Multimedia Tools

According to Wikipedia.org, “multimedia refers to content that uses a combination of different content forms. Multimedia includes a combination of text, audio, still images, animation, video, or interactivity content forms” (retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multimedia). This week in class we’re studying the benefits of multimedia in our messaging. I believe multimedia is a very powerful means of communication. It allows your audience the opportunity to grasp a feeling for what things look like, keeps them engaged, and it can communicate the speaker’s passion for the subject. 

There are some multimedia techniques that are more effective than others, depending on what you’re using it for. For example, in an educational setting, demonstrations that students may not otherwise have the opportunity to see can enhance the lesson. This makes me think back to middle and high school science class. We learned from our books and teacher lectures, but the information all came together when we spent time in the lab doing it ourselves, or the teacher did a cool demonstration. 

Multimedia can be a combination of tools used to enhance the audience’s experience. There are a lot of websites that use a variety of multimedia resources. For example, celebrity entertainment sites like http://www.people.com/people/ use multimedia very well. Not only does this site provide written material, but video http://www.people.com/people/videos/0,,20866632,00.html, and photos http://www.people.com/people/photos/. 



We also see it used daily on news websites like http://www.cnn.com/. Multimedia assists in telling a story. Even the White House has gotten in on multimedia! You’ll notice on http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room links to blogs, speeches and the weekly address, among other things. 


The point is…it’s nearly impossible to have an effective online presence without some form of multimedia. It can only enhance your brand while engaging an audience.  And in the end, isn’t that what we all want to achieve online?    

Fig. 1. Tapbookauthor.com. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2014 from

http://tapbookauthor.com/presentationPage/tapbookauthor/index.jsp?pageId=multimedia

Fig. 2. Science Lab (n.d). Retrieved October 27, 2014 from

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/high-school-teachers.htm#tab-3

Fig. 3. People (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2014 from http://www.people.com/people/

Fig. 4. CNN Logo. (n.d.) Retrieved October 27, 2014 from http://www.cnn.com/

Multimedia. (n.d.) In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 27, 2014, from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multimedia

Bloggers

This week in class we are studying the Food Bloggers Code of Ethics. Part of the discussion includes whether bloggers should follow a code of ethics. I recently took a look at the “Top 15 Most Popular Blogs” on http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/blogs. As of October 2014, www.tmz.com ranks number two on the list. Celebrity blogs are entertaining and serve as a great way to pass the time, but I began to consider if TMZ violates the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp. In addition, should the site even have to follow the code of ethics?

Right now, one of the top stories on the site is Kris Jenner Calls Transsexual Talk RE: Bruce ‘Silly’ http://www.tmz.com/2014/10/20/kris-jenner-bruce-jenner-transsexual-nbc-today-hoda-kotb-divorce-dating/. The short synopsis of the story given by TMZ, discusses Kris Jenner’s interview with Hoda Kotb on the “Today” show on October 20, 2014. In the interview Kris and Hoda discuss Kris’s new cookbook, but Hoda also takes the opportunity to discuss the rumors surrounding Kris’s soon to be ex-husband, Bruce Jenner. While the segment had more “meat” than the gossip portion, TMZ chose to focus on Kris’s comments about Bruce. Kris was calm and kind when discussing the topic with Hoda, but TMZ used the word “Hysterical” to describe the conversation. Although TMZ posted the “gossip” portion of the interview, their summery of the conversation gave an impression of it being more salacious than it actually was.

            As far as the Society of Professional Journalist Code of Ethics, in this case I don’t think TMZ violates the code. While the outlets choice of words used to summarize the segment could have been better, they did cite their source and provided video of the segment for reference. I think when blogging, the rules of the traditional journalism code of ethics can be bent just a little depending on the blog topic. In the case of a gossip site, the point is to use words to draw in excitement and wonder to readers. As long as they cite all sources and search for truthful information, then I don’t see a problem.  In fact, TMZ is one of the most trusted sources for celebrity information, as they do research and check facts before blogging. I’m not sure how they do it, but they always seem to have proof on some of their biggest stories. At least it’s good to know they follow some kind of code of ethics.

Joe Paterno

A few weeks ago in my Comm 510 Knowledge & New Media class we reviewed the media's false reporting of Joe Paterno’s death.  This week’s assignment is to craft a press release on Paterno's death and an accompanying Facebook post. Please find my assignment below.

