Media Linking

Should the media be allowed to link to outside media like Digg?

Media should be allowed to link their stories to sites like Digg because its purpose is to share and discover with others. Isn't that what the concept of the internet is? Roger Simmons and John Cutter of the Orlando Sentinel have created headlines that are Web friendly so they get picked up by major search engines. This is good advertisement for their headlines and the companies they work for.

I think the internet is a growing source for news and this sort of journalistic behavior should be expected. Kelly Dyer Fry commented in the The New York Times , "People aren't just reading one story," she said. "They'll click deeper because of this, and I can load ads deeper into those pages. It really beefs up the site." This brings up a valid point for advertisers as well because it allows them to gain traffic on their sites too.

Some believe that linking to outside media is unlawful or copyright infingement . According to Erik on his blog inthefieldonline, "The underlying idea of the web directly implies that philosophically it should be perfectly fine linking to other sites, thereby directly or indirectly giving them the credit for the content. If you are not storing their content, I will have a very hard time understanding why that would mean infringement of copyright."

I believe if you give credit to the author where it is due, there should be no issue. This statement sums up the way I feel about how the media landscape is changing. Why is media linking to their sites a problem if it is not offensive or plagiarizing others ideas?

News Junkie

I follow the news religiously. I like to be "in the know" as opposed to "in the dark." Growing up, my mom set the example for me by reading the newspaper from front to back every single day. She always taught me the importance of knowing the current events of American culture. My favorite local news outlets are WBIR and KnoxNews since they offer the most timely and creative stories. Other media I use for entertainment as well as for news outlets are People online and even the UT website for fast and up to date information.

A typical news day for me is best described as neurotic. I obsessively check my email and Facebook for news feeds almost hourly. I check the The Weather Channel and then turn on the The Today Show for my preferred morning news network. Later in the day, I watch Live at Five on NBC. Finally, I finish the night with Larry King Live .

My news habits have definitely changed from high school. I care about what is going on around me. As you get older, the news effects you on a deeper level. I am genuinely interested in the happenings to those around me. The news allows me to have empathy, the deepest of human connections possible. As a college student, I confess to using the web a lot more than reading specifically news publications. recently started a position at WUTK's The Rock reading a Monday night news brief. I have realized that it is possible to get the news just as the public is.

Biography

Unlike many high school students, I knew early on my senior year I wanted to attend the University of Tennessee. Growing up in Knoxville, I was familiar with the UT College of Journalism . My main strengths in high school were English, writing and reading comprehension. Naturally, I wanted to study something I could both excel in and enjoy.

My biggest fear in life is wasting a day doing something that I am not passionate about. I never struggled with “what do I want to be when I grow up” because writing is as natural to me as breathing. It has been a blessing and a curse. On one hand, I know my true passion is writing and on the other hand, I have no idea where I want it to take me. One minute I want to go into television production, the next I want to write for a newspaper. Recently, I adopted an obsession with magazine writing. My energy for writing is scattered to say the least.

I am currently a junior enrolled in the College of Journalism/Electronic Media under the news track at UT. I have just started to dip into the major and most surprisingly, my online journalism class has been the most challenging courses I have taken. Typically, I am scared to show my creative side for fear of failure or rejection. I faced that fear when I created a photo slideshow of pictures from my part time job at a sushi restaurant in Knoxville. It was encouraging to be praised for the creative thought I put into the assignment.

Aside from writing, I am involved in UT’s local radio WUTK 90.3 The Rock . I had my first on-air news briefing today. While it seems trivial, it was a huge milestone for me. I never thought I would have the courage to speak during a live news broadcast. So often, we become complacent with whatever is “good enough,” but I want to challenge myself to ask the unexpected, try the unusual and learn the extraordinary.