The JOY of living and working in L.A.

Jon Joy (class of 2003) visited campus on Wednesday talking about working on MTV's "The Hills" and living in L.A. The Future Media Professionals student organization staged a lunch time question and answer session with Joy in the Berlin Lounge.

WC squared

This week is an appropriate time to blog about my recent experience and honor of speaking before the Westminster College Women's Club during the group's monthly luncheon in Wexford. I was joined by senior Nicky Piszczor as we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Atria's and spoke to the members of this 103 year old organization. These ladies are clearly well connected as alumni and love Westminster. They also personify the notion of networking with each other on any number of levels from professional to personal. While we talked about the mission and work of the Westminster Cable Network we also discussed the upcoming partnership with Armstrong Cable and the yet to be built TV station. It was one of those occassions where had the pleasure of meeting people who's history with where you work makes you appreciate their passion as well as your own. I want to thank the ladies of the WC-WC.


Nicky would make an excellent future member of this organization.

Horndog blogger chronicles, comments on TV people behaving badly

Are blogger's journalists?
Will libel lawsuits against bloggers require the testing for absence of malice as traditional media?

Style magazine examines the case of a bartender's blog and observations and comments about local TV personalities after the station threatened to see the blogger.




Blogger Raises Ire of Channel 6
by Amy Biegelsen

A 25-year-old Richmond blogger known for riffing on nightlife, his sexcapades, literary pursuits and local media personalities has been threatened with a defamation suit.

In an e-mail to blogger Jack Lauterback last week, CBS 6 general manager Peter Maroney demands that he “immediately remove the false, damaging and salacious statements” on his blog related to the station’s newscasters, or face legal action.

Maroney declines to comment on the matter to Style and indicates that he considers the e-mail to be a private communication.

Lauterback, a bartender, writes bluntly about his behind-the-bar observations and salacious encounters at www.jackgoesforth.blogspot.com.

Maroney’s threat stems from a Sept. 12 post, wherein Lauterback calls CBS 6 anchor and reporter Lee Mahaffey “smoking-hot” and confesses he hopes to one day coerce her “into making some bad decisions.”

In a June 19 post, Lauterback alleges seeing CBS 6 weekend anchor Ric Young at a restaurant with his brother. Lauterback describes for readers a night in which his friends mistook Young for Channel 8 anchor Juan Conde. He also writes of the waitress’ complaints about the size of the tip Young leaves.

Lauterback declines to remove the posts and bets that nothing will come of the legal threats. After all, he writes, “the other local media outlets will undoubtedly be all over Channel 6’s decision to pick on a poor blogging bartender.”

John Paul Jones, a law professor who specializes in the First Amendment at the University of Richmond, says that if the lawsuit were to go to trial, the court would likely view Lauterback as a journalist.

Then it would be up to the station to prove that he not only intentionally meant to hurt the anchors’ reputations, but also that what he published was false, and that he knew it was false.

Reached by phone Monday, Lauterback says he stands by what he wrote. He says he’s excited to get a rise out of the television station, but didn’t start blogging to get attention. He has literary aspirations and even a literary hero: “Henry Miller, the writer.” The Miller quotation tattooed on his right forearm reads: “The ordinary man is involved in action, the hero acts. An immense difference.”

New Wilmington Raised

This guy grew up in New Wilmington...
He's the son of retired Westminster College music professor Paul Chenevey.

Steve Chenevey has officially been named co-anchor of Channel 5/WTTG's (DC) morning newscast. He joins joins Allison Seymour for the 5 AM to 9 AM slot. Replacing Bob Sellers, who got the Fox5 axe in July.

Chenevey joined WTTG in 2003. Before that he worked at WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh and WYTV in Youngstown.

WCN is changing channels...

WCN & TCL covers spot news

The County Line & Titan Radio cover plant fire with VJ gear...looks good.
BC Capstone student Alex Hines covered the New Castle hazardous waste plant fire on Thursday with our VJ gear (Panasonic camcorder unit) and here's what we had on the air and online.
Looks just as good as the DVC Pro gear.

Rock You Like a Hurricane

What's the lesson here? If you're planning to hype hurricane coverage with the words "certain death," do you really want to put your reporter smack dab in the middle of it? Live for the sake of LIVE. At least we have a great YouTube clip.



But Geraldo's didn't make the Splash our friend Lenslinger and pals had covering a hurricane years ago on the North Carolina coast. Still, it seems a bit dangerous to be out there in that situation.

The County Line begins a new season

The crew and staff of The County Line kick off a new season on Thursday night on Sept. 11.

WC grad lost while doing what he loved

Westminster Community Remembers Isaac

Thursday, August 28, 2008/titanradio.net

NEW WILMINGTON, Lawrence County-- Faculty, staff and Westminster College alumni are remembering 2004 graduate Isaac Ludwig after he died this week in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. Ludwig went missing on a river trip on Tuesday. The 27-year old experienced whitewater guide disappeared while on a kayak trek on the Little Pigeon River. Another group of kayakers discovered his body the next morning. Park officials say Ludwig, who worked in the area with a rafting company, was kayaking with friends when they couldn't find him. His companions pulled out of the river when the water became too rough. Ludwig had a degree in public relations while also studying broadcasting and political science and loved the outdoors and kayaking.

His friends continue to leave comforting messages and remembrances on his Facebook page.

"I will miss seeing pictures of your adventures and your travels," Westminster College PR instructor Dee Natale wrote. "It doesn't seem fair that someone with so much life leaves us all behind."

