PROW 135: Proofreading and Copyediting

Kris Hoyt E-portfolio 2

2010-04-20T16:22:00.000-07:00

I would like to talk about the search I had for the twitter accounts of the Edmonton City Council.

It starts out with me trying to find the various websites of the city councillors. To do this, I go onto the city's official website. After a small bit of navigation, I get to the list of city councillors. I click on eack name and I find a profile. Unfortunately, none of the profiles have any links to official websites. So I do a Google search of every single name. Just as an aside, that is not pleasant. It is even less pleasant when I can only find 9 out of 12 sites.

Only one of these sites, Don Iveson, includes a link to his Twitter, in the form of a twitter feed. I now had two options: find other twitter accounts through the 300 Don iveson follows, or ask the city's twitter account.

I chose the second one, and I found out that Don Iveson, Kim Krushell, Ben Henderson, and Jane Batty are the only ones with a twitter accounts, but Don is the only one to actually upgrade frequently.

Lady Antebellum Performs for Edmonton by: Aden Cruz

2010-04-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

Lady Antebellum greets their fans and signs autographs after their performance at West Edmonton Mall's Ice Palace on Friday, March 26, 2010. Photo by Aden Cruz

The chart-topping country band Lady Antebellum gave a thrilling performance for their fans and spectators at West Edmonton Mall’s Ice Palace on March 26.

Lady Antebellum’s latest album, Need You Now, is topping the music charts not only in the U.S. but here in Canada as well. Fans came to show their enthusiasm for the group and their music.

Sandia Abraham, one of the fans in attendance that day said she really enjoyed the band’s interaction with the crowd.

“I thought it was awesome. They’re really good live,” she said. “I like all off their music, I’ve been listening to them for a while and yah they’re a really talented band."

Abraham also said that she likes the overall good quality of music of the band.

“I like how they have good vocals and good lyrics, and my favorite song right now is love don’t live here anymore.”

The Event

Presented by CISN Country, The Edmonton Sun, and Whiskey Jacks, the performance drew in thousands of fans and spectators. To accommodate the event, the Ice Palace’s surface was covered up and a stage was built for the band’s performance.

Tough the free show started at 5 p.m., according to the event staff, fans started arriving in the morning to ensure that they’ll get a chance to meet the band and get their autographs.

The Band

The trio, comprised of Charles Kelley (lead and background vocals), Hillary Scott (lead and background vocals), and Dave Haywood (background vocals, guitar, piano, mandolin) received numerous awards and nominations:

Top New Group award during the Academy of Country Music Awards (2009)
Single of the Year award by Country Music Association for “Run to You” (2009)
Vocal Group of the Year award by Country Music Association (2009)
New Artist of the Year award by Country Music Association (2008)
two nominations at the 51st Grammy Awards
two nominations at the 52nd Grammy Awards
Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by Duo or Group for their single “I Run to You”.

This American country music group first got together in Nashville, Tennessee back in 2006, and have found success ever since. The group made its debut in 2007 with the single “Never Alone”, then after releasing “Love Don’t Live Here” after joining Capitol Records. Their first album went on to be certified platinum in the US.

Their most recent album, “Need You Now”, was released in the middle of 2009, taking them to their second number one single.

Family Connections

The band’s family connections played a part in their journey to success as two of the three group members have family members that were already in the industry.

Hillary Scott is the daughter of country music singer Linda Davis and Charles Kelley is the brother of pop artist Josh Kelly.

An official after party was also held at Whiskey Jacks after the event where three pairs of tickets were won for the Tim McGraw and Lady Antebellum Concert happening the next day.

Related Links:
Lady Antebellum blog: ladyantebellum.blogspot.com
Official Website: ladyantebellum.com
West Edmonton Mall: wem.com

Note
Photo by: Aden Cruz

Word Count: 502

FINAL EXAM, "Fast food banned in B.C.," Ricki Cundliffe

2010-04-20T12:31:00.000-07:00

Fast food banned in B.C.
Premier closes nearly 2,000 fast food restaurants in British Columbia
By: Ricki Cundliffe (PLEASE NOTE: Story is fictitious.)

The province of British Columbia watched with disbelief Tuesday as Premier John Smith made a national television announcement that fast food would be banned across the entirety of B.C.

The announcement first appeared on the C.B.C. news station around 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 13, followed by several other television station premiers shortly after.

“I am placing a ban on all fast food, as well as closing the fast food facilities, and the consumption of any and all fast food within the borders of this province will be prohibited from now on,” said Smith. “I believe this will save our health, our children’s health, and our wallets.”

Wendy's, McDonald's, and A & W restaurants across the province closed their doors just one day after the Premier's announcement. Additionally, an estimated 2,000 fast food chains had their licenses revoked on Wednesday, April 14.

PRIOR WARNING
Jane Doe, a member of Smith’s Liberal party, publicly made the statement several weeks before the ban was in place that Smith meant business.

“Our Premier has only our best interests at heart,” said Doe, “and if he feels that banning all fast food across this wonderful province will help us, then it’s bound to happen. It will happen.”

DISBELIEF
Conversely, many members of the province took Doe’s statement all but seriously.

“I was watching the news, and heard what [Doe] was saying about the ban, and just laughed and laughed,” said one British Columbian who wished to remain anonymous. “I thought it was a joke. I honestly thought they were trying to yank our chains!”

As humorous as the ban may have seemed to members of the province, Smith said he is taking this new fast food ban very seriously.

“There is nothing I would not do for this province, and members of this province. My only regret is that this ban was not in place sooner,” said Smith. "After all, it's not called 'Beautiful British Columbia' for nothing!"

NEWS CONFERENCE
A news conference will be held at Victoria’s Community Hall on Friday, April 16, at 2 p.m. to discuss all of the rules and regulations involved with British Columbia's fast food ban. Members of the public are strongly encouraged to attend, as well as voice any questions or concerns regarding the topic.

Photo Caption: This "Fast Food Kills" sign was seen plastered on the side of a number of buildings in Victoria on Tuesday, April 13, 2010, in support of Premier John Smith's recent fast food ban across the province.
WORD COUNT: 401
NOTE: IMAGE FROM: www.wordpress.com

Final Exam

2010-04-20T12:25:00.001-07:00

Today (Tuesday the 20th of April) is the final exam for PROW 135.

We'll be meeting in our usual room, 212.

You will have three hours to complete the exam: 1:00 - 4:00

Good luck everyone!

Note: Image from Stanford EdTech on flickr.

E-Portfolio Editing Detective: Headlines, Megan Perras

2010-04-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

Headlines are precarious things to write because they require instantaneous attention-grabbing to draw readers into the story. The line between appropriate and professional headline writing and wit as compared to inappropriate humour can be crossed occasionally, creating headlines that are hilariously distasteful.

An example of this kind of headline is seen here:

http://gblsharing.app.aol.com/pop-up/

I feel as if sometimes humour wins over taste in the battle to capture the attention of readers.

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/view/700336/

As a copy editor, or an editor of your own work, you must be careful to respect the boundaries that the general public is willing to let you cross concerning humour and headlines. Or wit in your writing.

You must also give due attention to how something reads and is percieved.

Image from: http://thepirata.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/funny_newspaper_headlines02.jpg

E-portfolio: Final Blog Post, Max Rausch

2010-04-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

I didn't have high expectations for this class. The moniker of Proofreading and Copyediting suggested a grammar-heavy structure, reading and re-reading pieces of work to bring them as close to perfection as possible. Not the kind of heart-pounding blood-pumping, vigor-inducing work comprises so much of the appeal of journalism. Still, I resolved that it was a necessary hardship that I would surmount on my way to becoming a journalist, knowing such skills would eventually prove invaluable. In future, it would be nice to have.

Now at the conclusion of the term, I have yet to surmount any such hardships. The incorporation of blogging into the class seemed like a fresh approach at first (albeit with no direct relation to proofreading or copyediting), but blogging ultimately took on an unduly pivotal role in the class, especially considering the presence of our more in-depth Online Reporting class. Indeed, most of the material we covered faintly echoed principles covered in full-fledged reporting classes. Bias, weasel words, ethics, and Internet skills were covered in superior detail elsewhere; even the fleeting instances of grammar in P & C were overshadowed by what I learned in the Foundations of Composition class last term. There was nothing on the outline that dictated more focus, but it would have been nice.

I'm curious as to why the exclusive content of the class was downplayed. Proofreading and Copyediting necessarily involves group work, which was admittedly integrated fairly frequently, but not in regards to editing. Discussing topics with classmates and posting shared ideas on a blog isn't necessarily a bad idea, but again, the topics seemed out of place. There's no law stating we should have edited each other's work more seriously with more frequency, but it would have been nice.

Fortunately, editing is something that comes largely with practice: besides a set of universal copyediting symbols that should be mastered for clarity, it can't be taught in any way but through experience. In fairness, no one promised that this class would facilitate that. But it would have been nice.

Image taken form here.

E-Portfolio Sexist Language, Megan Perras

2010-04-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

As a budding female/lady journalist I have been thinking a lot about the question of male versus female word usages in writing. When I am speaking of a general person/per-daughter, what consequences are attached to using a his verses a her pronoun, or a she verses a he? As a wo-man/wo-person/wo-per-daughter of the present times, do I have a problem with the word wo-man, or the generalization that is “mankind?” Should the chairman of the company be referred to as the chairperson? Or better yet, the chair-per-daughter?

Personally, I don`t really find any of these words offensive, maybe just a little outdated, as we are in a time where either a man or a woman can lead a company to success.

Is this word nitpicking turning us into proverbial slaves to detail? Is it creating a gap between the his-tory/ her-story of our very language?

Maybe these sexist words provide us with a reminder to see just how far wo-men, girl-people, whatever, have come as far as equality rights go. That is not such a bad thing- just seeing how much of a stink people are making about “sexist words” gives you an idea of how equal women/wo-people are now, in comparison to when we had to fight to be heard in the job market, or had to fight to get paid the same as a male person/per-daughter doing the same job.

In closing, I think that no one should be too upset with those who choose to use predominantly male pronouns, or the word women or person, etc. It is part of the HIStory of our language, not a personal attack at woMEN.

Sexist words and some alternatives if you so choose: http://www.putlearningfirst.com/language/23sexism/sexist.html

Image From: http://www.sexistlanguage.com/images/sexistLanguageHeader.jpg

E-portfolio: Google's Relationship With Journalists. Max Rausch

2010-04-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago, Google CEO Eric Schmidt gave a speech at a conference to the American Society of News Editors. Megan Garber from Nieman Journalism Lab posted the highlights on the NJL blog, and the speech seemed to encapsulate much of the complicated relationship journalists as individuals and as a collective of professionals have with the mega-corporation.

According to Garber, the crowd's reaction "was cordial...but -despite the many, many compliments paid to journalism and journalists over the course of the talk- not overly friendly."

Schmidt said that Google as a company shares the journalist's attitude towards information, that "ultimately the world is a better place with more information available to more and more people." The statement is worded to imply a need for cooperation, which in all fairness does exist. After all, with more people than ever accessing news stories online (most of them by extension through Google), journalists and Google are bound by mutual interest to stay on cordial terms. Even if Google refuses to pay news publications for their content.

He also pointed out the resources journalists have had at their disposal for only a relatively short period of time (not the least of which being Google itself). "...you have more ways to report. and new ways of making money will develop." He has something of a point, although it's hard not to be cynical about his optimism, since Google's as rich as ever even as journalists struggle to get by. Still, he was correct in his assessment that the business model was the problem, not necessarily the conduct of journalists per se.

From what I can gather, even without attending the conference, there was a definite amount of truth in much of Schmidt's words, obvious tension with the crowd of journalists notwithstanding. Schmidt had a strategy to smooth over that though: unabashed brown-nosing. He described the profession as a delicate art form, exalted in optimism of lucrative business models to come (without, it should be noted, describing any such hypothetical model, and not specifying whether the said model would more profitable for journalists or Google),and even tried, however feebly, to come down off his rhetorical mountain.

"You get criticized all the time. On the left, you get criticized for being too liberal. On the right, you get criticized fro being too conservative," he said. "In our case, we just get kicked out of China. Same thought."

As a journalist, it's difficult to sympathize with a billionaire seemingly struggling for a monopoly over information distribution. But even so, there was legitimacy woven into certain parts of his speech, and he nevertheless offered a somewhat extended glimpse into what the future of information would look like. Even if you practically saw it coming already.

Image taken from here.

E-portfolio: Editing Detective. Max Rausch

2010-04-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

As in any industry, there are various stages of production involved with journalism. The legwork done by the reporter, including the tedious phone calls, frustrating investigation, and painstaking interviews, comprises but one phase in the production of a story.

Before a story is deemed worthy for publishing (at least in the professional sector, generally if not always excluding citizen journalism) it must be subjected to the discriminating eyes of a keen editor. The editor's role boils down to acting as a check against the human failings of the reporter(s) beneath him or her. Obviously, editors are subject to human failings as well, but the more eyes and brains that assess a piece, the fewer errors are likely to slip into the final product.

Errors in the content of a story, such as unfair bias, slanted language, and gaps in the facts presented by the reporter are crucial to isolate and correct immediately, as the first impression of a story is often the lasting impression apprehended by the reader or user. However, errors of form, such as grammar and spelling also exist form time to time, often reflecting the intense pressure of deadlines upon the reporter more than the abilities of him or her to comprehend and adhere to proper linguistic conventions.

Even seemingly innocuous errors can be damaging. The lead in this political story from the Edmonton Sun tries to be creative, but forms itself on a sentence fragment in the second sentence. Thereby, the lead that was meant to hook the reader in comes off as unprofessional rather than provocative. Fairly or unfairly, readers are less likely to take the story seriously as a result, assuming they are forgiving enough to read the story all the way through.

Without asking the editor, we can't ascertain an excuse for the mistake showing up at the forefront of the story. But journalism, more than most, is an industry based on results, not excuses.

E-portfolio: Should We Need Permission to Speak the Facts? Max Rausch

2010-04-13T08:27:00.000-07:00

Alright, let's get the obvious stuff out of the way right now. First, print is going out of style, and most people are getting their news off the Internet these days. F***ing duh. Second, the industry is still (rather feverishly) trying to figure out a new business model to appropriate the change, just as the music and book publishing industries are. If you don't know this already, there is not enough space in this post, nor enough time in my day, to catch you up.

While anyone who uses the Internet semi-regularly would be basically aware of this awkward transitional phase, you would be forgiven if some the particulars escaped you amongst the deluge of arguing tech pundits and aimless paranoia to be found online. You should know that tonnes of news is accessed via search engines like Google and even social networking platforms like Twitter and Facebook. You may not know how desperate professional journalists are to control access to those facts.

According to this article from Ars Technica, Laura Malone of the Associated Press appeared before the American Federal Trade Commission arguing for controlled access to professionally produced stories, including the necessity of licences to distribute news content form the Associated Press. The implication is crystallized in the article's headline: someday soon , you and I might need to buy a license just for the right to retweet news stories on Twitter or post them on Facebook.

Malone's statement was actually a reaction to comments made by Harvard professor Yochai Benkler. Ars Technica quotes him as saying: "You want to live in a permissions system that facts are permitted? Facts...should be as free as the air to common use. We do not have a permissions system for breathing."

That's the dilemma for all working journalists: the right to earn money and recognition for your work versus an allegiance to free speech and open conversation. Hopefully we won't be forced to choose, and the new model (when someone finally figures it out) will suit everyone's needs. That'll be one hell of a "Eureka!" moment.

Image taken from here.

Editors as a Brand, Jesse Snyder

2010-04-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

The Expectation of Editors

Editors are expected to write within the parameters of the newspapers that employ them. Unlike Blogging, editors of newspapers and magazines write and edit their work within the boundaries of a company or corporation. This gives them a brand name of sorts. As Katrine Sorensen wrote in her blog post, "As journalists it is important to remember that you are a professional who represents the company at all times - they own your name so to speak." This is important to remember as a journalist, but even more so as an editor. When working as a buffer for any newspaper, it is imperative to edit in a way that suits its overall layout and style. It's the editors job to promote a newspaper's image and write in a way that meets its standards.

