Editing Symbols and Importance. Smith, Chelsey

image captured from an uploaded google doc.

Consistency, spelling, punctuation, style, subject-verb agreement, and other mechanics are all important factors that should be searched for when proofreading.

Copy editors much recognize improper usage, and appropriate usage of mechanics and edit accordingly. Specific symbols are used to revise copy and instruct implementation or negation of words or punctuation.

Proofreading and editing are extremely important processes. These phases help to get a clear and concise idea across to a reader without distraction or confusion. Although the process may seem boring or it may be difficult to remember a large amount of symbols and rules, it is of the essence to ones work.

The importance of the ability to spell correctly and quickly, was demonstrated in a class spelling bee that showed us how much time can be lost by looking up the correct spelling of a word, and ow many students rely heavily on spell check.

To read more on editing symbols, check out Erik Nelson's post.

It's For The Birds - Elliott, Katie

I used to hate Twitter. A lot.

I did not understand why anyone would waste time reading peoples self-involved status updates. My thoughts usually ran like this: "I don't care if your having a sandwich!" or "That's great you like your new outfit, and oh how exciting it is you get to wear it when you go out tonight with your 'gurlz'." Gag...

But since I was forced into learning and using the website at J-school, I began exploring the site and its uses. To my suprise, I discovered it has useful purposes and I found it interesting and almost exciting. So much so, I am openly able to say, "I like Twitter."

Here is why.

Twitter runs in the now. News is updated constantly and frequently and I can be provided with information from a variety of sources at one time. Just glancing at he screen now I am able to see that @weirdcanada recently posted "WYRD ALBERTA MIXTAPE! " along side a link to the website that contains the new Wyrd mixtape. The Wyrd Music Festival is the reason I first started following @weirdcanada in the first place; so I am very excited to be getting new news on the event and be apart of the hype. Plus, I get to check out some song I have likely never heard before and that is something I always enjoy.

Twitter fills people in on breaking news, music updates, concert announcements, and creates an online community message board, only without the tape, thumbtacks, and asking the owner for permission and a stamp.

Messages are short and sweet, and they call them tweets... that was lame right?I just am happy about finding something useful in Twitter, because I was starting to believe the end of the world really was just around the corner. The discovery that the Twitter obsession really does hold some value, has restored my faith in humanity and less concerned about the end of the world being upon us (even if 14 per cent of Americans think Obama is the Anti-Christ). No more panic over the year 2012, I can ease up a bit and get on the year 2036 wagon hysteria.




Image Sources: Allied Bloggers , Our Tuts

Writing for the Web. Smith, Chelsey

When writing for the web, a writer must consider techniques that one otherwise may disregard.

Reading online is a slower process for readers as opposed to reading a printed material. It is imperative that online text be broken up through use of subheads, bullet points or numbered lists, images, and space. This technique as well as bold text increases the scanability of the copy.

Useful tools a writer may add to online articles include links, and videos.
One particularly useful tool is the share tool: this tool allows readers to email, twitter, Facebook, etc. a story.

Online news can also easily be added to in order to update a story, creating a fast and fresh accessibility for citizens to stay informed.

Note* Remember to use SEO (search engine optimization) words in headlines and copy

Read Editing for Print and Online by Dale and Isaac for tips on how to edit online content.

Image courtesy of al lavoro on flickr.

The Twitter Debate. Smith, Chelsey

Twitter has become a great controversy among the journalism students at Grant MacEwan University.

#macewan #macewanjsoc #media #newmedia #yeg #social media #web2.0 #jschool #news #journchat #twitter

Despite the expediency of the Internet site, many students and writers alike are rejecting the popular convenience or begrudgingly making accounts, but not bothering to take the time to learn how to navigate and/or reap the benefits.

I would argue that Twitter is one of the best social networking sites, and even better than Facebook for connecting people, groups, communities, and all who are Internet savvy. In that regard, I find Twitter to also be much more hassle free and inviting than many other forms of social media. Of course a small learning curve exists, but when searching for events, information, recipes, people, or whatever it is you desire, I generally find the site incredibly simplistic.

I use Twitter to read breaking news updates, to stay informed regarding events in my community and think it is hands down the best advertising and networking tool out there right now.

Sure it can be said that Twitter is self indulgent and narcissistic, but almost all tools of the current Generation X/Y or Look-at-me Generation are.

For an additional view of social networking sites see what Nancy has to say.



photo from urban dictionary, definition courtesy of candy kid

Blogging on a Blog Discussing Blogs - Elliott, Katie

The Canadian rapper Shad K who is based out of Toronto has a blog. The Nebraska State Historical Society has a blog. Seth Godin has a blog called Seth's Blog. Who is he? I’m not sure yet, but his web page comes up on the first page of a search in Google for 'blog', so I assume many people are interested in what he has to say (or he is at least extremely good at SEO).

