April 2013
1 post
March 2013
2 posts
The most successful creators of Meograph and Storify pages are united by one thing: they’re skilled editors and curators who know how to look at content posted on multiple social networks and pull out the pieces that will best help them to tell a story.
Staci Baird, a journalist who currently is the Internet & Social Media Strategist for the Stanford School of Engineering, says “Aggregating, analyzing, providing context and insight is an important part of journalism today.”
” —Storify: Popular curation platform tells stories with social media via Knight Digital Media Center
New to Storify? Find useful tips in this article.
(via virtual300)
February 2013
1 post
As many honor college students find they do on a frequent basis, today I was discussing with a few fellow classmates about favorite books from our childhood. I was pleased to find that my friends had enjoyed the Little House on the Prairie series just as much as I had. One aspect that I mentioned that always puzzled me was Mary’s blindness, which the book stated, in almost an offhand way, was due to scarlet fever. Not a lot more information was included in the book of her being ill, from what I remember.
A team of medical researchers have since determined that scarlet fever was probably not the cause for Mary’s blindness. According to an article from the Associated Press, “historical documents, biographical records and other material suggests another disease that causes swelling in the brain and upper spinal cord was the most likely culprit.” From Wilder’s letters and unpublished memoir, we know that she was unsure about Mary’s illness. Scarlet fever was most likely used because it was such a common and feared illness at the time.
The article on The Daily Mail’s website has the same basic information as the Associated Press’ article, except including more background information about The Little House on the Prairie, perhaps because they are a British news source and Little House on the Prairie is more popular in America. The Daily Mail also includes the major points of the article in bold before the article, and has a lot more art than the AP article, with both pictures and a video at the end. This is probably because The Daily Mail is a tabloid.
December 2012
1 post
November 2012
1 post
June 2012
1 post
The Daily Planet laid me off today. My editor Perry sauntered over to my cube, dropped his bristly knuckles on my desk and said, “Clark, can I have a word?” Normally, this would be followed by a refresher on our sexual harassment policy and a certain “Little Lady” at the city desk. See how I did that? That’s my code for Lois Lane. I gotta million of them. Like “Jerk Off” for Jimmy Olsen, who tried to say something witty about me being canned that came out totally creepy instead….
May 2012
4 posts
As I said, I’ve been going through an evolution on this issue. I’ve always been adamant that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally. And that’s why, in addition to everything we’ve done in this administration — rolling back Don’t Ask Don’t Tell so that outstanding Americans can serve our country; whether it’s no longer defending the Defense (of) Marriage Act, which tried to federalize what has historically state law — I’ve stood on the side of broader equality for the LGBT community.
And I’d hesitated on gay marriage because, in part, I thought civil unions would be sufficient, that that was something that would give people hospital visitation rights and other elements that we take for granted. And I was sensitive to the fact that, for a lot of people, the word ‘marriage’ is something that evokes very powerful traditions, religious beliefs, and so forth.
But I have to tell you that over the course of several years, as I talked to friends and family and neighbors, when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed, monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together; when I think about those soldiers or airmen or Marines, sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf, and yet feel constrained even now that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is gone, because they’re not able to commit themselves in a marriage — at a certain point, I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that same-sex couples should be able to get married.
” —President BARACK OBAMA. (via inothernews)April 2012
2 posts
The question everyone is thinking: will New Year’s Eve ever be the same without him?
March 2012
4 posts
My first by line for The Times Herald! Personally, it’s far from the best thing I’ve written. I was really freaked out, trying to prove I’m a good writer. Truth is, I still have no idea what I’m doing and I’ve got a lot to learn still.
On January 16, GOP candidate Jon Huntsman dropped out of the running for the presidency - and I have to say that I was pretty upset. Huntsman was my guy, my moderate conservative.
As an American citizen who is able to vote next November, I have been trying to keep from aligning myself so exclusively with one party. It is my duty as a citizen to vote intelligently, and not vote for Obama just because I decided I was a Democrat when I was in eighth grade. Now Huntsman is gone, and I am shaking my head at who is left.
