In the olden days, a connection with an employee from a potential job interest meant a good chance to get a job. Today, it simply means an interview. With hundreds of people competing for the same job, it is essential to stand out as much as you can. A digital portfolio is a great way to highlight your skills and experience.
With that said, here is my digital portfolio. Check it out and explore!
Digital portfolios are one of the most crucial tools anyone can have, especially in the Communication field. Anyone can create a website, it is however, including relevant and strong content that is the challenge. These three websites are good examples of content driven websites:
Meranda started her website as a personal blog to keep friends and family updated on her busy life. Eventually, she built credibility and a wider audience by keeping up with blog posts and updates. As you scan through her website, you will immediately notice a few things: she has a lot of personality and her resume is impressive. Now, she is an associate editor for Angie’s List Magazine. Prior to that, she was an education reporter for Journal & Courier in Indiana. She follows a similar format suggested by website design experts:
Lam Thuy Vo is a multimedia reporter for the Wall Street Journal. Her website serves as an innovative portfolio containing all aspects of her work. Her work ranges from video to digital pictures to articles. While her website does not appear to be content driven, it definitely displays her work in a creative and professional manner. Although her digital portfolio is impressive, it is somewhat difficult to navigate through the website because it is packed with links to samples of her work. Her contact information is difficult to find.
This particular website is directed towards a specific public – those who are advocates for women’s sports, female athletes and avid sports fans. The Women’s Sports Network covers a wide variety of women’s sports, specifically at the collegiate and elite level. WSN is more of a grass root organization that does not have much professionally made videos, however they provide links and information to any sports related news. The WSN front page follows a similar format recommended by Go Globe.com. The highlighted features of this website are:
All of these websites are different in purpose, but fulfill a similar goal: to be known by the public. Each website offers unique perspectives and navigation. The best way to determine the quality of a website can be based on accessibility to information, navigation, and appealing graphics. The content is a crucial factor as well, for without content, you do not have a story to share.
OneWorld Magazine’s humble beginnings started at Saint Louis University and eventually grew into an impressive widely distributed magazine. Special thanks to OneWorld staff for allowing my partner and I to interview them. Please watch, enjoy, and be amazed.
Finding information used to be a rigorous trek – students went to the library, looked up the book catalog, climbed the stairs and used the Dewey decimal system to find the book, the very source, the answer to their question. Today, we simply use Google as a starting search engine to answer our deep and silly questions. The search for knowledge is available in our palms, what a sensation! However, the credibility is not always consistent. Freedom of speech has a impressive presence on the internet.
While knowledge is available at our fingertips with ease, we also face the challenge of maintaining ethical standpoints when expressing ourselves on the internet. There are ways to keep yourself from stealing information or “accidentally” stating the same thing four other people might have already said. Here are some quick tips on how to not get sued:
Publishing your creative thoughts and ideas online is as easy as ABC, however be sure to protect yourself! There are several traps you can easily fall into if you do not apply practical ethics to your internet surfing adventures.
SLU students fiercely support for the currently ranked No. 18 men’s basketball team. (SLU/Allison Galoob)
With its rising basketball success, the Saint Louis University Billikens have found a place in the spotlight. Characterized by its goofy smile, the Billiken’s individuality famously confuses people.
For many years, the Billiken statue resided at the heart of campus, in front of the West Pine gym, until four years ago when it was mysteriously moved. The missing Billiken set off a frenzy of conspiracy theories and student movements. The small, yet majestic smiling Billiken is more than a mascot, he represents SLU on a much deeper level.
Topped with a tuft of hair, big eyes, a funny smile and pointy ears, the Billiken’s cryptic identity and roots raises eyebrows and questions. Determining the iconic Billiken’s identity is not easily confined to a simple explanation.
“Explaining the history behind how it became attached to the university is a tricky one because there are a few different versions of the histories,” explains senior SLU student ambassador Briana Wright. A version suggests that a St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter dubbed the SLU football coach, Jack Bender, a strong resemblance to a Billiken. Wright continues, “We generally tend to believe that the Billiken became connected to our university after many people said our past football coach Jack Bender resembled this magical creature in 1910. From then on the team became known as “Bender’s Billikens”, and has stuck with us ever since.”
The Billiken continues to smile after 103 years of bringing luck to SLU. (SLU/Allison Galoob)
With its mysterious origins and legends, the Billiken serves its role as the school mascot and much more for the SLU community. Japanese legends proclaim the Billiken as a symbol of good luck. As a student, Dr. Dan Kozlowski “rubbed its belly for luck every time I passed it, which was a lot,” and today, he continues the tradition with the next generation of Billiken fans, “I tell my daughters to rub its belly.”
Proclaimed as one of the most unique mascots in the U.S., the Billiken does not simply symbolize luck, “Historically, it is a good luck symbol. To me, it is a funny looking, fat, little man that we use as a mascot. It symbolizes the university. I look at it and I think of SLU,” groundskeeper Tommy Wessel justifies.
The Billiken signifies a sense of purpose at SLU for Wright, “I believe that to be a Billiken means to harvest all of your uniqueness and foster your talents to go out in the world and help others in whatever way you are most passionate about.”
