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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Introducing the iPhone...4S.

After weeks of speculation and hope of Apple debuting the highly-anticipated iPhone 5...they didn't.

Apple, instead, unveiled an upgraded iPhone 4 called the iPhone 4S, which includes an 8 mega pixel camera, a more powerful processor, and a new voice activated personal assistant called Siri. But, it's not the iPhone 5.

Nevertheless, the new upgrades can have a big effect on reporting and journalism, according to Jeff Sonderman at Poynter.

He notes the 5 things that journalists can benefit from most with the iPhone 4S and the iOS 5 operating system.

1. Price drop for older models: The new phone is leading to the older versions' price dropping. It's now easier and cheaper to join the iPhone revolution.

2. The 8 mega pixel camera: Pictures and video can be taken faster and with better quality than ever before. Come across a news story on the go? This camera makes capturing multimedia even stronger.

3. Safari reading mode: The Safari Web browser now comes equipped with a tool to make articles easier to read by stripping away ads and promotional materials, although many publishers are likely to not be fans.

4. Newsstand: There is now a separate store for buying and reading magazines and newspapers, making it even easier to get news on the go.

5. Twitter Integration: With Twitter becoming a huge piece of reporting, journalists will likely enjoy the new closer integration with Twitter that allows users to tweet directly.

While the iPhone 4S may not exactly be the iPhone 5, journalists should still take a look into it and see the benefits it offers.

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It is a Digital Era, There is Always Coverage

I have grown immensely frustrated with the Occupy Wall Street protest, but not in the way that would be the obvious assumption.

When browsing several news blogs I happened across another article talking about the Occupy Wall Street campaign in New York. The article was informative in my opinion; however, one line from the article sparked frustration. The section of the story was talking about Occupy Wall Street claiming to not have been getting enough media coverage. And, while this complaint was specifically geared toward the fact that mainstream media has provided this movement very little coverage, 2011 is a digital age and everything--no matter how big or small--is always covered somewhere in the media.

While this movement has yet to receive major attention in the national news, the age of "citizen journalism," as stated by editorsweblog.org, is at hand. With the number of tweets, blogs, video footage, and photographs available to inform the nation and the world of this cause, the voices of those oppressed are being heard.

If those of the movement would simply stop complaining about the lack of main-stream media coverage and take advantage of the digital advances of our time who truly knows what will result. Look at Barack Obama's campaign--it was on facebook.

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Analyze This

'Analyst', 'specialist', and 'expert' sound like credible titles. However, their credibility needs to be matched up against their credentials.

According to an article from The Huffington Post, CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin stumbled after Stephen Colbert's asked what the government mandates Americans to purchase. Colbert admitted that he had not thought out his argument.

Regardless of Colbert's uncommon sense, he still managed to stump an 'analyst.' His unintentional success is unnerving.

Journalists, specialists, analysts, experts, or any one reporting on a subject should research it. This is especially true for those who are supposed to be authorities on the subject.

Last week, my blog was about the public's lack of trust in the press. Toobin is an example of why citizens are wary of reporters.

It will take a team effort in order to restore trust in journalists. All reporters need to quadruple check facts and research a subject until they know more about it than they know about themselves.

Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/askcurly/3606881691/

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Freedom to photograph

Picture: CreativeCommons.org

No one denies that it is important to discuss whether or not a college degree is worth all the money thrown in to it. In today's economy, times are hard, and people appreciate seeing some serious coverage over the issue to help them decide.

People don't seem to enjoy it when college students dress like, well, college students. The Kalamazoo Gazette learned this the hard way after running a front page photo of a woman speaking with a college employee. She was dressed normally, in a t-shirt and jeans, and the shoulder bag crossing her body partially covered up the words 'Kiss My Ass' on the front of her shirt. Partially, but people still noticed.

One reader wrote in to say that the photo "distracts from the integrity of the article". Joyce Pines, Kalamazoo Gazette public editor, noted to Jim Romenesko at Poynter.org that "this vulgarity is so commonly used in speech, online and in print nowadays that it pales in comparison to some of the more notable swear words....Perhaps the best that can be said for the whole situation is that all of us should stop and think about the images we’re projecting".

