INC to Raffle Wiz Kahlifa Tickets

Don’t miss your chance to see Wiz Kahlifa!

INC will be raffling off two tickets to the concert within the weeks of May 7 to May 15.

The rapper will be headlining the spring concert in the Convocation Center on May 18 at 7:30 p.m. along with hip-hop artist Sean Kingston as his opening act.

 The tickets are valid for center seats 8 and 9 of row 203 in the Convo. Tickets will be sold outside of Baker Center next week. (See schedule below for dates and times) Tickets will be sold at $1 for 2, $5 for 12 and $10 for 30.

INC staff is currently asking local businesses to participate by donating smaller prizes for the raffle. Through sponsorship, businesses will have their logo’s present on promotional materials for the event such as fliers and social media promotions.

The proceeds for this fundraiser will go towards printing fees for the publication. INC is aiming to publish an Orientation Guide for the upcoming school year, which will be available to freshman and transfer students.

Where to buy tickets:

Look for the INC table that will be set up outside at the top of Baker Center.

When to buy tickets: 

Monday, May 7

12-2 p.m.

Tuesday, May 8

2-3 p.m.

Wednesday, May 9

1-3 p.m.

Monday, May 14

12-2

Tuesday, May 15

12-2 p.m.

Weds: Drawing

 For any questions regarding the raffle or how to donate a prize please contact Editor’s Lindsay Friedman and Jimmy Roller at ouspjinc@gmail.com and don’t forget to like our Facebook page for your chance to win a $5 gift card to your favorite OU venue.

“Generation Y” Logs On, Tunes Out

The latest DIY tips, celebrity gossip and newest apps are available literally at the fingertips of smart phone users. This is a generation where social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook have become the source of news for current events both domestic and international. In technology-infused environments from the classroom to the workplace where accessing information is easier than ever, many Americans still are tuning out important information in the media.

Americans now pay less attention to international affairs and consume less foreign news. Domestic news continues to dominate new American media. According to the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 59 percent of Americans say they regularly watch the local news in their area. This has decreased significantly from the more than three-quarters of American who regularly watched local news in the early 1990s, but is largely unchanged from 2000.

“Our generation is so used to getting things instantly, everything is available in one click, and I think that makes us less interested in taking time to read and digest a traditional news story when we can get the gist in a 140-character tweet instead,” said Karah Finan, an OU junior studying journalism and political science.

Scripps Alumna Shares Tips for Time Management

When it comes to being successful, time management is a key component.  Jill Del Greco, an OU Scripps alumna, is an expert at time management and meeting pressure deadlines everyday at her job.

She has been working at the WHIO news station in Dayton as the crime and courts reporter for the past five years.  The members of the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) skyped with Del Greco this past Wednesday evening to get an idea of what deadline reporting is all about.

As Del Greco began to describe an average 10-hour shift at the newsroom, many RTDNA students were in awe of all she manages to get done.  She even jokes that when she wakes up in the morning she “gets ready in front of my computer.”  She is constantly checking on the news beats and following up on old stories as well.

Scripps Student Spotlight

OU broadcast student Ryan Boyd talks about his JSchool experience

It’s been written that everyone has a story. In each Inc issue, a reporter will interview and profile a J-school student, asking him or her about extracurricular involvement, past experience, and future plans.

Name: Ryan Boyd

Year: Sophomore

Sequence: News and Info Gathering (Broadcast Journalism)

Q: What programs or organizations are you involved in here at Ohio University?

A: I am an anchor for “Ohio Sports Zone” with AVW Productions. Another AVW production show I’m on is “life and adams.” I am the color commentator and writer for Ohio Hockey. Something I have that doesn’t necessarily count for Athens but for my career is I write for an NHL website called ice insiders.

Q: In your opinion, how does being involved benefit not only you as a student, but for you future career as well.

A: “Being involved is important because it gives you opportunities that classes can’t give you. I know classes are important but there are so many general requirements and classes like that, that truthfully don’t do a lot for your major. So I have the opportunity to work with other people who are interested in the same things and I get to learn first-hand how to be on TV, be on the radio those types of things; not only does it better my experience here for classes I’m going to be taking in the future but it also benefits me for the future because it’s what I plan on to be doing for the rest of my life.”

SPJ Students Learn to Utilize Journalism Apps

SPJ VP shows students how to use apps while working in the field

The Society of Professional Journalists started off their winter quarter meetings with a look into the ever-growing list of applications for smart phones and tablets that can be applied to journalism.

With technology constantly evolving and improving, it is becoming more important for journalists to see the benefits of using apps that can help them in the field.  The smart phone is starting to become the eyes and ears for those working on a breaking story.

While being stuck behind a desk is not the ideal situation for journalists trying to cover a story, smartphones like the iPhone, Android, and Blackberry have apps that now make a journalist’s daily work much easier.

App Expert and Vice President of SPJ, Emma Morehart, led this meeting by explaining some of her favorite and most useful apps. 

