What I've learned (5)

I’ve learned that advertising is the biggest source of revenue for online journalism and that new money-making methods need to be found.

What I've learned (4)

I’ve learned that online journalism entails many of the same legal and ethical standards of print, but that there are some differences.

What I've learned (3)

I’ve learned that writing for online is different than writing for print. Online writing should be shorter and more direct as readers skim.

What I've learned (2)

I’ve learned about linking; how to do it, when to do it, where to do it, and the legal and ethical rules associated with it.

What I've learned (1)

I’ve learned that bloggers can be journalists and journalists can be bloggers, but that there are different standards and rules for each.

What I've learned - Twitter style

I've learned a lot in Online Journalism class this semester.

One of the things I learned about - and had no clue exisited until this class - was Twitter.

So, in honor of Twitter, and in order to reach the 65 blog posts required for an A grade (I'll be honest), I'm going to post five important things I've learned in this class in five separate posts Twitter-style. I thought it would be a nice touch to use something I've learned while telling you what I've learned.

Remember, each post can be no longer than 140 characters.

I hope you've enjoyed the blog over the past few months. Thanks for reading.

Counch potato Saturday

This has nothing to do with online journalism, but I felt the need to address it...

Today is definitely a great day to buy some snacks and just bum out on the couch all day.

With classes over for the semester and some great college football and basketball match-ups lined up on the tube, that's definitely what I'll be doing.

We'll start it off on ABC with the 1 p.m. ACC Championship between Boston College and Virginia Tech. Then I'll jump over to CBS for the 4 p.m. SEC Championship between No. 1 Alabama and No. 4 Florida. But, my viewing of the hated Gators will only last until about halftime as I'll be forced to switch it over to ESPN and watch the Hurricanes basketball team take on Kentucky.

Definitely a great day to be a sports fan...

Final Project

For our final assignment in Online Journalism class, we were required to use some type of multimedia to display some of the skills we learned throughout the semester. I chose to go with Soundslides and create a narrated slideshow of a story I covered while on assignment in Panama last month.

Check it out below:

Back to Barnes

Remember my post from last week about my hometown newspaper's great coverage of a man named Steven Barnes being released from prison after 20 years following the discovery of new DNA evidence?

If you don't, check it out here.

And then read this column by the paper's managing editor Mike Kilian. It gives the reader an inside look at all of the hard work and coordination required of many different people inside of the newsroom for a story like this to be successfully covered. I also think it gives the casual reader a better appreciation of the hard work many reporters put into their jobs.

New Media Usage

Check out this research brief from the Center for Media Research:

Millennial Journalists Leading New Media Usage

While journalists across all age groups and beat assignments are rapidly adopting social media tools into their everyday work, the greatest usage is shown by young "Millennial Generation" journalists.

Preliminary findings about these Millenial Generation journalists, shared by the Society for New Communications Research Symposium, showed that 100% of Millennial respondents (i.e., 18-29 year-olds) believe new media and communications tools are enhancing journalism, versus 40% in the 50-64 demographic.

Don Middleberg, formerly Associate Professor of the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, said that "The most... significant finding of this... survey is the rapid adoption of new media and online communication among all journalists. The disparity in usage and perceived value of these new tools and technologies to the future of journalism is particularly striking among the youngest demographic versus the oldest."

The study, conducted by SNCR and Middleberg Communications, includes the following key findings:

*87% of 18-29 year-olds believe bloggers have become important opinion-shapers, versus 60% of 50-64 year-olds
*87% of 18-29 year-olds confirm that new media and communications enhances the relationship with their audience, versus 42% of 50-64 year-olds
*48% of all respondents use LinkedIn, and 45% use Facebook to assist in reporting
*68% of all respondents use blogs to keep up on issues or topics of interest
*86% of all respondents use company websites, 71% use Wikipedia, and 46% use blogs to research an individual organization

Middleberg continued by saying "... we have new ways to reach and communicate with a whole new generation of journalists. The communications professionals who embrace these changes will be far more effective and successful."

While it's not entirely surprising, notes the report, that this younger generation of journalists are users of these new communications tools... they understand how to use them effectively in their work, and are pushing the journalism profession as a whole to create a more collaborative, reciprocal, interactive, and fluid form of journalism.

What is striking about this survey, says the report, is that it is very clear that the ‘Millennials' - the younger journalists entering the workforce - are adopting new media and social tools more readily and seeing their value, especially in terms of collaborating with their peers and strengthening their relationships with their audiences and the people in the areas they cover.

Final results of the study are scheduled for release in the Spring of 2009. For more information, please visit this site.

Great story, great coverage

My hometown newspaper, The Observer-Dispatch, recently broke a huge story about a local man possibly being released from prison after 20 years due to new information discovered from new methods of DNA testing.

They've followed the story very meticulously and have done a great job of giving the readers all sorts of coverage through different forms of media from written stories, to photos to video. You can check out some of the coverage here as they've dedicated a special reports page to the constantly developing story. It displays some great breaking news coverage. I wouldn't be surprised if the paper's staff received a few awards for their work on this particular story.

Here's one video from the coverage that shows just how great online multimedia content can be. While it is rather simple, it allows viewers to see the emotion of Steven Barnes firsthand as he is being granted his release by the judge. It also shows Barnes' mother and sister embracing following the judges ruling. This gives users a part of the story that even the most skillful and poetic writing cannot always capture.

UM vs. UCONN game online

The 16th-ranked Miami Hurricanes basketball team is about 30 minutes away from a big match-up with the No. 2 Connecticut Huskies in the semifinals of the Paradise Jam Tournament in the Virgin Islands.

For those of you (like me) who don't have the Fox College Sports Network, you can watch the game online (for a fee) at this site.

Go 'Canes!

Occupational Outlook Handbook

I just received an e-mail from Dad with a link to Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook and thought I would share it with you all.

It has a lot of good information for those of us who will be entering the job market in the very near future. For hundreds of different jobs - including communications and the media, the handbook tells of the training and education needed, earnings, expected job prospects, what workers do on the job and working conditions. It also gives job search tips and links to information about the job market in each State.

Take a look. Who knows, maybe you'll find out that the profession you were planning on isn't right for you. Or maybe you're aspirations will be reinforced.

Mayne Street

I'm sure some of you sports fans already know, but for those who don't, ESPN recently introduced a new, internet-only series called Mayne Street starring ESPN personality Kenny Mayne.

For those of you unfamiliar with Mayne, he is a histerically funny sportscaster for the world's most popular television sports outlet.

The show is somewhat similar to The Office in its style of humor.

Check out the latest episode of Mayne Street below:



Click here to see other episodes and also some funny bonus footage.

Panama Day 5: An amazing experience

Well, we left the hotel around 1 p.m. this afternoon and I just walked into my house in Miami about two hours ago around 8 p.m.

Needless to say, I'm pretty tired, so I'm going to keep this short.

This trip truly was an amazing experience.

