In this, my last blog for my Online Journalism class, I am going to recap some of the events and issues I have been blogging about for the last 4 months. I do so to offer you, the reader, a quick overview of the content of my blog, so far.
At the same time I will use this opportunity to reflect on the events and issues I think have made the biggest impact on me throughout my semester in Miami. Hopefully, by the end of this blog I will have outlined a couple of themes and issues that I can use as fuel for my future blogging ventures.
I started out by writing about the many different types of blogs out there and the differences we as readers should know about. Blogs range from personal diaries to hot topic political debates. If you want to be taken seriously, even as a blogger you must follow the guidelines for journalistic reporting: Check your sources, always put content over everything else, and be truthful.
The serious blogs out there serve as a very good supplement to your daily news. This was the subject of another blog. And yet another one talked about how newsrooms in South Florida and worldwide are being redefined by new media and convergence.
I spent some time blogging about web 2.0 and the emergence of social networks. My class created the CommTogether network for students and faculty at the UM Comm. School.
The way in which new media and social networking is changing political campaigning was an interesting fact I also shared with you, along the way.
As my website took shape I shared with you the steps I was taking to create it and my amazement with how easy it is to create a pretty decent website, on your own.
One of the topics that have always interested me is the civil rights struggle. I enthusiastically reported about The Civil Rights Panel at UM during Comm. Week. Another topic that made its way into my blog was the political involvement of students - or the lack of, at the University of Miami.
Being Danish I felt that I needed to touch on Danish media’s handling of, and part in, the reemergence of the Mohammed crisis. This lead to a discussion of the boundaries of free speech in a democracy.
These were some of the topics I have found worthy of a blog during the past couple of months. Though I am no longer obligated to keep this blog I urge you to check back every once in a while. Because since I can now blog about anything I want, there is just no telling what direction this blog will take.
One thing is certain, though. I will keep on keeping on…
Thank you for reading! (Chris and Marie)
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Time to say Goodbye
So, my time at the University of Miami is running out and I will be going back to Copenhagen in Denmark in about two weeks. This semester I have been studying at UM as an exchange student and since I now am done with my studies it is time to bid adieu.
My reason for going to UM was to get an insight into the field of communication, and especially journalism. Being an English major, with a minor in Film and Media Studies , I had some theoretical knowledge about journalism, but no practical experience.
I am proud to say that now I do have some practical experience! Apart from learning how to produce articles and video stories, I have even learned how to create websites. And all this in just one class, in one semester.
My Online Journalism class at UM offers the students a hands on approach to new media journalism that best can be compared to actually working for a real life news organization. And what better way to learn a trade than by actually doing it.
I have learned so much from this class and been inspired to pursue a career in journalism. What I find to be most valuable of all the things I have learned is, well…All the things I have learned.
The fact that I can now produce a story using various new and “old” media, and publicize the content on my own webpage is extremely liberating. I do not have to rely on others to express myself.
I cannot see how these new skills should not be an advantage, whatever field I end up working in.
Another “child” of my Online Journalism class is this blog. I will continue to post on it and hopefully make it grow into a full grown blog about journalism.
But as of two weeks from now I will be posting live from Copenhagen instead of Miami.
Anyone reading this blog please leave comments for me, as I would like to know who you are.
Thanks.
My reason for going to UM was to get an insight into the field of communication, and especially journalism. Being an English major, with a minor in Film and Media Studies , I had some theoretical knowledge about journalism, but no practical experience.
I am proud to say that now I do have some practical experience! Apart from learning how to produce articles and video stories, I have even learned how to create websites. And all this in just one class, in one semester.
My Online Journalism class at UM offers the students a hands on approach to new media journalism that best can be compared to actually working for a real life news organization. And what better way to learn a trade than by actually doing it.
I have learned so much from this class and been inspired to pursue a career in journalism. What I find to be most valuable of all the things I have learned is, well…All the things I have learned.
The fact that I can now produce a story using various new and “old” media, and publicize the content on my own webpage is extremely liberating. I do not have to rely on others to express myself.
I cannot see how these new skills should not be an advantage, whatever field I end up working in.
Another “child” of my Online Journalism class is this blog. I will continue to post on it and hopefully make it grow into a full grown blog about journalism.
But as of two weeks from now I will be posting live from Copenhagen instead of Miami.
Anyone reading this blog please leave comments for me, as I would like to know who you are.
Thanks.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Not just yet Another Online Network
Last week the creation of a new social network was proposed in my Online Journalism class. I have to admit that my first thoughts were along the lines of “Do any of us really need ANOTHER online network?”
Even so I went along with the idea. Mostly because the class needed to work on a project, and since I had no good alternative I did not object.
We created the network using ning.com. It was so easy to do and not at all the hassle I had predicted. By the end of the same class in which the proposal had occurred we had our new network up and running.
CommTogether is a network for all Communication students and faculty at the University of Miami. Our goal is to get the different departments at the Comm. School to work together in the good name of convergence.
And convergence is something that we definitely can become better at. As in most universities and even workplaces working with people from different departments can be a challenge. And this is where CommTogether comes in.
Using the network to establish the initial contact between all employees and students serves to familiarize all of us with each other. That is the first step. Second and most importantly, CommTogether allows us all to use the many different resources within the School of Communication for mutual benefit.
The one thing that made me critical about the idea initially was that I did not see what this network had to offer that we did not already have in our Facebook or LinkdIn networks. However,I now realize that sometimes networks can become so big and all encompassing that you lose the overview.
What is so neat about CommTogether is that it serves a specific purpose, so you don’t get all the annoying vampire requests you do on Facebook. Limiting the network to a specific group of people, I feel, will be one of the greatest strengths of this new network.
Having seen how easy it is to set up a Ning network and how beneficial such a network can be I must say that I think CommTogether will be of great value to everyone at the School of Communication…Even if it does mean that I will have to sign in and check out yet another network, daily ;-)
Even so I went along with the idea. Mostly because the class needed to work on a project, and since I had no good alternative I did not object.
We created the network using ning.com. It was so easy to do and not at all the hassle I had predicted. By the end of the same class in which the proposal had occurred we had our new network up and running.
CommTogether is a network for all Communication students and faculty at the University of Miami. Our goal is to get the different departments at the Comm. School to work together in the good name of convergence.
And convergence is something that we definitely can become better at. As in most universities and even workplaces working with people from different departments can be a challenge. And this is where CommTogether comes in.
Using the network to establish the initial contact between all employees and students serves to familiarize all of us with each other. That is the first step. Second and most importantly, CommTogether allows us all to use the many different resources within the School of Communication for mutual benefit.
The one thing that made me critical about the idea initially was that I did not see what this network had to offer that we did not already have in our Facebook or LinkdIn networks. However,I now realize that sometimes networks can become so big and all encompassing that you lose the overview.
What is so neat about CommTogether is that it serves a specific purpose, so you don’t get all the annoying vampire requests you do on Facebook. Limiting the network to a specific group of people, I feel, will be one of the greatest strengths of this new network.
Having seen how easy it is to set up a Ning network and how beneficial such a network can be I must say that I think CommTogether will be of great value to everyone at the School of Communication…Even if it does mean that I will have to sign in and check out yet another network, daily ;-)
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Campaigning on New platforms
Since the last presidential election in 2004, campaigners have obtained a variety of new campaigning tools due to the internet and the widespread use of cell phones.
For many years young people have been overlooked by campaigners because they did not have a good way to get in touch with them. Young people typically do not have a landline phone and they change mailing addresses often, making it hard for political campaigners to target them.
Extensive email and cell phone lists have now been gathered by both the Democrats and the Republicans. This allows both parties to stay in touch with young people, who earlier were considered to be out of their reach.
And suddenly young voters become an important demographical group, whom political campaigners target intensively.
This obviously gives young people, from 18-29 years old, a voice in political questions that they have never had before. Politicians can now ask this group, in a very cost efficient manner, for their views on certain issues.
Some of the new campaigning tools that have been possible because of the internet are Facebook, interactive websites for each candidate, and extensive emailing lists.
In the ongoing presidential campaign the candidates have really stepped their game up with regards to their official websites.
“Obama’s website is the best I have ever seen in politics,” said Ethan Eilon, Executive Director of the College Republican National Committee.
Ethan Eilon was one of three panelists talking with University of Miami students about youth political involvement, yesterday at the Youth Voting Panel.
Being that young people are very much present online and that this is where much political campaigning takes place, they are now very much where it is happening.
For many years young people have been overlooked by campaigners because they did not have a good way to get in touch with them. Young people typically do not have a landline phone and they change mailing addresses often, making it hard for political campaigners to target them.
Extensive email and cell phone lists have now been gathered by both the Democrats and the Republicans. This allows both parties to stay in touch with young people, who earlier were considered to be out of their reach.
And suddenly young voters become an important demographical group, whom political campaigners target intensively.
This obviously gives young people, from 18-29 years old, a voice in political questions that they have never had before. Politicians can now ask this group, in a very cost efficient manner, for their views on certain issues.
