The Learning Experience of Broadcast Journalism
By Justin Riray
Can San Jose State broadcast students survive their major without owning their own recording and editing equipment?
SJSU’s broadcast journalism majors learn, early on, that all serious video editing is done through Final Cut Pro. The program only works on Macs.
Students also need to use quality camcorders and good audio recording equipment. After paying for rent, tuition, a parking permit, and books, most students have no finances to spare. They will rely on renting hardware from the school.
Poor equipment availability for these students can turn a fair and enjoyable broadcast project into a nightmare.
Broadcast student Jean Walker feels that, “… there would have been enough time if the proper resources had been available.”
PC owners are usually unwilling or financially incapable of buying a Mac. They are left no other choice but to fully complete their Final Cut projects on campus.
The best place for journalism majors to edit their videos used to be open for as long as students needed it.
Broadcast professor John Shrader explained why the room is only open if a faculty member is moderating it.
The availability of the room is now limited because “… some thievery occurred and that really impacted the amount of time that was available in [the news video editing room].” said Shrader.
Besides the Update News room in Dwight Bentel Hall, which closes around 3 p.m., the university only has four other computers with FCP capability throughout the entire campus: a couple of editing stations at Clark Hall.
The lack of Macs with FCP is only one challenge for the school’s PC owners.
Equipment that students can borrow from the university are usually all out.
Walker recalls, “I went to the checkout room at least once a week during the last half of the semester trying to get a voice recorder for a photojournalism project or a camcorder for Jour 132B, and I was told every time that there was nothing available, they didn't know when things were coming back, and they didn't even bother to keep a waiting list because they didn't know when things were coming back!”
In the JMC, students do not get fined for holding borrowed items for long periods of time.
SJSU broadcast major Jacob Amaya explained, “The [Instructional Resource Center] only rents cameras and [microphones] out for a day, and I usually need it for longer than that.”
If getting possession of proper equipment isn’t enough trouble, time poses a whole different set of problems.
According to Walker, “Getting everybody's schedules to match up …” was an added challenge.
As a working student, it would be hard to coordinate schedules with possible interview subjects and getting enough time to spend editing on school desktops.
Many students’ days are full due to the combination of class and work. Sometimes the only time they have is very early in the morning or really late at night. Most interview subjects are only available during business hours.
Time constraints are worsened when there are group projects, and even more during the final month of school “… during everybody's busiest time of the semester. My other four classes also had major projects due at the same time,” Walker added.
Perhaps the one upside to this experience is getting a feel for the reality of being in the broadcast field. It teaches students that they must be very determined and well-prepared for any job they are given.
Shrader said, “If you’ve done all your preparation and you’ve worked hard to prepare yourself for the moment when the pressure gets crazy, then the whole world kind of slows down a little bit and you can work under pressure. The key is don’t think about the big picture, just think about the little picture you’re working on.”
Amaya concluded, “It’s pretty rough, but this is the only way we’re ever going to learn.”
Sidebar:
I had a lot of trouble with my final broadcast project.
I didn’t have my own camera nor do I have a Mac. My friend Anne lent me her camera, but needed it back in three days. So, I had to shoot, cut, upload, and edit my video files in that short
period of time, all while I still had class, work, and other projects.
My teammate and I shot SJSU’s 2009 Pilipino Culture Night. The show lasted four and half hours, so we were there for about six.
I called in to work that Wednesday so I could edit my files. Sadly, I didn’t have enough room on my flash drive. I had to drive all the way to Best Buy and spend $120 on a portable hard drive.
When I got back to school, the editing room was locked up for the remainder of the night. I took my gear over to Clark Hall only to find that both the editing stations were occupied and there was a two person wait. Students can use the stations for up to two hours.
I figured I would call it a day, so I went home to do other projects and study for my Mcom100w final.
The next day I had work right after class, so I went in early and found out that the fire wire I borrowed wasn’t working so I couldn’t upload any video files to FCP.
After asking around for about half an hour, I managed to have someone lend me theirs. Finally, I began to upload my interview and b-roll footage.
The next day, I spent four hours at Clark Hall writing my track and script for the news report. Before actually putting it together, I had to record my voice over track.
I completely forgot about the defective fire wire until I unsuccessfully tried to upload the audio.
I drove about 25 minutes to Anne’s house because she had Final Cut Express, a lesser version of FCP.
She uploaded my audio track onto my hard drive through her Mac. I tried to edit my piece on it, but since my project was saved as a FCP file, her FPE couldn’t open it.
Well, at least I was set, all I had to do was to put everything together the next night.
At Clark Hall again … the students who worked the facility joked that I should just live there. I didn’t laugh. It seemed like a great idea.
When I attempted to combine my original FCP project with the audio FCE that Anne uploaded for me, it wouldn’t work. I figured, since FCP is the higher version, then I should surely be able to load FPE files with it.
I checked the forums. I was wrong. The files were completely incompatible. So, not only do I have to have a Mac and Final Cut, but the two versions didn’t even correlate. This became more and more of a disaster.
Anne had to drive the tape down to me so I could re-upload it.
It only took me an hours and a half to actually piece the footage together for my news package, less than a quarter of the time I took filming and organizing my files.
I came to Clark hall at 8 a.m. the next day to add the finishing touches. Lastly, I was required to add in the Update News lower-thirds. Clark Hall computers didn’t have it.
Pressed for time due to having work at 11 a.m., I ran to Dwight Bentel Hall to get into the update news editing room to grab hold of the Update lower-third.
It was locked. I ran through the whole building looking for someone to open it. Finally, Lilly Buchwitz had a key. I borrowed it and ran back to the room only to find out that her key opens up the first room, but not the second room that had the Macs.
Right before I began to cry, I looked around the primary room and saw that there was a lone Mac sitting in the corner. Sure enough, it had FCP and the lower-third effect I needed.
Fifteen minutes later, I was finished and pleased with my project.
I realized that, if I were as rich and tech-savvy as I were hard-working than I would be an elite broadcast student.
Unfortunately, not being able to afford my own hardware and software exponentially increased the time and effort I should have spent on this project.
Though I am very relieved I am through and created a great newscast, I am very infuriated on how difficult it is to be restrained by lack of finances in the school of broadcast journalism.
Broadcast Woes
[1:02]
CAN SAN JOSE STATE BROADCAST STUDENTS SURVIVE THEIR MAJOR WITHOUT OWNING THEIR OWN RECORDING AND EDITING EQUIPMENT?
SINCE ALL EDITING MUST BE DONE THROUGH FINAL CUT PRO, WHICH IS ONLY FOR MACS, PC USERS ARE POSED WITH A DILEMMA.
BROADCAST STUDENT JEAN WALKER FELT THAT TEACHERS ALLOW STUDENTS ENOUGH TIME TO COMPLETE VIDEO PROJECTS, BUT THE PROPER RESOURCES AREN’T EASILY AVAILABLE.
