I found this week’s reading especially interesting. As the editor-in-chief of The Anole, UF’s multilingual magazine, I constantly think about designing pages for both the web and print versions of the magazine. When it comes to selecting staff, it is hard to find qualified designers who also know how to code HTML and CSS. Our webmaster is currently revamping our website and making it more accessible to users. We usually upload our print issues, but we are looking to post blog entries with background information on each story and with extra photographs that did not make it to print. We are aiming to increase our readership online.
As a coder, I have also experienced the pressures of the iPadification movement. With the emergence of different web platforms, it is important to make websites compatible and bulletproof. I am currently working on my online portfolio, and I plan to have a section where I display animations I have done in Adobe Flash. The iPad does not support Adobe Flash, so I have to include replacement images in all of these pages. Designing for all media platforms is difficult and stressful.
I was surprised after reading about the study that tracked eye movements. The article says that people focus more on smaller type than on larger type. When they see large words, they are more likely to scan over them. Even though most designers prefer smaller type aesthetically, larger type is preferred for usability. My professors have usually told me to make type bigger to facilitate the process for the user and keep him on the website longer. It is ironic that this study proves otherwise.
Wordle can be a useful tool for journalists. It can help them compare and analyze speeches, websites, articles or any document with words. By extracting the most commonly-used words, Wordle can save the reporter time, especially when the documents are long.
The move to online has made people seek visually exciting information. For example, some people prefer watching videos than reading articles. Also, info-graphics and animations are becoming a popular way to tell stories. Wordle is another fun and interesting way that reporters can get a message across.
The Wordle comparison of the president’s inaugural speeches demonstrates how much the United States has changed over time. It is a more interesting way to present this information than with a long article or chapter in a history book.
Other text analysis tools might help reporters with investigative pieces. For example, running a speech through the Gender Genie might provide a clue as to how much of the speech was actually written by the speaker and how much was written by an assistant.
Wordle can also serve to compare news articles to see how similar they are and if they influenced one another. It can be used to detect plagiarism.
By using text analysis tools creatively, journalists can produce interesting, high-quality work.
I would define social media as channels of communication that allow for social interaction. These channels provide an easy connection among people all over the world.
Facebook seems to be the most popular medium among my age group. According to this week’s assigned readings, journalists are using Facebook to publicize their articles, find sources and come up with story ideas.
I think that journalists could also use Facebook for investigative pieces when they are looking for clues. It can also be used to take a poll or to ask group members for their opinion on something. A journalist could post a status with a question and learn a lot from the response comments. Facebook can also keep journalists updated on other journalists and the stories they are working on.
I have used Facebook for my articles several times. For example, I once wrote an article about the implementation of minus grades at UF, and I had already interviewed a couple of students who supported the change. I then found a Facebook group with UF students who opposed minus grades. I messaged some of them to schedule an interview and hear their point of view.
There are times when legal or ethical issues might arise. For example, it would be unethical to use Facebook friends as sources for stories. It might also be illegal to use someone’s private information in an article without asking for permission. Facebook is a good place to start on any article, but it should not be the only source used. Thorough research and ethical reporting should always be a priority. I also think journalists should explicitly attribute information found on Facebook. If used wisely, Facebook can be a wonderful tool for journalists.
With bed bug season in full swing, UF said it's time to turn up the heat.
Researchers at UF have engineered a low-cost method to treat bed bug infestations using heat, according to a study published in this month's issue of the Journal of Economic Entomology.
Using 8-by-4-foot plastic and foam panels, they constructed a chamber big enough to fit over a king-size bed, said entomologist Phil Koehler, a professor with UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Inside, they put two heaters, two fans for circulation and the items that needed treatment.
Using digital thermometers, they waited until the temperature reached 113 degrees Fahrenheit, the ideal temperature needed to kill every last bloodsucker.
"This is like cooking a turkey," he said. "You don't take the turkey out of the oven until it has reached a certain temperature and it's cooked."
