How can this be solved?

Lately with interviewing people I have gone without pre-made questions. Someone suggested to me that I try this to have a more natural flow of conversation.  While I’ve had a few good interviews come with this, it’s definitely caused a handful of stuttering and humiliating situations.

I’m naturally shy and am always hesitant when I am to interview someone new.  I care a lot about how people perceive me, it’s not exactly a healthy way to think, but I just can’t shake the thoughts.

So I usually stumble on my questions, blush profusely, nervously laugh, and shy away.  Oh, and forget to ask my most important questions.

That happened to me this morning.  I forgot to ask two important questions for my article due this weekend.  Guess I’ll have to stop in tomorrow and ask for two minutes of his time again.  The store owner was really nice, just a little hard to communicate with because of the language barrier (his native tongue is Greek).  Despite that, I think it went overall well.

On a personal blog of mine I voiced this concern on mine and got an immediate response from a follower.  They told me that their nerves didn’t leave them until their senior year of college.  Well, I’m still a sophomore so it was nice to be reassured that a lot of people go through this.  Hope with more practice I’ll get it right and be able to think faster on my toes!

Work this semester.

Here is some of my work published on a student run web based magazine, The Little Rebellion.

I’ve actually taken more photos then have written articles this semester.  Presumably, this reflects the bad case of writer’s block I have been crushed underneath.

Let me know what you think!

-Laura

BIG UPDATE.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7866929448192753501#

Watch. this. documentary.

It will change everything.

Will post a complete reaction when I can stop gawking.

Social Media

This article by Lindsey Boerma caught my attention this morning on the twitter-feed. 

I’m really only interested in it because I love the social media beat.  Social media is expanding and no one really has a sense of it.  It’s both new and now old.  It’s unhinged, open to so many possbilities.  So it is interesting to see how it has progressed into older traditions like political campaigning. 

It almost seemed as if the article was surprised about politicians depending heavily on social media.  I wasn’t surprised at all when I realized they were.  Or for that matter anyone else who uses social media as a vehicle to drive their cause.  Social media is tangible, it’s a two-way conversation.  It offers dialogue and outlets to videos and other media.  People have been cyber-campaigning for years.  Take the all the philantrophic websites.  Ones you can donate to.  Or websites like Kiva.com that connect people all over the world to lend money to those who are less fortunate.

The comment made by Sarah Palin‘s cyber-messenger Rebecca Mansour was a little… hmm, shall we say rude?  It is not as if you invented using the internet to further your cause.  When people say something like that I can’t help but think of immature playground banter.  It’s a game of whose horse is bigger, and clearly Palin’s team think they do. 

I also thought Robert Thompson’s ending comment was a malnourished in back-up information.  It makes me want to know who believes that solely an internet campaign can win an election.  Maybe if it’s a thousand years into the future, but candidates would get the pulp beaten out of them if they only relied on social media.

Social media is a powerful tool for journalism.  It’s a powerful tool for anyone who learns to use it properly.  It’s cost-efficient which is even a better addition.  Although, with the recent change to election donations in the past few years, I’m positive money is the least of candidates worries.

Busy Weekend

It has been a busy weekend for me. 

Friday after my 8 a.m class I went to take pictures at an event on campus.  The LGBT club was participating in the Day of Silence.  I approached them gently and told them who I was and what I was taking pictures for and if they didn’t mind me doing so.  They nodded in approval so I got to work.

Afterwards I asked them to write their name and attribution info.  I also told them that I admired what they were doing, even though I know I’m not supposed to say something like that while ‘on the job’.  Does anyone have thoughts on this kind of thing? 

I then spent most of the day editing the pictures and picking which ones I would use.

Then yesterday I walked with my roommate in town because she needed to catch the bus to go home for the weekend.  I hung out for a little while and then got to work taking pictures of my next assignment.  The 2nd annual Phools Parade in New Paltz.  It started to rain just as the parade started.  I didn’t know it at the time but a raindrop had fallen and dried on my lens and caused a blurry spot in all my pictures.  Really bummed me out. 

