This I believe: That for better or worse, digital journalism is the future of news and broadcast media. Throughout the course readings and my consequent blog responses to each of them, I have tried to continue with a sense of truth and justice in the future of journalism. I find it important to keep these principles that we’ve spent hundreds of years working towards in the forefront of what we intend to do in the future.
The best example of a future I can subscribe to comes from Leonard Downie, Jr., and Michael Schudson who provide grounds for the most detailed and inclusive conversation about the future of journalism I've ever come across in their The Reconstruction of American Journalism report. They take and honest, in-depth look at what changes have already happened, what trends show may be coming next, and what the conclusion of the transformation may look like.
On the other end of this Brent Cunningham is a narrow minded individual and discouraging individual when giving his insights on the future of journalism. Hopefully my saying this will automatically sway public opinion to agree with me. I am, after all, a journalist, and according to Cunningham in his How journalism can regain its relevance piece, journalism has "more important" roles than "emitting an endless stream of incremental developments and story frames."
By definition, Brent, journalism is, "writing characterized by a direct representation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation. That is one version of the Merriam-Webster definition. Note the phrase created by the words I chose to emphasize, "direct facts without interpretation." That is what journalism is supposed to be; the principle of objectivity that each of us learned in our first semester of dedicated study.
Lastly, I believe that Dr. Tracy’s Evolution of the Newspaper of the Future is ringing true already. We can see her principles of community interaction involvement playing out in AnnArbor.com’s Your Voice" section on every page that provides the method of correspondance Dr. Tracy describes as "ongoing communication."
I believe that digital is the future of everything. I also believe that no matter what I, or the individuals I’ve sighted believe, the future of journalism is going to be determined by the free market system that has brought the newspaper industry to its knees in the past five years. I believe that people will never stop wanting to read their news and they will never stop looking for more interesting or interactive ways to get it.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
DVR great for busy times
Some of my classmates wrote their news scoops assignment on the Holiday Parade. All I can say in regards to it and their dreamy reports is "thank God for DVR." On a day where I had to make Thanksgiving Dinner for both mine and my fiance's families, I was unable to leave my oven in favor of the local coverage. I wasn't able to watch the parade until much later in the weekend, and thanks to modern technology, I was able to do so.
I started considering how this technology could affect the future of journalism. I feel like it already has, whether directly or indirectly. The way we used podcasts, online video, and other on demand technologies is indicative of the way journalism will look in the future.
Things need to be accessible to anyone who wants to see them at anytime. Such is why blogging is so successful.
I started considering how this technology could affect the future of journalism. I feel like it already has, whether directly or indirectly. The way we used podcasts, online video, and other on demand technologies is indicative of the way journalism will look in the future.
Things need to be accessible to anyone who wants to see them at anytime. Such is why blogging is so successful.
Crafty crafts
Martha Stewart has been a prominent figure in our aociety for the last 15 years or so. I saw her this morning with a guest who used the seeds from chili peppers in a recipe and then said, "we absolutely hate throwing things away these days." My first thought was that this was a lit but what she did next was amazing. She showed how to dry the peppers and then proceeded to paint them into little decorations for the holiday season. It was a neat little way to revisit the Native American concept of using absolutely everything.
I don;t mean to get in the corner of a corporate fraud but, at any rate, this was a neat idea and a good way to make the most of what you have. No matter who you are.
I don;t mean to get in the corner of a corporate fraud but, at any rate, this was a neat idea and a good way to make the most of what you have. No matter who you are.
Black Friday brings cheer, crowds
Listen
CANTON, Mich.: The biggest shopping day of the year began early in the evening hours of Thanksgiving for many dedicated shoppers. The event is called Black Friday but for the, not so select, number of deal hunters who got in line just after finishing their turkey and potatoes, this is a misnomer.
Emma Tills, 35, a Canton resident stood in line at her local Target store for seven hours prior to the store’s 5 a.m. opening. “It was really hard to stand outside all night; leaving the kids at home with their dad instead of spending the holiday with them,” Tills stated. “But the deals are so good that we can’t afford to pass them up.”
With features like $3 appliances and extensively discounted large screen TVs, the situation not only affected shoppers, but retail workers as well.
“I couldn’t even find a place to park when I got here this morning,” said Troy Young, an employee working his fourth holiday season at Target. “We also had to have two people escorted from the premises for getting into a fistfight over a spot.”
Like it or not these Black Friday deals are here to stay. With doors seeming to open earlier every year, many like the Fairlane Mall at Midnight, the biggest shopping day of the year shows no signs of slowing down.
Target’s Ford Rd. location finished the day with just over half a million dollars in sales, about five times their daily average. With that many more gifts under the tree, this Christmas promises to be cheery despite the hard economic times around us.
CANTON, Mich.: The biggest shopping day of the year began early in the evening hours of Thanksgiving for many dedicated shoppers. The event is called Black Friday but for the, not so select, number of deal hunters who got in line just after finishing their turkey and potatoes, this is a misnomer.
Emma Tills, 35, a Canton resident stood in line at her local Target store for seven hours prior to the store’s 5 a.m. opening. “It was really hard to stand outside all night; leaving the kids at home with their dad instead of spending the holiday with them,” Tills stated. “But the deals are so good that we can’t afford to pass them up.”
With features like $3 appliances and extensively discounted large screen TVs, the situation not only affected shoppers, but retail workers as well.
“I couldn’t even find a place to park when I got here this morning,” said Troy Young, an employee working his fourth holiday season at Target. “We also had to have two people escorted from the premises for getting into a fistfight over a spot.”
Like it or not these Black Friday deals are here to stay. With doors seeming to open earlier every year, many like the Fairlane Mall at Midnight, the biggest shopping day of the year shows no signs of slowing down.
Target’s Ford Rd. location finished the day with just over half a million dollars in sales, about five times their daily average. With that many more gifts under the tree, this Christmas promises to be cheery despite the hard economic times around us.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Social netSTALKING
What would we do without Facebook, Myspace, or Twitter? How in the world did people survive without them for thousands (or millions depending on who you ask) of years? Social networking has become much more than a fad or way to spend free time when everyone else is busy on Friday night.
