Okay, so one of my favorite things that I have written about, concerning the upcoming election, in my blog is the various forms of multimedia that websites are using. It’s fun to look at the different forms of media involved in politics, and not just print and broadcast. As important as print and broadcast news are, I think it is also vital to look into the future and where journalism can go. News organizations are finding innovative ways to cover politics and they deserve just as much attention as other forms of journalism.
The great thing about these new forms of multimedia is the simplicity and ease of using them. Instead of reading an entire article, or a bunch of articles if you really want to know about the issue, you can just click around and see what you want to see. Everything is laid out right in front of you. One shouldn’t brush off older forms of journalism and only look at the fun multimedia when it comes to learning about an issue though. A good mix of print, broadcast, and new multimedia is the best way to get the full coverage of news.
Yesterday, The New York Times website added a new piece of multimedia “Naming Names.” This application gives all the “names used by the major presidential candidates in the series of Democratic and Republican debates leading up to the Iowa caucuses.” There’s a circle with all the candidates’ names around the outside. Lines are formed from name to name, indicating that one candidate used the name of another in the debate. When you click on the name of a candidate, arrows show you who used their name. Quotes also appear so you know what was specifically said about the candidate, and who said it.
Time.com has a poll titled “How America Decides.” The poll shows how people form opinions. It does this by incorporating a person’s knowledge of the candidate and the emotions inspired by that candidate. You select a candidate and three bar graphs show percentages for various subcategories for knowledge of the candidate, traits that describe the candidate extremely well, and emotions evoked by that candidate. It’s kind of hard to explain it in detail, but once you start clicking around on it you can really understand it in full.
This use of multimedia made me laugh the most. ABC.com’s “Buzz-o-meter” (which is the lamest name by far) names one candidate the “Buzz Maker of the Week.” For example, Obama was this week’s Buzz Maker because of Oprah and all that jazz. What makes me laugh is how this reminds me of trashy magazines dealing with celebrities. Not much really goes into this application, and if you follow politics you would already know everything it has to offer. I guess it’s good if you missed out on politics for the week, maybe you were in a week-long coma or something, and you need to quickly catch up.
I’m torn about the use of these multimedia applications and if they really are good for our country. I definitely think they are more good than bad, but I think lazy readers could use them incorrectly. Instead of reading an article and getting really into the news, one can have fun and click a few buttons and think they are aware of everything. I guess it’s all up to the people that use them. If you want to get a lot of information, you can. It’s definitely out there. If you want to take the easy way out, you can. You can just look at the “Buzz-o-Meter” and learn what made headlines in politics that week.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Reading!
Missouri Professors: Merrill's Offense Was Plagiarism
Let me just start by saying, that poor girl. She just made a mistake and I really don't think she meant to plagiarize at all. She's a student, she's learning. That's part of education, isn't it? Making mistakes and trying to correct them? By just pulling her column completely, they are not giving her the opportunity to do better. I understand the school wants to set and maintain journalism standards, but they have to remember that students are there to learn. They don't know everything going in. If they did, they would not be there.
It's important that she and other students learn the responsibilities of their actions, but it is also important that they get the right education before they can even make the mistakes. If she had been told about how to properly attribute someone else's quote (which can be tricky, and doesn't always look as pretty as it would if you just left it out), she might not have even made the mistake in the first place.
I agree that what she did should be labeled as plagiarism. Using another person's writing, ideas or quotations, is essentially stealing. If I spent my energy and time writing something, then saw it used elsewhere without attribution I'd be pretty angry.
I still feel bad for her though. They could have handled the situation better.
Carelessness is not plagiarism
And poor John Merrill! He clearly did not mean any harm. The man was 83 and was a professor! He knew what he was doing for the most part but made one little slip and killed his credibility. His post was so sincere and I really feel for him. I am astounded that the school administration didn't stand up for him. Absolutely astounded.
He makes a very good point about semantics and the lack of a clear definition of plagiarism. There really is no absolutely, clear-cut definition of the word. That paragraph, to me, puts him on such a higher level than the people who pulled his column. This is something that he has definitely put a lot of thought into. I highly doubt the Missourian editor has thought as much as Merrill has about plagiarism.
Miller just didn't see using other people's quotes as plagiarism. It wasn't in his definition of the word. And how was this story not edited and checked before it ran? Someone should have caught his flaw somewhere along the line before it was published.
Some of the comments people wrote on this story were incredibly harsh. I understand that using the quotes without citing the source is inaccurate and that he simply could have called and got new quotes himself. Maybe his apology was just so heartfelt. I don't know. I can see both sides. I know that what he did wasn't right, but I still feel for him.
Maybe it's the fact that he's 83. In my head I am probably meshing who he really is and a little, lost old man. Maybe if he said he had Alzheimer's he would have gotten off easier.
Places Journalists Should Go for Politics
Well this is nice? I really don't know what to write about it. It increases my stalker capabilities, that is for sure.
"It can be fun to run their home through Census data to get a description of their neighborhood."
I have definitely done that...but not with political figures. More like people who I like to creep on. The best way to start a conversation is definitely, "So is it true that 98% of your town in Caucasian?"
The sites given here are pretty crazy, things I would never dream of. Project Vote Smart seems really cool, esp. how you can search speeches and public speeches. There are SO many sites. SO much information available.
This just furthers the point that you really can find almost anything you want/need on the Internet. I often forget this, or simply do not know where to look. But with this stalker's handbook provided, I will forever know where to look.
By the way, my town (Medway, MA) is approximately 3.6% Asian and 2.3% of individuals are under poverty level. And about 1,067 citizens are under age 5. These are all facts that you NEED to know.
Let me just start by saying, that poor girl. She just made a mistake and I really don't think she meant to plagiarize at all. She's a student, she's learning. That's part of education, isn't it? Making mistakes and trying to correct them? By just pulling her column completely, they are not giving her the opportunity to do better. I understand the school wants to set and maintain journalism standards, but they have to remember that students are there to learn. They don't know everything going in. If they did, they would not be there.
It's important that she and other students learn the responsibilities of their actions, but it is also important that they get the right education before they can even make the mistakes. If she had been told about how to properly attribute someone else's quote (which can be tricky, and doesn't always look as pretty as it would if you just left it out), she might not have even made the mistake in the first place.
I agree that what she did should be labeled as plagiarism. Using another person's writing, ideas or quotations, is essentially stealing. If I spent my energy and time writing something, then saw it used elsewhere without attribution I'd be pretty angry.
I still feel bad for her though. They could have handled the situation better.
Carelessness is not plagiarism
And poor John Merrill! He clearly did not mean any harm. The man was 83 and was a professor! He knew what he was doing for the most part but made one little slip and killed his credibility. His post was so sincere and I really feel for him. I am astounded that the school administration didn't stand up for him. Absolutely astounded.
He makes a very good point about semantics and the lack of a clear definition of plagiarism. There really is no absolutely, clear-cut definition of the word. That paragraph, to me, puts him on such a higher level than the people who pulled his column. This is something that he has definitely put a lot of thought into. I highly doubt the Missourian editor has thought as much as Merrill has about plagiarism.
Miller just didn't see using other people's quotes as plagiarism. It wasn't in his definition of the word. And how was this story not edited and checked before it ran? Someone should have caught his flaw somewhere along the line before it was published.
Some of the comments people wrote on this story were incredibly harsh. I understand that using the quotes without citing the source is inaccurate and that he simply could have called and got new quotes himself. Maybe his apology was just so heartfelt. I don't know. I can see both sides. I know that what he did wasn't right, but I still feel for him.
Maybe it's the fact that he's 83. In my head I am probably meshing who he really is and a little, lost old man. Maybe if he said he had Alzheimer's he would have gotten off easier.
Places Journalists Should Go for Politics
Well this is nice? I really don't know what to write about it. It increases my stalker capabilities, that is for sure.
"It can be fun to run their home through Census data to get a description of their neighborhood."
I have definitely done that...but not with political figures. More like people who I like to creep on. The best way to start a conversation is definitely, "So is it true that 98% of your town in Caucasian?"
The sites given here are pretty crazy, things I would never dream of. Project Vote Smart seems really cool, esp. how you can search speeches and public speeches. There are SO many sites. SO much information available.
This just furthers the point that you really can find almost anything you want/need on the Internet. I often forget this, or simply do not know where to look. But with this stalker's handbook provided, I will forever know where to look.
By the way, my town (Medway, MA) is approximately 3.6% Asian and 2.3% of individuals are under poverty level. And about 1,067 citizens are under age 5. These are all facts that you NEED to know.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
"Is Oprah a different kind of celebrity?" was a question addressed on Fox News Tuesday.
The segment "Bill vs. Oprah" covered how Barbara Streisand announced her support of Clinton and compared it to Oprah's support of Obama. They made it seem like a HUGE deal. It was deemed breaking news. The only thing that was new to the story though was the Streisand bit, and they only talked about it briefly.
The majority of the story was about Oprah's influence on the public, which I do not think is breaking news by any means. The public has been well-informed on Oprah's backing of Obama.
The reporters made it seem like Oprah is God. That everyone listens to her and will do as she does. I have to wonder how many people are really influenced by such prominent celebrities.
The segment "Bill vs. Oprah" covered how Barbara Streisand announced her support of Clinton and compared it to Oprah's support of Obama. They made it seem like a HUGE deal. It was deemed breaking news. The only thing that was new to the story though was the Streisand bit, and they only talked about it briefly.
The majority of the story was about Oprah's influence on the public, which I do not think is breaking news by any means. The public has been well-informed on Oprah's backing of Obama.
The reporters made it seem like Oprah is God. That everyone listens to her and will do as she does. I have to wonder how many people are really influenced by such prominent celebrities.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
ethics reading
Sidebar on pg 502
Guidelines for journalism: responsibility, freedom of the press, independence, sincerity, truthfulness, accuracy, impartiality, fair play, and decency.
pg 506-522
This information is all similar to what many of us have learned in our media ethics class. When first skimming through the chapter I thought everything would be identical information, but it was not at all.
