Always Think.

Chapter 3 in Journalism Next was extremely eye opening. We have to take a step back to realize the importance of crowd-sourcing or having open-source news, because it truly allows journalists to get the right perspective.

A revolution begins, or someone is harmed, and the people that are there when it happens are the ones that have to react. With crowd and open-source information, we as journalists are able to break the story and give the real point of view of the audience directly involved.

There can be downfalls, too, but the immediacy it places on the spread of information cant go without applaud. So what if we have to check to make sure they’re reliable sources, the process wont take long when one thousand tweets say the same thing.

Chapter 2 was reassuring. This isn’t the first blog I have created, but it will most likely be the one I keep. Briggs’ goal in this section is to keep us engaged in our blogs, and he gives the right advice when he says you have to love it or leave it.

My first blog was about the automotive industry. My car blog, which I had a passion for, was abandoned abruptly when I realized no one was reading it. This chapter provided the direction I was in need of. My old blog was missing live media, RSS feeds, and easily scannable content.

After taking Briggs’ advice I scanned a few credible blogs, you know, to see what my current blog is missing. It’s still missing a lot. The Huffington Post, for example, has a very busy yet easy to scan layout. Mashable‘s content layout is very familiar to that of Facebook, which uses similar colors and fonts. Facebook has attracted over 750 million users, so it seems like a no brainer that a blog using similar techniques might flourish.

I hope Andrew Knight has some time in class to help me solve my blog appearance issues.

Chapter 1 in Journalism Next did something for me that no other technology text has ever done. It made the curiously boring side of coding seem very, easy. Granted, it is a chapter full of shortcuts and tips, but isn’t that where we are at now?

Reading over the text brought me to the understanding that coding and creating web pages has gotten simpler out of necessity. Just like reading, the level of expertise necessary for creating a website has dwindled. We write at a ninth grade reading level, and Mark Briggs’ teachings comes across just as simply. I didn’t actually create a website as I read through the chapter, but I left it feeling like I could have.

RSS feeds. I needed this portion of the chapter. While the idea still decently alludes me, I know I have to subscribe if I want to move on to the next level of information seeking. By the end of the working day, RSS will become an integral part of this blog.

Last but not least, tech innovator, Greg Linch, answers the question we will all undoubtably ask. Are we the future of journalism? Read down his list of traits, apply to self, and the answer has to be yes.