Winding Down…

Throughout this Journalism course I have learned a lot of things that are important for my life in the future.  Not only are they important for journalism, but that can impact people in all other job aspects because in the real world, everyone is connecting everyone.   One of the most important things that I will take from this course is the process of advertising and social media.  Advertising is a tough business because with so many similar products on the market, it is key to make a statement and get the audience interested in your product, instead of the competitions.  Even though the brand of a company is really what gets people to buy their product…(apple, nike, samsung, lexus) you can still add a kicker…to make it more desirable.

As we have discussed in class, technology is always going to change with generations to come.  In the past decade technology has mad a bigger jump than it did in the past hundred years.  In order for people to make it in the work place in the future, one of the main skills is going to be being able to adapt to technology.  By adapting you will be able to teach others and be up to date if not ahead of the game.  Another thing is being able to communicate well.  In any job you are trying to sell something, whether it is an idea, or a real product…but being able to sell it is the main goal.  There are so many more skills that people will need but those are just a couple.

I wouldn’t say that I had a least favorite idea in the class, I thought that they were all important in their own ways.  However one did grab my attention more than others.  The photojournalism aspect of this was very interesting.  It was the one that made me think different and got my mind racing a little bit.  The way that they do their jobs is unreal.  It does take a great deal of skill to make it in that business, and by becoming a pro at it, their are so many options when it comes to picture taking.  Everyone wants to capture an image and savor the memory forever.

Images of the Year article

 

Picture Perfect!

Photo journalism really is one of most rewarding jobs someone could have the opportunity of doing.  Capturing a still image, and turning it into a story really takes a great deal of skill, its not something that everyone can do.  These days with every phone having a camera on it, and now every ipod and ipad also having a camera, anyone can be a photographer at any given time.  With facebook, twitter, instagram, and tumbler making it so easy to upload a picture and write about it for all to see, it doesn’t mean that we instantly become photojournalist just because we can upload for everyone to see.  What makes a photojournalist a photojournalist is the instinct of capturing a photo at just the right time with the correct angle, light, background and many more…the list goes on and on.  Its much more than just pointing the camera and clicking.

I really enjoyed listening to Jen Edney‘s story, how she was a photographer looking for a future…and became a photojournalist who now owns her own company.  She really put it into perspective about how much work photojournalists go through just to get the right shot.  She explained how when you work for a company, they are the boss and you have to make sure to get their logo in the right spot and with the right background for advertising and selling it.  Their was one particular image where she was putting her life in danger by being in the water and the boat going right over the top of her, it shows how serious she is and what she is willing to do for her client.

I think that the respect for photojournalists should go way up.  The next time you see a picture on the cover of a magazine, or see incredible images on the internet, think about what actually went into the picture…the time, the effort, the planning…they are all factors that are being overlooked.  Photojournalists really are an important part in everyday life, they are the ones who capture the memories that we get to look back on.

             

This is just an example of a photo of mine compared to a professional one.  The is the Bellagio casino in Las Vegas. I took the one on the left and it is being compared to the right one.

The Generations of Advertising

After reading the post, I honestly can say that nothing really shocked or surprised me.  Its obvious that their will never be a settlement on what advertising is and how it is going to be.  Advertising back in the day used to show what a product did, what you were going to get from it, and really didn’t bullshit you.  Now a days take the new Iphone commercial, even though they have multiple versions of it, they really only show you one aspect of it, and it is usually a new feature…because in all seriousness it really doesn’t change that much.

Public relations and advertising really go side by side in what they do. Since public relations is a communication/trust process through an organization and the people it provides to, no one is going to go to someone who doesn’t know how to connect with its audience.  If a PR lies to its customers, it is going to have some angry people on their and hands and most likely in the long run, no more customers.  The main job of public relations is to find a close to perfect way to communicate and ultimately get through to their people.  With the way technology and the advertising process is changing, PR’s have had to make some changes and find new ways to compete with everyone in the system.

Some of the big factors that have the biggest impact are the changes in technology, the manufacturing of new products, and the resources that people have.  One of the biggest things that I see to be the same is how similar products are in the market and they have to find a unique way to catch the audiences eye.  Also with similar products comes the taking down of another companies brand or things they have to offer.  I think that advertising will continue to change due to the changing in technology and the advancements in products.  It is just the way it is, you don’t really see things take a backwards step, especially in this generation.

 

Verizon Commercial

This link shows how the phone company Verizon, puts its pluses against other phone companies negatives.

