Inventions of new technologies have, throughout history, posed problems for the way news should be delivered. News has evolved from telegrams/print to radio to television to internet. Each medium has its own unique way of presenting information that had to be carefully worked to better fit the public. Today's medium of choice for most young people- the internet- is no different.
For the purpose of this blog, I looked into 4 newspapers' websites... my hometown newspaper, The Morning Call, Knoxville's newspaper, the Knoxville News Sentinel, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. The first thing I noticed as I pulled up these various sites was that they all have at least one color picture on the upper half of the main screen. This is most likely to catch the eye of the viewer without having them scroll down.
They all also have other things in common, such as search bars to search the web or their own site, numerous links, videos, a place for the viewer to contribute, and advertisements. I think all of these things help "upgrade" their online publications. You can't get interactive links, polls, and user-contributed content from any other medium as of now.
It is important for these newspapers to understand their audience. They realize that it is most likely a younger audience who will view their sites. In order to capture this particular audience's attention, personally I would make sure there was a lot of interactivity. Our generation is now used to a lot of things being instant and fitted for them with the evolution of the internet. I would make sure my site is prompt with up-to-the-minute news updates and plenty of room for feedback.
As for what gets reported and what doesn't, I feel that the newspapers now have got it right for the most part. With the internet compared to print, there is more room for various stories that maybe wouldn't have made it to the paper. Audiences like to feel included in their community and in its news, so I would make sure to try and get out on the streets and talk to real people. I would then make sure my site included a lot of these people's stories and news that involved them.
If I had a choice, I would choose to follow the current trend and publish news on the internet. I feel that it is much more interesting to have videos and polls online than to just read a story's words. I always enjoy to have an image or two that goes with the stories I read in print, and with the internet, it is possible! I also think it has a possibility of bringing a community together in ways print couldn't, especially by getting everyone involved!
12.02.2007
11.28.2007
The ever-evolving internet...
Have you ever had that feeling of just total helplessness? Well, that's how I feel every time my internet stops working or I am traveling without it, or even when I forget my cell phone. It's like I cannot be connected to the world without these things. I feel as if I am going to miss something big!
I think that the internet is everywhere! My parents just bought a fairly new device from Verizon that lets you access the internet through broadband anywhere that there is a cell phone tower. To me, it is incredible. All though I don't pay for internet capabilities on my cell phone, the mere fact that I could be connected anytime, anyplace if I wanted to, is also incredible!
Even though I am only 21 years old, I feel old when I think of what computers and the internet used to be like. I can still hear the sound of my computer dialing-up to AOL in my sleep! And I still remember how mad I used to get when I would be chatting with my friends and someone in the house would pick up the land line and... boom... I'd be kicked off! Some great fights started in my house because of that very reason!
Those were the times of Web 1.0... we no longer live in that era, but we will forever remember the "old" internet. The internet of the past, as I like to refer to it, was more of a place to send a quick email to a family member or friend. There wasn't much else to do but email, IM, and go into chatrooms.
The internet today is much different. Some people refer to it as Web 2.0... the next generation in internet! A blog by a man named Joe explained it pretty well to me. He says Web 1.0 is about writing, Web 2.0 is about reading, along with many other great comparisons.
As Tim O'Reilly explains in his article, What is Web 2.0, it seems to me as if Web 2.0 is easier to use, and more user-oriented. This can help the media use the internet because more people will spend more time searching the internet for interactive uses. The internet has become much more of an entertainment vice as well as for receiving information.
I think that the internet is everywhere! My parents just bought a fairly new device from Verizon that lets you access the internet through broadband anywhere that there is a cell phone tower. To me, it is incredible. All though I don't pay for internet capabilities on my cell phone, the mere fact that I could be connected anytime, anyplace if I wanted to, is also incredible!
Even though I am only 21 years old, I feel old when I think of what computers and the internet used to be like. I can still hear the sound of my computer dialing-up to AOL in my sleep! And I still remember how mad I used to get when I would be chatting with my friends and someone in the house would pick up the land line and... boom... I'd be kicked off! Some great fights started in my house because of that very reason!
Those were the times of Web 1.0... we no longer live in that era, but we will forever remember the "old" internet. The internet of the past, as I like to refer to it, was more of a place to send a quick email to a family member or friend. There wasn't much else to do but email, IM, and go into chatrooms.
