iCloud Takes Over iTunes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Keeping Up With the Citizens

Who ever said journalists are so special from everybody else? The political analysts sure aren't. Not with Google in charge.

That's because Google's Politics & Elections blog is making it easier for ordinary citizens to become political analysts for the rest of the world. Jake Parillo, part of Google's Politics & Elections team, announced on Monday that the team is asking for citizens to use Google's tools- Google Insights for Search, Google Trends,and Google Correlate, for example- to help the Google team discover political or election trends across the country.

People now have the ability to research and analyze their own political stories. But will they make use of it? Will these tools become commonplace with the average family? Hard to tell. Poynter.org reported last month that out of all the time people spend on the internet, only 2.6 percent of it is spent on current events or global news (22.5 percent of their time is spent on social media websites, and 35.1 percent is spent on website types not specified in the survey, including- yep- pornography). Google's bet seems to be that customizing political coverage for the average Joe is what will make people pay attention to the political world swirling around them, but the real question is whether citizens will put in the extra effort.

One thing is clear, though: if journalists plan on competing with the serious amateur news sources these days, reporters should be the first to dive in to this new technology.

Photo by Danny Sullivan/Creativecommons.org

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Journalism Organization Blossoms to Inspire Students Worlwide

I recently read an article about an interesting organization I'd never heard of. Youth Journalism International is an organization that was founded by a husband-wife team in 2004 that received non-profit status in 2010.

Their website serves as a news blog, but they also instruct many students. They send out ideas and topics to a huge e-mail list-serv and students participating develop stories of their own. What they write is then published on the blog.

Students cover everything from local to international news.

I think this organization is a fantastic idea and has the possibility to shape these students futures. It's teaching them how to be citizen-journalists, but they are learning many different aspects of writing. They are learning how to gather the news and report in one of the most interactive forms. I also think its great because the ideas they receive via e-mail encourage them to report and learn about something they otherwise might have never paid attention to.

I've had a lot of different opportunities open for me during college to experience something similar, but I wish I would have been a part of this during high school to start my practice early.

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A recent article I read on the New York Times website shared a story about a group of high school students taking part in a unique journalism opportunity. They are students serving probation in the San Francisco Juvenile Justice system, and will doing a semester long internship to explore many aspects of journalism, including starting their own newsroom and producing hard-copy products. Here, I discuss several points I found important about their experience and interview Simpson College journalism students to see their take on the story.

< href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KrsLZY9s&o=av3e >

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Cartoonists Portray Steve Jobs in Christian Heaven

Many editorial cartoons drawn for the death of Steve Jobs portray him in a Christian heaven, even though he is known to be a Buddhist.

After his passing, Steve Jobs has been in a number of cartoons that show him in a Christian heaven most often wearing a halo or talking to God at the Pearly Gates. Most may say this is just a nice gesture by the cartoonists suggesting that Jobs lived a good life and made it into heaven.

But it can also be seen as an insult. Since Jobs lived his life as a Buddhist he most likely wasn't expecting to go to a Christian heaven.

"Perhaps it is insensitive to impose your own religion on someone else when they die," suggests Daryl Cagle of The Cagle Post, "but what the heck - readers and editors love it.

To most readers who see these cartoons might not even know that Jobs was a Buddhist, so they see nothing wrong with the cartoons. Others might see the cartoons and know that he is a Buddhist but think that there is no harm done since the cartoons were done with good intentions.

One cartoon shows Jobs talking to God and saying, "What part of being a Buddhist don't you understand?"

This cartoon might make the reader think of what Jobs might have to say to all of these Christian heaven cartoons. He might consider it disrespectful to suggest Christianity over what he practiced in his life.

But in the end, there is only one true religion. And most of these cartoonists think they know the right one.

Photo from Creative Commons

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The Media's Role in Society

The media plays a massive role in the way people think and they way they react to specific situations.

Recently, Maria Armoudian published a book, "Kill the Messenger," examining how the media has "perpetuated both good and evil." With this novel she examines articles surrounding the most pivotal moments of the 20th Century, such as the genocides in Germany, Rwanda, and Bosnia, and then explains how the media played a direct role in the heinous actions that took place and resulted in the loss of millions of lives.

Furthermore, Armoudian explains, "it is naïve to believe that the impact of radio and television in particular can be easily brushed aside."

With this quote, the role of the media on our society must be questioned. Right now the media has been covering the candidates they believe have the best chance to win, therefore candidates such as Ron Paul receive little to no positive coverage and are essentially eliminated from the race.

Another example, is the media's coverage of the Occupy Wall Street protest going on in New York City and quickly spreading to different states across the U.S. When this protest began, mainstream media in the U.S. was hesitant to cover these protesters. If this was pre-social media times, this could have caused this protest to lose supporters and dwindle off; becoming forgotten in history.

The press should make sure to provide well-researched, unbiased coverage for any major event or person. They must be very careful about the ideas they back in their stories and remember what they print, say, or show will have some sort of impact on the audience good are bad, and need to be ready to take responsibility for any consequences that derive from their stories.

picture provided by _PaulS_ from creativecommons.com

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Media's Involvement in Occupy Wall Street

Occupy Wall Street is a movement that has been spreading across the nation. People gather to show their protest to the "financial greed and corruption" shown today. Despite the number of people who have been active in this movement, large media corporations were slow to cover the story.

MSNBC led the way with coverage, with Keith Olbermann being the first anchor to cover the story. Better late than never I suppose.

Now that the story is starting to get more publicity beyond the world of Twitter, several criticisms are being made of journalists.

The number one mistake: media only shows the stereotypical outcast or "dirty hippie." This is not giving a proper representation of the masses.

Even though this may make the story more interesting, media should show a variety of people that accurately represents the protestors as a whole.

Another critique of the stories covering Occupy Wall Street is that they are being framed poorly, with a "law and order" bias. Arrests are being shown, but the innocent acts are less noteworthy.

“[Social] movements are ragged — they’re patched together, and they’re improvised, and if you want to size up where they’re going, you’ve got to talk to a range of people and decide what’s relevant.” says Mallory Jean Tenore.

I think this quote sums up the issue facing Occupy Wall Street coverage perfectly. Media organizations need to work harder to get the story, the whole story.

Photo Courtesy of Photo Bucket

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Skewing the Facts

Public opinion is easily mislead, so why is it that media outlets feel the need to report only the facts they feel relevant to topics and they believe will make for a better story?

Cracked.com did a recent article about 6 misconceptions that people believe about America, and in understanding the facts, it seems that everything was linked back to how the facts were reported. Is it that easy to mislead and sway public opinion just so the story can get better rating? What are your thoughts?

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Spreading the Cause

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

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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?

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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?

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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."

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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/

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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?

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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?

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Future of Media

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.

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Minorities in Media

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

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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.

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IPhone For Journalists

IPhone Beneficial to Journalists

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

There are five things that journalists need to know…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Protecting Sources

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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