Plagiarism. The term in itself has too many definitions. I mean there is room for possibly every form of "copied work". i personally think that The Missourian's against Merrill were too harsh. Personally I would have gone with one of the options presented in, I think, the first link. I wouild have had Merril personallyl apologize to the editor of The Maneater, and apologize to the journalist involved, and apologize to the column. I think that The Missourian made a scapegoat out of Merrill. I mean I completely see where they're coming from...being hypocritical IS one of my biggest fears. The eidtor of the Missourian definitely made his point very clear. Just don't do it. Even if you are 83 years old a professor emiritus...don't do it. I do not agree with Clark when he said that he does not htink that what Merrill did was plagiarism. It clearly was a form of plagiarism. I also understand Merrill's defense and his use of the Categorical imperative...it was all in good intentions. But in today's world, who has time to look deep enough to judge the nature of the intention? My basic rule is that any unoriginal work used in my work should be attributed. What he did was wrong. The Missourian should have made a better choice.
That politics website was INCREDIBLE! I mean seriously wow. I actualy bookmarked that page. No joke. But it was also kind of scary. Mainly because it was so easy to find information...the really private information..like if the candidate has a permit, his tax records...etc. Is this same stuff about me out there as well? I mean WHAT? It also reminded of the power I have as a journalist. Regardless of this website, I have the power to access so much information and it is my job to make sure that I do justice to that access and to that information.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Sunday, December 2, 2007
And the female vote goes to....
"We have spent a long time and traveled a long road to get to this point. That doesn’t bring us to the place where gender becomes the only thing or even the most important factor determining our decision.” -- Kate Michelman, senior adviser to the Edwards campaign.
So true.
This NYT article talked about the possibility of Obama winning over the feminist side of society. The article featured many quotes from many feminists , who were struggling to choose between loyalty and reality. Loyality to the cause of feminism- equality for women. The reality that Obama is a lot more progressive than Clinton. Obama said in s peech that he knows and understands the strength of a woman. He spoke of his mother, a single mother who embodied woman empowerment. And he spoke of his wife who is strongminded and forthright of her opinion. But what really struck the feminists in the story was that Obama had the potential of moving beyond the pettiness of politics..beyond the partisanship and towards the betterment of the United States.
Author ALice Walker described Obama as "someone who honors the feminine values of caring for all."
And from what I have been reading Clinton seems to be surviving mostly on female votes while Obama has virtually equal support from both sexes. Obama has the potential of bringing our country forward because he understands that true democracy does not lie between the red tape of our politics. Unlike Clinton, who constantly moves closer nd closer to centre, Obama sticks to what he believes and that is in his HOPE. And Oprah will be joining him shortly on the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire caucus. Oprah NOW you have somehting to prove. I agree with your choice. Completely.
So true.
This NYT article talked about the possibility of Obama winning over the feminist side of society. The article featured many quotes from many feminists , who were struggling to choose between loyalty and reality. Loyality to the cause of feminism- equality for women. The reality that Obama is a lot more progressive than Clinton. Obama said in s peech that he knows and understands the strength of a woman. He spoke of his mother, a single mother who embodied woman empowerment. And he spoke of his wife who is strongminded and forthright of her opinion. But what really struck the feminists in the story was that Obama had the potential of moving beyond the pettiness of politics..beyond the partisanship and towards the betterment of the United States.
Author ALice Walker described Obama as "someone who honors the feminine values of caring for all."
And from what I have been reading Clinton seems to be surviving mostly on female votes while Obama has virtually equal support from both sexes. Obama has the potential of bringing our country forward because he understands that true democracy does not lie between the red tape of our politics. Unlike Clinton, who constantly moves closer nd closer to centre, Obama sticks to what he believes and that is in his HOPE. And Oprah will be joining him shortly on the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire caucus. Oprah NOW you have somehting to prove. I agree with your choice. Completely.
Audio Slideshows...the next big thing? or is it already?
Joe Weiss created the Soundslides program because of a "frustrated picture story." Sometimes the print story does not do justice to the story? Why because soemtimes words fall short of capturing the beauty of a moment. I quite like this idea of audio slideshows...seems simple and engaging. Well, I guess I will really f ind out how simple it is once I start working on my final project but for now from what the article pointed out, Weiss tried to make it as simple as possible. I especially liked his answer when the journalist asked him why he chose journalism. It was the "human to human" connections he could make. That concept was part of the reason why I chose journalism as well. Another thing, which I noticed was that hard news stories do not reall make it to the multimedia element. I thik this is probably because hard news is exactly what it sounds like: hard news. Not much of an engaging situation there. That is the reason why hard news ledes are generally boring and just factual. I also liked his idea of having a photojournalist work together with a reporter to create a story. but personally, I am for the independent media deal...I hope that at the end of my education at IC I will be armed with the appropriate tools to become my own independent media. Off to think about the final project.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
ELECTIONS'08 TMZ style: Clinton and Hasselbeck. Obama and Pot.
Hillary Clinton congratulated ElisabethHasselbeck, host of controversial show "The view", on the birth of her new baby. Hasselbeck is Republican. she said she might change her vote based on this random/rare/out of the blue congratulatory note. This why Hillary Clinton was in the news recently. A congratulatory to a Republican might gain her an extre vote.
Obama was in the news this weekend because he inhaled. Pot that is. Marijuana in official terms. The question was asked in reference to former President Bill Clinton's statement on pot where he said that he did not inhale. To that Obama said "The point was to inhale. That was the point.”
Obama did pot whn he was young. And THAT is the question that America is wondering.
Clinton congratulated the host of "ABC's all-female gabfest ". And she made the news.
Celebrity gossip could never get better.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/11202007/news/nationalnews/a_new_view_on_clinton_615745.htm
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/did-obama-inhale/
Obama was in the news this weekend because he inhaled. Pot that is. Marijuana in official terms. The question was asked in reference to former President Bill Clinton's statement on pot where he said that he did not inhale. To that Obama said "The point was to inhale. That was the point.”
Obama did pot whn he was young. And THAT is the question that America is wondering.
Clinton congratulated the host of "ABC's all-female gabfest ". And she made the news.
Celebrity gossip could never get better.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/11202007/news/nationalnews/a_new_view_on_clinton_615745.htm
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/did-obama-inhale/
What to do and what NOT to do..ETHICS and some online journalism
I thought that the book's presentation of ethics in journalism was extremely intriguing. I got the facts and I had examples to support or refute those facts (well maybe theories is a better word). In the sidebar I liked how they mentioned fair play as one of the values. Journlaism is about objectivity )at least ideally it is) so it is important to get both sides of the story regaardless of the situation. Generally I am not a fan of "formulaic nmodels" persay...like the Potter Box. But I do get what the model was trying to do...make it a little more easier for us in complicated situations. Over last weekend I happened to watch the movie "Never Been Kissed". The movie is a about a reporter who goes undercover as 17 year old and pretends to be a high school student and is asked to report on the school. Was that correct? I am not really sure. I think a reporter should go undercover if the situation concerned could affect the lives of the public. (A major pressing situation). And umm freebies....I don't know how I feel about that either. In one way it could be seen as an object given to anyone interested in the event. On the other side it cold be seen as a blatant bribe. Personally if I received a freebie...I think I would keep it and make it point to know that all the other journlaists got the same and that it would not affect my story. People really pay their sources? Ridiculous. Enough said. And should journalists give "full disclosure of their financial investments and memberships..." No. We are not public figures. Politicians are. We need to ensure that any story we do does not have a conflict of interest with out personal life. And if it does, the editor needs to be notified. I do not really that we should publish the rape victim's name without permission. And the information that you depart is based on your judgement, but it is important to realize that the editor knows all the information before you choose to take away any information.
NYM article decries Travis Fox of the Washington Post as a "globe-trotting hard-news yin ". I want to be him. Exactly. And he was so right in saying that online media should not replicate TV. Online journalism is synonmous with convergence in journalism. And I personally think the computer is becoming more and more popular than TV so it is veyr important o pay attention to the media feature online. I personally liked how Fox denounced the practice of print reporters to go on front of the camera in the online media.
The blog was interesting but the main thjing that I got out of it was the paragraph on curiosity. It is so easy to say "Eh justthe same ol'" But it can never be the same ol' stuff there always something new.
"it is a new and unsettling twist that compassion begins to fail with the mere addition of a second person" What? Sad but true. I do not really know what it is about horrific events, but the the point made in the CJR is true. For instance the Iraq war. The first death was front page news...slowly all deaths just became part of a large number. I know that journalism cannot make all the difference. But that is not the point. the point of journalism IS to make some difference..a little bit of change.
