tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57791963122300932672024-03-05T12:22:18.514-05:00With His Mouth Full of NewsA class blog for the Journalism Educator's graduate program at Kent State University Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-73116800112067713782016-05-13T12:17:00.001-04:002016-05-13T12:32:36.517-04:00Students to Learn Video Editing Basics through Camtasia Presentation<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Deciding
on a <a href="http://smmilli.blogspot.com/p/lesson-plan-teaching-multimedia.html" target="_blank">lesson plan</a> for the Teaching Multimedia course final project was
simple. Aside from equipment, what more
does a broadcasting teacher who really doesn’t teach broadcasting need? Lesson plans!
Lesson plans on the basics, to be exact, so, even though I would love to
have worked with photography as my focus, I went with a lesson plan on teaching
students how to edit video for a video story.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
lesson planning portion went pretty quickly.
The biggest challenge was finding the best example video stories to show
students. After much searching of all
the major newspapers’ YouTube channels, I settled on three examples that would
show the range of what video stories could cover: a serious topic, a
lighthearted topic, and a sports story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/166458988" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="575"></iframe>
<a href="https://vimeo.com/166458988">Editing Video to Tell a Story</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user51469974">Stephen Milligan</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">During
my search, I also came across a video story on multimedia producer Colin
Mulvany’s </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mastering Multimedia</i><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> blog
that was paired with a written narrative of his experience creating the
video. I also discovered his blog post “How
best to approach a video story,” all of which I decided to incorporate into the
lesson.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Next,
I created the supporting documents </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.4px;">(<a href="http://smmilli.blogspot.com/p/video-comparison-chart-teaching.html" target="_blank">Video Comparison Chart</a>, <a href="http://smmilli.blogspot.com/p/video-story-brainstorming-and-planning.html" target="_blank">Video Story Brainstorming and Planning Form</a>, <a href="http://smmilli.blogspot.com/p/3-2-1-form-teaching-multimedia.html" target="_blank">3-2-1 Form</a>, and <a href="http://smmilli.blogspot.com/p/video-story-scoring-guide-teaching.html" target="_blank">Video Story Scoring Guide</a></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.4px;">) </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I would need to teach the lesson—a video
story comparison chart, a video story brainstorming and planning form, a
scoring guide, and a 3-2-1 form.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now,
on to the greatest task—the Camtasia presentation to accompany the lesson. I downloaded the trial version of the program
with no difficulty and viewed all of the recommended tutorials to familiarize
myself with the process of creating the presentation. After much procrastination, I sat down and
made out a list of the major steps in the video editing process I wanted to
cover: importing files, previewing clips, determining the set-in and set-out
points, adding clips to the timeline, editing clips, adding transitions, adding
lower thirds, adding B-roll, adding royalty-free music, and adding titles and
credits. I also made a couple of brief
test runs with the program to make sure I was able to start and stop the
recording and to be certain the microphone was working.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then
I plunged in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
recorded one whole presentation straight through but wasn’t happy with it. Then after many false starts, which quickly
met with the delete key, I realized it might be best to just keep recording,
even if it meant repeating a section, knowing I could edit it out
later—ultimately accepting the fact that the presentation as a whole might not
be perfect, but I liked the idea of maintaining a conversational tone instead
of being too formal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Editing
the final recorded presentation was very similar to editing video using Adobe
Premiere Elements 14, which we had learned previously in this course. I inserted a title in front of the recorded
portion of the presentation, selecting a theme from the preset themes available
in Camtasia. I also stuck with this
theme when adding titles for each new topic introduced in the
presentation. I tried the pan and zoom
function, but it didn’t seem to zoom in very closely, and when I realized the
original recording was already at 86 percent, I opted to leave the entire presentation
at full screen and highlight certain areas by making the rest of the screen
blurred a bit, again using tools available in the program. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
was disappointed to see that with the trial version, a watermark would be
placed across the final presentation, and I almost fell off my chair when I saw
the $299 purchase price for full access to the program to remove the watermark. Alas, that’s not in the budget this year, so
the version above is indeed watermarked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I could see Camtasia
being useful in the future, though, particularly when showing students layout
and design concepts for the yearbook or how to use Photoshop or how to edit a
podcast, so I’d better start saving or begging!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-62223248127953340502016-04-24T11:58:00.002-04:002016-05-13T12:24:31.262-04:00Assignment Prepares Broadcasting Teacher to Teach Broadcasting<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One would assume a broadcasting teacher
would know how to produce a video story.
Not this one! Almost the entire
school year has passed with Broadcast Journalism I on my schedule, but we’ve encountered
endless delays in ordering equipment. In
the meantime, I’ve learned very little about video production (and that through
my friend Louise, a former broadcasting teacher at a nearby school)—until now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With no real video camera equipment (see
paragraph above), I had to use my trusty Nikon D3100 camera and figure out how
to take video with it. It was perfectly
serviceable for a brief video story since it can film in segments up to ten
minutes in length.</span></div>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/163993647" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="575"></iframe>
<a href="https://vimeo.com/163993647">Sisters in Crime: Palmetto Chapter</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user51469974">Stephen Milligan</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Capturing audio was another matter. The Nikon’s microphone captures sound, but
when I played a few test videos, the sound was rather faint and tinny, so I went
to Best Buy one and purchased a small, relatively inexpensive </span><a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/sony-omnidirectional-condenser-microphone-silver/4820722.p?id=1218536615581&skuId=4820722" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">Sony clip-on microphone</a><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> that would plug directly into the camera just to be on the
safe side. It appears to have done the
job, but I wish the cable had been a bit longer to provide some more wiggle
room (literally and figuratively). </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Setting up the video shoot taught me the wisdom
of keeping multiple options open. I
reached out to a contact person for each of my two ideas, and one didn’t get
back to me after almost a week had passed, by which time I had already
committed to the other because of the time factor involved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Upon arriving to set up for the event, I realized
I would be filming a meeting, which does not necessarily make for exciting
B-roll, but again, time was a factor, and the organization’s leaders had expressed
interest in using the final video story on their website, so I felt I should
make the best of it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The filming location wasn’t ideal, but I had
no control over it—the organization holds monthly meetings at Grecian Gardens
in West Columbia. The restaurant had
just opened, so the clatter of china being stacked can be heard in the
background, and the Greek music started up midway through my first interview. Luckily, the group has a standing reservation
in a private room, so at least we were away from the bustle of the main dining
room. This room was rather small, but
the expected number of members didn’t show up, so I had room to maneuver but
still less that I would have liked, particularly with the tripod. Despite these obstacles, along with the
hardship of watching plates of Greek salad, spanakopita, and baklava passing by
while I was working, I persevered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I conducted the interviews first, and only
after everything was said and done (literally and figuratively) did I remember
I should have positioned the two interview subjects on opposite sides of the
frame for visual variety. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I have realized through this experience that
filming is very different from photography.
Many times I had to resist the urge to turn the camera to get a vertical
shot, and I had to take more care with framing the shots because distracting or
unwanted elements couldn’t be cropped out as they can be with photos.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The editing stage was pretty
straightforward, thanks to the previous training on Audacity—Adobe Premier
Elements 14 is similar to the audio-editing program in many respects. At first, I didn’t see the need for the
set-in and set-out points, but they are used to pare down the clip before
placing it on the timeline (as opposed to placing the entire clip and then
cutting), and fine editing can be done on the timeline as needed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now I’m totally prepared to dig in and teach
broadcasting this fall. Wishful
thinking! But I now know more than I did
three weeks ago, and I have a better idea of how to start and where to start. Action!</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-90838026823330246972016-04-02T21:27:00.000-04:002018-03-10T16:54:55.132-05:00Lifelong Learning Theme Lends Itself to Interactive Journalism Experimentation<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This week’s assignment brings a romper room
of multimedia toys to play with. Some played
more nicely than others, though. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">First up: maps. I love maps. I’ve even wallpapered my hall with them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://classic.mapquest.com/embed?hk=1WPvPcU" style="height: 352px; width: 575px;"></iframe>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Since I normally use <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0375089,-80.9375649,11z" target="_blank">Google Maps</a>, my first impulse was to use Google’s services for this activity. I have since learned how important impulse control is. When I opened Google Maps, I was presented with an empty map of the world with no instruction on how to proceed, so I Googled using Google Maps and somehow stumbled upon the Google Developers page, which showed me all sorts of complicated things on Google Maps APIs, which I have since found out could mean</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">“</span>application program interface” or “American Petroleum Institute,” but it may as well have been one in the same because this was way out of my league, and I scoffed when I saw a button entitled “View Pricing and Plans.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">On to </span><a href="http://www.mapquest.com/" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;" target="_blank">MapQuest</a><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"> then! This appeared to be much easier to use, although at one point (after I had marked and described all of my locations, of course), I managed to lose everything, but I was quickly able to recreate the map just as I’d had it and save it under my newly created account. Going back to edit the map was a chore, though, because the log-in screen for MapQuest isn’t very easy to locate; in fact, if I hadn’t saved the account set-up confirmation e-mail message, I might never have found it. Even then, I went in circles for several minutes trying to log in—I kept getting messages saying no account could be found under my username. Finally, I was able to log in through Facebook (somehow).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The next task was to create a poll or survey
using <a href="https://polldaddy.com/" target="_blank">Polldaddy</a>. After wrestling with
Google Maps and MapQuest, this was a breeze—the hardest part was devising the
questions! Polldaddy allows various
types of questions to be asked. I wanted
to try one of the Matrix/Likert questions but didn’t like the way the choices
at the top of the chart came out looking squished up, so I abandoned that
format. Polldaddy has several options
for the font and style of the survey. I
was able to choose a font similar to the blog font, and after testing several styles,
I settled on the default, Surveymattic, because it was easy to read, and the
gray coloration fit with the gray background of this blog. There are also choices for how to embed the
survey in the blog: button, banner, or slider popup; within these choices are further choices for customization, although I see now hardly any are compatible with blogger. The survey link below is supposed to be a gray button, and it's supposed to open up in a smaller pop-up window, neither of which is happening.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<a class="pd-embed" href="http://smillig2.polldaddy.com/s/your-life-as-a-lifelong-learner-1" id="pd1459647575512">Share your experience as a lifelong learner!</a><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<script type="text/javascript">
var _polldaddy = [] || _polldaddy;
_polldaddy.push( {
type: 'button',
title: 'Share your experience as a lifelong learner!',
style: 'inline',
domain: 'smillig2.polldaddy.com/s/',
id: 'your-life-as-a-lifelong-learner-1',
placeholder: 'pd1459647575512'
} );
(function(d,c,j){if(!document.getElementById(j)){var pd=d.createElement(c),s;pd.id=j;pd.src=('https:'==document.location.protocol)?'https://polldaddy.com/survey.js':'http://i0.poll.fm/survey.js';s=document.getElementsByTagName(c)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(pd,s);}}(document,'script','pd-embed'));
</script>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The final component of this assignment is a
timeline, with the choice of creating one using either <a href="http://www.tiki-toki.com/" target="_blank">Tiki-Toki</a> or <a href="http://www.dipity.com/" target="_blank">Dipity</a>.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’d seen Tiki-Toki in action recently when
the website my English II students were using to research the historic
structures on Columbia’s Bull Street property (the former home of the state
mental hospital) went down. The
professor at USC (that’s the University of South Carolina, not that other university
somewhere in California that tries to use that designation) whose students had
created the original site directed me to a Tiki-Toki timeline her class had
also created, saving (most of) the day.
