Purdue University Beat - Com359

Best Errors of 2005

2005-12-13T12:34:00.000-08:00

I guess this is the end of my journalism blog - the semester is over. If you are really interested in what I'm saying, however, please check out my real blog.

I thought I would end things with a cool post I found on Regret the Error: the best newspaper errors of 2005. Enjoy!

Purdue Safety Forum

2005-12-07T17:27:00.000-08:00

I just got back from my last beat assignment/meeting for the semester - the Purdue Safety forum.

The turnout was larger than I thought it would be and the panel was very informative. There were 7 members on the panel who talked to students and staff about safety on Purdue's campus. The recent attacks spurred some safety issues among the community.

Some of the topics discussed were:

• The Safe Walk program - sponsored by the Purdue Police Department, this program offers assitance to students who do not want to walk alone
• Emergency call boxes - located all over campus, these phones connect to the police department
• Self-defense classes - these are available to all Purdue students

After the event, Jessica Hoffman said she felt that Purdue is a safe campus but there is always a need to make students aware of the services that are available to them. She added that the recent attacks were horrible and that Purdue Student Government is doing everything they can to communicate with the police department and the Dean of Students to keep people safe on campus.

A few random links

2005-12-07T10:51:00.000-08:00

For your enjoyment, I present:

• Newspapers get a new nod from Pulitzer. Online entries, huh? Looks like the technological bandwagon won't be coming to a hault anytime soon. I'm really glad to see this! It means there is still hope I'll win one of these before I die.
• Blogniscient - a very cool site that ranks and categorizes blogs. It is updated in real time. If you don't get it, read what its purpose is.

Safety Forum

2005-12-05T10:57:00.000-08:00

I was talking the other day about the need for a public safety forum on campus after the recent attacks, and it seems that there is going to be one.

Where: Fowler Hall
When: Wednesday, December 7th at 4:00pm

The forum will consist of a panel of experts, those invited to sit on the panel include both the Purdue and West Lafayette police chiefs, a rep from University News Service, a rep from the Dean of Students Office, and a rep from the Student Health Center.

Fake Blogs?

2005-12-04T10:43:00.000-08:00

We talked in class about how many newspapers are encouraging or requiring their writers to have blogs. The Charlotte Observer has put a new spin on this. They have a list of their columnists "blogs" online. The problem is that these aren't really blogs.

A Nashville Blogger points out that they have no real blog links, meaning they don't link out or create much of a community.

Their links all go to official web sites, but not any other blogs. The whole point of the blogosphere is to widen the community. To link over to other interesting blogs that might expand the readers circle just a little bit further than they have been before. These blogs are self centered, and serve only as a way to expand the number of ways the Observer is trying to saturate the local market. You can't provide real links on your blog if it means taking the reader away from the all important advertisers.

But is this really what defines a blog? Does there have to be a network of links? I'm not so sure. Might be something worth pondering.

Blogging and Journalism

2005-12-03T11:22:00.000-08:00

I just read two articles that I think pertain well to this class.

The first is about mainstream media plagiarizing blogs. I think this goes to show that old school journalism has a long way to go om recognizing blogging as a legitimate souce of the news. It's ironic that bloggers, in my experience, are the first to credit mainstream journalist with stories. Watching the controversy/evolution between bloggers and journalism is so fascinating. I don't think the lines between the two will do anything but keep on blurring.

Another article I read is about the importance of blogging in journalism education. This one really struck home for this course. It was written by a USC journalism professor who requires his students to blog. Awesome stuff!

Not a good week for Purdue

2005-12-01T22:02:00.000-08:00

It seems that nothing good happened on my beat this week.

As I mentioned before, Von's was on fire. There were also several attacks on campus the same night. Thankfully, they caught the guy. Unforunately, he is giving student athletes a bad name. Three girls were reportedly attacked. The campus police wanted to reassure the women of Purdue that they were safe, and they said so at a Pan-Hel meeting. That's great and everything, but what about those of us that aren't in sororities. Maybe we would like a little reassurance, too?! I think this forum should have been open to the public.

I had forgotten that you can always get a campus escort if you feel scared or alone. The escort service number can be reached at 494-SAFE. (Thanks to The Exponent for giving out that information!)

It was also the time of year when that Salary Guide is published and reeks havoc on campus all day. I can't believe how crazy people go over this thing! It did bring up some interesting questions about the budget, however. I was hoping to find a meeting about this, but since I couldn't I called Jessica Hoffman to ask her a few questions. She told me that, as we talked about at a BOT meeting, the state's inability to give more money to Purdue is causing salaries to stay lower than desired. Amber wrote about this and got some really great figures:

• In 1997, University employees received an average 4.8 percent salary increase. Compare that to a 3.2 percent increase in 2004, and questions arise as to why employees' salaries aren't increasing at the previous rate.
• In 2004, the average overall faculty salary, including all professor levels and department heads, was $79,600. In 1997, it was $63,700.
• According to these numbers, Purdue faculty members received an average $3,057 increase in 1997, and a $2,547 increase in 2004.

Until the state can step up to the plate, students will suffer the most from this problem. Trying to fund salary increases is part of why tution continues to be on the rise, Hoffman said.

And finally, Purdue Police are at it again chasing down student drivers. Starting in January they will be issuing tickets to students who drive in bus loading zones. Tricky cops! Of course they pick the coldest time of year when students try to help each other out by giving one another a lift to class. This really irks me! A LOT. The reason behind this? Student drivers pose a threat to City Buses. Um, last I checked those buses posed a threat to me as a pedestrian and I was safer hitching a ride to class from my roommate. I remember the last time this happened tickets were $20. That's pretty expensive cab fair to go 3 blocks.

