WDRB Observation

WDRB: Covering all Stories? 
October 23, 2016

    WDRB has failed miserably at informing the population about the war going on over seas in the Middle East. America has been involved practically since the beginning and our soldiers have fought for others freedom but has WDRB or any local news station for that matter cover it? No. That needs to change. 

    People have forgotten about this war I guarantee it. No wonder it has become known as the "forgotten war." No war should be forgotten because people are still brave enough to fight for it. People, especially those who watch only the local news, need to be informed about this ongoing war because where else are they going to hear about this war? 

    I have been following WDRB news now for about eight days. Not once have I seen one single story on it. This is embarrassing for not only WDRB but for all local news stations around the country. Every day we go over what we have learned about each news station, such as how many crime stories or education stories. Not once, not once, have I heard a story about the war in the Middle East and how our brave soldiers are standing up for our freedom. I find this sick. People need to be informed as well as understand the war that is happening right NOW. 

    I believe that WDRB has broken many elements of journalism by not reporting about these trying times. WDRB has broken the element of journalism known as loyalty because your first loyalty is to the people and they deserve to be informed about topics that are going on across the seas. WDRB, it is your civic contribution to stand up and tell the population of Kentucky about what is in the Middle East, where our soldiers are protecting us and our Constitution. 

    WDRB, I am calling you out. I find it shameful that you are not informing the public about the war still going on. I find it wrong that you are not willing to help the public understand what is going on in the Middle East. You need to step up and inform the people who watch WDRB news about what is happening now, in this moment across the seas in the Middle East and what the United States of America is doing to stop it.

WDRB Story Observation

"Skeleton in execution chair; offensive or festive?"

October 23, 2016 

    WDRB has been a particular local TV news station I have been following for the past few weeks. I decided to log on to their website and was astounded to find a story titled "Skeleton in execution chair display at Meade County Courthouse offensive or festive?" in the news section. I wondered to myself why would this have any local relevance to the people in Kentucky? Yes, it might anger a few sensitive people but overall, why was this story part of the news section of the website?
    WDRB failed to meet the element of making the important interesting. This in no way affects the majority of the population WDRB supplies news to. This was an irrelevant story that has caused little impact on the state of Kentucky. This story also failed to meet the yardstick of journalism known as newsworthy because it is not a story that will be or is affecting the population of Kentucky. This story will not have a lasting effect on people. WDRB reporters also failed to meet the yardstick of local relevance because this story only affects the citizens of Brandenburg, Kentucky and even to them, it is of minor relevance. This story does not and will not have a lasting affect on people, it will be over in a week due to the season of Halloween coming to an end next Monday.
    Although WDRB did a good job of covering all sides of this debate, I believe that this is an  irrelevant and unnecessary story to be in the news section of WDRB's website.

Check out the story here: (link below)

http://www.wdrb.com/story/33448749/skeleton-in-execution-chair-display-at-meade-county-courthouse-offensive-or-festive

Response to Classmate's Blog

Response to Mia Breitenstein's Blog

October 23, 2016 

    When I found Mia's blog post about the Courier Journal patterns, I was immediately intrigued. I found Mia's post titled "Courier Journal: Patterns." I was interested on what Mia thought about the Courier Journal and what she though the news organization lacked. 

    Mia then stated that she believed there were too many sports stories included in the paper. She made a very interesting point in her third paragraph. She stated, "I just don't understand why sports are so prioritized when there are things like wars going on which have less than a story being reported on a day." I completely understand and agree with Mia when she states this claim. I believe that people should be more knowledgeable about the war going on in the Middle East because it is still happening, it's not over! People need to know that we are still fighting a war and it's a serious deal. 

    Mia brought up many thought provoking ideas when she wrote her blog post. Her writing style exemplified real journalistic writing. Mia not only brought up great points but she expanded upon them and helped her readers understand her way of thinking. Great job Mia, your blog post was inspiring. 