I don't think I really comprehended this until just now, but for the past five days, I worked as a real-life, professional journalist in a foreign country.

Not only did I get a chance to visit a place where I had never been and to make three great friends in my classmates Natalia, Alcione and Ligia, but I also got to do something that most student journalists (most professional journalists for that matter) will never get to do - work internationally.

I owe own many thanks to the University of Miami School of Communication and 1h20.org for giving me that opportunity.

From left to right: Me, Natalia, Alcione and Ligia in front of the hotel on our last night in Panama City, Panama.

Panama Day 4: Learning on the job

So that didn't go as well as planned.

Last time I posted, I was awaiting the arrival of University of Panama biologist Ariel Rodriguez for an interview on fresh water salinization.

Well, it's 8 p.m., and I'm still waiting...

I'm not quite sure what happened, but it seems that Rodriguez isn't going to show up. Natalia and I hung around in the lobby for nearly an hour after the scheduled meeting time, but it was of no use. And, conveniently, the cell phone number that we have for him did not work. I don't know how that happened.

I do know that Rodriguez was out of the country and flying back into Panama this afternoon, and was going to drive straight to the hotel from the airport to meet us. In fact, according to Natalia (who spoke with him over the phone last week to set up the meeting), he was quite excited about it. But, I guess this just goes to show that things happen and, in this profession, you have to be prepared for the unexpected.

While the lack of this interview is definitely a setback and will surely affect our visual presentation of the story (we were planning on producing a video), I'm confident that we can still reach Ariel once returning to Miami by e-mail or phone (we're leaving tomorrow morning so rescheduling is not possible). We won't have the video footage that we hoped for, but we'll just have to make adjustments as journalists all over are forced to do each and every day.

While I'm not exactly thrilled that this, our final interview of the trip, did not work out, it was definitely a good lesson to learn early on in my career. Things happen and you have to be prepared for the unexpected.

Panama Day 4: A sightseeing break

After what was an emotional and eye-opening day of work yesterday, we took the first part of today off and switched roles from journalists to tourists, making our way to the colonial section of Panama City known as Casco Viejo.

It was pretty neat to walk along the narrow brick streets of old Panama City and imagine what it must have been like just 100 years ago when the new, modernized section of the city did not exist and Casco Viejo was the place to be.

Here are some pictures from our trip over to Casco Viejo:

Vendors along an oceanside street in Caco Viejo. Yes, they sold the infamous 'Panama hats.'

A shot of the narrow brick streets that make up Casco Viejo.

No, that's not downtown Miami. It's downtown Panama City from across the ocean in Casco Viejo.

Luis, Alcione, Ligia and Prof. Garrison walking along a sidestreet.

Four young girls singing and dancing on a Casco Viejo sidestreet.

That's me.

Yup, more water issues (even when we're not working). This flooded street (it rained a bit earlier in the day) was shot from the car as we are making our way back to the hotel. While the Panama City sewage authority likely isn't happy, the local children were having fun with it.

Unfortuantely the day won't be all play as Natalia and I have a interview scheduled with University of Panama biologist Ariel Rodriguez in about 50 minutes. He's supposed to be meeting us in the hotel lobby at 6:30 p.m.

Rodriguez figures to be a key source in our first story, focused on fresh water salinization associated with the widening of the Panama Canal. He has been quite outspoken about the issue and, unlike the Panama Canal Authority (as we found out Thursday), Rodriguez believes the addition of the Canal's third lock may pose a serious threat to the quality and supply of drinking water in Panama's future.

I'll check in later and let you know how our meeting goes. Adios!

Panama Day 3: Harsh reality

First off, on a totally unrelated note, the 'Canes are officially 1-0 in games that I watch in Spanish after taking out Virginia Tech 16-14 last night. I guess I'll have to start making more frequent use of the SAP button on my remote control.

Now to the real stuff - today's work...

The day started off with a 6 a.m. wake up call to hitch a ride to a nearby village said to be without running water. Natalia and I hitched a ride to the scene - arranged by our fixer Luis - with a photographer and journalist from La Estrella who were also covering the story.

The approximately 30-minute drive from Panama City to the secluded village, and what I would come to see and feel in that village, exposed me to a part of Panama that I had not yet seen in my two days in the country. In fact, it exposed me to a harsh reality that I had not yet experienced at all in my life.

The poverty and hardship I witnessed just 20 miles outside the sultry skyline of Panama’s thriving cosmopolitan capital of Panama City borders on unimaginable. And to experience it is incredibly powerful.

Forget the internet, cell phones and television. These people aren’t worried about obtaining these luxuries (and, yes, that’s what they are – luxuries). Rather, the people I would come to meet – the subjects of my story – are forced to worry about something much more basic; something that most of us take for granted – water (and where and how they’ll get it).

The people of this village, which is tucked away in the rolling hills of the Panama countryside, are without running water. When they turn their faucets, nothing comes out. Their only source of fresh water comes from the rain that they collect in buckets. They are forced to wash their clothes in the streams of the nearby forest.

And in what seems to be the cruelest of all irony, this close-knit village is known as Tierra Prometida (translated: The Promise Land) when it is truly anything but that.

Rotting wood and rusty scrap metal make up the small, dirt-floor shacks that line the rocky and windy dirt roads of the waterless shantytown.

Even without being able to communicate directly with the people of Tierra Prometida due to the language barrier between us (Natalia did all of the interviewing in Spanish), I could still see the pain of the people simply by watching them and feeling their emotion.

According to them, their pleas to IDAAN – the government agency responsible for water distribution in the region – have gone unanswered and no end to their waterless woes seems to be in sight.

After spending a couple of hours with these people and taking hundreds of pictures, Natalia and I returned back to Panama City where we met up with our classmates Alcione and Ligia, our professor and Luis, and made the five-minute drive over to IDAAN in search of answers to what we had just witnessed in Tierra Prometida.

The two IDAAN officials with whom we met (again Natalia conducted our part of the interview in Spanish) said – almost too casually – that they didn’t have a solution to the problem, offering no hope that the people of the village would receive water anytime soon.

Leaving the IDAAN, I found myself feeling quite angry at the response of the officials and their apparent lack of care for the situation. It is their job to distribute clean, quality water to the people in and around Panama City, and they are clearly not doing their job in the case of Tierra Prometida. And for what reason? What have these people done to deserve such neglect?

I know that as a reporter, it is my job to stay neutral and not to bring my own feelings into a story. However, I’m finding it quite hard to do that in this situation. Seeing the conditions that these people are forced to live in, and then on top of it they are without clean water due to the incompetence of a government agency, it is hard not to sympathize with them.

Reflecting back on today, I think this experience has allowed me to see the true power we can have as journalists. We have the power to bring issues to light that would otherwise go unnoticed and ignored.

Hopefully that is what I can do through this story. Hopefully someone, somewhere, with the authority to do so, will take notice and make this injustice right.

Panama Day 2: Getting to work

Today was our first real day of "work" here in Panama.

And it was a long one.