God knows these sites didn't need the free advertising that my links above provide. The fact that I am able to freely post these links and refer people to these pages from my own little corer of the blogging world demonstrates a principle unique to the internet.
Sir Timothy Berners-Lee, in his testimony before the U.S. House of Repesentatives stated that, "new data integration capabilities, when directed at personal information, pose substantial privacy challenges which are hardly addressed by today's privacy laws." The fact is that we are all vulnerable to identity theft crimes which are the fastest growing group of crimes in the U.S. The worst part about it is that a lot of us are digging our own graves.
When speaking of how thiefs obtain our personal information, Berners-Lee says, "people actually reveal a lot about themselves, but with the intent that it only used in certain contexts by certain people." Are we giving ourselves away, literally? Stay tuned for more discussion on the future of the web, what we need to do to protect ourselves, and what some of the newest threats may be.
God knows these sites didn't need the free advertising that my links above provide. The fact that I am able to freely post these links and refer people to these pages from my own little corer of the blogging world demonstrates a principle unique to the internet.
Sir Timothy Berners-Lee, in his testimony before the U.S. House of Repesentatives stated that, "new data integration capabilities, when directed at personal information, pose substantial privacy challenges which are hardly addressed by today's privacy laws." The fact is that we are all vulnerable to identity theft crimes which are the fastest growing group of crimes in the U.S. The worst part about it is that a lot of us are digging our own graves.
When speaking of how thiefs obtain our personal information, Berners-Lee says, "people actually reveal a lot about themselves, but with the intent that it only used in certain contexts by certain people." Are we giving ourselves away, literally? Stay tuned for more discussion on the future of the web, what we need to do to protect ourselves, and what some of the newest threats may be.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The economics of giving
My grandma quit smoking some 30 years before she died. Her pack-a-day habit was something she picked up well before the adverse medical effects of the cancer causing toxins in cigarette smoke were well known or publicized. Even though the last time she slid a match across a strip of flint was long before printed ad revenues went down the proverbial toilet, grandma still experienced the affects on her health. The resulting lung cancer and aggressive chemo therapy ultimately killed her. Knowing the facts ahead of time, and following a well formulated and articulated plan can prevent many problems in the long run and ultimately make life easier.
Just as never smoking is the best remedy for diseases caused by smoking, not letting the world economy go down the tubes is the best way to prevent expensive rebuilding costs for underdeveloped nations across the world. A Washington file article noted that in 2005, U.S. aid to African nations reached an all-time high and were projected to increase in the following years. Another web-site, theadvocates.org, sites that The United States has given more than $320 Billion in foreign aid since the end of WWII. If those aren’t impressive try this on for size: at the 2007 G8 Summit in Gleneagles, the developed western world pledged to donate $50 Billion a year to help the poor nations of the world. Over half of this money was to go to the world’s poorest nations in Africa. The pattern here is a lot of giving and little result. The problem is that, despite efforts, poverty is not decreasing. Reports, such as Chen Shaohua’s Is poverty increasing in the developing world? cite that World Bank claims of decreasing poverty don’t account for inflation or population increases and claim that things are actually getting worse for third world nations. We call it the developing world but it is, in fact, not developing with any sort of consistency.
Just as quitting smoking proved to be only a temporary fix for my grandma’s health problems, dumping money into these nations without any sort of coherent agenda is not helping matters. One individual has a plan for a potential solution and wants you to join in his cause.
Victor Helb, 32, a Wayne State University student, and native to the West African nation of Liberia, was sent away from the warring country when he was just 12 years old. His parents felt he would have better opportunities in the Detroit area, where he had family with which to stay. Now, 20 years later, Helb feels the same desire to help others succeed as his parents did when they sent him away.
Helb is taking on an international challenge of promoting love across continental divides and knowledge across a gap that is even wider. Liberia has been left without hospitals, schools, and even running water since the 14 year civil war ended in 2003. With the help of college students across the nation, Helb wants to raise money through used book sales. The goal of his Liberian Literacy Foundation is to teach Liberian’s to read by building learning centers, creating a computer-based education network spanning the country.
“They have a whole generation that has grown up without schools,” explains Helb. “They don’t know anything more than what they’ve been living in.”
The education centers will be run by wind energy that will be supplied in surplus and sold to other nations in order to offset carbon emissions worldwide.
“Liberia will actually be able to contribute to the world economy instead of asking for handouts from the developed world all the time.”
Helb’s homecoming is set for January when he will return to Liberia for the official “kick-off” of the project. The Liberian president will be there and is set to hold the honor of cutting the tape.
Helb’s efforts have been an ongoing process even though he is currently away from home. Wayne State University has become the first official sponsor of the program and has provided a four year scholarship to a Liberian student as well as raising thousands already through used book sales.
This isn’t call to humanity or charity because those ideals have clearly failed the estimated 1.2 Billion people in the world who live in extreme poverty. Even the most money hungry, inside trading, cheap-skate executive at a multi-billion dollar organization can make sense of the economic situation. We have a choice to either dump countless amounts of dollar bills into a continuously growing pit of need to no avail; donating just to make ourselves look and feel good, or we can invest our time, and our useless old text books wisely in order to take steps at actually solving a problem.
Grandma’s cancer wasn’t cured by chemo and radiation therapy. We were all happy she decided to fight it and stay alive for as long as she could, but the truth is the methods being used were simply insufficient. The only thing that could’ve cured grandma’s cancer would’ve been a preconceived arrangement with real implications for the future; a plan to attack a problem at its roots and create a promising future.
Just as never smoking is the best remedy for diseases caused by smoking, not letting the world economy go down the tubes is the best way to prevent expensive rebuilding costs for underdeveloped nations across the world. A Washington file article noted that in 2005, U.S. aid to African nations reached an all-time high and were projected to increase in the following years. Another web-site, theadvocates.org, sites that The United States has given more than $320 Billion in foreign aid since the end of WWII. If those aren’t impressive try this on for size: at the 2007 G8 Summit in Gleneagles, the developed western world pledged to donate $50 Billion a year to help the poor nations of the world. Over half of this money was to go to the world’s poorest nations in Africa. The pattern here is a lot of giving and little result. The problem is that, despite efforts, poverty is not decreasing. Reports, such as Chen Shaohua’s Is poverty increasing in the developing world? cite that World Bank claims of decreasing poverty don’t account for inflation or population increases and claim that things are actually getting worse for third world nations. We call it the developing world but it is, in fact, not developing with any sort of consistency.
