Thursday, March 16, 2017

Week 10 - Journalism 216

Camden Jones
Journalism 216

Topic 1 - Looking back at my goals from the beginning of the term, they seem simple. However, that being said, I did not accomplish all of them to the extent I would have liked; I have determined that while it is satisfying to see my writing in the newspaper, I don't actually enjoy this kind of writing. It's not something I can see myself doing as a career. My personal writing has taken an upswing in quality, maybe from just writing more, but I like my personal voice better. And lastly, I made few connections with my interviewees - Leland Holden from Grit and Cody Cooper of Bend, OR, are potential contacts for future stories, but they are all that remian of stories.

My favorite story I wrote was the profile on the metal band Grit, mostly because that is the one I spent the most time on and it turned out with the best quality. It also had the best reception when I showed it to the band members, as they found it really cool that I wrote a story about them.

The skill I feel most important to me this term was working with a deadline, and honestly I was lousy at it. I was doing fine for the first half of the term, but I became overwhelmed with other work and my work in this class dropped. For this I'm sorry. It's not respectful to you as a teacher, and it's not respectful to myself since I voluntarily took this class only to mess up halfway through.

The materials provided on Moodle were enough for my purposes, and the only improvement I could think of was perhaps a little bit better of an explanation about the final portfolio on Moodle itself. I gave it my best attempt, but I'm not sure I fulfilled all of the parameters. And lastly, I don't/didn't enjoy the book, only because that is not a genre I find myself liking. I can, however, respect it for its literary quality and think it should be continued for futre classes as it does present some important information about journalism.

Week 8 - Journalism 216

Camden Jones
Journalism 216

Topic 1 - The first takeaway from the trip to the DH was that there are people writing stories for the DH who also write for other newspapers in the area. I always thought that a reporter can only write for their home paper, or for the Associated Press. The second takeaway was the realization of how much effort the reporters actually put into their jobs. Each person there was passionate about their work and love the thrill of writing with a dealine. That personally stresses me out so it was nice to see the other side of the coin there. The part that surprised me was how the ads were put into the newspaper. I had no clue how the ads were placed before the tour, and was intrigued at the machinery that does it.

Topic 2 - I've learned to roll with the punches from Edna's tuterage. She doesn't dwell on the criticism and attacks she receives from the public. If I were to continue writing from a journalism standpoint, and I were to cover anything political or controversial, I could face some negative reactions and I would have to just let go of any  attacks. My favorite part of the book is the beginning of the chapter on sex, because it holds so much truth about our culture. So many people have sex and reproduce when that is the last thing they should be doing. It introduces conflicts into our daily lives between couples, friends, and strangers. "Other than that, it's swell: the great American pastime." This line stood out to me because of the casual tone it adopts, and the larger issue it reflects. America's society and culture is based on sex and sexuality and is often controversial for being too promiscuous.

Week 7 - Journalism 216

Camden Jones
Journalism 216

Topic 1 - I spoke with Cody Cooper over the phone on Tuesday the 14th and asked him what he thought about the story (I emailed him a copy of the story). He said he was impressed with how I told the story, and was glad I included the quotes that I did. He didn't have anything negative to say about the story, but next time I wish as a follow up I could speak to my profile in person to get a better sense of their reaction.

Week 6 - Journalism 216

Camden Jones
Journalism 216


Topic 1 - Kyle talked about writing the "Hero Lead" for sports stories. This I found intersting because it became clear that I knew to do that all along but hadn't for my basketball story. He also talked about the bipolar reception the newspaper receives about political stories. Lastly he stressed "Dress to Impress." I try to not be sloppy during class (sweats or basketball shorts) too often, but I hadn't even really thought about seriously dressing up for interviews. One tip I found helpful is the idea of following a formula for stories I find difficult to write. This can help with my writing style and keep my writing focused on the story itself.

Topic 2 - My speech was on Cody Cooper's talk about his experience with domestic violence. He has taken it upon himself to promote awareness about DV because some people have told him that because he is a male he couldn't be a victim of DV. It was given on Friday the 10th of March, at the Rock Hard PDX in Portland, Oregon. Before the speech I will talked with Cooper about his intentions with this speech, during the speech I watched the audience's reactions, and after I spoke with a man in the audience and asked him for his thoughts on the matter.