After a 7 a.m. wake up call, my classmates and I, along with our professor and trusty guide Luis, made our way to the offices of the IDDAN, the agency responsible for water distribution in and around Panama City. This trip - to meet with IDDAN officials to discuss problems with water distribution in certain parts of the country - was somewhat unplanned and it showed in the outcome as no one was available to meet with us. However, the stop wasn't entirely useless as we did set up an interview for tomorrow afternoon.

From the offices of the IDDAN, we made our way to the Panama Canal Authority headquarters where my partner Natalia and I had a 10:30 a.m. interview scheduled with ACP environment department head Oscar Vallarino.

*This would probably be a good time to tell you about the two stories that Natalia and I are investigating...

*The first deals with the widening of the Panama Canal (a project that is already underway and is expected to be completed by 2014) and what, if any, affect it might have on the quality of drinking water throughout the region. Basically, fresh water and salt water mix each time a boat is raised in the locks of the Canal and if too salinization occurs (salt water moving into the fresh water bodies of the Gatun and Miraflores Lakes), it can make drinking water untreatable (without the construction of a new water treatment facility). Some (the ACP specifically) say that the level of salinization that occurs now and will occur once the new lock in up and running is not nearly enough to affect the quality and subsequent availability of drinking water. But, others (such as local biologists and hydrologists) believe the new lock will cause serious salinization issues.

*The second story is about a community located about 30 minutes (by car) from the heart of Panama City that does not receive any potable water. The residents' only means of obtaining water is from the small streams in the surrounding jungles (this water is obviously not treated for safe consumption). The people of the village say that their requests have been ignored by IDDAN, the agency responsible for distributing water in the area.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, our interview with Vallarino went very well. He gave us just what I expected - the ACP's side of the story which is that the canal's new lock will not affect the quality of drinking water and that the level of salinization that might occur is not nearly enough to cause a problem. Vallarino also showed us a detailed presentation explaining the widening project, which was very helpful to my understanding of the project. He also talked extensively about the huge economic benefits that the widening is expected to bring to Panama (again, the ACP's side of the story).

After leaving the ACP, we grabbed a quick lunch and then went on a private tour of the Miraflores Filtration Plant, which was arranged for us by Vallarino. The tour allowed us to see just how the water from the Miraflores Lake is collected and treated and then transferred on to the pipes and aqueducts of the IDDAN for distribution throughout the region.

Before making our way back to the hotel, we made one last stop at the University of Panama where Alcione and Ligia conducted an interview with a professor for their stories. While this stop wasn't necessary for my stories, it was a good chance to see another part of Panama City and to get to see a college campus in Central America.

We finally made it back to our hotel about 45 minutes ago, just in time for me to get cleaned up and ready to watch the Hurricanes football team take on Virginia Tech in a 7:30 p.m. game with major Atlantic Coast Conference implications! So, now I'm going to sit back, relax (yeah right, not with the importance of this rivalry game) and hopefully watch my 'Canes take down the Hokies!

Vayamos Canes!

Panama Day 1: We made it!

Greetings from Panama!

We arrived safely and on time (thank you American Airlines) at the Tocumen International Airport this afternoon and made our way over to our hotel in Panama City.

What should have been about a 30-minute drive to the hotel turned into a 1-hour and 15 minute adventure due to some very heavy rush hour traffic in and around the city. But, no worries, as the prolonged trip allowed us to take in the area a bit more and get a better feel for where we will be working over the next five days.

Upon arriving at the hotel, we got settled into our rooms and then met with an editor, Luis, from La Estrella, a Panama City-based newspaper (Here is a link to the paper's website).

This is when I experienced what I expect to be the first of many times I will have difficulty communicating with someone here in Panama.

What do I mean exactly? 

Well, I don't speak Spanish, and Luis doesn't speak English. While I wasn't able to communicate with him directly (which I'll admit was frustrating), my three classmates (Natalia, Alcione and Ligia) were each born in Spanish-speaking countries and are each fluent in both English and Spanish. They were very helpful with translating both ways and allowing me to at least have some sort of interaction with Luis.

From what little I could understand and what I was told by the girls, Luis was very helpful and will be an integral part of our trip. He will be setting up appointments with sources and even traveling to some sites with us. It really is a blessing that someone so well-connected to the area is willing to help out so much. It should really improve the quality and depth of our work.

After dinner, Luis led us on a walk around the city (which is somewhat similar to downtown Miami) and educated us a bit on the local surroundings.

That's all for today. Tomorrow the real work begins as we're heading to the Panama Canal Authority for an interview with the ACP's head of environment, Oscar Vallarino. He is a big part of my and Natalia's first story dealing with the widening of the Panama Canal and how it might affect the quality of drinking water for residents of Panama City and the surrounding area. More on that tomorrow...

Buenas noches!

Blogging from Panama

I just wanted to give a "heads-up" and let you know that I'll be traveling to Panama City, Panama tomorrow through Sunday with three other UM students and a professor for my Media Convergence class.

We're going as a team of reporters working for the website www.1h20.org, part of the One Water project, "aimed at engaging the media to bring public awareness to the global water crisis."

While our assignments for the 1h20 site are aimed toward print and visual media, I don't see why I can't add an element of online journalism (blogging) to the project through this class blog. I plan to post daily updates of our work and experiences in the Southernmost country of Central America, and welcome you to follow along. I'll even post some of the pictures that I take.

Check back over the next five days for updates on my travels. If I don't a new post each day, it's likely because of limited internet availability. If that's the case (which I won't really know until I get there), I'll be sure to have each day's log posted by early next week upon my arrival back in Miami.

Adios! (just practicing for the next five days...)

Finally, a text!

I don't know whether someone at the OD read my post from yesterday, or someone just decided to take charge and do their job, but I finally received a "News Alert" message from Text Me OD this morning!

The message, sent at 11:25 a.m., said, "A missing hunter from New Jersey was found alive this morning in the town of Webb. Visit http://www.uticaod.com/ for details."

This appears to be good news on two fronts:

1) A missing person was found alive (here's a link to the story on the OD's website).

2) The OD is actually sending out text alerts.

Still no texts...

We're now going on five days and I still have yet to receive a text notification from Text Me OD about the results of the Presidential or the local congressional elections.

In fact, I haven't received ANY text AT ALL from The Observer-Dispatch's text messaging service.

This is troubling for two reasons:

1) I signed up for text message "News Alerts," touted by the site as "breaking local or national news." There has clearly been breaking news both nationally and locally (Presidential election and congressional election among other things) since my signing up for the service, yet I have not been notified of anything via text.

2) I also signed up to receive texts of "Local Sports News" for my alma mater New Hartford Senior High School. According to the OD's website, with "Local Sports News," users receive "up-to-date sports scores from your favorite local high school and college teams." However, that doesn't seem to be the case as my former high school captured the Section III football championship Friday night and I never received a text with score updates nor a message indicating the final results. In fact, if I had not been following along on the OD's website throughout the season, I would not have even known New Hartford was playing in the championship game.