Potter Box? Never seen it. Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with Harry Potter. I'm tired. I think that's fairly obvious. Anyways, the box looks rather simple but once you start following the arrows I realized it can be a little confusing. But...it still is simple...it can go any way it wants to. Maybe it's confusing in the way in which it's so simple. I need to stop overthinking.
The green box about Kelly McBride was insightful. It's nice to know that there is someone out there to help people with their ethical decisions. The book offering her e-mail address and information about her column was a great addition to the chapter.
The section on freebies got to me. I love free things, yet I know as a journalist you are not supposed to accept gifts. I would have such a hard time turning down something given to me, and it seems as if I am not the only one. As humans in a buy buy buy world, we will take almost anything given to us for free. Well, I guess as journalists we should not. I like how some news agencies will accept gifts then auction them off and give the money to charities.
The withholding information portion of the chapter also intrigued me. The comparison of doctors to journalists was well put.
"If you work as a journalist, are you ever off-duty? A doctor isn't. Doctors take an oath to treat the sick. If you witness something at a friend's house or at a party, do you tell your news director about it?"
Guidelines for journalism: responsibility, freedom of the press, independence, sincerity, truthfulness, accuracy, impartiality, fair play, and decency.
pg 506-522
This information is all similar to what many of us have learned in our media ethics class. When first skimming through the chapter I thought everything would be identical information, but it was not at all.
Potter Box? Never seen it. Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with Harry Potter. I'm tired. I think that's fairly obvious. Anyways, the box looks rather simple but once you start following the arrows I realized it can be a little confusing. But...it still is simple...it can go any way it wants to. Maybe it's confusing in the way in which it's so simple. I need to stop overthinking.
The green box about Kelly McBride was insightful. It's nice to know that there is someone out there to help people with their ethical decisions. The book offering her e-mail address and information about her column was a great addition to the chapter.
The section on freebies got to me. I love free things, yet I know as a journalist you are not supposed to accept gifts. I would have such a hard time turning down something given to me, and it seems as if I am not the only one. As humans in a buy buy buy world, we will take almost anything given to us for free. Well, I guess as journalists we should not. I like how some news agencies will accept gifts then auction them off and give the money to charities.
The withholding information portion of the chapter also intrigued me. The comparison of doctors to journalists was well put.
"If you work as a journalist, are you ever off-duty? A doctor isn't. Doctors take an oath to treat the sick. If you witness something at a friend's house or at a party, do you tell your news director about it?"
Candidates using e-mail
When I receive an e-mail with the subject line as "Hey" I usually think it's an e-mail from a friend or family member. I open it immediately. This tactic, the "Hey" tactic I'll call it, is what some candidates are using to catch their supporters attention.
Michelle Obama e-mailed supporters of her husband with this subject line. Unlike the "Hey" e-mails I receive from friends to keep in touch, this e-mail was looking for donations. They generally have a conversational tone as they are attempting to squeeze every last penny from the e-mail recipients.
"Such e-mails are a key to fundraising in this election -- Clinton raised $8 million online in the last quarter, while her closest rival, Obama, has collected a record of nearly $26 million online so far for the year -- and are central to organizing volunteers, especially a new generation of Web-savvy young activists."
I never realized how much energy, and money, went into e-mails. Clinton is said to have the largest e-mail list. Over one million addresses. That is crazy crazy crazy.
Michelle Obama e-mailed supporters of her husband with this subject line. Unlike the "Hey" e-mails I receive from friends to keep in touch, this e-mail was looking for donations. They generally have a conversational tone as they are attempting to squeeze every last penny from the e-mail recipients.
"Such e-mails are a key to fundraising in this election -- Clinton raised $8 million online in the last quarter, while her closest rival, Obama, has collected a record of nearly $26 million online so far for the year -- and are central to organizing volunteers, especially a new generation of Web-savvy young activists."
I never realized how much energy, and money, went into e-mails. Clinton is said to have the largest e-mail list. Over one million addresses. That is crazy crazy crazy.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
So washingtonpost.com has this really cool thing called "Issue Coverage Tracker." There are two columns, one for issues on the left and one with candidates on the right. When you scroll your mouse over specific issues some candidates pictures get larger, depending on how important that issue is to them. For example, when you scroll over health care Hillary Clinton's face gets larger than everyone else's. In a like way, when you scroll over a specific candidate the text of certain issues can get larger. For Tom Tancredo abortion is double the size of all the other issues. The bottom has a date range so you can select a time period for the issues and candidates.
You can also click on the candidate and you learn how many times a candidate mentions a specific issue. Did you know that John Edwards has mentioned globalization 8 times in the month of November? Well, know you do.
This is mainly just fun to play with. It's very aesthetically pleasing.
You can also click on the candidate and you learn how many times a candidate mentions a specific issue. Did you know that John Edwards has mentioned globalization 8 times in the month of November? Well, know you do.
This is mainly just fun to play with. It's very aesthetically pleasing.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
chaptah 19
Okay, so this chapter is about "Writing News for Radio and Television." It begins with using 9/11 as an example. I remember hearing about 9/11 for the first time. I had just came back from learning about the student handbook, in 8th grade. My teachers all turned on the tvs and radios so we could hear about the updates about the incident in our country. My friends were running around screaming that they thought the Backstreet Boys were "trading" day in the World Trade Center. It was quite the day. I remember that news that day wasn't so certain but tried their hardest to give all they could. The only images I remember from those broadcasts are the Twin Towers falling. I feel like that is pretty normal though.
It's crazy that one half-hour newscast has only 22 minutes of news, which equals half of a front page in newspaper. What's even crazier is how many people get their news solely from broadcast news.
The audio and visual aspect of broadcast news is now being used in print news, that is in online forms. I think that makes broadcast news have to work even harder to use their other forms of media in the best way possible.
"You can't shoot video of an issue." It is necessary to have people in a broadcast news story. Without a living, breathing person there would be essentially no story.
I like the sections on using "conversation style" and "tight phrasing" in writing for television and radio. It says to avoid the passive voice and to use transitive verbs in the active voice. It also says that people rarely talk in the passive voice...it's funny because I think I talk in the passive voice a lot. It sucks because it transfers to my writing. I'm catching it more now though. It also says to not be wordy...another one of my faults in speaking and writing. I am SO wordy. I never know the most direct way to say something. It's like I stumble over words and mash them up to try to make something comprehensible.
The last thing I found important in this chapter was how to structure the story. That whole section was helpful.
It's crazy that one half-hour newscast has only 22 minutes of news, which equals half of a front page in newspaper. What's even crazier is how many people get their news solely from broadcast news.
The audio and visual aspect of broadcast news is now being used in print news, that is in online forms. I think that makes broadcast news have to work even harder to use their other forms of media in the best way possible.
"You can't shoot video of an issue." It is necessary to have people in a broadcast news story. Without a living, breathing person there would be essentially no story.
I like the sections on using "conversation style" and "tight phrasing" in writing for television and radio. It says to avoid the passive voice and to use transitive verbs in the active voice. It also says that people rarely talk in the passive voice...it's funny because I think I talk in the passive voice a lot. It sucks because it transfers to my writing. I'm catching it more now though. It also says to not be wordy...another one of my faults in speaking and writing. I am SO wordy. I never know the most direct way to say something. It's like I stumble over words and mash them up to try to make something comprehensible.
The last thing I found important in this chapter was how to structure the story. That whole section was helpful.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Chapter 18: Investigative Reporting
I think this chapter would have been very helpful had it been assigned before watching the McWane video. I was absolutely amazed with how much work went into that case and how PBS put everything they used online. I have seen many things like it before but I had never watched them from a journalistic perspective.
I thought it was good that this chapter mentioned that investigative reporting doesn't always involve crime and corruption. The public service aspect is often brushed over and forgotten about.
The chapter stresses the use of technology in investigative reporting many times. The amount of data that comes from technology is immense. You can find almost any data you need on the Internet today. And if it's not right there you can find where to get it elsewhere.
I think it's good that it says that you should be open to disproof to your hypothesis. I'm sure it's hard for many journalists to see that what they've been trying to prove is in fact not true. They may go for ways to make it seem true but this isn't right. The reporting is not a waste and if the reporter is good enough they can come up with another story from what they have uncovered.
"Many reporters take a kind of perverse pride in their illegible notebooks and cluttered desks."
This is great and it describes me very well. Last night I went on my ride along and wrote all my notes in the dark for the most part. I can still read everything I wrote but the words are all over the place. And my desk...wow. At the moment, my desk has approximately two post-it sized empty areas on it. The rest of the three-foot long desk is cluttered with life necessities. These life necessities include a large bottle of ibuprofen, an empty box of Snowcaps, a reporter’s notepad, a headband with leopard ears, a plastic margarita glass filled with bobby pins, my cable bill, two deodorants (one empty), two Halloween cards, a Nalgene water bottle with two bumper stickers, a TV remote, nail strengthener, and a hermit crab cage with two, hopefully living, hermit crabs.
It would suck to do great reporting and then have it be poorly written. "The best reporting in the world is wasted unless it is read." So true, and so upsetting.
The description of sources was helpful, but at the same time self-explanatory.
Lastly, there's a typo on page 390. Last time I checked "un1derstanding" was not a word. I give the textbook an F for misspelling.
http://www.ire.org/extraextra/
This is fun. Lots of stories. I liked this one: "Investigation finds animal corpses in Colorado Humane Society trash." Everyone loves dead animals, no?
http://www.ire.org/inthenews_archive/
More stories! I really don't know what to say about them in my blog though.
http://www.ire.org/resourcecenter/initial-search-beat.html
Even more stories...again, I don't know what to right about. Reading all of these is terrifying though. I feel as though I may die in mere seconds due to a volcano eruption or my room catching on fire.
