SPJ to “Slice n’ Dice” with professionals, pizza

Kayla Hanley, Reporter

This week Ohio University’s Society of Professional Journalists will hold a “slice n’ dice” event in which journalism professionals such as editors, professors and others with hiring experience in the journalism industry will offer resume critique.

Attendees will present their resumes to the professionals who will “dice” the resumes by giving their opinions of what to add, take out or edit. The “slice” part of the event refers to the free pizza that will be available to all who attend.

OU SPJ Secretary Gina Mussio helped to organize the event.

“We feel this is a beneficial event for students as a resume is a student’s ‘face’ when applying for internships or jobs and they want that to be the best it can be. A bad resume can make or break an application and this meeting will help prepare students and give them the advice they need to make their resumes presentable,” Mussio said.

The question of, “How can I make my resume stand out?” is one that often lingers in the minds of those applying for internships and jobs.

“Be succinct,” Professor Andy Alexander, who will be present at the event, said.  “Don’t leave out important elements. But make your resume a quick read. Prospective employers see tons of resumes and, in giving yours an initial review, will spend little time studying it. Help them. Be concise.”

Many students have different interests within the journalism field, so it can be hard to choose what experiences to include in a resume.

“Stress any multi-media expertise or training. Most employers are looking for people with these skills,” Alexander said.

Professor Alexander also said that it is a good idea to try and make references applicable to the prospective employer.

“If one of my students were to apply for a job or internship at The Washington Post, I would hope that they would list me as a reference because I used to work there. Familiarity of a reference can help ensure that your resume gets special attention,” Alexander said.

By speaking to journalism professionals such as Professor Alexander, those who attend will also have the opportunity to put their foot in the door and make possible internship and job connections.

SPJ encourages students to attend and take advantage of this opportunity for helpful resume critique this Tuesday at 5 p.m. in Baker 231.

Power in Humor Journalism

Kayla Hanley, Reporter

On Monday, October 17^th, the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism honored the late, memorable Ohio University humor writing professor Mel Heltzer with a donation lecture given by comedian and commentator Lee Camp.

Camp, in addition to being a stand-up comedian, has written for The Huffington Post and contributed to The Onion.

Ohio University was the first university where Camp performed his stand-up. This is one of the reasons Camp said he wanted to come back and honor Mel Heltzer, a man he never met.

Camp said he grew up surrounded by humor and preformed his first stand up routine at age 14. He also attended the University of Virginia, where he wrote a weekly humor column.

As he continued to grow as a comedian and humor writer, Camp said his comedic influences evolved as well.

Camp said he began to look up to Chris Rock, Bill Hicks, and other comedians that he thought were honest about the trials and tribulations facing society.

Camp stressed to lecture attendees that “comedy is powerful”.  With his humor, Camp said he not only wants people to laugh, but he wants to make them think as well.

This was one of his major motivations when he began his work with political campaigns, he said.

Camp was highly involved in the 2008 political campaign, “Who is John McCain?”

“The greatest highlight of the 2008 election was when Saturday Night Live’s Tina Fey did her Sarah Palin portrayal,” said Camp.  “Not only was it hysterical, but it made people see who was running for Vice President and think, ‘Do I really want to vote for the person who can see Russia from her house?’”

In addition to his political commentary, Camp is a strong activist who strongly believes against the death penalty and was able to appear on Fox News as a commentator regarding the subject.

“I was really inspired [about] how he got his opinion on issues that were true to his beliefs out to the world through his comedy,” Freshman Taylor Petras said.

While providing humorous commentary for serious issues can often present a difficult task for a commentator, Camp said the angle a commentator takes is key.

“It depends on the angle you come at when facing a topic that may seem ‘off limits’. There are some angles that are safe and some that are dangerous.” Camp said.

Camp also said that whatever the issue the humor writer may be offering commentary for, the issue must be important to the humor writer in order for the commentary to be effective.

 

Is the Sunday Paper Now an Everyday Paper?

Casey Compernolle, Column

 The Sunday front page has always been infamous for adding that special    touch, an escape one can appreciate from the hectic week of work or  class.  However, the recent Sunday front page has underwhelmed many    people, including myself.

Where’s the surprise, the originality?  Has the front page lost that special    touch on its most important day?

