Feb. 25, 2009

The Morgue: A reporter's elegy for his dying paper, by Joe Mathews

I've been told numerous times that there is no such thing as a traditional journalist anymore. I've been told that in order to succeed I in my chosen field, I need to to work after hours, long shifts, carry around a backpack of technology, be constantly curious and not be taken seriously or paid well all at the same time. This article, in a way, confirms my every fear that I will see this to be true when I enter the real world. I will say that I am more than ready to work hard, however, for what?

The Platform: The future of News, by Peter Osnos

I think we, as the audience, is ready to pay for our news. Despite the economic recession, people have always, always paid for their news until the internet confused the economic fundamentals of financially supporting journalism. I think that flexible, cheap subscriptions will do wonders for the economic structure of news today:

(a) allow a greater bond to form between the reader and his/her subscription (whether it be out of guilt or not)

(b) lessen the media outlet's dependency on advertisement (which is pertinent to it's survival)

(c) fund a collapsing system that is in danger of not doing it's one job: providing  the truth

Imagining a City Without Its Daily Newspaper, by David Folkenflik

I really enjoyed Folkenflik's last comment about "a sense of community" because it's something you don't hear much about in the often-heard discussion of media outlet's economic structure collapsing. And, I think there's some truth there. In some sentimental way, we look for tradition and time in a trustworthy publication. But also, we look for publications that our community is also looking at so that we can discuss the topics with each other afterwards. 

A Nonprofit Panacea for Newspapers? by David Folkenflik

When Albany, N.Y.'s The Times Union featured a ProPublica piece in their newspaper, they ran an article in the editorial section concerning the reason for their placement. Rex Smith, the editor-in-chief, talked about the importance of forming a relationship between non-profit and for-profit media outlets. It's cheesy, but true: we must all work together and fill in the gaps knowing, not one of us could do it all. George Seldes and I.F. Stone tried their very best to do everything, independently and in very many ways - succeeded. However, I'de like to see Seldes or Stone with a MacBook. Modern technology has raised the bar, made things more accessible and others less accessible. The bottom line is, until journalism has an appropriate, working economic model, the relationship between non-profit and for-profit journalism can only lead to good things.

Feb. 18, 2009

The Wisdom of the Crowd..., Jeff Howe

Howe, in between commenting on his own cleverness, discusses "crowdsourcing" which can also be thought of us journalists letting volunteers do the work/free PR/employing people as though they were unpaid interns. 

Receiving cell phone pictures or "documentation of experience in real time" - a phenomenon of the 2008 election that he cites in the beginning of the article -  is one thing, but getting to a point where you are depending on it, is another.  

I'de like to add a 4th worry to the list: Honesty from the so-called citizen contributors. 

When Journalists Blog..., Paul Bradshaw

Using the internet to break down boundaries is something that traditional journalists make see as a "new tool",  an idea my generation has been brought up with. From my point of view, writing for online is simply another source: TV, Radio, Newspaper, Online. It shouldn't be squeezed into a mold and eventually, unfortunately, it most likely won't be a place where, "anything goes".

Digging into social media to build a newspaper audience., Bill Adee

"Project O" seems more like the project of a PR group than a newsroom. However, with mainstream media organizations scrambling for funding, I can understand why. Attaching revenue to links on blogs has the potential to be more helpful than modern advertisement revenue. After all, no one actually goes to sponsored sites. However, traffic from links can send a story all over the viral internet. 

Ethical Values and Quality Control in the Digital Era..., Bob Steele

Becoming a slave to gathering readership is one of the most dangerous risks to journalistic integrity today. Until a better system for funding the media is created, this risk continues to exist. 

Suggest a topic..., John A. Byrne

My first reaction t this article is that comparing the trend of dying newspapers to being "massive casualties of a war" is a little much. Secondly, I'm one to advocate for newspapers going online and supplemental (possibly analytical) magazine-style print editions continuing to exist; think, The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, The Nation, The Atlantic, etc. I can't imagine having to read any of these magazines online. 

Feb. 11, 2009

Distracted..., Maggie Jackson

"Multitasking and the News"

My only problem with articles of this type: the "all young people are technology-induced ADHD kids", is the lack of a solution. Ok, so you're saying that computers, cell phones and multi-clickable websites have catapulted our generation into being so unfocused that it's dangerous for our democracy? Sweet, we're screwed. Now, what?