I think this chapter would have been very helpful had it been assigned before watching the McWane video. I was absolutely amazed with how much work went into that case and how PBS put everything they used online. I have seen many things like it before but I had never watched them from a journalistic perspective.
I thought it was good that this chapter mentioned that investigative reporting doesn't always involve crime and corruption. The public service aspect is often brushed over and forgotten about.
The chapter stresses the use of technology in investigative reporting many times. The amount of data that comes from technology is immense. You can find almost any data you need on the Internet today. And if it's not right there you can find where to get it elsewhere.
I think it's good that it says that you should be open to disproof to your hypothesis. I'm sure it's hard for many journalists to see that what they've been trying to prove is in fact not true. They may go for ways to make it seem true but this isn't right. The reporting is not a waste and if the reporter is good enough they can come up with another story from what they have uncovered.
"Many reporters take a kind of perverse pride in their illegible notebooks and cluttered desks."
This is great and it describes me very well. Last night I went on my ride along and wrote all my notes in the dark for the most part. I can still read everything I wrote but the words are all over the place. And my desk...wow. At the moment, my desk has approximately two post-it sized empty areas on it. The rest of the three-foot long desk is cluttered with life necessities. These life necessities include a large bottle of ibuprofen, an empty box of Snowcaps, a reporter’s notepad, a headband with leopard ears, a plastic margarita glass filled with bobby pins, my cable bill, two deodorants (one empty), two Halloween cards, a Nalgene water bottle with two bumper stickers, a TV remote, nail strengthener, and a hermit crab cage with two, hopefully living, hermit crabs.
It would suck to do great reporting and then have it be poorly written. "The best reporting in the world is wasted unless it is read." So true, and so upsetting.
The description of sources was helpful, but at the same time self-explanatory.
Lastly, there's a typo on page 390. Last time I checked "un1derstanding" was not a word. I give the textbook an F for misspelling.
http://www.ire.org/extraextra/
This is fun. Lots of stories. I liked this one: "Investigation finds animal corpses in Colorado Humane Society trash." Everyone loves dead animals, no?
http://www.ire.org/inthenews_archive/
More stories! I really don't know what to say about them in my blog though.
http://www.ire.org/resourcecenter/initial-search-beat.html
Even more stories...again, I don't know what to right about. Reading all of these is terrifying though. I feel as though I may die in mere seconds due to a volcano eruption or my room catching on fire.
Want to talk to a presidential candidate? Go back into time and be 5 again.
Apparently, Obama has a thing for 5-year-olds. No, not in that way fools.
At first the campaign denied questions from reporters to Obama while he was in Durham, North Carolina. Then Hadassah Jones, 5, showed some tears and the presidential candidate decided to let her interview him.
Jones is one of the youngest correspondents probably ever. Working for brandnewz.com, the 5-year-old was the only reporter that Obama would talk to. Tears can go a long way my friends. Also, being under 4 feet tall can help.
In the interview, Obama mentioned his goals of providing health insurance to everyone and improving schools. He explained his beliefs to the first grader by saying, ""We've got to make sure that people who have more money help the people who have less money. If you had a whole pizza, and your friend had no pizza, would you give him a slice?"
Note to self: If I ever want to be a successful reporter, shrink a few feet, start weeping, and ask simple questions that a 5-year-old could understand.
At first the campaign denied questions from reporters to Obama while he was in Durham, North Carolina. Then Hadassah Jones, 5, showed some tears and the presidential candidate decided to let her interview him.
Jones is one of the youngest correspondents probably ever. Working for brandnewz.com, the 5-year-old was the only reporter that Obama would talk to. Tears can go a long way my friends. Also, being under 4 feet tall can help.
In the interview, Obama mentioned his goals of providing health insurance to everyone and improving schools. He explained his beliefs to the first grader by saying, ""We've got to make sure that people who have more money help the people who have less money. If you had a whole pizza, and your friend had no pizza, would you give him a slice?"
Note to self: If I ever want to be a successful reporter, shrink a few feet, start weeping, and ask simple questions that a 5-year-old could understand.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Readinggg
Chapter 8: Covering Criminal Courts
Okay, so this is a lot more specific than the other readings. Or maybe I just know a lot less about this stuff. Everything I learned about this topic I learned from television, and had to have someone explain everything to me while watching. My brain isn't wired for this stuff.
So I'm reading this and I don't really know what to write about. It's just a whole lot of information right now. I like how they give all the definitions of motions though, considering I knew like 2 beforehand. The portion covering trials was helpful as well. It gives a good play-by-play of exactly what's going on and what a journalist needs to understand.
Normally when I write in my blog I try to compare the reading to something. I have nothing to compare this chapter with. It's straight facts. And my knowledge on courts is limited, very limited.
Chapter 9: Covering Civil Courts
This looks just as interesting as the previous chapter...hah. Sorry, this stuff simply does not interest me. It takes me a really long time to process it all. I feel like an idiot.
Alright, I know the examples they used for civil lawsuits. Now I don't feel as dumb.
Great quote: "For many court reporters, the civil court is the stepchild of the criminal courts."
(I just find it funny when they apply family terms to things that aren't related by blood)
The Liebeck example is useful in this chapter. I plan on spilling a lot of coffee on myself, not that I don't already. But in the future, I plan on making some sweet money off it.
I think I like reading about civil courts more than criminal courts. This is like Judge Judy stuff. When I was little, I would go to my grandparents' house at least twice a week. They had this computer maintenance guy who came over a lot (their computer must've been really messed up, and he just happened to be a good friend) and he would always watch hours and hours of Judge Judy on their couch. Because of this, and the fact that he adored his cats and fed them Doritos, my grandmother concluded that he was gay. Turns out, he is. I saw him at my grandfather's funeral this past Thursday and had a hard time placing him. I just saw his face and thought, "Judge Judy."
That is my comparison of the reading to my life for tonight. That's as good as I can get right now.
Chapter 14: Covering a Beat
This sounds exciting, but difficult at first. I take a bit to get used to things so I don't know how well I would do at this in the beginning. I like to know exactly what I'm doing, but I also have an interest for learning new things.
Okay, so clearly you need have a good broad knowledge. Hopefully, we are all getting that at school. I'm not so sure I am, maybe once I finish my minor I'll work on taking some basic classes. That would probably be a good idea.
This may be a line that I would normally skip over, but I somehow picked it up. And I like it, a lot: "History may not repeat itself, but knowledge of it helps you assess the significance of current events and provides clues to what you can expect." It's like the age-old history teacher motto "if we don't learn from our history we are bound to repeat it" but I feel like it says so much more. We need to be able to acknowledge what the public needs to know to help our society. As reporters, we need to know what we are writing about. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people write about something and they have no idea what they are saying. That goes more with opinion pieces, but still. It bugs me.
The textbook mentions that one of the most common mistakes of beginning reporters is giving up too easily. Lalala this is me. I'm getting better though.
I like how it says to "be there." It seems trivial to say, but maybe it isn't. For beat reporting the best way to get the story is to be right there. Otherwise, you are completely missing out.
Okay, so then the chapter goes further into each specific beat. My ear really hurts. I'm going to bed.
Okay, so this is a lot more specific than the other readings. Or maybe I just know a lot less about this stuff. Everything I learned about this topic I learned from television, and had to have someone explain everything to me while watching. My brain isn't wired for this stuff.
So I'm reading this and I don't really know what to write about. It's just a whole lot of information right now. I like how they give all the definitions of motions though, considering I knew like 2 beforehand. The portion covering trials was helpful as well. It gives a good play-by-play of exactly what's going on and what a journalist needs to understand.
Normally when I write in my blog I try to compare the reading to something. I have nothing to compare this chapter with. It's straight facts. And my knowledge on courts is limited, very limited.
Chapter 9: Covering Civil Courts
This looks just as interesting as the previous chapter...hah. Sorry, this stuff simply does not interest me. It takes me a really long time to process it all. I feel like an idiot.
Alright, I know the examples they used for civil lawsuits. Now I don't feel as dumb.
Great quote: "For many court reporters, the civil court is the stepchild of the criminal courts."
(I just find it funny when they apply family terms to things that aren't related by blood)
The Liebeck example is useful in this chapter. I plan on spilling a lot of coffee on myself, not that I don't already. But in the future, I plan on making some sweet money off it.
I think I like reading about civil courts more than criminal courts. This is like Judge Judy stuff. When I was little, I would go to my grandparents' house at least twice a week. They had this computer maintenance guy who came over a lot (their computer must've been really messed up, and he just happened to be a good friend) and he would always watch hours and hours of Judge Judy on their couch. Because of this, and the fact that he adored his cats and fed them Doritos, my grandmother concluded that he was gay. Turns out, he is. I saw him at my grandfather's funeral this past Thursday and had a hard time placing him. I just saw his face and thought, "Judge Judy."
That is my comparison of the reading to my life for tonight. That's as good as I can get right now.
Chapter 14: Covering a Beat
This sounds exciting, but difficult at first. I take a bit to get used to things so I don't know how well I would do at this in the beginning. I like to know exactly what I'm doing, but I also have an interest for learning new things.
Okay, so clearly you need have a good broad knowledge. Hopefully, we are all getting that at school. I'm not so sure I am, maybe once I finish my minor I'll work on taking some basic classes. That would probably be a good idea.
This may be a line that I would normally skip over, but I somehow picked it up. And I like it, a lot: "History may not repeat itself, but knowledge of it helps you assess the significance of current events and provides clues to what you can expect." It's like the age-old history teacher motto "if we don't learn from our history we are bound to repeat it" but I feel like it says so much more. We need to be able to acknowledge what the public needs to know to help our society. As reporters, we need to know what we are writing about. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people write about something and they have no idea what they are saying. That goes more with opinion pieces, but still. It bugs me.
