Society of Professional Journalists U of Hawaii

the real world

2008-04-04T14:42:00.001-07:00

It's crazy to think that many of us are graduating this semester! I have mixed feelings, happy to finally be finished with homework and projects but sad because I'll miss just being a student..hanging with friends, using the "poor college student" excuse...now I have to get a job in the REAL WORLD! But what is the real world exactly? :)

As SPJ President this semester, I have been blessed in meeting other aspiring journalists with just as much passion for the field. We all sort of grew up together - from the early lessons from Professor Keever to the final projects in J402. Now we're going off into our separate ways...but I must admit, it will be exciting to see each other again out on the field!

2007-05-03T02:15:00.000-07:00

On the eve of UN World Press Freedom Day, being a journalist is more dangerous than ever.

Last post

2007-05-02T01:19:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

I am glad to report that we had a fairly productive year with SPJ. We have sold donuts, sponsored speakers, bought recording equipment for Ka Leo and SPJ to continue our podcasting and mingled with the pros. I have watched so many fine journalists join and leave our program and I hope this will continue with the next academic year.

Elections were held last meeting and I am happy to report Alyssa and Kumari have been elected as president and secretary. Ashley and Iz will remain vice president and tresurer. I know this group will do amazing things with the club and hopefully raise the bar even higher.

On a personal note, it has been an honor to be the SPJ president this year and I coudn't have asked for a better group of people to work with. Special thanks to prfessor Lillie for squeezing us in between his new baby and school. I also want to thank Iz, Ashley and Alyssa for their enthusiam and hard work to make this such a productive year.

I hope everyone enjoys their summer and keeps in touch. Make sure to check the blog, google group and email for more info on upcoming SPJ events.

Matt

podcast 1.3

2007-03-16T19:09:00.000-07:00

short and sweet by nate and iz. paste and copy in browser http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/uhtoday/podcasts/spj1.3.mp3

The Invisible Line of Objectivity

2007-03-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been challenged with the idea of objectivity, and how close its relationship is to the dividing line.
I covered a lecture by a world known Evolutionary Biologist, whose beliefs and teachings I did not even remotely agree with. Richard Dawkins is a very opinionated British man, that has no problem stating his case, and fighting it to the death, was the impression that I took from the encounter.
I am transparently a devoted creationist; and it seems this title, as not so subtly defined by Dawkins in his talks, is a derogatory name for an ignorant person. Dawson numerously name called creationists and their beliefs-all of them.
Reporting on this controversial subject
Listening to his lectures I couldn’t help but leave slightly amused, and puzzled by the view of the atheist. It was when I began to sit down and write that I realized by perspective would undoubtedly interfere with my reporting.
Normally covering a story that I have an opinion about could be easily taken-up by another writer, but in that situation I was the writer for the story and it had to be done.
Who else, than a faithful creationist, to give perspective to the story that would it give it credence? Religion, like that of other poll margin issues, is of the greatest importance to a majority of Americans, and definitely to the rest of the world. It had made sense to me finally, that if topics such as religious beliefs, sexual preference, social standings, abortion, and other serious controversial floating politics can not be discussed in a realistic forum in the news medium, the supposed objective form of journalism, than there is no other place for them.
With this in mind, I decided that my presuppositions of Dawkins were allowed. He was a representation of the people in all parts of the world with his same viewpoint, and I was the representative for the other half, and together giving into this bias openly, I could then become as impartial as possible and tell the Ka Leo audience, whom I guessed in this story would be attendees and would-be attendees to the lecture, the newsworthiness of the event, with my thoughts aside.
On a more personal note, I don’t think Dawkins thought much of me. I was kind casual and informal in my interview with him, I cant really help the style that I have developed here in Hawaii, and I think it scared him slightly considering his typical interviewees are professional journalists for large-scale newspapers. I came to this conclusion when he told me blatantly to ask him a more “sensible question.” Sensible. Haha! A word choice only a British would do, and hearing this made me laugh. Opps.

Ka Leo Week in Review II

2007-03-09T18:25:00.000-08:00

Here's the Ka Leo Week in Review for March 5-March 8. Enjoy!

Here it is!

Have a good weekend!

For Newspapers, the Web is Real...

2007-03-09T02:39:00.000-08:00

I'm the editor of a newspaper.

At one time, the word "newspaper" was a compound word: you're giving people news on paper.

Somewhere along the line, scrolling, watching videos and accessing articles through keywords from backdoor Google searches became the norm at Ka Leo, even if none of the editors really thought about it in the newsroom.

Our current readers -- members of the five-second news feed generation of the Internet Age -- have been jonesing for our online content since we first went offline in early February. And as time goes on, it seems like the withdrawal symptoms are worsening. Hawaii is addicted to point-and-click news and the indulgences of instant archive searching and GoogleAlerts, as well as the stream of letters and hearsay, have made it extremely apparent.

