A Day in the Life of USF

Brant Ward's photojournalism class has put together an audio slideshow. Are we good or are we good?

job: full-time reporter-blogger at TPMmuckraker.com

if i didn't already have a job, i'd beg, borrow, and steal to get this one. to me, talkingpointsmemo is one of the best and most important american outlets for journalism and blogging. apparently they're hiring a full-time reporter-blogger to work at TPMmuckraker.com. i predict millions will apply for this job - one of the applications could be yours.

For Final Day, the Ethics Class Created a Survey, Which We Sent to Alumni and 'Friends of the Class' Who Are in the Business

Since I am not a paying customer of Survey Monkey, only 10 questions are allowed per "page."

http://surveymonkey.com/MySurvey_Responses.aspx?sm=pE3mttJxzoCN0UDHt4jtoeUcHbGJa22ILnskEwTUTDs%3d

http://surveymonkey.com/MySurvey_Responses.aspx?sm=b5yatGGGjKkG8JsCckoxRlWi3MISWGP45H5kEiH7mAU%3d

http://surveymonkey.com/MySurvey_Responses.aspx?sm=hhZ0cWizjPWNJtRSB9iAE0rn7NaXVtGlsWrsUUfVuhE%3d

Full disclosure: The survey had too few people and those few from too great a variety of backgrounds to have “validity,” but some of the patterns in the answers are suggestive. I was interested that:

· so many people wouldn’t laugh at lame jokes in the service of a good interview – though one respondent when questioned more closely said she would “smile, of course”

· as I’ve always thought, “off the record” means different things to different people

· asking journalists what objectivity means is very nearly a party game

· some folk do feel that there are certain people and/or topics they would refuse to write about. I would have thought the more hateful the topic, the greater the challenge and, thus, the greater the appeal of the topic

· nobody respects sportswriting “the most”

· just how often does one have an ethical dilemma? Not that often…?

Now if we just had a bigger sample collected more “scientifically” – and if I were willing to pay Survey Monkey so that I could tease out correlations between (let us say) age and certain attitudes or current job category and certain attitudes – well, this would be more than cocktail chatter. But it is pretty good cocktail chatter.

Ethics class: You are cheeky monkeys, but I liked you very much. (Oh. I made the mistake of blind copying some of your sources and thus discovered I don’t have a full list of those I sent it to. Forward it to your “professional” sources if you wish.)

Those who filled out the surveys: I like you very much, too.

Check Out Katier Crozier Posting for Pay for Joe Biden

I believe her first blog was right here at USF. But now she "lives" at:

(www.joebiden.com)

USF Alum Working for Biden in Iowa Becomes Blog Warrior

Hi everyone,

Things are still going well in Iowa! We're getting closer and closer to caucus night and I have good feelings about what will take place!

Something exciting happened the other day: Biden's online communication team was reading my blog and contacted me to see if I would be interested writing for the campaign's official blog, as well, over these last few weeks. They thought readers would be interested in hearing about the campaign from my perspective, working directly with supporters and at the senator's events. Considering my love for both writing and politics, I couldn't have been more excited (or complimented) with such a request.

So, if you go to Joe's official website (www.joebiden.com) you will be able to read the blog, as it is one of the links on the site's main menu. I have yet to post anything as of this morning, but will hopefully be doing so today. Be sure to check back throughout the next few weeks, as they've asked me to write as much as I can and just post at my convenience-- including pictures, too!

Hope all is going well in sunny CA!

Katie

USF in Iowa

Katie Crozier writes:

I thought you would like hearing some exciting news about what I'm going to be doing for the next few weeks. I got a call from Senator Joe Biden's office the other day and they offered me a paid position at his Iowa headquarters, helping out on his presidential campaign through the New Year, up until the caucus voting takes place!

If Biden does well and moves forward, Katie will be moving forward with him.

Sunny Lin is Alive and Well and on the Move

She's moving to Beijing with a *very dear friend*. She writes:


Leaving London was a hard task as I was so much in love with that city. Full of unpredictable surprises, parties, culture, and etc etc.
Madrid has been all about growing pains. After years of working at a full time job, I decided to become a freelance at the beginning of 2006. It was the best decision ever as I had the opportunity to work on my own and going from project to project. I didn't have to clock in and clock out. I just had to finish the job. I worked in various industries: fashion, film, and music. It was great because I never got bored. I met random people and the most important thing was - I loved the work. It was hard as I had to prove myself everytime I crossed over to another industry. But pretty much, my work was down to production and logistics. I loved it. It was chaotic but it motivated me. I worked long hours but I didn't mind. I remember when I was working at MetroRock Festival - I worked 12-14hrs daily and 7 days a week. It was a month of hard work but at the same time very rewarding at the end. And now as a TV Presenter/Host I work about 10-15 hours a week and hating the free time. I guess I am a workalcoholic.

FYI: Her email is kiwiblondy@hotmail.com

Blowing Bubbles at the Future

This little song sums up some of the challenges of training the next generation -- or maybe the next six or eight generations -- of journalists.

Professor Andrew Goodwin is Published -- At Length -- in Slate

In Slate, the online magazine, he writes about Led Zeppelin, the subject of a course he taught this semester in our own beautiful department of Media Studies.

Kudos, Andrew.