Charting my progress as I pursue a Master's in Communication at SNHU. This is an experiment in entering the 21st and learning to blog. I consider it the first step in becoming a true communications professional.
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Week 8: Blogging Best Practices
Blogs
have quickly become a means for independent writers to reach a wide audience of
readers with topics that vary. I follow
the writer and blogger, Tyece, who runs the blog “Twenties Unscripted” which
features first person narratives and anecdotal stories about her life as a
young, African American, woman living in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The function of the blog is not to provide
subject matter expertise, situational advice, or political punditry, but simply
to provide the writer’s specific and unique perspective on experiences as a
young adult, speaking from her own personal experiences. As the writer puts it, the blog is for people who like their
women witty, their words wise and their wine glass full.
Unlike
a blog with a decided function, like computer troubleshooting, each “Twenties
Unscripted” post follows the same form in that the writer speaks of her experiences
in the first person; however, aside from that, the substance ranges from a wide
variety of topics like perceptions of gender roles, the post-college job
search, and romantic relationships. I
believe the blog’s popularity stems from the form of delivery, which has a
personal tone and provides information as a matter of opinion rather than fact. Proper representation is important for
readers to distinguish the purpose for the blog. “Twenties Unscripted” demonstrates the
increasingly important function of blogs in society. Media outlets traditionally present a message
or story with facts, but writing has evolved into presenting a point of view or
perspective, specific to certain demographics, that may not be available in
mainstream news.
Ethical
practices can be crucial when bloggers, like Tyece, present personal views and
perspectives. According to the writer’s
code of ethics, bloggers are held to honest and fair reporting. I believe the content published on her blog
is clearly identified as her own, which helps to establish trust with readers
who can readily distinguish the work as opinion rather than fact. Ultimately, writing with a specific purpose
and writing responsibly are essential to blogging on any subject.
The
link to Tyece’s blog can be found here: http://www.twentiesunscripted.com/page/3/
Sunday, May 18, 2014
The following is drafted press release and accompanying Facebook post for the death of Joe Paterno.
Sample Press Release
For more information contact:
Ashley Harrigan
Phone: 555-555-5555
ashley.harrigan@snhu.edu
A Legacy of Wins and Scandal: Infamous Coach, Joe Paterno
Dies at 85
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Joe Paterno, longtime coach of the Nittany Lions, died on January 20, 2012 after battling lung cancer. Known for his legacy as the leader of the Pennsylvania State University football team, Paterno coached from 1966 until his abrupt end in 2011. Following the now infamous child abuse scandal, he was fired after 62 seasons and a College Football Hall of Fame induction.
The famous coach, until recently was known for being one the winningest coaches of all time, but ended his career in shame. After news of widespread sex abuse and corruption in the football department broke to the public, Paterno was implicated for concealing complaints and reports of Jerry Sandusky’s abuse of boys from as early as 2001. After further investigation, Penn State fired Paterno and the coach was stripped of all wins during his tenured career with the program. Just two months after his dismissal, Paterno was hospitalized and later died of complications of lung cancer on January 20th. Media outlets previously made false reports of his death due to major media outlets picking up an article from a Penn State community newspaper that was later found to be a hoax. Paterno was 85 years old.
Accompanying Facebook post:
Weeks after he was fired by Penn State, #JoePaterno died at
85 years old. He was fired after
allegedly covering up the sex abuse scandal that went on for over ten
years. Although he died of lung cancer,
its ironic that he died right after being shamed by the school he loved and
devoted his entire life to. #RIPJoePa
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Social Media Tools
Writers in the new media environment must continue to learn
and adapt to publishing content in a variety of formats. A similar message must be altered and changed
depending on the platform. People often utilize
one or more of these formats, sometimes simultaneously, to feel connected to
the world. Social media tools have
proven to be effective in sharing information, receiving and sharing news, and
shaping opinions. Various delivery methods
such as blogging, microblogging (Twitter) and social network sites effectively offer
content to large audiences but each tool presents unique challenges.
Blogs
Blogs are websites that can be started by any user and offer
freedom regarding design, content formatting, and content publishing. Audiences
can select blogs to follow, check, and subscribe to based on individual
interests which give writers the freedom to explore topics of their
choice. The impact of blogs where people
can share ideas and information in frequent posts is continuing to grow in
popularity and advances in communication technology. In 2011, there were an estimated 181 million
blogs, a significant increase from 36 million in 2006.
Twitter
Twitter is a micro blogging website where people can receive
updates from followers and other Twitter users based on generated hashtags and
trending topics. Content is limited to
140 characters, making the messages short yet effective in reaching an
audience. Users can instantly share
links, news, and opinions via the website, mobile site or app, or text message.
Social Networking Sites
Social networking sites vary in nature but have generally proven
to be crucial in the dispersal of information in a timely manner. A particular social networking site can be
viewed as a community, where users can share information about themselves
through the creation of a profile and posts featuring videos, links to
websites, and photos. These sites are
extremely popular and extremely different in terms of their objectives; for
example, Facebook is an all-encompassing social network that allows people to “friend”
each other and share information based on attending the same schools, being
from the same cities, being members of the same family, or having the same
interests, LinkedIn, on the other hand, is a professional networking site
geared toward career development and networking. Within a short amount of time, the use of
these sites has become widely popular with estimates that 67% of online adults
use social networking sites. With such a
large presence on social networking sites, writers and users can connect to a
varied audience.
https://www.facebook.com/ashley.harrigan.9
References
New Media Tools. (2014). aids. gov. Retrieved from http://aids.gov/using-new-media/tools/index.html#tool-bookmarkingNew
References
New Media Tools. (2014). aids. gov. Retrieved from http://aids.gov/using-new-media/tools/index.html#tool-bookmarkingNew
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