It seems like this experiment of signing up for the OD's text messaging service has turned out to be quite revealing in a rather unflattering way...

I'm still waiting...

Good thing I wasn't depending on the Uticaod.com's text messaging service to tell me who won the presidential election.

If I was, I STILL wouldn't know whether it was Barack Obama or John McCain who will be inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States on January 20, 2009.

Last night, I signed up for The Observer-Dispatch's text messaging service called "Text Me OD" as part of an experiment for online journalism class. The objective was to see how soon after the election results were announced I would receive that all-important message alerting me as to who would be our next president.

Well, I still haven't received that message, and if I was truly depending on "Text Me OD" for my news (in this case the election results), I wouldn't be a very happy camper.

Someone's not doing their job...

Election Day - The Aftermath

After the longest - and perhaps the most historic - presidential race in the history of our country, the American people have spoken and Barack Obama has been elected the 44th President of the United States of America.



I hope you all followed along with the online coverage of the election as I suggested in my last post.

If you did, what site(s) did you follow?

Personally, I spent most of my time on CNN.com and my hometown newspaper's site Uticaod.com, refreshing the homepage of each site every few minutes.

Follow along with Election Day Coverage

Just wanted to give everyone a quick reminder to get out and exercise your duty today - VOTE!

And after you do that, go on to virtually any news-related website to follow along with the election results!

Here are a few suggestions:

*The Observer-Dispatch

*The Miami Herald

*CNN

This - tonight's online election coverage - may very well prove to be one of the best examples of online, breaking-news journalism to date!

Uticaod.com evaluation No. 5: Too much clutter

This week's posts will focus exclusively on my hometown newspaper's website, uticaod.com. More specifically, I will be evaluating and critiquing the site based on several of the topics that we have discussed thus far in my online journalism class.

Today's topic: Site design and layout

To make a long story short, The Observer-Dispatch's website has way too much going on at once. It is sometimes difficult to separate featured reports from advertisements, and - in my opinion - a lot of the staff's best work (i.e. news features and special reports) is buried among too much clutter.

The OD is a medium-sized publication with a circulation of just over 40,000 and does not have a particularly large staff, especially when it comes to what we're talking about: the online department. Because of this, much of the burden (practically all) for maintaining and updating the paper's website falls on the shoulders of a few individuals. That is likely one of the biggest reasons for the site's (particularly the home page) relative disorganization.

Here is an example of what I'm referring to when I say the site is "cluttered" and certain features are buried:

At first glance, I mistook "Wicca" banner for an ad, and as I do with most ads, ignored it. Upon closer inspection, I realized that it is indeed its own special feature complete with a story, photo gallery and slide show. But, its close proximity to the banner ad above it (and the ad below it to the right) keep it from sticking out to the viewer (especially the online scanners).

Another aspect that is hidden among the clutter is the box to the right containing "News Features," "Extras," and "Special Sections." While these sections highlight some of the paper's best work, they are unfortunately missed by many readers simply because they blend in with the rest of the page too much and don't catch the viewer's eye.

Uticaod.com evaluation No. 4: More blogging

This week's posts will focus exclusively on my hometown newspaper's website, uticaod.com. More specifically, I will be evaluating and critiquing the site based on several of the topics that we have discussed thus far in my online journalism class.

Today's topic: Sports staff blogging

One of the areas in which the The Observer-Dispatch has sought to improve and enhance its online content - and has been somewhat successful in doing so - is in its sports blogs.

The OD sports staff is made up of seven people (four reporters and three editors/copy editors). Currently, four of those staffers have their own blogs. Two of them - the main high school sports writers - focus their blogs on - you guessed it - high school sports. Another - the Syracuse University sports beat writer - focuses his blog on college sports (while also occasionally venturing into the professional sports world occasionally). The last - a copy editor - blogs on any and all sports topics (though mainly professional).

Up until late August, these blogs were rarely posted to, and they had next to no audience. However - prepare for some shameless self-promotion - after I ran a summer-long American Legion baseball blog off of the site that gained a loyal following, the paper's editors decided to beef up the entire staff's dedication to blogging.

Now, the sports staffers with blogs usually post at least three times a week (compared to MAYBE once a month before). While their blogging skills are still a bit archaic (there is no linking, no photos, no videos, no audio, etc.), the blogs have definitely been a welcome addition to the paper's sports coverage.

The paper's newfound dedication to these blogs can be seen below. The site highlights the blogs both in the middle of the homepage, and with a banner atop the sports page as well:

Uticaod.com evaluation No. 3: Non-news related videos

This week's posts will focus exclusively on my hometown newspaper's website, uticaod.com. More specifically, I will be evaluating and critiquing the site based on several of the topics that we have discussed thus far in my online journalism class.

Today's topic: Non-news related videos

Videos (along with other multimedia) are no doubt one of the fastest growing elements of newspaper websites. Videos can do things that written stories sometimes can't. They can show a user the faces of the subjects of a story and provide actual visual evidence of a story rather than simply describing a situation with their words.

Put simply, videos are a great way to tell a story and to supplement print stories.
However, not all videos on a publication's website need to be story-related pieces. Sometimes, sites can - and should - have fun in delivering videos to users.

The Observer-Dispatch did just that when sports reporter Anne Delaney - alongside videographer Peter Franchell - created a video tutorial of a soccer penalty kick. The video, while not relating to any specific conflict or game, was a fun way to teach users about penalty kicks and to introduce more sports fans to the site's multimedia content.

A video such as this is also a good reminder that, while news sites must continue to deliver important hard news coverage, there is also some time for interactive, user-friendly content.

Uticaod.com evaluation No. 2: Using links

This week's posts will focus exclusively on my hometown newspaper's website, uticaod.com. More specifically, I will be evaluating and critiquing the site based on several of the topics that we have discussed thus far in my online journalism class.

Today's topic: Using links in online stories

"Links allow the user not only to move among different parts of your story but also to access related information available on other Web sites. In this way, links not only can provide a seamless and logical means of letting the user experience your story but also can encourage the user to explore further on his own." - James C. Foust, author of Online Journalism: Principles and Practices of News for the Web

As Foust says, links are very important to online stories. They allow users to navigate throughout stories, and also to venture outside of stories into other related areas (of a story).

Some sites, such as The Miami Herald's and USA Today's, do a superb job of linking. Through their use of links, they provide users with extra material from which to get information. Whether it be another related story within the paper's own site, or a connected multimedia component, these sites (and their are obviously others as well) do a great job of giving their users several options (through linking).

Uticaod.com, while not to the same degree as the Herald or USA Today, also does a decent job of linking. Specifically recently - with a push toward more multimedia - the OD's site has included more and more "Related Content" links with its top stories. These links allow users to view photo galleries, listen to audio interviews, or even watch videos that are related to the written version of the story.

.

Here are a few examples of OD stories with links to more information:

*Kids set out on candy missions across Utica (link to more stories is below ad on the left)

*Family of 9 escapes Utica blaze (link to photo gallery is below ad on the left)

.