Everyone’s take on the front page is simply a reflection of taste.  If you’re constantly on the go you might prefer every major story slapped on for a quick and easy read.  However, Sunday has always been a day where one could devote more time to really digest the articles.   And in a world where we can check the news on a computer with a few quick clicks of our mouse, it’s easy to see there’s no such thing as disclosure.

Many people may not be surprised at what they see on the front page paper anymore, but I do believe they still want to be immersed.

This is not to say that all newspapers are dropping the ball on Sunday.  There are still some local and national papers that are living up to the “Sunday front page” hype.  However, this group remains small.

There could be many reasons for the lack of creativity in Sunday’s front page, such as the rise of technology, budget cuts in the newsroom, the increased use of templates, or the approach to appease every reader.

The rise of technology has changed the way society views news.  It no longer entails running to the store and buying the paper, or waiting by the radio for updates on a story.  Most of us have the news in our hands at all times.   New news can become old news in the same  day if you’re accessible to technology.  Between major TV channels, social media, radio, and Internet, it’s not hard to find all the details to your favorite story within a matter of minutes.

A question I must ask is: with the element of surprise decreasing in news, is the element of creativity decreasing as well?

Budget cuts in the newsroom could also be a factor.  The design of a newspaper is meant  to grab the reader and without enough visual journalists, it can quickly turn the paper into average and eliminate that creative over-the-top page: the front page.

With budget cuts in mind, templates can be an efficient and cost effective route for newspapers.  The time and money saved can be tempting, especially during financially hard times.

This isn’t to say there is anything wrong with simplified templates, but where is that time saved being invested?  If newspapers used some of the time saved towards creating a more personalized approach for major stories, I truly believe this would enhance reader satisfaction.

The front page should be moving and inspirational.  The purpose is to lure the reader in and make them hungry for more.  When major historical events occur, often times people buy the paper from that day to remember both what was said and how they felt, and the tedious design of the page greatly contributes to this. This takes time, however, ,and should always be done skillfully with attention to detail: especially on Sundays.

Lastly, could the front page simply be an attempt to appease all readers?  Many Sunday front pages consist of a variety of articles on a variety of subjects.  From sports and leisure, to politics and entertainment, it is almost as if newspapers are trying to fit the whole paper on the front page.

Newspapers should allot enough space to interest the sports fan, political guru, and the environmentalist, but it doesn’t all have to be on the front page.

So, let’s bring back the originality and creative feel that Sunday’s front page once had.  Let’s make it competitive, let’s make it selective, but most of all: let’s make it special.

Carr Van Anda winner shares passion for local news

Kayla Hanley, Reporter

Ever wondered who was number one on the Klu Klux Klan hit list? Well as it turns out, renowned publisher H. Brandt Ayers was after covering the March of Washington for his community newspaper, the Anniston Star.

Last Monday Ayers was awarded the 72^nd Carr Van Anda award, which was established in 1968, by the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and is the highest journalism award the school gives.

Ayers is the current chairman and publisher of the Anniston Star, which serves as the site for news in all of east central Alabama. Ayers also has a current column with the newspaper titled “The news stops here.”

H. Brandt Ayers (left) receives Carr Van Anda award.

“I was born into [the business] and I just didn’t have the skill to be a drummer in a rock band.” Ayers said.

Ayer’s grandfather was the first publisher for the Anniston Star who passed the position of owning the paper on to his son who then passed it on to H. Brandt Ayers.

The Anniston Star is a community paper that Ayers said he holds very true to his heart.

“Local stories are the lifeblood of a community. Caring about everything in the community has the same impact with the publishers, as with the citizens,” he said. “There is no passion in the writing of a New York Times writer compared to a writer of a community newspaper.”

Throughout his years of writing, editing, and publishing for the Anniston Star, the one memory Ayers said impacted him most was when the newspaper published an article about a white man being convicted of murdering a black man, by an all-white jury. The trial was called the Night Rider Murder in which Ayers said a “white KKK thug was convicted of murdering a black man,”  and every person on the jury allowed for their names to be published on the front page of the paper to show that the murder was not right.

Ayers said this was a turning point for the Anniston Star because it showed their community that they were going to do everything to publish their opinions and what they believed was right.

“In community newspapers nobody is afraid of giving their opinion. We try to be fair, and we dig through to cover, or uncover, stories in and so our community believes in it,” Ayers said.

