Mainstream media and me

The mainstream media attempts to offer something for everyone, but it could offer more to younger audiences. Currently, sites like CNN.com and Foxnews.com feature videos, podcasts and blogs to attract young people like me. One blog on CNN.com is titled, "Young People Who Rock," which is a weekly interview series focused on people under 30 who are doing remarkable things in their lives. Every week, a young person is highlighted and praised for their accomplishments. Viewers can also watch the interviews with these young people on Fridays at 3pm on CNN.com Live. Viewers can also contribute by asking a question for the interview or by suggesting someone they know who 'rocks.' The site also features some popular news such as entertainment articles which could possibly attract younger viewers.

While sites do offer certain news that could attract younger viewers, there could be more interactive features that could make the news more interesting to my age group. For instance, news sites should feature more user-contributed videos from younger viewers. These sites could also feature users' personal stories and opinions, etc. I think it would also be helpful if viewers could organize and arrange the kind of news stories that appear on the screen. For example, if a viewer is most interested in entertainment news, he or she could adjust the settings to make these stories always show up as the main stories of a news site.

As far as the kind of news stories published, sites should offer more news that relates to young people and their lives. For instance, stories on finding jobs, top universities, social security issues, nightlife and dating would all be more revelant to younger readers.

Web 2.0

I was not familiar with the term, "web 2.0" and what exactly that meant until recently. However, I now know that web 2.0 refers to the new and improved world wide web of today. The internet was once comprised of simple, one-feature sites where viewers could only do so much. Now, internet sites have progressed and offer all kinds of user-controlled features. These features include blogs, wikis and the ability to upload, post and tag pictures for all to see. Web 2.0 allows more freedom and site involvement for viewers.

According to Tim O'Reilly, who helped name this new and improved web, Netscape was the forerunner in the previous web 1.0, but now Google is the leader of web 2.0. O'Reilly explains that Google was never sold or packaged like Netscape, but only delivered as a service for users.

"Web 2.0" is symbolic of the fact that the internet is changing, offering more than ever before. The video, "Web 2.0...The Machine is Using Us," demonstrates how the web is changing, and that this change may require us to adjust and adapt.

John Lennon Is Shot

When John Lennon was killed in 1980, millions of people around the world mourned the rock star and peace activist’s death. Mark David Chapman waited outside Lennon’s apartment and shot him on Dec. 8, 1980. Days later, over 100,000 people gathered in New York’s Central Park. People sang Beatles songs and lit candles to remember how his music touched their lives. The artist has been honored in many memorials and tributes since his death. For example, New York City’s “Strawberry Fields” memorial garden in Central Park pays tribute to Lennon.
If I were reporting the story of John Lennon’s death today in multimedia, I would allow viewers to comment on the story and share their emotions with one another. However, I would screen the comments first to make sure none were defamatory or made inaccurate statements about the event.

I would also feature a picture gallery of Lennon that would include photos from the day he was killed. Additionally, there would be a timeline detailing everything the singer did that day. The story would also ask viewers, ‘What Beatles or Lennon song has touched you the most, and why?’ Readers could write their answers or record audio explaining what Lennon songs have affected them. The rankings would be featured on the site, and viewers could listen to the songs.

I would also report any information about Mark David Chapman that would give readers a better idea of what Lennon’s killer is like. For example, Chapman has been described as delusional and psychotic. He was also obsessed with The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.

The story would contain videos of Lennon from past interviews. I would include something like this to show what he was like, how he acted and what he believed in. The story would also feature a video or slide show displaying Lennon’s life story, from his youth in Liverpool until his last day in New York City. The video would be played to the song, “Imagine,” as this was Lennon’s most famous song. I would also develop a timeline of Lennon’s life. The story would also include a video of people singing to honor the artist in Central Park.

