Sloppy Jatropha Shrub Slideshow

The jatropha shrub slideshow was featured in the Miami Herald's Multi-Media section. Though the two and a half minute-long narrated presentation is filled with a a dozen eye-popping images of Haiti's scenic farmlands and the process behind creating biofuel from the jatropha shrub, the poor audio quality seems to overshadow the whole purpose of the slideshow.

The slideshow was intended to showcase the jatropha shrub as a possible alternative to fossil fuel, as well as identify ways to sell and market this plant as a means of addressing our current energy crisis. Everyone can agree this is a crucial topic facing our world today, but unfortunately, in the midst of my having to replay the slideshow several times due to the lackluster sound, I could see how others in my situation may have bypassed the message.

In all fairness, I've become accustomed to viewing top-notch narrated slideshows on the Herald's multi-media site, so maybe that's why I'm sounding a bit harsh right now.

Breaking News Story Headlines

Miamiherald.com and SunSentinel.com covered a breaking news story about a Coconut Creek woman who died early Wednesday after losing control of her pick-up truck on I-95. Though both media outlets recount the accident in great detail, I preferred the Sun Sentinel's headline, "Woman killed in I-95 wreck south of Cypress Creek Road identified" vs. the Herald's "Coconut Creek woman dies in I-95 crash", as it is more detailed and establishes a sense of closure. The Sun Sentinel's lede is also more effective, since it is jam-packed with important information. I noticed, however, that neither the Sun Sentinel nor the Miami Herald placed the (police) attribute in the lede's opening sentence when describing the accident.

It was interesting that SunSentinel.com featured a related links package at the bottom of the page, which included a photo gallery of vivid/graphic I-95 accident scenes called, "What a Wreck." Though this photo gallery didn't exactly hurt this story, it didn't exactly add anything to it either. I got the distinct impression that the Sun Sentinel reuses it whenever there is a story regarding highway crashes.

Candidates Woo South Florida's Small Business Owners

The front page of Wednesday's Miami Herald featured an article entitled, "Wooing Small Businesses," which highlights how "South Florida's small business owners are weighing the dueling plans offered by the presidential candidates." The homepage of Miami Herald.com also includes this article, but with a slighlty different headline, "Candidates Woo South Florida's Small Business Owners." I believe this headline is very effective for online journalism, compared to its orignal print headline, since it pinpoints who exactly is wooing the small business owners and defines the geographic location-both pertinent elements of the story.

Though the related content links of the print plus story are useful and insightful, they are not exactly "related" to the topic at hand. The three-picture slideshow (of a small business owner, McCain and Obama, respectively), which was also featured as part of the related links package, was not very effective. I would have preferred to have seen a narrated slideshow of several business owners providing an overview of their current econmic situation, which economic plan benefits them the most, and which candidate they are supporting. Or, perhaps the Herald could have featured a narrated slideshow of the presidential candidates themselves discussing their proposed economic plans. An audio clip of the candidates' speeches could have served as an alternative to video or slideshows, and might have been just as poignant.

The printed article encourages readers to log onto the Miami Herald website to obtain additional campaign coverage.. The Herald's Political Currents page is awesome! It is a wonderful multi-media, interactive site featuring everything from political polls and quizzes and campaign commentary to early voting maps and candidate updates.

Kudos to Miamiherald.com for coming up with an eye-catching headline for Tuesday's print story, "When Red Met Blue," a clever piece about coping mechanisms for couples with different political backgrounds. Though the online story headline did not have the same "When Harry Met Sally" vibe to it, it was still pretty catchy: "Love can Survive the Election, even for Political Opposites."

Alicia Silverstone Rocks the Vote

No offense to actress-turned-activist Alicia Silverstone, everyone's favorite dim-witted, shopaholic Beverly Hills teen queen from the 90's movie classic "Clueless," but was it really necessary for MiamiHerald.com to post a 37-second video detailing why the 32-year-old vegan likes to vote early? I think not.

The article, "Alica Silverstone, Matt Damon Rock the Vote," which captures Silverstone's celebrity essence quite nicely and why she favors early voting, would have been effective on its own. So, maybe the blink-of-an-eye video re-cap of her voting preferences was a bit over-kill. But then again, she is a movie star and the mere mention of her name can atract audiences to any website. I would have liked instead to have heard who she voted for and why...

Check out this great video clip from You Tube "Barack Obama rally in Tampa with Alicia Silverstone," which details how Barack Obama restored Silverstone's faith in politics. Now, this is the type of video I would have liked to have seen in the Herald's Mutimedia package.

