It Was On A Night Just Like Tonight...The Power of Multimedia.

How does multimedia enhance our messaging? Are certain multimedia techniques more effective than others? Provide examples using multimedia tools and post the links to the blog to support your thinking.

When I think about multimedia, I think about the first scout leader who thought to stick a flashlight under their chin as they spun a story about a deranged killer with an iron hook for a hand. In that brief glorious moment,  that storyteller was an innovator of multimedia. They were the pinnacle of storytelling technology. 

Such primitive effects are now the stuff of horror spoofs and parody skits. Multimedia has evolved light years since that time to include digital tools; audio and video technology like Powerpoint, Soundcloud, iMovie, and Garage Band have propelled storytelling to new heights. And just like that flashlight, it has become a part of our language, part of our storytelling process. 

Multimedia enhances our messaging by giving the same information, but providing it to the reader as a different sensory experience. The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek, for instance, is an example of a compelling use of multimedia. The first thing the reader sees is the headline, accompanied by video of a barren, windswept snowscape. A reader would know by reading just the headline that the story is going to involve a cold climate, snow, a mountainous area, but the video provides the same information in a way that begins the story in the readers mind before the story has even been read. It says, "It was hellish cold. It was brutal terrain. This is not going to go well."

As the story progresses to the moment where the skier Elyse finds herself trapped under the weight of an avalanche, unable to get out, there is a clip of an interview with her. It provides additional commentary, from the victims own experience, on what it felt like to be buried alive. The ability for a reader to see a human being tell of a first hand experience is yet another way this article uses multimedia to supplement the story with powerful tools.

The addition of the storm footage from the weather satellite is another great way of expressing the enormity of this experience for those who experienced it. It does a great job of giving the reader a larger than life view of the massive storm bearing down on the skiers. 

The use of multimedia in this story, as well as the "storybook" format (dividing the story up in to chapters, each with a compelling subtitle) is a clever way of providing in-depth coverage from tragedy to triumph, for an attention span-challenged public. It is an expression of this event that recreates the story in the readers mind not only a cerebral way, but in a palpable, emotionally evocative way.Which is, as we all know, the goal of any good story. 

Branch, J. (2012) Avalance at Tunnel Creek. New York Times. Retrieved from (http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2012/snow-fall/#/?part=tunnel-creek

Blog from a Terrible Mind.

Choose a blog and analyze the functions and substance of the blog as a form of writing and information delivery. In your opinion, what are the “best practices” when creating a blog to ensure appropriate form, function, and substance? Provide a link when responding to classmates and post your opinion along with your rationale. 

This week I have chosen a blog that I follow regularly. Terrible Minds.

Terrible Minds, is one of the most entertaining, honest and informative blogs on the business and craft of writing to date. Author Chuck Wendig's out-loud fusion of writerly advice, encouragement and inventive profanity have kept me reading for years. He has appeared in HuffPost, Bookriot and a multitude of other author blogs as an authority of genre (sci-fi/fantasy/horror) as well as an outspoken advocate for self-publishing.

Chucks blog is simple. He keeps visual distractions at a minimum, which in turn draws attention to the graphics he does chose to display. The blog page features his most current posts first and foremost, supplemented by a less conspicuous cover art picture of any published works he is promoting.

Regarding content, although Chuck has been known to post off-topic items such as his brilliant and weirdly funny (and completely objective *snicker* An Academic Critique of the Film Guardians of the Galaxy) he generally sticks to the topic of writing and publishing. As an author, Chuck is both traditionally published as well as self-published. His vast collection of blog posts, offering advice on the art and craft of writing, have been compiled and published in several volumes, including Revenge of the Pen Monkey, 500 Ways to Tell a Better Story, 500 Ways To Be A Better Writer, 500 Ways To Write Harder and Kickass Writer 101.

Terrible Minds, in my opinion, is a fantastic example of what I would consider best practices for bloggers who wish to attract and maintain an audience: authentic branding, responsible authorship and effective communication.

Authentic Branding: Chucks voice is uniquely his. Not everyone will be at ease with his style, and he makes no bones about the fact that he does not write for those readers. He writes for HIS readers. No apologies.

Responsible Authorship: Chuck offers his insight, opinion, and facts-as-he-understands them, always with the caveat that he just might not know what the heck he's talking about. He stays current with what is happening in the publishing world and blogs several times per week, always with the goal of informing his readers with the best possible information available to him.

Effective Communication: Chuck maintains a great rapport and open lines of communication between he and his readers by making subscription easy and free, conducting regular flash fiction contests and opening up his blog to guest authors. He frequently responds to comments posted on his blogs and maintains a respectful and civil tone.

