MuckRack.com

"Thousands of journalists are using Twitter to research stories, break news, find sources, and keep tabs on their beat...Don't be left out of the conversation."

This is the tagline for the website muckrack.com, a site founded by Gregory Galant in 2009.

By developing this website, Galant hoped to answer the question, "What if you could get tomorrow's newspaper today?"

This website tracks thousand of professional journalists on Twitter and other social media sites and shows what news topics are trending.

This is a very useful tool for media professionals, particularly those in public relations.

The website filters and analyzes how journalists are covering the news in real-time and emails users when journalists tweet about relevant terms.

So for example on Dec. 3, the top topics most tweeted about by journalists were the death of news sportswriter Allen Wilson, the New York Times' interview with Sandusky, and Herman Cain.

For each topic, it gives a little paragraph description and than the tweets by journalists about the topic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-5HDZUrh54

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Twitter Engagement

Journalists and news organizations primarily use Twitter to broadcast links, and they rarely ask for audience input or retweet others.

A study by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism focused on tweets by top newspapers, broadcasters, websites, and individual journalists.

The key finding is that news organizations use Twitter in limited ways. The main use being linking to their own material.

Ninety-three percent of tweets by news organizations link to their own articles while just two percent asked for audience input, and just one percent where retweets.

Individual journalists had about the same percentage of links and retweets.

Fox News had the most audience interaction on Twitter with 21 percent of tweets seeking feedback and 44 percent retweets.

Fox also increased its followers the most rapidly, maybe because of their Twitter interaction approach.

The New York Times had the least amount of audience interaction on Twitter.

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The Dangers to Journalists

When Colombian native Jineth Bedoya Lima became a journalist, she'd never imagined it would lead to her biggest nightmare. At the age of 26, Bedoya was kidnapped, raped, and tortured while following through a story on Bogota's maximum-security prison La Modelo in May 2000. She was drugged and taken from the prison, and repeatedly raped by three different men. A taxi driver later found her hours away bound in a garbage dump near a road.
"We are sending a message to the press of Colombia," Bedoya recalled them saying.

Bedoya is not the only one to live with this. The U.S. and the rest of the world's eyes were snapped wide open when CBS correspondent Lara Logan was attacked last February at Cairo's Tahrir Square during celebrations after taking down the Egyptian dictatorship. And it's not just violence against women. Pakistani journalist Umar Cheema has publically disclosed that he was stripped naked by men wearing police uniforms and violated with a wooden pole in 2010.

Sexual violence against journalists is not just violence against one person- as if that isn't bad enough. When journalists are targeted, it is an attack on the freedom of the press and the ability of the journalists to do their job. Lauren Wolfe, blogging about it for The Atlantic, interviewed and quoted Logan after Bedoya's case was advanced to an international justice commission.
 "An attack in retribution for your reporting speaks directly to the First Amendment. It's terrifying in a different way. In her case, justice is critical because if you're allowed to attack journalists with impunity, there will be no free press, especially if the government is involved," Logan said.

Sexual violence against members of the news media is about more than personal suffering. It is meant to silence members of the press to keep them from bringing to light suspicious and criminal activity. The journalism industry must be more aware of the effect this pain brings on its staff and better prepare it for confrontation, both for the journalist's safety, and the industry's freedom of speech.

Photo credit/Chuck Coker, creativecommons.org

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Covering an Outbreak

It is difficult to cover widespread diseases when people are panicking and false information is flooding the Web.

Journalists who cover this beat work hard to keep people informed and calm when covering disease such as AIDS, swine flu, malaria, and avian flu.

When there is an actual pandemic, the biggest problem is the confusion.

The first thing people want to know is how the disease will affect their family and what they can do to prevent getting the disease. The journalist's job is to tell the truth about the number of deaths, the dangers of the disease, and what can be done about it.

One problem that arises when covering a pandemic are the methods taken to avoid the journalists from contracting the disease.

Journalists should always take masks and gloves. They should also receive any shots available to prevent getting the disease.

The most reliable sources for diseases are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

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NPR firing over Occupy Wall Street

Caitlin Curran, a freelancer for "The Takeaway" which is co-produced by NPR-member station WNYC and Public Radio International, was fired from her radio show after her boss discovered pictures of her participating in the Occupy protests.