I created an account and began working with it, only to be told I couldn’t
upload photos or embed the timeline in this blog without paying. What to do?
Dipity-Do!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Which should be called Dipity-Don’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I spent entirely too much time going in
circles on Dipity. I could never find
the timeline I had named, and after clicking around on the site, I was told I
had created the maximum number of timelines allowed with a free account…even
though I had only created one and hadn’t even edited <b>it</b>. The help feature is a
misnomer, and every time I tried to access my account settings, I kept getting
sent back to what appeared to be the homepage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, with credit card in hand, I upgraded my
free Tiki-Toki account to allow photos and embedding. Creation of the timeline went smoothly after
this. The only drawback is that the
timeline insists on use of the full date, not just month and year, so in cases
where I couldn’t remember the exact date, I had to estimate.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="352" id="tl-timeline-iframe" onmousewheel="" src="http://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/embed/627252/9939490574/" style="border-width: 0;" width="575"></iframe> <span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Well played, if I do say so myself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-11609130938389189362016-03-27T14:21:00.000-04:002016-05-13T12:43:41.495-04:00Podcast Telephone Interview Made Possible by App<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My last exciting blog post detailed creating
my first podcast for the Teaching Multimedia course, an overview of the Hancock
County Courthouse in Sparta, Georgia. After
that, I was ready for another task, namely one that didn’t involve recording
myself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But wait—there’s more! Now I had to create another podcast that
would include interviews with others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwFqOwPmZ6VcAmOJGjcgUHHWPd3Lhk5so4FyQJJ9zc9n8czoYnG7gzovY-fM78BTEgSoAFE-JVpUGjzH8uMCCJ_BbGuOGytNgUArVahNT-vU0vHMK0UEuPae0O3NzxSFiwyHCWrPfe21k/s1600/087-Hancock+County+Courthouse%253B+Sparta%252C+Georgia%253B+July+20%252C+2015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwFqOwPmZ6VcAmOJGjcgUHHWPd3Lhk5so4FyQJJ9zc9n8czoYnG7gzovY-fM78BTEgSoAFE-JVpUGjzH8uMCCJ_BbGuOGytNgUArVahNT-vU0vHMK0UEuPae0O3NzxSFiwyHCWrPfe21k/s400/087-Hancock+County+Courthouse%253B+Sparta%252C+Georgia%253B+July+20%252C+2015.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Hancock County Courthouse</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">. Sparta, Georgia. </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">National Register </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">of </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">Historic </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">Places </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">(April 16, 1974). </span>Photographed by Stephen Milligan </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(July 20, </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">2015).</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I decided to delve more deeply into the
courthouse topic, particularly the fire that virtually destroyed it in 2014 and
the reconstruction process. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I had contacted officials in Hancock
County’s government, offering them my photos (a whole year’s worth) for
archival purposes, and I’ve kept up with two of them: Sistie Hudson, Chairman
of the Hancock County Board of Commissioners, and Teresa Kell, District 4
Commissioner. Both were willing to
participate in an interview.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Conducting the interview presented a
challenge. Sparta is more than two hours
away, and while I wouldn’t mind a Saturday jaunt to Georgia, with endless
schoolwork, housework, and yard work, I hardly had time! I could neglect these chores (I do most
weekends), but both ladies in Sparta were just entering a busy period of
personal and professional commitments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What’s the next best thing to being
there? A telephone interview! But how would I record it? If I used the speakerphone at school and
recorded on the iPhone, I may sound clear and “live,” whereas my subjects might
sound tinny and artificial. If only I
could record both ends of the conversation with a balance of sound quality!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Surely
there’s an app for that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There is…more than one. After some internet research, I settled on an
app. Call Recording by NoNotes.com had
positive reviews and required no special equipment (no VoIP or Skype connection
needed). This app would record a call I
had initiated (many only record incoming calls). The app is free, including 20 free minutes of
recording per month, with options to purchase extra minutes (most charge, but
this one was reasonably priced); I purchased more time in case the interview
ran long…and it did. For an additional
fee, calls can be transcribed (hence the name).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Using the app is easy: After entering my phone number and creating a
password, I made a sample call. The app
accessed my contacts and routed the call through its network. Immediately I received an incoming call from
NoNotes.com. I answered to hear the
phone ringing, connecting me to the contact dialed. After the call, I received an e-mail message
that the recording was ready. I
downloaded it by simply logging in to NoNotes.com on the computer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I composed my questions and called Sparta at
the appointed time. The interview went well,
mostly. A few words of mine are unclear
near the beginning, and there was some latency between questions and answers,
similar to latency during televised satellite interviews, but I edited that out
in Audacity. Thanks to previous lessons
on Audacity, editing wasn’t difficult.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now I’m tired of hearing myself talk—on to
the next task! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<iframe allowtransparency="allowtransparency" frameborder="0" height="300" scrolling="no" src="//embeds.audioboom.com/boos/4355495-hancock-county-courthouse-2/embed/v4?eid=AQAAAGwm-FandUIA" style="background-color: transparent; display: block; max-width: 700px;" title="audioBoom player" width="100%"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-72060546312292337912016-03-06T12:21:00.000-05:002016-03-06T21:10:49.238-05:00Podcasting Novice Chooses Topic, Makes Recording with Ease<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Create a podcast. I should be excused from this assignment. Shouldn’t podcasts be delivered in the smooth
voice of Casey Kasem? Or intoned in the authoritative
voice of James Earl Jones? Even if the
instructor insists on subjecting herself and my non-Southern classmates to <b>this</b> voice, what would I record a
podcast about?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A favorite piece of literature or beloved
author? They’ll already think they’re
listening to a monologue from <i>Cat on a
Hot Tin Roof</i>. A great architect or monumental
building? Frank Lloyd Wright? Louis Sullivan? The Sears Tower? The John Hancock Center? Perhaps another building that derives its
name from Mr. Hancock…if I can’t contract this assignment out to a better voice,
I should at least choose a matching topic: The Hancock County Courthouse in
Sparta, Georgia, the most beautiful courthouse in the state, at least in my
opinion. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="352" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1rYW5eJCJkBLtq5JuWmm987CzoEw3c_DGnIi0FHVmSBk/embed?start=true&loop=true&delayms=10000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="575"></iframe>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I know enough about the building to write a
script. I traveled to Sparta once each
month in 2013 to photograph it—3,336 miles and fifty-seven hours on the
road. Some thought I was crazy to invest
so much in one dilapidated building, but I’m <b>so</b> glad I did—the courthouse was almost completely destroyed by
fire eight months after I finished the project, so I have some of the last
photos of it. I’ve also researched the
building’s history and become acquainted with some local citizens after I sent
them copies of my photos. So there’s my
topic. I can even throw a <i>y’all</i> or two into the podcast just like
that Georgia peach Paula Deen!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I now had to get the technical knowledge
down. After reading the assigned textbook
chapter and examining the websites listed, I can’t say I’ve committed to memory
everything I need to know about equipment and software, but I know where to
find out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Some of the microphone discussion and
comparison I was already familiar with—my principal wants to start a
broadcasting program (meaning he wants <b>me</b>
to start a broadcasting program), so my friend Louise, who taught broadcasting
at a nearby high school for sixteen years, has paid several visits to school to
consult on equipment orders, evaluate our existing studio, and expose my students
to equipment, including different microphones and their recommended use.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After preparing my script, rehearsing the timing,
and editing for length, I had to record.
Creating an audioBoom account and downloading the app were easy; in
fact, most everything about audioBoom was simple: recording on the phone,
saving, deleting, pulling the recording up on the computer, and embedding the recording
in the blog post were straightforward (a test post proved adding the podcast was easier than
adding a photo slideshow). The only real
problem with audioBoom was finding the recording—it didn’t immediately display
as a saved file, but after clicking around on the menu, there it was under Profile/Posts/Drafts. Another problem is the lack of
voice-filtering technology, but the class will just have to deal with it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">After all, y’all are the ones who have accents, not me! </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<iframe allowtransparency="allowtransparency" frameborder="0" height="300" scrolling="no" src="//embeds.audioboom.com/boos/4266871-hancock-county-courthouse/embed/v4?eid=AQAAAAtr3FZ3G0EA" style="background-color: transparent; display: block; max-width: 700px;" title="audioBoom player" width="100%"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-55485287054582638562016-02-21T19:12:00.001-05:002016-04-02T21:29:36.270-04:00Alleged Photographer Learns Valuable Lesson<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When I set up my Twitter and Instagram
accounts for the Teaching Multimedia class, I had the nerve to use the word <i>photographer</i> in my profile to describe
myself. <i>Deluded</i> would have been a more accurate term. And now I have to describe what I’ve learned in
only 500 words. Impossible! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I ventured out to Columbia’s Main Street on
a bitterly cold (to a Southerner, anyway) Sunday morning to collect photos for
this assignment, armed with camera and tripod and clutching in my gloved hand
the list of ten tasks and the notes I’d taken from this class and the Teaching
Photojournalism class last semester.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="352" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1SyPmujTRYg3lbOMTsKpGcpJ4drUSlDnt49o8mDhwquk/embed?start=true&loop=true&delayms=10000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="575"></iframe>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">You see, even though I fancy myself a
photographer and have my friends and family fooled into thinking I am (although
I quickly and demurely add the word </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">amateur</i><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
when people say I’m a photographer), most of my photography successes can be
attributed to dumb luck and the auto function on the camera. I’ve always thought composition is my strength,
but I have very poor technical skills.
