It’s not too much of a statement to call Steve Jobs the father of the modern creative class.

The first thing I ever wanted to be was an illustrator and the first place I ever really practiced that craft was on my Apple IIc. This was in the early ’80s, and despite the fact that my mother owned a small ad agency at the time, it wasn’t clear to me that Illustrator was a conceivable profession. I attempted to find a more practical application of my creative desires – architect. But from this, too, I was dissuaded – “many architects simply spend their careers crating plumbing diagrams for office buildings” I recall being told. So I aimed for Doctor – surely this was unassailable! And off I went to Trinity College. With my Macintosh.

There, in my freshman year, I got my first email address and downloaded the Mosaic browser and learned what a hyperlink was and went for the first time to the many strange and beautiful destinations it could take me. There on the Internet and on my Mac I opened my consciousness to an entire world of media being made and people making it.

I began recalling more frequently the many preteen hours I’d spent with MacPaint and Print Shop. Sunday dawns filled with the incessant screeeeeeeech and whir, screeeeeech and whir of a dot matrix printer howling out a 14 foot banner: Happy Mother’s Day! Maybe there was an Illustrator still in me?

But by this time I was a writer. The die had been cast. I edited the Opinion section of The Trinity Tripod with Jamie Evans. In addition to writing and editing, we also had to lay out the section each Tuesday night before the printer pick-up on Wednesday morning at 6 AM. This was where I learned desktop publishing, in Quark and Photoshop, on top-of-the-line Macs.

Using those wonderful computers made this task fun. I could move pictures – and type! Oh those are called Drop Quotes! And slowly, as I completed all of the Pre-Med class requirements and contemplated taking the MCAT, I realized I didn’t need to take the MCAT, or become a doctor. I realized that being a creative professional was not just a possibility, but that it was happening – people just a few years ahead of me were graduating and doing just that! And I could too!

And if this feeling was strong enough to penetrate the thoroughly pre-Med, pre-Law and pre-Corporate ramparts of Trinity College I knew it was real. And all of these realizations happened face to face with and largely because of the power of Apple computers. And my entire career has followed. And I am not alone.

Some version of this story can surely be told by every one of my colleagues. We are not masters of the universe, we are pious citizens of the creative class. We are aesthetes and nitpickers, masochists and technophiles, organizers and disorganizers, pixel-pushers and stubborn brats, nerds and artists, oversharers and brilliant hermits, scientists and authors, gamblers and brigands, drawers and dreamers.

We are different……We are different because of Steve Jobs.

Dave Skaff is Creative Director ,The Science Project

London : Following is the statement issued by Rupert Murdoch :

"I have important things to say about the News of the World and the steps we are taking to address the very serious problems that have occurred. It is only right that you as colleagues at News International are first to hear what I have to say and that you hear it directly from me," Murdoch said.

"You do not need to be told that the News of the World is 168 years old. That it is read by more people than any other English language newspaper. That it has enjoyed support from Britain's largest advertisers. And that it has a proud history of fighting crime, exposing wrong-doing and regularly setting the news agenda for the nation" he added.

"When I tell people why I am proud to be part of News Corporation, I say that our commitment to journalism and a free press is one of the things that sets us apart. Your work is a credit to this.

The good things the News of the World does, however, have been sullied by behaviour that was wrong. Indeed, if recent allegations are true, it was inhuman and has no place in our Company.

The News of the World is in the business of holding others to account. But it failed when it came to itself."

In 2006, the police focused their investigations on two men. Both went to jail. But the News of the World and News International failed to get to the bottom of repeated wrongdoing that occurred without conscience or legitimate purpose. Wrongdoers turned a good newsroom bad and this was not fully understood or adequately pursued.

As a result, the News of the World and News International wrongly maintained that these issues were confined to one reporter. We now have voluntarily given evidence to the police that I believe will prove that this was untrue and those who acted wrongly will have to face the consequences.

This was not the only fault.

The paper made statements to Parliament without being in the full possession of the facts. This was wrong.

The Company paid out-of-court settlements approved by me. I now know that I did not have a complete picture when I did so. This was wrong and is a matter of serious regret.

"Currently, there are two major and ongoing police investigations. We are cooperating fully and actively with both. You know that it was News International who voluntarily brought evidence that led to opening Operation Weeting and Operation Elveden. This full cooperation will continue until the Police's work is done,"

We have also admitted liability in civil cases. Already, we have settled a number of prominent cases and set up a Compensation Scheme, with cases to be adjudicated by former High Court judge Sir Charles Gray. Apologising and making amends is the right thing to do.

