I am on the quest to find an internship this summer. It sounds horrible because it is already June on Sunday, but thanks to UM I still have almost three months of summer. I think that’s plenty of time to intern somewhere, and I honestly don’t even care about having to physically go to an office daily. I care about writing and getting published.
I have an interview on Friday and am semi-excited about it. I really wanted to work for a newspaper this summer to taste the world of hard news and really be coached by some good professionals. Unfortunately that door was closed for me at the moment, but I hope one day I will get that opportunity. I have quickly learned that it is easier to make the transition from newspapers to magazines than the other way around.
I think I suffered from this truth already in my very young career. I chose to intern with a magazine for ten months and neglected writing for my schools newspaper, and as a result I suspect it is the reason I did not get the internship I wanted at the local paper. I am persistent though, and I will, mark my words, will get clips from the Miami Herald before I leave Miami for good. Hell, I’m on their freelance list now so I am hoping that something comes up for me to write this summer.
I check all of the job boards daily and even sometimes at several points throughout the day. While I am scrolling down the hundreds of jobs that I am not qualified for, all I can think about is that it will soon be my everyday task to do this same chore once August rolls around. It’s overwhelming to realize that I’m graduating in December and somehow I need a job in January. I know I’m going to need some counseling on job searching because I feel like in the media world jobless hopefuls are like vultures and take jobs before anyone can even finish typing up a cover letter. I am glad I at least have some time to learn the ropes on applying until it’s serious “real” job searching time and not just summer internship searching.
I’m tired and don’t even know what I am saying by now and need to go to sleep, but I am sure there will be more where this came from. My fun adventure of job searching has just begun and will be in full force very VERY soon.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
CNJ 442
CNJ 442 is an online journalism class offered at The University of Miami. I was in this class and I must say that it was my most difficult class this semester. It's funny how sometimes people like to think that because they are engineering or chemistry majors they have it harder, but I would like to differ. I do see how studying 24/7 can be challenging, but hey, math and science comes easy to some, and at the end of the day these students can do their work at any hour of the day.
For journalists, everything is harder. Our work depends on others and their cooperation. Besides this normality of the world of journalism, what was toughest in the class was performing tasks that I had never done before. If the assignment was to create a web page, I somehow had to do it. If the assignment was to create a video, I had to do it. I must say that although I still have no clue how to use Dreamweaver, I do feel more comfortable putting together a multimedia package (as long as I have a little help from designers).
Ha! Designers. Something else I learned in this class (I know I already blogged about it),but that was quite the experience working with designers. This class just prepared me for the real world, because it was like a news writing class but on crack.
Originally I enrolled because I saw the word "online" and realized that I couldn't go wrong taking a class that was focusing on the future, arguably the present, of journalism. It is almost over, but I must say I am going to miss saying that "I hate my life" because of the class.
For journalists, everything is harder. Our work depends on others and their cooperation. Besides this normality of the world of journalism, what was toughest in the class was performing tasks that I had never done before. If the assignment was to create a web page, I somehow had to do it. If the assignment was to create a video, I had to do it. I must say that although I still have no clue how to use Dreamweaver, I do feel more comfortable putting together a multimedia package (as long as I have a little help from designers).
Ha! Designers. Something else I learned in this class (I know I already blogged about it),but that was quite the experience working with designers. This class just prepared me for the real world, because it was like a news writing class but on crack.
Originally I enrolled because I saw the word "online" and realized that I couldn't go wrong taking a class that was focusing on the future, arguably the present, of journalism. It is almost over, but I must say I am going to miss saying that "I hate my life" because of the class.
Friday, April 18, 2008
An Idea For Citizen Journalists-Convergence!
It's been a while since my last blog because of well...life. I'm back.
As you all know the word of the semester has been "convergence," and I want to keep the idea going but with a new twist. I was reading an article that was written back in January on GroundReport.com about how citizen journalism will evolve in 2008. One thing stood out to me in the article and that was the concept of getting all the smaller sites to band together in order to compete with the more respected sites for citizen journalism. It wasn't necessarily that exact idea that made me think, it was what my imagination interpreted instead that I found to be exciting and even more interesting.