The online storytelling excerpt was very informative. I am personally a fan of clickable interactives and narrated slideshows. And someone in these four article had made the poit of print journalist tending to repeat the print version of their story on the online version. On the online version the print version needs a little twist. CONVERGENCE. that is what it is all about.
NYM article decries Travis Fox of the Washington Post as a "globe-trotting hard-news yin ". I want to be him. Exactly. And he was so right in saying that online media should not replicate TV. Online journalism is synonmous with convergence in journalism. And I personally think the computer is becoming more and more popular than TV so it is veyr important o pay attention to the media feature online. I personally liked how Fox denounced the practice of print reporters to go on front of the camera in the online media.
The blog was interesting but the main thjing that I got out of it was the paragraph on curiosity. It is so easy to say "Eh justthe same ol'" But it can never be the same ol' stuff there always something new.
"it is a new and unsettling twist that compassion begins to fail with the mere addition of a second person" What? Sad but true. I do not really know what it is about horrific events, but the the point made in the CJR is true. For instance the Iraq war. The first death was front page news...slowly all deaths just became part of a large number. I know that journalism cannot make all the difference. But that is not the point. the point of journalism IS to make some difference..a little bit of change.
The online storytelling excerpt was very informative. I am personally a fan of clickable interactives and narrated slideshows. And someone in these four article had made the poit of print journalist tending to repeat the print version of their story on the online version. On the online version the print version needs a little twist. CONVERGENCE. that is what it is all about.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
meh....same ol' same ol'
Lack of experience vs. lack of answers/ a stand.
"A poll driven campaign." That is the way Obama is decsribing Clinton's presidential campaign. At the Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Iowa, both CLinton and Obama took jabs at each other BUT indirectly. OOOH Politics...so very messy.
Ealier in the year, I compared politics to an afternoon soap and man oh man...t would be great TV. All the news talks about now is Obama and Clinton pointing out each others' faults. But indirectly. That is why we have political analysts. They identify the "indirect" recipient of a jab. Obama said Clinton is running textbook campaign and is not providing the public with answers about the way she would run the country. Clinton says that Obama needs experience. He's a rookie. And there is John Edwards, who said, "I watch the Republican candidates — Giuliani, Romney, McCain — and what I see is George Bush on steroids." What is going on? The media likes controversy so ofcourse it will cover these little indirect fights..but what about the real issues? I guess those who care will investigate further...but what about those who don't? Will they vote for the rookie, the old and experieinced, the guy with great or hair, or those who seem like "George Bush on steroids"?
Ha.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/12/us/politics/12campaign.html?ref=politics
"A poll driven campaign." That is the way Obama is decsribing Clinton's presidential campaign. At the Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Iowa, both CLinton and Obama took jabs at each other BUT indirectly. OOOH Politics...so very messy.
Ealier in the year, I compared politics to an afternoon soap and man oh man...t would be great TV. All the news talks about now is Obama and Clinton pointing out each others' faults. But indirectly. That is why we have political analysts. They identify the "indirect" recipient of a jab. Obama said Clinton is running textbook campaign and is not providing the public with answers about the way she would run the country. Clinton says that Obama needs experience. He's a rookie. And there is John Edwards, who said, "I watch the Republican candidates — Giuliani, Romney, McCain — and what I see is George Bush on steroids." What is going on? The media likes controversy so ofcourse it will cover these little indirect fights..but what about the real issues? I guess those who care will investigate further...but what about those who don't? Will they vote for the rookie, the old and experieinced, the guy with great or hair, or those who seem like "George Bush on steroids"?
Ha.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/12/us/politics/12campaign.html?ref=politics
wait...TV/Radio reporting...WHAT?
I'm so used to learning about print journlaism, practicing print journalism, talking print journalism that it felt a bot weird to learn about broadcast journalism. I attended a journalism workshop in 2005. While I was there, I indulged in radion andnewspaper reporting. When I look at my stories today, the difference in the print version of the story and th eradio version of the same is quite obvious. The radio version is simply "pat pat pat"...there was no ink wasted descrining anything. Sentences were short and to the point. And it almost was more fun because I had never quite created a radio report before. While reading this chapter, I recalled all the points that my mentors at the workshop pointed out to me.
The four criteria that defines broadcast journalism is not very much different from the criteria of print journalism, except for the part about audio and visual impact. It was interesting to see how the authors tressed on the use of present tense and the dire need to ensure "the story is happening right now" feel. It seems quite easy to write the way you talk...but it is quite surprising to find the many faults in the way we talk- the slang, the passive voice, the extra punctutatons etc. The most important aspect of both print and broadcast journalism is the need for clarity. It is true that it might be more imperative to be more clear while reporting for the radio and TV because the audience only has one shot to understand the core of the story. I actually quite liked the terms and abbreviations that the a radio/ TV story has : lead ins, wrap-ups, SDT, MOC, etc. The authors did a great job of speeling out what is necessary to successfully report for a radio/TV station. The other aspect of printvs tv/radio that never phased me was the quote attribution...in TV/radio, we attribute the quote in the beginning rather than the end/middle as we do in print.
I still like print.
The four criteria that defines broadcast journalism is not very much different from the criteria of print journalism, except for the part about audio and visual impact. It was interesting to see how the authors tressed on the use of present tense and the dire need to ensure "the story is happening right now" feel. It seems quite easy to write the way you talk...but it is quite surprising to find the many faults in the way we talk- the slang, the passive voice, the extra punctutatons etc. The most important aspect of both print and broadcast journalism is the need for clarity. It is true that it might be more imperative to be more clear while reporting for the radio and TV because the audience only has one shot to understand the core of the story. I actually quite liked the terms and abbreviations that the a radio/ TV story has : lead ins, wrap-ups, SDT, MOC, etc. The authors did a great job of speeling out what is necessary to successfully report for a radio/TV station. The other aspect of printvs tv/radio that never phased me was the quote attribution...in TV/radio, we attribute the quote in the beginning rather than the end/middle as we do in print.
I still like print.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Obama is bringing it on...SERIOUSLY!
Last week I noted how Obama said he is going "to get down and dirty" with Clinton. And he is. But the issue now is that he is attempting to do so while still maintaining his original intention of relaying hope for a better America. Essentially he is trying ot balance the negative and positive aspects of his campaign at the same time. It is hard to show your positive side when you are continually trying to point out the faults of your opponent. All the point that he makes against Clinton are all definitely legitimate. He shows courage by confronting in front of national televiiso like he did on the debates in philly..and on SNL where he spoke to a disguised CLinton. My mian fear that soon he will become the one who spent all his time discrediting his opponent and forgot to focus on his policy. I'm afraid that the public will become too interested in what he is saying against Clinton rather than what he is for himself. He said in the article that Clinton was conducting a textbook campaign and that her campaing provides suggesstions on how to win the election rather than focusing on how to brig th country tgether. I understand that bringing the country together is his primary goal..but will this goal be overshadowed by his decision to fight CLinton upfront...like the article said.."only time will tell"
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/Story?id=3818282&page=1
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/Story?id=3818282&page=1
real journalism....?
When I thought of journalism, I always thought of the profession that uncovers the truth. I always thought of someone who goes beyond comfortable standpoints to show what is really going. Whether it is being present in the heart of a war zone, a disaster zone, a government coup, protests etc. For me investigative reporting is the true essence of journalism. On Oct. 24,2007. Alisher Siapov, an Uzbek reporter, was shot three times in the head and chest presumably by the Uzbek government's secret service. BBC described Siapov as the most outspoken Uzbek because "for Alisher, journalism was not just a job, it was a tool, an instrument to push for what he saw as desperately needed change." That is exactly the way I see journalism
Ch 18 focused on investigative reporting- the process, the results, etc. I actually was glad to find a description of the process to conduct investigative reporting. I particularly liked how they named the second part of the process as the "sniff". But the important thing is, like the book said, ACCURACY! Any inaccurate informatio can easily negate all the hardwork put in reporting the story. Generally, I prefer the hard lead, but when the topic of investigative style reporting arises, I like the anecdotal lead..because it humanizes the story on a personble level. The listing of "human" and "paper" sources also helped, athough I feel that human sources would be more emotionally revealing, paper sources could be more factually revealing...The most intriguing part of the chapter was part where the authors spelled out the various obstacles a reporter could face...I was most surprised that money was determined as the first obstacle...For me the first obstacle would definitely be red tape!
The IRE website was also fairly interesting but it mostly reminded me why I am disappointed in todas version of journalism...why is the fact that many Chinese workers ae dying while manufaturig American products not more important than Britney Spears' marriage problems...why is it not mainstream news? The links led to many interesting stories and those stories would have remained unread if not for the if not for the website. I especially liked how we could find he various links n the"find a beat " page. Although I feel many of the important websites were left out or maybe I just did not look well enough..where was the international monetary fund website..how about WHO, etc.
