As I make my last-minute plans for a summer internship back home in Springfield, I have found myself adding a little bit of "spice" to my typical summer plans, thanks to one of my fellow agricultural communications peers. Though plans are still in progress, I would love to attend the National Ag Media Summit, which will be hosted in Texas this summer. Besides getting to enjoy the beautiful scenery, I would have the opportunity to interact with media professionals in the industry from across the nation. Several public relations professionals, photographers, journalists and designers attend this summitt to learn about the most up-to-date ideas in the industry.
So you may be asking what there will be at this summit. Several seminars and workshops will be held that will give students the opportunity to discuss the future of agricultural journalism, how consumers and producers can reconnect with each other, and what to expect from this type of career in the future.
I am hoping to broaden my horizons this summer and attend this year's 11th ag media summit. Hopefully I will be able to travel with a few of my ag comm. peers and have the opportunity to site-see around Texas at the same time!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
My Discovery of the AP Exchange!
Let me just say that as a college student, I sometimes lack on listening to the news. Back home, I always watch the 6 o'clock news each night. However, here at school, it's just a different story...as a student, you are "busy." Each semester, I make it a goal to catch up on the world around me, but sometimes it just doesn't happen. I was happy to discover the AP exchange web site in lab this week. It gives a quick and easy way to browse not only breaking news, but also developing stories. It is convenient, and for people who only want "selected" news, they can simply choose which category they would like. This is not to say other news web sites do not offer this. The AP exchange, however, just lists the stories without distractions.
My favorite story was about the South Carolina widow who had been dead for 18 months and nobody even noticed. While this is very sad, I enjoyed the conversation I had with my news team about this bizarre story. The first questions most of us had was, "Oh, so the dog died, too?" Come to find out, the dog had actually died of thirst. Authorities said there was enough dog food in supply. Readers tend to enjoy these types of stories, because they offer a break from the typical hard news each day. It leaves the actually story to the imagination, which is what many people enjoy, just as my news team did.
My favorite story was about the South Carolina widow who had been dead for 18 months and nobody even noticed. While this is very sad, I enjoyed the conversation I had with my news team about this bizarre story. The first questions most of us had was, "Oh, so the dog died, too?" Come to find out, the dog had actually died of thirst. Authorities said there was enough dog food in supply. Readers tend to enjoy these types of stories, because they offer a break from the typical hard news each day. It leaves the actually story to the imagination, which is what many people enjoy, just as my news team did.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The Future of Agricultural Newspapers
As I decided on my research paper topic for this class, I found I had a hard time deciding what I would like to do. It's not that there's a lack of subjects to talk about in the editing world, but it's finding what interests you. I decided to follow my passion for agriculture. Back home, my dad will always get the AgriNews publication, along with Farm Week, Prairie Farmer, among many others. When I get a chance to sit down and read them, I find myself thinking about what we discuss in lecture (which I guess is the point). In one of my agricultural communications classes, we discussed the future of agricultural publications and what role they will play in the future with farmers. The main area of concern, however, was with radio in the agricultural communities. My father, however, tunes in daily to our local agricultural station to catch the markets and get caught up on what's going on with issues that could affect him.
As I narrow down my focus of research, I would like to explore the future of agricultural publications. It would be interesting to interview editors to see what they think about the issue, if there is any concern. I would like to have a better understanding of the current state of the agricultural communications world, as I will be entering it soon. I find this topic very interesting, and as a farm girl, nothing makes me feel more at home than kicking back and reading my AgriNews.
As I narrow down my focus of research, I would like to explore the future of agricultural publications. It would be interesting to interview editors to see what they think about the issue, if there is any concern. I would like to have a better understanding of the current state of the agricultural communications world, as I will be entering it soon. I find this topic very interesting, and as a farm girl, nothing makes me feel more at home than kicking back and reading my AgriNews.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Profanity's role in a paper
I found lecture this week very interesting as we discussed word choice of editors - especially when it comes to profanity. How far is too far? This question is even harder to answer in this society, because more words and actions are "socially" accepted today than ever before. Does this mean the newspaper should follow the trend in how society is communicating?
My thought is no. A newspaper should serve as an example of proper grammar and writing without any distasteful content. In my opinion, a newspaper should something a family can enjoy without having to worry about an R-rated movie or even a suggestive commercial come on during dinner time. Although it may seem our society is changing more and more, there are still plenty of people who believe in using "clean cut" language.