Blogs seems to be everywhere you look. So many people are reporting these days on events which are either of interest or affect them, but many of them are not considered to be 'reporters'. Why? I don't believe it is merely the credentials of a diploma or degree that constitutes a persons ability to have adequate skills as a reporter; but it is a combination of a display of dedication to truthful story-telling and a pressure to up-keep a standard of excellence which can be validated through history, which makes news sources successful and valid.

Now-a-days anybody has access to use simple, even free, online programs such as blogspot or wordpress. People can create surveys on pollydaddy or charts and graphs on Create A Graph. All of this information can be assembled and posted (even look legit and professional) for the world to see. Citizens in action: citizen journalists -- though likely chocked full of bias and one-sided reveals, these blogs carry passion and are growing to be serious contenders for major news sources.

It is heavily debated whether this is "good" or "bad" for journalism and what it all means for the 'future of journalism’. Keeping away from business antics and political affiliation, I believe the key issue in question is how will people get the truth. Attempting not to sound too idealistic, but the without strict adherence to truth telling through factual explanations and equal importance given to all sides of a story we will all suffer from a lack of understanding in the world which surrounds us. This could lead to corruption in our government and judicial systems and serious issues in business and the health care sector. Without proper, honest communication about our society crumbles.

And even though this may sound extreme, this is my blog post: i'll say what I want.



Image Sources: Open Gardens Blog, Kelby Carr's blog, Catherine Marie blog

Editing Detective. Smith, Chelsey

Readers stumble across mistakes in the newspapers/sites more frequently than writers would hope. Some mistakes may be the misspelling of a word, some may be grammatical, and many errors are factual.

Finding errors when in search of the truth can be very frustrating for readers. Editors must work thoroughly and quickly with great diligence to avoid printed errors. This is becoming increasingly difficult with the advances in technology and the heightened need for speed in newsrooms.

Please see a few common errors I have found and discussed in a blog post, and additional errors can be found in Tyler Grant's Editing Detective post.

Certainly, mistakes are bound to happen; and they should be considered an opportunity to learn. On the other hand, I believe that carelessness is what generates many inaccuracies. Errors can be avoided through thorough editing, and scrutiny. Writers should be sure to allow time for editing, and for revision that checks dates, spelling, grammar, names, and facts.

My reporting instructor Shelly Decker emphasizes the importance of spelling names right, and I never understood how often this happens until it actually happened to me! When photographed for the Edmonton Journal Look section, my name was spelled Chelsea instead of Chelsey – this is a common misspelling of my name and had the photographer spoken to me for clarification, could have been avoided. Many of the other names of the models were mixed up or also misspelled.

I find that my own writing is prone to using improper verb and subject placement, and consciously try my best to be aware of this when writing. I also try to watch use of misplaced and dangling modifiers, as much of the red pen on my returned assignments signals this is often a recurrent blunder of mine. My writing has improved immensely since I began the journalism program at Grant MacEwan University, and I hope by the time I graduate that I have made all my mistakes and learned everything I can to be a great writer.



Photograph by: Walter Tychnowicz, edmontonjournal.com

Media Consolidation, Trevor Robb

It is quite amazing to see how capitalism has succeeded in completely and outright controlling how news gets produced and distributed over time. Open and free trading in the marketplace is one of the central themes of capitalism, and for the most part this theme is not a terrible idea. However when it comes to media consolidation and who owns the various media outlets, this theory falls short of its intended democratic values.

According to the Media Reform Information Center, in 1983 over 50 corporations controlled the majority of the mass media in the United States. Now there are five: Time Warner, Disney, Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, Bertelsmann of Germany, and Viacom (formerly CBS). General Electric's NBC is a close sixth. This is absurd. If all news agencies, movie studios, television channels and radio stations are owned by the same 6 companies, how can the average viewer/listener discern what's fact from fiction? In other words, how can the average citizen be truly informed?

You talk about propaganda and agenda pushing in media and you think that these things died along with the Nazi's and Communism. News flash people, the American media is better than that of Nazi Germany!

"Media manipulation in the U.S. today is more efficient than it was in Nazi Germany, because here we have the pretense that we are getting all the information we want. That misconception prevents people from even looking for the truth." - Mark Crispin Miller

The people of America, and consequently due to it's ever expansion across the border the people of Canada, need to wake up to this disturbing trend that started almost a decade ago.

Kate Elliott, a Grant MacEwan Journalism student, describes journalism's intentions to inform:

"Historically, journalism is a fifth estate created out of necessity for the everyman. Working to create a check and balance system for the people in regards to government and business, as well as providing an information flow for the public to be informed on local and global world events."

Unfortunately it's disturbing to think that a citizen getting their information from hundreds of different websites and news agencies and thinking that they're getting a different perspective, when really all the different agencies are owned by the same company. Is anybody truly informed? Maybe the internet can help, like duct tape for a handyman the Internet has been a Godsend for journalists and other citizen "truth-seekers"