Voila! I have cropped and added a photo of the Miami River taken during a recent boat tour. I hope this looks OK. I was trying to make a slideshow of some images, but I finally gave up. Does anyone out there know how to do that?
Monday, September 29, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Manhunt for Hamburglar Continues...
I've attached a photo to a blog I had recently posted:
WSVN 7's Crime Stoppers reports that the search continues for a suspect who robbed a McDonald's Drive-Thru Wednesday. Wow, he must have reallllly been craving an Egg McMuffin.
Luckily, survaillance cameras caputured the man at the scene of the crime. His picture (taken from a frame of the surveillance video) is prominently featured on the WSVN webite. In addition to posting a 25-second video of the story, the website features a link to the Broward County Crime Stoppers website, which encourages online readers having any information to contact police to help capture that Hamburglar! Well, the promise of a reward doesn't hurt either...
Miami Herald Unveils Sleek Website
The Miami Herald unveiled a new and improved website Thursday, accomplishing its goal to deliver multimedia news with lightning speed and efficiency.
The homepage is easier to navigate and more reader-friendly, the new ad sizes jump from the page without deflecting attention from the posted news stories, and every section featured in its printed paper runs across the top of the page and is only a click away. I especially like the "Highlights" section, which appears on the upper lefthand corner of the homepage, as well as the "Most Popular" section featured below. These sections, almost reminiscent of the printed paper's "5-minute Herald," is a great way for readers-on-the-go to get the news they want when they want it.
Kudos on the multimedia section, News Grid, Community and Commentary sections, which are sleek and inviting. However, I could do without the huge pop up ads that seem to overwhelm my computer screen when I try to navigate from page to page.
But overall, miamiherald.com has outdone itself. Competing local news websites should watch out 'cause there's a new MultiMedia sherrif in town!
The homepage is easier to navigate and more reader-friendly, the new ad sizes jump from the page without deflecting attention from the posted news stories, and every section featured in its printed paper runs across the top of the page and is only a click away. I especially like the "Highlights" section, which appears on the upper lefthand corner of the homepage, as well as the "Most Popular" section featured below. These sections, almost reminiscent of the printed paper's "5-minute Herald," is a great way for readers-on-the-go to get the news they want when they want it.
Kudos on the multimedia section, News Grid, Community and Commentary sections, which are sleek and inviting. However, I could do without the huge pop up ads that seem to overwhelm my computer screen when I try to navigate from page to page.
But overall, miamiherald.com has outdone itself. Competing local news websites should watch out 'cause there's a new MultiMedia sherrif in town!
Police ID "Ghost of Highway 441"
Ms. Levinson pointed out to me before Tuesday's Online Journalism class that the Miami Herald had published a follow-up story this past Sunday regarding the bed-sheet wearing woman who had been struck by a pick-up truck. So...here's my second-day story:
Police ID Bed Sheet-Wearing Woman Killed by Pick-up Truck
The woman who was clad only in a white sheet when she was struck by a pick-up truck early Thursday morning was identified by police Saturday-a day after her death.
Dayana Mortimer was hit by a Dodge pick-up, a day after her 26th birthday, as she crossed County Line Road on U.S. 441 at about 5 a.m. The driver of the truck stopped to help the woman, who was badly injured, and cooperated with investigators. Miramar police are still unsure as to why she was wearing only a white bed sheet as she headed north to Broward County.
The Miami Gardens Woman was rushed to Memorial Regional Hospital on Thursday and remained in critical condition until she died midday Friday, police said.
Investigators had attempted to ID Mortimer by taking her fingerprints Thursday, but did not have any luck. One day later, the Sun Sentinel posted her photo on its news website and encouraged anyone with information regarding the accident to contact Broward Crime Stoppers.
Miramar police were finally able to track down Mortimer's family with the help of Miami Gardens police, according to Miramar officials.
Mortimer's family delined to commnent, requesting time to make funeral arrangements.
Police ID Bed Sheet-Wearing Woman Killed by Pick-up Truck
The woman who was clad only in a white sheet when she was struck by a pick-up truck early Thursday morning was identified by police Saturday-a day after her death.
Dayana Mortimer was hit by a Dodge pick-up, a day after her 26th birthday, as she crossed County Line Road on U.S. 441 at about 5 a.m. The driver of the truck stopped to help the woman, who was badly injured, and cooperated with investigators. Miramar police are still unsure as to why she was wearing only a white bed sheet as she headed north to Broward County.
The Miami Gardens Woman was rushed to Memorial Regional Hospital on Thursday and remained in critical condition until she died midday Friday, police said.
Investigators had attempted to ID Mortimer by taking her fingerprints Thursday, but did not have any luck. One day later, the Sun Sentinel posted her photo on its news website and encouraged anyone with information regarding the accident to contact Broward Crime Stoppers.
Miramar police were finally able to track down Mortimer's family with the help of Miami Gardens police, according to Miramar officials.
Mortimer's family delined to commnent, requesting time to make funeral arrangements.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Ghost of Highway 441 Vanishes?
On Thursday morning, miamiherald.com broke a story regarding a woman, clad only in a white sheet, whom was critically injured after stepping in front of a pickup truck on US 441. Several hours later, local news websites such as, local10.com, nbc6.net, wsvn.com and sun-sentinel.com, began to follow the story. On Friday, sun-sentinel.com stepped out of the pack, and posted a photo of the woman on its website. They even ran with a new headline; one focusing on helping local police identify the woman.