The Exponent Reports

2005-11-30T00:11:00.000-08:00

Articles about the fire at Von's can be found:

• Fire damages apartments
• Von's Employees Need New Jobs
• Residents evacuated - this one is about some friends of mine. An xBox 360 was lost in the fire. :(
• Crowds gather to watch Von's burn

Citizen Journalism

2005-11-29T23:43:00.000-08:00

My beloved bookstore is in flames as we speak! All the books are ruined. And Harry's, my bar of choice that is located next door, has serious water damage. According to the J&C everyone got out safe. Justin and I went down to watch the fire for about an hour. It was like out of a movie it was snowing and then debris starting raining down on us, too.

I made a Flickr photoset. I apologize for the poor quality fo the pictures. It was very smokey and my camera is terrible at night.

Goodbye Redlines

2005-11-21T22:53:00.000-08:00

In other interesting Purdue news, students will no longer be allowed to redline their grades come February.

I didn't even know you could do this, but it makes sense. Basically, redlining is eliminating certain classes from your GPA. For example, I took a math class my freshman year I didn't end up needing and got a C. Before this was decided I guess I could have redlined it from my GPA.

The University Senate says No! Interesting stuff.

Final Story Progress

2005-11-21T22:40:00.000-08:00

I have found all of my sources - not got in touch with everyone yet, but found them all. I talked with some students who use BoilerCast on Friday - they are going to answer a few more questions for me and then I'll be done with students. I also interviewed Justin about his involvement and thoughts on the program.

Left to do? Track down Steve Talley and talk with a professor. I also want to talk with a professor who isn't using BoilerCast and find out why. I have lined up an interview with Dr. James Nairne in the psych department for this. He teaches 101 classes, and I'm interested in his thoughts on why he doesn't choose to use podcasting. That was a last minute idea I had today in the shower, but I think it's a good one.

My main goal with this story is to bring all sides of the story into my writing. I don't want to write in favor or not in favor of BoilerCast - I really want to be objective here and pull together what I've learned over the last few semester. Maybe I'll even get an A on a paper in one of Jane's classes before I graduate. Please. graduation fairy, please.

Wanted: BoilerCasters!

2005-11-17T14:03:00.000-08:00

I am working on a trend story for my journalism class and need some help. I am short a few sources. I need:

• Someone who uses BoilerCast as a student
• A professor who has put his/her courses up on the site

If you have used the service yourself or know someone who has please help me get in contact with them. I need to ask some questions within the next week. Thanks!!

A good police beat story

2005-11-16T09:31:00.000-08:00

In class we read the Washington Post's article about the boy who was shot before his high school graduation. Today, in The Tennessean, there was an article about a slain Warner Bros. executive that I thought was another example of what kinds of stories can some from covering the police beat.

PSG Radio Show

2005-11-15T06:09:00.000-08:00

Amber wrote about PSG's latest idea - a radio show.

Members of PSG and students would be talking about Purdue issues. Pretty cool idea, but I wish it was a podcast instead of a radio show. Or both.

This brings up something I want to clarify. A lot of people think podcasts aren't interactive - meaning that people can't call in. Not true. It's just a great outlet that allows you to listen to the show at a later time. In fact, a lot of radio shows are going towards the podcast because it creates a bigger audience.

I'm going to mention this idea to Jessica.

Mansfield University's Podcasting

2005-11-14T10:37:00.000-08:00

A post about Mansfield Univeristy's Podcasting service has led me to some more great resources for my story.

There is a great (but horribly desgined) blog that talks all about colleges that podcast. There is a huge list that includes Ball State. You can find all of his posts about podcasting and I think they will really help me out.

Here are a few that I have read and found extremely helpful:

The Podcast Generation; Columbia College Chicago Entertainment Program hits iTunes

More College Podcast News

Indiana Department of Education is Podcasting - go Indiana!

To Jane...

2005-11-13T20:46:00.000-08:00

May this bring as much happiness to your day as it did mine!

Trouble with Trends

2005-11-13T20:29:00.000-08:00

I'm having a few issues with my trend story that I was hesitant to bring up because I was hoping everything would work out, but it's just not. I've got this great topics, all kinds of energy to write about it and tons of research to help me out. What am I missing? Sources!

I had a list of three sources I wanted to use from Purdue. One of them quit and can no longer be reached and one of them is incapable of returning emails, phone calls or being in his office. That leaves me with one - ONE - reliable source. And he doesn't even count because if he ignores my questions his dishes don't get washed. So now I'm going to have to brainstorm. I think, in addition to the people I am still trying to track down, I need to add a teacher (or two) who uses Purdue's podcasting services and a few students who do as well.

I am also going to lift a few quotes from other publications - with proper accreditation given, of course. I think this will help reinforce that podcasting is, indeed, a trend that is sweeping campuses across the nation.

Religious Nut Case

2005-11-11T08:29:00.000-08:00

I know this has nothing to do with my beat - which, by the way, I swear I am still working on - but I just wanted to share that Pat Robertson, once again, is a total f'ing nut job!

It appears the God-fearing man is telling voters in Pennsylvania that they shouldbe wary of God's wrath.

And here is another reason I think this man is the devil reincarnate:

In 1998, Robertson warned the city of Orlando, Florida that it risked hurricanes, earthquakes and terrorist bombs after it allowed homosexual organizations to put up rainbow flags in support of sexual diversity.

Perhaps he can team up with the "God hates Fags" asshole that runs around the country making a fool of himself and the two can ship off to Venezuela. Oh wait! No they can't! Mr. Robertson wants that president to be assassinated.

PR Blogging Tactics

2005-11-09T22:21:00.000-08:00

I subscribe to a PR blog that is always talking about great ways to promote things. Today they had a great post about tipping off reporters to blogs. I thought this was really cool because it shows that bloggers are gaining a ton of credibility. I know there will always be the blogger vs. journalist argument, but I think the gap is closing a bit.

Search the web for blogs in your expert area, and help build a story that can tie your own expertise into the coverage.

That's my town...

