Let's Discuss Multimedia Tools

photo courtesy of www.arm.com

The days of simply relying on a PowerPoint presentation to deliver a message are gone. With so many multimedia options available today, audiences are growing more accustomed to seeing more variety when it comes to message delivery.  

Multimedia enhance our messaging by appealing to our different senses. We can see, hear, and even feel a message through the use of multimedia. This is beneficial because we have preferences for how we receive a message and audiences have different learning styles. The choice of multimedia to reach audiences depends on the purpose of the message and what action you need your audience to take.

Is your message purely informational? Is it for entertainment? Is it educational, meaning your audience needs to learn something valuable? Is it meant to shock an audience? There are many questions that determine what type of multimedia too is the most effective.

So what makes an effective presentation?  Well that is determined by the feedback a presenter or creator of a presentation receives from the audience. Because I can't speak for anyone on what is most effective, I'll put myself in the audience and offer what would work best for me as a presenter.

Windows vs. Apple

As I mentioned, Microsoft is losing its place as the one and only document and presentation software. More and more, people are using alternative applications, like the ones created by Google and Apple, to prepare materials for an increasingly tech savvy audience. I've only used PowerPoint to prepare presentations, but am now realizing the potential for increased engagement that comes from more visually stunning presentations that allow for more graphics and videos, and ease of use, such as in Apples Keynote presentation software. Keynote appears to be best suited for presenters who want to "wow" their audience with cool new graphics and embedding capabilities. PowerPoint has great capabilities as well, but audiences who have sat through their share of presentations have likely "sat there and seen that" before.

Keynote’s presentation themes are much more modern and sleek.  You can even export your project as a PowerPoint or QuickTime file and even a YouTube video. Keynote offers more options for positioning text, inserting multimedia and simply creating an original presentation. As a presenter, I would love to use this software to create dynamic presentations to make what is typically a run of the mill presentation into something with a little more kick. 

But there's a drawback to Keynote that, for many, would make it not the best choice for their daily work functions. PowerPoint might not have as many cool new options, but it's a Microsoft product. And Microsoft dominates most workplaces. For me to want to send my cool Keynote presentation would mean I'd have to send to other Mac users. That's not likely at my job. We're all Microsoft.

So PowerPoint wins after all. But not because it's the best. But because it's the most practical. And the most convenient. 

Why We Love Blogs

"Put yourself into your writing. Let your voice speak through. Speak to the readers."  – Leo Babauta on what makes good blogwriting 

photo courtesy of www.udemy.com

This week we were instructed to choose a blog and analyze it as a form of writing and information delivery. I read several blogs each week. Interestingly enough I don't have a dedicated blog that I visit all the time because I'm constantly finding new ones based on whatever topics I have on my mind during that time. For this assignment I chose a blog titled 

What About Our Daughters.

Here is a blog excerpt:

"What About Our Daughters was founded on April 18, 2007 in response to an Oprah Winfrey show entitled “After Imus:Now What” . The original purpose of the blog was to encourage Black women to organize to “Stop Funding Foolishness.” In other words, to use economic power to  to impose economic sanctions on those who are producing destructive images of Black women and girls. We’ve evolved since then. Gotten some media attention, founded Blogging While Brown, Michelle Obama Watch, and proven over and over again that when men and women of character come together, we can change the world.

Unapologetic, Uncompromising, and Unbowed in defense of Black women and girls."

What About Our Girls is a blog that keeps readers abreast of issues affecting African and African American women and girls, particularly issues that do not receive prolonged mainstream news media attention, such as kidnappings, and political and social injustices. My mother sent me the link to this blog a few years ago, I forget the reason why, but she liked the premise and the information she'd read. So I started checking it out periodically and found that the blogger discussed topics I didn't even know about such as the controversial casting of Zoe Zaldana (of Avatar fame), a black latina actress with a light complexion as the dark complexioned famous singer Nina Simone in a biopic of the singer's life. There was quite a uproar on social media I learned due Zoe needed to wear a kinky wig and blackface to make her resemble Nina Simone. Why couldn't the director cast a woman who looked like Nina, people asked. 

What About Our Girls created a forum for intellectual debate on the topic and read the different opinions, some I agreed with, others I did not. The commenters debated with each other in a respectful manner and enlightened me on other subjects I was unaware of. . 

I revisited this blog this week and searched the blog's post history found that the blogger has been blogging less frequently over the past few years. This could be due to her having written a book and also running the What About Our Girls Facebook page, which could be bringing in more traffic than the blog. But I don't feel she should be decreasing her posts after having such a strong start and engaging her audience who need a forum like this to have dialogue with others of the same mind and passion.

