colby-mmjblog

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Phil Cox

Phil was one of the most interesting journalists I have met in my time at Elon. His passion and drive to show an impactful and in-depth narrative is very admirable, as some content creators try to prioritize speed of publicity over quality. The Spider-Man story that Phil showed us was one of the most impressive pieces I have ever seen. It really went into the life of the vigilante, and Phil put his life on the line to show the struggle of the freedom fighters.

Phil's dedication to the story and its importance was very impressive. The advice he gave about surveying your surroundings and making sure that your guides are trustworthy, as you never want to end up in the middle of a minefield. The way that Phil talked about some of his experiences so casually, including going to prison really struck me. If I had gone through all of Phil's experiences, I don't know that I could digest them in a healthy way as it appears that he has, (even after a long time to process).

Phil's dedication to quality content and storytelling has put him in many places that I don't think I would be able to go for my work. The way that he has sacrificed his life for the craft of journalism is incredible, and I do not think that I would be able to make the same type of sacrifices that he has to continue to work in journalism. Phil brought mental and emotional perspective to my life both as a journalist and as a person, and made me take a step back and realize how privileged I am to cover sports, do what I love, and attend Elon.

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Josh Norris- Sports Content Creation

Josh was a very interesting speaker, as he delves into the areas of sports content that are new and cutting edge. Sports podcasting is a relatively new phenomenon, and can really help listeners delve into the analytical side of sports that viewers can't get by simply watching a debate show or listening to a radio show. Josh illustrates that if you network enough, you can connect with professional athletes and create quality content that a sizable audience will consume. Josh illustrates that if you find a niche, you can specialize your content like he does with his NFL Draft content, and people will appreciate the in-depth coverage. While I personally would like to have my own radio show and do play-by-play for games, Josh gave valuable insights about how to create content that would receive engagement, and keep an audience enthralled. I hope to take some of Josh's ideas about creating content and really taking time to go in-depth and drill down into specific areas into my broadcasting in the future to provide the most quality content for my audience.

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VR and AR Reflection

Michaela's visit with class was very interesting and intriguing. I think that the possibilities of AR, VR, and AI are very interesting, and will have a sustained impact on how we see the world around us for years to come.

The way that Michaela was able to create a VR experience of the blind woman's life was very interesting. I can't even imagine how much work it took to create the house that the lady lived in, and to recreate her life. I would be interested to try the experience. I was really intrigued by Michaela's start on Disney cruises, seeing how her examination of daily operations of the Disney cruises helps her with her AR and VR work now.

The process of digitally re-creating the house that she only had part of the footage of was very interesting. The power of the new software is really amazing, and I am both excited and nervous to see what advancements continue to be made.

Michaela's experience with real world applications made me contemplate how I can use this as a sports broadcaster and content greater going forward, and how I can make the game experience more interactive for the fans.

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About Me Reflection

When creating my about me video, I was a little apprehensive. As a journalism major, I rarely work on pieces about myself. Even as a sports commentator, I rarely talk about me, only offering critiques and analysis of plays that I see in front of me. I was kind of taken aback when I heard about this assignment, because I have never presented my story in a multimedia format before. I was nervous to tell my story in a way that was relatively unfamiliar to me.

While I came into the project hesitant, I think that the project was a great way to get to know our classmates in a new and exciting way. Making the project, I realized that I did not has as much footage of myself and my grandfather watching games as I thought, and I will have to take more photos so that I will have them later.

While filming the project, I did not have a lot of footage of myself on camera calling a game, so I had to get creative in terms of shot selection and structuring my piece. While I thought that the piece turned out well, I would like to know some of the editing tricks that some of my classmates used, such as the cartoon screens and the elaborate transitions.

I was hesitant to film a story about myself since I am so used to telling the stories of others, but I think that it was a rewarding experience because it allowed me to perceive my broadcasting journey in a new way.

While the solo project was enriching, I am excited to partner with teammates for our next big project. I look forward to sharing skills with each other, and creating a project that showcases all of our talents.

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Emerging Media: "The Brave New World"

With the emergence of new social and multimedia platforms, the ways that we consume news is changing. While older generations may still get their news from mainstream sources, younger generations are shifting away from the traditional approach to news consumption. Dr. Kirsten Eddy looked at a survey done by market research agency Craft, examining the news consumption habits of young people ages 18-30 in Brazil, The U.K., and the U.S., as well as The Digital News Report to examine viewing habits of news in young people. She found that "39% of social natives (18–24s) across 12 markets now using social media as their main source of news, compared with 34% who prefer to go direct to a news website or app," (Digital News Report). This falls in line with a growing trend in which new apps like TikTok are becoming an increased part of the news diet. "Use of TikTok for news has increased fivefold among 18–24s across all markets over just three years, from 3% in 2020 to 15% in 2022."

