Clips

Here are a few articles I think represent some of my best work: 

How Vibrant Media's Executive Team Vanished in One Day | Ad Age
You hear about the hirings, the fundings, the skyrocketing valuations and exits. But for every $1 billion dollar IPO, there are dozens of companies that never get close. Here's at what happened to one that held early promise but then stagnated.

Just Look At How Google Dominates Ad Tech | Ad Age
Everyone knew Google was the biggest player in advertising technology before this article. But nobody, except for Google, knew how big. With the help of Evidon, proprietor of the Ghostery extension, I put a number on it. And it is a big one.

Why Al Jazeera America Doesn’t Care About Its Low Ratings | BuzzFeed
Al Jazeera America's ratings have been miserable since its launch, averaging 13,000 viewers a day according to reports. This story puts those ratings into context, identifying what really matters at Al Jazeera: impact, not commercial success.

Paula Deen Scandal Eats Away At Ratings Of Her Sons’ Shows | BuzzFeed
Food Network banished Paula Deen after accusations of racial insensitivity surfaced in the summer of 2013. But that didn't stop the bleeding. Deen's sons, who host shows on the Food Network and the Cooking Channel have seen their ratings plunge since. A drop first identified in this article. 

How To Fake A Great Night Out | BuzzFeed
There's an app called Couch Cachet that will post fake Foursquare check-ins and Tweets for you all night long, making it look like you're having a great night out, while you're actually sitting at home on your couch. No really... 

Google Reader Founder: I Never Would Have Founded Reader Inside Today's Google | Forbes
Chris Wetherell, the founder of Google Reader, told me he never would have created the product inside today's Google. The company is not as innovative as it used to be, he said. I published the article on the day Google shut Reader down and it exploded, getting cited by TechMeme, the Wall Street Journal and others. 

Meet the Tech Company Bringing The Vatican Into the Digital Age | Forbes
For a centuries old religious institution, the Vatican is surprisingly advanced digitally. The Pope is on Twitter and even has his own "Pope App." This story looks at the company behind the Vatican's digital strategy. 

The Banner Industrial Complex Under Threat | Digiday
In a piece for Digiday, I look at the future of the banner ad and note that it might not hold its dominance of internet advertising forever.

Inside Weather’s Data Bet | Digiday
Weather is a shockingly good predictor of consumer intent. This piece looks shows how the Weather Company is betting its future on turning that data into dollars. 

Jose Antonio Vargas on Using Social Media to Change Perceptions and Policy | PBS MediaShift 
A long conversation between me and journalist/activist Jose Antonio Vargas about immigration reform, modern journalism and social media's potential to affect political change. 

Meet the journalist behind Tumblr's rise | Fortune
Mark Coatney was the first journalist to go to work for a social media platform, a pattern that has since been followed by Facebook and Twitter. In 2010, I spoke with Coatney about his role and his vision for Tumblr, 

Does anybody actually use QR codes? | Fortune
Back when QR Codes were on everything from hot air balloons to people's hair, I asked whether people were actually scanning them. Once again, the hype was greater than the reality. 

Local Legend: Bill Lee | The New York Times' Local Blog
In July 2010, I showed up on the stoop of Bill Lee, Spike Lee's father, and spoke with him about jazz, movies and Brooklyn.

What BuzzFeed Is Trying To Do | Kantrowitz, Tumblr'd
This was my early read on BuzzFeed's "serious" editorial strategy. I posted this to my Tumblr blog and it ended up on MediaGazer shortly afterward. Got me thinking about moving into journalism full-time. The rest is history.