iPad 2 as a media production device for mobile journalists

It’s been mentioned in some forums that the iPad 2 is primarily a media consumption gadget, but as a content producer/journalist I would like to explore the potential of the iPad 2 as a media production device.

Thankfully, the iPad 2 has the capability to take photos and videos, enhancing its content production potential. The quality of the pictures and videos is another issue though.

If you don’t add anything to the iPad 2, it is pretty much a consumption device: surfing the Internet, listening to music and watching videos are the main activities that you’d most likely be doing using the gadget.

But with free and paid apps, the iPad 2, it seems, can be transformed into a versatile media production device.

Here are some of the free apps that I’ve downloaded so far:

Noterize. (note taking). As a journalist, I think that this can be a great companion at press conferences. The app is capable of recording audio while you’re taking down notes.

PS Express. (photo editing). The features are quite limited, but I downloaded it because of the Adobe Photoshop name.

Hokusai, WavePad, QuickVoice. (audio recording). You can also edit audio using Hokusai and WavePad.

Video Editor. (video editing). The free version allows users to combine videos and share the finished product with other people via email, YouTube and Facebook. I’m hoping though that there would be a free video editing app that would be as powerful as Windows Movie Maker.

The following are the two apps that I’ve bought so far:

Inkpad. (vector drawing). I think of it as a $7.99 version of Adobe Illustrator. 

Animation Creator HD. (animation). I’ve always wanted to try my hand at animation, so I think that this $1.99 app would be a great start.

I will attempt to come up with an entire blog post, with text, audio, video, photo, illustration and animation, using only the iPad 2, to see for myself if this Apple product can be a good media production device.

WordPress and After the Deadline join forces for better blogging

Matt of WordPress has pointed out that last week, WordPress users “published 1.4 million new blog posts, but … only ran the spell checker about 204 thousand times.”

He said there could be two possible explanations: “We’re all perfect writers or that we just forget to run the spell checker.”

Personally I don’t write directly on WordPress. I write first on MS Word and then run the spell checker there, before copying the text and pasting it into WordPress.

But with After the Deadline now on WordPress, I think I would be using the spell checker here more often. I’ve tried it once, and corrected “someone that.” Neat!

I may even use the WordPress spell checker for my non-blog works.

Bloggers beware, Big Brother is watching us

Blogging is fun, but...

Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle reports that a journalist has lost his job due to one of his blog entries. (Read Deutsche Welle story here)

Personally I believe that bloggers should always be mindful of what they blog about, whether or not they live in a country where press restrictions abound.

Just a reminder to folks who use the Internet to express themselves: Big Brother does watch us.

That’s especially true if you’re looking for a job.

As mentioned in a recent report, people should be careful with information that they post on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace.

WordPress versus Blogger

I have created an account on Blogger to see for myself how different it is from WordPress.

However, I do recognize that it would be difficult to maintain two blogs, especially now that I’m busy with my work and my graduate studies.

But I would try my best to immerse myself in both websites to personally determine the strengths and weaknesses of both blogging platforms.

(Ljubomir Gatdula on Blogger)

From Nigerian scam to Facebook scam?

These two messages in my Yahoo! Mail inbox made me laugh:

First message:

HEY AGAIN.. its me ashley.. i never see u on facebook anymore I was looking for your profile with no luck.. I am single now so wanted to see how u were doin.. im on messenger now so add me … here u go..

Second message:

Hey bebe..
Long time since we last chatted.. I dont see u on facebook anymore did u delet me:(
Anyways add me on one of my messengers ASAP.. im single finally and wantes to take u up on your offer

I’ve never had an account on Facebook, so it’s ridiculous for anyone to say that “I don’t see you on Facebook anymore.”

Both emails ended with the senders’ MSN and AIM IDs.

The messages ring a bell. They sound like the Nigerian scam of yore.

Leo celebrates first ‘monthsary’ on WordPress

The author while editing today's post

Today I’m celebrating my first month of blogging on WordPress.

I’m happy because I’ve kept a promise to myself – to publish at least one post a day.

