turns out to be a lot of fun. I give them free range of topics. Two topics today were “April Fools Day Jokes” and “Eight Dumbest Criminals of All Time.”

I grade both the written speech and the presentation. The students are also asked to provide written comments on their peers’ presentations skills. All-in-all, very fun and educational!

For the last 10 years I’ve discussed the “digital divide” in my classes. It’s often assumed “everyone” has Internet access, when that is obviously not the case.

The Center for Rural Policy and Development just came out with a very comprehensive report about the state of Internet access in Minnesota.

The major conlcusion is that while most Minnesota households have Internet access (74%), it is the variables of income, age and ruralness that make some more likely not to have Internet access than others. In other words, the poorer you are, the older you are and the smaller the community you live in is, the more likely you are not to have home Internet access.

Why is this important? As the conclusion of the report states: “In the past ten years, the United States and the world have become dependent on the Internet in ways that were unimaginable when this survey was started.”

In other words, this organization believes the Internet is now a necessity, not a luxury. If true, we should do as the report says and examine “alternative ways to access the Internet…for populations for whom traditional means of access have not worked so far.”

With the fall semester about to begin at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, there’s troubling news about 2010 high school graduates who took the ACT college-entrance exam. The story indicates only one-quarter of those who took the test possess the skills necessary to pass entry-level college courses.

Fortunately for me (I teach communications courses), students scored the highest in English with 66% meeting college benchmarks. Still, the story as a whole paints a frightening portrait of entering freshmen. But this is where the atmoshphere of Saint Mary’s strongly comes into play. The close relationship developed by the students and professors allows many of these initial academic barriers to be overcome. Students, over time, tend to feel more engaged in their classes and more confident in their work. And while the story shows it won’t be easy, I’m confident this year’s incoming class will rank with some of the very best.

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