Magazines vs. Daily Newspapers

Every major newspaper or magazine has a slightly different way of portraying the news. Magazines are inherently more eye-catching than daily newspapers, and editors working for either are given a specific way to illuminate its inherent qualities. A magazine like MacLeans, for instance, writes the same story as a daily like The Globe And Mail, but makes it a little more eye-catching or controversial than the former. When the H1N1 virus broke out in October, there was a lot of heat on the B.C. government for supposedly not being prepared enough for the potential pandemic. An article by The Globe And Mail on the scandal was entitled, "B.C. not prepared for H1N1:Report." Meanwhile, at around the same time an article by MacLeans on the same topic was entitled, "The flu shot screw-up." Every newspaper is trying to target a different audience, uses different CP style specifics, and covers certain topics more than others. It is an editors job to recognize this and edit content in a way that fits the mold of the newspaper or magazine that employs them. When it comes down to it, editors are really just advertising a brand name. They are like rats.

Note: Image from librarian.net website.

E-Portfolio Televison Broadcast Errors Megan Perras

2010-04-13T04:52:00.000-07:00

We have learnt to attempt to prevent errors in this class by reading and re-reading and editing our work, but the one area we have not covered where the errors can range from hilarious to disastrous is in television broadcast news.

Television reporters and anchors have had a more difficult time concerning new media and “bloopers”, simply because their mistakes are usually live. These mistakes are then broadcast on youtube, to be watched over and over again.

The situation is a lot more difficult to deal with when large mistakes are made on television, as it seems harder to correct them. Retractions are not usually used on news broadcasts, as time is generally sparse during broadcasts, and it must be used to portray stories instead of retractions.

When it comes to proofreading and copyediting in broadcast journalism, one must simply try their best to ensure that nothing is incorrect on the prompter, or in the recorded broadcasts, but human errors happen, and so do youtube videos that mock those human errors.

Here are some of the best:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA811Rj7Ihs

Image From: http://liveapartmentfire.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/kent_brockman2.jpg

E-Portfolio Final Blog Post, Megan Perras

2010-04-13T04:26:00.000-07:00

A DOZEN THINGS I HAVE LEARNED IN PROOFREADING AND COPYEDITING:

(written in point form)

1. At first it is really difficult to put your work on a public forum when you are getting graded for it, but constructive criticism from your peers actually does make you a better writer.

2. How to create smaller links, and how to formulate a web story so that people will actually want to read it.

3. The importance of imagery and video as well as giving credit to internet sources on blog posts.

4. To read your work over and edit it more than once, because once something is published on the internet, everyone can see your mistakes. (And if they’re Proofreading and Copyediting students, they will correct it for you too.)

5. Future journalists create really interesting blogs.

6. That I write way too much volume for anyone to actually want to read the whole blog post.

7. That the internet isn’t infallible, so writing midterms on it generates extra stress.

8. The journalism debate on new media will most likely work itself out, regardless of my personal opinions on twitter, and whoever figures out a way to create tons of revenue off news on the internet will be very wealthy and may be hiring journalists sometime in the future.

9. Journalistic ethics are pivotal when writing for the internet, even though others may release more information, at least credibility will give you an edge to fight against that and retain readership.

10. I learnt that it is a really bad idea to put your full name on a blog entry in which you put a picture of a horse pooping as the main image because when someone google- image- searches your name, the first image they will see is that horse pooping.

11. I realise that although the internet is an extremely useful tool, I will most likely NOT want to write for it as a career, as at times I find myself slightly technologically challenged.

12. As a journalist, I love writing, but editing seems like too much of a "desk job" for me!

Here is a helpful and interesting read on editing:

http://www.copydesk.org/words/

Image From: http://www.softwaremag.com/archive/2002-02/images/E-Learning.jpeg

Here are the links to all of the 5 comments necessary for the e-portfolio project:

http://prow135journalists.blogspot.com/2010/04/devon-bowies-e-portfolio-marijuwhat.html?showComment=1271163771308#comment-c3530053541451150319

http://prow135journalists.blogspot.com/2010/04/journalists-are-not-robots-e-portfolio.html?showComment=1271161161445#comment-c2168533504201055956

http://prow135journalists.blogspot.com/2010/04/staying-connected-with-social-media.html?showComment=1271160618924#comment-c5582118984668479175

http://prow135journalists.blogspot.com/2010/04/no-more-hunter-s-thompsons-jayme-hagen.html?showComment=1271147183513#comment-c2633519669640951350

http://prow135journalists.blogspot.com/2010/04/bring-on-change-shannon-findlay.html

E-Portfolio: Why I Would Do My Journalism Internship with Hunter S. Thompson Through an Ouija Board Megan Perras

2010-04-13T01:07:00.000-07:00

Why I Would Do My Journalism Internship with Hunter S. Thompson Through an Ouija Board:

Albeit a morbid thought, I wouldn’t mind doing my internship through an Ouija board, extracting journalistic wisdom from the great late Hunter S. Thompson.

Why you ask? Besides being ridiculously obvious, the reasons are fourfold:

1. Call me a rebel, but I long to feel as if I am a part of that journalistic gonzo movement where one didn’t have to follow the inverted pyramid, the nut graph or any of the other constraints and rules that apply to journalism today. The fact is that today, a Hunter S. Thompson style journalist just couldn’t exist. Your editor would can you so fast your head would spin. Can one imagine writing something like this (courtesy of The Great Shark Hunt pg 295 Gonzo Papers Volume 1) in a political story, or column... “ There is not much doubt, on the numbers question, that at least 20 of the 100 senators will not vote to convict Nixon under ANY circumstances... unless he violates that old law of Indiana politics about being “found in bed with either a live man or a dead woman.” Nixon is not one of your more vulnerable politicians in this area. It is difficult, in fact, to imagine him being in bed at all- and especially not with anything human.”

2. The sense of adventure that was alive when you actually had to search for a story “on foot” so to speak and not on your couch perusing the internet speaks to my journalistic soul. Being a part of the story, as Hunter usually was appeals greatly. How to better tell a story then by actually actively participating in it. Although, later in life after fame set in, because of his notoriety Hunter actually said it is easier to write a story if you can observe without being noticed (and he was noticed mostly because of his celebrity). I believe that in his writing because he was IN on the action, and observed at the same time, he brought a unique and very much “alive” perspective in any article that he wrote.

An interview where Thompson speaks about how being recognizable makes it difficult to write:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvcJc2RNTVE&feature=related

3. I am sure that any lesson he would teach me would involve an element of fear. The call to explore and observe and write and take photographs is one that involves stepping out of the realm of normalcy. It involves making contact with people that you don’t really feel comfortable speaking to, and sometimes even getting in someone’s face and snapping a photo. This element of being scared and doing it anyways is really important in journalism (so says John Ulan) and this stepping out of one’s comfort zone would be best taught by a gun wielding and alcohol-induced Hunter S. Thompson. It would be a crash course.

4. Hunter S. Thompson wrote with opinion, he wrote with passion, and I am sure he wrote with many opiates, but overall, he wrote with creativity. He was a journalist who was well informed, wasn’t afraid to ask questions or look stupid. And he wrote things that were funny, things that were honest, and I’m pretty sure a bunch of things that weren’t exactly completely true (which I don’t condone), but if print journalists wrote like that today, I don’t think that there is a journalism student who would not pick up the newspaper.

Image From:http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/31391997/Hunter+S+Thompson+hunter.jpg

Final Blog Post, Jesse Snyder

2010-04-13T00:58:00.000-07:00

My Opinion on Blogging in January:

Blogging is a great way to stretch the muscles in your forearms and wrists. It allows your mind to breathe and stretch while working off those few extra calories you gained at that Chinese restaurant down the street. It is a release; there is no restriction on what the writer can write. No particular form really has to be followed. It can actually be quite therapeutic. You can blog drunk at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday, and it seen as totally applicable to the task at hand. There are no fire-breathing editors or impossible deadlines - only a scotch on ice and Brian Eno playing somewhere in the background of your broken-down basement suite. There is no need for verification or attribution. Credible journalists never blog. You can use a picture with four keys that spell "blog" instead of finding a photo that better portrays your ideas. You can do anything.

My Opinion on Blogging in April:

After four months, my perception of the role blogging plays in journalism has definitely changed. Although I still don't believe bloggers should be held to the same standard as working journalists, they are an integral part of the way the news is displayed in modern times. I see blogging as a way for journalists to practice writing short, concise pieces. It can also serve as verification on mainstream news stories, which ultimately keeps reporters in check and gives the public (theoretically) more accurate news. Its inevitability as a mainstay in journalism brings me to realize that I should start my own blog, and do what I can to get my name out there. In today's world of journalism, beginners must know how to sell themselves, so I hope to begin doing just that.

My Thoughts on the Class

As far as the class is concerned, I thought it was useful to have such an in-depth approach to the future of journalism, but it didn't meet my expectations as far as a proofreading course is concerned. Although there was a lot of accuracy exercises, I expected a different approach to the class. I agree with the statement made in Max's blog post , which went as follows: "The incorporation of blogging into the class seemed like a fresh approach at first (albeit with no direct relation to proofreading or copyediting), but blogging ultimately took on an unduly pivotal role in the class, especially considering the presence of our more in-depth Online Reporting class." Although blogging is definitely changing journalism and may be an asset to beginner journalists, in my opinion there wasn't enough emphasis on copyediting and proofreading itself. Indeed, we did have an entire class dedicated to online journalism this semester, so the implementation of another online-based class was superfluous.

Overall, though, it's always good to stretch your writing muscles, and I liked the interactivity of the class (commenting on posts.) I hope to use the blogging I completed this term to my advantage; having a series of blog posts about the future of journalism may be useful when I meet a potential employer in the future.

Here are some comments I made on classmates' blogs:

Comment 1
Comment 2
Comment 3
Comment 4
Comment 5

Note: Image created by Katie Bowell on wordpress website.

Devon Bowie's E- Portfolio - Final Blog Post

2010-04-12T22:30:00.000-07:00

I approach the end of my first year of Journalism, and my Proofreading and Copy-Editing class. I have learned much about blogging, and have even somewhat kind of embraced Twitter. I'm probably not going to use it much, but I no longer hate it with such a vigorous passion that I once did. I'd agree with Kevin; however, that this class does need a name change.

Through my blogging, I have learned other things as well. Though I could have blogged before this class (Though I'd likely screw up formatting and tags), through the research for the blog posts I have done, I gained knowledge. The Vice Guide to Liberia, for instance, which I watched for one of my posts. In that video series, I learned much about something that I otherwise would have known little about, and gained +1 Wisdom. I also levelled up and evolved into Charizard.

Comment 1
Comment 2
Comment 3
Comment 4
Comment 5

Picture taken from Bulbapedia, a Pokemon wiki.
Yes, there is a Wikipedia dedicated to Pokemon.

Devon Bowie's E- Portfolio - The Problem with Movie Journalism, or: George Lucas is a monster who must be stopped.

2010-04-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

After the Star Wars prequel trilogy, it became very apparent that George Lucas is a monster, a soulless man who will no stop until everything good ang right in the world is utterly destroyed and all that is left is a CGI robot doing wacky slapstick hijinx on the mass grave of creativity, art, and common sense. George Lucas, much like his character, Emperor Palpatine, is beyond redemption and must be thrown down a deep shaft into a reactor core for the good of the galaxy. As proven here in an excellently critical and comedic review, The Phantom Menace is one of the worst things ever created by a human.

But on Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregation site, TPM receives a score of 62%, or in their terms, "Fresh". Fresh? FRESH? The Phantom Menace is a travesty, a travesty that will never go away. A mass murderer can kill a million people, but eventually the population will replace itself. It's terrible, but it can be undone with time. The Phantom Menace will never go away. It will stay in existence, possibly, for as long as the human race. The Phantom Menace will outlive everyone you know. And it is a vile, plotless, dull, absurd movie with characters flatter than Saskatchewan. If it is possible for the majority of reviewers to give the Phantom Menace a good review, there must be something terribly, monstrously wrong with Movie Reviewing.
And it gets worse. Attack of the Clones got 66% fresh, and Revenge of the Sith got 80% fresh. EIGHTY. EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOOD HAS DIED.

Picture taken from Star Wars Episode III.

Devon Bowie's E- Portfolio - The Return of New Journalism?

2010-04-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

For a time, I was distressed about the way journalism was heading. It seemed that it was devolving into 140 character or less infobits, or worse, into Fox News style talking points. But I've gained a glimmer of hope from a certain website, vbs.tv.

In the 1960s and 70s, a new form of Journalism emerged. In the stead of nut graphs or inverted pyramids, news stories would be structured as literary stories. Writers such as Thompson and Capote opted to write stories that would not only let readers know, but also help readers understand. To me, VBS takes this approach as well. In it's Vice Guide to Liberia (Warning:Graphic), VBS covers something which would be overlooked by most newspapers. It covers not a single event, but rather the horrible situation in Liberia, its past, and possible future. Personally, I found it not only more interesting than any traditional news-article, but also more informative. It gives back-story, it has human interest, and I finished watching the series not just feeling more informed, but feeling wiser than before I went into it. Television news has not once done that for me, nor has traditional print news.

Picture Screencapped from VBS.tv

Final Blog Post, Kevin Penny

2010-04-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

So it has been four months, and the finalities of this course have led me to three main conclusions:

Make sure to read what you've written before you submit it. After you've read it, read it again.
Try to remain objective and unbiased in order to keep your journalistic merit.
Copyediting and Proofreading needs a name change.

In regards to the first point, proofreading your work is one of the most important things a writer can do. You should read your work so much you have it memorized. Another great tip for proofreading is getting other people to read your work as well. The greatest writer will always have mistakes in his writing, and it takes lots of practise to spot those small mistakes.

For the second point, being objective and unbiased in your writing is a great asset to any writer. Even if a blog is a place for your thoughts, your writings should not influence how your readers think. Readers need to be able to make their own decisions on what you write about, not because of what you wrote. With the coming age of the Internet, it is getting harder to remain objective every day with all the social networking sites.

Finally, the third point needs to be discussed to some length. The class is called Proofreading and Copyediting, yet we seem to do very little in regards to both. I did not expect this class to be about social networking and online media, and it was strange considering I was already taking a class devoted to online journalism. The course itself needs to be split into two separate categories: Online and Print. There was too much of a clash between trying to learn both that it was a little ineffective. I wish we could have sat down and done more hands-on copyediting, because I know it will be a valuable skill once we start to become reporters.

Image taken from Design, Print, and Pre-press service provider

Devon Bowie's E- Portfolio - Marijuwhat?

2010-04-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

In any news report, online or in print, it is improper to refer to things with slang. You wouldn't hear "Mofo gets capped in the dome in north-end apartment". No, you would hear "Man shot in north-end apartment". The former would destroy credibility almost utterly. Slang is a no-no in most journalistic publications.

Why, then, does every newspaper refer to cannabis as 'marijuana'?

It seems obvious to most. Marijuana certainly sounds more official than "weed" or "chronic", after all. But it really isn't. "Marijuana" is a Mexican slang word adopted by the US government in the 1930s to demonize cannabis by associating it with Mexicans. Thus, it's also racist. Really, the use of this dated term should end, and the proper word, cannabis, should be used.

Picture found on my hard drive.

MMA Sports: Gladiators or Athletes? Kevin Penny

2010-04-12T20:25:00.001-07:00

For those who aren't men, last Saturday supposedly marked a disappointing day in UFC history. MMA superstar Anderson "The Spider" Silva went five whole rounds with his Brazilian counterpart Demien Maia and won by unanimous decision. Sounds like just another match? Not for Dana White. White came out after the main event and apologized to the fans, saying that "[He's] never been more embarressed in the 10 years of being in this business."

Now my question is, for what? It was clear watching the whole fight that Silva did not want to knock out his fellow Brazilian. It was a one-sided match from the start, seeing as how there are few, if any, fighters that match Silva's abilities right now. If the head of UFC has to come out and apologize to the fans because the match didn't end quickly and bloody (well actually, it did end bloody...), then it begs me to ask what the public's view of MMA fighters are: gladiators, or athletes?