Even after the photojournalism class, I told myself I’d experiment with
what I’d learned over the holidays, but </span><b style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">that
</b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">didn’t happen with all of the other things to be done (mainly recuperating
from school, cleaning house, and sipping eggnog).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So what have I learned this past week? Not quite everything…but <b>so</b> much!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Finally the triumvirate of ISO, shutter
speed, and aperture are starting to make better sense. I started out consulting my notes (and I still
glance back at them when needed), but now I have a better grasp of what to
adjust and what those adjustments mean and can do. At times, I began taking test shots at the
extreme end of things: ISO 1600, shutter speed really fast, aperture wide open…or
vice versa…then I would begin making adjustments: If the photo was too bright
(in some cases, I got a 4x6 white block instead of an image), I knew to lower the
ISO. Or close down the aperture. Or both if one or the other didn’t work. It was like working through proofs in
geometry class: If the photo is too dark, then I need to dial up the ISO. If, then.
If, then. Dial up. Dial down.
How professional I now sound in my interior monologues! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I also watched a Lynda lesson that included
instructions on how to make light trails from moving light sources, such as car
headlights. I was able to achieve this
by slowing down the shutter speed. This
lesson also showed me an app called Slow Shutter, which I immediately
downloaded. It does the job, but I found
I need an adapter to attach the iPhone to the tripod to keep it steady, so I ultimately
got better results with the camera.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The biggest thing I learned is that I have a lot
more to learn, and to do that, I need to keep practicing. Just not on a windy, freezing street in the
middle of February…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-88077540838560894972016-02-03T20:59:00.002-05:002016-05-13T12:45:43.343-04:00Know-it-all Makes Startling Educational Discovery<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Not to be a know-it-all, but…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That’s a line only a true know-it-all would
open with.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNAmrw_8wu1xXj5TrrDeqLXvkReu3ZmHq6X4YQFKDnG02S7MzykjYsiGPIo4MSPF26-hCBYTb092USvi9pM73r9hyFzv_b-Qzp5bIoa4SJ2sEyjx97bSxCzkkNHwSkoehMkp-WPc7VpTF/s1600/028-Heritage+Classroom%253B+Massie+Heritage+Center%253B+Savannah%252C+Georgia%253B+September+26%252C+2015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNAmrw_8wu1xXj5TrrDeqLXvkReu3ZmHq6X4YQFKDnG02S7MzykjYsiGPIo4MSPF26-hCBYTb092USvi9pM73r9hyFzv_b-Qzp5bIoa4SJ2sEyjx97bSxCzkkNHwSkoehMkp-WPc7VpTF/s400/028-Heritage+Classroom%253B+Massie+Heritage+Center%253B+Savannah%252C+Georgia%253B+September+26%252C+2015.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Heritage Classroom. Massie Heritage Center</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">. Savannah, Georgia. </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">National Register </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">of </span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: xx-small;">Historic </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: xx-small;">Places </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: xx-small;">(April 13, 1977). </span>Photographed by Stephen Milligan </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(September 26, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">2015).</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Not to be a know-it-all, but the first
module for the Teaching Multimedia course was pretty much a review for me.</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I’ve been advising my school’s newspaper
since 2003, so I know it all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Protecting sources? Know it.
Maintaining objectivity? Know
it. Cutline? Know it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I thought this was a multimedia course, not
an introduction to journalism! I had
visions of immersing myself in technology that would help me help my newspaper students
class up our little online paper with interactive elements and slideshows and
video—video taken by my Broadcast Journalism I class on our fancy new audio and
video equipment (if we can ever cut the purchase order from the confines of district
red tape). And I would be able to use all
of these new audio and video editing skills I had hoped to acquire in this
course with the broadcasting students, too.
Our first broadcast would be so professional that people at school would
think they had mistakenly tuned in to CNN, not <i>WWJK News</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So far, we’re learning journalism basics. Easy.
This course must be for journalistic greenhorns, not a know-it-all like
me! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then I got to Task 4: View these live links.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The very first link took me to a list
entitled “<a href="http://www.jeadigitalmedia.org/multimedia-tools/" target="_blank">Multimedia Tools</a>.” </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I was dazed as I examined the list—I’d only
heard of a few of these resources (and that few includes Google Maps). But weren’t these the very same resources I’d
hoped to be exposed to during this course?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My smugness at being familiar with basic
journalism concepts continued to fade as I delved into “<a href="http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/starttofinish/" target="_blank">Tutorial: Multimedia Storytelling: Learn the Secrets from Experts</a>,” the next link. </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">This is where I learned how complex putting
together a multimedia story package can be.
Shells and storyboards and fieldwork!
Oh, my!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But the kicker came when I investigated the
“<a href="http://www.thetoptens.com/online-high-school-newspapers/" target="_blank">Best Online High School Newspapers</a>” link. </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">What incredible journalism these high school
students are engaging in! The sites
showcased here are so professional looking—with movement, photography, Twitter
feeds, scrolling updates on sports scores…even live broadcasts. But isn’t this, too, what I wanted to
learn? The tools and training to help my
student staff build a snazzy journalism program—nay, a media empire—are before
me in this course, the very course in which I had, only days before, thought I
had known it all!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, I realize I am just one of the
greenhorns. This course is exactly what
I need as a teacher to help my students bring our online newspaper to a higher
level of quality, to start this broadcasting program off in an innovative
fashion, to entice the introductory journalism students to continue in the
program, and to engage our audience with newsworthy content delivered in a
fresh, exciting way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But before that happens, this know-it-all
has a <b>lot</b> to learn.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-41694820964902150182015-05-01T21:24:00.001-04:002016-04-02T21:51:16.829-04:00From Blah to Blog<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the article “The creator of Godwin’s Law
on the inevitability of online Nazi analogies and the ‘right to be forgotten,’”
these lines leapt out at me:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“This is the first time in human history
where individuals, in this number, have had the agency to be heard around the
world on a really large scale…now, everyone is in the position of essentially being
a publisher, an autobiographer, a poet” (2).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguxCcmWNPnsd9BTMllCvWbBAtIkz50CqbsklnTx-cBO_DepQlrJQV6mZWzne20RsCyE2Dcxo4qdgmMC0h3oUO0Aj08J9rZJPBO892VOuyciGn9vT-EncLNzmIPu0lOn46_y9DJCsm9FMo3/s1600/040-Margarita+European+Inn;+Evanston,+Illinois;+July+13,+2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguxCcmWNPnsd9BTMllCvWbBAtIkz50CqbsklnTx-cBO_DepQlrJQV6mZWzne20RsCyE2Dcxo4qdgmMC0h3oUO0Aj08J9rZJPBO892VOuyciGn9vT-EncLNzmIPu0lOn46_y9DJCsm9FMo3/s1600/040-Margarita+European+Inn;+Evanston,+Illinois;+July+13,+2014.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Underwood Standard Typewriter. Margarita European Inn</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">. Evanston, Illinois. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photographed by Stephen Milligan </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(July 13, 2014).</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I have to admit at the beginning of the
Social Role of the Mass Media course, I was less than thrilled when I read the requirement
that we would have to maintain a weekly blog.
I saw it as one more requirement.
And I’ve always been resistant to the idea of blogging. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Who would really care to sit down and read
my thoughts on any given topic at any given time? Who am I?
A little nobody from South Carolina who isn’t qualified to offer an
opinion on much of anything. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Full Disclosure: I did once win a judging
contest held by my cousin’s twin girls (then in elementary school) after their
parents and I judged some of their artwork.
Or an impromptu performance. Or something. I can’t really remember, but they judged me
the best judge of <b>them</b>…I know—I was
confused, too, but I did win. I even got
a handmade certificate for my excellent judging abilities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Anyway…I have friends and colleagues who
blog. One keeps a poetry blog. One maintains a blog on her experiences as a
teacher. Another blogs about her
fledgling wine-making adventures. The
teacher blogger has suggested that I start a blog as well, but I’ve always
brushed her off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Who has time for such pursuits? In particular, who has time for such pursuits
in the middle of the school year while taking a course <b>and</b> trying to keep up with the innumerable deadlines and demands of
the journalism program, along with those of “normal” teachers <b>and</b> trying to keep up with all of the
yard work <b>and</b> the housework, not the
least of which is vacuuming up after two Persian cats?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Unless it’s required.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So I grudgingly wrote the first blog and set
up the site, merely using the same hosting site the poetry blogger uses because
I had his site bookmarked on the computer.
I customized the blog site with a theme and my own photos…I would never
just use the defaults—how pedestrian!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Soon I began to look forward to the weekly
blog because it gave me a chance to be creative, not creative for school but
personally creative (or at least that’s the way I took the assignment). I had been putting so much time into school
and these classes and photography that I’d gotten away from writing for the past
few years. But now this blog gave me the
chance to do a little writing—and get a grade for it! The blog became a little treat amongst all of
the serious work of analyzing the social role of the mass media. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So now I have the agency to be heard around
the world…now, I am a publisher, an autobiographer, a poet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I even have fantasies of maintaining this blog
after the course ends—of my own free will! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Until I’m buried again…in the middle of the
school year…under the next course…and the journalism deadlines…and the teaching
duties…and the yard work…and the housework…and a mountain of cat hair…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;"><u>Reference</u></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Scola, Nancy. "The creator of Godwin's Law on the inevitability of online Nazi analogies and the 'right to be forgotten.'" <i>Washington Post. </i>11 </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Aug. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">2014</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">. </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/08/11/the-creator-of-godwins-law-on-the-inevitability-of-online- nazi-analogies-</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; text-indent: 0.5in;">and-the-right-to-be-forgotten/</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-83302101257042020592015-04-25T12:41:00.002-04:002016-02-03T20:46:43.271-05:00All the News That’s Fit to Broadcast<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This has been a pretty good week at school. Miraculously I have had some time during my
planning periods the past few weeks to get the Journalism Work Room and Dark Room
(really a storage room since we don’t work with film photography) mostly
straightened and cleaned up after months—nay, years—of neglect…including
organizing the cabinets and drawers. Now,
as of this week, I have just a couple of drawers and four cabinets to work
through before it’s done! I’m not sure
where all of this spare time is coming from, though. Probably Monday I’ll walk in to an e-mail
message reminding me the Japanese translation of <i>War and Peace</i> I should have been working on for the past month is
due by 3:15. Oops!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But that’s not the only good news on the
school journalism front. I also found
out one of my best writers from Journalism I, whom I also taught in English I
Honors a couple of years ago, will be on next year’s staff. She skipped a year somehow (probably
scheduling), but she’ll be back next year.
