On Journalism

ECU adviser firing reduces learning

2012-01-06T11:19:00.003-05:00

The adviser to the East Carolina student newspaper, The East Carolinian, is getting a lot of attention. You can read about it here at the Student Press Law Center or watch a news video about it. I have no connection to the adviser, Paul Isom.

However, I am bothered that Mr. Isom was fired for this. In all my training as a student newspaper advise, as well as time advising for both the Grand Rapids Community College Collegiate and the Ferris State University Torch, this goes against all I have learned: The First Amendment and legal precedence supports the fact that student newspaper staff make their own content decisions.

In November 2011, the East Carolinian opted to run a full frontal nudity photo of a male streaking at a football game. While this may be offensive to some, and many college newspaper advisers would prefer their students would choose not to run a photo like this, it is not the advisers decision in the end.

Firing the adviser is an unfortunate, knee-jerk reaction by administrators who do not understand the role of journalism in society, let alone the role of student journalism on a university campus. The students involved here will learn little from the situation in terms of journalism.

I would call this a disappointing end to the situation. However, instead I hope it is not the end. I have sent letters to the two supervisors identified by Mr. Isom, including Director of Marketing and Communications Chris Stansbury.

I hope more people voice their opinions - and while doing so can see beyond their immediate like or dislike of the photo that ran in the paper. This is a much bigger long-term issue that includes a move toward prior review and a chilling effect regarding the content of student newspapers.

I am lucky enough to have been supported by my direct supervisors in a couple of cases that did attract some negative response at The Torch: Once for an advertisement that used a questionable depiction of a woman, once for a photo of the T-shirt students were selling that said Fuck Shit Up (FSU), and most recently for an editorial cartoon that depicted a sorority member in poor light.

All three times there was reason for some people to be offended by the material. All three times I supported the student newspaper staff decisions. All three times we had serious conversations about the decisions they made. And all three times those who did not agree with the newspaper had an opportunity to voice their opinions - in print, online and in person.

All three times, learning happened.

Paywall Discussion

2011-12-15T18:47:00.002-05:00

Here is a newspaper I used to work for, the News-Register in McMinnville, OR, going through the move to a paywall for online content. I was often concerned with the anxiousness to move content online at no cost when I worked there. Now, they are having to make this move.

The comments to the announcement are worth reading, with a good number of supportive readers.

They key here to me is this: The N-R serves a population of the Willamette Valley, primarily Yamhill County, that gets little news coverage elsewhere. If you want news in that area, you need the N-R. So, in the end, you have to pay for it.

Ferris J-Day Event

2011-12-15T08:50:00.003-05:00

Some of my students produced a video about our High School Journalism Day event held Nov. 2, 2011. It was the first time for the event, partnering with the Big Rapids Pioneer, University Advancement & Marketing, Admissions, The Torch and the Journalism & Technical Professional Communication program. The event went well, with about 100 students and teachers attending from 11 schools.

The video is also posted on one of the student's blog: kronmultimedia.

Spread the word about this free event and plan to attend in fall of 2012 if you're a high school teacher or student in West Michigan!

My online newspaper

2011-12-13T14:02:00.002-05:00

There are a few things I've been thinking about as I prepare to make a monumental shift from being a primarily print newspaper reader to an online news reader (I dropped the word newspaper because it just doesn't make sense in this application). I am also a Facebook user and frequent Amazon, among other sites. As I make this change, with the Kindle Fire my chosen new tool, I wonder:

- Will my online news providers allow me to personalize what I see?
- Will my online news providers learn what I like to read and move that to my "front page?"
- Will my online news providers be as responsive as Amazon and Facebook?
- Will my online news providers care what I think?

I'm worried that the same format I have struggled with while dabbling into online news with sites like MLive will continue to frustrate me. For example, when I clicked on Mlive today I found top articles about the Detroit Lions and letters to Santa. I don't want to read either of those stories. And I have no choice about what is right there screaming at me to read them.

I don't care about Detroit sports - or really any sports in Michigan. And I rarely care about any sports in the world ahead of real news. The only letters to Santa I care about come from my own children and I want to read them in private.

Will I be able to remove the "dumbed down" online content for news I really want? When the Grand Rapids Press changes to three-day-a-week delivery in February 2012, I expect more online for my subscription. If not, I'm going to be very tempted to move my loyalty elsewhere. It would be a monumental shift for me - I have been a loyal "local newspaper" reader since I was a teen-ager. Those papers have included the Vista Press, North County Times, Huron Daily Tribune, News-Register and Grand Rapids Press. I have loved them all.

Will I love what online news providers provide me? It really depends on whether or not they can prove to be as smart and relevant as those print papers have been all those years....

Are you under 25 and NOT interested in news?

2011-12-02T12:39:00.002-05:00

When I ask my students if they are interested in news, many reply that they are not - even some that are pursuing careers like public relations and communications and (I'm sad to admit) even a few who see journalism in their futures.

As I continue the discussion throughout the semester, we often come to the conclusion that they are highly interested in news. When a tragedy occurred on campus this semester, many went straight to the Torch web site to find out what happened.

They are interested in news. They do want to know what's happening in the world. They really do care.

What has changed? Basically, there is not a single place for them to go for their news information. There are so many options in this internet-age that what I find is my students do not have a way to go about seeking their news.

They respond when they need to - and they know how to do that well. What many of them don't know how to do is keep up with important news on a daily basis.

I am highly skeptical when my students tell me they are not interested in news. Most often, I am successful at proving them wrong.

E-reader time?

2011-11-30T09:23:00.002-05:00

My local newspaper - I cringe to even call it that at this point but lack for a better word - is dropping to three days a week on Feb. 2, 2012. This is a large media market and the Grand Rapids Press has a rich tradition. However, for financial reasons, it is eliminating home delivery and moving toward its electronic editions through the oft-maligned website that serves the Press known as Mlive.

As a subscriber to the print paper, sometimes user of Mlive, and former freelance writer for both, I'm surely going to be at a loss when the change is made. I feel emotionally connected to newspapers in the physical form. I appreciate my newspaper at home - in my hands.

Instead of rebel against progress, I'm ready to pursue my options for an electronic reader. At this point, the leading candidate for me is the Amazon Kindle Fire. The Press will continue to produce a "print simulated" electronic edition that I can receive daily - I just need a place to read it. At $199 it's far cheaper than the iPad. It also gives me an electronic book reader, without the high price of a tablet with all gadgets.

Of course, it is yet to be seen if I will value news - and newspapers - as much once I lose my physical connection to the paper.

HS Journalism Event at Ferris, Nov. 2, 2011

2011-09-28T17:06:00.001-04:00

Ferris FREE Journalism Day
“The J-Factor: Lessons in Storytelling”
Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011
Ferris State University, Big Rapids

Registration is filling up fast for the FREE one-day journalism workshop for high school students (and teachers) offered by the Ferris State University Journalism and Technical Professional Communications program. Registration is free, but limited to a first-come, first-served basis.

All for FREE: The day will include lunch, workshop sessions, tour of TV and newspaper facilities on campus, contest, bag of free stuff and more! All this is free to the first 125 students who sign up (space is filling up fast)!

Workshop sessions include: Interviewing Techniques; Photography; Video Broadcasting; Tips from Pros at the Big Rapids Pioneer; Sports Reporting; Careers in Writing; and more.

Remember: A chaperone is required from each school attending.

CONTACT: E-mail journalism professor Steven Fox (stevenfox@ferris.edu) to reserve your spot now (or call 231-591-2529). This is a free event, but registration is required.

Context matters

2011-09-16T10:11:00.004-04:00

In doing journalism, sometimes it is easy to assume that readers will get the message on their own. Other times, they need more explanation.

I didn't know about the latest Torch cartoon until it was already published, as is common in my role as the faculty adviser to the student paper. I can't claim to have known or thought about this beforehand. Sometimes, things just happen in this industry.

The cartoon, depicting a sorority member over a toilet, has stirred more than 600 comments on the Torch web site in a couple days and much more discussion on campus. It has definitely been the buzz. The web site has struggled to keep up, getting nearly 20,000 hits in a day. At times I have receive error messages trying to see the latest discussion. The previous best MONTH in terms of site visits was 11,000.

What many who are seeing the cartoon without any context don't realize, is that it was not done randomly. From talking with national award-winning Torch cartoonist John Vestevich, I learned he was responding to T-shirts being worn by many members of Ferris State sororities as they head toward recruiting week.

The T-shirts, as shown in the comic, say: "Fall Sorority Recruitment. We didn't invent CLASS, we perfected it."

The shirts seem harmless enough, but clearly they also provided an easy target for a witty cartoonist like Vestevich. He has also seen the irony in other things on campus, like the universities slogan to "Imagine More..." and poking fun at students in general.

