I've Learned More than James Caan

In 2003, Esquire magazine published an interview of 63-year-old actor James Caan called "What I've Learned." I read it over and over again, and pretty soon, it was burnt into my memory. What made this interview so unique and fun to read was that it wasn't your typical Hollywood interview-style article. No cheeky paragraphs about the actor's sharp Prada pants, latest film flop or flavor of the week. Instead, I read excerpts taken from Caan's career highlights, the most unforgettable snapshots of his personal life.

So, as an homage to Esquire, and in honor of one of my favorite actors, I've decided to create a "What I've learned" for Online Journalism 442. Although it won't include any stories about beer-induced bar brawls or an excessive use of expletives, it will hopefully capture my experience in a different way:

What I've Learned

No matter what anyone says or what what any book, article or mojo may tell you, newspapers are alive and kicking. They're just temporarily taking a backseat to the glitz and glam of online journalism and the rise of multimedia. You see, online news is the new Malibu Barbie in town-with her shiny blond hair and glossy lips. She's unique, exciting and drives a fast car. But one day, Malibu Barbie will realize the value of teamwork, recruiting the wiser, more experienced Vintage Barbie once again to take on the news world while harmoniously living together in Barbie's Dream House. Besides, she needs a roommate. Rent doesn't come cheap nowadays.

Journalists can blog and bloggers can be journalists. Everyone has a VOICE, but it's our job as readers to sort out fact from fiction. May the force be with you! In the meantime, buy earplugs...

The continuous news desk is located somewhere between heaven and hell. It's heavenly to read updated local stories online, receive breaking news text alerts on your blackberry, and track audience readership throughout the day to determine ways to get more page views. It's hell when you're actually part of the team trying to pull all this together. Sorry Shelley...

It's hard to come up with engaging, unique news stories to fill up one's homepage. That's partly why shovelware was invented. Hiring more writers good! Print Plus stories awesome! Relying on shovelware forever...not fun.

When it comes to writing breaking news, the Inverted Pyramid story structure works best for print and online. Period. If you want to invoke the literary, narrative spirit of Nathaniel Hawthorne and take up countless paragraphs to describe a ten car collision on I-95, please seek employment elsewhere.

Everyone should learn to code. That, and klingon. It looks good on your resume and makes for interesting cocktail banter. Then again, if I have to hear the word Tag one more time...

I have seen the future of human interaction and social growth. It's called Facebook. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Yes, I was terrified of this class from the beginning. How do I think I did? Let me get back to you on that one...

Potty Mouth

Speaking of the Local10.com Odd File, a story about kids and constipation appeared on their news site on Thanksgiving. Never in a million years did I expect to see this kind of quirky article posted on a local news site. Maybe a better niche is located between the online pages of a parenting or health magazine?

Though the article offers useful tips for parents to treat this painful problem, thanks to insight provided by local doctors and the Nationwide Children's Hospital, the intent is completely overshadowed by the ridiculously prominent pic of toilet paper appearing to the right of the story-just above additonal medical information. Kind of inappropriate, and kind of upping the gross out factor. I realize that everything has its place in the online news world, but I'm failing to grasp the relevance of this article when it is clearly presented as a joke piece.

Machete Maniac

The Local10.com homepage featured this story in its local news section early Saturday morning. According to the article, 46-year-old Tampa woman Annette Jenkins was thrown behind bars when she chased after a Thanksgiving dinner guest with a machete. And I thought turkey only caused excessive napping or football watching.

Anyways, Jenkins now faces aggravated assault charges for her maniacal behavior. Thing is, quirky artcles of this nature usually attribute a quote or two to a police spokesperson or local authority. Yet, this article simply recounts the "alleged" event and offers no additonal information or explanation. Kind of odd. For this reason, I wouldn't have posted this vague, rather weak story on the homepage. Instead, I would have buried it in local ten's "Odd File." Then again, maybe that's where it will end up...

Eye on the U Gameday Blog

It's Game Day and Miami Herald sportswriter Manny Navarro has launched his Eye on the U live blog. Though Navarro's opening paragraph notes that UM receiver Aldarius Johnson will not be joining his teammates against the North Carolina State Wolfpacks today for violating a team rule, he doesn't elaborate any further on the matter. I guess it's safe to assume that this is private, personal information. And I can completely respect that...

