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About Me

Who I am and where to find me:

My name’s Paul Balcerak (BALL-sir-ack) and I’ve been a social media journalist since May 2008.

You can find me all over the Internet:

I’m happy to talk journalism and/or social media any time.

My stake in the future of journalism:

I’m a fan of journalism. I like news and information and I like seeing it reported in creative and interesting ways. I’m not one of those people whose prone to going on a journalism-is-necessary-for-the-preservation-of-democracy rant, but at the same time, it’s impossible to ignore the role journalism has played in shaping America. I take that legacy seriously and I’m eager to play a role in the reshaping of the journalism industry that’s going on right now.

I’m also in the industry. I work for KIRO 7 Eyewitness News in Seattle as a web producer for kirotv.com. In a nutshell, I’m one of the people who helps produce content for kirotv.com and makes sure the site stays running. I also manage KIRO 7′s social media presence, which consists mainly of Facebook and Twitter right now.

(Note: While I sometimes post about my job, this blog is purely personal and isn’t necessarily endorsed by KIRO 7 or anyone I work with.)

Interests:

I really do love talking about journalism and social media. But I’m also deeply in love with baseball (and my hometown Seattle Mariners, in particular) and am one of a handful of people left who really love a good pitching duel. I enjoy writing, in whatever form it may take, though I haven’t jumped on the haiku bandwagon just yet. I like books, and I’m currently trying to catch up on everything I didn’t read back when I didn’t like books (classics, etc.).

Lastly, I’m a huge nerd. Take pretty much any nerdy stereotype and I’m there. “Star Trek“? Yes, please. iPhones and other nifty gadgets? I want to go to there. I even started playing Dungeons and Dragons a little while back. Needless to say, I’m pretty well tailored for a job that requires me to be on the Internet nine hours a day.

  • http://jeffsmariners.wordpress.com Jeff

    Hello, My name is Jeff Engels the man behind the blog: http://jeffsmariners.com I started a Baseball Blog this year to follow the Mariners, and well as you know the season is a bust but I am committed to hanging in there. Im using twitter,facebook,pixelpipe and my Blog is being picked up by both the PI and Bleacher Report. Im an old time Mariners Fan who is trying at age 52 to create a new career as a sports writer. I stumbled across this Blog and was intrigued by your fresh approach to the whole social networking/journalism phenomana. Id love to chat sometime.Im at agitator2@rocketmail.com I look forward to hearing back,Thanks….Jeff

  • Darcie

    Paul,
    I have a question for you. I found you through googling the sleepup app comments, but I’m looking for answers and experiences regarding the actual tones this app makes to “give a more restful sleep”. I believe in this kind of work, but I wonder if those tones can affect my brain/ thought patterns adversely. How well did the founder of this app look into the scientific/neurology aspects? Do you know?
    I’d appreciate anything you have to say.
    Darcie

  • http://paulbalcerak.com paulbalcerak

    @Darcie- What app are you talking about?

  • Andrea

    Paul! How did I not know that you had this web site? You are such a witty and creative person…not to mention a fabulous writer. I get a good giggle almost everytime I read something you write (well, depending on the topic matter). I can just hear the words coming out of your mouth and it makes me smile.

  • http://www.paulbalcerak.com/ paulbalcerak

     Thank you.

    The other thing I often hear people say that they like about me is that I’m quick to respond.