As a journalist, I love the idea of mobile journalism. Not only does this make my job easier, but hopefully enhances the experience for my audience. Mark Briggs, in his book Journalism Next, uses an example of a soccer player crashing his Ferrari as a way to show the importance of this mobile journalism. In the example, a journalist knew of the accident well before anyone else, and was able to stay put and shoot the video and images before the police could come and close down the scene. This is a perfect example of hard-breaking news that was relayed to the audience in what can be described as record time, and before any other news organization could get wind of it. The journalist was able to break the story before anyone else, therefore displaying the perfect definition of what a journalist does.
A scary though to me whilst reading this book was that children in the United Kingdom receive their first mobile phone, on average, at age 8. What an 8 year old child is doing with a cell phone, or what they even need one for, is beyond me, but it just goes to show that everyone needs to be connected to eachother at all times in some way or another. With statistics like these, journalists would need to find new ways to be able to reach out to this audience, and in affect would be reaching out to an even bigger audience since they would all be connected with their mobile devices. The audience is going mobile, and so should the journalist.
Besides using mobile devices, journalists are using other types of digital material to "digitalize" their lives. Email is used more frequently than phones 80% of the time, so it is also important for journalists to have access to email, and even better if they have a mobile device that they have with them at all times that they can receive email on. Journalists can also use other programs such as powerpoint and excel to organize their stories and ideas. Another job of a journalist is also to gather data, statistics, and other information in which programs such as excel would come in handy.
Overall, it is not just mobile devices that can shape the world of journalism, but other advanced technological programs as well. Journalists need to be able to use all sorts of programs to further their readership and pull in new audiences. Now that everyone is connected somehow in some way to one another, it is important to think about that when getting out the latest hard-breaking news story and think about the many platforms that are required to ensure that this will happen.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Journalism Aids-Comm404
Mark Briggs brings up some very interesting points in his book Journalism Next.
With the dying market of print journalism, as some might call it, it is important to go above and beyond normal practice to pull in readers and maintain readership. Briggs mentions something called audio journalism. Audio journalism is the "invisible medium" according to Briggs, and if done right can be just as powerful as a journalism tool as anythign else. With audio, the same things can be accomplished as with the written word you may see in a newspaper. Mobile phones can also be used to aid journalists, especially when on the road. Most phones these days are capable of video and audio recording, which can then easily be uploaded to almost any site or sent as an email to a publisher, editor, fellow journalist, etc. Audio is the new wave of journalism that allows an audience to not only read what is going, but to hear it as well. Emotion is key when covering news breaking stories or even human interest stories. With audio, the audience is able to hear that emotion from the journalist reporting from the scene and gets a sense of what it is really like to be there with the natural noise in the background. Reading about the sirens blaring around a house on fire is one thing, but to hear them while also hearing about the story will help the audience feel closer to what is going on and tug at the heart strings.
Briggs also mentions video when reporting. Of course, there is broadcast journalism, but I took this chapter in his book to mean video as an aid, not as your main source of news. Video will also bring in the audio part of journalism as well, but now the audience can see a clip of those sirens passing by the journalist instead of just reading or hearing about it. Every hour there is 20 hours of video being uploaded to YouTube, and while I am sure that these are not news pieces, it is astounding how much video footage is out there and how many people are really looking at it. Video is a great way to reach out to people because they are more apt to watch a quick 30 second video than they are to read your 13" story in a paper, depending on the person, of course. Video journalism also puts the world of journalism into anyones hands that has a video camera. People can do this from home, as is obvious by the video posted in this weeks blog, and can be done in just a few short minutes. Like audio, video can be sent to anywhere in the world and can be used on news programs without the person actually having to be there. In print, the writer has the first sentence, the lead, to suck the audience in. With video, Briggs says the journalist has 20 seconds to suck the audience in...it's a trick, tricky business, and with all these new ways to use technology, there is no way journalism is going anywhere any time soon.