Is it out of line to do satirical commentary on a university campus? Apparently, many who are involved in the Greek community feel it is if you read their comments. I believe it is only a problem when it gets personal. Editorial cartoons are meant to touch a nerve and get personal.

However, understanding the full context of why Vestevich chose the topic I don't agree with those who believe the cartoon is out of line. In fact, the Torch has repeatedly published articles about the positive work Greek organizations do at Ferris, including this very one in the same Sept. 14 edition.

I encourage everyone to take a look at the bigger picture and take it all in perspective.

I feel your pain

2011-09-10T15:23:00.002-04:00

I have done a few YouTube videos over the years, mostly using our family Flip video camera. It is easy to use and works relatively well.

However, I figure if I'm going to be critiquing student multimedia work I had better step it up a bit. I am getting my first experience using iMovie. Here is a short video of my son, Hayden, wrestling.

It isn't much, but this newer video includes raw sound, edited video to keep it short, some audio voice over, a flip transition, some text at the start and end, and I published it to YouTube. I'm not claiming to win any awards here, but you can learn a lot by just messing around. And I can tell you that from experience.

I also posted a much longer video to YouTube of my son wrestling last fall. It's much longer and includes no editing work.

Please, compare the two and let me know what you think.

Time, patience and incredible creativity

2011-09-09T21:11:00.003-04:00

Doing the best multimedia storytelling takes a lot of work. Not just hours, days, weeks or even months.

I heard today as Jim Sheeler, a former reporter for the now defunct Rocky Mountain News, described the work he did reporting about the death of soldiers in Iraq. The thing is, Sheeler didn't just do reporting. He did true storytelling. He invested a huge amount of time and energy and then had nearly a year to produce his writing - that also was accompanied by incredible photographs, audio and video.

Check it all out to get a glimpse of the power of creative energy displayed in words, visuals and sounds, in the package called Final Salute. It's truly emotional journalism. It makes you slow down, pay attention, and soak it all in.

I don't want to find out....

2011-09-02T09:44:00.002-04:00

I read this blog post today on the site 10,000 Words: What happens when a city loses its newspaper?

Truth is, I don't want to ever live in a place where I have to find out the answer to that question. Because I'm concerned about a lot of things that could happen without my knowledge:
- City commission raises water rates without public knowledge.
- The high school kid down the street is a soccer star and I don't even know it.
- My county commissioners approve a policy weakening its stance of acceptance of gay citizens.
- A local official is caught soliciting teenagers for sex online.
- My favorite band is going to play in town and tickets go on sale at 8 a.m.

I could go on and on. My newspaper gives me so much information that it is painful just imagining what it would be like without it.

Multimedia journalism requires far more planning

2011-09-01T08:43:00.004-04:00

Multimedia journalism brings thoughts of video, graphics, and other exciting online imagery. It also includes audio, still photos, and good storytelling.

A critical component to effective multimedia journalism is the planning stage. Questions need to be asked:
What format will best tell this story?
Is video useful for this story?
What audio can enhance the storytelling?
How should images be displayed?
What is the pace of the story to be told?
Why am I using the components I have selected?

Without asking questions, and properly planning, multimedia journalism is often no better than a sloppy homemade YouTube video. That's not what professional journalists should be doing.

Here is an example I found from a student at Columbia University about the rundown conditions of Camden, N.J. It caught my attention partly because of the use of still photography, the slow dramatic music, and the pace of the audio narration. It adds to the dramatic story. This is well planned.

First comment says it all....

2011-08-17T06:50:00.002-04:00

More and more newspapers are going to what is called a "paywall" to try to make a profit online. The idea is that there is a wall set up beyond which you must pay to see what is behind it - sort of like a virtual zoo. Want to get in to see the animals? You must pay. Same with news content. You can get to the site - and maybe see some headlines - but without paying you can't read the real content.

Check out this story for some more about recent moves to paywalls. It is a growing trend.

However, the first comment under the story says it all about the consumer attitude toward online new content: "Meh. I can find my news elsewhere for free. I'm good, thanks."

I'm incredibly disappointed every time I hear that attitude. It's the No. 1 reason for the downfall of good journalism. How can the industry be sustained with that attitude?

Going all in!

2011-08-16T14:16:00.003-04:00

Newspapers have been trying to figure out the online model for well over 15 years. I have worked at three newspapers that have basically failed in their attempts to move news online and make a sustainable profit: The Huron Daily Tribune, The News-Register and The Grand Rapids Press. I don't mean to pick on them; they are in the majority here. And I can personally attest to the growing pains at all three places as they tried to position the company to take advantage of the incredible profit potential..... which has yet to come to fruition.

Newspapers took their traditional model and tried to utilize the new tool - the internet. One major problem: People pay for internet access, but they are rarely willing to pay for content. So, how to make a profit?

How about advertising? Sounds like a nice plan, but it just hasn't proven to work out. Advertisers still pump most of their dollars into traditional media: TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, etc,.. The internet has grown, sure, but it hasn't settled into a model where a newspaper can afford to give away content free and remain profitable through the amount of available advertising.

Why all the struggles? One reason is surely that newspapers are trying to do it all. They want to be the traditional print news provider they have been for hundreds of years, while also serving the online population well. This has proven incredibly difficult to be all things to all people.

One major college newspaper, the Red and Black from University of Georgia, recently went all in with the online endeavor. The print edition is no more for this historically strong newspaper. Will it ever come back in print? We don't know. However, it's unlikely once this move has been made.

Check out the Red and Black and compare it to other college newspapers that are still trying to do both. Here are a few to check out: The State News from Michigan State, CM Life from Central Michigan University and The Torch from Ferris State University.

Is the Red and Black better? Is it noticeably different? Can you tell it has gone online only from the way the site is presented, material is provide and stories are told?

Still the best!

2011-02-27T19:47:00.003-05:00

I'm still very confident that the reporting done for newspapers is the best source of information available to me.

That may seem like a surprising statement to many of you, but I believe it wholeheartedly. Where else can I get news today that tells me about:
— the impact of the drilling of natural gas on our drinking water (The New York Times)
— the "ugly truth" of U.S. medical experiments conducted 50 years ago or more (Associated Press)
— background on state's that do now have collective bargaining for public employee unions (The Washington Post)
— a story about the military being accused of using intelligence tactics on Senators (The Washington Post)
— an in-depth story about the Supreme Court facing conflict between constitutional rights and protecting children (The Washington Post)

And, to be honest, that's just a small glimpse into the amazing work reporters do every day at newspapers all across the world - and the country. It's not a particularly exceptional day — just another day.

I would welcome anyone to show me a medium that provides this level of in-depth information and reporting on a regular basis. The Internet may be the avenue for it - but it is newspaper reporters who do the work. Television is nowhere close, radio doesn't even really try and magazines just can't keep up. However, I will give magazines credit for doing some of the best in-depth reporting.

Good journalism - good reporting of important information - is alive and well.

Stooping to serfdom?

2011-02-22T11:22:00.002-05:00

Journalists have never been known to be well paid. The purveyors of print journalism have never been compensated in any way commensurate with our significant role in our countries democracy - as defined in the First Amendment and as praised by the likes of Thomas Jefferson, Alexis de Tocqueville, and Benjamin Franklin.

Jokes of eating ramen noodles in college didn't end there for would-be newspaper reporters. In fact, I likely ate better as a struggling university student than I did as a fledgling reporter for the Huron Daily Tribune in Bad Axe, Mich. Where, upon arrival, I discovered I qualified for low-income housing thanks to my full-time salary that amounted to less than $15,000 a year. Try balancing a few bar nights (a necessity in the Thumb), eating, and paying back student loans with that income?

Well, we may be headed to a new low as an industry. A recent New York Times article (I read it on Ongo), had this headline: At Media Companies, a Nation of Serfs. Ouch!

The best example of this is the Huffington Post, which has employed a legion of unpaid bloggers - that's free content for the edgy, independent online newspaper that recently "sold out" for $315 million to AOL. Now, those unpaid bloggers are essentially working for the $2 billion media giant. Hmmmmm..... is working for free so sexy now?

It never was and it never will be. The biggest change to me is this: I was willing to work for much less than I should have made in an industry that I took pride in being a part of. Can we still sell that line of thinking to young journalists?

Which group is more responsible: Journalists or Politicians?

2011-02-15T16:01:00.002-05:00

In a debate about which side acts more responsibly in their roles serving the public, my vote sides strongly with journalists here.

Of course, I'm biased. But I'm also certain that I am correct.

My belief is only strengthened today by a report in the USA Today about an Iraqi WMD information who apparently lied. OK, we can probably agree that's not a shock. We're talking about a country that was strife with corruption back in the 1990s and early 2000s. Lies were bound to happen.

Apparently, this person code-named "Curveball" is behind some of the stories that convinced the Bush Administration that there were definitely WMDs in Iraq - enough so to start a war over. One person.