And this young lady has already engaged in a partnership with a local
media outlet (which I totally forgot to mention in this week’s discussion board
question about partnerships). This past
year, she has been an intern with the <i>Columbia
Star</i>, a local, independent, weekly newspaper. I’ll definitely be picking her brain to see
if we can take further advantage of the door she’s already opened.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WFxXSHDcS5wIexDVbI5bQXiaDRyo2qCxxintuGA3HrILDVTGusSoCz5GIRX_KWVAksaQX81ptlTsaB05Ns_zZZlTkeD_TeHaNUkg498h-hgA725YhWt6cGV27jljbCxI9HEYrKQm2_LL/s1600/030-September+30,+2007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WFxXSHDcS5wIexDVbI5bQXiaDRyo2qCxxintuGA3HrILDVTGusSoCz5GIRX_KWVAksaQX81ptlTsaB05Ns_zZZlTkeD_TeHaNUkg498h-hgA725YhWt6cGV27jljbCxI9HEYrKQm2_LL/s1600/030-September+30,+2007.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Detail. Gymnasium wall. W.J. Keenan High School. Columbia, South Carolina. 2007</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photographed </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">by Stephen </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Milligan </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(September 30, 2007).</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">But wait—there’s more!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Another current journalism student (second
year) asked me this week what Journalism III Honors was—she said when she was
called in by her counselor to make her schedule for next year, that’s the
journalism class she was put into.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And, yes, I am at a school where teachers
aren’t given their teaching schedules for the following year much in advance or
even have much say in it. Some years I’ve
surmised my schedule based on students telling me they were going to be with me
the next year for journalism or English.
But it’s better than it was—the first few years I was there, we received
our teaching schedules in the mail along with our welcome-back letters. In August.
With hardly any time to plan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But I digress. And this gets even better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When I went in to see my principal for my final
Goal-Based Evaluation conference for the year, he talked about building up the
journalism program. He pulled out a draft
copy of the master schedule and told me there was room for another journalism
course, which would being me up to three; in fact, he said I currently have
only two English II sections, so this could mean I may…possibly…perhaps…conceivably…perchance
have <b>four</b> journalism courses next
year. The most I’ve ever had is three,
and that was only one year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then the other shoe dropped—he would really
like to see a broadcasting component in place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Beggars can’t be choosers, so I guess I’ll
have to take that Kent State broadcasting elective after all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But imagine what I can do with three or four
journalism courses! Imagine having the <b>time</b> to teach all of the concepts we’ve
been learning about <b>and</b> produce the
publications!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How exciting! And how frightening!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Let’s just hope I’m not getting in over my
head… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-76021334726893082352015-04-18T16:41:00.002-04:002016-02-03T20:45:30.165-05:00Down the Photoshop Road<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Included in this week’s readings for the
Social Role of the Mass Media class was a piece called “Detecting the Truth in
Photos,” which detailed the ever increasing ease with which one can manipulate
photos. Not only is Photoshop and its ilk
widely available and periodically updated, providing more opportunity for image
manipulation, but the rapid nature of social media posting makes the spread of
such images more rampant and, I would say, so frequent that only the most
dedicated among us has time to do the legwork to investigate whether an image
has been altered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And as a dedicated journalism teacher, I
looked down on Photoshop use, even by my best friend Paul, who likes to add
filters and effects to photos using the program.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEPNdO2qscIeXv5bvAq31wZBeH1iXHLCoESvOtUdUy2aUBqjmryCtYyR5T6R7Om95rVJZjFPdgcrnEaOHgoqEv4FcYUdTtougzyHUgIarrTzbPrXuKivi0KNzRu0lQl69XzkyTmjAFxam/s1600/037-Chicago,+Illinois;+June+14,+2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEPNdO2qscIeXv5bvAq31wZBeH1iXHLCoESvOtUdUy2aUBqjmryCtYyR5T6R7Om95rVJZjFPdgcrnEaOHgoqEv4FcYUdTtougzyHUgIarrTzbPrXuKivi0KNzRu0lQl69XzkyTmjAFxam/s1600/037-Chicago,+Illinois;+June+14,+2012.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Chicago, Illinois. Looking northeast from the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photographed </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">by Stephen </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Milligan </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(June 14, 2012). </span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I looked down on Photoshop, that is, until
the summer of 2012.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That summer I found myself on an
architectural pilgrimage to the Midwest to visit and photograph as many Frank
Lloyd Wright properties as I could in Wisconsin. The icing on the cake was the fact that the
Wright Plus housewalk in Wright’s Oak Park, Illinois, neighborhood coincided
with the first leg of my trip, so, of course, I took advantage of this opportunity!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, you may be wondering what this has to
do with Photoshop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When I returned to South Carolina and began
pulling the photos off of the memory card to categorize and edit them, I was
horrified to see an indistinct gray blob in the top left corner of the last
several sets of photos. Somehow, at the
end of the Wisconsin portion of my trip and all the way through my second stop
in Chicago (and, yes, there would have been a third stop in Chicago if there
had been any way possible), some dust or debris had found its way into the
camera and lodged itself on the lens, creating this blob on each photo. And since I couldn’t see it in the
viewfinder, I never even knew it was there.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My immediate concern was getting the camera
repaired before I took any other photos. Unfortunately, there’s a dearth of camera
stores these days, especially around here, so the best and closest one I could
find was Biggs Camera in Charlotte, North Carolina, about an hour north of
me. This was in no way a hardship,
though, because of the Cheesecake Factory in SouthPark Mall, just minutes from
the camera store!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Of course, my next concern was what to do
about the spot in the photos. In some
photos, the blob was indistinguishable, obscured by trees or dark colors or
patterns, but all shots with sky or light colors at the top left were ruined. Creative cropping only helped in a few
cases. I certainly couldn’t go back and
recreate my trip (although I would have loved to), and I certainly couldn’t
discard all of those photos of Frank Lloyd Wright properties, a few county
courthouses, and that stunning Chicago skyline.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So I broke down and bought Photoshop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I can’t say I did it all perfectly, but I
managed to get rid of that gray blob in each photo. Was I manipulating reality? Not really, I suppose, because the blob
really wasn’t in the sky or on the building or floating above a daylily
blossom. And keep in mind, these photos
were not being used to illustrate news—I justify this to myself by thinking of
these as artistic photos rather than journalistic photos.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Detecting the Truth in Photos” tells us the
latest versions of Photoshop are so advanced that some changes are practically undetectable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I needn’t worry about that—the work of my steady
hand could be spotted all the way from Chicago…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-90204659334238375232015-04-11T11:40:00.003-04:002016-02-14T19:46:52.203-05:00Let There Be Light!<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Citizen journalism. We have come back around to this topic. Or have we ever really left it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Because of the pervasiveness of social media,
the citizen journalist has been our bedfellow…our partner in crime…our
conjoined twin practically since the beginning of this class.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcns1M1QnpEWHnqidCwBAbPn8lbM-5yJpoHrNxLAv0KLMP0C9dG-bPdEYf01yLzDLHgbWMizKGs1hotMwgKkWN5fSWD8jTv1w0eK1zI9IF-_7_13cOg6ANxiuQyX162riSDhuyl8mPoh_/s1600/026-Grant+Wood+Studio;+Cedar+Rapids,+Iowa;+July+6,+2013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcns1M1QnpEWHnqidCwBAbPn8lbM-5yJpoHrNxLAv0KLMP0C9dG-bPdEYf01yLzDLHgbWMizKGs1hotMwgKkWN5fSWD8jTv1w0eK1zI9IF-_7_13cOg6ANxiuQyX162riSDhuyl8mPoh_/s1600/026-Grant+Wood+Studio;+Cedar+Rapids,+Iowa;+July+6,+2013.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Grant Wood Studio. Cedar Rapids, Iowa (1890s)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Remodeled by Grant Wood (1920s). </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">National Register </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Historic </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Places </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(1982-1984</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">). </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photographed </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">by Stephen </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Milligan </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(July 6, 2013). </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Do y’all remember Gina? Before she absconded from the class, carrying
away her opinions on citizen journalism like a cat burglar in the night, she
wrote a blog post for Week 2 entitled “<a href="http://ginacatanzarite.blogspot.com/2015/01/a-case-for-well-place-period-citizen.html#comment-form" target="_blank">A Case for a Well-Place Period: Citizen. Journalist</a>.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thankfully, Gina exited so rapidly (perhaps
more like a smash and grab at a jewelry store than a cat burglar), she didn’t delete
her blog, so I was able to look back at it after this week to see how I felt.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This was also the week I had a conversation
with Bart at Eye Associates of Cayce, in which I came to a <a href="http://smmilli.blogspot.com/2015/01/week-2-eyes-have-it.html" target="_blank">realization</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now in Week 12, I’m presented with the paper
“<a href="https://learn.kent.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-3822825-dt-content-rid-29137444_1/courses/14917.201510/docs/Canmarriagesaved.pdf" target="_blank">Can This Marriage Be Saved? The Love-Hate Relationship between Traditional Media and Citizen Journalism</a>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I have to admit I’m still torn on the topic,
and while the lightbulb did come on, it’s still in the brightening stage—I’m working
on adjusting the dimmer to a comfortable level of understanding and acceptance.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m afraid I have no choice—if I don’t get with
the program, all of those citizen journalists on social media are going to
overload the circuit, and I’m going to be knocked flat by the shock…and find
myself with a perm to boot!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Reading the paper helped—in two ways. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It felt good to have my opinion validated by
some of the professional journalists who were interviewed, those who believe in
the tradition of journalism as a profession with professional standards of
conduct and procedures.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But it also was helpful for me to see other
professional journalists who are embracing and working with the citizen
journalists to help them be better and provide them guidance concerning
professional standards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This can only be a win-win situation, one
that will ultimately benefit the audience: The professional journalists will gain
the reach of the citizen journalists in the trenches, while the citizen
journalists will profit from the expertise of the professional journalists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The room just got a little brighter.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-74931585232875855972015-04-04T21:29:00.001-04:002016-02-14T20:01:15.967-05:00The Chicken or the Egg?<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The reading this week in the Social Role of