With the dying market of print journalism, as some might call it, it is important to go above and beyond normal practice to pull in readers and maintain readership. Briggs mentions something called audio journalism. Audio journalism is the "invisible medium" according to Briggs, and if done right can be just as powerful as a journalism tool as anythign else. With audio, the same things can be accomplished as with the written word you may see in a newspaper. Mobile phones can also be used to aid journalists, especially when on the road. Most phones these days are capable of video and audio recording, which can then easily be uploaded to almost any site or sent as an email to a publisher, editor, fellow journalist, etc. Audio is the new wave of journalism that allows an audience to not only read what is going, but to hear it as well. Emotion is key when covering news breaking stories or even human interest stories. With audio, the audience is able to hear that emotion from the journalist reporting from the scene and gets a sense of what it is really like to be there with the natural noise in the background. Reading about the sirens blaring around a house on fire is one thing, but to hear them while also hearing about the story will help the audience feel closer to what is going on and tug at the heart strings.
Briggs also mentions video when reporting. Of course, there is broadcast journalism, but I took this chapter in his book to mean video as an aid, not as your main source of news. Video will also bring in the audio part of journalism as well, but now the audience can see a clip of those sirens passing by the journalist instead of just reading or hearing about it. Every hour there is 20 hours of video being uploaded to YouTube, and while I am sure that these are not news pieces, it is astounding how much video footage is out there and how many people are really looking at it. Video is a great way to reach out to people because they are more apt to watch a quick 30 second video than they are to read your 13" story in a paper, depending on the person, of course. Video journalism also puts the world of journalism into anyones hands that has a video camera. People can do this from home, as is obvious by the video posted in this weeks blog, and can be done in just a few short minutes. Like audio, video can be sent to anywhere in the world and can be used on news programs without the person actually having to be there. In print, the writer has the first sentence, the lead, to suck the audience in. With video, Briggs says the journalist has 20 seconds to suck the audience in...it's a trick, tricky business, and with all these new ways to use technology, there is no way journalism is going anywhere any time soon.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Qdoba - Comm404
Qdoba is a fast, casual “fresh mex” restaurant that originated in Nebraska in 1993. There are 450 Qdoba locations nationwide that serve burritos San Francisco style with tacos, quesadillas, taco salads, chile con queso, Mexican gumbo, and guacamole.
Qdoba operates a website, www.qdoba.com where customers can locate a menu, locations, information regarding franchising, special deals and customer service. Their fully functional website is appealing and easy to navigate. Through their website, they have an E-club where members can receive special offers and notifications on new items and coupons.
Qdoba does have a fan page on Facebook, but it’s not very informational. Currently, it has 985 people who “like” their page. The Dinkytown location has their own branch fan page, which currently has 2414 people “liking” their page. Their page is very appealing, someone is actively updating their status enticing people to stop in for a meal or starting conversation.
A large branch in Nashville, Tennessee operates the most active Twitter page for Qdoba. They have trivia questions with prizes for customers who answer correctly and actively engage their customers. They are the largest Twitter page for Qdoba currently.
Qdoba is just beginning to utilize mobile messaging to customers. If customers text the word “BURRITO” to 474992 they will receive special offers and restaurant news right to their cell phone. They are seeing a fairly high response rate to people who sign up.
Qdoba customers and fans have also posted videos about the restaurant to YouTube, including a promotion for a burrito eating contest hosted by the restaurant chain and uploaded by the QdobaMN, reviews, commercials, and information about some of their employees. Unfortunately, the QdobaMN channel only has one video today.
Customers are also uploading photos of their burritos and what restaurants around the country currently look like to their own Flickr pages, although Qdoba has no official page yet.
Qdoba is a nationwide company that so far is utilizing almost every possible way on the internet to get their name out there, and where they lack their customers make up for. It seems that they choose to advertise more online than they do with billboards and commercials, which says a lot, given the percentage of restaurants that go under that do use billboard advertising. This just proves that audiences are moving towards the Web and are reading less and less the things they see posted on the side of the road.
