Tag: reflection

Final Reflection Blog Post

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At the beginning of my JRN 4100 semester I knew very little about reporting in any sense other than writing. I’ve worked at the Oakland Post and Hour Detroit magazine for several semesters and the majority of the journalism classes I’ve taken were writing based.

My favorite unit that we covered in this course was the audio story unit. As an avid podcast listener, it was really interesting to hear about how podcasters decide on what stories they should cover. I especially liked our class discussion about how sometimes, you plan out a story, do all the leg work, and it doesn’t work out. I’ve always struggled with letting stories go when they don’t flesh out. Especially when working with audio stories, it’s important to make sure the story you’re telling is well planned out and interests the listener. When working on the lab, I was surprised how easy it was to record the audio and add music to it. I’m sure people who tell audio stories put more than a single class period length of time into their recordings, but it was reassuring to know that it’s possible for someone who isn’t professionally trained to dabble in podcasting.

While I found the photo story unit interesting, photography is something that I don’t see myself working in. I think it’s fascinating that some people have the eye to see something happening and frame it correctly to create a great story. I can hear about a topic and point out what would make a good story that people would want to read, but visually I would need a lot more practice. While I was happy with the way my photo story for the simple project turned out, I wish I would’ve gotten even more creative with it.

I was very surprised how much I enjoyed working on the data analysis unit of this course. When I read the syllabus, this unit sounded like it was going to be boring. I’ve never been a numbers person, but working on the lab for this unit was so interesting to me. I think it peaked my interest because there was no right or wrong answer. The data was provided and I was allowed to draw my own conclusions and analysis about what impact it would have on the topic.

Overall, I’m really glad that we covered immigration as our topic for the semester. It’s such a hot topic issue in todays news cycle, but it can be hard to get a clear idea of what’s really going on based on a simple google search. This class allowed for a deeper dive into this topic while exploring it from a journalistic stand point. By interviewing sources who have experienced immigration and being impacted by the immigration crisis themselves, I was able to develop my own personal understanding and opinions on the topic.

Blog 5: Audio Story Reflection

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Podcasting is something I’ve always found interesting as a listener. I have two or three podcasts that I keep up with regularly and I’ve always wondered about the recording process. Obviously, this project was a lot easier than editing an entire hour long episode, but it was still a really involved process.

The exciting thing about podcasting is the freedom it allows creators. I was able to choose any topic (related to immigration) and any background music, sound, etc, that I wanted. The process of editing it was also fairly simple. I tried to integrate music at appropriate times, which was difficult when covering a serious topic. A lot of the podcasts I listen to are more light hearted and I think a topic like that would be easier to edit music into.

When choosing a topic, I wanted to do a definition of something related to immigration. I felt by simply defining a term, I could expand on its relevance in today’s society and political climate. DACA is a term that I heard thrown around for years in the media, but had never bothered to actually research. It’s a really important program and I think that repealing it could have extremely negative consequences. When writing my script, I wanted to define the term but also explain the humanity behind it. By explaining the direct impacts of this act and the people it’s protecting, it adds an emotional aspect to an otherwise cut and dry story.

While hearing the sound of my own voice is a little annoying, I think this project was really successful in terms of helping me learn something new about the immigration crisis.

Informational Blog Post #1

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Journalism is the act of telling stories. These stories can be bleak, exciting, passionate, mundane or even tragic. The one thing that all of these stories have in common is that someone, somewhere, believes they must be told.

As we progress as a society, the way we tell these stories is changing. Exposing the truth is more important than ever. The #MeToo Movement, our current political discourse and dozens of other urgent topics have changed the way we feel about journalism. The New York Times has notably shifted their reporting style to match the environment we are currently living in. They put heavy emphasis on “Finding the truth” and “exploring the full story.” Their website enforces the idea that above all, journalism is about finding factual information that can inform and educate the general public.

I worked as a reporter for The Oakland Post, Oakland University’s student-run newspaper. The search for truth isn’t only present at major news outlets with large audiences. We are required to always have two sources, share multiple quotes and fact check our information. Stories that are not properly vetted often require retractions. To share fake news is a disservice to readers and the paper itself.

Journalism is returning to a pure form in the sense of its topics. Readers want to know the facts. They have a desire for clear-cut, important stories. Despite this traditional uprising, the way we share news is more abstract than ever. “The More We Know the More We See” by David Natharius highlights the ways that photojournalism has provided new insights to readers (or in this case, viewers). He suggests that we are shifting from literacy to visuality.

In a time of rampant social media use, media consumers can now get their news on a wide variety of platforms, designed for dwindling attention spans. This is a convenient development, specifically for millennials. By simply logging into apps like Twitter and Facebook, consumers can see the most prevalent headlines.

I recently took on the role of Social Media Editor at The Oakland Post. This job has given me direct insight into what stories get the most attention and why. Hot topic issues are posted first, shared the most and commented on far more than things like reviews and sports reporting. Sharing photos that relate to stories and creating attention-grabbing captions can often boost a story. As a visual culture, it’s important that people are given the oppurtunity to see their news as well as read it.