How about besides citizens reporting the news, taking photos and maybe videos, they practice convergence with other media and work together in order to produce entire multi-media packages. I think this could be accomplished through a social network for the die-hard citizen journalists of our society. A Wired Journalists type of a place but for those who want to get published on the smaller sites that I heard can be more consistent and better than the older, more established sites.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think there is a place where all of these self-made journalists come together and discuss what story they want to cover, how they want to do it, who wants to be involved and what form of media they want to tell it through. I don't think there is a place for them all to exchange these ideas, pass their project along to allow others to edit or add to, and then finally, when all have agreed, post onto a site to share with the world.
It's just an idea and like I said if I am wrong then please enlighten me because I would love to see such a thing in action. Hey, I might want to join along. Do we really need to be under the umbrella of a major news organization to feel that our work has worth?
Here is a list of citizen journalism sites that are pretty cool. Comment and add more if I missed any cool ones.
Newsvine
NowPublic
Orato
Digital Journal
Ground Report
Broowha
As you all know the word of the semester has been "convergence," and I want to keep the idea going but with a new twist. I was reading an article that was written back in January on GroundReport.com about how citizen journalism will evolve in 2008. One thing stood out to me in the article and that was the concept of getting all the smaller sites to band together in order to compete with the more respected sites for citizen journalism. It wasn't necessarily that exact idea that made me think, it was what my imagination interpreted instead that I found to be exciting and even more interesting.
How about besides citizens reporting the news, taking photos and maybe videos, they practice convergence with other media and work together in order to produce entire multi-media packages. I think this could be accomplished through a social network for the die-hard citizen journalists of our society. A Wired Journalists type of a place but for those who want to get published on the smaller sites that I heard can be more consistent and better than the older, more established sites.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think there is a place where all of these self-made journalists come together and discuss what story they want to cover, how they want to do it, who wants to be involved and what form of media they want to tell it through. I don't think there is a place for them all to exchange these ideas, pass their project along to allow others to edit or add to, and then finally, when all have agreed, post onto a site to share with the world.
It's just an idea and like I said if I am wrong then please enlighten me because I would love to see such a thing in action. Hey, I might want to join along. Do we really need to be under the umbrella of a major news organization to feel that our work has worth?
Here is a list of citizen journalism sites that are pretty cool. Comment and add more if I missed any cool ones.
Newsvine
NowPublic
Orato
Digital Journal
Ground Report
Broowha
Friday, April 4, 2008
Difficulties With Convergence
There was a reason why in my last blog I wrote about the importance of keeping good relations which those who you are collaborating with. It was because there have been difficulties in with convergence between my online journalism class and a web design class that was helping us out. I would like to share an email that I want many to read which is why I am posting it here.
Here go nothing:
Hello all,
I am thankful to be able to say that I did not have any big problems with my designers. I know they felt the heat with trying to make their deadline at some points but besides this we worked it out and I love my bio page and e-page. I know we would not have had any issues if it were not for me having to update content.
As I think we all know it is hard to successfully practice convergence when only one class has the knowledge of what it takes or should be about. I think that the root of the problem was having a web design class (which had some first time designers) try to perform in one assignment what perhaps an advanced design class should have been doing for an entire semester. That's right, I think that in the future there should be a convergence web design class that has the same meeting time as the online journalism class. This class should be as passionate about new media as the journalism class.
At the end of the day we all have our opinions on how this convergence could have been executed better and I think at some point all ideas should be discussed and taken into account. We cannot allow a difficult experience to scare us away from convergence. I think that would be lazy and a cop-out. Convergence is already the present and anyone who disagrees needs to do a little research and just open their eyes. If the school were to take out such a class from being offered it would be an injustice to communication students who want to be successful in the "real world."
How can we have speakers come and shed light on new media and convergence and then not allow students to take a class on it. I am hoping that here at UM I am being taught about cutting edge communications and not just following a syllabus that was written two or three years ago. I have concerns that professors are in their comfort zones and perhaps are unwilling to teach or participate on a subject or effort that they have no complete knowledge about. I would like to remind everyone that no one knows where anything is going and we are all out of our comfort zones here. This is why we must be prepared to face what ever the future is by knowing how to work together and pursue being a well-rounded communicator. I will go as far as to say that in the very near future a new program should be implemented for new media or online journalism. If the result of the difficult experience that was felt by Delboni's and Seelig's classes effects such classes from being offered in the future, then the school obviously has more to worry about and needs to check itself for poor decision making that will negatively impact students and the quality of their education. The school needs to welcome the future and try to teach students about it...period.