Are the readers right to be protesting? After all, it is the public newspaper. The phrase is not the most professional thing that should be said to consumers, and after it came out, it was made abundantly clear that readers did not appreciate this kind of language. However, what about the young woman? Doesn't she have the right to wear what she wants in public?

When protesters gather to demand change of the status quo, the majority of Americans will say that they have the right to their free speech, whether or not it is cluttered up with unseemly vocabulary. The Kalamazoo Gazette printed that photograph not because of what the shirt said, but because of what the photo contributed to their news story. It is unfortunate that the shirt slogan took away attention from the real issue at hand.

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Google's Job in Improving Media

The journalism industry is shifting from old media to digital, which has been influenced by real-time social media tools like blogs and Twitter.

These websites allow anyone to be a publisher, leading to some news being unreliable. Legendary TV newsman Ted Koppel suggested at a recent Goggle event that it is Google's duty to fix this problem.

Koppel said that too much of what passes for news is trivial and sensationalistic. Media outlets spend too much time on what news people want instead of what news they need.

The idea is that Google will filter its news feed to focus on the most important news. Google has made steps to secure that their posts are from professional websites by using stories from longtime standing old media sources such as The New York Times.

Google News is the first source of news for many people every day. Since it is such a widely used website, they should feel some sense of responsibility to inform their audience of what is most important to their lives.

Stories about the Casey Anthony trial and Nancy Grace's nip slip are interesting but have no real impact on people's lives.

People need to be more informed of issues that will affect their present and future, such as the presidential race and foreign aid policies.

Photo Credit: Aaron Morrison

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Coffee Cafe...and a Newsroom?

That's right, two newspapers are attempting to keep afloat in this volatile economy by "wooing" customers with coffee. We know that the journalism industry is in trouble. With a slew of obstacles contributing to the decline in newspaper circulation and revenue, a few have taken it upon themselves to try something a little different. The American Journalism Review documented these new alternatives.

The Winnipeg Free Press in Canada was the first to initiate a newsroom that also doubled as a chic, coffee hot spot. By moving into the artsy district of downtown Winnipeg and opening up the newsroom for hopeful journalist and people who love their caffeinated start to the day, the paper was able to implement a winning strategy: get people more involved with the news by bringing the news to them in an unconventional way. On any given day these "news cafes" can be found full of journalist, staffers and the regulars who frequent the new home of these newspapers.

Canada, however, is not the only country with a news cafe. America totes Torrington, Connecticut as home to the Register Citizen which boasts a newsroom cafe as its office as well. An article about this newspaper documented their change, and stated that in December of last year the company moved its remaining newsroom and staff into another factory and fashioned it into their main headquarters. The Register Citizen is now completely operating solely out of these two locations.

On top of adding more appeal and local involvement into the news, these papers have begun to offer education. Classes will be starting on HTML programming, blogging, video editing and media law-this one most importantly to learn how to "not lose your home by defaming someone."

Newsroom cafes were not implemented to initiate the extinction of the journalist, but rather to build a stronger relationship with the community and add depth and perspective to reporting. Although these "cafes" are in their early stages compared to the traditional papers, they appear to already be making quit an impact. I think if The Des Moines Register opened up a prototype of these newsroom cafes I would put down the red bull, pick up a coffee and have a great new spot to learn about the inner workings of journalism and reporting.

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False News on the Internet

With the internet offering such an easy way to view and spread the latest news, it also allows inaccurate rumors to be spread.

There is an example of this in an American Journalism Review article (AJR) in which it discusses the Piers Morgan rumor that was started by a false tweet.

That tweet follows, "Exclusive: @PiersMorgan suspended from his CNN show while investigations continue following new revelations on alleged phone hacking claims".

The rumor spread from there and it is just one example of how journalists can easily be led astray from the truth.

