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T A B L E  O F  C O N T E N T S

1. [Editor Notes]
2. [Resources]
3. [The Digital Writer]
4. [Career Advice]
5. [At C/Oasis]
6. [My Virtual Space]
7. [Markets]
8. [Community]
9. [Acknowledgments]

E D I T O R  N O T E S

You know we aren't the only ones interested in the new digital publishing system when newspaper executives ask Bill Gates to address them. It happened in Seattle.

Gates outlines vision of the future of news

The centerpiece to his remarks was that "...technology will move more and more people to online reading." He didn't come out and claim that newspapers and magazines are irrelevant. In fact, it's hard to believe since they are, after all, distinctive and proven ways to distribute information, entertainment, and stimulus to the public.

And besides, the companies who own newspapers and magazines will gladly junk their print vehicles, if they feel they can make more profit in digital publishing.

Gates is telling us, the general culture of readers and writers, to prepare for the mainstreaming of digital publishing. It reminds me when personal computers had scarcely any market penetration. Suggesting to office managers that, "in a few years all your work will be done on computers," would have provoked a deeply skeptical look.

What a few of us on the Net need to keep in mind is to search for what the Net can do better than print. And what does it do to better serve the goals of language?

The Net can effect a sense of renewal. All praise to those who attempt to renew the spirit in language, writing, and publishing! It may end up creating a whole new culture in the middle of the present one. Time will tell and it will be an interesting time.

FOX and AOL always win in the larger marketplace. Whatever devotion they start with is whipped out of them by the reality of keeping profits up. The devotion is soon sold off like an old, worn-out hand-press and the purest sort of calculation comes into play.

These are tough days for journalism.With Jayson Blair partially wrecking the credibility of the New York Times on the one hand, and healthy skepticism seen as unpatriotic on the other, the state of journalism is in a mess. This column from Columbia Journalism Review asks the troubling question we raised last issue.

"One problem occurs when the journalist gets so caught up in the event that he ignores the facts. Or worse, he lets authority provide the facts."

One extraordinary problem is that more and more journalists want to be stars. That could only come about if the journalist believed that the people don't really want his stories. Throw in the demoralizing working conditions of some news organizations and a bit of desperation sets in.

There are plenty of excellent journalists and they work a difficult gig. And they are dealing with an information environment that has overloaded the ill-equipped citizen. So, it's a two-way street.

The question is whether the profession can rise above the problems today. I think it will.

Rosy future for online journalism

Bill Moyers has some thoughts about journalism in a democracy.

On June 2nd, the FCC will make a ruling on media ownership.This issue has been heavily debated. There's no question that it is significant. We can only say this: The types of consolidation we've seen in radio and TV and book publishing the past decade don't look, smell, or sound too good. The best response would be for the creative class to completely forgo the consolidating media and create free and diverse spaces on the Net. We grant that it's very difficult for any sensible person to ignore where the money is.

"The control of American information sources by a willful few media empires is a greater threat to our freedom than the likes of Jayson Blair", writes Ted Van Dyk.

There are contrarian views, here and there.

I don't think we want to reproduce the medieval period where all information was consolidated and controlled by the church and state. Substitute media conglomerate and you may approach the same condition. The irony is that the printing press was the agent that helped break apart the church and state hegemony.

Blogging is a mosh-pit of writers wanting attention, bashing themselves and each other in primitive frenzy. We blog but do not mosh.

A list of blogging articles that help understand this activity.

It's going to be difficult to sustain the following attitude: "The publisher is power, we are now our own publishers, therefore, we will have power." And it will make its own unique mess before everything is said and done about it. But, it's part of the groundswell of vitality and excitement.

This article on blogs mentions "Boswell Blogs" as being the most interesting.

An English take on the sport of blogging.

Blogging as a journalistic endeavor

The writer of today can reflect and ask, "the print publishing system has taken us this far, what is the next, far horizon?"

Grandtextauto is a group blog about digital narrative.

Article from AJR on the war and the Net.

T e c h n i c a l  R e s o u r c e s 

Electronic paper

The feedback we've gotten is superb. We're proud of the quality of people who have subscribed to Sunoasis 2003. So, please continue!

