A Non Who?!

So as you can probably tell from the picture above, I'm completely freaked out about the nonlinear assignment!

But at the same time, I'm pretty excited to see how it will turn out; hopefully everything will turn out well. So I guess you can say, I'm more anxious than nervous!

I want my project to be really creative, kinda trendy since my beat is fashion, and most of all done correctly so I can get an A!

I'm shooting to have no MAJOR problems, as I usually have them with every other assignment, and I'm going to be positive.

Yay for the nonlinear assignment, sigh......

Charlie or Brian? How Does a Girl Choose?

Honestly, I love them both! They're excellent journalists.

There's usually a self-debate at 6:30 each night over who I will watch.

Well tonight Brian won! Congrats Mr. Williams.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#31394726

The broadcast I choose to watch, made it rather interesting to complete the assignment. Tonight's main stories covered the ongoing situation over in Iran.

Since journalists can no longer film in public in Iran, Williams had to relay on main sources to bring his story to life. The segment I choose does have some natural sound but the shots are limited due to the circumstances. Without the proper footage, the audience is left unable to fully connect with the story.

The Edward R. Murrow Way

For those of you who may not be aware, Edward Murrow was a prominent figure in American broadcast journalism.

Though it's a part of journalism, broadcast varies from it's counterpart, print journalism. The following examples will demonstrate the difference between a print lede vs. a broadcast lede.

All leads are courteous of the New York Times:

Print: North Korea on Monday sentenced two American journalists to 12 years of hard labor in a case widely seen as a test of how far the isolated Communist state was willing to take its confrontational stance toward the United States.

Broadcast: According to country officials, North Korea has sentenced two American journalist to 12 years of hard labor.

Print: After months of insisting he would leave the details to Congress, President Obama has concluded that he must exert greater control over the health care debate and is preparing an intense push for legislation that will include speeches, town-hall-style meetings and much deeper engagement with lawmakers, senior White House officials say.

Broadcast: According to Senior White House officials, President Obama will exert greater control over the on-going health care debate.

Print: In a step that would substantially increase the price tag for Bernard L. Madoff’s long-running Ponzi scheme, lawyers for a group of his victims are asking a federal bankruptcy judge to reject the way their losses in the fraud are being calculated.

Broadcast: Victims of Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme are in federal bankruptcy court.

Formulas In Journalism???

Well this isn't your math class formula. We're not trying to find the value of 'x' here! But the Wall Street Journal Formula is definitely a helpful calculation for journalist.

So, if the Wall Street Journal Formula were actually a mathematical equation, it would look something like x+y=z.

x= A feature lede, which is usually speaking of a real person. An anecdote is a creative way to open a story. The nut graph acts as a bridge linking the lede with the rest of the story. This is also used to give the reader insight on why this story is being told.

y= Support. After the nut graph, the story is open to more quotes from secondary sources along with facts and figures.

z= The end! But you want to loop 'z' back to the beginning of the article, to give the story a sense of finality.

I'm pretty sure that this equation is mathematically incorrect! This is the very reason I'm a journalism major!

One of These Things Aren't Like the Other

Summary Lede vs. Feature Lede. Both are useful, but are used differently to open a story.

Summary ledes gives the reader all the important information upfront, before the details of the story are divulged. These are typically hard news ledes and gives the basic who, what, where, and when.

Feature ledes are longer in length, and leaves more room for creativity. This type of lead usually delays details until after the nut graph.

Feature Lede:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/31/fashion/31peters.html?_r=1&ref=fashion

Summary Lede:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/03/world/asia/03military.html?hp

Baltimore's Fashionable Gems

The beat I plan to cover is fashion in the Baltimore area. On the surface, it may seem a bit diffcult to find credible sources, but Baltimore has a host of shops and boutiques.

Yes, the mecca of fashion is generally seen as New York, but with boutiques like Ruth Shaw and Cupcake Clothing, there's a piece of SoHo right here in Baltimore.

Outside of covering different shops and boutiques, I want to report on up-and-coming trends along with hot buys for the recessionistas and recessionistos!

Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself

Well, I don't want to be redundant and restate the facts that I shared with the class last semester! So, I'm thinking I'll talk about life in the present.

My name is Melany, and I'm a Twitter fiend (Facebook is so 2008), thanks to 257! I'm a senior Mass Communication major on the Journalism and New Media Track.

Being a magazine editor-in-chief of a fashion or music magazine has been my dream for as long as I can remember, but this new gadget called Multimedia Journalism has sparked my interest! So needless to say, I'm most definitely looking forward to 258 and all it has in store.

