Tuesday, March 30, 2010
CNN critique
Cnn.com is obviously a world-class website and a go-to source for all forms of media communication. I love the website and think it is a great place to get news. My only suggestion about the site is their articles are sometimes so detailed or take on only one part of a story, the reader loses track of the story's main issue. CNN.com does a awesome job of balancing serious articles with articles that have some level of curiosity interest or trivial draw. They appear to do an excellent job covering all stories, from politics to entertainment.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Critique of Slideshows and galleries
The first slide show I examined for this assignment was one from WBZ-4. Here the news station features photos from a flooding rainstorm and damaging windstorm early last week in the Boston area. The slideshow does not focus on one particular aspect of the storm, but rather features all of its effects. The photos are from various communities and show flooded rivers, streets, washed out railroad tracks, and ocean waves crashing over sea-walls.
http://wbztv.com/slideshows/weekend.rain.storm.20.1560453.html
The second slide show I found, this one with sound, is coverage by the LA times of the devastating Haitian earthquake last month. This footage and audio was high impact for the viewer. The slideshow featured a reporter talking about conditions at a makeshift hospital in Haiti while raw audio of chilling screams of pain played behind his voice. The slideshow captures the harsh reality for the injured and is displays several particularly gruesome pictures of the wounded.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-haiti-loomis1-ss,0,266018.htmlstory
The photo gallery I found was from national geographic, showing various toxic chemicals and their disposal. One aspect of this photo gallery that I found interesting was national geographic included "photo fast facts", showing what time of day the photo was taken, what type of camera was used, etc.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0207/feature1/zoom4.html
Which does a better job?
I think the slideshows and photo galleries do serve a function as a storytelling tool, however they have a very limited use. Slideshows are good in the sense that the viewer does not need to spend nearly as much time viewing it as they would reading an article. Many people who have only a limited interest in a story will just look at the picture on the page and the caption and move on. I prefer slideshows to photo galleries because of the ease of use. Rather than actually clicking through the photos, slideshows will usually scroll threw the photos for you. Of course, the drawback to slideshows is the viewer does not have the option to only view the photos in which they are interested.
What difference does sound make?
The sound makes the slideshow much more engaging for the viewer. For one thing, having audio in addition to pictures engages two of your senses(audio and visual) as opposed to just one or the other, with a podcast or pictures.
http://wbztv.com/slideshows/weekend.rain.storm.20.1560453.html
The second slide show I found, this one with sound, is coverage by the LA times of the devastating Haitian earthquake last month. This footage and audio was high impact for the viewer. The slideshow featured a reporter talking about conditions at a makeshift hospital in Haiti while raw audio of chilling screams of pain played behind his voice. The slideshow captures the harsh reality for the injured and is displays several particularly gruesome pictures of the wounded.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-haiti-loomis1-ss,0,266018.htmlstory
The photo gallery I found was from national geographic, showing various toxic chemicals and their disposal. One aspect of this photo gallery that I found interesting was national geographic included "photo fast facts", showing what time of day the photo was taken, what type of camera was used, etc.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0207/feature1/zoom4.html
Which does a better job?
I think the slideshows and photo galleries do serve a function as a storytelling tool, however they have a very limited use. Slideshows are good in the sense that the viewer does not need to spend nearly as much time viewing it as they would reading an article. Many people who have only a limited interest in a story will just look at the picture on the page and the caption and move on. I prefer slideshows to photo galleries because of the ease of use. Rather than actually clicking through the photos, slideshows will usually scroll threw the photos for you. Of course, the drawback to slideshows is the viewer does not have the option to only view the photos in which they are interested.
What difference does sound make?
The sound makes the slideshow much more engaging for the viewer. For one thing, having audio in addition to pictures engages two of your senses(audio and visual) as opposed to just one or the other, with a podcast or pictures.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Laxing till the sun goes down-Critic podcast
Here is the second-ever LSC sports podcast. This week I featured the Lyndon State Lacrosse team's coach, Tim Tierney, incoming freshman star Taylor Strout, and senior captain Chris Mansour. Enjoy!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
LSC Basketball podcast and news story
Despite a disappointing departure on the court, senior basketball players reminisce fondly on the season.
