1. I enjoy reading. I consume a lot of books and magazines. Yes, +2
2. Writing is fun and rewarding. And I'm confident that people genuinely enjoy the stuff I write. Yes, +3
3. I am lousy at spelling. My grammar and punctuation ain't so great, neither. No, +2
4. I'm technologically skilled enough to shoot video, download files from the Web, post photos online, etc. Very yes, +1.
5. I can organize my ideas and write quickly when I need to. Yes, +3
6. I'd make a good game-show contestant because I'm good at remembering facts and trivia. Yes, +2.
7. I'm efficient and self-sufficient when it comes to doing tedious library or Internet research. Yes, +2.
8. I'm generally more curious than most people I know. Yes, +3.
9. In public situations, I'm pretty shy. I avoid asking questions in class, for instance. No, +2.
10. I think it's unpartriotic to dispute or criticize government officials. No, +1.
11. When I choose a career, I'll need a stable, 9-to-5 job where my workday is routine and I make big money. No, +3.
12. If I really want something, I'm tenacious until I get it. Yes, +3.
13. When I'm under pressure, I'm able to stay calm and focused without losing my temper. Yes, +1.
14. Whenever people criticize what I say or do, it really annoys me. Who do those people think they are? No, +2.
Well. It looks like I'm destined to be a journalist. Never thought my fate would be sealed via textbook.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
LATE/REVISION: Student Journalists' News Attitude Survey
1) I think news stories usually contain inaccuracies and distortions.
2) I prefer to get my news through a combination of text and images.
3) Generally, I think the government should do as little as possible to restrict what the news media publish.
4) The president is assassinated. I would track developments online by monitoring news and listen to radio news and talk shows.
5) Which of these people do you consider to be journalists? Katie Couric
6) In general, the news is biased in favor of neither. (I would have put "both" because it largely depends on where you're looking, but since it wasn't an option I didn't.)
7) If you hear conflicting versions of a news story, which version would you most likely believe? The national TV news
8) Which of these adjectives would you generally use to describe most news today? Boring, useful, depressing, sensationalized, negative.
9) How often do you generally watch TV news? Occasionally.
10) How often do you generally read newspapers? Never.
11) How often do you generally read news online? Several times a week.
12) A news reporting career seems like it would be rewarding, frustrating, and important.
Confidential Sources
In the given scenario, where if I had to be given a choice between revealing an anonymous sources or not, my decision would largely depend on the circumstances of the case. If I wrote a piece of reporting that resulted in a criminal investigation, there would be many more variables involved in the situation than I can currently consider.
Which of these statements do you most agree with?
1) I prefer news that is as neutral and objective as possible. I resent it when journalists inject their own opinions into stories.
2) Neither.
3) Journalists don't do enough to challenge public figures and expose governmental problems.
4) I generally feel that most news stories have little relevance to my life.
5) Neither.
6) Generally, I prefer to read news about serious issues and major events.
2) I prefer to get my news through a combination of text and images.
3) Generally, I think the government should do as little as possible to restrict what the news media publish.
4) The president is assassinated. I would track developments online by monitoring news and listen to radio news and talk shows.
5) Which of these people do you consider to be journalists? Katie Couric
6) In general, the news is biased in favor of neither. (I would have put "both" because it largely depends on where you're looking, but since it wasn't an option I didn't.)
7) If you hear conflicting versions of a news story, which version would you most likely believe? The national TV news
8) Which of these adjectives would you generally use to describe most news today? Boring, useful, depressing, sensationalized, negative.
9) How often do you generally watch TV news? Occasionally.
10) How often do you generally read newspapers? Never.
11) How often do you generally read news online? Several times a week.
12) A news reporting career seems like it would be rewarding, frustrating, and important.
Confidential Sources
In the given scenario, where if I had to be given a choice between revealing an anonymous sources or not, my decision would largely depend on the circumstances of the case. If I wrote a piece of reporting that resulted in a criminal investigation, there would be many more variables involved in the situation than I can currently consider.
Which of these statements do you most agree with?
1) I prefer news that is as neutral and objective as possible. I resent it when journalists inject their own opinions into stories.
2) Neither.
3) Journalists don't do enough to challenge public figures and expose governmental problems.
4) I generally feel that most news stories have little relevance to my life.
5) Neither.
6) Generally, I prefer to read news about serious issues and major events.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Siemens calls it quits on the nuclear industry
Behemoth engineering company Siemens decided to step away from nuclear power in light of the recent Fukushima meltdown. They hold the reputation of being the company that built all of Germany's power plants. Chief executive Peter Loescher said that there is a "clear positioning" that puts much of German society against nuclear energy. A planned joint-venture with Rosatom, a Russian nuclear energy company, has been cancelled as a result. However, the company plans to continue its business in the power industry and will allow the components they build to be used in power plants that are built in the future.
As the Fukushima incident falls farther into the past, its repercussions become clearer and clearer. Wanting to avoid a similar tragedy, Siemens is protecting itself by reducing the chance of more possible liabilities. With the world giving nuclear energy the stink eye, a huge company that has its hands in the industry is no doubt under a lot of scrutiny. Wanting to protect their hides is definitely a move that's understandable. What's more striking to me is how quickly Germany is poising itself to move away from nuclear energy and whether or not other countries will follow suit. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that by 2022 all the nuclear reactors in Germany will be shut down. If their efforts prove successful, Germany could end up setting an example for the entire world on how to become a properly green country. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on similar news stories and seeing where it goes.