According to the AJR article titled, "Steering Clear of Misinformation" it says, "Dan Silverman, author of "Regret the Error" and founder of the website RegretTheError.com and Mandy Jenkins, social news editor for The Huffington Post, taught several ways to help journalists avoid the pitfalls of online falsity."

The two gave a presentation titled "B.S. Detection for Journalists" during the Online News Association Convention in Boston on Sept. 3rd. This presentation went over ways that journalists can figure out if a story is true or if it is B.S.

With the ease of rumor spreading via internet today, journalists need to be on top of their game when it comes to spotting or researching a fake story.

Photo from Creative Commons

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Apple's iPhone 4S Offers Great Features

Technology is changing our world faster and faster everyday. People and companies have a hard time keeping up with it. However, buying the iPhone 4S will only help you increase your updated society information and the latest news.

The iPhone 4S features functions as a world phone that works with major networks. The phones advancements make it available for you to use the iPhone 4S anywhere in the world and still provide strong reception.

Apple boasted that the iPhone 4S supports download speeds up to 14.4 Mbps with high speed download packet access. The iPhone 4S is very fast which motivates our soceity to buy the phone because most people are about faster moving inventions everyday

The option of buying 64GB is also available which makes the phone more advanced and the most high tech phone available. When people are using email, iTunes, Facebook, and Twitter each and everyday consumers need many mega bites to uphold those duties.

Along with mega bites and the super speed of the phone, the iPhone 4S is the first phone to intelligently swith between two antennas to send and receive. The invention is extremely smart and was worked on by more than one company to make this phone what it is today.

This iPhone 4S is not only available for Verizon users but also Sprint and AT&T. Cell phone companies all worked together to create this mass invention and are all getting credit from journalists. Nothing but postitive comments are coming from news sources such as "Invention of the century," said Matt Hamblen.

Go out and buy your new iPhone 4S Oct. 14 because this is the invention of the century and the most advanced phone yet in history.

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What the F**k!

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Joining Forces: The Four Need to Knows.

Even with new technology, the world demands its news. And with the Internet population shifting their focus onto blog sights such as: blogger, tumblr, etc. News sites are finding themselves going towards that direction.

Before News sites do make this change, there are four key elements they should take into consideration before pursuing it's Local blog.


The first element the News site should ask is: What does their Local Blog need?
Like any good relationship, whether it be personal or business, it is important for both sides to portray what they need from each other, as well as short term and long term goals. The site should ask directly, and this would be a good way to find out if you can supply the needs before committing into the blog.

The second element is be prepared. Whether it is to form a rough draft with what you plan on writing in the blog or just a future plan, always be ready for questions that may form. Another good thing is to invite your partner blog into conversation. Team work will make this run more smooth.

The third element is to understand how the Web operates. Not only just how to function on search engines, but how the blog operates as a whole. You need to take in account how many views are on a page or what drives attention to the blog site. To sum it up, know everything about your site/blog.

The final element is to get your advertising and marketing departments to support you. This is where the entrepreneur comes into the whole aspect of this business. Always ask for team work and support. It is very essential to have everybody feel the same excitement you do about this particular project. If you get them to support the effort, it will run smoothly and quickly into something fabulous.

I believe these four elements are very interesting, since I too blog on my own personal site.( I'll put it down on the bottom if anybody cares to look at it on their free time.--I have to warn you though, its kinda messy right now because I haven't had time to really work on it lately) I never knew that News sites actually did join up with their local blogs, and it makes me kind of want to sleuth around and see if KCCI joins up with a local Des Moines blog.


Works Cited: www.poynter.org
Picture Cited: www.creativecommons.org

Cait's blog:http://thelifeofcait.tumblr.com/

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Media Affect in Knox Case

Yesterday, Oct. 3, Amanda Knox was cleared for the murder of her roommate in Italy. The Knox case has had a lot of presence in the media the past few years. Has the way the media covered this trial had any impact?

In a story for CNN, Matthew Chance says that the media has fallen into two groups over the years of this case. On group that supports Amanda Knox and another group that finds her guilty.

