Wrapping it up-Final reflection

The CMA convention was more than just a journalism conference. I do wish I had had the opportunity to get to know more students from other schools, since their ideas and advice are so valuable to improving The Pendulum, but, overall, it was a pretty productive weekend. Having our newspaper critiqued was the best part [...]

Straight talk about LGBT coverage on campus with Lori Marcias-Clark

There are lots of topics that are incredibly newsworthy but also extremely sensitive, and LGBT issues on campus fall into that realm. When is it acceptable or necessary to identify students’ sexual orientations, if ever? How do you approach LGBT issues on a campus where many are strongly opposed to gay rights? This session, led [...]

Thinking like an editor with Bill Elsen

Being a news editor takes a lot of time and dedication. Coming up with story ideas, editing reporters’ work and putting the paper together are only the basic functions of editing. Writing some of the more intense stories, cutting and rearranging others’ articles while trying not to step on anyone’s toes and long, long, long [...]

‘Can we strike that?’: Self-Serving Sources with Elizabeth Rains

When sources are too concerned with looking good and keeping out of trouble, the interview is often compromised. Elizabeth Rains, from Langara College, led a great, informative session about the common excuses sources often give and how to respond to them. Often, she said, sources who start giving juicy info after declaring it’s off the [...]

Final reflection

My experience in New York City was nothing less than an educational adventure. Not only did I learn about some of the most important aspect of journalism, but I was also able to visit one of the most important cities in the world. I ventured down 5th Avenue, bought shoes on the side of the [...]

To basic design, and beyond!

Here are some tips and tricks to maximize design value: Know your goals and know your audiences. If you’re unsure of either of these, you need to rethink design and open a lemonade stand. I like lemonade, and maybe could make some money. The most important aspect of design, according to Pierce, is to help [...]

The pitfalls of being a journalist

This was another session was led by Tom Pierce of the St. Petersburg Times. Pierce reviewed some of the pitfalls of being a journalist and how they can be avoided with experience, effort and attention to detail. In reporting: Oftentimes, writers have too few sources. Always have at least more than one source in your [...]

Headlines and cutlines

This session was led by Tom Pierce, a college adviser, professor and copy editor for the St. Petersburg  Times. One of the main points of this session was that writers get one chance to make a good impression, so it’s important to make headlines and cutlines interesting and readable. In this fact-paced, news-demanding society, not [...]

Graphic Journalism with National Geographic’s Marc Silver

Session: Graphic Journalism Marc Silver, National Geographic When you open the pages of National Geographic, your eyes are instantly attracted to the pictures. I had never thought about what this meant for the production of the magazine. Marc Silver came to the CMA conference and talked to us about the process of creating the magazine [...]

Don’t just be a headline-pusher: Tweet this with Rachele Kanigel

There’s nothing that hammers in “Keep It Short, Stupid” better than Twitter. With only 140 characters to say what needs to be said, there’s no time or space to be verbose. That being said, Rachele Kanigel, from San Francisco State University, says that Twitter—and all social media—can be used for so much more than just [...]