Just as quitting smoking proved to be only a temporary fix for my grandma’s health problems, dumping money into these nations without any sort of coherent agenda is not helping matters. One individual has a plan for a potential solution and wants you to join in his cause.
Victor Helb, 32, a Wayne State University student, and native to the West African nation of Liberia, was sent away from the warring country when he was just 12 years old. His parents felt he would have better opportunities in the Detroit area, where he had family with which to stay. Now, 20 years later, Helb feels the same desire to help others succeed as his parents did when they sent him away.
Helb is taking on an international challenge of promoting love across continental divides and knowledge across a gap that is even wider. Liberia has been left without hospitals, schools, and even running water since the 14 year civil war ended in 2003. With the help of college students across the nation, Helb wants to raise money through used book sales. The goal of his Liberian Literacy Foundation is to teach Liberian’s to read by building learning centers, creating a computer-based education network spanning the country.
“They have a whole generation that has grown up without schools,” explains Helb. “They don’t know anything more than what they’ve been living in.”
The education centers will be run by wind energy that will be supplied in surplus and sold to other nations in order to offset carbon emissions worldwide.
“Liberia will actually be able to contribute to the world economy instead of asking for handouts from the developed world all the time.”
Helb’s homecoming is set for January when he will return to Liberia for the official “kick-off” of the project. The Liberian president will be there and is set to hold the honor of cutting the tape.
Helb’s efforts have been an ongoing process even though he is currently away from home. Wayne State University has become the first official sponsor of the program and has provided a four year scholarship to a Liberian student as well as raising thousands already through used book sales.
This isn’t call to humanity or charity because those ideals have clearly failed the estimated 1.2 Billion people in the world who live in extreme poverty. Even the most money hungry, inside trading, cheap-skate executive at a multi-billion dollar organization can make sense of the economic situation. We have a choice to either dump countless amounts of dollar bills into a continuously growing pit of need to no avail; donating just to make ourselves look and feel good, or we can invest our time, and our useless old text books wisely in order to take steps at actually solving a problem.
Grandma’s cancer wasn’t cured by chemo and radiation therapy. We were all happy she decided to fight it and stay alive for as long as she could, but the truth is the methods being used were simply insufficient. The only thing that could’ve cured grandma’s cancer would’ve been a preconceived arrangement with real implications for the future; a plan to attack a problem at its roots and create a promising future.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Video Editing
Check out the video I created and edited for my Digital Journalism Class. I was able to learn basic editing skills using Movie Maker and publish the video online.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
...Look no further
Leonard Downie, Jr., and Michael Schudson provide grounds for the most detailed and inclusive conversation about the future of journalism I've ever come across in their The Reconstruction of American Journalism report. They take and honest, in-depth look at what changes have already happened, what trends show may be coming next, and what the conclusion of the transformation may look like.
I won't tear the piece apart, per my usual, as it seems the two reporters have avoided personal opinion to the best of their abilities. That's an example I can follow; a program I can subscribe to if you will. It's good to see, in an article discussing whether or not journalism can remain objective, that the reporting taking place is, itself, objective. Ironic?
I maintain that articles such as this provide for the greatest amount of productive discussion on various topics as opposed to the lude rants we've become accustomed to of late. It's funny to me that we find a great example of what the future of journalism should look like in an article that aims to discuss the very same topic.
I won't tear the piece apart, per my usual, as it seems the two reporters have avoided personal opinion to the best of their abilities. That's an example I can follow; a program I can subscribe to if you will. It's good to see, in an article discussing whether or not journalism can remain objective, that the reporting taking place is, itself, objective. Ironic?
I maintain that articles such as this provide for the greatest amount of productive discussion on various topics as opposed to the lude rants we've become accustomed to of late. It's funny to me that we find a great example of what the future of journalism should look like in an article that aims to discuss the very same topic.
Citizen Journalism
One of the more liberal ideas thrown around regarding the future of journalism is the idea of the "citizen journalist." Much like the health care debate in our country today, everybody seems to have a deeply seeded opinion about whether the idea of a citizen journalist is a good or bad thing but no one seems to really know what it means. Steve outing, in his "The 11 Layers of Citizen Journalism," describes the steps of the process in an almost hierarchical manner leading towards what he describes as "wiki-journalism."
While I've made my thoughts about the future of journalism clear in the past, I will reiterate that I hope the readers are never the editors as Outing predicts in the last step of the transitional process. Without any sort of structure, news organizations will cease to be organizations at all. If there is no payment for stories, thus no established credibility, then cyberspace will be filled with nothing but gossip, one-sided opinion, and flat out lies. We criticize the era of the party press for being non-objective and dishonest (at least I do, some people relish the concept and are glad it appears to be returning), but imagine how misleading the "news" will be when you have extremist opinions coming from both sides of the aisle with absolutely no middle ground or objectivity, a situation that is bound to happen as people strive to push the party line harder and harder. And with no organization but a shared, public web-address, you won't stand a chance at deciphering which side is feeding you propaganda filled lies at any given moment.
Journalism is losing its credibility as a profession because of ideas such as these. There needs to be some amount of cohesion. God knows I'm not for unions, but we need to have some way to accredit professional writers and make sure they are capable of doing the jobs they're asked. I hate to get cliche, but when it comes to news reporting, let's leave it to the pros!
While I've made my thoughts about the future of journalism clear in the past, I will reiterate that I hope the readers are never the editors as Outing predicts in the last step of the transitional process. Without any sort of structure, news organizations will cease to be organizations at all. If there is no payment for stories, thus no established credibility, then cyberspace will be filled with nothing but gossip, one-sided opinion, and flat out lies. We criticize the era of the party press for being non-objective and dishonest (at least I do, some people relish the concept and are glad it appears to be returning), but imagine how misleading the "news" will be when you have extremist opinions coming from both sides of the aisle with absolutely no middle ground or objectivity, a situation that is bound to happen as people strive to push the party line harder and harder. And with no organization but a shared, public web-address, you won't stand a chance at deciphering which side is feeding you propaganda filled lies at any given moment.
