Three Articles 3/22/15

It’s the Audience, Stupid!

1. What is the new approach to storytelling and how is it being used to broaden

audiences?

• ·      The new approach of storytelling is the expansion of storytelling through digital media. This article demonstrates how Americans and Europeans want to hear more international news. Producers have learned to not “dumb down” the story and issues for the audience. Usually, in journalism writers will dumb down their writing so that they can attract a larger audience. Prior to the expansion of digital media tools, a form of “crowd sourcing” was used to survey people in order to provide the content and information they desired. With the rise of digital tools, a large collection of opinions can be gathered at a rapid rate.

2. How is digital media being used to engage audiences?

•      Digital media is being used to engage audiences by helping figure out what news stories need coverage. This gives the readers opportunity to give their opinions and feedback.

3. Give three specific examples of how you can incorporate storytelling into an article you write?

• ·      If people want to incorporate storytelling into a news article, they must first tell a background or introduce the story. This becomes much like “feature writing” where you give the audience a human factor and not just news. This draws the readers in and helps them to maybe care about an issue that they previously would not have. The writer adding their own personal experience or someones experience, can make them care more and draw them in.

All the Aggregation That’s Fit to Aggregate

1.    What does aggregation mean?

·      Aggregation is the sharing of articles of interest from one news source to another. Sometimes it will be word for word and other times it can be refered to as the business model.

2.    Why does the author describe Arianna Huffington as “the queen of aggregation?”  Go to the Huffington Post and provide an example.

·      The author says that Arianna Huffington is “the queen of aggregation” and her website the Huffington Post is worth 315 million dollars. The reason that this webpage is so original is because it is not original at all actually. Most of the articles on the webpage are merely pulled from other webpages and posted up. One example is this link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/04/marvel-studios-kevin-feige-2028_n_5091810.html?ir=Entertainment

3.    Is aggregation a threat to professional journalism – why or why not?

·      In my opinion, I do not think that aggregation is a threat to professional journalism. I actually believe that it helps professional jounalists and their work. More and more people will be referencing their work and it will be receiving more viewing from a larger audience.

Photojournalism in the Age of New Media

A professional journalist receives a photo captured by a citizen journalist….

What are the positives?

·      The journalist can have access to the photo before the media arrives to a scene.

·      A citizen may have access to somewhere that a professional journalist may not be allowed.

Why does the professional journalist need to be careful?

·      They need to make sure that the information is accurate and not false.

·      Avoiding copyright issues.

·      Determining if there will be financial compensation for the person who took the photo.

Why might the content of the photo be called into question?

·      The source may not be legitimate or something that they can use.

How does citizen photojournalist impact the job of the professional

photojournalist?

·      they can both help and hinder their jobs by making certain things easier and others more difficult.