Ayers has a very strong passion for local and community news and believes that there should be a community newspaper in every town.

With regard to the changing field of journalism and the future of print news Ayers said, “We at the Anniston Star are the centripetal force pulling everyone to the center, yet the field of journalism is in trouble.”

However, Ayer has hope for the future of journalism and local news.

“Are we going to survive? I think we have to,” he said. “The news is the only connection our readers have connecting them to what’s going on in the world around them. I am absolutely convinced that until the repeal of human nature there will be a need for us.”

 

SPJ to hold journalism toolbox discussion

Holly Moody, Reporter

Ohio University’s Society of Professional Journalists will be discussing various online journalism tools and resources in order to help students further their journalism careers on Tuesday, October 4 at 5 p.m. in Scripps 111.

Students will be able to gain insight on tools such as Poynter.org, an informational journalism website with the latest in journalism news, events, training, and how-to’s on news gathering, using social media, and more.

“We realize that there are not always chances for students to learn everything about the journalism profession and how to further their careers,” said Mirfendereski.

In addition, students will be shown resources via websites on how to shoot video, use photo shop and other journalism technologies.

“People want to learn these tools but sometimes can’t find the time because of classes,”said Mifendereski.

The event is open to all students and majors.

Smartphone app of the week

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.

    What QuickVoice has to offer:

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.

Intern veterans pass on advice

Kayla Hanley, Reporter

Ohio University’s Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) is back at it again with their many meetings to better prepare Scripps students in their journey through journalism.

Last Tuesday, SPJ held an internship panel consisting of five current Ohio University Scripps School students. The panelists were Catherine Caldwell, Wesley Lowery, Sarah Grothjan, Nadine Ajaka, and Graylyn Roose.

The panel provided an opportunity for the students to hear the trials and tribulations of interning within the journalism field.

Panelists Catherine Caldwell, Wesley Lowery and Sarah Grothjan share their experiences.

Catherine Caldwell recently interned at Marie Claire Magazine in New York City this past summer and the way she said she heard about the job was by googling “internships in New York City.”

“I never thought I’d be interested in beauty,” Caldwell said,” “but what I found interesting was how a magazine process works.”

Caldwell said she preformed a variety of tasks, whether it was walking around Manhattan in her heels to different stores, or writing pieces for the magazine. She was focused on the Public Relations aspect of the magazine, but broadened her views by helping out in every department.

“I didn’t get to do as much writing as I had hoped, but I did gain a lot more contacts through each department I took part in,”said Caldwell.

Wesley Lowery had a similar experience in his internship this past summer in New York City while working at The Wall Street Journal.

“I started writing for real estate and then ended up in politics,” Lowery said. “You honestly have to take what you can get.”

Lowery  said he was lucky that he got to do more hands on experience in NYC, along with his previous internships, which have included the Columbus Dispatch and Detroit News.

Lowery said, “I really had to be open-minded about the different topics I was writing for that I had not one clue how or what to write about. If you don’t know how to do something, ask for help and an explanation.”

Sarah Grothjan recently finished an internship this past summer in Las Angeles for an online entertainment news source called Celebuzz.

Grothjan spoke of very strong organizational skills she had to obtain for her internship by keeping her resume and cover letters up to date.

“With my previous internships I made sure my resume and cover letter complied with the other. I even had similar letterheads for each one,” Grotjhan said.

All three panelists agreed that a strong cover letter is what you need for any internship.

Journalism   students want to have the experience of an internship to better shape their future after college, but once students are in the process of the job there are a few ups and downs along the way.

“If you’re finding yourself sitting around, go to other departments and ask if there is anything you can do to help,” Caldwell said. This is a high profile way to gain contacts with other employers so you can make them aware of what you can do.

They key thing the panelists said interns shouldn’t do is to sit down and log onto Facebook.

“It really is the worst option you could do,” Grothjan said “Employers will see you do it, but not say anything because in their mind then they are thinking ‘oh they’re only here for a month’.”

The panelists’ helpful advice allowed attendees to leave with some sense of direction and key insight concerning their employment futures.

How to: Determine effectual sources

James Roller, Reporter

One of the first questions every journalist may ask himself or herself before beginning any story is, “How can I be effective with my sources?”

To answer this, one must consider what is an effective source, where to find effective sources, and once one finds these sources, how does one approach them?