Ludwig worked for a paddle sports company called Rafting in the Smokies. His posts on his Facebook pages on Tuesday indicated he had returned to Tennessee after a river trip in Western Pennsylvania. The experienced kayaker's final Facebook entry has a timestamp of 11:43 Tuesday morning. It was a simple update status statement.

"Isaac Ludwig is back in the Smokies...with rain."

That rain may have contributed to the river conditions that day. On Wednesday morning some friends left what appear to be concerned messages. One came from friend Adam Bixby.

"Man, Isaac, send me a note when you get this please."

Then the bad news spread as people began posting their reaction as they learned that Ludwig's body had been found in the river. Steady streams of remembrances from friends continue to post on his Facebook wall.

Westminster alumnus Craig Carlin graduated with Ludwig. He has kept in touch with Ludwig via Facebook and reached out online to react to the tragic news.

"I remember watching from shore as Isaac kayaked down the creek at college and I thought to myself, "This guy is crazy" and later became good friends with him inside and outside of class," Carlin posted. "Isaac, if you had to go early, at least it was doing what you truly loved to do. We'll all miss ya, buddy."

Ludwig's whitewater adventures experiences took him to rivers across North and South America.

Juggling those DMAs-- but who's watching?

Pittsburgh dropped to Designated Market Area (DMA) 23 as Nielsen Media Research updates it's television market rankings. It becomes official in January.


Portland, Oregon, moved up the ladder moving into the 22nd DMA spot. Portland's population is growing. The Steel City's population declined. PG television critic Rob Owen has reaction from local TV station general managers spinning as there's no big deal. Owens points out that at one time was a top 10 market.


Nielsen also reported a slowdown in the growth of television audiences. While the Asian, hispanic and older audiences continue to twice as face as the entire audience using television. Nielseen estimates the 2008-2009 TV season will have an audience of 114.5 million television homes.

Weaver's Webblog Guide

Weaver's Guide to Blogging
Keeping your blog focused, professional and simple while also keeping it up to date makes a blog worth visiting and credible. Images, graphics and video dress it up, but it will always come back to good, solid writing and communication. That's exactly why you should never post a first draft entry. Edit what you write. Spelling errors and typos tarnish you and your blog. I suggest writing & editing entries with a word processor, then copy and paste into the blog.

Here are more tips I offer my BC Capstone students when it comes to blogging:

Showcase Good Communication Skills

1. Invest time and research into your content.

• Write enough to communicate meaning with the reader, but avoid overkill. Have a point and get to it.
  When students blog, potential employers could be watching.
  KEEP YOUR WEBLOG PROFESSIONAL & POLISHED.
  
  You must always think about your audience, no matter how niche it may be. You should also keep ethical and leg
• Write what you know about-- concentrate on what you're passionate about and make that the focus of your blog.
• Showcase your work. Promote your talent, skills and experience.
• Demonstrate your knowledge and experience by correctly using the terminology of your profession.
• Connect your entries to topical events and issues in your field.
• Offer your own style and voice and be consistent with it.

2. Always attribute!

• Plagiarizing, fabricating or other BS is not tolerated. Such misdeeds will often be challenged publicly and will haunt you in your professional efforts.

3. Offer Links!

• The more links you offer the better the chances your blog could turn up in a web search.
• Link back to your sources (this offers transparency, attribution and validity to the points you want to make).

ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU'RE PUTTING IT OUT THERE FOR THE WORLD TO SEE!

What you post is public so be ready to stand by it.

1. Never reveal personal, private information.

• Never blog about your personal life. Limit contact information to comment areas or postings that your blog can forward to you. Also turn on the blog features that will let you screen out e-mail scrapers, SPAMMERS, etc.

2. Never blog proprietary or privileged information. Never disclose company secrets or information shared with you in confidence. Off the record means off the record. Don't even hint about something proprietary or priviledged as it will flag the attention of corporate lawyers who are now in the business of patrolling blogs for such violations.

• If you're blogging about internship or job-related experiences, inform your employer about your weblog.
• Promote transparency. Invite the employer to read your blog and offer feedback.

3. Ask about restrictions or limits on what you can and cannot blog.

• Many companies now have strict rules about employee blogs.
• Some media savvy companies encourage blogging but have specific guidelines.

• If the employer prohibits blogging about work experiences, then comply.

4. Be Positive- Showcase your ability to think critically and creatively.

• Offer solutions instead of only pointing out problems.

5. Be clear when expressing opinion or comments.

• When engaged in criticism, remain constructive.
• Recognize opposing positions.
• Support your points with evidence and attribution (include links).
• Never engage in personal attacks.

6. Update entries on a regular basis.

• Develop a routine so regular visitors can expect timely updates and will want to interact with your blog.

7. Entertain and inform your readers

• INCLUDE PICTURES: Offer interesting and appropriate images and context.
• Write engaging headlines.

Be Prepared- Avoid Legal Entanglements

1. Be truthful & ethical.

• Read and understand the Blogger User Agreement.
• Understand the impact of what you write.

2. Remember libel applies to weblogs.

• Remember false light applies to weblogs.
• Remember invasion of privacy applies to weblogs.

Other Tips- Read & Comment

1. Read other weblogs.

• Routinely search for weblogs discussing topics of interest to you.
• Bookmark weblogs you think are written well or speak to you.

2. Offer constructive feedback and comments on blogs you visit.

Some places to get started with weblogging:

Blogger

WordPress