As usual, Navarro offers key tips/informative analysis to hopefully lead the Canes to victory, and as of 12:45 pm, has included first half thoughts and highlights. What's even better is that Navarro's live blog is actually "live" and filled with play-by-play action, making his readers believe they're actually at the game rooting for the Canes. He also engages MiamiHerald.com readers through the Comments page, encouraging a community forum/discussion, answering questions and providing additional insight into the game itself. I can definitely see why sports-related topics generate the most clicks/user traffic-closely behind breaking news-on the MiamiHerald.com site. It's fun to read, fast to post, and creates a sense of community.

Miami Herald Breaking News: UM Receiver Suspended

The Miami Herald.com breaking news section posted this story Saturday at 11:50 am, "Canes leading receiver is suspended," literally minutes before UM is scheduled to play North Carolina State.

Miami Herald reporter Susan Miller Degnan reports that the Hurricane's leading receiver Aldarius Johnson, a freshman hailing from Miami Northwestern High, was suspended Saturday for "violating team policy," according to UM sports information spokesman Mark Pray. Johnson's suspension is described as a big blow for the Canes, especially since today marks the final regular-season football game.

The short, concise article left me wondering what exactly a "violation of team policy" entails. The article "Miami Hurricanes have a lot to play for in finale," which is featured as part of the homepage's UM Football link, doesn't even mention Johnson, as this story was posted on Friday and has not been updated.

Will MiamiHerald.com do a follow-up piece later in the day, or will they just leave it as is? I hope to receive more information soon...

Gas Station Murder: Miami Herald v. Sun Sentinel

MiamiHerald.com posted a breaking news story Saturday morning about two men who shot and killed a Hess gas station clerk, before fleeing with a cash register full of money. When I clicked on the article, "Police release photos of gas station murder suspects," I had expected to see surveillance shots of the suspects, but instead received a recap of Tuesday's shooting and a message encouraging those with more information to contact local authorities. I guess the headline was a bit misleading for me. However, I enjoyed reporter Adam Beasly's narrative lede, which helped put a new spin on the crime scene and engage readers, since an inverted pyramid structure wouldn't have been as effective following several days of fact-based, no-nonsense coverage.

SunSentinel.com also covered this story in "Police release surveillance stills in fatal Hess shooting.". I liked the Sun Sentinel's detailed headline, and sure enough-when I clicked on the story-I was able to see a surveillance shot of one of the murder suspects, which the article noted was released by police on Friday. The article recounts the crime scene with effortless precision and a confirmed desciption of the men is attributed to a Hollywood police spokesman. The SunSentinel.com story also ends with a message urging those with more information to contact local authorities, yet unlike the Herald, it includes a link to the Hollywood Police Department site, which I believe is very effective in encouraging people to reach out and help police.

Sorry Ms. L, but I think SunSentinel.com did a better job in drawing people into their story than MiamiHerald.com. Maybe the Herald could post pictures/stills in its article to match the headline for their story?

I Want a Blackberry Storm!

Thanks Miami Herald reporter Bridget Carey for providing a 60-second review (pros and cons) of Verizon's new touch screen Blackberry Storm in the Multimedia Section. It really peaked my curiousity and helped explain why there were so many folks lined up outside Verizon stores in the cold last week.

Surviving the Holiday Eating Season

Thanks MiamiHerald.com for Tuesday's timely homepage link, "Holiday Diet: How to Fight the Thanksgiving Glut," which takes the reader to the "Diet and Nutrition" page filled with helpful Thanksgiving eating/drinking tips (putting it on, putting it off), scrumptous, health-conscious recipes, and my personal favorite...Dave Barry's Holiday Gift Guide 2008, because who doesn't need a talking fly swatter or a gun shaped egg fryer.

L.A. Times Covers Cyber Stalking Case (Part II)

November 21 marked Day 2 of Lori Drew's federal trial for cyberfraud in the tormenting of 13-year-old suicide victim Megan Meier, as reported by L.A. Times.

According to the article, Day 2 involved the cross examination of Megan's mother by defense lawyer Dean Steward and the initial testimony of Drew's accomplice in Megan's tormenting, 18-year-old Ashley Grills, who testified with government immunity. Lori Drew's hairdresser also took the stand, and her testimony about Drew's glee while mocking Megan was painful to read. Especially cringe-worthy was Drew's alleged reaction in 2006 when her hairdresser asked if she planned on attending Meier's wake-given her involvement in the hoax-to which Drew replied, "It's not like I pulled the Trigger." Wow, sounds to me like someone is filled with remorse and regret!

The L.A. Times recapped the events/evidence of the case in great detail, noting that Drew is accused of "violating federal law by providing false information to MySpace to set up the account, obtaining information about Megan in violation of MySpace rules, and then using the MySpace account to intentionally "inflict emotional distress" on the girl."