TerribleMinds.com

Joe Paterno Press Release

Create a press release for Joe Paterno’s death (review the Media Dead Wrong to Repeat False Report of Paterno's Death article discussed in the 5-1 Discussion). Craft an accompanying Facebook post. Hint: Consider ways to make this story meaningful to a wide audience and not just an announcement of a potential tragic loss.

Penn State Legend Joe Paterno Dies Amid Controversy

The long celebrated, and recently villainized, Penn State coach Joe Paterno passed away at Mount Nittany Medical Center Sunday morning from lung cancer. Paterno, known to friends as "JoePa", built his reputation as a driven, dedicated football coach who ushered no less than 250 former student players to the NFL.

His last days were clouded by the controversy surrounding the Sandusky sex abuse scandal, and allegations that Paterno violated the legal and moral obligation to report abuse immediately.

Despite recent events, the Paterno family point to Joe's ongoing dedication to the ideals of honor, ethical sport and hard work.


Facebook Post: Long Celebrated, Recently Villanized. Penn State legend Joe Paterno dies of lung cancer.

Three Social Media

Choose three of the Social Media Tools presented on this website to try. Post links to your attempts. Share your thoughts about which new social media tools will reach audiences most effectively. Explain your rationale.

RSS FEED:

What is it? The RSS Feed is a simple tool that allows the user to aggregate all of their subscriptions to websites, podcasts and blogs of interest so that they don't have to go to each and every site to stay abreast of new posts and activity.  "RSS"  stands for “Real Simple Syndication.” RSS feeds can be organized by topic, areas of interest, or any other heading and users are notified via email of any new content.
You can also use RSS feeds to share news and updates from your organization with your readers. Typically, they can sign up for emails that are automatically sent, free of charge, when information and content is updated or added.
How does this increase/improve the reach to audiences? RSS Feeds are a neat little tool that is extremely useful for bloggers and site owners who wish to make it as easy for their subscribers to stay engaged with their site. By providing an easy and more efficient way for followers to access and read new content, they are less likely to miss new posts as a result of being unaware or not wishing to take the time to visit each and every site they subscribe to.
An example of an RSS Aggregator: http://feedly.com

SOCIAL NETWORK SITES:

What are they? Social Network sites are sites which are used for the purpose of communicating and connecting with one's personal community. Examples of such sites are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. Contemporary social media sites are multifunctional, and include such capabilities as messaging, photo albums, video, blogging, group aggregation and event creation. Many sites are now connected to other mobil functions, including calendars and email.
Social Networking sites are effective for communication because they speak to an audience that is already acquainted with the author on a personal level. It increases the reach to audiences by way of sharing. A video, post or other content that has been placed on a users page/wall is accessible to other members of that community. As a marketing tool, it is an organic and authentic way of gaining an audience without aggressive marketing tactics. Information is spread virally, through connections of members. Since consumers are more likely to trust the opinion and taste of an insider than that of an advertisement, social media is an incredibly effective way to spread a message or information.

MOBILE:

What is Mobile? Mobile is quickly becoming the most popular medium of communication. It is a portable means of viewing, sending and receiving information from other devices through the use of phones, tablets and other wirelessly connected devices. It provides access to others by communication via text messaging, email, social media, applications, websites, and a vast array of other ways. Mobile is an incredibly effective means of reaching an audience because it is quickly becoming the primary means by which people access information. The research is compelling. According to Forbes, "There is a clear, definitive shift to mobile in general...underlined by a large rise in Facebook's mobile app..."
Harvard Business Review notes: "50 percent of teen smartphone owners, aged 12-17, say they use the internet mostly on their cell phone, according to a 2013 Pew Internet report on Teens and Technology." 

McGrane, K. (May 28, 2013). The Rise of the Mobile-Only User. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/05/the-rise-of-the-mobile-only-us/.

Olsen, Pammy. (Nov 12, 2013) Here's Where Teens Are Going Instead of Facebook. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2013/11/12/heres-where-teens-are-going-instead-of-facebook/.

Create a new entry using Blogger. Choose an online news article published by Time, The New York Times, or The Huffington Post and track its cited sources. Visit each source online and evaluate its credibility based on the guidelines set in Criteria to Evaluate the Credibility of WWW Resources. Draft a blog post that briefly states a potential impact of unrestricted web publishing through mass media as it relates to this article. 

The article I chose was from the New York Times, entitled, "Global Rise Reported in 2013 Greenhouse Gas Emissions".  It was penned by a journalist named Justin Gillis, who has written or co-written more than one hundred articles for the Times, most of the environment related. 


There are a number of sources sited here. The first source is for data regarding emissions numbers: The Global Carbon Project. According to its .org website, the GCP "was formed to assist the international science community to establish a common, mutually agreed knowledge base supporting policy debate and action to slow the rate of increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere." 

