This blog

So I still haven't heard from anyone at the Akron Digital Media Center, but I plan to call again first thing Monday and  hopefully everything will work out with that. This blog really changed from what I thought it would be about. It took some twists and turns I didn't expect and at times it was hard to write because I didn't know what to do with it because I didn't really know what I was doing. To be a journalist or not to be a journalist? That was the question. Life after graduation is a VERY  scary thought and this detour from my plan shook my confidence. I can't say that I'm not still scared out of my mind, but I'm going to keep pursuing it because this is all I've wanted to do the last two years, and even if it doesn't work out exactly the way planned at least I will have gone for it, and who knows where that will lead. I entered college thinking if you had a plan and stuck to it you would know exactly what you wanted to do and where you would go. Now as I prepare to exit I realize life is not that simple. You have to just go with it and experience all you can and learn all you can  because you never know how things are going to unfold. While I am sure I will have a hard time constantly living by that philosophy over the next six months,  I will try this relaxed  approach to my impending graduation.

In the real world, the right thing never happens in the right place and the right time.  It is the job of journalists and historians to make it appear that it has.  ~Mark Twain
(for more quotes about journalism go here)

Still waiting

So I was told by my advisor to call the Akron Digital Media Center about my internship since they hadn't gotten in touch with me yet and the semesters almost over. I called today and left a message, but this waiting is making me nervos.I'm really excited about the opportunity and I will be upset if I don't get it.  I just found their Youtube channel. They have a lot of videos.

Buchtelite umbrella

 This a random post, but in movies and TV I've seen people use newspapers as  make ship umbrellas.  I tried and the Buchtelite does not make a good one. After about two blocks it lost its structural integrity. It didn't keep me dry and left me with newsprint all over the my hands. I should have checked the weather before I left for school. I found this interesting website that features an Eco- Brolly, which I guess are different items that are turned into umbrellas. It's pretty cool check it out. 

Newsweek and the Daily Beast: Trouble in paradise?

I’ve been keeping up with this Daily Beast- Newsweek thing because I find this union very interesting. I found a blog post from the New York Times  that criticizes the merger. It brought up some interesting points as to why this might not work. I’m not sure what is going to happen, but it will definitely be interesting to see if this is the start of a new successful trend or a business failure 

A Newsweek and The Daily Beast marriage

So I think it’s very interesting that Newsweek and The Daily Beast are merging.  This is a very fascinating development. This could be the start of a trend of established news outlets teaming up with online venues. It will be intriguing to see what comes out of this. Tina Brown, the editor of The Daily Beast, said this about the merger, “The metabolism of The Daily Beast will help power the resurgence of Newsweek and Newsweek amplifies the range of talent and audience The Daily Beast can reach. The two entities together offer writers, photographers and marketers a powerful dual platform." Here is more from that article.

Internship in limbo

I emailed my internship advisor today because I’m still waiting to hear about my internship with the Akron Digital Media Canter. It’s getting closer and closer to the end the semester and I’m getting more and more anxious to hear about it. Their website is down for maintenance and has been the last few times I’ve checked so I can’t even find out more information about it. I hope I hear something soon.

One of these things is not like the other; one of these just doesn't belong

I’m confused. I picked up an issue of the Buchtelite and something just didn’t seem right. The story above the fold was about the National Society of Leadership and Success and the article below was a well written piece about adult students on campus; the part that is confusing me is the pictures placed between the two stories. There are two photos of the Barry Lefkowitz Billiards Tournament. After several readings of both articles I can’t seem to figure out which story they are suppose to go along with. Neither article mentions the tournament nor Barry Lefkowitz and the cutlines of the photos describe the tournament, but don’t link it to either story in any way.  Neither of the stories jump. There is one other story on the page, but it’s about Tosh.O, and can’t be related. I’ve stop several times while typing this to read the articles over again because this just seems like a weird arraignment. I feel like I must be missing something because if there’s connection I can’t see it. This is just weird. Pick up a copy and see if you can figure it out.    

School of Communication article

The Buchtelite had an article about the School of Communication in Thursday’s paper. It talked about the accomplishments of the school, and how despite these achievements it is not well known. I thought it was a great article. If you’re interested pick up a copy or read it on the website (by the way, the website has been redone and looks very nice).  

Waiting with anticipation

So I still haven’t been contacted by the Akron Digital Media Center about my internship. I’m finding that the more I wait the more I’m interested and want the internship. I did some more research. I found a description of the workshops; it seems very well put together and interesting. The workshops are introducing areas of journalism that I don’t have any background in, like video editing, and that is exciting.

If you are interested in finding out more about the workshops, here is the link. I also found a YouTube video about one of the workshops. 

Buchtelite revisited

I picked up a copy of the Buchtelite today. I haven’t read it much since I stopped working there, but today it caught my eye. The design and layout has been a work in progress since the beginning of the semester. Today’s paper really demonstrated that development. It looks very crisp and clan today. The type is very tight and well organized. I'm looking at the first issue of the year on the wall above my desk and there is definitely a change in the look. 

Not only has the look improved, but the stories in today's paper were good quality as well.I thought the articles about the ROTC and the trunk-or-treat were particularly interesting.   I think it looks really good and I’m interested to see the continuing evolution of the paper.

So go pick up a copy or go to the website.