Some of the new campaigning tools that have been possible because of the internet are Facebook, interactive websites for each candidate, and extensive emailing lists.
In the ongoing presidential campaign the candidates have really stepped their game up with regards to their official websites.
“Obama’s website is the best I have ever seen in politics,” said Ethan Eilon, Executive Director of the College Republican National Committee.
Ethan Eilon was one of three panelists talking with University of Miami students about youth political involvement, yesterday at the Youth Voting Panel.
Being that young people are very much present online and that this is where much political campaigning takes place, they are now very much where it is happening.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Truthfulness and Deception
In my blog entry from April 8th I touched on the issue of truthfulness and deception. This time around I would like to elaborate on that topic.
The instance that triggered my thought process to go in that direction when I was writing my blog was a conversation I had with a friend. Though the conversation would best be described as off topic with regards to journalism, it got me thinking.
Like anyone involved with journalism I find it crucial that truthfulness is always a top priority in my own, as well as other people’s work. Be it blogs, news stories, or other forms of factual communication, truthfulness must be the foundation.
Getting back to the conversation now, it was also about truthfulness and deception. However, truthfulness in a personal exchange of information rather than in a journalistic sense.
My friend told me about how a person who he had “met” online might have been deceiving him. He had been talking to this person on several occasions via email, chat, and phone calls. In addition to this he had received photographs of who he thought was the person he was having these conversations with.
Somewhere along the line of these conversations he got the impression that the person was not being completely truthful about who the person was. When confronted with more interrogative questions the person cut all connections, further feeding my friend’s suspicion.
Where all this fits in to a journalistic blog is on the issue of deception by a source who you perceive as being truthful.
Some people use the anonymity of the internet as a shield and, in extreme cases, even make up a fictitious personality. Fiction is portrayed as were it factual.
In a similar way blogs create a forum for someone to express themselves without necessarily letting the receiver hold the writer accountable. You can basically post a bunch of untruths and you are home free because you do not have to answer to anyone.
This, of course, presupposes that you do not include your personal information on your blog.
What I learned from the conversation I had with my friend strengthened my belief in always having a critical approach to sources online; professional as well as personal.
The instance that triggered my thought process to go in that direction when I was writing my blog was a conversation I had with a friend. Though the conversation would best be described as off topic with regards to journalism, it got me thinking.
Like anyone involved with journalism I find it crucial that truthfulness is always a top priority in my own, as well as other people’s work. Be it blogs, news stories, or other forms of factual communication, truthfulness must be the foundation.
Getting back to the conversation now, it was also about truthfulness and deception. However, truthfulness in a personal exchange of information rather than in a journalistic sense.
My friend told me about how a person who he had “met” online might have been deceiving him. He had been talking to this person on several occasions via email, chat, and phone calls. In addition to this he had received photographs of who he thought was the person he was having these conversations with.
Somewhere along the line of these conversations he got the impression that the person was not being completely truthful about who the person was. When confronted with more interrogative questions the person cut all connections, further feeding my friend’s suspicion.
Where all this fits in to a journalistic blog is on the issue of deception by a source who you perceive as being truthful.
Some people use the anonymity of the internet as a shield and, in extreme cases, even make up a fictitious personality. Fiction is portrayed as were it factual.
In a similar way blogs create a forum for someone to express themselves without necessarily letting the receiver hold the writer accountable. You can basically post a bunch of untruths and you are home free because you do not have to answer to anyone.
This, of course, presupposes that you do not include your personal information on your blog.
What I learned from the conversation I had with my friend strengthened my belief in always having a critical approach to sources online; professional as well as personal.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Too Good to be False
Talking to a long time friend of mine, the other day, it just occurred to me how powerful a medium the internet is. I know that the World Wide Web offers a whole new range of possibilities to us all and that’s great. But at the same time you have to be very careful with information you get solely from online sources.
You really have the world at your fingertips every time you turn on your computer. And not only that. You also have the power to influence that world by participating in one of the many forms of interaction available.
I, for one, love the fact that I can write about anything that is on my mind here, in my blog. But maybe you, the reader, shouldn’t believe every word typed on this particular URL or any other place online. What I am getting at is the fact that nothing gets verified before it is published on many sites on the web.
This fact requires the sender to double check anything that person is not 100% sure about. This, however, presupposes that the intention of that sender is truthfulness. And when it comes to journalism I would argue that truthfulness is still a top priority for any reporter…I guess you are not a reporter if it isn’t.
But what happens when anyone can write about anything they want? You get a lot of opinions about any topic out there, but at the same time you also get manipulation and lies. And many of us know when something is a lie or “too good to be true.” You double check a dubious statement and find out you were fooled.
But what happens when the lie is “too good to be false?” When someone fabricates “the truth” so well that you can’t tell it is a lie. Well what happens is that you fall for it! And when you find out you were fooled you can’t believe how much work was put into making you buy in to this hoax.
You really have the world at your fingertips every time you turn on your computer. And not only that. You also have the power to influence that world by participating in one of the many forms of interaction available.
I, for one, love the fact that I can write about anything that is on my mind here, in my blog. But maybe you, the reader, shouldn’t believe every word typed on this particular URL or any other place online. What I am getting at is the fact that nothing gets verified before it is published on many sites on the web.
This fact requires the sender to double check anything that person is not 100% sure about. This, however, presupposes that the intention of that sender is truthfulness. And when it comes to journalism I would argue that truthfulness is still a top priority for any reporter…I guess you are not a reporter if it isn’t.
But what happens when anyone can write about anything they want? You get a lot of opinions about any topic out there, but at the same time you also get manipulation and lies. And many of us know when something is a lie or “too good to be true.” You double check a dubious statement and find out you were fooled.
But what happens when the lie is “too good to be false?” When someone fabricates “the truth” so well that you can’t tell it is a lie. Well what happens is that you fall for it! And when you find out you were fooled you can’t believe how much work was put into making you buy in to this hoax.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Digital Manipulation
Ever since the technology of reproducing photographic images was invented manipulation has been an issue. In the beginning of the 20th century many photographers experimented with this new medium and the role of the image was not clear. Was a photo merely facts reproduced visually or should it be viewed as fiction?
The answer, of course, is: It depends! Photography clearly can serve both purposes. Today the line between fact and fiction has become even more of an issue. Most of the time we know how to distinguish between fact and fiction because we have learnt that different media bring facts and others fiction. We all expect that the images we see on a news broadcast are factual, unless we are told otherwise. Likewise, a billboard, we have learnt, is fiction.
But are any photos or images really factual? There is always some manipulation involved in the process. Just the photographer’s choice of subject and the angle questions the notion of objectivity and to some extent factuality.
If we take it one step further and look at the whole process that starts after the photo has been taken, the notion of reproducing facts becomes even more questionable. I know from my own experience that manipulation is the first thing that happens once you get your digital photos into your computer. I usually like to change the brightness and color of my pictures to make the picture look nicer. I tell myself that I am just trying to bring out the “true” colors, but isn’t this manipulation? Not to talk about cropping a picture to remove some disturbing element, like an ex girlfriend.
I think it is important that we all question the images we are being shown, as we should question anything someone tells us. Always keep in mind that the sender of a specific message has a specific intention when bringing any message to you. And with the emergence of digital editing manipulation has become very easy to do well without anyone really being able to prove that manipulation in fact has taken place. Beware.
The answer, of course, is: It depends! Photography clearly can serve both purposes. Today the line between fact and fiction has become even more of an issue. Most of the time we know how to distinguish between fact and fiction because we have learnt that different media bring facts and others fiction. We all expect that the images we see on a news broadcast are factual, unless we are told otherwise. Likewise, a billboard, we have learnt, is fiction.
But are any photos or images really factual? There is always some manipulation involved in the process. Just the photographer’s choice of subject and the angle questions the notion of objectivity and to some extent factuality.
If we take it one step further and look at the whole process that starts after the photo has been taken, the notion of reproducing facts becomes even more questionable. I know from my own experience that manipulation is the first thing that happens once you get your digital photos into your computer. I usually like to change the brightness and color of my pictures to make the picture look nicer. I tell myself that I am just trying to bring out the “true” colors, but isn’t this manipulation? Not to talk about cropping a picture to remove some disturbing element, like an ex girlfriend.
I think it is important that we all question the images we are being shown, as we should question anything someone tells us. Always keep in mind that the sender of a specific message has a specific intention when bringing any message to you. And with the emergence of digital editing manipulation has become very easy to do well without anyone really being able to prove that manipulation in fact has taken place. Beware.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
My New Hobby.
In my blog from February 29th I bragged to you about my new website. I also told you that I would keep you posted when anything new happened on my page.
Well, guess what…Today I finished the content and design of my website! At least it is now so much done that I dare to brag about it again.
I added some pictures to my Soundslide and deleted others, to make it better. Agreed, some of the old pictures actually weren’t that good.
