Reaction to Terry Williams

It was great to hear from Terry Williams this week, a prominent person in the business. It always impresses me to see a journalist's timeline of jobs, especially Terry's old school journalism progression from reporter to editor to publisher.

His discussion about new revenue areas in journalism rings true with many of the ideas we've been throwing around in class all semester. It's encouraging to hear exact same topics we're developing and focusing on in class from a successful journalist. Taking on niche publications, incorporating digital and social media, and becoming a jack-of-all-trades are all relevant and necessary things to think about as soon-to-be college graduates.

Finally, hearing what qualities a newspaper publisher and COO looks for when hiring new people can only help.

Challenges and Advantages for Women Entrepreneurs

A lovely vignette in Ch. 3 of Entrepreneurial Journalism (94) caught my eye because it ties in quite well with Meg Heckman's visit last week, specifically regarding her thesis work. Despite UNH's and other universities' high number of females in journalism programs, most of the individuals at the top of journalism businesses are male.

According to Briggs, women are driving the market for digital companies and are more active on social media, but unfortunately are still treated as lesser in the "man's world" of business.The advantages listed are women's tendencies to be more creative and incorporate the community better as an aid in starting a business. While this is true and useful, I'd have to say as a women I think I face more of the challenge side than the advantage side in embarking out as an entrepreneur.

In light of the discrepancy, it becomes so much more important for women to take chances and venture out into the business and journalism worlds. Programs such as the New Media Women Entrepreneur grants (usually $12,000) are fantastic because not only do they help women get started with their projects, but also encourage the women to be active and pursue their goals.

So how do we fix the imbalance of the sexes? More women! The only way to equal out the predominantly male workplace is to flood it with women. I've seen first hand in my journalism classes the great ideas created by other women. We just need to seek resources and make sure we're pursuing opportunities to the fullest.

EJ Pitch Review 2- Focused Fencing

Here is my pro/con list for Corinne's Focused Fencing EJ project pitch.

Pros:

• Title page: clean, concise, love the mantra and the graphic. 
• Idea: right off you state your specific and direct explanation of services and consumer base. I'm following and on board right away.
• Slide 3: love the graphics! It adds color and shows your market. Way to multitask.
• Slide 6: thorough and well-thought out plan for distribution and workload. Shows that you are realistic and organized.
• Overall: layout of proposed magazine content is clear and well-rounded. Can meet a lot of interest withing your field
• Great closing slide!

Cons

• Background: Simple is always good. My personal preference is to have a splash of repeating color
• Identification: I assume you did this in the audio, but having your name and info on the PP might be good
• Slide 2: slightly awkward wording on the middle point
• Typos: Minor, but noticeable. Slide 4: is also a growing sport, Slide 5: includes
• Focused Fencing concept: having a paid print edition and a free online edition is interesting. One one hand, it lets consumers choose exactly what they want. On the other hand, it might come back to bite you. What if you print and have no subscriptions? Is printing based on demand? 

It's unfortunate that we're all having such troubles with the audio because after looking at Corinne's PP, I'd really like to hear her pitch it. The PP presentation is laid out in a business-like manner, but with some fun graphics added in. I'm curious about how she chose to present her spoken component.

EJ Pitch Review 1- The Source

I went through (I believe it's Heather's?) pitch for her EJ venture, The Source, and made a pro/con list of the aspects I think she did really well and the ones that I think could use a little alteration.

The Pros:

• The background: you chose one with clean lines and simple colors, which makes it easy to read yet not boring.
• Slide titles: overall they're engaging and informative without being over-the-top and wordy.
• The "model" motif: having a series of slides that show examples of other models you used as inspiration is a great idea. It shows that you've done your research and surveyed the competition. For the pitch, it keeps the presentation symmetrical and easy to follow.
• The "what we can learn" slides: similar to the model motif, you give tangible examples that help the audience comprehend your idea.
• The Source as an idea: it looks like you've tapped into an already established idea (the pulse) but are taking it a step further, ultimately differentiating your idea and causing you to stand out. I like it!