I recently finished an internship with Baltimore Magazine, and to say it was a learning experience is an understatement. Starting next week, I'll be interning for Girls Life Magazine for the summer.

That's about it for me. Well, anything worth sharing that is! See everyone Friday!

You Need Both Real World and Classroom Experience

As a student you have to understand that the experience gained from an internship can be just as vital as sitting in a classroom. Sure your professors know their stuff, but that hands-on experience will better prepare you.

For the last three months, I've been an editorial intern at Baltimore Magazine (hints the picture), and I've learned and gained so much. Plus I love seeing my name in the credits!

My plan is to interview an expert in the journalism field, a student currently working in an internship, and a professor on campus.

The field of journalism is all about networking, and who you know. A great tool for journalism students interested in the world of magazines is Ed2010. The website is dedicated to finding internships, jobs, and meeting people in the industry...

http://www.ed2010.com

Ed's Baltimore Chapter:

http://www.ed2010.com/2009/02/baltimore

Follow Ed on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/Ed2010News

Pose, Flash, Pose, Flash...

So, I know your asking yourself, "Who's this strikingly handsome young man, and what in the world is he doing on Melany's blog?"

Well this is my Grandfather and this past summer he gave a very valuable lesson on photography. That advice, "Granddaughter make sure you always fill the frame!"

Now who would have thunk it that I would receive this exact advice in class Friday? Well anywho, thanks Granddad!






Along with filling the frame, I used the rule of the thirds for my photos on campus...











I like to call this one, Soul's Deadly Stare. I know, that's really deep.

I used the rule of the thirds for this shot.

This is Lisa (front) and Kelly (back) in Save By the Bell Towson Hi-Jinx. Once again I used the thirds as well as filling the frame.

Thanks Asia and Erin (:

Lastly in, I Hope His Growl is Bigger Than His Bite, my main goal was to fill the frame and try to capture the tiger for a different angle.













Well clearly I'm excited about my photos. I'm going to email them to my Grandfather for his constructive criticism!

Don't Worry I Have a Few Great Tips for Covering Speeches and Events!

Hey Bill, everything okay? You look confused. Yeah? Oh, you must be worried about covering that big mayoral address tomorrow? Not to worry friend, I'll give a few helpful tips!





You should know a and adhere by a few tips when covering speeches and events:

1.) Get there early!

2.) When choosing a seat or place to stand, be sure it's where you can note audience reaction. This will also help when noting the size of the audience in your article

3.) Have both a tape/digital recorder and notepad.

4.) If there is a question and answer period, you want to prepare your questions before hand. Be sure to listen to others questions as well.

5.) Unless you're on deadline, don't leave immediately afterward. This way you can get the reaction of both the audience and participants.

See I told you not to stress Bill! If you follow these tips you'll be a-okay!

Hey the Egyptian Pyramids Are Inverted To???

Not exactly Cleopatra, but journalist use the inverted pyramid style to write stories:

This style of writing gives all vital information in the beginning of a story and leaves small details of information out until the end. I tend to think of the inverted pyramid style as reading the last page of a book first. You know what's going to happen up front and all the events or details are the previsious pages.

Newspapers are most likely to use this style. The most common story the incorporates the inverted pyramid style are political stories. They make sure the reader has all the facts first.

Here are two examples:

The New York Times:

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/05/gupta-is-out-of-the-running-for-surgeon-general/

The Baltimore Sun:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bal-md.townhall05mar05,0,2195141.story

Follow the Leader

As the warmth of the morning sun woke Stacey, she noticed the bedroom she fell asleep in the night before was no more. The only things left were her comforters, sheets, and mattress that was now afloat on the Hudson River. "But I went to sleep in Florida," said Stacey.


This was my poor attempt at a suspenceful lead! Two major components of a good lead are keeping the reader intrigued and keeping the tone of the lead consistant with the information in the story. Generally, I enjoy the style of leads found in magazines vs. newspapers because they have more room to draw the reader in. But I was able to find two great examples from The Washington Post and The New York Times:


You Gotta Love the First Lady. No, Really, You Have No Choice.







By Robin Givhan Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, February 15, 2009;













The rise of first lady Michelle Obama as an icon -- of fashion, black womanhood, working motherhood and middle-class success -- has propelled her onto a pedestal that would surely give the average person vertigo. She is Jackie Kennedy, Sojourner Truth, Hillary Clinton and a Horatio Alger character all rolled into one J. Crew-clad package.