It's now Sunday, and unfortunately, the story has seemed to have vansihed from all local news websites. The story never even made it to print, and an update on her condition never appeared on TV. I wonder what happened. Is she is still in the hospital in critical condition? Have police managed to identify her? There are so many unanswered questions, which begs me to wonder...was she only a soundbyte, a former hot topic for bloggers that has now fizzled? It's almost disheartening.
Hopefully, everything will turn out all right. So, as part of an assignment for our 442 Online Journalism class, here's my take/new lede:
Police are still trying to ID a woman struck by a pickup truck and crtically injured Thursday morning while crossing County Line Road. According to a police spokesman, the woman was rushed to Memorial Regional Hospital with life threatening injuries, and was wearing only a white sheet at the time of the accident.
Witnesses say they saw the woman cross County Line Road and head into Broward County on U.S. 441 about 5 a.m on Thursday. A short time later, she was in the left turning lane when a Dodge pickup struck her. The driver of the truck stopped to help the woman, who was badly injured, and cooperated with investigators.
The woman was not carrying any identification, nor had any identifying marks, scars or tatoos on her body. Miramar Police attempted to ID her by taking her fingerprints, but did not have any luck.
Police have since released a photo of the woman in the hopes that anyone with information on this accident, or who the woman might be, will contact Broward Police at
(954) 602-4000.
It's now Sunday, and unfortunately, the story has seemed to have vansihed from all local news websites. The story never even made it to print, and an update on her condition never appeared on TV. I wonder what happened. Is she is still in the hospital in critical condition? Have police managed to identify her? There are so many unanswered questions, which begs me to wonder...was she only a soundbyte, a former hot topic for bloggers that has now fizzled? It's almost disheartening.
Hopefully, everything will turn out all right. So, as part of an assignment for our 442 Online Journalism class, here's my take/new lede:
Police are still trying to ID a woman struck by a pickup truck and crtically injured Thursday morning while crossing County Line Road. According to a police spokesman, the woman was rushed to Memorial Regional Hospital with life threatening injuries, and was wearing only a white sheet at the time of the accident.
Witnesses say they saw the woman cross County Line Road and head into Broward County on U.S. 441 about 5 a.m on Thursday. A short time later, she was in the left turning lane when a Dodge pickup struck her. The driver of the truck stopped to help the woman, who was badly injured, and cooperated with investigators.
The woman was not carrying any identification, nor had any identifying marks, scars or tatoos on her body. Miramar Police attempted to ID her by taking her fingerprints, but did not have any luck.
Police have since released a photo of the woman in the hopes that anyone with information on this accident, or who the woman might be, will contact Broward Police at
(954) 602-4000.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Sun Sentinel Releases Photo of Woman Struck on 441
At 7:42 am on Friday, Sunsentinel.com released a photo of the woman struck by a pickup truck and severely injured Thursday morning on State Road 7, hoping someone will identify her.
Police are asking that anyone with information regarding this accident call the Broward County Police Station.
On Thursday, a lot of attention was placed on the fact that the woman was clad only in a white sheet. Now, that information has moved further down into the story, as the mission of identifying her has taken precedence. The article also gives a more detaled account of the accident, as compared to the Miami Herald (see blog below). Currently, the Sun Sentinel is the only local news source that has released a photo.
Police are asking that anyone with information regarding this accident call the Broward County Police Station.
On Thursday, a lot of attention was placed on the fact that the woman was clad only in a white sheet. Now, that information has moved further down into the story, as the mission of identifying her has taken precedence. The article also gives a more detaled account of the accident, as compared to the Miami Herald (see blog below). Currently, the Sun Sentinel is the only local news source that has released a photo.
Tracking the Ghost of Highway 441: Miami Herald Reports
The Miami Herald posted this story on its website Thursday night:
"MIRAMAR, Fla. -- Authorities say a woman wearing only a white sheet is in the hospital after being struck by a pickup truck in Broward County.
The woman was critically injured early Thursday morning when she was hit while walking along a major street in Miramar. She was rushed to the hospital with life threatening injuries.
Police say they have no idea who the woman is. She was not carrying any identification.
The driver of the truck is cooperating with investigators.
The woman is described as being in her early to mid 30s, about 5 feet tall, 175 pounds with a black short Afro and brown eyes."
There have been no updates on this story since it first broke Thursday morning. Hopefully, the woman's identity and condition will be revealed later today.
"MIRAMAR, Fla. -- Authorities say a woman wearing only a white sheet is in the hospital after being struck by a pickup truck in Broward County.
The woman was critically injured early Thursday morning when she was hit while walking along a major street in Miramar. She was rushed to the hospital with life threatening injuries.
Police say they have no idea who the woman is. She was not carrying any identification.
The driver of the truck is cooperating with investigators.
The woman is described as being in her early to mid 30s, about 5 feet tall, 175 pounds with a black short Afro and brown eyes."
There have been no updates on this story since it first broke Thursday morning. Hopefully, the woman's identity and condition will be revealed later today.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Tracking the Ghost of Highway 441 Interesting Tidbit
Maybe I'm just reading too much into this, but when the Miami Herald broke the story at 9:19 am Thursday that a woman clad only in a sheet is in critical condition after she had "stepped in front of a pick-up truck," I realized that none of the subsequent stories posted on WSVN, local10 or even nbc6 mentioned that she was suffering from serious injuries because she had actively stepped in front of a truck. Instead, they all reported that she had simply been "struck" or "hit" by a truck (more passive voice).
Am I reading way too much into these semantics? Check it out for yourself. I've included the links in my last blog.
Am I reading way too much into these semantics? Check it out for yourself. I've included the links in my last blog.