But on the whole today's reading was good.
Ch 18 focused on investigative reporting- the process, the results, etc. I actually was glad to find a description of the process to conduct investigative reporting. I particularly liked how they named the second part of the process as the "sniff". But the important thing is, like the book said, ACCURACY! Any inaccurate informatio can easily negate all the hardwork put in reporting the story. Generally, I prefer the hard lead, but when the topic of investigative style reporting arises, I like the anecdotal lead..because it humanizes the story on a personble level. The listing of "human" and "paper" sources also helped, athough I feel that human sources would be more emotionally revealing, paper sources could be more factually revealing...The most intriguing part of the chapter was part where the authors spelled out the various obstacles a reporter could face...I was most surprised that money was determined as the first obstacle...For me the first obstacle would definitely be red tape!
The IRE website was also fairly interesting but it mostly reminded me why I am disappointed in todas version of journalism...why is the fact that many Chinese workers ae dying while manufaturig American products not more important than Britney Spears' marriage problems...why is it not mainstream news? The links led to many interesting stories and those stories would have remained unread if not for the if not for the website. I especially liked how we could find he various links n the"find a beat " page. Although I feel many of the important websites were left out or maybe I just did not look well enough..where was the international monetary fund website..how about WHO, etc.
But on the whole today's reading was good.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Obama & Clinton....KUMBAYA? Heck NO!
"The notion that somehow changing the tone means simply that we let them say whatever they want to say or that there are no disagreements and that we’re all holding hands and singing ‘Kumbaya’ is obviously not what I had in mind and not how I function. And anybody who thinks I have, hasn’t been paying attention.”-Obama in interview to NYT
There it is ladies and gentleme. Out in the open. Obama is ready to get down and dirty and show CLinton what he's got. But will the polls reflect his intentions? SO far Clinton seems to be leaidng the pack although Obama seems to be hoarding the news headlines with his statements. Obama has been very clear about his policies, Clinton has been a bit blurry and frankly a little bit discomforting. I do not know if Obama's "assertive approach " will get him anywhere because for some reason everyone likes Hillary Clinton...Obama kept saying thorughout the article that he is ready to directly attack Hillary..what good does that do Obama?
But what else would he do anyway? I mean the guy is trying his hardest for the people to accept him but he needs to convince the middle aga group and he older age group to vote for him.
I guess we will just have to wait and watch.
There it is ladies and gentleme. Out in the open. Obama is ready to get down and dirty and show CLinton what he's got. But will the polls reflect his intentions? SO far Clinton seems to be leaidng the pack although Obama seems to be hoarding the news headlines with his statements. Obama has been very clear about his policies, Clinton has been a bit blurry and frankly a little bit discomforting. I do not know if Obama's "assertive approach " will get him anywhere because for some reason everyone likes Hillary Clinton...Obama kept saying thorughout the article that he is ready to directly attack Hillary..what good does that do Obama?
But what else would he do anyway? I mean the guy is trying his hardest for the people to accept him but he needs to convince the middle aga group and he older age group to vote for him.
I guess we will just have to wait and watch.
Beat.
Journalism as a job for some reasom, is continuing to scare me. I mean really. The fact that we have to pay attention to ALL the nitty gritty stuff is quite unnerving. So Ch 14 was all aboout beat reporting, which might seem easy because it is the same topic, but therein lies the trick. It may getter easiER down the road but the beginning could be quite tough. we need to start off being prepared (of course) and the preparation could actually be a lot of work...I thought the authors made agood pont by asking us to talk to the "predecessor" for more information. Because they probably will pave the way for you once they get started. I also like how they emphasized being insistent because that is a key skill needed by every journalist. But the one statement that really did stick out was when they said that reporters give up too easily. I do not know if that is true... ithought reporters are supposed to be these people with an undying urge to satisfy their neverending curiosity. I liked how they gave us the 411 on the police beat, court beat, school beat and the environmental beat. The last beat seems especially important in today's world.
The last part was nice segway into the website reading which continues to be more and more mind boggling. I felt like I was in the first week of Law 101 while reading all the chapter. It was all about the legal side of things which is great resource to have if you are assignined the court beat or the police beat. It is almost like law 101 for dummies...no offense.
I liked how they explained the whole process of the trial..from the arrest part to the verdict..and I liked how they explained the jury selection process and I did not know that you can actually be present for a jury selection..i thought it was this discreet method! Moreover I did not know a motion culd be made to challenge the jury selection. And I liked the explanation of all the motions too...I kind of enjoyed learning about all of this fancy stuff..sometimes the legal world is like politics..too confusing and complicated to even try to understand...I also did not know that after a death sentence, there is an automatic appeal state....
The whole civil court section was also quite interesting because I do not really hear about civil court cases unless the case has a potential to become national news..but I gues it is our job to find out if it does? I liked the little info piece on Pretrial activties...the more I read about all of this the more intimidating it seems....
I also did not know that a judge could reject an out of court settlement...i mean if both parties are okay then why does the judge have a problem?
Andlastly...i thought all settlement clauses were hands-off...PERIOD. I guess upon special request t is not.
Wow..there is so much I need to learn..and I thought biology was a pain.
psshhh.
The last part was nice segway into the website reading which continues to be more and more mind boggling. I felt like I was in the first week of Law 101 while reading all the chapter. It was all about the legal side of things which is great resource to have if you are assignined the court beat or the police beat. It is almost like law 101 for dummies...no offense.
I liked how they explained the whole process of the trial..from the arrest part to the verdict..and I liked how they explained the jury selection process and I did not know that you can actually be present for a jury selection..i thought it was this discreet method! Moreover I did not know a motion culd be made to challenge the jury selection. And I liked the explanation of all the motions too...I kind of enjoyed learning about all of this fancy stuff..sometimes the legal world is like politics..too confusing and complicated to even try to understand...I also did not know that after a death sentence, there is an automatic appeal state....
The whole civil court section was also quite interesting because I do not really hear about civil court cases unless the case has a potential to become national news..but I gues it is our job to find out if it does? I liked the little info piece on Pretrial activties...the more I read about all of this the more intimidating it seems....
I also did not know that a judge could reject an out of court settlement...i mean if both parties are okay then why does the judge have a problem?
Andlastly...i thought all settlement clauses were hands-off...PERIOD. I guess upon special request t is not.
Wow..there is so much I need to learn..and I thought biology was a pain.
psshhh.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
The REAL DEAL: crime reporting
The timing of this assignment could not be more appropriate. Just last month, I spend around four weeks outting together a story for The Ithacan regarding Ithaca's rising crime rate. I know that my story was just a report on a statistic and not a real crime, but I did end up speaking to the IPD and some burglary victims. We'll get more into that as the post continues...
Ch 1:
I loved how this chapter essentially told us that as "rookie" journalists, we possibly have the most chance of covering the crime beat. Apparently that is the best thing...after reading the chapter, I actually agreed with the author. Being assigned the crime reporter could possibly be the best way to gain experience on the job. It challenges every skill that every journalist has possibly learned: the ability to pursue a story. I really liked how they speeled out the different criminal proceeding for us. For instance the description of the arrest process was extremely helpful and I probably read one of the best versions of the Miranda Warning and their use. But one of favorite section was the description of the police-media relations. I spent 3 weeks trying to get in touch with the IPD. I called everyday. If I was them they should have been annoyed and just given me a second of their time. I went down there twice. I do not know what they had againsat me, but ever since then, I have definitely developed a skepticism towards police response to journalists. I also liked how they fcused on the rights of victims and what we owe them as journalists and as humans. I never really htought that I would get arrested on the job of a journalist, but I now know what to do...just follow through with the procedure. I just hope I don't get tasered!
Ch 5
This chapter was probably the most enlightening of all because it focused on the individual who would be most affected by a crime story: the victim. It is always importat to understand the fragility of the victim's mental state while asking them questions. Unlike the text book where this point was hardly emphasized, this websites dedicates a lot of space to drive this point home. I found the fact that they spent a few paragraphs describing who a victim was very intriguing, mainly becaue you would think that you knew who was the victim bit maybe not?! The one thing that I am constantly worried abut is how I would handle myself if I was on the scene of the crime. Would it not be hard to report amidst major chaos? I liked how they said that expressing sympathy for the event is a good way to begin. I completely agree. If sympathy was not expressed then the journalist could possibly be seen as a cold person just doing her job which could then affect the answers frm the interviewee. I especially found the part about the intensity of the graphic description of the story to bever useful We need to find a line between understanding what the public needs to know ad what you wantto tell the public and what the victim and the family and the criminal will experience. While on the topic of senstivity, I think that names of rape victms should not be divulged but the names of the offender should definitely be divulged. There is no issue of fairness here. The story here is about the crime and the one who committed the crime is the main focus, the focus on the victim is a byproduct of the whole report.
