Welcome to the media lab!

Thanks for dropping by.

Critical Distance is the name of the company founded by media "insultant" Jonathan Marks after more than 25 years in the broadcasting business. He currently resides in The Netherlands, but travels the world.

Click on the bloglinks to the right to catch-up with his current news. Read on for the general overview.

For news on what I am doing today, including news and musings I would like to share, check out the Critical Distance Weblog. I am also running a special blog called "What Caught My Eye" for those in the radio and podcasting business. Bookmark both blogs (or sign-up to the RSS feeds) and seize the opportunity to share your thoughts too.

Impact of the Crunch....

The global economic meltdown in late 2008 is affecting the media industry as much as the financial sector. However, remember that there will be winners as well as losers.

In the previous dot-domb era just after September 11th 2001, several great media companies did very well. Why? They understood the needs of their audience and had a clear, sustainable focus on what they wanted to do. They prospered in  difficult times. It is no different now.

My most recent commissions have been helping companies restructure their ways of being creative.

So what else is Jonathan Marks up to now?

I know how to use a relevant mix of traditional and emerging media to share ideas across borders. I use a relevant mix of video, audio and text.

I am a good bridge between technologists and creatives, having wide experience in both fields. I operate on the edge of the broadcast and mobile, examining emerging technology and asking how this could enhance the effectiveness of digital storytelling. I have been excited about completing a media lab in Benin that is testing out all kinds of relevant technology and business models in Africa.

I do a lot of keynote speaking, host panel discussions and moderate groups. Increasingly this is during invitation-only events.

I'm working with small teams, either leading them or contributing to them. We work on new concepts and pilot projects. For news organisations I have also done specific consultancy on re-designing the work-flow and inspiring those teams to be creatives

I have been fortunate to meet incredibly inspiring people on my recent travels to Accra, Buenos Aires, Tome, Cotonou, Doha, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Bucharest, Geneva, Bonn, Paris, Singapore, London and Barcelona. Photos of the expeditions are on my Flickr account (see the panel on the right).

But enough of me....

How can we collaborate?

Together with partners, we're focussing on ways media can empower women, prepare region of Africa and Latin America for climate change, and new forms of energy and light generation. That means the development of sustainable business models. We learned very early on to bury preconceived ideas.

Rates - What's it going cost?

Our company believes in talking money up front, not after the event when there is huge room for misunderstandings. We know our own capabilities to deliver to a deadline -. so that's why we charge per project - and connect that to an agreed delivery date.

The rates depend on the type of work, repeat business opportunities and the level of specialization that is needed. Our company charges per day part, not per hour. Give us a call and let's discuss your needs. To avoid spambots, just click on the badge below. Under my photo you can see the envelope button - press that to send a message.