Sandra Hurtado
Any comments?
Here go nothing:
Hello all,
I am thankful to be able to say that I did not have any big problems with my designers. I know they felt the heat with trying to make their deadline at some points but besides this we worked it out and I love my bio page and e-page. I know we would not have had any issues if it were not for me having to update content.
As I think we all know it is hard to successfully practice convergence when only one class has the knowledge of what it takes or should be about. I think that the root of the problem was having a web design class (which had some first time designers) try to perform in one assignment what perhaps an advanced design class should have been doing for an entire semester. That's right, I think that in the future there should be a convergence web design class that has the same meeting time as the online journalism class. This class should be as passionate about new media as the journalism class.
At the end of the day we all have our opinions on how this convergence could have been executed better and I think at some point all ideas should be discussed and taken into account. We cannot allow a difficult experience to scare us away from convergence. I think that would be lazy and a cop-out. Convergence is already the present and anyone who disagrees needs to do a little research and just open their eyes. If the school were to take out such a class from being offered it would be an injustice to communication students who want to be successful in the "real world."
How can we have speakers come and shed light on new media and convergence and then not allow students to take a class on it. I am hoping that here at UM I am being taught about cutting edge communications and not just following a syllabus that was written two or three years ago. I have concerns that professors are in their comfort zones and perhaps are unwilling to teach or participate on a subject or effort that they have no complete knowledge about. I would like to remind everyone that no one knows where anything is going and we are all out of our comfort zones here. This is why we must be prepared to face what ever the future is by knowing how to work together and pursue being a well-rounded communicator. I will go as far as to say that in the very near future a new program should be implemented for new media or online journalism. If the result of the difficult experience that was felt by Delboni's and Seelig's classes effects such classes from being offered in the future, then the school obviously has more to worry about and needs to check itself for poor decision making that will negatively impact students and the quality of their education. The school needs to welcome the future and try to teach students about it...period.
Sandra Hurtado
Any comments?
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Working With Designers
My professor made a few comments lately about the importance of learning the skills to not only edit video and sound, but to play around with programs like Dreamweaver. She said it was important in order to understand how long it can take to design a page.
I have had to work with two designers and I have come to realize that their work can take longer to put together than my work. It is almost frustrating because on deadline the work might be done but if any last minute changes need to happen I am now feeling terrible about it because it is possible to miss the deadline just because of design.
This whole experience only makes me understand how important it is to have a good relationship with your designer and to make sure it stays that way through out deadlines. I guess last minute changes will always occur, but unless a journalist is also a designer the journalist must keep the designer in mind at all times. Why? Because the journalist will need the designer more than the designer needs the journalist.
I have had to work with two designers and I have come to realize that their work can take longer to put together than my work. It is almost frustrating because on deadline the work might be done but if any last minute changes need to happen I am now feeling terrible about it because it is possible to miss the deadline just because of design.
This whole experience only makes me understand how important it is to have a good relationship with your designer and to make sure it stays that way through out deadlines. I guess last minute changes will always occur, but unless a journalist is also a designer the journalist must keep the designer in mind at all times. Why? Because the journalist will need the designer more than the designer needs the journalist.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Journalism and the Law
I have always thought that, legally speaking, things are different between the internet and the regular world when it comes to writing. Apparently I was wrong. Things that journalists and bloggers should know:
Although copyrights should not get in the way of delivering the news, you should be cautious in your use of another person's intellectual property.
Be aware of the "Fair Use Doctrine"- it has four tests
1) nature or purpose of new work
2) nature of original work
3) amount of portion used from original work
4) what will be the effect on market value or profit on original work
Most courts will look at the list above in order to determine if a work is a protected "fair use."
Also...
Be aware that if you upload copyrighted material on sites like YouTube the site has to take your post down if the owner of the rights contacts them. If they give appropriate notice they are never liable.