Now, lets take a quick look at MMA fighters. These people train daily to keep in peak physical condition in order to beat the living hell out of one another for our entertainment. Sounds like a gladiator, in my opinion. But this is not Rome, and Dana White is not Caesar. These people take their sport seriously, and when you put an amateur in a ring with a living weapon, you're asking for poor entertainment.

I'm thinking Dana White imagined Silva would end it quickly, then walk around shouting "Are you not entertained!?"

This fight was blown out of proportion by Dana White, and it saddens me to see the media eat it all up. After Silva has lost thousands of fans and his ability to fight George St. Pierre, let's try to remember that he still is the greatest fighter to grace the ring and entertain us since Bruce Lee kicked the crap out of Jim Kelly in 'Enter the Dragon'.

Kevin Penny

April 12, 2010

Image taken from UFC site

Devon Bowie's E- Portfolio - Editing Detective

2010-04-12T19:55:00.000-07:00

In the futuristic world of 2010, there is a world-spanning cyber-space in which information is exchanged, and some people live their entire lives there, forgetting the outside world, the feeling of the sun or their face or the wind in their hair. This cyber-zone is called THE INTERNET.
In this futuristic dystopia, one man seeks out and hunts down errors in the internet, a man called the Blade Runner Editing Detective. These are his futuristic cyber-tales.

On About.com, an informative web-zone with many articles, one stands out as being riddled with errors. What error is this, one might ask? Octopi. In an article about mollusks, the mollusk in question is improperly pluralized. Although octopus is indeed a foreign word, it is not a Latin word. 'Octopi' is incorrect because it applies Latin pluralization conventions to a Greek word. Properly, it ought to be either octopodes, which applies Greek naming conventions, or more simply, octopuses. Ironically enough, 'octopodes' is unrecognized by the spell-checker, while "octopi" is recognized. Despite this, it must be fought. Fought by the EDITING DETECTIVE.

The editing detective lives in a world with many enemies. One such enemy, far greater than his other enemy, grammatical error, is the vile factual error. In his quest to hunt down and terminate factual errors, the Editing detective goes to Fox News, a wretched hive of scum and villainy in which many a factual error is to be found. He found something worse. The worst argumentative fallacy. A hulking monstrosity known as Argumentum ad Hitlerum. In a Fox News opinion piece, Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is compared to Hitler, and Obama (for this is Fox News) is called a "Holocaust enabler" if he does not take a tough stance on Iran's nuclear program. It is awful to use such hyperbole. In fact, in the futuristic cyber-world of the internet, bringing up Hitler in argumentation, if the argument is not explicitly about Hitler or Nazis, is viewed as an automatic argument-loser. It's ridiculous to compare Iran having a nuclear program to the Holocaust. Iran is no-where near as powerful as Germany was, and any nuclear attack on Israel by Iran would be tantamount to national suicide.

Picture made by me using Blade Runner promotional poster.

Final Blog Post, Aden Cruz

2010-04-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the end of this school year is nearly here. What I can believe (and have realized), however, is that I started this semester not knowing how vast and important the world of blogging and online content production is. I first opened a blog account back in March 2008, and I have yet to make any blog posts in those accounts due to an underlying fear that I had of the unknown consequences of blogging. After the blogging experiences that I’ve had in this class, I will certainly be making the blog entries I’ve been longing to compose since March 2008, Wordles and all!

Speaking of Wordles, my favourite part of this course is having learned ways of utilizing online resources such as Wordles and ToonDoos to add to and compliment blog posts. Realizing the benefits of these resources is extremely valuable, as I believe these are tools that I can use in order to rise above the sea of online content that is out in the World Wide Web. Catching readers’ attention is difficult with text alone, learning to utilize images and graphics has been very beneficial.

Just as important, however, are the other content addressed in this class. Understanding the importance of editing and fact checking for example is crucial in order to produce content that is responsible and respectable. Honing the skills to detect “Crap” is essential in bringing the readers credible stories as we learn to recognize credible sources. Recognizing bias and preventing it from our own copy is also critical to producing good and balanced journalism. Knowing how to effectively edit for the Web is critical for content to be easily read online. Understanding the importance of participatory and social media, adapting to it, then utilizing it is key to attaining and keeping readers.

Claire Theobald made a brilliant comparison when she wrote in her final blog post, “Great writing, is like an orchestra. When played correctly, all of the elements come together and form a piece of music that lifts the soul and shares an experience with all who sit to listen.” I completely agree, and I believe that what I have learned in this class will aid in having “…all the elements come together…” in my future journalistic endeavours.

Comments I have made:
Comment 1
Comment 2 (scroll down to second comment)
Comment 3
Comment 4
Comment 5
Activity related comments:
Comment 6
Comment 7
Comment 8

Note
Image Source: Swarthmore Blog

External Links (also in copy)
Create a Wordle!

Internal Links (also in copy)
Claire Theobald's final blog post

Blog. Then, Blog Some More, Aden Cruz

2010-04-12T18:16:00.000-07:00

Blogging is beneficial for many reasons. Firstly, it simply allows journalists to practice and master their writing. Secondly, it gets their written work online for readers to access. It also enables the writer to possibly start a following of readers. Another is that writers can utilize the advantages of online multi-media features such as adding audio and videos to their posts. Also a benefit is that there are many blogging websites that writers can access for free, a cost effective way of getting one's written work out to the reader.

Of course, there are negative aspects of blogging as well. Caution needs to be practiced when considering information posted on line. Megan Perras addressed this very issue in her Journalism 2.0 E-Portfolio blog post as she asserts, “There is a lack of accuracy and credibility when one is reading news on the [I]nternet. Research must be done to find out which sites provide news that is correct and trustworthy.” Journalists as well need to do their due diligence before trusting an online source for data as one cannot assume that documents released online (even those said to be “official”) are accurate.

When evaluating information on the Internet one needs to:

Compare sources between websites and see if the conclusions are well supported.
Check accuracy by making sure that sources have been appropriately documented and those references are correct.
Determine the origin of the information being given and consider: Who is the author? What information does it give me about the author?
Ensure that the information is current and up to date.
Watch out for bias. Ask: What does this group or person have to gain by posting this information?
Note if there is excessive advertising. Ensure that the content producers are not just trying to sell you an idea or product.
Understanding domains help differentiate and weed out sources. For example .edu sites are reliable as they by academic institutions. Network sites on the other hand (.net) should be carefully evaluated, as there is no guarantee that the source is credible.

Despite the cautionary aspects of trusting online contents, blogs are still more beneficial than not. I spoke with Mack Male, a prominent blogger in Edmonton, after the Gaze into the Stars conference at MacEwan University on Saturday, February 6, 2010. He said that the most important advice he gives to people is to start, and write a blog. “I write things that I’m interested about, or that I’m passionate about, and I try and let that interest and passion show through in the writing,” said Male. “I think that’s why people find it interesting, and that’s why people read it.”

Notes

Image Source: blogs.worldbank.org

External Links (also in copy)
Evaluating information on the internet: virtualchase.com
Mack Male: mastermaq.ca

Internal Links (also in copy)
Megan Perras: Journalism 2.0 E-Portfolio blog post

Truth Be Told, Aden Cruz

2010-04-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

Fact checking is crucial to good journalism, and though editors offer some support and guidance in ensuring accuracy, reporters are still responsible for guaranteeing the correctness of his or her story. Journalists need to have a very clear understanding of their sources, knowing the credibility and understanding where the information is coming from is important. Reliability of reference sources is also key, a reporter should never assume that a document, official or not, is accurate.

Steven Wagers conveys the importance of fact checking in his blog post as he asserts that,“[h]aving an article properly edited is essential to a story. If the article is filled with false facts, readers might lose trust in that particular news publication, and rightfully so. The publication isn't the only one at a loss either. The journalist also loses credibility, and if they ever need to find a new job, they could run into problems if they build a reputation of presenting false facts.” Journalist must at all times exercise good judgment before using any type of sources as the reputation of the story, reporter, and most of all the publication depends on it.

Fact checking is a necessity, not an option. No journalist or publication can afford to turn out copy with false information and suffer legal ramifications. Reporters need to be skeptical of the source’s intentions and goals, be aware of biases, and be cautious that there are no holes preventing the story from being balanced. When people give quotes, verify the story behind it.

Detecting inaccuracies, however, isn’t quite so easy when there’s very little time to confirm all the information. This is a problem that many bloggers face because bloggers often operate on their own without help from an editor or fact checker. But, despite the legitimate time constraints, readers want and need accuracy in what they read.

Notes

Image Source: z.about.com

External Links (also in copy)
How to fact check and article: ehow.com

Internal Links (also in copy)
Steven Wager's blog post

You Can't Stay Old-School in J-School, Aden Cruz

2010-04-12T18:13:00.002-07:00

It's true, you can't stay old-school in j-school or you'll get left behind. Competition is steep in the ever-changing world of journalism and to survive, one needs to learn to adapt. Journalism 2.0 is journalism in the digital area, encompassing everything from online reporting, social media, audience/user participation and backpack journalism.

In their blog entry “Journalism Students & the Digital Era”, Jayme Hagen and Terra Poole conveys the importance of social media through their statement, “In this constantly changing social media landscape it is vital you are familiar with all the tools available. By not learning a specific type of media, such as Twitter, you are alienating a potential audience.” It is essential that journalists adapt to the changing media landscape and participate in social media, as that is where their readers and followers connect. Resisting social media could mean losing readers to competition.

During the Gaze into the Stars conference at MacEwan University on Saturday, February 6, 2010. Karen Unland, editor of edmontonjournal.com, urged journalism students to stay current and utilize new media technologies. “If you’re in journalism school right now, learn everything you can about the new technologies and new ways of telling your stories, and invent a new one of your own,” she said during the panel discussions.

Students need to be prepared to be backpack journalists. The concept of backpack journalism refers to the idea that many journalists are now required to be the reporter, cameraman, editor, and producer all at once. A journalists’ job is evolving to be more demanding, as he or she is responsible for more aspects of reporting than during the time of legacy journalism. Journalists need to be technologically savvy in all aspects of reporting and communications. From using a blackberry to operating a video camera, many journalists are expected to have the proficiencies to handle it all.

Notes

Image Source: Doctor2008's Weblog

External Links (also in copy)
Backpack journalism toolkit: advancingthestory.com

Internal Links (also in copy)
Jayme Hagen and Terra Poole's blog entry “Journalism Students & the Digital Era”

Editing Detective, Aden Cruz

2010-04-12T18:13:00.001-07:00

Accuracy is central to good journalism. Though mistakes are inevitable especially in online media because content producers compete by the minute to have their breaking news up first, it’s still important that publications check their copy for any errors to prevent damage to their reputation and to uphold appropriate journalistic standards. Though journalists are placed in the difficult predicament of producing content more quickly than ever, it's still possible to screen for errors with the help of copy editors.

It seems, double checking for typos is now most frequently dismissed due to time constraints and pressures to be “first” to break/post the news online. The screen capture below is of a New York Times blog entry with a typo on the third paragraph as it quotes, “A small price to pay for helping too break the back of our oil dependency”. The word “too” should be “to”, this typo could have been easily prevented if the copy was double (or triple) checked for errors. But of course, time is of essence in posting online news.

Another error I found was when the newspaper Valley News printed its own name incorrectly. A UK newspaper, Telegraph, wrote about it in their article "Newspaper misspells its own name on front page".

Claire Theobald made an excellent comparison when she wrote in her blog entry that, “[a] good carpenter is one who measures twice before cutting once. So too is a good journalist one who checks and double checks before printing information as fact.” This is a critical rule of thumb in journalism.

Note
Image Source: tonystarkz.com

External Links (also in copy)
New York Times blog post error
Telegraph UK article

Internal Links (also in copy)
Claire Theobald's blog entry

Editing Detective, Kevin Penny

2010-04-12T16:51:00.000-07:00

Editing is a skill much like writing and drawing: the more you practise, the better you become. Without editors, we would have top-notch news companies looking like high-school productions. It is imperative to learn a skill such as editing, because if you do not have this skill, then your work can go from looking professional to pathetic with the misplacement of a vowel. For instance:

The Journal shows shoddy editing with a missing 'said' in a lead article

This blurb, taken from the Edmonton Journal, shows that even professional news companies have trouble keeping their articles error free. Granted, this error probably would have been caught before going out into a printed article, but this just shows how different editing for the web can be compared to editing for print; because of the vast amount of content you can place up on the web, it becomes increasingly difficult to make sure every article is perfect.

As said before, great editing comes with lots of practise. A person beginning to learn the skill of editing must understand that no piece of work can be edited to perfection, but hard work and effort can make a difference between reading a professional article or a high-school flyer.

Final Blog Post - Reflection, Steven Wagers

2010-04-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

Well, we are almost at the end of this semester and I feel as if I have learned a great deal from this class. First off I have learned how to write for a blog. Certainly we have spent a lot of time working on this blog and therefore I have had tons of times to practise writing for it. As a side effect, perhaps, I have also learned the value of blogs. It gives you a chance to have your voice heard, as the stuff you post on a blog is published to the web so anyone can read it.

Also I have learned about the values of copy editing and proofreading. Although I still may not edit as well as I should, I certainly think I do a better job now than I did a few short months ago. Learning a bit about the mark up symbols will be a good thing to know in the future and I am certainly glad that we got an opportunity to learn about them.

We also got a chance to glimpse into the life of a true blue copy editor by doing countless exercises where would would scour the internet searching for mistakes in any online news publications. These practises were useful in that they taught us to read critically and to train our eyes to find mistakes that others might overlook. They taught us how to be better copy editors, and I know that my writing and proofreading has benefitted from my new found knowledge.

All in all, it's been an interesting last few months, and I can honestly say I feel more in touch with the online world, and that is definitely a good thing. I've enjoyed this semester and I've enjoyed what I have had the chance to experience in this class and in every other this year.

Image from http://www.myspace.com/vnch.

Editing Detective, Terra Poole

2010-04-12T16:26:00.003-07:00

Regret The Error?

In this ever-changing world, writers still need to be as accurate as they possibly can. This is a world where social media like twitter and blogs are becoming an extremely popular way for people to spend their time. If writers are making grammar and/or spelling errors then this affects the credibility of the writer. However, this blog report will take a step back from social media and focus more on traditional mediums because authors of novels and songwriters make errors too. The question is, do they regret the error?

Mistakes Everywhere

Just like Steven said in his blog post, there are examples of mistakes littered everywhere in all forms of media. There shouldn't be errors in novels either. However, like Steven suggests, humans make errors. Stephanie Meyer, is indeed a human and makes several errors throughout her novels. She is the author of the novels:

An example of an error Meyer makes in one of her novels is on page 425 of New Moon, Meyer wrote

"Alice's voice dropped till it was nearly inaudible, though I was sitting inches from her..."

This is a misuse of the word "till" and should read "until." This is not a significant grammatical error, nonetheless, it is still considered an error. Another error example in New Moon is on page 426:

"...We could try to stop Edward ourselves - if Emmett could get his hands on him, we might be able to stop him long enough to convince him you're alive."

This sentence is slightly confusing because it suggests "him" is Emmett whereas "him" is actually referring to both Edward and Emmett. It should properly read:

"We could try to stop Edward ourselves - if Emmett could get Emmett's hands on Edward, we might be able to stop Edward long enough to convince Edward you're alive."

Though, it could be argued that correcting those errors changes the flow of the sentences from smooth to awkward, the errors should be noted regardless. However, songwriters sometimes purposely make grammatical errors for the purpose of artistic "flow". There are many examples of this in songs. "Can't Hardly Wait" by the Replacements is an example.

Song Example

Technically, it should be, "Can Hardly Wait" because the other way suggests a double negative which would imply the person could wait, which the song does not suggest with the rest of the lyrics. It could be argued that "can't" sounds more appropriate, poetic or more sing-song than "can" and that is why Paul Westerberg chose to use it. Songs seem to be considered differently than novels for some reason. This is likely because songs tend to be more poetic than novels. Novels and songs differ for some reason in that songs tend to be able to make more grammatical errors without repercussions from fans or critics.

