JAMAICAN ME JEALOUS

A picture can tell a thousand words. But words,if constructed well,can paint a picture beyond comprehension in the reader's mind. But why stop there? A multimedia blog can provide the best of both worlds. It can cover all the in-depth information one can desire and then supplement it with other visual aids to provide a complete sensory expereince as such. What results is unique access to the 'full picture'.

Residents of places such as South Florida have an erray of travel options at their fingertips. The Carribean, Jamaica, Mexico and of course the southern states and east coast of America, all provide a diverse range of attractions and cultural experiences. Recently, i ventured to Jamaica to 'partake' in three whirlwind days of sightseeing and relaxing. I have found that Travelocity.com and lastminutedeals.com are the best websites for securing great package deals. Once there i caught myself wondering about all those fortunate television personalities that are contracted to go visit such places on a 'working holiday'. What a dream job hey!...but how would i have gone about reporting if i was in their position and had the tools available to us today? Afterall, you don't need to be hired by a media giant to provide your own insight. Blogging on the net can do just that!

Day 1 saw me take in the wondrous Dunns River waterfalls at Ochos Rios. These falls span some 600 feet before cascading into the ocean itself. I could have used my own handicam as i climbed up the falls, yes UP the gradual incline. My local tour guide, full of personality and 'salemsanship' (they rely quite heavily on tourist tips) would have been happy to get his fifteen seconds of fame to explain the history of the site. The hair-raising nightime taxi ride on the 'highway' (note: 1 tight gravel lane with crazy people overtaking constantly!) back to my resort to provide an alarming multimedia element to my blog. Perhaps it's a good thing i didn't video it because i feared my final moments waited me around each bend!

Day 2 and i visited the pristine 7 mile beach at Negril. We marvelled at how pristine the turquoise water was, but locals clamoring for the tourist dollar spoilt the 'i'm a million miles from anywhere' feeling of it all. My blog would have definitely shown the countless locals following you every step of the way and hastling you to buy drugs. Pictures on any travel website wouldn't allude to this. What a contrast!

Day 3 and we headed out to a place called Rick's Cafe, http://www.rickscafejamaica.com/. At sunset you can watch the famous cliff divers. Video's don't do justice to the bravery of these locals who jump without fail and fear...once again, for the tourist dollars. But hey, who out of their right mind would do that for free!?

Jamaica was naturally beautiful, yet somewhat third world in structure. Behind the beautiful natural charm and good willed citizens lies a nation struggling to support themselves. A multimedia blog could have shown the benefits and experiences in their full color and true light. This is the opportunity that bloggers have today. We can share the world with each other. Perhaps continued exposure will lead to more tourism, and consequently less harassment from desperate yet kind hearted local Jamaicans, upon my next visit. Now that would be something to blog home about!




Dunns River Falls- Ochos Rios, Jamaica

THE TRAVEL BUG

We live in a world where endless travel opportunities and cultural exchange are now possible. Globalization has made the mere dreams of yesteryear possible. Not only have changes, such as time and space compression, brought about increased exposure for even the small corners of the world; they have also provided an information exchange. Travelers now don't have to submit to the preferences or commercial interests of travel agents and tourism bureaus. The internet has made available reviews and personal opinions on everything from a hotel review to the citizens that give a 'hotspot' its character. All by the simple click of a button; and now blogs are quickly becoming a popular method for even more detailed information.

As the internet boomed in the early parts of the new millenium, a popular website called letmestayforaday.com emerged. The website was the brainchild of dutch tourist Ramon Stoppelenburg. As a result of exposure garnered through publicity the number of traffic that went through the website reached an impressive number. This led to sponsorship and media giants such as Canon sponsoring his quest and adventure around the world. He lived with strangers throughout his travels to support and supplement his travel experience. Now anyone can live, all be it vicariously, through the adventures of others via their 'blog experience'.

Vagabonding (www.vagabonding.com) was recently voted the most popular travelblog website. The website featured the usual photos and experiences but also quite trivial and unique content such as reviews of the pests and bugs in various travel lodges. The author even went as far as taking lifesize photos of cockroaches that were found. This gives new meaning to the term 'the travel bug'...but clearly the gates to the world are open, and being used, as globalization becomes a way of life more so than merely a term. There is a world out there that more so than ever we are able to explore, and blogs give us a chance to share it with even more people, even strangers searching for unbiased opinion.

AGE OF THE 'PROSUMER'

CNN has just unleashed ‘iReport’, a user generated website, as an attempt to keep abreast of current consumer trends. The company first embraced the idea of user generated content, or citizen journalism, in August of 2006 (http://ww.mediaweek.com/mw/news/interactive/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003708936)but since then citizen journalism has fast become the way of the future.

