December 2011
3 posts
Chris's Broadcast Writing Blog: Nightmares of a... →
Chris, what you may lack as a videographer you make up for you your blog writing! First of all, that is a mistake that many people make, including myself, when it comes to using the camera. I’m sure that you learned your lesson, and it’s like Steve Parr says; if you are ever going to make mistakes in your career, now’s the time to do it.
I have to point out though; you followed...
WatchThis is a really neat story. There has been a series of stolen puppies over the past while, the most recent of which was when four British Bulldogs were stolen from a pet store. The thief would take the puppies, and then put them up for sale on Kijiji the next day.
Police have made an arrest after one of the owners gave them a call.
I thought that this story was very well done. I love some of the...
WatchI was never a video game player, but I have always been curious about them. It was never something that I did when I was younger, and I figured that I’d missed my opportunity to play them. After all, I thought that they were something that kids did; not people my age. When I got to university I began to realize just how wrong I was, and how much I was missing out on.
Of course, it was slow going...
“Journalism can never be silent: that is its greatest virtue and its greatest...”
– Henry Anatole Grunwald
November 2011
21 posts
Metal Evolution: An anthropological look at the... →
This sounds really cool! I was recently introduced the metal genre by my friend a few months ago, and although I don’t really listen to a lot of it (if any), I respect the talent. I have become a big fan of Dream Theatre though, they are amazing!
This sounds like a really good documentary. I like the fact that it went into the science behind the music and examined what listening to metal...
WatchThis is a story found on the Global news website about the latest in sexting. I thought that this was a very good story and covered the issue from a different angle.
One of the things that I found particularly interesting is how the reporter found out what the different abbreviations meant. I had never heard of them before and some of them were very clever; for example, providing a warning sign in...
My Tales as a TV Journalist
On Friday night I was fortunate enough to cover a United Way event honoring Lisa LaFlamme; anchor for CTV news. I knew that there was going to be some very famous journalists there, but I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I wasn’t sure if we would be able to grab them for an interview, or even get the chance to talk with them.
But we were in the right place at the right time, and our crew got...
|ove&b|ood: Wasting Water on a City-Wide Basis →
This sounds like a really good story. I completely agree with you, because as a Canadian, I know what it is like to think that clean drinking water is abundant. Most of the time I forget that it’s even an issue and take it for granted.
And it is a big problem. The leaky tap is one of the oldest examples of how we waste water. I think that Canada is vulnerable when it comes to the issue of...
“Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited...”
– Thomas Jefferson
The End of Occupy
This is a news report found on the CTV news website about how police took action in Toronto today by moving out the protesters. I found this report almost bias because of the way that the portrayed the removal of the protestors.
I think that the report told the story in such a way that made it out to be somewhat sensationalistic, as well as incorrect. From all of the reports that I’ve heard about...
Occupy Update: EVICTION
For this week’s story I’ll be doing an update on the Occupy Toronto movement; and it couldn’t have happened at a better time. The city has won the court case against the protesters, and there is an eviction notice officially in effect at 12am tonight.
Hours after the decision was made to evict the protestors, police went through the park handing out trespassing notices. This is actually the...
“A free press can be good or bad, but, most certainly, without freedom a press...”
– Albert Camus
Julia's Peace: Week 11: A day in the park →
I agree Julia; I think that today was very successful as a whole. It sounds like you had a very interesting experience with the protesters, and I am almost jealous that I didn’t get the chance to go very far into the park; I would have loved to see their ‘sacred flame!’ I wish I could say that all went well for my group, but we had some technical issues that set us back a little...
WatchIt’s what the lollipop was warning you about. Facebook has been hacked and users have been ‘tricked’ into looking at pornography on facebook. It just goes to show you (once again) that nothing is really safe online.
This is an interesting story, and I found that it was very well covered. I liked the interviews that were done with professors, and I was surprised at the lack of streeters. I would...
Covering Occupy Toronto
Ever since I first moved away from the small town that I grew up in, I’ve been trying to understand social movements; why and how they exist. It was not that I wanted to participate in them necessarily, but I always felt guilty that I didn’t take as much interest in our society as some of these protesters.
I know that as a journalist, I am supposed to be unbiased, but it is very difficult for me...
“The one function that TV news performs well is that when there is no news we...”
– David Brinkley
WatchThis is a story found on the Global News website, and although it is very well done, I have to admit that I liked Olivia’s story featured on 519 Online News a little better.
