Overall Impression

My overall impression of the topics that we discussed this semester is that I really enjoyed New Media.  My attitude has definitely changed because at the beginning of the semester I was honestly worried about taking this class.  I am not caught up very much in the New Media world as it does not play a major role in my daily life.  This is something that I discussed in my second blog as well.  After starting New Media my nerves settled and I found that I enjoys it very much.  I found that I extremely enjoy creating websites in iWeb.  Both assignments of creating a website this far were both a lot of fun and educational. 

What surprised me the most was just how much New Media did play in an average persons normal daily life.  I always knew that New Media was an important role, but after taking this class I discovered that it was more important than just Facebook and Twitter.

Data

I think the statement, "Discuss the importance of data to the future of journalism" is, in small portion, false. 

Data is an everyday usage in the world of journalism and it is already an important factor.  If anything it will just become MORE important. 

Journalists should learn to take advantage of the data that is at their finger tips.  Data is and will continue to be an important role in the field of journalism.  There actually, in my opinion, is no journalism without data.  How can a journalist report without data to report about or support the topic that is being reported without data to back it up?  Internet, surveys and good old fashioned interviews are all wonderful sources of data.  With the Internet growing so rapidly, this can only help increase the finding of data.  Of course, the journalist gets to decided if the Internet source is reliable or not, but it is a gamble worth taking. 

Journalism students are learning late in education the importance of data gathering.  I am a junior in college and I am just now taking a class the involves data usage.  If I had not personally worked for a news paper outside of school or volunteered to work at the news paper at my junior college, then data gathering would be new to me this year.  My News Feature Writing Class is the class that I am talking about and it is this class that I have given assignments that call for data.  I think a little more personal motivation from students to get more active in data research is a great way for journalism students to prepare for their future in the journalism field.

As for journalism educators, based on my last paragraph, I think introducing the students to data research much earlier in their educations is the right way to go.  I don't think there is much preparation for journalist and journalism educators because of the knowledge most already have.  It is the journalism students that need the most preparation on this matter. 

Digital Storytelling

Digital: A recording technique in which sounds or images are converted into groups

  of electronic bits and stored on a magnetic medium. The groups of bits are read

  electronically, as by a laser beam, for reproduction.

Digital Storytelling: Enhancing Student Literacy through Digital Video.

http://www1.kent.k12.wa.us/staff/tomriddell/digitalstorytelling/about.html
Digital story telling is most commonly known for being in the classroom.  Film producers and makers use Digital Storytelling mosty.  How a Journalist might be able to use Digital Storytelling is somewhat limitless.  A way a Journalist could use Digital Storytelling is by reinacting a scene of a crime.  This way viewers could see exactly what has happened and better prepare themselves from the same thing happening to them.  Also, Digital Storytelling helps with weather warnings.  If a hurricane or bad storm comes thhrough the news edia uses Digital storytelling to show viewers the location and destination of it. 

Why is Twitter growing so rapidly?

Twitter by definition is a micro-blogging service that allows people to type in short messages or status updates that can be read by people following them. An individual message or status update is often referred to as a 'tweet'. Find out more about Twitter.
webtrends.about.com/od/web20/a/web20-glossary_2.htm

According to Websters Dictionary, Twitter is to utter a succession of light chirping or tremulous sounds; to tremble with nervous agitation or excitement; light tremulous speech or laugh. 

I personally do not have a Twitter but how I would operationalize this in a research paper I would create my own personal Twitter account.  This way I can live the life of a "Twitter er" and maybe fully understand the addiction that it produces.  I would take notes about the things I thought were important to Twitter about and even scope out other users and their twits to see what they believe is important.  Interviews with Twitter account holders could be arranged and questions such as 'Why is Twitter important; How often does one use Twitter; What do users really think about the 140 word limit; how long has the individual been a member,' could be asked. 

The definition that appears behind Citizen Journalism is the involvement of non-professionals in reporting news.   The idea behind citizen journalism is that people without professional journalism training can use the tools of modern technology and the global distribution of the Internet to create, augment or fact-check media on their own.  This is according to http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/citizen+journalism Examples include things such as blogging.

Participatory Journalism has been considered to be the same definition.  I think, however, that participatory journalism is when the audience partakes in commenting and giving opinion on the news that is being delivered.  It is also when viewers send what they think is news worthy to those that are professionals so that they can present the news such as pictures, video, etc.