Pepsi Commercial

Pepsi #2

This one shows the competitiveness of Pepsi vs. Coke.

 

Looking into the Future…

Journalism  stories these days seems to be the same thing one after the other.  It starts with the main point that attracts people then starts to decline all the way to the end.  I have found it hard to come across an article that keeps me interested to that same point in the end as it did in the beginning.  Want I would really like to find is an article that has me more interested in the end then it had me in the beginning.  When I think of a piece of writing that has me more interested in the end then the beginning I think of a book.  After I get into a book, I can not wait to find out what happens in the end.  Journalism might have to start looking to go into a new direction and if they went in this direction, then I think they might get the attention of the audience a little better.

One way they can start looking for change is by following the 8 essential dimensions that are listed in Blur.  One of the 8 dimensions that I find to be important is the Investigator role.  Investigating, or being a watchdog, is a important role because sometimes it is the only way to find the actual truth of what is going on.  By finding out the real secrets we have better supported the journalism of verification and can stay away of the affirmation part, or preaching to a particular audience that wants to hear certain things.  I feel that if journalists do the right investigating then they can give stories that better catch people.

Another dimension that I find to be important is the role of the Sense Maker.  I have found this to be a big part when I read certain articles.  Sometimes when I read an article, i get all the way through it and I catch myself saying, “what did I just read?”  Some articles are directed to a certain audience, but when someone outside that audience wants to read it, they might not get the gist because it does not make sense to them.  As a sense maker, they can make some closing statements or put in other key elements to make it processable to everyone.  In Blur they make a great statement saying, “they must look for information that is of value, not just new, and present it in a way so we make sense of it ourselves.” If journalists can do that, then i think they will be on their way to making strides for the future.

  I think this is a funny visual of an investigator…with his magnifying glass and his notes behind him, i could just imagine him digging into a story to get the real facts.

 

 

What Is Attractive

Newspapers, magazines, and online articles all have certain ways in trying to get people to read their articles.  With newspapers, it usually is a big title on the front page.  With magazines, it consists of the cover photo and also the photos that are within the magazine and certain article. With online articles, it is what catches your eye when you get on the website. In all three cases if they want you to read something they are not going to hide it, they will put in your face and make sure you cant miss it. Now that they have your attention they are gonna hope they can hold it while you read the article.  In these three chapters of Blur, they talk about the evidence that comes with the article and whether or not it is factual and what gets our attention.

In my experience when reading an article the first thing that does grab my attention is the title of the story, if it does not interest me in the slightest way, then their really isn’t a chance that I will read it.  When I do find one that I like, I have found myself in a dialogue in some cases.  I don’t feel as it is with me, but when they interview someone for too long or if it is filled with too many quotes.  As Blur described the five W’s and the one H, i don’t feel like most article go into the proper details with them as they should.  In the first paragraph I usually find the who the what and the when, then after that it sort of fades into a different direction and away from these ideas.  I think it would be much more beneficial to stick with those points because that is what we are looking for.  The sources that I find to be most credible are the Omaha World Herald and certain websites such as CNN and MSNBC.  The reason is because they are popular and they go out everyday to people who rely on them for current information.  They way that journalism could be better is to just focus on the five W’s and the one H, by doing this you will really focus on the facts and I think as a reader I can speak for others in saying that is what we want….the facts.

This is a photo of the front page NBCNews website from 10/24.

Been There Before

In the book Blur, by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel, they are talking about basically the idea of journalism, and the ways it has evolved throughout the years.  One of the reasons journalism has evolved is due to the fact that technology has seen so many advancements and the way people are able to put their journalisms stories to the public so quickly.

In the second chapter of “Blur”, the title of it is (We Have Been Here Before), which is basically saying that we have been to the evolvement of making communication easier, which is what journalism really comes down to…communication.  People don’t just write or report on a topic for a themselves, they do it so others can get the information and in return they get a reaction.  When we jump to a new form of communication the things that come along with it are more textured and more meaningful results, and the initial exchange of information is easier. The downfalls with the advancements in technology from what I believe to be a journalists point of view, are people across the world can now see what is being put out there and it makes it easier for them to judge and question the world that we live in.

An idea that came to mind when thinking of the advancement in technology and the information revolution is the iphone and really the idea of the iphone.  It started out as a phone with enhancements to do certain tasks…then it moved into a phone with a gaming device built in…then to a journalists best friend.  I say this because with it comes with a notepad, a recording device, and computer with internet access, and shortcuts (apps) that can link you to a business that one may work for or need to communicate with.  It really is a journalists best friend.

