Egypt voices: Constitutional Referendum

As I was looking around BBC News-World today, I discovered that Egypt is preparing to vote on a controversial draft constitution. Opinion is deeply divided on this, as it was drafted by President Morsi's assembly, which does not represent the views of the majority. BBC interviewed eight residents of Cairo to see what their personal views on the draft constitution were and if they were going to vote for it.
I think this is the same concept as what we do in class with our audio packages, but I can't help but think this might convey the information better. The interviews are simplified into a few questions: "Will you vote yes on the draft constitution? Have you read all the articles in the constitution? How will the constitution affect you personally? How do you think this constitution will affect the situation in the country?"
This textual format allows for a great deal of information to be conveyed, without dragging on into a five-minute audio piece. I think perhaps what might also work is if under each person, there were a photo and a small audio clip of them explaining their views. This might give more of a personalized feel to the story. But then there is the language barrier; many of these people may not speak perfect English, so writing it out may have been the best option anyway. Either way, I think showing the views of individuals in other countries is one of the great things about journalism. We get to learn about how others living in completely different circumstances feel about the state of their country and the world.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20708876

Nasa's Big Mistake

Oops. According to BBC, the US Space Agency, Nasa, has admitted to mistaking a mountain in India for Mount Everest when it posted a picture taken from space. If there's one thing that loses an organization's credibility, it's mistaking a huge landmark like Everest. I'm sure it was the fault of someone who was on their first day of the job, had no idea what they were doing, and was not an expert on Nepalese mountain ranges.
I bring this up because I think this type of thing could definitely happen to journalism students, and I think it is worth mentioning that once we are employed, we really need to focus more on accuracy. It's so easy to make a dumb mistake, like misquoting someone, spelling their name wrong, giving them the wrong title, etc. I worry that journalism students aren't used to people checking their sources for errors, and when you work for a publication or any news outlet that hundreds, if not thousands of people read each day, you are representing that publication's integrity. Teachers don't have the time to go through every single source that you write about in your paper and shoot for your video. So, if you spell someone's name wrong, or make them sound bad, etc., it's not a huge deal. But in reality, it's actually someone's reputation on the line, and people can be very defensive about that. Not to mention, people in the US will sue anyone for just about anything. Whoever made the Nasa mistake most likely got fired, I am guessing. Having to go out and publicly state that they made a mistake and apologize to the world is not a matter that is taken lightly. Same goes for journalism. Here is the infamous picture and its headline on BBC. To remind you, this NOT Everest.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20714990

2012 SoWa Holiday Market Gets Consumers Shopping Locally

2012 SoWa Holiday Market from Julia Ardila on Vimeo.

In an economy where many goods are made overseas, independent business owners take pride in the fact that their work is original and handmade. That's why SoWa, short for South of Washington, an art gallery district in Boston, offers a holiday market each year. Sponsored by Yelp, the 9^th annual SoWa Holiday Market is an effort to get consumers shopping locally and supporting their local arts community. 

This year, the market took place inside the main building of the Benjamin Franklin Institute in Boston’s South End. More than 60 vendors set up shop on Saturday and Sunday, with the show running from 11 am- 6 pm on Saturday and 11 am- 5 pm on Sunday.

An extension of the SoWa Open Market, which runs from April to October each season, the event drew hundreds of holiday shoppers from the Boston area. Many of the independent designers, crafters, and artists who frequent the summer market also apply to be in its winter version. Markets like these are a good way for independent business owners to expand their clientele.

From hand-pressed stationary to flower arrangements, handbags to silk-screened t-shirts, paintings to stockings, and more, the market offers gifts for all loved ones.  

Here's a brief look at my time spent at the 2012 SoWa Holiday market on Saturday.

Audio Slideshow: Nelson Mandela

In response to the news that Nelson Mandela has a lung infection, BBC linked to an audio slideshow made in 2010 about Mandela's life since his release from prison in 1990. The photographs are all quite famous, from various different news outlets including the AP, Getty Images, AFP, and Rex Features. The slideshow is accompanied by an amazing song by Ladysmith Black Mambazo and various radio broadcasts from different periods in Mandela's political career.
I always thought video was more compelling than still photo, for reasons that seemed obvious to me, but now I think my photojournalism professor (Professor Lippincott) may have it right. The photos, though frozen, are quite full of life. They are perhaps more telling than a video could ever be, since, having been shot at the right moment and from the right angle, allow the viewer to focus on the power behind the subject's facial expressions and body positioning. They have a composition, and force the viewer to reflect on a given moment for longer. I also think that since all the photos are so different, they hold the audience's attention for longer than a video, which has a lot of interviews that may bore viewers.

