News as it Happens- An Introduction to Journalism

News as it Happens- An introduction to Journalism

Stephen Lamble

This excerpt goes through a history of journalism terms and compares the past journalistic basics to the present. I found it interesting how many people were used in the past for one newspaper. These being: journalists, sub-editors, photographers, typesetters, compositors, editors, copytakers, proof-readers, darkroom operators, printers and those in system orders.

This article also provides the history of the terms journalism, Mass media and the idea of the global village or electric technology as it was once known.

Convergent Journalism- An Introduction

Convergent Journalism- An Introduction
Stephen Quinn, Vincent F. Filak

What difference does it make if you live in a picturesque little outhouse

surrounded by 300 feeble minded goats and your faithful dog . . .? The

question is: Can you write?

—Ernest Hemingway

This article talks about the way the internet has changed journalism. It speaks about the way the general public are able to express opinions and in thier way become thier own journalists. It also speaks about the danger of news being handled by uninformed and biased citizens of the public and the need we still have for trained proffesional journalists.

One of the main questions posed in this article is 'Can people write?'
Honestly I believe that most people cannot write and in this generalisation I by no means exclude myself. I can not stand leet speak and lol, rofl, brb, lmfao, gr8 ect., but I dont think these terms are what make this generation unable to write. After completeing the Fundamentals of Writing course last semester I realized just how much I did not know about writing. Grammar and sentence structure were covered briefly by my grade five teacher over a period of three weeks. From this class I learnt a noun was a object or thing (yes, a thing), a verb was a doing word and an advective was a describing word. I learnt what a full stop was, a comma, an exclamation mark, an apostrophe and speech marks. That was it for 9 years. The lack of grammar and sentence structure taught in primary and high school is no where near what it should be. By going through the Fundamentals of Writing course I have been made aware of some of the mistakes I have been making over the year. But ask me the different situations in which 'who' and 'whom' should be used and I still wont be able to tell you. I think it is never to late to learn but to fix 19 years of mistakes seems almost impossible. I would prefer it if no mistakes were made to begin with.

I thought I would include some of the tips for writing well as suggested in this article:

Interviews:

people, but also people with a wide array of perspectives. Some

educators and journalists say that you should get as many “sides”

as possible, but in setting yourself up that way, you might lose

out on some good perspectives. Only interviewing people for or

against something sets them in opposition to each other. It also

tends to paint an issue in black or white and ignore the subtle

grays. This kind of broad view is especially important for

personality profiles. Think of the professor who is teaching your

class, for example. As a student, you view that professor in a

certain way. Perhaps the person is an authority figure. Perhaps

the person is viewed as a good leader. Perhaps the person is

viewed as ruling with an iron fist. No matter how many students

you interview, the perspective will always be limited by that

student–teacher relationship. By expanding the list of interview

subjects, you can find out more about this teacher. What does

your teacher’s boss think of him or her? Would your teacher’s

spouse add a different perspective? Friends, relatives, and

coworkers all provide some interesting views on your subject.

Even the most powerful person in the world has a mother.

•

can gather. Daily deadlines, late-breaking news, and other

delights prevent you from getting as much information as you

would like. As one of my favorite journalism teachers used to

say, “Journalism is never done. It’s just due.” However, when

you have the opportunity to get more information, take

advantage. You might not use it all, but you’re better off having

it and not needing it than needing it and not having it. Get the

extra source or the extra document and you’ll feel secure in

what you are working on. You also want to make sure that you

get additional contact information from your sources, if

possible. This will allow you to contact them outside of the

office if you run into more questions as your story develops.

•

and bringing it to light. Depth means a richness of reporting that

can allow the reader to experience the story in a variety of ways.

For example, don’t tell the readers that a fire damaged a house.

Show your readers the charred frame, the blackened windows,

Make sure you talk not only to a good number ofNever enough: In many cases, time is a huge factor in what youDeeper is better: Depth doesn’t always mean unearthing a scandal

and the grimy soot that permeates every inch of the rickety

remains. Give the readers a big sniff of the horrible stench

emanating from the structure. Allow your readers feel the

crunch of the burnt wood the firefighters walked over as they

fought the blaze. Report with all of your senses and you’ll help

your audience feel more deeply connected to the scene.

(pg 42-43)
 

Vanity Fair Article: The Secret World of Serge Gainsbourg

The Secret World of Serge Gainsbourg
This 2007 article by Lisa Robinson is an in depth article of my favourite iconic french singer Serge Gainsbourg. I believe this article is an example of great journalism and for a fan like me was a real insight into gainsbourgs life. Thier were interviews with Jane Birkin, Bambou and Serges daughter Charlotte which each shed light on different facets of Gainsbourgs character. I love the fact that Gainsbourgs apartment has not been changed, there is still the life size image of Bridgette Bardot and the statue of the cabbage head man. this article covered the final moments of Gainsborgs life and the arftermarth of his death.

Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg on the set of the movie Slogan, June 1968. By Gilles Caron/Contact Press Images.

It may seem strange that a character like Gainsbourg could be such an inspriation but through it all he lived life and never gave up on his passions right to the very end.

Article Link: http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/11/gainsbourg200711