I believe that we will continue to catch ourselves saying that (We Have Been Here Before).  Advancements are never ending because someone is always looking for a easier, simpler, and faster way to do things, such as getting information and putting it out there.  Its the world we live in and I don’t see it changing anytime soon.

“Pro”grammed

In the second half of Douglas Rushkoff’s book, “Program or be Programmed”, he continues to talk about this coming of age with technology.  Some of his main points he talks about are: identity, social, fact and openness.  For identity, it is easy to be something online that we are not in person.  From my experience using Facebook and twitter I have noticed that there are a lot of fake accounts where people use popular names just to get noticed.  Some of them on twitter are pretty funny such as @faketomosborne @thefakeespn and even our very own @fakebluecrew.  I follow these because they are good laughs and because I am familiar with the real ones, it makes them just as funny.  Where this can go wrong is on Facebook, where people can make fake profiles and then become friends with you.  Its not likely but one of them could be a criminal or something of that nature and just try to get information from you that may hurt you in the later run.  The fact is though that more and more fake accounts are being made each day and there is no way to stop it so i guess we just have to be smart with who we want to follow and who we want following us.

Another one of the topics that goes along with this one is that facts, and whether or not they really are facts.  These days anyone can put something online and say that it is true, but its finding a source that is credible for the information you are looking for. The one source that people have the most trouble believing is Wikipedia, just because of the history of it.  For the most part things will be true because people want their websites to be visited, but they is always something on the internet that is stretching the truth.

I think in the long run that if we really want to be up to date on things, we all will eventually have to be able to program in some way, shape or form.  I believe that we all will be programmed and that is something we will not be able to escape, it is in our nature to change and go with the new things, and thats just what we will continue to do.

   

 

Wasting battery…and life

Cell phones, the computer, tablets, and other electronic devices all take a toll on people and using them during the day really adds up.  During the day time is limited, and when we are using our electronic devices we lose what is actually happening around us.  We spend more time during the day on our phones and computers and watching the TV than actually engaging in face to face interactions.

In Douglas Rushkoff ‘s book, Program or be Programmed, he talks about how people in the world are basically being submerged in social media.  They are being programmed to act a certain way because of the way media is controlling them.  In the book he describes 10 commands for the digital age, one of which is “Time, Do not always be on”. I liked this one because it really does relate to everyone because we are all guilty of being on social media devices when we really don’t need to be.  When I first saw this title I thought it was talking about rebelling and being late for things, but after hearing and reading about it, I realized it was about turning off your cell phone and computer and actually being apart of a society that wasn’t digital.

When my phone dies or I forget to bring it with me somewhere, it is amazing at how different the trip is.  Instead of having my face stuffed in my screen, i find myself taking a look at things and listening more to what the conversations are around me.  I am more interested in what is going on around me that is relevant, rather than searching the web for something pointless that has no meaning in my life.  I we all just take the time to shut our phones off for a little while each day, then we would really be a more social society rather than an electronic one.

If you have trouble turing off your phone, you can try a more drastic way of doing it by breaking it, but that might be kind of expensive.

 

I thought this is a good example of being On because i took a picture of my new phone with my old one. This is an example of really being on.

My Name Is…

Hello Everyone

My name is Bryan Sova and I am a junior at Creighton University.  This is my first year at Creighton and I will be playing baseball for the bluejays.  Before this I was down in Arizona where I played baseball at Scottsdale Community College for the Artichokes. I am planning on majoring in some sort of business and the reason that I decided to take this course is because I use social media almost everyday and I wanted to see what other types there are.

This is the first time I have ever used a blog but is not the first time I have used social media.  Some of the ways that I have experienced  media is through sports and just by watching the news.  The main way that I get news and information these days is on my phone through twitter or websites on the internet such as MSNBC or Yahoo.  Some of my favorite sites to get information are ESPN, Twitter, CNN, and more. I used to find myself always on a computer but with phones these days it is almost easier and more convenient to just look it up on there.  The main social media tool that I use is twitter.  I find it the easiest and quickest way to get information that I am looking for. I used to be a facebook person but it seems like it is fading and I just don’t find myself on it as much as I used to be.

With smart phones having all these apps now, it is an easy way to download an app for a news site you like and have it with you always.  It is a fast and easy way to get the information you want and it is usually always on you.