Prosecutors state that the media helped rally support for those whole felt that Amanda Knox was innocent.

The defense attorneys believed that the media completely "crucified" Knox. They believe that Amanda was portrayed unfairly by the media.

Another problem related to this case and the media is the fact that people have forgotten or ignored Meredith Kercher the victim in the Knox case. Many journalists believe this is due to the media and public relations efforts to free Amanda Knox.

Does this case show that the media can have affect in the courtroom?

Photo: Creative Commons

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News for All...or not?

A recent article I read claims that investigative journalism is on life support. They say that real news is being replaced with fluff because of it.

"Every day, hundreds of reports and stories that Americans should be reading go unreported," said Michael Copps, one of five Federal Communications Commission members.

To the public, innovations to the internet seem fantastic. We love being able to consume our media in a more vibrant way, including hundreds of colored pictures, videos with easy explanations, links to website with summarizing headlines for those of us with limited time.

However, for anyone working in the journalism industry, it's not all good news. All of these new innovations have cost the loss of 143,000 jobs in traditional journalism.

Another problem the article mentions is that not everyone is equipped with broadband or a smart phone, so they are still not receiving that news that is exclusive to online editions.

The article states, "Turner-Lee said the FCC needs to do make universal broadband access a priority in order to enhance diversity in terms of access to information, news coverage and media ownership."

FCC chairman Julius Genachowski claimed that they are working to make it more widespread and affordable to all.

I think this would be a great feat, but a very hard one to tackle. However it is a necessary transition if all our media availability is shifting so quickly. We must keep up with it or our country's democracy will be at stake. It wouldn't be fair for some people to have availability to public knowledge and not others.

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Journalism Students Take Part in Widely Published Investigation

A Food Safety Investigation conducted by journalism students working as part of the News21 program is being published this week by The Washington Post and msnbc.com.

News 21 program headquarters are at the Arizona State University School of Mass Media and Journalism. It is sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation with a purpose of improving investigative journalism at journalism schools across the country.

Students involved take part in a 10-week reporting fellowship during the summer. This summer students from Arizona State University, University of Maryland, University of Missouri, University of Nebraska and Harvard University worked together on a Food Safety Investigation, examining food safety issues across our country.

One article shared a great quote about the program from Eric Newton, senior advisor to the Knight Foundation President Alberto Ibarguen.

"News21 proves that top journalism schools and top teachers can produce journalism as good as any in America today," said Newton. "News leaders and major news organizations agree — because they use News21's journalism."

I think this is a great program, and not only because these students are getting an experience of a lifetime. It's great because they are proving the great skills that the staff at their journalism skills are teaching them and proving the changing landscape of investigative journalism.

I also think it's great that they are doing a public service, as their studies proved many shocking facts about the American food industry. One of the most shocking I read about was that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration only inspects 2% of the 24 million products that enter the country each year.

I also read on the project's website that News21 will be expanding next year to include students from other schools across the country. This is great because I think many schools, especially smaller ones, have students just as qualified that may not be getting noticed.

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Tackable...The New Frontier

Tackable may first appear to be yet another app in the sea of thousands available on the smart phone market. With closer examination, however, it could become the most widely consumed information source we have ever seen.

Luke Stangel quit his job as a reporter to take on the task of creating this new application. At 28, and after seven years on the beat, Stangel decided it was time to turn his passion for journalism into a new career endeavor; that's when Tackable was born.

The idea behind Tackable is that it is a live media map. It automatically pulls up the information that is closest to the user in a map format that has interactive features as well. If you were to take all the top stories, best promotions and latest breaking news from a paper and pinpoint their locations to an exact address on a map, you get Tackable.

We know that proximity and prominence play a major role in the news that is consumed, and Tackable seems to have great promise because it has information and news that focus primarily in these areas. Stangel stated in an interview that papers are successful if they focus energy in one of two fields, specialized news or local news, and Tackable allows the users to take advantage of information from both of these topics.