2005-11-06T20:09:00.000-08:00

I've been watching the news coverage of last night's tornado all day. I wasn't going to blog about it, but I guess I'll share. The town they are showing on the national news that was destroyed by a tornado is my hometown. The tornado touched down a few miles from my parent's house and the neighborhood I grew up in was completely destroyed. My old house, which thankfully we don't own anymore, is nothing but a pancake of bricks and splintered trees. My brother went to see it and found part of the swingset my dad built for us as kids.

It's kind of a surreal feeling - being so close yet so far from all of this. At first I was just glad that my family was okay, but the more damage I see on television and the more it sets in that it's home the more icky I feel.

Where the storm hit hardest

Justin and I went to lunch today and both agreed that it was eerie to see the places we drive by destroyed. Justin shared his perspective, too. We were both on the phone for hours this morning making sure our parents and siblings were safe. Thank God they all are!

So far 22 people have died as a result of the tornado and meteorologists are saying it was an F3 or F4 disaster. My mom and dad are still without power and school for both of my brothers has already been cancelled tomorrow.

Here are a few pictures of the destruction:

Photos courtesy of Flickr user Kate Sherrill

CCO & Facebook

2005-11-05T16:51:00.000-08:00

Ever since I did my numbers story on the CCO I have been trying to keep up with all of their events. Today I ran across one that seemed extremely interesting: Employers Check the Facebook. I think it's about online presence in general, not just the Facebook. I am totally intrigued since I have a blog and everything.

Here is the seminar description:

Employers Check Facebook: What You Need to Know About the Internet and Your Job Search - The internet is a fantastic job search tool, when it is used effectively. Learn tips for creating a positive internet presence and how to use the internet proactively in your job search.

If you are interested, here are the times and places for the seminar:

Wednesday, November 2 (5:00pm) HEAV 129
Tuesday, November 8 (12:00pm) STEW 204
Thursday, November 10 (4:00pm) STEW 320

If you go, let me know!

BOT Meeting: Take 2

2005-11-05T16:21:00.000-08:00

You might want to know what happened at Friday's BOT meeting. So, here are the biggest happenings:

• The strategic plan is still in full force and is being extended. I would outline everything for you, but the J&C actually did a GREAT job of covering this part of the meeting. As a side note, can I just mention how much I want to throw up every time I hear them mention "pre-eminence." It's just so...weird?! And it's like you have to take a big deep breath and beat your chest while saying it. Ah yes, Purdue! PRE-EMINENCE! Rarrrrr!

• There was also mention of Windsor Halls being renovated. It's about damn time! They are so great - I lived there and love them - but they are also so very out-of-date. Can a gal get some AC? I'm excited for this - but it's going to be a long process that is similiar to the renovation of Cary Quad. This is going to cost a massive $53 million! Straight from the J&C:

Air conditioning will be added, all elevators will be replaced, student rooms and bathrooms will be upgraded, additional rooms will be constructed in unused attic space, and fire protection and handicap accessibility will be ramped up.

This really is awesome news! I hope more girls will want to live there now.

• IPFW, Purdue's Fort Wayne campus, is now going to offer a BS degree in Civil Engineering.

• All kinds of money is going to be spent for Discovery Park - over $12 million. It's going to be spent on the e-Enterprise Center.

I am really wishing I would have taken the time to meet Tanya Brown this semester. I'm kind of kicking myself for not doing that. She does a really good job of covering Purdue, I think. She could also probably teach me a few things about covering the beat - or any beat in general.

Board of Trustees Meeting #2

2005-11-02T19:03:00.000-08:00

This Friday is the second meeting of the BOT on campus. It's at 8:30 a.m. and I have a bachelorette party to go to the night before. Eeek!!!

I will not be hungover. I will not be hungover. I will not be hungover. I will not be hungover. I will not be hungover.
Oh! Who am I kidding?! I will probably be hungover.

I met with Jessica on Monday and we talked about the agenda. It appears like it's just going to be business as usual. Nothing too big will be talked about. I am hoping that it might not be another 3-hour meeting.

I am excited to introduce myself to the Chariman, though. He is involved with the Orr Fellowship program, which is something I have applied for and am hoping against all hope that I will get! Keep your fingers crossed!

What is podcasting?

2005-10-30T15:53:00.000-08:00

I am doing my trend story on podcasting in the classroom, but it occured to me that some people might not know what exactly that is.

So here is the Wikipedia definition:

Podcasting is a means of distributing audio and video programs via the Internet that lets users subscribe to a number of files, also known as "feeds", and then hear or view the material at the time that they choose. A feed is usually in the MP3 audio format. Podcasting became popular in late 2004 with the spread of free software that enabled automatic downloading of audio MP3 files onto computers and mobile MP3 players.

And now go and read the NY Times podcasting article.

Bored???

2005-10-27T08:41:00.000-07:00

Things to do on campus this week:

• Go see The Scopes Monkey Trial on campus tonight and tomorrow. I'll be there!
• Go see Chicago's Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre on November 2.
• Go to the BCC's coffeehouse. I'll be there, too.
• Help collect food for the BVN's food drive.

Get involved! This stuff is fun.

Random trend story notes

2005-10-27T07:45:00.000-07:00

These notes are for my own personal use. Putting them on this blog will allow me to access them from anywhere and also keep me from spilling coffee on them :-) Feel free to try to follow along.

I should also mention that I am changing the focus of my trend story. Instead of asking if Purdue is going to start an iTunes store, I am going to write about universities that are moving towards the trend of podcasting their courses. This will be a much better story because there are more schools doing this. Since Purdue is one of them I can also localize the trend very easily. I am so excited to finally be writing a story that is 100% based on something I have a real interest in!

