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November 30, 2005
Nancy's Final Blog Entry
In our class this semester, we reviewed news-writing conventions as well as the pitfalls of scientific and pseudo-scientific reporting. In our remaining few weeks, we explored a new form of journalism: Gillmor-style, cyberspace journalism. We each brought a unique perspective to the assigned readings from We the Media.
For coverage, I blogged on Gillmor’s invitation in Chapters 1 and 2 to both the news consumer and the news maker to engage in an interactive, new-media conversation. The author mentioned the limitations of on-line journalism in the area of investigative reporting. I took an in-depth look at a more traditional journalist’s investigative report. In another in-depth entry on the same chapters, I expressed my opinions. It’s always risky to do so, but Gillmor himself welcomes contrary opinions and in doing so reveals much about his character: “I tend to learn more (or at least as much) from people who think I’m wrong than people who think I’m right, and when they offer reasons I pay close attention, even if we continue to disagree” (248). In Chapter 3, Gillmor showed that traditional news-making rules have changed and in Chapter 5 that the “little guy” can have an impact.
I had a discussion with Lorin on a quote Gillmor used in Chapter 4: “Always Make New Mistakes.” I had another in-depth discussion with Mike Sichok on a quote he included in his presentation “if it bleeds, it leads.”
In my coverage on Chapter 6, I noted that Gillmor echoes a theme we heard throughout the semester, “We must maintain core principals … fairness, accuracy, and thoroughness” (134).
In Chapter 7, Gillmor promoted open-source journalism. I tried it with my feature article. Lou’s comment reminded me of the importance of peer encouragement. One of my sources, Dr. Brino-Dean pointed out an error which was easily corrected and in doing so demonstrated Gillmor’s point.
I had a discussion with Evan on Chapter 8. I xenoblogged on Jenna’s admissions blog, but the credit goes to Jenna for researching my question.
Gillmor continued to enlighten new-media journalists, which I covered in Chapters 9, 10, 11, 12. Bethany’s presentation prompted an interactive, blog conversation between us. Finally, I received a thoughtful and generous comment from Lorin on my timely blog on a Tribune-Review feature article, which brings me to Christmas.
Since this is a Catholic University, I can say it, “Have a very merry Christmas.” And for those of you who don’t celebrate it, "Have a wonderful break." This was my first semester at Seton Hill. It was a pleasure being in class with you. I’m extremely impressed with the intelligence and maturity of all of you!
Posted by NancyGregg at 11:36 PM | Comments (2)
The Associated Press Stylebook
After today’s class, I thought the AP Stylebook could be a course by itself. Conforming to the news writing punctuation standards is like learning a new language. For instance, I never would have checked on the proper way to punctuate a book, play, or movie. I just assumed they were italicized. It’s funny, because I do read the entertainment section for movie reviews but apparently never noticed. Abbreviating the states is entirely different from the post office standard that I’m used to, as well.
It’s a handy reference book, but there are times when I would not think to use it. Anything new seems strange and challenging, but eventually, I’m sure, a reporter would not have to refer to it. I wonder if blog journalists conform to AP standards.
Posted by NancyGregg at 07:56 PM | Comments (0)
November 29, 2005
They can’t fake tears in Reeves Theatre
In October, psychologically challenged and timid, Jonathan Stewart relied on his hand-puppet Hinky Binky to express his suppressed emotions. For several weeks in November, he took on the persona of a mythical ratcatcher, or fantasized he was a British postman. Sometimes, he assumed a German accent and donned a Nazi uniform.
Schizophrenic? Not at all! Stewart was doing what he loves best ─ performing. "All my life I wanted to be an actor,” said Stewart, a junior in the Seton Hill University (SHU) Theatre Program.
A native of Thompson, Pa., Stewart started performing in middle school and hasn’t stopped. This season he played the puppet-loving Millet in Fuddy Meers and multiple roles in Kindertransport. And in the February production of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, he will play Mark Antony.
In Reeves Theatre, where Stewart and his peers perform, the actors have to be real. “They can’t fake tears,” said Assistant Professor of Theatre Karen Glass. “The audience is too close.”
“We are in an exciting place,” said Theatre Program Director Terry Brino-Dean. “We’re looking forward.” According to Brino-Dean, construction is slated to begin this spring on the University Center for the Arts.
Seton Hill University President JoAnne Boyle displays a model in her office of the proposed complex which will house a flexible, 200-seat theatre.
Glass hopes the new theatre will retain Reeves’ intimacy.
“I am disappointed that I won’t be here to see the new theatre,” said junior Miquel Doby, “but I like the intimacy of Reeves. The audience can see the actors’ expressions.”
Every production starts with the script. In the spring of the previous year, the Play Selection Committee selects four plays.
“First and foremost,” said Brino-Dean, “we consider what the theatre majors need to round out their education.” They then consider the Seton Hill student body and the broader, Greensburg area. “We relate to things that are going on,” said Brino-Dean. “We want the audience to be engaged.”
“The script is the bones of the production,” said Glass. “We study it; evaluate the mood, and decide our production take.” Glass, who oversees lighting design, scours it for mechanics. “What time of day is it? Will people be turning lights on and off?”
Students audition for every show in which they appear. Senior Adrienne Fischer said there’s tension around auditions. “Everything’s up for grabs,” said Fischer. “And everyone wants to do their best.”
“What enables us to overcome the competitiveness is our mutual passion for the theatre,” said sophomore Laura Stracko.
Assistant Professor of Theatre Denise Pullen, surrounded by stacks of scripts and text books, explained that students aren’t required to audition. Sometimes they take a semester off to maintain their grades. Non-theatre majors, she added, can also try out.
