Web publications in an everchanging cyberspace

You always here that advertising and media in general cater to the youth. Why? Because they're young and impressionable and the future of the world. They have the capacity to come up with new ideas and, in turn, appeal to the next generation of rising youth.

So what are online publications and media sources doing about it? They're not just keeping up with the times, but they're trying to stay ahead of the times--using the most innovative technology available while coming up with new ways to market products and ideas to a technology-conscious generation.

Online magazines, like Glamour, Real Simple and Sport Illustrated have added picture slide shows and daily-updated how to columns in order to keep readers' interest. Newspapers, like the Knoxville News Sentinel and New York Times leave reader comment boxes, display multimedia stories, link to blogs and post video clips. Readers can also participate in interactive polls to vote on sports teams, presidential ratings and just about anything else you can think of.

Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but I think online news is fine the way it is. I really can't think of any other possible way sites could convey news. For as amazing as technology has become and for as much as news sites have at their disposal, what they seem to lose sight of is reporting the truth. I love being able to access videos, slide shows and sound bites--but are they really more entertainment than anything else? If technology wasn't a limitation, I would capture news as it was happening and keep the commentary minimal, aside from basic explanations. Let the public decide what the truth is, not the media.

But then, I guess the truth is always in the eye of the beholder.

We are the Web

As I was reading Tim O'Reilly's article on Web 2.0, I found myself pretty confused. Everything online is so interwoven that it's hard to separate the internet into entities.

From what I can tell, Web 1.0 was a simplified version of the internet where everything operated separate from each other. Like with Netscape, sites worked like web browsers and desktop applications. Not so for Web 2.0. This new idea of internet usage makes it entirely more accessible. People are not required to buy updates, but companies like Google are continually improving and offer all different kinds of services independent of desktop applications.

Yes, I'm still a little confused. But what does it all mean? Essentially, we--the users--tell our computers, and therefore the internet, what to do. We establish connections through links and hypertext that connect information all across cyberspace. The media can go crazy with this because the options are almost limitless for collaboration between sites for banner advertisements, multimedia and links to other sites. Readers can access information with one click.

This is great for us. Need the news? Check out the RSS feeds for your local newspaper. Once you've subscribed, you can check them every day as often as you like on your Google account. That very same account allows you to view weather in your area (and anywhere else you choose), check your email, write a blog or search the internet. With information so readily available, we should never be without.

Columbus finds new territory

Christopher Columbus landed in uncharted territory October 12, while he was searching for a route to India. Although the ships had sailed in the opposite direction, Columbus and his crew were convinced they had discovered India, and they set out to explore and evangelize to local natives. Columbus and his men read aloud the "requerimiento,"declaring Spanish rule of the new land in the names of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.

Multimedia

*Video of the land from the ships as they reached shore
*Posts of Columbus' journals and letters to the king and queen detailing the voyage
*Interview clips of crew members
*Video tour of the ships
*Mini bios of crew members
*Photo slide show of pictures taken on land
*Area for user comments

Interviews
*With natives (maybe a video clip and translation)
*Crew members
*Crew members' family (wives, kids) still back in Europe
*Christopher Columbus
*King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella

My foiled video assignment

So, today was an interesting day in Staci's class. I had been dreading having to upload the video I had recorded on my parents' old camera. (By the way, 1997 was a good year for technology).

The predicament

I have a love/hate relationship with technology. The internet is great when you need to research something immediately, but somehow the computer always crashes when you need it most.

After a little more than an hour of tinkering and positioning my camera to align with another in an attempt to re-record my video, I came out with this---->

Yes, that was my video. But it is now a lovely, blurry still shot of two unidentifiable teams. My story is about UT women's intramural soccer. A friend of mine plays for the Baptist Collegiate Ministry team, and they were up against the women from Vols for Christ.

The script

"UT students faced off on the school's intramural fields Monday, kicking off the third week of intramural soccer. Among the competitors were women's teams from campus organizations Vols for Christ and the Baptist Collegiate Ministry. Although the VFC was leading by one at the half, the women from the BCM pulled out a 6-4 win, making them 2 and 0 so far this season. Women's intramural soccer is scheduled through November 20."

