April 30, 2009
Last Minute Lawyer
Here is the link for my project blog aimed at preparing student for law school admissions!
April 19, 2009
Homework Post #10: United States v. Matthews
The Internet
Post #10
April 19, 2009
United States v. Matthews
Exercise #1
Unfortunately for reporter Larry Matthews, the ruling in United States v. Matthews was fair.
Some background on the case: Matthews worked for National Public Radio. In 1996 he was working on a freelance article about Internet child pornograhy. Throughout his research he sent and received images of ‘kiddie porn’.
Matthews was arrested on two counts of trafficking child pornography.
His defense was that he was working on a story. However, he did not have any notes, story drafts, or evidence of interviews.
A federal judge would not allow Matthews to use the First Amendment as an excuse for his charges. He was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison.
This precedent case teaches reporters to always keep excellent notes when working on a story, because you never know when they might come in handy. You might have discovered something useful in another story or you may even have the evidence to save yourself if your actions are called into question.
If the pornography in Matthew’s case were void of children, then he most likely would not have been charged with any crimes. As an adult he has the right to look at pornography. He does not have the right to make pornography available to individuals that are not legally allowed to view the material. This would not have been a case if the pornography featured adults.
Investigative journalism can be difficult because sometimes the reporter must get involved with illegal activity to get the story. However, the journalist should have clearance from a supervisor and evidence that they are working on the story. If the story is freelance, then the reporter should inform someone of the story they are working on.
If you are reporting on a story, you take notes or record interviews. You do not store everything in your mind and then hope it comes out correctly when you are writing.
In my opinion it was obvious that Matthews was engaging in illegal behavior and it does not matter that he did not have a history of sexual issues. Sometimes the least likely people are the culprits, especially before the Internet became so popular and it became easier to track an individual’s interests. Regardless of his respected veteran journalist status, he committed a crime and was punished.
April 6, 2009
Homework Post #9: Twittering News
Post #9
April 6, 2009
Twittering News
Viewers do not have to channel surf to hear mentions of the new craze Twitter. Almost all network news stations feature one story about the “tweeting” phenomenon that is occurring across the nation.
One news source utilizing the “status” technology is CNN.
CNN updates their twitter account often using a RSS-like feed.
The posts consist of an attention grabbing headline followed by the URL to the actual story posted on CNN’s website.
This twitter feed is an easier way for CNN readers and viewers to access breaking news. They follow CNN using their own twitter accounts and get continuous updates whenever a new story is posted.
So far it does not seem that smaller markets like my hometown news stations are catching on to the tweeting buzz.
However, several reporters are using the technology to update personal Twitter accounts. This is interesting for those news-consumers that follow the reporters on Twitter.
A friend of mine that works as a photographer and reporter for CBS7 in Odessa, TX typically updates his Twitter account while he is working on a story. Most recently he continuously tweeted about the progress he was making while on assignment along the Texas-Mexico border.
He even tweets to find sources or interviews in the area by posting “Anyone in Midland/Odessa have a big dog? Call me.” He was working on a story about big dogs when he posted this on his Twitter account.
There is a downside to having personal Twitter accounts for reporters and photographers. For instance, my friend uses his account for personal tweets and professional tweets.
Combining professional and personal accounts can be troublesome for their public image. Most likely, employers will control the content their employees can post on their professional accounts and discourage any questionable behavior on their personal accounts.
Tweeting the news will be a new way to get information to consumers quickly because most twitter users access the service via cellphones or handheld devices.
It will be interesting to see this new technology embraced by traditional media companies. They will surely benefit from the use of Twitter.
March 30, 2009
Homework Post #8: Multimedia Story Elements
Black Market by Patrick Brown
Post #8
March 31, 2009
Multimedia Story Elements
Black Marketby Patrick Brown is a moving mulitmedia story about the black market of animal trading.
Photographer Patrick Brown went on a journey throughout Asia and used his camera to document the horrific stories about exotic animals being purchased and sold.
Brown narrates the piece with a documentary-style or diary-style video. He does not look at the camera during his interview, but the look in his eyes compliments the story being told through photos.
Still photographs serve as the ‘meat’ of the story. The story features powerful images of bear and tiger skins being sold on the street in small towns across Asia. Other images shown in the story are so moving that it really creates awareness about this horrendous trade.