Once cast, students spend 30 hours a week rehearsing, which doesn’t include such things as costume fitting or working with a dialect coach.
“The rehearsal is the classroom,” said Pullen. As she directs, she has a good idea of where she wants the actors to stand and gets them started. “It’s collaborative,” said Pullen. “They teach me so much about the character. I learn from them.”
Brino-Dean, who had performed with an improv troupe, said learning lines is just the beginning. “You have to tell the truth on stage. If you don’t, the audience will know it," said Brino-Dean. "Acting is reacting. Acting is improvisation.”
To get into character, Fischer, who played the amnesiac Claire in Fuddy Meers and is cast as Cleopatra opposite Stewart, reads the script as many times as she can. A lot of character development comes from rehearsal. “You rehearse it over and over again,” said Fischer.
“Depending on how sensitive the character is, acting can be stressful at times,” said Jeremy Burkett, a non-theatre major who enjoys performing.
Twenty minutes prior to performing, the actors undergo emotional prep. Fischer listens to music. For the insecure but warm-hearted Claire, she chose Carole King’s “Safe Again” and “Up On the Roof” plus Natalie Merchant’s “Carnival” and “Kind and Generous.”
Doby, Heidi in Fuddy Meers, relates what’s happening in her character’s life to something in her own. “I’m shy,” said Doby. “But when it’s time to go on stage, I let go. I become that person.”
During productions, senior Jamie Williams, who has performed in six productions and assisted in four others, rises early, attends classes, eats, rehearses, and returns to her room. “It’s a real commitment,” said Williams. “It’s like being an athlete. We have that same dedication.”
With the makeup needed to age her plus the physical warm-ups, Williams spent an hour and a half preparing for stroke-victim Gertie in Fuddy Meers. Mastering "stroke talk" was challenging, but Williams fell in love with her character.
Fight director, Shaun Rolly, choreographed the Fuddy Meers’ fight scenes. Adrian Concha, Kenny, said they rehearsed the step-by-step moves in slow motion. Two nights before opening, they sped it up.
During one fight rehearsal, one of the actors suggested it would be funny if Steven Clemens’ character Richard ended up “wearing” a chair. Clemens tried it. Judging by the audience response, it worked.
For Kindertransport, the actors toured the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. “It was very emotional,” said Stewart. “We saw all of the different stories and videos.”
Visiting the Holocaust Museum helped Stracko develop her character Helga. Playing the Jewish mother was a stretch for the young actress. “The good thing about relationships is that they are universal,” said Stracko.
The actors also viewed two documentaries, My Knees Were Jumping; Remembering the Kindertransports and Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport.
The Kindertransport cast worked with a dialect coach. Stracko’s exposure to Pennsylvania Dutch made acquiring her character’s German-Jewish accent fairly simple.
For her portrayal of Evelyn in Kindertransport, sophomore Danielle Nortum “feels” the audience’s emotion. “During a performance things are pretty heightened. Sometimes I can hear them [the audience] crying,” said Nortum.
For his role as Caesar in Antony and Cleopatra, Burkett will research his character, the time period, and the environment. “I identify with the personality of my character by absorbing and becoming it according to the direction of the director,” said Burkett.
The entire production requires team work. “If someone mucks their lines, or if a technician misses a light cue at a crucial point, it affects the entire cast,” said Burkett.
Seton Hill’s appreciation for the arts attracted Stracko, but “the people clinched it. We are like family,” said Stracko.
Doby gets along with the entire cast. “The departments are small,” said Doby. “We get thrown together so much.”
“For me, it’s just being here together each day with my peers and doing this kind of thing,” said Concha.
“We help one another on stage,” said Stewart. “If someone drops a line, you pick it up and go with it.”
“We [actors] are very, very close,” said Fischer.
That camaraderie, said sophomore Darcy Wood, motivated her to return to Seton Hill. After her freshman year, she had transferred to a Chicago university renown for its theatre program. Two weeks into the term, crying and miserable, she came back. “I love this place so much,” said Wood. “Everyone is so welcoming.”
Students, not cast in productions, help in other areas. “We encourage all of the students to have multiple skills,” said Glass.
Doby enjoys behind-the-scenes work such as public relations. She finds directing interesting but challenging. “When you are directing, you have to become every role,” said Doby.
When Fischer’s not rehearsing, she’s painting. The actress, who heads the paint crew, said she takes her painting as seriously as her acting. In the 2004 production "Lysistrata," Fischer, who played Lysistrata, painted during the day and rehearsed in the evening. On one occasion, consumed with painting a huge war mural, she was forced against her will to take a break.
Upon graduation, most of the actors have aspirations to continue in some aspect of theatre.
Clemens, a junior, in addition to his role as Richard in Fuddy Meers, assisted with sound effects for Kindertransport, and will play Domitius Enobarbus in Antony and Cleopatra. Ultimately, Clemens would like to perform on Broadway. “If you don’t shoot for the stars, you will never miss.” If not Broadway, he would like to teach. “I wouldn’t mind coming back and passing on what I know,” said Clemens.
Eventually, Wood would like to be on Broadway, too. “If that doesn’t work out,” said Wood, “I would like to start my own theatre company.”
Fischer, who graduates in May, will stay in Pittsburgh to continue painting and performing. “We have a good cultural district right here in Pittsburgh,” said Fischer.
Stewart intends to spend the summer in Los Angeles where he will move next year after graduation. “My parents are very supportive,” said Stewart.