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/8508592.stm

Asia set to "eclipse" US and Europe by 2030

Today, as I was scouring BBC for multimedia, I came upon a very interesting video about how Asia is predicted to eclipse the US and Europe in terms of "megacities" and global power by 2030.
The video begins by showing a map of the world, beginning in 1980 when New York and Tokyo were the only cities generating enough light to be seen from outer space. Mexico City and Sao Paolo soon join them. The map then shows the appearance of Mumbai as the first megacity in India, followed by a trend showing more urbanization in Asia more than anywhere else in the world. By 2010, China also had major cities, including Beijing and Shanghai.

vide

 video from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20671917

The video then zooms in on India and goes on to explain the explosive growth that took place within its two most popular cities (Mumbai and Delhi) between 1992 and 2010, placing these two cities in the top five most populous cities in the world, along with Tokyo, Sao Paolo, and Dhaka. Assuming India follows this trend of explosive growth, by 2025, the two Indian megacities will be in spots two and three. By then, Asia's megacities will dominate, and seven of 10 of the world's most populous will be on the Asian continent.
This video is a relevant and informative accompaniment to an article about Asia's predicted eclipse of the US and European economy combined.

From Swing to Samba: Music of the US and Brazil at Berklee School of Music

Being a journalism student at Boston University allows you access to a lot unique opportunities around Boston. When I decided that I wanted to hear what the big deal was with those talented Berklee kids, I found an event online that appealed to me, and directly contacted the girl who was performing. She was fine with it, and three days later, there I was, with my camera at a Berklee Student Recital.

Rebecca Nicole Chubay is a vocal performance major and fourth semester student at Berklee. She has an affinity for jazz and Latin rhythms, which is what her very first Berklee recital consisted of. On Thursday Oct. 25, Chubay hosted a night of Swing and Samba, a marriage of two musical genres, at Berk Recital Hall.

RebeccaNicoleChubayFINAL from Julia Ardila on Vimeo.

Here is a more in-depth interview with Chubay about why she chose to cover bossa nova and jazz for the show. The phrase bossa nova means literally "new trend," and was developed and popularized in the 1950s and 1960s. A lyrical fusion of samba and jazz, it has remained a vital part of the standard jazz repertoire. Chubay's Brazilian musical numbers included "Corcovado," "Flor de Lis," and "Alguem Cantando."

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in black communities in the Southern United States. Chubay's jazz numbers included "If I were a bell,” “All of me,” “I wish I knew,” “Center piece,” "Solitude," and "They can’t take that away from me."


With free admission, Chubay's program proved to be an accessible feast for the ears.

 

Featuring:

Voice - Rebecca Nicole Chubay

Piano - Ricardo Curto

Guitar - Amit Cohen

Sax - Zach Giberson

Flute - Milena Jancuric

Bass - HyoYoung Kim

Drums - Josue Raymond

Percussion - Zayra Ocasio

Special Guest Vocalists - Francisco Ruiz and Tracy Robertson

4 More Years for Obama

With the election last night, I of course was scouring BBC News-World for some kind of interactive media and I found this interactive map with election results.

 It is a great map that tells you how parties did in each state, dividing votes by Senate, House, and President. You can click on any state on the map and get info on each divided into 2012, 2010, 2008, and 2006.

I'd love to learn how to make a map like this, I just think it would be very useful. So much information arranged in a way that works for those who learn better visually.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20009195

Smorgasburg in Brooklyn, New York

A melding together of "smorgasbord" and "Williamsburg," "Smorgasburg" is a gigantic Saturday food market hosted by the Brooklyn Flea. The open-air food court opens from 11am to 6 pm between Kent Avenue and the East River on the Williamsburg waterfront. Ordinarily, more than 50 local vendors sell handmade food from tidy stalls next to the East River.

The hurricane didn't hit Brooklyn as hard as it did Manhattan across the river, but I was surprised at how many businesses came out so soon after Sandy, one of the biggest storms to ever hit the northeast! It was quite chilly out so sellers didn't stay for long compared to the usual, but it was still good to see New Yorkers getting back on their feet.

Sandy

So all that seems to be on the news today is Sandy, the storm that swept through the northeast and looks to be the largest storm to ever strike the east coast of the U.S. Naturally, it was the first thing that popped up on BBC News-World, so I thought I'd talk about a clickable infographic which they used to educate people about the devastation in New York.
The infographic shows a 3D map of Manhattan, with arrows pointing to areas of the city that were badly damaged, along with a photograph to illustrate the different areas. The photographs show the city-wide blackout while the Empire State building remains lit up, an apartment building with the facade ripped off in the West Village, low-lying streets in Battery Park and Ground zero that were practically underwater, Battery Tunnel that was completely inundated, a crane near Central Park that was dangling dangerously above city streets, the explosion of a power plant which left about 500,000 homes without power, fallen trees in East Village, and finally, the closing of the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq which curbed government bond trading.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20131303

Boston Book Festival 2012

On Saturday, over 30,000 bookworms flocked to the Boston Book Festival in Copley Square. Take a closer look at the women working the Massachusetts Libraries booth.