Note: Image from Beautifulmurals

Screen capture from: Stlyrics

Social Media and Multi-media, Terra Poole

2010-04-12T16:26:00.001-07:00

Social Media

Social media is not going anywhere, despite how unwilling some aspiring journalists are to accept it as a essential part of journalism. Twitter, Facebook and blogs are easier ways for people to have access to the news and so journalists need to learn to embrace those mediums even if they don't know how to (or don't want to, like Jayme said) use them. Journalism is heading in a direction where if journalists aren't constantly tweeting or blogging, then the fast-pace of the digital era will leave those journalists in the dust. Credible journalists (those who went to school) will have to compete with citizen journalists (those who did not) because a popular trend is that traditional journalism is dying.

Other Tools

On the bright side, journalists have access to a plethora of multi-media tools that are here to make their jobs easier. Wordles take words a person inserts and scrambles them up to make"beautiful world clouds." These are important from an image standpoint. Having wordles make the blog post, or online article look more attractive and this is important in the online world of journalism. Another important tool that journalists (and people) can use to enhance the quality of their blogs or online news articles is Toondoo. These are a simple yet effective way of applying humour to the blog or news article. Journalists should definitely embrace these tools in order to put them a step ahead of other journalists (citizen or actual) who aren't aware of them.

Multi-media

Video, images and audio clips are useful in the online world. People tend to read 25% slower on the web than they do with print. These other multi-media tools are helpful so that people can have video or sound impact rather than just print. This helps keep the reader interested and engaged in the article or blog post. A wise teacher once said, "show me, don't tell me." (Shelly Decker)

There are so many different facets of journalism in this day. The digital era is taking journalism in a different direction leaving the journalists who choose not to embrace it in the dust.

Note: Image from Wordle

Toon from Toondoo

Image from Killerj

By jaymehagen | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

E-Portfolio Final Post

2010-04-12T16:01:00.000-07:00

A Term In Reflection
By Claire Theobald

Great writing, is like an orchestra. When played correctly, all of the elements come together and form a piece of music that lifts the soul and shares an experience with all who sit to listen. However, if even one instrument is played out of tune, the piece of music falls apart and instead of sharing music, the orchestra starts making noise. So too with the writer; regardless of how well the piece is written, incorrect use of grammar, spelling, and punctuation serve as a distraction that renders it nearly impossible for the reader to chew through.

Spelling, grammar, and punctuation, when used correctly, should be almost transparent. They should guide the reader, with a sort of invisible hand, and direct them through to the central theme of the piece. Utilizing these tools correctly is an effective way for the voice of the writer to reach the internal ear of the reader. Punctuation controls flow, and can convey as much emotion as the actual content of the piece. Spelling, when used incorrectly, is confusing and takes the reader away from the content. The use of incorrect grammar to makes reading slow and more of a chore then a pleasure.

Although these were central themes in the 2010 winter term of Proof Reading and Copy Editing, the course also touched on rules that are specific to journalists. As journalists are societies modern day version of town criers, people view them as the ultimate source for truth an accurate information. This being said, the writers reputation is key as any blemish on a journalists integrity may undermine the all important trust between the journalist and the reader. The journalist must always filter through a plethora of excess information and select the most important points to create a story that is fair, as well the journalist cannot skimp on the issue of fact checking. Although news organizations are not impervious to being fooled by misinformation, it is a journalists duty to insure that beyond a reasonable doubt that information is correct, and cited properly.

Lastly, the journalist is faced on a daily basis with issues of ethics. As stated before, maintaining integrity is essential if the journalist is to maintain the all important trust relationship with the reader. However, how far is too far? The journalist has a duty to report all of the relevant facts to the public, yet at the same time the journalist must balance the rights of the individual with the public’s right to information. In the end, there are no concrete rules pertaining to ethics. Each case must be judged as an individual, as there are far too many factors that are inconsistent when chasing a complex story. First and foremost, the journalist must rule whether the information is relevant. There is no point in putting in sketchy facts if they do not add any additional color to the story at hand. Then the writer must ask whether this will in anyway cause undue harm upon any person involved. If this fate is undeserved, then it is unlikely it will ever be allowed to print.

In short, Proof Reading and Copy Editing enforced the themes of attention to detail, balance, accuracy, and ethics as central to the success of the journalist. When all of these instruments are put into play at the correct moments, and tuned properly, then and only then can the journalist achieve success in their story.

NOTE: Photo taken from Erik-Jan Geniets Photography website, link here

Also, here is comment one, comment two, comment three, comment four, and comment five.

E-Portfolio When In Doubt

2010-04-12T15:51:00.000-07:00

When in Doubt, Leave it Out
By Claire Theobald

A good carpenter is one who measures twice before cutting once. So too is a good journalist one who checks and double checks before printing information as fact. Journalists are the frontline of information, and when people read something that is printed in a news paper, hear something reported over the radio, or watch information presented during a news broadcast, people expect that information to be accurate and reliable. In truth is it the journalists job to maintain this high standard of accuracy, and to never misrepresent facts in a way that may skew the angle of the story. That being said, not all mistakes of accuracy are malicious; in some cases, the journalist is the victim as some sources may provide information that is not necessarily true. However, the journalist must uphold not only their own integrity, but the integrity of the publication they work for and must check and recheck all information before it passes into the journalists copy.

The issue, especially when information is not scientific, is that truth is often relative. Far from concrete, the idea of truth is abstract, and one person’s truth may differ greatly form another’s without either party being untruthful. The journalist may overcome this obstacle by ensuring that all sides of the story are weighted equally, and for every allegation made by one, a defense stands for another. Balance is the enemy of bias, because chances are if the journalist strives to achieve a balanced story, the ability for bias to slip through the cracks will be diminished significantly.

Even when the journalist is presented with concrete facts, such as numbers, or results from polls, it is important for the journalist to investigate how these numbers were gathered before inserting them blindly into their copy. When investigating a poll, the number of people involved in the poll is key, as rarely can one make a generalization about the entire population based on the opinions of less than a dozen randomly selected people. As well, one must consider how the fats were gathered. A biased party may represent numbers from a poll that has been altered to favour certain results over others artificially. In order to avoid putting biased numbers into a story, the journalist must look into how the numbers were gathered, and who gathered them, lest they be blamed for the mistake.

Mistakes in accuracy can generally be avoided by simply taking the time to look into the background of the information. In the newsroom, journalists are under tight deadlines, and unfortunately will never be able to find the time to scrutinize every detail in their copy. This being said, the journalist can follow one simple rule when facing such a deadline: When in doubt, leave it out. Simply, if your fact seems too sketchy and you don’t have time to solidify it, then don’t put it into your story because you may be held responsible for providing the misinformation.

NOTE: Photo taken from Caleburr.com, link here

Journalism and the Economy, Jesse Snyder

2010-04-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

Journalism as a Business

Journalism is a business, and like any money-driven entity, it ultimately works in the interest of making financial gain. So when the economy takes a turn for the worst, it puts extra strain on reporters - especially beginning reporters. The journalism world has seen its employment being slashed more devastatingly than many other professions, and it's beginning to show. According to what Mike Berezowsky told our journalism class, there are now fewer journalists attending press conferences at the Provincial Parliament buildings than there were a few years ago. The amount of media coverage around the world is increasing while the number of journalists covering it is diminishing. These financial realities cause major dilemmas for news agencies, and they are looking to use new forms of media to reciprocate the effect of economic recession.

In many cases, what were previously print-based publications have now turned completely to online content. An article by the 24/7 Wall Street website contended that the trend of dying newspapers in print format will only continue in the next few years. Print newspapers all around North America have already faltered according to the article, and many more are to come. But the issue goes deeper than just saving money on publishing content. While it is the cheapest option for publishing the news, advertisers are less likely to pay for online advertisements because there is less stability in readership on the web. With options like RSS feeds and Google News, many readers aren't likely to visit a website's home page. As Jayme Hagen commented in his blog post, " No longer can journalists rely on people coming to them for information or news updates. Journalists must go to the consumer." Subsequent to the implementation of RSS feeds and Google News, advertisers are less likely to invest in home page advertisements. The uncertainty of readership on the web mixed with the recent economic downturn has caused major difficulty for the newspaper business.

Entry-level Journalists

So where does this leave entry-level journalists? Well, not in an overly pleasant situation seeing as the screening process for new journalists is tighter than ever. With newspapers hiring fewer employees all the time, we have to be better than ever. It teaches us to be more diligent and thorough in the way we report the news. It should also give us the readiness to jump on new technologies and use them to our advantage. Because news agencies are ultimately looking to gain financially, journalists of today will need to get on board with whatever it is that will save their corporations money; if they don't get on board they'll be left in the dust. Whatever the latest technology, we must embrace it. As competitiveness and new media change the face of journalism, reporters will be forced to go with the flow - even if it's just to save a buck.

Note: Image from Gaiety Acting website

E-Portfolio Editing Detective

2010-04-12T15:17:00.000-07:00

Editing Detective
By Claire Theobald

Although journalists are, contrary to popular belief, still human beings and are therefore capable of error, it still remains the journalists duty to protect their journalistic integrity by ensuring that their writing is accurate and devoid of any obvious errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar. That being said, most forms of print media are still riddled with errors of this nature to varying degrees.

Misspelling is a mistake that occurs commonly in any field of writing. However, misspelling, in some cases, can cause much larger issues. For example, if a name is misspelled it can cause confusion and often put words in the mouths of those who did not say them, leading to legal issues. Below is an example taken from the Annals of Internal Medicine:

Issues of grammar, although possessing less risk then a misspelled name, can serve to undermine the integrity of a piece. Below is an example of incorrect use of grammar taken from the children’s book “Mighty Movers: Emergency”:

Punctuation errors, although on the surface seemingly harmless, can change the entire connotation of a piece of writing. For example, below is an image taken from a parking sign (image at FailBlog) where the incorrect use of grammar changes the intended meaning significantly:

Incorrect information is perhaps the worst mistake any journalist can make. Presenting incorrect facts as truth can blemish even the best journalists stellar reputation, and news organizations are generally quick to recant any false statements in an attempt to preserve the publications integrity. Here is an example taken right out of history, where on November 3rd, 1948 the Chicago Tribune printed a story entitled “Dewey Defeats Truman” the day after former President Harry S. Truman won the election over challenger Thomas E. Dewey:

In short, although the occasional error is inevitable, the journalist should strive to produce writing without such errors as these sometimes innocuous mistakes can turn into a much larger problem.

Journalists are Not Robots? E-portfolio

2010-04-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

Journalists are Not Robots? What Treason do you Speak?!
By Claire Theobald

As journalists, we are often mistaken for robots. Not necessarily in the “Oh my god! Look at that guy!! He is a six-foot-tall machine that walks on weird metal legs and talks like T-pain!!” kind of way, but more in the sense that journalists are expected to completely disregard their own natural bias and separate their emotions entirely when following a story. This is especially difficult if, like pretty much everyone in the western world, you happen to be a fan of anything. Inevitably, the journalist will find themselves in the situation where they are brought face-to-face with a person with whom they have a deep respect (or simply a person they think is the proverbial shit) and are expected to approach that person as if they were any other interviewee. Such was the case of a poor media mogul at a recent event on Churchill Square.

On March 30th, fans and media alike gathered to witness a celebration for Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Pressed up against the railings, people pushed and shoved either hoping to get that last signature on a collectors jersey, or to get that last amazing photograph or interview of the athletes for tomorrows news cast. One by one, athletes stood at the opposite side of the railing signing autographs and smiling for cameras; Vivian Forest for the Para-Alpine Ski was no exception. It was here that a representative sent up to gather quotes from Forest made the fatal journalistic error. Instead of asking her questions, the representative commended her on her amazing performance, and gushed over what an inspiration she was. As if this didn’t get his boss fuming already, he then handed over one of his own possessions and asked her for an autograph. Upon returning to the camera crew he came with, he was thoroughly chewed-out. I can only speculate that the likelihood of his ever returning to one of these events will be slim to none.
This unfortunate journalist crossed the invisible line, a boundary set in place for the protection of integrity and credibility. Journalists are expected, in a hard news story at least, to represent facts truthfully and unembellished. Journalists must do their best to report all sides of the story equally, an endeavor that would be rendered impossible if the journalist’s scope is limited by personal bias.

Although one cannot expect a journalist to become entirely robotic, the reader expects that the journalist put their own feelings on the shelf and allow the truth to come forward on its own through interpretation of the facts. Fellow future journalists, listen closely, and learn from the mistakes of those who have gone before you (specifically, the guy in paragraph two). When faced with subject matter where you feel so strongly you cannot safely choke back your emotions, hand it to someone else. Although you cannot be expected to be robotic, you can be expected to uphold the principals and practices of good journalism.

(NOTE: Photograph taken from Galen's Robot Projects Website, link here)

Final Blog Post, Shannon Findlay

2010-04-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

Since beginning my University studies in journalism, I've learned to expect nothing as nothing is what it seems. When I began the "Copyediting and Proofreading" course I anticipated a class filled with looking through texts in search of grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and factual slip ups. I would never have foreseen the online direction in which we have taken. Up until this year I was blissfully unaware of the many different facets from which news can be drawn. Blogs, RSS feeds, Twitter, and on occasion, even Facebook can all be ways to find out what's going on in the world and community.

Before this class, blogging was a foreign concept to me. I had heard many people were making their voice heard through personal blogs, but for me the idea had thus far seemed unappealing. Now I have written my own blogs, and they are displayed in public domain for anyone to see and admire. What I once scoffed at, I can now understand the value in. Employers need not look far to find examples of my skill with the written word. An audience for my work can be established before I ever become published. Blogging can open doors for an aspiring writer if they know how to use it effectively and make the most of it.

I not only have learned to maneuver my way around a blog site, but can also use a myriad of other tools the Internet has provided for my disposal. Cartoon creating sites, Wordles, slide share technology, timeline creators and so on. Before this class I had no knowledge of even the existence of such technologies, but now I am capable of using them to enhance blogs, or any other project I undertake. Katrine said it best in her blog when she stated, "Whether for or against the media's use of Internet, social media, blogging, etc., it is necessary to know these communication tools when aspiring to become a journalist."

Where is the future heading? No one really knows. We can all speculate, but at the end of the day, they are just guesses with no clear answers. The best method to tackle the future of journalism is simply to be open to change and constantly learning. I may not keep up a blog of my own, but I will maintain the knowledge of how to use it. I'll remember the importance of editing, such as when to double check for maximum accuracy, and I will be ready for change. Knowledge is power. With the drive to never stop learning and adapting, I can only become more ready to take on whatever the future may bring.

*Note: image from newmediachatter.com

My Comments: 1- 2- 3- 4- 5

Editing Detective, Steven Wagers

2010-04-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

Despite the plethora of copy editors ready to fix the mistakes made by journalists, I still tend to find errors all over, in newspapers, magazines, and also online. I'm not really bothered by it, as most of the time I can figure out what should be written, and I know that I make mistakes as well, so when I see others making mistakes, the desire to pour gasoline over them, light them on fire, and toss them in front of an oncoming train does not arise within me. Quite the opposite actually.

For example, the other day I was reading 'evo' magazine and I stumbled upon an error. In the print, it said: "Well, nearly every new car now has throttle-by-wire, and gears-by-wire are in any modern two-pedal transmission." After reading this line about 14 times (literally) it finally made sense but the fact of the matter is that I shouldn't have to read the same line 14 times in order to makes sense of it. Once in class I heard a teacher say 'you should never make your readers sweat' or something along those lines, and this passage does not follow that rule.

Let's take a quick lance at the world of online media, shall we? Here is an example of a possible error in word placement. In an article on the Edmonton Journal website, the author wrote "Over the last two years, the 41-year-old Torontonian has driven more than 35,000 km and hopes to next take the thing to Argentina." I am not entirely fond of the placement of the word 'next.' I think it would be better served at the very end (and hopes to take the thing to Argentina next).

Examples show up all the time in all forms of media. People are only human and mistakes are natural, and while we can try all we want to eliminate them, there will always be a few that slip through our fingers and find their way onto print.

First picture taken from Lisisoft website. (http://www.lisisoft.com/free-download-version/45842-criminal-background-check-detective.html)

Second picture taken by Steven Wagers. Picture of evo magazine. Editor Nick Trott.