The textbook mentions that one of the most common mistakes of beginning reporters is giving up too easily. Lalala this is me. I'm getting better though.
I like how it says to "be there." It seems trivial to say, but maybe it isn't. For beat reporting the best way to get the story is to be right there. Otherwise, you are completely missing out.
Okay, so then the chapter goes further into each specific beat. My ear really hurts. I'm going to bed.
Giuliani for the Red Sox...what??
With game 4 of the World Series approaching in a mere half hour and after just returning from home in glorious Massachusetts, I had to pick this issue. And it is an issue.
Rudy Giuliani, huge huge huge Yankees fan, said he is rooting for the Red Sox.
What?? Wait, no really...what?
Don't give me the "I root for my league" crap. We don't buy it. We don't want you.
Just because he was talking in a Boston restaurant doesn't mean we want him to say he's backing our team. If you are a real Yankees fan, you would never root for the Sox. We don't want you to root for the Sox! We see right through you Rudy! Our mamas didn't raise no fools!
And don't think we forgot that New Hampshire is all Sox fans and just happens to be the first primary. We're not idiots.
Aaaand, don't go saying that Clinton is not a real Yankees fan then say that you are rooting for the Sox. It does not work like that Giuliani, nope not at all.
Idiot.
Go Sox!
Rudy Giuliani, huge huge huge Yankees fan, said he is rooting for the Red Sox.
What?? Wait, no really...what?
Don't give me the "I root for my league" crap. We don't buy it. We don't want you.
Just because he was talking in a Boston restaurant doesn't mean we want him to say he's backing our team. If you are a real Yankees fan, you would never root for the Sox. We don't want you to root for the Sox! We see right through you Rudy! Our mamas didn't raise no fools!
And don't think we forgot that New Hampshire is all Sox fans and just happens to be the first primary. We're not idiots.
Aaaand, don't go saying that Clinton is not a real Yankees fan then say that you are rooting for the Sox. It does not work like that Giuliani, nope not at all.
Idiot.
Go Sox!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
chapters 1, 5, and 7
I know this post is a little past the due date, but it's been a very hectic week at home. Better late than never, right?
Chapter 1: The Crime Beat
I liked how this chapter started out by saying that crime can be a great story to tell, which is what journalism is at its core--story telling. As it continues, it seems like reporters are often happy when something criminal rolls along so they get a chance to write about it. Honestly, that sounds a tad bit selfish. It's one thing to write about it if it happens to occur, but it kind of comes across that reporters are almost hoping for something bad to happen.
The "sink-or-swim test" seems rather brutal, but I guess it makes sense. If you can deal with the pressures of a crime beat then you can deal with the pressures of almost anything. But this test can lead to not training beat reporters. If I was just thrown into police reporting, like the example with Prusher, without any guidance, I would be extremely nervous in the actual reporting and fearful that I wasn't doing my job correctly.
This quote from Stanley Walker is great:
"News is the inexact measure of the ebb and flow of the tides of human aspiration, the ignominy of mankind, the glory of the human race. It is the best record we have of the incredible meanness and the magnificent courage of man."
I do not think I would like the aggressive nature of crime reporting in NYC that Krajicek writes about. It seems like it could possibly get dangerous? The relationships between cops and journalists seems interesting, and I like this quote. "Cops are leery of journalists, and many journalists are cynical about cops. Perhaps this is healthy." I think that is very healthy. You don't want the two to be all buddy-buddy. It would be hard to trust.
The next thing that I found helpful were the definitions of terms used in civil law. Here they are.
My eyes hurt from reading all of this online.
I thought the example of the kindergarten boy shooting a classmate was very interesting (under 'Bad News' Beat). Writing that story must've been extremely difficult. I can't even imagine where I would start with writing a story like that. How it was criticized was also interesting to read, and I can see where it is coming from. I don't think there will ever be a story that was difficult to write that won't be harshly criticized.
The excerpts from Edna Buchanan's memoir were equally interesting...and make me never want to be a police reporter. "It can be lonesome and arduous. People blame you for the bad news," she writes. I understand that this is how human nature generally works (people need to place the blame on someone, media can be an easy target) but that really sucks. It takes a strong person to be able to deal with that day in and day out.
All this safety stuff makes me nervous.... Note to self: "Consider protective gear, such as a helmet."
Okay, I need to stop writing about everything. This chapter is really, really long.
What to do if you ever face arrest...sweeeeet, I can get arrested for doing this stuff. Just what I want to hear. This portion of the chapter tells you more of how to avoid getting arrested, and not what to do if you actually are arrested. I guess that it's more important to know how to avoid being arrested.
Chapter 5: Covering Crime and Its Victims
Good, this chapter is shorter. One needs "perspective, persistence and patience" while covering crime and its victims. 3 p's. Good. Easy to remember. A lot of the stuff in the beginning of this chapter was covered in Chapter 1.
"As reporters, we must remember that though we have deadlines, victims or their families have quite a bit to do, too." Uh, yeah. Think about it. They are going through a lot more than you are. Be respectful. If they want to be left alone, just leave them alone. Let them be with their family. Get out of their face. You're probably just making it worse.
All of this is irking me right now. I don't think I could do this line of reporting. I would not want to annoy a victim. I mean, it seems really annoying to have a reporter asking you all these questions right after something tragic has occurred. Being interviewed is probably the last thing a victim wants, unless it's something they want the public to be aware of. It just adds on to all the stress they are already dealing with.
Chapter 7: Covering the Courts
The beginning of this chapter is informative about the courts. There was a lot I didn't know. Actually, I didn't know most of this before. If I was to include what I didn't know (which is what I mostly do in these entries) I would basically give a summary of the entire chapter. I'm not about to do that.
You need to do a lot of research when covering the courts. Not only do you have to do the research, but you have to be able to understand EVERYTHING. This chapter says where you can find every document you will ever need basically.
The portion on access was helpful. It is necessary to know all your rights in the courtroom.
This reading has taken me 3 days now. I'm done...until tomorrow when I do the next two chapters.
Chapter 1: The Crime Beat
I liked how this chapter started out by saying that crime can be a great story to tell, which is what journalism is at its core--story telling. As it continues, it seems like reporters are often happy when something criminal rolls along so they get a chance to write about it. Honestly, that sounds a tad bit selfish. It's one thing to write about it if it happens to occur, but it kind of comes across that reporters are almost hoping for something bad to happen.
The "sink-or-swim test" seems rather brutal, but I guess it makes sense. If you can deal with the pressures of a crime beat then you can deal with the pressures of almost anything. But this test can lead to not training beat reporters. If I was just thrown into police reporting, like the example with Prusher, without any guidance, I would be extremely nervous in the actual reporting and fearful that I wasn't doing my job correctly.
This quote from Stanley Walker is great:
"News is the inexact measure of the ebb and flow of the tides of human aspiration, the ignominy of mankind, the glory of the human race. It is the best record we have of the incredible meanness and the magnificent courage of man."
I do not think I would like the aggressive nature of crime reporting in NYC that Krajicek writes about. It seems like it could possibly get dangerous? The relationships between cops and journalists seems interesting, and I like this quote. "Cops are leery of journalists, and many journalists are cynical about cops. Perhaps this is healthy." I think that is very healthy. You don't want the two to be all buddy-buddy. It would be hard to trust.
The next thing that I found helpful were the definitions of terms used in civil law. Here they are.
- Larceny encompasses any wrongful taking of property.
- Theft is larceny without a threat or violence, such as a picked pocket. Many forms of white-collar financial crimes are variations of theft.
- Fraud is a form of theft, sometimes defined as theft by deception.
- Tax evasion is another form of theft.
- Auto theft is self-explanatory.
- Robbery is a larceny accompanied by violence or threats, including a finger under the jacket to indicate a gun.
- Burglary is the unlawful entering of a premises with the intent to commit a crime. A burglary does not involve violence. But if a homeowner discovers the burglar and violence ensues, the burglary becomes a robbery. ("Home invasion," a phrase that became popularized in the 1990s and was followed by special-penalty laws, is a break-in robbery.)
My eyes hurt from reading all of this online.
I thought the example of the kindergarten boy shooting a classmate was very interesting (under 'Bad News' Beat). Writing that story must've been extremely difficult. I can't even imagine where I would start with writing a story like that. How it was criticized was also interesting to read, and I can see where it is coming from. I don't think there will ever be a story that was difficult to write that won't be harshly criticized.
The excerpts from Edna Buchanan's memoir were equally interesting...and make me never want to be a police reporter. "It can be lonesome and arduous. People blame you for the bad news," she writes. I understand that this is how human nature generally works (people need to place the blame on someone, media can be an easy target) but that really sucks. It takes a strong person to be able to deal with that day in and day out.
All this safety stuff makes me nervous.... Note to self: "Consider protective gear, such as a helmet."
Okay, I need to stop writing about everything. This chapter is really, really long.
What to do if you ever face arrest...sweeeeet, I can get arrested for doing this stuff. Just what I want to hear. This portion of the chapter tells you more of how to avoid getting arrested, and not what to do if you actually are arrested. I guess that it's more important to know how to avoid being arrested.
Chapter 5: Covering Crime and Its Victims
Good, this chapter is shorter. One needs "perspective, persistence and patience" while covering crime and its victims. 3 p's. Good. Easy to remember. A lot of the stuff in the beginning of this chapter was covered in Chapter 1.
"As reporters, we must remember that though we have deadlines, victims or their families have quite a bit to do, too." Uh, yeah. Think about it. They are going through a lot more than you are. Be respectful. If they want to be left alone, just leave them alone. Let them be with their family. Get out of their face. You're probably just making it worse.