Social media also has a role in this application. Because it allows users to post comments in real time with what is happening, other users can easily see on the map what is happening at that exact moment in the world around them, and also what their social network has to say about it.

Tackable allows everyone to become a journalist, but is still focused on quality reporting and journalism. It is an application that integrates social media and the news like never before, and hopefully will have a long future in the industry.

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Social Medipedia

Remember the days when Wikipedia was about as valid of a source as the story told from the guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who has some drug dealer cousin that heard the story from some girl? Even though Wikipedia has become a bit more valid of a source for information, people still have a negative connotation toward citing it as a source for papers.

Social media is now threatening to become the new Wikipedia.

Much like the collective collaboration concept of Wikipedia was great, the immediacy of news on social media is a great concept. It is how we, as a whole, choose to use this tool that will determine how it will be perceived in the future. Posting breaking news on hearsay and questionable information will be the downfall of the reputation for social media as a news outlet.

An article on editorsweblog.org brings up a great question: is tweet first, ask questions later the best policy? Is it so important for people to know right away? When there is the risk of your tweet being incorrect, there is a chance that you will lose credibility. Have enough incorrect tweets, you will not be a valid information source to a large population of the online news readers.

A different article on editorsweblog.org discusses how several different news companies handle the balance between immediacy versus accuracy. There are ways for these two important news elements to live in harmony, and it would bode well for journalists everywhere is the world would ensure accuracy in their reports. Even something as small as a tweet can cause a massive reaction, and misinformation can end up doing more harm than help.

Do you have any ideas on how to ensure accuracy? How do you make sure your tweets aren't full of false information?

Photo courtesy of creative commons.

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16 Dollar Muffin?

A 16 dollar muffin breaks out gossip in the media about spending of the Justice Department.


The media is bashing on the Justice Department saying it is an example of bureaucratic largess. The media though did not get the full story.


With the expense of 16 dollars the conference would receive variety of fruit, drinks and a muffin.


The media kept on writing gossip about the Justice Department without getting the full story. There were 178 false stories only 36 tried to set the record straight.


How can we rely on the media being correct these days? It seems that the media is just like a tabloid magazines by creating falsified and gossip stories.


Most of the false stories were out in the media before the Justice Department could explain the expense of the conference breakfast. This can be blamed on the technology advances in the world today because how fast the word can be spread.


Can we trust the media in telling the truth?

Media today will be false on occasion but if you frequently watch the news, the true will be told.

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Social Media Causes Shift In Political Power

In early July this year Kelly Thomas, a homeless schizophrenic man was allegedly beaten to death by Fullerton, California police. The beating was caught on tape by a pedestrian with a cell phone. Paul Detrick of reason.com shows how the release of this video and images of Thomas on his deathbed have shown how the use of social journalism has changed the political power in today’s society.

After Thomas’s death, the Fullerton police department refused to release information as the investigation was still pending. Ron Thomas, Kelly’s father, attempted to contact local media outlets and was outraged that no media outlet would pick up the story. Ron then released an image of his son on his deathbed showing the graphic outcome of the beating.

Ron Thomas then release a video taken by a pedestrian who filmed the assault via a cell phone. The video’s audio track captures Kelly Thomas screaming out for the police to please stop. Eventually, Kelly breaks down and calls out for his dad.

The Fullerton Police continued to only provide vague answers.

The deliverance of this story via social media sparked outcry in the Fullerton area. Protesters now pack Fullerton city hall meetings and gather in masses outside the Fullerton police department in protest.

The citizens of Fullerton are an example of the power of citizen media. No longer are full stories controlled by police departments and other official agencies. With nearly every American carrying a cell phone with a camera if not video capabilities, we the citizens are becoming the source of truth.

As one outraged Fullerton citizen says, “Now, they’re under the watch of us.”

According to the LA Times, the two Fullerton officers involved with the case, Officer Manuel Ramos and Cpl. Jay Cicinelli have been charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter against Ramos and of involuntary manslaughter and excessive use of force against Cicinelli. Both will be placed on leave without pay starting October 8.