THERE ARE ONLY TWO PLACES ON CAMPUS THAT OFFER MACS WITH FINAL CUT PRO FOR STUDENTS.
THE MAIN ROOM IS THE UPDATE NEWS ROOM WHICH HAS RECENTLY HAD VALUABLE ITEMS GONE MISSING.
NOW INSTEAD OF THE ROOM BEING OPEN UNTIL STUDENTS NEEDED IT, IT NOW CLOSES WHEN THE FACULTY LEAVES.
CLARK HALL HAS FOUR EDITING COMPUTER STATIONS THAT ARE NORMALLY OCCUPIED.
THE NUMBER OF RENTABLE CAMERAS AND OTHER RECORDING GEAR ARE ALSO VERY LIMITED.
SJSU BROADCAST PROFESSOR JOHN SHRADER MADE LIGHT OF THE SITUATION.
BY HAVING TO FINISH A BROADCAST PROJECT UNDER PRESSURE, STUDENTS MUST LEARN HOW TO DEAL WITH TIME CONSTRAINTS AND OTHER OBSTACLES.
STUDENT JACOB AMAYA AGREED, IT’S PRETTY ROUGH, BUT THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WE’RE EVERY GOING TO LEARN.
FROM SAN JOSE, JUSTIN RIRAY, UPDATE NEWS.
[1:02]
Monday, May 18, 2009
Final Jour61 Broadcast
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Online News Writing Exercise 1: Mercury News
Online News Writing Exercise 1
I am surveying the Mercury’s website.
a) Do the news items reflect immediacy?
They do for the most part. The stories on the homepage are up to date. There is one about a wildfire going on in Santa Barbara and of course a couple pieces on the upcoming Star Trek movie. Sadly, the latter may actually be a top news story at the moment.
b) Does the site try to help readers save time?
The sections are all immediately available at the top of the page as well as many direct links to top stories throughout the rest of the page. This would be very convenient for readers to find what they want to read about even with a limited amount of time.
c) Is it quick and easy to get information?
Yes, I explained it in the previous answer.
d) Does it provide both visual and verbal information?
I believe it is slightly lacking with the visuals, but the ratio between text and illustration on the website is about the same as the actual newspaper, except they shrink the photos for the web.
e) Do the stories contain lists and bullets to make them easier to scan?
Yes. Under the lead story and the other two or three main stories there are sub-sections for the links to the top stories of every news section in the paper. The coolest part about the homepage is the box on the right side that has the top five most viewed stories in the past 12 hours. I think it is a great way for people who aren’t looking for a particular subject to find news that matters.
f) Are the stories broken into "chunks"?
Yes. I checked three stories and none of them have more than a two sentence paragraph. They is a paragraph break after each chunk, and not a single paragraph ran over four lines.
g) Do stories provide hyperlinks to additional information?
Yup. There are occasional in-text links to other sites or past articles, but most of the related links appear in the sidebar or at the end of the article.
h) Are there opportunities for readers to "talk back"?
They have a contact section, but I did not find an obviously available link to reader response.
i) Does the site use multimedia to enhance understanding and add appeal?
Honestly, the site is quite primitive compared to other websites. But I have heard many Mercury News guest speakers and I believe that they are very conservative toward using the internet as their main communication vehicle, so I am not surprised.
I am surveying the Mercury’s website.
a) Do the news items reflect immediacy?
They do for the most part. The stories on the homepage are up to date. There is one about a wildfire going on in Santa Barbara and of course a couple pieces on the upcoming Star Trek movie. Sadly, the latter may actually be a top news story at the moment.
b) Does the site try to help readers save time?
The sections are all immediately available at the top of the page as well as many direct links to top stories throughout the rest of the page. This would be very convenient for readers to find what they want to read about even with a limited amount of time.
c) Is it quick and easy to get information?
Yes, I explained it in the previous answer.
d) Does it provide both visual and verbal information?
I believe it is slightly lacking with the visuals, but the ratio between text and illustration on the website is about the same as the actual newspaper, except they shrink the photos for the web.
e) Do the stories contain lists and bullets to make them easier to scan?
Yes. Under the lead story and the other two or three main stories there are sub-sections for the links to the top stories of every news section in the paper. The coolest part about the homepage is the box on the right side that has the top five most viewed stories in the past 12 hours. I think it is a great way for people who aren’t looking for a particular subject to find news that matters.
f) Are the stories broken into "chunks"?
Yes. I checked three stories and none of them have more than a two sentence paragraph. They is a paragraph break after each chunk, and not a single paragraph ran over four lines.
g) Do stories provide hyperlinks to additional information?
Yup. There are occasional in-text links to other sites or past articles, but most of the related links appear in the sidebar or at the end of the article.
h) Are there opportunities for readers to "talk back"?
They have a contact section, but I did not find an obviously available link to reader response.
i) Does the site use multimedia to enhance understanding and add appeal?
Honestly, the site is quite primitive compared to other websites. But I have heard many Mercury News guest speakers and I believe that they are very conservative toward using the internet as their main communication vehicle, so I am not surprised.
Topical Blog Post #3: 100w Fish out of Water
Purple Shirted Soulful Singers and Smiling Strangers
by Justin Riray
by Justin Riray
Being a tall skinny Asian guy in the middle of a building full of black people, I felt slightly awkward.
I attended the Sunday service of a black Baptist church, Emmanuel Baptist Church in north San Jose this weekend.
My homework assignment for one of my classes was called “Fish out of Water,“ in which I would have to put myself in a situation where I would feel uncomfortable. To get the most out of the experience, I decided to sit in the front-middle section of the church.
The church had the usual service layout. They sang songs, prayed, collected money, and had a speaker deliver a message about how to incorporate God into our everyday lives.
Though, the flavor of the entire mass was full of warmth and soul.
I wasn’t nervous at all, until I parked my car and saw that I was most likely the only non-black person there. Though, there were a couple Latino people in attendance.
I could feel everyone staring at me. It wasn’t in a bad way, but in a curious way, like, “Is that kid lost?”
It’s funny that, the night before as I was planning my outfit for church, I thought to myself, “Hmm, I think I’ll wear purple. That is a good color for a Sunday mass at a Baptist church.”
I thought myself a bit prejudiced, but to my surprise the entire choir was wearing purple.
The choir and band combination was brilliant. I haven’t heard such uplifting music in a long time.
There were kids younger than me who sang like angels with more soul than I thought God could fit in one building.
One boy, who looked no older than 19, led the choir in an amazing piece of music. When his solo came on, he could hit notes Beyonce would sing, and did it with ease and spirit.
Despite being a different race, at least we shared somewhat of the same beliefs and morals.
