Final Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed this course; overall, it introduced me to several ideas and concepts that I know will assist me in my development as a journalist. Before this class, I had never given much thought to Twitter; I had written it off as social media better suited for teenagers. However, after spending several hours perusing tweets, I realized that Twitter is used as much for news dissemination as it is for personal information. Many companies and organizations use Twitter to spread the news about their business, and I never realized this.
Another idea this classed introduced to me is the idea of RSS feeds. Ever since learning about this technology, I’ve spent countless hours scanning my news feed. I’m really glad I was made aware of RSS feeds, as my bloglines.com feed has greatly increased my news gathering efficiency. Now, I’m able to find countless articles without having to search for one.
Something else the class got me thinking about is alternative ways to tell stories, such as photo slideshows with audio or podcasts. Before this class, I never realized the story-telling capabilities that each possessed. Now, I’m genuinely excited about implementing these new story-telling methods in my journalism approach.
But most importantly, this class encouraged me to “brand” myself, which led to me finally launching my Web site brandonbanks.com. And now that I have a central location to host my writings, photos and videos, I now feel more comfortable in starting a blog. By having a portfolio online, I also feel more comfortable in approaching potential employers. I think having a .com website conveys a degree of professionalism necessary to succeed at the next level.
I also gained from this class the necessary components to blog. Not only did I familiarize myself with the WordPress software, I also spent the entire semester brainstorming blog ideas, which resulted in a couple ideas I hope to implement over the summer.
Overall, I loved the direction this course and will most definitely continue studying these topics on my own.
The “bottom line” is hurting journalism
The pressures of “the bottom line” have most definitely affected journalism. With the move to online content, a lot of print newspapers have closed due to a loss in revenue. The Tribune, which owns 12 newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune, filed for bankruptcy late in 2008. And to avoid having to close its doors, the New York Times took out a $250 million loan from Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu.
And a lot of reporters have lost their jobs due to newspapers losing money. According to Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel in their book The Elements of Journalism, the economic recession that hit the country following the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001, caused a drop in advertising revenue, which led to approximately 2,000 journalists losing their jobs. Investigative reporting is definitely taking a hit, too, as newsrooms now have a smaller budget to produce the same number of stories. Plain and simple, less money for news gathering means a lesser news quality.
Since, in the end, many newspapers operate with the expressed purpose of turning profit, the quality of the news will definitely deteriorate until newspapers can find a way to turn their financial fortunes. If newspapers can’t find a way to invest in investigative reporting, corporations and the government will find it easier and easier to do as they please, and this is bad for democracy.
The Live Music Archive at archive.org
As a music junkie who can’t get his fill, I spend a lot of time on the Live Music Archive at archive.org, the largest free site for music on the Internet. As of April 18, the archive hosts 76,885 concerts from 4,098 bands, including over 100 Jack Johnson shows, over 400 Smashing Pumpkin shows, over 600 shows by Keller Williams, and over 7,500 substance-soaked selections from rock legends the Grateful Dead.
Claiming “universal access to all knowledge,” the Internet Archive (IA) also hosts a variety of other things, including open source movies and audio books, audio and video lectures, and poetry. The IA has an extensive audio collection of beat poetry and related material, covering such legends as Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, and Jack Kerouac, among others.
And for those interested in video, the archive hosts a collection of classic cartoons, classic movies, and ephemeral, cultural and academic films. The IA even has a growing collection of 78-rpm records from the early 20th century, digitally recorded for permanent preservation.
Check out the Archive. It’s surely one of the greatest treasures on the web.
The Journalist of Tomorrow
I agree with Vadim Lavrusik in his assessment of the 8 must-have traits of tomorrow’s journalists, and I even have a couple of my own that I would add to the mix.
One point of Lavrusik’s that I agree with is his assessment that tomorrow’s journalists must be business savvy. The rise in freelance journalism has created a need for writers to have a strong business acumen when dealing with potential employers. It’s important for journalists to have a strong background in business so that they can better prepare themselves for some of the situations they will encounter in the freelance market.