Ch 7
This chapter was sort of hard to grasp and I giggled when the author said that a journalist who cover court proceedings needs to have the time and patience to read documents that are generally long. I do not know how I would handle that. I am quite impatient by nature and I hate when readings do not get to the point immediately. So if I was to be a court reporter, my patience would definitel be tested to the max. I liked the tips that were given on how to cover the court proceedings..especialy the one about knowing when the lunch time was of each judge, etc. And the sources part was great too...I like these tips! And lastly they focused on the free speech amendment and the freedom o information...these two claused in the judicial system are opf major importance to journalsits..we're better off not messing with the law and knowing our limits.
I really liked this website because it essentialy gave me a ready made guide to crime reporting which I probabl will be doing in the future. I do anticipate returning to this website!
Ch 1:
I loved how this chapter essentially told us that as "rookie" journalists, we possibly have the most chance of covering the crime beat. Apparently that is the best thing...after reading the chapter, I actually agreed with the author. Being assigned the crime reporter could possibly be the best way to gain experience on the job. It challenges every skill that every journalist has possibly learned: the ability to pursue a story. I really liked how they speeled out the different criminal proceeding for us. For instance the description of the arrest process was extremely helpful and I probably read one of the best versions of the Miranda Warning and their use. But one of favorite section was the description of the police-media relations. I spent 3 weeks trying to get in touch with the IPD. I called everyday. If I was them they should have been annoyed and just given me a second of their time. I went down there twice. I do not know what they had againsat me, but ever since then, I have definitely developed a skepticism towards police response to journalists. I also liked how they fcused on the rights of victims and what we owe them as journalists and as humans. I never really htought that I would get arrested on the job of a journalist, but I now know what to do...just follow through with the procedure. I just hope I don't get tasered!
Ch 5
This chapter was probably the most enlightening of all because it focused on the individual who would be most affected by a crime story: the victim. It is always importat to understand the fragility of the victim's mental state while asking them questions. Unlike the text book where this point was hardly emphasized, this websites dedicates a lot of space to drive this point home. I found the fact that they spent a few paragraphs describing who a victim was very intriguing, mainly becaue you would think that you knew who was the victim bit maybe not?! The one thing that I am constantly worried abut is how I would handle myself if I was on the scene of the crime. Would it not be hard to report amidst major chaos? I liked how they said that expressing sympathy for the event is a good way to begin. I completely agree. If sympathy was not expressed then the journalist could possibly be seen as a cold person just doing her job which could then affect the answers frm the interviewee. I especially found the part about the intensity of the graphic description of the story to bever useful We need to find a line between understanding what the public needs to know ad what you wantto tell the public and what the victim and the family and the criminal will experience. While on the topic of senstivity, I think that names of rape victms should not be divulged but the names of the offender should definitely be divulged. There is no issue of fairness here. The story here is about the crime and the one who committed the crime is the main focus, the focus on the victim is a byproduct of the whole report.
Ch 7
This chapter was sort of hard to grasp and I giggled when the author said that a journalist who cover court proceedings needs to have the time and patience to read documents that are generally long. I do not know how I would handle that. I am quite impatient by nature and I hate when readings do not get to the point immediately. So if I was to be a court reporter, my patience would definitel be tested to the max. I liked the tips that were given on how to cover the court proceedings..especialy the one about knowing when the lunch time was of each judge, etc. And the sources part was great too...I like these tips! And lastly they focused on the free speech amendment and the freedom o information...these two claused in the judicial system are opf major importance to journalsits..we're better off not messing with the law and knowing our limits.
I really liked this website because it essentialy gave me a ready made guide to crime reporting which I probabl will be doing in the future. I do anticipate returning to this website!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Blog Comments
http://lizzyswickedsweetblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/race-to-informality.html
All about Obama’s dirty socks and Hillary Clinton’s thoughts on Bill Clinton’s diet.
http://newsreportingicjessg.blogspot.com/2007/10/barackstars-and-hillyeas.html
Can the younger generation make a change or are we as useless as the older generation makes it seem?
http://the23yearoldsophomore.blogspot.com/2007/10/saving-one-polar-bear-at-time.html
Al Gore. Nobel Peace Prize. Enough said.
http://fallingfornews2007.blogspot.com/2007/09/im-glad-you-realized-who-you-are.html
Guiliani’s admission of him not being Hillary.
http://amusante123.blogspot.com/2007/10/colbert-kucinichs-deep-pockets.html
Money and Election’08.
http://reporterandrea.blogspot.com/2007/10/08_14.html
Thompson’s “hot babe”.
http://hollysmithnewsi.blogspot.com/2007/10/fred-thompson.html
Thompson should razzle dazzle?
http://thestorysofar-jt.blogspot.com/2007/10/fighting-like-little-girls.html
Dirty business in Election’08
All about Obama’s dirty socks and Hillary Clinton’s thoughts on Bill Clinton’s diet.
http://newsreportingicjessg.blogspot.com/2007/10/barackstars-and-hillyeas.html
Can the younger generation make a change or are we as useless as the older generation makes it seem?
http://the23yearoldsophomore.blogspot.com/2007/10/saving-one-polar-bear-at-time.html
Al Gore. Nobel Peace Prize. Enough said.
http://fallingfornews2007.blogspot.com/2007/09/im-glad-you-realized-who-you-are.html
Guiliani’s admission of him not being Hillary.
http://amusante123.blogspot.com/2007/10/colbert-kucinichs-deep-pockets.html
Money and Election’08.
http://reporterandrea.blogspot.com/2007/10/08_14.html
Thompson’s “hot babe”.
http://hollysmithnewsi.blogspot.com/2007/10/fred-thompson.html
Thompson should razzle dazzle?
http://thestorysofar-jt.blogspot.com/2007/10/fighting-like-little-girls.html
Dirty business in Election’08
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Showdown Hillary and Michelle..just verbally
I never quite thought of the London option. I mean yeah London has a lot of money and is an extremey expensive place and such, but could it really have a relationship with the American Presidential campaign of '08? Obama found a way in which London will definitely play a role in the presidential campaign. His wife will host a campaign dinner in London to raise money for her husband's campaign. Times Online's headline read :Obama’s wife takes fight to Hillary Clinton . And I was intrigued so I clicked on the link. And while the page was downloading all I thought was a descrption of a major showdown between Hillary and Michelle Obama. I was disappointed. There was no such fight. It was Michelle responding to the claimed inevitable victory of Clinton in the election. She said there was no inevitability mainl because her husband was a "uniter" unlike Hillary who could potentially create a polarizing audience. She said she understood the Clintons were well known around the US but she claims that the more people meet her husband the more they like him.
The article also highlighted the fact that Obama was continuing to vocally discredit Clitnon and said she gave the administration a blank check for the Iraq war. And that she was too close to lobbyists to care about her people.
I like obama because he has a vision that he seems adamant on materializing. I like Obama because he is new. He will bring a fresh perspective to the history of the White House.
I do not know what will happen in the elections'08. But i only hope that the American voters do not make the same mistakes that they did in 2004.
But right now I hope the London campagn is sucessful for the Obamas.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article2652770.ece
The article also highlighted the fact that Obama was continuing to vocally discredit Clitnon and said she gave the administration a blank check for the Iraq war. And that she was too close to lobbyists to care about her people.
I like obama because he has a vision that he seems adamant on materializing. I like Obama because he is new. He will bring a fresh perspective to the history of the White House.
I do not know what will happen in the elections'08. But i only hope that the American voters do not make the same mistakes that they did in 2004.
But right now I hope the London campagn is sucessful for the Obamas.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article2652770.ece
And the verdict is....and other disaster stories to cover!
WOW! This chaper was quite intense compared to the other chapters we have read so far. I almos felt like I was reading a summarized acount of the media chapter in Law 101. SO much information was presented in the book, and a lot of the information seemed hard to comprehend. Yes the chapter was presented in a simple manner, but the description of the ctories covering court proceedings proved overwhelming. Well, let's start from the beginning. Okay the chapter begins one of the most captivating examples in the book so far. I actually went online to find out the end of that story. Which means that the journalist did a great job with the story. But essentially the book said it is necessary to follow all the basic rules of journalism- answer the five Ws and insist on accuray in the report. But what intrigued me the most was the the tip box on p271. Thebox listed "Be sensitive to victms and their families" as the last item in the box. I would give that tip the same importance as the need to provide an accurate report. I do understand that as journalist our job is to deliver information to the public. But in a sensitive situation like a crime or fire, it is necessary to consider the mental state of the victim. I enjoyed how the authors addressed the vraious situations in which a reporter would need to write a story- deadline rpeortin vs. the other kind. This reminded me of the news updates on online news website. And reminded why i especially like the part on the webpage that reports the time when the report was filed (uder the byline it says 13 minutes ago).