The Face of the JSchool

Scripps ambassadors ‘give back’ to their school

E.W. Scripps 2010-2011 ambassadors pose outside Scripps Hall last fall.

Have you ever wondered what to study or how to prepare yourself in college? Some say that asking college professors or family members can give you the right tools, but sometimes speaking to an E.W. Scripps School of Journalism student ambassador will do the trick. The ambassadors give a student’s perspective of what college life is like and are more than willing to offer advice.

This year, there are 22 JSchool ambassadors. Their majors range from magazine journalism to broadcast and news media, and some even chose a Carr Van Anda degree. No matter your journalism interest, there is an ambassador for you.

Column: Networking with a Washington, D.C. Flavor

Inc. co-editor Emma Morehart deserts “networking,” makes friends instead

Networking. Say it aloud. Taste it, really savor it. I’ll wait.

I know, you’re probably as sick of that word as I was. I used to think it tasted kind of bitter like the pink nail polish I stubbornly bit off my nails during my self-proclaimed tomboy childhood.

Networking. We journalists love it because it pads our resumes and, let’s be honest, we’re generally good at it. But we also hate networking because it feels fake and overrated. Our clips should speak for themselves, right? We’re the watchdogs. We’re the good guys! No brown-nosers need apply.

While waiting to cross the busy street in Georgetown, Morehart poses for a photo taken by her best friend and Inc. co-editor, Graylyn Roose.

Networking, networking, networking – let’s just get comfortable with it now – networking. All of the professors, alumni and guest speakers who told you to network were right (like how my mom was right about the gross nail biting habit).

A few weeks ago, I returned from an internship in Washington, D.C. I worked for the Office of Public Affairs, the communications arm of the Administrative office of the U.S. Courts. Months before, with law school in my future, I sought out internships that combined journalism and law. I had a chat with Tom Hodson, a Scripps alum and professor, who insisted I contact Richard Carelli, the Senior Public Affairs Specialist who later became my boss. After working for the Associated Press, getting his law degree, and taking a job with the courts, Carelli became one of E.W Scripps School of Journalism’s Distinguished Alumni.

For three months, I lived in D.C. with Kevin Zieber, a Scripps journalism grad, and Ryan Ford, another Scripps college alum. By the end of the internship, I had made more new Bobcat friends in D.C., many of them former Scripps kids, than I would have if I had stayed on campus for fall quarter. And I emphasize the word “friends.”

Facebook circulating news poses questions for journalists

Column, Kenneth McNulty

 When Facebook started, it was something that people used to        talk to friends and see what they were up to. Now, Facebook has  evolved into a multimedia tool that can benefit journalists.

After reading the article “With promise of audience growth,  Facebook pulls news organizations within its walls” by Jeff  Sonderman from poynter.org, I gathered some interesting    information and thoughts on the topic.

The social networking site’s rapid growth has gained a number of inquisitive glances from big name businesses and news organizations. The influence Facebook has at its disposal has given the site some major bartering rights with businesses interested in sharing news or even creating their own page on Facebook.

By using Facebook, these publications can circulate their names or stories to anyone online and possibly gain new customers or future employees. News is easily accessible for users, and this method of publicity is an exciting idea for reporters who are just starting off.

Recently, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal have launched their own Facebook apps within their news websites. This shows how major players in the news world already have stakes set in to spread their content via Facebook and opens the door for other publications to join the growing success Facebook seems to be cultivating.

The question that I must ask though is how well will Facebook deliver its services?

Online privacy settings are a concern for anyone, but especially news organizations. Even with Facebook attempting to improve privacy settings, as Sonderman indicated in his article, journalists should always take caution when publishing information.

Another significant issue that I could see arising is the possibility of Facebook ultimately controlling how stories would be displayed. For journalists, this means that the stories you submit will compete with all of the other distractions Facebook has to offer such as their navigation bar, ads streaming off to the side and friends’ updates. Sonderman pointed out in his article that distractions like this could pull readers away from what you posted and ultimately lead them to other publication’s pages.

Sonderman also introduced in his article the possibility that Facebook could charge more for businesses to advertise on their pages. Depending on the amount of attention certain pages are receiving, this could mean that Facebook chooses who gets space and where. If this happens, the influx of corporate attention Facebook will obtain may make the site more impersonal and have it simply go after the wealthiest, big-name news organizations.

Facebook as a new outlet for journalism is a wonderful, yet terrifying idea. It makes publishing easier than ever before and gives you the opportunity to have your work circulated, making it simpler for larger news outlets to find you and possibly hire you.

However, while this is the dream every journalist has, we must question the power Facebook would ultimately have over writers. How much security and control would you really have? This is something that every journalist has to ask before they press that submit button.

Regardless, Facebook is proving to be essential in the journalist’s journey to push forward in the field and the ever-changing climate of social networking.

 

To tweet or not to tweet?

