Kodi and our guest speaker, Marie Shanahan of ctnow.com, are always saying that web is not print, and it's not.
One of the main differences is that it's interactive. Web users are interested not only in the story but what can prove the story. This means that they want audio feed, video clips and links. A simple print story cannot give you that. When writing for the Web, a reporter has to remember that users are constantly delineating from the story to read something else and keep stories short and to the point. They should also have interesting pictures and multi-media that relates to the story. They also have to write headlines that are search engine-friendly, meaning that it can be found through a search engine when a user types in key words. All of this is important, and it reflects a new type of on-the-go reader. This is what all readers are becoming, and news media has to cater to it to stay in business.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
RSS Feeds
In class last Thursday, we learned about about RSS feeds. It was interesting because I knew what an RSS feed was, but I didn't know what it was called. Being an acronym for "really simple syndication" is the perfect description - because it is really simple. Although we were given instructions on how to make RSS feeds from scratch, we were also shown ways to do it through online servers. That made it really simple. However, we still have to know how to make them from scratch, so here it is:
First, RSS feeds have to be done through XML, which is different from HTML, which is what we're used to doing code on. However, XML is more interactive. Then you have to give it a channel and give it information on what you want to blog. Then you add the RSS links, close the channel and validate it. That should work. I look forward to putting this all on my site.
First, RSS feeds have to be done through XML, which is different from HTML, which is what we're used to doing code on. However, XML is more interactive. Then you have to give it a channel and give it information on what you want to blog. Then you add the RSS links, close the channel and validate it. That should work. I look forward to putting this all on my site.
Review of 5 Blogs
Mindy McAdams
This is a blog that we were referred to in class. It's all about teaching journalism, and McAdams does a pretty good job at critiquing other sites and talking about her experiences with online journalism topics such as using flash. http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifHer new blog site, which a link from her old site directs you to, is interesting because it shows her own style and doesn't conform to the basic Blogger layout. Her most recent post, from March 25, talks about a journalist talking to her class. This is much like a reported story, which is journalism. Although some may argue that blogging is not journalism, McAdams, who is a journalism teacher, makes her blog journalism by writing her own stories and doing research. Journalists are her audience, and the way she presents her material - in a journalistic fashion - is very effective.
Paul Bradshaw
Bradshaw's blog page immediately interests a reader because he uses basic colors and form in an appealing way. He thrives on the "less is more" concept. He even calls his blog the "online journalism blog" and the link is the same thing. He talks about online journalism in a commentary sort of way. I would consider him a columnist because he specifically sites different sites that he is writing about. Basically, he's doing the same thing that we're doing for our blogs for J295 - he just looks like he has more experience.
Dan Gillmor
Gillmor's site is different from a traditional Blogger layout site, but it's neat in the fact that it is a basic list of what he's writing about. He uses his blog to express his opinion on everything, and even though the list format may not be as appealing as Bradshaw's blog layout, readers can easily click on his articles. His articles are less formal than traditional newspaper commentary, but it seems like he's appealing to more casual readers, just Internet surfers.
Adrian Holovaty
Holovaty's site is more simplistic, but it appeals to readers looking for a simpler blog. The first page is more like a table of contents, which is appealing to someone who doesn't want to sort through a blog page to get to what they want. It's interesting because he has media coverage as well as his favorite music. His page is more personal, in that sense.
Jeff Jarvis
This site automatically attracts a reader because of its name, the "BuzzMachine." It's interesting, and like an actual buzz word, it's just attractive. Jarvis is very opinionated, and this is probably entertaining to his frequent visitors. He discusses newspapers and the FCC, and he just gives his honest opinion. His site is more like a commentary talk show with one of the news talking heads than a newspaper commentary, but he's appealing to a more modern, television audience.
This is a blog that we were referred to in class. It's all about teaching journalism, and McAdams does a pretty good job at critiquing other sites and talking about her experiences with online journalism topics such as using flash. http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifHer new blog site, which a link from her old site directs you to, is interesting because it shows her own style and doesn't conform to the basic Blogger layout. Her most recent post, from March 25, talks about a journalist talking to her class. This is much like a reported story, which is journalism. Although some may argue that blogging is not journalism, McAdams, who is a journalism teacher, makes her blog journalism by writing her own stories and doing research. Journalists are her audience, and the way she presents her material - in a journalistic fashion - is very effective.