Check out her blog here: (link below) 

http://miamazingthoughts.blogspot.com/2016/10/courier-journal-patterns.html

Response to Classmate's Blog

Response to Reece Gunther's Blog 

October 23, 2016 

    As soon as I started reading Reece's blog I knew I was reading real journalism. As I was scrolling through Reece's posts, I found one titled "Response: Wave 3-Further Than Chemotherapy." I read the entire post and was found in an uplifting spirit. Reece seemed to capture the essence of what he was writing. Reece's response was to a story about how a new medicine is being introduced to patients with cancer. Reece captured the feeling of being uplifted. He stated, "This story definitely proves that the money so many give every year is not going to waste." I found this comment to be extremely well written. It shows hope and happiness through these trying times. 

    Reece did a great job of including the way he feels hopeful about these new medicines introduced to patients with cancer. This helped me understand why Reece picked the piece he did. Reece wrote a great piece of writing, great job Reece. 

Check out his blog here: (link below) 

http://reecesview.blogspot.com/further-than-chemotherapy.html

Response to Classmate's Blog

Response to Bailey Stumpf's Blog 

October 23, 2016 

    When searching for a classmate's blog to respond to, I found Bailey Stumpf's blog post titled "Keeping up with the Courier Journal: University of Louisville Swapping Crawford for Belknap." This post helped me understand Bailey's viewpoint of what she was reading. She explained what yardsticks and elements of journalism the article followed and I was impressed at how many she involved in her writing. 

    I believe Bailey wrote a great article because she explained what the authors of the article did that corresponded with our class discussion. Bailey wrote a great blog entry about the importance of non biased writing. She explained that the authors of the article  did a great job of being un biased about the story the wrote. Bailey also included how it would affect the community and what their views on it was. 

    Overall, I was impressed how Bailey included all aspects of the article and the way it influenced her way of looking to the news. She explained what The Courier Journal did correct and what yardsticks/elements they followed. I enjoyed analyzing her blog, great job Bailey. 

Check out her blog here: (link below) 

http://baileysbeautifulblogs.blogspot.com/2016/10/keeping-up-with-courier-journal.html

Class Discussion: October 18, 2016

Parts of the Newspaper

October 18, 2016 

    On October 18, Mr. Miller explained to us the different parts of a newspaper. This lecture helped me analyze and understand the structure of a newspaper. Learning about the parts of a newspaper helped me understand the layout and reason for such placement. 

    One such part of a newspaper is the headline. We were all familiar with this but then we looked more closely and analyzed the writing above and below it we realized that it took several parts to make up an entire newspaper. We learned that a "kicker" is text written above the headline and learned that the "deck" goes below it. I didn't realize that each part of a newspaper had a function or purpose. After analyzing the entire front page of a newspaper did I realize how many parts go into making one single front page. 

    Different parts of a newspaper come together to make a much bigger picture. One example of needing several parts to create an entire newspaper is choosing a picture. After choosing a picture, you have to  create a cutline and credit line. Every piece connects with another, creating a newspaper with parts that all have a function. With everything that goes into a newspaper it's no wonder that it takes over fifteen parts of a newspaper to complete it. Understanding these parts has helped me comprehend the details and main ideas of a newspaper in an organized way. 

Class Discussion: October 14, 2016

TV News Terminology 

October 14, 2016 

    Television terminology is something I believe everyone should learn. We have been discussing in class the different terminology that TV news stations use. Some of these terms may include a "voice over," "b-roll," or a "teaser." Learning about parts of local TV news stations was informative. We learned about what is important and what is put in there to sell you something. This lecture helped me fully understand parts of the news and how it affects the way we watch it. 

    In class Mr. Miller explained several terms that we were not affiliated with. Some of these included terms like "stand-up" or a "b-roll." After Mr. Miller explained these terms and gave examples, we learned that we have seen them quite often when watching the news. For example a "teaser" is a brief clip shown before the next clip of news to promote upcoming stories. 