When Doby graduates, she wants to move to California. If she can’t find work as an actor, she would like to be involved in some aspect of television or films. “I never wanted to be anything else. My mother thought maybe I’d grow out of it. In acting, you can be anything you want,” said Doby.
Posted by NancyGregg at 09:36 PM | Comments (0)
Christmas--the season to be healthy and merry
Christmas is my favorite holiday; I love everything about it. In years past, I usually put the tree up shortly after Thanksgiving and took it down preferably the day after New Year’s. This year, however, since we acquired an exuberant, new puppy and since my daughter won’t be home, I thought I’d skip the tree.
I was feeling guilty about it until I read the Tribune-Review article “I’ll be prone for Christmas.” The article offers advice on how to stay healthy physically and emotionally. It also discusses the issue of holiday stress that in effect most people put on themselves. In an attempt to cram extra activities into an already tight schedule, people are more prone to colds and viruses. Another holiday hazard, depression, can be avoided by lowering expectations. Creating new traditions and experiences, the article suggests, can help those who have suffered the loss of a loved one.
Posted by NancyGregg at 09:21 PM | Comments (1)
November 26, 2005
Epilogue and Acknowledgements
In the epilogue, Gillmor explains how his book was an experiment in open-source journalism. He initially posted an outline and welcomed corrections, additions, and comments. The response was overwhelming and eventually the author posted the Introduction and Chapter 1. Being vulnerable to criticism or corrections didn’t deter him.
“I tend to learn more (or at least as much) from people who think I’m wrong than people who think I’m right, and when they offer reasons I pay close attention, even if we continue to disagree” (248).
That quote says a lot about Gillmor and says a lot to anyone who wishes to express their opposition to any issue or statement. An argument backed with facts is one worth listening to.
Posted by NancyGregg at 07:59 PM | Comments (0)
Chapter 12
“The internet is the most important medium since the printing press” (236).
That is why it is so important, Gillmor argues, that the flow of information remain unimpeded. When it does, it facilitates a news dialogue and on a grander scale a conversation that transcends traditional boundaries and cultures─one that will inevitably shrink the world and in doing so bring us “closer” together.
Posted by NancyGregg at 07:58 PM | Comments (1)
November 23, 2005
Roadblocks to Cyberspace Freedom (Chapter 11)
“The future of media doesn’t just belong to people who can depend on a First Amendment; it also belongs to the rest of the world” 220.
Information freedom, the cyberworld’s heart and soul, along with its mouth piece, grass-roots journalism, is being threatened by firewalls, filters, DRMs (Digital Restrictions Management) and cookies. Yes, cookies. Not the chocolate-chip variety, but the big-brother tracking type. Cookies, developed by Netscape, track every site a netizen has visited. The tradeoff of allowing the user easy access to favorite websites, Gillmor points out, is small compensation for his or her lack of privacy.
Posted by NancyGregg at 09:51 PM | Comments (0)
November 20, 2005
To Sue or Not to Sue (Chapter 10)
If Shakespeare were alive today, he might ponder that very question. But since he isn’t and we are, we need to be aware, Gillmor points out, that bloggers and “netizens” can be sued for infractions ranging from libel to misguided links. Add the complex jurisdiction issue and one should think carefully about the content of his or her blogs.
“First, he [David L. Marburger, 1st Amendment Attorney] told me, anyone who writes regularly on the Net about other people or institutions should try to be insured against libel.” (193)
That may not be practical for the average blogger or journalist. Gillmor does note that a blogger cannot be sued for the comments from contributors. It seems to me this equates to a crime reporter attributing all accusations rather than making them him or herself.
Posted by NancyGregg at 09:49 PM | Comments (0)
Sidebar on Chapter 9
“The growing field of “product”─putting brand-name products into TV shows and movies─is moving closer to the news process, and that should disturb everyone” (177).
It disturbs me; I dislike seeing advertisements in a movie that I’ve paid to see. The reason behind the practice, I heard, was that the advertising revenue offsets the expense and risk of producing a movie in today’s volatile market.
I recall the Steven Spielberg movie ET, which used “Reece’s Pieces.” Initially, Spielberg approached “M&M,” Mars Candy who refused. It was a huge boost for Hershey’s.
Concerning the right-wing’s disdain for Jane Fonda (177), Vietnam vets, whether left or right, hate her. I worked with a black, Vietnam vet, a staunch Democrat, who vociferously proclaimed his “dislike” for her. In his work area, he displayed a large Jane Fonda poster: “I ain’t fond of Jane.”
Posted by NancyGregg at 08:19 PM | Comments (0)
Caveats to New Media Journalists (Chapter 9)
“In the physical world, I always try to ask my self what a person I’m interviewing has to gain from doing an interview” (184).
Prospective journalists, in my opinion, would be wise to add Gillmor’s quote to their cache of journalistic wisdom. This sound advice extends to the digital world as well. Cyber-spin in the form of comments or postings, Gillmor cautions, is becoming harder to detect. Be wary of opinions from anyone who doesn’t convey their connection to the issue.
“But for now, people need to take information on the Internet with the proverbial grain of salt” (190).
Gillmor reminds the reader that there’s no substitution for common sense. Anything that has significant impact on one’s life needs to be checked out. Why? Because …
“One of the Net’s great features, the ability to remain anonymous, can also be one of its chief defects” (180).
For the journalists, anonymous posts or sources are incredulous.
Posted by NancyGregg at 08:15 PM | Comments (0)
Hallmarks of Journalism, Digital or Print (Chapter 8)
“The ability to get the news you want is the hallmark of a net-worked world.”
