Week 3: Unrestricted Web Publishing

Today, I had the opportunity to read an article that was of interest to me even though public interest has waned over the years; the continued recovery in Haiti following the earthquake some three years ago.  Because of the underdeveloped infrastructure prior to the event, the country was devastated and still requires much work assistance from organizations like the United Nations (U.N.) for continued support.  The article “U.N. Struggles to Stem Haiti Cholera Epidemic” focused on the spread of the disease and the resulting effects on the country.  Since the 2010 earthquake, the United Nations and other non-profit organizations have attempted to aid Haitians in recovery through water filtration and purification tablets and other aid supplies. 

In order to evaluate an article of this nature, authenticating the publication is important for its validation as a legitimate source of information.  The article was featured in the New York Times, a source I deem valid because of its authors and reputation.  In the article, the author provides an in depth, unbiased, analysis of the situation which includes information from authorities in the field.  These sources included data reported to the World Health Organization (WHO), a leading global organization for data collection on health issues, diseases, and outbreaks and Doctors Without Borders who are currently in Haiti working on cholera cases.  Pedro Medrano Rojas, the Secretary General of the United Nations, as well as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs were sited throughout the article for the organization’s perspective. 

What separated the piece from being biased was the additional input.  In addition to citing information from the large health organizations, the authors also used input from Haitian citizens and the Haitian government, giving a complete portrait of everyone effected.  Lastly, the authors seem to report with authority because of their background and experiences.  The story is written by two authors with different perspectives.  Randal C. Archibold reported from Haiti and Somini Sengupta reported from the United Nations.  These differing experiences allowed for the collective article to be factual and valid. 

References

Archibold, R. C., & Sengupta, S. (2014, April 19). U.N. struggles to stem Haiti cholera

epidemic. The New York Times. Retrieved from:  http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/20/world/americas/un-struggles-to-stem-haiti-cholera-epidemic.html?ref=world&_r=0

Social Media and Truth

Social Media and Truth

In my opinion, social media allows people to get the news they’re interested in; the capability to retrieve information from social media feeds means that news is now customizable.  Today I read an article about the growing trend of organizations using telework as an option for employees via the social media site LinkedIn.  The article “Coming to a Couch Near You: A New Wave of Telecommuting” detailed the efforts of the company Automatic and their 230 employees that are able to telecommute and as a result, are located across 170 cities.  As a government employee with strict requirements for core working hours and work locations, this is hard to imagine.  Currently telecommuting is a rare option for my office but there is a new interest for this initiative in the future.  The idea of working remotely is something I’m interested in, but I have not yet seen become a regular routine in my organization’s work culture.

Author, Todd Wasserman, provides an argument that the use of telecommuting can help a company employ people who are the best fit for the job, regardless of their location.  Wasserman also provides examples of the opposite opinion, companies that want employees together in the same office because of security concerns and team building.  The companies he used for comparison include Apple, Google, and Yahoo.  As someone who hopes to explore the idea of working for a technology or communications company, I found this article interesting because it gave me perspective about growing trends in emerging and powerful companies.  Over the past two years of my membership with the site, I've been able to get career advice and follow specific issues and organizations that interest me.  Social media sites can be reliable for information, especially when there is a niche subject matter that is not broadcast on mainstream media outlets or an interest of the general public.  What is important to remember when gathering information from social media however, is to verify all presented information and continue to adjudicate the sources.  Finding legitimate news online can be rewarding and there is a large amount of accurate information with instant access.  What is important to remember is that finding information is just the first step; everything requires the responsibility to verify the messages.  While I enjoyed the article I read, I can still go to individual companies’ websites and read about their policies, along with conducting my own research on telecommuting. 

Wasserman, T. (2014, April 10). Coming to a couch near you: A new wave of telecommuting. Mashable,

The Impact of New Media - A Day in My Life 

I think it’s hard to fully recognize the effect of new media on our daily lives.  Social media, in particular, is a form of media that people actively engage in.  Throughout the day, I use multiple platforms for various purposes.  On my way to work, I engage in “micro blogging” using the popular platform Twitter.  In addition to expressing my own thoughts, I see “tweeting” as an excellent opportunity to share news and information. When I’m not posting content, I also monitor the site for any items of interest from the people I follow.  Another form of media I use are photo sharing platforms like Instagram.  Both of these forms of media were made more popular by the use of applications or “Apps” that make them accessible on smart phones. 

During my time at work, I check YouTube throughout the day for any news updates that may be of interest to my government’s organization.  Press releases and news stories can be very important to my agency’s focus and may even require a response.  The idea of having situational awareness and getting ahead of a news story is always a positive response to any emerging crises.  YouTube provides an excellent way to see news and media content outside of a particular market, providing content that can be uploaded from around the world. 

As my work day ends, I head home and look down at my phone.  After all day at work, I see that I have push notifications from a news app I downloaded.  This is the point in the day where I begin to read news stories interest me personally, as I have customized my news feed to scan sites that I have selected.  This most likely continues into the evening.  Without noticing, or exerting much effort, I have been “connected” all day; for many people this is life in the 21^st century. 

During my time using social media, I have witnessed very important news events including the 2011 East Coast Earthquake, the Newton, CT shootings, and the Boston Marathon Bombings.  During these times of tragedy and confusion, many people, including myself, used social media to receive instant updates.  Speaking from personal experience, I used social media to check in with some family members when cell phones weren't working in DC.   

Connecting people, regardless of location, is a clear positive influence of social media.  What interests me in this age where technology connects me to media throughout the day, is that I’m not a big fan of being constantly connected.  I have tried to limit my use but as the description of my day shows, I have a use for every platform I use.  It seems almost necessary to be connected to new media in order to be considered informed.