The most important thing that a blogger should know is that when it comes to material that is not copyrighted, a blogger is fully responsible for any defamation that occurs in his or her blog. This means that the provider is immune from any and all liability.
This is really broken down to the most simple terms, but it is important to research and know the law before chancing getting into unnecessary trouble.
Although copyrights should not get in the way of delivering the news, you should be cautious in your use of another person's intellectual property.
Be aware of the "Fair Use Doctrine"- it has four tests
1) nature or purpose of new work
2) nature of original work
3) amount of portion used from original work
4) what will be the effect on market value or profit on original work
Most courts will look at the list above in order to determine if a work is a protected "fair use."
Also...
Be aware that if you upload copyrighted material on sites like YouTube the site has to take your post down if the owner of the rights contacts them. If they give appropriate notice they are never liable.
The most important thing that a blogger should know is that when it comes to material that is not copyrighted, a blogger is fully responsible for any defamation that occurs in his or her blog. This means that the provider is immune from any and all liability.
This is really broken down to the most simple terms, but it is important to research and know the law before chancing getting into unnecessary trouble.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Video-Part 2
In my last blog I wrote about some quick basics in shooting video, this time I want to continue with basic ideas about interviewing and the sound process.
According to Visual Journalist Ricardo Lopez of The Miami Herald:
Interviewing for video is different than interviewing for print because the questions are few and to the point. The questions asked are planned out because the viseographer should know what he wants from the interview to have on video. A big mistake that people make and should be cautious of is interrupting an answer with a "uh huh" the reporter or videographer should just nod back.
Here is a quick review:
1) Ask how they feel
2) Only ask open-ended questions
3) Use Silence-Sometimes if there is silence the subject will feel like they were not understood and will proceed to paraphrase everything they said...this can lead to the best stuff for the video.
4) Don't interrupt!
It won't hurt to wear headphones either. Imagine having an awesome interview and going back to the office to only fin out you've got zilch.
Sound is essential in video storytelling so you want to pay attention to every detail. This means all types of sound: ambient, "Nat" ( details ex: door slamming), room tone and narration of your subject or "talking head."
I am sure this all takes plenty of practice, and trust me, I am just now doing all of this for the first time. Until next time...
According to Visual Journalist Ricardo Lopez of The Miami Herald:
Interviewing for video is different than interviewing for print because the questions are few and to the point. The questions asked are planned out because the viseographer should know what he wants from the interview to have on video. A big mistake that people make and should be cautious of is interrupting an answer with a "uh huh" the reporter or videographer should just nod back.
Here is a quick review:
1) Ask how they feel
2) Only ask open-ended questions
3) Use Silence-Sometimes if there is silence the subject will feel like they were not understood and will proceed to paraphrase everything they said...this can lead to the best stuff for the video.
4) Don't interrupt!
It won't hurt to wear headphones either. Imagine having an awesome interview and going back to the office to only fin out you've got zilch.
Sound is essential in video storytelling so you want to pay attention to every detail. This means all types of sound: ambient, "Nat" ( details ex: door slamming), room tone and narration of your subject or "talking head."
I am sure this all takes plenty of practice, and trust me, I am just now doing all of this for the first time. Until next time...
Friday, February 29, 2008
Video-Part One
Visual journalist Ricardo Lopez visited my online journalism class and taught us about basic video shooting skills. He said that video is all about emotion and telling a story. Video for the web should be between one to two minutes and the shots that you want should be planned before you physically go to shoot.
When it comes to shooting:
Look
Frame the shot
start recording
hold 10-15 seconds-let the action unfold in front of the camera
stop recording
Remember:
Don't zoom...move
lock your exposure
5:1 rule- five minutes of coverage for every minute of final video
Everything in video is also about sequencing. Everything is a little piece of a sequence.
More technical information will be discussed in my next blog so don't miss it.
When it comes to shooting:
Look
Frame the shot
start recording
hold 10-15 seconds-let the action unfold in front of the camera
stop recording
Remember:
Don't zoom...move
lock your exposure
5:1 rule- five minutes of coverage for every minute of final video
Everything in video is also about sequencing. Everything is a little piece of a sequence.
