Reflecting on studying Online Journalism

As my last post for the semester, I feel it would only be appropriate for me to reflect on what I have learned while studying Online Journalism 1 and what I think I can expect in the future from journalism. 

Firstly, I have realised the dedication it takes to maintain a blog. I thought it would be easy to find something to write about each week, but sometimes I got distracted by other things and sometimes I just completely lacked motivation. I did find the lecture about blogging by Nikki Parkinson the most interesting, as it was definitely something I could see myself doing in the future. It proved that I could combine a journalism job with a particular interest of mine and make a work!

I have learned, or reaffirmed to myself, that my weaknesses do lie in news journalism. If it is something I decide I am passionate about in future, I will need to work on how I perform under pressure. I get too stressed to perform at my best. 

I think the most valuable part of this unit was learning how to use Twitter and other social media platforms, and how they can help you by creating an online profile and showcasing what you are able to do. I strongly believe that the future of journalism will eventually all move to online in one form or another. With applications on iPhones and iPads, news websites and social media websites people will no longer need to pick up a hard copy of the newspaper or magazine. It’s easy and it’s convenient for those who are on the go or just want to check the latest headlines. 

However, I can’t discount journalism in its other forms just yet! I need to be able to get a job, and I think it’s best to be open minded.

iPhone apps every journalist needs

You’ve heard about the benefits having a smart phone can give you as a journalist. But the way to truly make the most of it is to take advantage of the huge range of applications available to smart phone users! I have selected five iPhone apps that will give you an edge against other journalists. And best of all, they’re free!

Instagram: 

My choice for taking and editing photos is Instagram. To be fair, it’s no photoshop, however it does the basics. The best part about Instagram is that it is linked to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. So you can quickly snap a photo and post it immediately through social media! Your photos are not only stored on your Instagram profile, but also the original and edited copies are stored on your phone. 

Qik:

Just taking photos isn’t enough? Qik allows you to shoot and edit video, then share through social media websites. Made by Skype, you can also record video conversations, which might come in handy when you are stuck for an interview at the last minute! That is definitely a last resort, though!

Cinchcast:

Audio and a picture can still be effective in telling a story. Cinchcast allows you to capture and publish a sound recording of any length. Once your clip is recorded, you have the ability to attach an image and text. Recordings from Cinchcast can be published on any website or blog, shared directly to Facebook or Twitter, emailed to contacts or even synced to iTunes! 

Dropbox:

Now that you have your photos, video, audio and of course your main story, you need somewhere you can store all of these files and have access to them across multiple devices. Enter, Dropbox. Dropbox allows you to save files to your account then access them from computers, iPhone and iPad. Extremely convenient when you are on the go! Added bonus is that you have your files automatically saved to your account, so if you are having technical difficulties with one device, you can easily access what you need from another. 

Wordpress:

Everything all ready to be published? You need Wordpress. With Wordpress you are able to publish posts with photos and text to your blog from your iPhone or iPad. No need to email documents back and forth to get a story published!

So no excuses! Get out there and use all the resources you have at your disposal. A piece of advice for you before you decide to go on location and begin your story: familiarise yourself with these applications beforehand! You don’t want to be stuck not knowing how to record a video or save a file.

Parking at Indooroopilly Shopping Centre turning away customers

By 9 am the car park at Indooroopilly Shopping Centre is already full.

Customers are choosing not to shop at Indooroopilly Shopping Centre during the $450 million redevelopment due to a lack of parking.

Shopper Doug Green says he would rather shop online than go to Indooroopilly Shopping Centre.

“I don’t have to worry about parking if I shop online,” he says. 

“I get incredibly frustrated whenever I have to park at the shopping centre.

“I’m not going to travel to stores that aren’t close to parking, and there isn’t much available at the moment.”

Kate Kernahan agrees there is no longer adequate parking at the centre.

“There are next to no car parks, and I need somewhere to park my car,” she says.

“It’s just inconvenient.

“I will probably shop at Mt Ommaney over Christmas.”

Miss Kernahan says there is not enough information about where existing shops have moved to.

“It’s really confusing,” she says.

“I spent a good hour looking for Lowes the other day, only to find it had moved down two levels.”

Lisa Morris, an employee at a large department store in Indooroopilly Shopping Centre, says customers have a negative attitude towards shopping at Indooroopilly.

“A lot of the centre has been cut off, meaning customers aren’t able to find store they were looking for,” she says.

“Many of the low price stores have closed, such as Harvey Norman, Crazy Clarks and Best and Less.”

Miss Morris says many customers complain about the parking at the centre.

“The parking is atrocious,” she says.

“On weekends, we have staff directing customers to areas where they are able to park.”

Many customers are choosing to shop elsewhere to avoid parking at Indooroopilly Shopping Centre.