NOTES FOR PODCAST TREND STORY:

• MIT offers their classes online (lectures, assignments, documents, etc) and various other universities are 'podcasting' classes - ITP at NYU, and soon IDMI at Brooklyn Poly
• A great site to use for general podcasting news is podcasting news
• Purdue's podcasting stuff is called BoilerCast
• Similar to Purdue, there is also a DukeCast
• Podcast.com is another great source
• Mayland Community College has a weekly podcast

I am probably going to post about this on my real blog and see what people think. I am hoping that my audience will be able to link me to some really great articles.

Jane, I am totally in my element now! :-)

Trend Story

2005-10-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

I am going to take Jane's advice and turn my iPod/iTunes at Stanford story and turn it into my trends story. I think this is a fabulous idea because Purdue just got so into the podcasting idea and has received a lot of national coverage about it. Here's what I want to talk about:

• Has Purdue considered doing something similar to what Stanford did and start a personalized store on iTunes?
• What would Purdue put on an iTunes store? Podcasts? PMO Shows? Speeches? Poetry readings? Sports events? Coaches' shows? News?
• Would there be a charge for the selections?
• How successful are the Podcasts that Purdue has created? Will it continue next year? Will it grow?
• Are other universities implementing programs like this?

And, of course, I need to interview a few people. Here are my candidates:

• Justin Williams - podcast poster boy for Purdue. Justin also happens to be my boyfriend, so it shouldn't be too hard to get him to agree. :-) I know this doesn't count as one of my major sources because of the connection, but I would interview him regardless. He spent time over the summer working for ITap and putting the podcast program together.
• Steve Tally - Steve works in Office of the VP for information technology. He was one of the masterminds behind the podcast program and would also probably be the person in charge of trying to get a Purdue iTunes store.
• Michael Gay - Michael works with the IT infrastructure on campus. He also worked on the Podcast project over the summer with ITap. He has been interviewed by The Exponent and local news stations about the project.
• Students who use podcasts for educational or recreational purposes - what would students think about a personal iTunes store? Is there a demand for it?

Also, I would love to interview someone behind the project at Stanford, but since I don't know if that is possible I will probably try to find a conversation they had with another publication and credit that publication.

I think once I start talking with my sources the obvious story will come out.

So....there's my proposal.

Localizing Stories

2005-10-25T07:55:00.000-07:00

The following three stories are ones I think could easily be localized for the Purdue beat:

Strip Exercise Classes

Strip exercise classes are catching on throughout the country. Many claim they are a great way to lose weight and some inhibitions. This story localizes the trend by talking about how the idea is catching on in Indianapolis.

I would like to make the story even more local by seeing if Purdue is going to be offering any classes like this as the CoRec. My first contact would be with Dana Hater, fitness instructor at the sport center. I would also talk to Tarra Hodge who is the director of fitness. It would be interesting to see if a university would ever offer something like this or if it is seen as too risqué. I would also do a little research to see if any other colleges were offering these exercise classes.

Stanford makes iTunes Music Store a little more personal

Stanford University began offering local downloads on the iTunes music store. The university’s selection includes faculty lectures, interviews, music and sports. Stanford on iTunes will expand in content and features in the coming months. Soon users will be able to access descriptions of each track, listen to over 30 lectures from Reunion Homecoming 2005, and even watch video of select programs.

Purdue University recently began offering podcasts of course lectures. I would like to see if Purdue has given any thought to offering a personalized music store via iTunes. I would contact Michael Gay, ITap director of the podcast program, to see if this is something Purdue had considered. I would also try to interview several students who are in the courses that offer podcasting and see if this is a tool they would use. Since things like speeches, concerts and performances on campus might be offered on a personal music store I would also talk with campus organizations to see if they would use this feature.

Early college application is best for higher achieving students

The San Jose Mercury News did a story this week on when to apply for college to have the best chance of being admitted. The paper found that early application benefits higher achieving students but can hinder lower achieving students.

I would like to see how Purdue views this. I would get some numbers from the Dean of Students about how many students apply using early admission and how many don’t. Then I would try to get numbers that showed how many in each group were accepted. It would be a hard story to write because even with all of that information there would be a need to compare students’ grades in each category as well, but it could make for a very interesting story. Interviewing the Dean of Students, the admissions office, freshman (to ask when they applied) and some advisors would be the best way to start.

PSG Smoking Ban Forum

2005-10-22T20:07:00.000-07:00

Thursday night PSG held a forum where students could speak about the proposed smoking ban in West Lafayette. According to Jessica Hoffamn, PSG president, the forum was held because the big smoking meeting was held over fall breaks and a lot of students were not able to attend.

"We wanted to give the students a chance to express their thoughts on the proposal," Hoffman said.

The meeting was fairly crowded, and many people were able to voice their opinions. If passed, this ban would mean that smoking in public facilities (restaurant, bars, etc.) would not be allowed in West Lafayette.

One problem with this is that the ban would only affect West Lafayette, not Lafayette. The effects this would have could vary. The owner of the Neon Cactus spoke out and said she hoped that Lafayette would get on the same page to help the two cities stay united.

Bloomington, Indiana, home of Indiana University, has passed a smiliar ban on smoking. All of the bars and restaraunts that IU students frequent in Bloomington are smoke free.

Michael Pieper, an IU student who was visiting Purdue during homecoming weekend said, "It's terrible coming here and having to deal with the smoke. At IU this would never happen. I am a smoker, but I enjoy being able to come to the bars and not have to go home feeling like a chimney. I think if West Lafayette were to pass the ban on smoking the majority of the students would like it."

Pieper also added that most students at IU have no problem going outside of the bars to smoke. He said many students meet outside of the bars and have just as much fun as they do when they are all inside together.

If the ban passes everything in West Lafayette will be smoke free by next year.

The official Exponent article can be found here.

Numbers stories ain't so easy

2005-10-20T15:08:00.000-07:00

I was intimidated by the numbers story assignment from the beginning because, well, I hate numbers. To help me figure out what I was supposed to be doing I read a lot of other number stories online and tried to get a feel for what good journalists include and exclude. The problem is that it's just not that easy.