R E S O U R C E S

C r a f t :
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The Quotes and Sayings Database
The Craft of Copy Editing
The Elements of Style
Creative Writing Process
Professor Gibson's Wonderful World of Editing
Essential Reference Books for a U.S. News Library
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O r g a n i z a t i o n s :
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Association of Health Care Journalists
National Association of Science Writers
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press "A nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free legal assistance to journalists since 1970."
American Dialect Society
Acronym Finder
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F i c t i o n :
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Books & Authors
Electronic Poetry Center
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e p u b l i s h i n g :
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Scholars set out to publish an e-book.
It took three hours.
What do monkeys do with computer?
Write classics?
Xlibris plans to make publication more accessible to authors of shorter works, including poetry, short stories, novellas, and children's books.

T H E  D I G I T A L  W R I T E R

The writer, digital or not, always sought out the good, fertile ground that had been abandoned. If mass culture had taken over the entertainment mind and official philosophy had given up the old search for wisdom, even love for it, then the writer knew a wonderful old but eternal ground to till in....

Click for full column!

C A R E E R  A D V I C E

We have a new career development page at Sunoasis Jobs. It was designed to help those who are looking for a career path in the media. We have resource links, tips, and descriptions of various job titles. It's fairly simple now but will get more extensive through the next few months.

A lot of it comes out of the questions we've received at Sunoasis Jobs from all walks of life, curious about a variety of writing jobs.

As the section becomes more extensive we'll keep our own advice in mind. "...search for what the Net can do better than print."

I keep reminding people that Sunoasis Jobs is filled with a great deal more resource than it first appears. On every regional page there is a link to an association or group that hosts free writing, journalism ads.

Take advantage of the fact!

Ask a question about your career!

A T    C/ O A S I S

There's always an assortment of surprises so look around and enjoy yourself.

M Y   V I R T U A L   S P A C E 

He had one treasured moment.

He had lived in a community filled with the half-mad and politicized souls who had willed themselves to believe that freedom was not a reality. "Freedom is a fabrication," they would say to him. "Freedom is an excuse to rip people off..." For a brief moment he believed them. Then he saw the consequences and thought long and hard on the nature of freedom.

No, freedom was utterly real; it was reality itself. Read on

M A R K E T S  A N D  L E A D S
Communications Specialist 
*Salary Information $46,309-$55,571     
*Department: Communications/Marketing 
*Location: Flint, MI
Description of Position: 
Manages the internal communication vehicles, assigns 
articles to staff members, determines appropriate means of 
available publications- memos, weekly newsletter, Intranet 
site, e-mail or interoffice mail to ensure accurate, timely, 
educational communications to all staff.
For full ad click here!

* * * * * * * *
IPRO, New York State's leading healthcare quality improvement 
organization, seeks an individual to write, edit, proofread 
and copy edit documents for healthcare providers/consumers. 
Plans/prepares stories for internal/external publications.  
Produce & track print projects i.e. brochures, reports, 
newsletters, etc. Interact w/external vendors i.e. designers, 
printers, mail houses, photographers, etc. 

Bachelor’s Degree in English, Journalism, Communications or 
related field w/min five years experience in health care.  
Superior writing, editing and verbal communication skills.  
Microsoft Word applications required. 
Please submit resume to:

IPRO, Attn: Human Resources
1979 Marcus Avenue
Lake Success, NY 11042
Phone: 800-852-3685 x425
Fax: 516-328-1551
Email: mmalone@ipro.org
www.ipro.org    EOE M/F/D/V
* * * * * * * *