The rise in prominence of ‘user contributed’ websites such as YouTube has shown that consumers demand ultimate attention. Trends in marketing and advertising have seen the focus shift from the mass onto what is deemed ‘an audience of one’. Simply, people want to be tailored to. In today’s modern age of instant gratification ‘skim reading’ or quick consumption has become the norm. More so than ever news sites are clambering for the increasingly fleeting attention of their readership. Blogs and hybrid news and entertainment websites are popping up on the internet at an increasing rate and large media corporations such as CNN have to keep ahead of market challenges.

iReport cleverly uses the input of everyday citizens to provide eye-witness accounts and constant feeds of information. The website features a section containing footage shot and stories produced by citizens that have made CNN broadcasts. iReport essentially encapsulates hard news via the involvement of ordinary citizens and as a byproduct it strengthens the relationship between the company and its ‘consumers’. What blogs and user generated content has shown us is that the way of the future is collaboration. Yes, the journalist is still important, but people want stories and information quickly above all else even if that means the story comes from someone next door or an eye witness who has captured the story on an amateur camera.

PEOPLE POWER

Some things never change

Journalism gives people a voice. It can put forth the view of the minority and every day it documents history. The continued practice of journalism, both online and via traditional print media, ensures we remember events and even people after they have passed on. Without documentation, stories are not just forgotten, they essentially pass into folklore. The fight for civil rights in South Florida, which started in the 1940’s, is a testament to journalism’s importance.

A recent media panel held at the University of Miami on Monday February 18 presented a chance for students to hear the tales of yesteryear and be reminded of some of the harsh realities of inequality that still persist today. All the panelists spoke of their courage in the space of adversity to restore a semblance of equal opportunity. Garth Reeves, a distinguished former publicist for Miami Times, remembers growing up in Miami during the civil rights fight:
“We sat at the back of the bus, didn’t go to white places and couldn’t even try on a hat downtown”.

Reeves became a writer during the tumultuous times of the civil rights movement. He says he had to take chances he normally wouldn’t. Reeves likened writing to journalism with your hands tied behind your back, but gradually the black minority gained ‘a voice’ and was able to change the structures that had been put in place. Reeves says that he is now “glad to see that we’ve made strides and that my colleagues now in the field of journalism are free as a bird”.

CT Taylor, radio personality and author of ‘yourdailydoesusa.com’, had some words of wisdom for budding journalists. He proclaimed that it didn’t matter what color or what race a journalist was because you are recording history, it is the facts that are important, so be accurate and be truthful above all.

Juanita Green, a former Miami Herald reporter, used to ring houses in advance to let them know that a photographer was on their way and to for them to make sure their residence was presentable.“Often front page stories were of a Negro who had robbed a 7-11 convenience store. We had to change the way people saw us, change the way people looked at Liberty City (a predominantly black neighborhood) she said.”

Green summed it up best when she declared that the inequality was not a fault of an individual, it was the fault of society at the time. There is power and influence in a collective group. Throughout the 1940’s this was displayed through the racism and ‘mob behavior’ that eventuated. However, each panelist represented the sometimes Utopian ideal that the persistent courage of an individual ‘can overcome’ and make a difference, and they did. A similar opportunity presents journalists today and it can be grasped if accuracy, passion and persistence are exuded; just like that displayed by the esteemed panelists who graced UM with their presence.

FROM BLOGS TO RICHES

Blogging is increasingly becoming the domain of the opportunistic. The recent phenomenon represents a platform for airing one's point of view, but it is now becoming an avenue for exposure and staggering financial success. Elizabeth Spiers, a blogging entrepreneur, says that “blogging is increasingly becoming a survival of the fittest—and that all boils down to who has the best content. The blogs that are going to stand out are the ones who break news and have credibility.” However, it is becoming evident that blogs need to be unique and contain an element of intrigue; a reader needs to be enticed into reading the content. It is this element that will further distinguish an interesting, readily consumed and updated blog- from that of traditional print media.
'Rose' has a blog site (http://roseb44170.blogspot.com/2007/11/blog-turned-into-book.html) which details the process and opportunities for aspiring writers to get noticed and published via initial 'blog exposure'. Just as MySpace has been a way for musicians to air their talents, many authors have been discovered via blogging. In addition, as far back as January 2005 Fortune magazine listed eight bloggers that business people "could not ignore". It is clear the blog is not a fad, in fact it is becoming more relevant every day.

PRODUCERS AND MANAGERS...ARE THEY NOW THE SAME THING?

Online journalism has changed the face of the industry. Those working in the field now have to keep abreast with technology and satisfy an ever-demanding readership hungry for new slants and insights to a story. But just how much have the roles and responsibilities of the modernday journalist really changed?

