Let’s Talk (again) about Digital Storytelling

Time for more review.

Since the last course review blog, the topic of class has stayed pretty focused on one thing: telling the story.

In the 21st centrury, we tend to tell stories in a different way from our ancestors. And as journalists we must keep up with the changing styles, no matter how many there are. In this unit, we learned what these ways are and how to use them in the most affective manner.

The tools.

All news outlets use different types of media to tell stories, but more and more we’re combining these tools to tell one story.

Go to cnn.com. Do you see just pictures with no captions. Just a video and no text? Text alone?
In case you didn’t go to look for yourself, let me tell you the right answer.
No.

The reason behind this is pretty simple. Although you might think it’s this way because that’s just what people want, it goes beyond that.

Why.

People want these combined ways of story telling not because they know it’s the best, but because we show them it is.
Stories with visual elements? We post 20 pictures displaying it.
Emotional pieces? There’s video of that.
Trying to understand it all? Well that’s why there’s text.

Journalists tell the story, not the way the audience wants but, the way they need it.

Telling the story.

I’m not one for technical jargon. I don’t think the every day journalist is much on that either. True, the industry is moving more to technology, but knowing the technical name for a camera or the terms that go into what type of video format you use… all that stuff goes over my head.

Good news is, you don’t have to know it all.

Today, thanks to youtube, people accept work even if it’s not super high quality. You can use your phone or your not-so-expensive camera to tell the story and as long as the content is good, the quality doesn’t have to top notch.

How will you tell it?
Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked about several differents types of visual storytelling.

One of my favorites combined pictures and audio. The results turn into something that is far beyond a picture slideshow or a simple interview. For our own class projects we used a program from Soundslides.

Then of course there’s storytelling through video. Shooting video is something I, as a person in love with words and text, am not very comfortable with. I do love the editing process, though.
Video has the ability to evoke emotions through sounds and visuals. Now combine that with text and you have a full piece ready for the web!

Besides words, I’m a complete believer in the power of the simplicity of a photograph. Sometimes less is more when relating powerfull events. My favorite example I use

again and again and again comes from Boston.com’s The Big Picture. For one, the pictures are amazing. They tell powerful stories like the poverty in India or beauty of this planet for Earth Day.

In the end.

When it’s all said and done telling a story that packs that emotional punch, the story that grabs the audience and makes them want more, begins with you. If you don’t feel something when you re-read your story, or while your editing your video, or interviewing sources, then chances are the audience won’t either. What you put in is what you’ll get out. If there’s not something in your story that pulls a heart string or evokes a grin, forget all the high-tech equipment and training.

In the end, it’s not about what technology you have, it’s how you use the things you have.

Advice for the Future.

Throughout the week, I was able to hear from many people who know what’s going on in field of journalism. Quite a bit of what was said was related to the broadcast-on-air-television areas of the business. That isn’t exactly my cup of tea but you can always take something away and learn from what people say.

There were times when we were sitting in the panel discussions and workshops where I felt like I was right back in the classroom.
Be diverse. Be willing. Learn everything about the business.

So I had a bit of de ja vu.

There, of course, was some new information that I gathered.
I never realized how important internships were until this conference.

Experience. Experience. Experience.
This was an often repeated statement throughout out the week. Put yourself out there and go for that job or internship. You never know what could come of it.
My favorite part was hearing about the experiences the different speakers have had.
Each one of them had to deal with unexpected changes and getting jobs they hadn’t planned on getting. Some were really great, like being in charge of the wardrobe movies like Sex in the City and Devil Wears Prada. Others ended up driving a van of puppets back and forth from the studio. Whatever job you do, do it well. Hard work will keep you moving up.
Don’t turn down opportunities. That job interview or even the job will give you contacts that can work wonders in your future. Take what you’re given and learn from it. If there was anything I learned, it was that you must make connections and network. Don’t worry about name dropping here and there. That’s what people in the journalism/tv production areas do. That’s how you get to know people and build new chances.