What I amespecialy concerned about is the idea of reportign amidst chaos. The book did not provide many tips, except that we need to do the job to the best of our ability. And the diagram on p282 just freaked me out. It was weird such an intimidating diagram in a journalism book. The entire chapter was quite informative, and I quite agree with James Grimaldi-- crime reporting can really teach you the ropes of the job because it tests almost every journalism lesson oyu have learned. The information on court proceeding was also quite useful.
I think the main point ot take out of this chapter is the need to understand the fragility of reporting on issues like crimes, court trials, disasters, etc. Yes they will make for great stories, but we need to master the ways these situations can make for great accurate and effective stroies.
What I amespecialy concerned about is the idea of reportign amidst chaos. The book did not provide many tips, except that we need to do the job to the best of our ability. And the diagram on p282 just freaked me out. It was weird such an intimidating diagram in a journalism book. The entire chapter was quite informative, and I quite agree with James Grimaldi-- crime reporting can really teach you the ropes of the job because it tests almost every journalism lesson oyu have learned. The information on court proceeding was also quite useful.
I think the main point ot take out of this chapter is the need to understand the fragility of reporting on issues like crimes, court trials, disasters, etc. Yes they will make for great stories, but we need to master the ways these situations can make for great accurate and effective stroies.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Clinton= Democratic candidate= Republicans happy?
Rudy Giuliani said he is the one who will beat Hillary Clinton, because only he can do the deed. So reports suggesst that Clinton is going ot be the democratic candidate for presidency. Rudy says that the democrats will have a Clinton-Obama campaign at their hands. And Giuliani can easily beat them. I mean if you think about it the CLinton-Obama campaign will be a double whammy for the American citizen. A woman and a black man. Those are two big NO's rolled into one. I mean it is quite cheeky of Giuliani to predict the election result but the possibility of these events happening the way Giuliani predicts cannot be disregarded. I do not know how I feel about this. Giuliani and Clinton competed for the US senate post and Giuliani withdrew because of prostate cancer. Clinton has built her campaign on her experience as a NY senator to discredit Obama b/c of his lack of experience.
"The perception is that Rudy knows how to handle the Clintons," said Lee Miringoff, pollster at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. "It's an excellent strategy. The message is 'I know Hillary. I know how to beat her. I know her weaknesses.' "
Moreover not many republican candidates are discussed in the papers. He might win the the Republican ticket. But I am not quite sure if he will win the Presidential ticket. hmmmm.
The link:
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=6d56f658-2b76-4212-a731-1ab982d913be
"The perception is that Rudy knows how to handle the Clintons," said Lee Miringoff, pollster at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. "It's an excellent strategy. The message is 'I know Hillary. I know how to beat her. I know her weaknesses.' "
Moreover not many republican candidates are discussed in the papers. He might win the the Republican ticket. But I am not quite sure if he will win the Presidential ticket. hmmmm.
The link:
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=6d56f658-2b76-4212-a731-1ab982d913be
Keeping it simple, reevaluating TMI, and the book
I smirked when I read George Orwell's essay on the english language. For too long have I believed that using big words makes people sound smart. For too long, I have felt stupid when someone used a "big word" in a sentence that absolutely made no sense no me. I still believe that having an extensive vocabulary can be quite beneficial, but george Orwel's point will not be missed.
"A man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks. It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts. The point is that the process is reversible."
Hahahahha. I have never looked at the English language in that way. And he was right, those example were confusing. And within those lies, I remembered the first lesson my journalism teacher in high school taught me..."Write as if you are writing for a five year old." Because when I began to read those examples I found myself skimming the information rather than reading it because the sentences were too complicated. Throughout the essay, Orwell pointed many errors when the Modern English language loses the intended meaning of the sentence while attempting to sound good. I have always had a problem with Latin words. I mean I know that by using Latin words you sound smart but then the reader/listener feels foolish. I guess the point that Orwell is trying to make, and that directly affects us as journalists is, as journalists it is our job to serve our audience in the most simplified manner of information delivery, it is not our job to make us sound smart. Orwell's five rules at the end have been said too many times, but as student, I am used to writing essays that make thing "sound pretty." Therefore a coflict arises between "sounding pretty" and ensuring comprehensions amongst reader. I am working hard toward the latter.
The Academic Prose article was a good follow up to Orwell's essay minus the fun. In other words the prose document laid out the facts straight up. And while reading these documents, I find myself realizing that I practice many of the don'ts but I also know that after writing for newspapers , I have improved my style. I guess experience is the best teacher in this case. In the real world, if our editor knows the rules, then I think we will be okay as beginners. But that does not mean that we stop trying now.
The Thre Mile Island report was a pain to read. But I need to admit that it was quite useful. I do not really want to go in detail with the docment of its extensive nature, but I would like to point out certain things that I realized while reading. I cannot stop thinking about the one line that ABC news correspondent, Bettina said which was something like no information was enough information when she was justifyiing the need for multiple sources. That idea applies to me in real life too. I mean I need to go indepth in all that I lear. I ask a lot of questions, and I thought it was just me. But I realize now that part of it stems from my journalism training.
The second thing that caught my attention was the way the report was quoting the journalist and describing their hjistory. And they spoke about how many of them did not quite know about the topic. And honestly that freaked me out. I mean I could potentially be a subject of a report when all I wanted to do was write the story. They could analyze my writing based on a story and am I ready for that sort of scrutinization.
I was quite impressed with the amont of detailing that was done in order to generate a report of media content. I mea the fact that they had coders to understand and mark the ocntent was intriguing. But what intrigued me the most was the report that suggested that many of the media focued on alarmng the public rather than reassuring. "Give them the facts." but the stats said that for certaing elements of the story, the media reassured the public and for the rest they alarmed. The media is the watchdog of the society, but then our social responsibility calls for owing the public a sense of reassurance. If I were to cover the story I would try to do both.
ALso the fact that the media missed the part about the dumping of sewage into the river and focuesd on soemting else was also quite striking.
Basically this report taught me to do my research, rememeber that I am also a member of society, stick to the facts and understad the true news elements of the story.
PHEW!!!!
Okay now the books:
Ch8 was actually a great supplement to all that we were assigned to read today. It essentially demonstrated the writing that George Orwell stressed: simple and concise, and the need for good reporting.
Good reporting requires observation skills that can document everything in the room. You use all our sense to grasp the atmosphere of the story. And if you have the details thenwriting the writng the story could not be too hard. This chapter probably had the best introduction compared to all the other chapter I have read-- ridiculous! And I completely agree with Patricia Rodriguez's idea of writing for the ear. It is good to read your story out loud but sometimes time does not permit. Another key point made was the use of unbiased language. In a world with Internet and globalization, one needs to be aware of the speed with which the media travels. The need to be careful about language has never been more important than right now.
Ch22 is a necessary chapter in all journalism guides. And no matter how many times it has been reiterated, incidents do happen. As journalist we have the power to gain access to information that not many others can, yet we need to know ehn to draw the line. Ken Paulson's little paragraph is probably the most informative paragraph in the chapter. The questions he asks us to ask ourselves can easily determine where we stand with our story in accordance to the law. We need to stick with our duty toward the truth. I liked how the chapter gave us an insight into the court's point of view. It is always good to know the other side. I could continue talking about this topic for a long time but I would be repeating what I have learned so far. Basically be aware of your surrounding, but more importantly be aware of how you present that documentation of your surroundings.
"A man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks. It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts. The point is that the process is reversible."
Hahahahha. I have never looked at the English language in that way. And he was right, those example were confusing. And within those lies, I remembered the first lesson my journalism teacher in high school taught me..."Write as if you are writing for a five year old." Because when I began to read those examples I found myself skimming the information rather than reading it because the sentences were too complicated. Throughout the essay, Orwell pointed many errors when the Modern English language loses the intended meaning of the sentence while attempting to sound good. I have always had a problem with Latin words. I mean I know that by using Latin words you sound smart but then the reader/listener feels foolish. I guess the point that Orwell is trying to make, and that directly affects us as journalists is, as journalists it is our job to serve our audience in the most simplified manner of information delivery, it is not our job to make us sound smart. Orwell's five rules at the end have been said too many times, but as student, I am used to writing essays that make thing "sound pretty." Therefore a coflict arises between "sounding pretty" and ensuring comprehensions amongst reader. I am working hard toward the latter.
