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. 

Reading Reflection: Chapter 1

Chapter 1 is all about communication on three different levels: broadly, in teams or groups, and one-on-one.  I am a communications major.  My emphasis is broadcast journalism, which directly translate to large scale, mass communication.  I found this chapter interesting because I learned that, even as a journalist, I will be doing much more than just mass communication.

Eleven News at Noon Monday crew Fall 2014

Interpersonal communication in a work place is key to a happy environment.  Some of these skills include listening, socialization, trust, and networking.  I really liked the part about trust.  In our newsroom, there are many different components that must happen to make a successful newscast: reporters have to meet their deadlines, producers need to pick good stories, tech engineers must have the settings correct, etc.  We have to trust each other and be trust worthy.  As soon as someone drops the ball, or even accuses someone of dropping the ball, the trust is gone and the stress level heightens.  This is when the intensity that is natural in a deadline driven world turns to anger.  The best product is never produced in an angry place.

Personal Biography

Katie Ryan is currently a student at Brigham Young University studying Broadcast Journalism and Political Science.  She is also a weekday anchor for KBYU Eleven News.  Katie hopes to pursue a career as a journalist and become a political reporter or anchor.

As a student, Katie has done work as a political reporter for KBYU Eleven News.  She focused on politics and government and covered Election Day in 2014 extensively.  She one-man banded most of her projects, meaning she was responsible for the enterprising, photography, scripting, voicing, and editing of her work.

Katie worked as a BYU First-Year Mentor from June of 2013 to December of 2014.  As a mentor, she worked with approximately seventy students per semester students and supported their academic and personal success.  One of her most important jobs was to contact, meet, and follow-up with student individually.  Her interactions with students also included mass emails, individual emails, and phone calls.

Katie is from Bluffton, South Carolina where she graduated from Bluffton High School in 2012.  She was the president of the student body as well as an officer in the National Honor Society.  She also won second place in the Coastal Empire Leadership Development Association speech contest while in high school.