The News About The News

Starting at the Bottom

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

When you prepare to start your first journalism career, keep in mind you might not experience the excitment and rush of adrenaline you were hoping to.

A starting career in journalism is often far from glamourous and looks more like the bottom of the food chain, even when for the biggest names in journalism.

Top journalist and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper for example, had a rough start to his later very successful career. Cooper's first job was a fact-checker for Channel One, a network who provided news to schools around the country.

Cooper soon became bored with his desk job and after being unable to obtain an interview with any major news network, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

With the help of a friend, Cooper forged a fake press pass and flew to Myanmar, Vietnam. Here he covered student riots that had taken place against the Burmese government. This coverage was later picked up by Channel One and aired, thus leading to Cooper's gradual climb up the food chain.

Anchor Katie Couric also had a slow start to her career. Her first job, an assistant at ABC, allowed her to do no more than brew coffee, answer phones, and make sandwiches for the network's anchors.

Couric then left ABC to work as a field reporter for the Cable News Network but was later released because a CNN executive found her "squeaky" voice to be annoying.

These two famous journalists show that while often you have to start at the bottom, hard work and overcoming obstacles like rejection usually will pay off in a successful career that you enjoy.

Journalists must have a true passion for what they do, and a dream that they are not willing to let go of without a fight. They must prove to themselves and to others that they have the ability to be a successful journalist.

For more information on how Anderson Cooper and Katie Couric climbed to success, visit the links on their names above.

Photo Credit: Creative Commons

Underdog Journalism

For journalists, having a Pulitzer Prize is being at the top of the mountain. It's the highest accomplishment one can have, but most claim only the ones who are associated with nationally renowned newspapers are the only ones who receive it.

That's about to change.

Poynter's Mallory Jean Tenore is asking the Twitter community to help nominate journalists who are worthy of a prestigious award, such as the Pulitzer. Tenore came up with the hashtag #bestoverlooked for those who wish to nominate pieces of extraordinary work. It can come from any type of media - print, online, TV and radio.

Categories for Best Overlooked include: Best Series, Best Site, and Best Curation.

There have been a few nominations being thrown into the hat on Twitter in each category but I don't think a few will be enough. If you have read something in the past that you thought was a brilliant piece of work, nominate it.

After all, we are all journalists trying to get our stories shared.

Photo Credit: Parker Duofold via Creative Commons

Reporting About Numbers

One of the greatest challenges that seems to face journalists is the ability to have or obtain a small amount of knowledge about everything.

This can be especially difficult when you're asked to write about something that you have little or no interest in-- for me, that area would be economics. While I recognize the importance of understanding the economy that I live in and know that it has very far reaching effects, I can't escape the bore of financial statistics and numbers reports.

Luckily, there are sources for journalists who have to follow a story that they have no interest in. I found one here about writing about economics.

The first thing that needs to be accomplished is getting an idea of which numbers in the reports are relevant to society, and are newsworthy. Figures about employment are always relevant, and many times the changes and fluctuations are newsworthy.

When reporting about unemployment, the rate of change should be reported. The demographics of the employed and the unemployed can also be very newsworthy if they're changing, or if there is some recognizable desparity that may be indicative of a larger social issue.

Journalists can also look to stories about interest rates, since even changes within the interest rates banks get can come to effect everyday people trying to obtain loans.

The release from meetings about federal interest rates are available here, after the eight annual sessions. An important questions to ask is who voted for which increases or decreases.

The facts surrounding motivations for increases and decreases in federal interest rates are also important. Increases mean that there is no attempt to directly stimuate economic growth through loans, while a decrease in rates means the opposite.

Information related to consumption is important to readers, especially considering the crazy amount that we as citizens of the United States consume.

The Consumer Price Index and the Consumer Confidence ratings are both great places to start a story. The confidence index can also be related to information about employment in a longer feature story.

Stories about the housing market are also good economical stories. Look for answers about the prices of homes in a given area, who's moving into the homes, or for comparison rates between different housing markets.

Photo courtesy of EpSos.de on Flickr, via CreativeCommons.org.

Influential Journalists

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo Credit: Via Creative Commons

Press Freedom: Still an Issue in Developing Countries

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pulitzer Prize Winners Announced

The Pulitzer Prize winners have been announced and The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal are among this year's winners.

Joseph Rago from The Wall Street Journal took home the Pulitzer for editorial writing for his piece on the new health care reform.

Carol Guzy, Nikki Kahn and Ricky Carioti of The Washington Post won in the breaking news photography category for their work in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake.