The Academic Prose article was a good follow up to Orwell's essay minus the fun. In other words the prose document laid out the facts straight up. And while reading these documents, I find myself realizing that I practice many of the don'ts but I also know that after writing for newspapers , I have improved my style. I guess experience is the best teacher in this case. In the real world, if our editor knows the rules, then I think we will be okay as beginners. But that does not mean that we stop trying now.
The Thre Mile Island report was a pain to read. But I need to admit that it was quite useful. I do not really want to go in detail with the docment of its extensive nature, but I would like to point out certain things that I realized while reading. I cannot stop thinking about the one line that ABC news correspondent, Bettina said which was something like no information was enough information when she was justifyiing the need for multiple sources. That idea applies to me in real life too. I mean I need to go indepth in all that I lear. I ask a lot of questions, and I thought it was just me. But I realize now that part of it stems from my journalism training.
The second thing that caught my attention was the way the report was quoting the journalist and describing their hjistory. And they spoke about how many of them did not quite know about the topic. And honestly that freaked me out. I mean I could potentially be a subject of a report when all I wanted to do was write the story. They could analyze my writing based on a story and am I ready for that sort of scrutinization.
I was quite impressed with the amont of detailing that was done in order to generate a report of media content. I mea the fact that they had coders to understand and mark the ocntent was intriguing. But what intrigued me the most was the report that suggested that many of the media focued on alarmng the public rather than reassuring. "Give them the facts." but the stats said that for certaing elements of the story, the media reassured the public and for the rest they alarmed. The media is the watchdog of the society, but then our social responsibility calls for owing the public a sense of reassurance. If I were to cover the story I would try to do both.
ALso the fact that the media missed the part about the dumping of sewage into the river and focuesd on soemting else was also quite striking.
Basically this report taught me to do my research, rememeber that I am also a member of society, stick to the facts and understad the true news elements of the story.
PHEW!!!!
Okay now the books:
Ch8 was actually a great supplement to all that we were assigned to read today. It essentially demonstrated the writing that George Orwell stressed: simple and concise, and the need for good reporting.
Good reporting requires observation skills that can document everything in the room. You use all our sense to grasp the atmosphere of the story. And if you have the details thenwriting the writng the story could not be too hard. This chapter probably had the best introduction compared to all the other chapter I have read-- ridiculous! And I completely agree with Patricia Rodriguez's idea of writing for the ear. It is good to read your story out loud but sometimes time does not permit. Another key point made was the use of unbiased language. In a world with Internet and globalization, one needs to be aware of the speed with which the media travels. The need to be careful about language has never been more important than right now.
Ch22 is a necessary chapter in all journalism guides. And no matter how many times it has been reiterated, incidents do happen. As journalist we have the power to gain access to information that not many others can, yet we need to know ehn to draw the line. Ken Paulson's little paragraph is probably the most informative paragraph in the chapter. The questions he asks us to ask ourselves can easily determine where we stand with our story in accordance to the law. We need to stick with our duty toward the truth. I liked how the chapter gave us an insight into the court's point of view. It is always good to know the other side. I could continue talking about this topic for a long time but I would be repeating what I have learned so far. Basically be aware of your surrounding, but more importantly be aware of how you present that documentation of your surroundings.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
The Youth of The Nation
Can we make a difference? If we come out and vote for our next president, will the one we want get the job? The "we" I am referring are those included in the 18-26 age group who are also eligible to vote. The article that I read for this blog post discussed the role of the youth in Obama's election to the Democratic candidate for the presidential election. The other potential article that could have been the focus of my post was the one written on Obama's use of a Bill Clinton quote to take a jab at Hillary. That seemed trivial and fed into the "soap drama esqe" concept of the lection that I discussed in last week's post. The article's headline said that Obama figured that he needed to depend on the vote of the youth to get him into the white house, and I agree. I really think that he appeals strongly to the youth, but I am not sure if his appeal is strong enough to get all those youth to come out of their cubby holes and register to vote. The most interesting part if the article (this is also the reason why I like online newswebsites) is the reader's comment part where they actively discussed the youth of this nation. Do we just vote for a "pretty face"? Or do we dig deep and closely follow the candidate's campaign? Do we just go with what seems popular? Or do we read the news, listen to the candidates and then form our opinions? I think that the youth have their on special spectrum when it comes to political activism. There are extremes, and there those who don't give a darn about the politics. The question for this election is which side will make the difference?
The link to my article:
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/09/28/385582.aspx
The link to my article:
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/09/28/385582.aspx
Covering the talk and writing talking-worthy stuff...
I really believe that these two chapters were probably the two most important chapters in the book that I have read so far. I say this because the writers of the book continually emphasized on the fact that as beginners in the field, our assignements will mostly include covering events and other such things. I never realy considered news release to be such a big deal, but apparently, after reading ch 11 it definitely seems like it. I liked how the authors discussed the different kinds of news releases, ad demonstrated ways for us to tackle each of them. I also enjoyed how they insisted that we are free to rewrite the news releases, and should infact take the ob a step further and investigate thepiece. There is not much to say about this chapter except that news releases do have an impact on the newsroom as illustrated by the "Diamonds in the Rough" article. We need to constanty look beyond what we have, and train our minds to constantly ask questions even if the answers are obvius. I do need to mention that I quite liked he part at the end where they provided tips to write news releases.
Ch 12 was an extreemly informative chapter because I felt that the authors were sensitive to the needs of a beginner. I have been asked to cover events before, but I always approach the story with much worry because I am always at a loss of how to handle the situation. There is always SO much to cover. For instance the meeting at the city hall was so extensive, and it carried on for 90 minutes and probably more. But the question is how do I exactly pick and choose what I need to while at same time not getting bored and getting distracted? I once again liked how they demonstrated ways to tackle each type of "event". For me personally, covering speeches seems the hardest. This is because it is aone sided interaction. So it is hard to communicate. But I did appreciate their tips on how to save time, because while I cover events, I always find myself haphazardly taking notes when my handwriting is horrible to begin with!! Anyway, these chapters were small and useful, and I am pretty sure that I will reder back to them again.
Ch 12 was an extreemly informative chapter because I felt that the authors were sensitive to the needs of a beginner. I have been asked to cover events before, but I always approach the story with much worry because I am always at a loss of how to handle the situation. There is always SO much to cover. For instance the meeting at the city hall was so extensive, and it carried on for 90 minutes and probably more. But the question is how do I exactly pick and choose what I need to while at same time not getting bored and getting distracted? I once again liked how they demonstrated ways to tackle each type of "event". For me personally, covering speeches seems the hardest. This is because it is aone sided interaction. So it is hard to communicate. But I did appreciate their tips on how to save time, because while I cover events, I always find myself haphazardly taking notes when my handwriting is horrible to begin with!! Anyway, these chapters were small and useful, and I am pretty sure that I will reder back to them again.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Clinton encore?!
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton seems to have gained a lead in the Democratic Presidential Candidacy polls. And that is bad bad news for the other candidates namely, Sen. Obama and Sen. Edwards. How will they get back in the lead. Will there trash talk Sen. CLinton with a hint of of political correctness? Or will they just ignore this event and keep moving towards the gold?
Well come to The Days of Election '08, featuring the young and "inexperienced" Barack Obama, The Bold Hillary CLinton, and John Edwards whose expensive hair cut literally made the world turn. Our election seems to be a soap opera at its best. Those who care will pay attention to the policy choices of these candidates. And those who don't care enough just wan't who is winning and who does win.
Whatever happened to the other candidates? Poor Deniss Kucinich seems to be in the news for all the wrong reasons: did an absolutely gorgeous woman marry a man aka Rep. Kucinich who is twice her age? And when will he realize that his campaign will turn futile like his other presidential campaign attempt? And who are the other democratic candidates again? The NYT fleetingly mentioned their names in this article that focused on the possibilty of CLinton winning the Democratic Presidential candidate.
The article discussed how Clinton was the last to come out with a health care policy and yet she is ahead. And how "she is tarnished by her White House years and cannot win a general election." And that Obama needs to step it up a notch and so does Edwards. And that it seems that Edwards and Obama have both decided to not diss each other and just work towards the common enemy- Clinton.
I do not know what else to say about this article except that because of the turn of recent events I wonder if I should await the next article on the elections with a bag of potato chips to find out "WHAT HAPPENS NEXT."
I wish there were the articles did not add this touch of sensationalism that already exists around this topic. It is like adding fuel to the fire. REALLY!
My link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/us/politics/23dems.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1190584815-sfAKDq4fFEyFQltccpyM/A
ps: the photog for this story describes an image at a rally in support of Hillary Clinton. only one girl was shown holding up a Cinton poster. Everyone else's said "Obama 08" huh....
