The site from the presentations that I think I would use is imdb.com. This site is a great place to go if I have a question about a movie, or need to look an actor or actress up to see their history. The site is a great one for everyone, not just people who work in the movie industry. It is a great resource for movie research or just to find out some random piece of trivia information. I first learned about this site in my Introduction to Mass Communications class and use it all the time. For example, I just saw “V for Vendetta,” and thought it was a great movie. I wanted to figure out who played the character “V” since his face is never shown in the movie, so I went right to the site, and entered the movie’s title into the search box that is located conveniently at the top of the home page. The page came right up in the search results, and as soon as I clicked on the page for the movie, I knew that Hugo Weaving, the man who played Agent Smith in the Matrix movies, played “V.” Also, I found out a lot of interesting information about the movie, and even found information about errors or mistakes in the movie. From that page, I can access every character and who played them, and then go to an actor or actresses site within IMDB to find out what they have been in before, and other important information about their history in Hollywood.
If a person has a question about a movie or an actor, even if they have only a fraction of the information, this is the site to go to. For example, one night, while at dinner with my parents at a little hole in the wall restaurant, I saw a man who looked just like an actor I had seen in a movie. It was going to drive me nuts until I could figure out what his name was. I knew what it was and what the movie was, but I just couldn’t remember his name. So I went on the site, and searched. I searched by a bunch of different keywords I knew were in the plot (the more I searched the more I remembered), and finally, I found it. The movie I remembered was “Aspen Extreme.” It came out in 1993 and was one of my favorite movies at the time. I just couldn’t remember what the title was. The actor I saw is Peter Berg, and I remember him from that movie specifically, and since I could remember some of the bigger plot points, I could search through them and figure it out. The site is perfect for times like those. It may take a little while, but I knew I would find it eventually, especially with the extensiveness of the site. If it ever was a movie, mainstream, foreign, independent, or otherwise, it will be on this site, and a user will be able to find it. I think that is what makes the site so popular. It is a one-stop-shop for movie information and is easy to use for most people. I think it is a fantastic site and will continue to use it, until, if it’s possible, something else better comes out.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Blufftontoday.com
Blufftontoday.com seems to be the place to go if you live in Bluffton. It is very user-friendly and encourages their users to participate in the site and the news process. There are user posted pictures all throughout the site and users’ blogs are featured on the home page bigger than the Bluffton Today newspaper is featured. On the home page, the newspaper gives the user many ways to contact the paper with any problems and gives users the ability to submit story ideas and contact the paper’s staff. Also, if a reader is having problems with delivery, all they have to do is come online and let the paper know so they can fix it and get their paper out to that reader as soon as possible. If a reader has missed an issue within the past four months, they can also come here to find an online archive of all the issues for the past four months, click on a date, and have the newspaper pop up on their screen.
Blogs are a huge component to this site. Users, experts and even the Bluffton Today’s staff all have blogs on the site. I think that the blogs are an essential part to the site. It gives the users a real feeling of interactivity, and even the feeling that they can control the content of the site. I think that these blogs really give the users the feeling that their opinion is important to the newspaper and to the site. The blogs are given just as important a position as the newspaper itself has on the home page. They are right next to each other and gives two of the most popular blogs, no matter who wrote them.
Along with the blogs, users are able to submit their own photos and video to the site and the newspaper actually uses them. When a user comes onto the site, the first thing they see is a user’s picture right on the top banner of the page. I was somewhat surprised when I opened the page and found a picture of an armadillo foraging for food right at the top of the page. Then I saw that the picture was submitted by a user and the site also puts a link right there for other people to submit a photo. I think that it shows that the site believes that their users and readers have something good to offer the site.
Also, on the site, you can find all of the information anyone who lives in or is planning to move into the area could ever need. The site offers a community calendar that lists any events and gives users the ability to filter through all of the entries to find the events that cater to their interests and hobbies. Also, if you live in the area and are looking for a different house, or if you don’t live in the area and are planning to move to town, the site’s housing advertisements, “Click & View Homes,” gives users the ability to view videos of houses on the market. I think the best part of this feature is that it gives users the ability to look for houses either by their location on a map or by a simple directory. If someone is looking for a house and knows in what area they want to live in, this feature works really well for them, but it also works for people who just want to move into town who want a certain type of house and don’t care where it is located. My parents are selling our house and I’d love to have something like this for our area.
The content comes from a few different sources. First, the local content is provided by the newspaper’s stories and users. As you expand out from Bluffton, other news sources provide the news content. For local news, the site is a good place to go. For more regional and national news, the site serves more as a clearinghouse, acting more as a second-hand source with links to the primary source. But for almost everything besides the strictly news sources, the site is from the users. This is a site that values the people who use it and those people control the content.
However, I had a hard time trying to figure out where their money comes from. It’s possible that it all comes from advertising. The rates are pretty high, reaching from $2615 for a full page black and white ad and $4990 for a full page color ad all the way to $8.25 for the smallest ad in one paper only. Beyond the ad revenues, I can’t see any other way for them to make money. The Bluffton Today is a free newspaper, so they aren’t making money from there. Maybe they get donations from members of the community, but there’s nothing to show that on the website.
I think that, for a free daily newspaper, the Bluffton Today newspaper puts a lot of focus on their readers and really respects their opinions and participation. The site says, “This is a new kind of community website that joins with the Bluffton Today newspaper in a mission of helping Bluffton come together as a community. With your help, we will provide a friendly, safe, easy to use place on the Web for everyone in Bluffton to post news items, create a unified community calendar, and share photos, recipes, opinions. This is a place where you take the lead in telling your own story…We believe that Bluffton Today should be a conversation – both online and in print. We promise to be open, accessible, and easy to contact.” I really think that this newspaper genuinely put their readers first and care about what they have to say. I really like this site, and unfortunately, there aren’t many out there anymore.
Blogs are a huge component to this site. Users, experts and even the Bluffton Today’s staff all have blogs on the site. I think that the blogs are an essential part to the site. It gives the users a real feeling of interactivity, and even the feeling that they can control the content of the site. I think that these blogs really give the users the feeling that their opinion is important to the newspaper and to the site. The blogs are given just as important a position as the newspaper itself has on the home page. They are right next to each other and gives two of the most popular blogs, no matter who wrote them.
Along with the blogs, users are able to submit their own photos and video to the site and the newspaper actually uses them. When a user comes onto the site, the first thing they see is a user’s picture right on the top banner of the page. I was somewhat surprised when I opened the page and found a picture of an armadillo foraging for food right at the top of the page. Then I saw that the picture was submitted by a user and the site also puts a link right there for other people to submit a photo. I think that it shows that the site believes that their users and readers have something good to offer the site.
Also, on the site, you can find all of the information anyone who lives in or is planning to move into the area could ever need. The site offers a community calendar that lists any events and gives users the ability to filter through all of the entries to find the events that cater to their interests and hobbies. Also, if you live in the area and are looking for a different house, or if you don’t live in the area and are planning to move to town, the site’s housing advertisements, “Click & View Homes,” gives users the ability to view videos of houses on the market. I think the best part of this feature is that it gives users the ability to look for houses either by their location on a map or by a simple directory. If someone is looking for a house and knows in what area they want to live in, this feature works really well for them, but it also works for people who just want to move into town who want a certain type of house and don’t care where it is located. My parents are selling our house and I’d love to have something like this for our area.
The content comes from a few different sources. First, the local content is provided by the newspaper’s stories and users. As you expand out from Bluffton, other news sources provide the news content. For local news, the site is a good place to go. For more regional and national news, the site serves more as a clearinghouse, acting more as a second-hand source with links to the primary source. But for almost everything besides the strictly news sources, the site is from the users. This is a site that values the people who use it and those people control the content.
However, I had a hard time trying to figure out where their money comes from. It’s possible that it all comes from advertising. The rates are pretty high, reaching from $2615 for a full page black and white ad and $4990 for a full page color ad all the way to $8.25 for the smallest ad in one paper only. Beyond the ad revenues, I can’t see any other way for them to make money. The Bluffton Today is a free newspaper, so they aren’t making money from there. Maybe they get donations from members of the community, but there’s nothing to show that on the website.
I think that, for a free daily newspaper, the Bluffton Today newspaper puts a lot of focus on their readers and really respects their opinions and participation. The site says, “This is a new kind of community website that joins with the Bluffton Today newspaper in a mission of helping Bluffton come together as a community. With your help, we will provide a friendly, safe, easy to use place on the Web for everyone in Bluffton to post news items, create a unified community calendar, and share photos, recipes, opinions. This is a place where you take the lead in telling your own story…We believe that Bluffton Today should be a conversation – both online and in print. We promise to be open, accessible, and easy to contact.” I really think that this newspaper genuinely put their readers first and care about what they have to say. I really like this site, and unfortunately, there aren’t many out there anymore.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Multimedia I'd use
One of the greatest pieces of multimedia that I’d like to see used is the podcasts I found on ljworld.com. I think that through the use of this newer technology, anyone can reach the younger generations. The majority of them have iPods, use them regularly, and understand the technology, so if a site is smart enough, they will try to tap into this technological trend and, by doing so, be able to change the way the younger people see news, or anything else that isn’t commonly popular with that generation.
I think that layering is an essential piece of an adequate news service, so I really like to see sites using as many pieces of multimedia as they can to give their users as much information in one place as they can in order to give their users the best ability to use that information effectively in their lives. In order to layer effectively, I would use videos, photo galleries, and interactive features.
One idea that I came up with is the idea of offering a free archive of the videos, photo galleries, and interactive features that have been used on the site. The features can be searched by specific topics or names, and the user will get a list of all of the stories that relate to their search. While this archive is free, the story archive would cost a user to access a story. When a user searches the site for a specific issue, topic, or person, all of the video, photo galleries, and interactive features will pop up in a list in the center of the page. In a column on the right side of the screen, a link to the stories from the archive that relate to the search and multimedia will be offered, along with a very short summary of the story. If a user chooses, they can click on that link to be taken to the page where they can pay for that story. I think that this would make the archived stories more accessible to the users, along with the multimedia that has been used on the site.
The specific types of multimedia to be used depends greatly on what the site is all about and what the target audience is. If the target audience is an older generation, the multimedia could just end up confusing them. But with an audience made up of users aged from middle school all the way to recent college graduates, they expect more multimedia and know how to use much of the more complicated types of multimedia, so the site’s owner needs to find all of the new technology they can and use it when appropriate. It can add to a story, but if a site uses the new technologies too often, it can overwhelm the site and users could find the site too cluttered for their taste. Also, they could think that the site focuses more on the multimedia and less on the actual user.
I think that layering is an essential piece of an adequate news service, so I really like to see sites using as many pieces of multimedia as they can to give their users as much information in one place as they can in order to give their users the best ability to use that information effectively in their lives. In order to layer effectively, I would use videos, photo galleries, and interactive features.
One idea that I came up with is the idea of offering a free archive of the videos, photo galleries, and interactive features that have been used on the site. The features can be searched by specific topics or names, and the user will get a list of all of the stories that relate to their search. While this archive is free, the story archive would cost a user to access a story. When a user searches the site for a specific issue, topic, or person, all of the video, photo galleries, and interactive features will pop up in a list in the center of the page. In a column on the right side of the screen, a link to the stories from the archive that relate to the search and multimedia will be offered, along with a very short summary of the story. If a user chooses, they can click on that link to be taken to the page where they can pay for that story. I think that this would make the archived stories more accessible to the users, along with the multimedia that has been used on the site.
The specific types of multimedia to be used depends greatly on what the site is all about and what the target audience is. If the target audience is an older generation, the multimedia could just end up confusing them. But with an audience made up of users aged from middle school all the way to recent college graduates, they expect more multimedia and know how to use much of the more complicated types of multimedia, so the site’s owner needs to find all of the new technology they can and use it when appropriate. It can add to a story, but if a site uses the new technologies too often, it can overwhelm the site and users could find the site too cluttered for their taste. Also, they could think that the site focuses more on the multimedia and less on the actual user.
Craig's List Headline and Cover Letter
May Journalism/PR Grad looking for full-time reporter/editor/PR position in Central Jersey
Are you looking for a great new talent and a fresh voice? Are you looking for a person with creativity, passion, and a great sense of humor?
I am a May graduate with B.A. in Journalism and Public Relations. I have strong writing skills, both journalism and public relations experience. I am a self-starter, able to work on my own, and have good interpersonal communication skills. I have strong computer skills, am Internet savvy, and have great computer skills. I have some experience with website design, and have skills with designing newsletters, and newspaper layout and publishing. Also, I have experience with news writing, feature writing, and civic journalism, along with writing and submitting press releases for publication.
I am looking for a full-time position in either the journalism or public relations fields where I can find a place to apply my skill set. I prefer a position in Somerset, Hunterdon, or Middlesex Counties in New Jersey, but can commute if necessary.
Resume, references, and portfolio are available upon request.
Are you looking for a great new talent and a fresh voice? Are you looking for a person with creativity, passion, and a great sense of humor?
