New Media Journalism @ Seton Hill University

CampusProgress.org | 2007j-training

Student journalists from across the country will have the opportunity to come together for one day full of workshops, panels, seminars, and informal discussions. The event will be hosted by Nation editor Katrina vanden Heuvel and Campus Progress director David Halperin and will feature prominent editors, reporters, and cultural critics, including Patricia J. Williams, John Nichols, David Corn, Juliet Eilperin and many, many others. (More names will be announced soon.)

Topics will range from covering corruption and reporting on the environment to sessions on muckraking, blogging, writing about the law and getting the interview. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to apply, but space is limited, so don't wait! A small number of travel grants are also available.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until June 6th.

Continue reading "Journalism Training Day" »

Posted by jerz at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Chronicle of Higher Education: David W. Miller Award

The 2007 David W. Miller Award for Student Journalists

David W. Miller, a senior writer at The Chronicle of Higher Education, was killed at the age of 35 by a drunken driver in January 2002. Mr. Miller's outstanding career was distinguished by two hallmarks: his insatiable curiosity about people and the world of ideas, and his love for precise and evocative writing.

With this award, now in its fifth year, The Chronicle seeks to pay tribute to Mr. Miller and to identify and nurture future generations of student journalists who are as interested in big ideas and excellent writing as he was.

The award consists of a $2,500 prize and a certificate, and is presented annually. The deadline for submissions is June 1, 2007, and the winner will be announced in the fall.

Continue reading "Journalism Scholarship" »

Posted by jerz at 2:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The winner of PAPME's 2007 Ralph Flamminio Memorial Scholarship will
receive:
$3,000 cash award
Paid summer internship at a Pennsylvania newspaper

Requirements:
You must be a Pennsylvania resident;
You must be an academic freshman-through-senior at a four-year institution, but you do not have to be a journalism major; You should be determined to pursue a career in print journalism; You should be an excellent student; You should be active on your campus newspaper or have print journalism experience.

To apply, please send:
A cover letter describing your experience in print journalism, your interest in the field and what you might contribute to our craft as a journalist; also, tell us something about yourself and your interests; A college transcript; Up to five of your favorite (non-returnable) clips; A letter of recommendation from a faculty member or professional, if you choose.

Send to:
Larry Holeva, PAPME Scholarship Committee C/O The Citizens' Voice
75 N. Washington St.
Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 18711

Application Deadline: April 15, 2007
The winner will be announced by early May, and will be honored at the Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors annual banquet in May

Posted by jerz at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thank you for visiting the New Media Journalism website at Seton Hill University

At Seton Hill University (SHU), free MovableType weblogs are given to students upon request. Any student or faculty member with a weblog at SHU has the ability to post on the New Media Journalism weblog. At SHU, we simply like to call the weblogs 'blogs' for short.

All New Media Journalism majors at SHU receive a blog through classes taught by Dennis G. Jerz, associate professor of English and adviser of The Setonian, the school newspaper.

What exactly is a weblog? Jerz explains on his Literacy Weblog.

Students and faculty members log on to the SHU blogosphere through the main page This page displays the most recently posted entries and comments.

Blogging is used at SHU academically and recreationally. Jerz utilizes weblogs in the classroom to post assignments and allow students to interact with each other. By blogging, students have the ability to bounce project ideas off one another, and share their progress in class.

More on the New Media Journalism major at Seton Hill University.

Posted by any weatherfront you want to call me. at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

BBC NEWS | Programmes | Click | Papers battle online news sites

"If you offer on your website the exact same content as in your newspaper, why would people buy the newspaper? It makes no sense economically," said Mr Rousselot.

"But if you show people that the content on the website is only made richer in the newspaper the next morning because what you have on the website in terms of news is becoming an analysis, is becoming a report from abroad, is becoming some kind of a huge interview on the newspaper, then there is a sense to it."

While web strategy is being bandied around as the sink or swim buzzword of the moment, newspapers freely admit that no-one really knows for sure whether what they are doing is going to pay off in the end.

Posted by jerz at 7:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pennsylvania Newspaper Association | Internship Guide

The PNA Foundation is proud to present our annual Internship Guide, which lists a variety of internship opportunities at PNA-member newspapers. We hope that this guide will help you secure a meaningful internship in the Pennsylvania newspaper industry.

