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.