I am a May graduate with B.A. in Journalism and Public Relations. I have strong writing skills, both journalism and public relations experience. I am a self-starter, able to work on my own, and have good interpersonal communication skills. I have strong computer skills, am Internet savvy, and have great computer skills. I have some experience with website design, and have skills with designing newsletters, and newspaper layout and publishing. Also, I have experience with news writing, feature writing, and civic journalism, along with writing and submitting press releases for publication.
I am looking for a full-time position in either the journalism or public relations fields where I can find a place to apply my skill set. I prefer a position in Somerset, Hunterdon, or Middlesex Counties in New Jersey, but can commute if necessary.
Resume, references, and portfolio are available upon request.
NJ.com Review
NJ.com is a website where a user can access 14 different newspapers from around the state. The participating newspapers are spread throughout the state, so a user from or interested in any specific area of the state, they can do so by accessing NJ.com and finding their local newspaper. However, there really isn’t any clear indication of how the site makes money and stays in business. I can assume that the majority of their income comes from selling advertising space on the page, but on most of the pages, there isn’t any real advertising, even where there is space specially set aside for an advertisement. I looked for their advertising rates, but the only way to find that out is to contact the site directly. Also, I think that the site may make some money through the classified advertisements that are placed in the newspapers, because the papers give the user the opportunity to place the ad on both the site and in the newspaper for a small additional fee. I would imagine that the site gets some of that fee from the newspapers. I could be wrong, but I also think that they might make some money through commissions by selling subscriptions on the site. It’s possible that the newspapers give the site a certain percentage of the subscriptions purchased through the site. There is even a chance that each newspaper is charged a fee for participating in the site. But without it being made clear, there’s no way to know for sure.
Much of the site’s content is shovelware from the participating newspapers. For example, I read today’s (Sunday) Star-Ledger, and when I accessed the site, I found all of the same stories online, just as I found them in the newspaper. There isn’t any additional information or layering used on the site, so if you have already read your local newspaper that participates with the site, there isn’t any reason for you to come to NJ.com to get your news.
However, there is some web-only content available on the site. NJ.com offers many different forums on pretty much everything you could ever think of. Each county and even town has their own forum where a resident can go to talk about the pressing issues in their town or county. For example, I live in Bridgewater, located in Somerset County (Bridgewater forum). Last week, an election was held to either approve or deny a school board referendum. It was voted down, and it is being discussed on the Bridgewater forum. Also, recently a teacher from the high school was arrested in a drug raid for possessing and trying to buy drugs. The arrest was posted on the forum soon after the news came out and people are posting their opinions as to exactly what should happen to her. These forums bring many people into the site, especially since there have been times when big issues have been posted there before they even hit the newspapers and the public is given an outlet to voice their opinions. A really interesting web-only feature is the “Police Scanner.” The scanner’s description says, “Listen to Jersey City cops fight crime, live and uncensored. Anything can happen out on the streets of the city” (Police Scanner). I think this is a really interesting idea, and would really like it expanded to other towns. However, if used improperly, I think this could be dangerous for the police officers. Someone could commit a crime, and listen to this scanner from a very common web-enabled phone to see where the police are and can have warning before they arrive at the scene of the crime.
Another web-only feature is the Star-Ledger’s “Live from the Ledger” section where the Star-Ledger posts stories and items throughout the day. However, this feature is used very poorly. There isn’t a single news story posted here. The feature seemed to be used for some feature stories, like the “Learn to Polka” story that was added at 11:50am today. I think that the feature could be a great bridge between the newspaper and the web, if used correctly. For example, if there is some major breaking news story, the newspaper could post a story that has the “nuts and bolts” of the story, with all of the information a person wants to see. Then they could write a story that includes that initial information along with any newer developments or other important information, and place it in the next day’s newspaper. This use satisfies the public’s want for information immediately, while also preserving the newspaper.
Overall, I like NJ.com. I use it with some frequency to see what is going on around my town and see what the other people in town are talking about. Also, if I don’t manage to get my hands on the Star-Ledger that day, I can go on to this site and get all of the news without having to buy the newspaper. Unfortunately, too much of the site is just shovelware, so anyone who has read their local newspaper that day has no reason besides the forums to visit the site. I think the site is a good one, but it could be made a lot better, and will need to start creating more web-only news content, or the site will steadily lose users and eventually go under itself. It is another in the list of media websites that will have to start putting more effort and energy into their websites or they’ll go out of business.
Here is a list of all of the news outlets that contribute to the site:
Star-Ledger Today’s Sunbeam
The Times Bridgeton News
The Jersey Journal The Express-Times
The Reporter Gloucester County Times
Hunterdon County Democrat Suburban News
The Warren Reporter Independent Press
Cranbury Chronicle Record-Press
Much of the site’s content is shovelware from the participating newspapers. For example, I read today’s (Sunday) Star-Ledger, and when I accessed the site, I found all of the same stories online, just as I found them in the newspaper. There isn’t any additional information or layering used on the site, so if you have already read your local newspaper that participates with the site, there isn’t any reason for you to come to NJ.com to get your news.
However, there is some web-only content available on the site. NJ.com offers many different forums on pretty much everything you could ever think of. Each county and even town has their own forum where a resident can go to talk about the pressing issues in their town or county. For example, I live in Bridgewater, located in Somerset County (Bridgewater forum). Last week, an election was held to either approve or deny a school board referendum. It was voted down, and it is being discussed on the Bridgewater forum. Also, recently a teacher from the high school was arrested in a drug raid for possessing and trying to buy drugs. The arrest was posted on the forum soon after the news came out and people are posting their opinions as to exactly what should happen to her. These forums bring many people into the site, especially since there have been times when big issues have been posted there before they even hit the newspapers and the public is given an outlet to voice their opinions. A really interesting web-only feature is the “Police Scanner.” The scanner’s description says, “Listen to Jersey City cops fight crime, live and uncensored. Anything can happen out on the streets of the city” (Police Scanner). I think this is a really interesting idea, and would really like it expanded to other towns. However, if used improperly, I think this could be dangerous for the police officers. Someone could commit a crime, and listen to this scanner from a very common web-enabled phone to see where the police are and can have warning before they arrive at the scene of the crime.
Another web-only feature is the Star-Ledger’s “Live from the Ledger” section where the Star-Ledger posts stories and items throughout the day. However, this feature is used very poorly. There isn’t a single news story posted here. The feature seemed to be used for some feature stories, like the “Learn to Polka” story that was added at 11:50am today. I think that the feature could be a great bridge between the newspaper and the web, if used correctly. For example, if there is some major breaking news story, the newspaper could post a story that has the “nuts and bolts” of the story, with all of the information a person wants to see. Then they could write a story that includes that initial information along with any newer developments or other important information, and place it in the next day’s newspaper. This use satisfies the public’s want for information immediately, while also preserving the newspaper.