There is no doubt that there is still room for improvement for the OD when it comes to linking - perhaps better placement of the "Related Content" and more linking to past associated stories would be a good addition. But, considering its size and demographic, uticaod.com does a pretty good job of offering its users more material to further investigate a story through its use of linking.

Uticaod.com evaluation No. 1: Where are the videos?

This week's posts will focus exclusively on my hometown newspaper's website, uticaod.com. More specifically, I will be evaluating and critiquing the site based on several of the topics that we have discussed thus far in my online journalism class.

Today's topic: Video player presentation

Any loyal follower of uticaod.com will tell you that the site has made great strides in its delivery of multimedia over the past year. 

OD photo (and multimedia) editor William Cannon is constantly encouraging his staff, and newsroom reporters, to incorporate more multimedia - photos, slideshows, audio and video - into their work. 

While the OD is likely still not entirely up to par in this area, the improvements are undeniable. The site's recent presentation of a video debate between the candidates for the local congressional race - which I blogged about last week - is a perfect example of the strides that have been made.

However, a problem persists.

While there are many more videos now available, they are not as easy to find as they should be. What it comes down to is that the OD's video player is not well enough highlighted (and positioned) on the homepage. 

As can be see in the screenshot the left, the video player is buried at the bottom right of the homepage, hiding it from many of the site's visitors.

The OD would be better off placing the player higher up on the page and perhaps more toward the center in order to better catch the viewer's eye. This would likely increase the viewership and popularity of the site's multimedia content.

The Miami Herald's new video player (and its presentation) is one that I think the OD would benefit from following:

'Christian Science Monitor' changing approach

Some big news out of the newspaper industry today...

From Media Post Publications:

Signaling a fundamental shift in the publishing industry, The Christian Science Monitor today announced plans to shift from daily to a weekly print publishing format. In turn, the national newspaper plans to invest heavily in its Web presence.

"We're the first national paper to switch to a web first strategy," said John Yemma, editor of the newspaper, which is more than 100 years old and has won seven Pulitzer Prizes. "We need to make it first rather than secondary, so we can make it more of a go-to destination."

The Monitor has long been one of the most well-respected newspapers in the country, making this news quite significant. It simply plays into the belief of many that print newspapers are a dying creature and that the future of the industry is online.

I for one believe, despite their well-documented struggles, print newspapers are a long way from becoming extinct. There's just something about reading the daily news from a newspaper that you can't get on a computer screen. But, that's just my opinion (and perhaps wishful thinking)...

What do you think? Is the Monitor's move just one of many to come for the industry?

Follow the Dolphins with the Herald

I stumbled upon this while going to the Herald's website and found it pretty cool.

The top story on the homepage is a link (with a picture) to live coverage of the Dolphins game versus the Buffalo Bills. The picture - Ricky Williams being tackled by a Bills' defender - is even from the game! That's pretty impressive.

Here is a screen capture of the page:

The link sends you to Armando Salguero's "Dolphin's in Depth" blog where Armando (the Herald's Miami Dolphins beat writer) is providing live updates on the game from the press box at Dolphin Stadium.

This is yet another way - outside of actually going to the game, watching on TV, or listening on the radio - to follow along with your favorite team. 

The advantage this site has (as opposed to something like ESPN's Gamecast) is that Armando also offers live commentary and description, which is something that cannot be relayed through a simple updating box score.

Hometown political coverage

I thought I would share something that my hometown paper, The Observer-Dispatch, is doing as part of their Congressional election coverage that I find to be a very good idea.

The OD is not most well-known for its use of multimedia, but, to the staff's credit, they've been working very hard to incorporate more elements of audio and video coverage onto their website. The recent filming (and subsequent online posting) of a debate between Congressional race candidates shows the progress being made by the paper in this area, and presents a very good example of use (and presentation) of multimedia.

The filmed debated, in which the candidates fielded questions from the OD's editorial board, is featured on the home page of the website by banner shown below:

Clicking on the banner sends users to a page with an embedded video player, and links to the candidate's answers (and rebuttals) to each question. 

Here is what the page looks like:

What do you think? Is this a good way to feature and present the material? I think it is. Could they have done anything differently to enhance the presentation?

Twitter: It's growing

Remember that little thing called Twitter I talked about (and practiced) a few posts ago?

Well, apparently it's not so little...

According to the latest report from Neilsen Online, Twitter is the fastest growing social network in the United States with an audience increase of 343 percent since September 2007.

Let me say that once more: 343 PERCENT!

While I myself have still not jumped on the Twitter bandwagon and, to be honest, still don't fully understand it (it seems sort of creepy to me), I think this social network might be here to stay (or at least until something better replaces it).

Newspapers online: A lot for a little

I found this interesting and thought I would share...

Newspaper Web sites attracted a record 68.3 million unique visitors in the third quarter of 2008, equal to 41.4 percent of all American Internet users, according to newspaper Association of America. However, they have yet to monetize their online readership.

What's the answer? How can newspaper's make money online?

Well, don't ask me!

I'm stumped.

Other than advertising - which is becoming more and more difficult to secure - how can newspapers make money through their web sites? They can't charge people to visit their sites as readers will simply go elsewhere for their news (this is already proven in the fact that many newspapers that used to charge for archived stories now offer dated stories free of charge).

I'm sure someone will come up with a wonderful, groundbreaking idea at some point (see: YouTube). But, when? And, what?

Do you guys have any ideas?

More mobile: Text Alerts

Want to know the latest breaking news and headlines from The Miami Herald right after they happen?

Simple.

Sign up for text alerts from the Herald.

You can even customize what news your receive. If sports is your thing, the Herald will text you the latest scores. If you want Dade County news, that can also be arranged. Same goes for Broward. You can even get the latest weather forecast or winning lottery numbers sent right to your phone.

The Herald is not alone with text alerts (as I'm sure most all of you know). Many newspaper around the country offer this service as well.

Want to know what's going on in my hometown of Utica, NY?

Well, you might not, but I do. That's why I'll sign up for Text Me O-D.

Another way to get your news

As if we didn't already have enough ways to get our news, the Associated Press has launched a Mobile News Network App for BlackBerry Smart Phones.

The new application, which can be downloaded for free, "provides anytime access to international, national, and local news content from about 1,000 media sources."

Just when it seems that we have every avenue available to us for gathering information, another crops up.

I wonder what's next...

Personal blogs: What are the boundaries?

"What are the guidelines for the personal blogs of journalism who work for mainstream news organizations?"

That question is asked in the subhead of an article titled "Murky Boundaries" from a recent edition of the American Journalism Review magazine.

In the article, as is quite evident by the subhead, editorial assistant Kevin Rector discusses the controversy surrounding personal blogs and their association (or disassociation) with the workplace. Rector talks to several people in the industry to get their opinion on this very topic. He also interviews some journalists who have been fired from their jobs for posting things deemed "inappropriate" by their company.