What I learned

Even though it was a little weird filming a soccer game and having random people give me funny looks as I awkwardly held the camera, I enjoyed the experience. There's something about being able to go right back and look at what I've filmed--it kind of fulfills the instant gratification mentality of today. And at the end of the day, I can laugh about the whole thing. You had to have been there.

Real Simple story pitch

If I could choose the next topic for a story in Real Simple magazine, I would stick with the fall theme and post an article on finding a pumpkin and deciding on how to carve it. For multimedia, I would pick the following:

•a picture slideshow to display images of pumpkin patches and different types and sizes of pumpkins and

•tips on what pumpkin sizes are best for certain types of designs and stencils

•ideas for easier carving designs as well as more difficult ones

•a video clip of someone carving their own pumpkin

•opportunities across the country for pumpkin carving contests

•sidebar of top locations for finding pumpkins or going on hay rides

•personal quotes from readers with interesting stories about finding and carving pumpkins

•templates for pumpkin carving

I think a story like this one would appeal to Real Simple's readers because it is home oriented. It provides simple, easy-to-follow steps for carving a pumpkin or making a fall outing out of a visit to the pumpkin patch. The readers expect clean, bright images because the magazine and the website both feature those types of images. Readers will also be attracted to short how-to videos and picture slide shows because they are convenient and quick, which is part of the magazine's goal--to make everyday activities easier for its readers and their busy lives.

An affair with online communication

Three years ago, when I was a freshman, my roommate introduced me to this new site called Facebook. At first, I was uninterested in the idea of creating a profile of myself for anyone from a participating college or university to see. But before I knew it, I was signing up and posting all my hobbies, favorite music and even my class schedule.

Sitting in my creaking desk rocking chair in our tiny dorm, I would get lost in all the connections I could make with Facebook. I found myself checking daily what new schools had been added so I could look for my friends and add them to the growing list of people I knew on Facebook. It was difficult to accomplish anything--much less homework--when the world of Facebook was just a click away.

Now, 516 friends later, I realize that many of the "friends" on my Facebook profile are barely even acquaintances. Sure, some of them are childhood friends or people I've met at UT, but how many of them do I actually talk to? Who would I bother keeping up with (telephones do still exist) if I didn't have the convenient, impersonal means of communication over the internet?

I find the same things true of sites like Twitter, MySpace and LinkedIn. They are all great communication tools...if you'd rather sit behind your computer screen all day, physically cut off from the world.

I created a MySpace account a couple summers ago to keep up with my boyfriend's journey through Greece and Bulgaria on a school trip. During my brief affair with MySpace, I spent hours staring at my screen, changing my profile background and prying through my other friend's profiles instead of studying for finals or working out.

Then I realized: Why would anyone want to share their deepest feelings and thoughts with all of cyberspace? Facebook is now open to anyone, regardless of whether or not they are college or high school aged. While MySpace tends to attract younger people, there's still the random creepy 50 year old who can leave comments about any photo you post. Twitter and LinkedIn seem to me perhaps a more "mature" version of the first two--sites that target an older demographic and encourages users to communicate with co-workers or high school classmates.

They are not all negative, though. Each site provides a unique way to quickly communicate with people and exchange information. Sites like MySpace have even given local bands and artists a forum in which to display their work and become known. Facebook and LinkedIn give users the opportunity to reconnect with old friends or classmates.

But where do we draw the line as far as "real" communication goes? Can you call posting back and forth on someone's Facebook wall a meaningful friendship? For me, if it's not a person I would make an effort to keep up with by another means, then the online relationship is superficial. And superficiality is, unfortunately, something that comes with online communication.

Fall colors!

As told by Rick Bragg

When I walked into Dr. Stovall's 200 lecture class Tuesday, I really wasn't sure what to expect from the guest speaker, a 1996 Pulitzer Prize winner of whom I'd never heard. I was really hoping what Rick Bragg had to say was more stimulating than Bob Woodward's speech a few weeks ago, which had almost put me to sleep.

However, an Alabama-raised country boy, Bragg did not let his southern roots down. He said that if you were born in the South, you were inherently a good story teller. He just cultivated that talent and hobby and made it his career.

Bragg had one of those movie stories about his life--the kind that makes you think of "Remember the Titans" or some other story that portrays someone moving up from the bottom and beating all odds. I thought it was interesting, as well as encouraging, that Bragg could go from an aspiring UPS guy to renowned New York Times and St. Petersburg Times writer.

I liked that after all he had accomplished, he still seemed to have a great appreciation for the hard work and teaching of his parents, who had "worked with their hands" cultivating land and literally working for their food. His story as a poor teenager who had to drop out of college because he could only pay one class at a time reflected his desire not only to write, but also to use words to change the way he lived and the way others interpreted things.

He acknowledged the ability of news writing to "set prisoners free" and reveal the truth to the public. Bragg's belief in the power of the written word reminded me of my own love for writing.

This semester

This afternoon, I had the opportunity to talk on the phone with an adjunct professor for class. This online journalism class has been the first that I've had to coordinate with an "assistant" professor in another state, and it's been an interesting experience.

I've liked being able to have two opinions on my stories; I have been critiqued and complimented from different points of view, which has helped me see better what I can improve in my writing. It has also brought to light the things I do well. It has been helpful to learn the opinions and ideas of both a professor and an individual currently working full time in the field of online journalism.

Not only has communicating with our adjunct professor, Peggy, helped with editing and improving, but it has also been an interesting way to teach an online journalism class. It only seems appropriate that Peggy should communicate with the class through Skype as we navigate the internet in search of links for the next blog assignment.

Before this class, I knew very little about blogging or how to write for an online audience. Now I have a better understanding of both, as well as an understanding of how to link sites and create interesting layouts for readers. I'd like to become more comfortable applying those skills and learn how to use video online. Previously, I simply thought online journalism was a convenient way for me to get my daily news, as I read the newspaper less often. Now I can also appreciate its complexities and how it is just as important to appeal to a certain audience as it is in print and broadcast media.

Adventure in dining

Stepping through the door and out of the sloshy puddles on the street, I am relieved to find myself standing in the soft golden glow of little stained glass lamps and staring at the opposite wall at a sign claiming: “You can tell an Irishman, but you can’t tell him much.”

Located on East Rutherford Street in the quaint downtown of Landrum, SC, the Hare & Hound Pub reflects the influence of a traditional Irish pub. The dark wood, high-backed booths line every available wall, lending some privacy to their occupants but also giving a sense of community with the other diners and those chatting at the bar.

It’s all about ambiance, right?
My husband and I sat in a booth in a corner by one of the front windows. The lamp at the end of our table was flanked by salt and pepper shakers and a bottle of ketchup sporting the pub’s name. The glow of the small lights was just enough to make me feel at home but still be able to read my menu. Each wall was draped with vintage-looking banners and beer advertisements, many of them in foreign languages. A sign on the wall across the room cautioned: “Please mind your children, or they will be given an espresso and a free puppy.” Over the low buzz of the small early-lunch crowd, the girl who had seated us cooed “hello” to incoming customers in her quiet, high voice. “It’s a perfect spot for a rainy day like today,” said customer Ethel Greer, who was visiting from Atlanta, GA.

…And good food too?
After perusing the menu, we chose mozzarella cheese sticks as an appetizer. They reminded me of a flower, spread in a circle around a container of marinara sauce at the center of the plate.

Then it was on to the main course—lunch. My husband chose the Hare & Hound burger, featured on the Sandwiches menu as: “eight ounces of certified Angus beef chargrilled and served on a kaiser with lettuce, tomato and mayo.” I decided on something a little less adventurous—the chicken strip basket. My basket featured lightly breaded chicken strips, french fries and a sweet honey mustard dipping sauce. Though the sauce was a little sweet for me, the chicken was perfectly crispy and went along quite well with the smoky barbeque sauce on my husband’s plate.