Overall, I like NJ.com. I use it with some frequency to see what is going on around my town and see what the other people in town are talking about. Also, if I don’t manage to get my hands on the Star-Ledger that day, I can go on to this site and get all of the news without having to buy the newspaper. Unfortunately, too much of the site is just shovelware, so anyone who has read their local newspaper that day has no reason besides the forums to visit the site. I think the site is a good one, but it could be made a lot better, and will need to start creating more web-only news content, or the site will steadily lose users and eventually go under itself. It is another in the list of media websites that will have to start putting more effort and energy into their websites or they’ll go out of business.
Here is a list of all of the news outlets that contribute to the site:
Star-Ledger Today’s Sunbeam
The Times Bridgeton News
The Jersey Journal The Express-Times
The Reporter Gloucester County Times
Hunterdon County Democrat Suburban News
The Warren Reporter Independent Press
Cranbury Chronicle Record-Press
Monday, March 12, 2007
What happened to government making sense? Daylight savings really saving fossil fuels? Isn't there a better way?
Two years ago, Congress decided to change Daylight Savings time by pushing it back a few weeks. I’m sure it seemed like it made a lot of sense at the time. However, as it often does, just because it seemed like a great idea then doesn’t mean that it should be done. I really think that the members of Congress forgot to research what the change might do to the world of technology we currently live in. The past few weeks have been filled with a little bit of the same panic that many people felt over Y2K, and how that change was going to affect the technology we depend on in our daily lives.
Luckily, the change came and went without an apparent issue. I was able to reset my computer’s clock manually, and the change stuck, and both my cell phone and the cable-box on top of my television changed right at 2 a.m. Now, there’s only one clock left to change. My body’s clock is completely thrown off. I think that today’s day and night cycles are different than what it would have been next month, and because the nights are so much longer at this time than they are in April, the change is going to be a lot harder on many people. Also, I don’t understand why the federal government didn’t see fit to change the day of the week that the savings time happened. When it changes early Sunday morning, no one has time to get used to the change before having to go back to work or school on Monday morning. I don’t see why they couldn’t have put it to early Saturday morning, so that people would have time to adjust to the change before having to go back to work or school.
Also, this change makes life difficult for those of us who take medications at very specific times. I have medication that if I don’t take it right on time, my pain picks up a lot, along with feeling just plain horrid. Unfortunately, it’s hard trying to get my schedule aligned with the hours of the day. For example, tonight, I am having a hard time trying to figure out what time I should take my medication. I usually take them at 10 a.m. and p.m., so now I have to take them at 11, but to do that since I took my medication last night at the right time, and this morning at the wrong time, means I have to work my body into the new times. It’s just plain strange!
One of the supposed reasons for this change was to save some of the burning of fossil fuels. However, as one of the world’s largest producers of pollution that contributes to global warming, and the majority of that pollution comes from the burning of fossil fuels, I really don’t think that 3 weeks or a month is going to make much of a difference. If they wanted to help try to stave off some of the negative effects of global warming, the government first must be lead by someone who actually believes that global warming is at least real, let alone a very pressing issue. Then, the government needs to devote more time to solving the problems in our country that are contributing to global warming and just adding to the threat. I’m sure the time the federal government spent discussing whether or not to change the date for daylight savings time would have been much more productive if it were spent on trying to figure out a way for the United States to both reduce our dependency on foreign oil without destroying our wildlife preserves that hold endangered species, and to try to find alternatives to oil and the burning of fossil fuels so that we can at least start trying to make a difference in the amount of pollutants that enter the atmosphere.
It’s a shame that our government continually tries to make shortcuts and go around actually dealing with an issue. To them, it’s better to just throw a patch over the hole in the administration that allows wounded and disabled veterans to return from an increasingly violent occupation of a country that doesn’t want us there and get sent to a hospital where the care is worse than what they got in the field hospital that sent them there. To them, it’s better to spoil a national park that was created to help make sure humans don’t kill off many more species than to find another way to fuel our cars, homes, and an unpopular war. To them, it’s better to change the date for daylight savings time than try to find another way to save some fossil fuels. Let’s just throw a patch over the holes in their reasoning and then let the next administration figure it out, along with hoping that it doesn’t tip the scales and lead to a much overdue impeachment hearing.
Luckily, the change came and went without an apparent issue. I was able to reset my computer’s clock manually, and the change stuck, and both my cell phone and the cable-box on top of my television changed right at 2 a.m. Now, there’s only one clock left to change. My body’s clock is completely thrown off. I think that today’s day and night cycles are different than what it would have been next month, and because the nights are so much longer at this time than they are in April, the change is going to be a lot harder on many people. Also, I don’t understand why the federal government didn’t see fit to change the day of the week that the savings time happened. When it changes early Sunday morning, no one has time to get used to the change before having to go back to work or school on Monday morning. I don’t see why they couldn’t have put it to early Saturday morning, so that people would have time to adjust to the change before having to go back to work or school.
Also, this change makes life difficult for those of us who take medications at very specific times. I have medication that if I don’t take it right on time, my pain picks up a lot, along with feeling just plain horrid. Unfortunately, it’s hard trying to get my schedule aligned with the hours of the day. For example, tonight, I am having a hard time trying to figure out what time I should take my medication. I usually take them at 10 a.m. and p.m., so now I have to take them at 11, but to do that since I took my medication last night at the right time, and this morning at the wrong time, means I have to work my body into the new times. It’s just plain strange!
One of the supposed reasons for this change was to save some of the burning of fossil fuels. However, as one of the world’s largest producers of pollution that contributes to global warming, and the majority of that pollution comes from the burning of fossil fuels, I really don’t think that 3 weeks or a month is going to make much of a difference. If they wanted to help try to stave off some of the negative effects of global warming, the government first must be lead by someone who actually believes that global warming is at least real, let alone a very pressing issue. Then, the government needs to devote more time to solving the problems in our country that are contributing to global warming and just adding to the threat. I’m sure the time the federal government spent discussing whether or not to change the date for daylight savings time would have been much more productive if it were spent on trying to figure out a way for the United States to both reduce our dependency on foreign oil without destroying our wildlife preserves that hold endangered species, and to try to find alternatives to oil and the burning of fossil fuels so that we can at least start trying to make a difference in the amount of pollutants that enter the atmosphere.