There are many good things about this story. The reporter got an interview with a veteran who gave some really great clips about D-Day. As well, the reporter got two more interviews from people relevant to the story which is...
WatchThis is the final edited newscast for this week, and I seriously think that this is our best one yet!
This is our Remembrance Day show, so the stories were: An intimate profile of a Veteran from Afghanistan, Sikh Remembrance Day coverage, Sikh food bank in Mississauga, a profile of the Princess Theatre, and Movember; making men care about other men.
Be sure to check it out!
Editing This Week
This week I will be the editor for 519 Online News and I have to be honest; I’m very nervous. Last week we had a lot of unforeseeable technical difficulties with Final Cut Pro, which resulted in lots of work for the editor, and a late broadcast. I am not looking forward to having to stay late editing but I think that’s what is going to happen. The last time I stayed late was when I was producer,...
“I still believe that if your aim is to change the world, journalism is a more...”
– Tom Stoppard
RACHEL SCHOUTSEN: I'm a Dash Doll For LIFE! →
I have to agree with you Rachel; the Kardashian story is news but I think for different reasons than mentioned here.
First of all, it does really sound like a scam. After watching the video that you linked, I think that the New York Post headline says it all. But instead of hearing about all of the tabloid gossip that almost always follows something like this, I would be more interested in...
WatchTim Murton; not Tim Burton, but pretty close. I loved this story! This is actually really cool. This is a story found on Global News, and although Halloween might be over, this is still worth watching.
Tim Murton is a man who decorates his house every Halloween in a very special and unique way. He has created nothing less than a Zoo of artistic animals and sculptures meant to frighten and...
Halloween... Again
This week for 519 Online news I was working as a camera person as well as an editor. My partner, Oje Izirein, was the reporter and neither one of us had any story ideas. So as kind of a back-up we decided to cover Halloween again.
It was fun; and a nice fluff story. I went out filming trick-or-treaters, and came up with some filming problems that I haven’t always had to deal with. First of all, I...
October 2011
18 posts
Brent Swance... shhh don't talk just listen:... →
I have heard of this story, and I agree; it is very depressing that so many people could walk by the injured girl without stopping to help. I have also heard that there are many theories behind this idea.
I have heard that in China there is a rule about not interfering with crime scenes; if someone would have moved the girl then they could have been charges laid against them for doing so. Perhaps...
“I see journalists as the manual workers, the labourers of the world. Journalism...”
– Marguerite Duras
WatchI thought this story was very well done. I thought the reporter did a good job getting many different points of view on this divided issue. Not only that, but the reporter used his interviews to tell the story more that he used his voiceover. For example, he got a teacher to explain the rules behind connecting with students outside of class. I found that very effective.
The editing was good as...
Don't Take Candy from Strangers... Even Online
There has recently been a new website launched called Take this Lollipop. The website is designed as a warning for facebook, and other social media users to be aware of how much information they are giving away over the internet.
The website first dares you to click on, or ‘take,’ the blue lollipop featured on the website, then it prompts you to login to your facebook. Through that, the website...
WatchI thought that this video, found on Global News, was very well shot and interesting. The reporter did a lot to keep the viewer’s attention throughout the whole video; however there were a few things that I feel he could have done a bit better.
First of all, I really liked the lead, and the script in general was short, to the point, and fit very well with the visuals. The interviews were very...
WatchLast week I was the producer for 519’s season opener. After that experience, I can honestly say, I don’t know how Isabella coped with being the producer for our live election show. The job can be very stressful, but overall I was happy with what we produced.
Since it was our first pre-recorded show, I had no idea where to begin as a producer. Although I was explained what my role was in the...
“I always turn to the sports section first. The sports section records...”
– Earl Warren
Election Reflection
A week ago today, I was out in the field attempting to cover the Ontario provincial elections for the Kitchener-Conestoga region. It was my first live broadcast and I can honestly say that I probably wouldn’t have gotten through it without my producer and partner, Kyle.
I was really nervous to be on camera. I had only found out four days in advance that our group had been cut, and the original...
6 tags
Are Canadian Citizens Tired of Voting?
An interview with Nik Nanos and the Globe and Mail says that voters in Canada are likely suffering from something called election fatigue. In Canada, in just this year alone we have had 5 different elections, including one federal election. It is believed that as a result, voter turnout is worse than ever.
I think that this would be an interesting story to cover on 519 Online News because 519...