the Mass Media class included an article headlined “Cultural production of
ignorance provides rich field for study.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My mind immediately leapt to Facebook and how
people use it to propagate such ignorance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3q8fyLJDfq-Jl_z59JMtc7K9ptHVW_IOP9UJU11tiDXDcjJAfjIcWx9onwTPXyfpyg3wRA_CTk31jK2uAgKqOb-43yteFd1bIDQ4u1VMSJuSMeLp4UsCSJHIYPsHXZbUpdWwKNSbJ_mBU/s1600/058-Jasper+Disaster;+Boone+County,+Arkansas;+June+25,+2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3q8fyLJDfq-Jl_z59JMtc7K9ptHVW_IOP9UJU11tiDXDcjJAfjIcWx9onwTPXyfpyg3wRA_CTk31jK2uAgKqOb-43yteFd1bIDQ4u1VMSJuSMeLp4UsCSJHIYPsHXZbUpdWwKNSbJ_mBU/s1600/058-Jasper+Disaster;+Boone+County,+Arkansas;+June+25,+2014.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Field. Boone County, Arkansas. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photographed by Stephen Milligan </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(June 25, 2014).</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A glance at recent activity on Facebook
provides a sampling of the material people fertilize that field with to make it
even richer:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“<a href="http://www.allnewspipeline.com/Warning_Signs_In_America_2015.php" target="_blank">‘Fire of God’ Is Coming!—Warning Signs in America 2015</a>”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“<a href="http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/32775/christians-look-to-torah-portion-to-prove-solar-eclipse-is-the-shadow-of-god-biblical-zionism/#AJvdX8oO2FAxfsDF.97" target="_blank">Christians Look to Torah Portion to Prove Solar Eclipse Is the ‘Shadow of God</a>’”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“<a href="http://www.jewsnews.co.il/2015/03/18/obama-hasnt-congratulated-pm-netanyahu-but-he-congratulated-erdogan-sisi-rouhani-and-putin/" target="_blank">Obama Hasn’t Congratulated PM Netanyahu—but He Congratulated Erdogan, Sisi, Rouhani…and Putin!</a>”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“<a href="http://pamelageller.com/2015/03/obama-refuses-to-renew-40-year-old-emergency-oil-supply-pact-with-israel.html/" target="_blank">Obama refuses to renew 40-year-oldemergency oil supply pact with Israel</a>”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“<a href="http://www.trunews.com/employers-are-preparing-for-nuclear-war/" target="_blank">Russian companies prepare employees fornuclear war</a>”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">How can people actually believe this stuff?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It didn’t take much time to find out more
about the sites posting this material: one admits to publishing straight news along
with conspiracy theory and prophesy; one claims to have neither a conservative
or liberal perspective but a Biblical one; one promises to tell the truth about
Israel and Judaism; one has a definite conservative republican slant (this one
actually appears to be the most believable of the bunch); and one proclaims a
Christian, conservative, orthodox worldview. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How can people actually believe this stuff? Oh, wait…I’ve already asked that question.
Trying to find any common sense here is like looking for a needle in a
haystack.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, there may be some kernel of truth
hidden somewhere in these stories (</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">it’s always good to start
with a little truth for that realistic touch</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">), but there’s an obvious pattern to their subject
matter. Of course, I admit I knew
exactly where to look for these stories—some Facebook friends share them with
such frequency and in such quantity, it doesn’t take long to figure out their
political or religious feelings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Interestingly, more than one of these
websites proudly proclaims to be publishing the truth that the mainstream media
doesn’t. If only people would examine
these stories and sites more carefully before posting—if your source publishes
hard news <b>and</b> conspiracy theory,
perhaps it’s not the most credible place for gathering information. That’s a horse of a different color, though—one
I’m afraid many people aren’t willing to ride.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Instead, they’re
going to go for the pig in a poke: </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">They’re going to read what they want to read,
believe what they want to believe, and post what they want to post. Journalism of Affirmation appears to have a
hand in the cultural production of ignorance…or is it the other way around…? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-7654397397503952642015-03-20T22:18:00.002-04:002016-02-14T19:46:07.565-05:00The Choice of a New Generation<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The reading this week in the Social Role of
the Mass Media class has primarily focused on cybermedia from the journalist’s
point of view: ethics, legalities, mobile reporting, effective use of social
media, verification, and so on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But who’s consuming all of this cybermedia? Of course, we know from weeks past it’s all
of those Millennials, a fact highlighted in <a href="http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268793/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=b9Zv5HRR" target="_blank">this piece</a> from the Associated Press.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5cuJDERRAUwzdAoSnfrujLltpQgKXhBNHbfNzvI7GmGJjT_28dnODFj8EShyIHh3hTN6RVzEMqmQx-AriA-_WAzlk_JonhZTQFLiV4mVkDY7PTZGnmJj4YNVYw7XLRb7W9iwecIg_9jT/s1600/121-Harry+S.+Truman+Presidential+Museum+&+Library;+Independence,+Missouri;+June+28,+2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5cuJDERRAUwzdAoSnfrujLltpQgKXhBNHbfNzvI7GmGJjT_28dnODFj8EShyIHh3hTN6RVzEMqmQx-AriA-_WAzlk_JonhZTQFLiV4mVkDY7PTZGnmJj4YNVYw7XLRb7W9iwecIg_9jT/s1600/121-Harry+S.+Truman+Presidential+Museum+&+Library;+Independence,+Missouri;+June+28,+2014.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>Independence Examiner</i> (April 13, 1945). Harry S. Truman </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Presidential </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Museum </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">& </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Library. Independence, Missouri. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photographed by Stephen </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Milligan </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(June 28, 2014).</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">To maintain credibility, transparency, and
all of those other honest, forthright characteristics of a good journalism
teacher, I must admit I didn’t some across this story after hours of in-depth research
for this class. No, while I was trying
to grade my way out from under a pile of papers in time for this week’s third
marking period report card deadline, this article appeared in my e-mail inbox
from none other than John, the lawyer who doesn’t watch local news but instead
gets his news from Google and phone alerts—he of student bus driving fame (see
my Week 6 blog post).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The story even uses Tom Rosenstiel as a
source—he of <i>Blur</i> and <i>The Elements of Journalism</i> fame (see
just about every week of this class).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The piece details the results of a survey showing
most Millennials get their news online, mostly from cybermedia like Facebook, Tumblr,
Twitter, and YouTube. The results also show
this method of consumption is trickling up into older generations. And news
consumers are using up to three or four cybermedia sites for their news.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Still, though, some of those who gather
their news from social media have a use for newspapers and television, but they
are growing tired of those talking heads spouting off opinions—bad news for
those purveyors of journalism of affirmation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Possibly another nail in affirmation
journalism’s coffin: Well over half those who get their news via cybermedia say
they subscribe to multiple viewpoints in their feeds. If only everyone could or would be this open
minded! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We can’t have our cybercake and eat it, too,
though—most of those surveyed admit to receiving their news through passive
consumption instead of actively seeking it out, attending to the stories that
pop up in those feeds. In teaching a new
generation of students news literacy, journalism educators can stress the value
of active consumption.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A little bit of icing on that cybercake is that
even when respondents encountered news randomly on social media, some conducted
further research into the topic of their own volition. Healthy skepticism! What better way to educate oneself and make
an informed judgment? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And a big dollop of whipped cream on that
cake: News consumption and cybermedia engagement are increasing in all age
groups studied. Surely this will lead to
a more informed, engaged populace<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Perhaps there <b>is</b> hope for this new generation—and for the generations ahead of
it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-53345317283641083792015-03-13T23:03:00.003-04:002016-02-03T20:39:26.345-05:00Palmetto Pride<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How could I let this week pass without
acknowledging—nay, basking in—the pride I and many other South Carolinians have
in our former governor, Mark Sanford, who set the example for good health and outdoor
tourism with his penchant for walking the Appalachian Trail?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And now, Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel have
immortalized Sanford in their text <i>Blur</i>
as a cautionary tale—oops, I mean…example…of how interview subjects are booked
for television news programs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBdKwrJEWZG5TVNNUWG0VBu33TQC8T-_pnJi7CabrtlPfwmMwJ4l38XRHITAZe-4xr663MHX2tPsN1pdB7T19dWwbAgqq6v-plzqzKFK0uqHKr4x9D1fV0AVbKonxzTo-BIMh9NzhLnkm/s1600/014-South+Carolina+State+House;+June+21,+2010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBdKwrJEWZG5TVNNUWG0VBu33TQC8T-_pnJi7CabrtlPfwmMwJ4l38XRHITAZe-4xr663MHX2tPsN1pdB7T19dWwbAgqq6v-plzqzKFK0uqHKr4x9D1fV0AVbKonxzTo-BIMh9NzhLnkm/s400/014-South+Carolina+State+House;+June+21,+2010.JPG" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">South Carolina State House. Columbia, South Carolina. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">1855</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Greek Revival style. National Register </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Historic </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Places </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(June 5, </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1970). </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">National Historic </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Landmark </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(May 11, 1976). </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photographed </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">by Stephen </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Milligan </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(June 21, 2010). </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Just as Sanford had jetted off to Argentina for
a week to court his mistress, upon returning to his job as leader of the
Palmetto State, he was immediately courted by television news outlets to come
onto their programs to tell his tale of tortured love—mostly on his own terms
or with promises of sympathetic interviewers, according to the e-mail messages Charleston’s
newspaper, </span><i style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Post and Courier</i><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
snagged through the Freedom of Information Act.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Talk about adding insult to injury! It’s bad enough the man cheated on his wife, abandoned
his job for a week, abandoned his four sons the week of Father’s Day, and lied
about the whole mess (there’s that Palmetto Pride showing again), but then he
has media franchises clamoring to have him as a guest so he can explain away
the whole thing (wait, Palmetto Pride is an organization dedicated to fight
litter in South Carolina…how appropriate—I’ll leave that reference in).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I remember Gov. Sanford’s 2009 walk well—I
was in Springfield, Illinois, at the time, participating in a fellowship to study
Abraham Lincoln for a week. With only
one teacher from each state, as the lone South Carolinian, I was the center of
attention the morning the story broke. A
day or two later, the lady from Ohio even accused Sanford of having Michael
