Writer's Perspective

Source: http://www.roxanarobinson.com
/pgs/about.html

Roxana Robinson is the author of five novels from 1988 to 2008.  Four of her five works have been awarded Notable Book of the Year by The New York Times.  In “If You Invent the Story, You're the First to See How It Ends,” Ms. Robinson discusses her perspective on the writing process, saying “My own reasons for writing, for setting down the story, are to a large extent selfish.”  She chooses to write in order to make sense of something happening in her life.  If something is keeping her up at night, Roxana will write about it in order to process what’s happening and be able to move on.  Her writing allows her to process these happenings so that she can free herself from those thoughts.

Ms. Robinson often finds herself writing about families.  She says, “The family is at the heart of our emotional lives. It's where the heat is, the source of our most powerful feelings.”  For her, it’s about the unique relationships that are encountered within a family, and these relationships are the most important relationships in our lives.  These relationships are also the basis for other relationships that are developed in our lives.  Roxana also points out that the family dynamic provides an endless opportunity to write about.

Personally, I find Ms. Robinson’s perspective to be true.  There are so many dynamics in a family that one could write about.  A mother may not talk to her child for years because of some disagreement or choice that was made that they did not agree upon.  Or a family could be so close that they live on the same street and do everything together.  There are so many different relationships within families, and the larger the family, the more interesting relationships that there are.  I also agree that some writers are writing to clear their head and thought process.  If an author always writes about summer romances, this could be from an experience she had and it is still very much a part of her.

Often times, I have thought of writers as either journalists for a publication or those that publish scholarly papers.  However, my views have changed to see today’s writers as those with such a vast range of skills, experience, and knowledge.  In thinking about social media on the internet, I used to feel that the content available was either from a news source or individuals more or less rambling about their thoughts - just chatter.  I didn’t realize the tremendous amount of blogs available today, and those blogs can include written pieces, video blogs, photo blogs, or a combination of all three.  A web developer at a software company might choose to write a personal blog about his expertise several times a week, citing code for how to create fancy websites.  Or a hotel chef may want to expand her audience outside of the hotel so she creates an Instagram account to showcase her food masterpieces.  

Some may think that social media is changing the journalistic field.  But when seeking information on social media, it’s important to remember that social media sites “are ways of conveying information, but they do not dictate the nature of the content conveyed” (Kovach & Rosensteil, 2010).  I fully agree with this thought.  Social media needs to be thought of as the means of communicating what writers need to say.  It is not changing the content of what writers are saying, but instead is offering the writers another way to get their message to an audience.

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Kovach, B., & Rosensteil, T.  (2010).  Blur - How to know what’s true in the age of information overload.  New York: Bloomsbury USA.

Robinson, Roxana.  (2000, July 17.)  If you invent the story, you're the first to see how it ends.  New York Times.  Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/library/books/071700robinson-writing.html.

Multimedia Tools

When creating a blog or website, you can greatly enhance your reader's experience by incorporating multimedia tools.  These tools allow the reader to interact with your content, which may increase the amount of time they spend reading your content.  It could be as simple as adding a few images to your work.  Multimedia tools also enhance the messaging that you are trying to convey.  For example, in Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek, the creator uses slide shows on a sidebar to show additional photos of the people mentioned in the story.  In this instance, the slideshows are enhancing the story by allowing the reader to feel as if they are getting to know the person.  Some photos include childhood photos, making the reader feel as if they have known these people for a long time.  It also allows the creator to continue on with their story without having to stop and explain some of the information that can be conveyed in the slideshow and accompanying captions.

Also in Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek, the creator has used 360 degree, rotating 3D maps. Not only are they interesting to the reader, but they allow the reader to comprehend distance between different areas mentioned in the content of the article.  In this case, the maps are not providing new information, but helping the reader to fully comprehend information that has already been stated.

Certain use of multimedia tools are more effective than others.  In the above examples, the maps might be more useful than the slideshows.  The interactive maps play as soon as your mouse scrolls over them.  The slideshows require the reader to click on them (both to open the slideshow and to progress through the slideshow).  By animating the map as soon as they scroll over it, you require no additional action by the reader and greatly increase the chances that the reader will consume your multimedia choice.  

Other examples:

• Museum of Fine Arts Boston scrolls through a series of four images on their home page.  For each image, the creator also spans the image to show a larger piece.  This almost gives the viewer the impression that they are in the museum and viewing the pieces.
• National Geographic uses photos to show individual constellations and their relation to other constellations.  This helps readers understand what they are looking for in the night sky and where to find it.
• She's Got Flavor is a cooking blog that enhances some of the author's messaging with the use of video.  For some, it is much easier to follow a video of how to cook than it is to read a recipe.