Journalism is losing its credibility as a profession because of ideas such as these. There needs to be some amount of cohesion. God knows I'm not for unions, but we need to have some way to accredit professional writers and make sure they are capable of doing the jobs they're asked. I hate to get cliche, but when it comes to news reporting, let's leave it to the pros!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Check out my "This I Believe Essay" about EMU. Listen to it by clicking the play button below or read the text here
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Aspirations
One of my classmate's, Clifton, spoke recently in his blog about becoming his own boss by publishing his own writing online and hoping to attract attention to it. While I agree that the online arena is the one most likely bound for success at this point in time, I still have my doubts about self publication. There are a lot of talented writers in each of my 300 and 400 level journalism courses at EMU. With that being said, there are a lot of talented writers in a lot of 300 and 400 and level courses at schools all over the state, the country, and the rest of the world as well.
With such a large pool of talent and so many individuals wanting to get in the fast line towards success through self publishing, how can anyone succeed? The truth is that we need each other. We need agencies (to this point newspapers) who are willing and able to seek out the best of us and combine our best work into some accredited publication. Without this kind of cohesion, it will be impossible for any of us to be discovered for the sheer number of "professional" writers that will try to make a living this way. In this dog eat dog world where anyone will do anything to get ahead, journalists need to stick together with a strong core of ethical, grammatical, and cultural standards that will keep our craft relevant and respected by the mainstream world.
With such a large pool of talent and so many individuals wanting to get in the fast line towards success through self publishing, how can anyone succeed? The truth is that we need each other. We need agencies (to this point newspapers) who are willing and able to seek out the best of us and combine our best work into some accredited publication. Without this kind of cohesion, it will be impossible for any of us to be discovered for the sheer number of "professional" writers that will try to make a living this way. In this dog eat dog world where anyone will do anything to get ahead, journalists need to stick together with a strong core of ethical, grammatical, and cultural standards that will keep our craft relevant and respected by the mainstream world.
Can Amazon predict the future?
I spend a lot of time talking about amazon.com in my blog. Amazon isn't just an arbitrary company that I like to follow however. With a huge advantage in the industry of online shopping, Amazon always works hard to increase profits through excellent customer service and an enormous selection of items at prices that are more than reasonable.
When Amazon posted its third quarter profits at $199 million and spoke of a 37% increase in sales, it's no wonder I thought the struggling media industry could take a few pointers.
How much have these guys really figured out? How much knowledge do they really have to offer?
Morgan Stanley analyst Mary Meeker is quotes as saying, "Amazon.com's value proposition (lowest prices + best selection + great customer service) is succeeding in attracting consumers as they transition from offline to online in search of value." Why should news consumers be any different? The best way for the news industry to follow this model towards continued success is to consistently offer opposing viewpoints on a variety of issues. Another example of how the idea of unified, crusade journalism described in my last post will lead the industry to failure. Can Amazon predict the future? If they can, and they seem to be doing a fair job so far, we're in a lot of trouble!
When Amazon posted its third quarter profits at $199 million and spoke of a 37% increase in sales, it's no wonder I thought the struggling media industry could take a few pointers.
How much have these guys really figured out? How much knowledge do they really have to offer?
Morgan Stanley analyst Mary Meeker is quotes as saying, "Amazon.com's value proposition (lowest prices + best selection + great customer service) is succeeding in attracting consumers as they transition from offline to online in search of value." Why should news consumers be any different? The best way for the news industry to follow this model towards continued success is to consistently offer opposing viewpoints on a variety of issues. Another example of how the idea of unified, crusade journalism described in my last post will lead the industry to failure. Can Amazon predict the future? If they can, and they seem to be doing a fair job so far, we're in a lot of trouble!
Friday, October 23, 2009
How journalism can abandon what little relevance it still holds
Brent Cunningham is a narrow minded individual. Hopefully my saying this will automatically sway public opinion to agree with me. I am, after all, a journalist, and according to Cunningham in his How journalism can regain it's relevance piece, journalism has "more important" roles than "emitting an endless stream of incremental developments and story frames."
Um, WHAT?! By definition, Brent, journalism is, "writing characterized by a direct representation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation. That is one version of the Merriam-Webster definition. Note the phrase created by the words I chose to emphasize, "direct facts without interpretation." That is what journalism is supposed to be; the principle of objectivity that each of us learned in our first semester of dedicated study.
The reason people don't read the newspaper anymore isn't because we don't give them enough of our own opinions. The reason no one reads the paper, or watches the evening news, or listens to WJR on their way home from work, is that we have totally over saturated the airwaves with our own beliefs and the public is tired of us telling them what to think.
Brent does however go on to contradict himself. "Many of the good ideas we (America) take for granted are not the only good ideas." What do you know; finally some objectivity. The downfall is in the fact that if we combine this idea with the idea of crusade journalism discussed above, we can deduce that what Cunningham means to say is, "Journalists know what's better for Americans than Americans do." So much for being "by the people, for the people."
Cunningham later points out that, "in short, they (the press) would need to convince the public, by words and deeds, that they are on its side." Great, now we are trying to make best friends with the people we don't think are smart enough to interpret raw facts without our overwhelming wisdom. Give me a break. Are we trying to turn journalism into an institution with even more bearing and political power than the government itself? I could be mistaken, but I thought we were opposed to that.
Cunningham also states that journalists need to be, "clear about what they stand for and what they stand against." How about our age old creeds of truth, and helpful information? Probably not important; it is, after all, the 21st century.
I don't want to see the day when everyone believes that a Time Magazine editorial about a particular subject, "just isn't enough." Our job as journalists is to let the facts be known in order for people to make their own decisions about how they feel, not to force submissive agreement. If this is really where my field of study is headed, then I want a refund because every one of my professors has lied to me. I won't get on board with publishing 60 pages of opinion everyday, the editorial page is just that for a reason.
Um, WHAT?! By definition, Brent, journalism is, "writing characterized by a direct representation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation. That is one version of the Merriam-Webster definition. Note the phrase created by the words I chose to emphasize, "direct facts without interpretation." That is what journalism is supposed to be; the principle of objectivity that each of us learned in our first semester of dedicated study.