Another interesting trend in young people's news consumption is in the content of what they consume. "Hard news" such as crime, sickness, and death are areas that younger generations are more inclined to stay away from because of their depressing nature.

Younger generations are also less inclined to trust mainstream media sources. There are certain issues that they find depressing and selectively avoid. In the Craft study, a 22 year old female from the U.K. says that:

"I actively avoid news about politics as it frustrates me. It makes me feel small and no matter what my views it won’t make any difference at all to what goes on in the country or world, so there is no point listening to it."

This selective avoidance of hard news is dangerous for young generations because oftentimes, avoidance of topics that frustrate us make us less informed, and less open to new ideas.

The study found that entertaining and visual styles of media, particularly those that are shareable are what captured younger audiences. It is pivotal as journalists that we adapt news to these newer visual and interactive formats. With the trends in younger viewers to avoid hard news topics that are depressing, we have a responsibility to adapt hard news stories to the platforms that younger audiences are using. We cannot begin to fall into the wormhole of avoidance of hard topics. Journalism is, after all, one of the pillars of democracy. It is the responsibility of journalists to adapt and continue to keep younger markets informed so that we may continue to thrive.

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The Importance of Climate Change Journalism

Climate reporting is often a very underutilized beat that is covered separately from others. Jill Hopke, a journalism professor at DePaul University teaches climate communication and climate journalism. She argues that climate is woven into more aspects of journalism than we might see at first, and that we as journalists need to better verse ourselves in climate coverage as it continues to affect more aspects of our everyday lives. Hopke stressed the need for journalism schools to offer guidance for journalists regarding climate coverage. She says; "The journalists I heard from for this essay said they had gotten little to no formal training on how to report on climate change while studying for their degrees. Rather, they learned on the job." Hopke says that being climate literate helps reporters to have a basic understanding of the science behind climate change, and how it is impacting our planet. Hopke contends that climate journalism's job is to "contextualize contrarian viewpoints" and talk about climate change and how it relates to the changing world in which we live.

While I personally often overlook climate in my everyday life and news consumption, it is a very important part of our everyday, and will become even more important as the crisis begins to worsen. As we continue to interact with climate change globally and it changes the conditions around us, I do think that Hopke makes an important point about the importance of educating journalists about climate change. Even as a sports journalist, climate change impacts us in many ways. It is interesting to see what collegiate journalism schools are doing to educate students about climate journalism, and will only get more important in the years ahead.

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My Story: First Impressions

When I first learned about the video project that was based on filming me and an aspect of my story, I was a little taken aback. As a journalist, you are taught to stay primarily objective. Because of this, I was surprised about the nature of this project. While I am not sure exactly what aspects of my life that I would like to touch on, I do know that I am considering something within the realm of my story with Cerebral Palsy and falling in love with sports journalism, or my musical background, and how it helped me grow and mature. Doing a story about myself will naturally be subjective, and I am curious to see how my point of view will effect the narrative. I am excited to tell my story in a new and creative light. I think that we often do not want to tell our stories because we fear that we will seem too self-centered, but this project presents itself as a great opportunity to show a side of myself that not many people know.

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Building Trust Between Journalists and their Sources

Building trust between sources and reporters can be a tedious task. Sources may have experienced trauma that is difficult to talk about. The Pulitzer Center offers a resource to help give journalists advice with how to handle this trauma. Oftentimes, the best way to deal with traumatic situations is to get creative. When interviewing eighteen-year-old kids detained at the border that did not want to show their faces, a photographer got creative and draped their faces with their foil blankets, as that was an experience that resonated with them. Rather than show their faces, the photographer showed the association of the crinkling of the aluminum blankets with the subjects' captivity. Another piece of advice that the Pulitzer Center gives is that sometimes it is best to learn about people without the camera and build a connection with them before continuing. This is important when considering the nature of the content and interviews that people are conducting. People can often experience PTSD or have flashbacks of the traumatic event during an an interview. It is very important for them to know that they are in a comfortable environment, and that you as the reporter won't publish anything that will compromise their integrity.

Another pivotal piece in the Pulitzer guide was the reminder for journalists to stand with their integrity when editors are pushing for content. When an editor pushes for content that may compromise the subject in some way, it is important as the journalist to stand in and protect that person.

While covering trauma can be difficult, the Pulitzer Center guide offers some excellent ways to help journalists be prepared for trauma and deal with it in an appropriate way. This is a helpful tool for anyone looking to get into the field.