She says this has impacted the number of customers shopping at her store, resulting in a loss of profits.

“We have had nearly a 10 per cent loss of sales since the beginning of the renovations,” she says.

“Customers are choosing to shop at Mt Ommaney and Toowong instead of our store.”

Leading up to the Christmas period, Miss Morris is worried her store will not be able to reach sales targets.

“I’m very concerned,” she says.

“There won’t be a lot of parking available and there aren’t many shops in the centre, so people will choose to go elsewhere.”

Centre Management were contacted but declined to comment.

The redevelopment of Indooroopilly Shopping Centre includes a new David Jones and Woolworths, and an addition of 120 new specialty stores.

It will include the addition of 900 more car parks.

The expansion is expected to be completed in 2014.

More information on the redevelopment of Indooroopilly Shopping Centre can be found at: http://www.indooroopillyshopping.com.au/redevelopment/index.php?id=1 

Timeline of how construction has progressed so far.

Is your smartphone key to your success as a journalist?

As an Apple fan girl, I cannot begin to tell you how much I love my iPhone. Aside from the basic communication functions, a smartphone can be an incredibly useful tool for a journalist. Here are my top three reasons why!

1. You have the internet in your pocket. 

With access to the internet, you have access to a surplus of information that will help you when it comes to writing a story. Need to do a background check on someone on your way to an interview? No problem, whip out your smart phone and quickly search in Google for their details. If you are covering an event that is ongoing, it may be useful to catch up on what has happened so far by visiting news websites such as news.com.au or ABC News. As Marissa Calligeros told us a couple of weeks ago, speed and accuracy are crucial in news journalism. So don’t spell someone's name incorrectly if you aren’t sure, check online and avoid embarrassment when you are later corrected.  

2. You have instant access to social media platforms.

Again with the speed! With the ability to access social media sites and applications such as Twitter, Facebook and Google +, you could be the first one to post a short grab about a breaking news event. I’ll refer back to my example about Lauren Jackson being announced as the flag bearer for Australia at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The journalists at the conference were able to tweet the news seconds after the announcement was made.

3. You have the ability to post your story while still on the job. 

Think of what this means for you! Your story about a breaking news event could be the first one posted out of every journalist covering the same topic! While it is hard to type away on that small screen with just your thumbs, there are options for wireless keyboards (Apple sells one for $75, however there are many alternatives on the market). Email your story to your employer or post instantly via blogging websites.

As with all technology, it can’t always relied upon. So best to take your trusty notebook and pen as well!

How to become a successful freelance journalist

Blogging has been on the brain. Although, I don’t know if it is something that I can completely commit to. And this is where freelancing comes into play. Freelancing is doing bit of work here and there for personal purposes or, as Nikki Parkinson of Styling You also mentioned in her lecture, for earning a bit of extra pocket money on the side.

After searching around the World Wide Web about freelance journalism, I came across an article written by Matthew Stibbe about how to become a freelance journalist. The now CEO of Articulate Marketing and Turbine, editor of  Golf Hotel Whiskey and writer of the Forbes Aviator column previously worked for five years as a freelancer, publishing for various UK business magazines, Wired and Popular Science. While the article is slightly out of date and does not take into account the use of social media, it still provided many useful tips on how to become a successful freelance journalist. I have narrowed the article down to the three most important points:

Firstly, you need to have the journalistic skills in order to write for a publication. To gain these skills, Matthew recommends reading and writing LOTS. By reading a large range of magazines, newspapers and websites you can get an idea of publications you may like to target in the future, the style and tone in which articles are written and you may even find an idea for a story of your own. And of course the best way to improve your writing skills is to keep on practicing! 

Secondly, find one or two subjects that you feel confident in writing about. “You’ll do better as a freelance journalist if you specialise,” Matthew says. I had a think about what subjects I would write about, and I have come down to food (I love cooking and trying new recipes) and travel (I have done quite a bit of travelling and am always interesting in going somewhere new). It’s always going to be easier to write an article about something you know about and are interested in!

Finally, you need to be able to market yourself and your work! Just as Matthew says, in order to have your stories read you need to be able to market them appropriately. Before approaching a publication, research the style and tone of their publication and the types of stories that they have recently published. When you have a better understanding of what they are looking for, you will be able to make a better pitch. Build relationships with a smaller group of editors rather than a large group, as they are more likely to remember you when you submit work. Matthew suggests creating a website to showcase your work and establish yourself in the online community. 

Of course, now that social media is becoming more prevalent in the journalism community, it is important to establish yourself using various platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. However, these tips are helpful as a starting point when it comes to freelance journalism. By having a large portfolio of published articles and clearly demonstrating your networking skills, you become increasingly appealing to future employees. So I had better start writing!