Reading Reflection: Chapter 7

The beginning of this semester marked the beginning of a job search that was much more difficult and time consuming than I could have imagined.  It started with creating a killer resume then writing individualized cover letters for each job.

My resume is in the basic chronological style.  I begin with my background, which includes most of my educational experiences.  I have a small skills section that is specific to my field of work in reporting.  The bulk of my resume is made up on my work experience, which is given in chronological order.  My most impressive work happens to be my most recent work, but if it wasn't, I may consider switching to a functional resume.

I tried to adjust each of my cover letters to the job I was applying for.  This allowed me to showcase my skills and experience that would specifically relate to what the employer is looking for.  This was a time consuming process as I honed my skills to try and meet the expectations and wishes of who I would prospectively interview with. 

I heard back from very few of the places I submitted my cover letter and resumes to.  This is not totally unexpected, because employers like to keep their options open, although it is frustrating.  I eventually found a job after a month of looking and sending out my resume at least 10 times.

Reading Reflection: Chapter 6

No matter what business you're in, you'll have to correspond in a written message at some point.  Emails, in particular, are used frequently and are a key source of communication.  It can be easy to get casual in email correspondents, but it's important to remember that emails need to be professional and easy to read.

As a journalist, I am constantly using emails to contact sources and people within my newsroom.  It is essential to check email consistently, probably more than the once or twice a day the book suggests.  People are constantly emailing tips and your news director is constantly sending updates on stories.  Keeping up with the latest goings on will make the story that is put up the most accurate and current one possible.

Another important point to note in my field as a journalist is being careful what I put in writing. Whether is a simple note or a long written interview, I need to be very aware of what I put in writing.  What I say, on air or on paper, can be considered slander or libel if I'm not careful.  It can also damage my credibility if it is not written well.  I should also keep all the emails that are sent to me in case someone tries to accuse me of lying or misrepresenting their words.

Reading Reflection: Chapter 5

The most important part of writing is rewriting.  I learned early on in college that it's important to just get something down on the paper.  Even if the thoughts aren't completely coherent, or that perfect witty introduction, you can, and should, always go back later to revise your initial thoughts into well crafted writing.

There are three things that as a journalist I must focus on to make my writing the best possible: not making errors that can damage my credibility, make the writing clear, and avoid factual errors at all costs.

Credibility
Any errors I make as a TV reporter are broadcasted out to an audience beyond just my peer group.  Errors damage credibility because the audience will not trust that the reporter has done the research and really knows the story they are trying to tell.

In my own life, I've seen how errors damage credibility.  I was asked to take a survey for a graduate student at an East coast college.  It was about being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The problem?  The graduate student did not write the name of the church
 correctly.  This is a simple problem with a simple solution, but she neglected to do it, making me question the validity of the survey and possible results.


Clarity
In TV writing, you words are meant to be heard, not read.  That means that clarity is especially important because your audience only has one chance to get all the meaning and content out of your writing.

I purposely write in a conversational, but professional tone.  This means using simpler words and using visual representations of what I'm writing.  I always try to show what I'm talking about on the screen to reinforce what I say.

Errors
Factual errors are journalism-suicide.  The job of a journalist is to inform the public of the on-goings in politics so the public can make informed decisions.  This is another credibility issue.  You can easily lead the public astray by publishing, and not correcting, false information.

This is an issue that NBC Nightly News host Brian Williams is facing right now.  His factual errors has misrepresented him to the public, and now that the truth is coming out, people are calling for his resignation.  People trust journalists and will take any reason to lose that trust.

Reading Reflection: Chapter 4

We live in a world full of poor design.  I am no design expert by any means, but following the HATS rule and other basic rules can makes our world visually more appealing and more accessible.

I use design techniques on my personal website.  This website is for future employers to see my work as a reporter.  I'll focus on how I used HATS effectively or ineffectively on it and how I can change my design to enhance visual appeal.

Headings

On my website, I use this heading (seen below) consistently.  No matter what page you click on, you can always see my name, the other tabs, my contact information, and my social media information.  This allows future employers to navigate my website quickly and effectively, without getting lost in the muddle.  They have several ways to find the same information, which decreases frustration and also gives me more opportunities to prove myself.

Art

The art on my website is limited to pictures and videos.  There was really no need for charts and graphs, because I'm not depicting numbers or data.  I only put photographs on my website that have good lighting, follow the rule of thirds, and have high resolution.  These rules help the photos focus on the subject (which is me) and not get distracted.  I also blurred the background image so it would not take away from the words.

Typography

Sans serif fonts are great for headlines because, as the book says, they have a thicket stroke and are easier to read in larger sizes.  Serif fonts are easier to read for blocks of text.  On my website, I exclusively use sans serif fonts.  This was a stylized choice, because I wanted it to look clean and modern, although I think I could adjust the bigger bodies of text to be serif fonts so it's easier to read.

Spacing

Unfortunately, I am using a website maker for my site that doesn't always make it easy to use space effectively.  In the picture below, you can see how my text extends far below the video and pictures.  It would look better if I shortened the text so there's not as much negative white space beneath the video and pictures.  White space can be used effectively, like above the text and art, but too much of it looks empty.

To visit my website, go to katiejryan.weebly.com.

Reading Reflection: Chapter 2

                When choosing content for a television news show, producers are always trying to answer the audiences’ question of “what’s in it for me?”  This is a term that is used frequently in the newsroom and it’s one we try to answer in the story.  Often, WIIFM makes the news story applicable and relatable.  For example, if you’re talking about crime rates going up over the past year, you’ll want to focus on why the rates have gone up, what are the police doing to change it, and is the community safe.  You’re looking at your writing from the outside in and asking “why should I care?”

                Evaluating WIIFM is part of the first phase of the writing process.  Deciding what content to include is part of the research process.  As you’re researching and learning the material of the story, you have to organize it.  When I organize a news story, I decide what the most important information is, then put it first.  Once I organize, I can really start writing and crafting the story.  One of the best ways to write is to put words on paper first, then re-write and edit until it’s perfect.  The last step, according to Baker, is design.  Often in broadcast writing, this is the first step that then drives the story.  Especially as a reporter, you write according to your visuals.  So, if you have a great shot of a crackling bonfire, you’ll make sure you write a part where you can show that fire.  It’s important to understand how you want the design to look like from the start so you can make sure it’s visually possible. 

                This is one of my stories that exemplifies WIIFM and writing to my visuals.