4 tags
THE BALANCED APPROACH: Can Divorced Parents have a... →
I think that this is a very good story idea. As someone who comes from a divorced family, I can empathize with children who end up having multiple Thanksgivings and Christmas’s. Growing up, I remember having to spend time with both my mother and father separately, and in many ways it makes the holidays a lot more difficult.
I like the idea you mentioned of co-parenting. While in some cases...
“Every journalist has a novel in him, which is an excellent place for it.”
– Russel Lynes
4 tags
CTV Calgary: Urban Bear Scare
Sticking with the unintentional theme of this week’s blog entries, here is a video I found about a black bear wandering into an urban neighborhood. Again, this is an example of an instance where the media could provide education about how to deal with bears, without making them seem like monsters.
From a broadcasting perspective, the only reason why this video aired is because the videographer...
9 tags
Bear Euthanized Due to Mauling Proved by DNA...
This is an interesting story that I found on the CBS News website. A month after a California hiker was killed by a bear in Yellowstone National Park; the bear responsible was identified through DNA evidence from the scene of the mauling.
But even with the bear dead, the investigation remains open as investigators are still unsure that they got the right bear. There was evidence showing that...
5 tags
Amir's Blog: Effects of Video Games on Children →
I really enjoyed this post. I never played any kind of video games as a child; I think the first time I saw a game controller was when I was in grade 10. But when I went off to university, I became friends with several gamers and they enlightened me on what exactly I was missing out on.
It was a rough start, but now I at least have the ability to hold a game controller properly and play several...
“It’s amazing that the amount of news that happens in the world every day always...”
– Jerry Seinfeld
4 tags
Watch
This is a story I found on Global News about breast cancer tattoos. When women undergo radiation treatment for breast cancer they place small tattoos in order to mark the precise spots where they will receive radiation treatment.
At a cost of 75 dollars per treatment, breast cancer patients will no longer have to pay to have their tattoos removed.
The story, overall was very well done. The...
5 tags
Why Feminists Have Better Sex
Lori Gottlieb, author of the controversial self help book Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough says that feminists have better sex than non-feminists.
After reading this article in the Globe and Mail, I was a little surprised. I was always under the impression that feminism was not something that is really looked favorably upon in the dating world. In fact, I always thought that...
September 2011
12 posts
4 tags
Olive's Branch: 2.2 Hey Weatherman, get out of the... →
COMMENT: I completely agree with you Olivia. This weatherman is very frustrating. However, it is a good example of what NOT to do during a weather segment.
Not only was this guy stumbling through his standup, but he was standing right in the middle of the frame blocking most of the graphics. It is frustrating for the viewer as they try to get the temperatures for their city.
I think he could have...
2 tags
WatchI’d like to draw attention to this story found on the health segment of Global news. The story is about how the human brain reacts to decision making over time. It is an interesting story by itself is a little interesting, however not really newsworthy. But the reporter covered it from so many different angles that it’s almost like it became newsworthy.
The reporter got interviews from students...
“Literature is the art of writing something that will be read twice; journalism...”
– Cyril Connolly
7 tags
Solar Energy Has its Downsides Too...
If you are like me, and have experienced the frustration of having your television’s satellite knocked out of place by a big wind storm, perhaps you should worry more about the storms outside the atmosphere instead of inside.
A recent study at the University of California says that low-Earth orbiting satellites might not be designed to handle a solar Megastorm. Now, we are a long way’s away from...
6 tags
Courtney Langstaff: Put an end to the Taiji... →
I thought that this post was very well done. I personally know nothing about this issue and you have made me very curious about this documentary. I agree with you that the issue has been under reported considering that I have not heard anything about this on the news; not even when the documentary came out.
One thing that I would have liked to seen in this post are the links to the websites you...
Terry Fox Run
Ever since I was a kid I’ll remember two things about September: going back to school and the Terry Fox Run. Here is one broadcast story found on CTV that covered the event very well.
The beginning starts off with great visuals of people running in different places in Ottawa, while having a voiceover explaining what the viewer is seeing. There was a nice transition between visuals and interview....
“Memory is the personal journalism of the soul.”
– Richard Schickel
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Campaigning Online
Experts have been saying that with the upcoming election, social media will play an important role in swaying people’s votes; however none of it can make up for face to face interaction. According to an article in the Kitchener Record, ‘the best campaigns… strike a balance between traditional events such as campaigning rallies and connecting with voters online.’
Being a new voter, and a young...