Search Engine Optimization

I decided to google the Miami Herald's Sunday online and printed headline "The Hijacking Suspect Next Door" in light of Tuesday's discussion regarding Search Engine Optimization-just to see if any of its key words would help locate the article within the vast world wide web-and oddly enough, the exact article popped up as the first search result.

I say oddly because, as pointed out in class, I didn't feel as though any of the headline's words helped narrow down what the article was truly about. They were way too vague. The copy editor could have used key words in the headline like Cuba or Miami (geographic location), since the hijackers were Cuban sympathizers who hijacked a flight from Miami; maybe the name of one of the hijackers, whom were profiled in the story, could have been used as well. Just a suggestion...

Upon further review of the articles generated by Google search, I noticed that though the first few results retrieved the Miami Herald story, the rest of the results ranged from Turkish terrorists to even a Chinese jet that was hijacked on its way to Japan. Basically, the majority of the articles appearing after the first few results were completely unrelated to my original headline search.

I believe the reason why this Miami Herald headline appeared at the top of the Google search page is because the article is still fresh. But if we give it some time to travel through the black hole of the world wide web, eventually being replaced with other stories with similar headlines, we may never find it again-without of course using more "key words" in our search.

The Hijacking Suspect Next Door

"The Hijacking Suspect Next Door," a story about Cuban sympathizers who hijacked a flight from Miami in 1958 causing it to crash off Cuba, made the MiamiHerald.com mainstage and front page of the printed paper Sunday morning. Though a very interesting article, I was surprised that Sunday's Dolphins game didn't appear anywhere on the mainstage (maybe, it's still early?) Usually, Dolphins game coverage is featured prominently, and includes discussion forums and reporter blogs.

Kudos to the Herald for not "shoveling" the printed piece straight to its website, deciding instead to create a wonderful "print plus" story. Miamiherald.com includes a video interview of Osiris Martinez, a survivor of the plane hijacking that killed his wife and three children. You can see the regret and sadness in Mr. Martinez's eyes when watching the video, which also features photographs of his family and Cuba not found in the Sunday print edition. I think the use of video in this story was very effective, as it allows the reader to empathize with Mr. Martinez's experience.

Videos Really Do Stand on Their Own

Miami Herald Online News Editor Shelley Acoca stated during her recent visit to our Online Journalism class that videos-when featured as stand-alones on MiamiHerald.com-generate more user traffic and attract unique visitors.

On Saturday, MiamiHerald.com posted the video, "Remembering El Encanto," former Jewel of Havana" in its Multi-Media section and accompanying story, and sure enough my Cuban mom-who has never really perused the Herald website for news- was transported back to her roots. Having left Cuba when she was only nine years old, she said it was wonderful to see photographs and video of the historic department store, and complimented the Herald on its great coverage.

I guess Ms. Acoca was right. Videos have the potential to attract unique visitors, and hopefully, reel them in for more. I can proudly report that my mom may now be hooked on the Herald.

(The Miami Herald' Sunday print edition featured a follow-up piece of this story entitled, "Fashion Flashback")

Early Voting Makes Herald Mainstage

Less than an hour after posting my blog regarding Shelley Acoca's recent class visit and the Early Voting Links Package-which for the past week has appeared on either the top or bottom of the left-hand panel of the Herald's webpage-the story is now prominently featured on what Ms. Acoca described as the "Mainstage," or front and center/top of website.

UM journalism graduate Rafe Sangiovanni, who joined Ms. Acoca during Tuesday's class, exaplined that "Mainstage" stories are not actually "real" stories. Instead, they feature attention-grabbing headlines above captivating photographs, which-when you click on the headline-take you to a previously posted breaking news story. In this case, when I clicked on the headline, "Early Voters Greeted with Lines on Saturday," I was instantly taken back to the original article/related content page I had blogged about earlier today. Mr. Sangiovanni noted, however, that the article itself can be updated throughout the day, whenever new information becomes available, to promote continued interest and content longevity.

I appreciate how MiamiHerald.com posted the Early Voting Package on its Mainstage, as it encourages folks to get out and vote on their day off. This is a perfect example of dayparting, or gearing stories toward a particular demographic, or what the target audience typically engages in at that time.

Out with the Old, Pay for the New

Local community newspaper Miami Today is unveiling a new "E-Paper" next week, which will offer the entire news and advertising content days before its printed paper reaches your door.

Thing is...the old MiamiTodayNews.com allowed readers to view all articles free of charge, and only charged a few dollars to obtain stories older than seven days. The new Miami Today "E-Paper" will only offer a few select articles for your reading pleasure free of charge, and all the new and improved "good stuff" is only available to subscribers.

Subscribers will be able to read articles in text or newspaper view, save articles into a personal electronic news clipping file, listen to articles read aloud, receive the e-paper on a mobile phone, and even receive the e-paper as a podcast or RSS feed.