Let’s start with Newt Gingrich, who won the South Carolina Primary on January 21. Newt wrote a book, Rediscovering God in America, all about how our Founding Fathers created a Christian nation, and America needs to return to its religious heritage. I haven’t read the book, but from the summary on Amazon, I think I wouldn’t like it, being that America was founded on the principles of religious freedom, and Thomas Jefferson’s separation of church and state, something I learned in seventh grade social studies. Also, for someone so dedicated to the Christian religion, Newt seems to have trouble following the seventh commandment (“Thou shalt not commit adultery.”) Gingrich has had two affairs and three wives over the years. I have a little bit of a problem electing a president who preaches one thing, but does another.
The entire world heard when Mitt Romney said he “likes to fire people.” It’s even available as a ringtone. Romney has painted a picture of himself as the exceptionally wealthy politician he is. What really matters to me, however, is the $374,000 Romney makes in speaking fees, which he has said is “not very much.” Not much? $374,000 is more money than most Americans make in a year. Romney is out of touch with the American people.
Feminists, pro-choice supporters, and the gay community have criticized Rick Santorum for his traditional, conservative views. One particular view that concerns me is Santorum’s opinion on global warming: he doesn’t believe it exists. He does not believe that the human race has affected our climate. He believes it is “patently absurd.” Due to this view, Santorum supports controversial issues such as offshore drilling and the Keystone XL pipeline. For Santorum, the pros (money) outweigh the cons (environmental damage) with regard to issues that concern our planet. We may be in a recession, and the economy may be one of the top priorities for the white house, but should it hold precedence over the state and well being of the earth and its inhabitants?
Ron Paul. Ron Paul doesn’t believe in the theory of evolution. Now, let’s be logical about this: a theory, in science, is a proven hypothesis. Once a hypothesis becomes a theory, after many experiments and observations, it is no longer hypothetical. It is regarded in the scientific community, and basically all over the world, to be true. “You know [evolution] is a theory, nobody has concrete proof of any of this,” explains Ron Paul. You would think that Ron Paul would know that by ‘theory’, it means that there is proof, from his many years in the medical field. I don’t want a President who doesn’t understand basic scientific principles and disputes scientific theories.
No matter how hard I try to have an open mind, I cannot really like any of the Republican candidates. In my mind, they are just a group of crotchety old men, trying in vain to connect to the largely moderate, unemployed American nation.
Rumors have been circulating around Upper Merion that there will not be any superlatives in our yearbook this year, possibly due to the momentous effort it takes to culminate said superlatives. When I spoke to yearbook co-editor Courtney Smith, she was able to confirm that “there will be changes this year.” She was unable to elaborate on precisely what changes are being made.
Senior year is marked by a number of traditions: Senioritis, Senior Prom, ruling Homecoming Week, and yearbook superlatives, to name a few. Superlatives are just another popularity contest, a practice in stereotyping and labeling people, and a vehicle to pigeonhole classmates as “Most Athletic” or “Best Dressed.” It is also understandably tedious to organize the voting, the photos, the page layout. But superlatives are also entertaining, exciting, and a widespread high school tradition. This isn’t some small school tradition like our annual wing bowl or juniors getting football jerseys. My grandmother graduated in a class of about 20 students, and was voted “Most Talented” for their superlatives. My mother still laughs about the superlative sections of her yearbooks when she pulls them off the bookshelf for a trip down memory lane. In my opinion, superlatives are an integral part of a yearbook, and the senior experience.
Other students share my view. “I like [superlatives]. It recognizes people who work hard and excel in different things that they aren’t noticed for,” remarked senior Nate Quarles. Senior Michaela Kiczula feels, “we should have them because it’s tradition.” Sophomore Coleen Butler commented that superlatives “make a bigger bond throughout the class.” Some students are more indifferent, such as sophomore Helen Long, who “wouldn’t mind not having superlatives, but…it’s a tradition in a lot of schools, so we should have them.”