WSVN Now Tracking Ghost of Highway 441
WSVN posted its "Struck in the Street" story around noon. The Herald story contains a more detailed description of the unidentified woman, who remains in critical condition after being struck by a pick-up truck on US 411 Thursday morning. When Herald reporter Adam Beasley broke the story at 9:19 am, he had included the name of the hospital and a brief eye witness report, unlike WSVN. Yet, the Herald has not updated its story since this morning, and more "breaking news" is seemingly taking precedence.
Another notable difference is that WSVN reported that the woman was rushed to the hospital with "life-threatening injuries," while the Herald attributed that description to a Miramar police spokesman and used the word "critical," instead, to describe her condition. WSVN's use of the word "life-threatening" has a more negative connotation than the Herald's use of "critical," which can at least imply that there is hope for her...
Well, hopefully WSVN and the Miami Herald will post more information later today, as soon as police identify the woman.
FYI: local10.com and nbc6.net published the same story as WSVN.
Another notable difference is that WSVN reported that the woman was rushed to the hospital with "life-threatening injuries," while the Herald attributed that description to a Miramar police spokesman and used the word "critical," instead, to describe her condition. WSVN's use of the word "life-threatening" has a more negative connotation than the Herald's use of "critical," which can at least imply that there is hope for her...
Well, hopefully WSVN and the Miami Herald will post more information later today, as soon as police identify the woman.
FYI: local10.com and nbc6.net published the same story as WSVN.
Manhunt for Hamburglar Continues...
WSVN 7's Crime Stoppers reports that the search continues for a suspect who robbed a McDonald's Drive-Thu Wednesday. Wow, he must have reallllly been craving an Egg McMuffin.
Luckily, survaillance cameras caputured the man at the scene of the crime. His picture (taken from a frame of the surveillance video) is prominently featured on the WSVN webite. In addition to posting a 25-second video of the story, the website features a link to the Broward County Crime Stoppers website, which encourages online readers having any information to contact police to help capture that Hamburglar! Well, the promise of a reward doesn't hurt either...
Luckily, survaillance cameras caputured the man at the scene of the crime. His picture (taken from a frame of the surveillance video) is prominently featured on the WSVN webite. In addition to posting a 25-second video of the story, the website features a link to the Broward County Crime Stoppers website, which encourages online readers having any information to contact police to help capture that Hamburglar! Well, the promise of a reward doesn't hurt either...
Tracking the Ghost of Highway 441
It's been one hour since the Miami Herald broke the news on its website about a woman, clad only in a sheet, whom is in citical condition after stepping in front of a truck Thursday morning on US 441.
I decided to visit other local news websites, such as wsvn.com, nbc6.net, and local10.com to see if I could obtain additional or updated information, but the story had not made it onto any of these websites. I guess the Miami Herald was the first to break the story? Channel 10's website, however, did include a weird story entitled, "Naked Man Dies After Being Chased by Police" in their local news section.
I'll keep ya posted...
I decided to visit other local news websites, such as wsvn.com, nbc6.net, and local10.com to see if I could obtain additional or updated information, but the story had not made it onto any of these websites. I guess the Miami Herald was the first to break the story? Channel 10's website, however, did include a weird story entitled, "Naked Man Dies After Being Chased by Police" in their local news section.
I'll keep ya posted...
Ghost of Highway 441
Miami Herald reporter Adam Beasley posted this story at 9:19 am under the Breaking News Section.
Beasley reported that a woman wearing nothing but a sheet is in critical condition after stepping in front of a pick-up truck on US 441 Thursday morning.
Miramar police are trying to identify the woman, who as of 9 am, was at Memorial Regional Hospital.
A brief physical description is provided in the article online. Let's see how this story develops throughout the day...
On a side note, bloggers can be really insensitive. In the "Comments Section" featured below the article, one blogger wrote that she "must've been looking for her crack pipe." I wonder if the Miami Herald can find a way to keep comments like this off of their website. What if the family of the woman happens to read this? There should be a balance struck between freedom of expression and protecting one's personal well-being and family.
Beasley reported that a woman wearing nothing but a sheet is in critical condition after stepping in front of a pick-up truck on US 441 Thursday morning.
Miramar police are trying to identify the woman, who as of 9 am, was at Memorial Regional Hospital.
A brief physical description is provided in the article online. Let's see how this story develops throughout the day...
On a side note, bloggers can be really insensitive. In the "Comments Section" featured below the article, one blogger wrote that she "must've been looking for her crack pipe." I wonder if the Miami Herald can find a way to keep comments like this off of their website. What if the family of the woman happens to read this? There should be a balance struck between freedom of expression and protecting one's personal well-being and family.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Spielberg Maybe onto Something...
Before Tom Cruise was jumping on Oprah's couch, declaring his love for Katie Holmes, he was a fugitive of the law, laying low on a New York subway. Until, a "Breaking News" story flashes on a thin video screen of what seems to be a USA Today "E-Paper," and his cover is blown.
In the 2002 sci-fi flick Minority Report, Steven Speilberg depicts the replacement of printed text and still photos with the "E-Paper," in which content, video and sound are constantly updated on a mixed-media front page. In a 2005 Washington Post online discussion regarding the future of newspapers, Media & Entertainment Industry reporter Frank Ahrens suggests that we think of it [E-Paper] as a "combination paper, television and Internet, presumably wirelessly connected to a futuristic Wi-Fi, perhaps the next generation of the new Wi-Max super hotspots that are rolling out and cover several square miles instead of several square feet."
