As the semester and my career as a student ends, I would really like to thank you Professor Wachanga for providing me so much throughout my time at UW-Whitewater. Although it seemed sometimes that you weren't really able to pronounce my name correctly, I have learned a lot from you. Specifically something i learned was how to take a story about your average person and turn into an extraordinary story. That's something that I will keep for the rest of my life.
In this class, the most important thing I learned was when posting information onto Facebook or Twitter or any other site on the Internet for that matter, that I have to make sure it is truthful. I'm going to be doing this a lot in my career as a journalist and I never want to run into a situation like the one Mike Wise from the Washington Post got himself into. Even if something is intended to be a joke, you still shouldn't post it because of the ramifications it can have if someone takes it for truth.
Otherwise, I hope everyone has a great summer. Professor Wachanga, take care and I hope the best for you in the future.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
6 GREEDY REASONS TO BE AN EDITOR IN COLLEGE
This post kind of sums why I wanted to be the editor-in-chief of the Royal Purple. It prepares you for almost anything you will see in the journalism industry.
Koretsky
Here is the comment I posted on this blog:
Koretsky
Here is the comment I posted on this blog:
I love reading your opinions and advice. I completely agree after listening to what you had to say in this. Although I haven’t aced the two interviews for editor I’ve had in my life (I didn’t get the job both times), I’ve gained more than enough experience on how to handle myself in an interview and what kind of questions I should prepare for. Your posts are very relevant to college journalists, and while some people may not like them, keep on doing what you’re doing. Great job.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Microblogging- Mark Coddington
I just recently started to following Mark Coddington, who we just recently read a post from about the International Symposium on Online Journalism.
Coddinton is a graduate student and former journalist who is currently working toward a master's degree in the research and theory program at the University of Texas School of Journalism. Although he is no longer a journalist, he is able to engage users through years of experience writing about government, education, crime, people, energy and just about every other aspect of news. He has a wealth of knowledge to draw from.
His blog is a site used to engage in the conversation surrounding the sea of changes going on with the media and the news ecosystem. With his current studies he is trying to better understand what the changes in thee way humans communicate and the way we gather information mean for the future.
I just commented on the blog Professor Wachanga presented in class:
Six themes from ISOJ
Here is the comment I made:
Coddinton is a graduate student and former journalist who is currently working toward a master's degree in the research and theory program at the University of Texas School of Journalism. Although he is no longer a journalist, he is able to engage users through years of experience writing about government, education, crime, people, energy and just about every other aspect of news. He has a wealth of knowledge to draw from.
His blog is a site used to engage in the conversation surrounding the sea of changes going on with the media and the news ecosystem. With his current studies he is trying to better understand what the changes in thee way humans communicate and the way we gather information mean for the future.
I just commented on the blog Professor Wachanga presented in class:
Six themes from ISOJ
Here is the comment I made:
I’m in agreement on the first bullet point you brought up. Twitter is not meant to be something where journalists just use the site as a portal to their newspaper’s online website. You hit the nail right on the head when you said that journalists should be engaging their readers instead of leading them elsewhere to find a story. The story they are looking for should be on Twitter. Creating a conversation on that website is important for the retaining of readers. I also found an interesting example relating to your point from another journalist:
Transforming journalism
This post is in response to Mark Coddington's post about the International Symposium on Online Journalism.
The most alarming part about his post has to be the first bullet point that news organizations are posting their stories to Twitter instead of actively engaging users over Twitter. This is very disturbing to me because Twitter for journalists isn't meant just to be a portal to an online website. It is meant to be a place to engage users in two-way communication.
We have already dealt with this type of journalism earlier in the class with John Dickerson's report on Twitter practices. He argued that Twitter is meant to be something to interact with readers. He pointed out that the Twitter posts he made during the 2008 presidential race were perfect examples of the way Twitter should be used. I agree with. Microjournalism (journalism over Twitter) is not something journalists should reduce themselves to. Coddington brings up this point as well and I agree with him.