By Sarah L and Briana S
Qdoba operates a website, www.qdoba.com where customers can locate a menu, locations, information regarding franchising, special deals and customer service. Their fully functional website is appealing and easy to navigate. Through their website, they have an E-club where members can receive special offers and notifications on new items and coupons.
Qdoba does have a fan page on Facebook, but it’s not very informational. Currently, it has 985 people who “like” their page. The Dinkytown location has their own branch fan page, which currently has 2414 people “liking” their page. Their page is very appealing, someone is actively updating their status enticing people to stop in for a meal or starting conversation.
A large branch in Nashville, Tennessee operates the most active Twitter page for Qdoba. They have trivia questions with prizes for customers who answer correctly and actively engage their customers. They are the largest Twitter page for Qdoba currently.
Qdoba is just beginning to utilize mobile messaging to customers. If customers text the word “BURRITO” to 474992 they will receive special offers and restaurant news right to their cell phone. They are seeing a fairly high response rate to people who sign up.
Qdoba customers and fans have also posted videos about the restaurant to YouTube, including a promotion for a burrito eating contest hosted by the restaurant chain and uploaded by the QdobaMN, reviews, commercials, and information about some of their employees. Unfortunately, the QdobaMN channel only has one video today.
Customers are also uploading photos of their burritos and what restaurants around the country currently look like to their own Flickr pages, although Qdoba has no official page yet.
Qdoba is a nationwide company that so far is utilizing almost every possible way on the internet to get their name out there, and where they lack their customers make up for. It seems that they choose to advertise more online than they do with billboards and commercials, which says a lot, given the percentage of restaurants that go under that do use billboard advertising. This just proves that audiences are moving towards the Web and are reading less and less the things they see posted on the side of the road.
Qdoba presentation
View more presentations from lisa0503.
By Sarah L and Briana S
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Social Networking and Presentations-Comm404
My last blog involved some people questing whether social networking sites will be affected or taken over by corporations, and in response to this my answer is: I hope so!!!
Chipotle is one of the many businesses that takes advantage of this. This restaurant chain has both a Twitter and a Facebook page where they promote any specials they have as well as events that occur, such as a burrito giveaway. By being a part of these social networking sites they're reaching out to a more broad audience and letting them be a part of the marketing process. I found that a lot of people participate on the FB page while over 7,000 people follow the unofficial Chipotle Twitter account.
Meanwhile, all the presentations that I have seen over the last 2 weeks in class were very informative. I learned things about the internet and its tools that I didn't know before, which is helpful for when I'm out in the journalism field. I feel more prepared now about things such as Skype, Hulu, word of both advertising, internet security/privacy and other issues.
Chipotle is one of the many businesses that takes advantage of this. This restaurant chain has both a Twitter and a Facebook page where they promote any specials they have as well as events that occur, such as a burrito giveaway. By being a part of these social networking sites they're reaching out to a more broad audience and letting them be a part of the marketing process. I found that a lot of people participate on the FB page while over 7,000 people follow the unofficial Chipotle Twitter account.
Meanwhile, all the presentations that I have seen over the last 2 weeks in class were very informative. I learned things about the internet and its tools that I didn't know before, which is helpful for when I'm out in the journalism field. I feel more prepared now about things such as Skype, Hulu, word of both advertising, internet security/privacy and other issues.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
A Review of Twitter Through the Eyes of Shel Israel
Shel Israel’s Twitterville covers the most rapidly adopted communication tool in history, Twitter. This social networking site is turning more into a professional business tool than a simple staying connected tool like Facebook, and is actually making companies more successful and personable in the process.
