New Media Pioneer: Brandon Greene of VividNUrban Online Magazine

New Media Pioneer: Brandon Greene of VividNUrban Online Magazine

VividNUrban
http://www.thevmagazine.net
http://www.myspace.com/thevmag

VividNUrban Magazine is a magazine built for the Urban individual. Whether that individual is a musician, politician, teacher, athlete, doctor, athlete or any of the other tens of thousands of occupations that exist…VividNUrban has something for them. We hope to education, spark dialogue, and build the bridge between the gaps. We are Las Vegas premiere Urban Arts and Culture Magazine. Through commentary, and interviews we hope to establish relationships that will allow Vegas urbanites to explore collaboration opportunities in and out of the city. We hope to find not only beat makers and MC’s but promoters, organizers, teachers and DJ’s. We hope to serve as the voice of our constituency and speak truth to power in ways that are not only entertaining and thought provoking but showcase the Vivid light that shines through the urban life.

Q: How did VividNUrban Magazine come about?

A: VividNUrban came about as a result of me becoming frustrated with the existing media in my city of Las Vegas. I was an artist before I was a journalist and I have watched for years as artist after artist struggled to get the attention of the media and radio stations. Since I have degrees in computer graphics and film and I am currently pursuing my masters in Journalism and Media Studies, I decided that I would make my own lane and stop asking.

Q: VividNUrban was recently known as The V Magazine what caused the switch to the new name?

A: I typed V Magazine in a Google search engine to see if I showed up and discovered that there was a magazine in New York of the same title. I also decided that my focus would not just be music and Vegas but all the facets of Urban Culture including education, politics, community etc. Plus many times when you hear Urban you think rap. But there is a vitality that exists in Urban Communities and I wanted that light to shine so I made the V, Vivid.

Q: VividNUrban is known as the Las Vegas Premiere Urban Arts and Culture Magazine. How do you branch out to other things outside of Vegas on the site?

A: I am a member of the Hip Hop Congress, The Hip Hop Journalist Association, and The Association of Black Journalists. I am also still a hip-hop artist and graphic artist/videographer so I really just leverage the relationships and networking that I have to do on a constant basis to develop relationships with the members of my organizations and their cities/universities. It is my hope to eventually have writers in all metropolitan areas, which will make VividNUrban a snap shot of Urban America, it’s problems, discussions of solutions, and the art that emerges in the confusion.

Q: What are some of the new features that VividNUrban offers since it switched from the V Magazine?

A: VividNUrban is now a fully faceted site, offering history lessons in the “This Day” segment. Offering a look into the artists creative process in their own words in “In the studio” as well as discussions and articles on politics, education, and community issues. Here in Las Vegas I am a founding member of The Publishers Incubation Network (PIN) which allows me and other publishers to write and share articles with each other, sort of making us brother/sister publications.

Q: As digital media continues to take new norms all over the internet, what merits and downfalls do you see with this?

A: I think if it’s done right the internet publications are definitely beginning to hold their own and gain credibility. Major news organizations are scrambling to find qualified people who can take the old print mentality and convert in to the web. This is opening up incredible opportunities for young adults like myself, enabling us to start our own instead of having to be turned down by employers who love our education but are not willing to give us that entry level position. The downfall is that many print publications will be folding in the next couple of years, and that is very sad.