As more and more people connect to the internet, its news capabilities expand. Consequently, with the internet, an eclectic mix of news is just a click away. For me personally, that’s what I love about it. I find good sources for papers that I’m writing, and if the professor doesn’t accept or limits internet sources, they often lead me to an acceptable one.
Nevertheless, Gillmor echoes the precept he has used throughout his book: accuracy, fairness, and ethical standards are core principals in journalism mode.
Posted by NancyGregg at 08:13 PM | Comments (2)
November 19, 2005
Behind the Scenes of Seton Hill's Theatre Program (Part 4)
The actors have a close bond. Doby gets along with the entire cast. “The departments are small,” said Doby. “We get thrown together so much.”
“For me, it’s just being here together each day with my peers and doing this kind of thing,” said Concha.
“We help one another on stage,” said Stewart. “If someone drops a line, you pick it up and go with it.”
“We [actors] are very, very close,” said Fischer.
That camaraderie motivated Darcy Wood to return to Seton Hill. After her freshman year, she transferred to a Chicago university renown for its theatre program. Two weeks into the term, crying and miserable, she returned to Seton Hill. “I love this place so much,” said Wood. “Everyone is so welcoming.”
Students, not cast in productions, help in other areas.
Doby enjoys behind-the-scenes work such as public relations. She finds directing interesting but challenging. “When you are directing, you have to become every role,” said Doby.
When Fischer’s not rehearsing, she’s painting. The actress, who heads the paint crew, said she takes her painting as seriously as her acting. In the 2004 production Lysistrata, Fischer who played Lysistrata, painted during the day and rehearsed in the evening. On one occasion, consumed with painting a huge war mural, she was forced against her will to take a break.
Upon graduation, most of the actors have aspirations to continue in some aspect of theatre.
Clemens, a junior, who has been singing since the fifth grade, in addition to his role as Richard in Fuddy Meers, assisted with sound effects for Kindertransport, and will play Domitius Enobarbus in Antony and Cleopatra. Ultimately, Clemens confided, he would like to perform on Broadway. “If you don’t shoot for the stars, you will never miss.” If not Broadway, he would like to teach. “I wouldn’t mind coming back and passing on what I know,” said Clemens.
Posted by NancyGregg at 02:36 PM | Comments (1)
Behind the Scenes of Seton Hill's Theatre Program (Part 3)
Twenty minutes prior to performing, the actors undergo emotional prep. Miquel Doby, Heidi in Fuddy Meers, relates what’s happening in her character’s life to something in her own. “I’m shy,” said Doby. “but when it’s time to go on stage, I let go. I become that person.”
To get into character, Adrienne Fischer, who played Claire in Fuddy Meers and is cast as Cleopatra opposite Stewart, listens to music. For amnesiac Claire, she chose Carole King’s “Safe Again” and “Up On the Roof” plus Natalie Merchant’s “Carnival” and “Kind and Generous.”
During productions, senior Jamie Williams, who has performed in six productions and assisted in four others, rises early, attends classes, eats, rehearses, and goes home. “It’s a real commitment,” said Williams. “It’s like being an athlete. We have that same dedication.”
Between the makeup needed to age her and the physical warm-ups, Williams spent an hour and a half preparing for Gertie in Fuddy Meers. Playing the stroke victim was challenging, but Williams said she fell in love with her character.
Fight director, Shaun Rolly, choreographed the Fuddy Meers’ fight scenes. Adrian Concha, Kenny, said they rehearsed the step-by-step moves in slow motion. Two nights before opening, they sped it up.
During one fight rehearsal, one of the actors suggested it would be funny if Steven Clemens’ character Richard ended up “wearing” a chair. Clemens tried it. Judging by the audience response, he said, it worked.
For Kindertransport, the actors toured the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. “It was very emotional,” said Stewart. “We saw all of the different stories and videos.”
Posted by NancyGregg at 02:26 PM | Comments (0)
Behind the Scenes of Seton Hill's Theatre Program (Part 2)
A selection committee reviews plays. “First and foremost,” said Brino-Dean, “we consider what the theatre majors need to round out their education.”
Every production starts with the script.
“The script is the bones of the production," said Glass . "We study it; evaluate the mood, and decide our production take." Glass, who oversees lighting design, scours it for mechanics. "What time of day is it? Will people be turning lights on and off?"
Students audition for every show. Senior Adrienne Fischer said there’s tension around auditions. “Everything’s up for grabs,” said Fischer. “And everyone wants to do their best.”
Pullen, surrounded by stacks of scripts and text books, explained that students aren’t required to audition. Sometimes they take a semester off to maintain their grades. When they’re cast, they spend 30 hours a week rehearsing which doesn’t include costume fitting, etc.
“The rehearsal is the classroom,” said Pullen. When she directs, she has a good idea of where she wants the actors to stand. “They teach me so much about the character,” said Pullen. “I learn from them.”
Brino-Dean, who had performed with an improv troupe, said learning lines is just the beginning. An actor has to respond truthfully. If an actor doesn’t, the audience will know it. “Acting,” said Brino-Dean, “is reacting. Acting is improvisation.”
Posted by NancyGregg at 02:19 PM | Comments (0)
Behind the Scenes of Seton Hill's Theatre Program
During the 2005 fall term, Jonathan Stewart went through a number of transformations.
In October, psychologically challenged and timid, he relied on his hand-puppet Hinky Binky to express his suppressed emotions.
The following month, he underwent numerous personality changes. At times, he took on the persona of the mythical ratcatcher. At others, he adopted a Manchester accent and fantasized he was a British postman. During another particularly brazen episode, he assumed a German accent and donned a Nazi uniform.