I understand when an editor chooses to use a profanity word to get a point across, depending on which word it is. As we discussed in lecture, it all depends on the context of the word, which makes everything a lot harder when making a decision. However, I believe newspapers should avoid using profanity at all costs. This is not to solely avoid conflict or disagreement among the readers; it is to give the people a newspaper they can enjoy without suggestive comments or profanity. Call me old-fashioned, but I would never want my newspaper to be one of "those" media sources many think of.
My thought is no. A newspaper should serve as an example of proper grammar and writing without any distasteful content. In my opinion, a newspaper should something a family can enjoy without having to worry about an R-rated movie or even a suggestive commercial come on during dinner time. Although it may seem our society is changing more and more, there are still plenty of people who believe in using "clean cut" language.
I understand when an editor chooses to use a profanity word to get a point across, depending on which word it is. As we discussed in lecture, it all depends on the context of the word, which makes everything a lot harder when making a decision. However, I believe newspapers should avoid using profanity at all costs. This is not to solely avoid conflict or disagreement among the readers; it is to give the people a newspaper they can enjoy without suggestive comments or profanity. Call me old-fashioned, but I would never want my newspaper to be one of "those" media sources many think of.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Why I will never say a photographer "snapped" a photograph
I am in JOUR 425 this semester, and one of our projects is to take a picture. That task seems simple enough, right? Well, that's what I thought going into this project. However, this picture had to be newsworthy - something that could possibly go on a front page. It had to tell a story, rather than show what something looked like.
I started out on my mission to get a photograph (I should have started sooner). I stopped in at Bevier Cafe and took a few pictures of the staff working. I got a great picture(at least what I thought was) of the Chef working. However, this picture was simply the Chef chopping up vegetables. People could see he was working in a kitchen, but it did not tell a story. Yes, it was a "pretty" picture, as the bright green lettuce contrasted very nicely with his black and white apron. But it was not a newsworthy photo.
I never realized how difficult it is to take a great picture for a newspaper. I recently heard somebody talk about "snapping" off some photos. Immediately, I thought to myself..."snapping pictures?!" After completing this assignment, I see it more as capturing a moment that tells a story. It can take as little as a half an hour or as long as an entire day to take a great photograph. Patience is of essence.
Therefore, from this point on, I have so much more respect for photographers. It truly is an art that takes practice, time and patience. Hopefully I can find these attributes to get a good grade on my re-do photo assignment!
I started out on my mission to get a photograph (I should have started sooner). I stopped in at Bevier Cafe and took a few pictures of the staff working. I got a great picture(at least what I thought was) of the Chef working. However, this picture was simply the Chef chopping up vegetables. People could see he was working in a kitchen, but it did not tell a story. Yes, it was a "pretty" picture, as the bright green lettuce contrasted very nicely with his black and white apron. But it was not a newsworthy photo.
I never realized how difficult it is to take a great picture for a newspaper. I recently heard somebody talk about "snapping" off some photos. Immediately, I thought to myself..."snapping pictures?!" After completing this assignment, I see it more as capturing a moment that tells a story. It can take as little as a half an hour or as long as an entire day to take a great photograph. Patience is of essence.
Therefore, from this point on, I have so much more respect for photographers. It truly is an art that takes practice, time and patience. Hopefully I can find these attributes to get a good grade on my re-do photo assignment!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
To run or not to run?
Editors face many ethical decisions with a newspaper - especially the photos. Through happiness, anger and sadness, photos have the ability to activate a lot of emotion and thought. But how far is too far? Readers sometimes accuse newspapers of selling their papers through emotion. Editors must make careful decisions when evaluating a photo. Although there are ethical considerations, there is not always a single, correct answer.
1. I chose to run the first photo of Bud Dwyer (1a). This photo gives the readers a clear enough image of what was happening. I believe the last two would be too graphic for readers to see. The second photo is OK. I like the first photo better, because it is not only more dramatic, but it is also a better picture. We discussed this photo in my J250 class (Ethics and Diversity) class last semester. A photographer also had a picture of Dwyer spinning the pistol around in the air. My ethical limit would be when he puts the pistol in his mouth and fires.
2. I debated a lot about this photo. The photo shows a little boy mourning the loss of his dog. I think this invades his privacy and would also play too much off the reader's emotions. However, the picture of the dog is clean; there is no blood, and the audience cannot see its face. I would only consider this photo if there was a situation that caused a car to hit the dog. For example, maybe the highway needs improvement.