Here are a few areas where I would expect journalists - especially those at the highest level on par with the level of our federal government that botched this - would have likely made different decisions:
1. It takes more than one source to report something so serious.
2. The source was clearly anti-Saddam Hussein, which would bring his credibility immediately into doubt.
3. German officials actually received this information - so it came to the U.S. (Colin Powell used the information directly in a 2003 speech according to the article) second hand. Reporters would demand more credible sources.
4. The source, "Curveball," was also reportedly given promises by the Germans that his cooperation would make it easier for his wife and child to join him in Germany - so he clearly had something to gain. This is one of the biggest red flags of all for journalists.

So, while I believe a half-competent journalist would have handled this very differently our country went to war based largely on the fact there were WMDs in Iraq - something we now know to be untrue.

If a newspaper botched this up as badly as the Bush Administration apparently did, it would take decades to recover the trust of readers - if ever. That's what happens in the industry - it's the strongest form of media accountability.

What do we do now to hold the Bush Administration accountable?

Monitoring comments

2011-02-10T20:09:00.003-05:00

The common practice on many online news sites has been to allow anonymous comments at the end of articles. This encourages involvement, promotes lively discussion and, to be honest, without the anonymous option we all know the number participants in these comment forums would drop steeply.

I'm still concerned about the random commenter who opts for the personal attacks. Anonymous comments opens the door for inflammatory language that few would use if held accountable. I don't like some of the things I've seen, for sure.

Here's a recent comment I was made aware of on a college newspaper site: “What a shame. This story breaks my heart. (NAME OMITTED) is a meth cook and dealer. I think (NAME OMITTED) stumbled on (NAME OMITTED) meth lab at the school, and he had her killed. Her boyfriend the surveyor was in my class last summer, he was in on it, but he tried to pick a fight with me to get me kicked out of school. For everyone out there who wants to go to (SCHOOL OMITTED), don't. Most of the teachers there are not real teachers, they are meth dealers. (NAME OMITTED) is nothing but a low life meth cook who has put peoples sons and daughters at lives at risk, and I believe he is responable for (NAME OMITTED) death.”

That's some serious stuff there. It was actually posted. Does it have any truth to it? I really don't know.

The paper was asked to remove this comment. After some checking around about common practices and legalities, I'm told they did remove it.

Here is one example of a portion of a student newspaper policy:

We will delete comments, without notice, that:

* Are fraudulent, unlawful, threatening, abusive, harassing, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, offensive, pornographic, profane, sexually explicit or indecent
* Threaten, invite, or encourage violence
* Are derogatory of others on the basis of political affiliation, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual preference or disability
* Constitute or encourage conduct that would violate any local, state, national or international laws
* Violate, plagiarize or infringe the rights of third parties including, copyright, trademark, trade secret, confidentiality, contract, patent, or rights of privacy
* Contain advertising
* Are by commenters who misidentify or misrepresent themselves
* Contain personal information (addresses, phone numbers, etc) about the comment's author or others

The best policies I have been made aware of do allow comments - from anyone. They also have staff members who regularly check the comments - they do not preview them - for problems. If a problem is detected, they may be removed.

Reasons for allowing live, anonymous commenting are actually numerous: Promoting lively discussion is the obvious one.

Another reason is that newspapers are actually less liable legally if they do not get into the business of previewing, or editing, the comment contents. Section 230 of the Communications Decency ACt of 1996 protects providers of interactive Internet forums from liability. That protection could be lost if you preview the posts before publishing them.

So, while the temptation may be difficult to resist, allowing open commenting is better for all in the long run. Let the comments fly!

Paying for news

2011-02-03T13:34:00.003-05:00

Often, I read things and am captured by a paragraph, sentence or phrase. The theme of an article is clearly important, but I tend to look for those gems.

In his Ask the Recruiter column today on the Poynter web site, Joe Grimm writes about a new website called Ongo that he describes as a "personal news experience."

I am interested in places online where I can go to find more of the news that is important to me. It is the ongoing search we all undergo for: What I want, when I want it. Ongo sounds like an interesting venture of many solid news producers.

However, it was a paragraph late in Grimm's column about Ongo that caught my attention: "Kazim said that the Internet has disaggregated news to the point where it is overwhelming for readers who want to manage multiple news sources. Ongo is trying to be a one-stop shop for managing the news."

The internet, and many pseudo-news sites, have been negatively described as "aggregators" of news rather than producers. The problem there for journalism is that the producers of the news are losing out on revenue for their work when a "aggregator" takes it and publishes it and attracts an audience.

It is an interesting way to look at things that not only are sites aggregating news, but they are disaggregating it by making it spread over so many locations and thus making it difficult to navigate to good information.

In this case, Ongo is charging $6.99 a month and is working closely with those producers - sharing revenue from subscribers. And if it does this week, giving me what I want and what I should read, it sounds like an interesting concept.

Anything that is looking to serve readers and solve some of the financial puzzle to keep good journalism relevant and profitable is a worthy venture to me.

In fact, I don't think I would count Ongo in a simple fail/succeed scenario. Just for attempting it is a success in my eyes. If it works, great. If it is not financially successfully, my hope is it will create a foundation for another venture to improve upon the concept to one day be successful.

We must be willing to pay for our news.

I'm excited about news journalism

2011-02-01T14:15:00.004-05:00

Some TV production students at Ferris asked me to participate in an ongoing project called "Bulldog Story." I got to talk about my journalism career and my role as a professor of journalism as well as adviser to the Ferris State student newspaper. I was excited to see how it turned out and felt compelled to get this going again....

Check it out the short clip of my "Bulldog Story."

I'm also hoping to make better use of this blog moving forward - I have plenty to say, plenty I want to hear from others about and plenty to continue to ponder about the newspaper industry.

Tim Skubick coming to Ferris

2010-10-04T13:35:00.005-04:00

Well known political reporter Tim Skubick will be visiting Ferris State on Oct. 19 to talk about issues in our state. If you know of Skubick, from television or print, you know he is exactly the kind of political reporter we need: He knows his stuff and he won't let politician skirt around the real issues.

Check him out on his weekly public TV series "Off the Record" or read his weekly newspaper column. Lean more

about Skubick by clicking here and then be sure to check him out in person on Oct. 19.

Skubick should be of interest to every Michigander right now with the gubernatorial race to be decided in November, as well as major state economic issues and the funding of education in Michigan all vital to everyone. If you're a reporter, or a want to be one some day, studying Skubick's style can only make you better and more well-informed.

Some "other" skills essential to being a journalist

2010-08-11T08:18:00.002-04:00

I recently read a post on the blog 10,o00 Words that refers to 3 Underrated but essential skills for journalists. While of course journalists must be strong writers, critical thinkers, possess inquisitive minds, possess the ability to decipher complex topics, etc,... there are also some other skills that often go overlooked.

According to 10,000 Words blog author Mark S. Luckie, a few of those "other" skills include: Math, Design and Interpersonal skills. I agree with those selections. My only consternation here is that my personal list of "underrated but essential skills for journalists" would include far more entries. For the sake of brevity, these three are interesting.

Math is not only an underrated skill for journalists. It is just plain underrated in society. Starting at an early age far too many people hear that they simply are not good at math. I find that to be hogwash. Math takes practice and work. It comes easy to only a select few. It is worth the effort to journalists because on any given day many news stories not only include numbers, but must be based on mathematical calculations in order to relate information to readers. For example, if a CEO is going to be paid $8 million but also gets stock options, deferred compensation and other "benefits" not included in the base salary, then I want to know what the total is as a reader. Not only that, but I want to know what $8 million means. What does that buy a person? I can't really relate. How many mid-priced cars does that buy? I want it in real terms. And I want it accurate. On another note, I want my taxes and potential tax increases explained in plain and simple terms when I read the paper. I don't want complex accountant formulas. I want it laid out for me in terms I can relate to without doing the math myself. That means the journalist must do the math. Finally, if a journalist is not strong at math then there are likely numerous stories that fly right by without notice. For example, the percentages that don't add up in the school budget, the dollar figures that are inflated by a local business, or the city council that slides through a purchase using a long spreadsheet of figures.

Design is a bit more obvious to me. Journalists simply need to understand how readers absorb information. Design is one way to ensure all those words will even get to the readers. I want journalists who can imagine design: Able to determine what makes a good photo or a good graphic in the early stages. A journalist who can package elements to make them jump off the page or the screen.

Finally, interpersonal skills. As a professor, this one is difficult. I have had students who possessed many of the tools to become strong journalists. However, they lacked the personal presence to make an impact on those they interact with. This does not mean failure is imminent. However, it can be the difference between getting a story, landing an interview and building relationships rather than being shuffled into the background and forgotten. The fact is, making a positive impression on people is essential to building staying power as a journalist.