The Cons:

• Typos! To name a few, slide 2: Wikipedia, January. Slide 4: The Source isn't capitalized. Slide 8: algorithm. Slide 13: user's hits. Make sure to spell check a lot because typos come off as unprofessional.
• The Hyperlink Model; I understand this as an important slide, but I think it's wordy and hard to understand. Try and list key points on the slide as a supplement to what you actually voice in the pitch. Same with the Pinterest Model and Economic Model slides: less is more! Too many words could cause the audience to lose interest.
• Slide 15 placement: I'd move this up with the other 'inspiration' sites because it makes it more cohesive
• No closing slide? I like closing slides because they let you sum up your favorite point and get the audience excited for the next steps in your endeavor.

Reaction to Meg Heckman

I thoroughly enjoyed Meg's visit this past Monday, most obviously because she is a successful female journalist full of ideas and advice. I like that she chose to spend much of the class brainstorming with us. It had an almost boardroom (or more fittingly a newsroom) feel to it because she initiated conversation and posed questions, but relied on our responses to further the discussion.

The emphasis on the LION conference was fascinating as well. I love the idea of having a community just for small or independent journalism businesses. It's important to have a base that you can rely on and from what Meg shared is sounds like the members of LION are dedicated and enjoy sharing ideas amongst themselves.

Overall I learned a lot this week about hyperlocal journalism and wish I could take a class with Meg next semester.

Guan Xi News project pitch

*I'm not sure why the audio isn't working on the blog. It worked in my PP and I followed all the instructions to publish it online. Please bear with me while I try and figure it out.

A preface to my project pitch. Read this first!

In order to adhere to Kawasaki's rules for the art of pitching, I thought it would be best to give you some small but important background information here rather than in one of my precious PP slides.

I've decided to name my EJ project Guan Xi News (www.guanxinews.com). Guan Xi 关系 is a Chinese term that in Mandarin is used to describe relationships and connections that benefit those entering a partnership. It also refers to networking and has been a respected principle in China for decades. In recent years, the pinyin (name for the Romanization of Chinese characters) "guan xi" has become popular in Western countries as well.

                                    

The idea of guan xi is intimate, personal, and indicates a solid working relationship between two individuals that establishes trust. In China, good guan xi is viewed as a must-have component for a successful business.

I decided to use guan xi as the title for my endeavor because one, it's a principle centered on good business, two, it stems from an Asian culture, and three, it literally means making connections, which is what my website is all about.

The goal of Guan Xi News is to make connections between cultures in Asia and New Hampshire, to foster a community, and to sustain a successful business.

Reaction to Meg Heckman's article

Meg Heckman's article "Optimism reigns at hyperlocal news confab" on NetNewsCheck.com is about a recent news conference in Chicago for Local Independent Online News Publishers (LION) about the current climate for hyperlocal reporting.

The conference focused on the community of independent, hyperlocal news sites and how the market for such businesses has progressed. A lot of the discussion among attendees was about the support network for small (even one person operations) and what the future looks like for these hyperlocal businesses.

After reading this piece, I really saw the tangible benefits of having a conference for and organization like LION. Being able to meet with others who are on the same path or have similar goals offers encouragement, boosts morale, and allows for an exchange of ideas.

The conference event that I liked the most was the "round-robin where publishers took turns sharing tips about business strategies, branding and operations." David Boraks of DavidsonNews.net and CorneliusNews.net talked about hosting profitable interaction events like a pub crawl while Kim Clark of NoozHawk suggested getting a mascot (like her stuffed hawk, Scoop) to build a brand. This session seems like a great way to cover a whole host of topics in an open and welcoming setting.

The overall theme of the article is that hyperlocal is a tough field that often gets a lot of coverage when business is hurting and very little coverage when business is going well. Hyperlocal publishers seem happy about working in a world without Patch and plan to continue working their butts off to achieve their goals and keep hyperlocal news strong.

Finding Mantra

After our discussion of mantras in class on Monday, I did some brainstorming to try and find a suitable mantra for my website. I started by reviewing my idea statement:

"I'd like to create a website dedicated to exploring Asian culture in New Hampshire. My vision for the site is to cover different events and festivals, shops and stores, and educational opportunities throughout New Hampshire. In addition, I'd like to profile community members, encourage current news discussions, and report about local issues. I have a passion for Asia as well as New Hampshire and I believe the two have connections that just need to be uncovered."