The reason people don't read the newspaper anymore isn't because we don't give them enough of our own opinions. The reason no one reads the paper, or watches the evening news, or listens to WJR on their way home from work, is that we have totally over saturated the airwaves with our own beliefs and the public is tired of us telling them what to think.
Brent does however go on to contradict himself. "Many of the good ideas we (America) take for granted are not the only good ideas." What do you know; finally some objectivity. The downfall is in the fact that if we combine this idea with the idea of crusade journalism discussed above, we can deduce that what Cunningham means to say is, "Journalists know what's better for Americans than Americans do." So much for being "by the people, for the people."
Cunningham later points out that, "in short, they (the press) would need to convince the public, by words and deeds, that they are on its side." Great, now we are trying to make best friends with the people we don't think are smart enough to interpret raw facts without our overwhelming wisdom. Give me a break. Are we trying to turn journalism into an institution with even more bearing and political power than the government itself? I could be mistaken, but I thought we were opposed to that.
Cunningham also states that journalists need to be, "clear about what they stand for and what they stand against." How about our age old creeds of truth, and helpful information? Probably not important; it is, after all, the 21st century.
I don't want to see the day when everyone believes that a Time Magazine editorial about a particular subject, "just isn't enough." Our job as journalists is to let the facts be known in order for people to make their own decisions about how they feel, not to force submissive agreement. If this is really where my field of study is headed, then I want a refund because every one of my professors has lied to me. I won't get on board with publishing 60 pages of opinion everyday, the editorial page is just that for a reason.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
YouTube Journalism
My classmate, Marisa, wrote in her blog about YouTube and how it is both a form of digital journalism and a sign of where the field is headed. I couldn't agree more. Instead of tuning in to watch their favorite reporter on the 6 o'clock news, consumers could connect at their own convenience to get a web update from their favorite field reporter.
It is fascinating to me, as I give the topic more and more thought, that digital journalism transcends the boundaries of paper, radio, and television to create whatever hybrid of the three is most practical at any given moment. This evolution and adaptation toward consumer wants and needs is a truly amazing thing. Hopefully our industry will be able to find a sustainable business model at the same time.
It is fascinating to me, as I give the topic more and more thought, that digital journalism transcends the boundaries of paper, radio, and television to create whatever hybrid of the three is most practical at any given moment. This evolution and adaptation toward consumer wants and needs is a truly amazing thing. Hopefully our industry will be able to find a sustainable business model at the same time.
Too Far?
Books, just like newspapers and magazines are fading fast; a passing trend in the greater scheme of human history. Just as digital journalism is affecting the way people receive their news, online sales of books are affecting the way people purchase their books. The Wall Street Journal article from October 17, 2009 entitled Book Price War Escalates, outlines how Amazon.com and Walmart.com, because of their buying power and large volumes, are able to offer prices on best sellers that are much lower than retail.
Contrary to the digital switch in journalism which creates a more diverse content base, this low-price strategy will encourage buyers to support already-famous authors. This Makes it very hard for "up and coming writers" as the article notes.
Just as the corner newsstand is a thing of the past, the neighborhood book store may be headed towards decreasing sales and profits. "'I'm worried about the major book-selling chains, and I'm concerned about the implications for publishers and the public alike,'said David Young, chief executive of Lagardere SCA's Hachette Book Group, one of the country's largest book publishers."
We are all aware of the possibility that news will no longer be on paper. We are prepared to handle a world where the only proof of historic events exists on a hard drive in some remote location, but no more printed books? It's like their doing away with man's original form of entertainment. Next they'll come up with a way to tell campfire stories online that will be more cost-effective than doing the real thing, but a computer screen can't replace our heritage.
Contrary to the digital switch in journalism which creates a more diverse content base, this low-price strategy will encourage buyers to support already-famous authors. This Makes it very hard for "up and coming writers" as the article notes.
Just as the corner newsstand is a thing of the past, the neighborhood book store may be headed towards decreasing sales and profits. "'I'm worried about the major book-selling chains, and I'm concerned about the implications for publishers and the public alike,'said David Young, chief executive of Lagardere SCA's Hachette Book Group, one of the country's largest book publishers."
We are all aware of the possibility that news will no longer be on paper. We are prepared to handle a world where the only proof of historic events exists on a hard drive in some remote location, but no more printed books? It's like their doing away with man's original form of entertainment. Next they'll come up with a way to tell campfire stories online that will be more cost-effective than doing the real thing, but a computer screen can't replace our heritage.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Imitation and Flattery
They say imitation is the biggest form of flattery. They certainly talk a lot. While not usually buying into the temporary hype of the things they say, I'll have to agree this time. Mitch Albom has always been my favorite columnist to read. His way of concisely getting his heartfelt message across in so few words, with so much emotion, has always been admirable to me.
One thing Mitch relies heavily on is looking back at the past. It is convincing to hear real life stories that we can relate to. You don't feel any pressure when reading an Albom column because he never argues with you, Something Philip Agre suggets in his Writing for a Webzine article. Though provocative and persuasive, Albom never tells anyone that their way of thinking is wrong; he let's the reader decide this for his or herself. He also never hints at the smallest bit of condescendence.
This is what Agre is talking about when he instructs aspiring writers to speak in a public voice. Noting that speaking in a public voice means, "saying what you want to say while being confident that your audience will understand it," you must enter the same playing field as your audience; on the same level. Ironic that a sportswriter would be the one to do this best.
I can't think of anyone better to imitate than someone who has gracefully reieved so many prestigious awards and honors. I first started reading Albom's columns when I was a little boy. I would sit at the table, spilled milk and cereal crumbs abound, and open up the Sunday paper. Now I'm sitting in front of a computer and still reading it. I try not to eat at my desk, but I definitely still read Mitch's columns. Just as the hard copy of the newspaper is disappearing, so is my fear of failure. I can be like Mitch Albom. I can imitate and reach towrds his success.