No More Hunter S. Thompsons, Jayme Hagen

2010-04-12T11:34:00.000-07:00

Parry Aftez, an attourney and expert on internet privacy, says internet privacy has definitely evolved. "In the early days, we were more worried about information that we had taken from us without our knowledge — the spyware, adware, hacking. Now the biggest concern, I think, is information we share willingly – although unwittingly – with others that allows them to know a lot more about us than they have any business knowing."

In an interview with Christina Hernandez, the two discuss whether these social networking sites are the end of privacy. People often post personal information, often times too personal, and they do not have full control over who sees this personal information.

Intelligent Journalist, Katrine Sorensen, wrote, "As journalists it is important to remember that you are a professional who represents the company at all times - they own your name so to speak. It is problematic if a journalist publishes material on Facebook or Twitter that shows lack of judgement."

As a journalist, you are being constantly scrutinized, you are responsible for maintaining a reputation. You cannot have drunken pictures and videos surfacing, you cannot post derogatory remarks online, without reprocussions. Yes, it seems that Hunter S. Thompson would have had a difficult time establishing credibility in the current state of journalism.

This being said, don't be afraid to have a personality. People like interesting people. It is important to remember that you are being watched, but to be yourself. Aftez said, "We have all these different sides to us and we hide everything else. But you can no longer hide that. All of the parts of our lives are going to collide. Good or bad, everyone will know everything we are. If you are a cross dresser at night and a corporate lawyer during the day and a deacon at your church on Sundays, all of that’s going to come together. If we play this out, we will be more authentically who we are."

Think twice before you post a picture, or a comment, but don't forget to be yourself.

Image from RSCarbonneau.

RSS Feeds, Jayme Hagen

2010-04-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

The days of scanning the internet for hopes of new information on some of your favorite subjects are over. If you are a fan of hockey, you can sign up for an RSS feed on website and receive up-to-the-minute information sent right to an email account, which you could have on your cellphone, there won't be a trade that you won't hear of immediately all day long.

What is an RSS feed?

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It's symbol looks like this:

A comprehensive site on RSS feed information is found at press-feed.com.

Why are they effective?

They are able to reach new audiences because search engines interest is attracted to them. So by setting up an RSS feed you are able to get more people searching for a specific subject brought to your site.

In a world where consumers want constant information updates in the easiest manner possible, RSS feeds are a great tool.

When can RSS feeds be used?

Sports team updates
Bands can provide tour dates or new media
Job postings
Announcements of any kind
Breaking news articles
Just about anything else a website can be updated for

RSS feeds are a perfect example of the future of journalism. No longer can journalists rely on people coming to them for information or news updates. Journalists must go to the consumer. By providing them with news before they even have to looking for it.

The Dangers of Constant Connection

Kevin Penny, an independent-minded journalist, said, "People believe that society is moving at light-speed, and that their news should be provided to them at the same speed. But nobody steps back and asks, what happens when we move at such speeds?"

This question is valid for RSS feeds as well as Twitter, do people really need to be constantly connected like this? It's a little alarming. All journalism students should be asking themselves these questions. Yes, it is great that we are able to receive news from everyone in the world immediately, but do you want to be at work 24 hours a day, seven days a week? I don't.

Picture from press-feed.

E-Portfoliao - The Final Blog Post

2010-04-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

Taking this course has been very helpful to me, and has helped me proofread my own work. I've learned the importance of reading and rereading my own work, checking for errors and checking my sources.

Editing for the web is different than editing for hardcopy. Things like bullets and lists break up text and allow greater ease for reading. Headlines are less creative but more precise, allowing users to know exactly what they're reading.

Accuracy in copy is absolutely imperative. While errors are common in the first daft, they should be corrected as soon as possible. Having mistakes in copy makes the news agency and the reporter look very incompetent.

Fact checking is also just as important. Misquoting and getting sources names wrong only causes problems for every involved.

Picture

Final Blog Post, Jayme Hagen

2010-04-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

The way people want to receive their news has changed greatly over the past decade, as it does every decade. There has been a shift in the way consumers want their information.

Links

Links to relevant articles are mandatory in providing accurate background information and allowing the consumers to do some of their own fact checking.

Subheads

The way consumers want to see articles set up has also changed; they no longer want to see an article with one headline and text. Many subheads dividing the article into sections is much preferable. The consumer wants to be able to scan the article for information that he finds relevant; accurate subheads make this easier.

Lists

Lists are an effective tool to use in your articles because:

they catch the consumers eye
they are easily scannable
they do a good job in summing up ideas

Personally, I find all of these things a little disheartening. A journalist can no longer write long articles because people will not take the time to read them. If people are really interested in a subject, should they not want to read the whole article?

New Technologies

Being able to post video and audio clips very easily has increased the accuracy of the news. You are now able to hear for yourself exactly what a person said with as little editorializing as possible, something that has been wonderful for journalism.

Journalism 2.0

Since these technologies are available to almost everyone, almost everyone is able to post their opinions. Whether or not they use this new power to do accurate reporting or simply to slander a person or company is up to them. As consumers, we have a greater responsibility to fact-check the articles we are reading through.

Fact-checking

Personally, even with all the inaccuracies found on blogs, I think they are a good thing. With everyone able to report, you are given more opinions on a subject and a more accurate overall view can be seen. People should always be doing their own fact-checking, blindly believing what a website says, whether than website is credible or not, is never a good idea. Now, if the articles are properly sourced, you are able to check links for yourself to verify authenticity.

As a journalist, I will do my best to learn these new technologies and use them in a way that makes what I am reporting on as accurate as possible. Limiting the amount of editorializing in my writing is priority number one, so the use of audio and video clips will play a vital role in this. Linking is an easy, but effective way to allow readers to fact-check, so I will do my best to maintain links and ensure they bring the consumer where it should go.

This year

To sum up, I learned the internet changed things. I also learned, like Joan Jett, "I don't give a damn about my bad reputation." I will be as objective as possible when I am writing an article, but I will do what I want in my spare time. A wise reporter once said, "Each journalist has biases too, it goes along with being a human being. However, this is not a negative thing." We are journalists, but we are people first.

Image taken from API Gamepro.

Here are some comments I have made throughout the semester:
Comment 1
Comment 2
Comment 3
Comment 4
Comment 5

Editing Detective, Jayme Hagen

2010-04-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

Errors can be found in even the most prestigious of places. The Accuracy Project takes a look into the World Almanac and Books of Facts. Many of the errors found in the World Almanac have to do with people's dates of birth. It is important to always fact-check to ensure the information you are reporting is accurate. There is no excuse for a misspelled name or a date of birth error.

Continuity errors

The website HorrorKing.com exists solely to point out continuity or factual errors found in horror genre books.

"In Chapter 8, subchapter 2, it says that Thad put the papers on which he had written "The Sparrows Are Flying Again" into one of the desk drawers. But later in Chapter 10, subchapter 2, when Thad shows Liz what he had written, it says that the papers were lying on top of his typewriter."

The internet allows for many critical readers to point out mistakes so it is vital to keep your credibility as a writer that you limit the amount of errors you make; people will write about it.

Blog Errors

Errors can be found on personal blogs:

Perhaps the author should have followed his own advice and proofread his copy.

There are no fact-checkers or proofreaders on blogs, so it is important you do these things yourself.

Bible Errors

There are many contradictions found throughout the Bible.

There are also many factual errors found throughout the Bible's pages.

Considering this was written that many years ago, I have a feeling that they had looser fact-checking requirements. Perhaps an updated version is needed.

Image from American Digest.

E-Portfollio - Social Networking: it's a birds life

2010-04-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and the thousands other sites out there like them, are a powerful tool in the world of journalism today. Story ideas can be found on Twitter, while Youtube can quickly broadcast stories to millions, and Facebook can help a reporter keep track of, and find contacts. The possibilities are practically endless.

However, social networking does have its downside: a reporter has to work extra hard to make sure all the information gathered is correct. It is easier for a person to misrepresent who they are, through social networks; a changed name here, and a false picture there can ruin a source. It is because of that reason that a journalist cannot become lazy, just because people are just finger tips away. The reporter should still conduct interviews in person rather than over Facebook. Whose to say that the reporter is not talking to someone completely different than the intended source. I think Jennifer had it right when she wrote: " Although stories may come from following someone on twitter or befriending them on facebook, journalists can never be sure who wrote those things. The name attached to them may not be the same person who wrote the comment. People who forget to log off their facebook accounts are hacked by friends, and incriminating things are posted as a joke by friends. A name on a computer screen does not mean total reliability on the keyboard."

In an article called 'Slapped in the Facebook,' the writer stated: "Through a variety of easy tricks, attackers can hijack a person's social network account to use as a launching pad for additional attacks against other users, other Web 2.0-based applications, and so on. Social networks can also be incorporated into micro botnets and, by rummaging through a page of misfired direct messages on Twitter, a motivated attacker can unearth the cell phone numbers of prominent people."

Picture 1

Editing Detective, Jesse Snyder

2010-04-12T00:17:00.000-07:00

Learning from Errors

Every major newspaper or wire service makes grammatical errors in its publications. It is important for sprouting journalists to recognize this, and analyze these mistakes in order to learn from them. There are many different variables that cause error in a reporter's writing, and recognizing them is the best way for beginners to learn. What's better than learning from another writer's mistakes?

Jennifer Carbert wrote the following in her blog post: "With all the different possibilities for numbers in a accuracy, not only in recording the right numbers, but in the wording the writer uses to give meaning and context, is vitally important." Before we learn from previous mistakes we must recognize that there is an endless number of variables that can cause inaccuracy or error. Journalists must learn from other writer's mistakes as well as their own, all the while remembering that perfection is impossible.

Errors in Major Newspapers

This is a clip from the Edmonton Journal article "Call off the war against boys." It should say like to be known rather than like to known. These types of errors are typically the most obvious in newspapers. Simply leaving out adjectives and verbs is seemingly one of the most common mistakes made in publications.

This article in the Vancouver Sun mentioned the the dilemma of how much time and money to spend on one's home. The word dilemma, by definition, is a choice between two or more possibilities. Using how much with the noun dilemma is improper in this sentence. In order to use this word correctly there should be a definite choice for the subject, like a specific amount of time or money to spend on the home.

This is the headline from an Edmonton sun article. It is inaccurate because the dog was stabbed, not shot. It was an Edmonton police officer, Const. Bruce Edwards, who shot the man. The rest of the article is accurate, so this is a spelling error, not a factual error. This error typifies a common mistake journalists make. It is a single word that was misused, but it still has the potential to change the outlook of the entire story.

Note: Image from a newspaper clipping on mortgage reports website

Editing Detective, Shannon Findlay

2010-04-11T20:19:00.000-07:00

Every day newspapers get filled with the latest information. Every twenty-four hours they are updated and fed to the public, and every day a newspaper will run an apology correcting the mistakes made in previous prints. This system of error and reprint has been around since the beginning of news delivery, yet for the most part it goes unnoticed. A reader does not pick up today's paper wanting to know what was wrong with yesterdays. Any time they spend reading will be to get the quick update on the latest news. Unless a story is ongoing, people may not even remember what they read the day before or question that it may have been inaccurate.

On March 20, 2010 The National Post ran an error correction. In it they apologized for incorrectly saying James Elliott Coyne, a former governor of the Bank of Canada, was dead when in fact he is alive and well. To say someone is dead is a pretty serious accusation and should be checked out carefully before printing such information. Finding out whether someone is still alive should be an extremely easy task, yet it seems to have been overlooked. As a result of such a slip, the reprint ran, but for who's eyes? A small correction is likely to go unnoticed and the damage done by the columnist's error will be solidified.

In an issue of the Sun, a story ran that wrongly described the antics of Nancy Jones at the funeral of her father, Keith Floyd. It described her as being insensitive and having to get escorted out. According to the reprint, Jones was welcomed at the event and was not ushered out because of her behaviour or otherwise. It is incredible that information printed as a fact could be written so wrongly out of proportion. A woman was painted in a very poor light because someone had made his or her own inferences on an event without checking what was real. Not only does this reflect badly on the paper, but also on Nancy Jones. People's reputations can be ruined by what a publication prints about them, whether it's true or not. This should be a thought taken into account every time derogatory stories deride a person's character.

As Jennifer Carbert said in her blog post, "Let each story, caption and picture reflect an attitude of self-respect and honour." Not just honour for those in the story and captions, but honour for the writer. When the time is taken to check the facts, spelling, and grammar there will be much less regrets and far less apologies that go unnoticed.

*note: image from regrettheerror.com

The Immediacy of Online Journalism, Jesse Snyder

2010-04-11T14:35:00.000-07:00

Online Reporting and How It has Changed Journalism

Generally speaking, one of most substantial effects the Internet has had on journalism is that the news is being delivered faster than ever. Rather than having set deadlines the way traditional journalists did, a reporter's stories are now expected to be done instantaneously - sometimes within minutes. Without the printing press, journalists' deadlines are more like "NOW" than "in a few hours." Verifying information often comes second to delivering news that is immediate. As the immediacy of news increases, its credibility seemingly decreases. This leaves editors and reporters with the responsibility of conveying news quickly while including credible sources and factual information.

Although the immediacy of web-based reporting gives the news to readers faster than ever, there have been a few instances where major newspapers chose to run inaccurate information for the sake of posting instant news. After a Twitter posting by someone claiming to be Gordon Lightfoot's grandson suggested the singer had passed away, newspapers around North America followed suit, confirming that he was about to be buried six feet under. A blog post written by David Akin, who was responsible for alerting many of the CanWest reporters who published the story, asserted that many people blamed Twitter for the misguidance. Akin went on to explain that it was not Twitter that caused the misinformation but the fact that the there is no screening process on social media sites. Usually alerts between newspapers would be confirmed or denied before going to press, but because Twitter is used by the public, it caught on like wild fire. Twitter has serious potential in journalism he says, but only if used correctly - or at least only as the origin of a story and not the source itself.

When news is expected to be delivered as quickly as it is, these inaccuracies are inevitable. Naturally stories take time to verify, so the news should only move as fast as the story, and not jump ahead too far. As Kevin Penny wrote in his blog post, "Although I will digress that the Internet supplies vast amounts of information to the general public, we as a society must learn to use it responsibly." This sums up the need for the public - and more importantly the media - to use the Internet and its social media sites only as a basis for information. Both accuracy and immediacy are mainstays of journalism, but it is the reporters job to put in the effort and verify its facts... And do it fast.

Note: Image from blueopossum.homestead website.

Editing Detective, Katrine Sorensen

2010-04-11T13:02:00.000-07:00

When reading through newspapers, magazines and books, I usually don't notice minor mistakes in spelling or grammar. It is only when the mistakes are so blatant they inhibit understanding that I pause. Therefore, it is always challenging when we practice our 'detective skills', it makes me read articles more thoroughly and look at other journalists's work differently.

The above screen capture is taken from a breaking news article published online April 11 by The Toronto Star. I think this paragraph is written very clumsily, and the structure, where the number is before the description, seems confusing to me. There are many other alternatives to this structure, as in an Edmonton Journal article written about the death: "Pte. Tyler William Todd, 26, a member of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, 1st Battalion, was the 142nd Canadian soldier to die in the Afghan war." Breaking news bring out the best and worst in journalists: on the one hand it shows how accurately and efficiently journalists can capture an event, but on the other hand the immense stress of a breaking news situation makes journalists highly prone to make errors. Perhaps the most important challenge of online editors is to be able to correct mistakes from breaking news articles?

The punctuation in the above screen capture, from an article published online by the Vancouver Sun, seems very off to me. The comma after 'why' in the third line should be removed, and there should have been commas surrounding the modifier 'flying from Yellowknife to Cambridge Bay last year' in the fourth line. Commas, semicolons, and periods seem like a very small part of writing, and they are often overlooked. However, punctuation should not be underestimated: when used erroneously, it can alter meanings and make sentences incomprehensible.

Both the journalist and the editor carry a great responsibility on their shoulders when it comes to editing work for their newspaper. No matter the fast pace of the industry these days, writers and editors must still aspire for perfection. Ambitious? Yes. However, there is a good reason why flawlessness is still the goal. Jennifer Carbert makes some very valid reflections over the responsibility writers have to their readers in her blog post Editing Detective: "Sloppy work reflects to the reader that the writer did not care enough about them, or the story to glance at it again." Great editing and writing must be done to make information more accessible to the users, and errors must never become a barrier to get the message across.