Paige St. John from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune won a prize for investigative reporting for an examination of the property insurance system in Florida.

ProPublica won the national reporting award for Jesse Eisinger and Jake Bernstein's coverage of questionable practices on Wall Street. Last year, ProPublica was the first online news service to win a Pulitzer.

Amy Ellis Nutt from The Star-Ledger in Newark, New Jersey won the feature writing Pulitzer for her coverage of the mysterious sinking of a commercial fishing boat that killed six people.

Others that were honored include novelist Jennifer Egan for her book "A Visit from the Goon Squad," playwright Bruce Norris for "Clybourne Park" and author Siddhartha Mukherjee for her nonfiction book "The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer."

This year was the first time that no award was given for breaking news coverage.

The Pulitzer Prizes are awarded every year by the Pulitzer Prize Board at New York City's Columbia University. Categories honored include journalism, drama, poetry and books.

Each winner receives $10,000.

Photo credit: CreativeCommons.org

WikiLeaks and Journalistic Sensorship

WikiLeaks.

We've all heard of it by now, even if we do not know very much about it or what it actually does.
The main premise of this organization is that it makes classified government documents available to the average person. It gets the information it leaks from anonymous sources through a submissions box, so that no one is punishable for the release of the documents.

Now the main debate with WikiLeaks is whether or not this organization is legal under United States law and the Constitution.

In theory, WikiLeaks is not punishable, for a few different reasons.

Documents released by WikiLeaks typically pertain to the United States, however not all of the documents do.

There is also the matter of whether the release of these documents threatens national security and the functionality of the government.

Another issue is who would actually be punished for the release of this information? Since the sources cannot be identified due to the anonymous submissions, the only name that can be associated with WikiLeaks is Julian Assange who is not an American citizen, but an Austrialian. That brings into the debate international laws and regulations, and whether or not the US would be able to persecute him due to the fact that he is not an American.

I personally believe that WikiLeaks is not something that should be in existence. Sure, we as American citizens deserve to know how the government functions. But there are also things that we do not need to know to allow the government and our lives to run smoothly. If there was no classified information, our government would not be able to function or keep us safe.

Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.

What do you guys think? Post a comment and let me know.

Photo Credit: Creative Commons

Using Twitter as Career Tool

This semester we have learned how to use Twitter. Upon adding many followers, I have begun to use Twitter for professional connections.

Through Twitter I have followed photographers, graphic designers, and journalistic professionals. These connections may become useful in my future if I use them correctly.

Twitter can be a very useful not just as a social tool, but to keep connections with professionals in the future. Here are some tips on how to be successful.

1. Follow local professionals. These professionals are a better outlet for employment and face to face connections if they are in close proximity.

2. Create online connections with select people. Just following these professionals may not be enough, but starting a conversation about their line of work may open doors for the future.

3. Tweet news and tips about your desired career. If Tweets are more professional and less personal, it will make your Twitter account more reputable.

4. To stay away from overloading these professionals with personal Tweets, something to consider would be to create separate accounts. Many people have done this already, but it is a good way to keep your personal life separate.

Above all make sure to keep everything grammatically correct, free of typos, and to use a professional tone. Making connections via social networking can be beneficial in the future if it is done correctly.

Photo credit: ladynamic via Creative Commons

Don't Write Off Journalism

I will admit when I started taking Beginning Newswriting and Reporting I didn't give journalism a great deal of thought. I'm studying public relations why on earth do I need to know about writing news articles?

As the semester progressed I saw the value the class had on my field of study. It's really not a big shocker that some of the concepts in journalism transcend into public relations.

Twitter is a great way to share news. Why not share upcoming events with links to a website?

Blogging can be used to discuss a view on a topic or it can work well when writing a blurb about an event on a website.

Video blogging while not as prominent as a tool definitely has potential. Show clips from the process of getting the event ready or from years past.

Lesson learned is that journalism isn't just about being held up in a dimly lit room rushing to get an article together. It's really just another way of communicating and getting information out.

Photo Credit:www.allyou.com

Journalists Strike Back

Being a journalist is a tough job. Not only do you not get paid mass amounts of money, but you also have to deal with criticism all the time. People are always complaining about all the biased news coming from mainstream media. Though this does happen and some media outlets are unethical by choice and some by accident, what a lot of people don't know is that journalists have a code of ethics.

The Society of Professional Journalists, the nation's largest journalism organization, has a Code of Ethics that is nearly a century old. The code is not law, but people do voluntarily follow it. You cannot be sued by not following it, also.

