My goal for this piece was to show how user-generated content, as detailed in Whamond's talk with our class and his answers to our interview questions, is a major part of online media. Tom Baden touched upon it, but Keith Whamond was able to better explain its impact since he deals with it in a more immediate manner. I wanted to inform a bit on its importance since many Commnications and English majors may end up going into this steadily growing industry. In that sense, I think it has great impact and appeal, as well as proximity because graduates are getting more and more involved in such endeavors.
I think what helped me get the most from this interview was having already experienced the interview process in this class and in knowing what to expect I was better able to prepare myself for it. Although the Tom Baden interview was different in many ways, it helped me to see how this could unfold and how to maximize one's time during the interview so as to get the most information and have the most flexibility for being able to change topics if need be.
I think this story is more focused than the Tom Baden story. It focuses on a narrower scope and utilizes more quotes from the individual being interviewed. I was better able to listen for and write down some great quotes. I feel that this helped my story a great deal.
For this interview, I went in with better questions(many of which got answered) and a better outlook on what was to come. However, I feel that I could have done a better job in crafting a direction in which my story should go. I found myself altering the direction of the story once again, and after several leads I changed my idea for the story.
I learned from this particular experience that I still need to work on going into the situation with more specifics in mind. I think I do a good job of adapting and creating a story based on what is available, but that there still is room for improvement.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Alum in Action: Whamond and the Winds of Change in Online Media News Coverage
Frequenting sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Skype could be seen as procrastination at its finest, but it could also be viewed as a ticket into the current job market for the news media, according to Keith Whamond '04, Executive Producer for the Connecticut Media Group at Hearst Digital
Whamond told how the rulebook of online media in today's world is ever-changing, but a knowledge of user-generated content sites will help put you ahead in the industry. The former Stag met with students of Dr. Simon's News Writing class last Monday to discuss this vital tool, which can be further developed in the University setting.
The Fairfield alum made it clear that the user-generated content many students already engage with at their leisure is a major part of online media's future. It can help rejuvenate a once-failing enterprise like Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which Whamond notes as being “the shot across the bow” in terms of utilizing this relatively new means of interacting with the news over standard print journalism.
Mastery of sites centered around this content such as YouTube and Skype, an online teleconferencing and videoconferencing service, is key; “it just takes a little bit of enthusiasm,” Whamond said. Surprisingly, this is a prerequisite that many resumes currently lack.“Once you get the potential of the medium, you level the playing field,” he stated.
Whamond detailed how user-generated input from a journalist's personal blog can help continue the news conversation between the media and the audience. Thanks to websites that make use of this feature, stories that may have gone unpublished now have can potentially have an audience, and potentially, an impact.
Whamond '04 earned his BA in English during his four years at Fairfield. He said he enjoyed the working environment that The Mirror provides and by his senior year he was named Managing Editor.
His online media career began as an editorial page assistant for The Connecticut Post and later as an online reporter for the Post's website. Soon after, Whamond took a position as an online editor for NewsTimes.com. He has been the Executive Producer for the Connecticut Media Group at Hearst Digital for the past 6 months.
Apart from being well-versed in user-generated content sites and the core values of journalism, Whamond stressed the upside of being fresh out of college and new to the industry. “Being young and not knowing the rules gives you a huge advantage,” he said. “Passion is the best thing you can bring to the table.”
Whamond told how the rulebook of online media in today's world is ever-changing, but a knowledge of user-generated content sites will help put you ahead in the industry. The former Stag met with students of Dr. Simon's News Writing class last Monday to discuss this vital tool, which can be further developed in the University setting.
The Fairfield alum made it clear that the user-generated content many students already engage with at their leisure is a major part of online media's future. It can help rejuvenate a once-failing enterprise like Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which Whamond notes as being “the shot across the bow” in terms of utilizing this relatively new means of interacting with the news over standard print journalism.
Mastery of sites centered around this content such as YouTube and Skype, an online teleconferencing and videoconferencing service, is key; “it just takes a little bit of enthusiasm,” Whamond said. Surprisingly, this is a prerequisite that many resumes currently lack.“Once you get the potential of the medium, you level the playing field,” he stated.
Whamond detailed how user-generated input from a journalist's personal blog can help continue the news conversation between the media and the audience. Thanks to websites that make use of this feature, stories that may have gone unpublished now have can potentially have an audience, and potentially, an impact.
Whamond '04 earned his BA in English during his four years at Fairfield. He said he enjoyed the working environment that The Mirror provides and by his senior year he was named Managing Editor.
His online media career began as an editorial page assistant for The Connecticut Post and later as an online reporter for the Post's website. Soon after, Whamond took a position as an online editor for NewsTimes.com. He has been the Executive Producer for the Connecticut Media Group at Hearst Digital for the past 6 months.
Apart from being well-versed in user-generated content sites and the core values of journalism, Whamond stressed the upside of being fresh out of college and new to the industry. “Being young and not knowing the rules gives you a huge advantage,” he said. “Passion is the best thing you can bring to the table.”
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Reflecting on the First Deadline Story of Tom Baden
I found this first deadline story to be very difficult to craft out of the wealth of information I gathered from the interview during class. I had an idea for a possible way in which to take my story going into the class, but after all was said and done I knew that my first idea would not fare well. My goal for the piece was to tell how Baden described the absence of college and high school student readers among the usual consumer populations of printed journalism and detail how they were attempting to attract them. I wanted to show them what steps are being taken and how someone with vast experience in the field of journalism feels about the current situation.
