It used to be that there were two ways to experience the Summer Olympics: watch the games on your TV (and on NBC’s schedule) or travel to the games themselves.
Oh my, how things have changed. This summer, you can follow your favorite Olympian on Facebook. Live stream the finals on your laptop. Look at near real-time photo galleries online. Track the most important news from the Games via a special Twitter page.
Over the next two weeks, MediaShift will be looking at how coverage of, and interaction with, the Olympics has changed and what that means for everyone from fans, Olympians, media players, journalists, journalists-in-training and technology companies alike.
Stay tuned. And if you have a story to share, please be in touch.
Series Posts
> Covering the Olympic Trials: 8 Lessons in Journalism Education News and Business by Ryan Frank
> London 2012: The Thrills (and Agony) of the Social Olympics, by Terri Thornton
> Student Journalists Go Global, Think Locally in Olympics Coverage from London by Adam Glenn
> Best Online Resources for Following the 2012 London Summer Olympics by Jenny Xie
> 5Across Classic: Olympic Athletes on Social Media, with guest Olympians Natalie Coughlin and Donny Robinson, hosted by Mark Glaser
> The Quixotic Quest to Avoid Olympic Spoilers on Social Media by Jenny Shank
> Why the Olympics, NBC Should Embrace Free Speech in Wake of Guy Adams Affair by Trevor Timm
> The Best Wit, Wisdom and Inside Dirt from Olympics Athletes on Twitter by Jenny Xie
> Poll: What Do You Think of NBC’s Coverage of the Olympics? by Mark Glaser
> Biggest Olympic Gripes on Social Media: Lolo Jones; #NBCFail; Doping; Empty Seats by Jenny Xie
> Channel 4 Gives Blanket Coverage to Paralympics, While NBC Falls Short by Tristan Stewart-Robertson
> Infographic: Who Won the ‘Social’ Olympics? by Courtney Lowery Cowgill, with infographic by AddThis
Previous Olympic Coverage on MediaShift
2010 Vancouver Games
> Inside the Social Media Strategy of the Winter Olympic Games by Craig Silverman
> Photo Gallery: Citizen, Alternative Media Converge at Olympic Games in Vancouver by Kris Krug
> Best Online Resources for Following 2010 Winter Olympics by Mark Glaser
> True North Media House, W2 Provide Citizen Media Hub at Olympics by Craig Silverman
2008 Beijing Games
> A Mix of Skepticism and Hope on Propoganda Tour 2008 by Elle Moxley
> China Partially Lifts Great Firewall for Media But Access Remains Pricey by Elle Moxley
> Cell Phone Use, Texting Widespread in China by Elle Moxley
Managing editor Courtney Lowery Cowgill is a writer, editor, teacher and farmer based in central Montana. In addition to her work with MediaShift, she teaches online courses at the University of Montana’s School of Journalism. Before she came to MediaShift, she was the co-founder and editor in chief of the now shuttered online magazine NewWest.Net. When she’s not writing, teaching or editing, she’s helping her husband wrangle 150 heritage turkeys, 15 acres of food, overgrown weeds or their new daughter. She blogs about life on the farm, and other things, at www.lifecultivated.com.