An online survey of people working for online news sites was administered in November and December of 2005. It sought to identify the elements that distinguished the 'new world' of online journalism. In preliminary interviews, online journalists said that rather than a reliance on technical aspects it was the requirement for a different way of thinking that made online journalism different. The online survey sought to identify the requirements and beliefs of both managers and producers of online content. From the survey responses the following was gathered:
- 84.8% of producers of online content reported that an awareness of new technology was important.
-88.4% of producers and 78.4% of managers suggested that news judgement was vital.
-49% of producers said they used photo editing frequently. This response was higher than 'reporting and writing original stories' and 'audio' or 'video production'.
-Both managers and producers were required to, and used, programs such as Photoshop. However, almost 72% of producers reported a daily use of HTML. This was significantly higher than managers.

The survey findings suggest that managers and producers have quite different job requirements. However, online journalism and traditional journalism still share similar traits. Copy-editing skills and knowing what makes a good story remain important for all employed in the industry. The difference between the traditional and modern day journalist seems to lie in the broad competence now required of each professional. Rather than a reliance on expertise in one field, journalists must be capable of utilizing new technologies and have an understanding of the expanding demands of the consuming public.

A PICTURE TELLS A THOUSAND WORDS

Photos represent a snapshot of a certain moment, a certain time, an event. History is littered with photos that evoke memories of radical movements and politically charged events that have in effect changed the course of our times. Photos such as the black power protest of the 1968 Olympic games, Marilyn Monroe's timeless photograph and the young Vietnamese girl running naked down the street during the Vietnam war all tell a story and `freeze´a point in time. Often it is not words that we remember but the pictures; they are windows for the reader to get a view of the present and as day passes into night, they become snapshots into our past. A picture can tell a thousand words.

Writing online allows a journalist to not only to express their own artistic flair but to help 'frame' (pardon the pun) a story in terms of its emotive feel and connection with the reader.
Alison Diaz, a freelance photojournalist who has works published on Miami.com, believes that a key to storytelling is to include pictures that help progress the story. It is vital that each picture chosen has a particular connotative meaning and will provide the reader with a unique insight into what the journalist was trying to convey. Joy, sorrow, excitement; all emotions can be presented or amplified via a photograph. Afterall, it is the emotion and connection of a story that helps attract and keep a reader's interest and the inclusion of specific photos can only help to supplement and sustain this.

THE HEAR AND NOW!

A PARADOX OF IMMEDIACY
I want to expand on the notion that globalization has presented journalists and their audiences with a plethora of options. We know that the internet has opened up global markets and broken down cross-country communication barriers. Yes these new found capabilities and superseding technologies are keys to our newfound abilities to interact in 'real time', but they also have had a profound impact on our behaviour and expectations.

I believe also that the internet, as the poster child for globalization, has enforced a sense of impatience and impulse upon us; a thought that 'it is all about the hear and now'. Similar to the irrational and impuslive buying habits that some people demonstrate, perhaps so too can the bigotry and the posting of derogatory comments be attributed to the need to produce or live in the moment.

Readers now scan and search online and do not read for long periods of time. In addition, a pleothra of multimedia options and features help serve this 'modernized consumer'. Journalists must organize and coordinate the elements or layers of information to grab attention and then guide the viewer through the text. If they don't do this successfully, then perhaps we are better off with the more definitively linear structure of print.

"CONTENT IS KING"

THE SAME...BUT DIFFERENT

Todays marketplace is driven by e-commerce and the capabilities of online communication. The associated demand for constantly superseded technology has inturn opened up opportunities for those publishing and 'trading' online. In short, we now live, trade and communicate in an online world and this is good for journalists, especially those who are willing to learn the techniques that will open up doors to the world of online publishing. But what exactly should online journalists become proficient at and focus on?

Suzanne Levinson believes that "content will always be king", regardless of whether the discussion centres on online or print journalism. The trump card that online publishing has over print, however, are the multitude of design and format options that can be used to present the content. All elements should be used to inform as well as to engage and hold the reader's attention. Links to in-depth content, related topics and personal opinions from other readers can all be used to supplement the article itself. But despite all these options the dichtomy that exists is that there are still boundaries in existence for online journalism. Where as print journalists are confined by space and the finality of print, online journalists have to overcome boundaries of competing elements, navigation simplicity and selective attention. Levinson explains that bells and whistles are all good and well but in the end the content must engage the reader, guide them through via clear heirarchy and be easy to navigate. Direct headlines, key words and clear concise writing are still a must. Finding a balance, and perhaps knowing what elements to leave out, is the challenge of journalism in the 21st century.