My most recently published article about a local town’s swim team.
I like community/local news, it takes my mind off some of the ugly problems in the world.
Zombie…zombie… zombie…
We’ll start off today with a mid-90’s song called Zombie by The Cranberries.
This is undoubtedly because of how late I stayed up last night to interview and watch the performance of a local musician. I drank coffee late last night to stay alert for his performance and I’m paying for it right now, had to drag my feet out of bed at 7:30, and I left for work early so I can get started on finishing one article and starting the next one.
My money situation is scaring me. I haven’t had a paying job since last summer. Jobs up at my school are scarce and 9 times out of 10 you need a car for it, which I did not have while I was away. It’s been so hard to find a part-time job while home. Especially because my hours aren’t very flexible.
I hit a low point last night when I could only put $10 in my empty gas tank. I have no idea when I’m going to be able to put gas in it next, but I hope it lasts me until my last day at my internship tomorrow.
While I think it’s nice of my friends saying they’ll pay for me because they want me to hang out, I just can’t accept it. I’ve got too much pride and I think being flat broke is helping me realize a financial plan for when I do start making money. Almost all of it is going to be put into a savings account that I do not touch. I’ll have to sacrifice a lot, but it’s worth it.
Busy weekend
So my summer internship comes to an end this week. Quite sad as I will miss it greatly. I’ve learned a lot. I think I’ve learned how to be more confident and be more independent, relying on instincts rather than asking the assigner of my work to tell me exactly what I need. It also gave me a lot of driving experience, which I never really had even though I’ve had my license for three years now. Since I went away to school, I never realy had the opportunity to drive.
Next week I’m on vacation with my mom and sister. We’re going up to my uncle’s place in Oneonta. My journal is coming up with me. I won’t have internet connection so there will not be any posts.
On August 27th, I start my next internship! I am beyond excited for this one. I am also looking for a part-time job and have three places that look hopeful. I noticed more job openings are starting up because a lot of college students are leaving back for college. But not me!
It’s starting to feel weird that I am not going back up to school. I wonder how I feel when all my friends Facebook statuses are that they are there. At least it isn’t far and I can maybe go up for weekend trips on top of my trips up for my seminar course.
Fulfilling
Since changing my lifestyle, I feel that I am living a more rewarding life. Everything is better. My attitude, my work ethic (although I’m pretty sure I get my work ethic from my dad, who probably works harder than anyone I’ve ever met), and finally my health.
This morning I woke up with full-blown allergies. The stuffy nose, the sinus headache, tunnel hearing, itchy eyes, the whole works. But I forced my way out of bed and got in a half hour of intense workout. (The Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred)
And even though I still have my allergies, I’m feeling a lot better. I’m also waiting for this Zyrtec to kick in.
Writing is becoming much easier now. I’m in a creative flow. I like this. I hope it stays.
Okay, enough of my random chatter. I just wanted to talk.
New article up!
I interviewed a press secretary for the White House. He was a really cool dude.
Read up about his story and what he does right here!
Busy body.
I love reading books. You pick up a book, open the cover, and read chapter 1. It’s sometimes the hardest chapter to read because you may not have a feel for the book or characters yet. But,, you read on and finish that book.
I’m saying this because I am starting a journey to become healthier. It’s a tough rigorous journey and it’s going to take a lot of my time up. So don’t expect a lot of talk from me for a bit.
Let’s wish me luck!
Devastations…
If you’ve turned on any device that can connect you to the news, you’ve heard of the tragic shooting at the Aurora, Colorado movie theater during the midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises.
I’ve been watching NPR’s coverage of it since they have been focusing on the events chronologically.
I came across this:
A Litany of Victims: Dispatch Tapes Reveal Chaos, Bloodshed of Mass Shooting: The Two-Way NPR
Absolutely horrifying, and I thank NPR for getting the dispatch tapes. It really gives insight to the intensity of the situation and the organization of the police during this horrible incident.