In order to secure a yearbook, Upper Merion students need to pre-order their yearbook in advance, to the tune of $70. In this economy, I try spend my money wisely. The idea of paying for a yearbook that is undergoing unknown changes makes me nervous. That $70 could pay for a months worth of gas in my little silver Honda. Or for another college application fee.
Still, I’ve ordered one. Ms. Smith was able to tell me that superlatives were still “up in the air,” and described the changes to the yearbook as “exciting.” There is stock in tradition, but there is also stock in innovation. For as strongly I feel that there should be superlatives in the yearbook, I also understand the need for originality. Perhaps the Class of 2012 will pioneer a new tradition in our yearbooks.
February 2012
2 posts
Whitney Houston has passed away at the age of 48, cause of death yet unknown.
January 2012
1 post
Tomorrow, Huntsman will officially drop out of the running for the GOP representative. Huntsman, who came in third at the New Hampshire primaries, deciding it was best for Republicans to “rally around a candidate who could beat Barack Obama…that candidate is Mitt Romney,” according to his campaign manager.
Perhaps Romney offered Huntsman a position in the cabinet, or as VP, prompting this drop out of the race? We shall see.
Still in the running is Buddy Roemer, who has fared embarrassingly badly in the Iowa Caucus and in New Hampshire. More people chose Herman Cain over Roemer in Iowa, a month after Cain dropped out.
Rick Perry was reevaluating his campaign last week and is campaigning furiously in South Carolina, but has been making headlines recently for supporting the marines who infamously urinated on the corpses of Afghan soldiers.
December 2011
4 posts
Second victim possibly the shooter. Virginia State Police have yet to confirm. Students are no longer on lockdown. Although this incident is frightening and sad, it reminds America of the shooting incident that took place at Virginia Tech in April 2007. Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people and wounded 25 others before taking his own life; it is the deadliest attack by a single gunman in US history.
Virginia Tech shooting today, gunman killed two people, including a police officer.
November 2011
2 posts
Radio, Video, Text - or all at once!
I went to see Mark Hamrick, of National Press Club and Associated Press fame, talk about journalism and it’s future last Monday at Villanova University.
It was a really unique experience- a small room filled with college students and aspiring journalists, a prominent leader in the field, and me. It was more of a discussion fueled presentation than I had anticipated, and I thought it was really beneficial. Mark talked a bit about what he does with the National Press Club and AP, how journalism has evolved into a demanding, 24/7 job, and the future of the newspaper. Newspaper subscriptions are dwindling, but news itself is still thriving, through online newspapers, and social networking sites like facebook and twitter. I was happy to share how my iPhone keeps me in the know with my New York Times app, and even the news blogs I follow on Tumblr. The discussion evolved into the importance of unbiased and objective writing, and the necessity of keeping personal opinion from the public eye. I gained a lot of inside perspective and knowledge about the effort it takes to succeed as a journalist in the current climate. Most of the research I’ve been doing about the state of the media makes me nervous- thankfully Mark had some good advice for all of us, to “never let anybody tell you it can’t be done. Just have a positive attitude.”
Thank you, Mark Hamrick. Maybe I’ll see you again sometime soon? I’m applying for the National Press Club’s scholarship for journalism diversity.
My name is Elissa and I am currently a high school senior in the grand old state of Pennsylvania. As part of our state’s high school graduation requirements, students have to complete a year long research project on a single topic. We have to do an application, do scholarly research and do a 45 minute presentation.
As a student who is planning on majoring in journalism for the next four years, I decided to do my project on the world of journalism, how to write like a reporter, how to get your work published, as well as the impact it has had throughout history.
This blog will be a place for me to post articles, pictures, possibly video and audio on current events that are happening around me. I plan to interview multiple sources and construct unbiased, professional and timely articles at least once a week until March.
I chose tumblr because it is the most efficient and accessible blogging website I have ever used. My personal blog I’ve had for over a year and love it, lissanicole.tumblr.com.
If you have any feedback comments or questions, please feel free: www.thestudentreporter.tumblr.com/ask.