Even though Ahrens descibes Cruise's nail-biting subway "E-ride" as a throwaway scene, as our Online Journalism class strolled through the halls of the Miami Herald last week, I couldn't help but think that maybe Spielberg was intentionally commenting on the future of journalism itself. And, with mixed-media reporting increasing in popularity, maybe readers will be living that future sooner than we think.
During our Herald tour, Mixed-Media Managing Editor Rick Hirsch noted that news stories are published on miamiherald.com first, which-unlike its printed paper-have the ability to be updated continuously to attract wider audiences, and can later be polished by adding related links (i.e. video and audio content) and vivid photo galleries.
It was rather distressing to hear Hirsch say that, when it comes to news, there is "no longer loyalty to a brand." Hirch compared the web's homepage to the front page of a newspaper, and explained that if it is not updated throughout the day, readers will be left with no choice but to seek their news elsewhere.
Due to increasing competition to grab readers' attention, Hirsch says the Herald is seeking alternate ways to deliver news instantly and efficiently. One way is through sending complimentary text message alerts on breaking news, sports scores and even weather updates. This proved extremely helpful during the impending threat of Hurricane Ike.
Hirsch realized that there exists a "broader reach through the web," and that is why the Herald is beginning to create niche specialty sites, such as miami.com and miamimoms.com, in an effort to attract a varierty of interests and promote discussion.
So, even though the "E-Paper" may seem a little eerie, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of enjoying its eye-popping graphics and endless breaking news stories on the Metro in the near future...just as long as I don't have to sit next to Tom Cruise.
Lights, Camera...Action
It may look like just a dusty room with wires and tables scattered on the concrete floor, but during a recent tour of the Miami Herald, our Online Journalism class got a sneek peek of the newsroom's lastest venture: the creation of its very own TV studio.
According to Rick Hirsch, Managing Editor of Multimedia, the Miami Herald hopes to have a studio up-and-running by next year to help "increase the frequency of video commentary" and create more programming for the web. As Hirsch explained, the demand for video content is on the rise, and the Herald needs to find alternative ways to compete with other news sources/outlets and attract wider audiences.
The studio will produce content focused on sports, local news, public affairs, weather and entertainment. As of now, Hirsch says only a handful of the Herald's staff shoot news video for the web each day, but that number may increase once the studio takes off. Due to the significant growth of online readers (in-house reports indicate that from August 2007-August 2008, the number of unique online visitors rose from 2.8 million to 3.9 million), the studio is expected to help the Herald provide news stories in more efficient and visually captivating ways.
The Miami Herald has succesfully ventured into radio, has dabbled in podcasts, and now they are about to take their website to a whole new level. The Herald's ready for it's close up, Mr. DeMille!
Kentucky Fried Secrets
Handcuffed to a lockbox holding a 68-year-old secret, security expert Bo Dietl didn't know where the Brinks armored truck and flood of police officers were taking him. What he did know was that a mysterious man, known only as "The Colonel" was counting on him to protect his many "herbs and spices"...
Relax. This isn't a matter of national security, or even something out of an espionage novel. On Tuesday, September 9, after decades of being locked away in a filing cabinet in Louisville, the secret recipe behind Colonel Sander's tantalizing fried chicken was set free. Long enough to be transported to a temporary, undisclosed location as the head honchos of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)revamped security at their corporate office and plotted to create a new breed of fast food: Original Recipe Chicken Strips!
This chicken tale made national headlines. Videos depicting shrilling police sirens and KFC big wigs in a panic popped up on youtube last week (see above).The WSVN website even included an article and related links in its "Odd News" section. I guess people out there really are interested in knowing why the chicken crossed the road...
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Sleeping is Overrated
As Rick Hirsch, Managing Editor of Multimedia for the Miami Herald, provided our Online Journalism class a rundown and tour of the continuous news desk-recognizable only by an endless cascade of cubicles, the incessant hammering of computer keys and the symphony of ringing phones-you couldn't help but recall the classic 80s film, Wallstreet. Except this time, Gordon Gekko (brilliantly played by Michael Douglas) wouldn't stand before you dressed in a sharp suite and smug smile, insisting that "lunch is for wimps." It seems like at the continuous news desk...sleeping is.
Though Hirsch explained that the continuous news desk is not necessarily a 24/7 job, there are many key players who continually strive to keep the Miami Herald working like a well-oiled media machine. There are radio news anchors (at WLRN), homepage producers, instant news officers and assignment editors working together, reporting, editing, publishing and updating breaking news stories all day long with speed and accuracy while analyzing ways to target new audiences. David Stout, a New York Times continuous news desk correspondant, has become quite accustomed to facing these daily obstacles and demands.
Hirsch described the continuous news desk as the nerve center of the Herald, dedicated to gathering information and weighing the value of potential stories, all while competing with other media sources to keep the masses updated on breaking news.
Although it may seem as if the brains behind the continuous news desk operation don't get much of a chance to catch up on some well-deserved shuteye, at least they get to eat lunch. And, judging by the wrappers found lodged in between the computer montior and keyboard, Doritos seem to be the snack food of choice.
Seeing is Believing: The Rise of the Visual Journalist
Michigan State doesn’t need a crystal ball to look into the future of journalism. Thanks to the innovative “info-graphics” classes of Professor Karl Gude, students are getting a crash course in media multitasking, converging graphics, technology and content to become better storytellers.
In a recent Poynter Online interview (click link above), Gude, a former Newsweek graphics director, discusses the importance of combining critical thinking skills and visual tools (i.e. Dreamweaver, Photoshop, 3D programs, etc.) to strengthen news stories while instilling a sense of art appreciation and journalistic flexibility.