Hey finish reading the article>>> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/12/AR2009021204221.html?sub=AR

Economy Adjusts Store Relations on Madison Avenue

By ERIC WILSON
Published: February 17, 2009

WHO among us, man or woman, rich or less than rich, fashion reporter or prostitute, cannot relate to the “Pretty Woman” experience of walking into a designer boutique and being made to feel unwelcome by a snooty salesclerk?

If you like the lead, finish the article>>> http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/fashion/18SHOPPING.html?ref=fashion

Hi My Name is Melany and I Abuse Grammar....

The first step in recovery is admittance. I admit my use of commas are excessive, and the wicked step-sister herself, Homonym will confuse me!

Commas

I'm the comma queen! If the words 'and' or 'but' are in a sentence you can guarantee that there's a comma there.

HomonymIn my previous blog I explained Dictionary.com is my friend. This is mainly because of homonyms. I'll check the definition to confirm I'm using the correct word.

The Five that Effect Me....Or is it Affect?! Uuuuugghhhh...

Being a journalist generally makes you a word buff. Honestly you have to be! So this assignment was really insightful for future reference. Plus, it reminds me of an lost episode of School House Rock (humming the theme song as I type it)!

My Five:

1.) Affect/Effect - They sound just alike, so I use them as if they're interchangeable. But clearly they're not because they're different meanings!!!!

2.) Agnostic/Atheist - The two are usually associated with one another, so getting them confused is a common mistake I make.

3.) Burglary/Robbery/Theft - Well it's evident you learn something new everyday because I had no clue of the difference between the three!

4.) Conscious/Aware - I'll typically use aware as a synonym of conscious (ie. being aware of your feelings)

5.) Canvas/Canvass - It's the extra 's' in canvass that changes the meaning. Spell check won't catch it because it's spelled correctly.

Dictionary.com is pretty much a good friend of mine. I've learned to double check words such as the ones above to know it is the correct word and not it's fraternal twin!

Oh, and just for kicks enjoy the video below!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkO87mkgcNo

They Come in 3's: Accuracy, Fairness, Thoroughness

Accuracy

Accuracy simply equates to, know your stuff! One thing journalists should always have is strong ethos. Lying or excluding facts (whether accidentally or deliberately) leads to that, "burning ball of flames" as professor Atwater informed us. Literally speaking, a fall from journalist grace--if inaccuracy is found--may not be embroiled with third degree burns; but not only is the journalist shunned, the industry as a whole has a dimmer light cast on it. An example of the importance of accuracy is former New York Times journalist Jason Blair.

Consumers want to trust the media they observed and use to remain informed. So not only knowing the facts but checking them keeps accuracy foremost.

Fairness

Represent all sides involved or affected. Fairness reiterates objectivity--removing yourself from the story and acknowledging each view. Consumers are able to make fair choices from stories that are well-rounded and representative of all parties.

Bill O'Reilly (top) and Keith Olbermann (bottom) are from two different political worlds. They remain objective but their stance can often exclude other views.

Thoroughness

Thoroughness is required in basically all areas of journalism: getting the story, researching or following leads for the story, and definitely writing or reporting the story. The two previous ideals are intertwined because both fairness and accuracy should be obtained earnestly.

So Tell Me About Yourself...

Well, I usually feel pretty awkward talking about myself. I'm not sure what it stems from, but for the sake of the class here I go.....

For the past four or five years, I've become, what I like to call, a professional traveling student. What does that mean you ask? Basically, I've been to five schools in the last five year and finally Towson has become my home. This has been the longest I've attended one school since I've been in college, so I guess Towson was a well needed stop on my personal college tour. I know some of you maybe wondering why in the world would you transfer every year of your college career. Well the answer is simple, Hurricane Katrina. I'm originally from Michigan but I attended Dillard University in New Orleans up until the storm. Honestly, if Katrina never came I would've graduated from Dillard because I absolutely loved it! Sigh...

That's probably the biggest thing about me, because it's the most current. Which makes it newsworthy! But a few other random facts about me; I'm the youngest of two, I have an older brother. I heart food and music, not equally though. A day or two without food I could handle but more than a couple of hours without music I'm going insane! I'm ten times better expressing myself with a pen and paper than verbally. Lastly, my biggest goal--besides graduating in the very near future--is to live my life as a working journalist doing what I love most which is writing!

So... maybe this wasn't so awkward after all because this is clearly over 100 words. At least it seems that way lol.

See ya guys Friday