RichelleDodaro

Attention-grabber to boring and without balance

2009-11-20T01:00:26Z

The three videos posted at the top of the Cavalier Daily instantly caught my attention, but in a way that I thought this was unusual. However, it caught my attention nonetheless. I like that this webpage has videos because it allows for interaction and things that can't be shown in print. I didn't like how there were these three videos placed at the top and then the rest of the page was just words and section titles. It was pretty boring and the spacing made my eyes wander off. I didn't and couldn't really focus on the page. There was no balance with this webpage.

Flashback

2009-11-20T00:48:49Z

The Harvard Crimson webpage reminded me of The New York Times online because of the videos and the amount of clickable links for articles. Not only were there just links, but below some headlines an excerpt was provided, which was nice because it wasn't just a bunch of headline links. The part of the webpage that I did find a bit overwhelming was at the bottom left under the section "More News." It seemed like there was too much going on. A story that did catch my attention was the one about students protesting the Stupak amendment which prohibits the publicity of abortions. The one line from the article that said that abortions would still happen, they would just be dangerous, really stood out to me because of its truth.

All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

2009-11-17T23:02:36Z

"Reporters should work on developing 'fairness skills' "(Haiman 59).

This idea of developing "fairness skills" was both striking and funny to me. As a journalist, it definitely is important to be fair because many people with different kinds of values and beliefs, as mentioned in the text, read the stories. For example, the story about the Buffalo Soliders provoked happy reactions from African-Americans, whereas Native Americans were disgusted by the praise these soldiers were given. Both sides had legitimate points, but it just goes to show that a "good" story is only good depending on who reads it, some of the time. This quote was funny to me because as adults, you would think that we have already developed "fairness skills" It just sounds like such an elementary term. However, the idea of fairness may differ slightly in journalism. I'm sure the idea isn't far off, though, from what "fairness skills" mean in general.

Good Information and Reminders, not Great Webpage

2009-11-17T22:44:12Z

The information displayed on this webpage was useful for me because I didn't know that you shouldn't put things like yogurt containers in the recycle bin. When the text mentioned the blue barrels, it made me think of my borough and how they recycle because our bins used to be a forest green color, and now they're the blue color. I liked how the forest green blended in with the environment, now the blue just really sticks out. However, that may be the purpose. I clicked on the link of what can be recycled in the city of Tucson and I really liked how images were displayed along the descriptions. It made the information much more lasting in my mind. I'm not sure if it was just my computer, but the page seemed cut off. Also, there was no link to go back to the homepage, which was a little frustrating. The video took very long to load, even after I finished reading the text beside it. I liked the idea of the video because you could really see how it all works.

Distractions, Not Useful Help from the Internet

2009-11-17T21:00:46Z

This webpage, Wired, immediately overwhelmed me and I didn't know which article to click on. It'd be different if there were several links with a preview of the content of the article because then you wouldn't be bombarded with tons of links and colors, as Angela mentioned in her blog. It was all just too much. Everything on the site was clickable! Personally, this annoys me and I'm not one to typically enjoy clicking through links and reading. I'd rather read an actual book. This webpage just really made me realize even more how the internet truly has taken over. The title of the webpage was excellent because it really did make you feel "wired," as Angela also said. Jeanine made a good point in her blog about how links should be kept to a minimum and that they should get straight to the point. I totally agree. Another thing I'd like to mention is that links within readings just distract me from my thoughts and my reading comprehension. The highlighted and underlined word is distracting and makes me stop to think, "Maybe I should click on it?" There needs to be a balance, and with this site, there was none. The only good thing I can say is that it had useful links that led you back to the homepage; and for people who do like to just skim titles or headlines to see if the story will interest them, then this is the site for them.

In Their Hands

2009-11-16T15:54:20Z

I watched the video about the inmates at a prision in South Carolina who play with decks of cards that have missing people and unsolved homicide victims and faces on them. The idea of this just sent chills through my body because of physically seeing how many there were and the fact that the hope for this project is that one or more of the inmates will remember something that can help solve one or more of cases. It's a "constant reminder" for them, as said by one of the mothers whose son was murdered at 24. I think this is an interesting project, and even though none of the cases have been solved through it, I think someday one will. These cards aren't only in this South Carolina prision; they're in 28 prisions in the country. Many anonymous tips have been given, but nothing has been solved. Throughout time, one of the cases has to be solved. These cards are constantly in the hands of people who obviously are associated with crime. Someday, I hope the memory of some of the inmates is jogged and a loved one can be found or their death can bring about some closure to the family. However, that's not to say that maybe none of the inmates won't know anything. This project is just so interesting and chilling. The whole idea of prisoners playing a game with the faces of lost ones and murdered in their hands is what makes it so chilling. I'm really glad I chose to watch this particular video and to have learned about this.

Invite the whole community

2009-11-12T23:50:37Z

"Invite citizens from minority groups to the office to talk about coverage. Better yet, hold those meetings in communities where it may be more convenient for the residents to attend. Consider adding some minority community members as resources to the staff team doing the audit. Several newspapers now are inviting readers to attend the daily news meeting to offer reactions and comments on proposed and budgeted stories and to join in the discussion about story play" (Haiman 51-52).

