FINAL EXAM Unordered List/Hyperlink

Disney Princesses

• Jasmine
• Cinderella
• Belle
• Ariel
• Sleeping Beauty
• Snow White
• Pocohantas
• Mulan
• Tiana

Final Exam Google Map & Vimeo

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MAP

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The show must go on: StarStudded turns to its blog to replace the cancelled ATV episode

Because of the blizzard conditions DC has experienced this past week, I was forced to cancel this week's episode of StarStudded. If you all are not familiar, StarStudded is ATV's hottest entertainment news program that I produce and host. We broadcast the latest in Hollywood gossip, movies and music, fashion, health, beauty and more! And one of our fellow classmates is a correspondent - Lauren Keane-Farrell.

We normally film in-studio every Wednesday and the show is aired on ATV and online by Thursday or Friday. Unfortunately, this week we were not able to film because of the snow.

This is where the usefulness of the internet comes into play! We cannot leave our loyal viewers with nothing, so this week we will be writing articles on the StarStudded blog that will inform everyone of what would have been on the episode. Here is a sneak peak of a few correspondent segments that were planned for this week:

• Inexpensive Valentine's Day gift ideas for any guy: Noreen Raja (co-host) brings us some fun and creative gift ideas that will not break our budgets! A couple gifts include a basket full of fun snacks and a movie rental gift certificate and homemade gift certificates for a home-cooked meal.



• Top 5 Romantic movies: You will have to ask Lauren K-F (correspondent) for any details on this topic!



• How to spend Valentine's Day with friends: Kaityln Wozniak (correspondent) tells how to stay happy (not SAD) on V-day, with alternative ideas on how to spend the day if we do not have a significant other.

Although I am disappointed that we were unable to film the episode, I am grateful for blogs and the web's ability to relay information. By posting articles with pictures, videos and links to other websites, our viewers will not miss out on this week's cancelled episode. I would classify StarStudded as an "entertainment news" program, and furthermore our information is timely. If we do not post our articles by Friday, the episode will lack "newness" and readers will not be interested in reading the blog. I hope that everyone likes the articles and will tune into the new episode of StarStudded that we will film next week.

Want to read our blog and see previous episodes of StarStudded? Click here.

Johnny Savage's impressive fashion portfolio

I found Johnny Savage's fashion photo portfolio on SlideShowPro.net. His galleries were one of 10 that the site named as being fantastic. I certainly agree, as his fashion portfolio was impressive.

Some of the things he does well in his photography include:

• Savage experiments with lighting. Savage's photos vary from picture to picture as far as the light source, brightness of the photo, and how the light accentuates the subject. In one of the photos, the model is positioned next to a window with the blinds half-way open. The sunlight shining through the window creates shadow lines across the models face. Unconventional, yet intriguing picture!
  
• Savage uses the rule of thirds. Most photos in the gallery display the rule of thirds perfectly. Many of the models are positioned to either right or left of center, and the background scene filling the rest of the space is just as important to the photo as the main subject. One of my favorite photos is the black and white nature scene with the model in the forefront, holding a clutch purse and rose in her hands. Behind her is a pathways lined with trees on either side and a light source at the end of the tunnel.
  
• Savage varies "zoom." The subject of each photo is the model; however, some photos take a wider focus and the model only occupies a part of the scene, while some photos are zoomed-in on the model's face and neck. Photos that are close-up draw attention to the hair, makeup and jewelry, while the zoomed-out photos draw attention to the model's outfit. Varying "zooms" diversifies and makes the gallery visually interesting.

I am drawn to Savage's gallery because I love fashion and have done some modeling in the past. Savage does a great job of photographing the model in a way that both shows-off the clothing/jewelry and engages viewers.

Make sure you check out Johnny Savage's fashion portfolio. Are you impressed?

"Blogs without art are lame"

I just finished up reading Ch. 8: Shooting and Managing Digital Photos of Journalism 2.0, and the last sentence of the chapter really stood out to me: "Blogs without art are lame." I know that we have discussed in class how important text is when writing for the web, however, without pictures or other multimedia to accompany the text, stories are boring.

Think about it; when scanning articles on a webpage, which one draws your attention? The story with lovely prose and intricate text description? or the story with an outrageous picture in the top left corner? Of course, our eyes avert to the picture before even reading the headline.

Pictures are great for conveying emotion and supplementing text. Journalists must choose wisely when deciding which picture best relates to the story and grabs the reader's attention.

Below I have two pictures of Taylor Swift from the 2010 Grammy Awards.

