This is the end, my only friend, the end...

For several months now I have been immersed in online journalism. Its broad range of topics, as well as all the new skills I had to learn, made my transition into an online journalist very difficult. In the end, however, the practicality and overall usefulness of all our assignments made the struggle worth it. I know that I will now be able to work in almost any aspect of online reporting. The real question now is whether or not I will be able to keep my skills sharp enough to make a smooth transition into the work force next year.

I have always wanted to write feature stories, which would allow for me to write in a style I am more comfortable with. But after taking this class, I feel that a career as a online reporter may be easier to find, since that seems to be the direction that journalism is going.

The biggest lesson I took from this class was how to work with people. At times it was a struggle to balance my work load with all the group meetings and schedule conflicts I had to deal with. In the end, however, I have produced work that I am proud to show employers. It is work that will helpfully assist me in landing a job, and I need to thank my group partners as well as my teacher. So thanks, and until next time...

First time for the last time...

So, this is my first video blog and it couldn't come at a more appropriate time. Last night was my last class of the semester, and although I probably learned more this semester than my other five combined, I am so relieved it is finally over. Well, until next time...

The end of the road...

I never thought that I could use my ability to play the guitar as a tool to become a better journalist. Shows how much I know!

Recently, I have been finding it difficult to get good, applicable, and most importantly free music to use in my multimedia packages. In order to solve this problem, I have been recording my own music and using that as a way to get around the many copyright laws that I fear as both a journalist and a student. Not only has it been better for me to use, but I no longer have the problem of listening to hundreds of samples only to find that none of them fit. I can now control the pace, tempo, and sound of my music.

Besides the journalistic eases, this has also given me a channel to broadcast my own work. It helps me in both creative and musical aspects and has helped me grow as a musician and writer (both music and words).

I plan on talking more about this as I undertake my next endeavor, a video blog. I have never done a video blog and I hope that this will improve my editing skills as well as be a pleasant change of pace to for readers.

Finally, on a sadder note, my online journalism class will be coming to a close on Thursday night. The reporting and especially multimedia skills I have developed in this class will go a long way in helping me land a job. Until next time...

The times, they are a-changing...

I never truly understood how quickly Google was taking over the Internet...until today. Not only are they taking over the Internet (and soon the world), but they are also making things so much easier. I recently changed my e-mail address from Comcast to Gmail. I don't want to sound like an advertisement for them, but if you haven't done so already, you may want to check out what they have to offer.

The best feature, iGoogle, is a personal homepage each user can design with their mail, RSS feeds, weather alerts, and thousands of other "gadgets" that make your homepage a mobile base for all your information needs. Browsing ESPN.com for breaking sports stories is no longer necessary. Google updates me constantly on my home page. It truly is great.

My main reason for changing accounts was that my old screen name of swooshmm no longer fitting for a 21-year-old who is about to enter the job market (m.mullin3 works a lot better). I was planning on this being a difficult transition because so much of my contact information is linked to that address. I receive all my mail sent to my University of Miami address through that name, and also access that name through my phone.

The transition was flawless. I was able to have Google forward all e-mail sent to my Comcast address (including all sent to my school address) by changing the settings to include my swooshmm account in just a few seconds. Done. Fixed. Problem solved. I no longer have to delete old messages. I can just simply archive them and search through them whenever I need. And did I mention that my old emails were taking up 75% of my allotted space on Comcast, but are only using .1% of the incredible 6630 MB of space in my GMail account?

Come together, right now....

On Thursday, my classmate and editor of the Hurricane, Greg Linch, brought up a proposal to launch a new social network for members of the School of Communication called "CommTogether." Although it is open to all members (student, faculty, and staff) this networks main purpose is to create a forum for students to share their ideas and talents. In my opinion, this is the ultimate step towards convergence. Students will now be able to contact other students with questions or to ask for help with a project or package. For example, a print journalism student may want to put together a multimedia package for the Hurricane's new website, but may not have any experience editing video or audio. He/she will be able make contact with a broadcast journalism and a visual communications major through CommTogether and troubleshoot their project collaboratively.

CommTogether allows students to host their own blogs (both internally and externally), share video and photo, discuss projects and share ideas. Perhaps the most intrigue function of CommTogether is its ability to host groups, just like Facebook. Teachers will be able to host groups for each of their classes, sending out notes and updates to their entire class and being able to get immediate feedback (both private and public).

This new network has the ability to create a lasting forum for journalism students and reinvent the way communications students interact and work together. If you are a journalism student please click the link above or go to http://commtogether.ning.com. Some of the appearance aspects are still being tweaked but it is fully functional and ready to be used.

Everyday's a new day...

Well the one thing I wasn't ready for was the time change. I was barely able to sleep on the plane ride home, and of course there were problems getting in and getting my luggage. By the time I arrived at my house, it was 7 am and I was barely awake. I am still recovering, but work must go on and my deadline is Thursday. When it is published, I will put the link in my blog.

For the rest of my trip, I walked around Golden Gate Park which was amazing. San Francisco is a great city, a little cold, but a great city.

I spent most of today uploading the rest of my pictures and catching up on sleep (apart from the time I spent at the Health Center). I also transcribed the interview I did with a park ranger at Point Reyes. I guess this part of my experience is learning that the work doesn't stop when you come home, but rather it is just beginning. I don't mind, though, because like I said last time, each new story is a new experience, and that keeps things fresh. I think the fact that journalism isn't a nine to five job is what draws me to it.

Bringin' it all back home...

So, here I am in San Francisco. Yesterday, I went out to Point Reyes National Seashore where I was able to catch my first glimpse of the Pacific. It was beautiful. As you can see from these pictures, I visited the lighthouse at Point Reyes and on my way home, stopped at the Golden Gate Bridge for a photo-op. I just wish these pictures could really show the beauty of both Point Reyes and Golden Gate.

Like I said last time, I finally feel like a real journalist. I'm currently sitting in my hotel room, working on my story, and eating pizza. I guess this is what I can expect if I plan on making a career as a writer. To be honest, I can get used to this...being in a new city, with every move I make being a new experience...this is really exciting.

The one thing that has been different for me, and I guess it's like this for all business trips, is getting receipts everywhere I go. I've never been a big fan of them anyway. They usually just remind of unnecessary purchases I've made with money I didn't have. Now, however, the incentive of being reimbursed for meals and travel has made receipts my friends.

Next time, I'll give you some final thoughts on the rest of my trip, and how it was bringing all the pictures and information I gathered back home.