More technical information will be discussed in my next blog so don't miss it.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
A Good Investigation
I was browsing Mindy McAdams site and saw that her last post featured some winners for most innovative multimedia storytelling. I was intrigued by the title Broken Trust by The Herald Tribune in Sarasota. Considering that this is the only Florida paper that won one of the awards I think it is worth browsing :http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?CATEGORY=MULTIMEDIA0202
I would take note of the cool box-like changing of pages and how different the page set up is. Also I loved the map idea for the case flow. The data search was was well put together and complete as well. Although there is no sound or video, I feel that it was a good call since the subject could be a delicate one.
Overall I think that this just shows what the future hold and how much fun it is to receive information in this manner.
Other winners:
24 Hours in Lawrence-http://www2.ljworld.com/news/24_hours_in_lawrence/2007/may/
A People Torn-http://www.startribune.com/local/11608761.html
Do you have any cool multimedia stories you would like to share?
I would take note of the cool box-like changing of pages and how different the page set up is. Also I loved the map idea for the case flow. The data search was was well put together and complete as well. Although there is no sound or video, I feel that it was a good call since the subject could be a delicate one.
Overall I think that this just shows what the future hold and how much fun it is to receive information in this manner.
Other winners:
24 Hours in Lawrence-http://www2.ljworld.com/news/24_hours_in_lawrence/2007/may/
A People Torn-http://www.startribune.com/local/11608761.html
Do you have any cool multimedia stories you would like to share?
Friday, February 22, 2008
From Ordinary To Extraordinary
I have to admit that I am freaking out because I have to create a web page for myself and I have never done that before. The good news is that since there are programs like Dreamweaver I don't have to worry about the code and it will do it for me. Instead I have to think about what I want my page to look like and tell someone who is a designer to help me make it happen. This brings me to alternative copy or what things I could do in order get hits and and keep my readers engaged. I started to look around and I think it's worth looking into the EyeTrack07 results. Read and watch the video: http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=120458
It is probably not the most current study, but it is a good place to start for those of us that haven't done much research in the area of studying readers. I think it is safe to say that no matter what we can't forget about incorporating alternative copy styles into our work in order to keep readers engaged for longer than what they would be with a safe story of just regular text. Especially with online work it can be fun to always keep readers involved by having cool new ways of presenting information.
It is probably not the most current study, but it is a good place to start for those of us that haven't done much research in the area of studying readers. I think it is safe to say that no matter what we can't forget about incorporating alternative copy styles into our work in order to keep readers engaged for longer than what they would be with a safe story of just regular text. Especially with online work it can be fun to always keep readers involved by having cool new ways of presenting information.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Tips For Bloggers
Yay! A guide on how to blog! In case you haven't read it already check out this link on Poynter: http://poynter.org/column.asp?id=31&aid=137327
On my first blog I wrote about feeling so new to the concept of blogging and a few weeks later now I am realizing that there are smart ways to blog in order to create more traffic on your page. On the site Ellyn Angelotti wrote about a conversation she heard Sree Sreenivasan, Columbia journalism professor, with David Kohn, reporter for The Baltimore Sun, on tips for blogging that she heard on Sreetips radio.
The Basics:
1) Get out there
2) Create a series that will be useful to a specific audience
3) Post frequently
4) Ask questions
This last one, "ask questions" is interesting and I know its intention is to get people to comment on your blog. Because of comment issues now there are people like Mindy McAdams blogging about comments on blogs and how to deal with weeding out the bad and insulting comments. You should read this:http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/6-tips-for-comments-on-stories-and-j-blogs/
I hope this helps...
On my first blog I wrote about feeling so new to the concept of blogging and a few weeks later now I am realizing that there are smart ways to blog in order to create more traffic on your page. On the site Ellyn Angelotti wrote about a conversation she heard Sree Sreenivasan, Columbia journalism professor, with David Kohn, reporter for The Baltimore Sun, on tips for blogging that she heard on Sreetips radio.