All of this is irking me right now. I don't think I could do this line of reporting. I would not want to annoy a victim. I mean, it seems really annoying to have a reporter asking you all these questions right after something tragic has occurred. Being interviewed is probably the last thing a victim wants, unless it's something they want the public to be aware of. It just adds on to all the stress they are already dealing with.
Chapter 7: Covering the Courts
The beginning of this chapter is informative about the courts. There was a lot I didn't know. Actually, I didn't know most of this before. If I was to include what I didn't know (which is what I mostly do in these entries) I would basically give a summary of the entire chapter. I'm not about to do that.
You need to do a lot of research when covering the courts. Not only do you have to do the research, but you have to be able to understand EVERYTHING. This chapter says where you can find every document you will ever need basically.
The portion on access was helpful. It is necessary to know all your rights in the courtroom.
This reading has taken me 3 days now. I'm done...until tomorrow when I do the next two chapters.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
comments
http://fallingfornews2007.blogspot.com/
Guiliani and Hillary aren’t the same person.
http://reporterandrea.blogspot.com/
Hungry blondes.
http://man-o-man-journalism.blogspot.com/
XM radio
http://newsreportingicjessg.blogspot.com/
Gore for prez?! no.
http://lvpdnews-lara.blogspot.com/
baby bonds.
http://emokenews.blogspot.com/
Romney races
http://seagullatemycheetos.blogspot.com/
purple chicken-poxed map
http://archanatalk.blogspot.com/2007/09/
youth-of-nation.html youth votes
Guiliani and Hillary aren’t the same person.
http://reporterandrea.blogspot.com/
Hungry blondes.
http://man-o-man-journalism.blogspot.com/
XM radio
http://newsreportingicjessg.blogspot.com/
Gore for prez?! no.
http://lvpdnews-lara.blogspot.com/
baby bonds.
http://emokenews.blogspot.com/
Romney races
http://seagullatemycheetos.blogspot.com/
purple chicken-poxed map
http://archanatalk.blogspot.com/2007/09/
youth-of-nation.html youth votes
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Gore for '08 presidential candidate?
Fans of Al Gore are pushing him to become a candidate for the 2008 presidential election, according to ABCNews.com. The fans are a part of a group named Draft Gore which has its own website. They bought a $65,000 ad in the New York Times to display a letter to Gore that basically begged him to become a candidate. Radio ads are also being played by Draft Gore using slogans like, "He won once, he can win again." They're hoping that his win of a Nobel Peace Prize will make him change his mind on entering the election.
The website DraftGore.com was fun to explore. One of my favorite parts is a song "Run Al Run" featuring lines like, "lately the White House is quite well known for having lots of lights on but no one home." There is also a poster available to order online! But really, the site is good and offers a petition, lots of media, reasons to choose Gore, etc.
Newsweek published an article about the Draft Gore organizations. It also said that supporters are hoping that the Nobel Peace Prize he won Friday will urge him to enter the race.
The website DraftGore.com was fun to explore. One of my favorite parts is a song "Run Al Run" featuring lines like, "lately the White House is quite well known for having lots of lights on but no one home." There is also a poster available to order online! But really, the site is good and offers a petition, lots of media, reasons to choose Gore, etc.
Newsweek published an article about the Draft Gore organizations. It also said that supporters are hoping that the Nobel Peace Prize he won Friday will urge him to enter the race.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
The Race to Informality
Informality of the lives of presidential candidates were addressed in an AP story published two days ago. Barack Obama's wife, Michelle, informed us of her husband's dirty sock habits and Hillary Clinton lets us know that she wants Bill to eat carrots, instead of chips.
The article addresses the fact that many see Hillary Clinton as harsh and that letting the public know random tidbits of her life may make her seem more real. All of the little aspects of her personal life being exposed are helping the public know of her character.
In a conference last month, Rudolph Giuliani shocked an audience as he answered his ringing cellphone. It was his wife and he said to her, "I love you and I will give you a call as soon as I finish."
Dirty socks, carrots, and cellphones are some of the tactics candidates are using to seem more "real". They want to be perceived as more than just political figures but as family members and friends.
The article addresses the fact that many see Hillary Clinton as harsh and that letting the public know random tidbits of her life may make her seem more real. All of the little aspects of her personal life being exposed are helping the public know of her character.
In a conference last month, Rudolph Giuliani shocked an audience as he answered his ringing cellphone. It was his wife and he said to her, "I love you and I will give you a call as soon as I finish."
Dirty socks, carrots, and cellphones are some of the tactics candidates are using to seem more "real". They want to be perceived as more than just political figures but as family members and friends.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
A whole lot of reading...
Chapter 22
This chapter, with the topic being media law, opened up by telling us that people listen to Oprah. I do not. I do not like Oprah. She says mean things about cows...that was not the point of why the book used this as an example was it...
This chapter is necessary in a journalism textbook. Journalists need to know their rights and how to protect the rights of others.
Libel is extremely important for a journalist to understand. People are very protective of their own reputations and don't want something to taint their image. The chart "Defamation" was extremely helpful in understanding what constitutes slander and libel. The fact that the book mentions it at the beginning and the end of the chapter tells you that it is very vital for a journalist to understand.
Some of the wording in this chapter was kind of hard to get through but after a few reads it mostly made sense. I'll probably give it another read-through in the near future.
Politics and the English Language
First of all, I love how this was written.
"A man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks. It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts," writes Orwell.
I guess what Orwell is trying to get to is that just like a cluttered desk makes a cluttered mind, so does an unclear language leading to an unclear thinking process. He finds it not only important for professional writers to write in proper English but for everyday people to do the same.
The five quotes he chose as examples of bad prose were difficult to understand and hard to even vaguely comprehend what point the author was trying to get across. He writes that authors are "almost indifferent as to whether his words mean anything or not." This is something that I feel is very common in some text books and academic essays. In other classes, I have read many articles that have barely made any sense at first glance and where sentences had to be picked apart to understand. The first thing nearly everyone says as they enter the class is how hard the reading was. I believe that reading should be something enjoyable and that writing should not be something you have to decipher like it is a foreign language. Even if the subject matter may not interest you, you should at least find something inspiring in the writing style.
The following section helped me understand what makes writing not as effective as it could be. I commonly do everything that Orwell says not to do. If not in writing, I definitely say it out loud. I've been catching myself and others lately using dying metaphors and cliches. I caught a great contradictory metaphor yesterday while watching America's Next Top Model. "What you see is what you get. Don't judge a book by its cover," said one of the contestants. She was called out on this by one of the judges and told to stop contradicting herself.
I find myself wanting to quote every other line of this article.
"[Modern writing] consists in gumming together long strips of words which have already been set in order by someone else, and making the results presentable by sheer humbug," writes Orwell
I now realize how bad of a writer I am. Hopefully I will be better now that I have read this article and know what all my faults are (and that they are indeed faults).
I bookmarked it.
Five Characteristics of Academic or Scholarly Prose
This is exactly what I was talking about before. Academic and scholarly prose oftentimes is near impossible for a regular person to understand. It can be wordy and use unnecessarily long phrases. It is not even effective many times.
The characteristics listed are exactly what I see when reading academic essays for school. I thought I was an idiot before for not understanding what the author was writing but it turns out that they are the idiots (kind of).
Assessment of Media Performance (in the Staff Report to the President’s Commission on The Accident at Three Mile Island)
Reading this assessment makes me feel that I need to double major in something like, say, nuclear power maybe? If I was in the situation of the accident at TMI, I would be like Paul Magnussen who had to cover the story just because he was back from lunch first.
I liked reading how many reporters each news outlet sent to report on the accident. I found it interesting that the Times sent enough reporters to fill an entire floor of a hotel while others only sent a few.
I also liked how they included why the accident was newsworthy in the assessment. The fact that "conflicting information" was one of the reasons why reporters covered the story was new to me.
The work that reporters went to to understand what was going is outstanding. They really wanted to know everything so they could report fully and accurately. The steps they took to obtain information were not easy ones. One of my favorites was: "Inquirer reporters had obtained names of the workers by matching up license plate numbers on cars in the Met Ed lots with the names of the vehicles' owners." Creeeeepy, but great.
"No amount of information is ever enough information."
There is no doubt that many reporters covering this story believed that phrase. They didn't want to get information from just one source either, they went all over the place.
The sensationalism portion was helpful in understanding what makes something sensationalized and why reporters would want to take this "angle". For example, it was intriguing to find that the press didn't report that no one died at TMI.
Concluding the assessment of the media was how the situation could have been handled better. This is something that needs to be looked into so that future stories won't have the same issues as ones in the past.
This chapter, with the topic being media law, opened up by telling us that people listen to Oprah. I do not. I do not like Oprah. She says mean things about cows...that was not the point of why the book used this as an example was it...
This chapter is necessary in a journalism textbook. Journalists need to know their rights and how to protect the rights of others.
Libel is extremely important for a journalist to understand. People are very protective of their own reputations and don't want something to taint their image. The chart "Defamation" was extremely helpful in understanding what constitutes slander and libel. The fact that the book mentions it at the beginning and the end of the chapter tells you that it is very vital for a journalist to understand.
Some of the wording in this chapter was kind of hard to get through but after a few reads it mostly made sense. I'll probably give it another read-through in the near future.
Politics and the English Language
First of all, I love how this was written.
"A man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks. It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts," writes Orwell.
I guess what Orwell is trying to get to is that just like a cluttered desk makes a cluttered mind, so does an unclear language leading to an unclear thinking process. He finds it not only important for professional writers to write in proper English but for everyday people to do the same.
The five quotes he chose as examples of bad prose were difficult to understand and hard to even vaguely comprehend what point the author was trying to get across. He writes that authors are "almost indifferent as to whether his words mean anything or not." This is something that I feel is very common in some text books and academic essays. In other classes, I have read many articles that have barely made any sense at first glance and where sentences had to be picked apart to understand. The first thing nearly everyone says as they enter the class is how hard the reading was. I believe that reading should be something enjoyable and that writing should not be something you have to decipher like it is a foreign language. Even if the subject matter may not interest you, you should at least find something inspiring in the writing style.