Press Release

Evony Robinson                                                                                      For Immediate Release 1/23/12

SNHU Student

Evony.Robinson@snhu.edu

Penn State Legendary Football Coach Joe Paterno Dies at 85

State College, PA: Family, friends and fans gather around a statue of Joe Paterno on the Penn State campus after the university’s legendary football coach dies Saturday, January 22, 2012. Hospital officials tell the Associated Press the official cause of death was spreading lung cancer. Paterno’s family issued a statement early Sunday morning:

"He died as he lived. He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community."

The family went on to say, “His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled.”

Affectionately known as “JoePa”, Paterno spent 62 seasons as part of the coaching team for the Nittany Lions.  He went to win the most Division 1 games in the history of college football.

Paterno leaves behind his wife of 50 years, Suzanne, 5 children, 17 grand children and host of college football memories.

###

Facebook Announcement

Legendary Penn State football Coach Joe Paterno dies at 86. Official press release here: (insert link full press release)

Carey, J. (2012, January 23). Penn State Coaching Legend Joe Paterno Dies at 85. USA

Today. Retrieved from http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/story/2012-01-21/former-penn-state-coach-joe-paterno-dead/52737230/1

Joe Paterno. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 16, 2014, from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Paterno

How Do You Communicate?

Unless you live on a remote island, you’ve probably noticed the way we communicate has changed over the past few decades.  Remember in the early 90’s when everyone had a pager? Yeah, it was cool to page someone, but you still had to wait for that person to find a payphone to return your call. Or how about in the 1980’s when we only had home phones. If you were trying to connect with someone who wasn’t home you were just out of luck. You had to wait for them to get home to answer the phone.  Its kind of funny to think about the simple times of communications, compared to our current world of instant communications.

The continued advancement of technology has allowed us the luxury of staying in touch 24 hours a day. Whether you’re prone to chatting on your cell phone, texting and/or communicating on your favorite social media network, there’s no excuse for staying out of touch (that is unless you’re trying to dodge someone…we’ve all been there before…don’t judge). With cell phones, tablets and computers, we now have the capability to log on just about anywhere and communicate with our friends and families. So, which forms of media tools do you use to communicate the most? I typically use text messaging, social media sites and blogs to fill people in on what’s going on with me, and to find out what’s going on with them.

Tex messaging is probably the easiest and quickest way to communicate with our friends, family and sometimes even your colleagues. Texting gives us the luxury of having a conversation with one person or several at the same time. It’s instant communication without ever seeing the person on the receiving end of the conversation. I know, I know….I’ve  heard all the negative opinions on texting, and some I even agree with, but if you’re smart and know the limitations of texting it can be a great tool (don’t text and drive). Knowing when a phone call is better than a text message is key to not getting caught up in a world of abbreviated words. Remember, text messaging cannot take the place of your social skills. Here’s a great article on why text messaging is a good way to communicate http://www.mosio.com/mobileanswers/5-reasons-text-messaging-is-a-better-way-to-communicate-with-users-than-anything-youre-using-now/

I remember several years ago when everyone was leaving Myspace in mass numbers to join Facebook.  I think I may have been one of the last people to ditch Myspace to jump on the Facebook bandwagon. In fact, I had some silly theory that I could only participate on one social media site at a time. I can laugh about that now as I’m now on a few different social media sites at a time. I use Facebook to mostly stay in touch with friends and families.  It’s a great tool to reconnect with people your past. I would say I use this site more for personal networking rather than professional networking. Alicia Eler perfectly breaks down why we use Facebook in this article http://readwrite.com/2012/01/16/study_why_do_people_use_facebook

So, the other day I came across a very cute blog. While working on a group discussion with my classmates at Southern New Hampshire University, my classmate introduced us to her blog http://tiffanybluegirlatheart.com/. I think this is the cutest blog I’ve ever seen!  The writer lets us in on her passion…Tiffany and Company. A blog is an informal website or web page that is regularly updated with information. For this particular page, my classmate updates us on the latest Tiffany and Company news, but there are all kinds of blogs out there.  I like browsing through the world of blogs to find out what’s going on with my colleagues in particular, to stay on top of the trends in the field of communications.

No matter how you choose to communicate, just remember it’s a tool used to express yourself. Our communication styles often need to adapt with the change of technology, but it’s also smart to remember the basic fundamentals of communicating and that starts with the face-to-face conversation.