This semester has both been both frustrating and exciting for me in Journ 420. Growing up, writing always came naturally to me, it was just fun, but grammar nor spelling were my strong areas. I have achieved a lot out of this class whether it was learning about the correct spelling of words or subject-verb agreement. I may not be perfect at grammatical functions or sentence structure, but I feel like I have come a long way.
One thing I probably will not miss too much about this class is blogging. I'm not the type of person to continually think of exciting or worthwhile ideas that should be put on the net for the world to read. It's not that I think my ideas are boring, but translating your ideas into a blog that appeals to a wide variety of people is extremely hard. This is one of the qualities any good blog should have in order to stay alive. I just lose interest in talking about either myself, or my own opinions. I guess you could say I am more worried about what is happening out in the world then how I personally feel about these events.
But, with blogging becoming so popular as of lately, I am glad that I got to experience a little of what the craze is all about. Maybe one day, when I feel like I have a better grasp on editing techniques and my own personal style, I will take up blogging again. And who knows, instead of asking for phone numbers, people may start asking for blog addresses.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Ignorance is NOT Bliss
As of lately, I'm becoming more concerned with my fellow college students. I admit I don't watch the news religiously--or that much at all--but I do frequently check CNN.com even if it's just to look at the headlines. But, when something such as the terrorist attacks in India happen, students should be informed.
It just seems odd to me that people do not know about major events. What is happening in India is horrible, unexpected, and heart-breaking. If we don't know about events such as these, does it suggest that we don't care. Or are college students just too busy for the news anymore. If that is the case, it is upsetting that world events have to take a backseat to homework. Then again, I think people have a personal responsibility to at least pick up a paper once a week to get an idea of what is going on.
I guess as future journalists we just pay more attention to what is happening around us.
It just seems odd to me that people do not know about major events. What is happening in India is horrible, unexpected, and heart-breaking. If we don't know about events such as these, does it suggest that we don't care. Or are college students just too busy for the news anymore. If that is the case, it is upsetting that world events have to take a backseat to homework. Then again, I think people have a personal responsibility to at least pick up a paper once a week to get an idea of what is going on.
I guess as future journalists we just pay more attention to what is happening around us.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Multiple Ways to Edit
As we were reading each other's final draft of the Urbana shooting story, I noticed that editing can vary in major ways. We each had received the same information and the same basic story, yet most of our drafts were different in at least one way. It proves that while there are multiple rules and guidelines to follow with editing, no one editor thinks alike.
Each person may have different preferences about what quotes to include, how to paraphrase, where information would be most beneficial in the story, and the syntax of a particular sentence. This all depends on our personal writing style and the articles that we have learned from. While I may believe one quote is important to a story because it adds a element of surprise or it is unusual, someone else may see that quote as meaningless. These differences make reading a newspaper or magazine enjoyable. If everyone had the same style and followed the same exact format, who would really want to read the news.
Each person may have different preferences about what quotes to include, how to paraphrase, where information would be most beneficial in the story, and the syntax of a particular sentence. This all depends on our personal writing style and the articles that we have learned from. While I may believe one quote is important to a story because it adds a element of surprise or it is unusual, someone else may see that quote as meaningless. These differences make reading a newspaper or magazine enjoyable. If everyone had the same style and followed the same exact format, who would really want to read the news.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Preggers Man-Headline
As I was doing my daily review of what CNN.com has to offer, I noticed this headline "'Pregnant man' expecting again." I'm sure by now most of us have heard about this miracle man, but possibly not as much as myself. My roommate last year was a slightly obsessive fan of the pregnant man--who has a name by the way, it's Thomas Beatie--and watched the Opera special and every news report she could find on him. After listening to countless reports about the couple I would say I grew a fondness for their story, so when I saw this headline it immediately caught my eye.
But, this isn't about the pregnant man, or my roommates obsession, this is about online headlines. Recently we have been discussing how online headlines need to be able to capture the reader with just a few nouns and a possible verb. I thought this headline did a good job because out of about 20 headlines I was drawn straight to it. Maybe it's my familiarity, or maybe it was good writing. Either way I think that with an online source such as CNN.com headlines should have the power to jump at us.