What other essential skills do you find underrated for journalists? How about overrated?

Newspapers for life.....

2010-06-30T16:45:00.002-04:00

There is a strong argument that newspaper experience is life experience. Get on a college newspaper staff and you are building valuable skills.

Check this out from Huffington Post, written by college newspaper adviser Michael Koretsky:

www.huffingtonpost.com/college

A bit of fun with the plight of newspapers

2010-01-12T08:32:00.001-05:00

Saw this blog recently - good for a few good laughs and some things to contemplate. I loved Mad-Libs when I was a kid....

Innovation in College Media

I'm feeling good about journalism....

2010-01-06T17:04:00.002-05:00

I'm not feeling like the work good journalists do will ever disappear. In fact, I think as we sort through this crazy time that will go down in history as a remarkably dizzying information age, we will discover that at the end of it all the journalism we are privy to will be better than ever.

The job of a journalist???

2009-10-23T21:05:00.003-04:00

We seem to have a hard time as people balancing things. We don't want people to be rude or say things that are socially unacceptable. However, we get upset when people are too PC (politically correct). And all sorts of other complaints factor in, often resorting to stereotypes. Why do we rely so heavily on stereotypes and how, in any fashion, is anyone supposed to remain unbiased with all of the stereotypes we all carry around?

We want so much from our journalists these days - perfection really. But in so many other areas we're ok with shallow, weak, easy and cliche. Why don't we hold others to a similar standard: advertisers, businesses, teachers, etc,..... Are they all unbiased? Do we call them out when they're not? Should everyone try to do better? Should everyone try to stop relying so heavily on petty biases?

I'm not sure I have the answers. Maybe without our stereotypes, there would be more problems. I just wonder sometimes why people can get so worked up in one area and seemingly not care in others.

NY Times cuts

2009-10-20T12:37:00.002-04:00

Today, I read this from Reuters:

The New York Times said on Monday it would cut 100 newsroom jobs through buyouts or layoffs as it tries to counter lost advertising revenue.
This is the second time in little more than a year that the Times has sought to reduce its newsroom staff. In 2008, the newspaper cut 100 newsroom jobs.
Earlier this year, it cut salaries by 5 percent.
The newspaper has 1,250 editorial employees, down from 1,330, the Times reported on its website. It said no other U.S. newspaper has more than about 750 journalists.

Bottom line, the giant in our country - and arguably the world - is struggling. I don't think it means ALL newspapers are struggling. Many smaller papers in our country are better equipped to deal with financial difficulties - less competition, less debt within the business, and more loyal local readership. However, when something like this is announced it deserves our attention as an industry.

Newspaper's role

2009-10-20T12:34:00.002-04:00

The business of producing a newspaper is hurting in a bad way. I make no qualms about that. However, that fact is not a reflection on the important work of journalists. In many ways, I believe newspapers went too far following industry trends over the last two decades:
- Too much online (free)
- Too much pandering to what reader's "want"
Those are two examples. How can a business succeed financially when the content is offered free elsewhere? Second, who cares if readers say they want to read about American Idol and Brittany Spears updates? Journalists have long reported what reader's "need" to know - that needs to remain the emphasis for any future of newspapers.

A quote that made me think today....

2009-09-17T09:18:00.002-04:00

"O Lord, help me not to despise or oppose what I do not understand," William Penn (1644-1718).

How often do people jump on a cause or a line of thought or believe something, simply because it fits with what they want to believe?

Newfourth Organization

2009-09-01T10:16:00.002-04:00

The Fourth Estate is a term going back to at least the early 1800s that refers to the press. The idea is the first three estates refer to the official branches of government, with the fourth being reserved for the free press that has been called by some the most important to democracy.

With this background in mind, an ambitious friend of mine who believes as much in the future of journalism as I do recently started a new venture: Newfourth Organization. I am honored to have been asked to be involved.

Here is a synopsis from the organization's fledgling web site:

In the new media world, The Freedom of the Press won’t be reserved for those who buy ink by the barrel.That’s why The Newfourth Organization designs K-12 journalism curriculum for implementation into core language arts, social studies and mathematics classes. Our goal is simple, but could have a profound impact on America’s future: We seek to provide every American child a basic literacy in journalism, giving rise to a New Fourth Estate — a generation of Americans fully prepared to engage as producers and consumers of journalism.

Budget is the word of the year...

2009-08-24T15:14:00.002-04:00

The word budget is not only the word of the day - it's the word of the year and possibly the decade. I have been hearing it for years related to newspapers. Today, during faculty meetings, it came up over and over again. Newspapers may be struggling, but they're not the only ones facing difficult economic times.

It is my belief that those newspapers able to survive the times by proving clear, accurate and informative news to readers will come out of these times stronger and better prepared to serve readers. They will understand what readers want, they will have discovered how to provide it, and they will not soon forget how fragile the news industry can become when those things are taken for granted.

The words of the future are integrity and speed!

Exciting times

2009-08-19T13:27:00.000-04:00

The end of summer brings exciting times for me. It's a chance to begin sharing what I have observed of the newspaper industry over the last 20 years - both as a beginning reporter and now as an educator and consumer. Times are definitely changing in the newspaper industry. I find the times to be exciting.

How about you?

PR puzzle

2009-07-15T20:27:00.002-04:00

Public relations and the press have long been opposing forces. However, they need one another.

My question now: Is it time for the press to swallow its pride and engage in some serious public relations work to improve its image?

A few things to ponder in that regard: Is it too late for the press to recover from the damage of the last 20 years? Is there even a problem with the press as it stands? What is the future of the press in the U.S.?

Online JRNL class?

2009-05-20T10:26:00.002-04:00

I've been charged with pondering an online news journalism course for Ferris. It's just in the brainstorming phase right now.

I found this description of an online JRNL course at Michigan State:

Information gathering and reporting in multimedia platforms for online news delivery. Online style, text, headline, video, audio and other interactive elements will be used to produce online news packages for publication.

What do you think?

Doomed from the beginning

2009-05-13T20:31:00.001-04:00

So, I learned something new about blogging. My friend Charles informed me its not a successful blog unless there's a "disliked" person on it. Well, I had that person lately. And it got worse and worse and worse and just finally had to end.

Maybe blogging was doomed from the beginning. The idea of open forum is great. The practice is not so easy.... I welcomed countering views, allowed some name-calling and inappropriate language, but then it became just way too much. This blog is not about my political views or the political views of anyone else. It was intended to spark debate primarily about issues as they relate to journalism.

I hope to get back to that..... but it may have been doomed from the beginning.

Blogging is curious

2009-05-12T10:23:00.003-04:00

Blogging is a curious thing. So is writing, thinking and communicating. They are intertwined. I encourage my children, and my students, to write as frequently as possible. I believe the benefits of writing are far reaching.

Unfortunately, with blogging and other forms of public communication comes pitfalls. They are difficult to avoid in any public endeavor. I certainly have my share of stories from my newspaper days..... Now, I seem to have an anonymous blogger stalker.

In newspapers, we required identification to publish letters to the editor, quotes, etc,... It is a standard rule: If you're not willing to put your name on it, then it's not worth printing. Remaining anonymous is weak and allows for far too great an opportunity to spout hate and untruths.

The dilemma becomes this: Does a blogger allow anonymous comments? I decided to allow them when I started blogging a couple years ago. I figured it would encourage comments and debate and discussion, outweighing the possible negative effects.

Now, I find myself wondering if I made the right decision. While I enjoy debate - with those I agree and disagree with - I do not enjoy name-calling, generalizations and pettiness.

Checking Obama's progress?

2009-05-07T08:48:00.002-04:00

Candidate Barack Obama made a lot of promises during his campaign. Over 500! The St. Petersburg Times, a well-known conservative newspaper in Florida, started a web site tracking Obama's progress on his promises once he became President.

Check it out at PolitiFact.com.

It tracks a number of categories: Promises Kept; Compromise; Promise Broken; Stalled; In the Works; and No Action.

He is our president. Whether you voted for him or not, this web site or something like it should become a regular part of your media consumption. Holding all of our public officials, especially our President, is a vital part of a successful democracy.

So, how do you think he's doing?

Jobs?

2009-05-04T09:27:00.002-04:00

Anyone working in newspapers or preparing people to work in the business have heard some form of the question: How do you feel about working in a dying industry?

At Ferris State University, where I teach, this is not as direct and serious a question as some surely face. We do not offer a straight Journalism bachelor's degree. There is a journalism emphasis within Technical Communications, a Multi-Media Journalism minor and a Journalism certificate. However, we are not preparing students specifically for a career in newspapers. While there are some on campus with that career path in mind it is a very small number.

When I do come across a student interested in a newspaper career, I am realistic with that person. I stress the opportunities available at Michigan's numerous smaller newspapers rather than planting in their minds ideas of grandiose positions with the New York Times. For example, the Ionia Sentinel-Standard.