  

Apple Debuts Ipad Mini

BU COM Students Reflect on second Presidential Debate

BU School of COM students reflect on second Presidential Debate from Julia Ardila on Vimeo.

Lance Armstrong, Doping, and Multimedia

So after last week's crazy Lance Armstrong doping story, I decided to see if I could find some interesting stuff on BBC News-World. I found a cool article called "Lance Armstrong: Fall of a Sporting Hero" littered with text, facts, photos, interviews, and even a little educational video on blood doping:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/19907683

In another article, called "Lance Armstrong: Tyler Hamilton on 'how US Postal Cheated,'" there's a clickable section which, if you click on the photo of the cyclist, it shows you how he was involved in the doping scandal and how they testified. It's a very informative piece because it would probably be a headache to find all of these names in one article, and describe exactly how they were involved in all of this. Since so many people were involved, having all of this information in one place is great.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19912623

Also in this article is a chart showing all the winners of the Tour de France, and shaded in red are the ones who have admitted or been caught doping. It's really very sad, I think it shows the scope of the issue, and truly demonstrates how dark the hour is for the cycling world. Clearly this is a huge issue that affects the majority of professional cyclists, but I think after all the public humiliation Lance Armstrong endured, through his own doing, people will probably be too scared to dope anymore. Let's hope anyway.

Watch me spend the day with Alfonso Barroso, a cobbler, or "zapatero" on Newbury Street.

On Thursday, October 11 at St. Cecilia's Church, the Blue Heron Renaissance Choir performed music by Nicholas Ludford and John Mason.

Motion Practice with the Camera

A Day in Pictures

Since the Slideshow project was assigned last week, I thought this week I would talk about prominent photography on BBC News-World online. I stumbled upon "A Day in Pictures," a slideshow section that they seem to do every day of the year! I thought, 'what a great idea, they sum up each day's news with beautiful photography.' Since I am a photojournalism major, this appealed to me greatly.

The news stories shown in the slide show or "gallery" as they called it, were the resupply mission to the International Space Station, Chavez' victory in Venezuela, a crash at the Nascar Sprint Cup Series, a Jennifer Lopez concert in Madrid, Air Force One landing in Los Angele, World Habitat Day in Cambodia, an anti-austerity riot near the EU offices in Athens, the opening of the World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg, a glass blower in Afghanistan, and finally, the wreckage after a bomb explosion in Afghanistan. Of course the Venezuelan president's triumph is of particular interest to me as I am Colombian, so I included it in my screenshot. Very sad news, and a very sad day for many Venezuelans. Truly a diverse set of photographs, all beautifully taken, all newsworthy, all equally important.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/19868675

Obama vs. Romney: US Election Poll Tracker

This week, thanks to my audio piece on the election, I had my mind on the Obama-Romney race more than usual. I was looking around on BBC.com and found a fun little interactive US Election poll tracker. It showed who was leading in the polls by date and color, and even had some explanations for why that might be. Obviously Mitt Romney has had a tough few weeks, so right now it seems he is down in the polls but is recovering a little bit.
I think interactive graphics like this make readers want to know more about certain topics like the election. It places valuable information in a readable, understandable, and even fun medium, which makes readers more likely to spend time on it and understand it.
I think maps like this are not so complicated to design once you learn how to do it. I do wish they would advertise it more and make it a little bit more obvious for site visitors. I had to search around for it quite a bit, and I think a graphic like this is something people would be interested in seeing. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19415745

The Young Voters' Take on the Presidential Election

Armed Robberies Plague BU Campus

Audio Clips-- Are They Necessary?

After last week's discussion on audio, I thought I would try to look for a significant area of audio on BBC News- World online. In class we are learning how to create a compelling audio piece to complement text. Since BBC has television and radio, I thought it would be easy to find audio that went along with text for certain articles, but instead I found that they have an entirely separate section for audio in the "radio" tab. This links you to their various radio stations, which include mainstream music, talk shows, sports talk shows, and regular world news.

I thought separating audio and text was practical, given they are a very media-oriented company and must have so much to work with, but I also agree with the benefits of complementing a purely textual piece with audio and some visuals. I think it allows those who are more visually-oriented a choice between reading, listening to audio, or watching a video. Whichever way gets the information across quickest and easiest for everyone is the most conducive to a news outlet's final aim.
A lot of the audio content that went along with the text was in video form, which makes sense since visuals have the potential to make a great impact and make understanding a story much easier.
After giving it some thought, I have come to the conclusion that BBC News-World online does really need to complement its text with audio. It already has plenty of video content, which offers both audio and visuals, plus, it has an entire radio section where, if you really like audio, you could spend hours listening in. I suppose this does not have the same effect as a short, well-edited audio clip, but it does offer people a great deal in terms of choices. Just look at all their radio stations!