The internet today is much different. Some people refer to it as Web 2.0... the next generation in internet! A blog by a man named Joe explained it pretty well to me. He says Web 1.0 is about writing, Web 2.0 is about reading, along with many other great comparisons.
As Tim O'Reilly explains in his article, What is Web 2.0, it seems to me as if Web 2.0 is easier to use, and more user-oriented. This can help the media use the internet because more people will spend more time searching the internet for interactive uses. The internet has become much more of an entertainment vice as well as for receiving information.
11.14.2007
President Lincoln assassinated
President Abraham Lincoln was shot late Friday night while attending a performance at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Lincoln suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was officially pronounced dead Saturday morning. His assassin, John Wilkes Booth, and two other accomplices are currently at large. A $100,000 reward will be paid by the War Department for the apprehension of these criminals.
Multimedia
Multimedia
- Video of the shooting or of Booth getting away
- Time line of Lincoln's life and Civil War
- Information (Pictures, Biographies) about the three involved in the killing- John Wilkes Booth, John H. Surratt, and David C. Harold
- Interactive map of the theatre and surrounding areas
- Pictures/description of weapon(s) involved
- Photo slideshow of President Lincoln and his life
- Area for user-contributed media
- Description of who to call if reader has any information
- Eyewitnesses
- Family/friends of Lincoln
- Andrew Johnson (named president after assassination)
- Police for info about the murder
11.13.2007
Magazine story pitch
If I could choose any story to pitch for the website of the magazine, Cosmopolitan, I would choose to write about interesting events around the country that readers could enjoy. I know that the audience of Cosmopolitan would appreciate this type of article because the magazine focuses on ways to enjoy yourself and have a good time!Here's what I would pitch:
- The title would be "50 events in 50 states"
- It would be a continual feature story, running monthly with different events each month
- Still pictures of the event
- Personal opinions from those who has already attended events (MOS type)
- Video clips, if possible
- Interactive map, with interesting facts about each location
- Poll to see what events are most popular with the readers
- Message board for opinions on events for next issue
11.12.2007
Social Networking
Facebook could not have found me at a better time in my life.
I had just moved 600 miles from home in August of 2004. As soon as I got to my dorm, the buzz was definitely all about this new social networking site, Facebook. I was feeling a little homesick so I decided to see what this site was all about. Ever since, I have been able to keep in touch with my friends and sisters back home without racking up the phone bill. It's been so easy to share our new lives with each other through pictures.
A few months after I had signed up for Facebook that I heard about Myspace. I figured that since I had so much success with Facebook, I would see about this site as well. To my dismay, as soon as I signed up, I kept receiving dirty messages from guys and the occasional girl, too! It wasn't until I made my account private that I actually started to enjoy Myspace.
Facebook has become a little too much for me these last few months. They now allow anyone to create applications that can be used on your profile. Many of my friends, and myself included, have allowed our profiles to become a jumbled mess. While the applications let a little more personality shine through, I think Facebook could do without it.
On the other hand, I never really got into Myspace as much as I got into Facebook. I think the reason for this is that it was always pretty difficult to navigate through the site. I would get a lot of error messages and I would give up on it. It's very easy to get hacked into on this site as well! I also think that Myspace needs to be more filtered. There are a lot of fake accounts out there, and a lot of them are pretty risque. Also, there is not enough protection from kids getting on these sites. I think I would like Myspace more if they tightened the security and made it more user-friendly!
I had just moved 600 miles from home in August of 2004. As soon as I got to my dorm, the buzz was definitely all about this new social networking site, Facebook. I was feeling a little homesick so I decided to see what this site was all about. Ever since, I have been able to keep in touch with my friends and sisters back home without racking up the phone bill. It's been so easy to share our new lives with each other through pictures.
A few months after I had signed up for Facebook that I heard about Myspace. I figured that since I had so much success with Facebook, I would see about this site as well. To my dismay, as soon as I signed up, I kept receiving dirty messages from guys and the occasional girl, too! It wasn't until I made my account private that I actually started to enjoy Myspace.
Facebook has become a little too much for me these last few months. They now allow anyone to create applications that can be used on your profile. Many of my friends, and myself included, have allowed our profiles to become a jumbled mess. While the applications let a little more personality shine through, I think Facebook could do without it.
