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Friday

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27
Feb 15

Best of the South journalism awards

Full awards:

Best College Video News Program: 9th place – SNN
Best College Magazine: 3rd place — Exodus
Best TV Journalist: 9th place – Yvonne Gross
Best Newspaper Layout Designer: 7th place – Grace Miserocchi
Best News Graphic Design: 6th place – Amy Wilson
Best Magazine Layout Designer: 5th place – Kaitlyn Bouchillon
Best Sports Writer: 4th place – Sam Chandler
Best Arts & Entertainment Writer: 4th place — Jimmy Lichtenwalter
Best TV News Feature Reporter: 4th place – Cherie Olivier
Best Multimedia Journalist: 4th place – Sydney Cromwell
Best Magazine Writer: 3rd place – Jonathan Adams
Best News Writer: 2nd place — Emily Featherston
Journalist of the Year: 3rd place – Sydney Cromwell

Photo by Samantha Nelson.

Friday / journalism / links / photo / Samford / things to read — Comments Off
20
Feb 15

Rocket truck, burning out his fuel out here alone

My class ran long, and that was my fault. But no one in the room said anything. And that was the students’ fault. It was a fun class, I thought. We talked about the stories they are going to be writing next. I’d just handed back their first papers, some of which were very good. The next ones will be even better — more practice, feedback and so on — but also the story selection I heard about today was intriguing.

I feel like story ideas can be something you’re either blessed with or something you learn. I had to learn it. And, to be honest, I’m amazed by people that can just rattle off a dozen ideas in one breath. I can too, usually, but it doesn’t come naturally to me.

So, on Wednesday, I told the class about a guy I know who brings a baseball cap into his classroom and does not let his students leave until they come up with 50 story ideas inspired by that hat. (Give it a try some time.) You are lucky, I told my class, I’m only asking for three for Friday. And everyone had at least two good ones today. Now it is up to them to turn some of those into great stories.

After this round of articles I’ll ask them for a lot more ideas. It all builds, of course.

It is cold out, but dry in my part of world, at least. To the north there is ice, there are accidents, there are road closures. I got nice views of the evening sky:

Also, I met this truck. From a bit further back it looked like a stack of rockets.

Propane tanks, rockets, whatever. It makes a nice close to the week, considering I saw pretend-rocket nose cones on Monday.

Things to read … because it is the weekend.

Go to where your audience is, ABC News Launches on Xbox One:

ABC News announced today the launch of its app for Xbox One. Debuting as the first U.S. news application on the gaming console, the ABC News app will offer immediate access to multiple simultaneous streams of live video as well as on-demand content, entertainment news, original programming and highlights from ABC News programs.

During Oscars weekend, the app will feature clips and live video from ABC News’ extensive coverage, including interviews with nominees and segments on Oscars fashion, trends and history.

“The app for Xbox One is a major step forward in our efforts to develop new creative forms of storytelling and put ABC News everywhere people get their news and information” said ABC News VP of Digital Colby Smith.

Well … How 25 years of Photoshop changed the way we see reality

This is an NPR Ebola feature, one of the better stories I saw today: Life after death. Feels like the now-an-advertising app Tapestry. It is very immersive. The photography is sharp and the thing that, to me, makes NPR work really stand out: taking the time to find the right audio, which gives the piece an incredible directness.

And the coding, at first glance, looks straightforward. Nice stuff all around.

Enjoy your weekend!

Friday / friends / journalism / photo / Samford / Twitter — Comments Off
13
Feb 15

No helicopters were shot down during this presentation

No kidding:

Big crowd here. No pressure @kennysmith #apa2015 pic.twitter.com/BmbV8IffB9

— EditorBobDavis (@EditorBobDavis) February 13, 2015

After about three hours of sleep last night — working and reworking slides takes time — I made it over to the Alabama Press Association’s convention in plenty of time to get set up for my opening morning session. We got through the technical difficulties, the APA folks were great, and then a few people strolled in. I knew one or two. I met two or three others. I figured that it would be a light crowd. Early morning, a topic like “Vetting User Generated Content” and other options meant I might not be the biggest draw.