The Basics:
1) Get out there
2) Create a series that will be useful to a specific audience
3) Post frequently
4) Ask questions
This last one, "ask questions" is interesting and I know its intention is to get people to comment on your blog. Because of comment issues now there are people like Mindy McAdams blogging about comments on blogs and how to deal with weeding out the bad and insulting comments. You should read this:http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/6-tips-for-comments-on-stories-and-j-blogs/
I hope this helps...
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Classic News
The New York Times is taking it back old school with its Op-Classic series. It consists of featuring commentary from The Time's archive in an attempt to give new, yet old, perspective to current issues. I think this is genius. Check out the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/opinion/10opclassic.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
I am not entirely sure if this is is limited to the website, but if it were I think it will create yet another opportunity for users to comment or create discussions. I think that people quickly forget the chronology of most issues or events so I can see this as being a great step for not just the online world but for journalism as a whole.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/opinion/10opclassic.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
I am not entirely sure if this is is limited to the website, but if it were I think it will create yet another opportunity for users to comment or create discussions. I think that people quickly forget the chronology of most issues or events so I can see this as being a great step for not just the online world but for journalism as a whole.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Online Identity
It's somewhat daunting to think about the fact that if I have a Facebook, MySpace and Blogger account I have an online identity. Although I am not freaked out by this because I grew up with the internet, I still have the comfort of knowing that I can somehow control my image and up the privacy settings if I need to. I think it is somewhat ironic that people create these online identities only to hide them from the world. What are we so afraid of? I am not sure, but I find myself in similar situations and know for a fact that many of my accounts are on private. An interesting article on Poynter got my juices flowing about the topic. A part that really hit home for me was a comment that NBC cameraman said in the article about how posting photos and videos of himself online was not just a hobby but a necessary step toward securing his future in journalism. I guess unless a journalist is ready to expose him or herself to their audience then they probably won't have as much credibility, and this is probably going to happen within the next couple of years. The bottom line... get off of private and start being accountable for yourself not just your work.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Multimedia Storytelling With Sound
It's amazing how sound affects people. Not only does it propel a story but it creates stronger emotions than images alone. Freelance photographer Allison Diaz gave a few pointers on how to succeed in obtaining the best sound quality possible for multimedia use. She said that finding a quiet area where there is not too much echo is ideal and checking for ambient noise using headphones, to hear things that perhaps were not noticed before, is important too. If an Edirol recorder, an industry standard, is not easy to come by than any recorder will do, but you want to make sure that you have a great microphone. After all, the less ambient noise you get the better editing experience you will have.
I am not going to lie but I could probably spend hours messing with the pitch and speed of a voice while editing. Ideally once you get over the childlike playing, you should focus on getting what is most relevant and what will make a powerful statement when combined with images. Learning to use these tools, along with editing smarts, is essential to the success of putting together a strong multimedia package.
I am not going to lie but I could probably spend hours messing with the pitch and speed of a voice while editing. Ideally once you get over the childlike playing, you should focus on getting what is most relevant and what will make a powerful statement when combined with images. Learning to use these tools, along with editing smarts, is essential to the success of putting together a strong multimedia package.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Citizen Journalism
I took a look at an article on Poynter Online by Steve Outing about citizen journalism. He brings different steps for incorporating this new trend into the newsroom. It sort of goes from very conservative exposure to a complete merging with the professional world. For example, going from allowing comments by readers to a stand-alone site with up to 70 percent of the content reported by everyday people.
One of the last "layers" of incorporating citizen journalism into the newsroom is publishing both professional and citizen reports side-by-side. So if there was a story about a murder that occured in a neighborhood a reporter would cover the beat but then another story would be written by a person that lived in the neighborhood themselves. The way that I interpret this is that it is like a quote from one of the neighbors but times a thousand. It gives the reader a full understanding of what happened through several lenses.
I like this. Offering different perspectives is always a great thing and how can we be serving the public if we do not do everything possible to give them every angle uncensored? The only thing that uneases me is when I think about how accountable and accurate citizen journalism really is. Also, if the population gets involved does it mean we are all out of jobs? Perhaps it is selfish to a certain extent but it should be a concern for the future of a career in this field, and I don't think anyone can answer that question at the moment with absolute certainty. I just hope that at some point the bar is raised for the professional journalist in order to maintain a career of it.