Jackson killed to deflect attention from his escapades. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Even more embarrassment—now South Carolina
will forever be linked in some minds to the death of the King of Pop!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As a journalism teacher, there <b>is</b> something here to truly be proud
of—the investigative reporting (see how I worked that other topic of discussion
from this week in) of Gina Smith,<i> The
State</i> newspaper reporter who drove four hours to Atlanta in the middle of
the night to greet Sanford as he stepped off the airplane at Hartsfield-Jackson
Atlanta International Airport that morning—to avoid the Columbia airport, of
course. Smith had gotten a tip that
something other than a stroll on the Appalachian Trail was afoot, so she
pursued the investigation—did a little digging, did a little raking—and hit pay
dirt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Those are the tools of any good investigative
reporter—a shovel and a rake to uncover and sort through the muck politicians
like Mark Sanford so plentifully supply their constituents. If it hadn’t been for Smith’s persistence,
Sanford’s dishonesty might have taken longer to be uncovered—or even have been
obscured in the glare of his golden boy image.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-84695560753136733612015-03-07T20:38:00.002-05:002016-02-03T20:37:27.702-05:00Stay Tuned—Your Local News Isn’t Next…or Is It?<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In Chapter 5 of <i>The Elements of Journalism</i>, “Independence from Faction,” Bill
Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel make some predictions about the future of localism.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">News consumption will move away from local topics. National electronic news organizations will arise. Internet news will further polarize
society. Small interest groups will
spring up. And it’s already happening!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1eJSmStFD56cpZJejC5lbi685J1qZu8GpmaD15YBCl5id0Bz3Z2VAs-Io4gmjBZs2a_7eN4hNr9Y-hi2juPRTb2k_3tdldDm_auFeuT5lULUHxnGt6023AmrAzRUzdAGXJGsnC_rOxBJY/s1600/001-Old+Horry+County+Courthouse;+Conway,+South+Carolina;+April+3,+2011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1eJSmStFD56cpZJejC5lbi685J1qZu8GpmaD15YBCl5id0Bz3Z2VAs-Io4gmjBZs2a_7eN4hNr9Y-hi2juPRTb2k_3tdldDm_auFeuT5lULUHxnGt6023AmrAzRUzdAGXJGsnC_rOxBJY/s1600/001-Old+Horry+County+Courthouse;+Conway,+South+Carolina;+April+3,+2011.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Old Horry County Courthouse. Conway, South Carolina. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">1908. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photographed </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">by </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Stephen </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Milligan (April 3, 2011). </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Just when you thought localism might be an
antidote to all the ill feelings people seem to have toward the national media…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">According to the authors’ research, news
consumers have more confidence in their local media than in the national media,
but local media may go the way of the film camera if the these startling
predictions come to pass. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">At least the predictions were somewhat startling
to me.</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Through my rose-colored glasses,
I thought people would always want to see their children’s names and photos in
the paper or clip and save a beloved relative’s obituary.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What a quaint notion! Why wait for a photo of a child to be
published? Children are already famous—what
parent doesn’t whip out a ubiquitous cell phone, snap a photo of the child
doing something allegedly cute, and upload it to a social media site, if not
multiple social media sites? Every
moment of one’s existence is captured and published these days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And why wait for that obituary to be
published when it can be found instantly online? You can even sign the online guestbook—no need
to attend a visitation to sign a real guestbook, or rather <b>print</b> in it since no one is taught cursive writing anymore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the dark ages of my childhood, my
hometown, little old Conway, South Carolina, had two newspapers, <i>The Field and Herald</i> (named for the town’s
agricultural heritage) and <i>The Horry
Independent</i> (pronounced OR-ee and named for the county, Horry, which
developed a reputation for independence since it’s cut off from the rest of
South Carolina by rivers; the county was named for local Revolutionary War hero
Peter Horry).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, keep in mind both of these newspapers
were weekly papers, so we had to wait an entire week to see the school honor
roll or the latest tobacco crop yield report.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Field and Herald</span></i><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
has been long gone, but <i>The Horry
Independent</i> is still thriving; in fact, it’s part of a larger publishing
group, Waccamaw Publishers (named for the river that runs through the heart of
the county; ultimately named for the local Native American tribe), that prints
weekly newspapers for several of the smaller, rural towns and communities in
the county (<i>The Sun News</i> is the
county’s daily paper out of Myrtle Beach).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Maybe this publishing group is an anomaly, an
anachronism, in today’s media world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Or maybe localism is still alive…in your
local newspaper, your local magazine, your local radio news show, your local
television news program.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In another word—dare I say it? Locally.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-15842347718520852622015-02-27T22:12:00.004-05:002016-02-04T22:11:28.326-05:00From Mining Disaster to Media Disaster<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In Chapter 6 of <i>Blur</i>, “Evidence and the Journalism of Verification,” Bill Kovach
and Tom Rosenstiel tell the story of the January 2, 2006, Sago Mine disaster in
West Virginia to illustrate the journalist’s need to verify information by
knowing it as opposed to merely relying on observation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The tragedy of the mine’s explosion was
compounded by the tragedy of the media’s misreporting of the number of
survivors. Thirteen miners were trapped
in the mine. Initial media reports went
out saying twelve miners had survived (meaning one hadn’t), but the reality was
horribly, ironically the opposite: twelve miners had perished and only one had
survived.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-PaVC9y-lGvcM_T67Qez8_vOB-SlanqNIlVMQ0fph2dXDFmqL8bZ4i9fgm7S1m0kVplluvVH68OX8UUX2wRsrRMW77GsGESrx_NoFT9uTljIyr1Ql0EtL7ZkAw4gFCqVRkClqk1TfZFe/s1600/Cartoon+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-PaVC9y-lGvcM_T67Qez8_vOB-SlanqNIlVMQ0fph2dXDFmqL8bZ4i9fgm7S1m0kVplluvVH68OX8UUX2wRsrRMW77GsGESrx_NoFT9uTljIyr1Ql0EtL7ZkAw4gFCqVRkClqk1TfZFe/s1600/Cartoon+001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ariail, Robert. <i>Robert Ariail</i>. "The Miners Are <u>Alive</u>!" Editorial Cartoon. <i>The State</i>. 6 Jan. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2006.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I remember this story well and have used it
in Journalism I before in a discussion of ethics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Like many newspapers across the country,
Columbia’s newspaper, <i>The State</i>,
published the story on January 4, 2006.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Once the truth of the number of survivors
came out, the media’s thought and decision-making processes were evaluated in
detail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On January 5, 2006, <i>The State</i> ran two explanatory pieces about what went wrong from the
media’s perspective. Unfortunately, a quick
search of the internet didn’t produce any links to these pieces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The first was headlined “Late-hour
revelation hamstrings media” with the deck “A Chronology of Confusion.” This
was a sort of standalone that included a timeline attributed to Cox News
Service and graphics of other newspapers’ front pages showing how they had
published the same error.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The other explanatory piece, a story headlined
“Erroneous reports lead to media soul-searching,” was datelined New York and
attributed to wire reports. The story
details how the news of the real death toll wasn’t widely known until after
most newspapers, particularly on the East Coast, had already printed and begun
distribution, whereas newspapers on the West Coast were a bit more reliable
because of the time difference: The <i>Sacramento
Bee</i> published the story headlined “Joy to Despair,” and the <i>Los Angeles Times</i> was able to recall
trucks of papers with incorrect stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In a rather quaint fashion (compared to
today’s lightning-fast social media reporting), the story pointed out that most
internet and television news outlets were able to correct the mistake before many
news consumers woke up that morning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
State</span></i><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
localized the story in a sidebar by explaining its own publication timing and showing
graphics of two different versions of the paper’s front page. The first edition, printed to be sent to the
far reaches of the state (Charleston, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Spartanburg)
ran a story headlined “One body recovered; ‘we need a miracle.’” The Capital Final edition, which is the
version most Columbia-area residents would have received, was redesigned and sent the presses in about thirty minutes with the headline “12 miners rescued; 1
dead.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I see now that combined with <i>The State</i>’s former staff cartoonist,
Robert Ariail, and his perspective (the cartoon above is so old, it’s not even
in his online archives), along with the discussion of the events in <i>Blur</i>, these explanatory pieces can be used
to teach other concepts aside from ethics: building relationships with the
audience, gathering and use of evidence, independent confirmation, skepticism, sourcing,
transparency, verification.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">If only this gold mine of a lesson hadn’t
come from a coal mine of disaster. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-89990670398892712962015-02-21T23:13:00.003-05:002016-02-03T20:33:56.210-05:00Relevant Revelations<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This past week, I had lunch with my friend
John, thanks to some dead presidents.
No, not dead presidents as in money but dead presidents as in time—Presidents’
Day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As I was bundling up to leave the restaurant
and face the frigid winter temperatures that have descended upon us, I
spied a reporter from WIS, Columbia’s NBC affiliate, at a nearby table. Out in the parking lot, I asked John if he
had seen her, and he informed me he didn’t even know who I was talking about
because he hardly ever watches the local television news; in fact, he couldn’t
even pinpoint his last memory of tuning in to the local news.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4GWk2wxlancRsG9rKMrp5p7TJkqUhwx_LKmCwi4nuGydnPN3fN3kWb6AjYCsoTFv1tsGRvMGXUp0_AGUx3yqBGeiKKKmlMyo3Todc5X-fUetsaPQK6UA-6iKfxiOsSXFlMqG8jSh83BM/s1600/085-Columbia,+South+Carolina;+May+30,+2010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4GWk2wxlancRsG9rKMrp5p7TJkqUhwx_LKmCwi4nuGydnPN3fN3kWb6AjYCsoTFv1tsGRvMGXUp0_AGUx3yqBGeiKKKmlMyo3Todc5X-fUetsaPQK6UA-6iKfxiOsSXFlMqG8jSh83BM/s1600/085-Columbia,+South+Carolina;+May+30,+2010.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Skyline. Columbia, South Carolina. </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photographed by Stephen Milligan (May </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">30, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2010). </span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">This revelation may not amaze anyone,
considering how America’s news-consumption habits are rapidly changing, but
this is a response I would expect from, as Tina Fey so eloquently put it on the
“Weekend Update” segment of </span><i style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Saturday
Night Live</i><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">’s fortieth anniversary special just the night before, “whatever
you call the little dummies who are live-tweeting this right now instead of
watching it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, John is no dummy, and at just a couple
of years older than me, he is in his mid-thirties…well, okay—mid-forties (I
suppose I must try to maintain a few shreds of credibility here as a journalism
teacher), so he doesn’t fit Fey’s description.