It’s a shame that our government continually tries to make shortcuts and go around actually dealing with an issue. To them, it’s better to just throw a patch over the hole in the administration that allows wounded and disabled veterans to return from an increasingly violent occupation of a country that doesn’t want us there and get sent to a hospital where the care is worse than what they got in the field hospital that sent them there. To them, it’s better to spoil a national park that was created to help make sure humans don’t kill off many more species than to find another way to fuel our cars, homes, and an unpopular war. To them, it’s better to change the date for daylight savings time than try to find another way to save some fossil fuels. Let’s just throw a patch over the holes in their reasoning and then let the next administration figure it out, along with hoping that it doesn’t tip the scales and lead to a much overdue impeachment hearing.
Back from Break - Good or bad?
It’s amazing. My final spring break has come and gone already! That means the semester is halfway over and that before I know it, it’ll be May 16th and I’ll be graduating (hopefully). Unfortunately, one of my most hated days of the entire academic year happens just after break. The day we return to school after break is over is a bad day for me, mainly because everyone is exchanging their Spring Break stories about where they went (usually Cancun, or somewhere else tropical that is taken over by college students for a few weeks each spring), while I sit there having spent the week primarily in bed so that I have the smallest of hopes for making it through the rest of the semester. I used to go away every year for break, had fun, and came back the day before the semester restarted. However, that’s not possible anymore. If I even try to go away, I have to plan for three or four days at least to rest before trying to get back to school. So that leaves me with about three days to enjoy a vacation, which is not nearly enough for most destinations.
It’s another day that highlights the differences between me and my classmates. Other days include the day we come back to start the spring semester, when everyone is again, exchanging vacation stories, while I am still recovering from having a six inch needle stuck into my spine so that I can try to be somewhat comfortable for the semester, provided it works (it’s a 50/50 shot each time, no pun intended). Now, on one of the days that is supposed to become a great happy memory, I’m going to have to struggle and fight to see if I can even get to the part where they give out the diplomas. For the past month, the school has been sending me letters with the etiquette for the graduation ceremony, and one of the biggest things they have stressed is that no one may get up and/or leave until the ceremony is over. There’s no way that I could spend four or five hours in those uncomfortable plastic chairs they have at the arts center without causing myself an incomprehensible amount pain, and probably not make it through the keynote speaker, let alone the ceremony, especially since communications goes last. I’m hoping that the school will make accommodations, as required by law, so that I can attend the event, but I don’t know what they’ll be able to do for me, or if they’ll even be willing to work with me to find a way I can participate in the ceremony without the excruciating pain.
But, first, I have to make it to graduation. Hopefully, I will, but with my back, there’s no promises, which is what makes life so difficult. I could feel fantastic today, better than I’ve felt in ages, but then tomorrow be right back in the same pain nightmare I’ve had for the past four years. Everyone keeps telling me that I'll be fine, and my parents keep assuring me that they'll do whatever it takes, even if they have to hire a limo to drive me (that would be pretty nice. I'd actually be able to get something done on the way, and not have to deal with the traffic on 287, which makes that idea all the more attractive to me!) As the pain has gotten worse, the unpredictability has gotten increasingly worse, which is what worries me the most. My pain has been really bad this week, even though I was resting as much as possible, so who knows if I’ll make it through next week, let alone the next two months. I just don’t know if I’ll be able to stand it if I don’t make it to graduation again. This is the first time I have managed to attend a full-time schedule in the spring semester after another full-time schedule from the fall semester. I haven’t had a solid year of full-time classes in the past 4 years, and the spring semesters are always the worst. If I didn’t have to drop all but one of my classes last spring, I would have been done in January, but because I dropped three of them, I had to return for this semester. I don’t want that to happen again. I don’t think there would be any way to control the level of depression and disappointment I’d have if I don’t get it done with this time. All of my friends have graduated and gotten jobs, so I’m behind my generation (I graduated from high school in 1999.), but I’m so much older than most of my classmates, I’m ahead of that generation too. It’s sort of a generational limbo that is most uncomfortable. It’s just another thing to add to the list of difficulties I’ve found since starting this nightmare four years ago.
It’s another day that highlights the differences between me and my classmates. Other days include the day we come back to start the spring semester, when everyone is again, exchanging vacation stories, while I am still recovering from having a six inch needle stuck into my spine so that I can try to be somewhat comfortable for the semester, provided it works (it’s a 50/50 shot each time, no pun intended). Now, on one of the days that is supposed to become a great happy memory, I’m going to have to struggle and fight to see if I can even get to the part where they give out the diplomas. For the past month, the school has been sending me letters with the etiquette for the graduation ceremony, and one of the biggest things they have stressed is that no one may get up and/or leave until the ceremony is over. There’s no way that I could spend four or five hours in those uncomfortable plastic chairs they have at the arts center without causing myself an incomprehensible amount pain, and probably not make it through the keynote speaker, let alone the ceremony, especially since communications goes last. I’m hoping that the school will make accommodations, as required by law, so that I can attend the event, but I don’t know what they’ll be able to do for me, or if they’ll even be willing to work with me to find a way I can participate in the ceremony without the excruciating pain.
But, first, I have to make it to graduation. Hopefully, I will, but with my back, there’s no promises, which is what makes life so difficult. I could feel fantastic today, better than I’ve felt in ages, but then tomorrow be right back in the same pain nightmare I’ve had for the past four years. Everyone keeps telling me that I'll be fine, and my parents keep assuring me that they'll do whatever it takes, even if they have to hire a limo to drive me (that would be pretty nice. I'd actually be able to get something done on the way, and not have to deal with the traffic on 287, which makes that idea all the more attractive to me!) As the pain has gotten worse, the unpredictability has gotten increasingly worse, which is what worries me the most. My pain has been really bad this week, even though I was resting as much as possible, so who knows if I’ll make it through next week, let alone the next two months. I just don’t know if I’ll be able to stand it if I don’t make it to graduation again. This is the first time I have managed to attend a full-time schedule in the spring semester after another full-time schedule from the fall semester. I haven’t had a solid year of full-time classes in the past 4 years, and the spring semesters are always the worst. If I didn’t have to drop all but one of my classes last spring, I would have been done in January, but because I dropped three of them, I had to return for this semester. I don’t want that to happen again. I don’t think there would be any way to control the level of depression and disappointment I’d have if I don’t get it done with this time. All of my friends have graduated and gotten jobs, so I’m behind my generation (I graduated from high school in 1999.), but I’m so much older than most of my classmates, I’m ahead of that generation too. It’s sort of a generational limbo that is most uncomfortable. It’s just another thing to add to the list of difficulties I’ve found since starting this nightmare four years ago.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
LJWorld.com
The Lawrence Journal World newspaper serves Lawrence, Kansas, and the University of Kansas. The paper owns both Lawerence.com, a website especially designed for college students, KUSports.com, the website that follows the university’s sports, and 6NewsLawrence.com, the television station that covers the same area as the newspaper. I think that they spend more time and money having many websites to cover all of their demographics, than on their own website. There’s very little, if any, layering on the site, but their use of multimedia is interesting.