Another new feature on my website is the video bio, in which I talk about…Well about myself. I have also added a page for my biography, so it doesn’t get in the way on the front page.
The layout has changed to black, grey, and white only. I thought it was appropriate to keep the colors (if you want to call them that) simple, like the site itself.
There really isn’t a lot to the site, but I do feel it tells the story about me at this moment in time, in a simple and subtle way.
I will keep working on new features for the website which I, by the way, have created using Dreamweaver. Working in Dreamweaver has proven a very easy way of creating websites and most importantly, it is very fun!
That being said, I have only just learnt the basics of Dreamweaver and still have a lot to learn. And where better to start learning than by watching some of the great video tutorials out there for anyone to learn from, for free.
I think it is fair to say that creating content for my sites and playing with the applications that allow me to express myself online has become my new hobby.
Well, guess what…Today I finished the content and design of my website! At least it is now so much done that I dare to brag about it again.
I added some pictures to my Soundslide and deleted others, to make it better. Agreed, some of the old pictures actually weren’t that good.
Another new feature on my website is the video bio, in which I talk about…Well about myself. I have also added a page for my biography, so it doesn’t get in the way on the front page.
The layout has changed to black, grey, and white only. I thought it was appropriate to keep the colors (if you want to call them that) simple, like the site itself.
There really isn’t a lot to the site, but I do feel it tells the story about me at this moment in time, in a simple and subtle way.
I will keep working on new features for the website which I, by the way, have created using Dreamweaver. Working in Dreamweaver has proven a very easy way of creating websites and most importantly, it is very fun!
That being said, I have only just learnt the basics of Dreamweaver and still have a lot to learn. And where better to start learning than by watching some of the great video tutorials out there for anyone to learn from, for free.
I think it is fair to say that creating content for my sites and playing with the applications that allow me to express myself online has become my new hobby.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Learnig to Write News Stories.
In the past week I have been writing my first print story for my Online Journalism class. The story will be published on The Miami Hurricane later this year. While I have become accustomed to express my views in my blog, actual news writing is something almost entirely new to me.
Since I had not had any training in news writing before this semester, I knew that for my story to be a success I would have to think and write differently. This was a challenge for me, but at the same time I was excited about learning how to communicate to a wider audience.
I have still only learned the basics of this form of writing, but I already feel a lot better equipped for my next story. The things that I learned now seem like a matter of course to me, but it was not that obvious to me to begin with.
I started by gathering the information I needed for the story from the relevant persons. This included interviews and reporting from a concert.
Having gathered the information and material needed, I then tried to get an overview of the different pieces that would make up the story. First I wrote down all the quotes and important information I thought would tell the story in the best way. Then I arranged everything in the order that made best sense to me.
Having done this I could start writing the actual story. I knew that I would probably make many mistakes, but there was only one way to develop my writing skills – by writing! Luckily my professor had agreed to work with me on several drafts of the story before it would be published.
After the first draft I had to rewrite much of the story. I was happy to do this because I could see that making the necessary changes would make my story much stronger. Not being accustomed to news writing I had left out key elements to the story, which I incorporated in the second draft.
My third draft has yet to be completed and of course some changes still need to be made. And again, I am happy to do so because I want to tell my story in the best possible way. I think the people I am writing about deserve that and so do the many people who hopefully will read and learn from my first news story. Most importantly, however, I want to become better at reporting beacuse I simply love it!
Since I had not had any training in news writing before this semester, I knew that for my story to be a success I would have to think and write differently. This was a challenge for me, but at the same time I was excited about learning how to communicate to a wider audience.
I have still only learned the basics of this form of writing, but I already feel a lot better equipped for my next story. The things that I learned now seem like a matter of course to me, but it was not that obvious to me to begin with.
I started by gathering the information I needed for the story from the relevant persons. This included interviews and reporting from a concert.
Having gathered the information and material needed, I then tried to get an overview of the different pieces that would make up the story. First I wrote down all the quotes and important information I thought would tell the story in the best way. Then I arranged everything in the order that made best sense to me.
Having done this I could start writing the actual story. I knew that I would probably make many mistakes, but there was only one way to develop my writing skills – by writing! Luckily my professor had agreed to work with me on several drafts of the story before it would be published.
After the first draft I had to rewrite much of the story. I was happy to do this because I could see that making the necessary changes would make my story much stronger. Not being accustomed to news writing I had left out key elements to the story, which I incorporated in the second draft.
My third draft has yet to be completed and of course some changes still need to be made. And again, I am happy to do so because I want to tell my story in the best possible way. I think the people I am writing about deserve that and so do the many people who hopefully will read and learn from my first news story. Most importantly, however, I want to become better at reporting beacuse I simply love it!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
War Propaganda
Recently I posted a blog about an interview with CNN Chief International Correspondent, Christiane Amanpour I saw on tv. It seemed that she somehow felt that bloggers and citizen journalists were doing news telling a disfavor by their mere presence in the media landscape.
While this may be true in some aspects, let us not forget one thing: Being on the spot when news occurs does not automatically mean that the reporting is good, let alone objective. Last week I watched a movie in one of my classes that dealt with how the United States government has used propaganda in, before, and after, times of war ever since the Vietnam War. The film is called “War Made Easy” and I can recommend it to anyone interested in propaganda in politics.
Interestingly, in this movie Amanpour admitted that mainstream media basically were fooled by the government before and during the invasion of Iraq. “We were intimidated by the administration, she said.” At the time it seemed that most news media were afraid of being critical towards the war. Like most American people they were afraid of being viewed as un-American.
And why was that you might ask. I think that a lot of it has to do with an administration that is very skilled at spreading propaganda. In fact, what was supposed to be independent news outlets turned in to propaganda machines for the administration at this time and those reporters who dared to be critical had their shows cancelled.
During the course of the Iraq war we have seen journalists reporting directly from the battle field. Journalists are now closer to the action than ever before. This trend of having journalists embedded with American troops first occurred during the Vietnam War. The problem with this kind of reporting is that although the journalist might be close to the line of action he or she is only telling one side of the story. How impartial do you think a journalist who is stationed with a bunch a American soldiers in a war is? Not very, is the correct answer.
So I guess what I am getting at is that we shouldn’t be fooled into thinking that supporting American troops means turning a blind eye to the other side of the story. Especially when the other side is right. Nor should journalists who spend weeks with American soldiers in Iraq automatically be considered impartial to the conflict. Many of them are just instruments for the propaganda that all governments try to spread during a war.
While this may be true in some aspects, let us not forget one thing: Being on the spot when news occurs does not automatically mean that the reporting is good, let alone objective. Last week I watched a movie in one of my classes that dealt with how the United States government has used propaganda in, before, and after, times of war ever since the Vietnam War. The film is called “War Made Easy” and I can recommend it to anyone interested in propaganda in politics.
Interestingly, in this movie Amanpour admitted that mainstream media basically were fooled by the government before and during the invasion of Iraq. “We were intimidated by the administration, she said.” At the time it seemed that most news media were afraid of being critical towards the war. Like most American people they were afraid of being viewed as un-American.
And why was that you might ask. I think that a lot of it has to do with an administration that is very skilled at spreading propaganda. In fact, what was supposed to be independent news outlets turned in to propaganda machines for the administration at this time and those reporters who dared to be critical had their shows cancelled.
During the course of the Iraq war we have seen journalists reporting directly from the battle field. Journalists are now closer to the action than ever before. This trend of having journalists embedded with American troops first occurred during the Vietnam War. The problem with this kind of reporting is that although the journalist might be close to the line of action he or she is only telling one side of the story. How impartial do you think a journalist who is stationed with a bunch a American soldiers in a war is? Not very, is the correct answer.
So I guess what I am getting at is that we shouldn’t be fooled into thinking that supporting American troops means turning a blind eye to the other side of the story. Especially when the other side is right. Nor should journalists who spend weeks with American soldiers in Iraq automatically be considered impartial to the conflict. Many of them are just instruments for the propaganda that all governments try to spread during a war.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Copyrights.
One of the most difficult areas of any form of communication is dealing with and understanding copyright laws of intellectual property. And it seems that, even for lawyers, the rules are not crystal clear. Sam Tirilli, who is a lawyer and a professor at the University of Miami, spoke to my Online Journalism class about this issue, yesterday.
At the core of the debate about intellectual property copyrights is the understanding of the difference between physical and non-physical objects and how they are distributed. A digital file can be duplicated an infinite number of times without the original piece of work being harmed, removed, or altered in any way. At the same time all the digital copies will be as good as the original, or at least they will be if copied correctly. This is a major change from the days of VHS. Whereas a movie copied onto video tape looses some of its quality, a digitally copied movie does not.
When discrepancies over the use of copyrighted material end up going to court, two acts serve as the guidelines for judges. These are The Digital Millennium Rights Act of 2002 and The Communication Decency Act of 1996. Of course any trial is a very complex matter, and this is a simplification.