They must have been happy to see me come to their church. Most churches love seeing newcomers attend their services and gatherings.
At one point in the middle of the ceremony, a reverend asked all the visitors to stand up as the church welcomed them. Before I stood up, most of the people were already looking at me.
It felt great as I looked around and saw tons of smiling faces. They were real smiles, not the forced kind.
They even had a portion of the service where everyone got to get up and greet one another. A bunch of very nice people gave me a great handshake, a welcoming smile, and thanked me for coming to their church.
Although it looked like I was completely out of place, by the end of church, I felt very much a part of them.
As I walked out, passed peopled talking and hugging, I thought to myself, “How could there be such an exciting church and why was I raised in a boring church? No fair.”
My “Fish out of Water” assignment turned out to be nothing of that sort. I guess God is full of surprises, people just need to be open to them.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Topical Blog Post #2 - Dai Sugano, Photojournalist
Dai Sugano: Passionate about Pictures
By Justin Riray
When a person has a hobby that they are passionate about, they will end up doing it until four or five in the morning.
“Editing until 4 a.m., you’re in that mode--like writing a love letter to your girlfriend. You might wake up in the morning and think, ‘Oh s**t! I wrote that!?’ It’s crazy like that.” -Dai Sugano
For the San Jose State Vis-Com day, Dai Sugano, a photo journalist with the San Jose Mercury News spoke to students about how he turned his passion into a career.
In DBH 133 at 10 a.m. on April 23rd, Sugano spoke about his journey as a photographer and gave students the privilege of watching his photo and video slideshows as he provided behind-the-scenes commentary.
He began as a street photographer, someone who uses a still shot camera to capture people, places, and things in their usual element. He made mundane scenes into beautiful pictures. Of these photos were a dog with his tongue out, a person walking out into the light from a dark alley, and a woman in a red dress, walking on the sidewalk. His ability to make aesthetics out of buildings and streets is amazing.
He explained that the reason many people yield from trying their passion as a professional job is because they are used to just being on their own and having no one to criticize them.
Sugano made the entire room nod in realization and laugh at the same time when he said, “We feel… we don’t want to suck.”
Sugano added, “You are doing it because you like to do it. It is the key to success.”
By Justin Riray
When a person has a hobby that they are passionate about, they will end up doing it until four or five in the morning.
“Editing until 4 a.m., you’re in that mode--like writing a love letter to your girlfriend. You might wake up in the morning and think, ‘Oh s**t! I wrote that!?’ It’s crazy like that.” -Dai Sugano
For the San Jose State Vis-Com day, Dai Sugano, a photo journalist with the San Jose Mercury News spoke to students about how he turned his passion into a career.
In DBH 133 at 10 a.m. on April 23rd, Sugano spoke about his journey as a photographer and gave students the privilege of watching his photo and video slideshows as he provided behind-the-scenes commentary.
He began as a street photographer, someone who uses a still shot camera to capture people, places, and things in their usual element. He made mundane scenes into beautiful pictures. Of these photos were a dog with his tongue out, a person walking out into the light from a dark alley, and a woman in a red dress, walking on the sidewalk. His ability to make aesthetics out of buildings and streets is amazing.
He explained that the reason many people yield from trying their passion as a professional job is because they are used to just being on their own and having no one to criticize them.
Sugano made the entire room nod in realization and laugh at the same time when he said, “We feel… we don’t want to suck.”
Sugano added, “You are doing it because you like to do it. It is the key to success.”
Focus Story Structure
Football Injury leaves a 16-year-old Wheelchair-bound
His team is lined-up and ready for their opponents to move. His focus is narrowed as he watches the ball is thrown to the enemy receiver. Like a bullet, he makes a b-line straight toward the ball carrier. He can feel the rush of the tackle he is about to make. It’s going to be a perfect hit!
Pete Stenhoff, 16, a junior at Chula Vista High School in Redmond, Calif., is stuck in a wheelchair. As he rammed his head into the ball carrier’s chest, he cracked vertebrae in his spine. He could not graduate with his class because of the injury.
There are 20,000 injuries in high school football each year -- 12 percent of them permanently disabling the victims. Thirteen youths died last year. Thirty-five percent of the injuries are to the neck or head. Most critics blame the helmet.
Note:
My focus is on youth football injuries. I used Stenhoff's anecdote as the hook for my lead.
The second paragraph of the exercise stated, “Pete Stenhoff, 16, a junior at Chula Vista High School in Redmond, Calif., was hurt in a game during his senior year.”
How is he a junior, but was hurt in his senior year. Just pointing out that the would be impossible, unless he was demoted a grade. Weird.
His team is lined-up and ready for their opponents to move. His focus is narrowed as he watches the ball is thrown to the enemy receiver. Like a bullet, he makes a b-line straight toward the ball carrier. He can feel the rush of the tackle he is about to make. It’s going to be a perfect hit!
Pete Stenhoff, 16, a junior at Chula Vista High School in Redmond, Calif., is stuck in a wheelchair. As he rammed his head into the ball carrier’s chest, he cracked vertebrae in his spine. He could not graduate with his class because of the injury.
There are 20,000 injuries in high school football each year -- 12 percent of them permanently disabling the victims. Thirteen youths died last year. Thirty-five percent of the injuries are to the neck or head. Most critics blame the helmet.
Note:
My focus is on youth football injuries. I used Stenhoff's anecdote as the hook for my lead.
The second paragraph of the exercise stated, “Pete Stenhoff, 16, a junior at Chula Vista High School in Redmond, Calif., was hurt in a game during his senior year.”
How is he a junior, but was hurt in his senior year. Just pointing out that the would be impossible, unless he was demoted a grade. Weird.
Find that Feature Lead: Spring 2009 Access mag.
These leads were taken from SJSU’s spring 2009, Access magazine.
1 . “The End is Near” by Jasmine Duarte
In the 21st century, people live their lives day by day, not really thinking about what they want to do in the next year or even next week. But what if you knew the world was ending in four years? What if a thousand years ago, an ancient civilization predicted that the end of the world was coming? That day, “doomsday,” may be coming closer and soon it will be December 21, 2012, or as the Maya know it: The end of the world.
This is a direct address, startling statement lead. The writer is using second-person to speak to the reader directly. The statements made, about how the end of the world might not be so far in time, are quite startling.
2. “Eighth story sunset” by Justin Perry
Silence, or close to it. Gentle sounds counterpoint the subtle drone of air conditioning and the insect-like buzz of fluorescent light fixture that needs replacing. Gently rustling pages, a dropped pen, chair legs dragged across carpet, a muted cough, a gliding zipper, all punctuated by the soft chime of the elevator arriving at its destination. The monotonous hum of the downtown streets below is muffled by the eight-story distance and the great curtain of double-paned glass
This is clearly a scene-setter lead. The entire paragraph is a detailed description of the environment from the use of sound and sight.