On the other hand, I never really got into Myspace as much as I got into Facebook. I think the reason for this is that it was always pretty difficult to navigate through the site. I would get a lot of error messages and I would give up on it. It's very easy to get hacked into on this site as well! I also think that Myspace needs to be more filtered. There are a lot of fake accounts out there, and a lot of them are pretty risque. Also, there is not enough protection from kids getting on these sites. I think I would like Myspace more if they tightened the security and made it more user-friendly!
11.08.2007
11.05.2007
Phone Meeting
I was a little nervous to speak on the phone with someone who I'd never met before. Once I was on the phone, though, it felt very comfortable. I felt like I was talking to someone who I've known for awhile, actually! Although we couldn't talk long, Peggy and I talked about what my preferences in the class, how my writing was, and what I am looking forward to in the future. She also complimented me on my Q&A assignment and let me know that I asked great questions. It's nice to hear that kind of positive feedback!
Having Peggy work with us this year was definitely a different, but exciting, experience. She is experienced in the online field and works for MSN.com in New York. Since she knows and understands exactly what this field of work is looking for, she then relayed these things to us to benefit those who are looking to work in online journalism. I'm glad we had the chance to work with a professional in the field!
This semester, I have learned a lot about online journalism that I never would have known otherwise. I am getting pretty good at linking things with HTML for sure!! I learned that online journalism is more than just transferring news to a website. It's about related material and interactivity. Website viewers expect more than just the print newspaper. They want to be able to jump around the site quickly and effectively. If a news website posts a story, but no other links to previous material about that story, viewers may go to a different website to find more information.
I may not be interested in writing for news, but this class has helped me broaden my horizons and see what else is out there in terms of jobs. I never knew how many people it took to run a news website! Also, I have become familiar with what it takes to write news for online so if one day I change my mind, I have some experience already!
Having Peggy work with us this year was definitely a different, but exciting, experience. She is experienced in the online field and works for MSN.com in New York. Since she knows and understands exactly what this field of work is looking for, she then relayed these things to us to benefit those who are looking to work in online journalism. I'm glad we had the chance to work with a professional in the field!
This semester, I have learned a lot about online journalism that I never would have known otherwise. I am getting pretty good at linking things with HTML for sure!! I learned that online journalism is more than just transferring news to a website. It's about related material and interactivity. Website viewers expect more than just the print newspaper. They want to be able to jump around the site quickly and effectively. If a news website posts a story, but no other links to previous material about that story, viewers may go to a different website to find more information.
I may not be interested in writing for news, but this class has helped me broaden my horizons and see what else is out there in terms of jobs. I never knew how many people it took to run a news website! Also, I have become familiar with what it takes to write news for online so if one day I change my mind, I have some experience already!
10.23.2007
Calhoun's restaurant
With one of the four Knoxville locations on the historic waterfront of the Tennessee River, you can get to Calhoun's On the River by car, bus, and even boat. The restaurant is open Monday through Thursday from 11 am to 10:30 pm, Friday 11 am to 11 pm, and Sunday 11 am to 10 pm. You can eat at Calhoun's for a quick lunch, elegant dinner, or before a UT football game.Calhoun's offers a wide variety of menu items, ranging from a classic cheeseburger to prme rib. They also serve a variety of handcrafted beers. Wouldn't know which one to choose?? Don't worry, Calhoun's offers samples of their own beer.
Calhoun's is a great place to meet friends for lunch or dinner. With their variety of menu items, it should be an ease to find something for everyone. They even have an "Eat Hearty" section for those watching their waistlines.
If you're looking for a place to try get fresh, delicious food, Calhoun's is the place for you. They hand select their fresh fish daily and use only the finest USDA-choice beef.
Lastly, the experience you take away with from Calhoun's is one that is hard to beat. AOL city guide claims that it is a great place to go and unwind from a hard day at work.
Next time you are planning a night out with friends or even looking for a banquet hall for those special occasions, don't forget Calhouns' unique and tasty East Tennessee experience!
10.22.2007
My future...
As a senior in college, I am used to being asked the question, "So, what are you going to do after you graduate??" Funny thing is... I still don't have a good answer! I chose to be a communication studies major coming in to school because I had no idea what I would want to do when I graduated. Not wanting to change my major and be in school for 6 years, I decided comm. studies was broad enough where I could have a range of options when I did graduate.