What these acts do is place liability when the rules of copyrights or defamation are violated. The Digital Millennium Rights Act of 2002 frees providers of online space of any liability for law infringements users not associated with the company might cause. If YouTube, for instance, does not know that copyrighted material unrightfully has been uploaded to their space, they are not to blame for it. However, the copyright holder can tell them to remove the material and then they will have to do so. But until then, they are protected by The Digital Millennium Rights Act.
Though most of The Communication Decency Act of 1996 was deemed unconstitutional, one section was passed. This section, Section 2.30, is central to many types of websites' existence. This section states that internet providers are immune when it comes to what other people post on their sites. If someone writes defamatory remarks about you, you therefore should go after the person writing it and not the site hosting it. While Section 2.30 allows many websites of questionable substance or relevance to survive and strive the act also protects people from liability in cases where they have no control over the substance on their sites.
Both acts are pivotal to the way these kinds of cases are being determined. And with good reason, I would argue. It is impossible for this site; Blogger, for instance, to check all the blogs daily for defamatory material or copyright infringements.
At the core of the debate about intellectual property copyrights is the understanding of the difference between physical and non-physical objects and how they are distributed. A digital file can be duplicated an infinite number of times without the original piece of work being harmed, removed, or altered in any way. At the same time all the digital copies will be as good as the original, or at least they will be if copied correctly. This is a major change from the days of VHS. Whereas a movie copied onto video tape looses some of its quality, a digitally copied movie does not.
When discrepancies over the use of copyrighted material end up going to court, two acts serve as the guidelines for judges. These are The Digital Millennium Rights Act of 2002 and The Communication Decency Act of 1996. Of course any trial is a very complex matter, and this is a simplification.
What these acts do is place liability when the rules of copyrights or defamation are violated. The Digital Millennium Rights Act of 2002 frees providers of online space of any liability for law infringements users not associated with the company might cause. If YouTube, for instance, does not know that copyrighted material unrightfully has been uploaded to their space, they are not to blame for it. However, the copyright holder can tell them to remove the material and then they will have to do so. But until then, they are protected by The Digital Millennium Rights Act.
Though most of The Communication Decency Act of 1996 was deemed unconstitutional, one section was passed. This section, Section 2.30, is central to many types of websites' existence. This section states that internet providers are immune when it comes to what other people post on their sites. If someone writes defamatory remarks about you, you therefore should go after the person writing it and not the site hosting it. While Section 2.30 allows many websites of questionable substance or relevance to survive and strive the act also protects people from liability in cases where they have no control over the substance on their sites.
Both acts are pivotal to the way these kinds of cases are being determined. And with good reason, I would argue. It is impossible for this site; Blogger, for instance, to check all the blogs daily for defamatory material or copyright infringements.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Are blogs merely distractions?
During Spring Break I watched a very interesting interview with The CNN Chief International Correspondent, Christiane Amanpour. She was talking to a university crowd about the state of news reporting.
What really caught my attention was when the audience was allowed to ask the questions. One student asked Amanpour about her thoughts on what has been termed citizen journalism. Her response made me think about the difference between reporting news from all over the world and writing about it in the security of your own home, after someone else has brought an issue to your attention.
The essence of what Amanpour said was that while citizen journalism has its moments, most of it serves as distractions from what “the real news” is. It seems that she views citizen journalism as interfering with the type of news coverage she does and I can see her point. As a trained and highly qualified journalist you obviously are critical of blogs that often merely present one person’s interpretation of a news story. However, if you choose to see much of citizen journalism as a supplement to “the real news” I still would argue that it does more good than harm. It all simply comes down to being critical of any information you are presented with.
Another point Amanpour made was that citizen journalism seldom has broken any big stories. Again I see where Amanpour, a journalist who has travelled the world, is coming from. No one sitting in front of their laptop in an American suburb can really know what is going on in Africa at that time. However a blogger who actually is in Africa at that time can, and maybe he or she can even get the story out before a big network like CNN.
I think that we still have to regard most of citizen journalism as a commentary to the news more than the news itself. And as a commentary or supplement I think we are doing pretty well.
What really caught my attention was when the audience was allowed to ask the questions. One student asked Amanpour about her thoughts on what has been termed citizen journalism. Her response made me think about the difference between reporting news from all over the world and writing about it in the security of your own home, after someone else has brought an issue to your attention.
The essence of what Amanpour said was that while citizen journalism has its moments, most of it serves as distractions from what “the real news” is. It seems that she views citizen journalism as interfering with the type of news coverage she does and I can see her point. As a trained and highly qualified journalist you obviously are critical of blogs that often merely present one person’s interpretation of a news story. However, if you choose to see much of citizen journalism as a supplement to “the real news” I still would argue that it does more good than harm. It all simply comes down to being critical of any information you are presented with.
Another point Amanpour made was that citizen journalism seldom has broken any big stories. Again I see where Amanpour, a journalist who has travelled the world, is coming from. No one sitting in front of their laptop in an American suburb can really know what is going on in Africa at that time. However a blogger who actually is in Africa at that time can, and maybe he or she can even get the story out before a big network like CNN.
I think that we still have to regard most of citizen journalism as a commentary to the news more than the news itself. And as a commentary or supplement I think we are doing pretty well.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Meta-video Tutorials.
Last night I was looking for information on how to edit avi.-files in Windows Movie Maker. My Google-search directed me to user generated threads, company FAQ’s, and to YouTube.
Videos about how to do almost anything are widely available at video sites like YouTube. And some of the most useful how-to-do’s are computer tutorials. They are extremely convenient and you can gain the expertise or knowledge you are looking for in just minutes.
First you go to the video site or any search engine and type the name of the application you are having problems with and add the word tutorial. Of course you can also type the name of your specific problem, narrowing your search. Hit enter and choose your tutorial.
Then you watch and listen to the tutorial on your computer. What is really smart is that you can use the application you are learning about at the same time. So you are actually not just learning by listening and paying close attention. You are learning by doing, while being guided. And anytime you want to; restart the tutorial, pause it, or go to the next one.
Most of the tutorials, and often the most useful ones, are created by users like you. Companies post their own tutorials about their programs, but user created tutorials tend to address the potential problems within each application better. Tutorials created by the company actually selling the application naturally do not focus as much on potential problems and sometimes look more like advertisements than tutorials.
Of course finding the right tutorial can require some patience. Since there are many tutorials for each application you might have to check out a couple before you get the answer you were looking for. However, even the ones that do not answer your exact question will probably teach you something new about the application.
Last night, when I was searching for a tutorial on avi.-files in Movie maker, the tutorial I watched didn’t actually address my problem. It turned out that it was not a tutorial about how to edit avi.-files in Movie Maker, the tutorial itself was an avi.-file. This is a good example of one of the problems that might occur when looking for the right tutorial.
Even though the tutorial did not address my specific problem I did find out things about Movie Maker, that I did not know before. And it appears that Movie Maker is just not created to handle avi.-files. And what a shame that the program cannot handle these files. Movie maker comes with most new Windows computers and would be the easiest for anyone with a pc to use.
Granted, it is not as extensive as other applications, but it would serve my needs right now…And I would be able to do my editing from home. But in stead I will have to use the iMovie and Final Cut Pro applications, that are available at my school. At least until Windows decides to release an avi.-codec for Movie Maker.
Videos about how to do almost anything are widely available at video sites like YouTube. And some of the most useful how-to-do’s are computer tutorials. They are extremely convenient and you can gain the expertise or knowledge you are looking for in just minutes.
First you go to the video site or any search engine and type the name of the application you are having problems with and add the word tutorial. Of course you can also type the name of your specific problem, narrowing your search. Hit enter and choose your tutorial.
Then you watch and listen to the tutorial on your computer. What is really smart is that you can use the application you are learning about at the same time. So you are actually not just learning by listening and paying close attention. You are learning by doing, while being guided. And anytime you want to; restart the tutorial, pause it, or go to the next one.
Most of the tutorials, and often the most useful ones, are created by users like you. Companies post their own tutorials about their programs, but user created tutorials tend to address the potential problems within each application better. Tutorials created by the company actually selling the application naturally do not focus as much on potential problems and sometimes look more like advertisements than tutorials.
Of course finding the right tutorial can require some patience. Since there are many tutorials for each application you might have to check out a couple before you get the answer you were looking for. However, even the ones that do not answer your exact question will probably teach you something new about the application.
Last night, when I was searching for a tutorial on avi.-files in Movie maker, the tutorial I watched didn’t actually address my problem. It turned out that it was not a tutorial about how to edit avi.-files in Movie Maker, the tutorial itself was an avi.-file. This is a good example of one of the problems that might occur when looking for the right tutorial.
Even though the tutorial did not address my specific problem I did find out things about Movie Maker, that I did not know before. And it appears that Movie Maker is just not created to handle avi.-files. And what a shame that the program cannot handle these files. Movie maker comes with most new Windows computers and would be the easiest for anyone with a pc to use.
