Reflecting over the semester…

There is much that I have learned about  myself as a writer and about my writing over the past semester in this class. I think that while I still have a lot to improve on, I have improved in some ways. I feel that I have gotten better at interviewing sources and making sure to get a variety and quantity of sources for each story. I also think that I have gotten better at getting good content for my pieces.

I think that I can improve on the overall quality of my writing. When I finish a story, I often feel like it is not as creative or ‘good’ as I would like it to be. I think that I have the mechanics of writing a good piece down but need to work on going that extra mile and making my story that much better.

I was surprised to find out that I am actually NOT alone in improving my writing. I think many other students in my class are also good mechanical writers, but we could all afford to improve on editing our stories and strive to produce the best possible stories that we can.  I truly believe that every writer can improve on his or her writing. There are so many areas to improve in and there really is not a perfect writer out there (at least I don’t think there is…)

It’s been fun. So long for now!

Happy Holidays!

Cathy

What role does social media play in the future of journalism?

With social media on the rise, the question of how this will affect journalism lingers in many of our minds. According to an article on Mashable.com by Vadim Lavrusik, all media will eventually have a social element to it. In addition, Lavrusik believes that reporting will become more of a collaborative effort between journalists and sources. Read below to find out more about the future of social media in journalism…

– Bloggers will become more important to reporting because they will be seen as more valid sources.

– The social media community will be consulted more in reporting.

– Journalists will have to find their own role in gathering news from social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.

– Journalists will be challenged to produce more engaging content in stories on social platforms.

– Reporting will have to be adjusted for other up-and-coming social networks like Tumblr and Foursquare.

 

You just never know what the future holds…

Cathy

Job search from home through social media

Finding a job out-of-state can be a very difficult process that involves a lot of time and money.  This doesn’t have to be stressful anymore though, because you can use social media to land yourself that dream job that is far away. A writer on Mashable.com, Dan Klamm, put out an article called How Social Media Can Help With Your Long Distance Job Search. In his piece, Klamm gives several tips on how to use social media to job search anywhere!

1. Stay On Top of Local News

– Use Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date on the latest news in the area in which you are job hunting.

– In addition, follow local personalities and leaders.

2. Grow Your Professional Network

– Use LinkedIn to network with other people at different companies and develop contacts in the city that you are looking to be employed in.

– Alumni connections can also be very useful in your job search.

3. Find Job Postings

– More and more companies are posting job openings on LinkedIn and Twitter.

– Visit twitjobsearch.com to find out which Twitter accounts post jobs that are in your particular field.

4. Save Money on Travel

– In order to save money on travel for job interviews, find travel providers through social media and you can possibly receive discounts or promo codes to use.

– This can potentially save you money on airfare as well as on lodging!

**Be sure to keep this advice in mind when starting your job search in another city or state!

Cathy

Celebrities die on Twitter for charity

I was SHOCKED to read that Kim Kardashian had died on Twitter the other day. The post read,

“@kimkardashian is dead. Watch Kim Kardashian’s last Tweet and Testament here – http://bit.ly/8ZArQq #BUYLIFE”

So… Kim Kardashian didn’t ACTUALLY die… just digitally. Why, you might ask? Well, she wasn’t the only one. Other celebrities including Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga and Usher also “died” in order to raise money for the charity Keep a Child Alive.  This charity is a non-profit organization that raises money to supply children who have AIDS in Africa and India with medication and also daily essential items. The goal of this project was to raise $1 million for the organization and celebs were only brought ‘back to life’ if enough donations were made on their behalf. In less than a week, the goal amount of $1 million was reached.

It is pretty remarkable to think that using a social media tactic such as this one to do some good actually worked and will benefit so many sick children. I think that these kinds of campaigns should be used more often, seeing that they work so well. Just think about how much money we could raise for the less fortunate and sick if we continue to use social media as a platform for charity donations.

People are still able to donate towards the cause and can do so by visiting www.buylife.org.

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world” ~ Mahatma Ghandi

Cathy

Tumblr: The new world of blogging

While I should’ve been studying the other night, I decided to set up a Tumblr account instead. Tumblr is a form of blogging that allows people to upload pictures, movies, links, quotes, etc. to a blog to share with others. It allows people to create their own personalities through blogging. It’s convenient because it’s a quicker form of blogging so it’s easier to update your blog more frequently.

It’s nice because “the tone is a lot more conversational,” as said by Mark Coatney, Media Evangelist at Tumblr in a New York Times article last August. There are even some features on Tumblr that Twitter and Facebook don’t have. For example, Tumblr doesn’t show how many followers a user has. In addition, it is very easy to customize because you can add advertisements to your page and you even have your own custom domain name. It’s also a great way to network with others because it has built-in networking elements.

While you might be afraid to try this new blogging platform, I think that you should give it a try! What do you have to lose?! It’s a fun new form of social media that is catching on with many people. Today, Tumblr is up to over 10 million blogs and over 2 billion posts! That’s pretty awesome for only being around for three years!

So, take a chance and join Tumblr!

Cathy

P.S. Follow me at cathylevett.tumblr.com

Refinery29’s guide to becoming a successful style blogger

One of my favorite fashion blogs, Refinery29, put out a guide to becoming a successful style blogger titled How To Become A Star Style Blogger. This step-by-step guide will help to get you noticed in the fashion blogging world. While some of these tips seem sort of outlandish, others actually look doable. This post is of particular interest to me because I have my own personal style blog, It’sJustMyStyle. I could really use these pointers to improve my blog because it’s still in the beginning stages and so has a long ways to come before it gets noticed. I hope someday to be recognized by one of the top fashion blogs. That would honestly be a DREAM for me!

I would describe myself as the “vainglorious 20-something with a shopping habit” (minus the “vainglorious” part). Looks like I need to join Tumblr and change my post titles to “obscure rock song lyrics.” I think I could try out red lipstick and possibly nail art… oh and the “What Am I Wearing” pose. But I’m going to have to get a better camera and brush up on my Photoshop skills. This should be interesting… but well worth it!

Hopefully after doing all of these things I will become a star style blogger too (or at least a better blogger!)

Cathy

Why can’t it always be light out?

“I don’t want it to be dark right now. I wish it was daytime,” she said. “I wish it was daytime for the rest of my life. The night is just too hard.”

Some things in life are just too hard to imagine happening.  A death of a loved one, the death of a husband. This is something that no one wishes upon another, but unfortunately it is reality for some people. This is an expected event when one goes into the military field but still, this does not make it any easier to lose someone.

In “The Final Salute” by Jim Sheeler, Katherine Cathey loses her husband, Sgt. Gavin Conley, while on the job as a Marine. Cathey was pregnant and obviously shocked and helpless when she received the news.

I can’t imagine having to report, as a journalist, on an event such as this one. How can one spin such a catastrophe into a sorrowful event? I feel like this would be nearly impossible to do (or to do well.) I give these journalists much credit to embarking on such a hard task. I have a new found respect for them and hope that if I ever have to to do the same, that I can do half as well as them.

Cathy