The photographs are enhanced by Brown’s narration of his journey that plays throughout the entire story.
Brown uses black and white photography to really make his presentation memorable. The only color in the story is some of the text and of course him during his interviews.
His technique of overlaying his narration on top of magnificent photographs really helps the viewer understand the severity of the exotic animal black market.
He uses text to highlight facts and statistics. The facts presented are so unbelievable that it is easier to read and hear them rather than just hearing or reading them alone.
The only thing that I would have added to the story would have been video because I think it would have been easier for viewers to connect with the animals if they actually saw live-action.
This powerful story is a great example of an excellent multimedia story, as are all stories featured on Media Storm. By looking at Brown’s other work on the site, you can see that he has a personal interest in telling stories that involve animals. His interest makes his stories much more moving.
March 9, 2009
Homework Post #7: The 7 Elements
Common Ground by Scott Strazzante
Post #7
March 9, 2009
The 7 Elements
The 7 Elements: Common Ground by Scott Strazzante – Media Storm
1. A Point of View
- The story is told from the families point of view. Both the Cagwin family and Grabenhofer family tell the story via audio and video. However, they are not documenting the story themselves, Strazzante takes on that role.
2. A Dramatic Question
- The dramatic question in Strazzante’s media presentation is “How has someone’s former home evolved since they left?” The Cagwin’s lived on the family farm for years together. Mr. Cagwin was born on the farm and inherited the property. However, a new family moves in when they are forced to sell the land to real-estate developers.
3. Emotional Content
- The most emotional content came from the photographs of the two families living on the same land but at different times. Of course the Cagwin’s photos depicted misery, hardship, hard work and tough times. The Grabenhofer’s pictures illustrated a sense of family and chasing the American dream.
4. The Gift of Your Voice
- Strazzante does not narrate the story, instead he uses minimal text and relies on soundbites to tell the story aurally. Mrs. Cagwin and Mrs. Grabenhofer dominate most of the story, they offer the most heartfelt sentiments regarding their homes. Their husbands contribute to the story as well, but provide less memorable commentary.
5. The Power of the Soundtrack
- The music selected in Strazzante’s story provided a nostalgic feel to the piece. It was never fast paced and was only occassionally featured. The music served as a background for the photos that did not have narration from the families.
6. Economy
- The piece is more than seven minutes long and after about five minutes of this package, the viewer’s mind might wander. The story features side-by-side comparisons of the land when the Cagwins lived there and how it looks now. Strazzante used great pictures featuring similiarities that tie into each other. It could have been a bit shorter, but the message of the piece is not lost because of the length.
7. Pacing
- Strazzante used a steady pace throughout the story. The viewer is not rushed through facts or images, they all are given adequate air time.
March 3, 2009
In-Class Assignment #3
March 3, 2009
GUEST SPEAKER: B.J. Lewis
B.J. Lewis works for the Denton Record Chronicle as the County Government Reporter. He is the former Education Reporter for the DRC.
Lewis films and produces the majority of the video content for the Denton Record Chronicle website.
He did not have hands-on training during college, but wishes he could have taken multimedia courses.
Right now he is looking at pursuing his Masters at the University of North Texas and take courses like Online Journalism.
Lewis identifies the importance of being able to utilize the different multimedia mediums — like photos, video, and audio.
Currently, the DRC only employs two videographers.
Those two reporters are Lewis and the current Education Reporter.
Lewis admits that he is not under a lot of scrutiny at the DRC, because video is a new concept for the newspaper owned by Belo Corp.
Although Lewis says he will always be happy as long as he is writing, he hopes to add directing and producing to his resume.
He has made his own website to promote his dream.
Lewis gave a quick synopsis of the process for getting content onto the web.
Shoot the video —> Edit in Final Cut Pro —> Output the Edited Video —> Play in Quicktime/On the Web.
Lewis gave great insight into the career of a young journalist, specifically how to be a multimedia journalist.
Homework Post #6: Crowdsourcing Rewrite
Post #6
March 3, 2009
Crowdsouring Rewrite
DART 14-Passenger Bus
DART Passengers Left Behind
Several bus riders in Richardson are angry with DART officials.
It seems there are more passengers on Route 841 than the DART bus can accommodate.