Inside the Company, we set up a Management and Standards Committee that is working on these issues and that has hired Olswang to examine past failings and recommend systems and practices that over time should become standards for the industry. We have committed to publishing Olswang's terms of reference and eventual recommendations in a way that is open and transparent.

We have welcomed broad public inquiries into press standards and police practices and will cooperate with them fully.

So, just as I acknowledge we have made mistakes, I hope you and everyone inside and outside the Company will acknowledge that we are doing our utmost to fix them, atone for them, and make sure they never happen again.

Having consulted senior colleagues, I have decided that we must take further decisive action with respect to the paper.

This Sunday will be the last issue of the News of the World.

Colin Myler will edit the final edition of the paper.

In addition, I have decided that all of the News of the World's revenue this weekend will go to good causes.

While we may never be able to make up for distress that has been caused, the right thing to do is for every penny of the circulation revenue we receive this weekend to go to organisations – many of whom are long-term friends and partners – that improve life in Britain and are devoted to treating others with dignity.

We will run no commercial advertisements this weekend. Any advertising space in this last edition will be donated to causes and charities that wish to expose their good works to our millions of readers.

These are strong measures. They are made humbly and out of respect. I am convinced they are the right thing to do.

Many of you, if not the vast majority of you, are either new to the Company or have had no connection to the News of the World during the years when egregious behaviour occurred.

I can understand how unfair these decisions may feel. Particularly, for colleagues who will leave the Company. Of course, we will communicate next steps in detail and begin appropriate consultations.

You may see these changes as a price loyal staff at the News of the World are paying for the transgressions of others. So please hear me when I say that your good work is a credit to journalism. I do not want the legitimacy of what you do to be compromised by acts of others. I want all journalism at News International to be beyond reproach. I insist that this organisation lives up to the standard of behaviour we expect of others. And, finally, I want you all to know that it is critical that the integrity of every journalist who has played fairly is restored.

New York: Bloomberg Professional service executives has announced the launch of Bloomberg Briefs, a new series of specialized newsletters combining Bloomberg data and news with industry-specific original content and commentary. The newsletters, tested with Bloomberg customers, will now be offered to the public by subscription for the first time.

“The launch of the Bloomberg Brief newsletters is a natural step for us, as we continue to expand into more and more markets,” said Brian Rooney, core product manager for news, research, message and mobile applications for the Bloomberg Professional service. "We see a huge need for exclusive, high-value content tailored for specific business segments, and we look forward to producing a growing collection of newsletters across an array of industries and markets."

The Economics Brief is issued daily and features analysis, data and news on the forces shaping the global economy. Bloomberg Briefs staff economists provide in-depth analysis of key numbers, macro trends and policy and how they will impact markets and industries.

The Hedge Fund Brief is a weekly newsletter that offers in-depth coverage of hedge funds and their managers, as well as investment trends and regulatory developments. Proprietary data about hedge fund performance and returns is featured in each issue.

The Merger Brief is a weekly newsletter analyzing mergers and acquisitions, leveraging Bloomberg's unparalleled coverage of deals and its world-leading data and analytics. Dedicated analysts break down deal flows, performance, arbitrage returns, league rankings and more.

The Structured Notes Brief is a weekly newsletter providing detailed, exclusive coverage of the business of structured notes, including analysis of new products and deals, trends and people, and interviews with key players.

"Bloomberg is the information system of choice for people with the most at stake,'' said Matthew Winkler, Editor in Chief of Bloomberg News. “Bloomberg Briefs is the latest example of our commitment to become the world’s most influential provider of news, data, information and analytics for business professionals.”

New York : KyLinTV, the world-leading Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) service provider has announced the official launch of KyLin2.0. For the first time ever, Chinese television channels will be delivered to overseas Chinese subscribers in high definition and available for mobile consumption on the iPad or through a PC.

After the successful debut of first generation platform in North America in 2005, KyLinTV launched its service in Europe and Asia last year. KyLin2.0 is the exciting next step in the evolution of KyLinTV and features the first ever HD Chinese channels delivered by IPTV. As the world is going mobile, so is KyLinTV as subscribers can access their programming — VOD and streaming — on an app for iPad.

With the launch of KyLin2.0, KyLinTV will provide 88 most popular Chinese channels including 20 newly-added ones, offering the largest collection of Chinese TV programming from mainland China, Taiwan, Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore and local TV stations in North America, including the Great Wall TV package, the flagship product of China International Television Corporation's (CITVC) in its effort to reach out to Chinese overseas in Chinese language.