The daily Sentinel-Standard is located between Grand Rapids and Lansing. The paper recently sent out a notice of hiring a full-time entry level reporter. These are the jobs I want my students prepared to land. They can do that through a combination of classroom learning and hands-on learning. Much of the hands-on learning available at Ferris, and on many other campuses, comes from student newspapers. Here at Ferris that is the Torch.

I'm not about to give up on newspapers altogether. I don't think others should either.

Ferris Torch becoming student-focused

2009-05-01T10:10:00.002-04:00

One of the first things I noticed about the Ferris State Torch when I first became interested in it more than a year ago was the lack of focus on its readership: students. Too many stories were about topics and written in ways that were aimed at faculty and administration.

I believe the Torch made huge strides toward becoming more student-reader focused, particularly during the second half of the Spring 2009 semester. Take a look at some recent Torch stories and pages online and let me know what you think.

MSU to host News Summit: In Search of a New Journalism

2009-05-01T09:57:00.003-04:00

New journalism is really nothing new. I heard the same term when I was in school 20 years ago. I've read it in textbooks. I'm not diminishing the importance of this event, just pointing out the fact journalism has changed many times over the years - and like many things it is likely to change more and at a much faster pace now than ever before.

This event is interesting. I was considering attending in person, but when I learned there will be a webcast, I decided saving the driving time, the gas money and the environment was too good to pass up. Here is the basic information:

News Summit: In Search of a New Journalism, 1:30-4 p.m. May 11 at Michigan State University. An RSVP is required to attend in person. The web cast is available at SpartanTV. Check out more information at MSU's journalism program web site or check out this PDF of the press release.

Torture

2009-04-30T09:37:00.003-04:00

What do you think about the way the issue of torture has been covered? Is it fair to both sides? How has President Obama handled it? What about former VP Cheney's criticism of Obama?

This may tip my hat, but I found one particular part of Obama's 100-day speech interesting on this topic. He retold the story of Churchill during World War II. England was being mercilessly bombed. It was horrible. And England had about 200 enemy combatants. However, instead of stooping to torture chose to take a long-term, moral approach by not allowing torture. His reasoning was that once taking a step like that a society could never go back. No matter what happened the rest of the war, there would be this long-term impact of choosing to treat people that way. He took the more difficult path.

Torture is easier. Is it worth it for the short-term or long-term?

Media mayhem

2009-04-27T12:55:00.003-04:00

We had some discussion in class today about weekend news. There were a few major headlines:

1. Outbreak of what is being called the swine flu.

2. GM is eliminating the Pontiac line, laying off 21,000 employees by 2010.

3. The NFL draft - like it or not, it's everywhere.

Those dominated the news, with other things like the economy, Obama's first 100 days, the NBA and NHL playoffs, the Yankees-Red Sox series, etc,... also drawing attention.

It was interesting to note one story that drew far less attention than I expected: A 57-year-old professor at University of Georgia in Athens shot and killed three people on Saturday afternoon. As of right now, there is an ongoing manhunt for him. My students had not even heard about this story. Here is the current story in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, two days after the shootings:

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2009/04/26/uga_professor_shooting.html

Why was it overshadowed?

If it involved students, would it have drawn more attention?

If it was involving a minority would it have been a bigger headline?

Decision-makers in the news had plenty to deal with this weekend, to be sure. I'm not sure if they missed this one or not. But it is interesting how a seemingly big news story can be shuffled aside simply due to timing of other big stories.

An article about WM newspapers

2009-02-17T17:37:00.003-05:00

Here is a link to an article about the business of journalism, focusing on West Michigan:

Mibiz.com

New News Model

CMU Library exhibit on Michigan Newspapers

2009-02-14T10:16:00.005-05:00

During the Michigan Press Association's winter conference in Grand Rapids, I had the opportunity to speak with Frank Boles, director of Clarke Historical Library at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant. Mr. Boles was on hand to display the libraries new feature: Celebrating Two Centuries of Michigan Newspapers. As a graduate of the journalism program at CMU (1995), I was pleased to learn my alma mater was recording the history of a business that is so vital to our countries history. In many ways, as Mr. Boles told me, newspapers are the first draft of our history. They tell is what is happening now. Books and other media tell us more in depth about our history much later.... The photo is courtesy of the Clarke Historical Library, displaying some of Michigan's rich history of large and small newspapers that continues today.

According to a press release by Mr. Boles, the library display is focused on:

*The importance of newspaper as information resources

*The longevity of newspapers as a means of communication

* The importance of preserving newspapers as historical resources

The state of newspapers

2009-02-14T09:38:00.003-05:00

It really is doomsday out there. Newspapers are in serious decline and have no real chance to survive in their traditional formats, if you believe the pundits. But that's like listening to popular opinion about anything - it's the loudest who are heard most.

Doing a little deeper digger reveals a lot of great things going on in the newspaper business - some new and some very old. Like this from www.stateofthenewsmedia.org "On an average day, roughly 51 million people still buy a newspaper, and 124 million in all still read one."

That's not bad. Reports will often also show as a business, newspapers are making money. Like many businesses in the midst of our difficult economic times they are not making as much profit as they did five years ago and they often are not meeting projections. Does that mean they are not good businesses in the long run?

I don't dismiss the fact many newspapers are ailing. Just look at the Detroit Free Press, which is cutting home distribution to only three days a week. This is a 177-year-old newspaper that produces great investigative reporting. But is it the newspaper that is the problem or the business operations? I'm not convinced the product is the biggest issue. I believe many people still want their local paper to read good, well reported news about local issues. And newspapers are still the most reliable place to obtain that information.

Of course, newspapers have evolved over the last few hundred years and they must continue to do so. That does not only mean online. It also means in print. Many newspapers across the country continue to pay the bills with the print edition. For a decade or more many of those same papers have been sinking money into online ventures of all sorts hoping it will pay off one day. To date, it is not paying off for the vast majority of them. In fact, I'd be hard pressed to find a paper that has come close to a return for every dollar it has invested in online products. It can be argued that most papers would have been better off business-wise to continue operating as a print edition, investing the money in more graphics artists, more investigative reporting and the tools to do that work.

Stopping there would be ignoring the demand for online news. I don't believe that is wise. However, the format for online news that will be successful with consumers is really still evolving. It may require joint ventures between news outlets, better presentation and improved involvement with consumers. Those are just some of my ideas.

In the mean time, I propose we stop pushing print newspapers under the bus while they are struggling due to some extenuating circumstances: online products that have not paid off and tough economic times. Let's look at print media on its own merits. There still are many positive qualities to strong, traditional print journalism.

Too long... depressing news.... maybe

2009-01-13T16:56:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since I last posted. A bit too long. News out of the journalism industry is consistently depressing in terms of the future of the business model we have grown accustomed. Will it improve? Or does the business model need to change?

One change I'm hoping to continue to pursue is in regard to the opportunity for citizens to produce high quality journalism. I'm working with some students this semester to publish a campus site. They are in the process of researching working models to determine the format they will utilize. I'm excited to see what they come up with, while constantly collecting ideas and examples to share with them.

I came across one recently: Examiner.com. With the leading publication in this group coming out of D.C. (where it is also anchored by a print edition), there are are many of these fledgling online publications in urban areas around the country. From what I can tell, anyone can sign on for the chance to be a writing contributor. I have found no evidence of pay for this type of work.

Is this a threat to reporters or simply a new outlet? We'll see.

Technology Scale

2008-12-12T10:23:00.004-05:00

I feel like I'm in a bit of technology limbo. I blog, I follow blogs I feel a connection with, post comments on blogs I feel are worthwhile, use my laptop to stay in touch with family, friends, colleagues and students, use technology in my classrooms, and dabble in new technology now and then. I was aware of Twitter over a year ago - though I only tried it, but really did not jump in. I felt some pride in knowing a technology before most of my students....

However, reality is, on the whole scale of technology I certainly lean toward the ignorant. As a journalist, journalism professor and adviser to the Ferris State Torch I am doing my students a disservice if I do not move at least above the average on the technology scale. How can I expect them to be ahead of me?

That said, it is my goal to improve my standing over the coming years. I'm hoping to start by learning applications of Flash. I just found this link today. That's what office hours, summer break and other such times are for after all. Right?

Citizen journalism

2008-12-03T19:46:00.002-05:00

As Jay Rosen of NYU defined it, citizen journalism is basically when consumers of information have the tools in their hands to produce and disseminate information. Well, we do. Computers are all we need to become journalists - spreading information all over the world.

I believe this process will be largely self-regulating, as with businesses. Do a good job, prove you're a reliable source of information, and others will stick with you. Fail to be reliable and others will abandon you.