The most alarming part about his post has to be the first bullet point that news organizations are posting their stories to Twitter instead of actively engaging users over Twitter. This is very disturbing to me because Twitter for journalists isn't meant just to be a portal to an online website. It is meant to be a place to engage users in two-way communication.
We have already dealt with this type of journalism earlier in the class with John Dickerson's report on Twitter practices. He argued that Twitter is meant to be something to interact with readers. He pointed out that the Twitter posts he made during the 2008 presidential race were perfect examples of the way Twitter should be used. I agree with. Microjournalism (journalism over Twitter) is not something journalists should reduce themselves to. Coddington brings up this point as well and I agree with him.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Japan tsunami and new media support
http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_17718564?source=most_viewed&nclick_check=1
This article describes the efforts of two brothers to give money to the Red Cross using an online campaign. So far, they have raised nearly $1 million to be donated to the Red Cross.
The rise of donating online could be attributed to Barack Obama’s campaign to become the president of the U.S. In 2008, Obama used social media, websites, e-mail and SMS as a means to raise money for his campaign. Since then, we have seen mass campaigns supported by thousands of people using the same platform the Obama campaign used.
The same platform was used after the earthquake in Haiti a year ago, in which cell phone subscribers could text message a certain number in order to donate $10 to the Red Cross. The same thing is being done in Japan as we speak.
What this article summarizes is the efforts of Marcus and Andrew Ogawa to raise money for the relief fund in Japan. These two men have been involved in numerous Internet campaigns in the past few years to raise money for certain causes. This is just another interesting story on how they are using their time and energy to help others in need.
This article describes the efforts of two brothers to give money to the Red Cross using an online campaign. So far, they have raised nearly $1 million to be donated to the Red Cross.
The rise of donating online could be attributed to Barack Obama’s campaign to become the president of the U.S. In 2008, Obama used social media, websites, e-mail and SMS as a means to raise money for his campaign. Since then, we have seen mass campaigns supported by thousands of people using the same platform the Obama campaign used.
The same platform was used after the earthquake in Haiti a year ago, in which cell phone subscribers could text message a certain number in order to donate $10 to the Red Cross. The same thing is being done in Japan as we speak.
What this article summarizes is the efforts of Marcus and Andrew Ogawa to raise money for the relief fund in Japan. These two men have been involved in numerous Internet campaigns in the past few years to raise money for certain causes. This is just another interesting story on how they are using their time and energy to help others in need.
Social media and natural disasters
The report on the role of information and social networks in emergencies and conflicts shows that vast progress has been made in communicating information on disasters to the masses.
When the tsunami occurred in Indonesia in 2004, there was no way to spread the information that an earthquake had just happened and now a massive wave was headed in everyone’s direction. There was no alert system available for those living around the Indian Ocean, unlike one that already existed for the Pacific Ocean. The people in control of developing emergency alert systems decided that there needed to be a more people-centered approach when it cam to disaster warnings. These warnings needed to be extended down to the local level so that everyone in danger would know of what was about to happen.
The idea that mass information on disasters could be sent using e-mail, social networks and cell phones. While this form of communication could apply to most of the developed world, only 39 percent of people in developing countries have access to cell phones. And many of the people in developing countries do not have access to a laptop, so therefore they will be using mobile phones to access the Internet and receive e-mail and SMS updates.
Therefore, it is not reasonable enough right now to say that we have the disaster alert warnings exactly right. For the people who do not have access to means to get the information, they will be left out in the dark when they shouldn’t be. Communication technologies will be the lifeline for communities in crisis, and the way they get their information is extremely important. Like any form of mass communication, the issue of the validation of the information always come into question. But even if the people in the tsunami in 2004 had known that there was a possible threat of a tsunami, everything would have changed. Even if that information proved to be incorrect, just the fact that they were on the lookout for a disaster would mean that disaster preparedness was having an effect.