Even Ian Lind, an ex-journalist from the Star Bulletin, mentioned Ka Leo's offline status in a recent entry in his super-popular blog. People are asking for the Web site, including myself.

Wait, I think I'm getting ahead of myself. Rewind to August 2006: mtvU, a Viacom-owned brand and collegiate offshoot of MTV, purchases College Publisher, a company that publishes online versions of about 200 different college newspapers in the U.S. The move was mostly made to benefit the advertisers under the Viacom and MTV umbrella by providing a direct outlet to a collegiate demographic via college papers.

Scary, I know. This one company, this Viacom-owned company, is essentially monopolizing the collegiate newspaper market. And guess what? Ka Leo O Hawaii is a customer of College Publisher, leaving our online version essentially at the mercy of a multi-billion dollar media cannibal.

I just finished reading a blog (<-- it also lists the names of every College-Publisher/ MTV/ Viacom-owned college paper) by a former employee of New Digital Group (the company that formerly hosted www.kaleo.org and was eaten up by College Publisher) who shared that sentiment. He mentioned something about domain-acquisition that was a little past me, but his worry was warranted.

The first contract that College Publisher presented to Ka Leo at the beginning of this year really worried me. In it were terms that bled into editorial control and limited our advertising capabilities, including one term that prohibited us from writing about MTV and its bazillions of Viacom-owned affiliates. The terms seemed to go directly against some of the things that mtvU said in an FAQ press release, which stated: "mtvU shares College Publisher's respect for the importance and integrity of student journalism -- and will maintain a strict church/state separation between their content and the sites in the College Publisher network."

Haggling the terms was a difficult process, especially since the Church of Viacom was blessing us with free initial online services, but we have come to a reasonable agreement that gives us full editorial control online. Contract renegotiations should be complete by March 9, with the Web site coming up shortly after.

The redesign, although I drafted it a while ago, was also a lengthy process. I wanted to do it good on the first crack; College Publisher charges $100 per hour for any additions after the initial free job, and that's $100 that the UH Board of Publications doesn't currently have as they work toward off-campus printing negotiations and fund raising for a new press. And the company's definitely making bank on that, especially since they've waited until all of the major schools' sites were completed to release a bunch of new features, tempting schools to get $100/hour additions. But it's the contract that's been a pain in my side for so long.

It was right at the beginning of February, when our Web site first started going offline, that our Commentary Editor decided to write a commentary piece about the "social injustice" that he felt the Punahou Carnival supports. Predictably, we got a huge backlash, including 200-something comments on that one article online. There was even mention of it in the Star Bulletin by columnist and Punahou student parent John Heckathorn. When our Web site suddenly ceased, it really fanned the fire, leading people to believe that I was hiding something. It was far from and totally contrary to the truth. I wish people could have read and continued to comment on the article. I ended up custom-responding to more than 50 letters and quelling the situation within three weeks, but the situation underlined the evolving need for the Internet, especially as a public forum.

I agree with many other college editors and advisors that the mtvU acquisition is mostly a good thing. It will bring huge opportunites to our Adverising Department online and in print, although mtvU owns much of the advertising space online and even limits us to five ad spaces on top of their three (including two mtvU-affiliated ads above the scroll). It also provides us with online options that dwarf our previous Web sites', including a video player, blogs, a revamped archive system and an RSS feed.

But will those goodies make up for the freakoutedness that has plagued our staff writers and readers and the flak that I've received as a result? Not unless the profit we make with new ads can pay for years of therapy and a 24-pack of Rogaine.

In last year's October earthquake, it wasn't the shaking but the loss of power, phone lines and Internet that sent people into a panic. People are now totally plugged into the world, and they freak out when a circuit gets cut here and there. My laptop weighs 6 pounds, but I carry it with me like a beeper.

Look for Ka Leo O Hawaii online (www.kaleo.org) soon (and 'soon' is as specific as I can be).

-Matthew K. Ing

[P.S. - Can someone please find out what's up with the Advertiser's online archive? Their policy of restricting unpaid access to only seven days worth of content is frustrating.]

Who’s interviewing who?

2007-02-25T01:15:00.000-08:00

I wanted to say something about a recent interview I did for a story. It was for a profile on a member of the student activity fee board that also had information about the board too. First of all, it was very frustrating trying to track these people down, and secondly it was hard to get them to tell me the things I wanted to know.

My source for the club is a girl named Nichole, and she is an interesting person in many ways. I poked and prodded her brain, trying to get information about her as a person and how she fits in with her fellow members on the board. She was very down to earth when I spoke to her and seemed to have an artistic view of everything, which is not surprising since she is an art major.