One thing Mitch relies heavily on is looking back at the past. It is convincing to hear real life stories that we can relate to. You don't feel any pressure when reading an Albom column because he never argues with you, Something Philip Agre suggets in his Writing for a Webzine article. Though provocative and persuasive, Albom never tells anyone that their way of thinking is wrong; he let's the reader decide this for his or herself. He also never hints at the smallest bit of condescendence.
This is what Agre is talking about when he instructs aspiring writers to speak in a public voice. Noting that speaking in a public voice means, "saying what you want to say while being confident that your audience will understand it," you must enter the same playing field as your audience; on the same level. Ironic that a sportswriter would be the one to do this best.
I can't think of anyone better to imitate than someone who has gracefully reieved so many prestigious awards and honors. I first started reading Albom's columns when I was a little boy. I would sit at the table, spilled milk and cereal crumbs abound, and open up the Sunday paper. Now I'm sitting in front of a computer and still reading it. I try not to eat at my desk, but I definitely still read Mitch's columns. Just as the hard copy of the newspaper is disappearing, so is my fear of failure. I can be like Mitch Albom. I can imitate and reach towrds his success.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Dr. Robert K. Logan, in his book Understanding New Media, claims that, in order for the new environment of citizens reporters to be effective, there needs to be a "citizen editor" monitoring what people are writing.
This concept relates a lot to my last post in that it speaks of some sort of regulation on the information bloggers are posting on the internet. This idea of bloggers who are "endorsed" by a credible editor seems to be a plausible solution. Doing it this way eliminates the need for government regulation; if someone want to write junk, let 'em, none of us will read it anyway. At the same time, it creates credible news outlets that are monitored for ethics and accuracy that all can contribute to and access.
This concept relates a lot to my last post in that it speaks of some sort of regulation on the information bloggers are posting on the internet. This idea of bloggers who are "endorsed" by a credible editor seems to be a plausible solution. Doing it this way eliminates the need for government regulation; if someone want to write junk, let 'em, none of us will read it anyway. At the same time, it creates credible news outlets that are monitored for ethics and accuracy that all can contribute to and access.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Ensuring integrity in the digital transition
The front page of today's Wall Street Journal exclaimed that the
U.S. Seeks to Restrict Gift Giving To Bloggers. The article examines the ethics of bloggers accepting gifts, monetary or other, from companies in exchange for positive product reviews. The FTC has a new initiative at making such actions against the law unless the writer discloses their relationship with the company in the article. Is this a good or bad thing for bloggers? How about for consumers?
"It is a particularly controversial issue online, where the traditional division between editorial and advertising found in newspapers and magazines is harder to maintain," explains the article. I couldn't agree more. News outlets have, in large, lost the respect of the general public. The new wave of online media will never hold any clout with the public if they don't find the content to be objective and unbiased. These are the fundamentals our profession was built on, and it won't survive without them.
U.S. Seeks to Restrict Gift Giving To Bloggers. The article examines the ethics of bloggers accepting gifts, monetary or other, from companies in exchange for positive product reviews. The FTC has a new initiative at making such actions against the law unless the writer discloses their relationship with the company in the article. Is this a good or bad thing for bloggers? How about for consumers?
"It is a particularly controversial issue online, where the traditional division between editorial and advertising found in newspapers and magazines is harder to maintain," explains the article. I couldn't agree more. News outlets have, in large, lost the respect of the general public. The new wave of online media will never hold any clout with the public if they don't find the content to be objective and unbiased. These are the fundamentals our profession was built on, and it won't survive without them.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Liberianbooks.org
The west African nation of Liberia endured 14 years of civil war from 1989-2003. Emerging from the rubble is a population of poor, uneducated citizens who live without electricity, a public water supply, schools, or any of the other public programs we take for granted in the developed world.
The Liberian Literacy foundation was created in an effort to educate the liberians while producing enough renewable energy to fuel their own country as well as to provide carbon offsets to those countries in the developed world. Through their innovative book recycling program, The foundation will raise enough money to implement these plans and create a future where the developing world will be able to contribute to and have a positive impact on the global economy.
The call for students and others in the community is to collect and donate used college text books that will be sold to fund the program. We all buy several, sometimes dozens of textbooks per semester, donating a book and buying a book from the program is not a lot to ask. Visit the website to find out more about what you can do to help the cause and to check on the program's progress.
The Liberian Literacy foundation was created in an effort to educate the liberians while producing enough renewable energy to fuel their own country as well as to provide carbon offsets to those countries in the developed world. Through their innovative book recycling program, The foundation will raise enough money to implement these plans and create a future where the developing world will be able to contribute to and have a positive impact on the global economy.
The call for students and others in the community is to collect and donate used college text books that will be sold to fund the program. We all buy several, sometimes dozens of textbooks per semester, donating a book and buying a book from the program is not a lot to ask. Visit the website to find out more about what you can do to help the cause and to check on the program's progress.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Losers Weepers!
I want to refer to my last post and offer a contrasting perspective on the points I made before. Let me know which one you agree with.
I've been reading an article about someone who lost their phone. Someone else found it and in my opinion has every right to keep it. I feel like most people in the world would give it back, but they don't have a whole lot of sense. Why should I care to return a phone to someone who was dumb enough to leave it behind in the first place? Obviously it's not as important as he makes it seem.
It's true that nice guys finish last in this world. Look at Donald Trump; the man is an absolute genius and has more money than anyone could know what to do with. He hasn't gotten to where he is by sympathizing with everyone else's minor problems. Life requires us all to take advantage of opportunities that come our way and roll with the punches that are thrown at us. Sorry, dude, but I am officially taking advantage of the punches that are hitting you right in your pocketbook!
I've been reading an article about someone who lost their phone. Someone else found it and in my opinion has every right to keep it. I feel like most people in the world would give it back, but they don't have a whole lot of sense. Why should I care to return a phone to someone who was dumb enough to leave it behind in the first place? Obviously it's not as important as he makes it seem.
It's true that nice guys finish last in this world. Look at Donald Trump; the man is an absolute genius and has more money than anyone could know what to do with. He hasn't gotten to where he is by sympathizing with everyone else's minor problems. Life requires us all to take advantage of opportunities that come our way and roll with the punches that are thrown at us. Sorry, dude, but I am officially taking advantage of the punches that are hitting you right in your pocketbook!