Posted by jerz at 3:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Inside Higher Ed :: The J-School Boom Even The New York Times is cutting her page size to reduce costs. Why then, are some institutions cheerfully touting the creation of new journalism programs? The answer, they say, is that the writing and information gathering skills taught to journalism students are an entrée to an increasing number of jobs, both journalism and marketing, as the media comes to include both magazines and Webzines, both broadcasts and podcasts.

Posted by jerz at 11:54 PM | Permalink

There's a blogging angle to the biggest current sports story.

Fans stunned by crash - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Across the country, people learned of the crash -- even before some Pittsburghers -- through blogs, well ahead of Internet posts by major news and sports outlets such as Sports Illustrated and ESPN. A search of the Web found blogs on the crash from as far away as Africa.

Posted by jerz at 9:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The programmer as journalist: a Q&A with Adrian Holovaty

OJR: I think one can safely assume that everyone in the news business understands how one "does journalism" through writing or photography. But how does one "do journalism" through computer programming?

Holovaty: The way I see it, there are three basic tasks that journalists do:

1. Gathering information. This involves talking to sources, examining documents, taking photographs, etc. It's reporting.

2. Distilling information. This involves applying editorial judgment to decide what parts of the gathered information are important and relevant.

3. Presenting information. This involves shaping the distilled information into a format that is accessible to the readership. Some examples: writing style (inverted pyramid, etc.), photo color-correction, newspaper page design.

"Doing journalism through computer programming" is just a different way of accomplishing these goals. Namely, the technique favors automation wherever possible.

Posted by jerz at 12:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In her essay "In Plato's Cave," Susan Sontag comments on the power of photography. "A photograph that brings news of some unsuspected zone of misery cannot make a dent in public opinion unless there is an appropriate context of feeling and attitude." She adds "Photographs cannot create a moral positions, but they can rienforce one - and help build a nascent one." At first I wasn't sure what to make of these comments, thinking that photographs, like all other forms of journalism, could influence public opinion. Sontag provides some useful examples however, such as that of Japanese internment camps during WWII, which went unquestioned by the public. I then wondered, is it good or bad that public opinion cannot be swayed by photographs? I think it would depend on the situation. Outrageous tabloid photographs hopefully will never cause a stir, but legitimate photojournalism that shows atrocities in Darfur or the horrible living situation in Haiti should create some sort of response. Some say a picture is worth 1000 words, but according to Sontag this does not mean that they will have a significant impact on public opinion.

Posted by Alex at 10:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Roy Peter Clark's essay "The Line between Fact and Fiction" addresses objectivity in journalism, a subject I've discussed before. He notes that while being objective is what people expect a journalist to be, subjectivity is inevitable. "The best journalists can do is to offer multiple frames through which events and issues can be seen." Clark says there are basic principles and guidlines, however. He provides three -- "Do not add, do not deceive, and be unobtrusive." These are important and simple guidelines, but Clark also talks about the modern media moving towards "infotainment." Reporting the truth to the best of a reporter's knowledge does not mean that they will wisely choose their content. We see more and more screaming headlines and scandal stories in the media today, none of which necessarily have misleading information. Clark also may have provided his opinion on appropriate and newsworthy content in his essay.

Posted by Alex at 7:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Roy Peter Clark's essay "The Line between Fact and Fiction" addresses objectivity in journalism, a subject I've discussed before. He notes that while being objective is what people expect a journalist to be, subjectivity is inevitable. "The best journalists can do is to offer multiple frames through which events and issues can be seen." Clark says there are basic principles and guidlines, however. He provides three -- "Do not add, do not deceive, and be unobtrusive." These are important and simple guidelines, but Clark also talks about the modern media moving towards "infotainment." Reporting the truth to the best of a reporter's knowledge does not mean that they will wisely choose their content. We see more and more screaming headlines and scandal stories in the media today, none of which necessarily have misleading information. Clark also may have provided his opinion on appropriate and newsworthy content in his essay.

Posted by Alex at 7:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wired has an interesting article that focuses on one particular case, but offers an overview of other incidents:

Wired News: Lying Through Their Teeth

In an era where media fraud has become easier to catch and diffuse, the media is itself a victim of fraud or exaggeration, perhaps more often than it would like to admit. From a fake press release that caused Emulex's stock to tank in 2000, to 2004's toothing scandal and the recently revealed faked stem-cell research results, hoaxes happen. And sometimes, those that are uncovered retain their status as truth for a long time.

