Twitter is a free social messaging utility for staying connected in real-time. Twitter can be used for timely updates that can be useful to family members, friends, colleagues, and the news world. Twitter is relevant to news because many news outlets can inform people about things that are going on around them and how it could affect them, as well as keep them updated. News reporters are utilizing Twitter to constantly add news tidbits and comments about what’s happening during the moment. Many benefits of Twitter is that it’s fast, it’s open, and it’s two-way for conversation and comments. For example, if there is a huge fire spreading quickly over a large area that could be extremely destructive to properties, fire departments and news organizations can post real-time updates and public service announcements on Twitter. Many news organizations have turned to the internet where they can update their stories and include several pictures and interactive elements, but when people need constant updates on important news events and topics, Twitter has become a popular choice for just that. News can be relayed to people very easily to inform them of what’s going on, and the aftermath of an event. Because we live in a technological society that is always using new and exciting ways to interact and stay tuned in to what’s going on, Twitter is extremely beneficial and helpful to thousands. While many people use this new technological phenomena to tell their friends what they had for lunch or their plans for the night, news organizations can get ahead and capture the attention of thousands of people using Twitter. Many celebrities and even President Obama are known to be Twitter users. Although some users complain it’s muddled and somewhat hard to navigate, it has become a necessary tool to many news networks and reporters.
Media Storm Homework #9 March 31, 2009
I watched the 11 minute and 16 second story Love In the First Person. The story was about 20-year-old Matt Eich and 19-year-old Melissa Turk. They were both college students that were in love. Matt won a photography contest and Melissa found out she was pregnant. Throughout the story, their love for each other and their emotions stayed continuous about the excitement and worries about their future. They were grateful for each other throughout the unexpected pregnancy. There was natural sound of voicemail messages Melissa would leave Matt on his phone. The slideshow ran through the entire time except when they would stop to talk on camera about how they were feeling about their upcoming marriage, pregnancy, and move from Ohio to Portland, Oregon for Matt’s internship. It took the viewer from before the wedding when they found out that Melissa was pregnant, through the marriage ceremony and her dad’s speech at the reception. They were both very excited to be married. They were obviously very loved by their family and friends. The pictures showed Melissa from when she first found out she was pregnant, and her belly grows throughout the slideshow. Matt and Melissa sent a very positive message throughout the documentary embracing life no matter how tough it gets and hard the struggles are. When they were getting ready to move to Oregon after the wedding and when she was still pregnant, it showed them saying goodbye to family and they talked about how they were nervous to move away. Their next segment where they’re talking on camera, they seemed a little weary, but they were still very much in love. They embraced that life is a journey and it ended with a picture of their new baby girl Madelyn Avery Eich born on October 3, 2007. Matt had said that although it sounded nice to be able to travel and go overseas to do something that made a difference, he realized that freedom was worth trading in for a family life. The slideshow told a good story and the natural sound and sound bites added a lot to the story.
Homework #8 March 10, 2009
Soldiers, Girl Scouts team up to ship cookies to troops overseas
Dallas Morning News -Video: Tom Fox/Editing: Lara Solt
1. Point of View
The point of this story was to show viewers here in the United States that our soldiers overseas appreciate care packages. Volunteer soldiers from the Carrollton Army Recruiting Station partnered with the Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains and Airborne Angel Cadets of Texas to ship donated cookies to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The volunteer soldiers made the story very real and personal through their appreciation and hard work loading the cookies onto the truck. The point was that people here in the states should think more often about giving their time and efforts for our troops, and how thankful they are for every bit of it.
2. A Dramatic Question
What keeps the viewer interested and wanting to watch until the end of the story has a lot to do with the visuals from the video. There are $65,000 worth of Girl Scout cookies being loaded onto a truck by soldiers. This makes the viewer very interested in what is going on. Where are the cookies going? Why are they going there? How long did it take to raise the money to send that many boxes to its destination? There are many questions that keep the viewer listening and watching. How is it going to end? And by the end of this story, the viewer understands and appreciates the outcome.