In honor of Ethics Week, Florida Atlantic University's newspaper, University Press, decided to show everyone how bad a newspaper could be without using any ethical guidelines. The transformed Unethical Press violated numerous SPJ codes, but they didn't tell anyone where they were. They wanted them to find them.

They created this type of contest to see if readers could pick out the guidelines that were broken and if they could find them all, then they were to bring it up to the University Press room and they would win a $20 Starbucks gift certificate.

This whole deal kind of reminded me of what The Simpsonian did for April Fool's day by changing it to the Pimpsonian. It was funny to me how on Facebook, some people actually believed some of the stuff that was put in there (i.e. Charlie Sheen was coming to campus).

If you think BNR has taught you enough about journalism rules, try it out and click on the Unethical Press link and try to find the errors yourself.

Photo Credit: DRB62, CreativeCommons.

WikiLeaks vs. The New York Times

A recent blog at SFWeekly.com shed some light on the current debate regarding WikiLeaks and its opposition.

The "argument" or "feud" was between WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and New York Times executive editor Bill Keller. It appears that the argument first started when Keller made some odd claims about how difficult it was working with Assange and how WikiLeaks' founder seemed to be less than 100 percent in touch with reality.

Assange countered that the NYT was doing its best to keep from looking like it was collaborating with WikiLeaks in case legal issues arose with the release of information. He also said that Keller seemed to show a lot of deference to the Pentagon prior to the release, to the point where he looked willing to cover up some information than release it.

Despite some of the more childish aspects of this argument, it raises some good questions about how to treat sources and how to also work within the confines of a government that could potentially prosecute.

Keller appears to dislike Assange enough to color him in a negative light for his quirks or past behavior, and Assange wants to call Keller out for his caution. It seems that issues like this will continue to be points of contention for journalism in the future, and any upcoming journalists will need to know where their employers and sources stand.

Photo Credit: Raymond Salvatore Harmon via Creative Commons

Post Successfully

Monday, April 18, 2011

Facebook has become one of the most popular types of social media that is used daily among society.

The great part about Facebook is that it allows users to create posts based on events or issues that are happening throughout the world or in their personal lives.

The key to being successful with our posts is what many struggle with. According to Buddy Media, there is a guide that explains when and how to manage your Facebook postings.

This guide answers simple questions such as: “What time of the day is the best to post?” “How often?” “How can you engage your friends?” etc. Here is a list of specific tips that can help improve your Facebook posts.

1. Keep your posts short. 80 characters or less allows the viewer to be more engaged.

2. Do not use URL shorteners, being that engagement rates are three times higher with the full URL listed.

3. Engage your reader with a post ending with a question. It makes your viewers think more as well as relate with you.

4. Post outside of business hours. There is no point to waste a good post when not everyone can see it.

5. Post on Thursday or Friday. Many people are excited for the week to be over and engage with Facebook more during these days.

I hope that you can now master a successful Facebook post and get your friends to enjoy what you have to share.

Photo Credit: Creativecommons.org

New in Iceland

There is a new media law in Iceland that is trying to get passed. The new law hopes to protect children from negative content and to accomplish the goal of freedom of speech.

The law will allow for a mediation between the media, the public and the government. This would be the first law that has covered both press and broadcast media.

30 people have taken favor in the vote to promote this law. 14 individuals were against the promotion of this law, because they believe it would have the opposite effect on the community.

These new boundaries could put the country at a high risk. Individuals are unsure they want to take these risks, which is why 2,000 individuals have signed a petition against the passing of this bill.

Currently, Iceland has a very high rate of freedom for the press. Passing this law would take Iceland into new unknown boundaries.

photocredit:creativecommons.com

Social Networks Boost Customer Service

Many businesses are using social media to boost their customer service these days.

Often times consumers give feedback about a company or its product on Facebook, Twitter or any other social network.

For example, if I bought the new iPad I would most likely tell all my friends on Facebook about it and hashtag it on Twitter. Whether the experience was a good one or bad one. Apple Inc. could then directly respond to me about my comment.

If Apple Inc. decided to engage in a conversation with me I would become more loyal to the brand and most likely speak highly of the company.

The same can also go with celebrities and their fans, but that's a different story.

Also, if the social network pages for Apple Inc. would change statuses and tweets to get consumer feedback the customer would feel that he/she had a say in the next product being designed.

For example, the first iPad didn't have a front or rear facing camera. This was a big complaint about the product. When the iPad 2 came out the designer made sure to include both cameras.