Posted by jerz at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lippman compares the role of a journalist to be, in many cases, like the role of a baseball umpire who must call a game that is played with no rules, positions, or scores. Lippman wrote this is an essay that was written in 1922 however. While I still believe much of what he writes about the imposibility of complete objectivity in journalism is true, there seem to be more tools today that allow a reporter to call a fairer game, so to speak.
First, the accuracy of surveys, which usually have a plus-minus error of no more than a few percentage points, is a great way to accurately guage public opinion. Also, Lippman used the example of a workers strike to show how a reporter must decide whether or not the workers in a strike operate in sub-par conditions or if they are being unreasonable. Today, unlike, I'm sure, in 1922, there are definite standards for these types of situations defined by the government and unions. A third reason journalism is somewhat more objective today is simply the wider array of perspectives involved in making the news. Lippman stated that "a relatively few number of men," determined the news. Today, with the advent of the internet, women and minorities in journalism, more people weigh in on what he read and see. Even Joe Schmoe with a blog can put in his two cents on the World Wide Web.

Posted by Alex at 9:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Newspapers and media outlets should be completely unbiased and, with maybe the exception of the editorial page, keep their noses out of politics. This is the general consensus of the public today. Print and broadcast media are constantly accused of having a liberal bias, or if you are a paper like the Greensburg Trib or an outlet like Fox News, it is a conservative bias that concerns people. And of course all major media sources are suspect because of their dependence on advertisers. Much of this is the subject of Helen MacGill Hughes' chapter "From Politics to Human Interest," from her 1940 book News and the Human Interest Story. Hughes discusses the evolution of newspapers from a vehicle of political parties to the big business enterprises they became 60 years ago, when the article was written. Before newspapers were funded by advertisements, political parties put out their own papers. This was not seen as a conflict of interest -- in fact Hughes notes that people did not trust papers that claimed to be unbiased. The political papers isolated the common man however, which allowed for the birth of news that wasn't all serious and political. These newspapers claimed no party affiliation and were funded almost exclusively by ads. So which is better for the public, an openly biased paper or a paper claiming to be as unbiased as possible? I don't know the answer, although I think the reader needs to be somewhat responsible for seeking news from established and reputable sources. The problem with our current system of big business media is that monopolies control too much of what the public sees.

Posted by Alex at 2:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

“Win a Trip With Nick” offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to an intrepid, intellectually curious student at an American college or graduate school. One extraordinary individual will be chosen to accompany Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas D. Kristof, Op-Ed and TimesSelect columnist, on an all-expenses paid reporting odyssey to the African continent this summer. The winner won’t merely be Nick’s traveling companion but will also bring fresh perspective to his reporting on developing countries. As Nick says, “You won’t be practicing tourism, but journalism.”

Posted by jerz at 6:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Go to the Web, young journalist!

There never has been a better time to get into Web journalism. We are making money, we are hiring, and we are actively searching for new, innovative ideas. After ten years, there are no veterans in this field. This is your chance to be among the first.

Continue reading "They're Seeking Online Journalists" »

Posted by jerz at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

'Adapt to new technology or die,' Murdoch tells newspapers - Yahoo! News

"Societies or companies that expect a glorious past to shield them from the forces of change driven by advancing technology will fail and fall," he said in a speech to the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers.

"That applies as much to my own, the media industry, as to every other business on the planet. Power is moving away from the old elite in our industry -- the editors, the chief executives and, let's face it, the proprietors.

"A new generation of media consumers has risen demanding content delivered when they want it, how they want it, and very much as they want it."

Posted by jerz at 11:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Before Spring Break, my Media Lab class completed an exercise on the limits of free speech, discussing ethics in journalism. One of the exercises discussed whether or not it would be ethical to print incriminating information, based on anything but 100% clear evidence, not simply someone's claim of wrongdoing. Recently there is a perfect example of this in the world of sports journalism, and I think otherwise reputable sources have not chosen the right path. Two San Francisco reporters have written a book supposedly detailing baseball star Barry Bonds' steroid use. The front page of sportsillustraded.com runs the headline "Bonds Exposed." Earlier in the day, CNN.com ran a similar headline. When I saw this, without reading the full article, I thought, "wow, they finally caught him." It was only later in the day I learned the only evidence of Bonds' steroid use was a book. In their next issue, SI will print an excerpt from the book, which, for all they know, could be completely false. To me this seems dangerously close to libel, and I wonder if the media would be jumping all over this story if it concerned a more congenial ball-player, not Bonds.