The station claims that since they are covering the Occupy Wall Street protests, having employers participating in the protests violates their editorial standards and every ethic of journalism.

Curran's boss saw a picture of her holding a sign that paraphrased text from "The Atlantic's" Conor Friedersdorf.

This story is similar to the firing of Lisa Simeone from NPR after it was revealed that she was working as a spokesperson for Occupy D.C.

Curran's and Simeone's stories shows how far the people of NPR will go to prove they are not a liberally biased program.

It goes against individual rights to fire people just because of their participation, on their personal time, in a non-partisan movement.

Americans have the constitutional right to protest freely without fear of punishment.

Journalists' jobs are to report the news in an unbiased manner, but what they do in their free time is their decision.

Journalists should not have to alter their lifestyles for their jobs.

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Wikileaks Needs Donations

Governments today are trying to stop the media from sending out top seceret information to the pubilc.

Don't the people have the right to know though?

Wikileaks is a website that provides information about government activites and presents it to the public eye.

Recently though Wikileaks had to shut down there website due to the lose of money over the last year.

In this article, linked here, reads a statement for the reasons Wikileaks needs to raise money.

Wikileaks says they are being forced to shut down because of the US fincance companys are trying to control what they do.

Wikileaks is asking for help by accepting donations from active users and anyone to raise the money to get the website back up and providing information to journalist or anyone that wants to know what the government is doing.

Why is the government trying to hide these things from the people? I believe that the government thinks that if the people have this information the people might be able to go against the government or sell the information to others that might want to use it against the government.

Wikileaks is providing information to the people, information that most people would never see in there life time. By helping donate money to Wikileaks, the people can get the information they want about the government.

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No Joke, The Daily Show is News

Twenty-one percent of adults age 18-28 cite that the "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" is a place where they regularly learn presidential campaign news, but is "The Daily Show" reliable?

A study by Indiana University found that "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" is as accurate and newsworthy as traditional broadcast network newscasts, which includes ABC, CBS, and NBC.

Political jokes, including bashing Michele Bachmann for saying she is proud to be from the same city as a serial killer and joking over the meaning of Rick Santorum's name, present the news in an interesting way that keeps audiences engaged.

Although the first goal of "The Daily Show" is humor, there is still substance to the show. Stewart interviews substantial news makers such as the president of Pakistan and presidential candidates.

In 2002, news was made on the show by John Edwards announcing that he was going to run for president in 2004.

A second-by-second study of "The Daily Show" found that there is considerably more humor than substance in the show, but Stewart insists that he is a comedian, not a journalist.

It was noted that broadcast network news stories about the presidential elections are significantly shorter than are the stories featured on "The Daily Show" so the amount of substance per story is not different.

There is nothing wrong with being entertained while learning about current events. Without "The Daily Show" many people would not consume any news.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbXpD7bj5rg

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IPhone For Journalists

IPhone Beneficial to Journalists

As Apple releases its fifth additition to the IPhone family, there are a few things that will directly impact journalists. News gathering will be made easier and will more affordable.

There are five things that journalists need to know…

The price has dropped from $199 to $99. Even better news, the Iphone 3 is now free with a two year contract with mobile company.

Don’t bother buying that expensive Nikon or Cannon because now the Iphone has an eight megapixel camera. Also, there is a one second delay accompanied with video image stabilization. So for those of you who want to have extensive and raw footage this is good news.

A new Safari App will be installed. This app now limits the amount of adds on the side of the webpage enabling the reader to only read the article. Also, the articles can be saved to a reading list to be read later.

A new app called Newsstand will also be included. It is specifically for buy magazines and newspapers.

Make way Facebook because Twitter is taking over. Apple has chosen its favorite social media site and it is not you. They now have teamed up with Twitter so whatever Apple creation you have you are able to tweet and stay connected on the go.

 http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/media-lab/mobile-media/148264/5-things-journalists-need-to-know-about-the-new-iphone-4s-and-ios-5/

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Protecting Sources

As budding journalist we are just begining to figure out ways to find sources. We talk to our friends and prowl the internet looking for reliable information.

