The News About The News

Spreading the Cause

Monday, October 10, 2011

Occupy Wall Street is a demonstration that has been going on in New York City now for a number of weeks. The movement has now grown in numbers in New York and has also been spreading across the nation. In an article by CBS it is said that the number one thing keeping this movement alive and spreading it across the nation is the use of social media.

A lot of planning for Occupy Wall Street happens on their Facebook group page, which has up to 150,000 members. Another social media tool that has been used for Occupy Wall Street is Meetup. Meetup is a network based on forming groups for organizations. According to the Boston Herald thanks to meet up Occupy Wall Street has organized over 1,019 cities.

Occupy Wall Street has also been all over Twitter using the hashtag #OccupyWallStreet. Along with Facebook, Twitter, and Meetup the movement has been using other social media sites. Youtube and Tumblr are becoming helpful sights as well showing photos and video of the Occupy Wall Street.

Social media has become one of the best ways to share information with other people across the globe. Thanks to social media Occupy Wall Street has expanded beyond New York and to the world.

Photo Credit: Creative Commons

Is Good News Bad News? - Learn to Balance

When turning on the TV to watch the nighty news cast, there is almost a guarantee that the headlines will be filled with something negative. Murder, theft, and other police reports are almost always the top stories for the day even though they tend to give a negative outlook on our local communities. Why is it that media outlets always feel the need to report the negative instead of the positive?

A recent blog seems to have targeted the exact same perspective and voiced an opinion that many tend to agree with. Where is the balance? News outlets have taken a trend of reporting the "bad" news all around us because it seems that people are more concerned about the scandal or having the dirty gossip for what is going on, but more and more, people are asking, where is the good?

One reader comments "We begin to feel frightened, and it really isn't as bad as they make it out to be...It's too much violence...It's nice to hear something good, like an achievement. Or, because they've always done these stories on the bad part of welfare, report stories on people who've pulled themselves up out of it...Most of it is accidents or homicides...Have some stuff that isn't all crime related..."

In a country that is full of violence and always at war, when will media outlets turn to the good and try to help public perspective gain a better insight?

Risk Versus Reward

Reporters Without Borders is an organization dedicated to the protection of journalists and was established in 1985. According to their website, in some countries a journalist can be imprisoned for years for simply publishing a single offending word or photo. They have representation across the world and hold consultant status with the United Nations.

There has been some heat from the United Nations for Mexican officials to investigate the deaths of several reporters. This led to the question: how many people die each year in the field of journalism? Thankfully, Reporters Without Borders has all of the information readily available and I've shared some of the highlights in my minute-long video clip.

With the risk of imprisonment, abuse and death looming in the shadows, what makes being a journalist worthwhile? Would getting a great story in Iraq be worth taking a bullet to the shoulder? Where would you draw the line on what sacrifice is worth making?

I don't know that I could honestly answer that question. I think I would choose self-preservation over getting the big story. What do you think you would do?

Obama "Likes" Facebook.

Trent Schacht sat down to talk about his new role as the Digital Director with the 2012 Barack Obama Campaign. Schacht started as a volunteer and then became a field organizer during the 2008 general election. After some time in D.C., he decided to come back to his hometown of Des Moines and take on the Regional Field Director position with Organizing for America-the grassroots campaign that took over after the election of 2008. Due to the changing social media environment, the campaign just recently created the position of digital director and Schacht was the first choice to take on this new endeavor.

As an organizer and director, he often relied on social media, but it has become an even more pertinent aspect of the campaign. It is used daily to relay messages, ideas and information in way that campaigns have never used it before. He is looking forward to this new role and being able to share ideas with people and help Barack "win the future."

The Babysitter's Club

If a picture is worth 1000 words, then an interview is worth an afternoon babysitting two teens.

According to an article from The Huffington Post, major news outlets are jockeying for the first interview with Amanda Knox with offers of babysitting Knox's two half sisters.

ABC, NBC, and CBS have all been questioned as whether they offered to look after the two girls during the trial.

While ABC's spokesperson replied with no comment, and NBC's and CBS's spokespeople denied the claims, Knox's father, Curt Knox, responded with a letter to the New York Post regarding the babysitting allegations. He stated in his letter that ABC and CBS provided rooms for his girls to stay in during the trial, and an NBC producer offered a room; however, he went on to state that no producer babysat his daughters.

These allegations, whether they are unfounded or not, pose a serious ethical dilemma to journalists every where. Quotes bring a human element into a story that news reporters can't do on their own.

Amanda Knox and other high-profile celebrities are people who readers want to hear from. Thus, due to Knox's interviewee status, her popularity can demand a price for her story.

Paying for an interview is unethical. If an interviewee doesn't want to tell his/her story without compensation, then it is up to journalists to compile a story using every other source at their disposal.

Although, the story may not feel as complete without Amanda Knox's quote but purchasing an interview is unethical to me. I believe that my credibility is worth more than a slumber party-sized pillow fight between babysitters in order to capitalize on Knox's passing 15 minutes of fame.

Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericskiff/3415034468/

Youth and the Media

A recent study by the Newspaper Association of America found that students with journalism experience show higher scores in their high school GPAs, ACT composite scores, ACT English scores, College freshman English grades, and College freshman GPAs.

However, some believe that children’s exposure to the news should be limited due to the sometime graphic and depressing nature of some stories.

