Author Archives: AshleyA

The confines of traditional journalism: how far can you push them?

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“What happens to the traditional photojournalist in the new media landscape? “It could be a really negative thing,” Applewhite said. “News agencies are often happy with random snapshots from Egypt and they don’t necessarily need professional, thoughtful content all the time.” (“Photojournalism in the Age of New Media)

Throughout the article there are hints that new media is pushing the ethical boundaries of traditional journalism. Do you feel the introduction of participatory journalism is further pushing these boundaries?

Response #4 – The Concerns attached with Digital Media

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Usually when I think of journalism the first thing that comes to mind is J. Jonah Jameson and The Daily Bugle. For those that missed it that’s the news editior from Spiderman. He’s deceptive, cheap, and constantly twisting new articles to increase sales. The only things he got right was giving credit to his photographers and understanding that the world of journalism waits for no one. Just in assessing the advancements that are being made in technology, it is clear that every source of information and the way it is received will change with that. In “How Social Media is Reshaping News”, the first point that “roughly two-thirds (64%) of U.S. adults use the site, and half of those users get news there — amounting to 30% of the general population,” is the most interesting point. With each passing generation, the use of newspapers and the television to readily access news is no longer the most accessible.

My main concern in this age of digital media is the acquiring data while still respecting the ethos of new media and journalism. Advancements have called into question the accuracy of the information being circulated as every camera becomes a primary source to history. Things such as verification of facts and the source of credible photos and material are harder to identify as instantly with so many hands retweeting and recirculating firsthand accounts of the critical moments of history. As with the crisis described in Libya, the prime account was not told my journalists, but by a single resident that had a smartphone.

Another great concern is the disconnection with the content that is being exposed. As stated by Carroll, it is becoming extremely difficult to filter what the general public is releasing into the world. The example used of the Chattanooga Times-Free Press is just one example of the need to regulate the language of the people. With laws not being quickly changed to fit the growing needs of society, a void is created in which we as people become less responsible for the energy that is released digitally. This emotional disconnect with words make it hard to objectively add a important piece to the flow of information. All in all, my major opinion is that with all of the changes occurring, the time needs to be taken to evaluate every piece of the puzzlr

September 11th Digital Archive

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If I’m being completely honest, September 11, 2001 is not the clearest day in my memory. I was five years old and the most exciting thing going on was starting first grade and getting a puppy a few months before. As every morning goes, my father would take me to school before rushing to work as a carpenter. There was nothing unusual about the day until my class was told that we would be leaving early and that we were to wait for our parents quietly. I was the last student to leave. Years later I was told he worked just six blocks away from the south tower. 689ce821238c14b4b7eaf31b0f4737ddThat day he had to walk back to Brooklyn because every train was shut down. The week following was filled with new articles and videos of the tragic events that occurred. It wasn’t until some years later that I fully understood the loss that the world endured. Interestingly enough, throughout high school I would spend two hours a week at Goldman Sachs for a business program. Throughout the four years that I went, I watched the Freedom Tower and the memorial grow from the ashes of building I can’t completely remember. Every week I would stare at the unfinished buildings and wonder how something so beautiful could come from such destruction.

The 9/11 digital archive is the most shocking collection of photos that I have seen regarding the topic. It shows both the overly publicized news version and the personal photos and accounts that were never heard. The first time I attempted to go through the archive, I was immediately hit with images of people stumbling out of rubble, hard working men and women trying to rescue as many as possible, and many faces of pain and agony. Within a minute I couldn’t handle any more than I’d already seen. For the first time in fourteen years, to have all of this information with so much understanding of the events was overwhelming. In thinking of the emotions of the families that were directly impacted, this archive cannot be helpful. It is a constant reminder of the loss and pain that thousands have felt and an example of the fear that many Americans still feel today.

The aggregation of this information is monumental in the recording of such a tragic event. To create the ability to constantly add on and view both the censored and uncensored collection from 9/11 gives the people complete control over how the event is remembered for centuries going forward. For someone that was so young at the time, to be able to look back and see what I couldn’t understand so many years ago brings a deeper sense of respect.  As I look back through the archive to finish this post, I can’t help but think how much has changed from 2001 to now. So much more information is easily accessible but the pain it represents can never fully be translated by technology.

An Intro to Ashley

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Hi everyone my name is Ashley and I’m in my third year at City Tech and my first semester in the PTW major. I currently work at Sesame Flyers International, which is a non-profit that provides year round activities for youth throughout Brooklyn and a mas band during the summer. When I tell people my job they automatically assume I want to work with young kids but that couldn’t be further from the truth. My goal is to teach in a high school for at least 10 years and to write several books that have a positive impact on the younger generation. Since I was about 10 years old I’ve always been drawn to helping younger kids with homework or with whatever problems they were having. Something about knowing that I made a difference, if only for a day, has always been my ultimate goal when working with anyone. Over the summer I had the opportunity to supervise 15 SYEP(summer youth employment) workers. All of the participants were freshman and sophomores in high school and by the end of the summer they all became more siblings to me. The most exciting part of the summer is the last two weeks before Labor Day when nobody at my job sleeps and we put all our effort into to making beautiful costumes for the parkway.

I’m comfortable with myself as a writer, however, I’ve noticed that procrastination is too much of my friend in my assignments. It is both my strength and weakness because when I procrastinate I produce my best work while severely depriving myself of sleep. The one positive thing I can attribute to my writing is the ability to connect with a topic and bring a sense of familiarity to any piece. I’ve actually taken a classes that required weekly posts on OpenLab, so I am very familiar and comfortable with posting my thoughts and observations on a variety of topics.

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If I’m being honest, I know nothing about science fiction. The only thing I can think of is “The Twilight Zone” and the Sci-Fi channel.

Throughout my life I’ve switched career choices about fifty times. It went from chef, to president, to actress, to writer, to singer, to lawyer and finally an educator. The only connection that stuck between all of these changes is a need to communicate efficiently and write to the best of my ability. From the time I heard about the major, PTW seemed to be my best fit. As the semester progresses, my greatest hope is that the course aids in my progression as a writer and critical thinker.