My idea question is what other ways are there for communication between news organizations and their community.  That is when I found an article titled "7 ways to make news sites more social"  written by Vadim Lavrusik.   http://mashable.com/2009/09/15/social-news-sites/

"Journalism is supposed to be a conversation, but often news websites don’t provide the tools for that conversation to take place."

With saying this quote, there are ways to avoid such a thing.  It is now possible to instantly comment on posts, blogs, video, etc.  This provides a form of communication.  This way the individual who made the post can see what the viewers think and feel about the piece.  I believe that there should be more ways to do this.  That is why my question came to be. 

The seven ways to make news sites more social include:
"'Connect with us' links and directory."
I agree when the article says that several links on websites are hidden and with this being the case then the viewer of the site finds it more difficult to find information that he/she needs or wants.  This is failed communication on the publishers side.

"Twitter Streams and Showcased Tweets."
This part of the article discussed how links to Twitter and Facebook are common forms of communication.  This is also the most popular form of communication right now and almost every site a viewers sees there is a Facebook or Twitter link somewhere.

"Live Blogging."
This way readers can get the information right as it is being said and can post comments instantly.

"Creating a Social News Network."
It is recently that viewers are allowed to register from their Facebook accounts to Websites of their choice allowing viewers to have a wider range of access to that particular Website.

"Social Share Buttons."
The article suggests that their be more Share Buttons used on websites rather than the most popular such as Facebook or Twitter.  These special buttons could also include "Blogger, Mixx, Myspace, Wordpress," and etc.

"Enable Social Commenting."

and

"Utilize User-Generated Content." 
Basically, take advantage of what you can use to help communicate with viewers.

"With Twitter, Williams was launching a communications platform that limited you to a couple of sentences at most. What was next? Software that let you send a single punctuation mark to describe your mood?"  Asks Steven Johnson in his article, How Twitter Will Change The Way we Live.  Well, I doubt that.  However, i do believe that the Internet has much more in store for us than we can imagine even though it is very hard to tell what exactly the nest big thing for media really is.  First Myspace was brought to the Internet, then Facebook now Twitter is hoping on the social media bandwagon. 

 

One thing new about the usage of Facebook compared to other social media items is that "Internet users behaved differently on Facebook than anywhere else online: They used their real names, connected with their real friends, linked to their real email addresses, and shared their real thoughts, tastes, and news."  Great Wall of Facebook: The Social Network's Plan to Dominate the Internet - And Keep Google Out. By Fred Vogelstein. 

 

I used Google to find "What is the next big thing in social media" and results popped up saying that some believe that the next big thing in social media is "a single site that aggregates content from a variety of social network sites would be a blessing for consumers; who signed up for a variety of social-networking sites from MySpace and Facebook to LinkedIn and Flickr cannot keep track of them all. "  Social Media Aggregation by Alain Portmann.  It is though that an aggregates site will help filter through interests of users faster than just any ordinary social site.  Like typical trash-talking youngsters, Facebook sources argue that their competition is old and out of touch. "Google is not representative of the future of technology in any way," one Facebook veteran says. "Facebook is an advanced communications network enabling myriad communication forms. It almost doesn't make sense to compare them."

 

Personally, the next big thing in social media could be just about anything.  It all mainly depends on what exactly is being offered.  There are going to be things in social media that are a huge hit such as Facebook and Twitter, however, there is just as much possibility that it could fail with so much as a blink of the eye.  Social media is constantly changing and progressing more and more.  Everyone is willing to change and progress with it as long as it is worth the change in their opinion.

 

Post # 4 Educational Youtube Videos

I believe that YouTube is an excellent source for educational, instructional and tutorial videos.  I understand that this process might take time for some.  Everyone has a comfort zone on how they like to be taught new things so one video might work for some but not others.  However, a plus about YouTube is that you eventually can find what you are looking for and you only had to look in one place rather than several more places.  Also, this way of learning is fast and convenient.  If someone needed knowledge on a specific subject fast the Internet is already top 3 places to find information.  I do not see why YouTube educational videos would make this less true.  However, I also feel that the video has to be a form of entertainment as well.  There is more motivation to get up from your personal computer and not continue with gaining knowledge if the video is boring versus being in a boring class room and you can't (or you paid to much for the class) to leave.  For example, this video that I think is not so entertaining, yet, it's educational as well.