My story had quite a few angles I could have taken. This is great, but it also presents a problem because I had a hard time decided which numbers were important and which would simply confuse the reader. I also didn't want to use too many/not enough. I'm still not sure if I came out with a decent amount.

I found that with the story idea I probably could have come up with about 5 different stories. This made everything, especially the lead, tough. In one respect I want to be able to give the reader a thoroughly researched, reliable story that includes everything they might want to know. On the other hand I want to keep the story focused so it doesn't get confusing.

I suppose this is something that just takes practice, but it's still frustrating.

This week at Purdue

2005-10-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

Here are a few interesting things going on at Purdue this week:

A PSG public smoking ban forum is going to take place Thursday. I'll be there to listen to what's going on. What to go? 6 p.m. on Thursday in Stewart Center, Room 202.

On the fluffy side of the news, the Exponent ran a cool article today about the American Railways buidling. I always thought this was such a cool building. Now I know what it's all about.

The homecoming king and queen were crowned last weekend. That's also soft news, I guess.

It is Domestic Awareness Week on campus - look for the different activities taking place.

We the Media - a book review

2005-10-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

This has nothing to do with my beat, but I just finished a book that I think every aspiring journalist needs to read. It is called We the Media by Dan Gillmor, a former writer for the San Jose Mercury News. I loved it.

Here is what I thought:

There is no doubt that the idea of "new media" is reshaping journalism as we know it. I would even say that journalism is the field that has been the most profoundly affected by the changes that the Internet has brought to the media and Dan Gillmor would probably agree with me. In his book We the Media: Grassroots Journalism by the People, For the PEople Gillmor addresses, in great detail, how advances in technology have turned the journalistic world upside down. The main idea behind his book is that information has become so readily available that mainstream journalism and journalists can't keep up with it. Throughout his book Gillmor stresses the importance of citizen journalism and goes to great lengths to explain to his readers that there are many new, exciting ways to get involved in reporting the news that every average Joe can get involved with.

From the perspective of an aspiring journalist who thrives on the idea of using technology as the main tool for making information available, Gillmor's book was just incredible. He touches on every tool that is necessary for integrating traditional journalism into the world of new media. From blogs to really simple syndication (RSS) and camera phones to short message system (SMS) Gillmore explains that a simple Steno notebook and tape recording aren't going to cut it in the ever-growing world of journalism.

Is anything staying the same for journalist?

Some of the glory in being a journalist comes from the thrill of being on the cutting edge of the news that shapes our lives and our world. With the invention of the World Wide Web it wasn't just journalist on the edge anymore. Gillmore attributes this to the increasing popularity of Weblogs. Over the last few years the lines between "journalist" and "blogger" have become more than a little blurred. As the book points out, many journalists now keep blogs as a part of their career. Those who don't risk being lost in the crowd.

Blogs have also changed how we read the news. Thanks to new aggregators, people can now subscribe to the news they want to see and read it in an email-like format. If a journalist doesn't make his work available through the RSS format that these aggregators use he runs the risk of being overlooked. Prominent journalist, like Gillmor, who have been around for awhile are embracing grassroots journalism and doing their best to make sure it takes hold. As much as Gillmore informs his readers about the changes that are reshaping journalism he begs journalist to get on board. He is well aware that the proverbial train is leaving whether they get on board or not. If journalists don't respond to the changes they are going to be trampled by citizen journalist who take advantage of the tools that are available. Gillmor stresses that these changes are not going away - they will simply get bigger and more pronounced as time goes on. The time to learn is now and Gillmor reminds his readers that the pace of technology is not slowing down; it is increasing at an exponential rate.

I believe, as does Gillmor, that "real" newspapers will never be completely obsolete, but they aren't what they once were. In a world where people can read the news on laptops, PDAs and cell phones the original newspaper is becoming less and less of a staple part of people's lives. This trend, however, is inversely proportional with the amount of news that is available. Thanks to these new technological devices we are able to get news quickly and efficiently thus allowing us to get more of it more often. The thought of a newspaper that only updates once daily is slow and painful for 21st century readers. Now sites like CNN.com and major newspapers such as The Washington Post update nonstop. News no longer happens on a daily basis - it happens every minute and new media is making is possible for people to keep up with the rapid changes.

One of the stories Gillmor writes about frequently in this book is September 11, 2001. Knowing what we know now try to imagine going back in to that day without modern advances in journalism. Gillmor emphasizes that thanks to cell phones and digital cameras people were getting the news as it was happening. There were first-hand accounts of what was happening inside the World Trade Center that we learned about only through cell phone calls and voice mails that those inside the buildings left for their loved ones. We also had pictures from amateur photographers and cameramen before we had anything from the major news sources and professionals. Without citizen journalism September 11 would have been far less clear to the outside world.

Gillmor argues that nothing is the same for journalist now as it once was. Although they must still rely on the same basic reporting skills everything else has changed. Basic is no longer enough. This made me, as a student, wonder about how academia is responding to these changes. Gillmor touched on this slightly and mentioned that very few universities are making big changes in their curriculum to accommodate new advancements. This will be an interesting trend to watch because the universities are supposed to be responsible for shaping the students and teaching what is the more relevant and important information. From my own experience, however, I would have to agree with Gillmor that they do a poor job of this. I have only had two professors who even touched on new media. Although they both did a very great job of exposing me to what is available, I have still had to discover a lot of it on my own. For me, this is fun because I have a true passion for the changing technology and I love using it to create things that are riding the wave of the future. Many of my professors, however, had no use for teaching about blogs and the like. This approach to teaching is putting students at a major disadvantage. Interestingly, Gillmor talks about how many of the best journalist never even went to school to study it. I think this will prove to be even more true in the future because many people are self-reliant when it comes to learning about new technology. An avid techo-junkie is much more likely to produce good, insightful, up-to-date news than a trained journalist who doesn't know how to use what's new.