Assistant professor Edgar Simpson can help those who may be asking these questions. Simpson is in his third year doctorate, working on his dissertation regarding the future of journalism in the public sphere, and has been working at Scripps for the last four years.

Simpson explained that there are three different types of sources one should look for: the authoritative source, the perspective source, and the reactionary source.

1) The authoritative source

“The authoritative source is the source that has the ability to speak for the organization you are working on,” Simpson said.

Simpson used the example of a murder case to illustrate this type of source. In a murder case, the authoritative source would be the police chief or the Sheriff who has  the ability to speak directly about the investigation at hand.

Simpson said that when dealing with authoritative sources there are a few important things to keep in mind.  These sources are used to dealing with the media, so it is important to ask them hard questions and they are the best source for delivering accurate factual information, so it’s best to keep your questions direct.

2) The perspective source

Perspective sources are sources that can provide one with the perspective of those involved in the story. For example, if one was covering a murder story, they would want to talk with the family members of the victim, and if possible, a family member of the murderer.

When dealing with perspective sources, Simpson said it is important to remember to be sensitive; one can easily turn off a perspective source if he or she is not careful. Also, one must ask wide open questions because perspective sources usually aren’t used to dealing with the media.

3) The reactionary source

Reactionary sources are normally common people who may not have any direct involvement in ones story. Using the murder story example once again, Simpson said reactionary sources could include members of the neighborhood or community in which the murder took place. One might ask a question such as, “Do you feel this murder shows a growing trend within the community?”

Simpson said one of his biggest pet peeves is when journalists ask a reactionary source, “How do you feel about this disaster?”

Simpson explained that this source could only really give a journalist one answer, “I feel terrible about it.” Therefore, a journalist should make sure that the questions asked to these types of sources should have a direction, while trying to illicit an honest response.

Along with the knowledge of the different type of sources to look for, one must also know how to find them.

First, one must identify who has the necessary information. The best place to go to begin to answer these questions is online. “I can’t think of any non-profit, government agency, or university that doesn’t have a website,” Simpson said.

Also, one shouldn’t forget to look at past stories. A journalist working for any newspaper should be able to look through the paper’s archives and find out who the last person to speak on the type of story he or she is covering was.

At first, determining and finding effective sources may seem intimidating, but once a journalist gains confidence and understanding of the story at hand and the information involved, they can become more comfortable with the process.

 

New program offers opportunity to first-year students

Story // Mat Roberts, Reporter

Next fall, a new program that caters to first-year students accepted to the Scripps College of Communication will be welcomed as an integral part of the Scripps curriculum.

The program, titled Scripps First, will expand on the current learning community model; it is a system that will better focus student strengths in a series of classes throughout the entire communication school. The upcoming Spring Quarter will mark the anniversary for birth of this new idea.

Scripps First was created within the confines of The Front Room Coffeehouse during a discussion between Scott Titsworth, Associate Director for Graduate Studies, and Robert Stewart, Director of the E.W Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University.

“The primary reason for the creation of the program is to further integrate first-year students,” Titsworth said, “We feel like as a whole (university), we have a better edge and more opportunities to get involved. From this, we can align curricular classes on a cool level.”

Stewart believes that once the program is put into place, it will give prospective students a mark-up and an added value experience to engage in the opportunities of this Center of Excellence.

“By completing Scripps First, the student will receive an award certificate from the Dean, and for any freshman looking to add value to their resume for future internships, this opportunity is perfect,” Stewart said.

Stewart added that this program will serve as a “strong recruiting tool for prospective students, considering the upcoming transition from quarter to semesters in the upcoming years.”

The title of the program, Scripps First, was easily agreed upon, but the structure for the program is still under heavy construction.

“When we go from quarters to semesters, the public speaking course will ultimately be removed from the general requirements,” Stewart said, “Scripps First will create incentive for students to take classes in every level of the college and the ability to add to their education.”

Next year, advertisements will announce the program’s debut.

“We started talking about the issues to our semester model,” Titsworth added, “When we began talking about the program we thought of what courses students would take and things to do after the program, so it’s still a little tricky to figure it all out now.”

Currently, the plan is to offer mostly 100-level classes, which could include COMS 103, VICO 140, JOUR 101 and ITS 201. Starting with a public speaking course, the students can then branch off into other classes within the College of Communication.