Interactivity

Interactivity is a hard word to define, tough several have tried.  Some definitions being:
1. "New technology that will change way to shop, play and learn." Newsweek
2. "Huge amount of information available to anyone at the touch of a button."
Rooting from the word Interaction which means, 3.  A style of control and interactive systems exhibit that style.

More opinionated definitions include:

Jerome T. Durlak's A Typology for Interactive Media defined Interactivity as a Prototype. 
This system includes telephone, two way television,

audio conferencing systems, electronic mail, video text, etc.

Rockley Miller defined it as Criteria; a recirocal dialog between the user and system.

Then there is Everette M. Rogers who defines Interactivity as the "capability of new
communication
systems to talk back to user almost like individuals in conversation."

He also breaks this definition down into three different Dimensions, 1 2 and 3 Dimensional,
 to help
 present his 'opinion'.  In this three dimensional step process he shows the viewer that

all media is basically Interactivity it is just at different levels.  The beginning of Interactivity
with the telephone, for example, to dimension 2 which is "teletext" and then dimension 3,

"computer communication via video text."  If Interactivity keeps growing the way it is,
eventually, there will be a fourth dimension.

I personally believe that all these definitions are correct.  Interactivity is blogging, emails,
video chat.  The list goes on.  It is DVRs and channel selection. 

You can order anything fast off line or an Infomertial.  Your cellphone
can have Internet connection and different applications that

are never ending supplies of information.  There are times a commercial is on one channel and
an option button pops up suggesting you to hit select which will then direct you

to another channel that contains more information about that particular product. 
This is all Interactivity.I believe that the new I-phone that allows you to view who you are talking to while you talk to them
is a great example of Interactivity. 

Even with several different definitions, one fact that remains is any of these def can be considered similar
to the one def of New Media.  This is because both
mainly deal with the same things.  Twitter and Facebook, along with I-Phones and just Internet in general,
are different forms or New Media. All these things are Interactivity as well
it's just New Media is Communicating with others and Interactivity a form of how they are communicating.

Alright, when it comes to me and my media usage, well, it is slim to almost nothing.  Television, Internet and my cell phone is about as far as it goes.  These seem like the typical sources of media usage these days, which is true, I just consume a much smaller amount than most.
When it comes to watching television I watch it for entertainment rather than gaining knowledge.  I will watch approximately less than five hours of television a week with the rare occasion of watching a move. 
As for the Internet, it is probably the greatest amount of media I consume.  I am on Facebook but rarely and at short amounts of time.  My Yahoo account is full of either spam or emails from family.  I do do a lot of research such as finding information on Google or Ask.com but that is mostly the result of a school assignment.
Then there is my cell phone, the second greatest media usage in my life.  Even with my cell phone though, a Pantech, all I do is call and text others. 
I have knowledge of the basics and details of new media and know how majority of it all works, however, I tend to not make New Media a major part of my every day life. 

Hello Hello!!

My name is Jessica Sepulvado! =) I am a Journalism major and my minor is in creative writing.  I am considering a second major but I haven't decided in what, just yet.  I am a junior here at SFA but I am only in my second semester.  I attended Panola Junior college, where I earned my Associates Degree, in Carthage, Texas before my year here at Stephen F.
My definition of New Media is basically three main pieces of technology.  Cell phones, Internet, television. 
These days Internet has no limits.  It can answer any question you ask it.  From solving a math problem to building an additional room onto your house, the Internet has your answer.  Starting out connecting through phone lines to Ethernet cables to what we now have, Wi-Fi.  Something, I have come to believe, the world would not be able to survive with out. 
Cell phones find there beginning as radios found in police vehicles and taxi cabs.  Today you can't look at a cell phone that doesn't have the ability to text at record speeds, send and receive pictures, and now get on the Internet. 
Television is another story.  In my opinion, television is the least form of new media.  True you have the luxury of recording, rewinding live television, watching several shows at once and now the rumor is 3D on personal home televisions.  However, compared to the limitless things you can do on line and now on cell phones, television is definitely the less of the three.
I consider these three to be the main characters of New Media because they are constantly changing.  Almost every day there is something new that you can accomplish with one of these.