The page programs at big television stations were mentioned frequently along with the internships. When you apply for these, make sure you follow-up. Don’t worry about being annoying or over-zealous. It shows initiative and will keep you on the company’s mind. It’s super important and can play a big role in your future. There’s always a possibility that you may not get that internship or even that job you’ve applied for because you failed to send a short email following-up. Maybe that business has lost your contact information and can’t get a hold of you. Or maybe they’re waiting for you to take that first step.

Don’t limit yourself when it comes to jobs. Apply for that job even if it’s only for the experience of the interview. Who knows, you might just get the job you never thought you would.
One of the speakers quoted Conan saying, “Always bite of more than you can chew because no one really know what they’re doing.” Don’t be afraid to take a step away from what you want to do. Build experience and make connections and then work yourself back to that dream goal. Detours are acceptable.

One thing that quite often stuck out to me was the number of times we were advised to start at the small, hometown networks. And then at the last panel I attended, several LU alums said the opposite. They told us that you can do things differently, go outside the mold.  The foreign markets are hiring and the things that make you unique, such as speaking a foreign language, can make you a valuable asset.

The thing is, you can’t just rely on your classroom knowledge. You have to do things for you. Make contacts, email, make phone calls. Be willing to go the extra mile. Everyone will notice. Know about the company you’re applying. Build your resume.

And that’s what I learned at the National Broadcasting Society convention in New York.
Well, all of that plus the best food you can get typically comes from the street vendors and everyone in NYC really isn’t as mean as they say.

Reporting at the Scene with Twitter

I should have started off my day of incessant tweeting with an apology to all my followers (all 62 of them) for the ridiculous amount of tweets to come. This deluge of  140 character updates was brought about by a class assignment.

The point was to live blog an event and garner experience in sharing a story in the moment. For extra credit, we could take pictures of the event and tweet those as well.

This was on the spot reporting. What did I choose to tweet about? Well basketball of course.

My high school’s boys basketball team made it to quarterfinals. It was a pretty big deal considering we hadn’t made it to a state quarterfinal since 1969, when we finished as state runner-up. We graduated eight seniors last year (Woo! class of ’11) and only returned one regular varsity member. The success this year was not expected.

So what better to live blog than such an exciting event?

Unfortunately we couldn’t pull out the win but the experience of sharing key points in the game was great.

About the blogging.

When it comes to live blogging, it really, really, really helps to have a smart phone. Tweeting from an ap is so easy and uploading photos is just as simple. If you don’t have easy internet access… well. You can’t live blog.

Sometimes it’s a little difficult to think of a clever way to share the information but still blog/tweet it while that moment is fresh. Timeliness is a big deal.

Taking action photos with a phone doesn’t always turn out so great. (Maybe that’s a push for the iPhone. But I’ll just continue to hold out and hope that Android improves.)

All in all it was exciting to be a part of a news moment and on my trip to NYC, look out Twitter, tweeting and updates will be frequent. What else would you expect from a journalism student who’s attending the National Broadcasting Society convention? Stay tuned.

Audio Storytelling – the “next big thing”

According to our textbook, the use of audio and audio alone can be the perfect story teller. The radio is the perfect example. Primarily, our book pointed out putting in audio along with a story. But here, I’m just giving an example of audio telling news. NPR was given as an example in our textbook.

If you have any question of how radio has affected us, look at FDR’s fireside chats or the War of the Worlds radio event. Now, don’t say how that was a long time ago blah blah blah. The radio is still in. Audio is still happening.

The radio business is like jeans. Always in, a staple in fashion, even when the style changes.

We use the radio in different ways now, like with pod casts on our iPods or radio streaming on the web. Yet it’s still part of the information we take in. And by the looks of things, it’s only going to become more and more important.

 

“The Tao of War Photography”

Photojournalism has the ability to speak and move people in the way that the English language cannot even imagine doing.

• By now you’ve probably realized my love for photography. So when I saw that title, I immediately thought ”Hmmm” and clicked. Then the style took me in.
• No, there aren’t any pictures in this article. However, Bruce Haley does paint pictures of his experiences. He’s so vivid and the experiences he shares are raw.
• This is what it can be like to do our job. It’s not always fun or safe and you don’t always leave with a warm fuzzy feeling.
• I think a lot of what makes content good is being real. Whether you have traumatic experiences to share or are just talking about what makes a blog, put YOU into it.