Note: Image from Biobreak

Editing Detective, Jennifer Carbert

2010-04-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

Due to the pace of the journalism business mistakes are bound to happen. However, Ricki makes a good point in her blog post, Editing Detective when she says "These errors don't necessarily impair judgement of the readers, yet they make the original compositions look unreliable, as though no one cared enough to correct these mistakes at all." The small mistakes made by the writer, or missed by the copy editor, makes the publication look lazy and discredits the facts of the story.

The editor of Reuters India missed a repeat word when reviewing the Polish plane crash highlights 'lamentable' fleet. The error seems to be from an earlier revision. The writer or copy editor decided the sentence worked better with said in a different place. However, when revising the story the writer or editor forgot to remove the original word. Although this is a simple error, as Ricki said, it reflects poorly on the publication.

Writers also have a responsibility to their readers. Readers want to know they are more than simply a number or a pay-check. A common phrase heard among journalists is, "I got into this business to inform the public." If this is so, then care about them are double check all work that has a potential to be published. Sloppy work reflects to the reader that the writer did not care enough about them, or the story to glance at it again.

Writers must remember the stories they publish represent not only their own diligence, work ethic, and competence, but also reflect on the intellect, and dedication of the publication. Let each story, caption and picture reflect an attitude of self-respect and honour.

Note: Image from cartoonstock by Joseph Farris

Final Blog Post, Pamela Di Pinto

2010-04-10T17:26:00.000-07:00

This past semester, I have learned many things from this course:

As a journalist, it is important to edit any piece of work before it goes to press or gets published to the online world. Journalists shouldn't rely solely on the efforts of copy editors to ensure that there are no mistakes, either grammatical, spelling or style related, in their work. Ricki mentions this in an earlier blog post, when she says, "journalists and writers themselves are responsible for proofreading their work." In doing so, it makes them better writers overall. It follows the mentality that we learn from making our own mistakes. Journalists are founded on accuracy and relied upon to report the facts, so when audiences find mistakes in their work, it can reflect poorly on them. However, making the mistake firsthand and understanding why it is wrong means that it is less likely to appear in a journalist's work again. Craig Silverman's website, We Regret the Error, puts this idea into practice, "noting media corrections, retractions, apologies, clarifications and trends regarding accuracy and honesty in the press." Self-editing your work is crucial in this industry, and I am glad I have had the chance to practice it through my online portfolio (class blog) this semester.

The main thing that I learned, though, is how beneficial blogs and other forms of social media can be as a journalist. At the beginning of the semester, I had no idea how to blog, and I wasn't even sure how it applied to this industry. Now, I realized that blogging is a great way to promote your "brand," and attract potential readers even before being hired on at an official publication. They enable you to exercise your skills and, perhaps more importantly, your freedom as a writer. You can even use blogs to experiment with audio or video podcasts, as well as photography. It's all about getting your name out there! Social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, are a great way of doing this. They can also be used for other journalistic purposes unbeknown to me before this semester. Now, as mentioned in an earlier blog post, I feel they are a tool that every journalist should use as a way of keeping people connected and informed.

It is important for me to incorporate technology into my writing. If I have learned anything from this first year as a journalism student, it is that our industry is shifting from traditional, print mediums to that of the online world. Editors aren't just looking for talented writers anymore; they are looking for journalists who are willing to embrace new technologies, and use them accordingly in their stories. This is what audiences are looking for too. A single block of text no longer constitutes as a story in the world of online journalism. Users beg to be involved in the process, and, in being open to new technologies, journalists can provide that. If this is where the industry is going, then I have to move with it!

From here, I hope to further the skills I have already acquired and put them towards my own blog, which I plan to start during the break. It's time to take my own advice and get my name out there!

Note: Image from wordpress.hayscisd.net

Here are the comments that I made on other people's blog posts throughout the semester:
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Importance of Accuracy, Shannon Findlay

2010-04-10T14:58:00.001-07:00

Life is full of stories. There are fictional stories told to entertain, stories told between friends, gossip between strangers, and then there are news stories shared with huge audiences. Each of these has value to someone, but a defining point between news stories and all the rest is the need for accuracy. News organizations pride themselves on being able to deliver the facts, objectively and accurately. They want the world to hear their stories and know that they can believe it. Reputations for fair and honest news are staked on the fact that stories being put forth have been checked and found true.

Fact: humans are fallible. Fact: humans write news stories. By extension, the assumption can be made that news stories are likely to have mistakes in them. Journalists working at full speed to find news, write about it and then get it out to the public with minimal wait time is a recipe for error. We cannot deny that publications often run reprints and apologies for the inconsistencies that show up. The only thing we can do is to learn from mistakes and try not to make them in the first place. Just one mistake can be the catalyst for an audience to wonder whether everything you've written has been accurate. Megan Perras spoke on such outcomes of a mistake saying, "the reader no longer respects what they [the writer] writes, no matter how true or worthy their opinion."

In matters of accuracy, it is better to double check than to make a mistake. Being first to report something is important, but being accurate is even more so. The online Handbook of Journalism says, "It is our job to get it first but it is above all our job to get it right. Accuracy, as well as balance, always takes precedence over speed." What value does the fastest news have, if it is incorrect? None. Audiences may want speed, but even more so they want truth. When a reader doesn't know that they've been told something untrue, they will not know to check the fact. A journalist cannot let down their guard for even a moment. It is at such times when sloppy errors begin to discredit their byline. Always remember to be objective, be timely, but most importantly be accurate. The work you do is a reflection of your character. Audiences will recognize your diligence and respect you for it.

*note: image from huffingtonpost.com

Final Blog Post: The Great Leap Forward, Katrine Sorensen

2010-04-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

As I watched All The President's Men (1976) the other week, I realized how efficient journalists have become with the aid of internet and computers in general. The scenes showing Bernstein and Woodward flipping through boxes and boxes of library slips to find a single piece of paper were eyeopening to the amount of work journalists in earlier decades had to do to support their articles. However, as many students have expressed in this blog, new technology has not only brought positive changes. Whether for or against the media's use of internet, social media, blogging, etc., it is necessary to know these communication tools when aspiring to become a journalist. Before I started this class, I had never blogged, tweeted or played around with wordle, but I now feel as if I have just taken one step further away from the journalistic world of Bernstein and Woodward. For better or for worse.

It has been very interesting to work hands-on with blogging. It has definitely given me some other experiences than just following a blog or being taught about blogging as a concept. Interacting with others online has been useful, and reading the blog posts and comments from other students has been both inspiring and interesting. This class has also confirmed the need for editors since it is so incredibly hard to edit your own work.

Being an internet-junkie, I think that living in a digital era is very exciting and challenging. As Terra points out in her blog post The Digital Era and Global Awareness, internet has made the world much smaller, and we are now connected very easily across continents and timezones. Internet and technology has also placed journalism in a state flux where experiments are ongoing, and we are struggling to redefine ourselves in a parallel digital universe. One of the greatest challenges is to sort out the useful tools from all the 'noise' online, and navigate around all the pitfalls created due to lack of understanding of new media. Another important issue is to maintain the traditional journalistic principles despite the furious pace of an online world, and stay connected to the real people behind the facebook profiles. I think the debate on this blog about journalism 2.0 and new media has been helpful to reach a more in-depth understanding of all these very confusing and diverse tools of modern journalism, and there has also been some very important ideas of what to avoid when using these tools. Hopefully, I will now be able to take away the best of both worlds and apply it to journalism.

Note: image from images.teamsugar.com

Blogging, Steven Wagers

2010-04-10T13:33:00.000-07:00

People have often debated the merits of blogging. Some say that it's ridiculous and there is no reason for having a blog, reading a blog, or for blogs being in existence in the first place. In some ways I think this is true and a few months ago I might have even fully agreed with them. Now however, I have started seeing the merits of having a blog. I think blogs can give insight into areas where some people might have some sort of expertise in.

For example, one blog that I follow is Oilers Nation. This blog has many accomplished writers that write on it. Jason Greggor, and Robin Brownlee are just two of these writers. Both are well known amongst Oilers fans. This blog gives public who wouldn't normally have the chance to go into the locker room and talk to the players themselves, an opportunity to gain some insight into what is happening with the Oilers.

It's for these reasons that I have performed a 180 in respect to my views on blogs. I think they do have some merit. Obviously there are lots of blogs that suck, but I think that they can be a useful source of information, but they have to be read with a grain of salt.

Jayme Hagan and Terra Poole once wrote "by not learning a specific type of media, such as Twitter, you are alienating a potential audience." The same could go for blogging. As a journalist, you don't want to alienate any potential audiences.

Image taken from Hornbull Unleashed (http://hornbillunleashed.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/create-new-blog-commoncraft-0.jpg)

Bring on the Change, Shannon Findlay

2010-04-10T13:15:00.000-07:00

Change. The very thought of such a thing is enough to send many people running for cover. To disrupt a perfect working order can be a hard concept to grasp, and an even harder adjustment to make. When Internet made its debut in the world, news organizations were hesitant to jump on board the World Wide Web wagon. Established media was working just fine. News came daily through the papers, several times a day on television, and much more regularly on the radio. Why change? With so many outlets, it seemed impossible to require another. Despite hesitation, the online news sites began emerging.

Four years ago a word was coined to describe this phenomenon. Mark Briggs was first to refer to this shift in news reporting as Journalism 2.0. Being able to have visuals, audio, blog posts and updates on the journalist's time, not just the six o'clock news or morning paper. When people want to know something, they could turn to their computers and find out for themselves with just a few key strokes. The only set back to this broadened horizon is that much of the news now found on the Internet, is a print story, taken from one media and slapped onto the next. Shovelware as it is called, shovelling content from thing to the next with no adaptations or changes. In a post by Matt Neznanski, he addresses this issue saying, "The biggest impediment is the single-deadline mindset of publications that still cling mightily to shovelware posted after print pages are sent to press. It hasn’t ever fit the Web..." Changing this methodology could make news so much richer. The Internet has no word count that must be met. Stories can be told at length, including details that may have to be withheld in a newspaper. Video footage can be uploaded with no time limit or commercials. Journalism 2.0 brings a myriad of options to the table that just need be embraced.

Understandably, journalists may find the learning curve for such a task very steep. Not only is it a new tool to master, but it means more time and effort to be put forth. Max Rausch pointed out such difficulties in his blog post when he said, "For us, the journalists, life is bound to get even more complicated. When the industry itself doesn't know the best approach, I can safely say they can't teach it to us in university." Change always bring insecurities, and it will be some time before all the bugs are worked out of such a new and constantly evolving system. Still, journalism 2.0 is here to stay. The world of online news has made an impact on our generation and has long since passed the point of no return. For journalism, the only direction left to go is forwards, pushing on through change and adapting to all that encompasses it.

*note: image from mediabistro.com

The Importance of a Good Copy Editor, Steven Wagers

2010-04-10T13:10:00.000-07:00

Copy editors are extremely important in a news room. The read over the writing of others and make sure that the facts are correct, and that things like spelling and grammar are also correct. You may be wondering why a journalist couldn't just do that himself/herself. The reason for this is time. If every journalist spent the amount of time necessary to make sure that everything was in perfect order, it would eat up a lot of time. That is not to say that journalists don't spend any time looking over their work and making sure everything is in proper order. In fact it is a highly important practise to look over your own work before giving it in to your copy editor. The copy editor just provides another buffer between the journalist and the public, so the public can be sure they are getting the right information.

So what do copy editors edit? Well, when an editor edits, they use a list of mark up symbols which allows them to communicate the errors made in the piece of writing, to the author. Every journalist should know these symbols in order to understand the mistakes made in the piece.

As Jesse Snyder put it in his blog post: "everyone makes mistakes." Copy editors help to minimize these mistakes and that is why they are so important.

Picture from text correct website (http://www.textcorrect.co.uk/images/copy-editing-title.jpg)

Editing Detective, Pamela Di Pinto

2010-04-09T22:57:00.000-07:00

Despite the best efforts of journalists and editors alike, mistakes still manage to sneak their way into news copy that is later published for the greater public's viewing. Mistakes in journalistic writing can leave readers questioning the reliability of the news source, along with its credibility and attention to accuracy. As a result, these mistakes can reflect poorly on both the journalist and the company he or she represents.

That being said, though, these mistakes are inevitable. Shannon Findlay mentions this point in an earlier blog post when she says, "Fact: humans are fallible. Fact: humans write news stories. By extension, the assumption can be made that news stories are likely to have mistakes in them." No journalist has a perfect track record, and, as the industry continues to shift to the online world, I think errors will only become more commonplace in journalistic writing. Online journalism is all about speed: Who can get the latest breaking news story out first? This leaves minimal time for editors to step in, or even for journalists to self-edit their piece before posting it to the Internet. This can lead to both factual and mechanical (grammar, spelling, style, etc.) errors:

Factual errors

The Toronto Star printed three (yes, three!) factual errors all from April 6, 2010:

A witness was incorrectly identified in an article about a man on trial for raping and fatally stabbing a 20-year-old woman who knew he was carrying the HIV virus. The article listed Wendy Phillips as the witness, when it was actually Julie Phillips. The journalist didn't even know who testified at the trial?
A photo caption accompanying an article about the high risk of rape for women in Haiti incorrectly identified Elmancia Dezameau as a rape victim. In fact, as the article correctly indicates, she was attacked, not raped. It's in the article! All the journalist had to do was transfer the same information over to the photo caption.
An article about white-hat hackers incorrectly stated that Leigh Honeywell developed an anonymity layer for instant messenger programs. In fact, through a Google-funded program, he mentored a student who added an encryption layer to an existing application. One word: fact-checking.

*Note: The Toronto Star has a link to a corrections page (seen in the image below), where they acknowledge and correct such errors.

Mechanical errors

I read the edmontonjournal.com more than any other online publication. I always find mechanical errors, especially on their breaking news pieces:

In today's edition, April 12, 2010, the word "only" was repeated twice in one sentence in a breaking news article about how employee statements will now be used as evidence in the ongoing investigation surrounding Syncrude:

"He said it traditionally is only excluded only in rare cases when it is deemed neither necessary nor reliable."

This is most likely the result of writing to deadline -- the basis of online journalism -- and can easily be fixed by removing one "only."

Journalists should always strive to produce error-free copy, regardless of the medium in which it reaches audiences. However, mistakes will be made, which means there will always be work for "editing detectives" like me!

Note: Image from www.cs4fn.org

Staying Connected with Social Media, Pamela Di Pinto

2010-04-09T22:53:00.000-07:00

When you hear the term "social media," what comes to mind? Facebook? Twitter? Yes, these are two examples of popular social media websites, but what does "social media" mean? And, more importantly, how can it be applied to journalism?

I think the best place to start is by looking further into one of the examples mentioned above: Twitter.

Twitter is a micro-blogging site that allows users to post status updates, or "tweets," of up to 140 characters to their profile page, either for personal use or as a way of sharing information with their "followers" (individuals who subscribe to their profile). There are many pros and cons to using Twitter:

Pros

The home page says it all: "Share and discover what is happening right now, anywhere in the world." Through Twitter, individuals can "share" almost anything -- opinions, thoughts, experiences -- with the rest of the "Tweeting" world. This sharing gives people a chance to "discover" new things, most of which are "happening right now." This is one of the main benefits of using Twitter: people are able to share their ideas with others at an instantaneous rate. The best example of this would be Live Tweeting, where individuals can publish what they think of an event as it is taking place. What other medium allows you to do this? Finally, Twitter allows individuals to see what's going on "anywhere in the world." This means that people can stay connected with friends, family, co-workers, etc. found locally, and even overseas.

Cons

Twitter allows users to post updates no more than 140 characters in length, which can be very limiting when publishing one's thoughts/opinions, plus adding external links that may be relevant to their post. In her blog post, Jennifer Carbert also argues that social media, such as Twitter, "encourages people to be more dramatic and more opinionated," which could lead them to "say defamatory or offensive things simply to gain followers and friends." This could also lead to the spread of misinformation, or gossip, which Twitter can facilitate quickly and easily. An example of this would be the Gordon Lightfoot fiasco, where Twitter posts were involved in the reports surrounding his supposed "death."