3. Emotional Content
This story has a lot of emotional content. There are thousands of soldiers fighting for our country, and many people have lost loved-ones. For those who know people overseas, or even don’t, can be touched emotionally by this compelling story of people giving money so that our troops can feel appreciated and loved while they are gone.
4. The Gift of Your Voice
The interviews in this story were very informative. But one interview in particular with a volunteer soldier was particularly compelling. He said that many troops don’t receive anything for months at a time, and something like the Girl Scout cookies makes all the difference in the world. Not only did that personalize the story and humanize the soldiers which we don’t know personally, it drew emotion from the viewer.
5. The Power of the Soundtrack
There was no music in the story, but the interviews and the visual storytelling made up for what could have been lost by no soundtrack.
6. Economy
There were many visuals, and the interviews really sent a message to its viewers. The video and the interviews complemented each other and added to the story without distracting elements. The point was made well. The video was not lengthy, and shouldn’t have a problem holding people’s attention.
7. Pacing
The story was very well done and paced very well. There was an adequate amount of air time for all of the images and interviews. It made sense and was not confusing.
In Class Assignment #3 March 5, 2009
Red Flag for Tobacco
One in five U.S. deaths are caused by smoking and lawmakers are stepping in. The $80 billion tobacco industry will be regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce passed the legislation, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act in a 39-13 vote in Washington.
The bill is supported by industry leader Altria Group Inc. President Barack Obama, who kicked the habit, plans to add more noticeable warnings to cigarette packages, restrict tobacco marketing to young people, and require the FDA to monitor ingredients and the introduction of new tobacco products.
“Regulating tobacco is the single most important thing that we can do right now to curb the deadly toll of tobacco,” said Representative Henry Waxman, “and the FDA is the right agency to do the job.”
However Representative Joe Barton says there are better ways to address the tobacco issue and he would hope as the bill moves forward members will reflect on the unintended consequences of legislation.
All of the Democrats at the panel’s meeting voted in favor of the legislation, and they were joined by six Republicans. The measure now moves to the full house.
Homework #7 March 5, 2009
B.J. Lewis is the county government reporter for the Denton Record Chronicle.
Although Lewis didn’t have formal training or classes educating him on multimedia, he produces video content for the DRC website. He wishes to get his masters at the University of North Texas and get some more hands-on training.
Lewis talked to the class about the advantages of doing photography, video, and audio for stories. He enjoys what he does very much and sometimes can do two stories in one day by deadline that include video, photography, and audio. He also discussed the process of getting content onto the website.
Lewis added that he would like to pursue directing and producing one day.
Lewis obviously has a passion for his career at the Denton Record Chronicle.
Homework #6 Continued March 3, 2009
Dogs Attack Teens
Pit bulls allegedly attacked two teenage boys in the Hamilton Park neighborhood in North Dallas. Four of the dogs were isolated when they broke free and chased the boys ages 13 and 15.
One of the teen boys received a small bite to the rear in the attack. The other teenager used a belt as a weapon to chase the dogs to the yard of a nearby home.
Injuries were not believed to be serious and the injured boy declined treatment.
Two of the pit bulls were held temporarily in the back of a patrol car. The other two dogs were being watched under a quarantine.
*To crowdsource this story, I would attach a poll to the bottom of this article allowing consumers to vote on whether dogs should be put down if they attack and injure someone, or other questions on what the consequences should be.
Homework #6 March 3, 2009
Battle to Block Beer at Six Flags
State regulators received a letter requesting a rehearing on Six Flags Over Texas‘ efforts to get a liquor license.
Fort-Worth based Texas Sober Inc. was one of only three opponents granted party status and allowed to request another hearing. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission administrator ruled last week that the chain could receive a liquor license for its theme park and its Hurricane Harbor water park.
Officials said they would sell beer at only a handful of Six Flags locations, and the consumption would be closely monitored.