In my opinion, a best practice to create and maintain a blog to ensure appropriate substance and function the content must be consistent to the blog’s theme, or stated purpose. The content must also be replenished on a frequent basis to keep your followers engaged. As I mentioned about the What About Our Daughters blog, the comments from readers were plentiful. This is important because not only does it mean that folks are visiting her blog, they care enough to leave a comment, to add validation to the post's content and message.

“People who leave comments build the community aspect that really helps a site become more than just one blogger writing into space. Comments let you know what’s working and what’s not, and inspire you to keep at it," according to William Kraska, author of This Is Not a Blog, in a post titled What Makes a Good Blog.

I agree with this. A blog is only as good as its readers and the comments they leave, which attract other readers and help the blogger build a brand and following. Blogs need people to care, and people care when the blog is providing relevant information tailored to their interests.

Press Release: Farewell Joe Pa

photo courtesy www.wikipedia.com

For Immediate Release

FAREWELLTO A PENN STATE LEGEND

Joe Paterno Passed Away Today at the Age of 85

"They ask me what I'd like written about me when I'm gone. I hope they write I made Penn State a better place, not just that I was a good football coach." – JoePa

Washington, DC,  January 22, 2012 – The man affectionately known as "JoePa" has died following days of speculation regarding his health and a premature report of his death that caused anxiety among fans, friends, and family. The death of Joseph Vincent Paterno, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2011, comes amid an ugly child sexual abuse scandal that has rocked Penn State and created division on the campus and sparked contentious debates throughout the country on whether his not coming forward protected Jerry Sandusky and allowed him to harm more children. Questions abound as to what all he knew, for how long did he know it, and why didn't he do more.

But with his death today also comes deep reflection on his contributions to the Penn State community and how he should be remembered. That is not an easy answer. How should  we commemorate a career that began in 1966 and produced some of the country's best professional athletes, while also showing solidarity with the victims of a man under Paterno's watch who had been accused of horrific crimes against innocent young people

Despite the ugly sexual abuse scandal that led to his firing this past November, today as many grieve the loss of the Penn State Legend, it is hard to find anyone who can deny the impact of Paterno's leadership on the field. And that before the scandal, Paterno was one of the most respected figures on campus

photo courtesy of www.wikipedia.com

What cannot be denied is that there are few American college football coaches with such an impressive career. Paterno ushered 350 of Penn State's players to the NFL, making the Penn State athletic program a respected powerhouse. When you played under Joe Paterno you knew you were being taught by one of the best. Paterno's Penn State dedication did not end on the field. Over the course of his career, he donated over 4 million to the school.

Did Paterno fulfill his wish to be remembered as having made Penn State a better place? It depends on who answers the question.

Contact:

Jennifer Singleton, MA in Communication Candidate
Southern New Hampshire University
www.thesuccessfulcommunicator.blogspot.com

Sources:

http://www.biography.com/people/joe-paterno-9434584#synopsis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Paterno

Farewell to JoePa: Facebook Post

January 22, 2012 - Breaking News: Joe Paterno Dead at 85. The legendary Penn State football coach who led the Nittany Lions for 46 seasons succumbed to lung cancer today surrounded by family. Well wishes are pouring in and former Penn State players around the country are reflecting on Paterno's legacy. As the investigation into sexual abuse allegations against Jerry Sandusky continue, questions are still being asked about the extent of Paterno's role in the alleged cover up.

If You Post It...They Will Come

photo courtesy of websiteexpert.com

There are many new media tools to use to reach a variety of audiences, from creating a simple blog post to creating an elaborate YouTube video. But based on the types of information I plan to share with the world--communication trends, publishing, digital media news, news of interest to freelance writers and editors-- there are three that I think will best reach the audience who will use the information.

LinkedIn is a professional networking site where users connect with their industry peers, school classmates, and others who have common professional interests. There are variety of groups on LinkedIn that are career- and interest-specific. For instance, I belong to a group of grammarians who enjoy posting questions they encounter in their work, such as "Does a comma always come after the 'which'?" Joining a group of new media freelancers is a great way for me to learn more about what they do, in addition to possibly learning new skills to incorporate into my own work. These types of groups would make for a good audience to review and critique information I post related to grammar and editing issues.

 Twitter is another good channel to communicate my ideas on the field of communication and new media. I am connecting to groups of freelancers and journalists who may find it useful to share with others, or simply provide feedback on the accuracy and relevance of my findings. I can publish my work to the web and share the link with my followers. Who knows, if its an interesting read, perhaps I may add a few followers to my small but growing Twitter family.

Musings of an Editor,Writer, and Storyteller is a blog I started a few years ago that, unfortunately, I've allowed to languish without my consistent musings. I don't have many followers on this blog, but my communication and publishing content would have a great home alongside some of the other content I've posted through the years. I've in the process of rebranding myself by only posting content to social media that involves my work as a writer and editor, my educational pursuits, and information that will cultivate a network of communication professionals.