Granted, it is not as extensive as other applications, but it would serve my needs right now…And I would be able to do my editing from home. But in stead I will have to use the iMovie and Final Cut Pro applications, that are available at my school. At least until Windows decides to release an avi.-codec for Movie Maker.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Preliminary research.
This week I am preparing to write my first feature story, which will eventually be published on themiamihurricane.com. There are several steps I have needed to take before doing the actual story and I would just like to share them with you here:
1. First I needed to find something to write about, obviously. My story is going to be about music. Since my audience will mostly be UM students, I thought I would do it on Cane Records, the record company of The University of Miami. So I started asking people I knew what they thought about the idea. I soon found out that that story had already been written, recently. Good thing I asked, though. Otherwise I might have ended up doing a story, which really would not hold any news value.
2. Then I thought about doing my story on one of the university bands. I hadn’t really heard about any of them, but had just been invited to a release party for one of them; a Cane Records’ artists called Les. So I went to the release party and thought that I might do my story on Les. Then today I checked the web for information about him. I found out that he is an r’n’b singer from Miami, things I already knew. What I didn’t know was that The Miami Hurricane, just yesterday, published a full story about him…Damn! But again, I was glad I did some research before actually starting the story.
3. Earlier today I called one of my friends, who also happens to be working for Cane records, and asked him if he had any ideas on an interesting band. He did have some suggestions for my story that didn’t seem too far fetched. I also checked with Greg Linch who put me in contact with the music guy at The Miami Hurricane. You will be able to read my story sometime in the near future. Where and when, I will be sure to let you know.
The essence of what I want to tell you, through my own experiences, is that doing preliminary research is essential in journalism. The web is a great place to find background information, story ideas, and to double check sources. Just make sure that your story hasn’t just been published by someone else. Even as important, if not more, are the people around you; your colleagues, friends, family, professors, and other students. They will tell you if you, to their knowledge, are moving in the right direction with a story. Never be too proud to listen to good advice!
1. First I needed to find something to write about, obviously. My story is going to be about music. Since my audience will mostly be UM students, I thought I would do it on Cane Records, the record company of The University of Miami. So I started asking people I knew what they thought about the idea. I soon found out that that story had already been written, recently. Good thing I asked, though. Otherwise I might have ended up doing a story, which really would not hold any news value.
2. Then I thought about doing my story on one of the university bands. I hadn’t really heard about any of them, but had just been invited to a release party for one of them; a Cane Records’ artists called Les. So I went to the release party and thought that I might do my story on Les. Then today I checked the web for information about him. I found out that he is an r’n’b singer from Miami, things I already knew. What I didn’t know was that The Miami Hurricane, just yesterday, published a full story about him…Damn! But again, I was glad I did some research before actually starting the story.
3. Earlier today I called one of my friends, who also happens to be working for Cane records, and asked him if he had any ideas on an interesting band. He did have some suggestions for my story that didn’t seem too far fetched. I also checked with Greg Linch who put me in contact with the music guy at The Miami Hurricane. You will be able to read my story sometime in the near future. Where and when, I will be sure to let you know.
The essence of what I want to tell you, through my own experiences, is that doing preliminary research is essential in journalism. The web is a great place to find background information, story ideas, and to double check sources. Just make sure that your story hasn’t just been published by someone else. Even as important, if not more, are the people around you; your colleagues, friends, family, professors, and other students. They will tell you if you, to their knowledge, are moving in the right direction with a story. Never be too proud to listen to good advice!
Friday, February 29, 2008
There it is!
Gather 'round, people...My first website has now landed. And this time it is not just a shared website or a profile on some internet community, but my own real website where I’ll be posting information about myself in different media.As of right now the only media posted is a picture and some text, but come next week you should at least be seeing a new layout and a soundslide on there. And it’s all going to be about myself and who I perceive myself to be.
Not the most interesting topic in the world, you might say…Well, to you maybe. But I, as an object of attention, actually do manage to hold my own interest for quite some time.
So for all of you who, like myself, have been following my blog every Tuesday and Friday, for the last couple of months; you now can see just who I am, if you don’t already know. And for those of you not interested, well you know what to do too.
So I guess everyone is happy. At least I know I am, and with Spring Break coming up I can't really find a reason not to be. I hope everyone is ok with me just talking about myself in my blog, for once. I promise to get back to the more serious online journalsim stuff in my next blog.
Also, I'll let you know when something exciting happens on my website. Untill then just sit back and continue to enjoy the many interesting blogs from the Comm. School students at UM.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Immediacy Vs. depth.
Mainstream media and especially television and radio are very good at bringing breaking news. A TV-channel can cover an event, as it is happening, with just one cameraman at the scene. And TV-channels have many years of experience telling us when something worth paying attention to is happening. The perfect example of the impact of live news is, of course, CNN’s coverage of the 9/11 attacks.
Immediacy is one of the best reasons to follow live news on TV and radio. An argument often heard about the advantages of TV compared to newspapers is that, what you read in the newspaper is already old news when you pick it up. Another advantage of TV and radio is that you can do other things while listening to them. You can turn on the radio in the morning and basically it will tell you that the world is still turning/burning while you brush your teeth. No effort or time involved.
Live broadcasts from breaking events always draw many viewers and listeners. However, often times, when an issue is no longer considered breaking news the media will let go of it, without following up on the situation. This tendency creates a faulty image of the world for audiences who get all their news from TV. This is especially true for negative news coverage. Since much of what is covered by mainstream news focuses on the negative, people start to see the world around them as a very scary place. And of course the world can be a scary place. But the media often forgets to tell the positive stories that do occur. And I am not talking about a cute short story about a police officer rescuing a cat from a tree, at the end of the program.
Newspapers, however, do a much better job of making sure to cover as many aspects of an event as possible. After the 9/11 attacks, newspapers told the readers about the rebuilding and how people were coping with their losses, while TV slowly moved on to the next breaking story. And this is just an example of the differences in coverage. Short term coverage is the main focus of TV while newspapers take a long term approach.
Luckily with the emergence of the web as a place to get your news and report about the world as you see it, audiences have an abundance of news sources available to them. However, the old lady who does not have a computer still has only two options: TV/radio and newspapers. And if she chooses only to follow the news on TV it is understandable that she is scared to leave her house.
Immediacy is one of the best reasons to follow live news on TV and radio. An argument often heard about the advantages of TV compared to newspapers is that, what you read in the newspaper is already old news when you pick it up. Another advantage of TV and radio is that you can do other things while listening to them. You can turn on the radio in the morning and basically it will tell you that the world is still turning/burning while you brush your teeth. No effort or time involved.
Live broadcasts from breaking events always draw many viewers and listeners. However, often times, when an issue is no longer considered breaking news the media will let go of it, without following up on the situation. This tendency creates a faulty image of the world for audiences who get all their news from TV. This is especially true for negative news coverage. Since much of what is covered by mainstream news focuses on the negative, people start to see the world around them as a very scary place. And of course the world can be a scary place. But the media often forgets to tell the positive stories that do occur. And I am not talking about a cute short story about a police officer rescuing a cat from a tree, at the end of the program.
Newspapers, however, do a much better job of making sure to cover as many aspects of an event as possible. After the 9/11 attacks, newspapers told the readers about the rebuilding and how people were coping with their losses, while TV slowly moved on to the next breaking story. And this is just an example of the differences in coverage. Short term coverage is the main focus of TV while newspapers take a long term approach.
Luckily with the emergence of the web as a place to get your news and report about the world as you see it, audiences have an abundance of news sources available to them. However, the old lady who does not have a computer still has only two options: TV/radio and newspapers. And if she chooses only to follow the news on TV it is understandable that she is scared to leave her house.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Free speech?
Should you say or do something just because you can? Maybe just to demonstrate your right to express anything that comes to mind. Or perhaps to demonstrate that, in western democracies, nothing is sacred. I guess both reasons are valid ones, so yeah, maybe you should. Sometimes you do need to provoke others in order to make people think. Occasionally, the best way to get a reaction from people is to step on a toe or two. And after all, freedom of speech and freedom of the press are fundamental rights in any democracy.
But does that mean that you should flash your inherent power to insult anyone you want, whenever you feel like it? And is it justifiable to do so repeatedly? I think that while journalists are obligated to push freedom of speech and freedom of the press, you should always put things into context. A possible insult can serve as a means to an end, but should never become and end in (and of?) itself.
What I am referring to is some Danish newspapers’ publication of drawings of the prophet Mohammed in 2005, which led to great commotion across the Muslim world. Soon, other western countries were publishing the same drawings, all while the Danish flag was being burnt in the Middle East and parts of Asia.
No one could have anticipated the reaction that followed the publication of the drawings and luckily all the commotion died down as time went on. It wasn’t a case of two parties settling on a common ground, but more of a truce-situation. Nor could any agreement on freedom of expression be expected between fundamentalist fractions of Islam and western governments and news organizations. But at least things had gone back to ‘normal’ for a while.