This YouTube video from Lee LeFever expands on much of what was said above, and provides a simple explanation on how to use Twitter.

Twitter is only the beginning, though. Social media is an umbrella term, which includes other tools such as blogs, message boards, podcasts, wikis, vlogs (video logs), basically anything that facilitates conversations and interactions, and the sharing of information between groups of people online. This list is a better representation of the different types of social media found on the Internet.

How does all of this apply to journalism? At the beginning of the year, I wouldn't have been able to answer this question. Now, I know that social media can be used for journalistic purposes in many ways, such as:

Covering breaking news
Posting headlines
Posting links to stories
Tracking down sources
Research
Promoting your "brand"

Today, our society is fueled by technology, which has many people embracing social media. Why not take advantage of that audience! Essentially, social media allows journalists to push news to mass audiences in a shorter amount of time, and in a relatively simple manner. By sharing the news, as opposed to mindless "What are you doing?" updates often posted by the masses, journalists are helping individuals stay connected with the world, much like traditional mediums such as the newspaper or T.V. news broadcast. But social media takes this process one step further: individuals can voice their thoughts, opinions, concerns, etc. about issues in the news, and build on the conversation in ways traditional mediums never permitted. Audiences can even re-post information they find relevant for others to see, keeping the flow of information going, and promoting connection on a global scale between audiences. With social media, there really is no limit!

Note: Image from www.omlogic.com

Final Blog Post, Jennifer Carbert

2010-04-09T00:15:00.000-07:00

This semester I have learned about blogging and the role of the internet in the world of media. Writing, editing and interacting with the online world has become a part of the journalists job. Although I don't agree with Peter Horrocks who was quoted about the importance of technology by the BBC as saying: "I'm afraid you're not doing your job if you can't do those things." There are plenty of really good journalists who do not like using the online tools simply because they have mastered their craft in print. There is a newspaper in Meadow Lake SK, which does not even have a business website and does really well in the community.

Online editing, in my opinion, is much more difficult than print editing. Catching mistakes on a computer is harder to do than finding them printed out on paper. Another reason editing for online becomes difficult is because of the change of pace. Articles written for online sites are written in less time than the print articles and sometimes are updated as new information is discovered. The sheer speed and constant updating of online news stories makes it difficult to keep up with the editing process.

In my future I see technology playing a very important role in my writing and publishing processes. The major reason is because I intend to use my skills overseas for Canada. The Internet, blogging, facebook, twitter, and e-mail have all made this opportunity available. Learning how to write and build a blog has been helpful in that sense. The second reason I see technology being important in my career as a journalist is because most people receive their news online. Although I still prefer flipping through a physical newspaper most people would rather receive updates electronically, this is simply the way the business is moving. As Katrine said in her blog post, The Power of Blogging, "One of the advantages of blogging for journalists is the exposure it creates." She is completely correct, blogging allows people around the world to quickly self-publish which can lead publishers to find some amazing journalists.

Note: Image from Boston University Office of Disabled Services

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The role of Social Media, Jennifer Carbert

2010-04-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

Part of the journalists's job is to build relationships. Relationships are what allow journalists's to gather information and find answers. The Internet and advances in social media have changed the way relationships are built and maintained. According to an article published by the University of Colorado Social Media is a way to get information that would otherwise have been next to impossible to get. "Social media supports “backchannel” communications, allowing for wide-scale interaction that can be collectively resourceful, self-policing, and generative of information that is otherwise hard to obtain." Social Media allows large amounts of people access to information, and allows people to stay in contact half a world apart, with so many connections gathering information is much easier.

Social Media has changed the way people interact and allowed information to flow much faster and easier. However, not everything about social media is good. Social Media encourages people to be more dramatic and more opinionated than they might have been otherwise on order to gain followers on twitter or friends on facebook. Katrine Sorenson in her blog post The Importance of being you said: "Since success is measured in the number of followers on Twitter or the number of friends on Facebook, it has become very important to have a distinct personality or controversial opinions to break through the digital wall." In order to be someone online the writer needs to be distinct and different. Sometimes this can lead journalists, especially citizen journalists who are not held accountable for their words, to say defamatory or offensive things simply to gain followers and friends. Stephen glass is an example of a journalist who wanted readers and was willing to say anything to get them.

Another downfall of social media is the anonymous factor. Although stories may come from following someone on twitter or befriending them on facebook, journalists can never be sure who wrote those things. The name attached to them may not be the same person who wrote the comment. People who forget to log off their facebook accounts are hacked by friends, and incriminating things are posted as a joke by friends. A name on a computer screen does not mean total reliability on the keyboard.

With careful consideration and thought social media can be successfully used in the Journalism world. Information is easier to find, and stories are finding their way into the public sphere. With so much information journalists need to be careful which sources they choose and which posts they believe. Twitter and facebook are a great starting place to get in contact with people and find out who they are, but good journalism should never end with a twitter post, or facebook comment. The information needs to come from the source, face-to-face, or at very least over the telephone.

Note: Image from Politicus.us

Final Blog Post, Terra Poole

2010-04-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

Importance of social media

The thing I feel was most stressed throughout this course and will remain in my mind for years and years to come is the importance of accepting social media and the direction journalism is taking. I have come to realize and sadly accept that traditional journalism is slowly a dying industry. I think I feel that way from the constant emphasis this course has pushed for social media. I have learned how to tweet, and that a "tweet" is the verb form of using twitter. I have also learned how to use a blog, something that was completely beyond me before this course.

Copyediting and proofreading blogs

Another thing that I have learned through this course is the importance of copyediting and proofreading my work before I submit it. Some blogs are viewed by millions of people making the author of that blog responsible for its content. If the author makes multiple grammar, spelling or factual errors then that author should be responsible for the repercussions that may follow. Twitter and blogs are important ways in this changing world for distribution of news and ensuring the facts are as accurate as possible is crucial. I would never want to read something somebody submitted that was littered with errors. However, I also learned that making mistakes is a great way to not make potential mistakes. Perhaps, proofreading the copy before submitting it is a good way to have initially made the mistake but catch it before it comprises my credibility.

My future of journalism

I don't know how much I will embrace these new forms of technology in my future. I wouldn't say I am opposed to them but I just didn't expect this is where journalism was heading when I first entered the course. I have to admit it's a little disheartening to realize that the use of Twitter and blogs are so important to my future. Similar to what Jayme said in his blog post, I don't want to be tweeting 24/7 about what is happening in my city. What happened to waking up in the morning with a cup of coffee and a newspaper? Everybody is in such a hurry now and there is no time to enjoy the news. I think I will grow to accept this fate but I would say the traditional form needs so much support right now in order to survive. It needs a way to compete with the ever-changing online news outlets that people are embracing for their news sources.

Note: Image from MikeWhite

Biased About Being Biased, Terra Poole

2010-04-08T19:46:00.000-07:00

Objectivity in reporting

People often make the assumption that journalists remain completely objective in their reporting. However, there is no way a journalist can remain absolutely objective for each journalist is her/his own person and would tell each story differently from the next journalist. The journalist's selection of facts, quotes and wording all suggest there are different ways to tell a story. Each journalist has biases too, it goes along with being a human being. However, this is not a negative thing. Biases are a good thing because they make a person more passionate about what she/he is reporting on. However, biases exist in many different industries.

Bias in politics

There are even biases in politics. For example, President Barrack Obama and the health care system in the United States. He is specifically trying to make change in that area of politics because he thinks it is important. Is this a bad thing? Being biased towards a certain topic is not necessarily a negative thing because it helps promote change. Perhaps having a government that is not passionate or biased towards any topics could result in little movement and/or change.

Bias in film

An extremely biased filmmaker is Michael Moore, who directed documentaries such as Sicko (2007), Fahrenheit 911 (2004) and Bowling for Columbine (2002). He has received a lot of criticism for his one-sided approach to telling the truth. People argue that he often exaggerates the truth, misleads people with cinematography, and omits certain facts to defend his points better. However, people should be criticized for merely taking everything they hear or read at face value. Moore is offering one perspective, though it may be biased, people have the right and freedom to research the opposing side and find out how much truth is hitting the light. Moore cares a lot about certain issues about the United States and he's making an attempt to draw some light to those subjects.

Bias in blogs

Is it a bad thing to have opinions and to have those opinions shine through in writing? Even Kevin's blog post about Fox News has bias throughout it, which should be considered a positive thing. Kevin clearly has a distaste for Fox News and it shines through in his writing. Perhaps his blog post would not have been as compelling and engaging if he didn't use lines like, "and it sickens me to see how many ratings they get." However, people should be proactive enough to consider that perhaps Kevin could be biased against Fox News and research for themselves the other side to Kevin's argument. Perhaps even this blog post is biased towards being biased.

Note: Image from Jrenseyblog

Importance of Numbers, Jennifer Carbert

2010-04-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

Numbers are a part of many newspaper stories; National statistics, increases, decreases, and budgets. With all the different possibilities for numbers in a accuracy, not only in recording the right numbers, but in the wording the writer uses to give meaning and context, is vitally important.

According to Nelson's Creative Editing for Canadian Journalists copy editors need to make sure that all the numbers are correct: the addition and synthesis of journalists is correct. In stories such as "Pension consultations too narrow: critics" in the Edmonton Sun, it was important for the journalist and editor to make sure all the numbers used were correct before publication. Sometimes a journalist needs to do addition when statistics have increased or decreased to show the difference. In the bottom of the article, "Most Alberta tuition hikes rejected" in the Edmonton Journal, the author probably did some math to figure out that NAIT had purposed to increase tuition 40 per cent. A copy editor probably double checked the mathematics to ensure 40 per cent was the correct number.

Numbers that are correct and that accurately represent the subject matter can be crucial to a story, for this reason they need to be given care and attention by both the writer and the copy editor. Just as Ricki Cundliffe said in her blog post "Editing Detective": "...there is no reason why the writers themselves cannot take the time to once-over their work to save everyone time and trouble." Looking over numbers is supremely important as they are often difficult for a copy editor to double check.

Image from My World is getting smaller every day

E-Portfollio - Editing Detective

2010-04-08T14:54:00.000-07:00

The trouble with typos is that it is so easy to make them, and what is worse is that once the mistake is made it can be harder for a proofreader to pick them up. The proofreader has to be on the ball in order to find mistakes like the one in the picture. If there had been actual thorough proofreading the word 'dollars' would not have been spelled 'dallors.'

As bad as missing a mistake like that is, it is even worse in the news room. Inaccuracy causes confusion; nothing good ever comes of it. An example of this is from a recent Intercamp article where a quote should have received more attention: “'I think they realized their decision was potentially short-sighted and wasn’t planned out,' said Holmgren." The problem is that Holmgren was not introduced before the quote was used. This means that the reader has no clue who Holmgren is, let alone Holmgren's gender. This was not the only mistake in this article: "MacEwan will use funds from reserves to fund operations of the aquatics facility until June 30, 2011. Money from MacEwan’s reserve fund will be used to keep the pool open until June 2011." These sentences both appeared one right after the other, and they both mean the exact same thing. The reporter repeats the fact right after it was just stated in almost the exact same wording. This could have been avoided. It's just like Katrine wrote: "Both the journalist and the editor carry a great responsibility on their shoulders when it comes to editing work for their newspaper."

Brave New Media, Katrine Sorensen

2010-04-06T19:42:00.001-07:00

Live it, learn it. As the name implies, new media is a relatively new phenomenon to society; Therefore, people will have to adjust to these new ways of communicating, just as our forefathers adjusted themselves to massive technological leaps that changed both the structure of society and the way society was viewed. However, every time a new invention becomes integrated into our lives we have to make a new set of 'rules' to control the negative impacts on human interaction. Kevin Penny writes in his blog post Journalism 2.0: benefit or burden?: "Although I will digress that the Internet supplies vast amounts of information to the general public, we as a society must learn to use it responsibly." I think that the problem not only lies with the internet, but with many other technologies; the cellphone is a good example of a piece of technology where people have had to come up with some kind of behavioral code surrounding it: is it ok to drive while talking on your cell? Is it fine to discuss your sex life on the phone while riding the LRT? Most of it is common sense, but it is important to acknowledge the new problematics that arise when a new medium is introduced.

Which brings meto social media. I find it surprising that young people who have grown up in an era saturated with digital discourse keep making the same mistakes again and again: publishing material via social media sites such as Facebook that should never have been published. Why don't we learn from the mistakes of others? College students from Australia had to learn the hard way that you cannot get away with publishing antisemitic material when an article about the mishap was published in Sydney Morning Herald. Yes, it was probably meant as a harmless joke, but the repercussions from the joke may be severe when it is 'out there'. Future employers will be wary to hire people who do not understand how to behave online.

As journalists it is important to remember that you are a professional who represents the company at all times - they own your name so to speak. It is problematic if a journalist publishes material on Facebook or Twitter that shows lack of judgement. Especially journalists who have had a virtual feeding frenzy over the many slips of tongue online should know better. Which makes the case of the British journalist Rod Liddle even more ludicrous. According to an article by The Daily Telegraph, Liddle wrote the following on in a blog for the British newspaper The Spectator: "The overwhelming majority of street crime, knife crime, gun crime, robbery and crimes of sexual violence in London is carried out by young men from the African-Caribbean community." Biased? The British Press Complaints Commission seemed to think so when they censored the blog for the first time in Britain.

The concept of privacy is being redefined with all the new forms of communication available. Even on a private Facebook page (as private as it can get), Facebook owns the right to the material published. Personally, I think that it is a bit scary that I don't have any control over what happens with the material I publish online, and it takes away the fun of Facebook when you have to take responsibility of every single silly comment ever made. Caution is advised, and I almost miss the good old Windows pop-up boxes: "are you sure you want to post this comment?". As jarring as it sounds, perhaps we will have to start censoring ourselves online?

Note: image from rextnt.com

Lecture 13: Exam Review

2010-04-06T12:10:00.000-07:00

Today marks the first session of our exam review (with next week's class as our final review).

While next week we'll go over the actual format of the exam, this week, it's the class's turn to review.

In groups of 3-4 I would like you to create a Course Review Newspaper.

In groups you will need to sign in to Google Sites. Choose a template, name your *site,* and begin adding review information.

Site URL: should include Prow135 and initials of group members (example: http://sites.google.com/site/prow135knja)

Site Name: Prow 135: Exam Review

Site Description: Final exam review for PROW 135 at Grant MacEwan University. Names of group members.

You can choose any template formate you prefer though I think the existing classroom and project wiki ones will work well.

When you create your various "articles" for review, remember to include headlines, ledes and images (with captions). Remember too, the tenets of writing for the web (bolding, typography, subheads, chunking etc...

Note: Your review articles should be short, containing just the most important information (about 250 words). You might want to include lists and/or bullets to help your readers. For more tips on writing for the web review our lectures and read this guide.

Make sure you newspaper contains *articles* on:

CP Style Guide (Lecture 1, 51 in CE)
Importance of Copy Editing and Copy Editing Symbols (Lecture 2, 46 in CE)
Grammar and Punctuation (Chapter 2 in CE)
"Crap Detection 101" (Lecture 4)
Ledes (Chapter 4 in CE, Lecture 5)
Bias (Lecture 6)
Writing Headlines (Chapter 9 in CE, lecture 7)

So, each *newspaper* front page should have seven sections (one devoted to each of the above points).

Additionally, somewhere on your front page, you should have a practise quiz with ten questions related to your seven sections.

When you have completed your review newspaper, and if time permits, complete another group's practise quiz and leave your answers (as a group) as a comment on today's lecture post. Also, don`t forget to include a link to your review newspaper in a comment.

Note: Groups - read through the comments and *mark* answers if a group has completed your practise quiz.

Note: Image from News Designer.

Final Blog Post, Ricki Cundliffe

2010-04-06T11:44:00.001-07:00

At the end of the day, the most important thing I took away from this class was how to properly proofread, as well as how to blog in order to add to the World Wide Web. I think there's a huge difference between personal websites, and public blogging sites (which I never really thought of before). Also, I learned a lot about internal/external links, and how to properly cite sources. I didn't really realize what an important role technology plays in journalism now-a-days!

