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Blackburn plans to view things through a lens

June 9, 2009
Daniel Blackburn

Daniel Blackburn

Dan Blackburn, co-editor and co-founder with Karen Velie of CalCoastNews.com, is moving on. Blackburn’s Central Coast News Agency (CCNA), which he formed in 2005, will concentrate on video production with emphasis on local and state issues of special significance.

He will contribute articles and video news clips to CalCoastNews.com. “I’m a captive of the visual,” Blackburn said, “convinced that a picture truly is worth a thousand words. And a good piece of video is worth a thousand pictures.”

Blackburn has written and produced documentaries for national syndication, several narrated by the late country singer Hoyt Axton. Blackburn is a lifelong journalist, and formerly Sacramento bureau chief for the Orange County Register and news editor of New Times. His best-selling book, “Human Harvest: The Sacramento Murder Story,” was a Doubleday Book-of-the-Month selection. Blackburn can be reached at djblackburn@charter.net, or (805) 423-1203.

CalCoastNews.com has plans to add new investigative reporters and is expanding content to include new sections in the next few months.

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Member Opinions:

By: rogerfreberg on 6/13/09

Good Luck… CCN has been a beacon of truth in an otherwise squirrel-ly country!


Keep your lenses focused on all the fun stuf going on…


god luck,


Roger Freberg


By: sharibaby on 6/13/09

I wonder what half of nothing equals? Splitting up a web empire can be sticky.


By: Cindy on 6/13/09

Dan,

Thanks for all the interesting stories. I will miss you here at this site. I’ll be watching for your documentaries and video’s. Best to you.


By: mccdave on 6/13/09

Say, here’s a site to which Blackburn could apply his deep experience with new media:

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/getting-down-in-the-mud-at-a-social-network/


By: Booty_Juice on 6/12/09

Try not to cock up your new hobby as badly as you cocked up this one.


By: mbactivist on 6/11/09

I’m not the one who said this is one of the most corrupt counties in the nation. That was an FBI agent. Based on what I have seen some of our public officials doing over the years, I think he is very likely correct in his assessment. Most of the media is controlled, except for a few brave souls like Dan Blackburn and Karen Velie. Keep listening to them, and learn the truth.


By: sj660 on 6/10/09

@mactivist


My sister’s roommate’s cousin works in the NSA and says there’s an al qaeda cell here. If this is one of the most corrupt counties in the country we’re doing pretty good. Get a grip. Are there problems? Yeah and some are big. But most severe in the country? Puh-leese.


By: sharibaby on 6/10/09

Hmmmm! Sounds like trouble in paradise. It almost sounds like Dan is taking an unpaid administrative leave. Hey Dan, are you hooking up with Gail Wilcox somewhere? Perhaps hanging out with David Edge? How about a tell-all video or story about “Uncovered…Uncoveredslo.com? Come on Karen, turn those truth seeking eyes of yours on CalCoastNews. What is the real story about Dan leaving? Dan was doing investigative stories when you were still in grade school. Why is he leaving? I would expect the truth from this site.


By: BeenThereDoneThat on 6/10/09

Thanks Dave. I understand not agreeing with people but I try to wish even people I may not agree with, the best in their personel life. We all deserve the best.


By: InTheKnow on 6/10/09

Adios Dan, I have heard you are an excellent editor and author, sounds like photography is the next art you have mastered. Congratulations, Cal Coast News is one of your best accomplishments and we will be looking forward to seeing your work on here and other publications.


By: mbactivist on 6/10/09

Dan is an important force for justice and fairness – something sorely needed in this most corrupt of counties (I know one person who was told by an FBI agent that this is known as one of the most corrupt in the entire country!). I hope he soon has his own new Web site and continues his attacks on sleaze, corruption and waste by our public officials. Go get ’em, Dan!


By: Jim on 6/10/09

I would like to wish Dan the best of luck… I have found his work at this site most interesting…!


By: mccdave on 6/10/09

Fair point, BeenThere, and CCN does deserve plenty of credit for good reporting and chutzpa. But Blackburn invites such “venom” with his unique blend of haughtiness, cringe-making prose, and the perennial clunkiness of this website. His missives in the New Times were insufferably pretentious. CCN’s deafness to fair criticism has been noted by others.


But I’m prepared to be proven wrong when Blackburn posts links to his video oeuvre, should he ever master the intricacies of YouTube and the “” tag, let alone Levels and Hue/Saturation.


By: BeenThereDoneThat on 6/10/09

Boy some people here must live such a miserable existence that they can’t even find something nice to say. Only venum.


By: mccdave on 6/10/09

Considering the quality of photos, design and technical excellence on CalCoastNews (exhibit A: the photo accompanying this article), local video production sounds about right. I’ll send over a copy of “The Beginner’s Guide to Photoshop 1.0” (copyright 1990) and “Adobe Premiere Transitions: Star Wipe and Venetian Blinds.”


I hope we can at least look forward to some ambush interviews with local sleazebags.


By: Newsome on 6/10/09

Uh oh.


By: congaltonkvec920 on 6/10/09

Congratulations and good luck, Dan. You should be justifiably proud of your role in launching the premier journalism web site on the Central Coast. You and Karen have totally reshaped journalism in this county and no one even comes close to the work you’ve accomplished during this initial 18 months. Glad to hear you’ll still be involved with CCN and I look forward to future words and video from you.


By: BeenThereDoneThat on 6/9/09

Good luck Mr. Blackburn in your endeavors. You have left behind a great site for us to enjoy.


I look forward to the new changes coming. They sound interesting.


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