Travel journalist to share adventures
October 18th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Kayla Hanley, Reporter
This Tuesday at 5 p.m. Ohio University’s Society of Professional Journalists will welcome freelance travel journalist Bridget Gleeson via Skype.
Gleeson has written for Lonely Planet, BBC, Budget Travel, Jetsetter, Delta Sky and more. Along with her writing she has lived in a variety of locations including Italy, the Czech Republic, Nicaragua and Argentina, which has enabled her to experience different perspectives of the world.
From experiencing indigenous life to trying new foods, Gleeson has written about it all.
In one of her most recent blog posts about the State Opera House in Prague, Gleeson called herself, “a high/low traveler because [she] really believes that on so many occasions, cheaper is better.”
Gleeson experiences the opportunities she is given in different ways each time. Whether her opportunities occur in the most expensive seat in the house or the cheapest, it gives her a unique perspective for everything she covers, while living her travel dreams.
“Figure out how to translate your passion into a paying position, because you’ll always have a great advantage over your peers if you love what you do.” she said.
Within the one hour Skype session, SPJ hopes that Bridget will not only give members advice about travel writing, but also discuss how to approach writing about something a journalist is passionate about as well as how she became successful in her travel writing
“I reached out to Bridget because I am a passionate traveler as well as writer, and as many writers would like to do, I’m interested in learning how to combine the two,” said SPJ Secretary Gina Mussio. “Travel writing is a popular and often desired career for writers, but actually very, very difficult to make successful.”
While Gleeson’s success is proof that travel writing can indeed become a successful career for a journalist, she says it takes work.
“For a freelance journalist, there isn’t a defined path. People are constantly asking me about my job; they always say, ‘how did you do it?’ The answer is that I learned by trial and error. I didn’t have a model or an example to follow. I became my own advocate and my own disciplinarian,” said Gleeson.
To find out more about Gleeson’s adventures visit her blog at http://bridgetgleeson.com.
From traditional to technological: Journalism as we know it
September 27th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Casey Compernolle, Reporter
For many journalists’, the transition from traditional to technological can significantly impact their profession. Students across the globe are adapting to a new era in which newspapers are found online and creating a personal blog or website is only a click away.
As a result, this transition has paved a whole new way for aspiring journalism students in the classroom. Some classic teaching methods with only pen and paper have been replaced with computer labs and online discussion boards. However, does the pressure of keeping up with the times overshadow core principles of journalism that students once knew? Or is the change simply a direct reflection of what the future has in store?
PROVIDED by Mike Jung
In 2004, the Missouri School of Journalism adopted an Apple friendly environment in which Mac computers and Apple products are not only encouraged, but also required throughout their curriculum. The school claims that the integration of Apple products has become such a success that they plan to “add the iPad and iPhone devices as mobile tools for journalism.”
Apple’s website explains that, “Students use MacBook Pro for everything from recording classroom lectures to newsgathering, writing, and editing for class projects and for the school’s newspaper, TV station, and affiliated online news service. With iMovie and GarageBand, freshman can quickly teach themselves the basics of video and audio editing before moving on to more complex projects.”
Although the Missouri School of Journalism has deemed the project a success, many may still wonder if the integration speaks more about brands and less about journalism.
Hans Meyer, a professor in the E.W Scripps School of Journalism, said he thinks that moving with the times is important, as long as journalists incorporate those core principles with the new technology offered. Meyer teaches news writing and online journalism fundamentals; therefore his extensive use of computer labs has allowed him to integrate some of this same technology into his own courses.
Meyer, a former professor at the Missouri School of Journalism, said that he agrees Apple creates great products that can be helpful in the classroom, however he also said general skills and tools are more important to teach than simply having the ability to use Mac or Apple products.
“The problem there is single-mindedness. Therefore, we need to be teaching our students to be well-rounded critical thinkers in all areas of technology instead of simply focusing on one brand,” he said.
Meyer said he thinks that Scripps has been incorporating Macs into the Scripps curriculum for about 4 or 5 years. While many students may prefer Apple products to exercise their journalistic abilities, making Apple products a requirement may not be the answer they’re looking for.