I found a link to the story online as well for those interested: Murky Boundaries. I highly suggest this article for anyone looking to make a living in the media industry.

My own opinion on the topic? 

If a journalist wants to have his or her own personal blog outside of the office, that's fine. Just keep it that way - outside of the office. Avoid at all costs talking about anything associated with your work. Even more, stay away even from all topics/stories being covered by your publication (even if you're not the one covering it). If you want to talk about your work in a more informal setting, ask your editor for a blog that is associated with your company and tell he or she why it is you want the blog and how you think it will benefit the publication.

This quote from Jeff Brown, news editor at Delaware's Dover Post, I think, sums it up quite well, "It's just understood that if you are going to have a blog, you separate your personal life from your professional life when you're posting on it."

So, what do you guys think? Is it okay for journalists to talk about their jobs in their own personal blogs? Should they be reprimanded if they do so? Do you have your own personal blog outside of work/school?

Twitter #5

LaSalle's comeback bid fell short as Archbishop Carroll (5-1) dominated the fourth quarter on its way to a 40-17 win. LaSalle is now 5-1.

Twitter #4

LaSalle came out of halftime showing new life, cutting Archbishop Carroll’s lead to 27-17 after three quarters with a FG and a touchdown.

Twitter #3

Tonight is homecoming for LaSalle. Despite trailing by 20 points at the half, they put on quite a halftime show – topped off with fireworks.

Twitter #2

Archbishop Carroll leads LaSalle 27-7 at half. Carroll took control with three second-quarter touchdowns. The LaSalle players look deflated.

Twitter #1

LaSalle leads Archbishop Carroll 7-6 after one quarter. LaSalle scored first on a 1-yard run. Carroll cut the lead to one on a 79-yard run.

Let's twitter!

In honor of a recent guest speaker to our Online Journalism class, social media strategist Alex de Carvalho, this week's posts (at least five of them) will be done as "Twitter" entries.

Twitter? What's that?

If that's what you're saying, don't worry. So was I until about two weeks ago.

For those of you new to "twittering," here's a simple definition of one of the newer forms of social media from - you guessed it - twitter.com: Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

So there you have it. Twitter is simply another form of communication - among many - that allows people to stay connected. Beyond the simple friend-to-friend twittering, many news organizations are also jumping onboard the twitter bandwagon, if you will.

Some news media use twitter to tell people the ongoing events of a political rally. Others use it to give play-by-play highlights of press conferences. One Colorado newspaper has even twittered (and drawn considerable scrutiny for doing so) the events of a funeral service.

At this point you may be asking yourself how Twitter is any different than what we already have (as in updates of stories and web pages). Well, here's the answer: Twitter allows reporters to report news directly from the scene and at that very moment.

Oh, and one more thing: Twitter entries can be no more than 140 characters long. That's the point of Twitter. Quick and short updates of live events.

To illustrate the value and use of this new form of social media, I will be "twittering" updates from Friday night's Archbishop Carroll vs. LaSalle high school football game.

Check back tomorrow to follow along with the action...

Herald's game coverage serves as good example

The Miami Herald's online coverage of Saturday's football game between Miami and Florida State serves as a nearly perfect example of how to present news in the online age.

With a simple click on the main game story, Miami Hurricanes and Seminoles produce another classic, readers are able to do so much more than read the traditional "game story."

The page includes several links to more coverage - from written stories on the game (six to be exact), to post-game press conference video, to audio interviews, to game photos, to a narrated slideshow - no stone is left unturned. There is even an embedded video (of coach Randy Shannon's post-game press conference) right on the game story page.

This coverage of the game shows just how much the media industry has evolved with the growth of new technology and an increase in online readership. No longer will a simple "game story" suffice. Journalists must go far behind writing - incorporating various forms of multimedia - to please today's online audience.

Personally, I like to get most of my news from written sources. But, when it comes to sports, I also don't mind taking a look at supplemental photos and videos. Other people want to see the reactions of players and coaches in their post-game interviews, while others are most interesting in game stats.

Whatever your preference, the Herald made sure to cater to the interests of all fans with its awesome coverage of yet another classic between the Hurricanes and Seminoles.

Don't fear Dolfans!

Are you one of the many who stayed home to watch the Dolphins game in the comfort of your home rather than heading out to the Stadium?

If you're reading this, you probably are. And, you're probably also pretty angry right about now that the game has been blacked out due it not being a sell out.

Don't worry. You can still follow the Fins on ESPN's live scoreboard. Just click on the box featuring Miami vs. San Diego to follow along play-by-play, and get up-to-date stats on the game.

'Life' Magazine Resurrected As Web Site

Here's an article from Media Post Publications that serves as yet another example (among many) of the growing popularity and power of online journalism:

'Life' Magazine Resurrected As Web Site
By Erik Sass

Like a non-threatening zombie, Time Inc.'s Life brand is back from the dead again, this time as a Web site offering thousands of old photos from Life as well as new photos from Getty Images.

Set to debut some time in early 2009, the site will make the images available for free online for non-public use, including sharing the photos with friends. Visitors will also be able to buy photo albums created by other users.

Overall, Life.com hopes to publish 3,000 new images provided by Getty every day, executives revealed at the Interactive Advertising Bureau's MIXX Conference in New York. The new venture's CEO will be Andy Blau, the president of Life and a senior vice president with Time Inc. Interactive.

Catherine Gluckstein, vice president of iStockPhoto and Consumer Markets for Getty Images, will serve as CFO.

The Web portal has been a long time in the planning.

Time Inc. first disclosed plans for an online archive of Life's extensive collection of 20th-century photography in March 2007, when the company announced the closure of the Life Sunday supplement, a newspaper-distributed magazine.

Blog Binge

After sharing some surprising (and I'd also have to say distressing) information in my last post that nearly half of newspaper editors do not check their website traffic during the day, I thought I'd provide some more positive news surrounding the world of online news.

This might also provide some of you with new media outlets from where to get your news...

American Journalism Review recently published a list of blogs and other online media sites that are read daily by some of the country's most well-known political writers and reporters (from outlets such as The Chicago Tribune, USA Today, ABC, NPR, and The Washington Post).

As part of a Brodeur study of reporters and social media, 69 political reporters listed their favorite blogs. Their top five:

* The Huffington Post
* Real Clear Politics
* Talking Points Memo
* Daily Kos
* Townhall.com

AJR reported that "More than 70 percent of the political journalists surveyed by communications firm Brodeur in May said they spent at least an hour per day reading blogs and other online media."

I know I definitely spend at least one hour per day reading blogs and other online media (I'll admit 99 percent of it is dedicated to sports). How about you guys? How much of your 24-hour day is devoted to reading news or blogs online?

Financial forecast & traffic report

I came across some interesting information (especially for aspiring journalists) in the most recent edition of Editor and Publisher magazine.

First, what I referred to as the "financial forecast" is some data on the starting salaries of journalism school graduates. What I called the "traffic report" displayed information on how often newspaper editors check their website's traffic each day.