These examples are just some of the ways that you can enhance your blog or website through the use of multimedia tools.

Blogging Best Practices

FN Dish is a blog produced by the Food Network, and when visiting the blog, the first post I came across was “Scent Marketing and Champagne Science.”  This brief post was only four paragraphs long and written in a manner that makes even non-food experts understand the concepts.  Each paragraph presents a different topic: how restaurants strategically place kitchens to draw in customers through scent, how many bubbles are in a glass of champagne, a new product that can cool your warm can of beer, and how one Oregon county has banned genetically engineered crops.  Each is also cited with a source, such as the Wall Street Journal or the Associated Press.  Although the Food Network is not completely producing their own topics, they are sharing information from reputable sources.  By linking to these sources, they are providing their readers with a place to get more information about the topic. 

The next post that I read was “Melissa’s Top 10 Supermarket Savings Strategies.”  Again, the post was written in a very simple manner so that everyone could benefit from these tips (since everyone shops at the supermarket).  I am by no means what I would call a chef but I do cook dinner every night and am the only one who shops at the supermarket.

FN Dish certainly offers its fair share of recipes and cooking tips.  But the blog also offers many other posts of interest to anyone interested in all things food related.  This blog provides a good foundation for those looking to create a blog.  Here are some blog best practices:

Keep posts brief.  If you want people to read your posts, keep it simple and to the point.  If you have too much to say on a topic, only include the first paragraph on the main page, with a link to “read more” on another page.  This also allows visitors to easily scan your page for topics of interest.  Also, it’s not as easy to read a lot of content on a screen.  If readers have to scroll and scroll down the page to read one post, it becomes tiresome. 

Below are the four brief paragraphs in the FN Dish post "Scent Marketing and Champagne Science."  The entire post is only four paragraphs, which also covers four different topics.

Provide images.  People love images.  On the FN Dish blog, every post has at least one image.  In this particular case, images of food are probably what attract the reader to read a post.  I know that I am much more likely to read and cook a recipe if I can see what it is supposed to look like.  

Below is the main image in the FN Dish post "Melissa's Top 10 Supermarket Savings Strategies."  As well as being colorful and eye-catching, the author makes the image large and places it right after the post's title.

Write in a way that captures people...  Keep your content simple and to the point.  You want your posts to appeal to many people, not only a few.

Below is the first paragraph from the FN Dish post "Scent Marketing and Champagne Science."  In talking about scent marketing, the author mentions the aroma coming from Cinnabon, a food vendor often found in shopping malls.  Many people are able to relate to this example. 

...And provide links.  Using links for additional information is very useful.  Not everyone will use the links but they are there for those that want additional information.

In the above screenshot from the FN Dish post "Scent Marketing and Champagne Science," the author provides a link to the Wall Street Journal.  Although the paragraph provides the main idea of the story, the author links to the original source of the story, where readers can visit to learn more.

Make it shareable.  If you provide ways for visitors to share your content (through email and social media), you have a higher chance of gaining more followers.  

In the screenshot below, FN Dish allows the reader to share via Twitter, Google+, and Facebook.  If the reader clicks the Share link, they can email the blog post, as well as share it on many other social media web sites.

Follow these best practices to start your journey to successful blogging!

Facebook Post for Joe Paterno

Over a long 46 seasons, this football coach racked up 37 bowl appearances, including 24 wins.  Unfortunately, this record-breaker lost his battle with cancer today at age 85.
http://cnewcomb.blogspot.com/2014/05/joe-pa-passes-away-at-85.html

Joe Pa Passes Away at 85

STATE COLLEGE, PA - Well-known Penn State football coach, Joe Paterno (Joe Pa), passed away on Sunday, January 22, 2012 at the age of 85.  It was announced in November that Paterno had been diagnosed with lung cancer.  

(Source: Famouswiki.com)

The family released the following statement on Sunday:  

"He died as he lived," the statement said. "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."

Joe Pa began his football coaching career at Penn State after graduating from Brown University in 1950.  He quickly proved himself successful, leading the Nittany Lions to undefeated seasons in 1968 and 1969.  Paterno was offered the chance to coach the NFL’s  New England Patriots in 1973 but instead decided to remain with Penn State.  His winning record continued, leading his team to 37 bowl appearances, of which more than half of those were won.  More than 250 of his players went on to lead careers in the NFL.

Joe Paterno’s name was brought to national attention outside of the football arena in 2011 when his former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, was charged with sexually abusing young boys.  Paterno and Penn State were made aware of the abuse but were accused for not taking any action.

Paterno is survived by his wife, five children, and 17 grandchildren.