I knew going into it that this would be challenging because it is a novel experience. I felt like I was trying a bit too hard to include so many details, so I omitted what was borderline necessary. I tightened up the background information and only included a few facts I thought were key (what I thought would seem interesting to the reader and prevalent to what was already mentioned in the article.) The writing of the story was easier than the actual consolidating of the information and the choice of arrangement.
I felt that I was successful in creating a bit of conflict to lure the reader in to the rest of the story, a concept that the book mentioned in Chapter 2 if I remember correctly. The video on interviews that we watched in class was helpful to everyone who asked a question and then a follow-up to clarify. I believe that the question I asked Tom Baden was a solid one, but unfortunately it did not fit into how I ended up depicting this event. Having the background information already prepared made life much easier.
It was very interesting and rewarding to have had the opportunity to hear from one of the “gatekeepers” of the news and experience his take on this component of the media. I learned that I need to have a Plan B in terms of how the story can be written. I ended up having to rethink the way my story would go and that proved to be the most challenging aspect of writing this article.
I knew going into it that this would be challenging because it is a novel experience. I felt like I was trying a bit too hard to include so many details, so I omitted what was borderline necessary. I tightened up the background information and only included a few facts I thought were key (what I thought would seem interesting to the reader and prevalent to what was already mentioned in the article.) The writing of the story was easier than the actual consolidating of the information and the choice of arrangement.
I felt that I was successful in creating a bit of conflict to lure the reader in to the rest of the story, a concept that the book mentioned in Chapter 2 if I remember correctly. The video on interviews that we watched in class was helpful to everyone who asked a question and then a follow-up to clarify. I believe that the question I asked Tom Baden was a solid one, but unfortunately it did not fit into how I ended up depicting this event. Having the background information already prepared made life much easier.
It was very interesting and rewarding to have had the opportunity to hear from one of the “gatekeepers” of the news and experience his take on this component of the media. I learned that I need to have a Plan B in terms of how the story can be written. I ended up having to rethink the way my story would go and that proved to be the most challenging aspect of writing this article.
Baden and the Future of Print Journalism
The world of print journalism, in the eyes of younger audiences, has stopped spinning. However, a seasoned veteran of the field ensures that newspapers nationwide are determined to revamp their traditional product to entice young viewers by adding more interactive and accesible content.
Tom Baden, editor of The Connecticut Press, met with Fairfield University students at a mock-press conference last Monday night to discuss newspapers’ use of interactive content and social networking sites to attract high school and college-aged potential readers. This part of the population particularly shies away from using printed news, making it apparent that traditional methods will no longer cut it.
A developing strategy, according to Baden, has been using websites like Twitter and Facebook to link to their paper’s content. Interactive news sites, such as “In Utah This Week” which allow for a user friendly news experience, are part of what he believes to be the solution. Scientific data based on tracking online usage has also proved to be beneficial to honing in on the consumers interests.
At The Post, the move has been to make the papers look and feel different by covering stories that appeal and are useful to younger readers. The online version will be updated to support a new content managing system, and the website as a whole will receive a “face-lift” very soon.
Baden admits that newspapers have been slow to oust their preconceived notions about their target audience’s interests. “I think we’ve all assumed wrongly that younger readers don’t want things more in-depth and in detail,” he stated. He added that they may also have neglected younger readers’ interest in the news in general and about their community.
Once a student at the University of Maryland, it was Baden’s involvement with the school newspaper that sparked his love of journalism. After earning his degree, he worked as a reporter for The Post-Standard in Syracuse, where he was soon promoted to city editor for the paper.
He later worked for the Newhouse News Service in D.C., covering the administration of the first President Bush, and was the editor of several other papers before signing on with The Connecticut Post in July of 2008.
As these non-traditional means of garnering the attention of teenaged readers continue to be implemented and improved upon, we are reminded stay in third person; keep yourself out of it by Baden about another reason for the target group’s lack of participation. “I think we need to do a better job of convincing the public that we’re fair,” he said. “We’re being honest.”
Tom Baden, editor of The Connecticut Press, met with Fairfield University students at a mock-press conference last Monday night to discuss newspapers’ use of interactive content and social networking sites to attract high school and college-aged potential readers. This part of the population particularly shies away from using printed news, making it apparent that traditional methods will no longer cut it.
A developing strategy, according to Baden, has been using websites like Twitter and Facebook to link to their paper’s content. Interactive news sites, such as “In Utah This Week” which allow for a user friendly news experience, are part of what he believes to be the solution. Scientific data based on tracking online usage has also proved to be beneficial to honing in on the consumers interests.
At The Post, the move has been to make the papers look and feel different by covering stories that appeal and are useful to younger readers. The online version will be updated to support a new content managing system, and the website as a whole will receive a “face-lift” very soon.
Baden admits that newspapers have been slow to oust their preconceived notions about their target audience’s interests. “I think we’ve all assumed wrongly that younger readers don’t want things more in-depth and in detail,” he stated. He added that they may also have neglected younger readers’ interest in the news in general and about their community.
Once a student at the University of Maryland, it was Baden’s involvement with the school newspaper that sparked his love of journalism. After earning his degree, he worked as a reporter for The Post-Standard in Syracuse, where he was soon promoted to city editor for the paper.
He later worked for the Newhouse News Service in D.C., covering the administration of the first President Bush, and was the editor of several other papers before signing on with The Connecticut Post in July of 2008.
As these non-traditional means of garnering the attention of teenaged readers continue to be implemented and improved upon, we are reminded stay in third person; keep yourself out of it by Baden about another reason for the target group’s lack of participation. “I think we need to do a better job of convincing the public that we’re fair,” he said. “We’re being honest.”
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