    After Mr. Miller explained to us the different terms of the news I went home and watched the news. As I was watching I began to notice all the different terms we learned in class the previous day. Being able to distinguish these different parts of the news made me feel more knowledgable about what I was watching. It helped me feel like I knew what the news was trying to do and what they succeeded on doing. This was an informative as well as a thought-provoking lecture that taught me many valuable skills when analyzing the news.  

Class Discussion: October 6,2016

Radio's Progression Through the Years

October 6, 2016 

    Recently in class we have been discussing the topic of radio broadcasting and how it has progressed throughout the years since it was invented. This topic is broad as well as interesting. It was enticing to hear how radio broadcasting influenced people's day to day lives, and how this new technology became part of them. I find it compelling and also interesting how radio grew to what it is today.
    Radio really didn't start to reach a mass audience until the first radio broadcast was transmitted. It started as something that you, alone, listened to but grew into something beyond anyone's imagination. Radio's way of being a new invention and somehow escalating to a household commodity that everyone has astounds me.

    People then realized that radio could be used to advertise their business and products. This introduced radio in a whole new light. Radio then became the first "live" medium which meant  people could listen to the news as it was happening. Radio grew and grew throughout the years but then, almost instantly, televisions started to take hold of the family household. All talent such as actors and produces then left radio to be on television, where not only their voice could be heard but their face could be seen as well. After the talent left radio, it saw an immediate drop in listeners. This caused radio's investors to pull out.  In around 1955, radio had to demassify and focus on what they do best, transmitting music and talk shows such as NPR. 

    This lecture helped me understand what all radio broadcasts went through and how radio has progressed to be what it is today. We rarely hear plays or acted scripts on the air but back in the 1920s, that was all the rage. We have come to learn and love radio that broadcasts our favorite songs and chill news stations. 

  

Media Critique: The Courier Journal

Justin Sayers and Kirsten Clark Report 

on "Floyd Central student arrested after 'credible

threat' to safety."

September 13, 2016 

    The Courier Journal printed an article by journalists Justin Sayers and Kirsten Clark in their newspaper on Tuesday, September 13, 2016. In this printed article, the two journalists wrote about a Floyd Central student posting a selfie that contained him and a shotgun with the caption, "Ready for school tomorrow" and what effects it had on the community. They covered the story fairly well, stating the facts and informing the public about this local travesty, but these journalists failed to meet two of the most important elements of journalism. 

     In the article the two journalists wrote, "I would like to take this time to praise not only law enforcement and central office administration for their help and cooperation, but the teaching staff and student body." As soon as I read that one sentence I knew that this article was in need of reformation. Justin Sayers and Kirsten Clark failed to meet the element of journalism known as loyalty. They broke this element because being a journalist means that your first loyalty is to the people, not praising the law enforcement. 

    Most, maybe all, people would agree that the law enforcement needed praise for stopping this threat but that does not mean you can state that in your article. These two journalists failed to meet these two standards of the ten elements of journalism because this article devotes itself to a certain group, in this case the law enforcement. It makes you wonder if this source is credible and not just an article devoted to saying how well the police handled this problem. This element of journalism that they have broken is known as independence.  

    They included what happened and what was done to help the Floyd Central student body. The only problem in their article was when they gave praise to the law enforcement, no matter how needed it may be. They could've left those few sentences out of the article, making it free of prejudice. 

    After reading this article, I can determine that it focused on praising the law enforcement agencies and that the first loyalty this article needed to have is the people.

Classmate Response 2

laurenhunter77 Response

September 12, 2016

    For my next classmate response, I came across Lauren's blog and I was intrigued. After reading all of her posts, I decided to respond to her blog titled, "Class Discussion Review: print journalism." This blog post intrigued me because Lauren explained print journalism thoroughly. She explained Gutenberg and how he contributed to the world of printing and journalism. She did a great job of relating the past lives to our lives and our world. 

    While reading her blog Lauren stated the effects of print journalism such as the literacy rates began to steadily rise and that there was a spread of religious beliefs around the globe. This article was very informative and had a very detailed explanation of Gutenberg's technology and how it affected the printing world. 

