Final Reflective Blog

Before taking this class, I knew a little bit about the journalism process and the different types of writings and styles associated with it, things that I learned from a journalism class I took last semester. In that class, we learned about the different types of articles (feature, interview, etc.) and wrote several articles in different styles. So, from that, I knew how to write certain types of articles and knew the general principles involved with journalism.

Before taking the class, I knew little to nothing about citizen journalism. We talked about it, briefly, last semester in the journalism class but the coverage was not as in-depth that it was in this class. I knew that citizen journalism was a newer type of journalism that allowed people that were not professional journalist to publish stories that they felt were newsworthy and caught their interest. I also knew that this was a type of journalism that was taking over traditional journalism because online journalism is now more popular than print.

I had visited numerous blogs before taking class. While, they were not focused around world news or politics, I knew that blogs gave people the power to speak and get their voice out there on their own. I visit almost 10 celebrity gossip and news blogs daily so I was familiar with how they work and what they were.

From this class, I learned a lot about citizen and online journalism. With citizen journalism and blogging, I learned about the origins and how they became popular. I also gained a greater perspective on why it is important and the power it gives people. For decades, people have relied on TV and news publications to deliver news and were basically told what is important; now, people decide what they want to discuss and now have a bigger voice. It truly shows the evolution news has had over the years and tells us where we’re going.

With all that said, I wonder if one day, news in print will no longer exist and online publications will dominate completely. As an aspiring journalist, I worry about how secure my future is, given the transition from print to online publications and the fact that so many major newspapers are ending their publications and are experiencing debt and other financial problems. I know that a lot has to do with the recession, but a lot of it is the fact that most news has gone online. I guess the brighter side of things is that the people that these newspapers are hiring have to be very capable of handling online tasks and have to know how to work with technology—I have been exposed to all of the technology used today as well as the fact that I grew up in the age of computers and internet. It’s comforting to know that some of the things that I learned in this class will come in handy one day.

I don’t feel like I necessarily learned anything about journalism—I did, however, see print journalism in a different light because this class takes more of the online perspective and I had the print perspective last semester. So, comparing these two and looking at journalism from each standpoint, I gained new opinions. I basically feel that print journalism is not as effective as online journalism because online journalism is very convenient and so much that people do everyday (email, Facebook, shopping) is online, it is no wonder why this type of journalism has become so popular.

Some aspects from the readings that stick out to me are when the readings discussed whether citizen journalism and blogging are real types of journalism. This really made me think because I think it is tough to call. Some people write because they are just expressing an opinion while others are actually delivering some type of news—so, for that reason, I feel that citizen journalism is real journalism, is just depends on the content and delivery. Another part is that in the readings talks about why citizen journalism and other aspects of online happenings (like the fan groups and Sims games) is so important and encourages it. Those readings encourage it and say that it gives people a voice and a sense of community. This is an aspect I agree with because I think it is such a powerful thing to be able to write about whatever you feel and say whatever you feel; news is no longer necessarily dictated by the media. I also think it’s a way for people to feel more included and apart of a world they were formerly on the outside of.

My experiences with:
- Use of technology: I’ve always been comfortable with using technology—computers, internet, etc. so I never had an issue with the things that we had to use in this class. I learned a lot—I learned how to make a movie which is one of the biggest things I think I’ve taken away from this class and podcasts which I had heard about before but never really knew what they were prior to the class. Like I stated before, these are all advantages because when I get out there in the real world, looking to build my career, these are the type of capabilities that employers look for and I feel like I’ll be up to date and prepared for the tasks that jobs in the journalism field entail. The only thing is that sometimes the applications (Audacity and Movie Maker) would stop working or not save work which was VERY frustrating. The podcasts, audio and video, are extremely time-consuming. But, on the way, I’ve learned how to make sure certain mistakes wouldn’t occur and how to make it better.
- Covering stories/events/issues relevant to the Albright/Reading community: There were pros and cons about covering issues surrounding the Albright and Reading community. The pros were that I was able to really dig deep into Albright events and meet so many different people—whether they were my fellow students or members of the administration and really get a feel for what the school stands for. I felt more apart of the community and more knowledgeable about some of the things that happen on campus. Most of my posts surrounded issues of diversity and gave voice to minorities on campus (gay people, people of color) which I was proud of because I feel like these voices need to be heard. I was happy that I was given the opportunity to help give the platform for their voices. The cons are that sometimes, it was very difficult to select a topic—there is not that much going on campus that is really interesting and there was always the issue of someone already picking a topic that you had in mind. I felt that we should have been given topics or that we should have been able to step out of Albright and Reading for an assignment or two just to add variety.
- Class critiques of blogs/podcasts: I’ve never enjoyed critiquing other people’s work or having my own work critiqued…but, it is always beneficial to get an idea of how people are receiving your work. This aspect of the class taught me even more how to accept constructive criticism and just being open to improving and growing as a writer.
- Responsibility/freedom as a blogger: Looking back on it, I am very satisfied with my blogging experience and proud that I was apart of a blog and was exposed to so many types of things. I loved having to take on the responsibility of a blogger and writer because I felt like it was preparation for the career I hope to have one day. I also enjoyed being able to talk about the issues I found important and crucial to the campus.

Now that the class is over, I have a true perspective and idea about what blogging and citizen journalism truly is. And, given this perspective, it has impacted the way I view blogging. And, with all that said, I do feel that blogging/citizen journalism is a type of journalism. Like I said above, it is all about content and the way it is delivered—if a person is delivering a piece of news, than yes, it is journalism. You don’t necessarily have to go to school to be considered a journalist. While, school and training helps you become a better writer and helps you survive through the industry, a person reporting on news and writing about it is a journalist, in my opinion. Everyone deserves to be able to express their ideas and thoughts. Citizen journalism and blogging helps with allowing people to speak and to get their voices heard. News doesn’t always have to be provided by TV or a newspaper—now, people can determine their own news and have it all out there. And, that’s the way it should be.