Schizophrenic? Not at all, Stewart, a junior in the Seton Hill Theatre Program, was doing what he loves best ─ performing. “All my life I wanted to be an actor,” said Stewart.
A native of Thompson, Pa., he started performing in middle school and hasn’t stopped. This year he played Millet in Fuddy Meers, the ratchatcher … in Kindertransport, and will play Mark Antony in the February production of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra.
To enter the theatre program, students must audition or send portfolios. Theatre Program Director Terry Brino-Dean along with Denise Pullen, assistant professor of theatre, actively recruits. They attend conferences, performing-arts college fairs, and discover prospective students through word-of-mouth contacts. The $1000 annual scholarships are merit based; not full scholarships.
“The new theatre complex will help.” said Brino-Dean. “It will make a huge difference in the way students look at us.”
Seton Hill President JoAnne Boyle displays a model of the University Center for the Arts in her office. Slated to break ground in spring 2006, it will house a flexible, 200-seat theatre.
Karen Glass, assistant professor of theatre, hopes it will retain the intimacy of Reeves. In a theatre like Reeves, the actors have to be real. “They can’t fake tears,” said Glass. “The audience is too close.”
Posted by NancyGregg at 02:08 PM | Comments (4)
November 18, 2005
Open-Source Journalism (Chapter 7)
"For the first time in modern history the user is truly in charge, as a consumer and as a producer."
Gillmor identifies two segments of the population that had actively participated in print journalism and now in its digital counterpart.
The first got involved via letters to the editor. In digital newsmaking, however, their local voice extends globally.
The other group, a spin off of the former, takes blogging seriously. They are the innovaters that develop web sites, mailing lists, and implements SRS.
The resulting open-source journalism explodes throughout the cyber world.
Posted by NancyGregg at 10:07 AM | Comments (0)
November 15, 2005
Conversations with Journalists, A New Era (Chapter 6)
“Being the least knowledgeable person in the room has its advantages; I always learn something.”
That, in my opinion, is a notable quote. It certainly demonstrates Gillmor’s positive outlook. It also demonstrates why he’s not afraid to engage the news audience, an audience he learns from, in an interactive conversation. This news format doesn’t have to be threatening as change so often is.
Nevertheless, Gillmor asserts, “No matter which tools and principals we embrace, we must maintain core principals, including fairness, accuracy, and thoroughness” (134).
Gillmor emphasizes that fairness, accuracy, and thoroughness are crucial in any news platform. There is no substitute for the facts. If someone is misquoted or something is misrepresented, it needs to be corrected. News blogs facilitate accuracy.
In this new format, editors, Gillmor argues, are still essential. Through years of experience, they know where and when to edit. When a story is incomplete, they know what is missing (135).
Posted by NancyGregg at 05:21 PM | Comments (1)
The “little guy” gets a voice (Chapter 5)
In Chapter 5, Gillmor demonstrates how web blogs lend themselves to practical solutions, bottom-up ones, for complex problems. Bureaucratic entities such as the Homeland Security Information Network would be wise to allow citizen feedback. While existing ones such as the Pentagon’s suggestion box would be wise to expand their’s.
On an individual level, the author outlines how anyone can be an advocate. If it’s for a specific political candidate, create a web blog on a campaign issue. Then create links to the candidate’s positions or perhaps his or her voting record, as well as relevant articles. Include background commentary and allow comments. An internet version of the town-hall meeting will ensue.
Posted by NancyGregg at 02:53 PM | Comments (0)
Always Make New Mistakes (Chapter 4)
I love the following Ester Dyson quote, “Always make new mistakes.” It is the last and, in my opinion, the most important sentence in Chapter 4. It’s one of the ten rules for corporate blogging which integrates public relations and marketing and in doing so engages the consumer in a conversation. But it can also apply to whatever one is doing. Forget about old mistakes; make new ones. Just never let the fear of failure preclude you from trying something new.
Posted by NancyGregg at 02:51 PM | Comments (3)
A Sea of Information (Chapter 3)
“Information is an ocean, and newsmakers can no longer control the tide as easily as they once did” (45).
Via web blogs, Gillmor indicates that the news-making rules have changed in three ways.
1. “Like-minded people can investigate and distribute news that is either detrimental or supportive.
2. From the bottom up, information flows freely rather than the trickle-down method of its bottom-down counterpart, big media. Moreover, insiders are included in the process.
3. The third one is scary: “What gushes forth can take on a life of its own, even if it’s not true” (46).
Posted by NancyGregg at 02:49 PM | Comments (0)
November 14, 2005
Blogging’s great but
Did you ever get hung up in an automated phone system and think that technology’s gone too far?
Just the same, I’ve developed an affinity for blogging. Can anyone advise me on how you go about setting up a private blog. How much is it, etc.?
Posted by NancyGregg at 01:46 PM | Comments (2)
If it bleeds, it leads
Since it opened around 2000, my husband and I frequented the Loews theatre in the West Homestead Waterfront complex. Its palatial lobby, gourmet snack shop, plus its ice cream and cappuccino bar made it our movie house of choice. Last year, the day after Christmas we decided to see a movie. I noticed when we entered that the upholstered lobby furniture was gone and it seemed eerily empty. When we left the movie, the manager thanked us for attending which seemed somewhat strange. Then, the next day I heard a brief mention of a riot at the theatre on a Channel 2 newscast. I scoured the internet before learning that there had been a riot in the theatre on Christmas evening. Rowdy inner-city youths had to be removed from screenings and eventually a melee broke out in the lobby. I honestly wondered why it didn’t get any coverage; I would have liked to have known that.
