What is Multimedia? How Do You Plan Multimedia?

In my Advanced Multimedia class, we are reading this book entitled The Multimedia Journalists: Storytelling for Today's Media Landscape by Jennifer George-Palilonis. This book was published August 3, 2012... You know what that means? I didn't buy this book used! It is all good though. This book is current and up-to-date with the presence of Multimedia and how to story tell in this generation. The first question is What is Multimedia? Well growing up my mom used to tell me to break down words I didn't understand, so this is what I came up with. "Multi" means many and and "Media"means tools used to deliver information or data (according to Webster's Dictionary)... So you put those two together and you have many tools used to deliver information or data. Types of Multimedia is broadcast media, online media, print media, and now SOCIAL media (my addiction). As scary as the Multimedia can be, it is exciting in a way because you can get information even faster!... The only problem that I personally foresee is accuracy problems. By that I mean a reporter or news director or content producer wants to be the first to release a story and all the information is there, but the information isn't accurate 100%. That can cause a problem in society's faith in the media. I think the question that will get people to scratch their heads is, What is NOT Multimedia?

Let Us Recap Grad School Thus Fall...

So I have been in Graduate School for 2 weeks and 1 day (excluding Labor Day) and I must say... It is like being thrown in a river with a high current and you can't swim... You either sink or swim... Currently, I am a floating but I am starting to swim (or at least paddle the water).

So the class that I am a teaching assistant for is Ken Fischer's Electronic News Gathering class... Its like the prep class for you before you head to Television news. You know, learning cameras, how to shoot, and edit so that when you get into Television News the following semester, you can learn how to be an effective storyteller...

I love the idea of teaching! I like the fact that they can come to me and ask for advice or ask me out on a shoot really makes me happy. Thanks to NABJ, I have very great mentors, so I feel that I can be a GREAT mentor to the next wave of journalists. One challenge I have proposed to my students is for them to make a personal website using their stories they have done over the school year... Shout out to my mentors Damany Lewis and Rod Carter for teaching me how to have an online presence.

When I am not in class helping the students become better photographers and storytellers, I can be found here in my cubicle on the 3rd floor at Gaylord (you need a security password, so please let me know before you stop by). I picked the cubicle because it's in the it's in the back and I can see who is coming (I can dodge who I don't want see lol). It is SO quiet in here! You can hear a pin drop in here! I try to keep Pandora going or play peek-a-boo with other GA/TA/PH.d... At first, I could tell a few didn't like it, but now they understand that I am just being me...

Well, when I am not teaching, or at my desk making lesson plans, quizzes, etc. I actually have class. I am in Advanced Multimedia and Advanced Broadcast News. They are discussion-based classes and the Professors just sit and observe the conversation. There are about 12-15 students in the class, so it is very easy to get us talking...




                                                                               
                                                                               



So this is my new best friend (tape below). I call her Taylor. Taylor has a twin (my backup tape) and I will be using these tapes to produce award winning news stories. I love reporting and look forward to the day, I am shooting stories on a daily basis.

Below is my schedule... Crazy I know, but it is grind season and anyone who knows about that life, knows that means that you sacrifice time, sleep, and even money to accomplish your ultimate goal in life. With that being said, it's going to be a looooonnnnggg 14 months... 

One thing I am learning in Graduate School is how to time management and plan my schedule. I have never done so much reading in my life! All we do is READ! There is always a suggested reading or an article to read, and you can't not read because unlike undergraduate professors, graduate professors will put you on blast if you aren't adding to the discussion. So to be safe, I always read the text and have a few questions to throw into the discussion.

So in my Advanced Multimedia class we are watching Grapes of Wrath and revisiting the Dust Bowl Era. To sum it all up,  a family from the Midwest (most likely Oklahoma) is forced to leave their land. They feel the heat of the Great Depression and misfortune and decide to travel to California, but what they don't realize is it easy to get adjusted to the new life they were about to embark on. To me, parts of this movie remind me of modern day slavery. You have these poor families that lost their homes and assets and relocate looking for work... While living in California is the "American Dream", it comes with a price. Living in "Hoovervilles" with other families and working for less than what they were worth, to me equals "Modern-Day Slavery."For class, we are cover the importance of water, not just Oklahoma, but everywhere. How does Grapes of Wraths relate to water conservation? Simple. If there is no water, we too will have to migrate and share resources with others or in the case of Joad family and find ways to make our own. The War on Water in Oklahoma between the Native Americans and Oklahoma Government is a pressing issue, but I look forward to covering it to the best of my reporting abilities... Stay tuned!

Now, you can't go to the University of Oklahoma and not be a Sooner Football fan! It gets real out here if you walk around sporting another college! I still represent my University of CENTRAL Oklahoma t-shirts from time to time. I can't believe OU plays FAMU in a few days! I am torn because I have friends from FAMU, but I have been a Sooner fan since birth... We shall see. 

As you can tell, I have been very busy these past two weeks and look forward to you all continuing to rock with me!