The following section helped me understand what makes writing not as effective as it could be. I commonly do everything that Orwell says not to do. If not in writing, I definitely say it out loud. I've been catching myself and others lately using dying metaphors and cliches. I caught a great contradictory metaphor yesterday while watching America's Next Top Model. "What you see is what you get. Don't judge a book by its cover," said one of the contestants. She was called out on this by one of the judges and told to stop contradicting herself.
I find myself wanting to quote every other line of this article.
"[Modern writing] consists in gumming together long strips of words which have already been set in order by someone else, and making the results presentable by sheer humbug," writes Orwell
I now realize how bad of a writer I am. Hopefully I will be better now that I have read this article and know what all my faults are (and that they are indeed faults).
I bookmarked it.
Five Characteristics of Academic or Scholarly Prose
This is exactly what I was talking about before. Academic and scholarly prose oftentimes is near impossible for a regular person to understand. It can be wordy and use unnecessarily long phrases. It is not even effective many times.
The characteristics listed are exactly what I see when reading academic essays for school. I thought I was an idiot before for not understanding what the author was writing but it turns out that they are the idiots (kind of).
Assessment of Media Performance (in the Staff Report to the President’s Commission on The Accident at Three Mile Island)
Reading this assessment makes me feel that I need to double major in something like, say, nuclear power maybe? If I was in the situation of the accident at TMI, I would be like Paul Magnussen who had to cover the story just because he was back from lunch first.
I liked reading how many reporters each news outlet sent to report on the accident. I found it interesting that the Times sent enough reporters to fill an entire floor of a hotel while others only sent a few.
I also liked how they included why the accident was newsworthy in the assessment. The fact that "conflicting information" was one of the reasons why reporters covered the story was new to me.
The work that reporters went to to understand what was going is outstanding. They really wanted to know everything so they could report fully and accurately. The steps they took to obtain information were not easy ones. One of my favorites was: "Inquirer reporters had obtained names of the workers by matching up license plate numbers on cars in the Met Ed lots with the names of the vehicles' owners." Creeeeepy, but great.
"No amount of information is ever enough information."
There is no doubt that many reporters covering this story believed that phrase. They didn't want to get information from just one source either, they went all over the place.
The sensationalism portion was helpful in understanding what makes something sensationalized and why reporters would want to take this "angle". For example, it was intriguing to find that the press didn't report that no one died at TMI.
Concluding the assessment of the media was how the situation could have been handled better. This is something that needs to be looked into so that future stories won't have the same issues as ones in the past.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Chapters 11 and 12
Chapter 11
This chapter covered News Releases. It starts by saying that they can be both good and bad for newspapers because they give information straight to reporters, but the information isn't always complete and accurate. No matter what though, news releases always have the capability to lead you toward a good story. It's what you do with the information presented to you that really matters.
There are three different types of news releases: announcements, information about a cause, and information that's used to make someone or something look better. Announcements and cause-promoting releases are pretty straightforward and not a lot of bad can come from them. The image-building releases though have a different motivation. They are used to primarily make a person or an organization have a better image. "They desire as much free publicity as they can get," says the text book.
It makes sense to rewrite a news release when given to you. It makes your job easier if you immediately change everything to AP style and it almost guarantees that you won't have the same exact story as another publication. As you rewrite them you must look for human interest to find why someone would want to read the story. And obviously you have to be very careful when rewriting the image-promoting releases. First, you have to almost decipher what the news is in the release and not just what the person wants you to write. Then you have to find where all the information comes from and need to be able to put it all into context.
Lastly, the section on how to actually write a news release, and not how to write from one, would be very helpful to someone looking into public relations. I like how they say to write in AP style so that reporters won't have to change it later after a whole section about how you will have to change everything in the news release to AP style.
Chapter 12
Chapter 12 was about speeches, news conferences, and meetings. The chapter begins with stating the importance of preparing before anything. It makes clear that you must make sure of the correct middle initial of a person's name or you can get basically screwed.
It also says that it is necessary to be a good note taker whether or not you use a recorder. It then goes into how to take notes...quite literally. For example, write clearly and use abbreviations. I feel like these are things you quickly learn on your own and don't need a book to spell it out for you.
It then goes into how to cover the audience and the participants of the event. In short, it says that it is not just important to get what the speaker says but the environment in which the event took place and how the audience reacts to everything that goes on.
Arrive early.
The rest of the chapter covers how to write about the event you attended. It uses good examples to capture the essence of writing about a specific type of event.
This chapter covered News Releases. It starts by saying that they can be both good and bad for newspapers because they give information straight to reporters, but the information isn't always complete and accurate. No matter what though, news releases always have the capability to lead you toward a good story. It's what you do with the information presented to you that really matters.
There are three different types of news releases: announcements, information about a cause, and information that's used to make someone or something look better. Announcements and cause-promoting releases are pretty straightforward and not a lot of bad can come from them. The image-building releases though have a different motivation. They are used to primarily make a person or an organization have a better image. "They desire as much free publicity as they can get," says the text book.
It makes sense to rewrite a news release when given to you. It makes your job easier if you immediately change everything to AP style and it almost guarantees that you won't have the same exact story as another publication. As you rewrite them you must look for human interest to find why someone would want to read the story. And obviously you have to be very careful when rewriting the image-promoting releases. First, you have to almost decipher what the news is in the release and not just what the person wants you to write. Then you have to find where all the information comes from and need to be able to put it all into context.
Lastly, the section on how to actually write a news release, and not how to write from one, would be very helpful to someone looking into public relations. I like how they say to write in AP style so that reporters won't have to change it later after a whole section about how you will have to change everything in the news release to AP style.
Chapter 12
Chapter 12 was about speeches, news conferences, and meetings. The chapter begins with stating the importance of preparing before anything. It makes clear that you must make sure of the correct middle initial of a person's name or you can get basically screwed.
It also says that it is necessary to be a good note taker whether or not you use a recorder. It then goes into how to take notes...quite literally. For example, write clearly and use abbreviations. I feel like these are things you quickly learn on your own and don't need a book to spell it out for you.
It then goes into how to cover the audience and the participants of the event. In short, it says that it is not just important to get what the speaker says but the environment in which the event took place and how the audience reacts to everything that goes on.
Arrive early.
The rest of the chapter covers how to write about the event you attended. It uses good examples to capture the essence of writing about a specific type of event.
McCain Would Prefer a Christian President
In an AP story published just 20 hours ago, it was released that Sen. John McCain would prefer our next president to be Christian. He backs up his statement by saying that our country was based on Christian principles and that he would like the next president to have "a solid grounding in [his] faith."
He then backs up himself up even more by saying, "I would vote for a Muslim if he or she was the candidate best able to lead the country and defend our political values."
At first I was semi-bothered by his statement but then I thought about who he was interviewed by. The interview was conducted by Beliefnet, a Web site that covers religion and spirituality, so it kind of makes sense to me why he said this. He obviously felt comfortable in the interview to say what he wanted to say at first. He then covered himself it seems as the article shows.
He then backs up himself up even more by saying, "I would vote for a Muslim if he or she was the candidate best able to lead the country and defend our political values."
At first I was semi-bothered by his statement but then I thought about who he was interviewed by. The interview was conducted by Beliefnet, a Web site that covers religion and spirituality, so it kind of makes sense to me why he said this. He obviously felt comfortable in the interview to say what he wanted to say at first. He then covered himself it seems as the article shows.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Choose or Lose
MTV's Choose or Lose Campaign is looking for journalists to cover the 2008 election. They are looking to get reporters from every state and Washington D.C. to be part of their team and get the youth perspective of the election.
They, like most news corporations, are looking for people with strong reporting and writing skills. "A distinctive voice and an authoritative point of view" is also key in what they are looking for.
Reporters for Choose or Lose will write their own pieces that will be published online and on mobile devices. Clearly, this is geared toward a younger audience.
The MTV website gives the following requirements for applicants:
They, like most news corporations, are looking for people with strong reporting and writing skills. "A distinctive voice and an authoritative point of view" is also key in what they are looking for.
Reporters for Choose or Lose will write their own pieces that will be published online and on mobile devices. Clearly, this is geared toward a younger audience.
The MTV website gives the following requirements for applicants:
- You must be at least 18 years old by December, 2007.
- You must reside in the state you are covering from January to November, 2008.
- You must have the time and ability to travel within your state and file at least one video, written or photographic story per week.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Obituaries
When I first read the title of this chapter I thought to myself, "Great, obituaries. Just the thing I need to depress me on a rainy Saturday." But as I read the first page I got really, really overly excited. Obituaries are basically a quick summation of one's life that are commonly breezed over by readers. I have often thought about what my own obituary would read and hoped that it would be interesting and proof that I lived a full life. At the end of the first page there's a quote that includes the phrase "glorified obituary" and it instantly made me ponder about what I would have to achieve in my lifetime to earn such an obituary. I then turned the page and remembered that this chapter was not about me.
The second page was just as exciting as the first. I never thought I could be so interested in obituaries. It turns out that 50% of readers read the obituaries, which I never knew. Considering this, it is amazing how many boring obituaries I have read in my life. It's not that the person's life seemed unbelievably dull, it's that the writing did not stand up to glorify the person's life. The thing is, after a person dies there is not always much left of them to carry on a legacy. I feel that a well-written obituary keeps that person around for a little longer in some way or another. If the reader didn't know them before they died, they do now. They can look into what this person achieved in their life and get to know what this person stood for. Yes, maybe it is a little late, but it's well worth it.