Here's the link posted by CNN.com for the Larry King Live special with Beatie.
But, this isn't about the pregnant man, or my roommates obsession, this is about online headlines. Recently we have been discussing how online headlines need to be able to capture the reader with just a few nouns and a possible verb. I thought this headline did a good job because out of about 20 headlines I was drawn straight to it. Maybe it's my familiarity, or maybe it was good writing. Either way I think that with an online source such as CNN.com headlines should have the power to jump at us.
Here's the link posted by CNN.com for the Larry King Live special with Beatie.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The Future of Journalism...Doomed?
Is my career doomed before I even get started?
I don't know how everyone else feels about this, but I can't help but wonder what journalism will look like in ten, five or even two years. It seems that each year as I get further into my journalism classes, journalist themselves, statistics and society are telling me this is a dying profession. Maybe not so harshly, but rather, "It's a horrible time to be getting into the field." I realize people are just trying to make me aware of what I am getting myself into, but constantly hearing that can put a damper on anyone's attitude.
I think that journalist and teachers should take a different approach to informing us about the current situation. I believe were all aware of the occupation were getting ourselves into, and we wouldn't still be taking classes if we felt we couldn't do it. Journalists and teachers should just encourage us to keep on learning and become better journalist. Our profession will never die because there will always be a demand for the news, so I think this should be the governing statement told to young journalist versus the negative attitude many throw our way.
I don't know how everyone else feels about this, but I can't help but wonder what journalism will look like in ten, five or even two years. It seems that each year as I get further into my journalism classes, journalist themselves, statistics and society are telling me this is a dying profession. Maybe not so harshly, but rather, "It's a horrible time to be getting into the field." I realize people are just trying to make me aware of what I am getting myself into, but constantly hearing that can put a damper on anyone's attitude.
I think that journalist and teachers should take a different approach to informing us about the current situation. I believe were all aware of the occupation were getting ourselves into, and we wouldn't still be taking classes if we felt we couldn't do it. Journalists and teachers should just encourage us to keep on learning and become better journalist. Our profession will never die because there will always be a demand for the news, so I think this should be the governing statement told to young journalist versus the negative attitude many throw our way.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
QUIZ QUESTION!!!
Q: Dumping is when you sell your current stocks or products in a foreign or domestic country for a lower price than they should be?
A: Foreign.
Monday, October 6, 2008
AP Business Guidelines- Dumping
According to the AP Stylebook Business Guidelines section, dumping is: "The selling of a product in a foreign market at a price lower than the domestic price. It is usually done by a monopoly when it has such a large output that selling entirely in the domestic market would substantially reduce the price."
An example of the verb was used in the article, "Investors succumb to fears of recession," found at The Wall Street Journal's website. The article said: "Charles Smith, a retired former International Business Machines Corp. marketing manager, hasn't dumped stocks since the 1987 stock-market crash. But, angry about the state of corporate America and worried about the economy, he is selling stocks, getting out of his index funds and going entirely into cash." http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122333567578609541.html
While Smith is not a monopoly as suggested in the definition of dumping, it is implied that he is selling all of his stocks to a foreign market at a lower price then they are worth because their value is rapidly decreasing in the U.S.
This practice by monopolies is considered dangerous to the foreign country they trade with. Because the goods are priced lower, the people from the foreign country begin to buy the cheaper goods rather than their more expensive domestic goods. Ultimately this can run a domestic company out of business, giving the foreign company a opportunity to later increase prices. More information about dumping and anti-dumping laws can be found at, http://www.freetrade.org/node/222.
Example: The U.S Steel Co. dumped all of their steel on France, increasing the consumption of U.S steel in France and decreasing the consumption of domestic French steel, creating a U.S Steel Co. monopoly in France.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Worthy of Printing??
I found this assignment extremely difficult because as a journalist I had conflicting viewpoints with myself as a reader of a newspaper or magazine. My initial reaction to the photos was shock, disgust and sadness. Taking these emotions into consideration I had to evaluate what would be best if I were an editor deciding to publish these pictures or not.