1 . “The End is Near” by Jasmine Duarte
In the 21st century, people live their lives day by day, not really thinking about what they want to do in the next year or even next week. But what if you knew the world was ending in four years? What if a thousand years ago, an ancient civilization predicted that the end of the world was coming? That day, “doomsday,” may be coming closer and soon it will be December 21, 2012, or as the Maya know it: The end of the world.
This is a direct address, startling statement lead. The writer is using second-person to speak to the reader directly. The statements made, about how the end of the world might not be so far in time, are quite startling.
2. “Eighth story sunset” by Justin Perry
Silence, or close to it. Gentle sounds counterpoint the subtle drone of air conditioning and the insect-like buzz of fluorescent light fixture that needs replacing. Gently rustling pages, a dropped pen, chair legs dragged across carpet, a muted cough, a gliding zipper, all punctuated by the soft chime of the elevator arriving at its destination. The monotonous hum of the downtown streets below is muffled by the eight-story distance and the great curtain of double-paned glass
This is clearly a scene-setter lead. The entire paragraph is a detailed description of the environment from the use of sound and sight.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Revised: Topical Blog Post #1 - Twitter
News at Your Fingertips
By now, everyone either loves or hates Twitter. This mass “microblogging” has become a household name in modern communications.
“Kansas City Star” writer Laura Bauer wrote that “more people flock to Twitter as a conduit for information.” What started as another evolution of texting or instant messaging has became somewhat of a personal wire service.
Twitter allows for normal people to document their every moment and let all of their followers know what is going on in their lives. Bauer said Twitter is “about real information, in real time.”
Twitter can be used by companies, organizations, public officials, and even celebrities to broadcast the latest news to the public.
We have seen the Obama election campaign use Youtube as a guerrilla marketing form of communication. It most likely helped win over the younger generation of voters who seem to live off of the internet.
Now police departments or schools can warn the local community about immediate danger. Companies can issue mini press releases to inform their stockholders of sudden changes or important events.
We have seen information be spread by mail, radio, television, phone, internet, and now the time it takes to receive news has been cut to a few seconds. If it hasn’t already, Twitter, and other microblogging programs will revolutionize the way information is communicated.
By now, everyone either loves or hates Twitter. This mass “microblogging” has become a household name in modern communications.
“Kansas City Star” writer Laura Bauer wrote that “more people flock to Twitter as a conduit for information.” What started as another evolution of texting or instant messaging has became somewhat of a personal wire service.
Twitter allows for normal people to document their every moment and let all of their followers know what is going on in their lives. Bauer said Twitter is “about real information, in real time.”
Twitter can be used by companies, organizations, public officials, and even celebrities to broadcast the latest news to the public.
We have seen the Obama election campaign use Youtube as a guerrilla marketing form of communication. It most likely helped win over the younger generation of voters who seem to live off of the internet.
Now police departments or schools can warn the local community about immediate danger. Companies can issue mini press releases to inform their stockholders of sudden changes or important events.
We have seen information be spread by mail, radio, television, phone, internet, and now the time it takes to receive news has been cut to a few seconds. If it hasn’t already, Twitter, and other microblogging programs will revolutionize the way information is communicated.
Favorite Magazine: Game Informer
Men’s most favorite magazine isn’t Playboy.
Game Informer magazine combines video game knowledge with humor, two things that people loved since they were kids.
It is interesting that they target gamers, considering that they come in all ages, races, and social classes. Guys and girls can both be into video games. They are fun, interactive, and can be played solo or with friends, and now even cooperatively or competitively online.
The writers of Game Informer focus on two things, how games can be enjoyed and how players can up their skills. They know that there are the gamers that play to have fun and the ones that play to win.
Their blunt, know-it-all, and sometimes satirical delivery of reviews, previews and help guides make sure that anyone can find useful information and entertainment in their magazine.
Their writing style is conversational. They don’t use a lot of big words, except for the terminology that only players would know. They sneak innuendos and references to older, classic games that make readers feel like they are part of a whole separate culture of gamers. The fact that the readers can understand these references creates a more comfortable and personal feel to the magazine.
Still, the only downside to focusing on the gaming industry is that the majority of non-gamers won’t even pick up an issue because it is completely irrelevant to their lives. But, for gamers all over the world, Game Informer will always be their source of information and entertainment.
Game Informer magazine combines video game knowledge with humor, two things that people loved since they were kids.
It is interesting that they target gamers, considering that they come in all ages, races, and social classes. Guys and girls can both be into video games. They are fun, interactive, and can be played solo or with friends, and now even cooperatively or competitively online.
The writers of Game Informer focus on two things, how games can be enjoyed and how players can up their skills. They know that there are the gamers that play to have fun and the ones that play to win.
Their blunt, know-it-all, and sometimes satirical delivery of reviews, previews and help guides make sure that anyone can find useful information and entertainment in their magazine.
Their writing style is conversational. They don’t use a lot of big words, except for the terminology that only players would know. They sneak innuendos and references to older, classic games that make readers feel like they are part of a whole separate culture of gamers. The fact that the readers can understand these references creates a more comfortable and personal feel to the magazine.
Still, the only downside to focusing on the gaming industry is that the majority of non-gamers won’t even pick up an issue because it is completely irrelevant to their lives. But, for gamers all over the world, Game Informer will always be their source of information and entertainment.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Slightly Revised - Final Broadcast Project
Video Link
My Youtube Channel
ARE COLLEGE STUDENTS IN AMERICA GETTING A PROPER EDUCATION?
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST ROXANA MARACHI SAYS AMERICAN COLLEGE SYSTEMS FAIL TO MOTIVATE STUDENTS TO PERFORM TO THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.
MARACHI HOSTED A WORKSHOP FOR FELLOW EDUCATORS ON MARCH THIRD AT SAN JOSE STATE ON HOW TO BETTER MOTIVATE STUDENTS.
THE U-S COLLEGE SYSTEM IS BASED ON GRADES AS STUDENTS ARE REWARDED AND VALUED BY RANK.
STUDIES SHOW THAT THIS ACTUALLY DECREASES STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION AND EAGERNESS TO LEARN.
MARACHI SAYS THAT GRADES BECOME THE GOAL INSTEAD OF THE LEARNING.
ALTHOUGH THE ACADEMIC RANKING SYSTEM WORKS TEMPORARILY, IT LOWERS STUDENTS’ WORK ETHIC IN THE LONG RUN.
S-J-S-U E-CAMPUS ADMINISTRATOR, MARK ADAMS SAYS THAT THE TOP PERFORMERS IN THEIR FIELD ENJOYED SPENDING AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF TIME IN PRACTICE.