The grand finale
The pub’s menu describes the Chocolate Bomb as “an individual bundt cake covered in chocolate and served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.” Once that first spoonful had crossed the threshold of my mouth though, I realized the description didn’t quite do it justice. The name, however, is very fitting. It was like a chocolate explosion in my mouth with warm chocolate sauce spilling from all sides of the soft chocolate cake and set off by the coolness of the vanilla ice cream. “I come here pretty often, and most of the time, I can’t make it out the door without ordering a Chocolate Bomb, usually to share with my mom,” said local frequenter Emily Gray.

Knoxville News

Walking in through the wide glass doors at the Knoxville News Sentinel, I entered a spacious, open lobby. The modern lighting and shiny floors reminded my of a newspaper building from a big city or a movie. This seemed like such a fun place to work.

It was bigger than I'd anticipated, and as I turned in circles to take it all in, I practically ran into Managing Editor Jack Lail, who had come to lead me and another classmate up to the newsroom.

The newsroom was exciting in one of those serious, quiet ways. Everyone sat diligently typing in their neatly organized, spacious cubicles. Computers were spread all across the room, and a line of Macs with screens the size of TVs lined a wall toward the back of the room.

The employees of the News Sentinel seemed as organized and updated as the room in which they worked. The managing editor and his colleagues talked about moving the paper forward and appealing to audiences, such as the students at UT. I thought it was interesting how they thought of sending news alerts through everything from Internet to text messaging. Reporters and editors at the News Sentinel have also updated the cameras they use to be set up to shoot video or take pictures as last minute as 15 minutes before hand.

The Knoxville News Sentinel seems to have everything it needs to appeal to a younger audience--an audience that wants news to be fast and convenient. The paper's website even features a blog that talks about other blogs. The paper also allows for citizen commentary on issues in the news and draws locals in by allowing them to share and be journalists. People can submit pictures and video footage and can even start a blog. The paper's website not only offers all these options, but it is also easy to navigate and it's appealing to look at, featuring graphics, photos and slideshows.

Making your own news

When I pick up the Daily Beacon on my way in to my first Spanish class, it's pretty obvious that I have no intention of reading it cover to cover. I might skim the front and check out some of the bigger headlines inside, but really, I'm in it for the crossword. Online, it's the same thing. I just click on my RSS feeds and I get exactly what I'm looking for.

People seek what interests them. And what could make news more interesting than being part of it? When random individuals have the opportunity to submit video, pictures or other information to enhance a story, they feel included. They can take interest in a story that might otherwise have seemed unimportant.

I think it's interesting when citizens submit their own information because it has a way of making the one reading or watching the news feel more involved. There's something about knowing that someone just like yourself contributed to a news story. You can relate to the everyday off-the-street "journalist." When you see a video clip someone sent in from their cell phone, you can almost picture yourself in their place. It's not like they had shown up at the scene with their reporting materials and cameras, expecting to interview people or capture an important moment. It just happened.

So long as the information is valid, it is a great tool to enhance a story and it gives people the chance to feel involved. This changes reporting in that anybody has the ability to report news. You don't have to have a fancy news camera to capture the image of a tornado destroying a farm house. Digital cameras, cell phones and easy access to computers and internet allow anyone to contribute to news. It is beneficial, because traditional journalists at broadcast stations and newspapers can utilize the materials given to them by random citizens that happened to be at the scene. The options are seemingly endless.

Does that mean anyone can contribute? Well, no, not exactly. There would have to be a certain process of verifying video footage and pictures, just as one must verify information before printing or airing it.

I've never contributed content to a news story, but I've always had more interest in stories involving citizen contributions. One of my favorite things about the Weather Channel is when it shows photos of storms or landscapes taken and submitted by citizens across the United States. Local news channels also offer the same opportunity, like when people of the community send in pictures of fall leaves by the lake in town or of Fourth of July fireworks at a local celebration.

When it comes to news, people just want to feel connected, and contributing to the news is a great way to do so.

Extra! Extra newslinks!

With the proliferation of blogs and sites like Facebook connecting people all over the world, this generation has essentially let loose the floodgates of information.

Whether it's international news or a detailed profile of a random student you met on MySpace, there are few limits anymore as to what you can access.