Review Time!

Before we dive into this exciting review of this semester’s review, let me enlighten whoever may be reading this blog.
As a student in COM300 I’m occasionally required to blog about class topics or related materials. This time around, we’re looking at what information the class has covered. Don’t run off though, you might learn something from this, too.

So much stuff.

After six weeks, one would expect to have covered quite about. And trust me, we have.

We’ve learned all about:

• RSS
• Blogging
• Infographics
• and Twitter

Not to mention all the topics!

• Dying Journalism?
• Learn to Use HTML…
• Be an Advanced Blogger.
• Get the World Involved!
• One Hundred and Forty Words (Microblogging!)

Narrow View.

Let’s look at some of the different topics and things we’ve learned in a little more detail.
Chances are, if you go through anyone of my blogs on here, I’m talking about one or more of these topics. But, for the sake of a grade, and the re-enlightenment of my vast audience, I will delve once again into the exciting world of journalism.

Doomsday.

Newspapers are dying.
Journalism is dying.
The world is ending in 2012.

You can’t help but chuckle at these things, even a bit.
For starters, since when has the profitability of journalism and newspapers been so directly linked? Newspapers have been declining for decades; but the cry for information has only increased. Mark Briggs (the textbook author) clearly pointed out:

“The canal system was decommissioned by the advent of railroads. But it wasn’t the end of transportation.”

Good stuff, huh? And that sums that all up.
And as for the world ending? I’m more of a Revelation-version-end-of-the-world-person myself.

Continuous learning.

As journalists, we’re now being told that knowing how to write isn’t going to cut it. Technology is the way of change. Now one must know how to take pictures, shoot video, capture audio…and understand the vast and highly confusing world of HTML and web design.
Personally, I believe that last one may take more time to catch on. As a budding journalist myself, I don’t do a lot with the extremely intricate technology areas and I feel like this could take a while to catch on. But if that’s what it takes to get a job, someone is going to jump on the HTML code train and ride it a long way.

Blog again and again.

For me, blogging about blogging feels a little silly. Yet, here I am once again doing so. Quick review.

• all college journalists should have a blog!
  Get your name out there and start building a community.
• blogs aren’t just your words.
  When you blog, don’t forget to add in Pictures! and Links! Give your readers visuals and places to learn more. They’ll thank you for it in their minds.
• connect.
  It’s suggested that you pick an area to talk about and then develop your style. But stay with it. Sure, you’re way of writing may differ as you work to figure out what works with your audience, but try to keep to one area of subject matter.

The world is closing in.

And jumping at the opportunity to become involved. The pro-am journalist is becoming more and more involved with the actual information that’s being reported to the public.
Microblogging is adding to this phenomenon. Journalists ask questions and find out information from the average Jane (or Joe) what’s happening. Some media outlets are actually asking you and you and you and anyone else with information about the world or your neighborhood to write stories and submit them to their sites.

Those spending thousands of dollars to get a degree in journalism may have a problem with it, but if you step back and look at all the good pro-am journalists are doing, how can you really hold a grudge?

The end, for now.

And that was the very condensed version of the first five weeks of classes.
Stay tuned for more exciting journalism information.

Twitter vs. Facebook

There’s some debate about the differences and similarities of Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

 

http://www.twitip.com/twitter-versus-facebook/

http://socialmediatoday.com/j%C3%B6rgen-brostr%C3%B6m/192263/facebook-vs-twitter-how-are-they-different

http://blog.bufferapp.com/5-points-where-you-shouldn%E2%80%99t-confuse-twitter-with-facebook

 

 

 

Facing Imprisonment, Torture, and Death: the Pro-Am Journalist of Syria.

Citizen journalism keeps Syria uprising alive

-          Not exactly a pro-am site, but it discusses how pro-am is saving a country

-          Pro-am is not always negative, it can be extremely useful

-          You can rely on citizen journalists to take what they’re doing seriously in a lot of cases.

-          When talking about the specific Syrian news outlets, they’re attempting to verify the stories and footages that are sent in. They’re doing the best they can in their situation.