How new tools are reshaping how we receive information

Gillmor talks about all kinds of tools, as I mentioned before, that are making the way we get our news vastly different. I will talk about later how these tools can also be turned against journalists, too. Let's take a look at what Gillmor thinks about changing news tools.

• Blogs - a great way to keep interaction with an audience alive. Gillmor points out that blogs aren't just for reporting the news, though. They are also used as ways to advertise. In this sense blogs can be deceiving. Gillmor talks about an incident in Hollywood where movie companies were blogging about upcoming movies and shamelessly promoting them as an average movie-goer. Cases like this make it important to understand that blogs cannot always be trusted and readers should use discretion when reading them. However, this doesn't mean blogs aren't a great way of getting the news. They give readers and writers a more personal relationship. Gillmor, who left his position at the San Jose Mercury News to start a grassroots journalism project that focuses on blogging, is a huge fan of news agencies that not only allow but encourage their journalists to blog. Gillmor isn't a favor of the censoring approach to journalism - and neither am I for that matter. In the preface of the book he quotes A.J. Liebling who said "Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one." Thanks to blogging this is no longer true. Here is some of the technology that is changing how we work:

• RSS - syndication has made getting the news much easier. For those who are smart enough to have feeds to their blogs and Web sites, RSS helps spread the word. Gillmor points out that those who make their feeds available are at an advantage because changes are that readers are going to chose those sites over others because they are more accessible. RSS feeds are also great because they are better at maintaining an audience. If I subscribe to a feed that isn't updated that often I am not lost as a reader because as soon as updates are available they are at my fingertips. This is great for people who don't update columns or blogs that frequently because they don't have to worry about reestablishing a relationship with their audience. Tying in with blogging, having this interaction with the audience is wonderful because it creates a more demanding kind of audience - one that feels empowered and involved.

• SMS - text messages are a fabulous way for journalists to get messages out while still maintaining a certain level of discretion. When SARS was exploding in China the government wanted to keep the outbreak as quiet as possible. Thanks to SMS capabilities, people on the inside were able to send out a warning and break the news while still maintaining anonymity. SMS was also a huge part of September 11 and is gaining popularity as journalists find they can use it as a way to stay in contact at all times. When a bulky laptop isn't appropriate using SMS can be a great way to keep the lines of communication open.

• Cell phones - having changed a lot since the Zack Morris-type of mobile phone, cell phones are standard and vital for journalists. They aren't just for making phone calls anymore. Gillmor talks a lot about using camera phones as a way to capture things (albeit not with the best quality) that professional photographers often miss. Cell phones are also a link to SMS and now have Internet capabilities that allow users to blog straight from their phone. As Gillmor points out, we have come a long way from the days of just making calls to home. Cell phones are so sophisticated and mature that they can even run operating systems and work much like a computer.

As you can see, the Internet and wireless world have made the journalists' universe infinite. This is a fabulous, although sometimes overwhelming, opportunity. Gillmor maintains that the best way to learn is to just jump right in. Fearing these advancements will do nothing but hurt you because every second you put off learning something new comes out that will put you even more behind.

The downside of new media

I said I would talk about what can go wrong with new media and I will. I must admit, however, that I'm not sure I find all of these "cons" to be truly bad. For example, one problem for journalists is that they are constantly being edited and fact-checked now. This makes their job more difficult, but it also ensures that we are getting the most objective, honest news available. If a journalist writes something that has any flaws, new media just about guarantees that it will be exposed at some point. As Gillmor says, when anyone can "edit" what you are saying being fair is essential. Although this can be bad for journalists and throw them through a few loop holes it is in the best interest of the audience - and that is who journalism is supposed to be for in the first place.

What's next?

It is obvious that technological innovations are going to continue to explode and grow are incomprehensible rates. So, where does that leave journalism? It's tough, as Gillmor has explained, but journalists should be up to the challenge. Technology is pushing the envelope and changing the media forever. Knowing that it will continue to do so is going to open a lot of doors for a lot of people. Now anyone can be a reporter - a good and a bad thing. The Internet is here to stay as the most important medium journalists have. The best way to explain what is next is to let Gillmor do it for me. He writes:

Blogs and other media are feedback systems. They work in something close to real time and capture - in the best sense of the word - the multitude of ideas and realities each of us can offer. On the Internet, we are defined by what we know and share. Now, for the first time in history, the feedback system can be global and nearly instantaneous.

My goal in this book has been o persuade you that the collision of journalism and technology is having major consequences for three constituencies: journalists, newsmakers, and the audience. The evidence seems persuasive that something big is happening.

Basically, what Gillmor is saying is that no one can predict for sure what is going to happen. The best thing journalists can do is accept that something big is happening and embrace the changes. I would be willing to bet that what we have now is nothing compared to what the future holds - an exciting thought for an aspiring journalist if there ever was one!

We the Media touches on a side of journalism that few people are afraid to tackle. It's big - it's endless - it's exciting. The great thing about this book is that it can be read from the perspective of a news reader or a newsmaker and make perfect sense. The ideas that Gillmor outlines and the technologies that he explains are important for everyone to understand. Journalists need to keep up with the technology, but so do consumers of the news if they want to stay up-to-date.

Dan Gillmor's book is sure to be a milestone for new media. He is getting the message out there and I would encourage everyone to take the time to read the message.

Making way on the numbers story

2005-10-17T18:27:00.000-07:00

I finally got everything together to meet with the CCO. I was really starting to panic! I have several meetings on Wednesday and am going to observe the office in action. I think getting a feel for the environment and the dynamics of the office will really help me shape the tone of my story. I don't want it to be fluffy, but this is a more fun topic than some other things I have written. I am starting to get nervous about the numbers, though. I have done some calculations but I am getting more information when I go in for meetings. My biggest fear is a lack of time. I started working on this the day it was assigned and I still won't be done until the last minute. Let's hope I'm someone who performs well under pressure!