Not bad for a small, local paper, who's now decided to ride the multi-media wave. But, kind of bad for me who used to enjoy the online edition and its former, limited amenities for free. Though subscribing to the E-paper will only cost you $30 a year, I wonder if their loyal readers will still want to pay to view the new and improved site.

Instant News Editors: Managing Priorities

Miami Herald Instant News Editor Shelley Acoca visited our Online Journalism class Tuesday to showcase the MiamiHerald.com website and discuss choices she and fellow online producers make daily to generate reader traffic. For the past week, the MiamiHerald.com homepage has featured Links Packages on Early Voting to help readers locate (via interactive maps) early voting sites and times. I think this story-which is updated daily-is very informative, and strengthens the Herald's sense of community and political awareness. Ms. Acoca mentioned on Tuesday that she and online producers had created a document entitled, "The Miami Herald Recommends," which includes voting recommendations generated by its Editorial Board for president, constitutional amendments, etc. Ms. Acoca noted that regrettably, this document had not been posted as the homepage has limited space for links, and the online producers therefore had to feature only the most pertinent information. I'm glad that this document finally made the homepage later in the week, as it is useful for undecided voters.

Ms. Acoca also mentioned that when creating a Links Package, online producers need to feature the most important links at the top of the list, as readers/scanners generally tend to click only the first few. Therfore, I was a little surprised to see nearly twenty links on the "print plus" Early Voting story page. Though the majority of the links were interesting and captured my attention, I could understand how some readers may find it overwhelming.

Gettin' Stoned in the Stone Age?

According to the Daily Telegraph (UK), scientists recently discovered evidence suggesting that prehistoric man liked to get high in the Stone Age. Well, at least it explains those trippy cave drawings and funky clothing...

The Telegraph reports that researchers found equipment on the Caribbean island of Carriacou, dating back to 400 BC, used to prepare hallucinogenic drugs for sniffing. The so-called "drug paraphernalia" included ceramic bowls, as well as tubes, for inhaling cohoba, a hallucinogen made from mimosa beans and used by South American tribes "to induce spiritual or trance-like states."

Though actually kind of funny, this story didn't exactly warrant a slideshow to detail man's early history of drug use. In my opinion, this story seemed more "half-baked" than newsworthy. I' m sure the Geico Cavemen aren't the least bit amused.

Miami Herald Audio Slideshow

I was scanning Miamiherald.com for examples of narrated slideshows and came across "Anorexia: Juliet Robboy's Story," which focuses on a young woman's struggles with bulimia and anorexia and her ongoing journey towards recovery and self-love. I was overwhelmed by the slideshow's heartbreaking, striking images, melancholy backgound music and Juliet's truthful yet painful account of her treatment at South Florida's Renfrew Center. The emotions evoked in this audio slideshow are so poignant and thoughtful that simply producing a printed story would never have done her journey justice.

Swimming with the Dolphins

Kudos to MiamiHerald.com for its in-depth, live coverage of Sunday's Dolphins vs. Ravens game. Reporter Armando Salguero's Live Blog is packed with pre-game news and interesting football tidbits. The blog page is also alive with Dolphin fan comments, discussion and debate, successfully generating a great public forum. The "Breaking Down the Game: Dolphins vs. Ravens" page and related multimedia links are entertaining and informative. The Herald also does a nice job of posting/updating the score on its homepage (front and center). Perhaps this story could have benefitted from "chunking," by creating sections for player bios, as well as outlining each team's stengths and weaknesses,etc. I suspect the Miami Herald will offer a more elaborate, expanded story in its print version on Monday.

Palin Stops By SNL

After days of hype, GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin finally crossed paths with her seemingly "better half" comedian Tina Fey on Saturday Night Live. Even though Hollywood Reporter.com attests that Palin's SNL stint yielded the show its highest ratings in 14 years, the majority of Twitter users and I agreed that her attempt to connect to the American audience felt contrived, uncomfortable and just plain desperate. Check it out...

I'm Tweeting on Twitter

I joined Twitter today because social networking guru Alex de Carvalho made it look like fun. They have a page called "Hack the Debate," which allows Twitter users to share comments/tweet the presidential debates while watching a live stream of the broadcast. I think I'm going to check out the next Hack the Debate, which will take place on Wednesday, October 15, 9 pm, and-if I'm lucky-maybe my debate tweets will air on TV. I think it's great that Twitter is encouraging the community to become an active member of the political process, and in a way, contribute to social change.

So, here's a tweet i wrote (140 characters or less):

The NY Post reports that politcal scientists believe comedian Tina Fey's spoofs on SNL may be spoiling the McCain/Palin ticket.