It somewhat depresses me that newspapers can't cover all the obituaries. I get it, it makes complete sense but I feel like everyone deserves to be written about. Maybe, someday, I will make a newspaper that is just obituaries. I don't know how many people will read it though, just weird people like me. It would not be a good business move...
The rest of the chapter is more like a general, formulaic textbook. It starts out with how to write a lead in an obituary and the various approaches one can take. The best leads are obviously the ones that include the interesting characteristics of the person's life and prove why they "deserve" to have their obituary published.
The example of the Michael Kelly's obituary with and without stories from his family and friends was helpful in this chapter. It'd be so easy to just write the obituary with the form from the mortuary but it would have no flavor, and would not live up to the person's life at all. "Good reporting produces stories of life," says the textbook.
Another point of interest I found in this chapter was the section on interviewing family and friends. At first I think I would be terrified to call any family members who just had a loved one pass away. But the more I get to thinking about it the more I realize that they probably want to talk about the good things the person did in his/her life. It's a time for them to praise their loved one and tell the reporter what they want the world to know about this person. I have to say that I would still be scared to make that initial call.
Overall, I was (surprisingly) very pleased with this chapter. I always thought that writing obituaries would be the shittiest job ever but through reading this chapter I have realized it would actually be something I could enjoy. I like writing about people, and I like writing nice things about people. I like "stalking" people and trying to find more and more about them. I am an avid people watcher and eavesdropper. I'm just really interested in people I guess. This could be good for me. The only thing that sucks is that all the people I would be writing about would be dead...
Oh, and also this chapter reminds me of one of my favorite movies My Girl. The dad (Dan Akroyd) writes obituaries and there's a scene where he talks about his choice of wording. He likes to use "in lieu of flowers" as opposed to "instead of flowers." That has hardly anything to do with this though.
The second page was just as exciting as the first. I never thought I could be so interested in obituaries. It turns out that 50% of readers read the obituaries, which I never knew. Considering this, it is amazing how many boring obituaries I have read in my life. It's not that the person's life seemed unbelievably dull, it's that the writing did not stand up to glorify the person's life. The thing is, after a person dies there is not always much left of them to carry on a legacy. I feel that a well-written obituary keeps that person around for a little longer in some way or another. If the reader didn't know them before they died, they do now. They can look into what this person achieved in their life and get to know what this person stood for. Yes, maybe it is a little late, but it's well worth it.
It somewhat depresses me that newspapers can't cover all the obituaries. I get it, it makes complete sense but I feel like everyone deserves to be written about. Maybe, someday, I will make a newspaper that is just obituaries. I don't know how many people will read it though, just weird people like me. It would not be a good business move...
The rest of the chapter is more like a general, formulaic textbook. It starts out with how to write a lead in an obituary and the various approaches one can take. The best leads are obviously the ones that include the interesting characteristics of the person's life and prove why they "deserve" to have their obituary published.
The example of the Michael Kelly's obituary with and without stories from his family and friends was helpful in this chapter. It'd be so easy to just write the obituary with the form from the mortuary but it would have no flavor, and would not live up to the person's life at all. "Good reporting produces stories of life," says the textbook.
Another point of interest I found in this chapter was the section on interviewing family and friends. At first I think I would be terrified to call any family members who just had a loved one pass away. But the more I get to thinking about it the more I realize that they probably want to talk about the good things the person did in his/her life. It's a time for them to praise their loved one and tell the reporter what they want the world to know about this person. I have to say that I would still be scared to make that initial call.
Overall, I was (surprisingly) very pleased with this chapter. I always thought that writing obituaries would be the shittiest job ever but through reading this chapter I have realized it would actually be something I could enjoy. I like writing about people, and I like writing nice things about people. I like "stalking" people and trying to find more and more about them. I am an avid people watcher and eavesdropper. I'm just really interested in people I guess. This could be good for me. The only thing that sucks is that all the people I would be writing about would be dead...
Oh, and also this chapter reminds me of one of my favorite movies My Girl. The dad (Dan Akroyd) writes obituaries and there's a scene where he talks about his choice of wording. He likes to use "in lieu of flowers" as opposed to "instead of flowers." That has hardly anything to do with this though.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Pimp My Election Bus
CNN is going to have a 45-foot Election Express bus for the 2008 elections. It sounds awesome.
The Washington Times describes it as a, “studio-meets-newsroom-meets-tour-bus.” This bus, filled with reporters, will be traveling all over the country to cover election stories along the campaign trail.
The bus is wired and wireless. David Bohrman, CNN's Washington bureau chief, believes that they could turn the bus into a studio in little time and that it’s as good as any of their other news bureaus.
Guesses of how much the bus costs are all over $1 million. The bus has portable plasma TV screens, black leather couches, and even a shower. Sweet!
The bus driver says he plans to cover over a million miles this election.
This bus sounds great. Road trip! I like buses and long drives. I wonder what albums they’ll be playing on the road…
From 9/16/07
The Washington Times describes it as a, “studio-meets-newsroom-meets-tour-bus.” This bus, filled with reporters, will be traveling all over the country to cover election stories along the campaign trail.
The bus is wired and wireless. David Bohrman, CNN's Washington bureau chief, believes that they could turn the bus into a studio in little time and that it’s as good as any of their other news bureaus.
Guesses of how much the bus costs are all over $1 million. The bus has portable plasma TV screens, black leather couches, and even a shower. Sweet!
The bus driver says he plans to cover over a million miles this election.
This bus sounds great. Road trip! I like buses and long drives. I wonder what albums they’ll be playing on the road…
From 9/16/07
Readings yaaaay
Poynter Online
The picture of the guy with a crow on his shoulder was misleading.
In David Poulson’s entry he writes about how Michigan State University's Knight Center for Environmental Journalism created the Michigan Echo. This digest contains one-sentence summaries of stories from Michigan daily newspapers that link to the full story. This digest was then published by feed and e-mail. Convenient!
Turns out all this convenience led to some serious drama concerning some land in Michigan. Many people had access to the stories from the Michigan Echo and could comment with their opinions. They could also post more sites and online petitions.
This is such a good example of interactive journalism. The community could get involved and not just be a passive audience, like many audiences are. They could say what they want and create debates, which is great for a community. All the journalist did was put the information out there and the public just did what they wanted.
Using a Timeline to Tell a Story
This blog entry was about how to incorporate interactive timelines into multimedia journalism. The timeline is a great way to display a number of events in a way that the reader can easily understand what’s going on. The way the timeline is set up seems really cool. It seems extremely informative to the reader and would be helpful in understand the story more. It would be a great idea for multimedia journalism to use timelines whenever possible.
Chapter 4
Quotes! This chapter focuses on the use of quotes in one’s story. It starts out by informing the reader to only use unique quotes and to not quote bits that weren’t said in an interesting way. By summarizing what someone said and not using direct quotes you are also saving words. We also learn that dialogue can be a wonderful addition to a story when used correctly. This is called “showing”, in contrast to “telling.” We then learn that if someone important says it, it may be quote worthy. And again we learn to be accurate.
Paraphrase! It condenses! And clarifies!
I really enjoyed the phrase “orphan quotes.” It reminds me of Annie. The sun will come out tomorrow… So, in summary, avoid partial quotes. They can be sketchyyy.
Correcting quotes…tricky tricky. People have all different opinions on this topic. The book says that most newspapers handle this issue on a case-by-case basis. That makes complete sense to me because correcting quotes could be great in one situation then horrible in the next, like some of the examples the book uses.
Oh man, vulgar words. What to do, what to do? This is another shaky area in journalism. The book does a wonderful job though in briefly explaining these types of problems and what to do. Again though, it has to be assessed on a case-to-case basis.
Don’t make up quotes. When you don’t know what to do, paraphrase.
Attributions! I liked the example in the opening paragraph about not attributing a 7-year-old who saw a gang shooting. Other than that, attribute away! Okay, not really. Don’t do that.
The attribution part of the chapter then goes into how to attribute, which we have learned in other courses. Oh, and you can’t “wink” a work by the way. I always thought you could… Huh.
Turns out not everyone wants to be attributed. Shocker. This creates some problems. When a reporter doesn’t attribute it lacks credibility, makes you wonder if the person is lying, and could lead to a breach-of-contract suit.
Chapter 4 ends with how to handle quotations from the Internet and other concerns. It brings up some juicy things like e-mail interviews and Jayson Blair.
From 9/16/07
The picture of the guy with a crow on his shoulder was misleading.
In David Poulson’s entry he writes about how Michigan State University's Knight Center for Environmental Journalism created the Michigan Echo. This digest contains one-sentence summaries of stories from Michigan daily newspapers that link to the full story. This digest was then published by feed and e-mail. Convenient!
Turns out all this convenience led to some serious drama concerning some land in Michigan. Many people had access to the stories from the Michigan Echo and could comment with their opinions. They could also post more sites and online petitions.
This is such a good example of interactive journalism. The community could get involved and not just be a passive audience, like many audiences are. They could say what they want and create debates, which is great for a community. All the journalist did was put the information out there and the public just did what they wanted.
Using a Timeline to Tell a Story
This blog entry was about how to incorporate interactive timelines into multimedia journalism. The timeline is a great way to display a number of events in a way that the reader can easily understand what’s going on. The way the timeline is set up seems really cool. It seems extremely informative to the reader and would be helpful in understand the story more. It would be a great idea for multimedia journalism to use timelines whenever possible.
Chapter 4
Quotes! This chapter focuses on the use of quotes in one’s story. It starts out by informing the reader to only use unique quotes and to not quote bits that weren’t said in an interesting way. By summarizing what someone said and not using direct quotes you are also saving words. We also learn that dialogue can be a wonderful addition to a story when used correctly. This is called “showing”, in contrast to “telling.” We then learn that if someone important says it, it may be quote worthy. And again we learn to be accurate.
Paraphrase! It condenses! And clarifies!