Many people think social networks are harmful to businesses because there isn't face to face interaction. In reality it can help a business drastically with customer service because the company can reach many more individuals and receive a greater amount of feedback.

Photo Credit: George Nantwi via Creative Commons

Twitter in Trouble?

Sunday, April 17, 2011

It seems that all is not well in the world of Twitter. That is, according to a recent cover story in Fortune that warns Twitter's usage appears to be flat lining.

The story says Twitter has garnered 200 million citizens from all over the world, but one hundred million of them are absent altogether, and Twitter.com has about 20 million fewer visitors per month than Myspace.

Twitter also seems to lack a visionary product leader while suffering from outages and not turning a profit. Finally, CNN reported on Wednesday that UberMedia is planning to build a rival micro-blogging network that could shun the the famous 140-character limit.

Now the question is does Twitter really have a problem on their hands? Should "tweeps" begin looking to another city with fewer rules?

Well, looking at the numbers Quantcast says there's been a 50% jump in usage in the past five months, Google Analytics says international traffic has risen 83% in the past year, and because so many people are tweeting on their mobile device or third party app, the Twitter.com numbers are incomplete.

Even without the numbers Twitter is the only service that actually immerses you in a global conversation, especially when there's a natural disaster, major sporting event, or revolution going on.

What about it's 140-character limit? This is, and will be, Twitter's greatest asset despite the little minority of people that protest against it. It's the stop-light system that keeps the traffic flowing smoothly and allows everyone to get a word in.

If something is worth saying, it's worth saying as short and brief as possible. Just ask Poets and screenwriters.

With that said, I believe the answer to "Is Twitter in trouble?" is simply, no. Twitter has accomplished something special and is far away from being outdone or repeated in any way.

Wouldn't you agree?

Photo Credit: money.cnn.com via Creative Commons

Doing Things The "Write" Way

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo Credit: Creative Commons

How to Cover Speeches

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

As journalists there will be many times that you have to cover a speech. We have had many different experiences with that because we have covered forums as undergraduate journalism students at Simpson College. It is rather difficult to cover a speech though due to the dynamics that are involved. Here are some tips that will help you better cover a speech for future stories you may have to write.

1. Report before you go.

Like all interviews and stories get some background research done ahead of time, so that you understand the material that is being presented in the speech.

2. Write background copy ahead of time.

This is possible due to the research done before the speech, and can be immensely helpful if you are writing a tight deadline.

3. Take great notes.

This is a no brainier, and is important in every story you write.

4. Get the good quote.

Usually this is a quote that is very interesting and is said in a unique way. Look for he quotes that are closely related to the topic of the speech.

5. Forget chronology.

Usually the most interesting thing a speaker says comes at the end. Just get the important information down and organize it after you discover your lead.

6. Get the audience reaction.

It always good to get a few audience reactions after the speech, because they can add an emotional quality to your story.

7. Watch for the unexpected.

It's things like these that can make the lead of your story, and then make all the pieces of the story fall into place.

8. Get a crowd estimate.

People that read your article will want to know things like these, because that's just how they differentiate on how famous the person who gave the speech was. Make sure to get a number and be sure to see what type of people are there, for instance: age, gender and class.

With these tips presented and explained you should be able to cover any future speeches flawlessly.

Photo credit: mediaspin.com

How Far is too Far?

Most people disagree with the philosophy and actions of the Westboro Baptist Church. However, the charged rhetoric that took place between Julie Banderas and Shirley Phelps-Roper was too far. While Phelps-Roper wasn't pleasant or professional in her appearance, Banderas only made herself look bad when she responded to Phelps-Roper by screaming at her and telling her that she was going to hell. Regardless of Banderas' beliefs regarding the Westboro Baptist Church and their actions, she should have remained profession during the interview.

Facebook and Journalists

Facebook has launched its new Journalists on Facebook site. The site currently has 40,824 people who have selected its like button.

Only a week after the journalist program on Facebook was launched more than 35,000 people have liked the page.

Journalists around the world have shown interest in attending the social journalism events hosted by the Facebook page.

The events will be live-streamed for the journalists that cannot make it in person. You must RSVP and register on the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/journalists). In order to received the live stream.

The events consist of networking receptions, social journalism best practices, social journalism panel, and a Q&A.

Twitter and Quora are main sites for journalists to find their stories but Facebook wants a piece of the action. Facebook is taking a different approach and using their page as a way for journalists to connect on their own page as well as providing an outlet for stories.

Demise of the Flip

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

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

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

Who defeated the Flip camera?

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

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

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