Rick Sanchez: World's Fastest Multimedia Man

When media strategist and UM professor Alex de Carvalho discussed the rise of social networking sites-like Twitter, Facebook and Flickr-with our Online Journalism class Tuesday, I began to understand the importance of not only establishing your internet identity and reputation, but creating a sense of community as well.

I've realized that Journalists can have the best of both worlds. On one hand, they can be the objective, detached investigator, a fly on the wall researching and reporting just the facts before moving on to the next story. On the other hand, we have the twitters, the bloggers, the self-promoters; those who have established their credibility and authority in the online news world by inviting the audience to participate in discussions and share their reactions on everything from sports to politics. These individuals are the true community builders, replacing the old-fashioned pencil and pad reporters with modern, multimedia mavericks.

On Wednesday, MiamiHerald.com reported that news pioneer Rick Sanchez has unleashed TV's "first true multimedia experience" on CNN-a format filled with enticing video clips, live interviews and discussion boards. The Herald reported that Sanchez's unconventional, speedy and flashy format could become the "future of TV news-or it's death." Though former UM Broadcast Journalism professor Sam Roberts compares Sanchez's show to "Larry King on Steroids," he noted that the concept of promoting direct discussion and interaction on the Internet between the news source and the community is truly great and revolutionary. And I have to agree. Rick Sanchez is effectively embracing the opportunities offered by multimedia, and using his experiences to connect people in a variety of ways.

I can't believe that the former WSVN reporter whom had once been criticised for labeling everything from a school shotting to a kitten being trapped in a tree as "shocking news," is shocking the news world again. But this time, in a good way.

Windows Movie Maker Magic

I created and edited a slideshow with soothing "elevator" music in Windows Movie Maker, and uploaded it on YouTube. Wow! That was a doozy. I hope this is good practice for Tuesday's class.

Good 'Ol Reliable: The Inverted Pyramid

The Who, What, Where, When and Why were successfully tackled in this Saturday's Miami Herald article regarding former football legend O.J. Simpson and co-conspirator Clarence Stewart-both facing life with parole for armed robbery and kidnapping.

The no-nonsense lede, "O.J. Simpson is going to prison," captures the attention of "scanners" and encourages them to read on to obtain additional details and background information. The Subheads, "Colorful Testimony" and "Plea Deals," are effectively titled and provide an overview behind the jurors' decision and the four co-defendants' involvement in the case.

The inverted pyramid works well in the O.J. story, since readers want to receive the most pertinent information early on in the first couple of paragraphs. The aptly titled subheads are also effective, as they allow readers to skip/scan ahead to access information pertaining to that topic, especially if they're pressed for time.

This article is a great example of a "print plus" story, as the text is paired with web-exclusive feautures, such as: a video of the Las Vegas courtroom and deliberation, a slideshow and related links (Jury Instructions for the O.J. Simpson Case).

Since this article could also be considered a "thematic" story (O.J. is the theme), the structure could have been divided into chunks, allowing readers to explore related elements or parts of the story without effecting the main story. For instance, instead of simply posting pictures of the nine men involved in the Las Vegas armed robbery, miamiherald.com could have created chunks or seperate pages for each of the nine men, detailing their involvement and individual plea deals, which would grant readers control over how they view and obtain their information.

Narrative Story Structure

"Raccoon-eyed models in snug alpaca coats were standing on platforms at the Kevin Bruk Gallery one recent evening, looking a little restless.

They had been told not to move, for a spooky-arty effect. But their fidgeting kept breaking the spell."

Featured above are the first two paragraphs of an article posted on MiamiHerald.com Saturday entitled, "Fashion is Art at Bruk Gallery Show." The vivid description of the models created an air of mystery, drawing me further into the story.

I soon discovered that the article was about local designer, Silvia Arguello, whom recently unveiled her new line of coats and dresses on models on display at the Kevin Bruk Art Gallery. The article focuses on the rare feat of hosting a fashion show within a Miami art gallery and documents Arguello's rise in the fashion world.

The narrative structure of this article is perfectly suited for entertainment-based stories, since readers/web users are able to dedicate more time to being "teased," allowing the descriptive elements of the story to unfold with ease while mixing factual data in order to maintain interest and increase involvement. I don't believe that this sort of story structure would work well with "breaking news" since readers aren't in the mood to be entertained when seeking just the plain, quick facts.

The Oak Tree: Further Explorations on Photo Editing

During the washed out, wet weekend, I photograhed an old oak tree and played around with PhotoShop.

A Flickr of Hope

Thanks to Carolina's informative blog on how to make a slideshow on Flickr, I felt inspired to photograph the County Club Prado in Coral Gables, a historic landmark created in the 1920s.