The administrator has 45 days, plus a three-day mailing period, from last week’s ruling to decide whether to schedule another hearing in front of an administrative law judge.
*To crowdsource this, I would put a poll on the bottom of this story and allow consumers to vote on whether or not they agree that Six Flags should allow alcohol into the parks.
Homework #5 February 24, 2009
The North Branch Library in Denton is expecting a special guest this Wednesday. Former Dallas Cowboy Drew Pearson will be signing copies of his new book Remembering Texas Stadium.
“I’m not real familiar with Mr. Pearson, but we plan to come anyway. It sounds like someone we should meet,” said Caroline Herrera, mother of two. “My family loves the Cowboys.”
In 1973, Pearson was selected as a free agent by the Dallas Cowboys, where he became one of NFL’s greatest wide receivers, earning multiple career records. Pearson made a name for himself in the ’70s and ’80s when he helped his team win Super Bowl XII in 1978. The wide receiver earned a reputation for his great catches in high-pressure football games.
“It will be a great time. We’re very excited,” said a Denton library worker. “We are hoping for a great turnout. It’s not everyday we get a famous Cowboy’s football player to sign books for us.”
Remembering Texas Stadium is the recollection of the blood, sweat and pride of playing in the NFL’s unique home. Over 38 years, Texas Stadium saw five world championships, seven conference championships, the setting of the NFL rushing title and countless other victories. Texas Stadium was built in 1971 and was the home for the Dallas Cowboys until the 2008 opening of the new $1.1 billion facility.
“I think this will be a great time for my son to meet a former Cowboy’s player. Our family has been really stressed with our home situation, and this will be a nice time to just stop and have a little fun,” said Pam Long, a frequent library visiter.
The event will take place from 2-4 p.m. and is open to the public. Co-author and longtime Dallas sports writer Frank Luksa will be joining Pearson.
The North Branch Library is located at 3020 North Locust Street in Denton, Texas.
In-Class Assignment #1 February 17, 2009
I had done the assignment and brilliantly deleted it by accident.
Homework #4 February 15, 2009
Page 79: Exercise #2
Newspaper print and broadcast have been very useful and legitimate sources to consume news. The Web, however, has made a huge debut. When The New York Times or the Star-Telegram arrives on the doorstep at a home, that’s the only source of information until the next morning when the next newspaper arrives. Although broadcasts continue throughout the day at different hours, the Web is the only real way to look up what’s going on down to the minute. Updates are recorded on news stories almost immediately, and not everyone has time to sit down and watch a broadcast segment throughout the day to be constantly updated. With the convenience of the Web, its popularity has grown. Journalists are obligated to stay informed and on their toes, but the expectation for journalists to be educated on all forms of multimedia could be too high. Journalists are usually trained in one medium, and to expect them to know all could result in dissapointment. But to have several people trained in their medium and producing factual information is realistic in the multimedia world. It attracts consumers and allows access to news and information through television, newspaper, and/or the Web. Newspapers don’t have enough room to show dozens of pictures of a news story, and broadcasts don’t usually have the time. A multimedia presentation, however, enhances a story greatly without distraction from the facts. I am excited by the prospect of multimedia reporting!
The Five I’s for The Plainview Daily Herald; my hometown website. Interactivity, Involvement, Immediacy, Integration, and In-Depth Opportunities.
My Plainview allows interactivity and involvement for the consumer. One can simply just click on the news story and read about it and look at some pictures, or others can take a step further and blog about it. Another positive detail about this website, is that you can directly contact the reporter through their personal email address at the end of the story. Plainview, Texas is a small town, and perhaps have not yet looked into furthering their website with more interactive opportunities such as maps, question of the day, polls, and quizzes.
While the website is updated with new stories everyday, the Plainview website is guilty of “shovelware.” There isn’t a place where it shows the stories have been updated, only the day of the original unchanged publication. In-depth coverage suffers because of this. Receiving the Plainview Daily Herald when I lived there, I did notice familiar names from the print stories, and web stories, informing me that some reporters do both print and web pieces.