Three weeks ago a new smaller bus began servicing the route.
This new bus only has room for 14 passengers, leaving nine bus riders stranded on Monday morning.
“It’s been a third week, and they’ve known there are more people than there are seats.” passenger Jerlys Anderson said. “There’s no reason why they shouldn’t have a bigger bus out here.”
DART officials claim passengers forced their way onto the bus, threatened the driver and refused to get off.
Bus riders deny causing problems but remain worried about losing their jobs.
“If I don’t have the ability to get on the bus, I’m going to be an hour late, and that’s not going to make my supervisor very happy,” said bus rider Scott Stevenson
DART officials say they are determining the severity of this problem.
CROWDSOURCE:
– Offer a place for readers to identify any other routes that have changed.
– Create a map that shows the DART routes and where other problems have been reported.
- Call on readers that have lost their jobs because of the route changes.
Six Flags Over Texas -- Arlington, TX
Beer-Blocking Six Flags Over Texas
A Fort Worth group is unhappy with the recent decision to allow Six Flags Over Texas to sell liquor.
Just last week the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission permitted the theme park corporation to get a liquor license.
The permission extends to Six Flags Over Texas as well as Hurricane Harbor.
The group Texas Sober Inc. submitted a letter to state regulators suggesting a rehearing because the original hearing didn’t have adequate public input.
Two others, including Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck, joined Texas Sober as the opposition against the T.A.B.C. ruling.
Both of them have since retracted their opposition.
Remaining opponents said alcohol is incompatible with parks that serve large numbers of children and teens.
Six Flags officials said beer will only be available at select locations and consumption will be closely monitored.
The T.A.B.C. administrator has 45 days to decide whether to schedule another hearing in front of an administrative law judge.
CROWDSOURCE:
– Solicit Arlington residents responses on the issue, specifically those that live near the parks.
– Get the thoughts of season ticket holders or stock holders if the corporation is publicly traded.
North Dallas Dog Attacks
An example of the Bulldog breed.
Four pit bulls allegedly attacked two teenage boys Monday afternoon.
The dogs escaped from a yard and chased the two boys ages 13 and 15.
The attacks took place in the Hamilton Park neighborhood of North Dallas before 5 o’clock.
Two of the dogs were taken into temporary custody in the back of a patrol car once police arrived.
The other two were quarantined in the backyard of a home in the 11900 block of Hoblitzelle Drive.
One of the boys suffered from a small bite to the buttocks and declined treatment at the scene of the attacks.
His injuries are not believed to be serious.
The other teenager used a belt as a weapon to chase the dogs into another yard.
CROWDSOURCE:
– Open a dialogue for readers to discuss problem areas with dogs in their area.
– Create a map and feature the locations of the most recent dog attacks this year.
- Solicit the expertise of a pitbull trainers/breeders — and discuss why they seem to be in the news so often.
Story Sources: WFAA
February 23, 2009
Homework Post #5: Original Story
Post #5
February 24, 2009
Original News Story, 3 Sources
Denton Housing Market Stirred Not Shaken
The real estate market in Denton County does not seem too badly hurt by the current economic recession. Houses are being sold in reaction to the recent stimulus bill backed by President Barack Obama. Also less homeowners will be forced to short-sale their houses thanks to the $75-billion foreclosure prevention program created by the economic stimulus package.
RE/MAX North Associates realtor Trisha Mihuak said the Denton market remains one of the strongest in Texas.
“We’re not seeing the huge crash like other markets across the nation.” said Mihuak, a 10-year real estate veteran.
The latest stimulus package benefits first-time home buyers according to Mihuak. Those first-time home buyers may qualify for an $8,000 tax credit with the Federal Housing Tax Credit Program. In order to receive that credit, a buyer must purchase a home before December 1, 2009.
Denton has a lot of inventory on the market and interest rates are at an all time low. March is a big month for real-estate according to Mihauk and will be a true testament to the stability of the Denton-market.
New-construction home sales are not doing as well. Builders like Beazer and First Texas Homes were forced to reduce prices up to $40,000 on homes over the past few months.
“Traffic has picked up a lot in the past few weeks.” Beazer sales counselor Terry Butler said. “People are coming out more but they are still just a little bit hesistant.”
