Our Online Journalism class took a field trip last Tuesday to the Knoxville News Sentinel . I had no expectations going into the visit since I have sadly never visited the paper's office in my 15 years as a Knoxville resident.
As I pulled into the KNS parking lot, I was admittedly embarrassed of the thought that I was a UT journalism student and had no idea what my local paper had to offer. I walked in to the lobby where I luckily met Katie my classmate who was also running late. We were escorted upstairs by Jack Lail , a Managing Editor for the sentinel. Mr. Lail directs the editorial content on the News Sentinel's website. He was responsible for launching knoxnews.com in 1995 and GoVols.com in 1996.
Katie and I sauntered up the stairs. "Wow! It looks like the set of a movie," Katie and I both shrieked. We were immediately impressed with the professional look of a "real newsroom." I don't quite know what I expected, but the layout satisfied my ideas of what a newsroom should look like. It had the feel of the Daily Planet , a fictional newspaper on Superman that first sparked my interest in journalism.
We walked into a small conference room where our class was huddled around a table. I met three online producers (Katie Hall, Talid Magdy and Lauren Spuhler) working for the Sentinel and learned what each of them contributed to the paper. These producers keep knoxnews.com fresh with breaking news content and produce video, audio and multimedia packages. Their biggest advice for journalism students was to "dabble in every area possible and learn to work with different software." A proficiency in technical programs like i photo will set you apart from other journalism students.
The most interesting part of the News Sentinel field trip was listening to Jack Lail talk about his 30 years of experience working in journalism. Through the decades, technology has expanded the access and timeliness of news, but the basics of journalism Lail learned in college still apply today. It fascinated me that a veteran writer and a reporter fresh out of college (Hall) could collaborate skills and creativity to deliver breaking news to the public. The most important thing I took away from our field trip to the Knoxville News Sentinel was to continue improving as a journalist and gain experience where ever possible. The News Sentinel definitely matches up to other news websites. Their regional and national awards speak volumes of their news team and the competition they defeat in their market size.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
User-Contributed Content
What do you think of user-contributed content?
It depends on what the "user" is contributing. This may sound elementary but consider the fundamentals of the Internet. It is an online sharing tool. Time magazine recognizes user-contributed information as being the next best thing. Or is it? When it comes to listening to their customers, companies find it is one of the most useful tools to solving tough business problems. On the flip side, who are these people that contribute to news worthy stories? Who has the time, energy or passion to respond to content?
These online reviewers are people that offer valuable and sometimes useless feedback for discussion. If there is no direction to the discussion or forum, it can seem the user is rambling. Some companies set up designated chats or message boards to control the flow of conversation. In Web Developer's Virtual Library , new media pundits claim that user-contributed content "is one of the major benefits of the online medium compared with print and broadcast." The online medium has the timeliness and proximity that newspapers and TV lack.
The Internet is in the midst of an explosion of user-contributed content. Shows like Larry King Live and Nancy Grace are prime media examples of user-contributed content online. They offer the public news headlines and exclusive websites for vital information from celebrity gossip to missing persons updates. According to Judy Olson , "the dynamic and collaborative nature of the content available online today is a new twist on how people have used technology to share information in the past." Users are free to comment on what is most important to them as opposed to what fits with the stereotypical norm.
I contribute to content online daily through group message boards and Facebook wall posts. News is definitely a conversation. Think about how we all find out about the headlines. I can recall several instances where someone has called, text or emailed me about breaking news. It's the public's way of keeping each other safe and informed. In Journalism in a 24/7 World, this means making better ethical and credible news decisions for the online editor. This will change the way main stream media reports and produces the news by keeping journalism standards and values at the forefront of reporting. User-contributed content can only expand our knowledge and desire to report accurate and timely stories.
It depends on what the "user" is contributing. This may sound elementary but consider the fundamentals of the Internet. It is an online sharing tool. Time magazine recognizes user-contributed information as being the next best thing. Or is it? When it comes to listening to their customers, companies find it is one of the most useful tools to solving tough business problems. On the flip side, who are these people that contribute to news worthy stories? Who has the time, energy or passion to respond to content?
These online reviewers are people that offer valuable and sometimes useless feedback for discussion. If there is no direction to the discussion or forum, it can seem the user is rambling. Some companies set up designated chats or message boards to control the flow of conversation. In Web Developer's Virtual Library , new media pundits claim that user-contributed content "is one of the major benefits of the online medium compared with print and broadcast." The online medium has the timeliness and proximity that newspapers and TV lack.
The Internet is in the midst of an explosion of user-contributed content. Shows like Larry King Live and Nancy Grace are prime media examples of user-contributed content online. They offer the public news headlines and exclusive websites for vital information from celebrity gossip to missing persons updates. According to Judy Olson , "the dynamic and collaborative nature of the content available online today is a new twist on how people have used technology to share information in the past." Users are free to comment on what is most important to them as opposed to what fits with the stereotypical norm.
I contribute to content online daily through group message boards and Facebook wall posts. News is definitely a conversation. Think about how we all find out about the headlines. I can recall several instances where someone has called, text or emailed me about breaking news. It's the public's way of keeping each other safe and informed. In Journalism in a 24/7 World, this means making better ethical and credible news decisions for the online editor. This will change the way main stream media reports and produces the news by keeping journalism standards and values at the forefront of reporting. User-contributed content can only expand our knowledge and desire to report accurate and timely stories.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
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?
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?
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, September 24, 2007
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.
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.
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