First, the money...

According to the Annual Survey of Journalism & Mass Communication Graduates at the University of Georgia, of J-School graduates:

* 63 percent of bachelor's degree recipients had a full-time job

* $30,000 is the median salary for bachelor's degree recipients

* $40,000 is the median salary for master's degree recipients

If nothing else, I think numbers like these simply reinforce the fact that you better love journalism is you're going to get into the field (especially today with all of the added duties brought on by the internet).

Now to those who already have jobs...

How often do editors check their own website traffic each day? Well, here's how much according to the Project for Excellence in Journalism: The Changing Newsroom report:

* 42 percent check it less than once

* 35 percent check it once

* 16 percent check it 2 to 3 times

* 6 percent check it more than 3 times

I don't know about you, but I found this to be quite shocking. I can't believe that 42 percent of editors do not check their site traffic at all during the day! I would expect a majority of them to check it at least once if not multiple times throughout the day!

What do you think? Do these figures (and those on salaries above) surprise you?

Online Journalism in Action - My version

So we've followed the breaking news story of a couple found dead in their New Smyrna, Fla. home on Monday morning, and we've looked into how the Sentinel has followed the story (and updated it with new findings in the case).

Now, let's take a look at how the article might look in the next day's paper. Keep in mind, there are some differences in style when it comes to writing for the web and writing for print. You'll notice them when you follow a breaking news story online during the day and then look at the print version in the next morning's paper.

So, if I were the writer assigned to the tragic story out of New Smyrna, here's how I would write the first few paragraphs of the story for the next day's paper (after reading it, go back and look at the final web version of the story and note the differences in my version and the online story):

Investigation of deceased New Smyrna couple continues

Andrew Donovan

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

NEW SMYRNA - Investigators are still searching for clues into what happened to a couple that was found dead Monday in their New Smyrna Beach home.

Police discovered Steven G. Brady and his wife, Pamela Palmer Brady, dead at their Cedar Avenue home about 9:35 a.m. Monday after Pamela Brady failed to show up for work at Crystal Lake Elementary School in Lake Mary, where she was a second-grade teacher.

While the cause of death for Steven Brady, who retired recently after 23 years as a regional legal adviser to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Orlando operations center, was determined, investigators are still unsure of how Pamela Brady died.

The Volusia County Medical Examiner's Office determined that Brady, 58, died of a self-inflicted gunshot would to the head, New Smyrna Beach police Sgt. Michael Brouilette said Tuesday.

But an autopsy on the body of his wife, a 27-year teaching veteran for Seminole County Public Schools, did not determined the cause of death.

There were no obvious signs of trauma to the body, Brouillette said. Investigators are awaiting toxivology results to help determine the cause of death.

Online Journalism in Action - Analysis

We just followed a breaking news story over the past 24 hours. So, what did we learn?

Well, it doesn't take much to notice the added detail and depth of the story over time. With each update, readers were provided with new findings in the case and were left more informed on the background of the two victims.

Think back to the orginial story that was posted on the Sentinel's homepage. The story provided little, if any, detail. All it told us was that two people had been found dead in their home following a well-being check-up by police.

But, when the story was updated nearly 8 hours later, readers were provided with the names of the deceased, what they did for a living, and why police went to the house in the first place (one of the victims never showed up for work). Readers should also notice that the headline of the story, and the writer of the story, have changed as well. 

The headline change reflects the fact that new information has been released in the case and lets readers know that the story has been updated. 

The author change is something different. As is common with many crime-related articles at newspapers, story ideas develop from the police scanner. I'm willing to bet that someone in the newsroom initially found out about the dead couple from the police scanner and wrote a quick brief (for the web) from that information. After that, it is likely that editors assigned the story to a specific reporter on that beat.

The story was next updated at 1:38 p.m. the next day (almost 15 hours after the last update). While it took quite some time to learn the latest, the new story gave readers more background on the victims and shed a bit more light on the circumstances of the situation. Again, the headline changed to reflect the update (and another writer was added to the story).

The next update came just one hour later and provided even more detail on the case. Readers were now provided with the cause of death for the husband was revealed (self-inflicted gunshot wound). The wife's cause of death, according to the article, was still unknown (and would likely be included in a later follow-up on the case). The headline has once again changed.

While they may go right over the head of some readers at the time, it is pretty interesting to go back and look at a series of updates to a breaking news story and take note of the changes and additions included. If you didn't notice the changes when following the story the first time, I urge you to go back and take another look. I'm sure you'll even notice some that I didn't.

Online Journalism in Action (Part 4)

Here is the latest update of the breaking news story (note how more and more details are being released by authorities and subsequently being incorporated into the story):

Former FDLE adviser died from self-inflicted gunshot, cops say

Susan Jacobson and Gary Taylor - Sentinel Staff Writers
2:38 PM EDT, September 23, 2008

The Volusia County Medical Examiner's Office determined that former Florida Department of Law Enforcement legal advisor Steven G. Brady died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, New Smyrna Beach police Sgt. Michael Brouillette said this afternoon.

But an autopsy on the body of his wife, Pamela Palmer Brady, did not determine the cause of death, Brouillette said.

There were no obvious signs of trauma to the body. Investigators are awaiting toxicology results to help determine the cause of death.

Brady and his wife, a Seminole County elementary-school teacher, were found dead Monday in their New Smyrna Beach home, police said.

Brady, 58, retired recently after 23 years as regional legal adviser to the FDLE's Orlando operations center. Pamela Palmer Brady, 56, was a 27-year teaching veteran for Seminole County Public Schools. She helped open the new Crystal Lake Elementary School three years ago.

Police went to the couple's home on Cedar Avenue about 9:35 a.m. after Pamela Brady failed to show up for work at Crystal Lake Elementary School in Lake Mary, where she was a second-grade teacher, Seminole County Schools Superintendent Bill Vogel said.

"We're very saddened by this tragedy," Vogel said.

Grief counselors will be on hand at the elementary school, a Seminole County Schools spokeswoman said. Staff "are very involved, at the school site, with taking care of the needs of the children and staff, and getting the school back to everyday routines and the business of education," she said.

In a statement, Joyce Dawley, special agent in charge of the FDLE in Orlando, praised Brady's professional dedication.

"Steve was both well-known and widely regarded, and was a friend to many within the law enforcement profession," the statement reads. "He touched all he knew with his sense of humor. His FDLE family will miss him deeply."

Brady, a Melbourne native and a 1977 graduate of the University of Florida College of Law, FDLE spokeswoman Sharon Gogerty said.

He was placed on leave with pay about a month ago, she said, but she would not say why.

A Port Orange man sought an injunction for protection against Brady last month, claiming he was physically attacked and had his life threatened after catching the man and his wife in a sexual relationship.

Douglas C. Canter filed paperwork Aug. 15 requesting the injunction against Brady, but a week later filed a notice of voluntary dismissal of the action.