Language Arts Curriculum Specialists 
K12 seeks a Content Specialist in English to assist in 
the development of literature and language skills curricula 
for grades 6-12. 
The ideal candidate will have: 
·   A Master's or Ph.D. in his or her area of specialty, 
ideally in literature or writing 
·   5 or more years of experience working on middle and 
high school curriculum for English 
·   Teaching experience 
·   Knowledge of standardized assessments 
·   Excellent writing and editing skills  
·   The ability to work collaboratively and communicate 
effectively with a variety of talented individuals from 
engineering, design, media, teaching, and curriculum 
·   The ability to manage complex projects working in a 
production environment with deadlines 
·   Prior work in a technology-enhanced/internet/new media 
environment 
·   Enthusiasm for and ability to work independently in 
a fast-paced environment  
·   Experience in developing content for interactive 
delivery (web-based or CD-ROM) a big plus though not 
absolutely essential 

Relocation to McLean, Virginia desirable but not essential. 
Telecommuting and trips to office possible.  Complete 
benefits package.  Stock options and competitive salary, 
commensurate with background and experience.   Interested 
candidates should send us a cover letter and resume: 
fax to recruiting (703)556-3900; 
or e-mail to jobs@k12.com 
K12 is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. 

Job Links for new leads!

New Magazine Launches:

CFO IT
ASK
THE MANUFACTURER
SCHOLASTIC ADMINISTR@TOR
FINANCIAL SECURITY INSIGHT
TEXAS FOOD LOVER
LINCOLN ROAD MAGAZINE
COLLEGE MAGAZINE
NURSE LEADER
TODAY'S OFFICER
THE BELIEVER

If you have any suggestions about markets you want guidelines for, just drop a line

C O M M U N I T Y

Digital Storytelling Festival from Sedona, Arizona June 12-14th, 2003

WYOMING WRITERS, Inc., (WWI) will hold its 29th annual conference in Cody, Wyoming from June 6-8, 2003. The presenters and workshops provide writers and poets with learning opportunities and a chance to network with editors and other writers. Attendees can read their work in open mike sessions each evening and meet published Wyoming Writers, Inc. authors at the annual booksigning.

Shaw Guide for Writing Conferences in June.

A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S

Over the past several months subscribers have asked if they can donate anything to keep the publication going. I've resisted going this route, but now that Amazon has set up its "Honor System," those interested can donate to the maintenance of Sunoasis 2003.

F Y I

Put an ad in Sunoasis 2003 and reach its 4,400 subscribers. Just $25 a month! Contact mailto:eide491@earthlink.net

Team of experienced professionals, which includes a Pulitzer Prize nominee and several published authors, will edit your fiction or non-fiction manuscript for today's tough market. Reputable firm. References. First-time writers our specialty. See us at http://www.a1editing.com

Take advantage of 20 years of professional Information 
Technology experience. Research/writing/proofreading 
assignments wanted: 
> articles, columns, white papers, presentations, and 
marketing literature for 
- Host connectivity  
- Legacy-web Integration  
- Enterprise Application Integration 
- eBusiness  
- eCommerce  
- Synergy of business & IT strategy 
- articles and columns about space exploration and 
utilization 
>Qualifications and samples at 
http://www.jeffkrukin.com
Contact: Jeff Krukin at 
jkrukin@bellsouth.net

Master speech writer and trainer: Make your speeches inspire and motivate your audience. With years of training and experience in speech writing and delivery, I can help you develop the perfect speech for any occasion. Coaching for delivery is also available. call 306-546-5717 or email jhillyer@devry.com

Sunoasis--You're amazing! A mere five hours after I sent in the text for my classified ad I got a call for a writing project, and within two days, the project was mine. Thanks so much for your invaluable services! Debbie Lerman, freelance writer
http://www.sunoasis.com/classif.html

E T C/ E T C/ E T C

Editor/Publisher: David Eide
C/Oasis
Sunoasis Jobs
E-mail
My Virtual Space

Sunoasis 2003 is fully protected by copyright. Sunoasis 2003 can be distributed in any way deemed intelligent by the reader as long as it is distributed in full for non-commercial uses. Reprint rights belong to the authors. Contact them if you wish to use their material. Unauthorized use of any material is strictly forbidden.

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You can always reach me at eide491@earthlink.net Please do if you have any advice; anything you'd want to see put into Sunoasis 2003. If there is any problem with the delivery in your mailbox, let me know. I try to format it correctly but problems can arise.

Let's all meet again in June 2003!

David

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