Zappos is one of the many companies that went to Twitter to reach their businesses customers in a new light. The company created an account and started reaching out to their customers, receiving feedback and giving their customers the outlet to put their name on the Web. Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, first saw very little benefit in using this tool to promote his business, but after talking with close friends realized that this tool was a great way to keep in touch with people in his life that were far away. This idea then turned into a business idea to not only reach out to the public but also to other employees. By the end of 2008, 435 Zappos employees were on Twitter chatting and having live conversations for their customers to see. They talk with one another and to customers, giving that personal care that other companies lack.
Another company that took a personal interest in their customers was H&R Block. H&R Block found themselves in a pickle when they realized their busiest season was, of course, tax season. They wanted to reach out to their customers and keep their interest year long, so instead they created a Twitter account and are now tweeting with the public and answering their finance and tax questions year long, allowing their customers to know they care even when it’s not tax time.
From Twitter came new inventions. One of these being Seesmic, a Twitter for video lovers. It allows users to record, upload and share brief video clips, comparable to the 140 characters allowed to share on Twitter, and lets other users respond to those videos, much like the ‘reply’ and ‘retweet’ button on Twitter. This Web site is open to users and viewers to share their thoughts and opinions and has the capability of being “much more,” according to Israel.
Seesmic then morphed into Twhirl , which is a desktop Twitter application that combines the two and makes it more user-friendly to upload, etc. This new application is much quicker for those who wish to use it and has the capability to post a video in the time it takes to send a text message.
All of these tools are proof that the internet and even social networking sites are constantly emerging and converging. One turns into another, and as more and more companies see how Twitter can benefit them, you can be sure that even more sites and tools like this will be created.
As a side note, after reading this book I began following Shel Israel on Twitter who is not only comical, but also tweets about current events and other interesting facts about social networking, Twitter, etc. I encourage you all to check out his page at least one if you’re not up to following him. @shelisrael. He also follows someone named @copyblogger who also shares a lot of useful information and social networking, blogging, Twitter, and other things you may not normally think about.
Zappos is one of the many companies that went to Twitter to reach their businesses customers in a new light. The company created an account and started reaching out to their customers, receiving feedback and giving their customers the outlet to put their name on the Web. Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, first saw very little benefit in using this tool to promote his business, but after talking with close friends realized that this tool was a great way to keep in touch with people in his life that were far away. This idea then turned into a business idea to not only reach out to the public but also to other employees. By the end of 2008, 435 Zappos employees were on Twitter chatting and having live conversations for their customers to see. They talk with one another and to customers, giving that personal care that other companies lack.
Another company that took a personal interest in their customers was H&R Block. H&R Block found themselves in a pickle when they realized their busiest season was, of course, tax season. They wanted to reach out to their customers and keep their interest year long, so instead they created a Twitter account and are now tweeting with the public and answering their finance and tax questions year long, allowing their customers to know they care even when it’s not tax time.
From Twitter came new inventions. One of these being Seesmic, a Twitter for video lovers. It allows users to record, upload and share brief video clips, comparable to the 140 characters allowed to share on Twitter, and lets other users respond to those videos, much like the ‘reply’ and ‘retweet’ button on Twitter. This Web site is open to users and viewers to share their thoughts and opinions and has the capability of being “much more,” according to Israel.
Seesmic then morphed into Twhirl , which is a desktop Twitter application that combines the two and makes it more user-friendly to upload, etc. This new application is much quicker for those who wish to use it and has the capability to post a video in the time it takes to send a text message.
All of these tools are proof that the internet and even social networking sites are constantly emerging and converging. One turns into another, and as more and more companies see how Twitter can benefit them, you can be sure that even more sites and tools like this will be created.
As a side note, after reading this book I began following Shel Israel on Twitter who is not only comical, but also tweets about current events and other interesting facts about social networking, Twitter, etc. I encourage you all to check out his page at least one if you’re not up to following him. @shelisrael. He also follows someone named @copyblogger who also shares a lot of useful information and social networking, blogging, Twitter, and other things you may not normally think about.
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