Elizabeth Krizner, a sophomore studying Public Relations at the E.W Scripps School of Journalism and a Mac owner, said, , “I love my computer, but I spent all of my graduation money on it. Apple products are extremely expensive, and I would not want to feel forced to invest in a MacBook economically.”
Overall, the recent evolution of journalism has given journalists more opportunities then ever before. Apple, being one of the fundamental leaders of technology, is certainly changing the way journalists do their work. However, it is ultimately up to the journalist to decide whether technology advances will change the way they think about their work.
“In my opinion,” Meyer said, “it’s the people that are using existing technology to fill a need that is not currently being met right now [that] are the people who will change the world.”
Scripps publications welcome next year’s leaders
May 17th, 2011 § 1 Comment
Story // Raquel Harrah, Reporter
With every coming year, publications grow and change with the introduction of new editors to bring their unique visions into the mix. With this school year coming to an end, and new executive boards having already been declared, people can anticipate a fresh approach from their favorite campus news outlets.
For Wesley Lowery, incoming Editor-in-Chief for The Post, this position only comes naturally after serving three years as a Post reporter.
“I started at The Post the first day of my freshman year, so every day I’ve been a student at Ohio University has been with The Post,” Lowery said.
After having to face an extensive range of judges comprised of The Post’s publishing board, 12 faculty members, administrators, students, the business manager and past editor, Lowery will be taking the reigns for next year’s spot of editor-in-chief.
As for what to expect next year, the planning process has already begun for Lowery. “Even things we’re doing well, we can always do better,” Lowery said. One of the aspects Lowery will continue to focus and improve upon is the website, which he says has been a two-year process. “There are going to be some major changes. We’re looking about doing some newer, more unconventional things next year. There will definitely be some changes to the way The Post physically appears, branding ourselves differently, and we’re going to do a little more outreach to the community,” Lowery said.
The Post has already made some major changes this year with its new look, and Lowery admits that not many more big changes will be made with that other than working out the kinks. However, the website will continue to evolve in these coming years, according to Lowery.
“The big thing is to continue pushing online content; the rush to web policy. It’s definitely an attainable goal,” said Lowery.
While Lowery intends to focus on continuing The Post’s image, incoming editor-in-chief for Backdrop magazine, Alex Bojalad, said that after a major facelift for the printed magazine this year, readers should not expect to see additional major changes to the publication.
“We’re trying to keep things relatively consistent. We went through a pretty big branding change with color scheme, and I don’t want to change too much too quickly; keep everything relatively stable,” Bojalad said.
Bojalad said his concrete goal for the upcoming year will be to focus on the writing and stories within Backdrop.
“I would like the content to be as good as possible. We’ve worked hard for a while so the magazine looks good, so I’d like to see some excellent content, stories people would remember after they graduate,” Bojalad said.
On the flip side, the interactive online magazine Thread will see its first transition to new editors. For incoming Editor-in-Chief Ali Mazzotta and Managing Editor Catherine Caldwell, the help of current editor-in-chief and founder of Thread, Jamie Ratermann, has been greatly helpful in this new stage.
“She is awesome. I am with her so much now, and she’s so helpful.” Mazzotta said. “Anything I could ever think to ask her, I can ask her and she’ll be there for me.”
Mazzotta admittedly stated that this transition process has been in baby steps compared to what they can expect in the future. Yet, the wheels are already turning on how they can perfect the popular multimedia magazine.
“I guess the biggest thing I want to accomplish is, every issue we’ve gotten better, and I want to keep that momentum going,” Mazzotta said.
As with any journalism publication, keeping the momentum and shifting for the changing times is essential.
“We want to be continuing to transition, keeping up with technology of the time, and making sure we’re continuing to fulfill our mission statement, along with getting people excited about it, and making people feel included,” Caldwell said.
One of the greatest changes to the publication will be the introduction of a coffee table book that will be available in print around week nine.
All editors make it known that they are not the only people behind the publications. It is a collaborative effort with the rest of their team.
“I can’t say enough how thankful I am that they’ve been so helpful; I finally found my fit,” Mazzotta said.