The question is whether we think about their protection. This is in reference to those sources that find you, namely those looking to expose the corrupt.

In a recent article with the Society of Professional Journalists, Lucy Dalglish revealed a few of her tips for protecting whistleblowing sources. The folowing are a few that really stuck with me.

1. Be Clear- Your source need to be aware of what your willing to do to protect them.

2.Don't keep reports on file after your article is published.

3.Consider publishing everything- In doing so a subpoena may not be issued requiring you to give up any information you have left.

Protecting your sources is of the utmost inportance, especially when it comes to sensitive subject matter. People don't take to well to having their secrets exposed and will look for someone to blame.

While they may pursue you their is usually nothing they can do and their next target may be your sources. Know that if a source is revealled they will most likely never provide information again.

While not the most important reason to protect your sources, this is deffinately of high priority. Without our sources journalists really have nothing.

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What the F**k!

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Twitter Changes the Game for Reporters

With the arrival of the 21st Century, journalism has had to evolve to keep up with reader's demands. In this new, technological age, social media websites have completely changes the journalistic world. Social media sites, especially Twitter, provide readers with constant, immediate news. This has created a more competitive working environment for reporters to break the stories first.

Additionally, journalists cannot simply be reporters in this changing business. They must also become editors, multi-media experts, and marketers to develop a brand for themselves in a way that makes them stand out from their competitors. They have to know how to do it all.

Twitter gives journalists tools they never dreamed would have been possible in the past millennium. This website allows journalists to watch for trends, establish sources, share and develop their stories, and brand themselves to millions of followers almost instantaneously. Plus they can do this all in the palm of their hand.

This one website has also changed the way readers get their news. The days of the newspaper are a thing of the past; replaced by LED screened cellphones and tablets. Readers want to know what is happening "now" not what happened yesterday, or even ten minutes ago. If journalists want to be successful in today's field, then it is essential they get with the times and use the resources in front of them wisely.

photo from www.creativecommons.org by okalkavan

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Influential Journalists

We all have favorite newspapers, news stations, journalists, etc. but all of these things would not be the way they are today without these seven influential journalists.

1. John Peter Zenger is the number one influential print journalist according to journalismdegree.org. Zenger published the New York Weekly Journal in the 1700s. When he wrote unflatterning things about the British government he was arrested and tried for libel. Since Zenger was found not guilty, he established the ground rule of libel.

2. Benjamin Franklin has claimed second place for the most influential journalist because he used his columns in The Pennsylvania Gazette to influence others and spread his ideas.

3. William Randolp Hearst is influential because he was one of the instigators in "yellow journalism" and started The San Francisco Examiner.

4. Joseph Pulitzer is so influential that his name is used for The Pulitzer Prize for the best journalism contributions.

5. Tom Wolfe created a new form of journalism called "new journalism" in the 1960s and 1970s. This new style used scenes rather than just straight-out facts.

6. Hunter S. Thompson, also created a new form of journalism called "Gonzo journalism." This form of journalism involves the reporter to actually be in the action of the story.

7. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, this is actually two people but they are linked together by their stories that brought former President Richard Nixon down over the Watergate scandal.

There are many others that have influenced journalism in many ways and I encourage you to stop and look at how and why we are where we are today.

Photo Credit: Via Creative Commons

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Press Freedom: Still an Issue in Developing Countries

The people of Ecuador are being asked to vote in a referendum on whether the country should have a media regulator that journalists fear will inhibit of expression.

The referendum will take place on May 7, and the population will have to ask questions on a range of issues.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, based in New York is alarmed with one of the communication law. The Government wants to establish a law to create a council to regulate media content.

CPJ's executive director Joel Simon argues that the law "would open door to government censorship." On a letter sent to Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, he adds:

"We urge you to immediately withdraw these questions and respect the guarantees on free expression that are enshrined in the Constitution and international treaties."

Ecuador is not the only country dealing with press freedom. In major developing countries this is an issue that government has to face.

Press freedom is the major key of democratic societies and therefore has to be protected. This is the first step to human rights and developing countries have to be aware of that.

Remember Thomas Jefferson's words: "Our liberty depends on the freedom of press, and that cannot be limited without being lost."