This year on November 9, after a showing of “Get Rich or Die Tryin,” a man was fatally shot in the lobby. Four shots were fired. Chaos ensued as frantic patrons scrambled to exit the theatre or seek cover. These are two isolated incidents in this theatre’s five year history, but I think both stories deserved front page coverage. Although, I was not a patron during them, I don’t want to scour the internet for information about them.
Posted by NancyGregg at 01:26 PM | Comments (1)
November 13, 2005
Opinion, Opinion, Opinion
I grew up in the fifties and sixties. Sometimes via a song or a movie I go back, but I cannot stay. Life goes on. But I do remember Edward R. Murrow, his voice, that quintessential broadcasting voice. I remember the day Kennedy was shot. Like 9/11, that day was forever burned in my memory. I also remember Richard M. Nixon (1969-1974). I surmise that he’s “the law-breaking president that journalists brought down” (5). I have an opinion on that.
Richard Nixon was the first westerner to visit Mao’s China. He opened that door. Richard Nixon founded the Department of Environmental Protection. He was also instrumental in legislating equal rights for women. I liked Richard Nixon and still do. I felt “safe” with him as president; he excelled in international diplomacy. He was alleged to have assisted in the Watergate cover-up. Am I wrong, but didn’t Bill Clinton lie? I don’t hate Bill Clinton and I don’t hate Richard Nixon. Why does Nixon have to be continually vilified? Can’t we give him a little respect?
Concerning journalists “taking him down,” Bob Woodward was spoon fed information from the infamous “deep throat” alias Mark Felt, the FBI’s second in command under Hoover. Apparently, when Hoover died and Nixon overlooked Felt, the disenchanted Felt clandestinely met with Washington Post reporters and in double-agent style, HE brought Nixon down.
Posted by NancyGregg at 08:15 PM | Comments (0)
Investigative Reports
“For me, there is no purer form of journalism than a book. A journalist doesn't have to worry about "sacred cows" or partisan politics,” said journalist Pete Earley.
On Saturday evening, I caught part of an A&E Investigative Reports on maximum-security prisons. In it, the confinement conditions of Leavenworth inmate Thomas Silverstein shocked me. Since 1983, Silverstein has been kept in a special, isolation cell─dungeon─deep in the prison’s bowels. Until he received a TV recently, except for the buzzing sound of security cameras, there had been no sound. There is no natural light, and worse yet, glaring lights are kept on him continually. He cannot shave or get his hair cut. Silverstein murdered a prison guard. (His original crime was robbery.) Now, I do think murdering a prison guard or a police officer is reprehensible but so is strapping one’s two babies in their car seats and watching them drown as the car they're in sinks to the bottom of John D. Long Lake. Furthermore, there would be an outcry if mass murderer Saddam Hussein were kept in those conditions.
Journalist Pete Earley was able to interview Silverstein and posted some of the prisoner’s drawings on a web site. I’m thankful for investigative reports and the ones on A&E are exceptional.
Posted by NancyGregg at 08:13 PM | Comments (3)
We the Media, Chapters 1 and 2
“The blogging world is a conversation” and the new-media journalism it provides is an interactive process between the news provider and the news consumers (39). This news mutation, Dan Gillmor explains, immerged when technology addressed a cultural need─the need for citizens to actively contribute to their news. And news, as we know it, may never be the same.
Gillmor explains, as well, that while in Hong Kong desiring news coverage on the 2000 presidential elections, he “rolled” his own news. In other words, he obtained election news from a variety of sources: National Public Radio, web sites such as CNN, The New York Times, and his local San Jose News. He considered this eclectic coverage to be comprehensive.
Concerning news-blogging limitations, the author quotes Yale law professor Yochai Blenker “only in the area of investigative journalism does Big Media retain an advantage over open source journalism” (17).
Through all the technology, Gillmor echoes a common theme we have heard throughout our texts. “Certain values must remain: fairness, accuracy, and thoroughness” (42).
Posted by NancyGregg at 05:34 PM | Comments (0)
November 11, 2005
Tony Ide Escapes
Despite my expression, today’s lab exercise was fun. Well fun might be a stretch, but let’s say it wasn’t boring. Since I elected to stay put, rather than gather my notes which were strewn about, I was somewhat hampered─I have an affinity for the delete key and the cut and past feature.
I realize that it’s difficult to replicate the real world, but I do think a reporter covering the case would be familiar with all the parties involved and not have to refer to notes. Also, the spokespeople I’ve observed in televised press conferences speak more slowly. That said, I enjoyed the improv question and answer session. That’s the part of journalism I enjoy─the spontaneity of an interview. The other part of journalism that I find challenging is assembling a cohesive, relevant article from a copious pile of notes. I attempted to do that in our lab. I just hope Dr. Jerz can read the jumbled mess I gave him.
Posted by NancyGregg at 05:33 PM | Comments (0)
November 10, 2005
Nancy's 3rd Blog Entry
As we forged ahead in news writing, always blogging, always encouraging, we explored the dark side of journalism─the criminal side. Rather than undergo the “sink or swim” test that the unwary journalists in Dave Krajicek’s The Crime Beat endured, we prepared. We covered crime journalism, its jargon, and its major pitfall: the right to privacy. As journalists, careful not to malign or slander, we avoided libel by attributing accusations and charges. We experienced through our lab exercise the time constraints that crime reporters often face.
