Course: WORD 26 1-003 in George W. Johnson Center, Room 311B.
Described as follows: “Covers the intermediate level of Word 2007.”
Microsoft Word 2007 has, for a while, been something I’ve felt pretty competent with. However, I definitely learned a thing or two from this workshop!
In the first lesson, aptly named “Inserting Dates and Symbols,” we learned how to put dates and symbols into our paper.
Then, we went over Quick Parts and how that tool can make things quicker for writers that consistently use titles/pictures in their pieces. Additionally, the Building Blogs Organizer, which helps users sort building blocks by name, gallery, category or type, was pretty interesting.
The third lesson dealt with using AutoFormat in Word 2007. AutoFormat can format a document as the user types — it analyzes the user’s text as they type and then applies the appropriate formatting.
Lesson 4, “Working with Tables,” helped me apply the use of tables into my work, which is a useful way to throw a bunch of information into a clean, organized area of space.
Related to the use of tables, Lesson 5 was probably the most beneficial of all of the lessons. I learned about aligning table text, merging cells within a table and converting a table into text.
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 Course: RSCH 110-005, in Fenwick Library, Room A214.
Described as follows: “Zotero is a Firefox browser based utility that makes capturing bibliographic content from around the Web a snap! Learn how to install and manipulate your own Zotero library.”
Right now, Zotero only works through Firefox. It helps you “collect, organize, cite and share your research sources,” according to their official Web site. It recognizes sources immediately off of database Web sites — users can instantly select the sources and add them in their Zotero folder, straight from the database.
Exporting your library of sources is quite simple, too. Users even have the option to include their notes for each source along with their files. APA and MLA citations (among others) are accounted for when exporting, too, and they can even be assigned separately to different sources.
Personally, one of my favorite features right off the bat was the ability to create a timeline of your sources. It made it so simple to spot exactly when the source was written. Additionally, if you’re working off of multiple computers while researching, you can make an account on the Zotero Sync Server to bring back up all of your previously saved research. It truly saves a lot of time — just make sure you sign out!
Also, in Zotero, adding something manually has been given a new twist. From Instant Messages to films, from bills to maps, just about anything can be cited. When users have no idea how to cite something but really want to add it in their piece somehow, Zotero will figure it out.
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 Sen. George Allen In a C-Span video conference with George Mason University students, former Virginia Governor and former U.S. Senator George Allen discussed what it means to relate the U.S. government to sports. This time, though, he’s stepping up his own game — to be reelected in 2012.
Allen outlined to the class the reasons he believed he lost his 2006 reelection for the Senate to his opponent, Democrat Jim Webb. He stressed that the “digital divide” was a main reason, stating that, without taking advantage of the Internet, he didn’t stand a chance against Webb.
Allen continued into what he learned in the years later. He said that, with knowledge, the United States can compete against other countries — knowledge of the high demand for electricity and ways to conserve it. Creating jobs within the United States will ensure that money will stay in the United States.
“Oil and gas, we have it in this country,” he said.
A strong defense, Allen states in his book “What Washington Can Learn From the World of Sports,” wins championships. In his talk to the class, he compared the United States today to a game that was currently being played. “Common sense” ways to conserve energy were one of his strongpoints in a strong defense for our nation. Specifically, teleworking and utilizing our limited resources were his primary suggestions.
Further, Allen states that in the Middle East, if one wants “a free and just society,” freedom of religion, freedom of expression, private ownership of property and the rule of law must be implemented into society.
“If the French can [recycle nuclear waste], so can Americans,” said Allen, concerning France’s recent technical advancements to reduce and reuse nuclear fuels. He believes that, by using the following steps that the French took, it will help create jobs for Americans as well.
For someone who was, years ago, inspired by Ronald Reagan to get into organized politics, Allen appears to have done his homework. He clearly cares about the Commonwealth of Virginia. As a Representative, a Governor and a Senator, the man is going to stick around for a bit more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4iLPZnortE feature=player_embedded
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 Jon DeNunzio User Engagement Editor Jon DeNunzio of the Washington Post
- Former Web Sports Editor
- Former Prep Sports Editor
- Didn’t major in journalism (Graduated from the University of Virginia in 1991)
- Went to the Washington Post in 1994
Integrating Social Media into Your Journalism:
In Nationals Park in summer 2009, DeNunzio worked with the Post to channel tweets from attendants at the Park onto a single Web site. The idea never really took off, but it’s a great idea nonetheless. Perhaps with a tweaked formula, it would’ve skyrocketed.
