Photos by Janine WarnerHe is a partner in Artesian Media, Inc., an international multimedia consulting firm, and an expert in content and business strategy on the mobile media.
Dave is the coauthor of "iPhone & iPad Web Design For Dummies," and "Mobile Web Design For Dummies." Dave manages a diverse range of consulting projects including helping companies develop mobile web strategies, training journalists and bloggers how to shoot, edit, and post online video, and helping media executives find a path to monetizing online content.
An experience journalist and researcher, Dave served as the Managing Editor of the “Audience Planbook,” for the Newspaper Association of America, and has produced a series of case studies for the Newspaper Association of America (NAA), the World Association of Newspapers (WAN), and the Online Journalism Review (OJR).
His blog posts and irreverent sense of humor can be found on Sips from the Fire Hose and The Mobile Web Design Blog.
His foray into “New Media” began in 1998, when he co-founded the Single Parent Magazine. He also worked as Managing Editor for Filmson.com, a film and video Web site that helped shape the evolution of streaming media.
From 2000 to 2002, Dave worked on a 2-year investigative project for ABC’s PrimeTime. Over the past several years, he has studied and experimented with the best methods of combining audio, video, still photos, and plain old text to capture and retain modern readers.
In the early 90s, David covered politics and entertainment in Los Angeles, writing for a variety of publications, including Star Magazine, News of the World, Daily People, Oggi, Voici, Bild Zeitung, Hello, New Idea, and Women's Weekly. That experience led him to write a tell-all book called The Poison Pen, which was published by Dove Books in 1996.
Prior to that, David was the managing editor of the Caracas Daily Journal and then freelanced stories from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, El Salvador, and Guatemala. He speaks fluent Spanish and worked as an editor and reporter in Latin America for nearly three years. David won a Pulliam Fellowship that helped him start his career at the Arizona Republic in 1987.
David’s interest in online communications dates back to the early days of Prodigy and 2400 baud modems.
Multimedia Production
Dave offers writing and multimedia production services for television, film, and Web development.
Speaking Engagements
David has given presentations at conferences, events, and universities throughout the United States, Latin America, and Europe.
Contact information
323-353-9424
Dave's Blog: Sips from the Firehose
Because surfing the Internet is like drinking from a firehose, David LaFontaine braves the torrent to tell you what trends and technologies to gulp down, swirl in your mouth, or spit out.. Read David's blog, Sips from the Firehose (formerly Hard News, Inc.).
Multimedia Case Studies
David's freelance work includes case studies on newspapers and multimedia for the Newspaper Association of America (NAA.org), the World Associaton of Newspapers (WAN), and the Online Journalism Review (OJR.org).
Mobile Advertising: The Next Big Thing Hasn’t Arrived (But It’s On Its Way)
Some optimistic analysts see classified ads on the mobile platform as an opportunity for newspapers to reclaim lost classified ad revenue.
(View series of articles on the NAA Web site.)
Schibsted Media: A Model for Global Innovation
Schibsted Media dominates the Scandinavian market, and its moves into France, Spain, Switzerland and other countries where it launched the 20 Minutes brand of newspapers are a wild success. Its Web-based classified ad platforms are huge moneymaking engines throughout Europe. Now Schibsted is set on becoming the best source for breaking news video and has already beaten television competition on some big stories. (View full case study in PDF format.)
El Tiempo’s Bold Branding Strategies Key Market Domination
El Tiempo, the largest daily newspaper in Colombia, has embraced a strategy of “digital diversification.” It has spun off at least 13 (and counting) separate dot-com products that dominate the Colombian market and have made significant
inroads in surrounding countries. (View full case study in PDF format.)
Multimedia on a McNugget Budget THE SHELBY STAR: A Smalltown Paper Putting Big Ideas into Practice
The (Shelby, N.C.) Star is a small-circulation daily in an economically challenged area that is experimenting with many cutting-edge audience-building strategies. Stories are not permitted to run longer than 12 column inches or jump to an inside page. For less than $2,000, the Star has equipped its reporters with high-tech cellphones that allow them to wirelessly beam in stories, still pictures, audio and video. (View full case study in PDF format.)
Ill Winds: Newspapers Use Latest Technology to Help Put a Human Face on Tragic Stories
The Roanoke Times covered the shootings at Virginia Tech; the Lancaster New Era covered the shootings at an Amish grade school. They used online multimedia resources to expand their coverage in ways that both told the story better and served their communities. (View full case study in PDF format.)
Las Ultimas Noticias Goes Topsy Turvy(Published by NAA)
The Newspaper, Las Ultimas Noticias (LUN) in Santiago, Chile, has devised a system that makes the readers an integral part of the editorial process. Stories that receive the most clicks online are used to determine what goes into the next day's paper. (View full case study in PDF format.)Case Study in the Online Journalism Review (OJR.org)
It's a Wonderful Light
How A Sleepy Little Community Banded Together to Save Its Beloved Newspaper in Point Reyes Station, California. (Read the full story and watch of the video interviews.)