To top it all off, John is a lawyer who works closely with county
governments in South Carolina. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So shouldn’t a lawyer associated with county
governments keep abreast of local news?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I quizzed John about where he gets his news,
and, of course, he responded that he gets it online because it’s available
instantly. He went on to say how he sees
local news increasingly cluttered with meaningless fluff pieces presented by anchors who
aren’t really engaging to him. John’s
scorn over the word <i>anchor</i> was even
evident.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I later scanned my copy of <i>The Elements of Journalism</i> to see if
John had received a ghostwriting credit!
It was as if Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel were right there with us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In Chapter 8, “Engagement and Relevance,”
the authors discuss the effects infotainment has had on the news industry and
its wisdom (or lack thereof) as a business strategy. They cite the research that says viewers are
becoming apathetic in their choice of local news stations, if they even watch
at all—and what a dramatic decline <b>that</b>
figure has experienced. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So where <b>does</b>
John get his news? His top choice is—another
shocking disclosure—Google News (and I almost passed out when he used the word <i>aggregator</i>—many commoners outside of
journalism probably would have thought he’d mispronounced the word <i>alligator</i>), followed by local news
alerts sent to his phone from news outlets in Columbia and Greenville, about
two hours away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As Bill and Tom and John departed the chilly
parking lot, I thought back on the most fascinating revelation of the day—during
a discussion over lunch of the snow predicted for Columbia this past week
(which never materialized) and memories of past snowfalls, John revealed he had been a school bus driver
when he was in high school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m still trying to wrap my head around <b>that</b> news alert. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-75045207241797720152015-02-12T22:08:00.002-05:002016-02-14T20:00:27.584-05:00You Can’t Please Everyone…<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Since
this week’s topic for the Social Role of the Mass Media class is a continuation
of last week’s topic, handling sensitive issues, I thought I would make this
blog post sort of a continuation of my topic last week, the shooting on the
University of South Carolina campus.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
realized I hadn’t looked at any of the coverage done by the university’s
student newspaper. When I was a student
there, <i>The Gamecock</i> came out on
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and may have been at most eight pages each
predominately black-and-white issue. Now
<i>The Daily Gamecock</i> publishes daily
and, of course, has an online presence, which put last week’s coverage at my
fingertips.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BIg8PvCt_Qo0IpY2D_si1vQPZrHj9laQs5RlZCxxnAs_oIaPExv_qQl9_blzkLirpOijxG-3pblwNCQAmoeM_TPnpzJgKB_skc3OcaOF2LutD4iIil8GLLda6p5otBLlJT0kSXv-CvZ8/s1600/024-Capstone;+University+of+South+Carolina;+May+30,+2010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BIg8PvCt_Qo0IpY2D_si1vQPZrHj9laQs5RlZCxxnAs_oIaPExv_qQl9_blzkLirpOijxG-3pblwNCQAmoeM_TPnpzJgKB_skc3OcaOF2LutD4iIil8GLLda6p5otBLlJT0kSXv-CvZ8/s1600/024-Capstone;+University+of+South+Carolina;+May+30,+2010.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;">Capstone House. University of South Carolina. Columbia, South Carolina. </span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;">1967. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;">Modern</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"> style. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photographed by Stephen Milligan (May 30, 2010). </span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">A
special memorial edition of the newspaper was published last Friday, the day
after the murder-suicide. Also that
morning, the Editor-in-Chief, Hannah Jeffrey, posted an editorial headlined “<a href="http://www.dailygamecock.com/article/2015/02/letter-from-the-editor-murder-suicide-reporting" target="_blank">Letter from the Editor: Why you won't find individuals' names in Friday's paper</a>.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
the piece, Jeffrey explains the thought process behind the newspaper’s decision
to not publish the names of the victim and the assailant that Friday morning since
official word had not yet come from the Richland County Coroner (long after the
paper’s press run). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Exactly what we’ve been immersed in the past
couple of weeks: Sensitivity. Verification. Transparency.
Maintaining credibility. Time
being the enemy of accuracy. Informing
the reader of editorial choices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How professional of Jeffrey to explain the
decision to the reader when so many rumors surely would have been traveling all
over campus and Columbia. Some of the
posted comments agreed with her, applauding the decision for its good
journalism and ethical standards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Interestingly, though, a few of the comments
harkened to this week’s other newsworthy topic: Brian Williams. Some of the readers accused <i>The Daily Gamecock</i> staff of tooting its
own horn and making the news about the staff instead of the murdered professor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You see, you can’t please everyone,” as
Rick Nelson sang in “Garden Party.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But Jeffrey did what she thought was right
for her readers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“So you’ve got to please yourself.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-80027757910461399192015-02-05T21:51:00.002-05:002016-02-03T20:30:06.463-05:00Close to Home<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Well,
I wish this one hadn’t fallen into my lap.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today
at approximately 12:56 P.M., a shooting, an apparent murder-suicide, occurred at
the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina, my alma
mater and less than five miles from my house.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBCAUA5VmoyayfU5D0Ubk6N_4FKUlkuDZZdTfEwR40_0-O82NO00WJ1FOCC5ykUDWZj4HNyXi9ZYjcJUjw0yVd6BpxPNjtdcsuqRMsacUC6A3qAkjiav3y-Qst-RbPkXJ4Rwy4mzUp0GH/s1600/003-McKissick+Museum;+University+of+South+Carolina;+August+15,+2009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBCAUA5VmoyayfU5D0Ubk6N_4FKUlkuDZZdTfEwR40_0-O82NO00WJ1FOCC5ykUDWZj4HNyXi9ZYjcJUjw0yVd6BpxPNjtdcsuqRMsacUC6A3qAkjiav3y-Qst-RbPkXJ4Rwy4mzUp0GH/s400/003-McKissick+Museum;+University+of+South+Carolina;+August+15,+2009.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Detail. McKissick Museum. University of South Carolina. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Columbia, </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">South </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Carolina. 1939. Works </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Progress </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Administration </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Romanesque </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">style. </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photographed by Stephen Milligan (August </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">15, </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">2009). </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Coincidentally,
at about the same time, a car accident occurred just outside the building at
the corner of Assembly and College streets (USC is an open, downtown campus),
so among all of the confusion, the misinformation began to fly on social
media.</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">According to WIS, Columbia’s NBC
affiliate, rumors of the shooting’s nature and location were spread on social
media: It was an active shooter situation.</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It took place on the Horseshoe, the original part of campus.</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">At Russell House, the university union.</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Even at the South Carolina State House, just
blocks away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">WIS
devoted all of its 5:00 and 5:30 news broadcasts to the event (with only a
two-minute look at the weather) and much of its 6:00 broadcast. The reporter on the scene, after discussing
the inaccurate social media reports with the evening anchor, who had joined her
there, then exhorted the audience to verify any information before sharing it
on social media.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Details
are still emerging as I listen to WIS’s 7:00 news report, most of which is
devoted to the shooting, but I’ve already noticed a little time is being
devoted to sports, weather, and traffic, but no other news has been reported.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Not
only is this story close to home geographically, but it’s also close to home as
far as the Social Role of Mass Media class goes. Verification.
Erroneous Twitter reports. Accuracy. Completeness.
Sensitive issues. All of these
were topics of this week’s class readings.
And all of these issues are embodied in this story:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Verification? The reporter chose the responsible route by
asking the public to verify information before sharing on social media to minimize
the spread of mistaken reports. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Erroneous
Twitter reports? The rumors in those
initial reports have been dispelled…but will probably be replaced by
others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Completeness? Obviously the story is incomplete at the
moment, so much of the 7:00 news involved reiterating and discussing—no information
about the two who died can be released until the Richland County coroner gives
approval. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Accuracy? WIS is, for many, the best source of
television news in the Midlands, so I’m sure accuracy is something each
reporting team is striving for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sensitive
issue? Definitely. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-49628365520590286372015-01-30T21:52:00.002-05:002016-02-03T20:28:31.209-05:00Back to Business<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“In
deed if not in name, by 2000 America’s journalistic leaders had been
transformed into businesspeople. Half of
newspaper newsroom leaders reported that they spent at least a third of their
time not on journalism but on business matters” (70).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So
write Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel in <i>The
Elements of Journalism</i>. As a teacher
of journalism, I was struck by how closely this statement could apply to the
field of education. Just substitute a few
words, and you’ll have a description of most educational leaders I know: We
spend a great deal of our time on business matters instead of what really
matters—the students.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCE7FjxOye0rgngV92GaBpbwhQYuq1hwq6umbquQzdx2cmdABSHtATIu0ijOaz2yTz8eJUaXlY8sYZSESmB-Z0A2t_Ov-RU0HqP7QHSUPrsKrdY20AYEaXtmzI-U9l7SMXG_dyJuWTe5_z/s1600/190-Harry+S.+Truman+Presidential+Museum+&+Library;+Independence,+Missouri;+June+28,+2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCE7FjxOye0rgngV92GaBpbwhQYuq1hwq6umbquQzdx2cmdABSHtATIu0ijOaz2yTz8eJUaXlY8sYZSESmB-Z0A2t_Ov-RU0HqP7QHSUPrsKrdY20AYEaXtmzI-U9l7SMXG_dyJuWTe5_z/s1600/190-Harry+S.+Truman+Presidential+Museum+&+Library;+Independence,+Missouri;+June+28,+2014.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Harry Truman's second grade report card (1894). Harry S. Truman </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Presidential </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Museum & Library. Independence, Missouri. </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photographed by Stephen Milligan </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(June 28, 2014).</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
term “educational leaders” conjures up images of principals, assistant
principals, and district office officials, but I would argue the real educational
leaders are the teachers, the ones actually doing the work of education.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Unfortunately, it seems the real work of education, like the real work of
journalism Kovach and Rosenstiel refer to, is increasingly moving toward the
business end of things. Like those
newsroom leaders who spend one-third of their time on business, I would venture
to estimate many teachers spend much more than a third of their time on endless
paperwork, incessant meetings, and other administrivia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And
just like those journalists who don’t get to spend that time on journalism,
those teachers don’t get to spend their time on educating the students.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">January
16 was a teacher work day, one of those rare days all teachers hungrily look
for on the district calendar because they know they will have time (that
beautiful, elusive, ephemeral notion) unencumbered by meetings (we hope) to make
a dent in some of that business work: lesson plans to be written; papers to be
graded and recorded; handouts, tests, quizzes, exams, activities, and/or
projects to be typed, formatted, and copied; guidance referrals, discipline
referrals, attendance referrals, Student Intervention Team referrals, nurse
referrals, and/or social worker referrals to be filled out; parents to call,
e-mail, or send letters to; e-mail messages and phone calls to respond to…and
those are just a few of the things all teachers do—throw in an extracurricular
activity, club, organization, and/or sport to sponsor, and you add a whole
other dimension of paperwork and business to take care of.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now
I know how those journalistic leaders—those newsroom leaders—feel because they don’t
have time to devote their full attention to their craft, journalism. I remember how elated I was when January 16
rolled around—I would have time to do my paperwork job without those pesky
students hovering around needing attention and an education!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And
as a <b>teacher</b> of <b>journalism</b>, I feel doubly put upon by this emphasis on business. Each profession alone is evolving into a
business…put them together, and you have big business.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What’s
a business without customers? District
leaders love to throw that word around.