Photograph compliments of CBS Los Angeles.

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Breaking News and Your Credibility

With the use of Twitter, Facebook, and other social media devices news travels at an astounding rate. Getting the story out in the newspaper the next day is considered a snails pace comparatively. With the race to beat the clock journalists have been facing the problem of releasing misinformation.

For example, in late July a journalists tweet was released stating Pierce Morgan had been suspended by CNN.

Clearly this was false, but the false information was published because the journalist didn't act responsibly and wanted to get the breaking story out.

This release of misinformation tarnished the image of this particular journalist. I bet that viewers will find it difficult to trust news from this source from now on.

In order to prevent these occurrences a website was founded called RegretTheError.com which focuses mainly on educating journalists to be responsible news sources. In addition to information on their website RegretTheError.com hosts conventions to inform journalists of how to avoid certain mistakes.

It's risky to be a minute to minute reporter. One can never be 100 percent sure if their information is true. Just because Joe the plumber spewed the information off doesn't necessarily make it credible.

Thats why it is important to make one extra phone call or email to fact check before releasing the news to the masses. To be a successful journalist when it comes to prompt reporting be responsible.

Being the first to Tweet the most interesting breaking news can be an exciting thrill, but make sure the facts are accurate. If not, all credibility could be lost.

Photo courtesy of Photo Bucket.

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AP Style or Search Engine Optimization?

The AP Stylebook has been in existence for a considerable amount of time. It is important in order to ensure consistency amongst journalistic publications. But is its usefulness beginning to wane as publications transition into online formats?

There are many reasons to like the AP Stylebook, including the reasons found on this list by a professor from Kansas University. There have been many instances in this accelerated semester where I have had to reference this book. The information contained within is incredible, even breaking down individual sports terms. Helpful lists such as this, covering baseball terms, can help spread the word to bloggers to increase the consistency of journalism.

But is AP Style worthwhile online?

There may be a more important focus to consider when writing for an online format. In order to improve readership, a website is recommended to utilize Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This is the use of strong, relevant keywords within articles and websites that will place you higher and more frequently in search results. The end result would be more readers having a chance to click upon your website.

If the popular search is "base ball" instead of "baseball" and "web site" instead of "website", following the AP Styleguide could mean losing thousands of potential readers. Citizen journalists, who choose not to follow any style but their own, will see increased readership over the legitimate, professional journalists.

Is it almost time to consider changing to SEO instead of AP for online journalism? I think it makes enough sense that a strong case could be argued. What do you think?

For more information on the SEO and its uses for journalists, check out an article from the Online Journalism Review and this blog that writes about SEO for Journalists.

Pictures courtesy of creative commons.

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Newpapers in the Community

Holy Kernan of KALW interviewed David Wier regading the changing media landscape. Weir is a bit of an expert on this topic as he is the co-founder of the Center for Investigative Reporting and blogs consistently on the subject of the change in today’s media.

At one point Kernan asked Weir what newspapers mean to a community. According to Weir, there is no way to tell because newspapers in America have not fully invested themselves in their communities. Weir comments that while newspapers cover community stories, they do not become involved in the community.

Weir goes on to point out a news group in Mexico that has a quite different system from any in America, La Reforma, the largest, most sucessful newspaper group in Mecico (according to Weir). What makes la Reforma so sucessful? They have a long standing policy of inviting members of the public on to an advisory panel to review the new and provide suggestions on how to cover the community better.

This method of community involvement has been so successful that when La Reforma faced the challenge of moving its content online, 80% of its subscibers agreed to continue paying for online content because they felt invested in the newspaper. Readers felt they were part of the newspaper and that the stories did not belong to the paper, but the community.

Is this devotion to community lost within American newspapers? Would more community involvement help papers as they transit from physical paper to online media?

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Google Takes Over News, Again

Google News created a new way for readers to easily find the top stories. They’ve created a “Standout” tag which is set in the header of the story in order to flag down the reader.  Also, in working with the competition, there is also a peer-to-element which will send the reader to competitions best stories.