Posted by Alex at 10:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Should a student newspaper have the right to print offensive cartoons? If student journalists choose to exercise that right, are they be prepared to face the consequences? In the case described below, are the consequences just?

Inside Higher Ed :: Muslim Cartoon Controversies at Harvard and Illinois

As violence continues in the Middle East over the publication in Denmark of cartoons showing images of Muhammad and mocking the Muslim prophet, two more American college newspapers have published the cartoons and the editors who went first were suspended from their positions.

Posted by jerz at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Presented by: The Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors

The winner of PAPME’s 2006 Ralph Flamminio Memorial Scholarship will receive:

$3,000 cash award
Paid summer internship at a Pennsylvania newspaper

Continue reading "The Ralph Flamminio Memorial Scholarship" »

Posted by jerz at 8:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A thought-provoking overview.

Teaching the future of journalism

In the past year, newsrooms have begun to treat convergence differently, to see it as a solar system of loosely connected functions, rather than a hard-wired fusion of media. As bloggers and independent niche online publishers attract fast-growing audiences, media executives feel pressed to invest in experimentation. They seem more aware that prizes go to the swift, the nimble and the daring.

[...]

Convergence now means that photographers are getting writing tests, print writers are asked to show they can write a radio or podcast script and online applicants have to prove their creativity with images and their grasp of design. All are quizzed about their work ethic and self-motivation. In today's competitive job environment, the journalism applicant with both a depth and a breadth of skills and a willingness to work at engaging the audience has the edge.

Posted by jerz at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you all know that the Setonian will be doing a center spread of Valentines for this coming issue! If you are interested in placing one please stop by our table next week outside of the cafe. Valentine's are $2 and will show that special someone how much you care!

As a side note: If anyone from the staff would like to sit with me next week I would be happy for your help!

Tiffany Brattina
Business/Advertising Manager
Setonian

Posted by at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A First Blog of the First Draft of History - New York Times

At the height of the riots early in November, the Swiss weekly, L'Hebdo, decided to send reporters to the town of Bondy, northeast of Paris, on rotations of 7 to 10 days.

Working from a tiny room borrowed from a local soccer club, the reporters have been doing a lot more than writing their typical weekly stories for the magazine, which is based in Lausanne and has a circulation of 44,000. They have posted short and long reports several times a day, as well as photos, on the BondyBlog (www.hebdo.ch/bondyblog.cfm).

Months later, the reporters are still there.

Continue reading "Blogging the Paris Riots" »

Posted by jerz at 12:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. -- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Edward Carrington, 1787.

Continue reading "Thomas Jefferson on Newspapers and Government" »

Posted by jerz at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Pennsylvania Newspaper Association is offering a workshop on how to report on fraud and financial issues. If you've ever dreamed of exposing an Enron-style scandal, or making a difference in the lives of people who are at risk for identity theft or loan scams, this workshop looks like it's pretty useful.

Below is the flier I received.

SHU students won't have to pay anything for the seminar, and if you're on the Setonian staff, the New Media Journalism program can also help with your travel expenses. There are seminars in Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

Continue reading "Borrower Beware: Reporting Workshop on Fraud and Consumer Matters" »

Posted by jerz at 9:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

"Awkward encounters? Sure. But instances such as these are providing teachable moments for faculty at a growing number of colleges nationwide, including Seton Hill. There, a professor and his prolific community of student bloggers are exploring the good and the ugly about a rough-and-tumble form of Internet discourse whose popularity has exploded." --Bill Schackner, in "Freedom of speech redefined by blogs" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).

Continue reading "SHU Blogosphere in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette" »

Posted by jerz at 1:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Interested in getting involved in the Setonian, but hate strict time constraints? Want to be more creative with layout, but have a deep-seeded fear of Quark?

Perhaps the Setonian Online is for you.

There will be a preliminary Setonian Online meeting on Tuesday, October 25th at the following times:

1:00pm and 7:00pm

in the Productions Office on 3rd Maura. (You only have to come to one of them).

We will discuss agendas for online productions, story pitches, and promotions for the Online paper.

There will also be a short training session for those interested in doing web layout and production.

