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.
Friday, April 25, 2008
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.
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