A Look Back at the Semester

I must admit that when I signed up for CNJ442 I was a little concerned. I wasn't sure what the course would entail, what we would have to do and it was my first 400 level course. Scary! Having already weathered the storm I must admit it was not what I expected and I came out of this course with a lot more knowledge than I entered it with. I have learned so much about online journalism and where it's going. The short of it is that media is online. I was a person who had always looked a some news on the internet but this course really made me analyze online journalism and see what I like and don't like. I enjoy the different components that multimedia allows for people that unfortunately print or television can not provide. I enjoy the comments more than anything. This is something that I have discovered is solely in online publications and I learned to truly appreciate it. Although people sometimes get nasty or really show their level of ignorance, I think it's a positive thing to know how the community feels about certain topics.

I learned the different ways that websites can be displayed and how figure out if a website is user friendly or not. My online journalism lingo has been significantly improved and I am now knowledgeable about how media make money from online- advertisements, yes those things that everyone hate. But the most rewarding was that I was finally in a class where I learned how to really use a computer program. Learning Audacity was not an easy thing and spending hours editing was not the most fun I've ever had on a Friday night but it was all worth it. I spent time researching and interviewing people in order to make a wonderful slideshow about The Barnacle Historic State Park. An end to a great semester. Check out my final project below.

Dunkin Donuts Crime Suspects Caught

Covered in a wonderfully written article by The Miami Herald, Palm Beach and Broward County residents can finally take a sigh of relief knowing that the horrendous individuals involved in the Dunkin Donuts robberies are behind bars.

The last two men were caught trying to take a boat to the Bahamas and were arrested by police. The three other men involved were caught when police officers saw them attempting to steal a pitbull who was on a walk with its owner. The authorities reported that the men were not remorseful. A total of five people were shot in the robbing spree.

I thought the story was covered very well and made the robbers look like complete idiots (not a bad thing). I was surprised however that there was no link to related stories. This is a story that has been covered for awhile and maybe The Miami Herald felt that they had covered the background information already. I don't really think this was the case. The comments, as always, are incredibly interesting because people become so outraged. Some praised law enforcement, others claimed that the men would be back on the streets in no time, while one other said he/she would hang them from a rope. It's nuts, but I have come to appreciate the comment section of stories because it is something that is solely based in online journalism. I like to know what people are thinking and how they react to certain stories and situations.