This doesn't mean it will be a smooth process. And it doesn't mean we're ready to take off into a full-fledged, successful venture where citizen journalism is a viable alternative for information on a daily basis.

A former reporter colleague of mine, Matthew D. LaPlante, made a great point recently when we were exchanging some ideas by e-mail. He said, "I think it's going to be nurtured from the ground up, preferably through the public education system."

I agree with Matt. And I hope to be a part of this nurturing in some small way.

It's really over

2008-11-07T10:32:00.002-05:00

Despite the ongoing news about the presidential election held Tuesday, one chapter is clearly over. It's a chapter that dragged on for what felt like thousands of pages. One of those books you wanted to finish, but also had to put down at times to get a break.

Now, it's on to another chapter. The post-election, pre-Obama presidency. Is he taking over a country in such bad shape that his destiny is predetermined? Will Republicans look back at the strides the Democrats made in 2008 as a turning point for the better because no one can right the ship? Will Obama overcome the difficult issues he faces, including the slumping economy, divided political atmosphere and an ongoing war, to have a successful presidency?

The stories will not end. The book is far from complete. Keep reading....

Newspapers not giving up yet

2008-10-30T20:22:00.004-04:00

As pundits have debated the future of print newspapers over the years, I have held firm in my belief that many people will always hold on to a strong bond with paper: I do. As technology has become more and more prevalent, with tiny screens providing the means to access just about anything, anywhere at any time, in some ways that will also be the savior for newspapers.

What I mean is, we will only go so far with technology before there is some push back.

That push back may be happening now. According to research done by the National Newspaper Association, readership is up for newspapers (www.nna.org). The NNA reports, "In 2008, more people reported reading a newspaper each week, rising to 86 percent form 82 percent in 2005 and 83 percent in 2007."

I thought that was an extremely high number. And it gets better, "They also report that they're spending more time reading the newspaper, up to 45 minutes, an increase over 2005 (38 minutes) and 2007 (42 minutes)."

While some want to write off newspapers as a dying breed, I'm not ready to jump on that bandwagon. I am ready to admit newspapers need to continue to be smart, responsive to readers and nimble enough to dance with the times.

While this may disappoint some who will have to admit they were wrong about the future of newspapers, they're not going away as an entire industry.

Feature Stories

2008-10-24T10:20:00.001-04:00

Feature stories are what set newspapers apart. A basic newspaper reports information - as it happens and previewing events. A reader-oriented paper provides information in a more interesting way. This includes investigative reporting and feature writing.

In a lot of ways, feature writing is best when it's worked into the news on a daily basis. Reporters can ask questions: How can I relate this to readers? Who is affected by this story? Is there a personal example of the implications of this story I can use to relay the information?

When these approaches are used, information is transferred to readers in a more meaningful way. For example, a story about the number of home foreclosures last month in Detroit is interesting. A story about an individual family, with their personal struggles and situation, is memorable. Both tell the story about a problem in Detroit and nationwide. Which would you rather read?

Torch suggestions

2008-10-17T10:44:00.002-04:00

Among the advice Saul Hansell of the NY Times had for members of the Torch staff was this: Serve readers (students) where they are. What was he getting at with this comment? Basically, do more beyond the print edition. One tip he had was to have a blog for each section of the paper that would be updated on an "as news happens" basis rather than waiting for Wednesdays to roll around to provide news.

A statement he made: No mature adult wants wait to read about a football game that happened Saturday until Wednesday's paper comes out.

Passion for your work

2008-10-17T10:42:00.002-04:00

Saul Hansell, technology reporter for the NY Times, visited Big Rapids this week as part of the Ferris State University Political Engagement Project. Members of the Torch staff and I were lucky enough to have dinner with Saul. While he had many enlightening things to share, the main thing I took away from him was his passion for what he does for a living.

If we could all carry that sort of passion into our career, the world would be a better place.

What I want to read....

2008-10-13T11:52:00.004-04:00

I would like to read an article about the presidential election that gets the candidates to talk about the economy in a new way. Where I'm heading is reminiscent of JFK's famous "ask now what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country" speech.

What burden must individual Americans bear in order for our country to get through this economic crisis? I don't believe all the blame goes to Congress, the White House, the banks or the lenders. Individuals are also to blame. And I want a president who will hold all parties responsible, not only the obvious ones who everyone is blaming.

To do this, a reporter will have to ask good questions. And put the candidates on the spot. Can it happen?

News Judgement

2008-10-03T10:20:00.003-04:00

Sometimes, news is thin.

Those days are most difficult in newsrooms. Figuring out what is worthy of front-page print is easy when there are major stories - a fire with multiple deaths, a presidential candidate visits town, the mayor is found guilty of perjury, a car accident blocks the major highway during rush hour, a school bond passes to build a new high school - those are easy decisions.

When news is not flying like that, things become more difficult. There are many reasons a story can end up on the front page of a paper: Timeliness, value to readers, a well-written piece, and/or simply a slow news day can all factor into decisions. Lately, there has been a flood of major national news with the presidential election looming and the economy taking center stage.

What do you think is worthy of front page news? Why?

Pride

2008-09-26T10:18:00.002-04:00

I spent two years advising the student newspaper at Grand Rapids Community College, The Collegiate (collegiatelive.com). It was already an award-winning publication when I took over advising. However, the staff was nearly all new along with me. Only two students returned with real experience - the sports editor (who was a better news writer than editor) and the photo editor (who was on campus very little).

There were plenty of mistakes - on everyone's part that year. Sometimes I was too lenient. Sometimes I was too stern. Students spelled headlines wrong, botched layouts, failed to produce stories in a timely manner, etc,.... Overall, I was confident they were learning.

While awards are not the best sign of a great publication, they can be a sign of something good going on. During the second year (2007-08), things really started to improve. Most of that credit goes to a dedicated staff. Some people joined the returning Collegiate staff and together really made an impact.

There have been a couple of nice validating moments: 1. The paper's web site won first place in the state's community college newspaper competition and the print edition was third (no other paper was honored in the top three for both print and online). 2. The Collegiate won the prestigious Apple Award during the College Media Advisers spring national convention in New York City (due to a hotel scheduling problem, staff members were robbed the opportunity to accept the award on stage). 3. The Collegiate was recently named a finalist for the Associated Collegiate Press' prestigious Pacemaker Award.

Awards, on their own, do not prove excellence. However, there's no way all three of these organizations are wrong. The Collegiate stands out.

I could not be more proud of the students who put so much into the paper. I can't think of anything more satisfying than to watch students being successful.

Constitution Day

2008-09-19T10:41:00.002-04:00

Constitution Day came and went Wednesday, Sept. 17. For most, the event went unnoticed.

Most are not aware it is actually a federal mandate that all institutions receiving federal funding honor the event in some way. Maybe many do in small ways I'm not aware of. I doubt most comply.

This year, Grand Rapids Community College stepped up thanks to members of the student newspaper The Collegiate. The paper has been on a roll under editor-in-chief Lonnie Allen. A non-tradition student, Lonnie has led the Collegiate from an inexperienced staff two years ago to winning the prestigious Apple Award and now making the finalist list for the Pacemaker Award. Those are both notable achievements for any staff.

What I'm most impressed with, however, is the level of passion exhibited by stepping up to the plate with an event like Collegiate staff organized for Constitution. The event was modeled after one started by students at Florida Atlantic University, known as Free Food, Free Speech. Students willing gave up their First Amendment rights during the event in exchange for a free lunch.

What's amazing is how few people realize what it would really mean to give up those rights. I don't ever want to find out.

Don't read!

2008-09-12T11:31:00.002-04:00

It's that time of year when many people like to bash "the media" for its coverage. Presidential election time brings this cry to a climax. The Republican National Convention crowd gave one of its biggest cheers when the media was criticized.

Bring on the criticism.

I say, we (the media) criticize you and you criticize us right back. That's how it should work. We're both need to answer to our critics. We don't need to cry foul when criticism happens. We need to listen and respond appropriately.

A thriving democracy thrives when citizens are educated and informed. Education is a lifelong pursuit. Information comes from many sources - the media being a primary provider. Consumers of media need to be able to filter for themselves what information is reliable and what is not worth your time.

Tune out if it's not reliable. Don't read if it's clearly biased.

It's your decision what to absorb.

The Torch

2008-09-10T16:13:00.002-04:00

Advising a college student newspaper puts a bit of a target on a person's back to begin with. I'm not going to be one of the few who increase the size of that target by publicly critiquing the paper online.

I advise the Torch, the student paper at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich. While this is my first year at FSU, it is my third year advising a student newspaper.

Each edition of the paper, I take pen to newsprint to point out all the flaws. That may seem a bit harsh, but it's the reality of the newspaper business. Every edition has flaws - plenty of them. There has never been a "perfect edition" of any newspaper.