3. This photo does not need to be published in a paper. If the picture with the dead dog was invasive, this picture is ten times more dramatic and intrusive. This picture shows too much emotion. Readers would not get much out of the photo either, besides tragedy.
4. This photo adds nothing to a paper. A story about a shooting in a newspaper plant would be more than sufficent. The readers do not need to see a picture of a dead man to believe there was a shooting.
5. This photo could be run, but only because the boy ended up being OK. I thought he had died at first, but after I saw he was OK, I think it is acceptable. I admit it is a very intesting picture, but it may not be for everybody. If I had to take a chance, I would run this.
6. No. This picture would not run in my newspaper. The upside to running this picture is that perhaps the perpetrators could be indentified. However, I believe this is the lesser of the good now. I'm concerned for the victim's privacy. Most likely, the only person who'll recognize the girl is her. Many readers would also be offended for such a graphic photo.
All editors have their own opionions and ethical standards. Editors must know the audience but also respect the subject's privacy and emotions. Whatever choice editors make, they must be able to back up their reasons when readers complain about a certain picture - or else it can come back to haunt them.
1. I chose to run the first photo of Bud Dwyer (1a). This photo gives the readers a clear enough image of what was happening. I believe the last two would be too graphic for readers to see. The second photo is OK. I like the first photo better, because it is not only more dramatic, but it is also a better picture. We discussed this photo in my J250 class (Ethics and Diversity) class last semester. A photographer also had a picture of Dwyer spinning the pistol around in the air. My ethical limit would be when he puts the pistol in his mouth and fires.
2. I debated a lot about this photo. The photo shows a little boy mourning the loss of his dog. I think this invades his privacy and would also play too much off the reader's emotions. However, the picture of the dog is clean; there is no blood, and the audience cannot see its face. I would only consider this photo if there was a situation that caused a car to hit the dog. For example, maybe the highway needs improvement.
3. This photo does not need to be published in a paper. If the picture with the dead dog was invasive, this picture is ten times more dramatic and intrusive. This picture shows too much emotion. Readers would not get much out of the photo either, besides tragedy.
4. This photo adds nothing to a paper. A story about a shooting in a newspaper plant would be more than sufficent. The readers do not need to see a picture of a dead man to believe there was a shooting.
5. This photo could be run, but only because the boy ended up being OK. I thought he had died at first, but after I saw he was OK, I think it is acceptable. I admit it is a very intesting picture, but it may not be for everybody. If I had to take a chance, I would run this.
6. No. This picture would not run in my newspaper. The upside to running this picture is that perhaps the perpetrators could be indentified. However, I believe this is the lesser of the good now. I'm concerned for the victim's privacy. Most likely, the only person who'll recognize the girl is her. Many readers would also be offended for such a graphic photo.
All editors have their own opionions and ethical standards. Editors must know the audience but also respect the subject's privacy and emotions. Whatever choice editors make, they must be able to back up their reasons when readers complain about a certain picture - or else it can come back to haunt them.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Fun with Words!
Every now and then I like to learn a new word that I can use to impress my friends with; afterall, I would not want to come off as anserine (silly, foolish, stupid). I came across a web site devoted to people who have similar interests as me - having fun with words! Some people would say that learning new vocabulary is boondoggle (an unnecessary activity). In case you would like to know, the web site is http://www.rinkworks.com/words/funwords.shtml.
I enjoy spending time with my editing friends in lab and critiquing the DI each day. But there is one thing I wish I would remember - food! When I get home from my long day, I eat rather edaciously (consuming, voracious, devouring). After eating so much at once, I find myself in a long, rejoiceful pandiculation (the stretching that accompanies yawning).
I can only hope each of you visit this web site so you too can become immersed in the epeolatry (worship of words) of words! Have fun and be sure to use a new vocabulary word today! Maybe you could even become a neologist (one who makes up new words).
I enjoy spending time with my editing friends in lab and critiquing the DI each day. But there is one thing I wish I would remember - food! When I get home from my long day, I eat rather edaciously (consuming, voracious, devouring). After eating so much at once, I find myself in a long, rejoiceful pandiculation (the stretching that accompanies yawning).
I can only hope each of you visit this web site so you too can become immersed in the epeolatry (worship of words) of words! Have fun and be sure to use a new vocabulary word today! Maybe you could even become a neologist (one who makes up new words).
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