While the deployment of the Ushahidi platform to cover political unrest, ethnic violence and other sorts of disasters has had a significant effect on how humans present the information gathered, none of this matters if the means is not available for people. That is why extending new communication technologies to those in developing countries is one of the main goals for those developing disaster preparedness.
When the tsunami occurred in Indonesia in 2004, there was no way to spread the information that an earthquake had just happened and now a massive wave was headed in everyone’s direction. There was no alert system available for those living around the Indian Ocean, unlike one that already existed for the Pacific Ocean. The people in control of developing emergency alert systems decided that there needed to be a more people-centered approach when it cam to disaster warnings. These warnings needed to be extended down to the local level so that everyone in danger would know of what was about to happen.
The idea that mass information on disasters could be sent using e-mail, social networks and cell phones. While this form of communication could apply to most of the developed world, only 39 percent of people in developing countries have access to cell phones. And many of the people in developing countries do not have access to a laptop, so therefore they will be using mobile phones to access the Internet and receive e-mail and SMS updates.
Therefore, it is not reasonable enough right now to say that we have the disaster alert warnings exactly right. For the people who do not have access to means to get the information, they will be left out in the dark when they shouldn’t be. Communication technologies will be the lifeline for communities in crisis, and the way they get their information is extremely important. Like any form of mass communication, the issue of the validation of the information always come into question. But even if the people in the tsunami in 2004 had known that there was a possible threat of a tsunami, everything would have changed. Even if that information proved to be incorrect, just the fact that they were on the lookout for a disaster would mean that disaster preparedness was having an effect.
While the deployment of the Ushahidi platform to cover political unrest, ethnic violence and other sorts of disasters has had a significant effect on how humans present the information gathered, none of this matters if the means is not available for people. That is why extending new communication technologies to those in developing countries is one of the main goals for those developing disaster preparedness.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Jim Disrude
When Jim Disrude visited our class March 16, I was intrigued to hear about what kind of original research he had done.
The first thing I learned from him is that when you are trying to come up with a topic for original research, you must first come up with a question. That is the most important part. The question Jim came up with his research is how much does appearance and openness on Facebook go toward developing a perception of a person.
He decided he was going to show students across the campus, from the age ranges of 18-26, two different people's Facebook profiles, and have them decide which person would make a better professor.
The results he found were very surprising to me at first. He found that participants thought that the professor who disclosed more on social media sites and seemed more "fun" was more trusted and respected as a professor than the person who didn't disclose as much on social media sites.
At first I thought it was surprising because many of the professors I normally see are the kind who would have the Facebook profile of the boring and uninteresting guy. In fact, most of the professors I've had here at UW-Whitewater don't even have Facebook profiles.
The question comes down to, and this is what research participants had to ask themselves, do you want a professor is formal or informal? I'll answer that question and say that I would rather have a professor who is very disclosing on social media sites. It builds the trust I would have in them. Instead of being a person who is very guarded, they are a person who puts themselves out there. I feel as though they are willing to get to know their students on Facebook and outside of the classroom if they are willing to put information about their personal lives on display for everyone to see.
The first thing I learned from him is that when you are trying to come up with a topic for original research, you must first come up with a question. That is the most important part. The question Jim came up with his research is how much does appearance and openness on Facebook go toward developing a perception of a person.
He decided he was going to show students across the campus, from the age ranges of 18-26, two different people's Facebook profiles, and have them decide which person would make a better professor.
The results he found were very surprising to me at first. He found that participants thought that the professor who disclosed more on social media sites and seemed more "fun" was more trusted and respected as a professor than the person who didn't disclose as much on social media sites.
At first I thought it was surprising because many of the professors I normally see are the kind who would have the Facebook profile of the boring and uninteresting guy. In fact, most of the professors I've had here at UW-Whitewater don't even have Facebook profiles.
The question comes down to, and this is what research participants had to ask themselves, do you want a professor is formal or informal? I'll answer that question and say that I would rather have a professor who is very disclosing on social media sites. It builds the trust I would have in them. Instead of being a person who is very guarded, they are a person who puts themselves out there. I feel as though they are willing to get to know their students on Facebook and outside of the classroom if they are willing to put information about their personal lives on display for everyone to see.