Two seniors in the basketball program have said goodbye to their respective teams after a disappointing end to the season for both teams. Jacob Freeman has played several seasons with the men's team, while Shauna Buck played one season with the Lady Hornets.
Forward Jacob Freeman, who played three years for the hornets, said he thinks the season ended too soon. "We set off to a good start, but it didn't workout for us. The season definitely came to a fast close. I'm disappointed it's over because it's my senior year and last year playing varsity basketball. No regrets though."
Freeman did not have an opportunity to play much this season, and said he was surprised he was unable to make more of a contribution to the team.
“He(Coach Krupinski) told me he'd like me on the team at the beginning of the season, but then he didn't give me a reason I didn't play”, said Freeman. “That makes me think: what could I have done better? Did I not do something that prevented me from getting playing time?"
Even though he had a frustrating senior season, Freeman still has fond memories of his time at Lyndon.
"The first thing I would like to say is Circle! Circle!" he said. "Aside from that, going up against some of the big division one schools such as Dartmouth was really great".
"Everyone could talk to anyone, even the women's team," he said. "We meshed so well that altogether the chemistry was awesome. I hope the relationships I have with my teammates carry into the future, I know I'll be back every year at alumni games."
Speaking of the women, Coach Maloney anticipated playing the season without a senior on the roster, until Shauna Buck approached him and asked to join the team. Buck said she decided to play because she didn't want to regret not playing varsity basketball in college.
"I didn't have any expectations coming into the season and things played out really well," she said.
Buck says that she enjoyed the comraderie of the team.
"The team chemistry was awesome," she said. "Because there were only seven of us, we got really close. It was so much fun. Even in practice, when we were supposed to be serious, we were laughing and had inside jokes. If you're not friends it isn't fun."
Buck said she regrets not playing all four years, and hopes incoming women who are interested in playing go for it.
Looking ahead to next year, Freeman says he hopes younger players improve and the team can break the curse of falling short down the stretch. Freeman says this may have to do with a small coaching staff.
"We are kind of understaffed," he said. "Coach Krupinski plays multiple roles in practice and recruiting. It's funny how in Lyndon history we do great, and then at the end of the season we just go straight down. "
Two seniors in the basketball program have said goodbye to their respective teams after a disappointing end to the season for both teams. Jacob Freeman has played several seasons with the men's team, while Shauna Buck played one season with the Lady Hornets.
Forward Jacob Freeman, who played three years for the hornets, said he thinks the season ended too soon. "We set off to a good start, but it didn't workout for us. The season definitely came to a fast close. I'm disappointed it's over because it's my senior year and last year playing varsity basketball. No regrets though."
Freeman did not have an opportunity to play much this season, and said he was surprised he was unable to make more of a contribution to the team.
“He(Coach Krupinski) told me he'd like me on the team at the beginning of the season, but then he didn't give me a reason I didn't play”, said Freeman. “That makes me think: what could I have done better? Did I not do something that prevented me from getting playing time?"
Even though he had a frustrating senior season, Freeman still has fond memories of his time at Lyndon.
"The first thing I would like to say is Circle! Circle!" he said. "Aside from that, going up against some of the big division one schools such as Dartmouth was really great".
"Everyone could talk to anyone, even the women's team," he said. "We meshed so well that altogether the chemistry was awesome. I hope the relationships I have with my teammates carry into the future, I know I'll be back every year at alumni games."
Speaking of the women, Coach Maloney anticipated playing the season without a senior on the roster, until Shauna Buck approached him and asked to join the team. Buck said she decided to play because she didn't want to regret not playing varsity basketball in college.
"I didn't have any expectations coming into the season and things played out really well," she said.
Buck says that she enjoyed the comraderie of the team.
"The team chemistry was awesome," she said. "Because there were only seven of us, we got really close. It was so much fun. Even in practice, when we were supposed to be serious, we were laughing and had inside jokes. If you're not friends it isn't fun."
