Writing for New Media

When I started this class I was not totally sure what we were going to learn about. But I have to say I am quite impressed with all of the skills that I have learned in this class.

Twitter. Ok so it is no secret that in the beginning I totally despised Twitter. I still am a little unsure why it is necessary to share your every movement or thought on a site such as this. I must say however that for organizations or store or businesses Twitter is an excellent tool. Personally, I think I will probably cease to use Twitter now that I am out of class. I will keep it however for when I get my first reporting job because I feel that it will be more useful at that time.

Facebook. This is a website that I have always been a part of and enjoyed learning other ways of using it besides keeping up with friends and the occasional game application. Through this class, I realized that this website is really a handy tool to have. You can use it to network, promote viral campaigns and just raise the level of awareness about a group or organization. I think that this is particularly important to businesses who are trying to attract younger customers.

LinkedIn. I find this website to be very helpful. Admittedly I have not used it since I created it but I do plan on doing more work on it as I come closer to graduation in December. .

Viral Marketing. This assignment proved to me the power of Facebook and Twitter. I really was surprised by how quickly my Facebook group grew. I am happy to report that the US Coast Guard Aux. now has two additional members just because of my group.

Website. I decided that I was going to build my website through webs.com. I really wanted my website to look as professional as possible. I am very happy with the results of my website and actually received several internship opportunities through the site. I am going to continue to make this site better as I add more and more things. By the end of the summer I hope to add an amazing resume tape that I am currently working on.

In the end I found this class to be very helpful. I look forward to converging media next semester!

For your viewing enjoyment:

School\’s Out For Summer!

For this assignment I actually did two things to help promote this organization. The first thing I did was upload a video to YouTube that I personally made that describes the various things that this organization does. The second thing that I did was make a Facebook group to help recruit new members as well as inform current members of events that are going on.  My initial goal for the Facebook group was about 20 members. This is the case because I realized that this is a special interest group that not the “everyday Joe” would be interested in. Another reason why the number is so low is due to the fact that most of the members of the flotilla are older and do not use Facebook. However, I was able to convince some of them to join so that they could check out the group. When I added the video on to Youtube, my initial goal was to gain 100 views. Currently the video is at 167 so I am very pleased with that. I think that over all this assignment went well for me considering the organization that I was working with. I was able to grant an administrative spot to one of the women in the Flotilla and she is very excited to start using it. In addition to using Facebook and YouTube the Flotilla is also interested in using Twitter. I personally put a Tweet out about the video. Over all I believe that the campaign was very successful and will continue to develop as a member of the organization takes interest in promoting the organization through various social networking sites.

Check out the video below!

United States Coast Guard Aux. Flotilla 44

www.kaliedesimone.webs.com

Since I am designing my site through a task pane, I have not had a lot of trouble building my site however; there are a few things that I wish I had more control over. An example of this is on the main page, I cannot change the top header photo. The pages that I am finished with are my resume, writing examples, contact page, photo page and of course my homepage. I am still working on my audio and video pages. I plan on finishing all the uploading of these items by the end of next week and then the site will be complete. I would like to go over in class how to use the audio uploading websites.

To Tweet or not to Tweet that is the question:

Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous Twitter

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles

And, by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep, to Tweet

No more.

For me, feeling mutually connected to my fellow peers and acquaintances at any or every given moment is not something that is important. Actually, I feel as if this is an invasion of my privacy. Yes, I have a Facebook and that is all I feel I need in order to keep in touch. Honestly, sharing intimate details is one of my pet peeves about both Facebook and Twitter. I really do not understand why people feel the need for their lives to be an open book and say bazaar or down right dumb things that: NEWS FLASH: can be traced years from now no matter how many times you hit that delete or remove button. Chances are that when you are thirty and job-hunting, the once funny picture of you smashed and in a precarious position will not be amusing to your employer. I urge you to think about the kind of information you are leaking. Posting a lot of personal information like your daily activities can make you the perfect prey for a virtual stalker. Or how about this scenario? What if you just met this guy through Twitter… he seems nice and wow he even has all the same interests as you … or so you think. Maybe he’s harmless or maybe he saying he likes these same things because he found them in your feed. Do you think he has bad intentions? I’ll leave that for you to decide. All I am saying is be careful with what you post. The chances of you coming in contact with a stalker are greater than one might think. So why become his victim or tarnish your reputation?