I really enjoyed the phrase “orphan quotes.” It reminds me of Annie. The sun will come out tomorrow… So, in summary, avoid partial quotes. They can be sketchyyy.
Correcting quotes…tricky tricky. People have all different opinions on this topic. The book says that most newspapers handle this issue on a case-by-case basis. That makes complete sense to me because correcting quotes could be great in one situation then horrible in the next, like some of the examples the book uses.
Oh man, vulgar words. What to do, what to do? This is another shaky area in journalism. The book does a wonderful job though in briefly explaining these types of problems and what to do. Again though, it has to be assessed on a case-to-case basis.
Don’t make up quotes. When you don’t know what to do, paraphrase.
Attributions! I liked the example in the opening paragraph about not attributing a 7-year-old who saw a gang shooting. Other than that, attribute away! Okay, not really. Don’t do that.
The attribution part of the chapter then goes into how to attribute, which we have learned in other courses. Oh, and you can’t “wink” a work by the way. I always thought you could… Huh.
Turns out not everyone wants to be attributed. Shocker. This creates some problems. When a reporter doesn’t attribute it lacks credibility, makes you wonder if the person is lying, and could lead to a breach-of-contract suit.
Chapter 4 ends with how to handle quotations from the Internet and other concerns. It brings up some juicy things like e-mail interviews and Jayson Blair.
From 9/16/07
Chapters 1, 2, and 3...and Britney? No? Not Britney? Okay.
Okay, I am seriously distracted by the B-Spears performance that occurred almost 2 and a half hours ago. She needs a hug, desperately.
To the reading!
Chapter 1: The Nature of the News
- We learn about relevance, usefulness, and interest again. What I found most important and memorable was that relevance+usefulness=interest. I think this is a great way for journalists to stay on track with what they are writing about. It'd be easy for someone to write about, say, Britney Spears' awkward and uncomfortable performance at the VMAs and justify it by saying it was interesting. But, where is the relevance and usefulness? Honestly, no where. There is no place in hard journalism for this bullshit. It belongs elsewhere.
- Now for my rebuttal of previous bullet point. I'm not going to hide it, I still love all the distraction and entertainment. Famous people will always intrigue me. I love writing about the ridiculousness of the entertainment business. I can't help what I love.
- I really liked that journalism was described as, "a culture's conversation with itself." I believe that to be so true. There is so much that goes into what everyone reads and sees on the news everyday. I wish I could explain this quote further but I am at a loss for words.
- One new thing I read about was civic journalists vs. traditional journalists. I am now picturing the two groups pulling a West Side Story fight with all the glorious snapping and high-legged walking. Back on track Lizzy... I found the debate to be very interesting and can't decide which side I am on. Jay Rosen does a great job of summing up what each side believes in.
- 78% of people surveyed believe that the news media are biased. Who are the other 22% of the people? I want to meet them and shove the news media in their face. They must live in a box.
- That is not saying that I believe all of the news media to be biased in any way, shape, or form. I do think that a great portion of it is biased. It's not so spectacular.
Chapter Dos: The Changing News Business
- Turns out, times change! Wait, am I the only one with a horse and buggy? What is this thing you call a cell phone?
- We learn, again, that the newspaper industry is shrinking. DUN DUN DUN. It's still making money but it seems rather screwed for the future.
- Advertising drives the media marketplace. No matter how many times I read about this stuff I still get disturbed.
- Charts! Lots and lots of charts! Flow charts! Pie charts! No box-and-whisker plots though, those are my favorite.
- I thoroughly enjoyed how the textbook uses the word maestro to describe the team leader. I would feel like an utter fool if I ever had to call the person leading the reporting team by that word. But...if I was the leader I would insist on being called maestro.
- I really liked how magazines were referred to as "print cousins" to newspapers. Is that the best they could come up with? Seriously, cousins??
- Really though, I enjoyed the section about magazines. I love magazine writing. I love the perfection that magazine articles have to live up to. There is no room for errors and little mistakes anywhere. Fact-checking is much more thorough and the beauty of writing is taken more into account.
- The broadcast news section was much like what was in the textbook for Intro.
- The online portion of the chapter said that most of online media serves to be "public bulletin boards." I found this to be a peculiar, but rather true description of what online news is.
Chapter Three: Interviewing
- Interviewing-having conversations with sources. Really? I had no idea.
- Much of this chapter we have learned in previous journalism courses, it's a good refresher though.
- You would have to be an idiot to not prepare before an interview. How would you expect to ask any questions if you didn't know anything beforehand? The truth is though that you need to do a lot lot lot of preparation. To be able to conduct a good interview you need to know practically everything about your subject.
- Hope that the person you are interviewing brings their dogs. Amazing icebreaker.
- As informative as this chapter is, I think the only way to learn how to interview is to go out and do one. J-Research really helped me in my interviewing skills.
66 pages of a textbook in one read isn't so wonderful.
And, my poor Britney. She is getting attacked in every article I'm reading.
From 9/9/07
Britney...I mean election??
Britney Spears is doing the opening act for the VMAs in 45 minutes. The red carpet right now is flooded with, "Do you think she'll make the comeback?" I wish I could find a way to relate this to the 2008 election.
Unfortunately, I cannot. Onward.
So I was on a search for something fun to write about and this is what I found. There is a contest going on to make a television ad for Mitt Romney through the program Jumpcut. The site informs us that anyone can make an ad in any way that want...as long as it supports the campaign.
The site provides audio clips, video, and photos to use in the ad, but encourages users to use other things as well. Users seem to be pretty into it but all I can think of is how bad I want to mess with this thing.
If I was to make an ad, this is how it would go:
I can't figure out if this contest is creative or not.
Ways in which it is creative: It's open to the general public (and by general public I mean people who can afford computers and internet access). People can really do whatever they want and be uber insane.
Ways in which it is not creative: Let's face it, Mitt Romney's marketing team must really suck. If the best they can come up with is make random people do their job there is a slight, slight problem.
The best part of this is that there is no prize! WHAT IN THE WORLD IS A CONTEST WITHOUT PRIZES??
Okay, Britney in 4. I am so freaking excited. I love her. Britney Britney Britney. To tie together the VMAs to the election, Paris Hilton looks like Hillary Clinton with her new hair-do tonight.
From 9/9/07
Unfortunately, I cannot. Onward.
So I was on a search for something fun to write about and this is what I found. There is a contest going on to make a television ad for Mitt Romney through the program Jumpcut. The site informs us that anyone can make an ad in any way that want...as long as it supports the campaign.
The site provides audio clips, video, and photos to use in the ad, but encourages users to use other things as well. Users seem to be pretty into it but all I can think of is how bad I want to mess with this thing.
If I was to make an ad, this is how it would go:
- It would open with the song "Karma Chameleon" by the fabulous '80s band Culture Club.
- The first shot would be of a turquoise kitten holding a sign in its mouth reading, "Go Mitt."
- A video of a child chasing down an ice cream truck is then shown.
- "Mitt" is flashed across the screen 14 times, in varying shades of magenta.
- Fireworks, for about 4 seconds.
- It ends with a shot of an apple.
I can't figure out if this contest is creative or not.
Ways in which it is creative: It's open to the general public (and by general public I mean people who can afford computers and internet access). People can really do whatever they want and be uber insane.
Ways in which it is not creative: Let's face it, Mitt Romney's marketing team must really suck. If the best they can come up with is make random people do their job there is a slight, slight problem.
The best part of this is that there is no prize! WHAT IN THE WORLD IS A CONTEST WITHOUT PRIZES??
Okay, Britney in 4. I am so freaking excited. I love her. Britney Britney Britney. To tie together the VMAs to the election, Paris Hilton looks like Hillary Clinton with her new hair-do tonight.
From 9/9/07
State of the News Media 2007
To begin with, I couldn't believe how much research went into building this year's State of the News Media. I was thoroughly impressed, and, honestly, extremely overwhelmed.
One thing I found particularly interesting in the State of the News Media 2007 was the portion on Digital Journalism. They made in-depth looks at numerous sites and tried to compare all the different aspects of the sites. They focused a lot on the look and layout of the sites, and not just the writing on them.
There was also a decent amount of focus on user participation. I find this aspect of this form of media great because it actually becomes hands-on, unlike other forms of media where the audience is just an observer at most times.
They were also interested in the multimedia the various sites used to portray what they found newsworthy. The multimedia these sites are able to use are key to what makes digital journalism unique and changing.
From 9/4/07
One thing I found particularly interesting in the State of the News Media 2007 was the portion on Digital Journalism. They made in-depth looks at numerous sites and tried to compare all the different aspects of the sites. They focused a lot on the look and layout of the sites, and not just the writing on them.
There was also a decent amount of focus on user participation. I find this aspect of this form of media great because it actually becomes hands-on, unlike other forms of media where the audience is just an observer at most times.
They were also interested in the multimedia the various sites used to portray what they found newsworthy. The multimedia these sites are able to use are key to what makes digital journalism unique and changing.
From 9/4/07
The 22 Washingtons
Senator Barack Obama seems to be rather obsessed with the fact that he doesn't have much experience in Washington. To prove this, he said "Washington" 22 times in his Labor Day speech in Manchester, NH. That's a whole lot o' Washingtons. He also mentioned in his speech the fact that he is indeed imperfect and that he is damn proud of being the "outsider".
I wonder if it will work. People often like the outsiders, especially if they consider themselves outsiders as well. People also like imperfections; it makes them feel like they aren't alone.
It could work. Way to pull the odd man out card Obama.
From 9/4/07
I wonder if it will work. People often like the outsiders, especially if they consider themselves outsiders as well. People also like imperfections; it makes them feel like they aren't alone.
It could work. Way to pull the odd man out card Obama.
From 9/4/07
First entry...kind of
So I somehow messed up my old blog and created a new one? Okay. Off to copying and pasting old posts woo!
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