Next, I looked at the initial tagline for my website:

"Cultural connections from New Hampshire to Asia"

And then I did a chunk of free writing in the hope that I could mix and match parts of different four-word mantras to find that perfect fit.

• Crossing borders, forging bonds.
• Melding cultures, making connections.
• Seeking knowledge, inspiring passion.
• Exploring New Hampshire, Discovering Asia.
• Culture. Community. Coverage. Commentary. 

I think that I like "Exploring New Hampshire, Discovering Asia" the best because it uses the two key words (NH, Asia) and summarizes the point of my website in a nice snappy way. Snaps for mantras! 

I've got Harry Potter on my mind

With all of the Homecoming fanfare taking place this weekend, I've been thinking a lot about Harry Potter. I'm a huge fan of the series. I love re-reading the stories and re-watching the movies because I always notice something new, some small detail that I hadn't seen before. I watched the 5th movie a week or so ago (my least favorite of the franchise because they chose all of the wrong things to highlight in perhaps the most info-packed book of the series!) and noticed again the motif of the newspaper that carries the viewer through scene changes in order to keep the plot cohesive. The newspapers stuck out to me more this time and I pondered the presence of the media in the wizarding world.

Of course the media bias in the 5th book is outrageous because the government directly impacts the main news source,  The Daily Prophet, ultimately causing Harry to trust in an alternative and at the time discredited source, The Quibbler. But anyway, what I love about news in the books is that it's totally interactive. Newspapers change, have constant motion in images and content that not only grasps the reader's attention, but also sustains it. Newspapers in the wizarding world are the perfect combination of our print and online media. They have the traditional and nostalgic feel of tangible paper and the dynamic and updated aspect of online. Ms. Rowling seems to have found the perfect go-between for old and new journalism. Now, if only we could translate it to the Muggle world...

Having a healthy fear

In the first chapter of "The Art of Starting," the author gives a nice layout of what you need to be a successful entrepreneur. A meaning, a mantra, so on and so forth. The writing is blunt and to the point and overall the examples were clear. What I appreciated most about the chapter was the point that having fear does not automatically equal failure. The author states early on that "realizing that you have doubt and trepidation doesn't mean you won't build a great organization." I really connect to this thought because I'm a firm believer that having a healthy fear is good in many situations. For instance, when giving a speech in front of a large group of people. Having fear in this setting aids in greater preparation and humility, resulting in an effective performance. The author continues about forgoing the vicious cycle of planning in order to just jump in and get started. I'm a big fan of planning, lists, and organization so this hit home for me. Having fear is okay and not having everything planned is okay. Sometimes, you gotta go for it and see how it pans out. Like the author stated, "no one ever achieved success by planning for gold."

The glory of timelines

I was researching the political climate in Sri Lanka for another class yesterday and I came across a timeline by the BBC that highlighted all of the important events in Sri Lanka since 5th century BC in a short, easy to comprehend manner. Obviously for research purposes this was a great find because all of the info I needed was right there. I did a little more looking and saw that this is a regular feature by the BBC for many countries and conflicts throughout history.

I think timelines are a great tool for absorbing information and think it would be useful if news organizations used them more often to track ongoing stories. In class a few weeks ago we talked about how for many stories we here the big news right when it breaks, then nothing. Timelines would be a concise way to track a story and keep it going without having to report the same news over and over. It would perhaps be less time consuming for the reporter (easy, ready to go format!) and beneficial to the reader who can grab the key points and stay on top of an ongoing or aftermath story.

Reaction to Joe Burke

This week's crash course in accounting was intense and informative. Leading up to the class, I wasn't sure how Joe would be able to cover such a big topic in just one class period and I was happy when I saw that his power point was dedicated to three specific aspects that he felt were most relevant to our studies. I liked the layout of his presentation because he first told us why this subject matter is important to learn. Similar to many of my fellow journalists in class, math is not my strong point. Seeing just how necessary it is to know the basic accounting principles gave me even more incentive to apply myself and do my best to comprehend.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to grasp each point Joe brought up, but I feel confident in saying that I understand the basics and could successfully make my way around the business section of a newspaper. While I don't think that my only option as a journalist should be to rely on a business person or accountant in all of my endeavors, I do think it wise to form a partnership, professional and/or personal, with someone in the business field so I at least have a resource I can call upon when need be.