Wei Ping, vice president of China International Television Corporation's (CITVC) spoke enthusiastically of the newly-enhanced Great Wall TV package on KyLin 2.0, especially the newly-added six HD channels including Hunan HD channel, Beijing HD channel, Shanghai Dragon TV HD channel, Jiangsu HD channel and Zhejiang HD channel, as well as CCTV Documentary channel, Sichuan International Channel and Taishan International Channel.

"As the most important Chinese TV channel platform outside of China, the Great Wall TV package is a window connecting the latest members of the Chinese diaspora with their home countries. With KyLin 2.0, we can provide them with best watching experiences of Chinese television programming," said Wei.

"The launch of KyLin2.0 is truly a milestone for the industry," said KyLinTV president Duan Jianbing. "KyLinTV is the only Chinese TV programming aggregator and provider with the advanced features of HD and mobile, and we continue to look for ways to better serve our subscribers using cutting-edge technology and a content rich channel lineup."

World famous pianist Lang Lang, a spokesperson for KyLinTV, is a constant world traveler, and finds KyLin to be the best way to keep in touch with news and culture from home.

"KyLinTV connects me to the homeland with its wide selection of TV channels and popular VOD programs," Lang Lang said. "KyLinTV has been a trendsetter in IPTV. The best part and my favorite feature of KyLin 2.0 is the 3 ways-to-watch feature. With that, I can watch KyLinTV anytime, anywhere, on any device: my PC, TV, or iPad."
 

BBC History Magazine, Britain's market-leading history title, launches in Italy this month following a licensing deal between BBC Magazines and Sprea International srl, part of the Sprea Editori Publishing Group.

BBC History Magazine brings history to life with informative, lively and entertaining features written by the world's leading historians and journalists. The first Italian edition of the monthly title is the April 2011 issue, launched on 17th March, the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy. The magazine is on sale on newstands across Italy, price €3,90. The initial print run is 70,000.

The BBC History Magazine Italy is edited by Salvatore Giannella. Gianella said: "BBC History gives readers a different perspective, to discover what happened in major events of the past. The combination of BBC international content, with contributions from some of Italy’s best known and respected historians, will make this magazine a big success."

Joanna Marshall, Head of International Licensing and Syndication at BBC Magazines, said: "We are delighted to have signed our first international licensing deal with Sprea International. There is a lot of interest in BBC History Magazine at the moment and we are confident that it will be a great addition to the specialist magazine market in Italy."
 

New York : Ariel Kaminer will become the Ethicist for The New York Times Magazine beginning in March. The column responds to ethical dilemmas posed by readers each week. She will continue to write The Times's City Critic column, which explores the urban experience for the Metropolitan section. Current Ethicist, Randy Cohen, is leaving the Times to pursue a new radio show.

Previously, Ms. Kaminer was editor of Arts & Leisure and worked at The New York Times Magazine and New York Magazine. Kaminer served as the inaugural editor of The New York Times Magazine's The Way We Live Now section and was instrumental in the development of the Ethicist column.

"We are excited about the fresh new perspective and enthusiasm that Ariel will bring to the column," said Hugo Lindgren, editor of The New York Times Magazine. "As Times readers know, she is a terrific writer with an original voice and a wonderful sense of humor. She is not only familiar with the Ethicist column, she helped usher it into the world, and we feel very confident that it is being passed from one good set of hands to another."

Mr. Lindgren continued, "We are also indebted to Randy for his 12 years at the magazine. He lived and breathed the role and made the column one of the most popular pages in the magazine. We wish him well in his next pursuit, which is developing a program for public radio called "A Question of Ethics."

David Bernstein, Executive Creative Director of The Gate Worldwide, announced the following new hires in the creative department:

Alisa Brenner-Giroux joins the team as Digital Creative Director. During her most recent post at The Wonderfactory, she developed interactive campaigns for the iPad/tablet platform. Previously, while at McCann Worldwide, she created and supervised production of the first iPhone application for ATM Hunter, which was used for months in Apple iPhone TV spots. Her MasterCard campaign garnered the Best in Mobile advertising two years in a row. Alisa's additional client experience includes Home Depot, Smirnoff, Sony Pictures, BET, TD Waterhouse, HBO, Vivendi Universal Music, Showtime and General Motors, among others.

Tim Ryan joins the agency as Associate Creative Director. A veteran executive with over 20 years of experience, Ryan recently led his own creative agency and was responsible for concept, design and writing integrated campaigns for American Express, Audi, Taco Bell, Universal Studios, among many others. He has worked with major brands across the auto, media, health and tourism industries, including Ford, Anthem Blue Cross, Newsweek.com, Atlantis Resort & Casino and Florida State Tourism. His work has been honored at The One Show, Communications Arts and many other international award shows.

