More websites from the publisher of Fast Draw Media
WILLS POINT – Fast Draw Media (FDM) has been online offering news from the Northeast Texas region for a little over a year. However, for Gregory A. Rowe, publisher and editor, this is not the first venture into web publishing.
“American Civil War Essays & Research” is another blog offering from the publisher of “Fast Draw Media.”
In June 2008, he began a blog related to teaching history, generally, the American Civil War, specifically. The site contains reviews of history literature, interviews with history authors and interactions with historians and his students. Rowe took the site offline when he left teaching history, but sees it as a means of showcasing his experience in web publishing and has brought it back online and will publish there from time to time.
“Issues as I See Them” is another blog offering from the publisher of “Fast Draw Media.”
A new effort from Rowe is a site that will include political commentary. While Rowe has offered, and will continue to do so, commentary on this site, direct political commentary will be offered on the new site. The site was started in February 2011, but up to this point, Rowe has not been active in publishing, but that is set to change.
“I am looking for a way to share my knowledge and experience in web publishing by putting both these sites back online and becoming active on them again,” Rowe said. “I want FDM to maintain journalistic integrity by being the main site for news, allowing the other two sites to serve as places for commentary and editorials.”
In addition to the links in this story, you can link to the sites in the “Other Blogs” menu under the “About” tab at the top of the page.
This screenshot from Google Analytics for fastdrawmedia.com shows the visitors trend since statistics were first kept on the site. It shows three of the four highest traffic days were after the in-depth report was published and distributed.
Fast Draw Media (FDM) has experienced some success since the first in-depth report was finalized on the site on May 30.
Distributing through various social media channels, the story gained the attention of a major arthritis advocacy organization on Twitter as it was retweeted by the Arthritis Foundation. The story also gained exposure through a retweet by a supplement company marketing products to arthritis patients.
These tweets show how the distribution of this story progressed.
The story has attracted the most page views on the site since a record of site visits was first analyzed in February. Three of the four days of highest site traffic have occurred since May 30.
Overall, since the story was published, 70 visits have been made to the site, 50 of them new, according to Google Analytics. Over 68.5 percent of the visitors have been new. During the period from May 30 until June 17, there have been 147 page views with visitors viewing 2.10 pages per visit.
This screenshot from Google Analytics for fastdrawmedia.com shows the visitors trend since the in-depth report was first published.
Dallas, Texas ranks number one for location of visitors followed by Atlanta, GA; Mount Vernon, Texas; Quinlan, Texas and Denton, Texas. Since FDM serves the northeast Texas region and four of the top five cities for page visits are in the region, it appears FDM is reaching the area. Atlanta, GA is where the offices for the Arthritis Foundation are located; meaning a target audience for this story was reached in that regard.
FDM will continue to provide quality reports for the region on a variety of topics as it has done in the past. Readers are encouraged to interact in the comments section or via Twitter or Facebook.
FHS hosts ‘Shattered Dreams’ alcohol awareness program
Students participate in the first-ever presentation of the dramatic production
Storified by Gregory Alan Rowe · Thu, May 24 2012 12:10:54
QUINLAN, Tex.-Students from a variety of campus organizations, staff and many community volunteers worked together this week to present a dramatic depiction of the effects of alcohol and underage drinking.
The two-day event featured the “living dead” who were pulled out of class every 15 minutes to represent alcohol-related fatalities. There was also a mock automobile accident involving alcohol, texting, minors and fatalities; a mock memorial service for the accident victim and a mock trial for the driver of the vehicle in the mock accident.
Death visits Ford High School. http://pic.twitter.com/1U0ruxVQFast Draw Media
"Shattered Dreams" at Ford High School in #QuinlanTX. http://pic.twitter.com/1uUiFzjdFast Draw Media
Students at Ford High School participate in first ever #ShatteredDreams. #QuinlanTX http://pic.twitter.com/c5aCRr0vFast Draw Media
#ShatteredDreams at Ford High School. #QuinlanTX http://pic.twitter.com/ZJklyULfFast Draw Media
Mock accident prep…blood for injuries. #ShatteredDreams #FHS #QuinlanTX http://pic.twitter.com/mnMvtTNjFast Draw Media
Mock accident prep…injuries and torn clothing. #ShatteredDreams #FHS #QuinlanTX http://pic.twitter.com/2c2Aw9f8Fast Draw Media
The memorial wall… #ShatteredDreams #FHS #QuinlanTX http://pic.twitter.com/lAaXbCdbFast Draw Media
More injuries… #ShatteredDreams #FHS #QuinlamTX http://pic.twitter.com/16rdtWSTFast Draw Media
The graveyard… #ShatteredDreams #FHS #QuinlanTX http://pic.twitter.com/jMVboKwqFast Draw Media
The wreck…complete photo session at http://www.flickr.com/photos/fastdrawmedia/sets/72157629853083640/ #ShatteredDreams #FHS #QuinlanTX http://pic.twitter.com/rRw68OifFast Draw Media
Content from FHS "Shattered Dreams" 2012 Mock AccidentComplete photo session of the mock accident related to this event.
David McNabb, Hunt County Justice of the Peace, Pct. 4, commended the community on the way it came together to produce the program.
McNabb explains community involvement in FHS ‘Shattered Dreams’Hunt County Justice of the Peace, Pct. 4 David McNabb discusses the community involvement in the FHS production of the "Shattered Dreams"…
The "funeral" for the "deceased" will begin at 8:30 am. #ShatteredDreams #FHS #QuinlanTXFast Draw Media
#ShatteredDreams #FHS #QuinlanTX http://pic.twitter.com/Wusj9wWSFast Draw Media
The "memorial" service begins… #ShatteredDreams #FHS #QuinlanTX http://pic.twitter.com/kMOipSyEFast Draw Media
The Living Dead speak… #ShatteredDreams #FHS #QuinlanTX http://pic.twitter.com/L4NGCH6nFast Draw Media
The Living Dead are reunited with their families. #ShatteredDreams #FHS #QuinlanTX http://pic.twitter.com/pI43tWOwFast Draw Media
The trial… #ShatteredDreams #FHS #QuinlanTX http://pic.twitter.com/5yLthoJzFast Draw Media
GUILTY…60 years in prison… #ShatteredDreams #FHS #QuinlanTX http://pic.twitter.com/zElX3cZnFast Draw Media
Content from FHS "Shattered Dreams" 2012 Mock Memorial Service & Trialnew setVarious photos of these events on Day 2.
Steve Tittle, 191st Judicial District Judge, explained it takes a very broad base of support to get a program like Shattered Dreams produced.
Tittle explains what goes into producing ‘Shattered Dreams’District Judge of the 191st Judicial Court explains the work that goes into producing "Shattered Dreams."
Look for video highlights of the event in the coming week.
Fast Draw Media (FDM) has focused on a variety of topics since it went online in June 2011. This site started out as a project for publishing assignments and materials for the New Media Journalism Master of Arts program at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla. The goal has been to provide stories that interest residents of the Northeast Texas region and bringing local news in an online format.
Next week, FDM will publish the final product of the first in-depth project for the site. You may click the link “Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children leads research of juvenile arthritis” above or here to preview the project. Follow us on Twitter (@fastdrawmedia) and Facebook for updates throughout the week for announcements leading up to final publication.