1. When I read this question my immediate reaction was to turn to the Society of Professional Journalism Code of Ethics. The section titled "Minimize Harm" played a huge factor in my decision. I think that I would choose to only run the photo of the boy who had fallen on the fence and the Mardi Gras photo. Considering that the other four photos involved death or a portrayal of death, I figured it would be to emotional for the members of their family or those who loved them to have to continuously see their loved one in a paper. Yes, I included the boy and his dog, because as a child and for many adults losing a pet can be just as traumatizing as losing a human companion.
2. I referred to the SPJ Code of Ethics along with the list provided to us during lecture. Rules 6-9 played the most importance in my decision. If the rolls were reversed I would be heart-broken to have to sit through that day after day. The consequences of my actions could be life altering for some, depending on how their loved one passed. And, there are always alternatives, such as writing the perfect article so that no picture is necessary in order to portray what happened.
3. Again I would only chose to print the two, and I would only print them if their presence within the paper would impact the way a reader would view the story. If their presence was not necessary in order for the reader to understand the story, I probably would not use them.
4. If the events were local would consider not printing them at all. The fact that the very person within the picture who is being greatly affected, or portrayed in a negative light, could be within the town only makes the situation worse. The Mardi Gras picture would be traumatizing for the people in it because many would view them in a different light afterwards.
5. If the pictures were online only, they would probably carry slightly less of an impact. By being online readers would have to seek out the photos instead of them just being them when they get their morning paper. But, if they were online, they would also be able to be circulated forever, which makes that another thing to then consider. I would not print either of the two pictures on the front page because again their impact on the people in them would be more significant if they were on the front page. Often times many readers do not even venture past the first page or the main section of the paper. By strategically placing them in less popular spot you would be minimizing harm.
6. I struggled the most with the child who had fallen on the fence. This was the most difficult picture for me because my initial reaction was to be repulsed at the sight of the fence through the boy's mouth. If younger children were to see that, or friends of the boy, they could be seriously upset by the picture. Pictures that stir such strong emotions are difficult to decide whether they should be published because while they do have a strong impact on the reader, they also can cause emotions that are not pleasant for the reader.
1. When I read this question my immediate reaction was to turn to the Society of Professional Journalism Code of Ethics. The section titled "Minimize Harm" played a huge factor in my decision. I think that I would choose to only run the photo of the boy who had fallen on the fence and the Mardi Gras photo. Considering that the other four photos involved death or a portrayal of death, I figured it would be to emotional for the members of their family or those who loved them to have to continuously see their loved one in a paper. Yes, I included the boy and his dog, because as a child and for many adults losing a pet can be just as traumatizing as losing a human companion.
2. I referred to the SPJ Code of Ethics along with the list provided to us during lecture. Rules 6-9 played the most importance in my decision. If the rolls were reversed I would be heart-broken to have to sit through that day after day. The consequences of my actions could be life altering for some, depending on how their loved one passed. And, there are always alternatives, such as writing the perfect article so that no picture is necessary in order to portray what happened.
3. Again I would only chose to print the two, and I would only print them if their presence within the paper would impact the way a reader would view the story. If their presence was not necessary in order for the reader to understand the story, I probably would not use them.
4. If the events were local would consider not printing them at all. The fact that the very person within the picture who is being greatly affected, or portrayed in a negative light, could be within the town only makes the situation worse. The Mardi Gras picture would be traumatizing for the people in it because many would view them in a different light afterwards.
5. If the pictures were online only, they would probably carry slightly less of an impact. By being online readers would have to seek out the photos instead of them just being them when they get their morning paper. But, if they were online, they would also be able to be circulated forever, which makes that another thing to then consider. I would not print either of the two pictures on the front page because again their impact on the people in them would be more significant if they were on the front page. Often times many readers do not even venture past the first page or the main section of the paper. By strategically placing them in less popular spot you would be minimizing harm.