Instructions on Standout

First journalists will identify critical stories and then the stories will then have the Standout tag fixed on the header. Finally, Google News adds a “Feature” label to the story, thus attracting more readers.

In order to prevent companies from labeling every story as important, Google reserves the power to deem what is important. 

Goggle reported that most people go to them for news and as such they claimed to have over one billion clicks every month. 

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/09/google-news-gets-social/

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Journalists denied access to Twitter page

Last February, Texas Governor Rick Perry made a few headlines in an effort to avoid them. Specifically, Perry was found to have blocked a number of Texan media members from accessing his Twitter account (you can read the original article here). DallasNews.com's Tom Benning reported being denied following access after trying to subscribe to @GovernorPerry. At least two other journalists, Bud Kennedy and Scott Braddock, were singled out by Perry and blocked.

Surprisingly, even after Perry was called out on his behavior, Poynter.org reported on Monday that Perry still blocks reporters from viewing his account. Why would this be news? Now that Perry is running for GOP nomination, journalists are even more curious to know why members of the press are not allowed to subscribe to his account.

But no worries, correspondents: nine minutes after Steve Myers reported on Poynter, Yahel Carmon created @PerryUnblocked by putting the RSS feed for @GovernorPerry into Yahoo Pipes, and flowing that in to Twitterfeed.

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Dropping G's

Last weekend, AP reporter Mark Smith, was looked down upon for one of the hugest errors a journalist can do. Dropping letters at the end of a word. In this case, Smith had dropped the G's in President Barack Obama's speech towards African American voters.

As an example, Smith wrote quoting President Obama "Shake it off. Stop Complainin'. Stop grumblin'. Stop cryin'. "

Many African Americans felt that this report was racist, including an African American author Karen Hunter.

Smith claims that he usually uses AP Stylebook, which does say not to use slang or dialect. Smith argues that President Obama was making an emphasis on dropping the G's, so that was why he wrote it as such.

"I believe I was respecting his intent in this. Certainly disrespect was the last thing I intended." States Smith to Mediaite.

Its very important for young journalist to not jump on Smith's band-wagon. Play it safe and always resort to the AP Stylebook when there is any doubt of whether or not you should write in a certain way.

Works Cited: www.poynter.org
Picture Cited: Creative Commons

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Punishments Among Professional Players

On Sept 27 Wayne Simmonds, a Professional Hockey Player, was accused of a slur allegation towards Sean Avery during a preseason game.

This homophobic language was brought up in the N.H.L. meeting and was ruled that Simmonds will have no punishment. My question is when do we draw the line?

Sports have been around for many years and have always been very competitive. However, inappropriate slurs and vulgar language should not ever be allowed and should always have some punishment.

Any professional player is paid well so why not charge them with a few thousand dollars? Everybody deserves the right treatment and respect out on the court, field, or arena; therefore, punishments should be talked about and should take charge.

No one signs up to be humiliated on the competitive floor and no one deserves to be treated like that. Emotions are to blame for some language, but when do we draw the line and take charge?

Simmonds should never have got away with his slur towards Avery. The N.H.L. obviously has better things to handle and not take charge of people and how they are treated on the ice. I strongly believe if any slur is caught on the floor that a manager or coach should punish them.

Punishment doesn't always have to be money but a penalty or time out of a game would be an option as well. It is safe to say if I was ever humiliated on the competitive floor I would want action to be taken towards the other person. I would hope people would feel the same about being humiliated.

Not only do I think the N.H.L. needs to take more action but also more organizations like the N.B.A, W.N.B.A., or M.L.B.. Vulgar language does not always happen on the ice it happens in almost every sport and needs to have more action taken about it.

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#Right2drive

Luxury, status, wealth and importance are all ideas that come mind when we think of having a personal driver. Well, it what some people in this world think of when it comes to chauffeuring. If you are a woman and live in Saudi Arabia, however, you most likely think the opposite. Oppression, inequality and control are the conflicting beliefs if you are a Saudi female. This is due to the Saudi law that bans women from driving.