Social media finds homage offline and in classrooms
May 3rd, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Story // Raquel Harrah, Reporter
As social media begins to grow in popularity by the second and with the scope of journalism broadening to include these features, the top journalism schools across the country are beginning to offer classes specific to social media to accommodate future job requisites.
“This is an exciting time in journalism with new developments daily in the tools we can use to tell stories,” said Ann Schierhorn, professor at the Kent State School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Although Kent State University does not offer courses exclusive to social media at the current time, Professor Schierhorn said that social media is integrated into several news classes in addition to extracurricular media outlets on campus that further aid in teaching students the basics and tools of social media. A new course will soon be offered in multimedia reporting that further expounds upon social media as a tool for reporting news.
For now, students are focusing on three essential cores of social media in relation to the journalism industry.
“At the Kent State School of Journalism and Mass Communication, students use social media as a method of reporting, publishing and promoting their work,” Schierhorn said.
Traditional courses are transitioning social media into the curriculum through means, such as using Twitter as a reporting tool in Newswriting, Schierhorn said.
“They blog in a host of courses ranging from Magazine Publishing to Ethics,” Schierhorn said. “In reporting courses, they use Facebook to send out questions and find sources. On election night in Reporting Public Affairs, they tweet.”
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is another top journalism school that now includes social media into their curriculum, said Assistant Professor David Cupp.
Ohio University is following the lead. While no courses titled “Social Media” are offered, this topic is an integral element in many journalism classrooms.
Professor Cindy Royal from Texas State University said students should also take initiative to learn these tools on their own.
Students must take it upon themselves to keep up with the evolving industry and, in turn, faculty members will follow their lead if students express the importance of a certain skill and an eagerness to learn more.
“If faculty sees that you’re bringing in guest speakers, they’ll see that they have to catch up and the effect will permeate. It’s almost at the point where it is becoming critical,” Royal said.
With the first student chapter of a social media club in Texas, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication
at Texas State University is making great strides in social media education.
Texas State University now offers a class that focuses on social media in the professional sense called Intro to Multimedia: Social Media at Work. The course teaches students how to use social media as an asset at work, teaches tools for success, and teaches students history and background to increase their knowledge base of the newcomer transit for communication.
These courses can be extremely beneficial to journalism students unfamiliar with social media at work or unfamiliar with the networking benefits.
“I’ve really found that with students in my class, there have been a lot of successes,” said Professor Royal at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State University. “I always hear, ‘I met someone on Twitter and got an interview.’ It’s great to hear those successes, it works,” said Royal.
In addition, classes at Texas State University integrate blogs as commenting forms. Twitter is used in the classroom, hashtags are integrated as a discussion forum in class, and Facebook groups are designated for some classes.
Like all skills taught in the classroom, these are taught in a manner to prepare students for the job market.
The New York Times recently received slack for releasing undisclosed details of the new Facebook Deals launching in Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, San Diego, and San Francisco.
This service will focus on interests singled out by Facebook users in hopes of bringing deals that are relevant to that specific user as a form of advertisement and business promotion.
“It holds a lot of potential,” said Royal about the Facebook Deals service. “Like anything, it depends on how well it’s executed. [There are] a lot of opportunities for people to be inundated with that type of advertising.”
If it proves to be successful, social networking sites may be the main form of advertisement of the future. Without a concrete knowledge base of the professional workings of social media, students’ attempts to find a job may be futile in comparison with students better prepared and suited for the market.
While social media may be integrated into curriculum, the foundation of writing a story and producing it should be considered no matter what vehicle of communication is chosen. The essentials that are still being taught remain because the form of media is pointless without a captivating and accurate story.
“My opinion is it’s really more about having a engaging story. Get it up on the web and share it, then integrate a YouTube video in the blog and figure out how they work together,” Royal said.
Journalists add new asset to their media toolbox
May 3rd, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Story // April Jaynes, Reporter
Last Monday, April 25, Storify opened to public users, providing audiences with more story variety and a chance to tell their own.
“Storify”, a verb meaning, “to form or tell stories of; to narrate or describe in a story,” is an online platform that allows users to combine various types of social media, along with personal text, in a story.
The platform is simple to operate and offers a convenient approach to gathering information from social media sites.
www.storify.com
Users can input links and search Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google, Flickr and RSS feeds to aid in their storytelling by simply dragging and dropping the items into the story.
Co-founder and former AP reporter Burt Herman said in a New York Times article by Claire Cain Miller, “We’re really trying to put together computer science plus storytelling and journalism to think creatively about how you can blend the two worlds.”
The Storify blog said it was opening its beta to the public “so many more people have the chance to tell stories in this new form and join the future of storytelling online.”
Professor Hans Meyer said he received his private beta invitation the day before the site went public.
While Meyer says he’s not sure how many readers are aware of Storify; he said he thinks one of the reasons the platform exists is “because it recognizes the fact that a lot of people are getting their news from social media and they’re getting it in an unfiltered way.”
Prior to going public, experienced journalists have taken advantage of Storify’s user-friendly platform by providing audiences with reliable social media to aid in creating major news stories.
Andy Carvin, Senior Strategist and Social Media Desk for NPR, uses Storify to report on what’s happening in the Middle East and the crisis in North Africa.
The Storify blog also says that the day of Storify’s most views, consisting of more than half a million, came in March when the tragic earthquake and tsunami struck Japan.
Meyer said that Storify “encourages reporters to do the reporting” and allows journalists to organize information in a way that the average citizen doesn’t.
“We have to stop thinking that we’re the only ones who provide the content,” he said. “There’s lots of people tweeting. There’s lots of information out there, but journalists are the best at, and well trained for, analyzing that information, adapting it to the audience and checking it for accuracy.”
Meyer also said he hopes small news organizations that may not be experienced with social media sites will use Storify to help them integrate social media into their news coverage.
“When you’re using social media, it forces reporters to go beyond their traditional sources and to really look at members of their audience, see what they’re saying and see what value they add to the news story,” Meyer said.
Meyer encourages students to investigate Storify.
“Use it. Collect some tweets, comment on them and pull them together,” he said. “Let’s see what happens.”
LinkedIn fails to add personal touch to networking paradigm
April 26th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Nick Robbe, Reporter
When I first came to college I repeatedly heard one word: networking. It was drilled into my mind as well as the minds of my fellow first-year classmates. We were told about it but were never really told the correct way to do it. Graduate student Molly Yanity explains the phenomenon of networking and why, though beneficial, it will never replace a genuine attitude.
How easy is it to maintain the network of professional relationships once created?
It’s not easy. I think it’s a whole lot easier now that you have LinkedIn and Facebook, but there is also a fine line between keeping a network strong and being a nuisance.
Every now and then, drop an email. You see something that’s happened or something that’s happened where they work and you send them email (to let them know you are thinking of them). That makes a big difference.
I was at a speaking engagement in San Diego and some of the people that were on this panel, Howard Bryant of ESPN: The Magazine, Jackie MacMullan (who was a columnist and associate editor for The Boston Globe), and Rick Reilly, who is now a columnist for ESPN was the keynote speaker. I got to meet them and it was the only time ever I saw those people.
Bryant still speaks in my classes on Skype and conference calls. He has published some really amazing books, and whenever he publishes those books, I drop him a line.
I saw the guy one time in my life, but he is someone who I know I can count on and he has asked for favors and I’d do it in a minute. You just have to make an effort.
What does a student hope to gain from being included in a network?
It depends on how much you put into it. I think that aside from bylines the most important thing you get out of internships is building personal relationships. A lot of times the personal relationships don’t lead directly to jobs, but it’s ‘Hey, I know someone who I can put you in touch with.’ That’s when the networking becomes invaluable.
The greatest thing any fledging professional has going, you’re young, you’re full of energy, you’re full of ideas, and people like to be around that. If you have an engaging personality, it’s going to do great things for you.”
What are technicques for forming networks?
Be genuine and gracious. In a couple years I am going to have to go out and try to get a job as a professor somewhere.
I go to conferences and try to meet as many people as I can, and when I get back, I write them an email saying, ‘It was great to meet you. I hope to keep in touch in the future.’
I think those are the kinds of things that you need to be doing while you are looking for any job. I still keep in touch with people that I had internships with. Not just your superiors, but your colleagues too. Be genuine and gracious.”
LinkedIn is utilized by a variety of professionals, but how much help does it really provide?
It makes it easier, but LinkedIn isn’t anything personal. It’s a way to keep track of someone’s contact information sometimes. It helps, but I still think you need the personal touches.
You can’t just say, ‘Oh that’s my LinkedIn friend.’ It’s really, truly a personal thing, and it has to be about your relationships.
If you can have a relationship, and you put forth some effort, you’re an engaging human being. You’re not just taking advantage, and you’re giving something back. You are going to be good at networking.
How To: Focus your stories more proficiently
April 19th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Story // April Jaynes, Reporter
It’s one of those nights again. The nights where you’re forced to immerse every fiber of your being and every minute of your consciousness into the demanding academic tasks that you’ve so effortlessly avoided throughout the week.
However, this time sitting patiently upon your daunting mountain of work lies a notebook and recorder, just waiting to release the words and thoughts of the sources meant to assemble a story worthy of both publication and your affectionate attention.
Considering these grim circumstances, how does a good journalist provide the quality work and thought required to write a compelling story that simply deserves to be? Answer: with determination, coffee and, most importantly, focus.
Often, we must fight for our focus. The existence of this unfortunate fact has led me to compile a few tips that aid me in conquering my apathy and encroaching deadlines.
1) Macro Examination. Consider the big picture of your story. Who or what does the issue, event or subject affect and why? Look over all of your notes, review your recorded interviews and get a feel of what’s really happening. A big picture perspective is often the essence of an article. It’s a starting point for you as a writer, and an end point for readers to ponder over after their eyes have left your words.
2) Look for Trends. Go a little deeper and delve into the specifics of what your sources are saying. Has anything been repeatedly brought up in your interviews? Why? Do you have all the angles on the re-occurring topic? Trends can provide the core of your article, and overlooking them could cost you true substance.
3) Determine Appropriate Structure. Once you have the meaning of your article, it’s time to decide how you can most efficiently and effectively get the message across. Are you reporting an event, investigating an issue or featuring an interesting subject? Will chronological order or order of importance work best? A logical, appealing structure in a story goes a long way. It gives you a pre-determined path to follow and your readers a thorough reading experience.
4) Write, write, and write. Here’s where you begin to pick up speed. You now know where your story is going and your words will follow accordingly. This is the part where your pre-determined focus releases itself through your frantically typing fingers and onto the lit-up screen in front of your weary eyes. If there’s room for error, it’s here. All that matters is that you cover all bases and let your focus blossom, even if you encounter a few rabbit trails along the way.
5) Delete Irrelevancies. Before you send off your story to be reviewed, dissected, and polished by your trusty editor, give it a run-through yourself. Weed out the nomadic sentences that haven’t quite found their place in the story. Ask yourself what you really need and what complements the message of your findings. Remove what doesn’t belong and you will finally have the pivoted, provoking article that you and your readers desire.
Professor blog drives discussion and debate to Scripps site
April 12th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Story // Raquel Harrah, Reporter
Blogs can be advantageous for many reasons, but Professor Bill Reader proves that they can serve to be an elemental form of discourse between journalists.
Back in March, Reader wrote a critique of a regional site called TBD.com. The critique was later made available through the Scripps homepage. His post was then mentioned through Jim Romenesko’s blog on the Poynter Institute’s website, which helped him gain even more views and feedback from readers.
Director of Community Engagement for TBD, Steve Buttry, reached out to Reader through email shortly after viewing this blog post regarding several facts in Reader’s community journalism blog, and later posted his response in his own blog on March 3.
“Blogs are powerful tools for public debate and serve their best purpose when used to that effect,” Reader said.
Both Reader and Buttry took advantage of their blogs as tools that allow for a public discourse with an exchange of opinions and acquirement of new information.
“We in the journalism business are about benefitting society at large, which is why we are comfortable with, even insistent upon, arguing in the public sphere,” Reader said.