-          Taking what the average person captures and turning it in to the main source of news is not something that’s typical. This is different, and may only catch on in desperate situations when traditional journalists are no longer able to cover stories.

-          It’s a reminder of how lucky we are to be able to cover stories without fear of being put to death. Even the pro-am journalists in this instant are facing imprisonment, torture, and death. They have a passion for the truth and free journalists should give them the respect they’ve earned.

 *Check out the sites linked to the picture for more information on the Syrian Revolution.

Connect and Disconnect.

The internet.

You and I are using it all the time. Right now in fact. You use it to check the weather or the score of the game. And now, thanks to society’s web obsession, you check up on every type of news.

The web is useful in our high speed lives. Though which one came first, up-to-the-minute news or an overly full schedule, is not something I’m sure about. The two seem to be connected and each one needs the other.

And now journalists are being told that they must move along with this high-tech trend. Or else.

Don’t get me wrong.

I’m 18 and in college. I have Facebook, Twitter, a blog (obviously), can post to Youtube, and, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I post news articles and blog posts to our student-run website. Sometimes I wonder what I would do if I couldn’t occasionally browse the web on my phone in a boring class.

But after reading ‘Plug In Better’: A Manifesto , I had to take a step back to look at what the Journalism industry and everyone else stuck in the 21st centruy should be doing.

The trick isn’t to unplug from our devices — it’s to unplug from the distractions, information overload, and trash that make us unhappy.

As Journalism students, we’re taught that in oder to keep up with the industry, we must go completely digital. Everything our career depends on is the internet.

But the affect that digitzing our lives has could be a sad one. And so I wonder if it is even possible to start  leading our world back to a slower paced, creative, deep thinking way of life, or is that chance passes us by.

Maybe I’m too dramatic. 

Or maybe I’m old fashion. But there are times I wish it were possible to turn off my phone and not worry about the constant buzzing of text messges, status updates, and new news articles.

Maybe the Journalism industry can’t do much to change what the people demand. No matter if you turn your cell phone off, limit your computer time, your life is going to still going to be bombarded by technology.

This is something that, despite what I may wish, cannot be avoided.

Do I like that everything in my future life as a journalist will be surrounding the use of a keyboard? No.
But I can use this medium to create content that isn’t a shallow pool, but a creative and engaging world of knowledge and information. The internet doesn’t have to “dumb us down”, rather it should inspire a pursuit of knowledge that is always available at our finger tips.

In closing.

Our wold often seems to run whatever high-speed internet connection we have. But for those of you who are conerned by this, I encourage you to do something. Embrace your digital journalistic calling and put the web to the best use you can. Make it work for you and instead of enslaving yourself to it.

We’re the content makers, and it doesn’t have to be all bad. And when it all becomes overwhelming and you feel like you might as well be connected by wires and plugs as well, take a step back and look at what the world is able to do now.

Photo Credit- shokunin

To Blog or Not to Blog?

Blog.

Such a simple word. But what does it mean and why in the world should we care?

A blog, according to Merriam-Webster, is a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer.

Blog is a noun. Blog is a verb.

But really, a blog is so much more.

To blog, or not to blog.

Everyone has read those blogs that are merely a continuation of a Facebook status. It’s this type of blogger that gives the rest of us a bad name. So set aside those bad memories of your first encounters with the blogosphere and listen up.

When the “real bloggers” sit down to type up their beautiful pieces of text, video, links, and pictures, they aren’t out to rage against some great (mythical)  injustice. In all actuality, they are just creating content to make the internet a better place. Blogs are places to share recipes, travel experiences, and up-to-the-minute news.

Before you bash the whole blogging community, understand that blogs really are lovely things.

Why blog?

Blogging is an art form. Sometimes rules are attached to writing and publishing your own online content, but when it comes down to it, blogging is all about how you express yourself. Sure, there are ways to make your content more easily read, but these things all depend on your style and audience.

But why do these things matter? Why do you even bother to blog?

Some of us, like myself, are building experience and a web presence. As a journalist in the making, I’m working on learning my way around the blogging highway and creating a “personal brand” that futures employers can look at.