Moisture-resistant mattresses in the dorms are made of plastic and do not allow the critters to crawl, making it a bad environment for bed bugs, according to Wayne Walker, senior pest control technician for the department of housing and residence education.
However, infestations do occur in graduate and family-housing units.
At a conference in Baltimore, Md., this month, Walker met with residence representatives from universities nationwide to discuss the topic.
"Some people said they had 10 to 12 calls in one week," Walker said. "UF does not get 10 to 12 calls in one year."
But Koehler said students living off campus call him almost every day. He said they risk invasions when they buy used furniture, especially beds.
"You get a bargain," he said. "You get a mattress and bed bugs."
The process takes from two to four hours and is completely effective if done correctly, said Roberto Pereira, study co-author and associate research scientist at the entomology and nematology department.
The purpose of this study is to treat infestations in intimate areas like beds and clothing without spraying insecticides, Pereira said.
"The big problem is that bed bugs are lazy, and they like to live in places close to where they feed," Koehler said. "They come out around 3 or 4 in the morning and suck your blood while you/re sleeping."
Pest control operators have tried using heat treatments that cost $20,000 to $50,000 and warm the entire room, he said. Not only is it too expensive, but it also takes more than a day.
In addition, the use of pesticides is inefficient because bed bugs have claws instead of sticky pads on their legs. They do not absorb insecticides as other insects do.
He said the equipment used to create the portable oven cost about $312 and is practical for areas that are hard to vacate such as homeless shelters, hospitals and hotels.
Koehler described a case where a paraplegic/s wheelchair was infested. He could not move his legs or feel the bites, and being exposed to chemicals would have been harmful for his health. He said the heat chamber is ideal in these types of situations.
Pereira said they decided not to patent or license the system so that it would be readily accessible to pest control operators.
Walker said the technology is an integral part of the UF treatment program, and he uses pesticides in switch plates and tricky areas while the chamber cooks the bugs.
Adult bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed and the thickness of a business card, he said, and they expand when they feed.
The newborns, on the other hand, are about the size of a period at the end of a sentence in 11-point font. They are hard to spot because they are dark mahogany and transparent, he said.
They do not walk or fly, but they are skilled hitchhikers, catching rides on movable objects such as luggage, clothing and even laptops, according to Walker.
A female can lay three to five eggs per day, and it takes about eight to 10 days for them to hatch, he said. If they have a food source, bed bugs can reach adulthood in about 30 days. This can lead to infestations of more than 200 bugs in three months.
Although some people are unresponsive to their bites, reactions involve itching and irritation, Walker said.
"The idea of sleeping in a bed with them is what affects people psychologically," he said.
But Pereira said they are safer than mosquitoes because they don/t transmit diseases.
Bed bugs do not discriminate between human hosts and infest every social class and nation across the globe, Walker said.
"You can find them in thousand-dollar hotel rooms and homeless shelters and every place in between," he said. "It has nothing to do with cleanliness."
The two readings assigned this week discuss how journalism has changed in the last couple of decades. The move to the online world seems to be old news as the emergence of community journalism becomes the hot topic. The article “ Revamping the story flow for journalists” discusses the idea of community input when it comes to writing news stories. The people now join the editor and reporter in discussion through opinion polls, votes and comments.
The second article “The Reconstruction of American Journalism,”also discusses this transformation but focuses on its economic impact on newspapers. The author discusses how newspapers have lost revenue throughout the years but also how reporting has become a collaborative effort as university faculty members, students, and citizens now decide what is newsworthy.
Although newspapers have been financially affected by this change, I believe that community journalism offers a way to improve the quality and demand for news. As citizens provide valuable analysis and information, the quality of news improves. The reporter then does his or her part to collect and organize data and write the final product. The final product becomes so valuable that people would be willing to pay to view it and educate themselves. I believe that media companies can and should begin to charge for online subscriptions to news organizations. As a matter of fact, The New York Times just announced that it will begin charging $15 per month to its most frequent readers for online access.
With an increase in video, audio, graphic work and citizen fact-checking, news organziations have much more to offer readers than they did just a few years ago. Yearly or monthly digital subscriptions would provide a worthy package for a reasonable cost.