Gone are the days of the pen and pad reporter,notes Gude. The visual journalist is on the rise and in demand-writing, shooting and editing their own news stories, uploading them to the web, and envisioning novel and clever ways to bring information to the masses.
In a recent Poynter Online interview (click link above), Gude, a former Newsweek graphics director, discusses the importance of combining critical thinking skills and visual tools (i.e. Dreamweaver, Photoshop, 3D programs, etc.) to strengthen news stories while instilling a sense of art appreciation and journalistic flexibility.
Gone are the days of the pen and pad reporter,notes Gude. The visual journalist is on the rise and in demand-writing, shooting and editing their own news stories, uploading them to the web, and envisioning novel and clever ways to bring information to the masses.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Blogger Beware
Blogging upholds our freedom of speech by building a foundation for self-expression and interactivity, yet when dealing with rising issues of copyright law and libel liability, how do we determine when our words have crossed the line?
Over the years, courts have struggled to maintain a balance between defending those who have been defamed by bloggers and protecting one’s first amendment rights.
In Chapter 10 of “Online Journalism: Principles and Practices of News for the Web,” author James C. Foust defines libel as “the publication of false information that is defamatory, or likely to harm someone’s reputation.” According to Foust, statements contained in chat rooms, discussion boards and forums can be held liable for false and defamatory speech, since they are considered published information.
As Jennifer L. Peterson reports in Wisbar.org, “the standard for defamatory speech is the same whether the medium is paper or the Internet.” According to Peterson, there are three elements to a defamation claim: 1) a false and defamatory statement concerning another; 2) made in an unprivileged publication or broadcast to a third party; and 3) with fault amounting to at least negligence on the part of the speaker.
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 contains protection for online service providers and users and encourages courts to extend immunity to bloggers, stating in part that "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.”
According to Peterson, “Section 230 was enacted, in part, to maintain the robust nature of Internet communication and, accordingly, to keep government interference in the medium to a minimum…encouraging "robust" discourse by bloggers, therefore, is consistent with the purpose of section 230 and, not incidentally, the First Amendment.”
In Cubby v. CompuServe, a New York federal district court held that the CompuServe Internet service provider (ISP) was not liable for defamatory statements made by a subscriber in its online forum, since it was determined that CompuServe had not exercised any editorial control over any published information/statements.
However, Sections 230 does not intend to provide absolute immunity to all types of Internet communication. In Stratton Oakmont, Inc. v. Prodigy Services Co., the court ruled that the Prodigy ISP was responsible for published libelous statements, since they actively engage in screening and editing content on its bulletin boards and forums.
According to Foust, “a statement made in a discussion forum that is clearly an opinion could not be considered libelous, but a statement asserting factual information could be.” Since no significant court cases have provided guidance on this issue, a website, as noted by Foust, is therefore presented with three choices: 1) screening and editing all content appearing on discussion boards and in chat rooms, which can prove time-consuming and expensive; 2) exercising no control over what users say, which can make potentially libelous statements accessible to the public; or 3) choosing not to provide discussion boards or chat rooms at all, which is considered the most popular choice nowadays, yet does not seem to address the issue at hand.
In an effort to make sense of this blogging legal haze, maybe it’s time for the courts to reevaluate its defamation standards. Until this happens, perhaps we should hold ourselves accountable for our words and set our own standards of personal responsibility.
Check out these interesting links:
http://www.wisbar.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Wisconsin_Lawyer&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=56211
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_Decency_Act
http://www.internetlibrary.com/cases/lib_case69.cfm
http://www.internetlibrary.com/cases/lib_case80.cfm
Over the years, courts have struggled to maintain a balance between defending those who have been defamed by bloggers and protecting one’s first amendment rights.
In Chapter 10 of “Online Journalism: Principles and Practices of News for the Web,” author James C. Foust defines libel as “the publication of false information that is defamatory, or likely to harm someone’s reputation.” According to Foust, statements contained in chat rooms, discussion boards and forums can be held liable for false and defamatory speech, since they are considered published information.
As Jennifer L. Peterson reports in Wisbar.org, “the standard for defamatory speech is the same whether the medium is paper or the Internet.” According to Peterson, there are three elements to a defamation claim: 1) a false and defamatory statement concerning another; 2) made in an unprivileged publication or broadcast to a third party; and 3) with fault amounting to at least negligence on the part of the speaker.
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 contains protection for online service providers and users and encourages courts to extend immunity to bloggers, stating in part that "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.”
According to Peterson, “Section 230 was enacted, in part, to maintain the robust nature of Internet communication and, accordingly, to keep government interference in the medium to a minimum…encouraging "robust" discourse by bloggers, therefore, is consistent with the purpose of section 230 and, not incidentally, the First Amendment.”
In Cubby v. CompuServe, a New York federal district court held that the CompuServe Internet service provider (ISP) was not liable for defamatory statements made by a subscriber in its online forum, since it was determined that CompuServe had not exercised any editorial control over any published information/statements.
However, Sections 230 does not intend to provide absolute immunity to all types of Internet communication. In Stratton Oakmont, Inc. v. Prodigy Services Co., the court ruled that the Prodigy ISP was responsible for published libelous statements, since they actively engage in screening and editing content on its bulletin boards and forums.
According to Foust, “a statement made in a discussion forum that is clearly an opinion could not be considered libelous, but a statement asserting factual information could be.” Since no significant court cases have provided guidance on this issue, a website, as noted by Foust, is therefore presented with three choices: 1) screening and editing all content appearing on discussion boards and in chat rooms, which can prove time-consuming and expensive; 2) exercising no control over what users say, which can make potentially libelous statements accessible to the public; or 3) choosing not to provide discussion boards or chat rooms at all, which is considered the most popular choice nowadays, yet does not seem to address the issue at hand.