In May I had three posts and this month, 32, excluding this one.

But I’m also a little bit sad.

I will be very busy with graduate school work next month.

In July, based on the schedule that I have submitted to my adviser, I will go to several libraries to photocopy lots of newspapers.

Then I will read all of them and craft interview guides for my interviewees. I will then conduct the actual interviews, either in person or via email.

Materials that I have used for my thesis. More coming up...

Hopefully I can also defend my master’s thesis proposal next month.

On top of that, I also have to go to work from Sunday to Thursday every week.

It means I can no longer publish at least one post a day.

I will publish a post on Tuesdays and Fridays though. It’s a promise that I will try to keep, despite my tight schedule.

I may still come up with a post on other days, but it all depends on the progress of my thesis.

I dislike ‘sexed up’ info

I’ve just read the CNN article “Officials: Social networking providing crucial info from Iran.”

I’m relieved to know that the world is finding out more about what’s happening in Iran through social networking websites like Twitter and Facebook.

Even the US State Department and CNN itself are relying on these websites to know more about the latest developments in Iran, according to the article.

I have one question though: how do these organizations filter information sent via these websites?

“Sexed up”

I would like to know how an organization like CNN makes sure that texts, photos and videos posted on or sent through social networking sites are real.

These days, anything can be doctored, or “sexed up.”

The best media organizations are no strangers to fabricated stories. I remember the incident involving former New York Times reporter Jayson Blair.

In an article, the New York Times said Blair had committed “widespread” acts of “fabrication and plagiarism.” (More about Blair’s journalistic fraud)

A reporter who used to work for a prestigious news organization had concocted stories. It only means that practically anyone can do it.

Freedom of expression

I’m not saying that information coming from social networking sites is unreliable.

All I’m trying to point out is that, it’s so easy to come up with just about anything these days.

I’m a staunch supporter of freedom of expression.

I should be, because expressing myself is one of my passions. That’s why I have this blog.

Not only that, my bread and butter depends almost entirely on freedom of expression.

However, I’m also all for verifying statements, especially the ones that are passed off as facts.

An explanation of the filtering process done by government agencies and news organizations would be a good idea. I would really be interested in reading that.

Links would be appreciated.

Article prompts me to open a Twitter account

Germany’s Deutsche Welle has published an article entitled “Egyptian activists use Twitter to bust censorship.”

After reading the item, I immediately opened a Twitter account, just to see for myself how it works.

I was curious. I’ve heard of Twitter on CNN, entertainment shows and on various blogs, but never really bothered to open an account.

I thought it was just another craze that would soon lose its luster.

However, if some service could help free detained journalists, then it’s not just another fad. There must be something special about that site.

Right now though I don’t see myself using Tweeter very often. I’m not that mobile anyway.

Traditional media have lost control of media content, journalist says

Bhutanese journalist Dukpo Wangdi (holding the microphone) expresses alarm over the rise of the social media

A German journalist and media trainer said gone are the days when people from the so-called traditional media – newspapers, radio and TV- have control of media content.

Daniel Hirschler of Germany’s DW-AKADEMIE noted that social media sites like Facebook, MySpace and YouTube have taken away some of the control that the traditional media used to have.

He said people, especially the younger ones, also want to be heard these days.

“People want to have a feeling that they are being listened to as well,” Hirschler told fellow media professionals at a web journalism seminar in Macau, China.

Journalists can do something

Hirschler said people are talking back to the media now, and are connecting with other people through the social media.

He said journalists should make sure that they are a part of such conversations.

“We should add value to those conversations through research,” Hirschler said.

He added that journalists gain trust and credibility when they add more value to what is being talked about in the social media.

Non-blogger opens a WordPress account

With Kyle James, one of the trainers at the journalism workshop

A web journalism seminar that I attended in Macau, China from May 4 to 22 has inspired me to open an account here on WordPress.

This is not my first WordPress account though. 

During the workshop, the lecturers asked the participants to open an account on this website, which was used for the practical exercises.

But this is the first blog that I’ve opened purely for the love of writing. This is also my first attempt to express my thoughts online.