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER, DENNIS HUNG-GRIJ, SAYS THAT THE CULTURAL VALUE OF THE U-S WAS FOUNDED ON HARD WORK, WHILE THE REST OF THE WORLD FOCUSED ON ACTUAL EDUCATION.
CHINA AN INDIA HAVE MUCH HIGHER COLLEGE GRADUATION RATES THAN THE U-S.
EDUCATIONAL SPECIALISTS LIKE MARACHI CONTINUE TO FIND OUT BETTER WAYS TO MOTIVATE STUDENTS AND RAISE LEARNING CAPABILITIES.
MARACHI ADVISED THAT STUDENTS NEED TO LEARN FOR THE SAKE OF LEARNING AND USE THE TOOLS AND KNOWLEDGE OFFERED BY THEIR EDUCATORS.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Revised - Broadcast Shwarzenegger Story
Govenator’s Bear
25 seconds
STARTING TODAY, VISITORS TO THE CAPITOL WILL FIND A BRONZE STATUE OF A GRIZZLY BEAR IN THE HALLWAY OUTSIDE GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER (SH-WAR-ZEN-A-GUR’S) OFFICE.
GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER (SH-WAR-ZEN-A-GUR) BOUGHT THE STATUE WITH HIS OWN MONEY FROM AN ART GALLERY IN ASPEN, COLORADO, WHERE HE HAD STOPPED ON A FUND-RAISING SWING.
HIS SPOKESMAN, AARON MCLEAR SAID THAT THE GOVERNOR THOUGHT THAT SCHOOL CHILDREN WHO TOUR THE CAPITOL WOULD ENJOY TAKING PICTURES WITH THE BEAR.
THE STATUE, BY ARTIST STEVEN BENNETT, IS THE SAME TYPE OF BEAR THAT DECORATES THE CALIFORNIA STATE FLAG.
-25-
Note: I was taught in my broadcasting class with Shrader, to spell out the pronunciation of awkwardly spelled names, even if they are well known.
25 seconds
STARTING TODAY, VISITORS TO THE CAPITOL WILL FIND A BRONZE STATUE OF A GRIZZLY BEAR IN THE HALLWAY OUTSIDE GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER (SH-WAR-ZEN-A-GUR’S) OFFICE.
GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER (SH-WAR-ZEN-A-GUR) BOUGHT THE STATUE WITH HIS OWN MONEY FROM AN ART GALLERY IN ASPEN, COLORADO, WHERE HE HAD STOPPED ON A FUND-RAISING SWING.
HIS SPOKESMAN, AARON MCLEAR SAID THAT THE GOVERNOR THOUGHT THAT SCHOOL CHILDREN WHO TOUR THE CAPITOL WOULD ENJOY TAKING PICTURES WITH THE BEAR.
THE STATUE, BY ARTIST STEVEN BENNETT, IS THE SAME TYPE OF BEAR THAT DECORATES THE CALIFORNIA STATE FLAG.
-25-
Note: I was taught in my broadcasting class with Shrader, to spell out the pronunciation of awkwardly spelled names, even if they are well known.
Revised - Broadcast Style Exercise
Holiday Flights
20 seconds
NORTHWEST AIRLINES ANNOUNCED THIS MORNING, THAT IT IS CUTTING ITS DOMESTIC FARES BY UP TO 40 PERCENT FOR HOLIDAY TRAVELERS.
NORTHWEST AIRLINES C-E-O FRANK DEWITT SAID THAT THEY LIKE TO THINK OF IT AS A HOLIDAY GIFT TO THEIR CUSTOMERS.
TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED BY FRIDAY FOR TRAVEL BETWEEN NOVEMBER 12 AND JANUARY 14 IN THE LOWER 48 STATES, ALASKA AND CANADA.
DISCOUNTS VARY DEPENDING ON TRAVEL DATES AND ARE NOT AVAILABLE ON CERTAIN POPULAR DAYS, INCLUDING NOVEMBER 23, NOVEMBER 26, DECEMBER 23, AND DECEMBER 26.
WITH THE DISCOUNTED NON-REFUNDABLE FARES, A PASSENGER COULD TRAVEL ROUND-TRIP BETWEEN BOSTON AND SAN FRANCISCO FOR FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS ON CERTAIN DAYS.
-25-
20 seconds
NORTHWEST AIRLINES ANNOUNCED THIS MORNING, THAT IT IS CUTTING ITS DOMESTIC FARES BY UP TO 40 PERCENT FOR HOLIDAY TRAVELERS.
NORTHWEST AIRLINES C-E-O FRANK DEWITT SAID THAT THEY LIKE TO THINK OF IT AS A HOLIDAY GIFT TO THEIR CUSTOMERS.
TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED BY FRIDAY FOR TRAVEL BETWEEN NOVEMBER 12 AND JANUARY 14 IN THE LOWER 48 STATES, ALASKA AND CANADA.
DISCOUNTS VARY DEPENDING ON TRAVEL DATES AND ARE NOT AVAILABLE ON CERTAIN POPULAR DAYS, INCLUDING NOVEMBER 23, NOVEMBER 26, DECEMBER 23, AND DECEMBER 26.
WITH THE DISCOUNTED NON-REFUNDABLE FARES, A PASSENGER COULD TRAVEL ROUND-TRIP BETWEEN BOSTON AND SAN FRANCISCO FOR FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS ON CERTAIN DAYS.
-25-
IMHO extra credit - Journalism: a Risky Business
Future Journalists to Meet Uphill Struggle
“At the peak of the ‘dot com’ boom we were making $125 million a year, just on job placement ads alone,” San Jose Mercury spokesperson, Patty Hannon said.
That was back in the year 2000. In 2008 they only made $15 million on classified ad sales in the San Jose Mercury.
Journalism has become a much less prolific career than it was a century ago. The rise of online classified ad sites such as Ebay and Craigslist have forced newspapers and some magazines into endangerment.
Advertisers would much rather pay a small amount of money to have a banner placed on a Google web search engine than thousands of dollars on one small print ad.
Our parents would pay to subscribe to daily or weekly papers to get their news. Our generation stays well-informed by simply having access to the internet. The truth is, we don’t have to pay for our news, so why would we?
Hannon threw out a question that us Journalism majors must be asking ourselves: “If I’m not paying to get the news, how will I get paid when I work for the industry?”
As a student journalist, I have been told by guest speaker after guest speaker, that I better be prepared to work somewhere far from home for low pay if I want to get my career going.
San Jose Mercury columnist Joe Rodriguez said that it is even harder as a freelancer because you won’t have superiors to train you and help you learn. You don’t get benefits, the pay is low, it is hard to get papers or magazine to pay you for your articles. Some editors will hear your idea then give it to another freelancer that they know will do it for less pay.
I asked them, honestly, if we should just switch majors.