Week 3 - Journalism 216

Camden Jones
Journalism 216

Topic 1:
"Seek truth and report it" stands out as the most important aspect of the Code of Ethics presented by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). Reporting and journalism would be nothing without proper and exact representations of the truth, and if we settle for making information up or reporting false data then why be a reporter? Truth, even if it is ugly, is necessary, and its far better than an beautiful lie. "Never deliberately distort facts or context, including visual information." "Identify sources clearly. The public is entitled to as much information as possible to judge the reliability and motivations of sources." These two examples strike me as summing up the reason why seeking truth is is the most important aspect of the Code of Ethics because the readers need their information unedited.

Topic 2:
I covered a basketball game between Paisley High School boys and the North Lake High School boys. My nut graf is the date, subject, outcome, and final result of the game. My three sources will be either the Head Coach or Assistant Coach, the leading scorer from Paisley, and another player.
Questions

  • How did the team perform tonight?
  • Do you have any concerns regarding the team? 
  • How does it feel to be the leading scorer for the third game in a row?
  • What motivates you to chase rebounds as aggresively as you do?
  • What is your game plan for the upcoming games against Prospect and Trinity Lutheran?

Monday, March 13, 2017

Local metal band Grit - Who are they?


Title: Local metal band Grit - Who are they?
Deck: Up and coming band plays big gig in Medford.

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Photo Credit to Grit
Grit, orignally named Caducus, is making big ripples in the metal scene of Corvallis. Beginning back in 2014, singer Damion Brewer teamed up with guitarist Mike Ewing to form the first edition of Grit. They joined forces with drummer Scott Longballa, and bassist Leland Holden after gaining and quickly losing guitarist Luke Yokoyama and bassist John Pelcher. It was at this point they officially changed their name from Caducus to Grit and began making their music.
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Photo Credit to Mike Ewing

Largely influenced by metal bands such as Metallica, Pantera, and Black Sabbath, Grit features the iconic fast paced beat and double bass drumming typical to thrash metal. Their only completed demo album "Warsworn" was recorded in early January when the band traveled to Pacheco, California to record with Juan Urtega. Urtega is notable for having recorded such bands as Testament, Machine Head, and Exodus.

"It was an amazing experience to hear how the tracks turned out on official recording equipment. Because of Juan, our music is now available online," said Linn-Benton student and bassist Leland Holden.

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Photo Credit to Grit
Their most recent show, held at Johnny B's in Medford on Saturday the 11th was their 10th show, and was met with great reception.

"We played well. We were all on and the people loved us." Holden said after the show. "Our next show is at Bombs Away Cafe in Corvallis on March 24th. We will be playing with another local band called Minor Anomaly, and it should be a full house so we're excited."

Grit's music is available on Spotify, Google Play, Amazon Music, and iTunes. Tickets for their show at Bomb's Away Cafe are on sale for 3$ and the show is open to people 21 years and older. Music starts at 9pm on March 24th.


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At a glance:


Cody Cooper speaks on the Effect of Domestic Violence on Children.

"I was 18 years old when I left my dad's house. I graduated high school and moved away because from the day I was born, I lived my life in fear. In fear of being hit. In fear of not being good enough." Cody Cooper, 20 year old resident of Bend, OR, gave a speech on Friday about the domestic violence he experienced growing up.

"I never told anyone. I was afraid of my own shadow for my entire childhood."
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Photo Credit Seperating the Seas

Cooper gave his speech on Friday the 10th, speaking between songs during a concert with his heavy metal band Separating the Seas. The band performed several songs throughout the night dealing with the topics of domestic violence, parental issues, and drug and alcohol abuse. The speech was met with positive reception at the show held at Rock Hard PDX in Portland, Ore.

"My father and I, despite our estrangement, saw each other over Christmas," Cooper said. "We were civil and polite, covering our difficult past with small talk and ignoring the awkwardness. As I went to leave, however, he apologized. He got teary eyed and said he's sorry for all he's done." Cooper himself became choked up, and paused to compose himself.
Photo Credit Cody Cooper

"It wasn't until that moment that I realized how much I needed that apology. He knew he had been a horrible dad, and that he had made my life a living hell until the day I moved out. He knew I still struggled with it. But it didn't make it okay." Cooper still struggles with anxiety and depression from his childhood experiences.

"I don't know if I will ever get over this. But I forgave him. I can't go through life angry at him, wishing it never happened because it did. He's my dad." Cooper concluded this short speech before resuming the concert with a quote from Cherie Carter-Scott, "Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were."



At a glance: