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Occupy Wall Street Coverage

The Occupy Wall Street- and now Occupy X city across the country- movement is sweeping the country, thousands of people are participating and facing arrests for standing up against their political unhappiness.

Yet, as I have talked to people around Simpson, many of my peers have either never heard of the movement or know next to nothing about it. How could that be? Are we just a current events illiterate school? I don't think so.

While the mainstream media has picked up its coverage since the beginning of the protests, I still do not think that they are providing ample coverage to this movement that is affecting every part of our nation.

Todd Gitlin, as reported by Mallary Jean Tenore via Poynter.org, is also dissatisfied with the coverage. He calls the coverage "predictable," "lazy," and "the knee-jerk preconceptions."

Gitlin points out that the first thing that the media is doing wrong is "focusing on protesters who look like outcasts." It has been pointed out by those involved in the movement that media is focusing extensively on interviewing those who look odd- "on grungy looking people or people with dreadlocks or people beating drums."

He also advises journalists to look at the larger picture of the movement. The protests are not just isolated events, but a story. Look at how the dots are connected.

Finally, Gitlin suggests that journalists have to dig deep to understand what the underlying goal of the issue is. Being aware of history and other social movements can help to deepen one's knowledge of this movement.

On the bright side, however, the coverage has gotten better as the protests have gone on. What was nonexistent is at least getting some air time, helping more people become aware. As the movement continues, we can expect to see the coverage widen and become more influential in telling the stories of the protesters.

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What Does it Take?

Journalist Adam Wilson taught the importance of diversifying one's journalistic skills Tuesday evening, Oct. 4, to an aspiring journalist for Brian Steffen's Beginning Newswriting and Reporting course.

Stressing the importance of knowing all facets of journalism, Wilson, a Simpson alumnus and a group editor of the Des Moines Register Weeklies, provided many tips to aspiring journalists for how to be successful in journalism.

"You're either pitching an assignment or you're taking an assignment No. 1," Wilson said. "Either you bring me a story idea or I give you a story idea, and then I expect you to follow that through to deadline. So that's standard no matter where you go."

Taking this concept and applying it to the life of a student journalist may appear difficult. However, having graduated in the spring of 2002 with a major in mass comm journalism, Wilson is familiar with what it takes to combine the life of a student with the world of journalistic reporting.

"Student journalists are students, and then journalists," Wilson said. "Even if you want to become a professional journalist, and that's the path that you have chosen for your career, you still have a handful of classes that should also be your priority."

Nevertheless, in comparing the difference between student reporting and that of a paid professional, according to Wilson, there are still few variances between the two.

"No. 1, the biggest difference there is that you're going to class for a couple of hours a day, you're still expected to write your newspaper article or articles on deadline; so time management is huge there," Wilson said. "But then again, if you might have one or two story assignments a week as a student journalist, you're probably talking more like 10 or 12 as a professional journalist."

Later, Wilson emphasizes the necessity of meeting deadlines while once again highlighting the importance of time management. In doing so, he further displays the similarities between the student journalist and the professional.

"So that time management, you're managing different things," Wilson said, "but, if you're not organized you're not going to meet deadline; and whether you're a student journalist, or a professional journalist, or a freelancer or anything else, you're not going to have a job--or you're not going to keep a job very long--if you can't meet deadlines. Deadlines are key no matter what level you're at."

Even still, Wilson shows that there are yet several lessons to be learned as a student journalist that are significant in bettering a journalist in their field.

"When I started [at Simpson] I hadn't really ever been published," Wilson said. "We didn't have a school newspaper at my high school....I understood pretty quickly once I got to Simpson and started working for the newspaper, you have to really respect and understand the power of the words that you put together into a news story, because it's there forever."

Moreover, to be not only successful, but more valuable in the world of journalism, Wilson stresses to the aspiring journalist the ability to be able to do everything from writing to taking a photo.

"Don't just fancy yourself a writer," Wilson said. "Don't just concentrate on photography, don't just concentrate on videography. If you really want to be a commodity in the job market, you want to be able to be a good writer who can offer photography and videos to supplement their stories...The more that you can do and the more that you know, and the more that you can do well is just going to make you more successful...Learn every aspect and learn it well."

Photo: Courtesy of Adam Wilson

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The Press's Knight in Shining Armor

Good news to college editors and reporters! Press

+paid content has joined together with Knight Foundation for the opportunity for 50 college newspapers to install a content meter on the newspaper's website for free.

Included with this offer, Knight will pay the setup fee and Press+ will charge it's normal 20% commission.

The main focal point is for college students not to be charged for admission to their schools' newspaper, but to get an outside community to the school to read these articles and donate money if they like the article.

Right now Knight and Press+ have a target audience, which consist of: parents, alumni, and people generally keep up with college news.

I think this article is very important, especially since I am a soul believer that the community should embrace the college's community. With this new tool, young journalism students will have the opportunity to get their work out easier and to more people.

Picture: creativecommons.org

Article: Steve Myers/ poynter.org

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A New Phase: Social Networking

With today's youth communicating less through the traditional use of face-to-face communication, it has become immensely more important for the journalists to be online.

Furthermore, the more I immerse myself into the world of journalism, the more I realize the necessity of social networking and social media outlets--such as Twitter, Facebook, and Linkdin--but more importantly, the power of these outlets.

When the Internet was created so few years ago, I doubt it's inventor imagined the shift it would bring about for modern day communication and present day journalism. With the Internet and the power of social media sites, anybody and everybody can be a journalist, all one has to do is create a blog or a Twitter feed that is popular enough.

Nevertheless, there are positives and negatives to every great development. When reading an article by The Wall Street Journal's Digital Network, I discovered something very alarming, there are sites specifically tailored to monitoring social networking. While this appears to be a great invention, and in context I would agree, it is disheartening to know that it was necessary to create a site for parents to monitor whether or not their children's reputations are being damaged or if they are being cyberbullied. With an increase in the everyday American wanting to contribute to what is presented as news--or to simply posting things online to be noticed--it is definitely time with these new advancements, for journalists to find the news and present it as objectively as possible (in order to help the public sift through the limitlessness of online "news").

However, while social networking may be difficult for some, it is not all bad. Journalism can and will greatly benefit from its existence if used properly. In an article by the Associated Press, it demonstrates how quickly social networking is reaching beyond teens and is being utilized in many different settings. The article talks about how social media companies are "friending" politics. And, while this may not seem like a positive to many, it does further demonstrate the magnitude of what social media is capable of.

Journalists everywhere are already ahead of the game utilizing social media to its full potential and providing news to the world because of it. Those who aren't, it's time you step up your game quick or get left behind.

Photo Credit: creativecommons.org

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The Sideline Reporter

Sideline reporting has become a constant in the sporting world with almost all sports having at least one or two. There is no glory in sideline reporting and it is a position often met with annoyance from coach and fan alike.


While there are both male and female sideline reporters, more often than not females dominate the airwaves. I guess a pretty smile and a cute face offsets the fact that this position is as useful as a kick to the head.


The most iconic fail when it comes to sideline reporting, at least in my mind, is the halftime interview. It's comparable to a deer being caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.


Interviewers stop a coach as he makes his way to the locker room and ask him an onslaught of ridiculous questions. How do you plan to win? Why did you choose to play that player? Any ideas for the second half coach?


Bear Bryant, a former University of Alabama football coach, was famous for tearing sideline reporters apart and here is an almost comical interview during halftime of one of the games he coached in.


Listen to the questions the reporter asked closely and see that this job is about as worthless as your high school guidance counselor.

Even if the reporter had asked intelligible questions she was fated to get one of two answers.

1. We have to play better to win.


2. We're playing pretty damn good, I think we'll win

While I may be opening a can of worms I think sideline reporting is yet another way for the media to exploit women and keep them from the upper echelon of sports broadcasting.

Ever noticed that women are left to freeze on the sidelines while their male counterparts sit comfortably in a booth? To me this reads as a big middle finger to women looking to make it in the sports world.

It's as if the sports world is mocking a woman's ability to report on sporting events. It's sad that this is the fate that female sports analysts may be doomed to.

Most do their homework and are very knowledgeable about their respected fields. However, women don't seem to garner any respect when it comes to sports reporting.

In the end the female sideline reporter is a poor attempt at giving women a chance in the sports broadcast world. They simply serve as eye candy and offer no intelligible insight into the sport they are reporting about.

Women are just as competent as their male counterparts when it comes to sports reporting. It is disgraceful how women are used in the sporting world and they deserve more respect than they are given.

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iCloud Takes Over iTunes

iTunes has always been a great resource for songs. iTunes only cost 99 cents per song and keeps you away from illegal downloading. However due to a recent technology called iCloud, iTunes is now getting the cord cut from Apple and moving towards higher technology.

iCloud has 200 new features which will keep you busy for more than a couple weeks. Of the 200 new features the most proud features Apple offers is a notification center, reminders, and iMessage. All three features work together to create a line of access between multiple devices.

iCloud not only out does iTunes by offereing easier access to music it also provides e-books, backup, and document storage. You can also access iCloud through your iPhone which makes iCloud more available.

iCloud does offer many great features but some critics argue that Apple was also the inventor of MobileMe which was an epic fail. The good news is that iCloud has the feature iOS 5 which is a more promising upgrade and Apples soulution to the MoblieMe problem.

Another problem critics raise deals with PhotoStream. PhotoStream captures pictures and backs the picture up by iOS 5 so you will never lose a picture. However, the only time you can use PhotoStream is when you have internet access or Wi-Fi.

iCloud is recommend mostly to Apple users or providers. Windows won't get much from iCloud because most of the remarkable features are used through Apple products.

The big picture comes down to iCloud being more available. Instead of hooking your i-pod up to the computer to buy songs you can do it cordless through iCloud. The songs from iCloud will transfer over to your iPhone making them available in your phone and i-pod.

Technology is continuously updating and changing so keep up with the latest creation from Apple and become a member of iCloud. Start using this creation today to make life easier.

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