Buttry’s blog allowed comments where much of the discussion took place.
“As we debated the issue, we all incorporated the opinions of the others into our own thinking,” Reader said. “All of it advanced the dialogue on the issue at hand, and all of us left the debate with new ideas and better understanding.”
As professionals, feedback, whether posing disagreement or accordance, should be taken into account when publishing anything from a blog post to a highly publicized print article.
“I got feedback, which is the goal of publishing opinions,” Reader said.
When Professor Stewart set up the current Scripps website several years ago, this idea of feedback and a connection to outside media sources was the premise of inviting professors to offer their expertise in blog posts linked through the Scripps page.
“I really feel like Scripps hired me for a purpose here, to come in and objectively look at how we can adapt better. I’m looking critically at the industry and looking for new ways and ideas, and hopefully that shows students Scripps is trying,” said Professor Hans Meyer who offers his perspective about aspects of online journalism on his blog.
While each professor proves how multidimensional blogs are, many agree that the main purpose is, in essence, to communicate.
“One of the things that scares people is that they have to be perfect. The best blogs start conversations,” Meyer said.
These blogs can often shift from the Scripps homepage to the classroom. Professor Mark Tatge makes between six to eight blogs available for his students as an exterior and ancillary form of communication.
“I view students as an audience, and you have to find one of the best vehicles to communicate with them,” Tatge said.
This can also help connect his classroom to outside sources. Tatge views blogs beneficiary for reasons including their searchable nature so people outside of Ohio University can read about what is discussed in the classroom, what research Scripps is doing and how Scripps is trying to help the industry.
While these blogs can range from editorials, personal blogs or an extension of the classroom, they must al- ways be saturated in fact. For this reason, Professor Tatge relays his greatest pet peeve about blogging: anonymity.
“Don’t let people hide behind the veil of anonymity. I have a call of action to force people to fess up on who they are. As journalists in a journalism school, we ought to be forcing people to be accountable,” Tatge said.
With accountability serving as an important aspect, it must still be remembered that as Reader has demonstrated, journalism dwindles down to communication. Without a name attached to a post, an exchange of information and opinions isn’t able to take place.
Smartphone app of the week
October 4th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Lauren Nolan, Contributing Writer
As technology continues to shape journalism, offering new and innovative ways to gather information, report, and reach out, smartphones have proven to be the all-in-one tool for journalists on the go.
For the next few weeks INC would like to provide readers with recommendations for smartphone applications. Up first, QuickVoice, an application for iPhone developed by nFinity Inc.
QuickVoice is a free application used to capture voice memos, to do lists, class lectures, meetings and seminars, interviews and other dictation. It is incredibly user friendly with a format similar to the iPhone visual voicemail utility.
Just as visual voicemail allows users to view and scroll through all voice messages, selecting which ones you want to listen to, with the ability to skip to the middle or end of the time stamp, QuickVoice offers similar features.
Furthermore, QuickVoice allows for pausing and resuming mid-recording. Each recording can be labeled, making it even easier to locate the sound byte needed. QuickVoice is also equipped with an audio level meter, ensuring the recording will be able to be played back audibly. Recordings can also be synced to the computer, allowing for long-term storage and each recording displays the file size and time stamp.
Benefits of QuickVoice for journalists:
For journalists on the go, the one tool they are sure to have with them is their smartphone. Also, most smartphone users are always armed with a charger, so as not to let their phone battery wither to zero power. Without a charged recorder, journalists must rely on either memory or pen and paper notation of an interview. If an unexpected encounter with a news source should arise, journalists will be prepared to interview that source with the QuickVoice app.
While QuickVoice is a free application, QuickVoice Pro, or formally known as QuickVoice2Text Email (PRO Recorder) has an added benefit: turning recorded speech into text. Originally designed so users can dictate voice messages and memos to emails, it can also be used to transcribe interviews, saving valuable time.
QuickVoice Pro can be purchased for $2.99 in the app store. SpinVox, the partnering software company, handles all voice to text conversions, up to 20 MB, or approximately 22 minutes of recording, providing journalists with the option to transcribe their messages into to text, and then send the text to their email accounts.
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