So, I critique. Some of my students have called my criticisms harsh. Others have readily accepted them. I believe it's my duty during critiques to point out specific areas where there can be improvement.

So, I finish with my latest favorite quote from the book "The Last Lecture" by the late Randy Pausch: When you're screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore, that means they've given up on you.

Think about it....

Just a woman?

2008-09-08T21:01:00.002-04:00

Women will never be left out of the political equation in the United States like they once were. Those days are over. Women vote, women make decisions, women make an impact and women can run our country.
My 5-year-old son was big on voting for Hillary Clinton because he thought "a mom would make a good president." He's probably right. Being a mother, and a father for that matter, is a valuable life experience to becoming the president.
Once Hillary was eliminated from the presidential race, there was some clear disappointment among many women. I side with those who thought Hillary being elected to president would not have been as groundbreaking as it could have been. Sure, a woman president would have made for huge headlines. But truth be told, she is forever linked to her husband. I don't hold it against her, I just point it out as reality. She was First Lady before she was a politician.
Insted of Hillary, I hope a woman emerges all on her own as a serious presidential contender in the near future. A woman the likes of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (a groundbreaking achievement of its own) or McCain's vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
Which brings me to Palin. Is it good enough to just stick a woman on the ticket to gain widespread support among women?
If anyone thinks so, I find that narrow-minded thought process disappointing and insulting to all women.

First day in class at Ferris

2008-09-03T21:10:00.002-04:00

Today was my first official day in the classroom at Ferris State University. Coincidentally, my first class was in the same room where I taught a class as part of my interview back in November 2007. That seems like such a long time ago now. I took it as a good sign, since I did get the job.

I have one ENGL 150 course. It's new for me. The exciting thing is it all freshmen. They look unsure, but ready to learn. It's my job to help them move along through the semester. I'm sure there will be ups and downs, but each class is only 50 minutes long.

I have two Journalism classes - 121. They are back-to-back. The only difficulty to that is I need to be sure I don't skip important content in the second section. Sometimes, it is challenging to remember which class I said what in. Am I getting old?

All three classes started well. We didn't accomplish much other than setting the tone for the semester. What can you do in 50 minutes anyway? It really flies by.

I also got my first edition of the Big Rapids Pioneer in the mail today. Another newspaper to add to my daily reading. So far, it reminds me a bit of my days back at the Huron Daily Tribune. Small town paper with small town news. It's great stuff!

A new chapter

2008-08-26T07:55:00.003-04:00

I officially began a new chapter this week as a full-time, tenure track professor at Ferris State University. I am excited and anxious to get in the classroom. Ferris has been fantastic about helping new faculty members become acclimated to the campus, the students and colleagues. I am still working out some kinks in my syllabi, the Blackboard version used on campus known as Ferris Connect has been an adventure, and I'm still waiting for my laptop, but things will fall into place this week.
The last month I have done more writing for the Grand Rapids Press than I had all summer. It was partially a need for some cash on my end and partially a need by the Press as things got busy. It worked out well.
Now, I'm focusing completely on Ferris. Students at The Torch have been working to produce the first paper of the school year. It's due out Wednesday (Aug. 27) in print and online. I'm anxious to get a look at what they produce.
In class, I have one section of freshman composition and two journalism classes. The English course is definitely causing me the most anxiety. There are more unknowns for me in that group. I have a great network of support and definitely plan to use their help.
I hope to check back in here more frequently now that I'm back on a regular routine.

More on access to public information

2008-04-26T10:40:00.002-04:00

My students at GRCC, in the JR 257 Reporting class, again ran into problems obtaining public information from the college. I have done the same assignment at GVSU with no problem, but GRCC is not cooperating with student requests for information. It is perplexing and disturbing. This gets me frustrated and a bit angry.
I want my students to learn to be journalists - or at least what it's like to be a journalist. I guess this is a teachable moment for them. The truth is, not everyone will cooperate. Even when they are required to by law.
The funny thing is, what starts as a simple request for public information can escalate when public information is not turned over as requested. The questions are natural for reporters: What are they hiding? Why aren't they handing over the information? What is really going on?
While officials apparently are trying to keep information from reporters, they are actually only heightening the interest in that information.

Journalism Awards

2008-04-17T19:20:00.002-04:00

Spring seems to be a popular season for both entering and learning outcomes for journalism awards. A couple weeks ago, I was proud to accompany two members of The Collegiate, the GRCC student newspaper, to the Michigan Community College Press Association conference in Monroe. Collegiate staff won 21 total awards.
The most noteworthy award was for best online publication - for Collegiatelive.com. This is the latest attempt for The Collegiate to have an online edition. I believe it is the best and most likely to stand the test of time (at least for a while). It is informative, interesting and visual. It provides much of the print content, but also web-original content, with polls, videos and blogs.
One of the funny things about awards is that many journalists get very excited about them. However, they are a difficult animal to figure out. Awards are often determined arbitrarily, sometimes with one person looking over material. They do not always represent the best work, but sometimes the most interesting topic. For many reasons, journalists should not strive simply for awards. Nor should they hang their hats on winning one award.
Having said that, it was very exciting for Collegiate staff members to learn recently they won the Apple Award - a national honor bestowed from College Media Advisers.... More on that story to come soon.....

More on access to information

2008-04-07T06:45:00.003-04:00

A few comments have led me to follow-up the last post on access to information at GRCC. First, I have no immediate reason to believe the college is intentionally withholding information from the public. I want that to be clear.
However, I do also strongly believe that access can be severely limited even in unintentional ways. That's what I see going on now. If things like the college budget and faculty salary book are not made more easily available, then eventually my opinion may change. For now, I'm in a wait and see mode.
The comments are accurate when they wonder why access is not more easily obtained. That's what happens in these situations - individuals are left to wonder. That should not be the case.
I have heard that faculty members don't like the salary book available for viewing. My response: Get over it. GRCC is a publicly funded institution - salaries are public information. The only reason I can imagine a faculty member would not want information to be made available is for possible embarrassment. The only reason to be embarrassed is if the facts would show salaries are too high.
As this string of comments and posts shows, holding back information is not good for anyone. It leads to guessing, assuming and speculation.

Access to Information

2008-03-28T22:09:00.002-04:00

Thursday night, I paired up students in my Reporting class and instructed them to head to the library in search of budget information on the college. It was a multi-part assignment/project. I wanted them to:
1. Actually go through the process of finding public information.
2. Get a real look at how complex things like budget can be.
3. Spend time in groups figuring out what in a budget is important.
4. Return as a class and present group findings.
5. Formulate story ideas based on the information.
Classrooms are great, but when it comes to teaching journalism there is no replacement for actually doing it.
What students found, however, was that the Grand Rapids Community College (Michigan) library does not have basic budget documents available in the library. They were told that they haven't had things like that available in the 13 years the librarians on hand could remember. And the class was told to contact a college administrator to get a copy of the budget; assuring them that the information was readily available.
I was disappointed by the entire scenario. When information is difficult to obtain - only available in certain places, and during certain hours - that can have a similar chilling result as not making it available at all. No matter what the intention. I think that's why most colleges make these sorts of documents available at a place like the library - where the hours are longer, including evenings and weekends.
It has been researched and reported that keeping documents like these only in administrative offices (even if freely available there) can have a similar result as keeping them under lock and key. Not only is it difficult for some people to get to the offices during normal business hours, but it can also be intimidating for some in the public to approach administrative offices. And I'm addressing not only journalists here.
I am a strong believer in open and freely available access to information. Libraries often provide a fantastic venue for those; in a non-threatening atmosphere.
I hope GRCC considers a change in policy regarding documents; sooner rather than later.

Writing for the Web

2008-03-21T13:35:00.002-04:00

Journalists have to be ready to fill a number of roles within a newsroom. One of them is writing web-original content.
Some of the general guidelines of web news include: concise, specific, to-the-point, easy to navigate, links, lists and timely updates. Many of these overlap with good ol' fashioned news-writing. Some are clearly different.
The Collegiate staff had an opportunity to do some Web-original content when staff members learned the morning of March 20 that Grand Rapids Community College President Juan Olivarez announced he is resigning to take a position in Kalamazoo. After some confusion and discussion, staff members rallied to get the Web site (Collegiatelive.com) updated by the afternoon. It included a photo, short story, a list of past GRCC presidents and a bio.
The content was timely and mostly well done.
The biography came directly off the GRCC Web site and should have been cleaned up for news style, with much of it condensed. It was too flowery. A link to Wood TV8, with video, also seemed unnecessary - it steers readers away from The Collegiate Web site. That's not a good idea.
Overall, I was impressed with the quick and well-planned coverage of this major news story. It's not easy to get the Web side of news right - this came pretty darn close.