My friend Bob Davis, who is the editor of the Anniston Star, came up to talk for a few moments. When he sat down a nice APA member was ready to introduce me and the room was full. Just look at Bob’s photo above.

So I spoke and talked and then spoke and talked. I told a few jokes. I live-tweeted my own speech — actually I scheduled some topical tweets last night and guessed on the times and it all worked out to the amazement of a few people. I only made one Brian Williams joke (and one David Carr reference). It all seemed well-received. I got some nice questions. I was hoping for a bit more back-and-forth, I thought it might be nice to hear from others about what their outlets are doing with UGC, but that didn’t happen. But there were nods and compliments.

My slides:

I stayed after my session to hear some of our students who were leading a panel session on their journalism. Here’s managing editor Halley Smith, editor-in-chief Sydney Cromwell and news editor Emily Featherston (l-r):

I took notes:

.@feathers_878 talks about her intellectual property story, doing interviews between classes, battling legal talk. http://t.co/pJGVmy1san

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

.@halleyesmith "This story was a stepping stone for us," as @samfordcrimson shifted from events coverage to news.

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

Now @syd_cromwell shifts the conversation to their first fall story on sexual assault and Clery Act data. http://t.co/CwBtFX0D7L

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

.@syd_cromwell "It was a three week … slightly disheartening but important ordeal to get through," learning legalese and chasing details.

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

.@feathers_878: "One of the main things in this is comparing language" ultimately getting at the terms and definitions of sexual assault.

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

"Non-consensual sexual contact." There's a phrase the @SamfordCrimson staff wrestled with a lot in the fall.

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

.@syd_cromwell "It boiled down to 'What's the difference?' It came down to is Samford right in not reporting this issue?"

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

.@syd_cromwell "It is a difficult role to play" to be hard hitting "in the office if someone that can suspend you or punish you."

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

.@syd_cromwell "I woke up the next morning," she laughs, "'All right. This is the morning I'm expelled. Let's do this!'" (She was not.)

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

Now the second article, which reported Samford wasn't changing their Clery data: http://t.co/CwBtFX0D7L

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

.@halleyesmith "I think we were just mad … It became, in our opinion, very hard hitting. This is what happened."

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

Comes down to a male was expelled for something which doesn't appear in the legal forms, and why not?

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

.@syd_cromwell "A challenge I didn't foresee was making students care." Did get a lot of positive response from faculty.

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

Photo editor @nelson_sam93 heard from a student recruiter, "Why are you making Samford look bad?"

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

Think about that for a while. Just think about it.

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

.@halleyesmith says it has been helpful because now more students are approaching the staff to look into real stories.

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

.@halleyesmith "We are willing to challenge the status quo and to give a voice."

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

Question on criminal charges. @syd_cromwell says they were never filed. The assault incident went through campus channels.

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

.@syd_cromwell is up there talking about Clery like she crafted the legislature.

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

Question on @SamfordCrimson relationship with @SamfordU media relations. Some of them are in the room. "I want to hear your answer first!"

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

.@feathers_878 calls it a good relationship. @halleyesmith talks about @samfordjmc chair @BernieAnkney his great support of @SamfordCrimson

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

.@syd_cromwell: "I think administration likes us more than SGA, to be honest."

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

.@halleyesmith "I got my very first hate mail," from a student. "And I framed it."

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

Great question from a @ASUHornetNation student- journalist about getting professors willing to do interviews.

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

.@halleyesmith talks about fostering relationships among student and faculty, trying to combat student apathy.

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

Another student-journalist talks about keeping up morale in the face of student apathy.

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

One of the duties @halleyesmith took on as managing editor is shoring up morale. (She's pretty fantastic at it.)