Butler remains hopeful that “lookers” will become buyers due to the reduced rates and the $8,000 tax credit offered by the government. She reports that the location in the Preserve at Pecan Creek has only made one sale for the month of February.
“Sales are down a little bit for all of us because of the economy.” Butler said. “But we are still selling, it’s just not as good as it was.”
Now more people are exploring other housing options like renting instead of building or purchasing.
“Ever since the real estate market stumbled we have had more people come in looking at apartments.” United Dominion Realty employee James Horne said.
Horne works as a leasing consultant at a U.D.R. property in Denton County. U.D.R. owns 150 apartment communities in 11 states, including 14 properties in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
“We are at 99.6% occupancy right now,” Horne said. “That basically means we have one apartment unit available.”
That one vacant apartment sits among more than 500 aparment units in the entire complex. Rent in at this community ranges from $650 to $1,740 and features one to three bedroom units. Horne averages two to three leases a day.
Whether you own or rent your dwelling, housing remains a priority expense that almost everyone has. Fortunately, the Texas market has not reflected the bursting real estate-bubbles of states like Arizona and Florida. Only time will tell if housing markets across the nation will make a comeback, but that is not a concern for Denton County right now.
February 14, 2009
Homework Post #4: The Five I’s
The CBS 7 Website
Post #4
February 14, 2009
The Five I’s: CBS 7 News
West Texas media outlets have a long way to go when it comes to their online editions. However, CBS 7 News is the top news source and website in the area.
The Odessa-based newstation falls victim to “shovelware” more often than expected. Story clips from the newscasts tend to appear in the media player that is located at the top of the homepage. These clips typically include the anchor pitch to the reporter. An easy solution to this problem would be to replace the anchor pitch with just a lead done by the reporter.
The site has a number of interactive links that allow the viewer to learn more about subjects of interest. CBS 7 offers a “Street Team” that consists of residents and their photographs that document news as it is happening.
There is also a section titled “Community” that has a calendar of events in the West Texas area, and provides links to other organizations.
A poll is always featured on the homepage to encourage involvement from the consumers. Also, the website is titled “Your Eye on West Texas” which involves the web-visitor by allowing them to witness news from across the region.
“CBS 7: Sound Off” is the message board or forum where online visitors can register a user name and interact with other West Texas residents.
This station is not integrated with a local newspaper and mostly offers their own original content. However, as a CBS affiliate the site integrates several links to CBS News but does not promote the Associated Press wire.
As for immediacy, the site appears to be up-to-date with information involving local news. Whenever breaking news occurs, an update typically starts out as a headline and then is further updated as more information is made available.
CBS 7 offers in-depth coverage with their “web exclusives” that provide more information than the story broadcast on the newscast. Examples are the in-depth coverage of a major prison riot in a local town, or the arrival of George W. and Laura Bush to Midland in mid-January after his ending his final term as president.
The CBS 7 site is a proprietor of news for the West Texas area and with a few enhancements to the video-quality, the site will be a great news source.
February 12, 2009
In-Class Assignment #2
Don't eat those peanuts!!!
Georgia Hopes to Lead the Nation After Peanut Fiasco
Georgia lawmakers will vote on a bill that requires food makers to alert state inspectors within 24 hours of discovering contaminated food.
Thousands of plants would be required to turn over the results from internal tests pinpointing any contaminations.
This new food safety measure is a way for Georgia lawmakers to make up for one of the nation’s most extensive recalls — the Peanut Corp. recall of 2009.
The Peanut Corp. plant located in Blakely, Ga. shipped salmonella-contaminated products despite their internal tests informing them of the peanut contamination. This sickened around 600 people, and might be linked to nine deaths.
The new measure to stop this from happening again is unheard of by food safety experts, government groups, and industry lobbyists.
The Georgia state Senate will vote on the bill that allows state officials to create the testing policy.
Agricultural officials will force manufacturing plants to pay for their own testing.
There is one downside to this bill — meat, poultry and some other manufacturers will be exempt from the requirements.
Also, there is no definitive way to insure the companies are reporting their data.
However, if a plant is discovered withholding their test results they could face felony charges and a possible five-year prison sentence.
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin plans to urge Congress to consider following Georgia’s lead by enforcing regulations nationwide.
