Ferguson Outside of SLU

 

December, 2014

Ferguson. Today this word has one connotation; one St. Louis University students are far too familiar with. Without being in the middle of the events, other college students have not experienced any degree of chaos.

When Darren Wilson was not indicted on Nov. 25, riots immediately broke out in Ferguson, Miss. Tensions were high in the area leading up to the Grand Jury decision. St. Louis University students experienced protestors on campus along with other demonstrations in the city.

Emily Dewig, 19, expressed how she was not even aware of the situation before the decision was announced. “Going to school at Ball State, I guess I was a bit out of the loop,” she said. “It’s not really that big of a thing at all,” she said when asked about the response on Ball State’s campus.

Dewig was not sure of what to think about the situation. “Justice is difficult to define,” she said. “If Mike Brown was killed for nothing then that’s wrong. But for all I know, there could have been wrong doing on both ends.”

Matthew Jones, 22, another Ball State University student, agreed with Dewig. “You can never get the same story from any two people,” he said. When asked about the response on his campus, Jones said, “At one point there was a large gathering of 150 African American students doing a silent prayer.”

Jones and Dewig agreed that there is no racial tension on their campus. “The most racial tension has happened since the Ferguson situation,” Jones said. Dewig added, “Everyone is pretty equal here but there are some cliques that tend to stick with people of their same race.”

The response at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis was similar to that of Ball State. Gail Tracy, 19, said that IUPUI students were more focused on the riots than the Grand Jury decision.

“I’ve heard lots of people talking about how it was dumb that people were destroying their own community,” Tracy said. The most Tracy heard about the entire situation was from an Intro to Criminal Justice class. “When the decision came out we had a whole class devoted to it,” she said.

When asked what her personal reaction was, Tracy responded, “When I first heard about it, I felt like I didn’t have an opinion because I didn’t have enough information. There was not enough information given through the media to make an educated decision but in my opinion, the public loves to make uneducated decisions.”

Tracy added, “People went straight to racism and didn’t focus on the facts.” She also said that students at IUPUI will be upfront about racial situations on campus and are open to sharing their opinions whether they are wanted or not. “People will tiptoe around the Ferguson topic which is out of the norm for this university.”

Tracy believes that if the events of Ferguson had happened closer to campus, students would have taken sides and turned against each other. “I feel like it would be a very bad situation to be in,” she said.

Ferguson Protestors Picket Post Dispatch

November, 2014

Protestors picketed the St. Louis Post Dispatch building Nov. 3 claiming that the paper was biased against Ferguson protesters. Post Dispatch police reporter, Christine Byers, spoke on the issue.

Byers, a Bradley University graduate, has been targeted online by people claiming she is being biased in her reporting on the Ferguson protests and autopsy of Michael Brown. Brown was shot by police in Ferguson, Miss. in early August sparking protests and riots throughout the area.

Byers’ Twitter account has been dissected and used as fuel to the flame of angry protesters.

“Twitter is not the window to my soul,” Byers stated as she touched on harsh comments she received for statements she has made on the social media site in the past. “It’s like there is an alternate persona of me out there,” she said.

Opposite of popular opinion, Byers said she believes everyone deserves all sides of every story and what she has reported so far is part of the story that needs to be told. “Just because I print the answers to the questions I ask doesn’t mean I believe them,” she said.

Although she puts up a brave façade, she did admit that some of the comments she received over Twitter are worrying. “It’s scary,” she admitted. Offensive and sexist comments are among many that have been sent her way in the past week.

Byers, a former PR worker, deals with police matters and is among the first to report on news released by police officials. In her talk, she noted that the police have accused her of being too liberal. She added that her relationship with the police has changed as some are not as willing to release information to the press.

As the public waits for the indictment in the Michael Brown case, rumors and predictions are being thrown around left and right. Byers believes there will be outrage no matter what.

Even though Byers is receiving discouraging comments over social media, she is still focused on giving the public up-to-date information on the case. “You can’t kill somebody and not tell the public why,” she said.

Despite the accusations against her reports, Byers remains neutral in her reporting on the case and says she plans to continue reporting as usual on this case in order to give the public the best and most accurate information possible.

What Makes a Good Website?