When you go to the World’s webpage, the entire left column is filled with different sections of the site, including the Local section, which includes everything anyone could ever want to know about the community, including “school news,” “Crime, fire, courts,” “Kansas Legislature,” and “Politics,” just to name a few. The section descriptions are very detailed, so the people who go to the site looking for something specific can find what they need quickly.
The story pages are even more interesting. They have features that I haven’t seen on a news site before. First, along with the standard, “E-mail Story” and “Printer-friendly” options, they also list “iPod Friendly” and even “E-mail Editor” options. These interactive two features are really interesting. The news story was probably also covered on either television or radio stations, so I assume that by “iPod friendly” they mean that it is the story as it was presented on either of those stations since they would produce the audio content easily. Then, the “E-mail Editor” feature gives you the ability to ask questions or send comments directly to the editor through your email system, right from the text of the story, making it easier for the reader to quote directly from the story when creating their email.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much layering in their local stories, or at least any of the 15 stories I looked at. The site gives you the ability to post comments directly to the story, but there are no links to any other stories or other content that links directly to the subject of the story. One of the stories in the sports section breaks the trend, titled “Extra Minutes: Kansas 88, Texas 84 (OT),” and includes links to other interviews of the players and coaches, and press conferences. Unfortunately, the trend continues beyond this one story. Other sports articles have no layering whatsoever, just like the local sections. It appears that when the story is about a specific game, they include the same links to the same interviews with each story. They may use layering in some places, but it isn’t much, and when it is there, it is a very poor quality of layering.
The multimedia is a different story. The site has some very interesting multimedia options. One option is the online chats they offer with members of the community. For the next few weeks, the people being chatted with are all candidates for the upcoming school board elections. Each week, they have a different candidate and the public can go to the online chat site to submit questions before the chat begins. I’m not sure if that really qualifies it as a chat, since usually chatting means a two-way conversation where one person is asking a question and another is answering it with spontaneous responses, but I think it is a great feature because it gives the public a way to get their questions answered, especially with elections. There are always questions from the public asking about the candidate’s stance on a certain issue because they never cover it in any of their public appearances, or even that the candidate didn’t think it was important. It also gives the candidate a way to be able to talk to their supporters or those that may oppose them, and find out what they have to do to make everyone happy, which can be very beneficial in a campaign, especially one for the school board (my mom was on our school board for years, and was even elected as president during one of their most tumultuous periods because she knew what the people wanted and the public knew that they could trust her).
Another great multimedia feature is their Discussion Boards. On some news websites, the discussions are controlled by the site’s owners and the topics are carefully selected to prevent fighting or inappropriate comments, and make the boards cheaper and easier to run. On this site, the discussion boards seem to be more of a “letter to the editor” section with the ability to comment. It doesn’t seem to be the classic discussion board that uses threads and direct comments. The letter or article is published and people comment on it. No matter how the discussions are run, they seem to be popular. A letter to the editor was written about Ann Coulter and how she should be given more respect. Obviously, this was a major issue within the community because the story had 301 comments. This section looks like it is a big draw for the site, bringing many readers in to be able to comment on letters they may have read in the print edition. I know I have read many letters to the editor in our local newspaper, The Courier News, and have been dying to respond anonymously (so that I don’t destroy or negatively impact their reputations by saying something the conservative Republican majority may find offensive. My parents have a strong and very busy public life, but there have been some letters I really have to restrain myself from writing because I know I’d do damage to their reputations if I did.), so if I could find a way to do that online, I’d be on there pretty much every day. Also, the discussions are prominently displayed on the right side of most pages, so people have ready access to them and are more likely to go to the page since they don’t have to dig around to get to it.
Another section, called Take a Stand, gives readers the ability to write an article on a topic that concerns them. They can give their opinions or feelings on an event or prevalent issue. I don’t think that every article they receive is published on the side, but I do think that if it is well written, and that the paper has gotten a lot of questions or concerns about that one issue, they will publish it on their website in this section. It is another way they are able to give their public a voice. I think this is another great way for people to be able to express their opinions for all to hear (or read). If I were a politician in this general area, I would be checking in on this and other areas on the site daily to make sure I know what the people want and can respond directly to their concerns.
There is one page that can lead you to three other intriguing sections of the site. The page is called “Most Popular Items,” but is somewhat hard to find. I went through the “Most Active Discussions” (where you find the discussion boards) box on the right side of the page, and then clicked on the “Most Popular Items” link that was on the page above the content, showing a user’s path (I’m not sure how it works, but I know I didn’t get there the way that path said.). They have three “most popular” options: “Most e-mailed stories,” “Most active story discussions,” and, even “Most e-mailed obituaries.” I can understand the first two and their importance, but the third one I don’t quite understand. How often do people in Lawrence, Kansas e-mail someone an interesting obituary?
Overall, LJWorld.com is a great site for local news. It gives a user every topic they could ever want, and most directly from the homepage, making it easier for them to use, and in turn, making it a place people will go because it is so simple to get to the information they want. However, they don’t seem to use layering much at all. From the example we discussed in class with a story about a band playing in the area, I went and checked through the music sections, only to find that it takes you to Lawrence.com, the site that was targeted to the college students. Even on that site, there weren’t any links to related content, except for their great event calendar. Beyond that, the content on the right side of the page was all about other bands and other events. LJWorld.com however, does use multimedia features well. I’m very impressed with the iPod compatible stories. I think it is a great way to cater to my and younger generations, and give people the ability to download a few stories first thing in the morning before they run off to work, and then listen to them on the way there. Overall, the site is a good source for news, as long as you are in Lawrence, Kansas, but I also think it’s a great example for other sites to follow for everything except layering.
When you go to the World’s webpage, the entire left column is filled with different sections of the site, including the Local section, which includes everything anyone could ever want to know about the community, including “school news,” “Crime, fire, courts,” “Kansas Legislature,” and “Politics,” just to name a few. The section descriptions are very detailed, so the people who go to the site looking for something specific can find what they need quickly.
