Inc Issue 6

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internships. news. commentary.

Vol. 6 April 9, 2009.

a publication of the Ohio University Society of Professional Journalists.

Splendid Symposium.

top notch industry pros speaking at Scripps. story

Rosie Haney

Ready your glasses, and poise your chins for stroking, the first ever Schuneman Symposium on Photojournalism and New Media will take place this Thursday with events and lectures sure to suit the interest of aspiring and tenured journalists and photojournalists alike. Keynote speakers, Amy Goodman and Steve Hildebrand highlight the all day affair. Amy Goodman, who will speak at 5:00 at Memorial Auditorium is the co-anchor of Democracy Now, and has won several awards including the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award. She is praised for her grassroots approach and lauded for the voice she gives to the people and subjects too often overlooked by the mass media. Her devotion to thorough and ethical media has made the web show “Democracy Now” immensely popular, and serves as one example of how new media is developing. “Amy Goodman is a good role model to pursue independent media” says Robert Stewart, Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies for the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. “This is something that students should go and listen to.” Steve Hildebrand, who served as Barack Obama’s deputy campaign manager, is the other keynote speaker and will speak at 7:00 p.m. in Memorial Auditorium. His speech is sure to touch on how Obama’s campaign utilized and shaped the media, and how it has morphed the game for subsequent elections. “We chose this because scholars are already studying this elec-

inside inc. society news. pg 2. special report. pg 3.

art

tuesday. 5:00. scripps 116 new executive board elections

Raphael

tion now,” says Stewart, “There’s the 30,000 foot view that says that students need access to some of the great minds that are practicing media in today’s market. Then there’s the close up view that shows us that the past election can be used as a case study of how new media has and will affect future elections.” Three panels are also slated to meet throughout the day in Baker Center room 240-242. The first panel will be held from 9-10:30 and will place photojournalism and politics to the forefront. Michael DiBari, an experienced photojournalist and grad student here at Ohio University will sit on the panel. He says that the panel will specifically be talking about how “more bloggers, more multimedia, more opportunities to get pictures, and less ways to control it” affected this past election. Other members on the panel include Matthew Craig, Marcy Nighswander, and Jennifer Poggi. In an industry that is gritting their teeth as one newspaper after the other fall causality to revenue woes and trying to pay for the braces of an internet that is the thatch of an awkward adolescence, it is more crucial than ever to discuss and create a dialogue between what the journalism industry was, is, and will be. The next panel will be held from 10:25-noon; the topic, New Media v. Traditional Media. Professor Bernard Debatin highlighted some of the issues that are still dawning in the advent of this technology.

Issue like control, “We have the FCC for TV and Radio, but nothing like that for the internet,” will be discussed, and other ails such as the “digital divide” between those who have access to the internet and those who do not, privacy, and feasible business models for how media outlets can continue to survive in a market where people count on getting their new for free. Debatin laments, “sites are trying different models, but can’t get people to pay for subscriptions. People aren’t going to pay for news that they can get for free somewhere else.” The last panel will discuss the political new media and will take place form 3-4:30. Cary Frith, a panelist and Assistant Professor here at Ohio University says that they will be discussing, “ the role of person’s media diet on political participation.” She points out that there is a difference between people who read newspapers, people who listen to Rush Limbaugh, and people who get information solely from the internet, and it affects how we perceive politics and how we involve ourselves in the political process. “There are other ways to be involved in politics besides voting,” she notes. Other members in the panel will be Phil Elliot, Michelle Holand, Janelle Huelsman, and Albert L. May. The word symposium is derived from the Greek word symposin, which means “the genial gathering of the educated,” and that is exactly what this even is geared up to be. Debatin emphasizes that “Students can gain a lot of understanding about the media landscape they’re entering.” There is a plethora of opportunity and development to be done, however intimidating it might seem right now. Students are urged to go. “Because the future is so uncertain, students input can be just as valuable to us as it is to them,” says Michael DiBari. The Greeks got a lot of things right, and the affable gathering of students and teachers can prove to be just as enlightening as Plato. Just as much as scholars of that day were revered, we need to heed the advice from our elders, go and listen, discuss, prosper.

inc.

internships. news. commentary.

society news.. Michael DiBari lays it out. the J-221 teacher talks pics and pages. story

Ian Bowman-Henderson photo

Courtesy of the J-school

Every week the Society of Professional Journalists brings in an industry professional to speak at our meetings. Sometimes, if we’re lucky, they stick around to answer a few questions. This week’s guest is a teacher and author with over fifteen years in the field as a photojournalist, Michael DiBari. Inc.: How important is digital design ability more logical transition. Inc.: With the advent of technology like for a contemporary journalist? Michael DiBari: I think that in journalism twitter and CNN’s iReport, what does the future today it helps if you have multimedia experience and it helps if you have audio experience. Design would come in third. Inc.: Why would design experience come after audio experience? DiBari: That’s a good question. I don’t think I would (put it there). I think the industry would, because layout and design is inherently different from gathering news. I think because the industry in such flux the more you know coming out of school the better your chances are of you getting a job. I also think that when we come through this period of uncertainty, you wont have to do everything. Hopefully you can just tell good stories. Inc.: Will design and layout skills become more important in the future? DiBari: I think having a good sense of design is always important. Will it be relevant? Probably. It will just be part of your own personal arsenal of everything you can do. DiBari: There is no need to memorize anything. You will become familiar if you work with the law enough, but it is really easy to get online and familiarize yourself with the exemptions... Inc.: Is it more important for photojournalists to be able to use programs like inDesign? DiBari: I think it’s easier, because photojournalists are visually oriented type people and InDesign is visually oriented. I know a lot of great photojournalists who became designers who are doing great. It is an easier transition, a