I also think that the idea of community journalism allows people to serve as watchdogs of the media. The entire process becomes more transparent and truthful as reporters begin to consult citizens throughout the entire process. This makes me wonder: Do journalists plagiarize less and break less rules when citizens are working with them on stories? I think citizen input might help reduce these kinds of scandals.
I believe that media companies should embrace the changes the internet has brought and use them to their advantage. If all companies had done so at first instead of firing staff and cutting down the budget, their current situations might look a little brighter.
Originally, the Independent Florida Alligator’s article “Medieval fair mixes old with new” had a different headline. The original headline said that 14,000 people total had attended the Medieval Fair.
The Alligator then ran a correction that read: “A headline in Monday’s newspaper stated that 14,000 people attended the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire. That is the figure for Saturday alone. The attendance figure for Sunday is unknown.”
In this example, the editor is at fault because he or she wrote the headline based on the story. The story says that 14,000 attended the fair on Saturday when the reporter was at the scene. This is a problem of not checking numbers and not looking at the big picture.
Does it make sense that only 7,000 people attended the fair each day? How big is this medieval fair? The editor should have compared attendance to previous years to make sure the numbers matched up. A quick phone call to the fair’s organizers could have prevented this issue.
This incident is an example of skeptical editing. An editor should be especially careful when it comes to numbers. These mistakes are easily made, and they make the organization look foolish. I think all editors should have a skeptical editing checklist next to their desks to look at each time they work.
Former model killed 3 musicians with car in bid to end her life, prosecutors say
It was July 14, 2005—lunch hour in Chicago.
Three local musicians who worked day jobs together at an audio electronics company were stopped at a traffic light in a Honda Civic in a suburb north of the city.
A 23-year-old former model, who police said was trying to kill herself, ran three red lights and slammed the musicians from behind in her red Mustang convertible at a speed authorities estimated at 70 miles per hour.
Both cars flew on impact and each landed crushed upside-down on the pavement, witnesses said.
The three young men died. The ex-model, named Jeanette Sliwinski, walked away with a broken ankle.
Today, more than two years later, her murder trial begins.
"The one thing that would have brought this thing to closure would have been had she been successful in what she set out to do that day,'' said Dave Meis, the older brother of victim Douglas Meis.
Sliwinski's lawyers have denied that she was attempting suicide. Her current attorney did not return a call seeking comment on the case.
The crash and subsequent arrest brought Sliwinski internet infamy. Blogs and websites have posted modeling pictures of Sliwinski after she was arrested. (Click here for pictures.)
Last semester, I took a class called Reporting and Writing for Online. Every week I had to post two entries to my blog, but I would not receive full credit unless I included at least one link. Although I found the task annoying, I learned the importance of linking.
Linking can be used as a tool by news organizations. If an image is too sensitive to publish, a link can be provided online for those viewers who want to see it. This alternative prevents children from accidentally seeing impressionable images on newspapers or television. News editors can even print an easy link on a print newspaper for viewers who would like to see an image that was not printed on the paper. Linking to the proper sites can also enhance articles by giving readers background knowledge on the subject.
To be effective, links must be precise. First of all, it is important to link to a pop-up window so that the reader does not leave the current page. The idea of linking is not to take the reader elsewhere but to enhance content by providing support. Also, including the right amount of links is tricky. If you link too much, the reader’s eyes can get tired and the content might seem unoriginal. If you link too little, the content might seem incomplete or unsupported.
It is also important that the reader understands where the link will send him. The link’s destination specified over the original text. Lastly, news websites should not link to unofficial pages or sources of information because it will cause them to lose credibility.
The article above is an example of how a link was used incorrectly. The article links to an unofficial blog with pictures of the model. However, those pictures do not enhance the article in any way. Also, the text “Click here for pictures” is unprofessional and does not indicate what kinds of pictures it will show. Maybe some readers would not like to see half-naked pictures of the model, especially if they are in a public area. Unprofessional links damage the organization’s reputation and should be avoided at all times.