Finders Keepers?
I am in the middle of reading an article about a person who lost a cell phone that had extreme value to them for reasons other than the price tag. We've all lost things that were important: house keys, a few loose dollar bills, maybe even our own cell phones. The person in this case, however, had the misfortune of knowing who took the phone and where it was located along with having to listen to the insulting refusals to return the phone to its rightful owner.
Personally, I'd return the phone. It's not mine, I didn't pay for it, and the individual who did has asked me nicely to return it to them. If I return the phone I will restore sanity and order to someone else's life and will break even sense it wasn't mine to begin with. Unfortunately, I have my doubts as to how the rest of society would handle the same situation. Reality TV shows, along with all of our favorite video game and movie titles only encourage us to take as much as we can and run as far away with it as possible.
In this day, I truly believe that finders tend be keepers, and losers are left with nothing to do but weep.
Personally, I'd return the phone. It's not mine, I didn't pay for it, and the individual who did has asked me nicely to return it to them. If I return the phone I will restore sanity and order to someone else's life and will break even sense it wasn't mine to begin with. Unfortunately, I have my doubts as to how the rest of society would handle the same situation. Reality TV shows, along with all of our favorite video game and movie titles only encourage us to take as much as we can and run as far away with it as possible.
In this day, I truly believe that finders tend be keepers, and losers are left with nothing to do but weep.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
(un)Friendly Fire
Something interesting happened today. I heard the news of a Detroit Police Officer shooting and killing his wife (also a Detroit Police Officer) and then critically shooting himself. This happened outside the public library in my hometown of Canton, MI. It appears to be an extreme case of domestic violence in which the members just happened to be police officers.
An aquaintance of mine from high school made a comment on his facebook page that said, "I just became aware that a Detroit police officer shot and killed his wife @ the canton library today. And I'm supposed to trust cops how?!" The funny thing to me is the ignorance involved in this comment. If some nut job florist went off the deep end and did the same thing, we wouldn't be afraid to buy flowers from that point forward. Our desire for opposition to authority really creates a lot of problems within the culture. Not saying that there aren't bad cops out there, this guy is clearly one of them, but he acted as an individual, separate from the Detroit police force.
The other thing worth noting is that I did in fact first hear about this news via facebook. It's interesting how a social networking tool, something that will clearly be popular in the future, has the ability to report news though its users. This has the potential to foster intelligence or to encourage ignorance. There is a certain degree of credibility associated with the AP wire telling me a police officer shot and killed his police officer wife that is lost when a facebook user says the same thing.
I sure hope the future of news isn't 100% user driven. It would be nice if we could hold onto the little bit of honesty and objectivity we still have.
An aquaintance of mine from high school made a comment on his facebook page that said, "I just became aware that a Detroit police officer shot and killed his wife @ the canton library today. And I'm supposed to trust cops how?!" The funny thing to me is the ignorance involved in this comment. If some nut job florist went off the deep end and did the same thing, we wouldn't be afraid to buy flowers from that point forward. Our desire for opposition to authority really creates a lot of problems within the culture. Not saying that there aren't bad cops out there, this guy is clearly one of them, but he acted as an individual, separate from the Detroit police force.
The other thing worth noting is that I did in fact first hear about this news via facebook. It's interesting how a social networking tool, something that will clearly be popular in the future, has the ability to report news though its users. This has the potential to foster intelligence or to encourage ignorance. There is a certain degree of credibility associated with the AP wire telling me a police officer shot and killed his police officer wife that is lost when a facebook user says the same thing.
I sure hope the future of news isn't 100% user driven. It would be nice if we could hold onto the little bit of honesty and objectivity we still have.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Unemployment in Michigan
This is a response to a piece by Kathleen Monk, one of my classmates, on her Blog.
It's sad to hear that the unemployment rate in Michigan continues to grow despite reports that the world, as a whole, is making a recovery. I find it funny that we paved the way for the recession and will apparently be left behind in the midst of it as the rest of the world moves on. I really hope our great state finds a way to make some money again. Hopefully the film industry starting to move in will generate some long term revenue.
A last comment. I am disappointed to hear the situations you describe of "riding out unemployment until retirement kicks in," and "hoping for extensions for unemployment to get me through school." Honestly, that is not what the programs are designed for, and with so many people who can't even afford to feed their children because of lost jobs, I really don't think anyone should be using unemployment as an extra source of income. I mean no offense, but I do think we all need to be socially responsible and consider the rest of the community.
It's sad to hear that the unemployment rate in Michigan continues to grow despite reports that the world, as a whole, is making a recovery. I find it funny that we paved the way for the recession and will apparently be left behind in the midst of it as the rest of the world moves on. I really hope our great state finds a way to make some money again. Hopefully the film industry starting to move in will generate some long term revenue.
A last comment. I am disappointed to hear the situations you describe of "riding out unemployment until retirement kicks in," and "hoping for extensions for unemployment to get me through school." Honestly, that is not what the programs are designed for, and with so many people who can't even afford to feed their children because of lost jobs, I really don't think anyone should be using unemployment as an extra source of income. I mean no offense, but I do think we all need to be socially responsible and consider the rest of the community.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Get the facts straight
The whistles blowing from both sides of the fence have surely vibrated everyone’s eardrums by now. With so much passion and so many strong feelings involved, people have been making a wide range of powerful statements in regard to health reform the past couple weeks. The problem is that passion, when coupled with mass ignorance, creates a breeding ground for rumor mills and senseless division. In the spirit of common ground let’s take a look at some things that get thrown around in the healthcare debate and get down to the truth of the matter.
Rush Limbaugh and others to the right of the aisle have gone so far as to claim that, “There is no healthcare crisis.” Let’s take a look at the facts behind this and what it means. Without getting too deep and reading into a lot of opinion, it is a widely accepted fact that 25 million Americans were underinsured in 2007, and that was before the rest of the country decided to jump into the economic recession with Michigan.
Secondly, it is rumored that private healthcare programs would cover illegal aliens in the U.S. This is also untrue. Section 246 of the Senate’s Healthcare Reform Bill plainly excludes those individuals who are “not legally present” in this country from government healthcare.