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Joseph Vincent Paterno. (2014). The Biography.com website. Retrieved from http://www.biography.com/people/joe-paterno-9434584.

Reuters.  (2012, January 22).  Penn State’s Joe Paterno dead at 85 (update).  Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/22/idUS133807577120120122.

Social Media Tools

There are several social media tools to effectively reach an intended audience.  Tools such as social networking sites, photo sharing sites, and video sharing sites are quite popular today.  One popular social networking site is Twitter, which allows you to share information that you directly post, follow others, and retweet their information on your page for your followers to view.  According to Twitter, 500 million tweets are sent per day.  Using Twitter to get your message out has the ability to reach thousands within a short period of time.  With Twitter, you can also add hashtags to your post, which allow tags to be associated with your post for others to find when searching.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cjnewk13

Another effective social media tool is Vimeo, which is a video-sharing site that is popular with both individuals and professionals.  It can be used to showcase entertaining home videos or professional videos about products.  You can even use this site to change the look of your video and add music.  Vimeo is different from YouTube, another video sharing site, in that advertisements are not posted with your video.  Megan O'Neill with Social Times says that Vimeo's 50 millionth video was uploaded on September 23, 2012 and that in 2012, more than 675 million people watched videos on the site.  Vimeo is a great site because you can also share the videos to other social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and others.

Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/94709236

One last effective social media tool is Instagram.  This site allows you to post photos with a description, and then your followers can comment on your photo and tag others in their comments so that others can view your photo.  According to Instagram, there is an average of 60 million photos posted each day, with 1.6 billion photo likes daily.  This is an incredible rate that photos are being shared across the internet and across the world. 

Instagram: http://instagram.com/p/n03hsxiKxu/

These examples show what you can do with each of the selected social media tools.  And the provided statistics show just show rapidly your information can be shared and spread to a wide audience.

Unrestricted Web Publishing

On April 16, 2014, Time.com published the article “Heart Attacks, Strokes Related to Type 2 Diabetes Drop Dramatically.”  The author, Alexandra Sifferlin, cites a 20 year study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which found a sharp decline in diabetes-related complications.  

Using the “Criteria to Evaluate the Credibility of WWW Resources,” one can interpret the reliability and trustworthiness of this article.  This reference document asks such questions as:

• Is there any evidence that the author of the Web information has some authority in the field about which she or he is providing information?

• With what organization or institution is the author associated?

• On what kind of Web site doe the information appear?

First, the author can be examined.  Time.com lists Alexandra a health writer who graduated from the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism and has written over 79 page results of articles since February 2012.  She also has a Twitter account that boasts 5,473 followers.  However, I’m not sure if Alexandra has a background in a health-related field or not.  And although she has written many articles, I did not see any before 2012, which would make me believe she is still relatively new to the field (or just the Time publication).

Next, we can examine The New England Journal of Medicine, the publishers of the study.  This journal is 202 years old.  It claims to be the “oldest continuously published medical periodical” (The New England Journal of Medicine) with over 600,000 readers in 177 countries.  The New England Journal of Medicine also received the Polk Award for journalism merit in 1978.  This seems to be respectable source of information.  However, in reviewing the journal’s website, I did notice that this study was published on their website on April 17, 2014, yet a story was written about it on Time.com one day earlier.

Lastly, we can review the study’s lead author, Edward W. Gregg, senior epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Edward has earned a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D., and has over 12 years of work experience relating directly to diabetes.  He has received over a dozen recognition awards and written 187 papers and publications.  I would say that Edward is an expert regarding the diabetes disease.

Overall, all the sources provided in this article appear to reliable and creditable sources for the topic of diabetes.

In reviewing this article and researching the sources used, it makes you consider what would happen if there had been unrestricted publishing of this article through mass media.  If Alexandra Sifferlin had not backed up her reporting by citing the publisher of the study and the lead study author, her account of the reduction of diabetes-related complications could be inaccurate and not dependable.  Readers would wonder how she was drawing her conclusions.   Her unsupported information, once released, could quickly spread across mass media, leading to many inaccurate reports in no time.  Instead, Alexandra decided to go right to the source for the accurate information.  

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Montecino, V.  (1998).  Criteria to evaluate the credibility of WWW resources.  Retrieved from http://mason.gmu.edu/~montecin/web-eval-sites.htm.

Sifferlin, A.  (2014, April 16).  Heart attacks, strokes related to type 2 diabetes drop dramatically.  Time.  Retrieved from http://time.com/65830/heart-attacks-strokes-related-to-type-2-diabetes-drop-dramatically/.

The New England Journal of Medicine.  (2014).  About NEJM - Past and Present.  Retrieved from http://www.nejm.org/page/about-nejm/history-and-mission.