Another idea Denunzio incorporated into some Post stories includes adding a question at the end of some stories, asking readers to tweet their answers. For instance, “What happens when mean girls grow up?” This would work ridiculously well with my story on the football team! Being that George Mason has the largest head count of students than any other school in Virginia, this story, without a doubt, would blow up on Twitter.
The two big I’s of Internet are Immediacy and Interactivity.
WHY WE USE SOCIAL MEDIA:
- It’s where users are
- It allows us to build a relationship with users
- It helps our reporting
Marshall McLuhan said that “the medium is the message.”
“No, it’s the social, the social media,” Denunzio said. He said that you don’t have to use social media in order to be social.
DeNunzio’s point, simply put: Be social with your users whenever you can.
- Use a poll (Twiigs.com, DeNunzio suggests, is totally worth it)
- Pay attention to comments
- Ask for ideas (AllOurIdeas.org)
- Ask for photos
- Host a debate
- Answer user questions
- Use the knowledge of the crowd
WHY HE’S TALKING ABOUT THIS:
- Come up with ideas to connect with users! It will put you ahead of the crowd.
- Because of the Internet and because of its interactivity, we must take advantage of the users on it.
- User engagement and data visualization are key nowadays. Do not underestimate or ignore them.
- Startupli.st
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“Journalism needs to find new benefits from new marketing strategies and measurement tactics.”
Briggs’ last chapter in JournalismNext focuses in on “the fundamentals of building an audience online”:
- Tracking one’s content
- Web analysts
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Effective headline writing for the Web
- Distribution through social media
Our author begins by pointing out that “management consultants will tell you that ‘what gets measured gets changed,'” but that “in recent years some have also said ‘what gets measured gets done.'”
As a result, “newsrooms now track and measure everything they do.”
Tracking everything that one publishes (and setting benchmarks on a case-by-case basis) is crucial, but tracking one’s audience (using Web analytics softwares such as Google Analytics.
Briggs then dives into the main functions of SEO for journalists:
- Spiders and robots
- Indexing
- Queries
When writing effective headlines:
- Make sure to write it for both online readers — readers and robots
- Make good headlines better by improving keywords, trying to use more conversational language and not being afraid to inject a little attitude
Overall, in this last chapter, I took out a lot of information that I felt should be remembered as well as information that I found interesting (SEO functions).
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“The socialization of news is clearly the right direction for journalism,” begins Briggs in his tenth chapter of JournalismNext.
This chapter explores the idea of news being a conversation, rather than “a lecture,” and how conversing through social networking can add to one’s story.
“Three areas of evolution suggest a brighter future for comments on news stories:
- The technology is getting better
- Newsrooms are accepting more responsibility
- The commenters are expecting more from each other.”
When commenting on the necessity to make news a conversation (rather than a lecture), Briggs acknowledges that “while the primary motivation for offering social tools on news sites [is] to stay technologically relevant, the reward goes beyond giving the audience a chance to play, too.”
Briggs even throws in some statistics about social bookmarking and advertising, given by a Bivings Group report which can be found here.
Some other major benefits Briggs mentions for news being a conversation include:
- Providing transparency on the reporting process
- Enable an immediate feedback loop
- Spread awareness of news coverage through word-of-mouth marketing
Overall, although one always runs the risk of “potential headaches [from] offensive anonymous posts,” by including user/reader interactivity, “the benefit earned through a constructive and collaborative relationship between journalists and their audience is well worth the effort.”
Briggs also discusses how to build and manage an online community through making news participatory and collaborating with one’s community. Then, he explains how to keep conversations accurate and ethical by setting guidelines for participants, monitoring offensive posts, knowing one’s legal responsibilities and correcting errors.
“Social media, used correctly, connects journalists and reporters to people and information.”
This may be the first chapter in which I couldn’t agree more with every point raised.
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“Journalists who didn’t cut their teeth in radio reporting tend to relegate audio to second-tier status, figuring that text is more informative, photos and video more compelling. That kind of thinking makes less sense than ever now that the Internet gives every news orgnaization and every reporter the option of producing audio journalism.”
So begins Briggs’ seventh chapter on audio journalism. He discusses its importance, its potential for you and techniques to use to your advantage with it.
Audio journalism “has characteristics that can’t be matched by other forms of media”:
- Presence: On location, a reporter can literally bring readers to the story. The simple fact of being there boosts credibility and interest.
- Emotions: Tone of voice, expressions, intonation and pauses–in the words of either the reporter or the sources–can enhance the message.
- Atmosphere: Natural sound–the sound that’s naturally happening around you as you report–helps pull the listener in close. Natural sound can be anything–weather sounds, crowd sounds, machine noises, whatever’s happening in that particular setting.