King Abdullah just took giant steps forward with women's rights this week by finally allowing Saudi female suffrage. This is a tremendous step towards equality, but still not allowing women to drive is overshadowing this monumental change in the society.

So what are women doing to show solidarity on this issue? They are taking to the streets-literally. All across the country women documented themselves driving cars in protest. This protest was arranged primarily through social media. #Right2drive covered twitter posts and informed women what they would be doing to raise awareness about this injustice. The BBC documented some of these protesters and described how different their lives would be if they could have this right. Also documented was how much social media helped further exposure and spread the word for this protest.

Social media has made large strides since the uprisings in the region this year, but usage is still far below averages in other parts of the world. Fadi Salem of the Dubai School of Government recognizes the correlation between the use of the Internet and a more stable economy, and how the Internet has helped the economy grow in Saudi Arabia. Salem believes that a similar trend will come with social media as well, and the growth has already begun.

Facebook and Twitter have recently proven to be powerful tools all over the world, and not simply for "social" or recreational uses. They are liberating the suppressed, engaging the outsiders and now helping to create a women's movement. I have to say I "like" this.

Photo credits: NY Times

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The Media: Full of 'Gutter Snipes'

The world is constantly changing and growing. People develop new technologies, come up with new ideas, and as the whole the human race develops. So, when Bill O' Reilly mentions during an interview, "The media, remarkably, hasn’t changed since Benjamin Franklin was printing ‘Poor Richard’s Almanac'," it stirs up a bit of thought.

O' Reilly explains that media is filled with "a bunch of gutter snipes" all trying to push opinions backed with facts, and that dishonesty is so prevalent it is almost scandalous.

Despite this fact he says, "The media does keep an eye on what's going on and the people really get both sides of the story..."

With this in mind, where do American's go for reliable, unbiased news? The news is easy to find, online, in print, or on television, and it is a citizens responsibility to detect if the news does show bias. If so, they should look at the story from both sides and form an educated opinion.

When considering O'Reilly's comment that the news hasn't changed since Ben Franklin he is showing that the media has been motivated by their own agenda and it's up to the public to decide what is right and wrong form there.

Photo from Photo Bucket

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The Power of the Picture

If a picture can speak 1,000 words, what affect could 52 photographs of Osama bin Laden's death play on the war, and even on the world?

Judicial Watch has recently filed a Freedom of Information act lawsuit to try to grant the public access to the photographs taken after the assassination of bin Laden. Government officials fear that the release of these photographs will instigate a vicious counterattack by anti-American groups and terrorists, such as the Taliban. When looking at this situation, one cannot help but compare this situation to Saddam Hussein's execution in December 2006 and the video leaked capturing his hanging. This unauthorized video shot from a mobile phone created a huge stir across the world surrounding the conduct of execution. Yet, no extreme violent outbursts have been linked back to his hanging.

Is it possible that the pictures of Osama would have a much different effect on its viewers than the video of Saddam? With this in mind, the public must wonder what the American government is hiding in these pictures. It is claimed they wish to protect the identities of the soldiers who accomplished this mission and to protect American military strategies from leaking to enemies. If these pictures are released to the public, newspapers will need to decide whether or not they want to publish them, and possibly put lives in danger.

When dealing with powerful images, such as these, each media outlet needs to make a decision on where it stands. Is it okay to publish picture of the death of a notorious criminal or are photographs capturing any death pushing the ethical boundaries for any publication? Powerful images may make an event more believable, helps sell stories and thus, more papers. Photographic or video proof help the credibility of any story and help readers understand that an event actually happened. Yet, when unveiling powerful images about death, violence, starvation, or any number of disturbing events that take place every day across the world, will journalists choose to show images simply because the public demands them and because they want to boost sales this month? Or will they choose to shield the eyes of the public and hope the truth conveys itself well enough through their writing?

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