An analysis of late night TV

I'm a big fan of late night television. I love the satire and sarcasm of the Daily Show and the Colbert Report, the boyish humor of David Letterman, and the unorthodoxy of Craig Ferguson. I generally treat the above shows as forms of entertainment, but sometimes the hosts of these humorous shows are able to explain complex issues from the news in a very effective manner. So I wonder, can Stewart and Colbert be categorized as legitimate news sources? Can Ferguson and Letterman be labeled as proficient news commentators?

While the case for Letterman is tough to make, and Ferguson even more so, I think that Stewart and Colbert make a compelling case as top news sources. In 2009, the Huffington Post reported that Jon Stewart was voted most trusted modern-day newscaster in an online poll by Time Magazine. He earned 44% of the vote from the lineup that also included Brian Williams and Katie Couric. It's not a surprise that fans of the show hold him in high esteem, but to raise him to the level of newscaster, not just TV show host, is something else.

I have absolutely no problem turning to the Daily Show or Colbert Report to listen to the news talked about in a rather irreverent manner. It's refreshing and sometimes, as I said above, enlightening. But the problem comes when Americans start relying solely on Stewart and Colbert as their news sources. While they both do a great job informing and swaying the public, they're not reporters. They are not journalists. I think an altering of discernment is one of the biggest byproducts of a Stewart-and-Colbert-heavy news diet, especially for those who believe that Colbert's Republican passion is true, not a farcical facade.

Overall I think Stewart and Colbert should be treated as resources or tools to help sort out news and issues, not primary sources.

The GAAP

While reading all about depreciation, goodwill, and changes in equity, it was hard to ignore the presence of GAAP. Since GAAP was completely new to me, I decided to do a bit of background research to look into its creation and importance in the world of accounting.

Definition: GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) is a set of accounting standards and principles used by companies to assemble financial statements. GAAP are part standards set by policy boards and part commonly accepted ways of recording accounting information.

History: The American Institute of Accountants (later the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) created the Committee on Accounting Procedure in 1939 that started research on accounting. A series of committees and boards issued opinions, statements and standards throughout the next handful of years that eventually became the  formalized GAAP.

Uses: GAAP is a collection of guidelines, not a set of rules, that regulate how financial statements are prepared and presented. GAAP covers basic principles and guidelines, detailed standards, and generally accepted industry practices.

Benefits: By adhering to GAAP, businesses can achieve consistency and organization with their financial information and also reduction the risk of misrepresentation. GAAP was created to protect businesses and investors and keeps companies accountable with their financial reports. By using GAAP businesses can be fair and transparent with financial information.

A language of its own

Of course every profession or sport or club has its own language used among insiders to get things done. As journalists, we're familiar with words or phrases other people find quite odd such as photog, clip, 5 W's, crawl, nut graf, and lede. After reading the glossary of fundamental accounting terms I realized that all businesses, including those in journalism, have to have some knowledge of these terms. I'd say I'd heard of one out of every four terms in the glossary, but could effectively explain maybe five total. Thinking that this doesn't apply to me as a non-business major is wrong because I could be part of or start a business in which having some idea of what everyone else is saying would come in handy.

Reaction to John Herman

My first thought after listening to John's presentation was: this guy must never sleep. His ability to dive into project after project and come up with idea after idea was equally inspiring and intimidating. It showed me that ideas don't have to be solid and fully formed and secure a job for the remainder of a career. Projects can switch and have a limited lifespans so one can move on to the next thing. For me, this is quite relieving. I don't all have to have that one sustaining idea right now.

One of my favorite things about John is how his self- promoting self-branding effectively left him title-less. This concept is kind of tough for me to wrap my head around because I've never really viewed a job or life path as not having a description. The way John wears many different hats and can only be described as or summed up into 'John Herman.' I think that's pretty darn cool and a great way to get out there and have others pick up and follow your ideas.