Further, some excellent opportunities that audio offers journalists includes:
- Reporter overview: Newspapers like The New York Times routinely post quick, simple audio overviews by reporters that accompany their articles. The Times calls them “Backstory.”
- Podcasts: Regular episodes on a selected subject help build an audience but can be time-consuming and difficult to establish in the beginning.
- Audio slide shows: Photojournalists have discovered the power of adding audio to their images to tell richer, more compelling stories.
- Breaking news: With free services such as Utterli.com, a reporter can file a quick audio report from anywhere by mobile phone, to be published on a Web site.
Volume, Pitch, Rhythm, Tempo — Varying these and controlling these is your BEST way to ensure a good voice-over.
When editing your audio clips and inserting them into your piece, techniques such as cross-fading, establishing music, segue (smoothly transitioning from one track to another) and transitions in general are very important to use and master.
“Even if you’re not ready to create fully developed stories with different layers and advanced editing, audio journalism can be powerful as a simple and quick publishing format.”
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The CEO and co-founder of Storify Skyped with a Professor Steve Klein’s class at George Mason University on Thursday.
Burt Herman, the young entrepreneur, has his own personal Web site, his own Twitter and his own LinkedIn page. Such a tech-savy guy like this surely has the resources to create a Web site to create Storify, right? Absolutely.
Burt went to Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, via a John S. Knight Fellowship for Professional Journalists program when he realized that the Associated Press style wasn’t for him.
Instead, he claims to have combined Silicone Valley and AP style with his background in computer science and his various ideas to tell stories online. The product was Storify, a site dedicated to letting users tell stories use social media. Photos, videos, tweets — you name it, Storify can incorporate it into a compelling story.
Burt believes that not every journalist knows how to develop a story. Therefore, everyday readers/writers can help out to develop it, complete it.
Don’t get him wrong — it’s not to put journalists out of a job, but rather to tell more stories. Using Storify, anyone can be a journalist.
Whether or not it’s going to be a story worth reading is a different matter, though…
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“Journalism without photographs is like writing without verbs,” begins Briggs.
In his sixth chapter, Briggs offers a brief introduction into digital photography, how to get the good, worthwhile pictures and, ultimately, how to publish them in a compelling way.
After laying out some basics on digital photography, Briggs advises that in order to take better photos:
– Hold the camera steady: Dig your elbows into your body or place them on something. Use two hands. Lean against a wall. Do anything you can to be still while shooting.
– Fill the frame: When photographing people, don’t leave too much headroom, that space above their heads. The subject’s face should be near the top of the picture, not in the middle.
– Focus on one thing: When shooting a person or group of people against a busy, complex background, focus on the person’s eyes. The automatic focus function can focus on only one thing in the image, and a person’s eyes will make the photo look the sharpest.
– Get closer: Most amateur photographers fail first by not changing their positions. They see something they want to capture on photo and take out their camera and shoot the photo without moving around. A professional photojournalist, in contrast, will move all over the place to get the right angle.
– Go vertical: In the subject is vertical, turn the camera into a vertical position to shoot it.
– Shoot action: Capture the moment whenever possible, and avoid posing people.
One thing Briggs definitely advises, though, while editing is that “new digital tools have made it much easier not only to improve a photo but to make it lie about reality.” That’s why publishing the scene as accurately as possible is CRUCIAL for a believable story.
Briggs advises, while editing, to:
1. Edit a copy of the photo–never the original.
2. Crop the photo.
3. Resize the picture.
4. Modify the resolution.
5. Tone and color correct the picture.
6. Save a Web version.
7. Keep it simple.
“Photographs, and especially slide shows, can attract huge audiences online. The New York Times, for example, saw 25 percent more traffic the day after Inauguration Day in 2009, thanks in large part to its slide shows.”
Honestly, I think this chapter’s a waste. If I want to learn photography, I would learn photography elsewhere. Sure, Briggs can offer up some good pointers on what makes a good picture in a story and which pictures are appropriate for which stories, but photojournalism is a field on its own.
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Briggs writes in the fifth chapter about:
– What kinds of stories lend themselves to mobile reporting.
– What equipment and technology one would use for mobile reporting.
– How to use selected mobile publishing services for text, photographs and video.
– How professional news organizations use mobile to complement their existing publishing platforms.
Briggs writes that mobile technology makes “it easier than ever before to cover a news event on location.” He writes that the tools we use to capture and publish content is easier than ever before, but the most important thing is to “keep it simple.”
In a world where one “can’t even buy a cell phone without a camera,” it’s crucial to know how to use these devices, says Briggs.
He also points out that “news, information and even advertising could be automatically served to you depending on your location,” which I found interesting, although startling.
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