The Offensive Parade Float: A Discussion of Unrestricted Web Publishing

An Independence Day Float in Norfolk, Nebraska, angered some residents and is gaining attention on social media. It depicted President Obama's Presidential Library as an outhouse. In The Huffington Post article 'July 4 Parade Features Obama Presidential Library Outhouse Float,' describes the negative reactions of some Norfolk citizens and actions taken by the Nebraska Democratic Committee.

In this post I'll discuss the credibility of the article's author, Mollie Reilly, and the article's source using the Criteria to Evaluate the Credibility of Web Resources.

Mollie Reilly is the Deputy Politics Editor at the Huffington Post, a reputable online news publication, and has been formally trained in both English and political science from Colgate University. She has interned at news organizations and worked her way up the chain of political reporting. Her background qualifies her to report on the article, which deals with the division between Obama's supporters and his opponents, and the arguments of racism vs. free speech. She has authored hundreds of articles on political subject matter for the Huffington Post dating back to September 2011.


Photo courtesy of The Gazette

The article's tone does not appear to be biased, Ms. Reilly merely states the facts that the float did appear in this year's Independence Day Parade; some residents were angered, including a resident of Kenyan descent who wrote to the mayor to complain; while others were not, including a parade committee member who defended the float and compared it to a political cartoon. Ms. Reilly covered both sides of the controversy and offered no indication of her opinion of the matter.

The article cites the following sources: an Omaha World Herald article and a Lincoln Journal Star, both are online publications (news and journalistic site) that cover news stories of Nebraska. The authors of both articles are staff writers who cover a variety of topics for the publication, not just political news. These sources also pass the credibility checklist.

In reviewing the three articles I saw how they differed in the author's storytelling. Ms. Reilly's article didn't offer much emotion, simply stating the facts; however, the other authors, Hunter Woodall and Mara Klecker, offered vivid detail of the scenery of the parade route, the cheers of the residents, and the reaction of Glory, the Kenyan immigrant who said she and her daughter were frightened by what they saw. Both articles delved into Glory's feelings and her feelings of the racial undertones of the float. Though these articles spurred emotion, I still believe they were unbiased because they offered as much time to those officials who were not offended and defended the float.

An impact of unrestricted web publishing through mass media is that it allows for varying view points of the same topic. Where Ms. Reilly's article only touched briefly on Glory and her reaction, Mr. Woodall and Ms. Klecker's article allowed us a glimpse into why Glory was so frightened, which has roots in her upbringing. By reviewing these additional sources I feel I was told a more complete story. One that might not have been possible with just one. Unrestricted publishing shows us that the same story can be told from different angles, all while remaining accurate and unbiased.

Social Media: The Digital Educator

When I'm asked to answer how I know what I know, my first thoughts go back to the textbooks I read in school, the lessons my mother taught me, the news programs I watched on tv, and just observing everything around me. But today the new things I learn come mostly from online sources, such as news sites and blogs. While I have Twitter, I'm not connected to it often enough to receive breaking news. I do visit CNN throughout the day and I'd say that's where I receive most of my news information. I also visit Huffington Post. The problem with "reputable" sites like CNN and Huffington is that they are slower to break news due to microblogs like Twitter and Instagram. People who are more closely connected to the source are able to release information through social media and generate buzz before the major networks have had time to verify the information. Before social media we didn't realize the amount of time it takes to verify the important details. Thanks to amateur journalists, we receive information as its happening, the details we want without having to wait.

Yesterday I learned that actor Meshac Taylor passed away. He is most known for playing 'Anthony' on the late 80s/early 90s show Designing Women. I learned of his passing on a celebrity gossip board called Lipstickalley. The person who posted didn't list a source, only stating that he was on his death bed and was near death. The poster didn't say his or her relationship to Mr. Taylor or why we should believe the information. I went to CNN, which serves as a verifyer for me, but there was nothing there. This didn't surprise me because Meshac Taylor isn't considered A-list or is very well known. An advantage of social media, is that the forgotten stars whose deaths don't make it to mainstream media will have a more honorable memorial through social media outlets. Today the news of his passing was confirmed by his son via a tweet. The tweet was posted on Lipstickalley. Only with this confirmation did CNN pick up the story. It was validated. But I knew about it yesterday.

At times social media sites are very credible for obtaining information, though most of us will wait to verify it on a news site that has earned a reputation for credibility.

Let's look at TMZ for instance. This site had a bad reputation prior to the 2009 death of Michael Jackson. But when TMZ broke the news of his death (http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=7938705) prior to all the other mainstream outlets, the site gained credibility for its investigative reporting. So now, people actually verify their information through TMZ because they proved themselves.