When looking at a website or designing your own, there are many key components that will capture the attention of the viewer. For a website to be effective in projecting its message, it must stay true to a central theme and have a layout that is simple yet also appealing. Here are three websites that illustrate these components:

1. MarkGrassia.com – Digital Portfolio

This digital portfolio is an example of a good website because at first glance you know exactly who Mark Grassia is: an editor. Not only does he make that clear right off the bat but he does it in an eye-catching way with moving text and visuals in a slideshow in the background.

The website has four main components:

• Work
• Resume
• Bio
• Contact

When clicking on any of these options on the top of the page, you will be automatically scrolled down to that section, saving time instead of having to scroll through everything manually. This makes the website very easy to use and clean cut. The simple color scheme of red, black, and white is not overwhelming and provides an aesthetic appeal.

2. VICE News

VICE News is unique because it provides news stories from all over the world and includes smaller stories apart from breaking news that bigger news sites do not usually feature. The layout is relatively simple to understand. There are tabs to view videos, select different regions of the world, and choose between news topics. The information is dispersed and there is a wide variety of stories to choose from.

The featured stories are laid out in a larger format and are the first things to draw your attention which is an effective tactic. The color scheme is a minimalistic black and white. Most of the color comes from the featured images for the different news stories which adds character to the website and gives readers visuals to go along with the title of the story making it more appealing.

3. Buzzfeed

Buzzfeed is a more well-known news organization and appeals especially to Millennials. This is most likely do to the type of content produced by the site. Buzzfeed is best known for entertaining videos and lists that touch on the everyday struggles of life, school, and relationships. Buzzfeed also uses the power of the site to talk about more serious topics as well.

When first coming to the website’s homepage, you are bombarded by what seems to be endless amounts of news and entertainment stories. The good news is it is easy to navigate the site. The home page has a string of stories across the top to choose from as well as a banner alerting your attention to breaking news. There are then five main sections you can click on:

• News
• Buzz
• Life
• Quizzes
• Videos

By choosing any of these options you will be taken to a page with many different stories or videos to choose from some with another menu allowing you to further narrow your topic of interest. What makes this website so successful is the visual appeal from the clearly laid out story headlines to the simple red, yellow, and blue color scheme separating the headlines from the different menu selections. There are also lots of visuals that catch the eye of the reader and entice you to click and read on.

New Roommates: Is It Worth It to Go Random?

Possibly one of the most nerve-racking dilemmas an incoming freshman faces is finding a roommate. For some, the process is made easier by already knowing their roommate prior to move-in. For others, the decision to test their luck with a random roommate can be a positive experience or a negative one.

Gabbey Burr (19), Rachel Bury (19), and Audrey Bowlds (18) know the worries of “going random” all too well. Rachel and Audrey grew up together so when coming to the University of Southern Indiana, rooming with each other seemed like a given. “If I didn’t know Audrey I probably wouldn’t have lived [on campus],” Bury says. Bowlds had a similar experience saying, “knowing my roommate already helped me a lot with adjusting to the college life.”

For Burr, moving three hours away from her home in Indianapolis to a school full of new experiences and random roommates, she had a few concerns:

1. What will these roommates be like?
2. Will they have any bad habits?
3. Will they be friendly and inviting or cold and distant?

She expresses it was difficult for her “not knowing anyone and not knowing who [she] was going to be stuck with.” See how this daunting process resulted in an incredibly strong bond between these three freshman:

It can be stressful for incoming freshman to go straight from high school to a new environment where they live away from home and may not know anyone. It is important that they branch out and meet new people. The easiest way to do this can be by going random. Living with someone new can be a challenging yet rewarding experience that can result in lifelong friendships.

Staying Ethical Online

It can sometimes be tricky navigating policies regarding media ethics, however, it is still important to be well versed in proper etiquette when it comes to posting online. Content is uploaded and posted every second and while it may be tempting to keep up with the fast pace of the internet and social media, it is necessary to double-check the contents of any post to make sure there are no rules being broken or that there is not any risk of violation. There are simple ways to avoid infringing on copyright and intellectual laws so everyone can respectfully share content online.

Five tips for staying ethical online:

1. Do not post information, pictures, or other material without permission: This is one of the most important rules to follow when posting online. It is easy to credit an author or photographer and avoid becoming mixed up in legal trouble. Always ask permission from the owner or creator before posting.
2. Never alter photographs: If photographs are altered, it is hard for consumers to trust the source and can harm the reputation of the person or organization using the altered photograph.
3. Do not post information that could harm the reputation of the subject: If information is posted that reflects poorly on the subject, the writer can be charged seriously for attempting to injure the subject’s reputation.
4. Keep all work updated: As time goes on, information can change. It is vital that any previous articles or postings are constantly updated with the latest and most accurate information. This will make the work more trustworthy and reduce the risk of false information.
5. Be honest and respect any sources: It is important to follow through with any promises of confidentiality that may have been made as well as not releasing information from a source that is not meant to be shared in the online work.