In Part I of my blog coverage of this cyber stalking case, I had some questions regarding jurisdiction, which have since been addressed-thanks to this article. Apparently, when authorities in Missouri concluded that there was no statute under which Drew could be charged, U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien decided to indict Drew in Los Angeles on computer charges since MySpace is based in Beverly Hills, and his office could therefore obtain jurisdiction. So, in answer to my own question, MySpace seems to be off the hook as a responsible party.

Funny thing is, the jurisdiction debate may not be over. While under cross examination on November 21, Grills stated she thought she sent the final e-mail telling Megan that the world would be better off without her from an AOL instant messaging service, not MySpace. Drew's attorney thinks this revelation could be a blow to the government's claim of jurisdiction. I wonder what's going to happen now...

Woman Goes on Trial for Cyber Stalking

A federal jury will deliberate today in the 2006 case of a Missouri woman accused of creating a fake profile on a social networking site in order to terrorize a teenage girl who later committed suicide.

A couple of years ago, Lori Drew, her daughter and her assistant posed as a teenage boy on MySpace with the intention of harassing and humiliating 13-year-old neighbor Megan Meier. Prosecutors claim their cruel messages ultimately led Meier to take her life.

AOL News points out some interesting facts in this article:
1)Prosecutors characterize the case as the nation's first cyber-bullying case, and the results from it could set legal precedents regarding online harassment
2)marks the first time the federal statute on accessing protected computers has been used in a social-networking case; It has been used in the past to address computer hacking

Drew's defense attorney Dean Steward told jurors on November 19 that Drew "did not violate the Computer Use and Fraud Act and reminded them she was not facing charges dealing with the suicide." Steward even attempted to get the U.S. District Judge to forbid mention of the suicide during the trial, since the case was about whether Drew violated the terms of service of MySpace-not whether she caused Meier's death. The request was denied...

Chapter 10 of Foust's "Online Journalism: Principles and Practices of News for the Web," addresses legal and ethical issues facing journalists in the online world. This cyber stalking case brings to mind Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which immunizes interactive computer service providers from liability for information originating from third parties (ex: Zeran v. America Online), yet some questions still spark concern. For instance, does this rule apply to and protect social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook and Twitter? I realize MySpace sets standards of conduct, but does it monitor or edit content published by users? Why is Drew the only responsible party in this case?

Another intersting tidbit mentioned in the article was that the case is being prosecuted in Los Angeles since MySpace's computer servers are based in the area. At first, I thought this was an example of forum shopping, yet upon further review of the facts, I'm not too sure why the case is being tried in L.A, and not Missouri were the crime was committed. It is my understanding that forum shopping gives plaintiffs the power to choose courts that are more likely to rule in their favor. But if the state is not bringing forth any charges against MySpace, why not just conduct the trial in Missouri? Just a thought...

Kudos to AOL News for posting this interesting story last week alongside an interactive survey and slideshow.

El Nuevo Herald Not So New

When MiamiHerald.com unveiled its new and improved website, I kind of suspected that elNuevoHerald.com, its Latin American counterpart, would have enjoyed a revamp as well. Thing is, El Nuevo Herald doesn't seem to have changed a bit. I don't see any of the cool bells and whistles of the MiamiHerald.com site, such as a Mulitimedia, News Grid or even Marketplace sections. The El Nuevo Herald homepage is overwhelming, its breaking news section is buried towards the bottom of the page and its blog/columnist corners aren't as inviting and interactive as MiamiHerald.com. One thing I did find interesting was that ElNuevoHerald.com has a link at the bottom of its homepage where users/readers can offer suggestions and provide comments regarding the website. The most recent comment posted by a reader was his disastisfaction and surprise to find "old news" on the website's homepage for days at a time. Ouch!

Cirque du Soleil's Corteo SlideShow

Corteo, Cirque du Soleil's lastest local production, is described as a nostaligic trip into a clown's life, yet the narrated slideshow does not seem to encompass this journey or correlate with the images shown. Instead, Gerard Theoret, Artistic Director for Corteo, repeatedly describes the premise behind the show-a touching story about a clown whom dreams of his funeral and reflects upon his personal life- as images of acrobats and dancers flash on screen. I would have preferred a behind-the-scenes narration of the production itself, similar to the Blue Man Group Slideshow we saw in class recently, which was visually captivating and interesting.

What's the Deal with Modesto Modique?

When I signed up to receive breaking news text alerts from MiamiHerald.com over a week ago, I have since been privy to updates regarding the 2008 Presidential Election, developing storms and high school shootings-all admittedly newsworthy stories.