What have I learned from this experience?

• Research is so important - I already have a list of questions and some numbers that I want to present at my meetings. This should make putting the final touches together a little easier.

• People aren't always as willing to help as I'd like them to be. It never occured to me that the CCO wouldn't jump at the chance to help me. I have to admit I was completely shocked when they weren't too responsive to my request for help.

• Sometimes you have to go in the back door. I ended up getting my interviews by contacting the student ambassador. Because she might not have as much responsibility as the rest of the office she was thrilled to assist me. She, then, got me in with the rest of the office for interviews.

• Always have a backup plan! Because I am getting my interviews so late in the game I have two possible sets of data. In case the orignial plan to talk about what students are getting the jobs through the CCO and why doesn't work out I will go to my numbers about alumni and write about how the CCO is still available after graduation. I have some great statistics for this in case I need to fall back on it.

More on the SAF...

2005-10-17T18:19:00.000-07:00

Here is the rest of my interview with Jessica Hoffman about the Student Activity Fund - some of the questions are repeats of before.

1. What was the PSG reaction to the news that the fee didn't pass?

I think that the reaction from PSG was the same as from me, we respect the decision of the students. As their representatives, we only want to do what is in their best interst, what they want, so we will of course respect their decision.

2. What big project will you move to next?

We have a lot of things we want to continue to work on. including bringing in more political speakers, host more forums on student issues, work on educating our peers on political issus affecting them, etc. We just finished a lot of our major projects, including the Ross Ade Blackout and Student Activity Fee, so now it's time to re-group and priotitize what would be best to begin work on.

3. Will this issue resurface in the future?

I am sure the issue will come up again sometime down the road, my guess is in a few years, but my administration is finished with it. We did what we could and made more progress than anyone else ever has and we are proud of that, our work will serve as a great platform for student leaders down the road.

4. Is there any other way to get the collegiate readership program to
come to campus?

The Collegiate Readership Program can come if there is funding for it, but right now that is almost impossible to come by with the status of our budget as it stands across campus.

5. What did student organizations think about the fee not passing?

The majority of the organizations were more than supportive and were disappointed in the results, but felt the same way as we did; we must respect the decision of the student body.

6. Does PSG have any other ideas about how to raise this kind of money?

There is no other way to raise such a large amount of money. Student organizations have to scrape for innovative fundraising techniques currently and unforutunately, that will have to continue without the SAF.

7. What will be the negative effects of the SAF not passing?

The climate of our campus will stay the same, no improvements will be had without the SAF.

As you can see this is an interesting time for Purdue's student government. It will be interesting to see what kind of role PSG plays in my beat for the rest of the semester. One thing I have learned about beat reporting from this experience is that is can come to a climax and then just die off. Not that my entire beat is lost - it's a huge university to cover - but this was one of the major things going on this semester and just like that it was over. It makes me wonder how beat reporters keep up with it all. It just seems like beat reporting has a very different result than other types of reporting. If you work on a huge, great story for your newspaper as a column writer or something you know it will be gratifying in the end. Beat reporting isn't always that way. I do think, however, that is is probably the most objective kind of reporting we have studied thus far. Although a reporter can chose what and what not to talk about in their beat the writing isn't opinionated.

Student Forum

2005-10-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

Tonight I am going to take part in a student forum for liberal arts. I know this doesn't concern the entire university, but I will probably blog about what is going on because there is a chance some of the topics discussed with me touched upon in next week's BOT meeting. Jessica Hoffman, our student body president and a great source for my beat, asked me to come along for this. I also have an interview with her today to finish talking about the student activity fund.

As for the CCO...ugh!

What else is new at Purdue?

2005-10-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

Here are a few other things you might find interesting that are going on at Purdue:

Indiana colleges aren't affordable according to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.

An ESPN reporter is coming to Purdue. This is so awesome. Who knew there was so much to Gatorade? This guy is big in the blogosphere. I am hoping I can go, but I have an appointment at the same time.

Remember when I talked about the new tennis center that they decidede about in the Board of Trustees meeting? Well last week they broke ground.

Apparently, Krannert rocks. Business Week says our MBAs are the best.

Jischke, our commander-in-chief here at Purdue, was recently named the chairman of Association of American Universities. What does this do for Purdue? I'm not really sure. I guess he can add to his fancy resume. The Exponent reported it, too.

If you want to cheat don't come to Purdue. The University has invested in new technology to combat cheating. An interesting numbers story could result from comparing how many incidents of cheating occured before and after this technology is implemented.

If you are coming to the football game this weekend don't throw things! Security will be much tighter because fans are going nuts this season. Maybe it's because we suck?!

Have you been looking for the newspaper that lists class schedules? Yea, me too! We don't get them anymore. This is actually a great idea. Less litter. Now you need to get onlineto find the list.

That's what's going on in my beat.

Students say NO! to Student Activity Fee

2005-10-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

BREAKING NEWS!!

My beat was hopping this week. I picked up my copy of The Exponent yesterday and noticed that the SAF fee was voted down. This is big news for my beat because it was a pressing issue between the students and the student goverment lately. The full story had this to say:

The Student Activity Fee failed to pass either the undergraduate or graduate student vote. The undergraduate vote totaled 722 strongly in favor of the fee, 1,005 moderately in favor of the fee, 1,357 moderately in opposition, 2,614 strongly in opposition and 792 neutral on the topic.

The graduate student voted ended with 71 strongly in favor, 128 moderately in favor, 308 moderately in opposition, 946 strongly in opposition and 122 neutral.

The College Readership Program, voted upon at the same time, passed among undergraduate students but not among graduate students.

The 3,405 undergraduate students that approved of the program outnumbered the 2,716 that disapproved. Graduate students voted 779 to 685 against the program.