(Contact me if you want further training to assist in site maintenance and possible redesign projects).

Posted by Evan Reynolds at 7:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hello everyone! Here is the production schedule for the Setonian:

Tuesday, September 13: 6:00-11:00pm
·Layout training at 6:00pm in Setonian office
·All articles copyedited (on e-mail printouts and in Microsoft Word)
·Have cartoon, in case it needs changed (We will be getting the cartoons Sept. 14)
·Layout (template) done, ads placed

Wednesday, September 14: 6:00-11:00pm
·All articles placed in layout
·Place all pictures
·Work on layout!!!

Thursday, September 15: 6:00-11:00pm
·1st printout should take place
·Distribute printouts to editors

Friday, September 16: 6:00-10:00pm
·Proofreaders turn in corrections to Setonian Office (they can put it under the door if office is locked)
·Corrections made
·Print out paper again for editors to copyedit over the weekend

(Editors or students who have work-study: let me know if you are available on the weekends)

Monday, September 19: 6:00-11:00pm
·Turn in corrections made over weekend (put under door if office is locked)
·Put the corrections in the articles in the layout

Tuesday, September 20: 6:00-whenever the paper is completed
·Make any necessary changes
·Look over all articles CAREFULLY (read them aloud in office?)

Wednesday, September 21: 8:00am
·Send PDF file of the Setonian to Typecraft Press
·Fax them laser copies of the paper

Thursday, September 22: (I will need to find out when our printers are going to drop it off)
·Distributors meet at the Setonian office to distribute the paper around campus.

I hope all who are interested attend!
~Anne Stadler
Editor-in-Chief

Posted by Annie at 9:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Chronicle welcomes applications for a $2,000 award for student journalists, in memory of a former reporter on our staff. Details on the annual prize are available on our Web site. The deadline to apply for the award this year is June 30.

http://chronicle.com/help/milleraward.htm

Posted by jerz at 4:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Altered Schedule!

*We got more help than anticipated (woo hoo!) and we are publishing a week ahead of schedule. This is the final day of online production. It's early, but I hope I will see some of you on Friday morning.

Friday, April 15, 2005
8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Links placed, articles finalized, photos inserted.
Final look and publish.

*Setonian Online production Maura Hall publications office. Training available.

Posted by Amanda at 5:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Carnegie Reporter, Vol. 3, No. 2 | Abandoning the News

For news professionals coming out of the traditions of conventional national and local journalism, fields long influenced by national news organizations and dominant local broadcasting and print media, the revolution in how individuals relate to the news is often viewed as threatening. For digital media professionals, members of the blogging community and other participants in the new media wave, these trends are, conversely, considered liberating and indications that an old media oligopoly is being supplemented, if not necessarily replaced, by new forms of journalism created by freelancers and interested members of the public without conventional training.

Posted by jerz at 11:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A photo illustration is a created image (in this case, posed -- but in other contexts they might be digital created) designed not to record an event but rather to illustrate a concept.

NPPA: Best of Photojournalism 2005: Still Photography Winners

When illustrating, the idea is key. We seek to reward outstanding execution, without digital means, for an idea that raises the bar on creativity and execution in the area of the illustrative. This category is not for digitally created images.

Posted by jerz at 1:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

It's that time again, guys: the Setonian Online will be whirling into production next week. The dates are:

Tuesday, March 22, 2005:
10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
1:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 23, 2005:
1:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

We have some new positions to fill, and some experimental HTML additions that we are going to try out this time around. I hope to see you all there.

~~Amanda Cochran, news/online editor

**Dates, as usual, are subject to change. I recommend checking this entry for possible updates.

Posted by Amanda at 9:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dan Gillmor on Grassroots Journalism, Etc.: Where Newspapers Can Start the Conversation

For anyone who's been following our local blog discussion on The Topic that Must Not be Named, here's an online journalist's take on how the world of the professional journalist can benefit from and build upon the kind of energy and passion that we've seen on this community blog from time to time.

I personally hope to see, on this community blog site, much more of the frank and open discussion that leads to productive ideas, and much less of the name-calling, generalizations, vulgarity, and territorialism that leads to division and isolationism.

Those of you who continue to take the high road, and who look for common ground and workable solutions are to be commended. We are stronger as a community when more voices are heard, so please feel free to join in, or to start your own discussions by posting to the NMJ blog.