6. I struggled the most with the child who had fallen on the fence. This was the most difficult picture for me because my initial reaction was to be repulsed at the sight of the fence through the boy's mouth. If younger children were to see that, or friends of the boy, they could be seriously upset by the picture. Pictures that stir such strong emotions are difficult to decide whether they should be published because while they do have a strong impact on the reader, they also can cause emotions that are not pleasant for the reader.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Celebrity, Celebrity
I am at a loss as to what I should blog about this week, so I decided to blog about my first truly great experience with journalism and what I learned from it. In April I was able to cover Ebertfest for The Buzz, and while waiting in line for the movie I had never even heard of, Rufus Sewell walked out of the bathroom right next to me. Many of you are probably wondering who he is. Well I call him, "medieval bad guy", because he usually plays one, but not all the time. He has been in A Knight's Tale, The Holiday, Dark City, and Tristan and Isolde.
This was so exciting for me because I really want to report about movies or do movie reviews after I graduate. Yes, it seems like one of the more glamorous journalism jobs, but I tend to watch one new movie a week, at least, and it just seemed to fit.
This being my first celebrity interview, I was more than nervous. But, after asking him if I could interview him for the paper, and he didn't even hesitate to say yes, I began to ease up. What I realized is that I shouldn't lose my ability to interview someone, or forget everything that I have been taught just because someone is famous. We ended up talking for about thirty minutes, because people kept asking for pictures and photographs, and then he gave me one of the best compliments I've received to date. He told me that I was a great young reporter.
Since then I think that I have gained more confidence with my reporting and my ability to interview others. I am still learning all the mechanics, like all these crazy grammar rules, but I feel much better about myself as a reporter than I did a year ago.
This was so exciting for me because I really want to report about movies or do movie reviews after I graduate. Yes, it seems like one of the more glamorous journalism jobs, but I tend to watch one new movie a week, at least, and it just seemed to fit.
This being my first celebrity interview, I was more than nervous. But, after asking him if I could interview him for the paper, and he didn't even hesitate to say yes, I began to ease up. What I realized is that I shouldn't lose my ability to interview someone, or forget everything that I have been taught just because someone is famous. We ended up talking for about thirty minutes, because people kept asking for pictures and photographs, and then he gave me one of the best compliments I've received to date. He told me that I was a great young reporter.
Since then I think that I have gained more confidence with my reporting and my ability to interview others. I am still learning all the mechanics, like all these crazy grammar rules, but I feel much better about myself as a reporter than I did a year ago.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Tired of the Election
I'm in Journ 405 this semester, and one of the things we recently talked about was how during the Revolutionary War and for several years afterwards, newspapers were guided by political news. Meaning one newspaper would support one ideology and that particular party would help support and fund the entire newspaper. It became so heavily biased that newspapers no longer needed advertisements because the political party they supported was paying for everything. We then talked about how this was a weaker time in our history of journalism, but it seems to me that history is repeating itself.
Nowadays you can't turn on the TV, go on the internet, or read a newspaper without realizing that the article you are reading or the story you are hearing is a little bit more than somewhat biased. It could be that medium chooses to only report on one candidate, or it could be that they report on both candidates but it's blatantly clear who they support.
The Election coverage is possibly one of the most important things a medium can report on. The information the media chooses to present to us, helps us make "informed" decisions about the candidate we will vote for. So, if I'm only hearing one side how can I make an informed decision.
It's as if our media coverage has returned to that politically dominated time in our past. Election coverage gets so out of hand sometimes that I almost expect to turn on the TV and hear them telling me Obama shops at Walmart over Target, oh, the horror. While I am well aware that I can pick and choose which stations, internet sites, or papers I want to be exposed to, it just seems wrong that an issue that is so important in our country is falling prey to the bias preditor.
Nowadays you can't turn on the TV, go on the internet, or read a newspaper without realizing that the article you are reading or the story you are hearing is a little bit more than somewhat biased. It could be that medium chooses to only report on one candidate, or it could be that they report on both candidates but it's blatantly clear who they support.
The Election coverage is possibly one of the most important things a medium can report on. The information the media chooses to present to us, helps us make "informed" decisions about the candidate we will vote for. So, if I'm only hearing one side how can I make an informed decision.