The FDLE placed Brady on paid leave Aug. 15 and he retired Sept. 15. The state agency would not release details about the paid leave because it is part of an open internal investigation.

In the paperwork Canter filed seeking the injunction, he said that he had contacted Brady's boss.

Canter said that after he walked in on Brady and his wife, Brady placed him in a choke hole until he lost consciousness.

Canter said Brady said, at least five times: "I am going to kill you."

Brady "is a law enforcement officer and carries multiple firearms and is fully capable of carrying out [the] threat," Canter wrote.

Canter also said that Brady tried to run him over while he was standing in his driveway, "striking me with his vehicle and knocking me to the ground."

Brady, a former Seminole County prosecutor and Orange County public defender, also was a published author. Murder Revisited: A True Story of Deadly Deception was published about a dozen years ago, co-written with a true-crime writer and based on a case Brady worked on with FDLE agents in Tampa.

Susan Jacobson can be reached at sjacobson@orlandosentinel.com or 407-540-5981. Gary Taylor can be reached at gtaylor@orlandosentinel.com or 386-851-7910.

Online Journalism in Action (Part 3)

Here is the third update of the story:

Former FDLE adviser, wife found dead in New Smyrna home

Susan Jacobson and Gary Taylor - Sentinel Staff Writers
1:38 PM EDT, September 23, 2008

A longtime legal adviser to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and his wife, a Seminole County elementary-school teacher, were found dead Monday in their New Smyrna Beach home, police said.

Investigators would not reveal how Steven G. Brady, 58, who retired recently after 23 years as regional legal adviser to the FDLE's Orlando operations center, and Pamela Palmer Brady, 56, died.

Police were awaiting results of autopsies being performed today before releasing information on the cause of death.

Police went to the couple's home on Cedar Avenue about 9:35 a.m. after Pamela Brady failed to show up for work at Crystal Lake Elementary School in Lake Mary, where she was a second-grade teacher, Seminole County Schools Superintendent Bill Vogel said.

"We're very saddened by this tragedy," Vogel said.

Grief counselors will be on hand at the elementary school, a Seminole County Schools spokeswoman said. Staff "are very involved, at the school site, with taking care of the needs of the children and staff, and getting the school back to everyday routines and the business of education," she said.

In a statement, Joyce Dawley, special agent in charge of the FDLE in Orlando, praised Brady's professional dedication.

"Steve was both well-known and widely regarded, and was a friend to many within the law enforcement profession," the statement reads. "He touched all he knew with his sense of humor. His FDLE family will miss him deeply."

Brady, a Melbourne native and a 1977 graduate of the University of Florida College of Law, FDLE spokeswoman Sharon Gogerty said.

He was placed on leave with pay about a month ago, she said, but she would not say why.

A Port Orange man sought an injunction for protection against Brady last month, claiming he was physically attacked and had his life threatened after catching the man and his wife in a sexual relationship.

Douglas C. Canter filed paperwork Aug. 15 requesting the injunction against Brady, but a week later filed a notice of voluntary dismissal of the action.

The FDLE placed Brady on paid leave Aug. 15 and he retired Sept. 15. The state agency would not release details about the paid leave because it is part of an open internal investigation.

In the paperwork Canter filed seeking the injunction, he said that he had contacted Brady's boss.

Canter said Brady said, at least five times: "I am going to kill you."Brady "is a law enforcement officer and carries multiple firearms and is fully capable of carrying out [the] threat," Canter wrote.

Canter also said that Brady tried to run him over while he was standing in his driveway, "striking me with his vehicle and knocking me to the ground."

Brady, a former Seminole County prosecutor and Orange County public defender, also was a published author. Murder Revisited: A True Story of Deadly Deception was published about a dozen years ago, co-written with a true-crime writer and based on a case Brady worked on with FDLE agents in Tampa.

Susan Jacobson can be reached at sjacobson@orlandosentinel.com or 407-540-5981. Gary Taylor can be reached at gtaylor@orlandosentinel.com or 386-851-7910.

Online Journalism in Action (Part 2)

Here is an updated version of the breaking news story out of New Smyrna:

Lake Mary teacher one of two found dead in New Smyrna home

Susan Jacobson - Sentinel Staff Writer
10:25 PM EDT, September 22, 2008

A longtime legal adviser to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and his wife, a teacher at a Seminole County elementary school, were found dead Monday in their New Smyrna Beach home, police said.

Investigators would not reveal how Steven G. Brady, 58, who retired recently after 23 years as regional legal adviser to the FDLE's Orlando operations center, and Pamela Palmer Brady died.

Police went to the couple's home on Cedar Avenue about 9:35 a.m. after Pamela Brady, 56, failed to show up for work at Crystal Lake Elementary School in Lake Mary, where she was a second-grade teacher, Seminole County Schools Superintendent Bill Vogel said.

"We're very saddened by this tragedy," Vogel said.

Joyce Dawley, special agent in charge of the FDLE in Orlando, in a prepared statement praised Brady's professional dedication.

"Steve was both well-known and widely regarded, and was a friend to many within the law enforcement profession," the statement reads. "He touched all he knew with his sense of humor. His FDLE family will miss him deeply."

Brady, a Melbourne native and a 1977 graduate of the University of Florida College of Law, had retired in the past couple of weeks, FDLE spokeswoman Sharon Gogerty said. He was placed on leave with pay about a month ago, she said, but she would not say why.

Brady, a former Seminole County prosecutor and Orange County public defender, also was a published author. Murder Revisited: A True Story of Deadly Deception, was published about a dozen years ago, co-written with a true-crime writer and based on a case Brady worked on with FDLE agents in Tampa.

Susan Jacobson can be reached at sjacobson@orlandosentinel.com or 407-540-5981.

Online Journalism in Action (Part 1)

To this point, most of my discussion regarding online journalism has focused on the added responsibilities assigned to reporters and editors. I've discussed my own experiences with online journalism and how it has changed my role as a freelance reporter for The Miami Herald and also as a sports intern for The Observer-Dispatch.

However, today, I'm going to focus on yet another aspect of the craft - the immediacy of online journalism. I touched upon this element - albeit briefly - when I wrote about my work with the Herald (specifically my being required to call in game scores after each quarter). But, now we're going to take a firsthand look at online journalism and its unique offering of immediacy by following a breaking news story from The Orlando Sentinel website.

The purpose of this is to take note of changes (specifically additions) made to the story over time (note the time stamps), and to realize the ability of online journalism to offer immediate updates on breaking news stories (something that cannot be accomplished with print media).

So, without further ado, here's the first version of the story (check back to the blog for updated versions):

Two found dead in New Smyrna home

Bianca Prieto Sentinel - Staff Writer
2:55 PM EDT, September 22, 2008

New Smyrna police are investigating the deaths of two people found in a home this morning.

The bodies of a man and woman were found by an officer doing a well-being check around 9:35 a.m. today.

The names of the victims have not been released.

Police did not say how the two died.

Check back for more information.