I say we. It is a term often used when referring to a media  organization, personality or product. I am a “me” and I am also a “we”. Jann Scott the writer is a me I suppose, since it is me that is writing here. Except I appear in a network. I am supported by a network of people.

Jann Scott the talk show host doesn’t exist a lone either. I have always appeared on a radio station with support staff or a satellite network with even more support. In TV I have worked at stations or cable channels either live or on tape never alone always with a team.

Today I host 22Boom on cable channel 22 here in Boulder. It takes approximately 6 people to produce each episode plus an editor or two, and the staff at channel 22 to get it on the air.  Even a Jann Scott Live segment inside of 22Boom takes at least 4 people to produce. After all of that is done the show simultaneously appears on Boulder Channel 1 and all the Channel One Networks. Then it is touted on You tube, twitter and Face book.

Boulder Channel One and all the Channel One Networks are an even bigger under taking with contributions by hundreds of people, hundreds of channels, 1000s of viewers and fans and unfans.

Fans are the topic of todays Journal. With the advent of Social Media the waters have murkied a bit and it is up to me  up to us to not get  murked in the muck as Dan Culberson likes to say.   Social Media and the Internet have produced a lot of so called citizen journalists of which I am not one. I am not saying I am better I am just saying I am not them. Neither are we. Our (my) fans are often social media types who are not me either. I (we) use social media as a conveyor belt into the general populous.  And though the perception may be that we are Tweeps, we are not. We are separate from. There is a whole other world that could care less about Twitter or the internet. They watch TV, read the paper and don’t give a crap about sm.

We are media. I am media with a traditional outlook and management. It’s just that we are “new media” , but media just the same.  So I may seem like a person to you or Boulder Channel 1 may appear to be some guy just like every twitter gal or guy blogger is someone  representing only themselves…we aren’t that.

I mean, if fans want to perceive me that way it’s Okay.  I guess. It is our unfans, the jealous ones who like to complain. But I try to not pay attention. But it is hard not to because they are fans or unfans. I know we have done our job when even they don’t know or they think we are down to their level: sniveling children.

I once had some unfans go on a tear about how we were not real which was interesting to watch on the internet. Recently when Steve Jobs died an executive at at a  PR firm wrote to me screaming because he didn’t like our tribute. He went so far as to threaten to ruin me.  That was a bit out of character for a pr firm who usually  try to sell me something. We determined that the PR exec must have been drunk the night he wrote to us because his personal profile says he starts and ends his day with beer.Cause to threaten to ruin a talk show host or TV network is just as flattering as a  praise.

This is  a trap I occasionally fall into …deep. The trap is to write in forums and not on TV.  Jo Anne Ostrowe the Denver Post TV writer once asked me during an interview.. “what’s this we thing Jann?” I avoided her stupid question as she continued to write about us.

We always have to remind young people when they come to work here what the rules are. 1st rule is that this isn’t social media and you are not a fan here. The rules here are you are now working for a media organization and we demand 100% loyalty. Which means no working for any other media outlet, no personal blogs, video outside of the network. We want you to build your creativity here, but you don’t get to moonlight or think you run the place, we do. That doesn’t always set well with the new sm types, but fortunately , there are plenty of network trad kids out there who love it. Just thought I’d clear that up

from the oo koo ka choo Capitol of America

Jann Scott

Boulder Colorado