Tracking Behavior Changes on the Web, David Nicholas

An over-load of information leading to an overall "dumbing down" of a generation is frightening to think about, but a valid point. There is so much information, it's overwhelming sometimes. My mom always told me that the best way I can be effective in change is to pick a cause, and stick to it - giving it my all. I think, in some ways, her argument can apply to the overhaul of information: too much choice, too fast, too many issues. How can we deal with them all?

Mapping the Blogosphere, John Kelly

I haven't decided how I feel about "mapping the blogosphere". All of the sites that connect the dots between users and providers, I'm sure are doing something prolific, or at least of good use, for something but I can't figure it out yet. I can imagine future studies of how nutty the internet is right now will use the data formed by these mapping sites, but as of right now, I can't get myself to care. The numbers of how many bloggers' sites are being checked out by this demographic because of this link are dauntingly-large statistics that I am exhausted to even think about. Phew.

Media Re:public: My Year in the Church Year, Persphone Miel

From the perspective of a 21-year old journalism student, whose journalist ideals lie with a loyalty to print media, I can totally, totally relate to this article! Because of the generation I was born into, I'm supposed to be this media-savvy internet guru with eight blogs, a webcam that I use to video diary my every thought and a connection to hundreds of people I've never met. However, when I first jumped into journalism, I had stacks of the New York Times in my dorm room. I barely knew how to handle my Facebook account, let alone be comfortable exposing myself to the world. Granted, I still am hesitant but I have found myself shamefully addicted to Facebook, YouTube, Hulu and a number of news-driven media blogs. I stopped buying a subscription to the Times. Spoiled by free access, I'm angry at the Wall Street Journal for having the audacity to charge me for an online account. I'm completely addicted to the internet - and it's only getting worse. However, please, someone show me this post the day I sign up for Twitter.

Media Re:public: Conclusions After a Year of Exploration, Persephone Miel

I'm going to focus on the fourth bullet point in the conclusions because I feel like I've chiseled enough at the other topics over, and over, and over again in my studies here. However, the fourth, not so much:

"Despite impressive successes, participation in the online media space is not universal; there are populations and ideas that remain underrepresented."

Having done a little bit of traveling in Europe and Africa, I've seen bits and pieces of how certain discussions are halted at countries' borders. Especially, in Africa and especially in the outsource of information from Africa to the western world. With more knowledge about the continent coming from Blockbusters like "Blood Diamond" and "King of Scotland", African politics, hardship and society are heavily censored by a lack of representation in the mainstream media. The stories are few and through Western eyes. What I think the mainstream media desperately needs is a voice from these underrepresented third world countries to actively participate in worldwide discussion.

Assignment #1: Jan. 23, 2009

On Copy Editing

Jeff Baron's informal response to the value of editors was poignant because of the editor's ability to write: which I really believe makes a great editor, when he/she can write and get a cohesive point across. The editorial role is deceiving, as Baron points out, and I really appreciated his lighthearted discussion of a humble newsroom where "the guy" who never gets seen corrects the "big shot" reporter's mistakes: like the often easily made mistake of literal versus metaphorical expression. "Even five in a hundred readers are misled or baffled by the phrasing of a sentence, we have failed," Baron said. "We have the satisfaction of turning rushed prose into a great newspaper."

How can I become a copy editor?

The slot continues the conversation of the "unglamorous" life of an editor and even then, how it's a tough gig to catch. However, not impossible, considering the author had no background in journalism or editing. The best advice in this article: "Be Good. Damn Good." Which, when it comes to copy editing, I think that practice can make perfect. So I guess, I should practice?

What's a Slot man?

Being a slot man seems claustrophobic. 

The Lot of Journalism's Noble misfits

The break down of a copy editor as a proofreader versus style-checker is a valid argument for the difference between a good copy editor and a not-so-good one. I think that yes, the underlying role of a copy editor is to proofread, make sure that the newspaper doesn't publish any silly slip-ups or embarrassing mistakes. But in actuality, in the real world, the copy editor has the very important role of being the first reader. The first audience member. And he or she represents all of the reader's concerns and questions: and he must address them before publication.