Finally, I would try to get an interview Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono. I would also pursue interviews with former Beatles members: Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

Magazine story pitch

If I were writing for Cosmopolitan's website, I would want to do a feature on readers' best and worst date stories. The headline would read, "Enchanted evenings to nightmare dates -- readers tell all." This would attract Cosmopolitan's readers because the magazine's audience is comprised of young women who are experiencing the "dating scene." These women could relate to other readers' stories of horrible and fantastic dates. The summary or tease would read, "Do you think you've experienced the worst date of all time? Or, have you had the most romantic date in history? Cosmo's readers share their personal date stories -- from best to worst." The site would ask readers to send in their stories via email, phone, or video. It would be great to have some videos of the people actually telling their stories. This way, the audience could both see and hear the person describing their date. I would encourage both men and women to submit their stories. It is important to get their male perspective on dates as well, so women could see what men consider a good date. Readers would also be encouraged to comment on the date stories and take a quiz or two. One quiz might be, "What kind of date are you?" Results of the quiz might tell readers they are a 'fun date,' 'boring date,' 'cheap date,' or a 'hot date.' The story would also feature advice for the dating scene and how one can be a good date or turn a bad date into a great one.

Social networking sites

Facebook and Myspace are the two sites I visit most frequently. However, Facebook is my favorite. I like it because it is easy to search for friends. The mini-feed is great because it lets you know what all of your friends are up to. Out of all the social networking sites, I think Facebook is the most interactive. You can join groups, post videos, post pictures, tag your friends in your pictures, send drinks to your friends, and many more fun, distracting things. There are also many different applications you can add to your page. You can add an aquarium or a garden for example, and send fish or flowers to your friends' aquariums or gardens.

Myspace is a little different. One cool thing about myspace is that you can personalize your page's background and add music to your page easily. Facebook does not offer the personalized background themes. And although you can add music on Facebook, the songs are just samples, and the entire song is not played like on Myspace.

Despite these advantages of Myspace, the site could be better. For instance, it seems harder to search for friends on Myspace. I suppose this is because there are no networks to which you can limit your search like there are on Facebook. This can be frustrating when you have to search through tons of people from all over the world just to find a friend from home or school. You can enter their zip code, which helps. But if you don't know their last name or if they go by a different name on their page, it is even more difficult. Also, it would be better if you could tag your friends in photos like on Facebook. This is a fun aspect because you can include your friends in on your profile pictures. I think Myspace is still a good site, but I believe Facebook seems to be more popular and interactive now.

Twitter and LinkedIn are simpler than Facebook and Myspace. I am less familiar with these sites, but they seem to just focus on one area. For instance, Twitter is limited to one simple question: "What are you doing?" It is really similar to just keeping up with your friends' statuses on facebook. This can be fun and interesting for viewers because they can find out exactly what their friends are up to at a certain moment in time.

LinkedIn is more focused toward the professional side of networking. You can either join through your company or your school. It is helpful for getting advice, looking for jobs, and making connections.

Overall, I think all these sites should follow Facebook's lead and keep adding more interactive applications. These kind of things keep viewers involved with the site so they don't get bored. Sites should also make it as easy as possible to search for people.

my video

My online journalism experience

I have learned a lot about online journalism so far this semester. At first, I was a little overwhelmed and confused about online journalism. I felt like some things were little "over my head." Prior to this class, I had not had any experience posting articles to sites like tnjn. But now I feel much more comfortable writing stories for the web. In fact, I now actually enjoy newsgathering and posting my stories to the web. I feel that I am best at interviewing people and getting good quotes. To me, that is the fun part of journalism. I really enjoyed covering the hot air balloon event, and it was neat to feel like a reporter.
Peggy has offered great tips and advice throughout the semester. In my meeting with her, she encouraged me to continue getting great quotes for my stories. I have found Peggy's in-class instruction to be helpful. Because she is a practicing news journalist, she has been able to offer realistic, practical advice for news writing.
I have learned a lot in this class because it has been a hands-on experience. It has not just been reading about online journalism in a text book. Instead, I have had the opportunity to actually put together and post my news stories.
I do feel like a could use some training in video production. I am not very up-to-date with how to film, create a video and post it on a website. I think I will need some training in this area.
Overall, my experience with online journalism has been a positive one. I feel that it is the most exciting area of journalism because there are so many opportunities with online news, and it is becoming a popular medium. It is also the most interactive form of news. Viewers can listen, watch, read and even comment on the news.