Senior SLU student ambassador Briana Wright prepares an information pamphlet for prospective SLU students. The “Be a Billiken” motto exemplifies SLU’s strong Billiken pride. (SLU/Allison Galoob)
Being a Billiken does not simply mean being a part of SLU’s community, but more than that. Wright illuminates, “It calls us to be appreciative of what we have and spread joy to all of the individuals around you.”
Dr. Dan Kozlowski, a former undergraduate and graduate student and current Communication professor, describes the Billiken as a symbol of “hope, social justice, caring for others, and a commitment to the Jesuit mission.” The Billiken is not simply an icon for the phenomenal SLU men’s basketball team, but a symbol of what SLU truly stands for, the Jesuit mission. Wright proclaims, “The Billiken embodies all of the uniqueness that makes up this wonderful institution. Embrace it and make it your own!”
Shortly after its disappearance, the Billiken statue reemerged near the Chafietz arena, home of the Billikens, where he continues to smile proudly. Fans, alumni, students, staff and faculty alike walk by him and rub his belly, believing and continuing the long tradition of Billiken luck.
Visual storytelling is not simply about having a good story and putting it in front of a camera. You could have great camera skills, but visual storytelling demands for more than skills. It requires creativity and innovative ideas. “Quality, time and collaboration are the keys to great storytelling,” says Brian Storm, founder and executive producer of the multimedia production studio MediaStorm. There is only so much a story can tell, once the right music, visual transitions, and pace are established, the story becomes greater and more powerful. It is about inviting your audience, allowing them to feel the emotions, become inspired, and learn something from the story.
An example of visual storytelling is the promotional commercial for the National Relay Service for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Australia. The two part video promotes the use of relay services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals. Instead of simply telling their audience about the services the company provides, the advantages and purposes are shown through a love story between a hearing man and a Deaf woman. Using the relationship as a timeline, the National Relay Service draw in people and tug their heartstrings as the main characters endure the joy and heartbreak of romance. Not once does it seem like a video for relay service, it appears to be a preview for an upcoming short film.
According to Deborah Potter‘s checklist, the National Relay Service promotional video uses these components to solidify their visual story:
The short film, Quiet Signs of Love, is not used for traditional Journalism, but more for a promotional video for a service company. It could be used as a journalistic story, as a human interest story exposing the communication challenges between two individuals from different perspectives and sharing the Deaf culture. The compelling love story presents the services of the National Relay Service in an interesting and creative way, in which can draw in more viewers and support.
A brief introduction, I promise
Writing has been around since man invented the wheel, literally. Writing styles morphed over the years, tweaking itself to fit the social norms. We have gone from the romantic and lengthy to straightforward and simple. Online writing is the newest kid on the writing block and it is most definitely different.
So, how do I become an efficient online writer?
There’s so much you can write about, but only about 28% of your words will be read by your audience. So, what can you do to draw them in and keep ’em reading? Compiling most of the advices given by these proclaimed online writing experts:
All we do these days is blast through news articles and take in maybe two things from the story if we’re paying enough attention. Subheadings and bold letters will attract attention and slow down that speed reader.
In Journalism, the acronym is KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid. The last thing we want to do is confuse our audience. Tell the story right off the bat!
Today’s journalism is a two-way street. The audience/readers have power, just like the gatekeepers. Create ways to allow for them to converse with you and each other.
Our world moves much faster these days. It seems that the only way we’ll stop is if we see an intriguing image. Use your pictures, for a picture is worth a thousand words. Polls, charts and galore!
If someone brave enough told our history teachers to stop telling historical stories passively, we would probably remember more dates! Nobody wants to read a story that drags on in passive voice. It’s just not that attractive. Bring your audience to the action. Let them feel the sweat, the dodging, the tears.
Okay, what now?
There is only so much online writers can do to maintain interest, but the best thing we can do is adapt to change. Go with the flow. Do what works and keep at it. Venture for more stories, speak the truth and tell the story.
Currently, there are 500 million users tweeting their thoughts away with 140 characters. Can you imagine following every single one? Talk about overheating your brain. Instead of allowing us to be vulnerable to that much overloading, we have the power to selectively follow certain people whose thoughts are deemed important or relevant.
These are the people I think are important and great to follow because of who they are and what they do. I believe that every person has established an admirable reputation and it is inspirational. In no particular order, I follow:
Soledad O’Brien (@Soledad_OBrien) is considered one of the most hard hitting journalists of today. She strives to answer the questions that aren’t easy to answer or haven’t been answered.
Erin Andrews (@ErinAndrews) has slowly, but surely become a representative for females in sportscasting. Her tweets are informative about sporting events and personally delightful.
Hannah Storm (@HannahStormESPN) has built a great sportscasting reputation with Sportscenter. Her professionalism is a great example of how sports journalism could be.
Kathy Walsh (@WalshCBS4) is a local newscaster from Denver. Although she does not tweet often, her tweets are mainly newsworthy which is a useful and valuable skill to acquire.
Kami Carmann (@KamiCarmann) is another local sports newscaster from Denver. She has worked very hard to get where she is and it is an admirable trait.