    Lauren, in her blog post, stated that only the wealthy had the ability to receive an education. She found that this was a travesty, that everyone could not receive the same education and I totally agree. Overall, this was a great blog and I am grateful I had the opportunity to read it. Below is Lauren's link to her blog, check it out!

http://laurenhunter77.blogspot.com

Classmate Response 1

Maple Leaf Mag Response

September 12, 2016

    After finishing my four blogs on class discussions, I decided to move on to the classmate responses. In these next two blog posts I will be discussing with you on what I agree with my classmates and what I disagree with. I will share with you what I have learned from their blogs.   

    After perusing through the many blog posts of my fellow classmates, I came across an article by known author of slam poems, Maggie. I read her many blog posts and found them very interesting and thought provoking. Not only were these articles helpful in understanding the lectures and putting them in real world examples but they were well written and executed. I thoroughly enjoyed the blog post called "Class Response: Demassification ." Her article explained how television has become demassified and is targeting niche audiences. 

    I totally agree about what Maggie was trying to convey. Maggie had several great points about television and it's history. She explained how specific channels target their audiences through different ways such as having their episodes online or having them in a specific language. 

    Overall, this was a great article and I have attached the link so you can read it too!

http://maple-leaf-mag.blogspot.com

Life Without Print

Life Without Print 

September 9, 2016

    Fewer and fewer people that know how to read, no democracy, no journalism, and no public schooling. These are just some of the effects that our world would be going g through if printing technology didn't sweep through the world. Our world today would be unbelievably different if these technologies didn't come into play earlier in life. 

    During class today, we developed a list of what our life would be like without printing technologies such as Gutenberg's and print in general. Our lives would've consisted of dull jobs and smaller views on the world. We would go to work in large factories or small farms. There would be nothing to read or write, and no public schooling to learn these necessary skills. We wouldn't know what was going on outside our communities or country. We would be behind in scientific discoveries, have fewer religions, and there would be no consistent history because no one could write it down. Life would be without purpose. 

    After discussing this list of events that would've happened if printing technologies didn't exist, each table in the classroom drew a card and on this card was a word like "poster" or "poem." Using these words, each table had to present to the class what our lives would be like during these times of low literacy and terrible work conditions. 

    Each group was unique in presenting their ideas to the class but we all had practically the same underlying concept, which was that life would be dull. After hearing and listening to every group I realized how lucky we are to be born in a time where print journalism has come to life and we have the ability to connect with other people through it. 

     During these trying times, people didn't know or understand what life was like outside their community's walls. People had no journalism and many people couldn't read. This activity helped me understand how people's lives were like back than and what they had to go through, it really put it in perspective. 

    I am glad that I live in a time where there is democracy, journalism, trade between countries, public schooling, and that most people know how to read and write. But I also know and understand that it wasn't always like this and that a lot of people have worked hard to make the world what it is today, a land of opportunity.

Newspapers; Through the Years

Newspapers; Through the Years

September 7, 2016  

    Our class discussed the topic of newspapers today during class and what their rules were/are in history. We started the discussion on the history of the newspaper. We talked about how it was made, how it was distributed, and why it is still around today. 

    Did you know that newspapers have been around for hundreds and hundreds of years? Or that newspapers will be here till the end of time? These are just some of the interesting and complexing moments during our discussion today. 

    What I found compelled to blog about this discussion is how and why the human race has decided to keep reading and using the regular newspaper. This 'Old Tech', as we put it in class today, really shows how deep tradition can become. That after hundreds and hundreds of years, we are still reading practically the same newspapers that were once made. Not only is the newspaper a tradition to some but it's a way of life. Newspapers have also survived the dawn of time because it's affordable, portable, and a physical piece of media. Newspapers have always cost little to read and to print. In one point in history, you could ship one pound of newspapers for one penny. The newspaper, unlike a television, is portable, so you can take it with you throughout your day. We began talking about the origin of the newspaper and how it progressed throughout history. The ability to retrace the history of printed newspapers is truly inspiring. 