Casey Compernolle, Reporter

To tweet, or not to tweet?  That is the question for many journalists who are often faced with the difficult decision between tweeting what they want as opposed to what they feel they should.

Journalists have joined the Twitter world to share news and events, but what about their opinions?  Is there an unwritten rule that prevents journalists from being too opinionated on social media?

These are questions that student journalists may find themselves pondering as well.

Elizabath Krizner, a Scripps sophomore majoring in Public Relations, said  “You sacrifice certain things when you decide to become a journalist, and unfortunately you give up certain rights in order to stay professional at all times. I think if you are representing a major corporation like CNN, it is your responsibility to draw the line of appropriateness.”

With The New York Times generating a staggering 3,743,424 followers, CNN close behind with 2,627,953, Fox News with 1,002,185 and CNBC coming in with 513,835 followers, there is proof that people are embracing the fast, accurate updates Twitter has to offer.

“Twitter audiences are not given enough credit.”  Hans Meyer, a professor at the E.W Scripps School of Journalism, said.

With regard to the grey areas of tweeting journalists’, Meyer said,  “I bristle anytime someone tries to stifle another on twitter, because if you’re a major journalist generating thousands of followers you were clearly hired for a reason: because you have a personality, and that’s a virtue.”

Recently, major corporations have allowed anchormen, correspondents, and hosts to create their own Twitter with more depth, updates, and thoughts.

Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly), a host for Fox News, has over 74,000 followers on her twitter account.  Kelly uses it as a promotional tool for her network, but also gives pregnancy updates, pictures of concerts, events, and much more.

“Authenticity is one of the core reasons people are drawn to Twitter, and if lost it could take away from the likability of users,” Meyer said.

Aside from major news outlets, there are still journalists that agree with professor Meyer’s idea of free range to voice any and all opinions—and they do just that.

Jay Rosen, a journalism professor at New York University, uses his twitter account (@jayrosen_nyu), to speak to his 67k plus followers about his take on current events.  He received backlash for tweeting that “Media bias isn’t the problem. It’s a solution.” Rosen’s tweet was in response to an article written by Jack Shafer in relation to the pros and cons of media bias.  Whether tweets such as this are controversial or not, Rosen still continues to voice his opinion on current issues through Twitter.

Some believe that if we allow journalists more free range on social media, the public will be rewarded with more depth and creativity.  Others believe appropriateness is key, and professionalism could be at risk. No one knows for certain what the future holds for Twitter, and most certainly not for the journalists that use it, but one thing remains the same: every tweet is a tweet of faith.

 

 

Investigative journalist advocates change

Holly Moody, Reporter

Ohio University’s Society of Professional Journalists and the Radio Television News Association joined together to welcome ProPublica journalist Marshall Allen on September 15th to discuss his investigative report on the harm of patients in Las Vegas hospitals.

Allen took on his in-depth project titled, “Do No Harm: Hospital Care in Las Vegas” during his career as a healthcare reporter for the Las Vegas Sun. After several interviews with patients, doctors, and nurses about the quality of the city’s healthcare, he became all too familiar with a startling joke.

“I would ask where do you go for healthcare in Las Vegas and the punch line was always…the airport,” Allen said.

This alarming joke started a full investigation into the negligence and malpractice of medical staff that cost the lives of many patients. Over the span of three years, Allen conducted over 200 interviews with patients who had been victims of hospital-acquired harm.

From patients caught on fire during surgery to accidental punctures and lacerations during  procedures, Allen uncovered the gruesome stories behind the treatment of patients in Las Vegas hospitals.

Through hospital documents and interviews with victims, Allen and his investigation team discovered a total of “3,689 total cases of preventable harm” and “356 where the patients died in the hospitals” according to their data. The public had been unaware of these cases until Allen’s report was released last year.

“I try to write from the patients’ point of view…I want to be the guy representing the little guy in the scenario,” Allen said.

Victims of hospital-acquired harm in Las Vegas were eager to participate in Allen’s investigation in hope that it would shed light on the wrongdoings of medical staff and put an end to such practices.  Since the report, five new laws dealing with infections have been enacted.

“I’m interested in stories that bring about change,” Allen said.

Students were left curious about Allen’s report and career following his presentation. Several asked questions about how Allen found his information and how they could get involved with investigative journalism.

“Seeing someone in the field can help you learn so much,” said Visual Communications student Allison Lembright.

Allen discussed how he got his start with investigative journalism and gave students tips on how to expand their opportunities in the journalism field. From the Las Vegas Sun to ProPublica, Allen has maintained his interest in telling stories that have the power to make a difference.

He urged students to take a step into grasping and incorporating multimedia platforms, such as interactive graphics and video, to make them more marketable in the digital age of journalism. Allen also spoke about student internship opportunities with ProPublica.

“The journalism field is looking for innovators”, Allen said.

To view Marshall Allen’s report: “Do No Harm” Visit: www.lasvegassun.com/hospital-care or view more of his stories at ProPublica.org.