When it was all said and done, I was putting away my recorder and capping my pen when she asked me, “well, tell ME something now…” I cocked my head to the side and asked her what she wanted to know. She told me she had just poured her thoughts out for me to hear and now wanted me to tell her some of my thoughts. I was very confused at this point because I wasn’t sure what she wanted me to talk about: Myself, the weather, what I thought about her job (or mine for that matter). I finally ended up giving her feedback on who I thought she was and how I thought she had a unique approach to her job on the board. She was pleased, I think, and went on her way.

The point of my little story is this: as journalists are we subject to questioning from our sources? I think we are. It is important to have answers for questions and not just questions that need answers when we’re out on those front lines seeking the truth. We need to know why were asking a question and be able to answer questions from our sources when they need clarification. I am not saying we need to prostrate ourselves to our sources and simply believe and agree with everything they say; but there needs to be a kind of respect between the two people. We need to be accountable for what we ask and be courteous to our sources when they ask for feedback.

Do you agree with me or am I crazy?

Surf and Journalism

2007-02-23T18:18:00.000-08:00

Since Iz wrote about his dream of one day writing for a video game magazine, I thought I'd write about something similar...writing for a surf magazine. While he enjoys playing video games (I think? No worries, I do, too...bowling on the Wii with my grandma), I enjoy surfing. I like to surf and often go every weekend and in the morning before class.

So what would be better than to write about the ocean, waves, sand, etc.? I ended up doing that a few years ago, writing for Makai Ocean Lifestyle Magazine. It was pretty cool, actually really cool - to write about all of the above and get paid! I was a poor high school student, and a little cash didn't hurt. I wrote a monthly profile on a water person in Hawaii.

The upside of writing about something you love would be (in my case, surfing): 1) meeting famous people (I met world champion longboarder BONGA PERKINS) 2) not having to dress up for an interview 3) taking a tan while interviewing someone 4) using surf jargon in writing.

But the downside would be that you don't get to expand beyond your comfort zone. The surfing community is pretty small in Hawaii, and everyone knows each other. So what happens when we run out of people to interview? Stories become repetitive, and the writer doesn't develop his or her skills. I think it's important to have a balance between comfortable stories and challenging, more investigative pieces. Makai is all about ads and pictures because it's given out for free at surf shops around the island. Therefore, I can't really write about a deadly jellyfish outbreak or land sales in Kakaako...it's strictly profiles..the flowery kine. That's why I believe Ka Leo complements Makai very well, where I can report on big issues to a broader audience in the university community.

My point is, it's definitely important to find your niche in writing and reporting - topics you are passionate about. But challenge yourself. Do a little bit of everything: hard news reporting, feature writing and even commentary.

K-den, shoots! :P

SJP Podcast URL

2007-02-16T17:00:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I gave Is the wrong URL for the podcast.
Here is the right one. Sounds good. Enjoy.

SPJ podcast episode 1.0

2007-02-16T16:26:00.000-08:00

Here it is, our first podcast episode. Please listen and comment through blogger, and be ready to discuss at next meeting.

http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/podcasts/spj1.0.mp3

It may not work properlly tough, professor lillie and i are still working out some bugs

Video game journalism

2007-02-12T20:39:00.000-08:00

In high school I used to dream of what it would be like to work for a video game magazine. It was the spark that led me to pursue journalism at UH manoa. But once I got into school and people started asking me what I wanted to do, I kind of forgot about it

I don't really tell people I want to write for a video game magazine. There are many reasons why, but the biggest is because I don't think enough people take it seriously. Unfortunately, there is a public perception that all they do is get paid to play video games all day. Kids write in asking how they can get jobs at gaming magazines.

People don't take into consideration that these publications are reporting on an industry the same way Rolling Stone reports on music. They follow court cases that have to deal with games and freedom of speech and expression (www.gamepolitics.com). They keep us up to date on company mergers and press releases, and keep a demographic informed on what they care about. Video game magazines and their websites have news, features, and editorials like any other journalistic publication.

Then there are game reviews and previews. While they spend several hours playing games, they play the good ones and the bad ones (and believe me, there are more bad than good). They do it because video games are expensive, and consumers need to how to spend their money. Those journalists are the eyes, ears, and hands of people that can't play those games. No one has the time or money to go through all of them. In a way, video game journalists protect gamers' wallets.

So years later, at the end of my journalism studies, I'm even more excited about it. Even though I only want to try it for a few years, I like how it's fitting into the whole "convergence" thing.

In the past few years video game journalism online has grown substantially. Sites have podcasts, video-podcasts, their own TV shows, and other things that will not only use the reporting and writing skills I've developed at UH, but also my web, photography, and editing talents.

It's something I look forward to doing.