Another point of Lavrusik’s that I strongly agree with is his statement that tomorrow’s journalists must be multi-media storytellers. The Internet has played a huge factor in this journalism approach, and I think it’s forcing journalists to broaden their duties and increase their skill sets. Gone are the days of journalists who do strictly one thing in the news room, be it writing or photography. The journalist of tomorrow must be able to tackle a variety of news mediums, including writing, video, photography and design.
Something I would add is that tomorrow’s journalists need to be quick and efficient workers. The world is getting faster and faster, and people are getting news on the Internet faster and faster. Tomorrow’s journalists must possess the ability to produce high quality work in fast paced environments. I also think the journalists of tomorrow must be determined and not easily discouraged. The rise in citizen journalism has turned the freelance market into a competitive field, and writers must be strong in will and desire if they are to survive the dog-fight.
Jesus Christ, indeed.
taken from a 1-star book review of the Bible on Amazon.com:
Man, this book is boring. All this weird stuff happens and it’s harder to get into than Lord of the Rings. And what’s up with the red writing and the LORD says stuff. All caps = rude, peter paul and mark, whoever the heck you are. And this is just badly written. James Patterson could do better. These apostles need to get a clue and hire a ghost writer. Even Miley Cyrus’s manager was smart enough to do that. Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ, indeed.
For years, I’ve looked to the review sections of many websites for information and entertainment; Amazon.com has always been my favorite. Not only can I find reliable information about specific products, I can always find a good chuckle or two, as well. Some of the things that people will say on the Internet …
But recently I discovered that I am not alone in my leisurely activities. Jeanette Demain, in an article on Salon.com, talks about her fascination with Amazon.com’s review section and about some of the interesting quotes she found while recently perusing reviews of some major American classics.
From a 1-star review of Charlotte Bronte’s classic Jane Eyre:
Endless, pointless description. DESCRIPTION, DESCRIPTION, DESCRIPTION!!! The entire book is written in stupid metaphors. The few places where there is actually any dialogue bore the reader to tears. Honestly, i think that this is dubbed a classic simply because it is older than sand.
Okay, so I could go on all day with this stuff—I absolutely love it. Be sure to check out Demain’s article yourself and then skip over to Amazon.com for your own little 1-star expedition. Be sure to check out some movie reviews; those are always really good, too. But don’t be surprised at some of the idiocy you will find. Sometimes people really are that stupid.
People have more ways than ever to get their news—mobile phone, Internet sites, RSS feeds, etc., and I think audiences are definitely ready to utilize these new technologies. As people rely more heavily on an increased number of news sites, these technologies become more important and necessary. It’s difficult to say what methods people will use to get their news in 10-15 years, but one thing is for certain—it will showcase efficiency. Technology has already surpassed my wildest imaginations, so I’m certainly excited to see what the future holds.
Lady of Guadalupe
Photo slide show (with sound) of Lauren getting a tattoo.
“Design matters. Design matters a lot.” – Garr Reynolds
On his website, Garr Reynolds published a short article about design. In that article, Reynolds said, “Quality alone is not enough — a lot of people have good quality, right? Instead, the overall DESIGN of the ‘thing’ must be so compelling that it serves as a key differentiator.”
But in the last section of his article, Reynolds wraps it up by asking, “What is design?” His magic-eight ball reply: “There is not one clear answer. “
To many, design is something done on a computer. But in the article, Reynolds makes design seem more like a concept that can apply to several things and not just something tangible, like the layout design of a newspaper. Reynolds talks about how “our personal design sense and acuity shows through everyday in our presentations, our documents, our meetings, our emails, the way we dress, and on and on.” It seems as if Reynolds thinks that individuals and organizations should design the image they wish to portray to the public.
The Internet has given people more options than ever for receiving their information, and so competition is fierce among news sites. Because people have limitless sources at their disposal, design is more crucial than ever. It’s not only important that organizations present a neat image to the public, it’s also important that their product be well designed, whether it’s a website or an Apple I-pod (pictured in the article with the tagline, “Great design”).
As Reynolds said in his article, “A lot of people have good quality.” So to stand out from the crowd, an individual or organization needs more than just the goods – they need a thoughtful design, too. It’s increasingly important that individuals and organizations are polished on all fronts; everything needs to be impeccable. A careful design gives the product or organization a credibility that can’t be bought. By planning carefully, the chances of success greatly increase.
