Which project do you feel will be the most beneficial to your career?

Throughout the course of this semester, we focused on different digital media outlets such as blogging, video, audio recording and photography. Prior to this semester I had done a slight amount of work in each area except blogging, which I think helped me be able to produce quality work for each project. One of the biggest things I learned throughout the semester, though, was confidence. I think being confident going into an assignment or interview is key for coming out with good material.

I think the section we did on audio recording will be the most beneficial to my journalism career. For my job with Inside Gymnastics Magazine, I have to do numerous audio interviews, whether they are over-the-phone or in person. By applying the skills we learned in this class, I think I now have a better understanding of how to approach an interview, what to ask during an interview, and what kind of sounds (besides the questions and answers) to record.

I’d never really thought about recording much background noise, but now I have learned that this can be very beneficial to your interview. It provides the audience with a better understanding of the situation, and I think that by applying my newly developed skills I will be able to produce better work.

Photography Project - The Black Sheep

It looks like our semester projects have finally come to an end. I chose to do my Slideshow Project on Tyler Sailsbery, a local Whitewater resident who is opening a restaurant called The Black Sheep.

I went with Tyler to Fort Atkinson, WI, where he looked at kitchen equipment and furniture to potentially buy for The Black Sheep. I took pictures of the various items at the Velvet Lips Lounge Bar & Grill, and then put them together in the form of a slideshow.

To see my Slideshow Project, click here or click below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl2xfoXGWnA&context=C2f14fADOEgsToPDskJGBeKHv07F_vRbGcNwKe4a

Semester Update

It's hard to believe that the semester is already almost over! It definitely flew by!! Looking ahead to these last couple weeks, the semester is beginning to wind down. We are now working on our Photography projects which will be due in two weeks.

I can't believe we've already completed a series of Audio and Video projects. I remember thinking at the beginning of the year that I'd never be able to get all of that done, but now I only have one project left! It is nice to feel accomplished after a lot of hard work.

News & Feature Stories Complete

At this point in the semester, both our News Story & Feature story are complete. I am very excited about the skills I am gaining both in recording events & interviewing skills.

As for the upcoming assignment, we are focusing on Audio production. I'm not 100% sure yet what I am going to use as the focus of my Audio feature, but listening to the example in class was very beneficial.

I can't believe how fast the semester is flying by! Before we know it, we'll be finishing up Audio & moving to Photography. Once we make it through that section, the semester is basically over already!

Citizen Journalism

The "Citizen Journalism" article looks at the unfortunate event of Oscar Grant, who was shot in 2009 in a subway station by officers of the Bay Area Rail Transit. 

Due to the immediacy of technology today, witnesses were able to record this event on their cellphones and upload the recordings to YouTube. As one would imagine, a large amount of controversy arose as these videos gained popularity. The witnesses' videos were even used in the trial as official evidence. 

I thought it was interesting how the videos generated mixed responses. Ok so they may not have been recorded in the best quality format, but I think it is important that this event was documented and shared by the citizens because the incident may have never gained as much popularity if it hadn't been broadcast by the citizens. 

Also, I think this article is a great example of how people don't have to go to college and get a degree to be a journalist these days. They may not be professional or follow all the rules, but with social media and technology anyone can record events and share their thoughts about what happened. 

I thought it was intriguing when the article stated, “Incidents such as Grant’s murder illustrate how a single event can rupture the social fabric by reintroducing past injustices (specifically, the 1991 Rodney King beating) and raising critical questions about the nature of law enforcement with regard to minority groups” (page 14). Is this really a bad thing?? Maybe more critical questions about the nature of law enforcement and minority groups should be proposed. I’m interested in hearing what else my classmates have to say about this on their blogs.

Why Revolution will not be Tweeted

I really enjoyed this story from 1960, and I love how much of an impact the four young men were able to make without even using social media. However, I can't help but wonder how much FASTER their numbers would have multiplied or how much BIGGER of an impact they would have made.

This also presents a new question, though. Did the people who came and joined the movement care more about what was going on, when compared to people today who simply "retweet" a friend's post about a good cause, or simply "like" a page on Facebook? I don't know if I'm really making sense even, but I just think that without social media people probably were more full-hearted about supporting causes. After all, they actually had to show up at a movement or put forth some legitimate effort to show they support something, rather than simply clicking a button.

I think the power of social media is ever-growing, and as it grows it continues to shrink the world. For all I know someone thousands of miles away could be following my tweets or blog or whatever, but before social media, chances are I would have never been able to connect with someone so far away.

It Takes a Village to Find a Phone

It Takes a Village to Find a Phone begins with a woman named Ivanna, who left her Sidekick cellphone in a New York City cab. Much to her dismay, a great deal of important information such as contacts and the guest list for her upcoming wedding were stored on the phone. However, Ivanna’s situation differed from the typical story of lost cellphones that never get returned, thanks to her friend Evan. Evan, who is quite the “tech-savvy” guy, created a website that posted updates on the search for Ivanna’s phone. Eventually a reward was even offered for its return. 

This story is used to demonstrate the power of the Internet and social media today. The possibilities are basically endless of who can receive what information online. For example, I have no idea where readers of this blog may come from, just as Evan possibly didn’t realize the reach of his hunt. If Ivanna had used traditional methods of finding lost items (i.e. posters and flyers around town) her Sidekick’s fate more than likely would have ended differently. However, the convenience and flexibility of technology today lead us to believe that anything is possible.