Future of Journalism
This is somthing interesting I ran into the other day when I was doing some research on my research topic. This website is called The Future of Journalism, a website that gives its viewers a look into how the journalism process has changed and what is different about it today as compared to the past.
The topic I am researching is how the Internet has affected traditional new sources (i.e. TV, newspaper) among the younger generation. I think this website is a good guideline into how one can be successful as a journalist in a changing world.
The topic I am researching is how the Internet has affected traditional new sources (i.e. TV, newspaper) among the younger generation. I think this website is a good guideline into how one can be successful as a journalist in a changing world.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
The Political Power of Social Media
The article by Shirky, "The political power of social media," only better enhances the proof of the effect new media has on the way we organize into groups in order to accomplish tasks. Like Shirky brought up in his essay about the Sidekick, his response to Gladwell was a reiteration of the essays we have been reading from Shirky all semester.
The addition of new media to any citizens life drastically changes the framework of our governments and society. We have all seen or heard about social media having a dramatic effect on the manner in which people organize. This is especially true with the younger generation. The younger generation was one of the main reasons Mubarak was ousted in Egypt. If not for the younger generation organizing through social and new media, the Madison protests would probably not have been as great as they were and may still continue to be. I was at the first week the protests occurred and of the people there, at least 40 percent of them were under 25.
Like Shirky, I do not agree with Gladwell's response. He is citing wrong examples when trying to prove that new media hasn't had a great effect on companies such as Land's End. Something Shirky didn't bring up is now these companies have to deal with retailers all over the world selling their product at a reduced price. While new media doesn't greatly alter the way companies like Land's End communicate with their customers, competition has now been increased.
The question Shirky asks is what should U.S. policy be regarding social media? My say is this: embrace it. It's another way for your citizens to exercise their first amendment rights and allows for them to peacefully assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances. New media has become one of the best ways for U.S. citizens to organize on a massive scale in order to accomplish things. Current president Barack Obama embraced social media and headed one the largest Internet political campaigns in this nation's history. He used his campaign as a way for citizens to discuss issues that were important to them and allowed them to make contributions to the campaign online.
The addition of new media to any citizens life drastically changes the framework of our governments and society. We have all seen or heard about social media having a dramatic effect on the manner in which people organize. This is especially true with the younger generation. The younger generation was one of the main reasons Mubarak was ousted in Egypt. If not for the younger generation organizing through social and new media, the Madison protests would probably not have been as great as they were and may still continue to be. I was at the first week the protests occurred and of the people there, at least 40 percent of them were under 25.
Like Shirky, I do not agree with Gladwell's response. He is citing wrong examples when trying to prove that new media hasn't had a great effect on companies such as Land's End. Something Shirky didn't bring up is now these companies have to deal with retailers all over the world selling their product at a reduced price. While new media doesn't greatly alter the way companies like Land's End communicate with their customers, competition has now been increased.
The question Shirky asks is what should U.S. policy be regarding social media? My say is this: embrace it. It's another way for your citizens to exercise their first amendment rights and allows for them to peacefully assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances. New media has become one of the best ways for U.S. citizens to organize on a massive scale in order to accomplish things. Current president Barack Obama embraced social media and headed one the largest Internet political campaigns in this nation's history. He used his campaign as a way for citizens to discuss issues that were important to them and allowed them to make contributions to the campaign online.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Nieman Reports
I decided to read the posts on What is Journalism's Place in Social Media? and Don't Fear Twitter.
What I learned from the two is something I think I already understood. Social media is not in place to subtract to journalism; it is there to add to journalism. The examples brought up in the latter article were a perfect explanation of the different aspect provided by social media. I liked the Twitter posts the author brought up in his article. I'm sure they received a bunch of responses, likes and re-tweets.