Posted by jerz at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My Way News

Yet, when told of the exact text of the First Amendment, more than one in three high school students said it goes "too far" in the rights it guarantees. Only half of the students said newspapers should be allowed to publish freely without government approval of stories.

Posted by jerz at 2:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The New York Times > Technology > Internet News Sites Are Back in Vogue

Many of the same companies that were badly burned by Internet investments before are aggressively bidding for these sites not just because of the growing online ad business but because, like Dow Jones, they are worried that their current Web sites will not be able to keep up with demand.

"The existing old-line media companies, which have a big stake in where people advertise, have to recognize this medium," said Larry S. Kramer, a founder and chief executive of MarketWatch. "Our audience means more to them now because it's not just revenue they are going to pick up. It's revenue they are going to lose."

Online advertising is expected reach $9.7 billion in 2004, or about 3.7 percent of United States advertising spending, according to a recent Merrill Lynch report. Still, that number is expected to grow 19 percent this year as the nation's largest advertisers shift budgets from print and network television to cable and the Internet, the report said. -- Eric Dash

Posted by jerz at 12:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dan Gillmor on Grassroots Journalism, Etc.: The End of Objectivity (Version 0.91)

There were good business reasons to be "objective," too, not least that a newspaper didn't want to make large parts of its community angry. And, no doubt, libel law has played a role, too. If a publication could say it "got both sides," perhaps a libel plaintiff would have more trouble winning.

Again, the idea of objectivity is a worthy one. But we are human. We have biases and backgrounds and a variety of conflicts that we bring to our jobs every day.

I'd like to toss out objectivity as a goal, however, and replace it with four other notions that may add up to the same thing. They are pillars of good journalism: thoroughness, accuracy, fairness and transparency.

Posted by jerz at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Sometimes, getting the right photo is a matter of being in the right place at the right time... and sticking around until the story really ends.

Discrete Racing -> Professionals At Work

Posted by jerz at 2:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

IT Observer - Write For Us

Are you a budding Information Technology journalist? Or do you simply have a passion for the Information Technology? Join the editorial team of IT Observer - the most comprehensive free source of daily news on the Information Technology!

Posted by jerz at 4:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Washington Post published a brief article about its own efforts to diversify its staff (which in this case means promoting minorities) The article also includes a brief reference to design changes that are intended to catch the attention of readers who find the newspaper too boring. I suppose having celebrities read all the stories while dancers gyrate in front of a big video screen would be out of the question, but you've got to start somewhere.

Post Discusses Circulation, Diversity (washingtonpost.com)

In an effort to win new readers, Downie said Post reporters will be required to write shorter stories. The paper's design and copy editors will be given more authority to make room for more photographs and graphics.

Posted by jerz at 10:13 AM | Permalink

Hello everyone! Here are the hours that the Setonian will be in production, and it also lists the things that are happening during production week. If anyone is interested in participating, such as copy-editing, doing layout, or placing photos, just let me know through email, candimaye@yahoo.com, or stop by the office during these hours.

Continue reading "Setonian in Production" »

Posted by Annie at 10:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Poynter Online - Auletta to Journalists: Walk Humbly, Adjudicate Truth, and Embarrass the Powerful

Auletta, who writes the Annals of Communication column for The New Yorker magazine, delivered the Naughton Lecture Sunday at Poynter.

He said the ability to listen is a journalist's most important attribute.

Posted by jerz at 5:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DJNewspaperFund - College Students - Internships

Summer 2005 Internships Offer Editing, Reporting Opportunities

The Dow Jones Newspaper Fund offers annual summer internships in business reporting, newspaper copy editing and sports copy editing. Each program provides free pre-internship training seminars on college campuses and weekly salaries starting at $350 for a minimum of 10 weeks. Interns who return to college full-time the following fall will receive $1,000 scholarships from the Fund. Undergraduate and graduate students who will be enrolled in Fall 2004 are eligible to apply for Summer 2005 internships. Application forms are posted here now!

Posted by jerz at 2:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

While production will be starting next week, the editorial staff has posted extended weekly hours for writers, photographers, copyeditors, and aspiring Setonian contributors to drop in and ask questions to receive assistance.

Here they are:

Sunday: Closed
Monday: 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Wednesday: 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
Thursday: 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Friday: 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Saturday: Closed

To reiterate: These hours are weekly, and have no correlation to the publication schedule. Hours subject to change (if altered, notice will be posted here on NMJ.)