It is now that time for me to really think hard about what I want to do with the rest of my life... and I think I came up with a few good options...
1. I find it interesting to work with children who need special attention, so I have considered a job as a juvenile intake officer or probation officer. Both of these careers entail a large amount of effective communication and hard work. I think it would be very rewarding to help make a difference in a child's life.
or...
2. An ultrasound technician. When I tell people this one, most of them look at me like I'm crazy. They ask, "then why did you go to a four-year school?" And that's just it, I came to college to find out what I enjoy and I think I'd be great working in a hospital helping others. I would have to go back to school to learn how to be a technician, but it's always good to have a bachelor's degree as well. According to salary.com, the average ultrasound technician makes between $55,383 and $64,503.
While these jobs may not seem very similar, I am equally interested in both. Hopefully by May, I can decide which path I will follow!
It is now that time for me to really think hard about what I want to do with the rest of my life... and I think I came up with a few good options...
1. I find it interesting to work with children who need special attention, so I have considered a job as a juvenile intake officer or probation officer. Both of these careers entail a large amount of effective communication and hard work. I think it would be very rewarding to help make a difference in a child's life.
or...
2. An ultrasound technician. When I tell people this one, most of them look at me like I'm crazy. They ask, "then why did you go to a four-year school?" And that's just it, I came to college to find out what I enjoy and I think I'd be great working in a hospital helping others. I would have to go back to school to learn how to be a technician, but it's always good to have a bachelor's degree as well. According to salary.com, the average ultrasound technician makes between $55,383 and $64,503.
While these jobs may not seem very similar, I am equally interested in both. Hopefully by May, I can decide which path I will follow!
10.16.2007
Online editors and their decision making
After watching the video on online editing, I realized that many editors have their own ways of making decisions on what to include in their news packages. There is not one clear cut process.
While different editors do not follow the exact same process, there are trends which pop up on most news websites. The latest trend is that of user-contributed content which can be seen in even the most popular of news sites. CNN.com has I-Reports and MSNBC has FirstPerson.
I am torn on the subject because while I think user-contributed content is a great way to get stories from around the world from different perspectives, I also feel that the news organizations may be taking advantage of these "free" reporters.
Personally, I have never contributed anything to any news source. This is probably because I don't usually carry my camera or camcorders around with me. While cell phone videos are becoming more popular, I haven't really figured out how to use mine well yet! Honestly, even if I did, unless I captured an event that could help solve a crime or could be put to good use, I don't think I would consider contributing my media.
Along with user-contributed content on news sites, it seems to me that news online in general has become more informal than print news. By informal, I mean that it has become more user-friendly and has the viewer in mind when creating a story package. News becomes more like a conversation because it is interactive.
This has changed the way news is produced because not only must the story be important to us, it must also be eye-catching and interesting or the viewers will find it elsewhere. Online producers must now think of the most creative ways to present the news to the public in a way that wasn't important before!
While different editors do not follow the exact same process, there are trends which pop up on most news websites. The latest trend is that of user-contributed content which can be seen in even the most popular of news sites. CNN.com has I-Reports and MSNBC has FirstPerson.
I am torn on the subject because while I think user-contributed content is a great way to get stories from around the world from different perspectives, I also feel that the news organizations may be taking advantage of these "free" reporters.
Personally, I have never contributed anything to any news source. This is probably because I don't usually carry my camera or camcorders around with me. While cell phone videos are becoming more popular, I haven't really figured out how to use mine well yet! Honestly, even if I did, unless I captured an event that could help solve a crime or could be put to good use, I don't think I would consider contributing my media.
Along with user-contributed content on news sites, it seems to me that news online in general has become more informal than print news. By informal, I mean that it has become more user-friendly and has the viewer in mind when creating a story package. News becomes more like a conversation because it is interactive.
This has changed the way news is produced because not only must the story be important to us, it must also be eye-catching and interesting or the viewers will find it elsewhere. Online producers must now think of the most creative ways to present the news to the public in a way that wasn't important before!
9.26.2007
Should it appear on Digg?
