Blog #5

Even though I wasn't here for the whole quarter, I really appreciate what I've learned thus far in the Tower Review. I didn't know what to expect when I first entered the class; all I knew was that it had something to do with journalism and publishing a online newpaper. I didn't really have expectations, but if I had I think the Tower Review would have definatly met them. I never really knew the difference between editorials, reviews, and articles, for I have never written an article without a bias, making most of them editorials (or persuasive essays). The media bias lesson was something I thought to be very important, along with the lesson about interviews. I'm not really sure what practice or skill wasn;t valuable to me, for i think everything we've learned so far is very important in the field of communications. I am really excited next quarter to start publishing work and working together as a group to make something awesome. I'm anxious about having enough time to dedicate myself to quality pieces, but I know I will make the time. Nothing has honestly left me unfulfilled - I love the class and can't to see what happens next!

Blog #4

The newspaper article format looks like a triangle inside of my head (much like the handout in class). First comes the lead, which needs to include one or more of the "5 W's and an H". This is referring to Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. These six questions need to be answered somewhere in the article, preferably in the beginning. Then the details are added in, and finally the conclusion. This information is important for those who want to be in the fields of communications and journalism because the news industry is about education and informing people about current events and issues. Therefore it is also very important for a class where we publish such news stories. Another thing that we need to consider is our audience. Most of the time, high school students have a radically short attention span. Articles they read need to be concise and interesting, or they will move on. They need to be able to relate to it and understand how it effects them or it won't be a successful piece. I don't think that any parts of the process are easy. The headline is important to grab the reader. The details can add depth to the story. Interviews can be challenging and awkward. Picking a topic idea is an difficult process for some people, but I would have to say it was the least challenging for me. I believe that it doesn't matter if the topic is bad as long as it is executed correctly. For me, the interviews will probably the most difficult since I want many different sources and I might not be able to talk with most of them face to face. I will at least try to get some people on the phone at best.