Both hires reflect the agency's increasing emphasis on design in communications as well as adding to the shop's digital capabilities.

According to Bernstein, "In this Facebook world, we're seeing a lot less sophisticated design. Everything is utilitarian. What I wonder is, why can't communication be useful and beautiful? With the addition of Alisa and Tim, I think we can do both. They are two of the most visual thinkers I've seen. And given all the business we've won over the last six months, their digital and design skills will certainly come in handy."

Source: AAAA

G2, a top-five global marketing services agency, today announced a strategic partnership between G2 Argentina and 451, a leading interactive agency in Latin America. The partnership entails the merger of digital capabilities. Combining the expertise and brand equity of both agencies, the exclusive joint venture offers clients in the Latin American region a robust solution for interactive and new media strategies.

Effective immediately, both companies will relocate into shared office space in Buenos Aires. The combined offices will serve as the “digital hub” for servicing existing clients and for targeting new client businesses in Latin America.

“The partnership between G2 Argentina and 451 allows us to offer our clients not only digital strategy and creativity, but also design, usability, project management and world-class execution and analysis—controlling every step of the digital advertising and marketing process” said Santiago Puiggari, President & CEO, Grey Group Argentina.

“Companies need to migrate their brands to the expanding new media space, not only with online advertising but with clever strategies that interact with the expanding emerging audience,” said Ernesto Rinaldi, CEO & Chief Creative, 451. “An overall approach to their needs is fundamental for successful results.”

451 will focus on strategic analysis, social media, online advertising, branding and execution on behalf of the companies’ joint client efforts. A combined team of more than 50 professionals will work from project inception to launch and analysis of results, becoming key partners with clients throughout the process and beyond.
Source: AAAA

MediaCom announced today that Jason Lim has joined the agency in the newly created position of Managing Partner, Director of Direct Response Marketing. Lim comes to MediaCom from Halogen Response Media, a division of Starcom MediaVest, where he was SVP, Media Director.

In this new role, Lim will build out the agency’s direct response practice across all media, and lead MediaCom’s DIRECTV account team. In addition, he will work in concert with the central GroupM implementation team, led by Marion Murphy, President GroupM Direct, to develop proprietary technology that will help solidify the network’s leadership position in the direct marketing arena. He will report to Euan Jarvie, Chief Operating Officer, MediaCom US.

“Following the rising demand for increased ROI and accountability, direct response advertising is a growing area of importance for the industry. On the global level, MediaCom is a market leader in this area, and with Jason on board, we look forward to attaining a similar leadership position in the US,” said Doug Checkeris, CEO, MediaCom North America.

In his prior position at Halogen Response Media, Lim oversaw planning and buying for all New York based clients, including CapitalOne, Wellpoint, BMS, Universal Technical and Comcast, among others. Prior to joining Halogen, Jason directed consolidated media planning (general, direct and online) at ZPFM, where he oversaw the development and execution of synergistic media plans for companies ranging from Ellen Tracy, Loews Hotels and Random House to Departures Magazine and Warnaco. He has also held positions at OgilvyOne Worldwide and D’Arcy, Masius, Benton and Bowles.

“Over the past two years, MediaCom has strengthened and expanded our offering tremendously in terms of both talent and resource. And we continue to build. The addition of someone with Jason’s caliber of DR expertise to our team is our latest expansion into another extremely valuable area of growth for our clients,” added Jarvie.
Source: AAAA

The Open will be broadcast on the BBC up to and including the 2016 Championship, following a new deal announced today by BBC Sport and The R&A.

The new deal extends BBC Sport’s current contract as exclusive live television broadcaster, and also covers radio, online, interactive and BBC iPlayer.

This year’s event, the 150th Anniversary of The Open Championship, will be the first ever to be broadcast in High Definition (HD). Over 40 hours of coverage will be broadcast over the four day competition on BBC One, BBC Two and the BBC HD Channel, presented by Hazel Irvine and starting at 9am on Thursday 15 July. There will be approx 40 hours of content available on the BBC Red Button.

BBC Director of Sport, Barbara Slater, says: “We are delighted to have extended our partnership with The R&A to broadcast The Open, one of our most important crown jewel events. We look forward to continuing to bring top class golf coverage to the widest possible audiences through to 2016.”

Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of The R&A, says: “The R&A has enjoyed a special relationship with the BBC for more than 50 years. On the occasion of the 150th Anniversary of The Open Championship, we are very pleased to have ensured the continuation of that relationship.

“It is very important to The R&A that The Open remains accessible to as many people as possible and the BBC is an ideal partner in fulfilling this ambition across the United Kingdom.”