We then investigated the grey area of journalism: agenda-driven, scientific and social-science statistics. I posted two indepth blog entries, one on correlation studies; the other on polls. I also covered issues like the perils of proxies, tomatoe statistics, and tunnel vision and blind spots. The reader, we learned, needs to beware because statistics don’t tell the whole story. I engaged in a lively Xenoblog discussion with Chris on the reporting of social-science statistics and then discussed proxies and scientific coverage with Johanna and Jay. My sarcastic entry, "Don’t Worry, Be Happy," caught the attention of Jay, Chris, and Erin. A lively discussion ensued.
In preparation for our feature articles, we covered Chapters 9, 10, and 11 of the Associated Press Guide to News Writing. In them, Rene Cappon shares her expertise on feature writing. I enjoyed the comments I received from Lorin and Valerie on my blog entry, "News Writing Taboos." In her entry, Valerie points out the importance of noting details which reminded me how easily they can get lost in today’s technology.
Finally, we scoured the November 8th edition of the Tribune Review for crime articles and other articles of interest. Motivated by Lorin’s blog entry on the article covering the constitutionality of the president’s Military Commissions, I took an indepth look at this contentious issue. Ashlee’s impressive commentary on the Penn-Trafford teacher’s strike increased my awareness of the strike’s impact not only on seniors but on juniors, as well. After our class discussion on crime articles, I found one on plea bargains and posted a timely entry on it.
And as always, in the midst of our discoveries, we take time to laugh.
Posted by NancyGregg at 03:31 PM | Comments (0)
November 09, 2005
The Issue on the President's Military Commissions
Two things are being challenged: the president’s authority to create Military Commissions and whether or not they violate the Geneva Convention. It’s unclear as to what legal rights these detainees have. The Geneva Convention protects prisoners of war but the Bush administration qualifies Hamdan as an enemy combatant. Prisoners of war have more rights than enemy combatants. If they were detained in the U.S., they would be under the umbrella of the constitution.
A New York Times article explained that the Supreme Court decided last year, contrary to the president’s position, that federal courts could try enemy combatants. So the latest case, which comes before the Supreme Court in March, will test Bush’s war-time authority. According to a Georgetown University international-law blog, attorney’s for Hamdan (Osama bin Laden’s driver) claim the president overstepped his authority when he created the Military Commissions. Apparently, similar commissions were used in World War II.
Another issue is that John Roberts has a conflict of interest in this case because he ruled in a federal appeals court, prior to becoming chief justice, to uphold Bush’s Military Commissions. For that reason, he will not rule on this case, but that leaves open the possibility of a tie.
Posted by NancyGregg at 10:31 PM | Comments (2)
Crime News Stories
There were two other news stories covered in the November 8th addition of the Trib that I don’t think were mentioned in class today. The article “Former bankruptcy lawyer pleads guilty to fraud” mentioned a plea bargain, a crime term we discussed today (11). A Zelienople attorney now living in Fla. pleaded guilty to money laundering and mail, bank, and bankruptcy fraud. He had plea agreements that called for a maximum prison term of 10 years and 1 month. I also noticed another grammar point we discussed─the article correctly used “pleaded” not “pled.” I know I used “pled” in my crime articles; I never would have known to question that. “Pleaded” sounds so strange.
The other Associated Press article “Attorney: DeLay could get fair trial” concerned Tom DeLay’s attempt to have his trial moved to a different venue, one that is not prejudicial (4).
Posted by NancyGregg at 08:57 PM | Comments (0)
November 08, 2005
I live in a two-paper household. Although there are periods following an upsetting, Post-Gazette editorial that we receive only the Tribune Review, most of the time we receive daily the Tribune Review and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. I wish I could say that I’m the one that reads them but my husband does. Like my mother did for most of her life, my husband reads the paper cover to cover. Well, scan is probably a better word; he reads approximately 30 articles per day.
A feature story in Monday’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette caught my eye: "Dogs having their day as employers welcome pets at work." Since I like animals, especially dogs, I like the idea of having pets at work. Apparently, the Chatham College English department did as well because they allow professors to bring their dogs to work. Chatham, however, has no tolerance policy─one doggy accident and your dog is out.
I wrote a paper on the physical and psychological benefits that pets offer. Animals, friendly ones, reduce stress. It can be as simple as feeding birds or petting a dog or cat. What do you think of having a few friendly pets on campus or even one in the class room?
Posted by NancyGregg at 09:40 PM | Comments (3)
Eclectic News Mix from Harrisburg to the Moon
Since bias is frequently discussed in our news writing class, the issue of bias (not the journalistic type) attracted my attention in the Tribune Review article “Repeal still alive.” This article covers the stalemate between the PA House and Senate’s efforts to repeal the July 7th pay hike for all three branches: the legislature, judicial, and executive. While the Senate wants separate repeals for each branch, thereby allowing judges to reinstate their raises, the House wants an all-inclusive bill. If judges rule to reinstate their raises; the other two branches keep there’s, as well.
The question of bias arises with the Senate President Robert Jubelirer’s wife. His wife happens to be a Pennsylvania judge and Jubelirer is pushing for a bill that allows judges to reinstate their pay raises without affecting the other two branches. As we discussed in class yesterday, even if Jubelirer’s intentions were honorable, it raises a question mark. Is he’s straddling the line between keeping voters happy and keeping his wife happy?
I noticed another article in the World In Brief section on page 2. The Beijing Lunar Village Aeronautics Science and Technology Co. had its licensed revoked for selling lunar acreage. At $37 (298 yuan) per acre, it was a bargain. Just the same, the cost of gas to get there would be outrageous.