As for journalism's place in the future, the first article backs up exactly what Dr. Wachanga has said in class. We as citizens are all journalists but the validity of social media posts will always be questioned. Therefore, we need traditional journalism outlets to pick up stories in order for them to be believed. The Tiger Woods scandal is a great example of this. National Enquirer was the first to break any sort of story on Tiger's infidelity. It wasn't until traditional media outlets took a look into the story and Tiger's Thanksgiving accident for the story to truly break out and become accepeted by a worldwide audience as a fact.
What I learned from the two is something I think I already understood. Social media is not in place to subtract to journalism; it is there to add to journalism. The examples brought up in the latter article were a perfect explanation of the different aspect provided by social media. I liked the Twitter posts the author brought up in his article. I'm sure they received a bunch of responses, likes and re-tweets.
As for journalism's place in the future, the first article backs up exactly what Dr. Wachanga has said in class. We as citizens are all journalists but the validity of social media posts will always be questioned. Therefore, we need traditional journalism outlets to pick up stories in order for them to be believed. The Tiger Woods scandal is a great example of this. National Enquirer was the first to break any sort of story on Tiger's infidelity. It wasn't until traditional media outlets took a look into the story and Tiger's Thanksgiving accident for the story to truly break out and become accepeted by a worldwide audience as a fact.
Friday, January 28, 2011
It takes a village to find a phone
I think the most important message the article "It takes a village to find a phone" give to the audience is the idea of the way society forms itself into groups has dramatically changed. And the groups society forms today have the influence and the power to accomplish things that would have never been possible 25 years or even 10 years ago.
The Internet is the main culprit for influencing this change in the way society forms groups. The use of social media as a means to spread information in a rapid way is the reason why Evan and Ivanna were successful in their plight to get her phone back. They were able to use the message of "honor" and "justice" to strike a level of understanding among the millions of people who viewed the website Evan created. Normally a stolen phone wouldn't have got this much attention. But the manner in which Evan went about trying to get the stolen phone back was revolutionary. I think it might be one of the first large-scale Internet campaigns for a cause. Since that, we've seen multiple Internet campaigns that have tried to accomplish something (mybarackobama.com, Betty White and SNL and Starbucks and their customers). And it received an inordinate amount of press for just being a story about lost phone
The best line of this article is: "group action gives human society its particular character, and anything that changes the way groups get things done will affect society as a whole." The message is that the Internet and technology have dramatically changed the way people organize themselves. What Evan and Ivanna accomplished was just the start of something that will drastically change our society (and already has changed our society).
The Internet is the main culprit for influencing this change in the way society forms groups. The use of social media as a means to spread information in a rapid way is the reason why Evan and Ivanna were successful in their plight to get her phone back. They were able to use the message of "honor" and "justice" to strike a level of understanding among the millions of people who viewed the website Evan created. Normally a stolen phone wouldn't have got this much attention. But the manner in which Evan went about trying to get the stolen phone back was revolutionary. I think it might be one of the first large-scale Internet campaigns for a cause. Since that, we've seen multiple Internet campaigns that have tried to accomplish something (mybarackobama.com, Betty White and SNL and Starbucks and their customers). And it received an inordinate amount of press for just being a story about lost phone
The best line of this article is: "group action gives human society its particular character, and anything that changes the way groups get things done will affect society as a whole." The message is that the Internet and technology have dramatically changed the way people organize themselves. What Evan and Ivanna accomplished was just the start of something that will drastically change our society (and already has changed our society).
Clay Shirky
"The moment we are living through is the largest increase in expressive capability in human history."
I think this the most interesting statement that Shirky makes in the video. Being a journalism major, it really peaks my interest whenever someone talks about the future of journalism. Like Dr. Wachanga pointed out during class, a professional is still needed to deliver the message to a mass audience in a professional manner, but everything is changing.
Shirky points out that we are all news-makers. I couldn't agree more. We live in a society where the technology we are granted allows everyone to create stories. Video is posted online, stories are created off of Twitter posts and blogs are featured on major news networks. There are so many more examples of citizen journalism that they are hard to name.
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