Buck said she regrets not playing all four years, and hopes incoming women who are interested in playing go for it.
Looking ahead to next year, Freeman says he hopes younger players improve and the team can break the curse of falling short down the stretch. Freeman says this may have to do with a small coaching staff.
"We are kind of understaffed," he said. "Coach Krupinski plays multiple roles in practice and recruiting. It's funny how in Lyndon history we do great, and then at the end of the season we just go straight down. "
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Audio podcast project outline
We plan to highlight the following topics in our podcast:
- We will be highlighting the outgoing Men's and Women's basketball players and the effect that their departure will have on their respective teams next year.
- In order to do this, we are going to be interviewing Patrick McCarthy, Jacob Freeman, and Shauna Buck.
- We will specifically ask these players about their time playing basketball at Lyndon state and their thoughts on the past season.
- We will be looking at the underclassman who will be leading the respective men's and women's teams forward next year based on the performance and potential of younger players this year.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Podcast reviews
The wealth of podcasts available on iTunes made choosing a few to sample for class quite a daunting task. My iPod is finally up and running again thanks to an iTunes bug fix from apple support, so I listened to these podcasts on my 80 gigabyte iPod Classic. Here's a few I found that interested me, and what I thought of them:
1. NASA video podcast
This podcast is updated every so often when NASA has interesting footage or stories to report on. I was disappointed to find that this podcast was mostly raw footage without editing or commentary. Both the endeavour launch and landing episodes only featured the raw footage of the space shuttle landing. In a seperate podcast, I found a summary of Endeavour's mission. I will continue listening to this podcast because I am interested in following NASA as the shuttle program draws to a close at the end of this year.
2. Modern manners guy quick tips for a more polite life podcast
Without a doubt the most interesting podcast I've yet listened to. This one is audio only, but that's all it needs. The podcast is in the self help section (which I need alot of), and features tips to live a more polite and courteous life. These podcasts range from how to sympathize with an acquaintance if someone they know dies to the in and outs of teenage courtship. I found these podcasts to be very useful, and I will definitely continue to listen to them. My biggest problem with this podcast is the first minute or so is usually an advertisement. However, I can fast forward until I reach the actual content.
3. iTunes Indie Spotlight:
This audio podcast highlighting new independent music on iTunes has very little narration. The podcast consists of several clips of different songs by various artists, and on the iPod screen it says which artist is playing. The weekly podcasts rotate between several genres, such as singer/songwriter and dance/electronic. I quickly became bored listening to this podcast, which runs between 10-15 minutes. The songs seemed to run together and all sounded the same. Some background on the artists I was listening to would have made it more engaging.
1. NASA video podcast
This podcast is updated every so often when NASA has interesting footage or stories to report on. I was disappointed to find that this podcast was mostly raw footage without editing or commentary. Both the endeavour launch and landing episodes only featured the raw footage of the space shuttle landing. In a seperate podcast, I found a summary of Endeavour's mission. I will continue listening to this podcast because I am interested in following NASA as the shuttle program draws to a close at the end of this year.
2. Modern manners guy quick tips for a more polite life podcast
Without a doubt the most interesting podcast I've yet listened to. This one is audio only, but that's all it needs. The podcast is in the self help section (which I need alot of), and features tips to live a more polite and courteous life. These podcasts range from how to sympathize with an acquaintance if someone they know dies to the in and outs of teenage courtship. I found these podcasts to be very useful, and I will definitely continue to listen to them. My biggest problem with this podcast is the first minute or so is usually an advertisement. However, I can fast forward until I reach the actual content.
3. iTunes Indie Spotlight:
This audio podcast highlighting new independent music on iTunes has very little narration. The podcast consists of several clips of different songs by various artists, and on the iPod screen it says which artist is playing. The weekly podcasts rotate between several genres, such as singer/songwriter and dance/electronic. I quickly became bored listening to this podcast, which runs between 10-15 minutes. The songs seemed to run together and all sounded the same. Some background on the artists I was listening to would have made it more engaging.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)