One of the last "layers" of incorporating citizen journalism into the newsroom is publishing both professional and citizen reports side-by-side. So if there was a story about a murder that occured in a neighborhood a reporter would cover the beat but then another story would be written by a person that lived in the neighborhood themselves. The way that I interpret this is that it is like a quote from one of the neighbors but times a thousand. It gives the reader a full understanding of what happened through several lenses.
I like this. Offering different perspectives is always a great thing and how can we be serving the public if we do not do everything possible to give them every angle uncensored? The only thing that uneases me is when I think about how accountable and accurate citizen journalism really is. Also, if the population gets involved does it mean we are all out of jobs? Perhaps it is selfish to a certain extent but it should be a concern for the future of a career in this field, and I don't think anyone can answer that question at the moment with absolute certainty. I just hope that at some point the bar is raised for the professional journalist in order to maintain a career of it.
Friday, February 1, 2008
From Print To Online
I heard Suzanne Levinson, Director of Site Operations at The Miami Herald, speak last night about online journalism and the future of printed news. This is what I learned:
In print the news will eventually be an extension of online work.
The word "edit" will be your best friend
We should become masters of scanning our audience and knowing what they want and how long they want it for.
Headlines should be written in a manner that they can easily be found by a search engine.
Content and trust is what will keep people coming back to your site.
Reporting is being done through database entries to create a quicker process and work for GPS purposes.
Good writing is still good writing and accuracy and fairness still count.
The 5 W's ( who, what, where, when and why) are more important than ever.
If you understand the difference between video on televsion and video on the internet, sound clips and radio, among other skills distinguishing the typical use of something in relation to its use online, then you can bet that you are in a minority group and will get the job over others.
In print the news will eventually be an extension of online work.
The word "edit" will be your best friend
We should become masters of scanning our audience and knowing what they want and how long they want it for.
Headlines should be written in a manner that they can easily be found by a search engine.
Content and trust is what will keep people coming back to your site.
Reporting is being done through database entries to create a quicker process and work for GPS purposes.
Good writing is still good writing and accuracy and fairness still count.
The 5 W's ( who, what, where, when and why) are more important than ever.
If you understand the difference between video on televsion and video on the internet, sound clips and radio, among other skills distinguishing the typical use of something in relation to its use online, then you can bet that you are in a minority group and will get the job over others.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
The New Blog
I remember when I first noticed blogging online; I thought is was just for people who liked to talk about themselves thus naturally leading to writing about themselves, and I once even thought it was a sophisticated chat room. Never would I have ever considered the fact that intelligent topics, worth reading, could be written about and that true learning could occur through this phenomena.
Hello world! Apparently all of my judgements were wrong. Now mainstream media websites have sections for blogging and some journalists have made it a point to blog about issues in a more opinionated fashion that would never print in other publications unless under an opinions column. This is all a part of the alternative journalism movement that is underway and once it goes mainstream it will be here to stay (but that's a whole other topic for another blog).
Even more mind-blowing is the concept of blogger's soon having a guild of some sort. I read about this in the Jan/Feb issue of the Columbia Journalism Review in an article by Chris Mooney called Blogonomics. It's true, how will we separate the self-obsessed or morons from "journalists" that have something important to teach the world? We need to have a standard. There should also be compensation for the effort in legitimate research and the intellectual property that blogs create.
It will be interesting to see where this is all headed but until the future reveals itself to us I will be writing... I mean blogging.
Hello world! Apparently all of my judgements were wrong. Now mainstream media websites have sections for blogging and some journalists have made it a point to blog about issues in a more opinionated fashion that would never print in other publications unless under an opinions column. This is all a part of the alternative journalism movement that is underway and once it goes mainstream it will be here to stay (but that's a whole other topic for another blog).
Even more mind-blowing is the concept of blogger's soon having a guild of some sort. I read about this in the Jan/Feb issue of the Columbia Journalism Review in an article by Chris Mooney called Blogonomics. It's true, how will we separate the self-obsessed or morons from "journalists" that have something important to teach the world? We need to have a standard. There should also be compensation for the effort in legitimate research and the intellectual property that blogs create.
It will be interesting to see where this is all headed but until the future reveals itself to us I will be writing... I mean blogging.
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