Jonathan Franzen on social media, the Internet and smartphones

You gotta LISTEN to Jonathan Franzen on BBC World's Hard Talk

On social media:

"It's rewarding extremism and divisiveness. People find themselves in their own little echo chamber getting ever more extreme versions of what they already believe. It is not fostering complex discourse between opposing views on middle ground."

On smartphones:

"I would feel it somewhat of a failure, as a writer who has some a public stature, if I were not generating criticism. If I were not trying to call attention to things that no one else wants to talk about. And one of the things people don't want to talk about is how incredibly, compulsively addictive the stimulation by our devices is. When you simply mention that fact people, who are spending a lot of time and are more of less captive to their smartphones, they don't enjoy having that pointed out. They will react negatively. They will want to shoot the messenger. So be it. It doesn't mean that I shouldn't say how the world looks to me. I don't see people being happy about these devices in their lives, but they can't get away from them."

She Music Compilation

It's been a big year for both She Does Podcast and Independent Music News, and we'd be nowhere without the musicians that soundtracked all twelve months of it. This is a collection of the sounds and voices of women musicians that graced our ears this year and it stands as a true representation of the talent that exists all around us. The holidays are here and what better gift to give than the gift of music. All proceeds from your purchase of this digital download of She Music tracks also serve as a gift, going straight to Girls Rock Camp Alliance, an international 501(c)(3) non-profit coalition of organizations whose shared mission is to empower girls and women using the tools of music education to foster self-esteem and confidence.

21. Ann Friedman: Successful, Whatever That Means

In this episode with Ann Friedman, we talk about the changing role of journalism, getting fired, the importance of building your future network, the perils of aging in the media world, and the importance of self-driven projects. If you’re a freelancer, don’t miss this episode.

Ann Friedman is a freelance journalist who lives in Los Angeles. She writes a weekly column about politics, culture and gender for New York Magazine. She also contributes to the Columbia Journalism Review, ELLE, The Guardian, Los Angeles Magazine, The Gentlewoman, among other publications. She’s the co-host of popular podcast Call Your Girlfriend and reviews books forNew Republic and Bookforum. Ann understands the importance of developing your own voice. She understands how our shifting landscape has changed the way people consume media, and how having a personal connection and point of view as an author, allows readers an entry point to trust your voice. Those who trust Ann’s voice look forward to her beloved newsletter,The Ann Friedman Weekly, where she sums up everything she’s written, read, listened to and watched that week. Ann has a broad view of how to tell a story, embracing all sorts of methods from longform, to GIFS, to pie chart, to DIY publishing, she's inventive and knows how to turn it into a paycheck.

READ 5 Takeways from Ann's episode on FILMMAKER MAGAZINE

Why Do Only 'The Privileged' Make Films?

Read Original on HUFFINGTON POST

Privilege was one of the topics we explored in a 90-minute conversation about race and media at the 2015 Camden International Film Festival. The conversation was a live recording of She Does Podcast, hosted by Sarah Ginsburg and myself.

In collaboration with the Points North Documentary Forum, we gathered three talented media makers--Sabaah Jordan (co-director "Whose Streets"), Alex Hannibal (Tribeca Film Institute) and Shayla Harris (Frontline PBS)--to discuss how race impacts their professional roles as a filmmaker, film funder and journalist.

LISTEN TO THE FULL 90-MINUTE CONVERSATION