Facebook

Facebook has become ingrained in the everyday lives of Internet users worldwide. Journalists are no different. Not only do news media organizations have Facebook pages, but readers can also click Facebook "like" buttons on news stories right from the media organization's website.
Journalists most certainly are using Facebook in the reporting process, and I think this practice in invaluable in the growing Internet community of shared journalistic exploits. Reporters may use Facebook to not only connect with sources but also find story ideas in their respective communities. Facebook, I believe, has naturally evolved into the reporting tool it is today. Just as CNN.com ran live video alongside real-time Facebook status updates during the 2009 presidential inauguration, news organizations can look at as well as broadcast Facebook and Twitter updates so news consumers can see right to the source of people's ideas and opinions.
Ethically, there is of course a gray area for journalists using Facebook. They must decide on a daily basis how much personal information versus professional information to post to their profiles. According to our readings, at least one reporter keeps from posting any personal information on the profile page, thus keeping users from thinking he or she is biased toward any one viewpoint in stories. My uncle, who is a city commissioner, maintains two Facebook accounts: one for political purposes and one for personal purposes. In doing so, he can control who he friends on which account and thus who can see what information. I believe this is also a practice journalists can follow to communicate with family and friends versus sources and story ideas.
My personal definition of social media is a site in which users generate almost 100 percent of the content. Facebook and Twitter, as examples, are merely platforms to which individuals may post thoughts and opinions. Thus, though Facebook may be a great source, it should not be the only source when writing a news story.
Facebook is simply part of the larger Internet community that is constantly changing and growing around online journalism.

Story

I have not edited this story since December 2009, so some of the AP Style errors, such as "Web site" instead of "website," were correct at that time.

             Sermons, songs and sacraments are now available over the Internet.  Local congregations have caught on to this trend.

Churches of all sizes and denominations are expanding their congregation base through the Web.  According to an Associated Press article last month, not only are sermons being posted to church Web sites, but entire services – including sacraments such as baptism and Holy Communion – can be participated in from home.

            Kelly Ping, the public relations coordinator at Trinity United Methodist Church, said that the church’s Web site is used in a variety of ways by the congregation and provides information for people who are considering coming to the church.  Not only does the church send out a weekly e-newsletter, but it has also created Facebook groups for various campus ministries there.

            This Web site, however, does not provide Internet sacraments, and Ping declined to comment on the issue.

            Glen Vassou, liturgy coordinator at Queen of Peace Catholic Community, said that the church uses the Internet every day.  It does not, however, conduct sacraments via the Web site because those are private to the person participating.

            “We cannot violate that privacy,” he said.  “Your faith is private, so having it publicized is not something the church should do.”

Ritual and sacrament are important to the Catholic religion, he said.

            According to the Associated Press article, Flamingo Road Church in Cooper City, Fla., has conducted two baptisms over the Internet, in addition to full services.

            “To each his own,” Vassou said.  “If it works for one denomination or parish, keep it.  Maybe that’s the dynamic.”

            While neither Trinity nor Queen of Peace have their full worship services or Masses on their Web sites, both do have the weekly sermons posted and are working toward the technological ability to post services as podcasts.

            “The more information that is out there, the better,” Ping said.

            Vassou said he would love to be able to make the Mass available on the Web site so those who can’t make it to the service can still celebrate it.  The church used to take tapes of the Mass to people in nursing homes, but he said a future goal of the parish is to record them online once they obtain the correct equipment.

            While the Associated Press article said that critics of churches’ Internet use don’t like how it limits in-person contact, both Ping and Vassou believe the expansion of their Web sites and churches’ involvement with the Internet is yet another avenue to reach out to people.

            Ping said that Trinity wants everyone to feel welcome, which is why the Internet is a positive option.  Vassou agreed by saying the effects of the Internet are amazing, and that Pope John Paul II, at 80 years of age, even said that he did a lot on the Internet.

            “The church shouldn’t have any reservations,” he said, “because it’s part of life.”

            Vassou is also not worried about losing person-to-person contact with the expansion of the Internet.  Queen of Peace has office hours Monday through Friday, and he cited age differences as a major part of keeping in contact – there are still enough Baby Boomers who are going to want to talk to people, he said. 

Vassou compared the idea to online banking.  Though many people now use it, they still like to walk into a bank and see people managing their money.  At Queen of Peace, members still must prepare for baptism and receive Holy Communion in person.

“Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ is physical,” he said.

Tithing, however, no longer has to be done in person at Queen of Peace.  For the past year and a half, the church has used the Parish Pay program on its Web site, making it convenient for frequent Internet users to donate, Vassou said.

“We’ve got to keep up with the pace,” he said.  The Queen of Peace Web site includes the history of the church and contact information.  The new generation wants to read it rather than talk about it, he said.  Vassou also likes how his family in Australia, India and Britain can access the Web site. 

Ping agreed.

“It’s really about family,” she said.

Read and Blog No. 5

Again, all my positive views of the community of journalism emerging on the Internet was given another negative aspect based on the readings for this evening. I do, however, still believe the Internet overall is improving the news as a whole, especially in allowing people to access information quickly and easily. What I argue needs to be maintained is journalistic integrity.
Access to a computer comes easily to residents of the U.S. If a student doesn't have a home computer, they most likely can access one at school. Adults go to the library to access the Internet and other computer programs as well. "Reporting is becoming more participatory and collaborative," according to "A Reconstruction of American Journalism."
In "Revamping the Story Flow for Journalists," Glaser claims in 2007 that in the future journalists would set up wikis to help in the reporting process and updating the story after publication. This is where I see the integrity of journalism being compromised. Even though Glaser claims there will be oversight of the wiki, new wikis will be formed in large amounts each day as new stories are written. Though many could be very related, no one story will be the same as the next. My question here is, who will keep up with the oversight of all of these wikis? Certainly the reporter will not have the time or energy to do so, especially with papers as short-staffed as they are.
The community of journalism cannot become simply a community. We report the news.

Strat18

An article in the Alligator that ran on Feb. 28 about the Regional Science Bowl originally said that 17 high schools competed. A clarification ran the next day that said 17 high school teams competed.
This mistake is found in the second graph, and I think it could've been avoided in several different ways. The reporter could have gone a step further and asked for the list of teams and high schools competing. This would've clarified the number in the story. Also, her editor and the copy editors could've asked to have the number double- and triple-checked, since numbers, like name spellings, are always details that can easily get mistaken. Knowing where that information came from would definitely confirm this details as well. The first question "Think Like an Editor" says to ask is "Says who?" about everything in the story. Answering this question would've allowed for the error to be caught before publication. I would hope that had I used the skeptical editing method while editing this story, I would've caught the error.

Apology

I wanted to apologize for my late posts this evening. I was in a car for eight hours from North Carolina to Gainesville and then went immediately to work. I'm sorry for my tardiness.

Linking Case Study

I've concluded from many of our case studies and readings thus far that online journalism and media have become a community effort. Up until today, I've thought this was a huge improvement to the journalism field. This case study made me realize that there are negative aspects to online journalism, especially through the practice of linking from stories.
The link from the story we edited in class had photos of the story's subject, who had been a model. Not only would those photos have copyright protection, but they were, in my opinion, inappropriate to be included in the news story without proper warning.
I agree with Poynter that news media organizations should make it clear they do not create or endorse the content linked from their site: They're merely trying to aid the user's reading experience. The linked content, however, must not only be relevant to the topic but also adhere somewhat to the standards of the news media organization. Also, if a news media organization makes an ethical decision about linking, I agree with Poynter again that they should be consistent in their decision: if they don't publish a name for ethical reasons, they shouldn't link to a site that includes the name.
The issue behind the photos of the model is whether or not readers were given proper warning about the type of modeling pictures linked to at the end of the story. Honestly, I was surprised at the content when I first clicked on the link. The text provided over the link did not identify where the link went, which I believe is misleading. Readers obviously choose to click on links, but they should know what they are about to click on and where they are about to go on the Internet. It is, after all, supposed to be extra information provided to the reader. Furthermore, I don't believe photos of the model enhanced the story in any way. Yes, that was her former occupation and yes, that occupation could generate more interest than others, but her career has nothing to do with her trial. She wasn't on trial for anything having to do with her career.
This case study shows that links are a valuable yet potentially damaging area of online journalism that must be paid special attention to by editors. While links are important to stories, their purpose is to educate, not sensationalize.
Links can definitely, in my opinion, aid to the community of online journalism. News media organizations, however, must proceed with caution.