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

Mr. Poole is the go to man at Samford for media relations. He's talking about the professional relationship we have. (He's a good egg.)

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

Poole: "I have been so impressed with this staff. I'd say that if they weren't in the room. Do I like all of their stories? No."

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

Poole talks about the relationship/understanding the university and administration has with @SamfordCrimson. We are very fortunate indeed.

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

The university president is an old student-media veteran. He tells them he gets what they do.

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

.@halleyesmith says they have been vociferously told over and over about how much trouble they are NOT going to get into.

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

.@feathers_878 "We are making it known that we care. That the Crimson is something that should be taken seriously."

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

.@syd_cromwell "I've taken an unhealthy pride in making a list of people that are mad at me." Quality work, she says, is her mark to meet.

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

You should have seen his face the moment before, @halleyesmith gave him a "Hate to break this to ya" moment. pic.twitter.com/cKABCUAmbS

— kenny smith (@kennysmith) February 13, 2015

Then I hustled back to campus and grabbed a bit of lunch. I had some class prep. I had a class. After class I helped a student worked through some story ideas. And then I hoped in the car and put the sun behind me:

East it was, then, to Atlanta. Almost made it there before dark, but for the ubiquitous traffic and an unfortunate accident I passed along the way. Made it there in time, though. There was a concert. A terrific show.

And I’ll put stuff here about that tomorrow.

adventures / Friday / iPhone / memories / photo — Comments Off
6
Feb 15

Don’t forget your sea boots

You know, when you look back on it, that’s an enviously pretty view.

Miami from sea.

The phones had just died and we stood there on the deck talking in a small group and wondered how far away we were, how the distance and your perspective is skewed because your mind and your eyes are so limited. That’s just right over there. Look, you can see the buildings!

Trouble is, you can see so many buildings. So many small buildings.

But, you know, if you dropped into the water, here, this is a traffic lane. And at least seeing the shore and all of those distant buildings would give a boost to your morale. Better than being surrounded by empty horizon.

You think of that story of the football player who swam nine miles to shore, because he had an indomitable will.

I tried to tell, and told it so poorly that I just stopped, the tale of John Aldridge, the 45 year old crabber who fell off his boat off Long Island. He could really only remember the boots and the buoy, but the details woven into this january 2014 story remains impressive.

The news about Aldridge was also spreading through Montauk’s fishing community. Much of the town’s commercial fleet was out on the water that morning. Some fishermen heard Sosinski’s anguished first call for help. Others heard Sean Davis’s pan-pan broadcast. And then word traveled from boat to boat, back to the dock and then all over Montauk. The mood in town was grim. Everyone knew the odds: a man overboard, that far off the coast, would very likely never be found alive.

He was in the Atlantic for 12 hours before they found him. Said he’d spent his career conditioning himself for that moment. Surely, though, it wouldn’t take you 12 hours from that shot above to the coast. No way. And this picture is from Miami, not the north Atlantic.

I got the boots part of the story wrong in my telling of Aldridge’s story. (It has been a year since I read it.) But they were important, and I did remember that part.

Hey, it’s Friday.

adventures / Auburn / Friday / iPhone / photo / video — Comments Off
30
Jan 15

Do somersaults count?

Two videos I shot at the gymnastics meet this evening. They aren’t especially compelling, just my tinkering with different apps doing different things. This is just a proving ground, sometimes, and since I made it, I may as well upload it and share it.

This is Auburn on the beam. I shot this in the Miniatures Tilt-Shift Time-Lapse app. You can manipulate the saturation and the blurring in the app itself. I shot each of the gymnasts’ routines and then later edited them together on my computer. I put it to music that I made in 4Beats:

Here’s a video I made of visiting Air Force on the beam and Auburn on the floor to close the meet. I shot this in the Hyperlapse app panning my phone back and forth off the top of a camera lens. I also put this video to music I made tonight in 4Beats

Those ladies flip fast, don’t they? Auburn won.

More pictures on Sunday.