The Trending Trenders Present: National News Engagement Day

Tomorrow is National News Engagement Day and I have the perfect soundtrack for you! The “Trending Trenders” consist of myself (@madison_bowlds7), Carly Sarnowski (@CarlySarnowski), and Jacob Wierson (@jwierson1).

We compiled some of the most important and exciting local news stories and made a playlist to match. Hope you enjoy!

1. To start off today’s playlist, we’ll be using our first song on the list, “Rocky Mountain High” by John Denver to match the fact that Missouri is adding acres of land to their parks. As part of an effort by the state of Missouri and some federal agencies, 2,500 acres of land are being acquired in Southeast Missouri along the Eleven Point River in an effort of conservation. The money is being funded by settlements that resulted from lead mining companies in order to offset the damage done by the mining in the area.

2. John Brunner officially announced he will be running for governor. The Missouri businessman has already donated $100,000 of his own money towards his campaign. Brunner is a former U.S. Marine Corps captain and former CEO of the soap and hand-sanitizer company founded by his grandparents, Vi-Jon Inc. “Runnin’ Down A Dream” by Tom Petty is the perfect song to highlight Brunner’s announcement.

3. Our third song from Drake, “Started from the Bottom” aligns quite well with the announcement of Twitter’s new CEO. St. Louis native, Jack Dorsey, also the social media site’s co-founder, was named the CEO early Monday several months after former CEO Dick Costolo resigned in July.

4. The song “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 1” by Pink Floyd is associated with the current teacher strike in East St. Louis. Members of East St. Louis Federation of Teachers continue to protest a new contract predicted to save the school system upwards of $10 million but doubling the amount of years it would take for staff to climb to the top of the salary scale. The strike has left six thousand students out of school and there is no clear end in sight.

5. The fifth song from our playlist, “Another one Bites the Dust” by Queen is paired with the St. Louis Rams upset win over the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale. The Rams, defeating the undefeated home team 24-22, were led by rookie running back Todd Gurley who rushed for 146 yards, receiver Tavon Austin who caught 6 passes for 96 yards a defense that sacked Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer 4 times and held them to just 5 field goals and 1 touchdown.

6. According to Roadsnacks.com, Branson has recently been named as the drunkest city in Missouri. What better song to go with this story than “Drunk In Love” by Beyonce and J-Z? St. Louis is listed third on the most drunken cities in the state, even though the city has the most bars per capita in all of Missouri. Whatever the statistics, it’s still hilariously awesome to see Branson as #1.

7. “Stray Cat Strut” by Brian Setzer Orchestra pairs perfectly with our next story highlighting The Humane Society of Missouri. It is estimated that one hundred cats have been found and rescued from a south St. Louis County site. The cats were found living in areas thick with urine and feces. The cats have been taken for exams and treatment and it has not been announced whether charges will be held against the property owner.

8. Our next song by The Chain Smokers called “#Selfie” relates to an interesting story about a St. Louis lawyer who brought in a cell phone into jail that was then used for selfies with two inmates. A Federal Judge who declared the attorney’s demeanor runs into some “troubling ethical issues” reprimanded the lawyer, who was visiting his defendant who was indicted on drug charges.

9. “Power” by Kanye West is the perfect song to illustrate the unexpected power outage that occurred on SLU’s campus September 29. All classes on the north campus were cancelled the following day while crews worked around the clock to restore the power. Power was restored to the 23 affected buildings late September 30.

10. Last on the list is “Colonel Hathi’s March” from The Jungle Book soundtrack to help represent the addition of a new male elephant to the Kansas City Zoo. The elephant, named Tamani, will help to make a future breeding program possible. Tamani weighs six thousand pounds and will be joining the six female African elephants already at the zoo

St. Louis Public Radio Social Media Analysis

Just by scrolling through St. Louis Public Radio’s Twitter and Instagram profiles, it was easy to tell they know how to effectively use social media. The material posted was engaging and offered opportunity for followers to be involved. St. Louis Public Radio has a fairly large following, especially on Twitter. With upwards of thirty-eight thousand followers, that is the first indicator that they are doing something right.