So why would you want to go and publish those same drawings two years later? Was it to celebrate the annual “Piss-Muslims-off day” or to demonstrate the joys of free speech? Whatever the reason, let’s just be happy that things didn’t escalade to the same heights of anger around the world this time.
But does that mean that you should flash your inherent power to insult anyone you want, whenever you feel like it? And is it justifiable to do so repeatedly? I think that while journalists are obligated to push freedom of speech and freedom of the press, you should always put things into context. A possible insult can serve as a means to an end, but should never become and end in (and of?) itself.
What I am referring to is some Danish newspapers’ publication of drawings of the prophet Mohammed in 2005, which led to great commotion across the Muslim world. Soon, other western countries were publishing the same drawings, all while the Danish flag was being burnt in the Middle East and parts of Asia.
No one could have anticipated the reaction that followed the publication of the drawings and luckily all the commotion died down as time went on. It wasn’t a case of two parties settling on a common ground, but more of a truce-situation. Nor could any agreement on freedom of expression be expected between fundamentalist fractions of Islam and western governments and news organizations. But at least things had gone back to ‘normal’ for a while.
So why would you want to go and publish those same drawings two years later? Was it to celebrate the annual “Piss-Muslims-off day” or to demonstrate the joys of free speech? Whatever the reason, let’s just be happy that things didn’t escalade to the same heights of anger around the world this time.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
The Civil Rights Media Panel.
Yesterday, students and anyone else interested had the rare opportunity of hearing first hand accounts from the civil rights struggle in Miami.
As part of Communication Week at The School of Communication at UM, the five speakers of The Civil Rights Media Panel shared their experiences with those present. The speakers all play/played a part in the struggle for racial equality in the news media in Southern Florida. They helped pave the way for coming generations of journalists of all ethnicities.
Garth Reeves, former editor of Miami’s African American newspaper, The Miami Times, and C. T. Taylor, the first black reporter for Channel 4, shared some very vivid stories from their struggles. They were stories about segregation and the pursuit of dreams.
As the son of H. E. Sigismund Reeves, founder of The Miami Times, Garth Reeves was born into the newspaper business. However, it was not until after he had served his country that he realized he wanted to go into journalism. In the beginning he, “took a back seat and was happy to go along until things started to change”. He soon discovered that he should not have to endure the injustices he had put up with his whole life.
Reeves then started helping the NAACP in their fight for justice, although he had to be careful what he printed in the paper. After the Miami Times successfully helped desegregate Crandon Park, they knew they could not throw the story on the front page as they wanted to. At the time, being a black journalist meant watching not to step over the line set by the rest of society.
The story that marked a turning point in Reeves’ reporting was when he exposed the then chief of police, Walter Headley. Headley was known to place evidence at crime scenes and was a blatant racist. As Reeves says, Headley was “the Bull Connor of Miami”, referring to the infamous police chief from Birmingham, Alabama.
C. T. Taylor had wanted to become a radio announcer since he was a child. He held on to his dream even though family members told him, “you will never become a radio announcer”. In 1968 Taylor was hired at a radio station as a maintenance worker. He learned how to operate radio equipment by watching the DJs while mopping the floors of the studios. And one day, by dumb luck, he was offered a chance to go on air himself. This chance, which had only been offered to him because another DJ was too drunk to do his job, ended up making C. T. Taylor the most popular DJ in Miami.
During the Arthur McDuffy-riots in 1980, White reporters were afraid to report from the hot zone. Mainstream television media were in desperate need of African American reporters like Taylor, whom they had earlier declined to hire. During the riots, Taylor received a phone call from a TV station who wanted to hire him as a cameraman. Without any training, Taylor was sent to report from the riots equipped with a 16 mm. camera. While he was sent out to report, he was never allowed to be in front of the camera. However, he deliberately let his hand, then ear, and soon the back of his head slide into the frame, making it obvious to viewers that the TV station had hired a black reporter.
When Channel 4 learned that the rival station had hired an African American reporter, they instantly contacted Taylor, who had left an application with them earlier. He soon found himself on screen and on air at Channel 4, as the first African American.
Having entered the news media by means of challenging the status quo, both Garth Reeves and C. T. Taylor were successful due to their dedication and sometimes odd coincidence. The message from these two reporters and the other panelists, who are all pioneers, can best be summarized in the words of C. T. Taylor. “Race doesn’t matter, report the facts!” Having dealt with incorrect representations of Black history by the news media, these reporters know the importance of reporting the truth better than anyone.
As part of Communication Week at The School of Communication at UM, the five speakers of The Civil Rights Media Panel shared their experiences with those present. The speakers all play/played a part in the struggle for racial equality in the news media in Southern Florida. They helped pave the way for coming generations of journalists of all ethnicities.
Garth Reeves, former editor of Miami’s African American newspaper, The Miami Times, and C. T. Taylor, the first black reporter for Channel 4, shared some very vivid stories from their struggles. They were stories about segregation and the pursuit of dreams.
As the son of H. E. Sigismund Reeves, founder of The Miami Times, Garth Reeves was born into the newspaper business. However, it was not until after he had served his country that he realized he wanted to go into journalism. In the beginning he, “took a back seat and was happy to go along until things started to change”. He soon discovered that he should not have to endure the injustices he had put up with his whole life.
Reeves then started helping the NAACP in their fight for justice, although he had to be careful what he printed in the paper. After the Miami Times successfully helped desegregate Crandon Park, they knew they could not throw the story on the front page as they wanted to. At the time, being a black journalist meant watching not to step over the line set by the rest of society.
The story that marked a turning point in Reeves’ reporting was when he exposed the then chief of police, Walter Headley. Headley was known to place evidence at crime scenes and was a blatant racist. As Reeves says, Headley was “the Bull Connor of Miami”, referring to the infamous police chief from Birmingham, Alabama.
C. T. Taylor had wanted to become a radio announcer since he was a child. He held on to his dream even though family members told him, “you will never become a radio announcer”. In 1968 Taylor was hired at a radio station as a maintenance worker. He learned how to operate radio equipment by watching the DJs while mopping the floors of the studios. And one day, by dumb luck, he was offered a chance to go on air himself. This chance, which had only been offered to him because another DJ was too drunk to do his job, ended up making C. T. Taylor the most popular DJ in Miami.
During the Arthur McDuffy-riots in 1980, White reporters were afraid to report from the hot zone. Mainstream television media were in desperate need of African American reporters like Taylor, whom they had earlier declined to hire. During the riots, Taylor received a phone call from a TV station who wanted to hire him as a cameraman. Without any training, Taylor was sent to report from the riots equipped with a 16 mm. camera. While he was sent out to report, he was never allowed to be in front of the camera. However, he deliberately let his hand, then ear, and soon the back of his head slide into the frame, making it obvious to viewers that the TV station had hired a black reporter.
When Channel 4 learned that the rival station had hired an African American reporter, they instantly contacted Taylor, who had left an application with them earlier. He soon found himself on screen and on air at Channel 4, as the first African American.
Having entered the news media by means of challenging the status quo, both Garth Reeves and C. T. Taylor were successful due to their dedication and sometimes odd coincidence. The message from these two reporters and the other panelists, who are all pioneers, can best be summarized in the words of C. T. Taylor. “Race doesn’t matter, report the facts!” Having dealt with incorrect representations of Black history by the news media, these reporters know the importance of reporting the truth better than anyone.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Journalism 2.0 and beyond.
By now, everyone pretty much agrees that the internet has brought about huge advantages to reporters and audience alike. From the beginning it has been obvious that the new technology would somehow redefine journalism. But just what role this new tool should have, has been the issue of much debate. The visionaries, who saw the benefits of multimedia reporting early on, have had to fight a tough battle in many newsrooms, within the last decade. Transforming tradition bound newspapers to multimedia websites has meant that reporters have had to be taught to use new technologies...Ones that didn't exist when they first chose to become journalists. Changing the tools of the trade and the qualifications required naturally has caused some anxiety and resistance.
Fortunately this resistance has diminished as it has become evident that the internet is not just a fad. Many senior reporters have been reschooled by now and have become strong advocates for multimedia reporting. Furthermore, many young reporters have grown up with the internet and view it is a natural way of communicating with an audience.
In the words of Phil Lewis, Editor & Vice President of Editorial at Naples Daily News, multimedia reporting was "way down the assembly line" just a few years ago. He has been a key figure in changing this mentality at the local paper. He sees the possibilities of multimedia reporting as being immense for any newspaper. Interestingly he emphasizes the importance of using the web to stream live video to audiences. Cable TV stations need a license to broadcast news and they often do not have very many reporters. This offers a great advantage to papers, even small ones like Naples Daily News. They have a large variety of reporters working for them, full time and free-lance. And transmitting via the web saves them having to obtain an expensive broadcast license. Of course the opportunity of streaming via the web is not exclusive to papers. But since many papers have a large staff they have the manpower and expertise to truly challenge TV stations.