    During our discussion in class today, Mr. Miller said something that stuck with me. He said that newspapers were here hundreds of years ago and will be here hundreds of years after we have died. This really put my view of newspapers in perspective because news now, in this moment, will be news hundreds of years from now, and our children, children's children, and their children can read the news we put in newspapers. 

    Magazines, another source of print journalism, also shaped our history and world today. Magazines were able to give America, as a nation, an identity and culture. When America was first colonized by the British, we didn't have a distinct culture or identity, we were not our own. Magazines helped America become it's own nation and have it's own culture. 

    Overall, newspapers have been through booming times and tough times but no matter what, they'll be here. What we write in them will be on this Earth forever.  

Print Journalism

Print Journalism

September 2, 2016 

     In class today,  Mr. Miller explained the origin of print journalism and what effects it has had on our civilization. He also talked to us about the advantages of print journalism when being compared to other journalism sources, such as broadcast. 

     Print journalism, such as magazines, books, and newspapers, usually contains more thorough details than broadcasting. One downsize of print journalism is that you do not receive the information or news as soon as it happens. With print journalism, you have to wait for breaking news for weeks or in many cases months. On the other hand, broadcasting captures the news as soon as it is happening and sometimes is right there in the action. 

     I enjoyed discussing with Mr. Miller the different aspects of print journalism, because it made me realize that newspapers and magazines cover news that happened weeks or months ago and not at the time I happened to read it. I guess I did know this but putting it in this perspective made me realize what timeline exists when reading print journalism. 

     The next part of our discussion in class was the history of printing. We spent a lot of time discussing the different dates that influenced the history of printing. This was very helpful in understanding how some inventions went hand in hand with others. It was also interesting to see the growth and impact some individuals had on the history of printing. One common theme was presented in many of these dates, powerful organizations acted to increase their power. Some examples of this theme is the Catholic Church and many other powerful institutions during the time of the new press technologies. I think that we did spend quite enough time discussing these dates in class with Mr. Miller. 

     We, as a class, developed a list of effects that printing technology has had on the world. I did not know how much press technology has affected our lives. Some effects of press technology was that it was the very beginning of journalism, helped spread many scientific ideas, and it helped the growth of literacy. Those are just some of the ways press technology has affected our history and our everyday lives. Learning about different effects of print journalism helped me realize how important it is and what happened because of it. 

Different Platforms of Media

      Different Platforms of Media 

August 31, 2016 

                                     

   Journalism 1, one of the first J&C classes I have ever taken in my life, has proven to be one of the most instructive and informative classes in my educational career. Each day we learn more and more about the world of journalism. 

    Today, Mr. Miler taught us about the different ways we could convey the same topic with different media. We, as groups of three or four, picked one card that would say what our platform would be . One group used a notecard, another an iMac, the third an iPad, another a white board, one group presented orally, and the final used a poem. This taught us that one such topic, such as a television article can be presented or told about through several means of media. I found this interesting because realizing that there is hundreds of ways to present your discoveries or ideas to people is useful. I also found that being able to understand each and every one of my classmate's media choice helped me see which ones I can relate or understand better. 

    This showed me that there isn't just one, single way to get a message across to your audience, there's several. Each group had it's own way of conveying a topic but every group had the same topic, an article by Jerry Mander about why television is and never will be a neutral media source. Listening to my piers present their ideas about what Mander was conveying through his article made me understand that we all understood this topic and had the same conclusions. The only difference was that we had to present it on different media platforms. Listening to my fellow piers share their ideas helped me understand topics in the article that I didn't notice or even comprehend. 

    Something I agreed upon with my classmates is that there are many forms of media but some are just better to understand than others. I personally reacted better to the poem because it obtained my attention and told it in a quick way that I did not have to memorize or retain much information, except the information deemed worthy to be in the poem. There were also several other media that I had a positive impact with, such as the drawings on the white board. This helped me understand what it looked in a physical format. 

    This lecture and presentation of my piers helped me understand and process the many ways media can be conveyed to a group of people, either from technology, your mouth, or drawing on a board. There's several ways, which is the beauty of communication.