In an effort to make sense of this blogging legal haze, maybe it’s time for the courts to reevaluate its defamation standards. Until this happens, perhaps we should hold ourselves accountable for our words and set our own standards of personal responsibility.
Check out these interesting links:
http://www.wisbar.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Wisconsin_Lawyer&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=56211
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_Decency_Act
http://www.internetlibrary.com/cases/lib_case69.cfm
http://www.internetlibrary.com/cases/lib_case80.cfm
Vying for Media Attention: How Journalists are Learning to Promote their Work & Adapt to a Changing Environment
In this YouTube clip posted over a year ago, Washington Post Online Executive Editor Jim Brady discusses the need for journalists to keep up with new multi-media skills and trends, especially within the online world, in order to stay ahead of the competition.
As everything in the online world is subject to reinvention, the ongoing “fight” for national and international readers remains constant. According to Brady, consumers are continually reforming the ways in which they get their news, and therefore, it has become imperative for journalists to learn new media skills in order to adapt to an ever-changing environment.
And so, the convergence and evolution of media has given rise to the “Superjournalist,” one who is able to produce content faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than the local news, able to master a variety of media in a single bound…
Through gathering and producing stories for more than one type of media (check out Chapter 1 of James C. Foust’s “Online Journalism: Principles and Practices of News for the Web”), Superjournalists are able to have their stories available to larger audiences with immediacy and tact.
Superjournalists seem to thrive in the field of online journalism, as basic media skills are adapted to changing situations and new ways of covering stories are explored in order to reach their full potential and hopefully attract wider audiences.
As everything in the online world is subject to reinvention, the ongoing “fight” for national and international readers remains constant. According to Brady, consumers are continually reforming the ways in which they get their news, and therefore, it has become imperative for journalists to learn new media skills in order to adapt to an ever-changing environment.
And so, the convergence and evolution of media has given rise to the “Superjournalist,” one who is able to produce content faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than the local news, able to master a variety of media in a single bound…
Through gathering and producing stories for more than one type of media (check out Chapter 1 of James C. Foust’s “Online Journalism: Principles and Practices of News for the Web”), Superjournalists are able to have their stories available to larger audiences with immediacy and tact.
Superjournalists seem to thrive in the field of online journalism, as basic media skills are adapted to changing situations and new ways of covering stories are explored in order to reach their full potential and hopefully attract wider audiences.
Online Journalism Conditionals
If journalists can post blogs,
and bloggers can post news,
then can bloggers be called journalists?
Thanks to the emergence of online journalism, blogging has developed into a socially conventional form of self-expression and a vehicle for gathering and sharing news. Yet one question still remains. Is blogging really journalism?
This question has no clear answer and therefore continues to spark much debate.
According to a 2002 Business Week article, “Are Bloggers Journalists,” some organizations have begun to “legitimize blogs as a grassroots form of journalism.” The article reported that bloggers have received press passes in the past, have broken major news and continue to compliment traditional media outlets.
In the 2002 edition of USC Annenberg Online Journalism Review, Senior Editor J.D. Lasica wrote that the blogging movement may “sow the seeds for new forms of journalism, public discourse, interactivity and online community.”
However, Seattle Times technology columnist Paul Andrews reports that “not everyone who keeps a journal is a journalist…But professional journalists too often dismiss those who don't work for traditional media, when the truth is that the most vital and moral dispatches on the Web are being created by amateurs.” He goes on to say in the USC Annenberg Online Journalism Review that “it's the role of institutional media to act as gatekeepers… but what you have in print publishing today is a consolidation that's inimical to the diversity that exists in everyday life. With the rise of the Internet, people don't need to be bounded by those traditional filters anymore."
Unlike traditional media outlets, bloggers do not have to answer to gatekeepers. Their views and opinions are free-flowing, unrestrained and immediately accessible to the masses.
Though blogging has become a pioneer of new media, it faces an uncertain future. As First Amendment Center research attorney David L. Hudson, Jr. shares on Cyberjournalist.net, “the regulation of blogging presents many important First Amendment issues. Only time will tell where the legal lines will be drawn on whether bloggers are journalists, when anonymous bloggers can be unmasked and when public employees can be disciplined for the content of their expression made on a blog.”
Anyone can blog, anyone can share their voice. But not everyone can distinguish fact vs. opinion. Therefore, if we continue to closely monitor the progression of online journalism and blogging, then we will be better equipped to pay attention to the voices that can effect and influence us the most.
Check out these interesting links:
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2005/tc2005037_7877_tc024.htm
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/003286.php
http://www.ojr.org/ojr/workplace/1017958873.php
and bloggers can post news,
then can bloggers be called journalists?
Thanks to the emergence of online journalism, blogging has developed into a socially conventional form of self-expression and a vehicle for gathering and sharing news. Yet one question still remains. Is blogging really journalism?
This question has no clear answer and therefore continues to spark much debate.
According to a 2002 Business Week article, “Are Bloggers Journalists,” some organizations have begun to “legitimize blogs as a grassroots form of journalism.” The article reported that bloggers have received press passes in the past, have broken major news and continue to compliment traditional media outlets.
In the 2002 edition of USC Annenberg Online Journalism Review, Senior Editor J.D. Lasica wrote that the blogging movement may “sow the seeds for new forms of journalism, public discourse, interactivity and online community.”