Posted by NancyGregg at 01:59 PM | Comments (1)
November 07, 2005
Amanda's Presentation and More
Amanda Cochran’s presentation today reminded me just how skillful a reporter must be. He or she must persist to get that relevant source and quote. Not to mention, the technical knowledge needed in crime reporting. A reporter also has to be political savvy but at the same time not politically active. Perhaps foremost, a reporter has to be thick-skinned.
Last night I saw the movie Capote. When I commented on Ashlee’s blog about his book, In Cold Blood, I didn’t realize a movie based on Truman Capote would soon be released. I read Capote’s book when I was a teenager. Needless to say, it had a chilling impact on me.
The movie was based on the five year period in which Capote wrote the book. Capote (Breakfast at Tiffany’s) went to Kansas to write an article for the New Yorker about the Clutter-family murders which eventually turned into a book. (Mr. and Mrs. Clutter, their teenage son, and daughter were brutally murdered in their isolated Kansas farm house). Truman, because of his homosexuality and odd, high-pitched voice, was accompanied by Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird). If you consider the year, 1959, and the place, the heartland, it’s not hard to understand why the editor wanted Harper Lee to assist him.
What struck me since taking this class was not only Capote’s persistence but his audacity. He actually snuck into the funeral parlor and peeked inside the closed caskets. On another occasion, after the murderers are apprehended and imprisoned, he bribes the prison warden to allow him unmonitored visits with Perry, one of the murderers. It seemed to me that there was no limit to the lengths Capote would go to in order to get his story.
Posted by NancyGregg at 03:14 PM | Comments (0)
November 05, 2005
News Writing Taboos
As we are discovering in news writing, there’s more to journalism than meets the eye. Whoops, I just committed a glaring, journalistic error─one that writers in any genre should avoid. “Meets the eye” is a very blatantly, flagrant cliché. Oh no, I can’t seem to help myself. I just intensified a useless adjective. But all those clichés and adjectives and intensifiers are so tempting. I love the word “very.” And the word “quite” is really quite sophisticated. What’s a budding journalist to do?
It’s simple. Read Chapter 9 and 10 of the AP Guide to News Writing. In these chapters, Rene Cappon demonstrates how ineffective overused, trite descriptions are and how effective tiny, colorful ones can be. To be effective, the news writer must use his or her ears and eyes: the ears to hear the sounds of words and the eyes to see their color.
At the start of my college-writing class, our professor gave us a list of approximately 25 words we could never use. Her “taboo list” included words such as interesting, nice, a lot, and very. We all hated that list, but it forced us to think of new ways to describe things. Similarly, Rene Cappon’s list of “Words to Swear At” challenges the news writer to think beyond clichés and banal phrases (92-94).
Posted by NancyGregg at 06:52 PM | Comments (3)
November 04, 2005
Final Thoughts on The Elements of Journalism
Questionable scientific theories are devoured by special interest groups and politicians and fed to the public as fact. In this pseudo-science food chain, by the time the news consumer ingests his or her daily ration of scientific data, it has been adulterated to the extent that it no longer qualifies as trustworthy.
In the summary, a familiar phase caught my eye, “afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted” (187). A portion of that phase “afflict the comfortable” appeared in The Elements of Journalism (112).
As journalists, we have the responsibility to avoid the pitfalls of over-zealous, investigative reporting, which is sensationalism masked as journalism. We also have the responsibility to avoid the pseudo, scientific-data trap. In doing so, perhaps we can play a small part in returning the profession to the honorable status it deserves.
Posted by NancyGregg at 10:08 AM | Comments (1)
November 03, 2005
Chapter 10 -- Tunnel Vission and Blind Spots
"It’s a good idea to be suspicious of monocausal explanations."
In Chapter 10 the authors suggest that reporters and news consumers, as well, be skeptical of one sweeping explanation for any social problem. They refer to this approach as a “hedgehog” one. It is done, they theorize, in attempt not to “blame the victim.” But often, as the authors demonstrate, complex social problems have complex reasons─multiple ones. For instance the United States’ unusually high infant mortality rate can not be attributed to poverty alone. As pointed out, countries with higher poverty levels have lower infant mortality rates. One theory the authors propose is that low-infant birth weights are a factor. Moreover, low-infant birth weights occur with smoking mothers and unwed mothers who wait before seeking prenatal care. As a result, a reporter needs to probe further for possible, alternative explanations.
Posted by NancyGregg at 04:48 PM | Comments (0)
November 01, 2005
Statistics Don't Tell the Entire Story
"Part of an increase (in crime, child abuse, cases of connective-tissue diseases, or anything else) may be real; part of it may reflect changed reports rather than a changed reality.”
In other words the statistical reality of a social issue (or a scientific one) is only relevant in the context of the methodology used to gage it. For the reporter, that translates to investigating the following: Who sponsored or conducted the research? What questions were or were not asked? What factors might account for the results? How (meta-analysis or original) was the study conducted? For the news consumer that simply means don’t take everything at face value. An increase in any social issue may indicate an increase in the reporting of that issue.
"If crimes reported by the police have gone up, that may mean that more crimes have been committed; it may also mean only that more were being recorded by the police."
For crime statistics, the authors point out that the FBI compiles data on reported crimes while the National Crime Victimization Survey uses both reported and unreported crimes. At first glance, I wondered why someone would not report a crime to police. I could understand a rape or domestic violence not being reported but why would someone not report a theft or assault? The authors do indicate that the rise in FBI crime statistics correlates with the sophisticated computing methods now used by local police forces.
Posted by NancyGregg at 10:27 AM | Comments (2)