Hopefully, the Ecuador's Administration will drop the project after celebrating the press freedom day on May 3.

Photo credit: http://www.wilpf.org/ via http://www.creativecommons.org/

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Doing Things The "Write" Way

During this past semester, Brian Steffen's BNR students have engaged in the benefits of writing and reporting.

With the semester coming to an end, many students may wonder what to do next. How do we keep up on our writing skills? What is a good way to maintain what we have learned throughout this course?

One of the best tips for young writers to keep their writing career strong is by starting a journal.

A journal helps because it helps a person express his/her feelings, become more organized, and maintain focus. When writing, a person will become more aware of feelings and help clarify his/her thoughts.

Another good reason to keep up on a journal is developing personal growth in writing. Writing helps create and capture memories of a person's lifetime. If a person decides to go back and reflect on a journal, he/she can personally see improvement as entries continue.

One last reason keeping a journal is helpful is reducing stress. When a person handles problems by writing things out, it helps combine fuzzy, spinning thoughts into how a person is actually viewing his/her troubles. By writing, health can be improved because getting emotions out enables the mind to be clearer.

Journals are a great way to help writers improve writing skills at a cost-free and easy way. By having a journal, BNR students can continue to develop good writing habits and a sense of their own mind.

Photo Credit: Creative Commons

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Demise of the Flip

Having the ability to go mobile in the media world can give journalists an advantage when out on the field. One tool that helps them out is a camera.

In a release sent out earlier this week, Cisco announces their new restructuring system, which includes the discontinuation of the Flip video camera. Launched in 2007, the Flip camera has had hundreds of millions of customers in the U.S., and plenty more overseas.

Cameras, especially ones as convenient as the Flip version, allows journalists to shoot raw footage of whatever news is happening. Those who have these now will have to find an alternative of what seemed to be a really convenient way.

Who defeated the Flip camera?

The winner would be the smartphone. Fact is, when it comes to mobile reporting, the smartphone supercedes every ability a camera can do, tape recorder or any other tool would be. Sure, the process of uploading videos might be easier with a Flip, but the demand for them in Cisco's eyes (no thanks to the smartphone) is few and far between.



Photo Credit: Cheon Fong Liew via Creative Commons
Video Credit: Slate

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Entertainment.

News. What do you think of when that word comes to mind?

Many people think of magazines, newspapers, television, radio. In all of these topics, there are different kinds of news which is shared.

There's hard news, which consist of big issues like murders, wars, politics, disasters, and other such things.

But then there is entertainment news. Brangelina. Teen Mom. Jersey Shore. Britney Spears. The list goes on.

Brought through venues like People, US Weekly, TMZ, or Oceanup. Although this is nothing like the hard news that comes from places like the New York Times, it is still news.

Because we make it news.

Without entertainment news, can you imagine how depressing our lives would be? The headlines on the magazines that you would find at the cash register would range from the government shutdown to the Libyan conflict to the earthquake in Japan.

All these issues are important. Much more important than Lady Gaga's new outfit. And there is not enough focus on these issues in our current state.

However without the lightheartedness of entertainment news, people would be in a constant state of worry and depression about the state of the world and their future.

At least with entertainment news they can feel better about themselves because they do not have to go through all of the drama that celebrities seem to go through.

Photo credit: via Creative Commons

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The Importance of the First Amendment

"Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a governement, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."

Thomas Jefferson's words still resonate today, more than 200 years later. Newspapers and media are vital for our society and they are protected by many laws.

The most important one, also a creation of Jefferson, is the first amendment of the Constitution.

It is the third article of the Bill of Rights which proclaims the five freedoms of the citizens of the United States of America.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

In Democratic countries, those rights have to be respected and they are protected by the Constitution or the major law of the state.

Journalists take a great advantage out of this amendment. Freedom of press is, for Jefferson, the beginning of liberty.

"Our liberty depends on the freedom of press, and that cannot be limited without being lost."

The media play such a role in the political life revolutions and contemporary state blows always begin by making media headquarters. Sometimes referred as fourth power, the press is often only extension of powers already in place.