I find it interesting that the Orlando Sentinel placed links on Facebook after the University of Central Florida ran out of water bottles at their very hot first game. Maybe it's a little unconventional to place a seemingly random link on a website parading cheesy online student clubs of all sorts. But the Sentinel writers new what they were doing when they placed a link to their article responding to the UCF water fiasco on the page of Facebook group "Knights for Free Water."

And why not? The paper was simply targeting and audience that would be interested in that particular story.

Bloggers essentially do the same thing, only they are not necessarily promoting themselves. They link to other new sites and provide a quick passage to other Web surfers. It's the internet version of magazines. Publications like Glamour and Sports Illustrated target to entirely different audiences. They are meant to appeal to a certain demographic--a certain gender, age group and social standing. These magazines promote themselves with covers displaying teasers of the content within.

Placing links to certain articles or news tidbits on related sites is essentially advertising like a magazine cover. It creates easier access to relevant information to people who care. Doing this is not only a smart move to improve readership, but it's also efficient.

Me

Applying to colleges was a lot like browsing through the sale rack at American Eagle. There were so many attractive choices, but they were either the wrong size or too expensive.

When I visited the University of Tennessee in November 2003, I had no intention of ever attending. After all, I was only applying to make my parents happy. The day was cold, rainy and gray. Campus was deserted, and apparently most of the students had retreated from the cold to their dorms for an afternoon nap. But fate has a funny way of manifesting itself.

Good Ol' Rocky Top (Whoo!)

The home of the Volunteers won my heart that day, and I found myself in denial over my new conviction that I must go to UT. In August 2004, I began my freshman year in Knoxville and have never regretted my decision.

Since then, I have been presented with so many opportunities to learn and get experience in my fields of study, which are journalism and Spanish. This past summer, for example, I interned at a small local newspaper at home. Because it is a paper in its infant stages, I was able to report and write several stories a week, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

My Spanish major has been a great complement to journalism, and since I tutor students in the language, it has made me realize my desire to teach.

I will graduate a semester early this December and will start grad school at MTSU in the spring. Once I get my master's in foreign language education, I'd like to teach high school. If my opportunities are as great as they've been, I'll not only teach Spanish, but hopefully I can head up the school paper too.

News habits--oh, how they change

As a journalism student, I find myself constantly overwhelmed by the amount of information that bombards my life. With today's technology, it's hard to get away from in-your-face celebrity news and ads. Fortunately though, TV's only turn on when you push the "power" button, and the internet and newspapers are available at your convenience. Seems like I've got
plenty of choices.

Friday, September 21
12:15 p.m.

I've got a couple of minutes before class starts, so I figure I'll skim the Daily Beacon and see what's up. I end up skipping the front page article about senior honors program students--I'm not one, so it doesn't apply. I'm vaguely interested in an article on a quack photographer that has claimed several photos taken by other individuals as his own. Al Sharpton...blah, blah. Then I skip back a page to read about a big Tennesee drug bust. I think its pretty cool since my dad is the head of the Drug Enforcement in Tennessee and part of Georgia. He'd been on the been on the news a day earlier.

2:00 p.m.

I'm in a hurry, so I decide to make it quick. I get online and check out Nealz Nuze on boortz.com. From skimming quickly, I notice a link to Hillary Clinton's healthcare plan, followed shortly by an entire section on global warming. I'm not a fan of either, but I think it's interesting because elections are coming up. I check the link briefly and read the global warming news, but unfortunately, I have to miss out on the rest because I'm going to be late for my final fitting for my wedding dress.

Just from looking at a day's worth of news habits, I see that they have changed some since I was in high school. Before I came to college, I relied more on the newspaper and TV for news. I never really considered the internet. Now, however, I find the internet more convenient, and I have more options and variety. When I actually take the time, or when I'm waiting for class to start, I can check several different sites at once, from the Wall Street Journal to the Knoxville News Sentinel.

As I get older, I can't imagine that I'll give up checking news on the internet. However, I do see myself having more time to read the paper or catch the news after work. Right now, with a class schedule that changes every other day, whatever is quickest works. I just have to remember
all the news sources at my fingertips and read as many different ones as possible so I can have a more balanced perspective on events.