Final Project Continued

After a couple of hours at school today, Professor Lieb was able to figure out what exactly was wrong with my multimedia project.  It is finished now, and I couldn’t be happier.  With the semester coming to a close, I feel as though this class has taught me many new things regarding the web.  It is a difficult process in learning how to complete all of these tasks. In the end, it is well worth it. 

Thank you again Professor Lieb for all your help.

Final Research Post

Well here we are on the final day of the semester.  It has been a rough ride trying to figure out if this multimedia project will come together, but it has been interesting.  As I write this, I’m still unsure as to whether or not I will be able to get my final project posted to the internet.

All of my links were posted on my website, and all I had to do was link them all to an introduction page when the unfortunate happened.  My homepage is now non-functioning.  I’m not sure what happened, but I hope it will all be fixed for this afternoon.

As for the overall project, I feel as though it was a valuable experience working on it for my school career.  I never knew so much went into creating and posting information to a website.  I found the research part of this class extremely interesting because I was able to meet various people from where I live.

The multimedia aspect of this project has been the thing that has held me up all semester.   I was getting the hang of posting stories to the web by the end of the semester.  Once I figured out how to do this, it did not seem as bad as I thought it once was. 

Overall, I feel as though this class has been a valuable resource to me because of all of the different things it has forced me to do.  I now have more interviewing skills that I never thought I would have.  I also gained web skills that will help me well into the future because of the constantly changing newsroom environment.

As the semester comes to a close, I hope that I will be able to finalize my project to show just how hard I worked throughout the semester.

Multimedia Project- 12/3

The semester is winding down, and I am near completing my multimedia project.  I was able to upload my slideshow for the remaining module, but after a couple of hours trying to figure out why my sound was not working on my module, I had to leave the slideshow as it was.

Over the next week, I plan to go back into my previous three text modules and make the necessary changes to make them excellent.  I hope to add another photo to each text module, but that will deped on how busy this next week is for me.

The final piece to the multimedia project is the introduction page.  I plan to incorporate all of my modules into one so that it will be easy to follow for any audience who eventually reads this.  I also have to upload my map for the project, which should not be as difficult as any of the other portions of this assignment.

Another online cancer blog, gave me more information regarding natural ways to eliminate breast cancer.  There were also different blogs on how some breast cancer’s spontaneously disappear, which I found to be extremely interesting. 

Overall, I feel as though this multimedia project has taught me so much about computer programs and uploading information to the internet.  Without this project, I still would have no idea how people upload any of their information to different web pages.

Multimedia Project- 11/19

Another week has gone by and we are closing in on the end of the semester.  This means my final project regarding breast cancer will come to a close in the next couple of weeks.

I have finished all of the text modules for the project, and now I am focused on putting the finishing touches on my slideshow piece.  With the slideshow almost near completion with audio, I have moved on to focus on the map portion of the project.

I am unsure at this point as to how to incorporate a map into my project, but I do have two ideas that may be able to work.  My first idea would be to map out as many cases of breast cancer across the Carroll County region as I could.  Even though this does not focus on the immediate topic of alternative methods to cancer treatment, it may work out in the end.

My second idea for the map would be plotting out different locations across the county that offer alternative methods to cancer treatment.  I can plot all of the locations where people could find organic food in markets and various places.  There are also a few locations that offer different therapies for cancer patients.

I did come across a blog that gave me more insight into the all of the various types of cancer and who it affects everyday.  There are different stories of patients and how they are coping and dealing with their diagnosis.

Questions for Sara Spangler

1.  Do you enjoy working with the online part of news as opposed to the television side of news?

2.  What advice could you give a student who is interested in a career in broadcast journalism?

3.  Do you feel as though online news will eventually lead to the diminishment of television news in the future?

4.  What is one thing that you took away from college that you continue to use each and every day in your career?

5.  How do you see WMAR changing its online and television format in the future to adapt to new technological advancements in news?

Multimedia Project- 11/12

Another two weeks have gone by, and my multimedia project is well underway.  My third module with an interview with my third and final breast cancer patient is all finished up.  I was able to interview her and her family, making for an in-depth, unique profile.

Regarding this profile, I researched family history of breast cancer and how genetic testing can determine whether or not a person is more at risk of inheriting the disease. 

I also researched some more information regarding organic and holistic methods to treating cancer.  Since two of my interviewees went this route in treating their disease, some more information on the subject gave me more insight as to how they were treated.

This blog gave me information on different issues that my interviewees discussed in their interviews.  The topic of whether or not plastic water bottles were safe to drink from was discussed, as well as the idea of chemo brain. 

The topic of chemo brain was very interesting to me because the patients that I interviewed that went through chemo, said that after four years they are still suffering from chemo brain.  Chemo brain is the problem of retaining information and getting information out.

After almost two months of researching the topic of breast cancer and various methods used to treat the disease in Carroll County, I have found that it is only up to the patient to decide what route they will take.

Questions for Brian Stelter

1.  What is your favorite story that you have written so far in your career?

2.  What are some major differences from writing for The Towerlight and writing for The New York Times?

3.  What was it like covering such an interesting and close election this year?

4.  How has the media changed within your own life in the past few years?

5.  Do you use tools such as Twitter in your daily life, or do you stick to more conventional ways of reporting?

Reaction to Amy Kovac

Amy Kovac, from www.loudounextra.com, gave me the insight as to what is needed when it comes to a career in the field of journalism.  As an individual who is interested in the broadcast side of journalism, I found the information she presented helpful.

The main issue that Kovac stressed to our class was the idea that you should be able to accomplish anything that is put in front of you.  With Dreamweaver being a new tool used in my daily life, I feel as though I had accomplished something outstanding.  Kovac said that it is nice to be able to use Dreamweaver, but she stressed that being able to use and learn many new skills is the way to break into the business.

I was glad that Kovac was honest with us as a class, by telling us that the job market is extremely competitive when it comes to journalists.  No matter what field, broadcast, print, or online, it will be hard to find a job.  Even though she may have scared some away, her ideas of perseverance and grasping all the tools you can, made me feel at ease.

By giving us the true outlook on the field, and giving us valuable information and resources to excell, Amy Kovac’s presentation was a success.

Research- 11/5

After approximately two months of researching and interviewing different people for my research project, I have finally settled on where my project will end.  These past two weeks, I have put together my information from my interveiws with my final patient who had breast cancer, and two doctors who work at the Carroll County Cancer Center, CCCC.

The wealth of information that I have attained from these three interviewees gave me more insight as to how I will approach my slideshow.  I originally was going to just have pictures of different machines in the Cancer Center as well as different items that contribute to fighting cancer naturally. 

Instead of just having pictures of these different things, I was able to go back and take photos of people involved in the fight against cancer within both the Cancer Center and in the natural/holistic world of cancer treatment.  I have begun putting pictures together of the different machines, rooms, and officials who do their part everyday in the fight against cancer.

The other part to my slideshow will include different people, places, and areas where a patient can find natural and holistic treatment for cancer in Carroll County.  Even though these two forms of treatment are extremely different, they work together and a story can be told of how they complement each other.

This blog that I found shows the different stages that patients are in throughout their fight against cancer.  With these stories, hope as well as sadness can be seen through each individual’s experience.

Questions for Amy Kovac

1.  How is writing online and using multimedia different than writing for a print publication?  How is it similar?

2.  What major advantages do online journalists have compared to print journalists?

3.  How has The Washington Post changed over time to meet the needs of the ever changing world of journalism?

4.  What is the most challenging part of your job?  What is the most rewarding part of your job?

5.  What advice do you have for up and coming journalists in the competitive world of online journalism?