I had never blogged before taking this class, because I didn't really see the point of it. However, I liked reading some of the blog posts from fellow classmates, and being able to compare and contrast the views between everyone. Personally, I'm not sure if my own blog posts really added anything to the online world, but hey, I tried right? I don't know if I will go on to blog on my own time, but I'm happy that I know what it's all about and how to do it properly. If you were to continue on blogging, I think it would be important to expand your writing in a sense that more research should be done, and more specific topics should be tackled.

I've also gotten out of the habit of "txtspk," or whatever it's supposed to be called. I never thought twice before about putting the number "2" rather than spelling out the word, and I would type things like "b/w," rather than spelling out the word "between." After learning to properly blog, though, I think it's important to take that extra few seconds to properly spell and punctuate, because who's to say that someone will actually understand the "txtspk?" Meanwhile, I don't want my work to look unprofessional or rushed, because that automatically takes away credibility/reliability.

I learned what the proper signs are to edit, and I think it's something that should be taught much earlier in life (before post secondary school). Every teacher has a different marking and editing system, and I think these signs should be universal in order to prevent confusion and 15 different students shouting out, "I don't get what this says!" Personally, I like structure and obvious outlines, so as a journalist, I would like to see these signs taught (preached, basically) in order to teach people to properly edit work at an earlier age. After all, editing and proofreading is the final step in creating a great piece of writing.

IMAGE - bloggin-ads.com

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The Power of Blogging, Katrine Sorensen

2010-04-04T22:04:00.000-07:00

One of the advantages of blogging for journalists is the exposure it creates. One of the important upsides is that it is possible to publish material without having to go through an editor; in fact, blogging can be considered a playground where writers can show off their talent, or as Megan Perras describes it in her blog post about citizen journalism: 'open mic night'. If used correctly, blogging could be opening the door to a job in the industry, just like a talented singer can be spotted at an open mic night. The independence makes it a very attractive medium for journalism students or young journalist since it can be very hard to get material published without any experience or contacts because it takes no prerequisites to write for a virtual audience. But what does it take to reach this virtual audience?

A good example of a career altering blog is Julie Powell's blog 'The Julie/Julia Project'. Powell was an aspiring but struggling writer who decided to start blogging about her attempt to cook her way through the culinary classic 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' by Julia Child. The blog became immensely popular, newspapers and magazines wrote stories about Powell and her blog, she wrote a book about it, and, finally, a film was created recently based on the stories of Julie and Julia. The moral of the Julie Powell story: do not ignore blogging as a medium, writers cannot afford to underestimate the free publicity. Powell's blog cannot be scrutinized enough for techniques used to catch the interest of the public; in addition, a list of the most popular blogs (updated daily) can be viewed at Technorati's website for further inspiration to the ambitious blogger.

However, the blogger who pursues a career in professional writing will have to tread carefully into the realm of blogging; although blog writers have a level of freedom with style, content and use of language that they will never experience in the publishing industry, they will also have to rely on their own editing skills since no editor will examine their copy. One of the pitfalls of blogging is that all errors will be painfully obvious to all of cyberspace and hence potential employers. Therefore, getting into the habit of writing blogs and, in particular, editing blogs is very good practise for the future. Especially with the increased pressure on the editors in the news industry, journalists will need the ability to edit their work thoroughly, efficiently, and swiftly. And what better skill is there to show off on your blog than amazing editing abilities?

Note: image from blog.sherweb.com.

The Fundamentals of Journalism, Ricki Cundliffe

2010-04-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how far we've come as a society. In the past decade or two, we have suddenly become a world that revolves around technology - that has made technology an essential part of our everyday lives. For instance, it is likely impossible to find anyone this day and age (with sufficient funds) that does not own a home computer, cell phone, I-pod, or something similar to the sort. However, it is because of all this technology that we, as a society, have become so co-dependent. Furthermore, it can also be noted that the Internet, smart phones, and computers in general, have taken away some of the most crucial parts of writing - of journalism - all together.

Journalism is an art. It isn't for everyone, and it isn't a skill that can be developed overnight. On the contrary, "journalism" has become so common that it is no longer given the respect and attention that it deserves. This site, for instance, is available to anyone, anytime, any place. With that being said, it doesn't matter if someone is qualified to write professionally or not, because there are no filters on blogging sites. On one hand, this is a great thing. This allows everyone to get involved in conversations and discussions around the world. It's a great tool, if it's used properly. However, when it comes to the actual fundamentals of journalism - proper punctuation, diction, and reliability - these fundamentals are basically thrown aside the majority of the time.

When blogging online, it is important to remember the basic fundamentals of journalism. Proper sources must be cited when necessary, and proper punctuation should be used at all times. There is really no need for laziness: it takes the pressing of an extra button to spell "to" rather than "2." Furthermore, when it comes to blog posting (with the exception of a personal site, like MySpace), the information being posted should be relevant and useful to the online world. No one really wants to know what you did this morning, or your weekend plans, or what you want for your birthday this year, for that matter.

A blog posting created Sunday, April 4, 2010, by KatrineHS is exactly the kind of post that has potential usefulness to other online users. The entire posting is properly punctuated, has external links to other relevant sites, and offers interesting ideas and theories on "The Power of Blogging." This post contain all the fundamentals of journalism, and therefore, is something that truly highlights the talent and techniques used to create good journalism.

IMAGE 1 - geibtechforlearning.org, IMAGE 2 - bmd900.files.wordpress.com

The Changing Face of the Copy Editor, Pamela Di Pinto

2010-04-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

As a journalism student, the bulk of my studies, and that of my fellow classmates have been about the shift from traditional to online journalism.

Throughout the year, instructors have urged us to remain up-to-date with the latest technologies so that we can use them to promote our "brand," or name, in the industry. Yes, print journalism is still alive and well in many newsrooms, but editors, now more than ever, are looking for "backpack journalists," or journalists who are comfortable with these technologies, and can use them to produce content for more than one medium. In his vlog, "What do journalists need to know in the digital era?" Howard Rheingold outlines what editors are looking for as journalism continues to shift to the online world. However, with this shift, the role of the journalist is not the only one subject to change: copy editors must also adapt new ways of thinking and preparing content for the Web.

In traditional mediums, copy editors play a key role in the newsroom, performing many duties before a story goes to press, such as:

Correcting errors of grammar, spelling and CP style
Correcting errors of fact
Judging news value
Guarding against libel and other legal problems
Writing headlines that will capture the reader's attention
Selecting, cropping and sizing photographs; and
Laying out pages

With online journalism, copy editors perform much of these same tasks; however, they must also cater to the online user. In her blog post, "Editing for the Web," Jennifer Carbert addresses this point: "Editing stories for online is very different than editing for the physical paper. Online readers don't want to spend a lot of time reading the news, they want to quickly find out the news and move on." Because of this, online news-goers will often scan stories as opposed to fully reading them. To make a story more scannable for the reader, the copy editor should consider the following:

Bolded subheads
Bullets or lists
Short sentences and paragraphs
Headlines that clearly state what the story is about
Inverted pyramid format where the most important information is up high in the story
"Chunking" or splitting the story into sections

Editors should also pay attention to multi-media elements, like audio or video clips and images; external links to relevant sources; and interactivity, whether through comments, social networking sites (SNS), or participatory journalism, where online users can essentially "play" journalist.

This article from the CBC website is a good example of an online news story.

In the fast-paced world of online journalism, though, where posting a story to the Internet 15 seconds behind a competing paper could mean losing readers, some could argue that the role of copy editors has been eliminated. Who has the time to edit through a piece? We want to get this story out first! However, I would argue that their role hasn't been eliminated, but simply modified. Copy editors are still an essential part of any newsroom. Now, they need to exercise some level of flexibility, paying attention to both the editing techniques rooted in traditional journalism as well as those regarding the online world. Like journalists are instructed to remain current amidst the changing face of the industry and meet the additional needs of online users, so too should copy editors. I think the speed of online journalism will only help refine their editing skills because it is during these crunch times when fact-checking and accuracy matter most. The face of the copy editor is changing, and it is definitely for the better.

Note: Image from flickr.com

New Media and Journalism Time-line, Student Names

2010-03-30T15:49:00.000-07:00

New Media and Journalism Timeline, Shannon Findlay and Pamela Di Pinto

2010-03-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

New Media and Journalism Time-line, Robert Smethurst

2010-03-30T15:46:00.001-07:00

New Media and Journalism Time-line, Jennifer Carbert, Aden Joy Cruz

2010-03-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

New Media and Journalism Time-Line, Katrine Sorensen, Stevzzzen Wagers

2010-03-30T14:32:00.000-07:00

New Media and Journalism Time-line, Devon Bowie, Jesse Snyder

2010-03-30T14:06:00.000-07:00

Journalism Students and the Digital Era, Shannon Findlay and Pamela Di Pinto

2010-03-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

By Shannon_Findlay View this Toon at ToonDoo Create your own Toon

The cartoon above represents how social media has become popular for many uses in our society. Not only as a way to keep in touch, but to deliver news, share pictures, and connect with large audiences quickly. Social media is an effective tool that all journalists should be prepared to work with.

Journalism Students & the Digital Era, Aden Cruz

2010-03-30T13:53:00.000-07:00

By AdenCruz View this Toon at ToonDoo Create your own Toon

In Howard Rheingold’s video, he reiterated the idea that “…newspaper people aught to take into account as they move journalism into this new form is the ability to link and thus to create an infinite number of refractions on stories that had to be told only in one dimension previously. Multimedia, the capability of taking audio and video and graphic simulations and add them to the repertoire of text and still images in the same medium.”

My cartoon depicts the fact that journalists now have a lot of baggage (literally, and in their work-load) due to the new multi-media standards of reporting. Not only are journalists writers, they are also the photographer, videographer, and the audio person.

On the last scene the reporter says she needs to tweet and blog; something Rheingold's video also focused on was the importance of adapting to social media and being accessible to audience participation.

Journalism Students and the Digital Era, Kris Hoyt

2010-03-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

By KRHoyt View this Toon at ToonDoo Create your own Toon

This one is not meant to be funny. Basically, the reporter managed ot get the story, but because the wi-fi failed, he could not get it up on time. As a result the competitor's got it up first while this paper needed to wait for the print version. I hope it's clear.

Journalism Students and the Digital Era, Katrine Sorensen

2010-03-30T13:32:00.000-07:00

By katrinehs View this Toon at ToonDoo Create your own Toon

I got the impression from the video blog that the editors and new organizations are looking for people who have an interest in learning and participating in online media. Whatever the individual journalist's opinion is about journalism 2.0, to be against it is the direct route to unemployment in today's business.

Journalism Students & the Digital Era, Steven Wagers

2010-03-30T13:31:00.001-07:00

By SWagers View this Toon at ToonDoo Create your own Toon

In my toodoo I wanted to show what would happen to you, as a journalist, if you were to not follow with the times. The industry is moving increasingly towards using social media as a way to get news out. If you don't adapt to these changes, you will surely be attacked viciously by multiple aliens, so I'd get familiar with social media if I were you.

Journalism Students & the Digital Era, Jennifer Carbert, Devon Bowie

2010-03-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

By MechaStalin | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

We decided to create a cartoon about a foolish person (luddite) stuck to the old ways of publishing media. Internet and progress ran over everything in its way including the old school luddite. And now he is in hell. \m/

Lecture 12: Journalism Students & The Digital Era

2010-03-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

For homework I asked you to watch this Howard Rheingold video:

Futher reading included "Assessing the Credibility of Online Sources."

Activity 1: Respond to VLog

With a partner, create a cartoon that captures the main premise of "What do Journalism Students Need to Know in the Digital Era."

Create an account on ToonDoo. Choose the tab "Tools" and click "ToonDoo Maker." Create a 3 scene cartoon. Save your cartoon and then embed it in a blog post. Include a few sentences in your blog post summarising your cartoon.

Title: Journalism Students & the Digital Era, Student Names
Labels: journalism 2.0, lecture 12, new media, review

Activity 2: Respond to Assessing Credibility

Choose an article from today's edition of the Edmonton Journal.
Assess the article according to the credibility criteria in the webcredible list.
How does the Edmonton Journal fare? Note your main findings in a comment here. Make sure to include your name.

Note: Image of Alan D. Mutter from Armand Emamdjomeh on the Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism site.

Read "BBC Tells News Staff to Embrace Social Media."

Activity 3: Respond in a blog comment: Now that you're nearing the end of the term and have had a lot of experience with various web 2.0 tools and discussions of the future of journalism, do you agree or disagree with the Guardian article above. Why or why not? Is there anything you would like to add to the article? Were there any viewpoints not mentioned that should have been presented? Did you note any proofreading/copy editing errors?

Activity 4: With a partner, create a time-line of the role of new media in journalism. You will need to sign up for an account on http://www.capzles.com/. When you have finished your time-line, save it and then copy the embed code and paste it into a new blog post.

Title: New Media and Journalism Time-line, Student Names
Labels: Lecture 12, new media, journalism 2.0, history

Some sites that you might find useful include:

http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=75953&sid=26

http://www.cemp.ismysite.co.uk/timelines/journalism/

http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2009/02/washington-posts-web-ninjas-build-map-timeline-combo047.html

Homework:

Come ready to review for the final exam.

Final exam: Tuesday April 20, 1:00-4:00 in room 212.

Journalism Students & the Digital Era, Jayme Hagen and Terra Poole

2010-03-30T07:27:00.001-07:00

In this constantly changing social media landscape it is vital you are familiar with all the tools available. By not learning a specific type of media, such as Twitter, you are alienating a potential audience. Even if you don't necessarily like the social media, you never want to narrow your audience by your own ignorance.

By jaymehagen | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

Prime Minister Harper Will Receive No Jail Time for Domestic Abuse, Maxwell Rausch

2010-03-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

Story is entirely fictional! Do not waste your time reading this!

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will receive no jail time for savagely attacking his wife Laureen in a drunken stupour, a federal judge ruled Thursday.

The Prime Minister was sentenced to 500 hours community service after pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon.

“I can afford lawyers that cost more than your salary!” Harper told a reporter form the Globe and Mail.

The Prime Minister threatened his wife of 16 years with a hunting knife after he caught her smoking marijuana in their Ottawa mansion the afternoon of Feb. 10, 2009.

When his wife threatened to divorce him, he became enraged and pushed her down a flight of stairs.

She pointed out his long-standing struggle with alcohol and called him a hypocrite, Crown prosecutor Jerry Callo told the court.

“She told him that he had already left her for vodka,” said Callo.

Harper admitted that he was drunk at the time of the incident, but said he was more ashamed of his pot-smoking wife.

“I have nothing to be ashamed of. Alcohol is legal because it’s good. Drugs are illegal because they’re bad.”

Callo told media outside court that the decision was a "travesty of justice."

"Oh the humanity! may client and I are in the depths of despair! Behold, that such perversions could manifest themselves in our democracy shatters the soul!"

The Prime Minister's defence attorney Richard Warren declined an interview, but said in an email that he was "the man."

Image of Stephen Harper form here.

Image of Laureen Harper form here.

Recent History of Ottawa as the Centre of Canada

As the political hub of Canada, Ottawa has had to tolerate stephen Harper's near-constant presence for the last four years. In that time, Canada has been more politically unstable than ever. Ruling as a minority government, harper and the Conservative Party have gained very little ground in the struggle for political change.

In the 2006 census, Ottawa was recorded as having a population of around 800 000 people. Although not Canada's most populous city, it is among the nation's most active metropoli. despite being the epicentre of an unstable political climate, the city enjoys the distinction of being one of the cleanest in North America. The city itself is under the governance of a conservative mayor, a balding, Irishman and one of Prime Minister harper's lowest underlings.

Recently, the Prime Minister provided vague and unsatisfactory responses to concerns about marijuana in Canada. One of his outstanding quotes was: "Drugs aren't bad because they're illegal. Drugs are illegal because they're bad."

Political discontent in Ottawa, Ontario and throughout the country will hopefully lead to political change come the next election.