The story pages are even more interesting. They have features that I haven’t seen on a news site before. First, along with the standard, “E-mail Story” and “Printer-friendly” options, they also list “iPod Friendly” and even “E-mail Editor” options. These interactive two features are really interesting. The news story was probably also covered on either television or radio stations, so I assume that by “iPod friendly” they mean that it is the story as it was presented on either of those stations since they would produce the audio content easily. Then, the “E-mail Editor” feature gives you the ability to ask questions or send comments directly to the editor through your email system, right from the text of the story, making it easier for the reader to quote directly from the story when creating their email.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much layering in their local stories, or at least any of the 15 stories I looked at. The site gives you the ability to post comments directly to the story, but there are no links to any other stories or other content that links directly to the subject of the story. One of the stories in the sports section breaks the trend, titled “Extra Minutes: Kansas 88, Texas 84 (OT),” and includes links to other interviews of the players and coaches, and press conferences. Unfortunately, the trend continues beyond this one story. Other sports articles have no layering whatsoever, just like the local sections. It appears that when the story is about a specific game, they include the same links to the same interviews with each story. They may use layering in some places, but it isn’t much, and when it is there, it is a very poor quality of layering.
The multimedia is a different story. The site has some very interesting multimedia options. One option is the online chats they offer with members of the community. For the next few weeks, the people being chatted with are all candidates for the upcoming school board elections. Each week, they have a different candidate and the public can go to the online chat site to submit questions before the chat begins. I’m not sure if that really qualifies it as a chat, since usually chatting means a two-way conversation where one person is asking a question and another is answering it with spontaneous responses, but I think it is a great feature because it gives the public a way to get their questions answered, especially with elections. There are always questions from the public asking about the candidate’s stance on a certain issue because they never cover it in any of their public appearances, or even that the candidate didn’t think it was important. It also gives the candidate a way to be able to talk to their supporters or those that may oppose them, and find out what they have to do to make everyone happy, which can be very beneficial in a campaign, especially one for the school board (my mom was on our school board for years, and was even elected as president during one of their most tumultuous periods because she knew what the people wanted and the public knew that they could trust her).
Another great multimedia feature is their Discussion Boards. On some news websites, the discussions are controlled by the site’s owners and the topics are carefully selected to prevent fighting or inappropriate comments, and make the boards cheaper and easier to run. On this site, the discussion boards seem to be more of a “letter to the editor” section with the ability to comment. It doesn’t seem to be the classic discussion board that uses threads and direct comments. The letter or article is published and people comment on it. No matter how the discussions are run, they seem to be popular. A letter to the editor was written about Ann Coulter and how she should be given more respect. Obviously, this was a major issue within the community because the story had 301 comments. This section looks like it is a big draw for the site, bringing many readers in to be able to comment on letters they may have read in the print edition. I know I have read many letters to the editor in our local newspaper, The Courier News, and have been dying to respond anonymously (so that I don’t destroy or negatively impact their reputations by saying something the conservative Republican majority may find offensive. My parents have a strong and very busy public life, but there have been some letters I really have to restrain myself from writing because I know I’d do damage to their reputations if I did.), so if I could find a way to do that online, I’d be on there pretty much every day. Also, the discussions are prominently displayed on the right side of most pages, so people have ready access to them and are more likely to go to the page since they don’t have to dig around to get to it.
Another section, called Take a Stand, gives readers the ability to write an article on a topic that concerns them. They can give their opinions or feelings on an event or prevalent issue. I don’t think that every article they receive is published on the side, but I do think that if it is well written, and that the paper has gotten a lot of questions or concerns about that one issue, they will publish it on their website in this section. It is another way they are able to give their public a voice. I think this is another great way for people to be able to express their opinions for all to hear (or read). If I were a politician in this general area, I would be checking in on this and other areas on the site daily to make sure I know what the people want and can respond directly to their concerns.
There is one page that can lead you to three other intriguing sections of the site. The page is called “Most Popular Items,” but is somewhat hard to find. I went through the “Most Active Discussions” (where you find the discussion boards) box on the right side of the page, and then clicked on the “Most Popular Items” link that was on the page above the content, showing a user’s path (I’m not sure how it works, but I know I didn’t get there the way that path said.). They have three “most popular” options: “Most e-mailed stories,” “Most active story discussions,” and, even “Most e-mailed obituaries.” I can understand the first two and their importance, but the third one I don’t quite understand. How often do people in Lawrence, Kansas e-mail someone an interesting obituary?
Overall, LJWorld.com is a great site for local news. It gives a user every topic they could ever want, and most directly from the homepage, making it easier for them to use, and in turn, making it a place people will go because it is so simple to get to the information they want. However, they don’t seem to use layering much at all. From the example we discussed in class with a story about a band playing in the area, I went and checked through the music sections, only to find that it takes you to Lawrence.com, the site that was targeted to the college students. Even on that site, there weren’t any links to related content, except for their great event calendar. Beyond that, the content on the right side of the page was all about other bands and other events. LJWorld.com however, does use multimedia features well. I’m very impressed with the iPod compatible stories. I think it is a great way to cater to my and younger generations, and give people the ability to download a few stories first thing in the morning before they run off to work, and then listen to them on the way there. Overall, the site is a good source for news, as long as you are in Lawrence, Kansas, but I also think it’s a great example for other sites to follow for everything except layering.
Buzzmachine.com
“… journalism is evolving – at long last – and actually growing, and that’s what makes this such an exciting time to get into the news business (Guardian Column: Teaching Journalism)…” Mr. Jarvis makes a good point. It is a great “time to get into the news business.” However, it’s also a terrifying “time to get into the news business.” Being able to write doesn’t count anymore. Being able to string four words together doesn’t matter anymore. As long as you know how to write in HTML text, put together video on a website, use graphics effectively, you’ll have to beat newspapers off with a stick, especially if you know how to write too.
I think that Jeff Jarvis has a different opinion than I do. I believe that newspapers will always be used by some part of the population as a source for their news. There’s something about reading a newspaper in the morning while drinking a cup of coffee, or spending the morning on a Sunday, reading each page of the usually huge Sunday editions. Mr. Jarvis sees the newspaper industry moving into the internet age and sees companies putting a stronger focus on their websites as opposed to their newspaper. Many of the articles on his website, www.buzzmachine.com, are focused on the newer side of journalism and what journalism is becoming. I think he knows better than most where journalism is heading because he is involved in so many different parts of the news industry.
Recently, he wrote an article about a staff meeting he attended at the Guardian newspaper. “Alan Rusbridger, editor-in-chief of the Guardian, told the staff at his newspaper that now ‘all journalists work for the digital platform’ and that they should regard ‘its demands as preeminent’” (The Web is Preeminent). In other words, the print piece of their operation is now taking a back seat to the internet piece of the operation. In my post about the future of journalism, many people believe that there could be a great future if newspaper outlets will use the internet to allow a reader to dig deeper into a story they read in that day’s newspaper. I really think that Rusbridger has it wrong. I think that there could be a great balance between the two different types of news sources, as long as editors and corporate officers understand the great possibilities the pair of news outlets can open up if they put them together correctly.