The internet has evolved into a place where normal people like me can actually have a say in website content. This is especially true on sites such as YouTube, where the web page viewers submit the material to be seen, and on the social recommendation site, Digg.
Digg is a site where everyone in the Digg community can submit their favorite sites, blogs, videos... you name it. If what you submitted is something others want to look at, it can be front page of the website. The point behind the site is to let us, the web page viewers, choose what we like best and let others in on it too.
But there is a newspaper out there who has gotten it all wrong.
According to an article on Poynter Online, the Orlando Sentinel is using these types of sites to endorse their own paper. Instead of using the sites for the purpose of enlightening the community to good sites, they are simply a business benefiting by increasing traffic flow to their site.
Traffic is not the only thing newspapers and businesses benefit from by using these sites. As one blogger explains, businesses in general are taking full advantage of by using the sites as cheap, and sometimes FREE, ways to post things such as job openings!
I'm sure the creators of Digg and other networks alike did not have this in mind when bringing this to the public. Let's keep these community-based popularity sites for the community and not for the news and classifieds!
Digg is a site where everyone in the Digg community can submit their favorite sites, blogs, videos... you name it. If what you submitted is something others want to look at, it can be front page of the website. The point behind the site is to let us, the web page viewers, choose what we like best and let others in on it too.
But there is a newspaper out there who has gotten it all wrong.
According to an article on Poynter Online, the Orlando Sentinel is using these types of sites to endorse their own paper. Instead of using the sites for the purpose of enlightening the community to good sites, they are simply a business benefiting by increasing traffic flow to their site.
Traffic is not the only thing newspapers and businesses benefit from by using these sites. As one blogger explains, businesses in general are taking full advantage of by using the sites as cheap, and sometimes FREE, ways to post things such as job openings!
I'm sure the creators of Digg and other networks alike did not have this in mind when bringing this to the public. Let's keep these community-based popularity sites for the community and not for the news and classifieds!
9.24.2007
All about me
After going to school with the same class of 140 people for 13 years, I decided it was time to get away. I needed to experience new people, new places, new things.
So that’s what I did… after I graduated high school, I moved 620 miles from a small city in
I am honored to have been named the president of the
For any further information, please contact me at conkotz@utk.edu.
9.21.2007
News
It's 8 o'clock am. On a weekday, you can probably find me trying to hit the silence button on my phone as my alarm rings. I reluctantly get out of bed, and the first thing I do before anything else is turn on my computer.
Once my computer is on and loaded up, I get on the internet....
Now, I am so lazy that I have my bookmark toolbar set up so that there are little icons going across the page that show my favorite sites so I can just click on them instead of typing in their URL addresses. I have a morning ritual where I go across those icons and check every page I have listed.
Click. There's the weather.
Click. There's Facebook.
After I get passed the social networks and my favorite sports teams, I click the next button and I'm at my hometown newspaper, The Morning Call. I absolutely love looking at this site because it makes me feel at home. After reading all the headlines, I click on the "Today's Photojournal" for the day and see what I'm missing out on.
Next is CNN. There I find all the national headlines and breaking news I could possibly want. And after snooping around on here for awhile, and reading all the interesting stories I see, I head to my favorite celebrity news sites.
Now, this may not be saying something good for me when I say I have two 'real' news sites and three celebrity sites, but I guess that's what keeps me least bored! Once I check out all the current gossip, I'm finally ready to start my day...
Once my computer is on and loaded up, I get on the internet....
Now, I am so lazy that I have my bookmark toolbar set up so that there are little icons going across the page that show my favorite sites so I can just click on them instead of typing in their URL addresses. I have a morning ritual where I go across those icons and check every page I have listed.
Click. There's the weather.
Click. There's Facebook.
After I get passed the social networks and my favorite sports teams, I click the next button and I'm at my hometown newspaper, The Morning Call. I absolutely love looking at this site because it makes me feel at home. After reading all the headlines, I click on the "Today's Photojournal" for the day and see what I'm missing out on.
Next is CNN. There I find all the national headlines and breaking news I could possibly want. And after snooping around on here for awhile, and reading all the interesting stories I see, I head to my favorite celebrity news sites.
Now, this may not be saying something good for me when I say I have two 'real' news sites and three celebrity sites, but I guess that's what keeps me least bored! Once I check out all the current gossip, I'm finally ready to start my day...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