So most of my pictures from it I can’t use. 

Now on to work on an essay for my Press in America class.  It’s due Thursday, but I want to get all my work done for the week by Tuesday.

It Could Happen to Me…

Every so often I jump on Twitter to hear the latest going ons of the world.  I just logged on to see this article from the Washington Post.  It is a good and interesting read and it got my mind churning.

If you don’t have the time to read the article and my post, I’ll give you a short run down.  Emily Wax’s article pertains to the dangers female journalists are exposed to while on assignment.  While many women are reporting in already dangerous war ravaged areas, it is not just the war they have to worry about.  Assault among female reporters is high, as customs in different countries do not treat women equally, it is believed that a foreign Westernized female should be treated in the same fashion.

It is scary for me to think about this.  After all, I face risks in my country of sexual assault, and yet the risk is greater for me in a foreign country.  How scary does that sound?  I know the path I want to take in journalism wouldn’t necessarily take me to war torn paths, but I have never heard one journalist say they took the path they thought they were going to.

But journalist Tracy Wood brought up a good point.  Female journalists can always leave the place they are reporting.  What about the women who are  left behind to suffer under a patriarchal society; where they are viewed as property rather than a human being?  It makes me cringe.  It is something I will always have to keep in mind when I am scouring for stories.  What about the people, the minorities, the oppressed, what story do they have to tell?  And can I change anything for them?

What are your thoughts?

“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.” – Peter F. Drucker

Inspire

The nice thing about going to my school is an annual spring seminar that brings an esteemed member of the communication world to teach.

I could not be in the seminar class because I’m not an upperclassmen but I did have the privilege of going to several public lectures he had.  And also the guest professor spoke in my J2 class.

This person, John Larson, really renewed my faith in my dream.  I don’t want to write about his accomplishments but you can view them here.  He’s won many prestigious awards and has traveled the globe dozens of times.  But what most caught my attention is his passion.  His emotional connection to his stories grabbed me.  He was honest, compelling, and when he spoke to my J2 class this morning I could only humbly listen in awe of his great experiences, yet modest accounts of them.

He is the reason for this blog.  I am picking apart my thoughts and emotions about stories because it is what he does.  He has brought the humanity back to journalism.  And even though his résumé boasts  impressive accomplishments, he was most impressive to me.

What I learned from him is that you don’t have to take away your voice to tell someone else’s story, because it is your story too.  You can change the world with a powerful and meaningful piece of work.  And that’s all I really want to set out to do.  Be the voice for someone who doesn’t.  Protect the victims and expose the criminals.  Bring light to a seemingly desolate world. 

I hope I get the great honor of meeting John Larson again.  But, I hope it is a few years down the line, so that way, when I have a résumé flaunting the powerful stories I’m proud to have uncovered, I can thank him for motivating me in a time where I felt lost and confused.

It all starts here…

So, I am at the threshold of something miraculous.  Or at least, I feel there is something here that I must do. 

This is my fourth semester of college, I am a sophomore majoring in journalism.  After a guest speaker in my J2 class this morning, something in my heart said do this.  I usually chose to follow my head instead, but a gut instinct kicked in and I could not continue my day until I created this blog.

This semester has been difficult for me.  I felt that I lost my inspiration for writing, as everything I wrote lacked cohesiveness and direction.  There was no passion in my words, just statements of boring facts and events that since I didn’t care about them, neither would my directed audience.  But, my heart is telling me this blog will fix my writer’s block.  That I will be able to write with my voice again. 

I merged the word reflection with the word journalism (or rather just the ‘alism’ part) because it hopefully is saying that I need to reflect on the things I learn, people I meet, all on my quest to become a journalist.  I want to muck through my thoughts, share insightful, uplifting, and inspiring stories I come across.

Maybe you’ll stay, maybe you’ll help me on my journey, too.

– Laura