A third piece of hearsay is that a public healthcare program would add $1 trillion to the deficit. Take this information as you will, but the congressional budget office estimated the 10-year deficit increase at a slightly more modest $239 billion.
The point of this editorial isn’t to encourage rumors or to give one-sided facts. What you take away from this piece shouldn’t be a new set of numbers or facts to use in your latest in a series of arguments with your coworkers later. The point is to encourage an increased awareness on the issues at hand. It really could’ve all been written in one word: Read. Remember the importance of opposing viewpoints and make sure you check the credibility of your fact sources.
Go ahead; make a decision on what kind of reform, if any, is necessary. Whatever it is, make sure you understand why you agree with the stance you are taking and the possible consequences it has on the rest of us. Also make sure you are willing to stand up to the opposition and reasonably disagree with logical evidence. Let’s be honest, ignorance is not bliss when it involves the livelihood of those around us.
Rush Limbaugh and others to the right of the aisle have gone so far as to claim that, “There is no healthcare crisis.” Let’s take a look at the facts behind this and what it means. Without getting too deep and reading into a lot of opinion, it is a widely accepted fact that 25 million Americans were underinsured in 2007, and that was before the rest of the country decided to jump into the economic recession with Michigan.
Secondly, it is rumored that private healthcare programs would cover illegal aliens in the U.S. This is also untrue. Section 246 of the Senate’s Healthcare Reform Bill plainly excludes those individuals who are “not legally present” in this country from government healthcare.
A third piece of hearsay is that a public healthcare program would add $1 trillion to the deficit. Take this information as you will, but the congressional budget office estimated the 10-year deficit increase at a slightly more modest $239 billion.
The point of this editorial isn’t to encourage rumors or to give one-sided facts. What you take away from this piece shouldn’t be a new set of numbers or facts to use in your latest in a series of arguments with your coworkers later. The point is to encourage an increased awareness on the issues at hand. It really could’ve all been written in one word: Read. Remember the importance of opposing viewpoints and make sure you check the credibility of your fact sources.
Go ahead; make a decision on what kind of reform, if any, is necessary. Whatever it is, make sure you understand why you agree with the stance you are taking and the possible consequences it has on the rest of us. Also make sure you are willing to stand up to the opposition and reasonably disagree with logical evidence. Let’s be honest, ignorance is not bliss when it involves the livelihood of those around us.
The progression of progressive media
Annarbor.com is in many ways the very product Christine Tracy describes in her Evolution of the Newspaper of the Future piece. Most notably the site has a great deal of community interacton in which readers have an opportunity to interact with the writers and even add their own content to the site. They feature a "Your Voice" section on every page that provides the method of correspondance Dr. Tracy describes as "ongoing communication."
Also the idea of more specialized communication is shown on annarbor.com. The site offers specific pages regarding different things going on in the different neighborhoods in the Ann Arbor area.
This idea of the audeience having the "newspaper" cater their individual needs and provide an opportunity for direct and instantaneous feedback is something truly new and unique that we should embrace. All signs indicate that we can look forward to many years of "evolution" to come.
Also the idea of more specialized communication is shown on annarbor.com. The site offers specific pages regarding different things going on in the different neighborhoods in the Ann Arbor area.
This idea of the audeience having the "newspaper" cater their individual needs and provide an opportunity for direct and instantaneous feedback is something truly new and unique that we should embrace. All signs indicate that we can look forward to many years of "evolution" to come.
Friday, September 11, 2009
...To prove to Dad that I'm not a fool
Adam Sandler's interesting rendition brings back memories of back to school seasons past. Catching up on summer vacation details with friends was usually the highlight. Watching the neighborhood bully torture his victims who had come out of hibernation, only by force, was also entertaining. When sunburns began to fade into freckles and hot summer afternoons became occupied by 2-a-day football practices I knew it was always time to return to class.
Things have changed a bit. My seemingly attached to my ear cell phone keeps me aware of what my close friends are up to most of the time and there aren't many bullies chasing the four eyed computer nerds around the non-existent bus stop anymore. A new football season hasn't arrived for me in five years now and well, I've grown wise enough to remember sun block at this point.
These days back to school just means a lot less free time, a lot more caffeine, and of course an increased amount of slavery to the oil companies and book publishers. Like many students my age, I commute to school while juggling a job, a family, and various other commitments that people tell me are for my own good. I don't even have time to stop and think about what I need to get accomplished on a daily basis. I never thought I'd say this but, thank God for planners!
In his song, Billy speaks of his preparation and anticipation for school. Me, I didn't give it a thought until the $6,000 bill and accompanying student loan form showed up in my mailbox. My grandpa used to count down the last days of summer. I saw him most every day but he would call if we happened to miss each other. I didn't appreciate it at the time, but looking back, it served as a friendly reminder. Now he's gone, and so are the "start going to bed earlier" warnings he brought to the table. I sure wish I had a welcome back that was a little bit more pleasant than the earth shattering scream of my alarm clock.
...Also I'm jealous of Billy's lunch box.
Things have changed a bit. My seemingly attached to my ear cell phone keeps me aware of what my close friends are up to most of the time and there aren't many bullies chasing the four eyed computer nerds around the non-existent bus stop anymore. A new football season hasn't arrived for me in five years now and well, I've grown wise enough to remember sun block at this point.
These days back to school just means a lot less free time, a lot more caffeine, and of course an increased amount of slavery to the oil companies and book publishers. Like many students my age, I commute to school while juggling a job, a family, and various other commitments that people tell me are for my own good. I don't even have time to stop and think about what I need to get accomplished on a daily basis. I never thought I'd say this but, thank God for planners!
In his song, Billy speaks of his preparation and anticipation for school. Me, I didn't give it a thought until the $6,000 bill and accompanying student loan form showed up in my mailbox. My grandpa used to count down the last days of summer. I saw him most every day but he would call if we happened to miss each other. I didn't appreciate it at the time, but looking back, it served as a friendly reminder. Now he's gone, and so are the "start going to bed earlier" warnings he brought to the table. I sure wish I had a welcome back that was a little bit more pleasant than the earth shattering scream of my alarm clock.
...Also I'm jealous of Billy's lunch box.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