look like for photojournalists? DiBari: I think there will always be place for photojournalist. From the beginning of the Internet, since it became popular. It has just been this wonderful way to get published, to get your work out there. It really is just this great equalizer. As a professional photojournalist…. because newspapers are imploding on themselves, professional photojournalist are having a hard time of it. They have to be more creative. There needs to be more collaboration between all the different schools in communication, especially because the Internet just enhances everything we do and enhances all the different media. The more we collaborate the better we will be prepared to face the new world Inc.: You designed a book for your master’s thesis, could you talk a little about that? DiBari: Sure. In Visual Communications, the School of Visual Communications, we were required to do a masters project. My project was on the changing culture in a small Italian town. Since that was such a broad project, I narrowed it down through food. So the book that I proposed… was a platform for me to show my work. Inc.: Do you like it? DiBari: Yeah, I think its great a wonderful project. Beside the fact that it’s my work, it’s my culture and it’s my family. Inc.: What made you, as a photographer, pursue graduate school? Isn’t photography mostly a skill-based discipline?

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

DiBari: It is… Years ago maybe 6 or 7 years ago, I had the opportunity to teach a class in photojournalism. I did that and I decided that I enjoyed it. Inc.: What class do you teach now? DiBari:: I teach “Graphics for Communication,” Journalism 221. Inc.: How could interested journalism students get into your class? DiBari: I’m teaching the first summer session, and it will be offered in the fall. Inc.: Why take it as opposed to VICO 140? DiBari:: I try to gear it toward useful information that journalist can use… We’re inundated with visual information every day, from the Internet to t-shirts to posters that say “no food or drink.” I’d like to think my class helps people understand those.

SPJ special event: In celebration of Earth Month, Ohio University SPJ is proud to bring Andrew C. Revkin of the New York Times to campus April 16. Mr. Revkin will present the keynote speech:

“9 Billion People + 1 Planet = ?” in Scripps 111 at 7 p.m.

Andrew Revkin. 4/16. SPJ Centennial. 4/17.

inc.

internships. news. commentary.

special report.. how to: conduct an interview.

learn how to (politely) make sources spill the beans. reporting

Graylyn Roose

As journalists, we have all accepted that good interviewing requires certain persistence. After the third, fourth and even fifth calls to a particular office or department, we have to remind ourselves of our duty to that principle. But once the source has been contacted and an interview scheduled, we find ourselves with the sometimes daunting task of creating an interview that will be worth our time and valuable to the story. First, it is important to recognize the importance of first impressions. The code of conduct may not differ significantly depending on the source, but the dress code does. Formal dress when casually interviewing a peer may be just as off-putting as dressing down when speaking to an important city administrator. Understanding and having prior knowledge of your subject and their background is crucial; not only will it send your source the message that you care and have done your homework, it also sends you important cues regarding your dress and behavior. Writing questions down before the interview is a no-brainer; they serve as a gentle reminder of what you had hoped to ask, even if you get nervous in the moment. But don’t be locked into the questions you wrote down. Be flexible with the interview, and be open to change in the interview’s path. Some of the best stories are found from listening, then responding, rather than rote interrogation from pre-planned points. It is also important to remember that open-ended questions will most likely yield better quotes because they leave less chance for a source to stop the conversation dead in its tracks with a “yes” or a “no.” Before you begin the essence of the interview, it may be helpful to inform the source of your story’s general focus. There’s no need to spill all of the details, in fact, it may be less than ethical to do so. That being said, more information than less could yield a better response from the source during the interview. The manner in which the interview is conducted is not only important to the future of the story that the journalist is writing; it sends signals that will undoubtedly affect future relationships with the source. Proper manners and etiquette are expected, but much more is involved.

From beginning to end, it is important to notice your surroundings during the interview. Subtle observations of quirky posters or color themes could lead to a better lede. In terms of conversation unrelated to the story, it should always be friendly, but not lengthy. The source has other places to be and so do you, so getting caught up in chatter only takes away from the time you have to gather more information. Asking for permission to record is very important; if they seem hesitant, remind them that a record of what was said is in everybody’s best interest. As a journalist, however, never rely solely on a tape recorder, in case it proves to be faulty. Instead, write down the most memorable quotes. Not only will this serve as an important backup in the event that technology backfires, but the quotes will be landmarks for you during the process of transcribing the interview later on. The most important interviewing technique, however, is the ability to listen and respond only minimally. You want to hear what the source wants to say, and he or she wants to talk to you—so listen. Use nonverbal cues to show that you are paying attention throughout the dialogue. Eventually, the time will come to draw the interview to a close. Take responsibility for ending the interview, rather than letting the source cut you off. Alert your source to the end of the conversation by letting him or her know that you have only one question left. But before you thank them and head back to the newsroom, make absolutely sure that you have doublechecked with them the exact spelling of their name, clarified their official title and asked if they have any other contacts that might be able to help you. If your publication is more difficult to find, let your source know that you will make sure that he or she gets a copy of the article. Interviewing a source is not something that any journalist can plan down to the science, no matter how significant their experience and career. Each interview will be different than the one before it; truly one-of-a-kind. However, following these tips could result in smoother interviews, which will result in better ongoing connections with your sources.

direct from HQ. National Shield Law: Help to protect the rights of journalists across America by contacting congress members.

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

new on the blog. Still Need an Internship?: Apply to work as an intern on a publication produced exclusively for coverage of the SPJ National Convention and centennial celebration.

inc. identified: Managing Editor Copy Editor

Ian Bowman-Henderson

Graylyn Roose

Contributing Writer

Rosie Haney

Contributing Writer Graylyn Roose