Influencer: Pharoh Martin- Converging Online Media

We will be highlighting and talking with people who are influencing the web, digital media, and technology space through an edition called BW Influencers. Our Influencer today is Pharoh Martin…

Pharoh Martin influences the online community in several capacities. He has freelanced for several online publications such as TheUrbanDaily.com, Allhiphop.com, and also started his own online publication called The Smugger. He currently oversees the digital content objectives for Radio One’s cluster of radio station websites in the Washington, D.C area. He talks to us about what he does, and how journalism and technology are working together.

Describe a little about what you do for Radio One…

I oversee all the digital content for the Washington  market radio stations websites. All the online properties including social media and mobile content.

I was brought on specifically to be the person who tries to converge over into multimedia platforms. It has been a long and slow process, but I’m trying to experiment with various new platforms to engage listeners socially. I’m currently playing around with Foursquare to see how we can incorporate that with promotions and concerts.

Can you explain The Smugger and how it started?

I used to own a magazine, it was successful for a while but right around the time when major publications were folding such as Vibe and Giant, mine did too. So my next option was to take it online. The Smugger developed because at that time I had outgrew the urban music scene and was more attracted to grown professional content after graduating college.

I also saw that there weren’t a lot of sites that provided content catering to men’s lifestyle so I decided to be the voice for something that wasn’t really out there. The Smugger is sort of like the GQ for African- American professional men.

What is your take on blogs today? With so many out there how do you set yourself apart from the rest?

There are a lot of copy cats out there, but if you do what you do and do it well yours will be the one that stays. It’s no different than tech companies, there are plenty of social networking sites and they come and go, but the best are going to stick around. I think our content is what sets us apart. I chose a niche that wasn’t really present and stayed consistent with it.

Seeing how media has changed since graduating with a degree in Journalism in 2009; do you think the curriculum should be geared more towards online rather than print?

Yea, I think journalism programs need to focus more on online because this is where we are today, but more so a multimedia focus. Everyone needs to know everything. Broadcast, radio, print, etc. shouldn’t be separate anymore. To be successful in media today you need to know all aspects of the media especially digitally.

How has technology impacted your work as a journalist?

It’s impacted it in a great way. My work is basically all digitally focused. Online is really where I got my start and made myself marketable. There are so many new gadgets and tools that I use in my work on a day to day basis.

What are some gadgets that you can’t live without?

My iPhone and iPad. I use them for everything. Pictures, apps, monitoring blogs, etc.

What are some tips for those who aspire to work  with online/digital content ?

Start by creating your own WordPress blog, because many publications actually use that platform. Learn the ins and outs out it. It’s also really important to know the technical side, learn how to code, know CSS and HTML. But the main thing is start blogging and find a niche it’s the only way you can really get out there.

Follow Pharoh Martin on Twitter at @youngpharoh and visit his site The Smugger at www.thesmugger.com

Category: BW Influencers, Featured | Tags: bw influencers, Digital Media, journalist, online, pharoh martin, Technology, washington