E-reader time?

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

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

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

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

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....

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

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....

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!

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!

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?

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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.....

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

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....

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.