Jordan Summer 2011

Add comment Posted in  comm361 ,deena elrashed  Tagged:  , , March 1, 2012

Briggs; Journalism Next: Chapter 6

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

A photograph can convey a story in a real and personal way that no amount of writing can. In todays world of smart phones everyone is a journalist, and everyone is a photographer. Readers have come to expect photographs supplementary to writing and its important that you are able to provide it or your readers may just go to someone else who can.

A Few Basics to What Makes Good Photographs:

  • Framing: a good photograph is just as much about the way in which the scene is presented as it is about the story being conveyed. Pay close attention to what you choose to include and exclude from the frame of your shot; it can impact the power of your photograph
  • Correct Tone and Color: Although smart phones take good quality photographs, there is always room for improvement. The contrast, exposure, color, and saturation can all be adjusted using a simple editing program on the computer.

Add comment Posted in  briggs ,comm361 ,deena elrashed February 23, 2012

Briggs; Journalism Next: Chapter 5

Going Mobile

A smart phone is the most useful tool a journalist can have in todays world.

The news is happening all around you all the time, and a smart phone allows you to be prepared for it at any moment. You can easily share photographs and video as well as microblog as it is happening.

In the past, journalists had to to lug around tons of heavy equipment but now you have the equivalent of a media team in your pocket ready at a moments notice.

Add comment Posted in  briggs ,comm361 ,deena elrashed February 23, 2012

Burberry to Debut Catwalk Collection via Animated GIFs on Twitter

http://mashable.com/2012/02/20/burberry-tweetwalk-animated-gifs/

Burberry Understands Social Media

The London-based fashion house has announced plans to debut their upcoming collection to fans via Twitter. Additionally, viewers will be able to embed a live streaming video of the fashion show on their Facebook walls (Burberry has also adapted an embeddable live stream video for Chinese social networks Sina Weibo and Youku, as well as the iPhone and iPad).

This isn’t all that Burberry has done to connect with potential customers.

1 comment Posted in  comm361 ,deena elrashed  Tagged:  , February 18, 2012

10 Social Media Tips for Bloggers

http://mashable.com/2012/02/17/social-media-bloggers-tips/

Although all of blogger Liz Wright’s ten tips seem beneficial, it is number five that really seems to stand out to me.

#5 Pinterest is the hot new frontier for bloggers.

In a world where a new social media forum seems to spring up on a weekly basis, it can be easy to get overwhelmed and lost. (Just how connected, is too connected? ) But amongst the sea of new applications and websites , there stands one new website that every blogger should really take the time to investigate: http://pinterest.com/

It’s kind of Facebook, meets Instagram, meets Stumbleupon, meets giant scrapbook that you can share with the world. But most importantly, it’s a great way to get your blog noticed. Posting relevant links to your blog on themed boards allows you to narrow down who might come across it and most importantly, target people you think might be interested. If your blog is about home decor then a board centered on DIY home furniture might be a great place to advertise yourself and pull in readers!

 

 


6 comments Posted in  comm361 ,deena elrashed  Tagged:  , February 18, 2012

Tweeting a War: How One Journalist Is Using Twitter in Afghanistan

http://mashable.com/2012/02/20/afghanistan-twitter/

This article best exemplifies the pivotal role that Twitter has undertaken in the field of journalism. In particular, it discusses its role in reporting on the war in Afghanistan.  Journalists like Mustafa Kazemi are able to report the news as it is happening, keeping their readers up to date with on the minute developments.

Also, it allows them a certain amount of anonymity and freedom that they otherwise would not be able to enjoy working for a conventional media outlet in a nation characterized by censorship and a lack of freedom of speech. According to blogger Alex Fizpatrick, journalists in Afghanistan face pressures to not report on subjects pertaining to the government and governmental practices but twitter allows them the forum to share information beyond the far-reaching arm of the government.

 

Add comment Posted in  comm361 ,deena elrashed  Tagged:  , February 18, 2012

How an African Chief Uses Twitter to Keep the Peace

http://mashable.com/2012/02/19/african-twitter-peace/

The Ever Evolving Role of Twitter

Twitter was once a form of social media that, for many, represented the mindless cyber over-sharing of our generation.

John Doe is eating the best sandwich ever #nobody cares.

Today, twitter has evolved into a monumentally instrumental tool for sharing and gathering meaningful information. Celebrities, politicians, businesses, and even mainstream media have realized the far-reaching capabilities of twitter.  Let us also not forget the critical role Twitter played in allowing the activists of the Arab Spring to organize and mobilize. In short,  Twitter connects people and opens the channels of communication in a unique and revolutionary way.

In this article, blogger Sam Laird, discusses the unique case of Kenyan village chief, Francis Kariuki. Known to his followers as @Chiefkariuki. Chief Kayruki uses twitter to communicate with the thousands of residents of his village, informing them of various community issues ranging anywhere from incidents of burglary to missing farm animals. Chief Kariuki’s use of twitter is an excellent example of its versatility. He is able to integrate Twitter into his life in a way in which it best serves him and his aims. Twitter allows him the ability to reach his audience in an efficient manner, not otherwise offered by traditional forms of information dispersal (fliers, posters, etc..) or even other forms of social media.

Add comment Posted in  comm361 ,deena elrashed  Tagged:  , February 18, 2012

Briggs; Journalism Next: Chapter 4

Microblogging

What It Is:

Microblogging service allows users to instantly publish short texts, usually no longer than 140 characters, with links to other websites, pictures, and video. Most importantly, it can be done from almost anywhere, including a mobile device.

EX: TWITTER

 What It Means to Journalism:

  • Because it is so easily accessible, it allows you to post and share from almost anywhere at any time.
  • It forces you to view your life through a different lens; interesting information is all around us, you just have to notice it.
  • The thoughts and opinions of those that you find interesting are made more easily accessible.
  • Through followers, you can build and reach a large audience with great ease.
  • Through constant sharing of information,  the community becomes more aware and interconnected.

Add comment Posted in  briggs ,comm361 ,deena elrashed  Tagged:  , February 18, 2012

Briggs; Journalism Next: Chapter 3

Bringing Journalism Closer to Readers, and Readers Closer to Journalism

3 new reporting methods:

  1. Crowdsourcing: the term borrows from the concept of outsourcing. Reporters and news agencies open up the research process to the community, allowing them to assist in the process and provide insight and perspective not easily achieved by  a reporter.  The opinions of the masses however, are not always beneficial. As said by David Cohn, “crowd sourcing works in some situations, but not in others. If there were a jar of gum balls in this room, I’d want everyone’s help in determining how many gum balls are in the jar. If i needed brain surgery, I don’t want anyone in this room to help. No offense.”
  2. Open-source Reporting: journalism must be transparent, authentic, and collaborative. Digital tools such as blogs and Twitter have helped eliminate the barriers between journalists and readers and have created a collaborative atmosphere in which both work together to develop a story.
  3. Pro-Am Journalism: News organizations can’t be everywhere all the time. This is something they have come to realize and has drawn them to invite their readers to directly participate. Everyone is a media outlet now, and if they want to share something, it WILL be shared. So why not allow them to share it on your site? this is the simple logic behind pro-am journalism. It allows the community to share information on your page that may have otherwise been shared somewhere else, and it allows the community to raise issues and give commentary on subjects of interest to them in a way that a professional journalist could not.

Add comment Posted in  briggs ,comm361 ,deena elrashed  Tagged:  , February 17, 2012

GMU Study Abroad Programs

Add comment Posted in  comm361 ,deena elrashed  Tagged:  , February 17, 2012

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