Conference in NYC

2008-03-16T08:58:00.002-04:00

I'm attending the College Media Advisers spring national convention the next few days in New York City. The convention this year moved to the Marriott Marquis in Times Square - creating quite the buzz among attendees. It's in the heart of the action.
That said, I couldn't wait to get away from the mania of Times Square yesterday. To find food, fun and the real city. I think a lot of people want to do that in a place like this; few actually find a way to do it.
Getting off the beaten path is a cliche among journalists in a lot of ways. As a collective, we talk about doing things differently and looking at the other side. Too often, we fail at that as an industry.
One of my goals for this conference is to find ways to encourage students to continue to look outside their comfort zones. To explore new story ideas, watch for new possibilities - and how to explore those to produce news content.
I have several other things I'm interested in doing here, of course. But journalists need to be reminded to continue to look not just straight ahead, but up, down, around and to the future in order to properly serve readers.

NY Times: Making news on McCain?

2008-02-25T08:30:00.002-05:00

Did the NY Times go too far with its article on John McCain?
I know this for sure, the news about the article has been bigger than the news about the content of the article. Media making the news is not a good trend for media credibility.
We discussed this story in one of my classes. Students seemed mostly uncertain about how this thing will play out. They seemed somewhat concerned about the NY Times doing an article based on anonymous sources.
My bigger concern: Has McCain, who claims to be outside the dirty politics of Washington, just like all the rest? Does he take lobby money, allow lobbyists to influence him and basically act the norm in D.C.?
If he's better than the rest, that's also potentially a bad sign!
Maybe this is the reason we haven't had a senator win the presidency in some time now. When we learn the details of how they operate, it's difficult to stomach. Will the same happen with Hillary and Obama at some?

Give Me Personal Responsibility

2008-02-17T09:28:00.004-05:00

I see a trend in many of my classes that is moving away from taking personal responsibility.

I have students who want me to figure everything out for them; who would love it if class was canceled every time it snowed; who routinely do the minimum amount of work; who ask things like, "If I can't make it tonight, will I miss anything important?"; and who simply are not challenging themselves to be the best learners they can be.

There have always been slackers in college. But I am seeing very few in my classes who simply want to do more - to figure things out on their own, who want to do extra, who want to learn outside the requirements.

The ones who are able to think critically, solve problems and have motivation to learn independently are the ones who I want to become the next generation of journalists. They can learn to write later.

Is the media biased?

2008-02-13T12:05:00.002-05:00

If you ask the average American if the media is biased, and I'm talking about newspapers, it's likely you'll get a high percentage of affirmative answers. It's the general concensus.

If you follow that up with a request for specific examples, I believe most would struggle to give concrete answers. They might give an example of a story when they were personally involved - often those who become sources for stories feel this way. It's understandable.

In general, it is a phenomenon we in the business simply must deal with. Most readers are skeptics.

Should readers trust the media more? That's debatable.

Should readers respect the media - and view it as one source of information? I firmly believe they should.

And all consumers of information, from the media and all other sources, should forever remain skeptics.

A proud profession

2008-02-09T10:05:00.000-05:00

I am proud to be part of a profession that has stood the test of time. Tocqueville praised the role journalism plays in a free democracy when our country was a fledgling group of states trying to organize into greatness.

Few professions face the level of public scrutiny that journalists do. Every day, people pick up newspapers and critically read the stories and headlines. Yet, the vast majority of those countless stories every day stand up to those millions of critical eyes.

I have become increasingly proud of my role as a journalism teacher. It's something I do in a classroom setting now. However, my role as a teacher did not begin when I first took my place near the front of the room three years ago. I have been teaching much longer than that. I was lucky enough to have young (and some not so young) journalists working under and along side me during my professional career. Some have really taken off:
- Matthew LaPlante was a young sports reporter under me who is now covering the military for the Salt Lake Tribune (Utah).
- Joey Sprinkle was in a career change when he became a journalist and worked under me. He went on to become a sports editor in Kansas.
- Morgan Ryan was unsure of his future in journalism when we hired him to work under me. He is now living in New Jersey and working for a national daily horse racing newspaper located in Manhattan.
- Jim Tankersley was a high school student when he wrote some stories for me in McMinnville, Ore. He was a talented young man who has excelled, winning a prestigious Livingston Award and now working a political reporter for the Chicago Tribune.

I don't take direct credit for any of those four. They deserve credit for the time and effort they have dedicated to becoming top-notch journalists. I am proud to have crossed paths with them early in their careers and hopefully to have provided some encouragement along the way.

Damage Control

2008-02-06T12:02:00.000-05:00

One mistake can haunt a news organization for months, years and even longer.

Perfection is the goal of every editor and every newspaper. Error-free, thorough, complete coverage of the news is the ideal.

However, I'd be hard-pressed to ever agree there has been a completely error-free edition of a newspaper. It's just the nature of the business - producing a paper involves so many people and so much information that errors (to lesser and greater degrees) are inevitable.

Unfortunately, one error can sometimes define a news organization far more than all the accurate, well-organized, well-informed information that is distributed. One simple mitsake can tear down all the positives in the stroke of a key.

I'm not complaining about this phenomenon or even trying to change it. Only pointing out the nature of news consumers. Of which I am one.

Reading the Competition

2008-02-01T09:13:00.001-05:00

As a practicing journalist and a journalism professor, I can't stress enough the importance of reading other newspapers. All newspapers - big and small. The competing paper is a must, but any and all papers you can get your hands on to read (or read online) will be beneficial.

I am sitting in a ballroom at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Mich., right now. Around the room are the winning newspapers from the Michigan Press Association contests -for professional and college levels. It is inspiring to see the best in the state. For me, it's also a fantastic opportunity to glean ideas: layouts, stories, color use, photos, etc,... If you're looking to improve your own publication, why not look for ideas from the best?

Read, read, read. It's one of the best ways to become immersed in the field and to improve.

Collegiate coming soon

2008-01-25T16:41:00.000-05:00

The first Collegiate edition of the winter 2008 semester is due to hit the hallways at GRCC on Wednesday (Jan. 30). Students have been planning and working toward the date for about six weeks. I'm anxious to see what the returning students come up with - as well as the addition of a few newcomers. I still get excited for every edition - publishing a newspaper is difficult, challenging, stressful, complicated and at the same time rewarding, exciting and fullfilling.
The culmination of all of that is when readers pick it up - or log on to check it out (Collegiatelive.com). I plan to do both.

Journalism: A dangerous profession?

2008-01-23T10:47:00.001-05:00

There are news reports out today about a journalism student in Afghanistan who has been sentenced to death. According to the Associated Press story, 23-year-old Sayad Parwez Kambaksh, was found guilty of violating the tenets of Islam when he distributed a paper that humiliated Islam.

The story reported that Kambakash was not represented by a lawyer during the trial. There are two appeals courts yet, while the student remains in custody. He was a student at Balkh University. It is not known if he wrote the paper or only distributed it. Kambaksh also works as a journalist at the Jahan-i-Naw newspaper in Mazar-i-Sharif.

WOW! Can you imagine if that's the way things worked here in the good old USA? It's when things like this happen that we can thank our Founding Fathers for the Constitution. It isn't difficult to imagine the impact this could have.....

Pick Your Messengers

2008-01-18T21:16:00.000-05:00

My students know I believe strongly in the journalism profession. They also know I'm not so blinded as to believe all journalism is fault-proof. Far from it.
That's why it is important for consumers of journalistic news to pick their messengers wisely. Read who you trust. If you don't trust, don't read.
If consumers simply followed that formula, the less-than-honest information providers out there would fade away. They need us to survive. Letting them know how we feel with our actions is the best way to ensure high journalistic standards will remain a necessity.

The Collegiate online

2008-01-17T10:48:00.001-05:00

The GRCC student newspaper, The Collegiate, has been publishing for more than 50 years. The print edition has a storied history, with many awards and accomplished alumni.
It's fledgling online edition is not nearly as accomplished. It has been a hit-and-miss venture over recent years. When I took over advisership of the paper in fall 2006, establishing the online edition was one of my goals. The online version for The Collegiate (collegiatelive.com) officially launched in fall 2007. While it started slow, things have really progressed over the last six months. Much of the credit goes to web design editor Charles Jurries and Collegiate design editor Abigail Southworth. The work they are putting in benefits The Collegiate, the students and community of GRCC and their own future.
Charles and Abby are benefiting as much from this experience as any student who works on a student newspaper. It is personally rewarding to watch the progression of their work - as they further develop the site, add new features, post web exclusive stories and improve existing features. These blogs are just the latest venture.
Be sure to check out the online polls, the archive, and pdf's of the print edition. I enjoy opening the pdf's early on publication dates - getting the earliest possible peek at what the paper will look like. It's usually up by the time I wake up - about 6:30 a.m. The next edition is due out Jan. 30 - I'll be anxiously awaiting the next Web site update.