Inc Issue 1

inc.

internships. news. commentary.

Vol. 1 January 13, 2009.

a publication of the Ohio University Society of Professional Journalists.

new media, no problem.

workshop is something to tweet home about. story

Graylyn Roose

art

On January 20, during normal meeting hours, Society of Professional Journalists will be hosting a “new media” workshop for any interested members. The event, which will be presented by Paul Matson, the Public Relations Student Society of America president, will address several growing types of digital media, with the intent to explain them for those who may be neophytes in the realm of online journalism. “There’s a big shift going on between traditional media and reporting and it’s basically going on with digital and online,” said Matson. “For us, that’s trying to learn what tools fall into the category of new media.” Matson will be addressing various types of blogs, including blogspot and blogger, as well as Twitter, and other social media like Facebook as news outlets. He says that he will be presenting three main aspects of online media. “One is social networking -- how the media stays in contact with each other. Another is how people share info with each other, so it’s more on the readership side. And then the third is basically doing business with consumers,” said Matson. “New media: what the tools are, how to use them, and why they’re important. That’s basically the big three.” According to SPJ Programming Coordinator Kevin Zieber, the workshop is intended to be informal and hands on. Members are encouraged to bring their laptops to the meeting, so they can follow along with Matson’s presentation and begin to understand how to better use social media.

inside inc. society news. pg 2. internships. pg 3. commentary pg 4.

next meeting tuesday. 5:00. scripps 111

The Cabin Fever Reliever

Ian Bowman-Henderson

“I think it’ll help people get started and kind of figure things out,” said Zieber. “I want to have plenty of time for hands on, I want Paul to be able to go around the room and help people out.” Zieber also adds that the one-hour time limit is somewhat flexible. “I’m open to having it run over if people want to stay.” Freshman SPJ member Rosie Haney says that she is looking forward to attending the workshop and getting a head start in learning the fundamentals of online media. “I feel that we should all be proficient with these things,” said Haney, who said that she is grateful to be learning these skills before she encounters them in a class. “These are things that we can never get from all of our classes at the same time…but these are things that we can use now.” Haney said that, as a journalist, she feels a duty to share information via cutting-edge methods, in an effort to help the public better understand how they can utilize online media. “As journalists we’re like the arteries transporting the blood and the nitrogen to the rest of the body, to the rest of the population.” OU professor and SPJ advisor Cary Frith teaches in the magazine sequence, and says that she feels it’s important for students to become skilled in online media.

“As we teach others how to use these tools, we become more adept ourselves,” says Frith, who says that journalism classes at OU are becoming increasingly more focused on digital media. “More and more professors are introducing these technological tools into their curriculum.” Because blogs have become critical to information-sharing, much of the presentation will be focused on them. Zieber says that he feels that blogs are the “most important” growing digital media. Although some call the credibility of weblogs into question, Zieber said that most blogs he has come across have been very informative. “I think you really have to know who you’re reading and know about them,” said Zieber. “At the same time, I feel that you kind of have a rapport with the blogger that you read because you really get to know them, as well as their writing.” Frith also maintained the necessity of understanding where blog information has come from. “For example, a blog on a journalism outlet’s site has to be nonfiction and it has to go through an editing process so that the information is not only truthful, but it’s delivered in a way that the audience can depend on,” said Frith. Matson stated that the changing technological situation requires journalists to utilize new tools to present information. “I don’t think that print newspaper is ever going to go away. There’s always going to be a circulation. But there has to be a new business model to how people get things online,” said Matson. “What it’s all about is engaging people instead of just throwing information at them and guessing if they’re receiving it or not.” Zieber says that he has high hopes for future workshops, especially those that involve lessons on design technology, like Photoshop and InDesign. “I think people are interested to learn these skills,” said Zieber.

inc.

internships. news. commentary.

society news.. society centenial celebration.