Paul Bradshaw
Bradshaw's blog page immediately interests a reader because he uses basic colors and form in an appealing way. He thrives on the "less is more" concept. He even calls his blog the "online journalism blog" and the link is the same thing. He talks about online journalism in a commentary sort of way. I would consider him a columnist because he specifically sites different sites that he is writing about. Basically, he's doing the same thing that we're doing for our blogs for J295 - he just looks like he has more experience.
Dan Gillmor
Gillmor's site is different from a traditional Blogger layout site, but it's neat in the fact that it is a basic list of what he's writing about. He uses his blog to express his opinion on everything, and even though the list format may not be as appealing as Bradshaw's blog layout, readers can easily click on his articles. His articles are less formal than traditional newspaper commentary, but it seems like he's appealing to more casual readers, just Internet surfers.
Adrian Holovaty
Holovaty's site is more simplistic, but it appeals to readers looking for a simpler blog. The first page is more like a table of contents, which is appealing to someone who doesn't want to sort through a blog page to get to what they want. It's interesting because he has media coverage as well as his favorite music. His page is more personal, in that sense.
Jeff Jarvis
This site automatically attracts a reader because of its name, the "BuzzMachine." It's interesting, and like an actual buzz word, it's just attractive. Jarvis is very opinionated, and this is probably entertaining to his frequent visitors. He discusses newspapers and the FCC, and he just gives his honest opinion. His site is more like a commentary talk show with one of the news talking heads than a newspaper commentary, but he's appealing to a more modern, television audience.
The Corruption of Journalism?
While I kind of know what Kodi means when he wants us to write on the topic of "The Corruption of Journalism," I also don't know what he means, so I'll just go on the topic of blogging.
Blogging may just be "The Corruption of Journalism." It's different from the traditional making phone calls, going out and finding sources and writing an objective story in the inverted pyramid style. Some journalists may be offended by bloggers who say they're being journalists, who get credit for the work that "real" journalists do. For example, we talked about bloggers who make money selecting news stories each day and just listing good ones. Are they really journalists? Could this be the corruption of journalism?
In a sense, these bloggers are journalists because they're finding sources and they're relaying information to their readers. I understand that this may be considered a form of corruption to a pure form of journalism, but really, I don't think there ever was a pure for of journalism. Style has changed. If blogging is a form of journalism, it's a new style. If it's not, then journalists can rest assured that bloggers aren't corrupting it.
Blogging may just be "The Corruption of Journalism." It's different from the traditional making phone calls, going out and finding sources and writing an objective story in the inverted pyramid style. Some journalists may be offended by bloggers who say they're being journalists, who get credit for the work that "real" journalists do. For example, we talked about bloggers who make money selecting news stories each day and just listing good ones. Are they really journalists? Could this be the corruption of journalism?
In a sense, these bloggers are journalists because they're finding sources and they're relaying information to their readers. I understand that this may be considered a form of corruption to a pure form of journalism, but really, I don't think there ever was a pure for of journalism. Style has changed. If blogging is a form of journalism, it's a new style. If it's not, then journalists can rest assured that bloggers aren't corrupting it.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
WNPR: Good Example of Use of Online Medium
The Connecticut Public Radio Station, WNPR, uses the Internet to its advantage. As more people are reading news online and fewer people are listening to the radio, this station has posted its broadcasts online, in an archive format. It uses the Internet to be accessible at all times.
It also has print stories and photos, something that people cannot get from just listening to the radio. The print stories tend to be written scripts of what the audio reports are, so they aren't catered to an online medium in that sense, but because they are broadcast stories, they are brief and to the point. However, the fact that they are brief does not mean that they lack detail. NPR has a reputation of being a good source of news, and it does not lose that reputation on the Web site.
It also has print stories and photos, something that people cannot get from just listening to the radio. The print stories tend to be written scripts of what the audio reports are, so they aren't catered to an online medium in that sense, but because they are broadcast stories, they are brief and to the point. However, the fact that they are brief does not mean that they lack detail. NPR has a reputation of being a good source of news, and it does not lose that reputation on the Web site.
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