Posted by Amanda at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Hey everybody. The hours I will be in the Setonian office during the week are posted on the Setonian door. I have fliers on the bulletin board if you would like a copy. These hours may change with more work studies coming on-board, but I wanted to get something established.

Here they are:

Posted by Amanda at 9:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

OJC brief

Aspiring online journalists should be willing to experiment and think outside the box, Moor said. They have to be "schizophrenic" in their ability to multitask in an ever-changing medium. That includes working in teams, solo assignments, and "having a sensibility for all media."

Continue reading "Journalists should lead the way in creating useful web pages" »

Posted by jerz at 8:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An internship is a required part of the new media journalism major. This just arrived in my in box:

The Pennsylvania Newspaper Association's Fall 2004-Summer 2005 Internship Guide, produced by the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association Foundation, is now available! It can be accessed via our website at http://www.pa-newspaper.org/foundation/InternshipGuide/internship_guide.htm

Fall is the time to begin applying for newspaper internships!

The internship guide, now in its 15th year of publication, lists internship opportunities at newspapers throughout Pennsylvania. The guide is divided into two sections: daily and non-daily, which includes weekly and monthly newspapers. Each section is alphabetized by city. Each listing details information about the internships available at that publication, including editorial, advertising, photography and other valuable learning opportunities.

The guide is updated each year and made available to all Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland and Washington, DC colleges and universities offering journalism and communications programs.

By informing the students within your university or college of this useful guide, you will assist those interested to find internships and possibly further their newspaper careers. Any questions or comments regarding this guide may be directed to me at (717) 703-3012, faxed to me at (717) 703-3008, or e-mailed to me at teresa@pa-news.org.

Posted by jerz at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SPORTSbyBROOKS

There aren't many red-blooded American college kids that don't dream of working at ESPN. But while most are consumed with cutting class and pondering their next pizza topping, one student at Northwestern actually acted on that faraway fantasy - ESPN Sports Business reporter Darren Rovell...

Rovell worked hard in college, reading books, writing, and creating his own call-in radio show.

A few students in my "Practice of Journalism" course last year were surprised at how much writing the course entailed. Here's a look at what Rovell's job is like:

"I write about 200 articles a year for the site [ESPN.com]. I do ESPNEWS, SportsCenter, Radio and magazine as they need me. So far this year, I've done over 100 radio interviews and close to 40 TV segments, so it certainly does get busy."

Posted by jerz at 9:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Daniel Rubino is an established entertainment reporter, whose article on computer game researchers I recently blogged. We started a friendly conversation in the comments, and I asked, him if he had advice for students who might want to become an entertainment reporter. What he says should sound very familiar to anyone who took my "Practice of Journalism" course last year:

One learns to write by writing. I have been on deadline for a quarter century. Ground yourself in the toughest sort of reporting first. I started as a police reporter, and worked a career before moving to entertainment. Way back, in Norfolk, Virginia in the beginning of the 1980s, I covered police, fire and federal courts, and no one wanted to cover a Weather Report show. I volunteered, and quickly added The Pretenders, B52, U2, the Romantics, Stranglers, Springsteen etc.. Then continued on the straight and narrow, reporting on Naval supply thefts, serious stuff, moving to Louisville, where I just did investigative reporting, and then to Philly. I chose entertainment this fall after finishing three years in Berlin, as the European Bureau chief for Knight Ridder, which owns the Inquirer and others. This was safer than dodging bullets in the Balkans and Israel, which I did a lot. So my new beat is the business of entertainment, and I cover what I have missed in the past three years: how dessert in America became the main course. I am drawn to marketing, new media and music. I do a couple stories a week, typically, and get to choose about half my assignments - stuff like spam poetry, the politics of the iPod, downloading ethics, and now, edifying gaming. My advice, to recap is read and write. Then read some more, and talk it over with a friend. Then write like it keeps you from sinking.

Posted by jerz at 8:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Greetings Dr. Jerz's EL 150 class!

There will be a Setonian proofreading session on Tuesday (4/20) in the Setonian office from 4:15pm until 5:15pm.

Also, you can pick up a copy of the Setonian to proofread on Friday (4/23) at 6pm at the Setonian office.

Thanks!

Posted by Amy at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)