a look at what SPJ has in store for winter. story

Cameron Glover

Additionally, Aimee Edmondson, a professor and expert on the Freedom of Information Act, will host an information session on how to use journalistic rights to obtain public records. “These are things that you’re not going to get directly in class,” sad Millward. In order to give back to the Athens community, SPJ will hold a book drive that begins Jan. 23 and will run through Feb. 20. SPJ will team up with the business fraternity and set up donations sites around campus and surrounding areas. SPJ is also hosting a national essay competition for all high school students who may have an interest in writing or journalism. OU’s chapter will judge essays from 20 counties in southeast Ohio. The winning essays will be sent to the SPJ headquarters in Indianapolis. This year’s prompt is “Why free news media are important,” and the national winner will receive $1,000. Finally, for any journalist that wants the opportunity to get involved with a student publication that is current and geared directly towards the J-School, then look no further. SPJ has created inc., a newsletter filled with valuable information for aspiring a professional journalists. inc. will include information about the next week’s meetings, featured internships, transcript interviews with guest speakers and media commentary. For more information on the Ohio University Society of Professional Journalists, check ohiouspj.blogspot.com or come to the meetings every Tuesday at 5 p.m. in Scripps 111. Tonight’s meeting is the “Cabin Fever Reliever,” designed to get students out of their cold homes to eat free pizza and play games. Feel free to bring friends and roommates to kickoff SPJ’s centennial celebration.

just the facts. AP stylebooks. $15. t-shirts. $15.

PHOTO: SPJ.org

During the winter break, the executive board for Ohio University’s chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists put together a vast list of events sure to entice journalism majors. This year marks the 100-year anniversary for the largest journalism organization in the world: SPJ. History of the organization will be the focus of the centennial celebration. Sigma Delta Chi was founded in 1909 by 12 male students from DePauw University in Greencastle, IN as a journalism fraternity. It aimed to protect journalistic rights such as the First Amendment and practice ethical behavior. In 2008, it formally changed its name to the Society of Professional Journalists. SPJ now has almost 10,000 members, including professionals and students, and has more than 250 chapters. “We’re trying to get back to the roots,” said Evan Millward, OU’s chapter president. Millward explains that this year is about being proud of the past 100 years while working ahead for the future. “It’s a call for SPJ to be stronger,” said Millward. On Jan. 20, Paul Matson, senior journalism and public relations major, will lead a workshop on new media. All members are encouraged to bring his or her laptop, as Matson will be revealing different techniques for finding information online. Yusef Kalyango, professor of broadcast journalism, will be speaking on Jan. 27 about how to approach covering stories of tragedy and crisis. Kalyango joined the OU staff as an assistant professor last quarter and has worked as a correspondent for CNN International. He was the first to have footage of the war and genocides in Sudan during the early 1990s.

OUSPJ calendar 1.20. New Media Workshop 1.27. Speaker: Yusef Kalyango 1.23. Book Drive Begins 2.20. Last Day of Book Drive

miss USA deadline. 1/16. Mark of Excellence Awards deadline. 1/21.

inc.

internships. news. commentary.

internships.. beauty penchant.

featured internship. Miss USA. reporting

Lindsay Castle

Ohio University communication students have the opportunity to apply to intern as a public relations assistant for the 2009 Miss USA pageant. The Miss USA internship, which will begin during the latter part of winter quarter and lasts approximately one month, will allow the selected intern to work with the vice president, public relations director and coordinator for the organization. Travel expenses to and from Las Vegas, hotel accommodations and per diem will be covered by the Miss Universe Organization. The internship will be held in Las Vegas, except for the week of the Miss USA taping when interns will work in New York City. Selected interns, who will be graduating in the spring, may be asked to continue work for the organization after the internship has ended. “I am more than willing to look over the applications if students ask me to but they must be turned in prior to the deadline,” Tina Stewart, Alumni and Internship Coordinator for Scripps, said. “I also suggest letting career services look over resumes.” The Miss Universe Organization offers this internship exclusively to OU students because the President and CEO is Paula Shugart, a 1981 Media Arts and Studies alumna. Shugart also serves on the Deans’ Advisory Committee for Scripps. Students in Scripps, Media Arts, and Communication Studies are strongly encouraged to apply. Last year’s Miss USA OU intern was graduate Samantha Halkias, a video production major

PHOTO: 2008 Miss USA contestents at Nellis Airforce Base. NBC.com

The internship will provide opportunities to pitch ideas and assist in the coordination of media opportunities on location at the Miss USA pageant. The intern will assist hosts, pageant contestants and Miss Universe Organization executives, as well as participate in celebrity judging panels. Other jobs that may be available during the internship include monitoring print, television and internet coverage, writing media alerts, tip sheet updates, creating photo captions, attending media and host committee related events and serving as a liaison between the host committee and the Miss Universe Organization. The completed applications, which should include a cover letter, resume and letter of recommendation from a professor, are to be turned in to Tina Stewart by Friday, January 16, in RTV 484 or left at the front desk in the Deans’ office. Cover letters should be addressed to: Ms. Lark-Marie Anton, Vice President for Marketing and Public Relations.

old questions. new opportunities. who.

what.

when.

where.

how.

why.