I definitely agree with this suggestion from the section that deals with minorities and communities. Alot of the times, minority groups feel as though they are left out of the news and don't have a say. Or, they feel as though their group or groups are constantly in the news but don't have a say in what goes into the newspapers, in terms of reactions and comments. However, I believe that all community members should be invited to meetings because they also make up the voice of the community. After reading Dianna's blog, I agree that an even bigger issue can arise with the focus being on minority groups rather than those in "majority" groups. This quote could be perceived in several ways depending on context. If all community members are typically invited, and minority groups are being encouraged to attend as well, then that's different. But, if only minority groups are invited, then that presents a case for discrimination all over again.

Third Step in Appreciating News Writing

2009-11-09T22:52:09Z

It truly is unbelievable that it is time for our third portfolio for Newswriting. Over these past three to four months, I have struggled with news writing, related it to my other English courses, and have come to appreciate it. It has helped me in that I believe I am a more specific writer due to word limits and encouragement to use active rather than passive verbs. I've struggled with not writing in chronological order when I have covered an event, such as Dr. Stephan Jacob's "Holocaust and Genocide: What's in a Name?" speech during the Holocaust Education Conference at Seton Hill. Overall, I have developed a more positive attitude towards this course and news writing in general. However, it is still not my prefered style of writing or occupation. So, here is a list of my blogs during this part of the semester dealing with coverage, depth, interaction, discussions, and timeliness.

Coverage

Unidentified - I searched for two breaking news stories that I thought would be ongoing stories.

I Like This - I discussed why I enjoy editorials.

Reality in Journalism - I blogged about how news writing is a learning experience for the readers and writers, and keeping readers in mind while reporting a story.

Hard Work - I argued for both sides of the news writing world - the journalists and the public.

You Can Never Know Too Much - I liked how editors and journalists still take classes to further their knowledge on news writing and reporting.

Depth

You Can Never Know Too Much

Hard Work

Unidentified

Interaction

Following Breaking News 1 - I commented on Kaitlin's blog about the ongoing breaking news stories.

They Have to Make the Right Mistakes - I commented on Katie's blog concering drafts.

Sorry Mom - I commented on Aja's blog regarding how some people immediately believe everything they hear in the news.

Discussions - fellow classmates commented on my blogs, listed below.

Unidentified

Reality in Journalism

You Can Never Know Too Much

Timeliness

You Can Never Know Too Much

Unidentified

Xenoblogging

Sorry Mom

Wildcard

Reality in Journalism

Hard Work

Like the Movies

2009-11-09T22:35:40Z

As I was reading the details on investigative journalism, it made me think about some of the things we see on TV and in movies, where a reporter is invovled with the law. A movie that stands out in my mind is "Erin Brockovich." She dug out reports and documents of a company that was allowing a cancerous chemical to go into its water. I can't remember all of the details of the movie, but this reading really made me think of that. I do remember that in the movie she got threats from people who didn't like what she was investigating and she went to court. This kind of newswriting definitely is more "exciting" than writing about certain events or reporting a crime. I'm not saying those aren't important things to cover, because they definitely are. It also seems like harder work, not only because of the amount of time that is typically spent investigating, but the fact that you must be careful about so many things, including the law and your safety, makes it seem that much more difficult. It's important to make sure what you're doing and writing are legal, but I really don't like the idea of people wanting to harm me or threaten me because I'm doing something they don't like. Newswriting has never really been my favorite thing, which may be why I feel this way. However, investigative reporters definitely are admirable in my eyes because their goal is to bring out something that is or has been hidden to the public. They are truly living out one of their purposes of serving the people and showing the truth.

You Can Never Know Too Much

2009-11-03T00:16:37Z

While reading Haiman, pages 29-42, a few things stood out to me. First, I think it's great that professional journalists, editors, etc. can take classes to help further their education on the subject. This goes along with the idea that one can never know too much, or one never stops learning. I think that these professionals should have opportunies for education in the field because ideas and structures are transforming and the audiences are changing as well. I think both formal classes and "brown-bag discussions" are essential. Formal classes provide structure while the discussions should be relaxed and a time for co-workers to share ideas and relate to each other on the topic. Also, through discussion the professionals can in a sense be "on the same page" as the next person. And, it allows for effective communcation which is extremely important in the news world.

I also really liked when Pete Carey, mentioned in this section said, " 'If I'm quoting someone, I want them to pick up the paper in the morning and say, 'Yeah, that's exactly how I feel about it.' " I like this because it shows the goal to accurately quote people and to make the public happy. The quote should also be placed within the right context, or else the meaning behind the quote could become lost.