I noticed that many of the Instagram posts were pictures that came directly from the general public. This is a very useful method in communicating with an audience because it allows people to see the news organization as more than just a business. There is a sense of closeness and familiarity that does not come from news organizations who use social media simply to post links to new stories.

There was a similar personable feel when it came to St. Louis Public Radio’s Twitter account. They really engage with their followers by quoting tweets, retweeting, and replying along with posting pictures and updates about new stories. It is important for news organizations to communicate with their online audience because Twitter in particular is a great social media platform for discussions on current events. By being involved with their audience, St. Louis Public Radio can also be involved in the conversation and foster an environment for open discussion.

I was impressed by their use of social media overall. I thought it was nice to see a contrast between their social media accounts and their website. The website is focused mainly around the stories but still offers ways to connect online. By having this professional website but interacting with the audience on a personal level on social media, St. Louis Public Radio effectively represents the interests of their followers and provides a more conversation-based online environment.

Using the iPad Mini: Trials and Tribulations

My opinion on iPad minis drastically changed when it came time for me to actually rely on it for a project. I wanted to make a video but was skeptical of how well the video editing apps would work and if they would allow me to do everything I envisioned doing.

I was pleasantly surprised. It was not too hard filming with the iPad mini and the quality of the picture was better than I expected. I also really enjoyed working with the video editing apps. I ended up using iMovie to edit my video and apart from freezing up on occasion and not providing a large variety of music to choose from, I was still able to cut and rearrange clips how I wanted them, add text, and add sound effects.

I found it a bit difficult to type a blog post on the iPad mini because my hands were not big enough to type as fast as I wanted. Overall, I still did not mind it too much. It was somewhat frustrating working with the WordPress app until I decided to cut my losses and write the blog post using the website on Safari.

I feel confident in my ability to produce another video or any other type of project on an iPad mini. This was a learning experience and I was glad it was a positive one. I am, overall, happy with my finished product and even though it is not quite perfect, I am impressed with how much I was able to accomplish just using the iPad mini.

Procrastination 101: The Guide You Didn’t Know You Needed

As a college student, I am far too familiar with the concept of procrastination. It becomes so easy to look away from the textbook and find something better to do. I find myself looking for anything at all as long as I can avoid studying. It becomes a big problem sometimes when I realize I spent my entire day procrastinating and have a paper due in less than eight hours.

If I can take comfort in anything, it is the fact that I am not alone in this. Nearly everyone I know procrastinates at some point. How can we resist? There are so many different social media sites to scroll through, YouTube videos to watch, and fellow procrastinators to hang out with. It can be difficult when you find yourself running out of activities to do while the thought of studying is still looming in the back of your mind. So what do you do when you do not want to do what you need to do? Here are a few suggestions:

We all know it is important to actually get our work done but it is always good to take a little break now and again. These new methods may just come in handy the next time you fall victim to the procrastination epidemic.

Twitter Analytics and How They Can Be Useful

I recently analyzed the analytics of all of my tweets. I looked at the amount of retweets, favorites, URL clicks, user profile clicks, replies, and follows. It was interesting to see what tweets received the most response. What I found was that most of my tweets that received many retweets or favorites were those that were either in response to or were retweeted by someone with a multitude of followers.This of course makes sense because interacting with someone on Twitter who has thousands of followers allows your tweets to be exposed to many more users outside of your own Twitter sphere of followers and interactions.

I also noticed that my tweets containing links or pictures received a greater response than those containing only words. This signals to me that my followers are more engaged when I offer something else along with my thoughts and statements. Visuals can be useful in capturing an audience’s attention and users will be less likely to scroll past my tweets if there are visuals to look at.

Tweets that were most popular were those using a consistent hashtag. People who were following a specific hashtag were able to see my tweets and I was able to reach them without them following me. This is important on Twitter because the right hashtag can be seen my millions of people so taking advantage of this can be useful.

I noticed that my top tweets were mostly tweeted in the afternoon or evening. There was not much consistency in the times of the tweets but they all were published in this range of time. By tweeting during this time of day I will be able to reach more people and gain more feedback because this seems to be when my followers are most active on the site.

Analyzing my Twitter analytics is helpful in improving my method of tweeting. It is important that I save my most important tweets for the afternoon because they will be seen by more people. Also, by reaching out to users with many followers and using popular hashtags, I can improve my chances of reaching more people and having them see the material I share on Twitter.