The site also states that it is supported by a number of other scientific bodies, including the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change, the World Climate Research Programme  and Diversitas. On the GCP site, links are provided to each of these organizations. This appears to be a credible source as the data released by the GCP was published in a reputable scientific journal, Nature Geoscience.


A second source is a direct quote from a scientist at the Center for International Climate and Environmental Reserach, Glen P. Peters. A click on the link for the CICEP and a name search reveals Peters is listed as a research fellow at the Institute. I would regard this also as a reliable secondary source. The CICEP is, according to its own site as well as other 


The article also cites an additional study released by the World Meteorological Organization. A link is provided to this source as well. The WMO is, according to the United Nations website, a specialized agency of the UN. It is also the same organization that names hurricanes and typhoons. This source would also appear to be a highly credible source. 


There is clearly a bias to this article, which present scientific claims that greenhouse gases have risen again after years of decline. Though his sources are all well-established organizations and professionals in the field of environmental science, there is a pronounced lack of dissenting viewpoints here to counter the conclusions that the quoted scientist has extrapolated from the report. There are no other voice present here to offer another interpretation of the data.

Bias is just one of the hazards of unrestricted web publishing, as well as poorly vetted resources and low standards for research and accuracy, and while this article does not suffer from any of the latter issues, it is quite clearly skewed toward a pro-environment stance. 

Gillis, Justin. (Sept 21, 2014) "Global Rise Reported in 2013 Greenhouse Gas Emissions". Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/22/science/earth/scientists-report-global-rise-in-greenhouse-gas-emissions.html


Justin Gillis. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/g/justin_gillis/index.html


WMO World Meteorological Organization. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.un.org/events/wssd/exhibit/WMO.pdf


"The State of Greenhouse Gases in the Atmosphere Based on global Observations Through 2013

WMO Greenhouse Bulletin. (Sept 9, 2014) Retrieved from https://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/documents/1002_GHG_Bulletin.pdf
"

About CICERO" (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.cicero.uio.no/about/index_e.aspx#hvem

How Do I Really Know What I Know?

How do I really know what I know? Good question. I read today this heading on the news feed of my AOL homepage: "Joint Relief Without Glucosamine; How can this new ingredient relieve joints in 7 days? See why it's flying off shelves". Being someone who has been running, jumping and rolling around on Disney streets for a decade, I have back and joint issues from time to time. It's a hazard of the trade. The nature of the best. But this caught my attention and my first thought was "Oh, here's a news article talking about something that interests me. There's useful information I can use." Upon closer inspection, however, I realized that it was an advertisement. Though it slid across my feed, peppered in among the news articles, it took a second glance to realize I had just been duped. This wasn't even a particularly artful attempt to make a sales pitch look like news, but it still fooled me for a moment, much to my chagrin. 

Is social media a reliable source for obtaining credible information at times? I say, yes, and no, and it depends on what kind of information you are seeking. It can be a very reliable source of information on the events and happenings in the lives of those I care about. When news breaks, or even while watching a TV broadcast such as the Oscars or the Tonys, it can serve as a general gauge of what my friends and family think, how they are reacting, what they believe about what they are seeing and hearing. It can also be a deceptive sales pitch of appearances, much as that AOL newsfeed ad was, meant to convince and persuade and skew. Most all of us are guilty of trying to perform a bit of a facelift on our lives in a public fashion via social media. I wonder sometimes who we are trying to convince more, our friends or ourselves.

In your first entry, answer these questions: What forms of new media do you use daily? How has new social media influenced your perspective of events? Are these positive or negative influences?

My daily use of new media includes accessing the internet from my iphone, ipad, as well as my laptop. I visit Facebook every day, often multiple times a day. I commonly use the internet for research as well as entertainment. Monthly, I stream movies and TV shows from Netflix and Amazon, as well as watch YouTube videos. During last terms Communications course, I conducted an experiment and took a sabbatical from Facebook. The results were startling to me. I had no idea how ingrained my habit of spending time just cruising FB and the web was, how social media functioned as the "other person in the room" to me until I did this. Crazy!

Social media has made news less of a fact gathering experience and more of a temperature gauging experience. On the down side, I have to look harder for factual information. Some of news media has fallen in with the trend of expressing opinion, rather than fact, in what I believe is an attempt to stay relevant and interesting to younger audiences. This makes it more difficult, however, to trust your sources.

On the upside, it has given me a better read for how the public in general is reacting to news at the moment it is released to the public. People are much more comfortable expressing their honest opinions online than they are at the office or the water cooler. The internet has made it easier for people to find their "tribe" and creates a safer environment for others to express their beliefs.