However, Seattle Times technology columnist Paul Andrews reports that “not everyone who keeps a journal is a journalist…But professional journalists too often dismiss those who don't work for traditional media, when the truth is that the most vital and moral dispatches on the Web are being created by amateurs.” He goes on to say in the USC Annenberg Online Journalism Review that “it's the role of institutional media to act as gatekeepers… but what you have in print publishing today is a consolidation that's inimical to the diversity that exists in everyday life. With the rise of the Internet, people don't need to be bounded by those traditional filters anymore."
Unlike traditional media outlets, bloggers do not have to answer to gatekeepers. Their views and opinions are free-flowing, unrestrained and immediately accessible to the masses.
Though blogging has become a pioneer of new media, it faces an uncertain future. As First Amendment Center research attorney David L. Hudson, Jr. shares on Cyberjournalist.net, “the regulation of blogging presents many important First Amendment issues. Only time will tell where the legal lines will be drawn on whether bloggers are journalists, when anonymous bloggers can be unmasked and when public employees can be disciplined for the content of their expression made on a blog.”
Anyone can blog, anyone can share their voice. But not everyone can distinguish fact vs. opinion. Therefore, if we continue to closely monitor the progression of online journalism and blogging, then we will be better equipped to pay attention to the voices that can effect and influence us the most.
Check out these interesting links:
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2005/tc2005037_7877_tc024.htm
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/003286.php
http://www.ojr.org/ojr/workplace/1017958873.php
I blog…you blog…we all blog
You know you’ve finally arrived on the scene, when your life story gets posted on Wikipedia.
Stop what you’re doing, go to a search engine and type in “blog.” Hundreds of thousands of results pop up. Everyone seems to be “blogging,” the word “blog” is actually considered a verb (I blog, you blogged, they are blogging), and even Spell check on Microsoft Windows seems to acknowledge it as acceptable dialect, since no red underlined markings appear to declare it as misspelled or out of the ordinary.
So, how did this cultural phenomenon come to be? James C. Foust’s “Online Journalism: Principles and Practices of News for the Web” and Wikipedia recount its early beginnings and provide some insight regarding its exciting future.
The “blog,” short for web log, is described as an electronic journal entry, diary or post, providing commentary on news, events and a variety of subjects. Blogs promote convergence, as they combine different types of media, such as video, audio and even music files to strengthen its message.
There are all sorts of blogs, too. News, corporate, personal, question (you can type in a question and others post answers and advice). The list is endless. The rise of Home Improvement and Makeover television programs may have contributed to the increasing popularity of "house blogs,” or blogs allowing homeowners to document and share information regarding their home improvement or renovation process.
According to Wikipedia, before blogging became popular, we had digital communities (Usenet), commercial online services (Genie) and Bulletin Board Systems, which created an outlet to post messages. The modern blog was born from the online diary, where people would keep a running account of their personal lives. Justin Hall, a student at Swarthmore College who began blogging in 1994, is generally recognized as one of the earliest bloggers, while Dave Winer’s “Scripting News” is also credited with being one of the oldest and longest running weblogs.
The collective community of all blogs is known as the “blogosphere,” which may sound ominous to some-kind of like the web’s own version of the black hole, filled with infinite data and information. Though it may be easy to lose your way in this black hole, blogging is quickly becoming more mainstream, as many journalists today use blogs to increase the reach of their messages/reports while others consider them therapeutic.
Though blogging has many advantages in modern day culture, it simultaneously presents concerns regarding accuracy and truth. According to Chapter 4 of Foust’s “Online Journalism: Principles and Practices of News for the Web,” “blogging offers the potential to create entirely new forms of discourse, making room for a level of participatory community that has not been possible before." Blogging also creates a “marketplace of ideas, unfiltered by media corporations or editors.” However, according to Foust, “the downside to the fact that anyone can blog is, of course, that anyone can blog.” Therefore it becomes inherently important to define our realities and establish out journalistic independence.
Links of interest:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
http://olj.hh-pub.com
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/pac_ctnt_988/text/0,,HGTV_22056_60311,00.html
Stop what you’re doing, go to a search engine and type in “blog.” Hundreds of thousands of results pop up. Everyone seems to be “blogging,” the word “blog” is actually considered a verb (I blog, you blogged, they are blogging), and even Spell check on Microsoft Windows seems to acknowledge it as acceptable dialect, since no red underlined markings appear to declare it as misspelled or out of the ordinary.
So, how did this cultural phenomenon come to be? James C. Foust’s “Online Journalism: Principles and Practices of News for the Web” and Wikipedia recount its early beginnings and provide some insight regarding its exciting future.
The “blog,” short for web log, is described as an electronic journal entry, diary or post, providing commentary on news, events and a variety of subjects. Blogs promote convergence, as they combine different types of media, such as video, audio and even music files to strengthen its message.
There are all sorts of blogs, too. News, corporate, personal, question (you can type in a question and others post answers and advice). The list is endless. The rise of Home Improvement and Makeover television programs may have contributed to the increasing popularity of "house blogs,” or blogs allowing homeowners to document and share information regarding their home improvement or renovation process.
According to Wikipedia, before blogging became popular, we had digital communities (Usenet), commercial online services (Genie) and Bulletin Board Systems, which created an outlet to post messages. The modern blog was born from the online diary, where people would keep a running account of their personal lives. Justin Hall, a student at Swarthmore College who began blogging in 1994, is generally recognized as one of the earliest bloggers, while Dave Winer’s “Scripting News” is also credited with being one of the oldest and longest running weblogs.