Well come to The Days of Election '08, featuring the young and "inexperienced" Barack Obama, The Bold Hillary CLinton, and John Edwards whose expensive hair cut literally made the world turn. Our election seems to be a soap opera at its best. Those who care will pay attention to the policy choices of these candidates. And those who don't care enough just wan't who is winning and who does win.
Whatever happened to the other candidates? Poor Deniss Kucinich seems to be in the news for all the wrong reasons: did an absolutely gorgeous woman marry a man aka Rep. Kucinich who is twice her age? And when will he realize that his campaign will turn futile like his other presidential campaign attempt? And who are the other democratic candidates again? The NYT fleetingly mentioned their names in this article that focused on the possibilty of CLinton winning the Democratic Presidential candidate.
The article discussed how Clinton was the last to come out with a health care policy and yet she is ahead. And how "she is tarnished by her White House years and cannot win a general election." And that Obama needs to step it up a notch and so does Edwards. And that it seems that Edwards and Obama have both decided to not diss each other and just work towards the common enemy- Clinton.
I do not know what else to say about this article except that because of the turn of recent events I wonder if I should await the next article on the elections with a bag of potato chips to find out "WHAT HAPPENS NEXT."
I wish there were the articles did not add this touch of sensationalism that already exists around this topic. It is like adding fuel to the fire. REALLY!
My link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/us/politics/23dems.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1190584815-sfAKDq4fFEyFQltccpyM/A
ps: the photog for this story describes an image at a rally in support of Hillary Clinton. only one girl was shown holding up a Cinton poster. Everyone else's said "Obama 08" huh....
"And ..... is survived by...."
I guess I never quite understood the essential core of an obitutary. Obituaries to me were an ode to the dead that got published. Bt instead, according to many in the book, obituaries are a celebration of life. The intricacies involved in writing an obituary were qute intriguing yet seemed fairly basic. For instance, when the book asks us to cross check everything we write, and to make sure we do not retrieve information of a person with the same name while accessing the newspaper library. Can you even imagine that? The thought of such a situation in itself is quite appaling. An obituary demands more of a feature writing style because a simple use of the five W's results in a boring introduction to the story of someone's life. I was not really aware of a mortuary form, and it is so easy to just utilize this information to create the body of the story. In doing so however, you disregard the information that lies within the lines of the form. I really like the example of how a reporters urge to probe allowed him to inform the audience of an extraordinary life of a 12 year old.
The chapter in the book essentially provided us with ways to create an obituary while keeping in mind the newspaper's policy. But for me the chapter provided a boatload of information by inclding the passage on Tracy Berton. Berton said that "obituaries are the stories that are most likely to be passed along for generations- yellowed and encased in plastic- "
An obituary is an opportunity to truly create a longlasting impression.
The chapter in the book essentially provided us with ways to create an obituary while keeping in mind the newspaper's policy. But for me the chapter provided a boatload of information by inclding the passage on Tracy Berton. Berton said that "obituaries are the stories that are most likely to be passed along for generations- yellowed and encased in plastic- "
An obituary is an opportunity to truly create a longlasting impression.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Money, Money, Money...AND?
My article described the life of Norman Hsu, who was a promient donor tot he democratic campaign until now. Now he is just a wannabe star who thought his money would get him places. It dd but then the same money brought him right back down. I want to take this moment to actually highlight the sublime brutal nature of this New York Times article: after reading this article, I felt sorry for the man, not because he was in such trouble, but because he seemed so absolutely pathetic! I cannot believe that I actually felt this way!
Anyway the article focused on how Hsu was in the race to raise $1 million dollars for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. He raised $850,000 but it will all be returned because the nature of themoney is unknown. Accrding to the article, all Hsu wanted from CLinto was a treat in the White House. The article said that he was running away from a fraud convictin and was using his politcal connections to create a frendly business atmosphere in his career. He just wanted the celebrities to become his friends so he oculd name drop and further his business. He did succeed because many of the recipients of his donations said that he was the "go to man." And now they all snub him with a tone of tragedy.
I do not really know how to perceive this story mainly because the role of money in the election of a governemnt representative is quite appaling. Unitl now, the CLinton campaign was not doing a back ground on where the money came from. I guess the bottom line is that MONEY RULES!
Here is the link to my stroy for this post:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/16/us/politics/16hsu.html?pagewanted=1&ref=todayspaper
And this is my link for the last post which I obviously forgot:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/uc/20070912/cm_uc_crsesx/op_393800
Anyway the article focused on how Hsu was in the race to raise $1 million dollars for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. He raised $850,000 but it will all be returned because the nature of themoney is unknown. Accrding to the article, all Hsu wanted from CLinto was a treat in the White House. The article said that he was running away from a fraud convictin and was using his politcal connections to create a frendly business atmosphere in his career. He just wanted the celebrities to become his friends so he oculd name drop and further his business. He did succeed because many of the recipients of his donations said that he was the "go to man." And now they all snub him with a tone of tragedy.
I do not really know how to perceive this story mainly because the role of money in the election of a governemnt representative is quite appaling. Unitl now, the CLinton campaign was not doing a back ground on where the money came from. I guess the bottom line is that MONEY RULES!
Here is the link to my stroy for this post:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/16/us/politics/16hsu.html?pagewanted=1&ref=todayspaper
And this is my link for the last post which I obviously forgot:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/uc/20070912/cm_uc_crsesx/op_393800
Quotes and other essentials
Journalism textbook are basically a hard copy version of what journalists are told on the job. For example chapter 4 has some of the most basic journalism values spelled out for us. Yet it is so easy to mess up! A lot of times when you are in a desperate need for quotes, you end up quoting "dull, repetitive, ill-phrased,...or just plain dumb quotes." I now wonder what happens when the interviewees quotes are all just worth paraphrasing...is it possible to write a story with no quotes? Is that allowed? Anyway, the book makes great points about quotes, and about what to write and what not to write. Like the part about capturing dialect, or correcting grammar. I think it is okay to correct grammar, but I feel that the choice once made should me made consistently. For instance, the example of the president. Most of us kow, that public speaking and impeccable sentences are not the President's cup of tea. Therefore, we should present the quote as it is. But the two most important things that was discussed was the need of accuracy and the topic of anonymous sources. Quotes are probably the most important part of a story- it can bring accolades through the revelation of information or it can bring a lawsuit thorugh the revelation of incorrect information. WE NEED TO BE ACCURATE!
I did a story on anonymous sources for a workshop that I attended. I did the story during the Judith Miller case where this topic was especially prominent. I persoally think that the quality of the quotes should be the cause of a promise of anonymity. Yet a condition should be made that in case of excruciating circumstances aka a court trial, the journalist should be allowed to disclose the source, but only after the permission of the source in question.
The timeline reading was basically an informational page on the need to be clear. As a journalist, I have so much to tell, but I remember my teacher in high school telling me that I should write so that even a five-year-old can understand what I am saying. When the author said that the journalist should not have the reader click on something that he or she does not know the destination to. Similarly, I do not want to give the reader information that either proves futile or takes the reader to a new level of confusion.
I especially liked the poynter article because it showed journalism in action. I really liked how the blog prompted a petition and other similar action. Journalism is a service to the public. But a responsibilty to respond also lies within the public. Together many things can happen.
I did a story on anonymous sources for a workshop that I attended. I did the story during the Judith Miller case where this topic was especially prominent. I persoally think that the quality of the quotes should be the cause of a promise of anonymity. Yet a condition should be made that in case of excruciating circumstances aka a court trial, the journalist should be allowed to disclose the source, but only after the permission of the source in question.
The timeline reading was basically an informational page on the need to be clear. As a journalist, I have so much to tell, but I remember my teacher in high school telling me that I should write so that even a five-year-old can understand what I am saying. When the author said that the journalist should not have the reader click on something that he or she does not know the destination to. Similarly, I do not want to give the reader information that either proves futile or takes the reader to a new level of confusion.
I especially liked the poynter article because it showed journalism in action. I really liked how the blog prompted a petition and other similar action. Journalism is a service to the public. But a responsibilty to respond also lies within the public. Together many things can happen.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Oprah can do anything. And Rep. Rush
I'm sorry, but I really needed to write about this recent turn of events. Oprah raised three million dollars for Sen. Barack Obama. Okay, now let's take time to absorb this. Within one event, she raised three million dollars. WHO DOES THAT?? Only Oprah.
Senator Obama seems to bring with him an extremely intriguing histroy whenever he is in the news. Se. Obama almost seems like the mysterious candidate (irony huh?) in this election. I say this because in comparison to the other candidates, Obama had spent the least amount of time in the national public eye. My case in point is the recent New York Times article that discussed his failed campaign againt Rep. Rush of the Hyde Park district of Illinois. There were three pages discussing this point in Obama's career that many say made him the way he is today. I also think that Obama displays a sense of confidence that will enable him to be independent of other while he makes hs decisions. The article basically talked about this same issue and how Obama was really upto the challenge. That it was different story that he had not succeeded, but that the core was he was an "apt student of his own mistakes. I believe that this article needed to be mentioned in my assesment of this election because for me like I mentioned earlier, Obama signifies hope. And he is EVERYWHERE. Most articles give me the facts of hi campaign, but sometimes I just want to know about his life.