Despite the undergraduate student body approval, the College Readership Program will not move forward because it relied upon the activity fee for its funding.

As a student I am totally disappointed, but I guess as a "reporter" I should just be reporting the news. I do think it's a damn shame that because of this we can't have the Collegiate Readership Program, however. I know most of this is available online, but it's a real shame that students are denying themselves the benefits that come along with reading news from all over the nation.

I will be interested in hearing what the student body president has to say at the next Board of Trustees meeting.

I spoke with her for my beat this afternoon. She told me that she was very disappointed that the fee didn't pass but she respected the voice of the student. The SAF has been a major project for PSG over the last several semesters, but Jessica assured me they would find another very worthwhile project and move on. Here are a few of the questions I had for her:

Me: What are your thoughts on the SAF not passing?

Jessica: Of course we are disappointed, but the students spoke and we understand that. Our job is to represent the students, so if this is what they prefer this is what we are going to follow. I wish more students would have attended the info sessions, though, because I think a lot of people may have voted against it without knowing all the details.

Me: So, a lot of students didn't show up? What was the average turn out for the info sessions?

Jessica: In the beginning they were okay - people came and asked great questions. We were greeted with some hard questions, but that's what we were hoping for. If we can't provide the students with answers about where their money is going and why the fee is a good idea we aren't really doing our job very well. In the end not as many people were coming.

Me: Would you campaign the SAF differently if you had to do it again?

Jessica: No, I am proud of our efforts.

Jessica and I are going to continue this interview early next week and I will have more to post then.

Why I hate my beat...

2005-10-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

So, I obviously forgot about blogging last week. And I'm sure that's going to have adverse effect on my grade. Story of my life, huh? It's just that I was really excited about going to Nashville for break that I completely forgot about everything else that was going on. You can see pictures of my tip here. It was a great time.

Anyway...I hate my beat. In fact, the entire idea of being a beat reporter makes me want to run away from journalism. I have had some serious problems getting the CCO to respond to me. That's why my post is getting done so late today. I have been sitting in their office arguing with some woman named Rosie who really needs to find a new way to groom her eyebrows. They are arched in that very evil way. She refused to let me meet with anyone. She said

This office is to help students with their careers - not their proooject.

Whatever. So I can't make an appointment to talk with anyone unless I either sit in the office until someone is free or try to get them to respond by email. I'm opting for the latter. I have a lot of information and facts (numbers) ready for my story but I don't have any quotes and I have a lot of questions I need to ask.

What are my objectives for this story? Glad you asked!

• Find out which majors are being given preference (or getting more jobs) via the CCO
• Find out how many students use the CCO
• Find out what companies use the CCO most heavily and what majors they are looking to recruit

I am hoping to meet with someone on Monday. We'll see.

Beat Story #2: Fun with Numbers!

2005-10-03T22:19:00.000-07:00

I would like to write a story about the Center for Career Opportunity at Purdue. Right now I have a chart from the Data Digest that I will use to start my fact finding. I have also placed a phone call to the CCO about arranging a time I can meet with them to get more information. Some of the numbers and data I want to include are:

• How many students get jobs from their CCO connections/interviews?
• What is the return rate on companies who seek Purdue student to fulfill job openings?
• What are the most popular CCO services among students?
• How frequently do alumni use the CCO? What for? Placement rate? Typical age of those returning to Purdue to help them find a job?
• Are more majors placed than others?
• A list of services that the CCO provides

Much of the information can be found at the Web site. My other contacts include:

• The main office - Phone: (765) 494-3981
• CCO email - askcco@purdue.edu
• CCO Director, Tim Luzader - tluzader@purdue.edu
• Associate Director for Employer Relations, Shirley Marciniak - smarciniak@purdue.edu
• Career Services Consultant, Susan Hychka - susanhychka@purdue.edu
• Operations Support Specialist, Beth Smith
• CCO Student Ambassadors - ccoambs@purdue.edu

I have attached several things I am going to use to help me with this story. I am hoping that once I narrow down the available information I will be able to narrow down the “thesis” for the story. Suggestions would be highly appreciated.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

A salary chart from 2004
Information about sponsors of the CCO

Purdue dedicates new indoor golf training center

2005-10-03T20:12:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday I was able to attend a ceremony dedicating a new indoor golf training center at Purdue. I covered this for my beat for several reasons:

* First and foremost, I work at the course and play a lot of golf so the new center is something I have a personal interest in
* The donor, Tom Spurgeon, is on of the Trustees at Purdue. I thought it would be interesting to study this because I noticed he was chosen as a trustee very soon after he donated $750,000 to the building of the training center
* This opening was talked about at the most recent board of trustees meeting
* I wanted to see President Jischke and the other big names on campus in this kind of setting - the atmosphere was much more relaxed than a typical meeting.
* And fainlly, shameless schmoozing :-) - it never hurts for a woman to talk golf with a man. It's been a foot in the door for me many times over the past few years. I was able to talk with Mr. Spurgeon, Athletic Director Morgan Burke, Coach Devon Brouse and many other people that are great sources to be in touch with for my beat

Mr. Spurgeon told me that giving to the new facility was a great way to combine his passion for golf and his passion for Purdue.

Another trustee, Michael Birck, has the entire facility named after him: Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex. Try saying that 100x a day while answering the phone. The phrase rings in my head at night.

Covering this event reminded me that there is more to the Purdue beat than board meetings. Athletics is also a huge part of the university, and I don't want to forget about the whole picture.

I am not sure that this event will fit into any of my stories, but it's nice to have the notes just in case. It was also a great way to make some connections that I hope will help me long after this class is over.

Be sure to check out the story here.

Welcome to the World of Purdue

2005-09-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

I will be covering Purdue University for Com359. This blog will be updated biweekly with information about the university and what I have covered for my beat each week.