Just a few years back, a newspaper journalist had a narrowly defined job description. While it is still important to have expertise in one or several areas of news reporting, reporters are now expected to have a diversified range of skills. And with digital technology available to reporters it is becoming easier to obtain the necessary skills. While news will remain news production of news will continue to change with new technologies. Therefore it is essential to keep up to date with technologies and embrace new ideas and ways of conveying information.
Fortunately this resistance has diminished as it has become evident that the internet is not just a fad. Many senior reporters have been reschooled by now and have become strong advocates for multimedia reporting. Furthermore, many young reporters have grown up with the internet and view it is a natural way of communicating with an audience.
In the words of Phil Lewis, Editor & Vice President of Editorial at Naples Daily News, multimedia reporting was "way down the assembly line" just a few years ago. He has been a key figure in changing this mentality at the local paper. He sees the possibilities of multimedia reporting as being immense for any newspaper. Interestingly he emphasizes the importance of using the web to stream live video to audiences. Cable TV stations need a license to broadcast news and they often do not have very many reporters. This offers a great advantage to papers, even small ones like Naples Daily News. They have a large variety of reporters working for them, full time and free-lance. And transmitting via the web saves them having to obtain an expensive broadcast license. Of course the opportunity of streaming via the web is not exclusive to papers. But since many papers have a large staff they have the manpower and expertise to truly challenge TV stations.
Just a few years back, a newspaper journalist had a narrowly defined job description. While it is still important to have expertise in one or several areas of news reporting, reporters are now expected to have a diversified range of skills. And with digital technology available to reporters it is becoming easier to obtain the necessary skills. While news will remain news production of news will continue to change with new technologies. Therefore it is essential to keep up to date with technologies and embrace new ideas and ways of conveying information.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Putting yourself out there.
Are you out there?...I mean are you really putting yourself out there? Are you letting people know who you are and why it is best to be exactly the way YOU are and not something else?
Questions like these are ones that I have been asking myself in the last week or so. Trying to create a slideshow presentation of myself, as an aspiring journalist, I wanted to make it as compelling as possible. It is always a good thing to reflect on who you are and why, both professionally and personally...And not least, who you want to be. It can be difficult to come up with answers to those questions, but most people have an idea of who they (think they) are. How best to convey what you want a specific audience to know about you is the tricky part.
If you consider yourself a modest person, much like me, it is not easy to write a presentation of yourself. However, in this day and age, it is becoming increasingly important to be able to put yourself out there. The days of the resume are gone and it's time to get creative. You really don't have any excuse not to take advantage of the possibilities new technologies offer in terms of new ways to present yourself.
And haven't we all been portraying ourselves in different ways for a while by now?...Just think about your profile and how it changes depending on who your audience is. Your Facebook profile is different from your MySpace profile, which again differs from the information you put on your LinkedIn profile etc....
But while audiences change, you have to keep in mind that any audience probably can find all of your profiles just by Googleing you. Therefore you should make sure that one profile does not contradict another. Rather, they should complement each other by creating a diverse yet coherent image of yourself.
Questions like these are ones that I have been asking myself in the last week or so. Trying to create a slideshow presentation of myself, as an aspiring journalist, I wanted to make it as compelling as possible. It is always a good thing to reflect on who you are and why, both professionally and personally...And not least, who you want to be. It can be difficult to come up with answers to those questions, but most people have an idea of who they (think they) are. How best to convey what you want a specific audience to know about you is the tricky part.
If you consider yourself a modest person, much like me, it is not easy to write a presentation of yourself. However, in this day and age, it is becoming increasingly important to be able to put yourself out there. The days of the resume are gone and it's time to get creative. You really don't have any excuse not to take advantage of the possibilities new technologies offer in terms of new ways to present yourself.
And haven't we all been portraying ourselves in different ways for a while by now?...Just think about your profile and how it changes depending on who your audience is. Your Facebook profile is different from your MySpace profile, which again differs from the information you put on your LinkedIn profile etc....
But while audiences change, you have to keep in mind that any audience probably can find all of your profiles just by Googleing you. Therefore you should make sure that one profile does not contradict another. Rather, they should complement each other by creating a diverse yet coherent image of yourself.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Digital Photography
I remember when I visited the US Senate in 2002, I was surprised to find that the journalists there had all switched to digital cameras. I talked to the Senate’s Head of Media, who told me that they had just done so, all across the board. Six years ago this was really a new thing…Well, at least to me.
As with news writing, photography has also changed in the digital age. And, as with news writing many things remain the same. Digital photography has, obviously, become the standard in online journalism, but also in traditional newspapers. While some photographers still prefer film because of artistic or sentimental reasons, the advantages of digital has persuaded most to switch.
The advantages of digital are easy to recognize. The freedom of being able to edit photos on your laptop saves a lot of time, not to mention being able to see your pictures right away. However, photography is still photography and a good picture is still a good picture. The rule of threes, which has its origin in paintings, also applies to modern photography. I guess the aesthetics do not change just because technology does.
Since pictures have now been reduced to files, it is important to save your pictures in the right image size. Large files take a long time to load, so you should always resize images to make them fit on a webpage. Photoshop is a good tool for editing and resizing. It is fun to use and it allows you to really enhance your pictures significantly. Photos for print newspapers need to be of a better resolution than those for the web. The wonderful thing about digital photography is that if you just remember to save your original you can edit it and resize it as many times as you want.
When taking pictures you need to think about framing, the position of your object, and the angle from which you take the picture. While editing can do many things, you - the photographer, still need to apply the basic rules of what a good picture is, when shooting.
As with news writing, photography has also changed in the digital age. And, as with news writing many things remain the same. Digital photography has, obviously, become the standard in online journalism, but also in traditional newspapers. While some photographers still prefer film because of artistic or sentimental reasons, the advantages of digital has persuaded most to switch.
The advantages of digital are easy to recognize. The freedom of being able to edit photos on your laptop saves a lot of time, not to mention being able to see your pictures right away. However, photography is still photography and a good picture is still a good picture. The rule of threes, which has its origin in paintings, also applies to modern photography. I guess the aesthetics do not change just because technology does.
Since pictures have now been reduced to files, it is important to save your pictures in the right image size. Large files take a long time to load, so you should always resize images to make them fit on a webpage. Photoshop is a good tool for editing and resizing. It is fun to use and it allows you to really enhance your pictures significantly. Photos for print newspapers need to be of a better resolution than those for the web. The wonderful thing about digital photography is that if you just remember to save your original you can edit it and resize it as many times as you want.
When taking pictures you need to think about framing, the position of your object, and the angle from which you take the picture. While editing can do many things, you - the photographer, still need to apply the basic rules of what a good picture is, when shooting.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Your daily supplement...
Citizen journalism is a term you often meet when reading blogs, and especially when reading blogs about blogs (like this one). So what exactly is the role of citizen journalists? The answer is that the roles are many and it is ultimately up to the individual person to define their own role(s).
In the ongoing presidential primary elections it seems that more people, than in earlier years, especially students, are letting their voices be heard. It is becoming increasingly easy for anyone with a computer and an internet connection to express how they feel about a given issue. So the question is not so much “Should I give voice to my beliefs?”, but rather “How do I best give voice to my beliefs?”. The internet and new media have gradually legitimized the participation of non-experts in political agendas. The people are really letting their voices be heard. If you think there is a void and you have what it takes to fill it out, you are almost obligated to do so. The skeptic would argue that it has become difficult to distinguish solid journalism from unfounded arguments made by the guy next door. I would argue that it is not difficult at all.
Everything depends on where you get your information from and how critical you are. Since most people still do get their news from established news organizations they are not in any immediate danger of being misled. And most citizen journalism actually does the opposite…Offers a new perspective on things or informs people about issues that have been ignored or filtered out by mainstream media. And as with any information, you should never believe everything you read.
It is this blogger’s firm conviction that it, in reality, is quite easy for the modern citizen, equipped with a good sense of judgment, to distinguish facts from fiction. And with the possibilities of the internet we even have the possibility of researching the facts for ourselves. When it comes down to it what online journalism is offering, right now, is a supplement to the old media landscape more than an actual change of the old media.
One example of an organization giving people the opportunity to get more into the detail, and to express themselves, is "Scoop 08". It is an initiative for and by students nationwide who are interested in the ongoing primaries. On their website "Scoop 08" offers information about the politics of the different parties and candidates. And not just the leading ones…Scoop 08 prides itself on trying to cover the election from as many angles as possible, whereas the two main parties pretty much are all you hear about on tv. And the best part about it is that if you disagree and think that their coverage is not as it should be, you are welcome to join their team and help diversifying the debate.
In the ongoing presidential primary elections it seems that more people, than in earlier years, especially students, are letting their voices be heard. It is becoming increasingly easy for anyone with a computer and an internet connection to express how they feel about a given issue. So the question is not so much “Should I give voice to my beliefs?”, but rather “How do I best give voice to my beliefs?”. The internet and new media have gradually legitimized the participation of non-experts in political agendas. The people are really letting their voices be heard. If you think there is a void and you have what it takes to fill it out, you are almost obligated to do so. The skeptic would argue that it has become difficult to distinguish solid journalism from unfounded arguments made by the guy next door. I would argue that it is not difficult at all.