The collective community of all blogs is known as the “blogosphere,” which may sound ominous to some-kind of like the web’s own version of the black hole, filled with infinite data and information. Though it may be easy to lose your way in this black hole, blogging is quickly becoming more mainstream, as many journalists today use blogs to increase the reach of their messages/reports while others consider them therapeutic.
Though blogging has many advantages in modern day culture, it simultaneously presents concerns regarding accuracy and truth. According to Chapter 4 of Foust’s “Online Journalism: Principles and Practices of News for the Web,” “blogging offers the potential to create entirely new forms of discourse, making room for a level of participatory community that has not been possible before." Blogging also creates a “marketplace of ideas, unfiltered by media corporations or editors.” However, according to Foust, “the downside to the fact that anyone can blog is, of course, that anyone can blog.” Therefore it becomes inherently important to define our realities and establish out journalistic independence.
Links of interest:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
http://olj.hh-pub.com
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/pac_ctnt_988/text/0,,HGTV_22056_60311,00.html
Rules for Reading Online News
In a January 2007 New York Times article, columnist and radio personality Garrison Keillor wrote that nothing compares “to the fine art of holding a newspaper.” As laptops are becoming more affordable and socially chic, it’s almost a rarity to find what Keillor describes as the stylish, classy newspaper lover lounging in the local Starbucks, reveling in ink smudges as his fingers sift through the local and sports sections. Instead, we hear aggressive fingers pounding on keyboards, see wires and battery packs covering coffee tables (sometimes, with no sight of any espressos or frappuccinos) and wonder…where have all the Cary Grants and Spencer Tracy’s gone?
Adaptation is key to any growing, changing environment. As society continues its quest to embrace and promote the online revolution by creating web editions of national newspapers and magazines and offering free Wi-fi services at local hangouts (i.e. Starbucks), some fear that newspapers may become extinct. But that’s not the case at all.
According to a 2005 Editor & Publisher article entitled, “Dispelling the Myth of Readership Decline,” print media is reaching more people than ever, thanks to a symbiotic relationship with their partner online editions (ex. Tampa Tribune, WashingtonPost. Newsweek).
As online journalism evolves into an acceptable vehicle for news, perhaps it would be suitable to lay out a few ground rules to fully enjoy the experience:
1) Sharing is caring: Feel free to post your comments regarding articles and blogs. The beauty about online media is that it promotes an open forum-like environment, with everyone sharing their beliefs, thoughts and opinions
2) Everyone has an opinion: It’s becoming increasingly difficult to sort out facts and truth from seemingly endless mounds of data, so do your research, check your sources and stay on track…
3) Blogger Beware: With rising concerns of copyright law, liability and defamation, it’s important to be cautious of what you write, as your words can be accessed by anyone and everyone; I’ll touch on this topic more in a future blog
4) And lastly, the most important advice of all… please don’t bring your laptop to the beach. Sand and saltwater don’t mix well with computer screens and keyboards-unless you’d like to spend your evening cleaning out the cap lock and shift keys with a Q-tip. If you’d like to catch up on the news while enjoying Miami’s cooling waters and bright rays, maybe it’s best to take a newspaper.
Check out the following sites for more info:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/01/10/keillor/index.html
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/01/10/keillor/index.html
Adaptation is key to any growing, changing environment. As society continues its quest to embrace and promote the online revolution by creating web editions of national newspapers and magazines and offering free Wi-fi services at local hangouts (i.e. Starbucks), some fear that newspapers may become extinct. But that’s not the case at all.
According to a 2005 Editor & Publisher article entitled, “Dispelling the Myth of Readership Decline,” print media is reaching more people than ever, thanks to a symbiotic relationship with their partner online editions (ex. Tampa Tribune, WashingtonPost. Newsweek).
As online journalism evolves into an acceptable vehicle for news, perhaps it would be suitable to lay out a few ground rules to fully enjoy the experience:
1) Sharing is caring: Feel free to post your comments regarding articles and blogs. The beauty about online media is that it promotes an open forum-like environment, with everyone sharing their beliefs, thoughts and opinions
2) Everyone has an opinion: It’s becoming increasingly difficult to sort out facts and truth from seemingly endless mounds of data, so do your research, check your sources and stay on track…
3) Blogger Beware: With rising concerns of copyright law, liability and defamation, it’s important to be cautious of what you write, as your words can be accessed by anyone and everyone; I’ll touch on this topic more in a future blog
4) And lastly, the most important advice of all… please don’t bring your laptop to the beach. Sand and saltwater don’t mix well with computer screens and keyboards-unless you’d like to spend your evening cleaning out the cap lock and shift keys with a Q-tip. If you’d like to catch up on the news while enjoying Miami’s cooling waters and bright rays, maybe it’s best to take a newspaper.
Check out the following sites for more info:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/01/10/keillor/index.html
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/01/10/keillor/index.html
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Online Journalism not for Dummies
Heart racing. Chair shifting. Butterflies in stomach. No matter how much older you get, the first-day-of-class jitters never seem to go away. Especially with terms like SEOs, converged newsrooms and htmls flowing through the classroom, as your brain tries to interpret what sounds like a foreign language.
Yet, what seems like a foreign concept to a few, is evolving into a simple, modern practice for the wave of the future. It's almost scary to think that online journalism, with its 24/7 deadlines, sense of immediacy and quick punch-lines, will one day replace the cool comfort of flipping through the newspaper on a lazy Sunday morning.
But not all good things must come to an end. Both print and online journalism can coexist, working together to bring the news to the masses in an efficient way.
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