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Earn From Your Blog

Out of the tens of thousands of blogs out there, as a beginner, yours probably doesn't stand out among the most known ones. To make yours stand out there are a few things every blogger should know.

Online, there are thousands upon thousands of blogs with the same content. If you're wanting your blog to stand out, do not write about the same topics; it will probably just get lost in the flood of them. Here are some helpful tips to point you in the direction of succesful, money-earning blogging.

1. Quality and Focused Content is the biggest factor in which your blog is evaluated. Do not borrow commonly used articles/content and refer to other blogs or sites. Do borrow methods in which they use. This means styles or templates.

2. You must know what your end-used is searching for. They come to your blog for a reason, and what is it exactly? Most of the time, the best blogs are the personal ones rather than commercial. Personal ones can be more touching, like diaries or personal experiences.

3. Confidence is key. Your blog must provide confidence and hope to visitors so that you can turn them into loyal readers or subscribers in a short span of time.

4. Proof. Writing your blog like a commercial one without proof may upset your readers. Try to write your personal experience including some main aspects in the ways you adopted, the mistakes you committed, the sources you referred to, etc... This can increase your readers and even your page rank.

Unlike other blogs, personal blogs make readers believe that the blog is completely true and it is solely for them. Creating this feeling in the readers mind is not a simple task. But if you follow the tips above then you are already on your way to success.

Photo Credit: Creative Commons.

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Taking Care Of Business

With the sun shining and the busy time of finals approaching, many college students are feeling a lack of time to complete everything.

However, if a student wants to receive good grades for the end of the term, he/she must decide to prioritize what is most important to get accomplishments completed. With teachers piling on the papers, tests, stories, and quizzes, many students feel overwhelmed and unable to accomplish these goals.

Journalist students are not allowed many opportunities to get off track. To be involved in journalism, a person is constantly reporting, advertising, and researching for the next story he/she will deliver. How can a person maintain his/her focus consistent.

One good tip for students is to take advantage of writing lists. Lists benefit journalist students especially because writing a list of daily plans, homework, and meetings is a great way helping to manage his/her time. Seeing a schedule planned out for when there is free time to study or relax helps students know when to fit homework and other events in.

Another good tip is to not cram everything in at once. Whether it's allowing time to go for a run to clear the mind or watching a television show, taking small breaks in between tasks allows a person to tackle assignments with fresh eyes and a clear head.

One last tip is to remember to get enough sleep at night. Although it's the end of the year and people want to spend time with classmates, getting the right amount of sleep at night allows students to feel alert and more energetic throughout long days rather than simply going through the motions.

While receiving a lot of pressure from teachers, coaches, parents, and peers, students must remember that staying calm and balancing time evenly is the best solution to helping stay focused.

Although a person may feel frustrated, panic can take over a person's life and put him/her under additional unneeded stress.

Finishing the school year off with good grades and completed tasks can allow a person to feel great. Living a healthy lifestyle of rest and maintaining focus can allow a person to prevent stress.

So whenever you're feeling down in the dumps and like it's impossible to finish, always remember to take a deep breath and smile.

Photo Credit: Technical Significance via Creative Commons.

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Come One, Come All!

Have you ever wanted to connect with other journalists? Have you ever wondered why social media has not yet embraced this idea? Worry no more.

According to a report from Mashable, the use of Facebook in the newsroom is no longer obsolete. The page, Facebook for Journalists, allows media-driven people to connect with others in a way which no other site as done before. Although the number of journalists on Facebook isn't monumentally dominant, this page allows those who want to connect with other writers and broadcasters do just that.

The growth of the world's leading social network in the world of journalism was only a matter of time. Everything in media has to adapt nowadays in order to stay successful. The advantages Facebook presents in the news world are great. It can be a landmine of sources, it can help you share your story, fill a reporter's toolbox with new opportunities, and can be distributed in newer ways in which the original forms could not.

Using this new venture can help us all as media students tremendously. The power of networking, to me, is very undersold to college kids like us. If all of us "like" the Journalists on Facebook page, it may open brand new doors that we may never have imagined. I ask that you do go like the page and explore it, because if you love journalism as much as I do, then you'll appreciate what this newbie can do for your vocation as well.

Photo Credit: Alter-Eco via Creative Commons

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