The Syrian Conflict and its News Values

Today's top story on BBC News-World was about the Syrian conflict, and the continuation of heavy fighting in the Syrian capital, Damascus, as well as the northern city of Aleppo. Since this is BBC News- World, the headlines would be very different from what would appear on the New York Times, CNN, Washington Post, etc., publications which cater to a more specialized audience. An article on Syria would not be attempting to appeal to any particular demographic, rather, it would just be for informative purposes.
You really could not say timeliness is one of the relevant news values, because this has been an ongoing conflict for the past year, with bombings and lives lost daily. Proximity would not be relevant either because anyone anywhere in the world could read this. Novelty would not be relevant because there is nothing new about this.
It does however have impact, magnitude, conflict, and some emotional appeal.

Conflict, or who hates whom, is the central news value here. President Bashar al-Assad and the forces loyal to him are fighting against those who demand his resignation. What's worse is that with major powers unable to agree on a way forward at the UN Security Council, Mr Assad showing no signs of leaving power and the opposition deeply divided, there appears to be no end in sight.

Magnitude, or who was affected (how many thousands of people) is crucial here because this has been an ongoing conflict since March 2011. Almost 25,000 Syrians have died in the conflict between forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and those opposed to his rule. In addition, the United Nations refugee agency has registered more than 200,000 Syrians who have fled to Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey, and expects those figures to rise. A further one million are thought to have been internally displaced because of the fighting.

Impact, or what effect it will have, is key here because Syria is located in one of the most volatile parts of the world. You cannot expect a crisis of this magnitude to be contained within the area. This can potentially have an affect on Syria's neighbors and cause global ramifications. It has already caused refugees to flee to countries in the area.

Finally, there is indeed some emotional appeal here. Though this is a conflict in a (relatively, I suppose for most people who read BBC News-World) distant part of the world, and one that is known for having a great deal of conflict, there are certainly moments that focus on those being affected by the conflict: the civilians, the women, the children. Here are some examples of the emotional impact a story like this can have:

Also, I wanted to share some multimedia that I found very educational about the history of the Syrian conflict. Not everyone has been following the story for the past year, so I thought this was a very smart way to get people in the loop about a long-term topic. I think they should do this for other long-term stories.

And an interactive map details the areas of conflict. Another example of convergence journalism.

My take on BBC News- World

For my newstrack blog, I have decided to do BBC News-World. There are many reasons behind this, the first one being that I need to keep up-to-date with general news for all my classes, and this is a way to kill a few birds with one stone. Also, I like the general layout of the site, I think it is very easy to navigate and for some reason I have always found it to be more user-friendly than the New York Times, Boston Globe or other sites. Perhaps because it uses more color and is not as serious as those nwspaper sites. Thirdly, I didn't want to chose an American site because I feel like every time I read an American newspaper or browse an American news site I get mostly American stories and stories that affect only America. I suppose this is true of most countries, but I really just find it very self-absorbed and I do want to know what is going on in other parts of the world. I also don't want that overflow of Middle East stories, plus I would like to know more about the situation in Europe since I find that topic to be very interesting right now. This week in class we talked about some very important topics: convergence, or multimedia journalism, which is the taking of different types of media and putting them together to create a coherent story; parallel reporting, which is telling the same story, just using a different form to tell it; interactivity, which is not just reading a story, but also being able to participate; evergreen, which is a story that is always going to be relevant and useful, and finally the good ol' user-generated content, a way to make everyone published. Most of BBC's news posts are structured like this: at the top is a picture or a video, and then comes the narrative story. This is similar to most news sites.What I find I don't like about BBC was that there is no space feedback or commentary from users. This is the modern day version of "letters to the editor" and allows you to get a grasp on what others are thinking. It is sad that BBC does not leave this space for its users to comment. After a thorough inspection of the site, I have decided that it was far too simple and not visually appealing enough. I understand that many of these news sites like to keep the pages simple and clean, but I just think there could be a lot more interesting things going on. Why not have more multimedia up on each of their stories? I do like the interactive map of the world that takes you to each section of the world. Since it is BBC News-World, this is an important thing to have, but I feel like it should be incorporated in a more visually appealing way. I do like the idea, though. I also liked the "Day in Pictures" slide show. It is an example of parallel reporting, or just telling the same story, like the story of September 11 in Georgia Tech, just in a visually interesting way.