Another interesting development Jarvis wrote about from the Guardian was their proposed “Draft Principles of 24/7 Working.” In this list of guidelines for their writers, they contradict themselves numerous times. They begin by writing:
- “Web users expect to read about news when it happens.”
- "Our website is crucial to our digital strategy and to the future of the
Guardian & Observer.”
- “The international purpose and reach of the Guardian & Observer cannot be
achieved by current publication schedules.”
However, they then continue on to say:
- "In any circumstances where speed might compromise trust, we should place a
greater emphasis on trust.”
- “We recognize that much of our best journalism takes time, patience and
diligent research.”
- “24/7 means we publish material around the clock across seven days rather than
(as at present) for 16 hours a day across five days.”
- “It means publishing more of our news according to the demands of the web
rather than the rhythms and expectations of a newspaper.”
- “Our production processes must reflect the needs of the web (e.g. the use of
web-friendly headlines as well as newspaper headlines, links, tagging, key
wording and so on.)”
- “All journalists across Guardian, GU and Observer will be expected to work
according to the above principles” (The Web is Preeminent).
The editors and powers that be are telling their employees that speed is essential, and that the web site must be the best is can be and have all of the most recent news developments or else they won’t have a job because the company will go bankrupt. However, in the next breath, they seem to say that speed isn’t essential because trust and having an accurate story is more important than having it on the web first. They are also telling their employees that they’ll no longer be working even remotely normal hours, as the newsroom will have to be staffed (either in person or by telecommuting) continuously and there will always be someone working because they have to be publishing 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Also, throughout the entire list, the company is making it very clear that the newspaper has now taken a backseat to the website and that if someone doesn’t like that, they can find somewhere else to work. So the employees are supposed to be continuously filing stories, as quick as they can after the news event happens, but must be accurate while their editor is breathing down their neck because the story must be posted quickly, and the newspaper is not nearly as important as the website. It seems like they are looking for a newspaper-type writing style, with accuracy and trust being held as important, but the news has to be posted now, which seems to cancel out some of the ability of their to be accurate, since mistakes are almost promised when someone is rushed.
There are pros and cons to new face of journalism. Unfortunately, times are changing. I think that the old school idea of a reporter who goes around with their pad and maybe a camera and asks questions of everyone they can find at the scene is gone. Now, it’s all emails, phone calls, and the internet. Something that Jarvis said really resounded to me. He said, “The real lesson in all of this, I think, is not about tools, skills, or business forecasting. It is about embracing change, instilling a culture of innovation and experimentation and a willingness to question and try and fail. That is what the news business needs most today” (Guardian Column: Teaching Journalism).
I think that Jeff Jarvis has a different opinion than I do. I believe that newspapers will always be used by some part of the population as a source for their news. There’s something about reading a newspaper in the morning while drinking a cup of coffee, or spending the morning on a Sunday, reading each page of the usually huge Sunday editions. Mr. Jarvis sees the newspaper industry moving into the internet age and sees companies putting a stronger focus on their websites as opposed to their newspaper. Many of the articles on his website, www.buzzmachine.com, are focused on the newer side of journalism and what journalism is becoming. I think he knows better than most where journalism is heading because he is involved in so many different parts of the news industry.
Recently, he wrote an article about a staff meeting he attended at the Guardian newspaper. “Alan Rusbridger, editor-in-chief of the Guardian, told the staff at his newspaper that now ‘all journalists work for the digital platform’ and that they should regard ‘its demands as preeminent’” (The Web is Preeminent). In other words, the print piece of their operation is now taking a back seat to the internet piece of the operation. In my post about the future of journalism, many people believe that there could be a great future if newspaper outlets will use the internet to allow a reader to dig deeper into a story they read in that day’s newspaper. I really think that Rusbridger has it wrong. I think that there could be a great balance between the two different types of news sources, as long as editors and corporate officers understand the great possibilities the pair of news outlets can open up if they put them together correctly.
Another interesting development Jarvis wrote about from the Guardian was their proposed “Draft Principles of 24/7 Working.” In this list of guidelines for their writers, they contradict themselves numerous times. They begin by writing:
- “Web users expect to read about news when it happens.”
- "Our website is crucial to our digital strategy and to the future of the
Guardian & Observer.”
- “The international purpose and reach of the Guardian & Observer cannot be
achieved by current publication schedules.”
However, they then continue on to say:
- "In any circumstances where speed might compromise trust, we should place a
greater emphasis on trust.”
- “We recognize that much of our best journalism takes time, patience and
diligent research.”
- “24/7 means we publish material around the clock across seven days rather than
(as at present) for 16 hours a day across five days.”
- “It means publishing more of our news according to the demands of the web
rather than the rhythms and expectations of a newspaper.”
- “Our production processes must reflect the needs of the web (e.g. the use of
web-friendly headlines as well as newspaper headlines, links, tagging, key
wording and so on.)”
- “All journalists across Guardian, GU and Observer will be expected to work
according to the above principles” (The Web is Preeminent).
The editors and powers that be are telling their employees that speed is essential, and that the web site must be the best is can be and have all of the most recent news developments or else they won’t have a job because the company will go bankrupt. However, in the next breath, they seem to say that speed isn’t essential because trust and having an accurate story is more important than having it on the web first. They are also telling their employees that they’ll no longer be working even remotely normal hours, as the newsroom will have to be staffed (either in person or by telecommuting) continuously and there will always be someone working because they have to be publishing 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Also, throughout the entire list, the company is making it very clear that the newspaper has now taken a backseat to the website and that if someone doesn’t like that, they can find somewhere else to work. So the employees are supposed to be continuously filing stories, as quick as they can after the news event happens, but must be accurate while their editor is breathing down their neck because the story must be posted quickly, and the newspaper is not nearly as important as the website. It seems like they are looking for a newspaper-type writing style, with accuracy and trust being held as important, but the news has to be posted now, which seems to cancel out some of the ability of their to be accurate, since mistakes are almost promised when someone is rushed.
There are pros and cons to new face of journalism. Unfortunately, times are changing. I think that the old school idea of a reporter who goes around with their pad and maybe a camera and asks questions of everyone they can find at the scene is gone. Now, it’s all emails, phone calls, and the internet. Something that Jarvis said really resounded to me. He said, “The real lesson in all of this, I think, is not about tools, skills, or business forecasting. It is about embracing change, instilling a culture of innovation and experimentation and a willingness to question and try and fail. That is what the news business needs most today” (Guardian Column: Teaching Journalism).
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