Students, parents, and visitors are “customers,” and we must practice
good “customer service” when dealing with them.
Customers have become an important part of the journalist’s business,
too:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Bringing
business accountability to the newsroom brought the language of business as well. In some cases this meant applying the
language of marketing to news, with readers and viewers becoming ‘customers,’
and to understand them became ‘marketing’</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">”</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (Kovach and Rosenstiel 83).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So
here I am—an English education major who stumbled into journalism and now has become
a businessman. Enough lamenting my fate
for now, though—I have some customer papers to grade.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-top: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 0in 0in 0in;">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="border: none; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"><u>Reference</u></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Kovach, Bill and Tom Rosenstiel. <i>The
Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople </i></span><i><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Should
Know and the Public Should Expect</span></i><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">. Third Edition. New York: </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">Three Rivers </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";">P</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">ress, 2014.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-54398983802101219522015-01-23T22:06:00.001-05:002016-02-03T21:02:29.856-05:00The Eyes Have It<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Week
2 and another topic has fallen into my lap.
Can I be so lucky for the next fourteen weeks? Probably not, so let me take advantage of
this while I can.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tuesday
I went to Eye Associates of Cayce for my yearly exam. After the doctor had completed her preliminary
examination, she assaulted my eyes with those drops to dilate them and announced
that in the meantime, I had to take the test to identify those faint dancing
squiggly lines on a screen. Certainly, the
early stages of pupil dilation could only add to the ease of the task.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLIlZWu0H7OuHscwHNSTehAP-kzWyt-gimEqzHIw6YcBb9S5OmuKJOb95WjMibzl0MXZFZWD9i25mKDfMoV0aRP88l_Uvsq5c0LJ1zr4gG4liFYG1HbvWMIXmCJrBU8trAK6gnIGfEjgx/s1600/049-Dillon+County+Courthouse;+Dillon,+South+Carolina;+April+18,+2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLIlZWu0H7OuHscwHNSTehAP-kzWyt-gimEqzHIw6YcBb9S5OmuKJOb95WjMibzl0MXZFZWD9i25mKDfMoV0aRP88l_Uvsq5c0LJ1zr4gG4liFYG1HbvWMIXmCJrBU8trAK6gnIGfEjgx/s1600/049-Dillon+County+Courthouse;+Dillon,+South+Carolina;+April+18,+2014.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Detail. Dillon County Courthouse. Dillon, South Carolina. William Augustus Edwards, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Architect. </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1911. </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Beaux Arts/Classical Revival/Neoclassical style. National Register </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">of </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Historic </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Places </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(October 30, 1981). </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photographed by Stephen Milligan (April 18, 2014). </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">An
assistant, Bart, came in to lead me across the hall for this test, and he
complimented me on how nice I looked (in my new vest and tie), commenting that
so many people these days appear in public in pajama bottoms. I told him I’d seen kids trying to do that at
school. The inevitable questions
followed, and he divulged he had a degree in English (but could never teach). After a proper amount of time discussing the
horrible state of people’s grammar these days, particularly on social media, he
began quizzing me on teaching journalism.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As
our poor-grammar-on-social-media discussion turned into a journalism discussion,
Bart revealed his mistrust of many of the “news” items people post online,
and how he always takes the time to check out such postings before he believes
them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By
this time, he had escorted me back to the examination room, where I gestured to
the notebook of readings for this class I’d brought with me to kill time in the
waiting room. Or it may have been the
doctor’s charts—at this point my vision was getting fuzzier by the minute. But I could clearly see Bart for who he
really was. A literate consumer of news—right
here in South Carolina! I should have
placed him in a jar with holes punched in the lid.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
told him I was currently taking a journalism class, and this exact topic was up
for discussion. News literacy. Healthy skepticism. The spread of news on social media. Verification.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Bart
mentioned when he wanted serious news and perspective, he looked to a variety
of trustworthy sources—aside from WIS (the local NBC affiliate) and <i>The State</i> (Columbia’s newspaper), both of which so many around here rely on—including
the BBC and Al Jazeera. Indicating my
notebook (or that stack of charts) again, I told him about the piece we had to
read about the American<i> Time</i> magazine
covers as opposed to the international covers, and that launched us into a
discussion American news tastes and the perception of Americans by others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
then admitted to Bart I was a bit skeptical of the citizen journalist
concept—and he agreed! I told him about
the idea of Open Journalism we’d just read about in <i>The Elements of Journalism</i>: the professional journalist sourcing eyewitness
accounts from social media and combining them with his or her expertly gathered
background information to bring the news consumer the best of the old and the
new—and a more complete story along with it.
Perhaps this is the best answer…it’s certainly an answer I can grow
comfortable with. Better than just
swallowing social media news wholesale, Open Journalism allows news to be filtered
through the trained eye of the professional journalist who can use his or her
lens to verify and help the reader or viewer make sense of everything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In
the interim, I am looking forward to my next eye exam. Perhaps one day, Bart and I can frolic at the
Cayce-West Columbia Riverwalk, feeding the ducks and reciting the First Amendment
in a beautiful montage set against “I Can See Clearly Now” by </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Johnny</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Nash...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5779196312230093267.post-841187329318117222015-01-17T14:57:00.001-05:002016-02-03T20:23:19.620-05:00What Is News?<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What
better way to start off a blog than with a nice dose of hypocrisy?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My
friend Noel down in Florida posted this on Facebook just this past week: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_cW42DwfixnwC_25gyGrS5paWd0Z-ss_ZIyWO4z3XBRuSSDVUUTFVtkSE5jJr2QGrhxOHeEGg93ZDNit7-ocNyTJXMOdFdAzR7uoilwItk9IxJ11r7J1Erg6T-MpSp9nKvWQ50SIwb9V/s1600/995050_674780402608681_6593465356430228270_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_cW42DwfixnwC_25gyGrS5paWd0Z-ss_ZIyWO4z3XBRuSSDVUUTFVtkSE5jJr2QGrhxOHeEGg93ZDNit7-ocNyTJXMOdFdAzR7uoilwItk9IxJ11r7J1Erg6T-MpSp9nKvWQ50SIwb9V/s1600/995050_674780402608681_6593465356430228270_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How
clever and timely of Noel down in Florida to have posted this—he must have
sensed I would need a topic for this blog. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now,
I have a confession to make: I absolutely hate it when people “share” things
like this on Facebook, so much so that I’ve actually begun to hate the word <i>share</i>.
I want to see friends’ photos and hear about what’s going on in their
lives—that’s why I go on Facebook—not to see the latest “share” of a recipe
they’ll never make or household project they’ll never complete, Photoshopped
kitten or puppy doing something cute, vintage drawing with sarcastic comment, command
to “share if you agree the President is (or is not) doing a good </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">job,” or </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">sappy photo of someone holding a hand-scrawled sign saying he was allegedly left
on the hospital steps thirty years ago and is now looking for his parents.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sure,
some of those things are cute or inspiring (but most are annoying). And one can’t help reading them as one wades
through the Facebook news feed searching for a morsel of personal news someone has
posted. I make it a rule to never
comment on these incessant “shares,” and I certainly have never posted one, nor
will I ever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But
I did save this one to—dare I say it—share with you, the students of John Bowen’s
Social Role of the Mass Media class.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What
is News?” asked Discussion Board Question 1 in relation to the <i>Duck Dynasty</i> controversy. I think <i>Duck
Dynasty</i> definitely belongs in the right column. Are these items newsworthy? Some of them certainly are. Some of them certainly are not. Entertainment news, perhaps…some might even
say gossip or frivolity. And everyone occasionally
indulges in a little escapism, a little junk food, a little fluff, and a small
dose of it is probably needed to maintain one’s sanity in the face of all the
items in the left column. But it’s when
the items in the right column outweigh those in the left column that we have a
problem, when the audience becomes consumed with the immaterial at the expense of
the germane. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Is
the media to blame for producing such content, or is the media merely giving
the audience what it wants? Is coverage
of the topics in the left column socially responsible journalism? Conversely, is coverage of the topics in the
right column socially irresponsible journalism?
I suppose we will tackle these and other weighty questions over the next
sixteen weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
the meantime, please don’t share anything with me. Unless it’s chocolate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01008637609061481823noreply@blogger.com2