Response to Melissa Bonneville--Ch. 14, 15

Melissa makes to points that most of us have gone through peer review in our English courses. It is very helpful to receive insight from people who know and understand the assignment. It is useful to also read your work from the perspective of your readers if you are unable to have someone read over it. I liked Melissa’s thought about reading papers out loud and slowly. This can give great perspective and make it easier to find errors or places where the wording doesn’t work. When revising, it helps to read the paper several times correcting for different aspects of revision each time.

Melissa discusses the performance test in which someone reads the document and tries to complete the task as outlined. For manuals, this can be a great way to test for usability. Although, I will not be writing directions in my career, I believe this approach can be used for many topics. After having someone read over your paper, you can ask them what they believe the assignment was, what your main points were, and what was the thesis. This information can help you to decide if the paper makes sense and if your writing is clear.

Chapters 14 and 15

Chapter 14 had some good ideas for revising papers. I liked the idea of reading your draft more than once. It often helps to step away for a moment and then come back to whatever you are doing in order to have a clearer mind. I find that just giving my mind some time to relax I am able to see what mistakes I have made in papers and make them better. The point about making the most significant revisions first is also a good idea. This way you aren’t trying to go through the entire paper and fix everything at once. It is possible to become too overwhelmed and miss small mistakes.

Chapter 15 gave good insight on making documents useable to others. I like to let others read my work to make sure it makes sense and is doing what the assignment asked for. What one person might find important information others might not so it is important to get several points of view before finalizing papers. If your document it supposed to persuade people to action it is also good to see what exactly you are communicating to them. It is important that the readers see what they need to do and feel the need to do it without putting bias in your writing.

Response to Robert-Journalism

Robert made many good points in his post on journalism. I agree that there are many ethical decisions to make everyday in the newsroom. I would have a hard time trying to distance myself from my work. Reporters have to shake off all the terrible things they hear everyday. This is one of the reasons I don’t watch the news and the reporters can’t escape it. When a positive story comes up, the reporters seem to become more human and get excited about sharing the piece.

Jesse makes difficult decisions everyday about what stories to cover. He has to decide what people need to know and what is appropriate. As Robert said Jesse finds this career worth it because he is in the know.

Attribution may be a way for the media to report on a story without worrying about getting in trouble later. As Jesse said, the reporters couldn’t possibly fact-check every part of a story and still get it our in time. Still, shouldn’t there be some accountability without just taking the police’s words out of their mouths?

I too learned a lot about the media. It was good to get an insiders view and not just speculate on what goes on behind the camera.

Journalism

It was interesting to here from someone who produces to news. The same day Jesse came to class my Political Science class was discussing the media. We discussed whether the media had a liberal bias and the issue of sensationalism. Jesse confirmed what we concluded which was that although many newscasters are liberal the owners of the corporations are not.

On the topic of sensationalism, my POLS class decided that it was a negative thing. I now realize that it is more the fault of the viewers than the broadcasters for the triviality in the news. The stations must do what they have to get viewers and make money. If people want to see crime, drama, and movie stars the news must report on those stories or risk losing money. If people were really concerned about what was being broadcasted they would try harder to make their voices hear and change what is on the news. It is really our fault for not demanding news that really matters. Although, the news may be more entertaining we may be missing out of what we really need to hear to make informed decisions. We often let the media tell us what is important and make judgments accordingly. I hope that the news will be able to retain some of its objectivity and report on issues that Americans need to hear.

Response to Jessica Soule-News

Jessica makes a good point about how long it takes to watch the news. The little bits of information that the TV news provides could probably be said and done with in about ten minutes. The commercials are also annoying and waste more time. By looking the news up online, you can find all that you want to know and more in just a few minutes.

Jessica states that she admirers the reporters. It must be hard for them to report sad, terrible news and then switch to a happier note. They have to distance themselves from their stories. I remember a story from a few years back about a man who killed several young girls and buried them in his backyard. Before he was discovered, one reporter talked with him many times about the tragic event of which he claimed he was innocent. When he was convicted the reporter expressed that she was very upset because she had gotten so involved with the case. I am sure it was hard for her to be so connected with a story and then have to move on when it was over. Reporters have difficult roles to play within stories and must report without bias which can be hard.

The News...