Hard Work

2009-10-28T00:42:44Z

"Many journalists apparently believe that since they are writing the “first rough draft of history” and doing it under deadline pressure, it should be expected that some errors, misunderstandings and misinterpretations will occur; that historians eventually will sort it out...But the public sees it quite another way. They say they understand that reporters have to work very hard and fast under pressure...But they do not believe this should exempt the newspaper from cleaning up its messes promptly and fully.Seeing as many errors as they do, the public would like to see many more corrections and clarifications" (Haiman, 17).

I can definitely see where both sides are coming from here. However, I don't agree with the attitude that some journalists have concerning the "first rough draft of history." The wording seems to imply that they believe they are better and should not be challenged to to write well and perfectly since they are already doing such hard work. But, reporting news is just as important as finding things out. The public has a right to read and hear the news nearly error-free. The news affects the public, and if if they are misinformed, then the affect is altered, which can sometimes be serious. Journalists do work very hard to find out the news, and their aim is to get the truth, so shouldn't they want to report the truth mainly without errors? I don't think it's a huge deal if there are some grammatical errors; those are pretty much the only errors that should be there. The content should be error-free.

Reality in Journalism

2009-10-21T01:11:25Z

I really liked reading this portion of Haiman's Best Practices for Newspaper Journalists because it wasn't telling me how to be a journalist or setting out a strict set of rules, as mentioned on page 3: "It is not intended as rules for journalists. It is not even a set of guidelines...Rather, the handbook is an examination of the concerns readers have expressed about newspapers and a list of best practices used in many of the nation's newspapers to address those criticisms." I like that readers' opinions are viewed as important and almost essential to good journalism. Readers' opinions about journalism should definitely influence the writing, for, they are basically the ones that the journalists are writing for. They should have a say in what they read. However, it's important that we are informed about new things, things we don't ask for. When we are informed and when we learn, we have the ability to change things and come up with ideas as to what kind of stories we want to know about.

I agree with the complaint that "there is too much focus on what is wrong and what is in conflict..." (2). Sometimes, I don't even want to read or watch the news because it depresses me and makes me sad. I feel helpless. Overall, I think we all know how much cruelty, crime, and corruption go on in this world, and it would be nice if we could be informed on something positive, something that can cheer our lives for the moment, think that the world isn't so bad after all. If the news doesn't showcase that often, that's what our individual happy moments in life are for. I'm not saying that sad things should not be displayed in the news; that would be unrealistic because negative things are a part of reality. I think a major role of the news is to display reality while keeping it "fair," as the book also discusses.

I like the idea of the goal for journalism to be free and fair. The sound of the words flow, and the concept acted upon should flow as well. These are basic concepts that we as human beings need, and since journalism usually reflects human life, it makes sense that it should be free and fair.

I like this

2009-10-13T20:46:24Z

Reading this text on editorials was very helpful because I used to just think that editorials were for people to simply express opinions and/or complain. An editorial should not complain, which makes sense because anyone can complain about things. I like the fact that editorials do include facts, and that one should use those facts to support their opinions. It reminds me more of academic writing since one chooses a topic and uses quotes or facts to support their thesis. Editorial writing personally seems more enjoyable to me rather than factual, news writing, even though editorials are included under news writing.

Breaking news round 2

2009-10-09T03:11:19Z

For the story on the two men arrested for G-20 twittering, I found another article from October 7, two days after the inital article from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. This second article had more information because it talked about what the men had in their hotel room and it described the one man's profession. This article also went on to mention that 190 other people were arrested for the protests; that fact is interesting because their stories aren't as well-known, which is probably due to their protests just being common, nothing out of the ordinary.

Newswriting with Richelle part 2

2009-10-08T21:56:53Z

I felt as thought I have not written as many blogs during this part of the semester of Newswriting, but I think it's because of the actual newswriting experience Dr. Jerz has assigned for us. I liked writing the articles for the imaginary Elizabeth Mount College and writing about Seton Hill's Homecoming weekend. For my last portfolio, I definitely had more blogs but I think this is because Dr. Jerz knew we were all pretty inexperienced and needed time to discuss and really figure out what newswriting is about.

Coverage

Below are all of my blog entries since September 21st up until now.

Crime = Repetition

A Learning Experience for the Reader, a Possible Victim

Something Different

Cappon, Ch. 6 and 8 - this blog can be found towards the bottom of this page. I was unable to use my Seton Hill blog account on this day.

Comparison of Front Pages - the same goes for this blog.

Depth

Crime = Repetition

A Learning Experience for the Reader, a Possible Victim

Interaction

Straight Forward - This is Jennifer's blog on which I commented.

There is a manual for everything, but this one is good - This is Derek's blog on which I commented.

The Big Picture and the Little Picture: Spot News - Jeanine's blog I commented on.

Discussion

Crime = Repetiton

A Learning Experience for the Reader, a Possible Victim

Something Different

Timeliness

Crime = Repetition - I was unable to put the link for this, so click on the above link for this blog.

A Learning Experience for the Reader, a Possible Victim - the same goes for this blog.

Something Different

Xenoblogging

A Learning Experience for the Reader, a Possible Victim

Wildcard

Crime = Repetition