It's as if our media coverage has returned to that politically dominated time in our past. Election coverage gets so out of hand sometimes that I almost expect to turn on the TV and hear them telling me Obama shops at Walmart over Target, oh, the horror. While I am well aware that I can pick and choose which stations, internet sites, or papers I want to be exposed to, it just seems wrong that an issue that is so important in our country is falling prey to the bias preditor.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Whose Opinion is this Anyway?
I'm sure some people are going to be upset with me for saying this, but I'm not a die-hard Obama fan. I'm not really a McCain fan either. But, the other night while watching "Showbiz Tonight" on Headlines News, it brought up an interesting question: "Do celebrities influence or sway your opinion on who you will vote for?"
This question was prompted by the Tina Fey skit on Saturday Night Live this past weekend. In the skit she played McCain's Vice President candidate, Sarah Palin. (It was bound to happen since all anyone can talk about is how similar they look.)
Right after I heard the question I thought to myself, Lindsay Lohan's opinion of the possible future vice president should have nothing to do with me. After all, when it comes to voting, she is just one person. It's not like her vote counts for more then mine or yours. But why then are some people so outraged or enamored with a celebrities opinion on the candidates.
I know my mom gets really upset when celebrities don't agree with her, or if they say something she doesn't agree with herself. A lot of people react this way. It seems to suggest that while we think celebrities don't influence our vote, they somehow have impacted us. Either they confirm our personal choice, or you look at someone like Lindsay Lohan saying don't vote for so and so and you think, if Lindsay says no, I'm certainly saying yes.
The fact that an entire twenty minutes was dedicated to discussing this question and reviewing popular celebrity's opinions of the cadidates reveals how particular types of media work. They were insinuating that a celebrities opinion should mean nothing to you, but then they spent a large portion of the show talking about it. It's because of this saturation that our opinions are often influenced by celebrity choices, or we can't go a day without learning what they're thinking. I guess that just goes to show how powerful the news is.
This question was prompted by the Tina Fey skit on Saturday Night Live this past weekend. In the skit she played McCain's Vice President candidate, Sarah Palin. (It was bound to happen since all anyone can talk about is how similar they look.)
Right after I heard the question I thought to myself, Lindsay Lohan's opinion of the possible future vice president should have nothing to do with me. After all, when it comes to voting, she is just one person. It's not like her vote counts for more then mine or yours. But why then are some people so outraged or enamored with a celebrities opinion on the candidates.
I know my mom gets really upset when celebrities don't agree with her, or if they say something she doesn't agree with herself. A lot of people react this way. It seems to suggest that while we think celebrities don't influence our vote, they somehow have impacted us. Either they confirm our personal choice, or you look at someone like Lindsay Lohan saying don't vote for so and so and you think, if Lindsay says no, I'm certainly saying yes.
The fact that an entire twenty minutes was dedicated to discussing this question and reviewing popular celebrity's opinions of the cadidates reveals how particular types of media work. They were insinuating that a celebrities opinion should mean nothing to you, but then they spent a large portion of the show talking about it. It's because of this saturation that our opinions are often influenced by celebrity choices, or we can't go a day without learning what they're thinking. I guess that just goes to show how powerful the news is.
Monday, September 8, 2008
A Spicy Robbery
My friend sent me a link to this article last night, explaining how glad she is we are Journalism majors and get to write stories like this one. The headline reads, "Officials: Burglar wakes men with spice rub, sausage whack." This story was posted last night on CNN.com.
This article is about two farmers who were robbed and then oddly enough, beaten with meat. The headline caught my attention because I couldn't believe what the headline was insinuating. If I were to change the headline, I might change it to, "Burglar beats with meat." I think the more absurd the headline for this story, the better.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Mmm Delicious (Word of the Week)
"Palatable," an adjective meaning "pleasing to the taste." This yummy adjective came from an article in The News Gazette on page B-6, September 2, 2008. It appeared in an article with the headline "Economy forcing more to work well into 60s." According to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, "palatable" can also be used to mean something that is "agreeable or acceptable to the mind," which is how the word was used within the article. I chose "palatable" for my word of the week because it has a unique sound to it. It is not an adjective that is often used, so when I came across it while reading the paper it caught my eye.
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