The man behind iDeafNews

Recently I had an interersting interview with the creator of iDeafNews, Seth Gerlis. The following is a summary of our conversation.

 

http://ideafnews.com/new/

1) Is iDeafNews Deaf-owned?
Yes. It is owned by me, Seth Gerlis.

2) Could you tell me a little bit about your background and where  you developed your skills in starting the iDeafNews?
I worked with DeafNation for one year - I learned how to use the equipment, editing machine, the video cameras and the tools to learn to how to film correctly.I do not have any background in film making nor journalism, it is all from scratch. I learned how to set up the news program by myself.

3) How did you come up with the idea for iDeafNews?
There are already several services out there that provide news and current events, but most of them are shown in Closed Captioning instead of in sign language. According to Gallaudet, there are about 600,00 Deaf and 30 million Hard of Hearings in the USA. Many of them want to see news in sign languages. In other words, I want to give them "colors and pictures" for them to enjoy aesthetically and visually.

4) How will iDeafNews be different than other existing services?
I noticed some services are either too personal such as focusing on marriages, obituaries, and so forth. Others focus on hearing news. What I mean by that is the daily news we see on tv. iDeafNews will focus only  on Deaf-related news. IDeafNews' goal is to eventually deliver all kinds of Deaf-related news 7 times a week. FYI, iDeafNews has a Facebook page and all the videos are posted there as well.

5) Would it be challenging to find Deaf-related news on a daily basis?
IDeafNews will not just focus on daily news, but it will also deliver all kinds of features such as sports, politics, social events, expo, interviews, and many more. I do not think it'll be a challenge. I am currently delivering  2 times to 4 times a week. Additionally, there is only one of me. I cannot be at more than two places at the same time. I am hoping to build a network of local reporters on site everywhere in the USA. They will go out, get the report, and I'll deliver it on iDeafNews. I will admit that I do not want to be signing all the news 24/7. I prefer to give everyone their 15 mins of fame. I believe in working with Deaf communities everywhere.

6) You mentioned about having a Facebook page. Why do you post it on both your website and your Facebook page?
Originally, we opened up for business on November 12th with our original website, but I wasn't satisfied with my original design. So I switched to Facebook for the time being until I develop a better design for the website. Ironically, by the time I redesigned the website in January, the Facebook page grew at a rapid pace. I realized there are some people who prefer to spend all their time on Facebook while some other people don't like to use Facebook. So this gives the audience the ability to choose where to view the news.

7) What's the biggest opportunity for iDeafnews?
I'm hoping to establish iDeafNews to be the  #1 media worldwide for any kinds of viewers. I want the subtitles to be uploaded instantly and translated in every language. Additionally, it would be nice to have a reporter sign news out in their native language such as BSL, FSL, or even Universal Sign Language.

8) Do you plan to eventually tap into the television market?
Probably not. I don't think there'll be enough demand to justify it. The internet should suffice.

9) What is the biggest challenge you currently foresee for your business.
Currently, I need more manpower and equipment. It would be great if we could do live news, but I'm unable to do that due to lack of money.And if it happens there are too many news going on at same time, that's great! IDeafNews can post news several times a day. We'll see.

Thank you, Seth Gerlis, for taking the time to chat with me. It does sounds like an exciting business endeavor. I wish you the best of luck.

And for your entertainment, here's a sample of iDeafNews

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