Can you match the headline with the correct picture?
1. Taylor Swift on First Grammy Win Ever: It's An 'Impossible Dream...'

2. Grammy Awards Style Stars

Headline #1: Taylor holding her Grammy and shouting

Headline #2: Taylor posing on the Red Carpet

As you can see, the picture on the right carries much more emotion than the picture on the left of Taylor posing for cameras before the show. By simply viewing the picture, readers can sense the tone and predict the content of the article.

The bottom line is that pictures should definitely be used in all blogs and to supplement web articles. Journalists must, however, choose wisely and only use pictures that match the tone, style and content of the story!

Twitter is the best social networking site!

My favorite social networking site - and the only one I use - is Twitter. Twitter is not only great for personal use, but it is a great outlet for journalists and business owners who want to market themselves and their work.

Twitter allows anyone to make updates in 140 characters or less. By restricting the number of characters allowed in a tweet, users must focus their ideas and only write what is most important. Also, this restricts people from telling their life story to anyone on the Internet. And unlike Facebook and Myspace, of which I use neither, Twitter makes it much more difficult for users to disclose excess information about themselves through pictures, profiles, message boards, etc.

If users want to post pictures or would like to show their personal sites, they can of course give the link in a tweet - which will then direct readers to the other site. Twitter is a great way to advertise a business site, a blog site or to share information online, and is also great for networking with other businesses or people who share similar interests.

Twitter has also allowed journalists to break news faster. As stated in the reading, "News happens on Twitter before it happens on news sites." Just think about the balloon boy story, or when Michael Jackson died, or the recent tragedy in Haiti. A great majority of people first heard about these stories via Twitter. Twitter has also become a lifeline for victims of the devastating earthquake. People trapped in rubble have tweeted using their mobile devises, and rescue workers were able to find their location.

When I first started on Twitter, it took me a while to get used to all the tools and "lingo" of the Twitter world. But now that I understand it, I'm such a tweet-geek!

Follow me RDeMita :)

Advantages for having multiple authors on one blog

The Fox news blog: On The Scene uses multiple authors to keep the blog more interesting to readers. The blog has over 40 authors that contribute to the page, and each author reports on topics that they are most knowledgeble about.

There are advantages for having multiple authors on a blog:

• The blog can be updated more frequently. The authors can post whenever a they find a newsworthy story. Multiple authors will post on the same days, which amounts to more stories on the blog.
• The content's quality is not compromised. The author's are not pressured to blog multiple times per day because of the many contributors. Without strict time constraints, the author can be sure to comprise a newsworthy story that is well-written and interesting to the readers.
• The blog covers a wide range of topics. Each author has there own personal style and expertise. For example, Glenn Beck may report on topics that were covered on his television program, while the Baghdad Bureau will post stories relating to the middle east.
• The reader can easily navigate through the posts. Readers can choose which author's posts they enjoy and do not enjoy reading. On The Scene offers a side bar with each author listed; here the readers can click to see all the stories posted by the specific author.
• The blog is more interesting. With a wide range of story topics, quality posting, and frequent updating, having multiple authors makes the blog both visually and contextually interesting.

I understand that having multiple authors on one blog is not realistic for most blogs. In certain contexts, however, multiple contributors is a great asset to blogging.

Rachel's Tips for Blogging

I just finished reading Chapter 5: How to Blog of Journalism 2.0. The chapter provides some great guidelines for blogging, but here are a few of my tips for good blogging!

• A blogger does not have to post everyday. If journalistic blogging is your profession, then yes, you should find newsworthy information to write about everyday. If you casually blog as a hobby however, as do most college students, the blog does not need to be updated daily. Quality over Quantity!
• Posts should include links, pictures, videos, etc. Most readers have short attention spans, so making your blog visually appealing will keep the readers' interest.
• Personalize your blog. Make your page a reflection of yourself, your interests, and let your personality shine through.
• Advertise your blog. The only way to get people to read and become interested in your blog is to market it. For example, ink your personal blog to your Twitter, Facebook, Myspace page and let your friends know when you write a new post.

Here are a couple sites that provide some more tips for blogging:

http://www.bloggingtips.com/2008/12/31/10-blogging-tips-for-2009-to-make-it-your-most-successful-blogging-year-ever/

http://www.dailyblogtips.com/18-blog-tips-to-help-you-succeed-in-2010/

http://www.toptenblogtips.com/10-tips-for-writing-blog-posts-that-shine

Hope you guys enjoy reading my first post for COMM438! Comments welcome :)