The image of the journalist

2007-02-05T10:34:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody,

I was trying to decide what movie to rent the other day, thinking about motion pictures in general, and I realized that nearly every movie I have seen with journalists depicts them in a negative way. For some reason there is this idea of journalists as being sneaky sleaze-balls who will do anything to get information for self serving purposes. With a few exceptions, such as All the President's Men, motion pictures generally portray journalists as the bad guys, as if we are hindering the American way through our pesky questions.

Normally I could care less about a public image or what other people think about me, which has sometimes proved to be detrimental in my endeavors, but a journalist's image and trustworthiness are some of his/her most vital tools. How people view us will inevitably determine whether they take our words seriously or whether they would trust us with interpreting and dispersing information that they have to offer.

I'll cut this rant short before I get off topic, but I will end by saying that I think the job of reporting information to the public is a noble occupation and a necessary one in sustaining a successful democracy. The public tends to only remember the bad and the obvious, when journalists make mistakes or when they simply regurgitate information that was served to them on a silver platter, but a true reporter digs deep to uncover the truth with the intention of educating the masses, not self-gratification.

A victory (perhaps temporary) for Freedom of Information

2007-02-01T17:14:00.000-08:00

Aloha everyone,

As you might know if you've been following the news, two charges against Lt. Ehren Watada, the Honolulu native who is standing trial for his refusal to obey orders to fight in Iraq, have been dropped. This might take a couple years off whatever sentence the military decides to give him, but the decision revolved around a larger issue, and that is whether or not the military and the federal government have the right to force private journalists to disclose sources or information. Sarah Olson, a freelance journalist from Oakland, and Greg Kakesako from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin were sent subpoenas in December, stating that if they did not make available their interviews with Watada, they could face felony contempt of court charges, which carry a sentence of up to six months in prison.
Fortunately, the journalist community responded to this threat with widespread outrage, and editorials were written, petitions were signed and protests were held to such a degree that the Army was pressured to make the decision to drop the charges, which would drop the journalists' subpoenas as well.
The question is, how long will this victory last? Will the Federal Government eventually decide that the media needs to be an open resource and passes a law that forces journalists to disclose information in criminal trials? Our victory, and the media response this time is heartening, but will journalists continue to function as a coherent community with decisive clout?

The Lesson Today

2007-01-26T15:42:00.000-08:00

As SPJ-UH vice-president I hope this is the first of many posts that we will be able to read and stay connected. I hope we'll be able to learn from each other and keep on being pro-active as the club grows.

As the first post I was going to write about my journey of finding an internship. But an experience today inspired me to write about something else.

I received an e-mail from an administrative officer saying a story I wrote recently printed in the KaLeo was the worst he had ever read about an institution he works at. The reason for it was,b it was filled with inaccuracies and the views expressed were of those with "...a distorted perception of what we are doing." At first, I felt really bad. I mean, he's an administrator and I'm JUST a student feeling my way around the world of journalism. My first reaction was to throw away my pen and take up something that didn't anger people like massage therapy (nothing against it, my mom is a C.M.T).

But then after talking to a few people I realized I should take his e-mail attacking me as a compliment. Hey! He read my story! He claimed it was inaccurate information but I got it from certified documents and there were none publicly available to update the information that was written. Here's the funny part. I contacted him a week before my deadline to get his point of view and clarification on the information I had because he was the source with the most knowledge of my story.

Whether he didn't take me seriously or what not. I didn't get a reply on time for my deadline. I then asked for an extension and called his office twice and still no reply. It was not until after my story was sent in did I receive an e-mail with his reply that night. The office said they had sent it but for whatever reason my e-mail address never received it. (Though it had picked up every other e-mail that was sent to me by him).

So, as a journalist was I in the wrong? The information I wrote was not accurate but my source who would have the knowledge to correct me did not bother to contact me until way after my deadline and there was not updated, certified documenation.

The point of my post is that there will be people who get mad at what you write. Even to the point of attacking your credibility and ethics and they will throw all their accolades and achievements in your face to prove their worth. I guess I'll take his attack on my journalistic worth as a compliment. Because even though it got him mad I presented another view to look at things and the only inaccuracy were the numbers presented which can be easily corrected. It still doesn't take away the viewpoints expressed in my story by living, breathing people who have every right to have their opinions reported.

Thanks guys! Who's next to post?

Welcome!

2007-01-19T12:24:00.000-08:00

My name is Matt and I am the president of the Society of Professional Journalists University of Hawaii Chapter and I welcome everyone to our club's first blog. Here we will write about our experiences as journalism students and discuss issues concerning the media at UH, in Hawaii and across the nation. Contributers will be the current members of the club that range from new journalism students to editors of the university's paper, Ka Leo O Hawaii.