Edited Case Study Story

Chicago Murder Trial Begins for Blonde Former Model

Former Model Killed 3 Beloved Musicians With Car in Bid to End Her Life, Prosecutors Say

They probably never saw her coming.

It was July 14, 2005: lunch hour in Chicago.

Three local musicians who worked day jobs together at an audio electronics company were stopped at a traffic light in a Honda Civic in a suburb north of the city.

At a speed authorities estimated to be 70 mph, a former model who, police said, was trying to kill herself, ran three red lights and hit the musicians from behind in her red Mustang convertible.

Both cars went into the air on impact, witnesses said, and each vehicle landed crushed upside-down on the pavement.

The three young men died. Jeanette Sliwinski, then 23, suffered a broken ankle.

More than two years later, her murder trial begins this week.

Sliwinski's lawyers have denied that she was attempting suicide. Her current attorney did not return a call seeking comment on the case.

The accident and subsequent arrest brought Sliwinski Internet fame. Many blogs and websites have posted modeling pictures of Sliwinski since she was arrested. Click here for pictures.

Cutlines

Tuan Nguyen plays around with a toy found in Westminster Presbyterian Church in Snellville, Ga. Nguyen and 13 other University of Florida students spent their spring break in Snellville volunteering, and Westminster Presbyterian provided the students with housing.












 Nicole Pascarella pulls a collection of thorny briasrs onto a wheelbarrow to be carted to a fire pit. The UF student volunteers  cleared out a large section of the woods on the farm at which they served.
 The UF student volunteers use teamwork to move a large log from the woods to the trail. Parkwood Farms uses logs such as this to mark the path the children with disabilities ride horses on.
 The UF student volunteers break for lunch in the parking lot of Parkwood Farms. They packed sandwich lunches each day.Trip leader and UF senior Anisa Lakhani roasts a marshmallow for a s'more over a gas stove at Westminster Presbyterian Church. The students cooked all of their meals in this kitchen during spring break.
 UF senior Albert Perez-Maspons pets Molly. The students got very close with the horses at Parkwood Farms during their service there.

Cutlines

Due to events that occurred before, during and at the end of spring break, I unfortunately cannot post photos and cutlines at this time. Before spring break, the video chip in my computer somewhat melted on to the motherboard, rendering my computer unusable. I dropped my laptop off at a local Gainesville repair shop the Friday before spring break. While I led a community service trip to Snellville, Ga., my laptop was evidently fixed. However, the repair shop closed at 3 p.m. Saturday. I arrived back in Gainesville at 3:30 p.m. Because the laptop I'm currently borrowing from Library West does not have a memory card reader, I cannot upload photos until tomorrow morning. I'm picking up my laptop promptly at 9 a.m., when the store opens. I apologize for the tardiness.

HARO

Though student journalists are not allowed to make queries, I definitely see the value this site has to professional journalists seeking sources for stories. I think sites like HARO and Listorious only further support my point that the Internet continues to build journalism as a community rather than a competition.

Story Budgets

ROCK104- BY TEAM QUEEN. We want to write about Rock104’s new niche.  It recently switched to online and is looking for local bands to play on its station.  Gainesville is known for its huge local scene, and this is a rare opportunity for bands to get their name out there.  A good photo would be a picture of the station’s single employee running everything from his own computer.  Could include a TIMELINE BOX of the various format changes made at the college stations including WRUF-FM.  Online could include a link to Rock104’s website, the websites of local bands we talk to and include a sample of the station’s voice tracks.  Sources could include Randy Wright (the head of Division of Media Properties), The College’s dean, local bands trying to get air time, local listeners who are for or against the change and Glenn Rickard and Chris Coleman (they’re involved in running the station). 

SAKAI (SUCK-KAI) – BY TEAM QUEEN. Professors have encountered many problems in using the new Sakai system but might not know what resources are available to them to troubleshoot these issues. PHOTOS: Computing Help Desk, professor at computer, student at computer on Sakai. We could possibly include a progression of screen shots that highlight Sakai problems. GRAPHIC of progression of past educational online systems and how long they were in effect. We could also include a list of resources for professors and students having trouble with Sakai. Online, we could have links to these resources within the graphic box. We could also encourage readers to comment about their problems or successes with the new system. This creates reader participation and loyalty. Sources include professors from various departments, students, Help Desk personnel and Prof. David Carlson (how far technology at UF has come, how faculty have dealt with it over the years).