I've posted my initial "Let's get Started" speech but what I REALLY want to do is to get you guys thinking about what we really do in here. What is Eagle TV? Why is it important? Why do we win contests or get recognition? Do we just slap something together or do we work at it?
Dr. Rivera picked up a camera during the Washington trip to shoot video of some of our sleeping beauties, exhausted and on the floor from the rigorous schedule we had been keeping with the band. We were at the Pollard's house watching the parade from the comfort of their den after having spent 8 hours in arctic weather since 4am. He turned to me and said, "Is that all there is to it, Watson? Just point and shoot? I could pass your class!" I got to thinking that on the surface, it really does appear as if we just point a camera and push a red button, but it really is so much more.
I was reading a blog by Hillcrest High school's teacher, Mr. Dave Davis, and felt that he put into word some of the things that we do in this class that may not necessarily be obvious to the general student population or our teachers, but they are the things that make us good journalists. If you aren't already thinking and doing these practices, you need to start. Mr. Davis talks about these characteristics in the form of contests. I've reprinted Mr. Davis' blog in partial form here:
*Journalistic Integrity Contest. Say it, prove it, and be ready to defend it. As a student reporter, lesson number one is, “accuracy.” Don’t fudge, don’t cut corners, don’t cheat the viewer by providing only part of the truth. (Never prompt someone to give you a soundbite in your words, never stage news footage, never mislead by altering intended meaning in the edit bay) Play fair, all the time.
*Year-Long Improvement Contest. This one begins the first day of class and concludes at the end of the school year. Students must enter their first and last stories of the year. The winner is the one whose entry displays the most improvement. Hopefully, this will be a tight race.
*Magic Moments Contest. Stories that touch us the most have those golden “moments.” They can be soundbites, visuals, or occasionally, even a great voiceover. Teachers should be looking for those all the time. Students should be striving to find them and include them in their stories.
*Characters Contest. If “moments” are important, great characters usually provide them. Give an award to the most memorable character to appear on your show this year. That will only emphasize for future staffs the importance of people to any news program.
*It’s Not About ME Contest. This one goes to the best team player, the student who is always willing to help others, the one who makes the show the best it can be. It can be the kid who keeps the hard drives humming, the cameras clean, the assignment board up to date, or the reporter who does not insert him or herself unnecessarily into the story. It can also be the producer who always helps others find great topics. This contest should have a lot of candidates by year’s end if the staff is focused on what really matters: The Show.
For your blog this week, I'd like you to comment on these points above. Are you pursuing journalistic excellence? Why or why not? Is every story you do an award-winner? Where are you cutting corners? What motivates you to do your very best?
Mrs. Watson
I really love this years EAGLE TV CREW!! We going to do great. Its may also be a crazy year... I hope everyone is ready and on their game!
ReplyDelete-Peace <3 Jourdan
Those points are very true when pursuing Journalistic Excellence I feel that if if your going to do something do it so that it will be the best and this is the formula to do this in Video Broadcast
ReplyDeleteThat last post was by Terrell Tichenor by the way
ReplyDeleteI like the contests that Mr. Davis comes up with. Every one of my stories is definitely not award winning but i would like at least one of them to be. You actually motivate me to do my best.
ReplyDeletejournalism , i bealieve, comes natural to me. those points above are true but i knew them before i even new that you werent suppose to do them. Good stories come from the heart so if in a story the reporter isn't in to the story, or into journaism itself, then the story is not and emotional of as thrilling as can be.
ReplyDeletei am pursuing journalistic excellence so i can write better scripts. All of our stories are award winners because we do our best. We are cutting corners with editing because the group is getting better. The thing that motivates me is to have fun.
ReplyDeletewat up mrs.watson i dont knoe wat to read but i would like to tell you that you are helping better me as a student cause you been teachin me how to keep at it an try my best at the things that i do.
ReplyDeletepreciate ya
Darius Marcus
No i am not pursuing journalistic excellence but i do try my best.All of our stories are award winners and we do not cut corners bcause we like to have good packages. expecially Sydney so we dont cut corners. So my group and me wanting to get a good grade makes me do my best.
ReplyDeleteI am a pursing journalist and i think that our stories are hits because we put our all in our packages. We don't try to take the easy way out. A bump in the road is a great accomplishment when you finaly make it through.
ReplyDeleteI am not planning on persuing journalism as my major, but i am considering letting it be my minor. i dont try to take the easy way out. I personally try to do the best, although, like some people in the class with their special effects, sometime trying to keep everything in there is doing way too much.
ReplyDeletethe above post was posted by michelle
ReplyDeleteI pursue journalistic excellence from many aspects of broadcasting. When I roll stories around in my head I have to keep in mind that there may be changes throughout the story depending on the b-roll and the turn the interview may take. You have to tie your angle of the story in with what you have and what you are trying to succeed. When doing packages I try to think outside of the box and be creative. Honestly speaking, every story I do is not an award winner. It may be that the story does not catch my interest or that it is something that we absolutely have to do that may not be enjoyable in my opinion. I am capable of making an award winning package if I put my heart into what I am doing. Like many of my classmates I may cut corners by putting a fade where there is a jumpcut, instead of putting video inbetween the jumpcut. As Mrs.Watson says, "That's the lazy way out." I try to shy away from doing that because I know it's not the best way to create video. Knowing that I am capable and talented enough to do great packages motivates me along with my classmates, and Mrs. Watson.
ReplyDeletewe finally finished the story on nick at deadline. to finish a story in about two and a half hours is stress full. the package is 4:11 its long but emotional. hope our next story is less stressful.
ReplyDeleteby the way... GREAT show Friday guys! :)
ReplyDeleteAs far as a career, I am not pursuing journalism, but the experience I have had through this class and Yearbook has taught me that the qualities listed above can be applied in other fields, especially those in which you do work in teams.
ReplyDeleteDefending what you think, working harder and improving, doing the best you can, and working well and efficiently in a team are basic are things that all people should know how to do.
As far as motivation, the enjoyment of what I do and seeing my own progress motivates me.
By the way, I remember Dr. Rivera Saying that.
ReplyDeleteAnd also "after having spent 8 hours in arctic weather since 4am"
That's not good for your health.
am pursuing journalistic excellence so i can write better scripts. All of our stories are award winners because we do our best. We are cutting corners with editing because the group is getting better. The thing that motivates our group is that we like to have fun but at the same time get our work done. and considering that our group is the group that people think that we dont really do anything makes it better because we surprise them with our topics and meeting deadlines before the date
ReplyDeleteI think that I am pursuing journalistic excellence because even though I just started with Eagle TV, Ive learned alot and I am now taking it more serious then I was at first.
ReplyDeleteEven though Ive only done one full story. I feel that it was DEF a award-winner. We had a good story idea, good team members and everyone or the most part got along...And the work got done.
What motivates me to do my best is my grade and just knowing that I did that. First off, I dont want a failing grade. And second, looking at something you did and knowing you helped make it should feel good. And I dont want to put my name of something that was half worked on and is just horrible.
I am not pursuing journalistic excellence, because i have wanted to be a second grade teacher since the second grade and still plan on being one. I strongly belive every story we've done has been an award-winner except for the rape one. Where cutting corners because we actually able to work together better. Every new project we have to do excites me so i guess you can say that motivates me to do better!
ReplyDelete