I am super pumped that this my 100th post on the blog. It’s actually very exciting. So what am I going to talk about in my 100th post. Well journalism of course!
In my On-Camera Performance class we have been going on the air and working on our broadcasting technique. The most challening aspect I think is the writing. Many say it’s all about the way you look on camera, which is true, but it’s also your writing ability.
What makes the writing so challenging is that you have write simple sentences. I have taken numerous English courses which have pushed me to become a better and more descriptive writer. In broadcast writing, you kind of throw all of that away. You simplify the sentence. People don’t have time nor do they have the concentration to listen to heavy weighted sentences (like this one).
People are in a hurry. They are also preoccupied with other activities. Simple doesn’t always mean shorter sentences. You also have to chose words that simple and easy to understand. If you have to think about what the broadcaster said are you really going to understand what the story is about? More than likely not.
Think about it this way. Do you talk the way that you write? When your talking with your friends would you say:
“Mary, I just got back from a long walk along the winding river behind the school yard.”
Or would you say:
“Mary, I just got back from a walk.”
That probably isn’t the best example, but the point is we speak in fragments. We speak in simple and short sentences. Because it would take too much energy and too much time to understand. The trick is to write well, but in a way that’s simple and conversational with the audience. That’s the hard part.
I decided to do a little exercise today. I wanted to see if I could simulate writing under pressure. In some instances, I am going to be required to produce quality material with a short deadline. This is the most crucial time because proofreading and writing fast is essential.
Proofreading is important regardless of the amount of time you have to write story.
Today I wrote an article for DigitalJournal.com, which I have been writing for the past couple of months. I wrote a story on The Oldest American Woman died on Sunday. I made a little blunder and a simple one at that. The birthday of Mary Joseph Ray was in 1885 and not in 1985 as I wrote it.
Since I wrote fast, I didn’t even pick up on it. So lesson learned, proofread before you click submit or hand in your article or copy!
If you’re currently a student attending SUNY Plattsburgh, I need your help! I’m writing an article for a introduction to news writing class newspaper. The newspaper will not be published and will not be given out to anyone outside the class. The newspaper is for instructional use. My article that I will be writing is on the Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act which is going through New York legislation.
If you could answer the poll question below that would be great! All submissions to the poll are anonymous.
Also, if you are interested in being interviewed for the newspaper let me know by leaving a comment and or use the contact form! Thanks for all your help.
The New York Times acknowledges reports of a “metered-model” on their website for 2011. Under the metered model, the newspaper’s website “will offer users free access to a set number of articles per month and then charge users once they exceed that number.”1
The internet has changed media and news as we know it. Social Media websites like Twitter and Facebook have changed the landscape in regards to personal communication but also to mass media. Mass media must adapt to the changing technologies that are being thrown at us. The web is the place to get ahead. Could this be the break newspapers have been looking for?
Another interesting aspect of the internet and social media is how we get the news. We have so many options to get the news today – newspapers, TV, internet, cell phones, iPods, and the Wii. With all of these options to choose from, we don’t have to be in front of the TV or our computer to get the news. Rumors are that the New York Times may try to strike a deal with Apple to get their content on the Apple Tablet. The Apple Tablet is expected to be released sometime in early 2010 (rumor – sometime in March). Apple is expected to release information on the Apple Tablet on January 27th.
The bigger question here is should news be free? Should media companies charge for news regardless of whether or not they are a TV station, newspaper, or radio station?
Thoughts? Vote in the poll and/or leave a comment!
As a journalism student, where do I find my story ideas? How can you find stories to cover that are interesting and relevant to the general public? It’s easy to get lost in the constant banter of “headline news.” Throughout my day, I watch countless hours of news on both CNN and Fox News. Within an hour they constantly rehash the same stories over and over again like a broken record. They cut away a couple times to the weather and may be some side secondary story. It’s not long before they are back to the same “headline news” that they have been discussing for hours on end. I’m not saying they shouldn’t those cover stories and give them coverage that they deserve – but there is a line from obsessing about it and giving it appropriate coverage.
STORIES THAT SHOULD BE COVERED
I was taught in my introduction to Broadcast Journalism course at Lyndon State College that stories should be both interesting and relevant. The stories, whatever they are have to be of interest to the people who are watching. The internet is changing things not just technologically but because people now have choice to the stories they want to read, see and hear. You no longer have a group of people making decisions on what news stories that will be covered – people now have a choice to see, read and hear the stories they want to know about.
People want to know what is happening politically, economically and their personal security. However, we are only scratching the surface of what is really happening. If an outsider was looking in and watching our media – what impression would they get from our country? Is it an accurate depiction of what is happening in the country? As journalists our job is to uncover these stories and make sure our stories tell the true story. We need to cover stories from both angles so we tell the whole story from both sides. This not only makes the story unbiased but also gives the story depth and targets a broader range of people.
We need to target stories that matter most to the people. We need to stop scratching at the surface – we need to dig deeper and show the people what we really are about.