Jeff Kassouf (@JeffKassouf) is a producer for NBCSports.com as well as a soccer journalist. His tweets contain newsworthy and soccer related information.
Katie Couric (@katiecouric) doesn’t need any introduction to who she is because she is an iconic news anchor. I follow her because I think she asks good questions and has the privilege to share amazing stories.
Walt Mossberg (@waltmossberg) is a world renowned journalist for the New York Times. Although he writes the tech articles, his journalistic experience is great to follow. He is so well known, someone set up a fake Walt Mossberg twitter account/handle!
Christiane Amanpour (@camanpour) is ABC’s Global Affairs anchor and known internationally. Her tweets consist of international news. Even though I am not interested in becoming an anchor, she has impressively become one of the top well known anchors in the world.
Khadija Patel (@khadijapatel) is a journalist with the Daily Maverick from Johannesburg, South Africa. She is a live-tweeter, informing the world of human stories through brief 140 characters, but dense statements.
Twitter began its journey as a humble social media idea and turned into an overnight phenomenon with a total of 163 billion tweets sent thus far. Although users are limited in 140 characters to express their thoughts or news, the sensational buzz is due to the fact that news generates faster and wider. The underdog now has a voice and a way to reach out to the mass audience. Celebrities and experts are now more reachable.
While news travels faster than the speed of light via Twitter, there are several dangers of tweeting breaking news. Karen Fratti warns tweeters to keep a wary eye on inaccurate information. Retweeting has been used as a journalism strategy, but it is not always accurate. Even though tweeting is easier done than said, practicing safe social media can help make or break the credibility of a journalist. Fratti encourages tweeters to monitor tweets and their own tweets to maintain credibility and accuracy.
As journalists, twitter can help get the story out faster and effectively. Mashable shares four Twitter secrets: name dropping is an effective way to grab attention and generate a bigger buzz, determine whether your tweet is objective or emotional, name the category, and finally share the news source. Using these secrets will help create more retweets and can lead to more media attention on the topic.
Erin Andrews and Hannah Storm are both respectively well known sportscasters who have become more popular through Twitter. Andrews and Storm have strategically used Twitter as one of their main delivery of sports news. I followed both of their tweets in the last 24 hours and noticed that their tweets coincide with the advice given by Mashable.
As journalists, it is important to connect with your audience. Even though Andrews and Storm have over thousands of followers, they take the time to respond to fans’ tweets as much as they can. The relationship formed between the public and the figure creates a more likeable public image. For instance, Storm responded to a fan’s comment which helped make her more relate-able as a person. Andrews retweeted the link about a young girl’s battle against cancer. While she retweeted to show support, she also helped inform her followers about this story and generate more awareness. To do their jobs as sportscasters, Storm and Andrews tweet about upcoming sports events, which now happens to be the Super Bowl. Storm informed her followers about the efforts she and others are putting in to prepare for live sports center shows. Andrews promoted her Super Bowl excitement using hashtags and talking about the commercials she won’t be able to watch because she’ll be reporting. One of the most common traits I noticed between the two sportscasters is that they both posted pictures along with most of their tweets. As a visually appealed person, these pictures helped make me feel like I was part of their day. I am confident to say that other followers feel the same way. Name dropping is also a big strategy. It indicates that each person has a connection or the tweet is connected to a big name which attracts more attention. There isn’t much difference between the two women, however I did notice that Andrews tends to use Twitter as a personal and professional social media tool. Storm strictly sticks to distributing sports news.
Twitter is a powerful social media tool, especially with spreading the news. Along with the tips and tricks offered by Twitter experts, it is also important to maintain professionalism and credibility. As Steve Fox advises, “think before you tweet.”
The motions of creating a new persona and becoming your own person can be thrilling, but also intimidating. Being able to stand out from a crowd of already impressive people is now the challenge. A brand today is what was considered a foot in the door back in the golden days. Steve Buttry explains that while it is important to create a brand and become known in the community, it is also crucial to be a good journalist. He emphasizes that only a few journalists can succeed for long on a brand, but in the end it is really your own good work that speaks for itself. Anyone can write, but can anyone be a good journalist? Creating a brand shouldn’t be simply about promoting yourself, but accentuating your skills and making connections to experts in the field.
As per the encouragement of several experts in branding, I googled myself and discovered that I already have quite a bit of content floating out there in cyberspace. Most of the links relate to my involvement with the US Deaf Women’s National Soccer Team and some lead to my social media profiles. I can easily work on improving my brand by establishing one name and highlighting my passion which is learning about people, their stories and sharing it with the rest of the world via twitter, blogs, and more.
Inspired by Soledad O’Brien, I hope to achieve some kind of respect from peers and audiences in the journalistic field I end up in. O’Brien established her brand as a serious journalist using Twitter, an official Facebook page and several blogs on the CNN website. People know who she is because of what she brings to the table – good, solid journalism. I strive to be authentic and passionate. I want anyone who comes across my identity/brand to recognize that I am passionate about people, learning about their stories and sharing them with the world. We all have a story to tell, it is a matter of who will listen.
Allison Galoob 