 Using Twitter for professional purposes, I feel is a much better use of the medium. For example: marketing. If a company or organization has a product that they want to peddle to the masses or even a target audience, Twitter could be a quick and easy way to reach potential customers. Another component of Twitter is networking. The possibilities for professional development and job searching seem endless.

 In this day and age when most people are getting their daily news from the Internet, using Twitter as an alternative type of media seems only logical. I am personally excited by this advancement and look forward to using Twitter when I actually land a position as a reporter. I feel that Twitter will be a great tool for me to use to help inform my followers of my findings.

Some have suggested using Twitter, as a form of emergency communication. I guess that this could be a good idea as long as all the people you were trying to contact had a Twitter account and were addicted to checking every couple of minutes. Otherwise it would still not be as instantaneous as a direct phone call.

The academia world now view Twitter as a great way to gain input and exchange questions and concerns in a classroom setting. Before actually seeing this idea in motion, I would have had several reserves. One of my major concerns was whether or not the students could participate in the feed and do it in an appropriate way- keeping in mind the educational task on hand. Since my own experience with Twitter in the classroom, I see it being quite beneficial. An example of this was when my class was asked to Tweet hyper-local and global blogs. It was great, for once, to look at everyone’s findings. In a regular class, time and discussion hardly ever allow for everyone’s work to be presented.

I am not sure if I would qualify Twitter as fad. I believe it will remain and will continue to grow in esteem, at least until a new form of social networking surpasses its popularity.

Kalie Desimone is a communications major and a political science minor at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. She plans on pursuing a career as a news reporter and anchor in one of the top four stations in Philadelphia. Kalie is expected to graduate a semester early in December 2010.

Kalie is currently participating in an internship at WHTM ABC 27 in Harrisburg PA. In the fall of 2009, Kalie filmed, edited and produced an informational video for the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 44. For three weeks during the summer of 2009, Kalie filmed a documentary while in Vietnam that depicted a day in the life of seven orphanages and children centers. Kalie has also took part in two other internships. In summer 2009, Kalie worked as an intern at WCAU NBC 10 in Philadelphia. She was also an intern at WPAZ 1370 in Pottstown, PA. In the spring of 2007, Kalie participated in the highly prestigious NEWSTUDIES program through KYW NEWSRADIO 1060 in Philadelphia. From spring 2008 to fall 2009, Kalie worked for Etown’s student-run TV station, ECTV. While at the studio Kalie hosted two shows: Behind the Barn with Kalie Desimone and Etown Spotlight. From fall 2008 to spring 2009 Kalie was also the photo editor for the Etownian, the college’s student-run newspaper. Kalie is also a member of the Future Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia.

Kalie was born on December 22, 1987, and has lived in Rahns, PA. her whole life. She lives with her parents and has shared her home with twelve Seeing Eye guide dogs over the course of nineteen years. Kalie attended Perkiomen Valley High School and graduated in 2007. She enjoys spending time with her family, going to see musicals, and participating in several community service programs.

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Kalie Desimone is a communications major at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, PA. She hopes to begin a career in news reporting after graduating in December 2010. Her interests include: watching the news of all types, going to see musicals, community service and raising service dogs.

I live in a town in which most people do not even know exists: even those who live right next to it. I am from Rahns PA. Rahns literally spans over three roads. It is nested conveniently between Collegeville, Skippack, Schwenksville, and Royersford which our slightly larger towns. Rahns although very small contains my high school: Perkiomen Valley, a firehouse, a part of the Perkiomen Creek and a few houses. I live in Rahns with my mom and dad. Over the past 22 years we have trained 11 Seeing Eye Guide Dogs for the blind.

Growing up, I used to jump the rocks and fish in the Perkiomen Creek. The air was always filled with the sounds of roosters cock-a-doodle-doing from my next-door neighbors back yard and the high school marching band practicing their sets.

Rahns is not known for many things except for FBI agents storming a Meth lab and a cancerous TCE chemicals being released into the air from local factories.

When people ask me where I am from, I hardly ever say I am from Rahns. I usually say I am from King of Prussia. I consider King of Prussia to be my home because I have worked there for many years. I have also spent a lot of time and money in the mall. In the future, I hope to make King of Prussia my true hometown. In fact I have already picked out my apartment.

In two or three years from now I hope to be working in one of the major three TV stations in Philadelphia as a news reporter. Maybe someday Philadelphia will become my hometown.