Everything depends on where you get your information from and how critical you are. Since most people still do get their news from established news organizations they are not in any immediate danger of being misled. And most citizen journalism actually does the opposite…Offers a new perspective on things or informs people about issues that have been ignored or filtered out by mainstream media. And as with any information, you should never believe everything you read.
It is this blogger’s firm conviction that it, in reality, is quite easy for the modern citizen, equipped with a good sense of judgment, to distinguish facts from fiction. And with the possibilities of the internet we even have the possibility of researching the facts for ourselves. When it comes down to it what online journalism is offering, right now, is a supplement to the old media landscape more than an actual change of the old media.
One example of an organization giving people the opportunity to get more into the detail, and to express themselves, is "Scoop 08". It is an initiative for and by students nationwide who are interested in the ongoing primaries. On their website "Scoop 08" offers information about the politics of the different parties and candidates. And not just the leading ones…Scoop 08 prides itself on trying to cover the election from as many angles as possible, whereas the two main parties pretty much are all you hear about on tv. And the best part about it is that if you disagree and think that their coverage is not as it should be, you are welcome to join their team and help diversifying the debate.
Friday, February 1, 2008
The News of Tomorrow.
When we talk about online journalism, or even blogs of the more serious kind, it is important to stress the fact that we are still dealing with journalism. The code of ethics that apply to journalists and a good sense of news judgment are key to keeping the standards up, also in online journalism. Since anyone can post something online and label it "online journalism" it becomes even more essential, to the individual blogger or journalist, to differentiate him or herself from the mob of less than good writers out there. You want your readers to take you seriously, and they will only do so if you follow the basic rules of journalism.
As far as language and grammar goes, you just cannot make mistakes, if you want to be taken seriously. No matter how well you research or how vividly your, by the way very interesting, story is told you need to write in a fluent and correct language. As a new blogger it is easy to fall into the pit of using IM language. After all, this is how you normally communicate online, with your friends and peers. For some blogs that type of language is accepted, or perhaps even expected some times. But journalistic blogs should not use the same language as blogs about celebrities, for instance. One good reason for this is that in any type of news writing you need to be precise and concise. There is simply no room for weak or ambiguous statements.
However, in many aspects news writing online does differ from that of the printed media. With new possibilities obviously come new standards of doing things and new responsibilities. One rule that is predominant in any way of conveying news is the paradigm of "content is king". That being said the issue of urgency and time, that dominates online journalism, is somewhat in contrast to using a lot of time to check your story with several sources before pressing the post button. Therefore a good rule is to post what you know to be the facts about a given story as soon as you can. You can always add to the story later, when you have confirmed other facts.
The internet allows anyone with a computer to read what you are writing about. This dramatically changes your potential audience. According to Suzanne Levinson, Director of Site Operations of The Miami Herald, their online audience largely consists of readers from outside Miami. All of 80% of the audience of The Miami Herald's online edition do not live in Miami. People from all over the world can follow local news anywhere they wish and according to Suzanne Levinson a large percentage of the readers from out of town and out of state go to their site to read about The Miami Dolphins. Google searches are a major factor in directing Dolphins fans from all over the world to The Miami Herald.
Although many aspects of journalism remain the same, online journalism is redefining standards as the frontier of the news of today and tomorrow.
As far as language and grammar goes, you just cannot make mistakes, if you want to be taken seriously. No matter how well you research or how vividly your, by the way very interesting, story is told you need to write in a fluent and correct language. As a new blogger it is easy to fall into the pit of using IM language. After all, this is how you normally communicate online, with your friends and peers. For some blogs that type of language is accepted, or perhaps even expected some times. But journalistic blogs should not use the same language as blogs about celebrities, for instance. One good reason for this is that in any type of news writing you need to be precise and concise. There is simply no room for weak or ambiguous statements.
However, in many aspects news writing online does differ from that of the printed media. With new possibilities obviously come new standards of doing things and new responsibilities. One rule that is predominant in any way of conveying news is the paradigm of "content is king". That being said the issue of urgency and time, that dominates online journalism, is somewhat in contrast to using a lot of time to check your story with several sources before pressing the post button. Therefore a good rule is to post what you know to be the facts about a given story as soon as you can. You can always add to the story later, when you have confirmed other facts.
The internet allows anyone with a computer to read what you are writing about. This dramatically changes your potential audience. According to Suzanne Levinson, Director of Site Operations of The Miami Herald, their online audience largely consists of readers from outside Miami. All of 80% of the audience of The Miami Herald's online edition do not live in Miami. People from all over the world can follow local news anywhere they wish and according to Suzanne Levinson a large percentage of the readers from out of town and out of state go to their site to read about The Miami Dolphins. Google searches are a major factor in directing Dolphins fans from all over the world to The Miami Herald.
Although many aspects of journalism remain the same, online journalism is redefining standards as the frontier of the news of today and tomorrow.
Monday, January 28, 2008
"Why should I be reading this?"
It has been a while since I had my first encounter with web logs, or rather blogs as I as a student of Online Journalism ought to say.
This was when one of my good friends suddenly decided that he had some things on his mind that he thought the rest of us could benefit from. Or so it seemed to me the first couple of times I forced myself to click on the link he emailed me every week.
In this blog he would express whatever he felt about a given situation, be it politics or soccer refs. Though I remember thinking "why should I be reading this?" more than once, there was something very appealing about this new phenomenon that kept me checking back for updates on his thought process. I started thinking about how liberating it must be to just let loose and tell the world, or at least a (very) limited part of it, what your perception of something is. It wasn't that I always agreed with him or even thought everything he would scribble about had any relevance. But the very idea that he could do it and that he didn't have to give a hoot about what I, or anyone else, thought about that was very refreshing.
I didn't start a blog myself at this point. The feeling that you shouldn't just write something just because you can was still prevalent in me...And it still is today.
However, in some instances blogs about everyday life offer a side to a story that isn't often heard. In the recent week I have read some blogs that I feel really contribute to the reader's understanding of life in different places of the world. And this is one of the things I find most interesting about blogs. Descriptions that rarely make it into other forms of media are available to readers of blogs.
One example of a blog that tells an otherwise untold story is Yaoni Sanchez' blog, Generation Y. I first learnt about the blog watching a streaming of the daily news on CNN's website one night. Sanchez, who lives in Cuba, told the reporter that she would write her blog at home and then sneak into tourist hotels to upload the file from a flash stick. Since internet access is limited by the government in Cuba this is the only way for her to get her opinions out. And out they come...In her blog readers can learn about everyday life in the country and hear a less official side of the truth.
My friend calling out a soccer ref who he thinks did his team wrong is in many ways similar to Sanchez' stories about her not being able to find a lemon for her sore throat. I guess the language of bloggers is universal and gives people the freedom to write about any topic without being censored. This freedom also extends to the readers, who can comment or ask themselves "why should I be reading this" and find another, perhaps more interesting blog to spend their time on.
This was when one of my good friends suddenly decided that he had some things on his mind that he thought the rest of us could benefit from. Or so it seemed to me the first couple of times I forced myself to click on the link he emailed me every week.
In this blog he would express whatever he felt about a given situation, be it politics or soccer refs. Though I remember thinking "why should I be reading this?" more than once, there was something very appealing about this new phenomenon that kept me checking back for updates on his thought process. I started thinking about how liberating it must be to just let loose and tell the world, or at least a (very) limited part of it, what your perception of something is. It wasn't that I always agreed with him or even thought everything he would scribble about had any relevance. But the very idea that he could do it and that he didn't have to give a hoot about what I, or anyone else, thought about that was very refreshing.
I didn't start a blog myself at this point. The feeling that you shouldn't just write something just because you can was still prevalent in me...And it still is today.
However, in some instances blogs about everyday life offer a side to a story that isn't often heard. In the recent week I have read some blogs that I feel really contribute to the reader's understanding of life in different places of the world. And this is one of the things I find most interesting about blogs. Descriptions that rarely make it into other forms of media are available to readers of blogs.
One example of a blog that tells an otherwise untold story is Yaoni Sanchez' blog, Generation Y. I first learnt about the blog watching a streaming of the daily news on CNN's website one night. Sanchez, who lives in Cuba, told the reporter that she would write her blog at home and then sneak into tourist hotels to upload the file from a flash stick. Since internet access is limited by the government in Cuba this is the only way for her to get her opinions out. And out they come...In her blog readers can learn about everyday life in the country and hear a less official side of the truth.
My friend calling out a soccer ref who he thinks did his team wrong is in many ways similar to Sanchez' stories about her not being able to find a lemon for her sore throat. I guess the language of bloggers is universal and gives people the freedom to write about any topic without being censored. This freedom also extends to the readers, who can comment or ask themselves "why should I be reading this" and find another, perhaps more interesting blog to spend their time on.
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