“Promotion literature and recruiting literature will be the outlets for letting future students to know about this program,” Stewart said, “It’s amazing how the idea trickled down from a slight mention from the dean down to an in-depth report for students to read in the school’s publications.”

The inspiration for this project stems from Tom Hodson, who teaches a senior level class about the importance and future of communication. With the first goal of Scripps First aimed at allowing students to incorporate communication into every aspect of their potential careers, the timely process for finalization is a must.

“We want to get students to think about communication and create cross talking within majors in hopes that students look into other schools and connect with the outside world,” Titsworth said.

How To: Make an effective public records request

Story // April Jayne, Reporter

Since 1966, the Federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has enabled public access to certain public information ranging from budget records to liquor licenses. Public records are often the missing piece of the puzzle in a journalist’s search for truth.

Ohio University Professor Thomas Morrisey and Assistant Professor Aimee Edmondson in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism offer students guidance and helpful insight into the process of filing and carrying out a FOIA request.

Step 1: Determine Your Method
According to the Ohio Sunshine Laws, records requests are not required to be made in writing. Morrisey and Edmondson said sometimes a verbal request suffices, depending on the size of the public agency or the reporter’s relationship with the agency. If the requested information is affiliated with a local agency or if the reporter is familiar with the public agency, it’s not a bad idea to go the informal route at first, Morrisey said. However, the public agency may still ask the reporter to put a request in writing by e-mail or in a formal letter.

For first-timers requesting a FOIA, Edmondson said contacting a colleague and asking for an example letter to use as a template is a good way to start.

Step 2: Utilizing Your Template
Choosing a FOIA template is a simple, foundational step in requesting a record Edmondson recommends using templates found online at RCFP.org (The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press) or on SPLC.org (Student Press Law Center). With these template generators, reporters enter their contact information and indicate the agency they are contacting and the records they are requesting.

Of course, reporters can always make their own records request letters from scratch if preferred. Morrisey, into his second quarter of teaching J233 (Information Gathering) at Scripps, said he gives his students three example request letters from the Society of Professional Journalists’ “Unlocking the Power of Public Records.”

One letter is extremely polite, one is harsh and one is moderate. Morrisey then instructs students to craft their own letter. He said he encourages his students to “strike a balance” between indicating their rights and being considerate of the agency’s time and effort.

The wording of a records request is vital. Edmondson said sometimes it’s hard for a journalist to explain exactly what he or she is looking for, especially when the journalist is just starting out. She encourages students to keep sending in requests until the wording is just right and they receive the public records they’re looking for.

Step 3: Send in Your Request
There isn’t a set way to submit a FOIA request, which makes submission dependent on the agency that holds the public information the reporter is requesting. “Wherever the steward of the records is, that’s where you need to go,” Edmondson said. She said some examples of locations associated with specific record requests are the sheriff ’s office, the university’s legal department, the clerk of courts and the health department.

“When in doubt, file it [the request] and if you have the wrong agency, they’ll tell you where to take it,” Edmondson said.

She added that submitting the request letter through an attached e-mail or the postal service is also acceptable.

Step 4: Check-in
Being persistent is often the key to receiving records requests. Edmondson recommends checking in

on the status of the request a few days after it was made because many times the agency is hoping the reporter has forgotten about it.

“You kind of have to train public information officers that you’re not going away and that you’re going to keep asking for it,” she said.

Of course, there are exemptions and some records are hard to obtain because they involve controversial issues.

“If you get turned down once, ask again,” Edmondson said. “Don’t give up. Make sure that you have them show you where in the Ohio Sunshine Laws that the exemption is listed.”

Edmondson also tells students to not be intimidated by filing a FOIA request. Even if the student isn’t getting the desired records, she suggests continually asking for the records in a different way until the student finds what he or she is looking for.

“There’s nothing wrong with stumbling around,” she said.

Step 5: Finish What You Started
Journalism is about covering all bases, so the same goes for FOIA requests, even if the journalist doesn’t get the requested records in a timely manner. Keeping record of when every FOIA request was filed is a good way to ensure finality with a story. Edmonson said she keeps records of every request she has ever made and encourages students to do the same.

Edmondson said the worst thing a reporter can do is to not follow up with public records, even if they are received after a story’s deadline.

“Follow up. Get the information. You may need it later. You may never need it, but it’s the principle.”