But what about the kids? Do they want to watch or read the news?

Crossover Acts

A growing trend in today’s journalism is for reporters to not only inform, but entertain. Is this cross over between professional journalist and entertainer enhancing or hindering the world of media?

Recently acclaimed journalist Anderson Cooper participated in spray tanning with reality TV star Snooki. Regardless of your views of Cooper you can feasibly ask yourself, “Is this ‘news’ worthy of Mr. Cooper’s time?” Cooper has reported in countries all around the world on various topics, so why is he spending time with Snooki?

The answer, as put forth by Misty Harris of the Montreal Gazette is that today’s journalists seek to be not only reliable, but relate-able. After all, the public will stop paying attention if the news has nothing to say that interests them.

However, in some cases, the argument could be made that this sought after trait does not help, but rather hinders. Harris refers to Nancy Clark’s recent participation in the show “Dancing With The Stars” and how the events, such as her now infamous wardrobe malfunction, may actually have hindered her credibility as a journalist.

The switch from professional journalist to entertainer is not a new trend. Barbra Walters, Katie Couric, and Geraldo Rivera have all walked the line between serious journalist and entertainer.

Is such relate-ability a necessary trait for professional journalist? Or, does attempting to be an entertainer actually hinder these professionals credibility as journalists?

Future of Media

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Googlezon will run a new database that will personalize the news for consumers in the year 2014. The program, Google EPIC, will feature news that is personalized to consumers search habits online.

In the article, linked here, discusses how Googlezon will affect the people of the world.

In todays world the advancements in technology like smart phones, have allowed journalist to capture moments in real time and share the story behind it.

Media is transforming the lives of the people everyday because of how fast the news gets out. Journalist have a variety of ways to get the news out to the audience but with Google EPIC the audience does not have to search for the news that fits their own personality because Google EPIC will do that automatically by following the audiences search habits online.

Robin Sloan and Matt Thompson have envisioned what the future of media might be. A preview of the future, EPIC 2014, shows how individuals will have an information database tailored to consumers needs.

Why do we need the news tailored to audience? Are consumers becoming lazy? Is the technology in the media becoming to advanced?

Like it or not the future of media is now and coming. This will created jobs for freelance journalist to help write and regulate what is uploaded onto Google EPIC.

With Google EPIC the people do not have to interrupt the news, the news will interrupt the people.

Minorities in Media

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Stories featuring minorities in print and broadcast media have always been limited, causing some minorities groups to discontinue their consumption of news that they cannot relate to.

The Internet was suppose to fix this problem because it is has unlimited space and publishers.

Online culture is not held back by the institutionalized habits of legacy newsrooms, and this is a post-racial society.

Coverage is expected to cover all different lifestyles, including class, race, geography, generation, and gender.

A yearlong study by the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education examined mainstream online media and identified the coverage of different minority groups.

The conclusion was that online media still has the same problems as traditional media when it comes to covering minorities.

The Huffington Post featured the greatest diversity of stories. Salon and Slate came in last with the fewest stories covering diversity.

African Americans are the minority most covered, although many of these stories are about celebrities and athletes. Stories about Hispanics tend to focus on the issue of immigration.

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, minorities are 36 percent of our population, but this statistics doesn't correlate with the amount of coverage minorities receive.

Photo Credit: Joseph Girmay

Putting it all Together

Journalism students do vast amounts of writing throughout their college years. They dabble in a variety of formats and topics in order to gain exposure to as much as possible. Before receiving that diploma and bringing their college days to a close, they should begin to think about job hunting.

Even if you don't plan on actively searching for an employer, there is one tool that is essential for every journalist. This tool will be your best form of marketing and could even land you an interview that you don't ask for. The creation of an online portfolio is essential for any professional journalist, and perhaps even more essential for the graduating student.

This is the place where casual readers and potential employers will come across samples of your finest work. This is the place where your name can be linked to other work you have done, and where people can learn more about you. But what exactly should be in this online portfolio?

The CUNY Graduate School of Journalism gives some great advice on how to create a top-notch journalism portfolio. It mentions to only display the work you want to show off, which is great advice. If you think the article isn't great, it is likely that others interested in you will think the same thing and come to the wrong conclusions about your work. That article also advises to make the design of your portfolio your own and to set-up all your social media pages in a similar style.

An article on Poynter adds some more advise for designing your portfolio. Apart from linking to your best work, you should also link to news on the web about you. The more things you link to, the higher your portfolio will rank on search engines. Just be certain that the links are good and relevant.

Also include links to your various social media accounts, and a good sample of photos and video to add variety to the blocks of text. In today's world it is important to showcase the ability to write good stories and create multimedia that supports it.

If this course had been longer, it would have been beneficial for us to take a few weeks and develop our own online portfolios. I have heard only benefits when it comes to journalists and online portfolios. And if it helps you land your first major job, wouldn't it be worth a few hours of effort now?

Photo courtesy of creative commons.

IPhone For Journalists

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

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/

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.

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.

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.

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/

Freedom to photograph

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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/

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

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.

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.

Tackable...The New Frontier

Monday, October 3, 2011

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.

Social Medipedia

Saturday, October 1, 2011

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.

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.

Social Media Causes Shift In Political Power

Friday, September 30, 2011

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.

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.

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.

Newpapers in the Community

Thursday, September 29, 2011

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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