I will update this post with other coverage I find that is good.
There’s discrimination for everything
So I have very curly hair and I recently cut it several inches. In June, my hair reached the curve of my back, and now my hair just falls over my shoulders. It’s always a huge change when I chop off so many inches.
So why am I talking about my hair on a blog about journalism?
Apparently, having curly hair is unprofessional in the workplace.
Yes, on occasion I do straighten my hair, but that takes nearly an hour and standing with a hot iron for an hour is not something I want to do in the summer, and all the time.
I came across this post.
But, darn it. I love my curly hair. I feel confident and powerful with it. People love to talk about it and play with it. It’s exciting.
But it is not unprofessional. I’m appalled that an employer would tell someone they can’t do their job because of what their hair looks like.
My hair does not affect my writing, it does not affect my intelligence, and it sure as hell shouldn’t have any affect over what jobs I can get. That should all be based on my skill and intelligence.
/endrant.
Bloggers vs. Journalists
It’s almost a Spy vs. Spy kind of scenario.
Now, if you run a Google search on it, what you’ll see is a gaggle of annoying results. But, I fear none of these results give the audience the view of what it really means.
Okay, so right now I’m writing on a blog, but I’m also a journalist, WHOA NOW. That is Inception of the WEB, my friends. No, not really, but I’m working you into my point.
Blogs CAN (KEYWORD IS CAN) be viable sources of information. Most blogs are not. It depends on the author and the sources they use to get and distribute their information.
See, when I originally started blogging I made it a point to talk about the credibility of information. What I’m about to tell you is what I’ve learned in my Press in America and Mass Media Law classes.
People tend to choose the sites they visit based on their own perceptions and beliefs. This is fine, HOWEVER, people tend to ONLY view these sites and don’t background check where the blogger/writer is getting their info. I watched a documentary that was made that’s belief was that 9/11 was a government plot. The first 15 minutes of it, you’re thinking to yourself ‘how can I not believe this?!’ But then once you realize that the filmmakers were picking and choosing preliminary articles that covered 9/11 but did not post the information we knew coming in the next months after the tragedy, well, the documentary is completely false.
And a lot of people don’t understand that.
When you view/read/consume news with an ideological preference, you are seeing a one-sided or unbalanced view.
So, what do I want you to know about Bloggers vs. Journalists?
A blogger can be a good harbinger of news if they back up their arguments with credible (fair and well reporting/coverage). It is the same with journalists. Journalists are guilty of being one-sided, but they are never as drastic as a blogger can be. Keep that in mind also.
My tip to you is to keep your mind open, question everything, and don’t box yourself into your ideology. Sometimes finding out what you believe in is wrong about something absolutely sucks because no one wants to be wrong. But, it’ll make you a better, smarter person. I’ll promise you that.
Funny and Useful Journotips.
Yes, I am making journotips a word. Journalists can do that.
So any journalist or anyone interested in newsy things (ah the dreaded thing word…) should check out a couple of sites I’ve been really digging lately.
This blog right here gets some good tips for journalism in the social media age.
Shout out to Ivan Lajara, who works for the Daily Freeman and also is the Engagement Editor for Digital Media First’s. This is his pinterest (pinboard?) He’s very clever. I’ve met him a few times up at my college, and have learned a great deal from him! His boards are HILARIOUS. He features a lot of memes, cats, and useful tips. Also he lists great case-studies of journalism/news gone BAD.
Lajara also operates this PERFECT Tumblr. It’s incomparably the best thing ever for journalists. It’s cats, man. That’s all I’ll tell you right now, because you NEED to click on it and view it’s greatness. BOW TO IT.
I’ve mentioned this next Tumblr before in a past post. Frustrated Journalist Cat. Being a journalist is hellishly stressful, but like the Tumblr above this one, cats just make it better. LOLS COMMENCE.
I’ll post some more later. You know what, I’ll just add a computer-assisted reporting page to my blog. Don’t need that clogging up my posts every so often.