Rodriguez said that he has tried that and did very well in other subjects, but his love was for writing. We should follow what we love and not what will make us money. If we feel like we are meant to be writers and being in the journalism field makes us happy, then stick to it and we should be able to live a happy life and make decent pay.
So, my advice, make sure you are good at writing and that you would be happy to write for free if you want to stay in journalism. If you’re in this mostly for the money, go elsewhere; but I’m sure if you have already chosen journalism as a major, you aren’t a gold digger anyway.
-Justin Riray
Monday, April 6, 2009
Revised - Soft Broadcast Lead
HOW DOES A SQUIRREL STOP MULTIPLE TRAINS ALL AT THE SAME TIME?
BY CLIMBING ONTO THE METRO-NORTH COMMUTER RAILROAD'S POWER LINES AND CAUSING AN ELECTRICAL SURGE.
THE RESULTING POWER OUTAGE LEFT 47-THOUSAND RAIL COMMUTERS STRANDED IN MANHATTAN.
A METRO-NORTH SPOKESWOMAN SAID THAT THE SQUIRREL WAS ELECTROCUTED WHILE SCAMPERING ON THE POWER LINES.
SERVICE IS RESTORED BY CREWS ON TUESDAY MORNING.
note: I think you're right. I probably hit save as draft instead. Perhaps I was incompetent at the time, haha.
BY CLIMBING ONTO THE METRO-NORTH COMMUTER RAILROAD'S POWER LINES AND CAUSING AN ELECTRICAL SURGE.
THE RESULTING POWER OUTAGE LEFT 47-THOUSAND RAIL COMMUTERS STRANDED IN MANHATTAN.
A METRO-NORTH SPOKESWOMAN SAID THAT THE SQUIRREL WAS ELECTROCUTED WHILE SCAMPERING ON THE POWER LINES.
SERVICE IS RESTORED BY CREWS ON TUESDAY MORNING.
note: I think you're right. I probably hit save as draft instead. Perhaps I was incompetent at the time, haha.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Revised - Real Life Reporting - Educational Psychology
California College Students lack Motivation
The California college system, and perhaps the rest of The United States, have failed to successfully motivate students to perform to their full potential according to Roxana Marichi, Ph.D., educational psychologist.
“When students get a tangible reward, like good grades or a top spot in a class, it actually makes them less motivated,” says Marachi.
The college system is based on grades and students are rewarded and valued by rank. This is not the way to motivate us to succeed.
Marachi, San Jose State’s assistant professor of the college of education, led a workshop for teachers and staff about how to better motivate students. The session took place at San Jose State in IRC 101 on March 3 at 1:00 p.m.
It was a smaller classroom that seemed to be at full capacity with only 12 of us there. The seating was meeting room styled with everyone in a circle; a setting that encourages equality between teachers and students.
The basis of the meeting focused on healthy learning versus unhealthy learning. Marachi explained that, behaviorism, on of the oldest learning theories, actually has nothing to do with learning.
For students, grades become the prize at the end. Students learn to work solely for a reward. This works for a short period of time, but is detrimental to their work ethic in the long run.
SJSU e-Campus blackboard.com administrator, Mark Adams said that the top performers in their field “spent an enormous amount of time in practice; they also enjoyed practice.”
The best way to learn is to learn for the sake of learning, and not to pass the class.
Engineering professor, Jacob Tsao, Ph.D., brought up a discussion on what student, Justin Riray, likes to call, “the cemetery syndrome,” in which the entire class seems dead. Tsao said that on a regular basis, he would ask the class a question and not a single hand would raise. Marachi reminded us that it is the teachers responsibility to make the subject matter seem interesting and useful to the students.
Marachi explained the expectancy - value theory of motivation; multiply what the learner expects to learn by the value of the material to calculate their motivation level. “This is a multiplicative model, it is not additive,” Marachi said.
“If one of them is zero, then they are all zero.”
It was discussed that if a student believes they will do well, but is not at all interested in the subject, or visa versa, then they will have zero motivation.
Dennis Hungridge, M.A., a human resources workforce planning manager reminded us how the U.S. has built itself on opposite values from the rest of the world.
“The cultural myth of the United States is working hard; not education,” claimed Hungridge.
While Europe and most of Asia founded their worth on knowledge and learning in order to succeed, the United States has founded it’s values on working hard.
Since society has taught this generation to work for short term goals, they have developed short term motivation. People give up to easily. Failing just one class could completely hinder a student’s full potential, because they are likely label themselves a failure from then on.
Marichi advised that students have to learn to love school for the sake of increasing out knowledge and preparing themselves for life using the tools offered to us by teachers. People also need to be optimistic about difficult trials and failures.
Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.
Jordan once observed, “I’ve failed over and over again in my life.”
“That is why I succeed.”
-Justin Riray, SJSU Journalism Major
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Libel? Playing Editor!
Play editor! Read the following draft of a college newspaper story and determine if it contains any passages that are libelous. If you believe you have found a libelous passage, describe the passage and why you believe it is libelous. Then briefly explain what you would need to do to fix it -- or what you would need to omit -- before running the story. (Or would you run it at all?)
Here's the draft to review for libel:
A sophomore at Springfield University claims a chemistry professor has sexually harassed her.
Karen Hart, 123 Hill Hall, says the professor, George O.T. Jungle, has touched her during tutoring sessions in his office and has invited her to his apartment several times. She said she declined his invitations.
"I am having trouble in the class and I have to go see him to get help with my papers and projects," Hart said. "But I am scared to go in his office now."
Jungle denied having an improper contact with the student and threatened this newspaper with a libel suit if it published the story.
Hart said she is thinking of filing a formal complaint with the university.
"I don't know how to do that," she said. "I don't know what to do."
This is perfect, I am currently taking Mass Communications Law, Mcom 101.
So, I’ll give my expert opinion!
First of all, for a statement to be labeled “actionable libel” it MUST be false. So, I cannot be truly sure about whether or not the statements are libelous or not because I do not know if they are true. So, I’ll do my best.
The first sentence is libelous is it is a false statement or if whoever gathered that information from Karen made the news gatherer promise confidentiality--to not repeat or publish what she told him or her.
This is on the verge of libel, but it is not. The writer makes a good move by always including “she said,” in the statements. But still, this is too detailed to release to the public considering she hasn’t even filed a formal complaint.
It is not libelous, but it is stupid to write a story without reasonable proof. Just hearing this news from a student is not enough.
I would omit the parts in the second paragraph about Jungle touching her or inviting her to his apartment. Also, in the fourth paragraph the use of the word “threatened” has a very negative connotation. I would either omit that sentence, or at least not use “threatened.”
The entire piece seems like it was meant to ruin Jungle’s reputation, which is one of the characteristics of a libelous publication.
Overall, this is very libelous, but I am not sure if it would be labeled completely libelous in court. I would have to know more about the truth of the statements Hart and Jungle made.