Liggett Stashower

Marketing Intern

Summer 2009

Cleveland, Ohio

internship@ liggett.com

German Academic Exchange Service

Student/ Staff Writer

June 8Aug. 21, 2009

Berlin, Germany

daad.org/?p= internxchange

the CEO has a bobblehead of himself Deutschland ist genial.

Associated Press

Staff News Writer

Feb. 9May 9, 2009

Indianapolis, Indiana

krobinson@ ap.org

this one is pretty much a real job.

San Francisco Bay Guardian

Writing Intern

May-Aug. 2009

San Francisco, California

The Reykjavik Grapevine

Staff Writer

AprilSeptember, 2009

Reykjavik, Iceland

journalism. berkeley.edu/ jobs journalism. berkeley.edu/ jobs

a summer in Cali with all the beautiful people so much better than Iceland’s winter internships

inc.

internships. news. commentary.

commentary.. America’s plumber bummer. why this average Joe shouldn’t be in Israel. column Ian Bowman-Henderson My first real girlfriend, I’ll call her Sally, was not the best I could do. Some of the problems in our relationship were obvious. For instance, she was taller than me, which was a serious problem in the makeout crazed world of junior high school. Then there were the problems we both recognized but chose to ignore, like the fact that we had nothing at all in common. But probably the two biggest problems in our relationship were known, to the best of my knowledge, only to me. The first was that I was dating her mostly out of peer pressure and the fact the she was a grade above me, I wanted to be the cool guy with an older girlfriend. The second problem was my ongoing, and intense, infatuation with her best friend Rose, which both preceded and lasted throughout our relationship. I basically dated Sally to spend more time with Rose. Looking back, I could not have been a bigger ass. I’m certainly not proud of it, but I was a young kid treading uncertain waters. I took on a responsibility that I wasn’t ready for and put ethics aside in favor of doing what was best for myself. Something very much the same is happening in the world of journalism today. Recently the conservative website Pajamas TV hired Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, or more infamously “Joe the Plumber,” to fly to Israel and report on the conflict in Gaza. Disregarding the fact that his monicker is entirely innacurate, ignoring the fact that he is famous only for asking one painfully under researched question, and even allowing for the fact that he already tried to parlay his fleeting political fame into a country music carreer, this man is in no way a journalist. He is an ideologue, and what’s worse a name-brand tool of the Republican party. Here is a great quote from the newest journalist representing America abroad: “To be honest with ya, I don’t think journalists should be (allowed) anywhere near . . . war,” Wurzelbacher told other reporters in the Israeli town of Sderot. “You guys report where our troops are at, what’s happening day-to-day, you make a big deal out of it. I think it’s asinine.” Whole books could be written about the iro-

direct from HQ. Mentor Match-Up Program: now accepting mentors and mentees, more info at SPJ.org/ mentor.

‘09 National Convention and Centennial Celebration: registration now open at SPJ.org/convention.

new on the blog. Trouble Hits Home: EDITORIAL ART: “Joe the Puppet”

nies contained in those 51 words, but I’ll just stick to the part where he accuses his fellow journalists of divulging troop positions. Aside from being false, troop possitions fall into the category of things reporters absolutely cannot divulge. Joe is just parroting the Israeli government’s official reasons for not allowing members of the press into Gaza. He is a puppet. He’s no more real than my relationship with Sally was, and the motives he serves are just as nefarious. It is difficult to tell exactly what the situation in Gaza is, the topic is a hotbed of well-deserved debate. However, that debate will be cut horribly short, with untold consequences, if media outlets choose to appoint journalists who fuel their ideological agenda at the expense of the American people’s collective knowledge.This sort of propagandistic deception is ultimate affront to the core principals of journalism. The American media is entering a new era of free information, but with uprecedented access comes the threat of unprecedented opportunites for ideologues to manipulate the public for their own gain. Unfortunately for America, media outlets like Pajama TV have yet to step beyond the ethical capacity of a seventh grade boy.

The Cincinnati Enquirer is moving towards a slimmer print edition. This follows job cuts at the Enquirer’s parent company Gannet.

inc. identified: Managing Editor

Ian Bowman-Henderson

Copy Editor

Jessica Lovejoy

Copy Editor

Linsey Aultz

Contributing Writer Lindsay Castle Contributing Writer Cameron Glover Contributing Writer Graylyn Roose