However, on Friday, November 14, 10:54 am, I received the following breaking news text alert: "FIU President Modesto Modique announced he will step down." I'm still not too sure why I recieved this. Perhaps it would have pertained more to me had I been an FIU student?

Anyways, I went online to find out more information behind Modique's retirement, partly hoping to uncover something scandalous. But, no luck. The Friday online article and Saturday follow-up piece recount Modique's career highlights and rise to to the top, but don't really delve into what prompted his decision to step down. Therefore, I think this story could have simply been a features piece on the homepage or a nice stand-alone article in the Neighbors section, instead of a breaking news story.

Miami Herald.com: Dillard High School Slaying

The Breaking News text messages regarding the Dillard High School shooting encouraged readers to find more information at www.miamiherald.com. When I logged onto the Herald news site recently, I discovered four days worth of articles, uncovering a variety of different perspectives and story angles.

On Wednesday, November 12-the day on which I received the breaking news text alerts-the online stories recounted the tragic event with precision and in a fluid sequence, starting with an article about the school's ongoing, unsuccessful battle to keep weapons off campus, followed by an article focused on the shooting itself, and finally two articles focusing on the outcome: "Student Charged with first-degree murder in Dillard slaying,", which details how 15-year-old Teah Wimberly was charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of fellow student Amanda Collette, as well as an article describing classmate reactions. On Thursday, November 13, all the focus was on Wimberly, specifically how a case of unrequited love and teenage rancor prompted her to shoot her former friend in a high school hallway. Friday, November 14 featured reactions of Collette's parents, school officials and police. The need for improved school security measures as a result of this tragedy was featured in the article, "Family of slain teen wants tighter school security."

Though the Miami Herald print plus stories featured in-depth, informative multimedia links, Sun Sentinel.com offered a more poignant photo gallery .

Miami Herald Breaking News Text Alerts: Dillard High School Shooting

I received the following Miami Herald Breaking News Text Alerts:

November 12, 2008, 12:22 pm: "Police responded to Dillard High School on reports of a shooting. A female student was found unresponsive."

November 12, 2008, 12:54 pm: "A 10th grade female student found unresponsive in a possible shooting at Dillard High School has died."

I would have liked to have received additional updates about the high school shooting, specifically who shot the young student and why...

Miami Herald Text Alerts Going Strong, Fading Fast

Following last Tuesday's election, I received short and sweet text alerts regarding the status of Hurricane Paloma on Thursday and Friday evening. I haven't gotten anything from Saturday to today, though.

Miami Herald Has Shown Me Love

Well, I spoke too soon. I received a text alert from the Miami Herald at 11:03 pm stating, "Barack Obama has been elected president, the Associated Press says."

Obama Wins!!!

At 10:59 pm, WSVN-7 declared Obama our new president!!!

284/145 votes

Still no Herald Breaking News Text...

Not Feeling Herald Love

At 9:37 pm, the MiamiHerald.com homepage featured the headline, "Obama Holds Slim Fla. lead, wins Pa." When you click on this mainstage story headline, the print plus story includes a video of Herald reporter Evan Benn "covering the election from the continuous news desk." Yet, when I played the video, Benn just provided an overview of early "glitches" discovered at some Florida voting polls which had been corrected quickly, and he encouraged people to vote before the polls closed at 7 pm. Not quite the update I expected two hours after the polls officially closed. Maybe this video could have been removed from the related links section, and replaced by a video of McCain and Obama supporters awaiting results or something a little more current? Just a thought.

Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for my Miami Herald Breaking News text alert. I hope Shelly didn't forget about me...

What Tweets Tell

I'm tweeting on Twitter's Election 2008 page. Hot Topics featured on this site include Florida, Ohio, Illinois, basically the names of states that have yet to tally their votes. A few folks on the Florida Hot Topics page are providing predictions on whom they think will win that state, while others are providing electoral vote updates based on data compiled by CNN and other news-related websites.

At 9:16 pm, one tweet stated that "McCain insiders say they have lost Florida, and CNN is calling Ohio for Obama." Weird thing is, at 9:17 pm, the Cnn.com Ohio results graph showed that the current tally is 57/42 Obama, based on only 9% of precincts' reporting. Wow! That tweet jumped the gun a bit. Tweeter may be fast at getting the news out there, but this instance proves that it's not always the most accurate.

Miami Herald Mobile Text Alerts

It's almost 9 pm. Big Election Day! I have just signed up to receive breaking news text alerts from the Miami Herald. Let's see how it goes...