As the Fukushima incident falls farther into the past, its repercussions become clearer and clearer. Wanting to avoid a similar tragedy, Siemens is protecting itself by reducing the chance of more possible liabilities. With the world giving nuclear energy the stink eye, a huge company that has its hands in the industry is no doubt under a lot of scrutiny. Wanting to protect their hides is definitely a move that's understandable. What's more striking to me is how quickly Germany is poising itself to move away from nuclear energy and whether or not other countries will follow suit. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that by 2022 all the nuclear reactors in Germany will be shut down. If their efforts prove successful, Germany could end up setting an example for the entire world on how to become a properly green country. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on similar news stories and seeing where it goes.
Fog Index
For my Fog Index, I took an excerpt of my writing that I wrote about a video game that I failed miserably at.
"That was it. I rose from my seat and staggered my way towards the door. It seems I had somehow injured my foot in the chaos, so I alternated between dragging it and limping my tattered self down the stairs. The cool tiles felt almost refreshing on the soles of my feet upon my arrival to the kitchen. As I made my way towards the fridge, I passed a mirror in which I caught a fleeting glimpse of my haggard, slack-jawed self. Bloodshot eyes with bags under them, not only from the late nights but the late nights of failure, beard untrimmed and out of control, hair ruffled from bouts of frustration – I was a mess. With shaking hands, I open the fridge in search of refreshment. Soda? No. Orange juice? Uh uh. V8? I wish. All that stood on the platform that should be housing at least four different drinks for my consuming pleasure was a towering carton of milk and a pitcher of water. I’ve had water my whole life so I opted for the milk. I wearily search for a cup that wasn’t in the dish washer and after a good minute of meandering around the place I find one. A bit large but it’ll do. I pour myself a glass, set myself down on the nearest chair, and knock back my dairy product. With the faintest trace of a milk ‘stache, I took this time to begin some introspection..."
The Fog Index calls for a 100 word excerpt, so I cut down the size of the paragraph. After calculating it, my findings were that I averaged about 12 words per sentence with 1.4 words being considered "hard". This ultimately lead me to the Fog Index of 5.36. Frankly, I was surprised that the number wasn't lower as I feel like my writing can be quite basic at times. Aside from that, I also think it's a neat way to see where different pieces of writing stand a bit more objectively than just a normal read and response. This test will hopefully allow me to expand my diction beyond what I'd normally use and hoepfully I'll bring my Fog Index up a couple notches.
"That was it. I rose from my seat and staggered my way towards the door. It seems I had somehow injured my foot in the chaos, so I alternated between dragging it and limping my tattered self down the stairs. The cool tiles felt almost refreshing on the soles of my feet upon my arrival to the kitchen. As I made my way towards the fridge, I passed a mirror in which I caught a fleeting glimpse of my haggard, slack-jawed self. Bloodshot eyes with bags under them, not only from the late nights but the late nights of failure, beard untrimmed and out of control, hair ruffled from bouts of frustration – I was a mess. With shaking hands, I open the fridge in search of refreshment. Soda? No. Orange juice? Uh uh. V8? I wish. All that stood on the platform that should be housing at least four different drinks for my consuming pleasure was a towering carton of milk and a pitcher of water. I’ve had water my whole life so I opted for the milk. I wearily search for a cup that wasn’t in the dish washer and after a good minute of meandering around the place I find one. A bit large but it’ll do. I pour myself a glass, set myself down on the nearest chair, and knock back my dairy product. With the faintest trace of a milk ‘stache, I took this time to begin some introspection..."
The Fog Index calls for a 100 word excerpt, so I cut down the size of the paragraph. After calculating it, my findings were that I averaged about 12 words per sentence with 1.4 words being considered "hard". This ultimately lead me to the Fog Index of 5.36. Frankly, I was surprised that the number wasn't lower as I feel like my writing can be quite basic at times. Aside from that, I also think it's a neat way to see where different pieces of writing stand a bit more objectively than just a normal read and response. This test will hopefully allow me to expand my diction beyond what I'd normally use and hoepfully I'll bring my Fog Index up a couple notches.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Scientists create glow-in-the-dark cats to help with AIDS because we totally needed that
In the name of science, more specifically AIDS studies, researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota genetically modified a group of cats so that they all literally glow in the dark. One of the genes is a restriction factor gene that helps protect against HIV/AIDS, or FIV in this case (feline immunodeficiency virus). The other is a fluorescent protein to help mark whether or not the gene "stuck". If the cat glows, the restriction factor gene is most likely working, too. The end goal is to help understand HIV by first understanding FIV. Dr. Eric Poeschla, the head researcher, hopes by proving that if cats can be helped this way then it's possible that we can protect humans as well. While only cells have been tested and proven to be resistant to FIV, the team plans to take the next step and expose the animals themselves and see if they can live.
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| Familiar with the girl from The Ring? |
Not only is the novelty of knowing that we are capable of taking the cutest internet pop culture sensation and making it emanate green extremely gratifying, it's important as it also happens to advance AIDS research. While what we have here isn't the next gigantic leap in medicine, it's still another step towards understanding and hopefully curing the condition. AIDS is a serious issue that will possibly take many more years, if not decades, to figure out. Creative solutions to understanding its nature are a welcome effort, especially if felines are involved.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Introductions
Why, hello there. Let me put my tea and top hat off to the side for now as I introduce myself. My name is Sami. Sam for short, Constantine for the crazy. This is a blog for my Journalism 61 class that I'm taking for my broadcast journalism major at San Jose State University. I spent two years attending community college at Diablo Valley College prior to this, getting my general ed done. While I'm being "classically" trained as a journalist, I hope to make my way into video game journalism where I would be allowed to be slightly more immature than your typical writer. It's a humble goal, I know, but a goal nonetheless. I'm aiming to find a job at IGN, where I'd be reviewing and previewing games, writing editorials, and traveling around the world attending video game expositions.
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