If I were the editor, I would leave it a short, impersonal article and not name the teacher. However, if Hart told my reporter that she wanted to be named, then I would name her.
Here's the draft to review for libel:
A sophomore at Springfield University claims a chemistry professor has sexually harassed her.
Karen Hart, 123 Hill Hall, says the professor, George O.T. Jungle, has touched her during tutoring sessions in his office and has invited her to his apartment several times. She said she declined his invitations.
"I am having trouble in the class and I have to go see him to get help with my papers and projects," Hart said. "But I am scared to go in his office now."
Jungle denied having an improper contact with the student and threatened this newspaper with a libel suit if it published the story.
Hart said she is thinking of filing a formal complaint with the university.
"I don't know how to do that," she said. "I don't know what to do."
This is perfect, I am currently taking Mass Communications Law, Mcom 101.
So, I’ll give my expert opinion!
First of all, for a statement to be labeled “actionable libel” it MUST be false. So, I cannot be truly sure about whether or not the statements are libelous or not because I do not know if they are true. So, I’ll do my best.
The first sentence is libelous is it is a false statement or if whoever gathered that information from Karen made the news gatherer promise confidentiality--to not repeat or publish what she told him or her.
This is on the verge of libel, but it is not. The writer makes a good move by always including “she said,” in the statements. But still, this is too detailed to release to the public considering she hasn’t even filed a formal complaint.
It is not libelous, but it is stupid to write a story without reasonable proof. Just hearing this news from a student is not enough.
I would omit the parts in the second paragraph about Jungle touching her or inviting her to his apartment. Also, in the fourth paragraph the use of the word “threatened” has a very negative connotation. I would either omit that sentence, or at least not use “threatened.”
The entire piece seems like it was meant to ruin Jungle’s reputation, which is one of the characteristics of a libelous publication.
Overall, this is very libelous, but I am not sure if it would be labeled completely libelous in court. I would have to know more about the truth of the statements Hart and Jungle made.
If I were the editor, I would leave it a short, impersonal article and not name the teacher. However, if Hart told my reporter that she wanted to be named, then I would name her.
Copy edit the World #3 (extra)
This is from my Cases in Communications book by Zelezny.The sentence reads: Respondent publishes American Opinion, a monthly outlet for the views of the John Birth Society.
This is a GFE: It should be "the John Birch Society"
Didn't get to take a picture of it, but in the "One and Done for SJSU" sports article in the Wednesday March 11th, 2009 issue of the Spartan Daily there was a GFE!
Under the picture it named "Chastity Shavers" but in the scoring chart it read: "C. Shaver"
So, I am not sure which one is wrong, but one of them is!
This is from one of my sister's high school text books. I can get the name of it if you would like me to, but she's in school right now and isn't texting me back.The sentence, show in two consistent pictures, is: Your purpose to kill me.
That isn't a complete sentence. It should say: Your purpose is to kill me.
It says " ... student that is majoring in broadcast journalism who shown ... "It should say " ... who has shown ... "
My next three corrections come from this book.
IEE should be IIE for the Institute of International Education.
From Edward R. Murrow..., there should be commas before and after the word "officially" and it should read: Although, officially, its assistant director ...
This is also from Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism by Bob Edwards. It should be written as: Alger Hiss'
Hapiness should read: Happiness. Plus, I have no idea why all those words are capitalized. I found this in a newspaper back home in Pittsburg. It was probably the Contra Costa Times classifieds.
Ethical Decision Making
Scenario 1
You are interviewing a high government official about her involvement in a bribery scheme, when she is called out of her office. While alone, you notice some documents on her desk that appear to be related to your investigation.
Would you read them? Take them? Ask her
about them when she returns?
I would ask her about them when she returns, most likely. However, if it were a story that I was very passionate about and I felt like the government was keeping a bad secret from the American public I might take a peek at them, but it would have to be on a day that I am feeling extra brave and risky.
Also, it wouldn’t be the disrespect of personal privacy that would keep me away from looking at the papers. It would be fear of being caught snooping. I’m just being honest. I for sure wouldn’t just take them; that is plain stupid. She would ask where the hell her papers went, then I’d be caught, and screwed.
I am aware that it would be a breach of privacy, or illegal interception of classified documents, but I still say there would be a one percent chance I’d go for a quick glance. That means I’d have a one percent chance of serving jail time and would have to kiss my career goodbye.
Scenario 2
Conditions at a local nursing home are known to be substandard. It’s privately owned, and efforts to gain admittance or information have failed. Your editor asks you to get a job as an orderly and write a story based on your first-hand experiences.
Would you do it? Why or why not?
I would love to, unfortunately I wouldn’t want to do any undercover reporting that had to do with grubby situations. I would only go undercover for positive, or fun stories. Being an undercover reporter to uncover an individual’s or a company’s mistakes and incorrect activities is like going up to a police officer and punching them in the face; you’re just asking to be thrown in prison.
Scenario 3
You are writing a feature story and find some excellent quotes about your subject from another written source.
– May you use those quotes as if you
obtained them yourself, or must you
credit the other written source?
– What if you obtained the quotes from a
web site?
Of course I would cite the paper, magazine, or website I got it from. I would cite the author of the article or piece I took the quotes from. Even though it is nice to be the first to come up with a news story, I am very sure readers don’t subtract points from an article just for citing information from another article.
In fact, most news stories come from information from wire services or other newspapers or websites. So, there is nothing to be ashamed of about quoting another journalistic source.
Definitely, always, quote anything that you did not come up with, yourself.
You are interviewing a high government official about her involvement in a bribery scheme, when she is called out of her office. While alone, you notice some documents on her desk that appear to be related to your investigation.
Would you read them? Take them? Ask her
about them when she returns?
I would ask her about them when she returns, most likely. However, if it were a story that I was very passionate about and I felt like the government was keeping a bad secret from the American public I might take a peek at them, but it would have to be on a day that I am feeling extra brave and risky.
Also, it wouldn’t be the disrespect of personal privacy that would keep me away from looking at the papers. It would be fear of being caught snooping. I’m just being honest. I for sure wouldn’t just take them; that is plain stupid. She would ask where the hell her papers went, then I’d be caught, and screwed.
I am aware that it would be a breach of privacy, or illegal interception of classified documents, but I still say there would be a one percent chance I’d go for a quick glance. That means I’d have a one percent chance of serving jail time and would have to kiss my career goodbye.
Scenario 2
Conditions at a local nursing home are known to be substandard. It’s privately owned, and efforts to gain admittance or information have failed. Your editor asks you to get a job as an orderly and write a story based on your first-hand experiences.
Would you do it? Why or why not?
