Lessons in "Reality" and Photojournalism

This week's topic for JN134-Photojournalism was "Law & Ethics," and it just so happens that we discussed several of the examples included in a post on 10,000 Words.

The photos provided a great starting point for an engaging discussion of ethics, Photoshop and decision-making. Specifically, we talked about the National Geographic image in which the staff "moved" the pyramids; TIME and it's portrayal of a "more menacing" O.J. Simpson (as if the touch-up was needed); and the L.A. Times soldier photo from Iraq.

My students were surprised that professionals would so cavalierly alter these images, and wondered why they were surprised by the strong reaction once the truth was told. When I asked them whether they thought the retouching offenses were serious enough to warrant those resonsible being fired, their response spoke volumes: "Well, duh!"

It gives me hope for the next generation of journalists, many of whom seem to "get it" when it comes to ethics.

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Must See: Register-Guard Slide Shows

The photo staff of the Eugene Register-Guard has done great work for years. These days some of their work best work resides in slide shows online.

The top feature right now is the Four-by-Mile Relay record set last week by the University of Oregon tracksters. Aerial art is another gem. Check it out!

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(Alison, thanks for the tip on this one ... Dad)

Cheap Thrills with Multimedia

As noted on 10,000 Words: "This is what happens when multimedia journalists have too much time on their hands."

You'll find all kinds of interesting multimedia at the site of its creator, Mark S. Luckie.

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Commuter Earns ONPA Web Site Award

Here's the news release by LBCC's Lori Fluge-Brunker on the Commuter staff awards from the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association, which presented the awards at last week's Collegiate Day at OSU:

Linn-Benton Community College’s student newspaper, The Commuter, won five awards at the annual Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association Collegiate Day held May 8 at Oregon State University.

The Commuter took first place for best Web site and second place for best cover design (breast cancer awareness - Lydia Elliott, Eve Bruntlett). Additional awards went to Commuter editor Gregory Dewar, who won second place for his editorial “WTF:ASG”; photo editor Lydia Elliott, who won second for her photos of President Obama’s Albany visit; and former opinion editor Brandon Goldner, who won second for best sports photo.

The event included 11 Oregon colleges that submitted 485 entries in 21 different categories. Entries in each category were judged in three divisions: four-year college or university daily newspapers; four-year college or university non-daily newspapers; and two- year college non-daily newspapers. The Commuter is a two-year college non-daily newspaper.

First- and second-place winners received certificates from ONPA. Portland-based ONPA hosts the annual awards for those Oregon college’s that are members of Oregon Collegiate Press.

Congratulations to everyone on the Commuter staff for a great year!

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Next Commuter Editor? It's Ryan Henson

Ryan Henson will be the next editor-in-chief of the Commuter, LBCC's student newspaper.

Henson's appointment was announced Wednesday afternoon by the Student Publications Committee, which interviewed applicants for the position.

Henson, a journalism student who also is involved in LBCC's Peace Studies program, currently serves as the Commuter's news editor.

The Commuter's current editor-in-chief, Greg Dewar, will wrap up his term as the newspaper's top editor with the June 3 edition. Henson and his staff then will begin their duties, starting with summer updates on the Commuter's Web site.

Henson can be contacted at the Commuter at 917-4451 or commuter@linnbenton.edu.

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(Photo credit: Becca Martino of the Commuter)

Commuter Heads to 'Collegiate Day' at OSU

Members of the Commuter staff will be at Oregon State University on Friday learning more about journalism and celebrating their accomplishments at the annual awards program put on by the Oregon Newspapers Foundation.

"Collegiate Day" this year will feature seminars on newspaper design, internships, online journalism, open records/meeting laws, and sports writing. It runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at OSU.

At the awards program the Commuter is seeking to improve upon last year, when it earned Second Place in General Excellence among the state's non-daily college newspapers.

The staff already has been notified that it has won awards in these categories: best online site, best graphic, best editorial, best spot news photo, best sports photo. On Friday afternoon the staff will learn whether those are First, Second or Third-place awards.

Good luck Commuters! You've done a great job this year!

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(Photo credit: "Trophy" by bernd ploderer, courtesy of Flickr.com)

First Twitter, Now Flutter

Be the first on your block to get in on Flutter, the "nanoblogging" ap that's sure to sweep the nation.

... and then there's ...

Watch Real Life Twitter on CollegeHumor

... and Twitter unites strangers on a train ...

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Who Needs Google When You Can Twitter?

So what's the big deal about Twitter? Mashable contributor Soren Gordhamer has some answers in "How Twitter Is Dethroning the Old Guard."

Gordhamer notes how the "next great social media site" may soon replace some of our most-used online actions, including searching for information, e-mail and even MySpace. He writes:

To the extent that Twitter will begin to truly rule these areas is unknown, but I think it’s hard to argue that it is not already having an impact.... Twitter is clearly riding the waves of our time, and could have an even more significant impact on social networks, search, and communication than it does today.

Noting the power of the Twitterverse, Gordhamer poses the question: Why look something up on Google when it's faster to get the answer from your Twitter followers? "As information becomes more social, Twitter provides both a community and a much more effective means of finding emerging news and content than Google does," he notes.

As for e-mail, its faster to send a tweet; and MySpace contains too many graphics and other information for a generation increasingly using mobile devices to connect.

Each day more of my students are signing up for and finding new uses for Twitter. It's time to devise a fun classroom experiment.

BONUS COVERAGE: Don't miss this list of Twitter "don'ts" by Sean Ludwig.

MORE BONUS COVERAGE: "Twitter's Hot, Sure, But What Does It All Mean?" by Peter Ames Carlin in The Oregonian.

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