JimBenning.Net » World Hum

The Australian on World Hum

Jim Benning — Fri, 21 May 2010 04:42:14 +0000

Praise for World Hum in the Australian:

Founded in 2001 and tagged “dispatches from a shrinking planet”, World Hum promises “the best travel stories on the internet” and it often rises to the challenge (note that the quality is patchy and some writers are, well, city blocks ahead of others). But it’s an energetic and engaged site, with lots of updates and new posts, tweets and blogs, and you will uncover some genuine nuggets of valuable information and numerous insights.

World Hum Named 2010 Webby Honoree

Jim Benning — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:31:10 +0000

Great news, especially since it was in the writing category. Other sites also honored for the quality of their writing include NPR, BBC World Service and Vanity Fair.

Thanks, Webbys.

Travel Writing in the Digital Age – 2010 Workshops*

Jim Benning — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 05:27:11 +0000

* Update, April, 25 2010: Despite sold-out classes and overwhelmingly positive feedback from students, our travel writing classes have been put on hiatus for the time being.

We’ve posted half a dozen 2010 weekend dates for our Travel Writing in the Digital Age classes, which cover travel writing, travel blogging, audio slideshow production and using social media. They all take place at Travel Channel headquarters in Washington, D.C. ~~Find more details, registration information and student testimonials here~~.

Travel Writing in the Digital Age

Jim Benning — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:39:12 +0000

I’m excited to announce the creation of new two-day workshops on Travel Writing in the Digital Age, presented by World Hum and Travel Channel Academy. Few classes these days thoroughly address how travel writing has changed and evolved with the internet. That’s why Michael Yessis and I created this course: to bring much of what we’ve learned in editing and producing World Hum over the years to aspiring travel writers, as well as writers seeking a serious primer on travel writing and the internet.

We cover how to turn travel tales into compelling stories and essays suitable for publication; how to create and write an evocative travel blog (and keep it going after a trip); and how to produce a dynamic audio slideshow that combines photography and voice-over audio storytelling. We also address how to use social media to help establish oneself as a travel writer and find a voice in the vibrant digital travel writing community.

Enrollment is open now for classes in November and December at Travel Channel headquarters in Washington, D.C. Michael and I have both taught travel writing at UCLA Extension (and I’ve taught it in several other locales), and we’ll be leading the courses. We’ll be adding more dates and locations in 2010. ~~Registration and additional information can be found here~~. (Updated, April 25, 2010.)

World Hum / Restless Legs Reading

Jim Benning — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 22:20:47 +0000

Inside World Hum’s New Look

Jim Benning — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 22:14:12 +0000

World Hum 3.0

Jim Benning — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 02:00:18 +0000

Last night, after months of work, we finally posted the newly redesigned World Hum. I loved the old design, but it was in dire need of a fresh look, and it was a bit prehistoric in its architecture. This site, designed by the Travel Channel’s Joe Rivera, is a huge improvement.

It’s got everything a newfangled travel website should have: big, splashy photos, great stories, like this piece by Anthony Bourdain, engaging voices like Tom Swick, and video, including this short piece about the redesign itself, and another about a recent reading we had in New York City.

We kicked off the new look with World Hum’s Top 40 Travel Songs of All Time. Dozens of World Hum contributors voted. One of my all-time favorites is number 10 on the list.

Now the real fun begins: filling out the new site with more great travel stories, videos and images.