I would love to, unfortunately I wouldn’t want to do any undercover reporting that had to do with grubby situations. I would only go undercover for positive, or fun stories. Being an undercover reporter to uncover an individual’s or a company’s mistakes and incorrect activities is like going up to a police officer and punching them in the face; you’re just asking to be thrown in prison.
Scenario 3
You are writing a feature story and find some excellent quotes about your subject from another written source.
– May you use those quotes as if you
obtained them yourself, or must you
credit the other written source?
– What if you obtained the quotes from a
web site?
Of course I would cite the paper, magazine, or website I got it from. I would cite the author of the article or piece I took the quotes from. Even though it is nice to be the first to come up with a news story, I am very sure readers don’t subtract points from an article just for citing information from another article.
In fact, most news stories come from information from wire services or other newspapers or websites. So, there is nothing to be ashamed of about quoting another journalistic source.
Definitely, always, quote anything that you did not come up with, yourself.
My Fog Index is 12.7
Fog Index test
Excerpt from “The Future of News: That’s us”
95 words
Why shouldn’t we just sit back and perform the way all of our college textbooks instruct us to? If anyone thinks news is just delivering facts, and that it is a piece of cake, the truth is that creativity and organizational skills need to be of the highest caliber in order to stay with the ever-changing world. We are all striving to play a part in the future of news, so damn right this business is competitive. Writers pull-over, because up and coming journalists are equipped with so much more than a pencil and paper.
Average words per sentence: 23.75
“Hard” word count: 8
23.75 + 8 = 31.75
31.75 x 0.4 = 12.7
My Fog Index = 12.7
First of all, I learned what a Fog Index is. At first I thought it would be some stupid, useless way to rate writing. But it is in fact, an almost perfect way of calculating the readability of my written content.
It is nice to know to shoot for a Fog Index of eight. I think, recently, I have been writing at a fog index of 14, even when I do my best to simplify things.
This was very interesting; I’m pretty sure I will remember how to calculate the Fog Index for the rest of my life; or at least until I become a retired, senile journalist.
I have one question. Do hyphenated words count as one or two words? Because I had two hyphenated words in my excerpt. Just wondering. Thank you!
Excerpt from “The Future of News: That’s us”
95 words
Why shouldn’t we just sit back and perform the way all of our college textbooks instruct us to? If anyone thinks news is just delivering facts, and that it is a piece of cake, the truth is that creativity and organizational skills need to be of the highest caliber in order to stay with the ever-changing world. We are all striving to play a part in the future of news, so damn right this business is competitive. Writers pull-over, because up and coming journalists are equipped with so much more than a pencil and paper.
Average words per sentence: 23.75
“Hard” word count: 8
23.75 + 8 = 31.75
31.75 x 0.4 = 12.7
My Fog Index = 12.7
First of all, I learned what a Fog Index is. At first I thought it would be some stupid, useless way to rate writing. But it is in fact, an almost perfect way of calculating the readability of my written content.
It is nice to know to shoot for a Fog Index of eight. I think, recently, I have been writing at a fog index of 14, even when I do my best to simplify things.
This was very interesting; I’m pretty sure I will remember how to calculate the Fog Index for the rest of my life; or at least until I become a retired, senile journalist.
I have one question. Do hyphenated words count as one or two words? Because I had two hyphenated words in my excerpt. Just wondering. Thank you!
Got what it takes to be a Reporter? Apparently, I do.
Talent
1. I enjoy reading. I consume a lot of books and magazines.
-Not True.
2. For me, writing is rewarding. And I am confident that people genuinely enjoy the stuff I write.
-Mostly True.
3. I don’t pay much attention to spelling.
-Not True.
4. I’m generally adept at computer technology.
-Mostly True.
5. I can organize my ideas and write quickly when I need to.
-Mostly True.
6. I’d make a good game show contestant because I’m pretty good at remembering facts and trivia.
-Mostly True
7. I am efficient and self-sufficient when it comes to doing extensive library research.
-Mostly True.
Temperament
8. I’m generally more curious than most people I know.
-Mostly True.
9. In public situations, I’m pretty shy.
-FALSE
10. I think it’s unpatriotic to question or criticize our government.
-Not True. … umm, democracy. Duh.
11. When I choose a career, I’ll require a stable 9-to-5 job where my workday is routine and I make big money.
-Not True.
12. If I really want something, I’m tenacious until I get it.
-Not True.
13. When I’m under pressure, I can keep my cool and stay focused without losing my temper.
-Mostly True (when it comes to work and school)
14. When strangers or teachers criticize what I write, it really bugs me.
-Not True.
Total Points:
0 + 3 + 2 + 1 + 3 + 2 + 2 = 12
3 + 2 + 1 + 3 + 3 + 1 + 2 = 15
12 + 15 = 27
I think that this was a pretty fun and practical reporter test. Still, it seems way to easy to answer these questions in favor of the ‘right’ answers. I answered every question truthfully, unfortunately I doubt that I am “27 out of 30,” for my reporter potential.
The test did teach me a few things about being a reporter, or at least reminded me of certain concepts. Still, I don’t think reading the examples of rough situations really makes me feel the stress I would truly feel as a reporter.
1. I enjoy reading. I consume a lot of books and magazines.
-Not True.
2. For me, writing is rewarding. And I am confident that people genuinely enjoy the stuff I write.
-Mostly True.
3. I don’t pay much attention to spelling.
-Not True.
4. I’m generally adept at computer technology.
-Mostly True.
5. I can organize my ideas and write quickly when I need to.
-Mostly True.
6. I’d make a good game show contestant because I’m pretty good at remembering facts and trivia.
-Mostly True
7. I am efficient and self-sufficient when it comes to doing extensive library research.
-Mostly True.
Temperament
8. I’m generally more curious than most people I know.
-Mostly True.
9. In public situations, I’m pretty shy.
-FALSE
10. I think it’s unpatriotic to question or criticize our government.
-Not True. … umm, democracy. Duh.
11. When I choose a career, I’ll require a stable 9-to-5 job where my workday is routine and I make big money.
-Not True.
12. If I really want something, I’m tenacious until I get it.
-Not True.
13. When I’m under pressure, I can keep my cool and stay focused without losing my temper.
-Mostly True (when it comes to work and school)
14. When strangers or teachers criticize what I write, it really bugs me.
-Not True.
Total Points:
0 + 3 + 2 + 1 + 3 + 2 + 2 = 12
3 + 2 + 1 + 3 + 3 + 1 + 2 = 15
12 + 15 = 27
I think that this was a pretty fun and practical reporter test. Still, it seems way to easy to answer these questions in favor of the ‘right’ answers. I answered every question truthfully, unfortunately I doubt that I am “27 out of 30,” for my reporter potential.
The test did teach me a few things about being a reporter, or at least reminded me of certain concepts. Still, I don’t think reading the examples of rough situations really makes me feel the stress I would truly feel as a reporter.
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