Senator Obama seems to bring with him an extremely intriguing histroy whenever he is in the news. Se. Obama almost seems like the mysterious candidate (irony huh?) in this election. I say this because in comparison to the other candidates, Obama had spent the least amount of time in the national public eye. My case in point is the recent New York Times article that discussed his failed campaign againt Rep. Rush of the Hyde Park district of Illinois. There were three pages discussing this point in Obama's career that many say made him the way he is today. I also think that Obama displays a sense of confidence that will enable him to be independent of other while he makes hs decisions. The article basically talked about this same issue and how Obama was really upto the challenge. That it was different story that he had not succeeded, but that the core was he was an "apt student of his own mistakes. I believe that this article needed to be mentioned in my assesment of this election because for me like I mentioned earlier, Obama signifies hope. And he is EVERYWHERE. Most articles give me the facts of hi campaign, but sometimes I just want to know about his life.
Punctuation, and etc.
I absolutely detest the fact that punctuation is so complicated yet so extremely crucial. I wish that there weren't so many rules about where to place a comma or the best place for a hyphen versus a dash. But that comma could potentially determine the wa the reader reads my story or the number of red marks with which my editor will decorate my draft! This lesson in punctuation was a refresher (if that's a word) but it is still a lot to remember. Hopefully by the end of the semester I will have most of it memorized.
"The best obtainable version of the truth." - Bob Woodward.
Woodward said that journalist should work towards obtaining the best possible version of the truth, I believe that a journalist should make the best possible effort to obtain the plain truth. I do not know if the two statements imply the same ideal, but it seems like the path to the truth has now become easier yet more difficult. Easier because of the advancement in technology, and difficult because of the busy nature of our lives. Interviewees do not have time, and some times they spend time covering up what they did (The Valerie Plame case). But regardless, the first chapter discussed the definition of news and other important aspects of journalism today. For me the two most important things that determine the news are the impact, prominence and the truth of the event. And as Kovach and Rosenthal say, the first obligation is to the truth, and then the citizens. And in today's world of convergence, it is become increasingly easy to get the news, but it is important that the news presented is accurate and truthful.
Convergence is scary. It is also extremely fascinating. I know that convergence is going to play abig role in my career. I want to be a print journalist, but like I mentioned earlier, I think I might switch to being an online print journalist. But then again there are so many online websites like they said at the chapters end, that it might be smarter for me to switch. The one statement that intrigued me in chapter two was when the authors said that the journalists will not be the gatekeepers anymore because the public will have the ability to choose what is newsworthy to them and what is not. As of right now, I do not know if that is good or bad. I have never ever been presented with a chart of a newspaper staff. Since I started, I have just been concrened about who is going to look at my story, and that's it. Hmmm.
Chapter three is a staple in ever journalism book that I have read so far. How to interview. I believe that by reading such chapters, I might get some tips but ultimately the way I interview someone depends on the moment. Anyway, the chapter essentially talked about how ti get the interview started: making the interviewee feel comfortable. But what I liked about this chapter was that the authors focused on interview skills for the different kinds of story. But the basics still remain the same. Ask open ended questions, and ALWAYS seem interested in what the person is saying. The "mhms" and the "aha"s can never be more important!
"The best obtainable version of the truth." - Bob Woodward.
Woodward said that journalist should work towards obtaining the best possible version of the truth, I believe that a journalist should make the best possible effort to obtain the plain truth. I do not know if the two statements imply the same ideal, but it seems like the path to the truth has now become easier yet more difficult. Easier because of the advancement in technology, and difficult because of the busy nature of our lives. Interviewees do not have time, and some times they spend time covering up what they did (The Valerie Plame case). But regardless, the first chapter discussed the definition of news and other important aspects of journalism today. For me the two most important things that determine the news are the impact, prominence and the truth of the event. And as Kovach and Rosenthal say, the first obligation is to the truth, and then the citizens. And in today's world of convergence, it is become increasingly easy to get the news, but it is important that the news presented is accurate and truthful.
Convergence is scary. It is also extremely fascinating. I know that convergence is going to play abig role in my career. I want to be a print journalist, but like I mentioned earlier, I think I might switch to being an online print journalist. But then again there are so many online websites like they said at the chapters end, that it might be smarter for me to switch. The one statement that intrigued me in chapter two was when the authors said that the journalists will not be the gatekeepers anymore because the public will have the ability to choose what is newsworthy to them and what is not. As of right now, I do not know if that is good or bad. I have never ever been presented with a chart of a newspaper staff. Since I started, I have just been concrened about who is going to look at my story, and that's it. Hmmm.
Chapter three is a staple in ever journalism book that I have read so far. How to interview. I believe that by reading such chapters, I might get some tips but ultimately the way I interview someone depends on the moment. Anyway, the chapter essentially talked about how ti get the interview started: making the interviewee feel comfortable. But what I liked about this chapter was that the authors focused on interview skills for the different kinds of story. But the basics still remain the same. Ask open ended questions, and ALWAYS seem interested in what the person is saying. The "mhms" and the "aha"s can never be more important!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
ELECTION 2008-- Obama and his proposals.
Senator Barack Obama is a symbol of hope for me. Actually, i would say that he is a symbol of change in a positive direction. Yes he is a young-un. Yes he hardly has any experience when compared to his competitors. But he probably has the most hunger within him to implement a much needed change in the politics of this country. In an article published in The Boston Globe on 09/04/07 [http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/09/04/obama_proposes_ethics_reform_plan/]
Obama suggested an end to the revolving door policy, and specifically addressd the issue of lobbying in the capital. The ongoings in DC generally seem too complicated to be simplified. Therefore many just choose to stay away. Several tmes, I become a part of that "many." But after realizing the impact that we have on the entire world, I chose to at least try to understand what actually is going on in the Capitol Hill or in the White House. The Jack Abarmoff scandal highlighted the affect of lobbyists on the country. A free golf outing resulted in a proposal for a policy change. Obama said that he wants to create a central database for the public to access lobbying reports. The revolving door policy has infested the government for too long, and Obama said that he would come up with rules and regulations regarding this issue. We need change. It is a reality too hard to miss. Is this a step towards a successful change? I do not know. But it is a step towards the realization of reality and the choice to tackle this very reality.
Obama suggested an end to the revolving door policy, and specifically addressd the issue of lobbying in the capital. The ongoings in DC generally seem too complicated to be simplified. Therefore many just choose to stay away. Several tmes, I become a part of that "many." But after realizing the impact that we have on the entire world, I chose to at least try to understand what actually is going on in the Capitol Hill or in the White House. The Jack Abarmoff scandal highlighted the affect of lobbyists on the country. A free golf outing resulted in a proposal for a policy change. Obama said that he wants to create a central database for the public to access lobbying reports. The revolving door policy has infested the government for too long, and Obama said that he would come up with rules and regulations regarding this issue. We need change. It is a reality too hard to miss. Is this a step towards a successful change? I do not know. But it is a step towards the realization of reality and the choice to tackle this very reality.
The State of the News Media
I'm scared. I'm scared to enter a profession that seems to be on the brink today. More so when the report predicted that "the stage seems set in 2007 for more business turmoil, a negative industry image and further cuts in the newsroom’s capacity to do public-service reporting with distinction." I want to be a newsreporter not for a local TV network, but for a newspaper. But now it seems like I will have to hone my skill at digital journalism, which apparently does not have a set standard, but does have a high user rate ie if I inferred the statistics of the report correctly. I personally found the report to be quite disappointing. Although the press still plays an important role in society today, the report suggests a decrease in consumer rates for hard news. The report said that many Republicans do not find any of the news outlets credible except for FOX. FOX to me is a joke. The obvious nature of political bias within the media is claerly obstrcting the popularity of newswatching amongst the audience. But what hurt me the most was the conclusion that many news outlets were focusing on "hyper localism" in order to appeal to their audiences. Do we really need to make an ignorant society as such, even more ignorant? Do we need to place a protective shell over a bubble that never seems to burst unless something like 9/11 happens? I'm not saying that we should not focus on local news, but what I'm just saying is that we need to be aware of the fact that we are world citizens. Journalism is a service to society. Economic issues seem to have hindered the path of journalists realizng their actual need in society. The report said that news organizations need to rework their economic model. Money. Money. Money. And then there is the truth.
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