I have never been a big fan of the TV news. In fact, I often blame to news for the depressed state of society. This probably isn’t true but try watching the news for five minutes and you’ll know what I mean. Today, for instance, I watched a broadcast of Koin news and was bombarded with the most mundane and tragic information I’d heard all week. There was a double murder, some guy got beat up by people selling something on Craigslist, and I learned that the obese don’t enjoy food. Now I am full of great knowledge.

Triviality in the news and media in general has been a growing problem. Many people are more interested in what some celebrity had for lunch than what is really happening in the world. No doubt what is really happening in the world is bleak but it doesn’t need to be publicized for all. It often seems that new programs exploit terrible situations just to get viewers. I have no idea what the news should really report on but I rarely watch what is broadcasted now.

I don’t think that all news is bad; in fact, the weather segment helps me decide what to wear everyday. I usually look this up online because it seems a waste of time to watch twenty minutes of news for one minute of weather.

Responce to Rhiannon's Freelance Post

Rhiannon makes some interesting points about freelance writing. The freelance writing world is probably competitive so it is good to always be looking for just the right angle on a story to make it interesting and let the editor know that you have the greatest story. Writers do have a great amount of freedom on the topics they choose. In contrast to the journalist, who is generally assigned topics, a freelance writer gets to pick any story that they find interesting. This doesn’t always mean that anyone else thinks the topic is remarkable. A freelance writing must be able to persuade the editor that their readers will want the information they have. I think freelance writing may be as much about rhetoric as it is about good writing. Even a good story can be passed up if the writer’s pitch is boring and unconvincing. Or, if the pitch is persuasive enough they may sell a story that has already been covered by convincing the editor that the story is great and will sell more copies than ever before.

I liked what Rhiannon said about not being tied down to one publication. A freelance writing allows a writer to write for whatever publication they want.

Freelance Writing

I learned many things about freelance writing during our last class meeting. I never knew it was so profitable or easy to get into. At one point, I wanted to be a writer of some sort, probably a journalist, and this career would have been great. Writing about whatever you find interesting is definitely a pro. There are so many magazines that the possibilities are endless.

There are some downsides to freelance writing as well. First, it is unpredictable. One day you may have just the right story and angle and the next you might be completely off base and not even know it. Also, the waiting time must be terrible, especially if you don’t have another job. I like a schedule and freelance writing is stressful because of the uncertainty so this is not something I would want to do full-time. It would be a good option for a second income or in retirement for extra cash and a fun way to spend time.

Freelance writing sounds very appealing and although, it’s not for me I think it is a courageous endeavor. It is amazing to know that many of the articles I have read have been written be freelance writers.

Responce to Tayler Black's Ch. 8, 19

Tayler brings up some good points about chapter 8, which goes over developing voice and style in professional writing. Tayler was correct in her statement that it can be difficult to have your voice come out in a professional document, especially when you are just beginning to write professionally. There were also good points made about the effects of kindness in the workplace. People are always much more willing to complete an assignment when prompted by a cheerful, encouraging attitude than one of annoyance. It is also important to watch what you say in your writing because it may be preserved as rude. Thinking about how others may perceive your tone before you send any important document can save you from embarrassment. I always like to have someone read over my work and get their thoughts on my writing.

Tayler’s points on chapter 19 are also good and she hits on a useful idea to communicate regularly with your clients. They need to know what you are doing and you may need their input to make your project the best possible. Also, if there is a disagreement it is good to fix it in the middle of the process versus the end when it would be much more difficult.

Chapters 8 & 19

Chapter six is about developing an effective style. First, one must find out what is expected. This is very important and something we have already discussed in class. When writing professionally, is it good to know what is expected of you so you don’t elaborate on the wrong information. The best way to find out what people want to know is to ask them or talk to someone else who knows them. The idea about saying things in your own words is important. If you are ever asked to read your writing out loud and find yourself stumbling over the words or phrasing then you may sound unprofessional. Also, it is very important to avoid stereotyping. You may not know who is going to read your writing and if you accidentally make a rude comment you may ruin your reputation.

Chapter 19 goes over communication with clients. It is important to figure out what your client wants so you can tailor your writing to your clients so they are satisfied. Creating a plan is always a good idea to be able to stay on track and not go over on the budget or the time you have. Be prepared to share your materials with the client so they can disagree or agree with the communication you are preparing. This approach will help to make the final product the way the client wants it.