I couldn't have picked a more perfect class in which to begin to understand what journalism is all about. Being new to the field, I came to UMass with questions, hopes, and worries. I feared being thrust into an area of study that I had little experience with, but I also felt excited to learn about reporting and interpreting the news. Though throughout the class we constantly struggled to define journalism and whether or not to label a person a true journalist, I was able to fully understand what it means to be part of this "conversation" we speak of. This conversation shows itself at our every turn, through the media, through news papers, to the radio, and through face to face conversation. The concept of sharing news and reporting important information face to people is quite hefty, and does not come with ease. We were forced to raise questions about objectivity and worth, responsibility and opinion alike. Through the assignments that the class asked of us, we were forced into the real-life spectrum of conversation and how news gets from one voice to a vast array of eager listeners.
I found it ineresting that we started with entering the world of letters to the editor. Coming from a small town with a small newspaper, letters to the editor always struck me as very meaningful. With such a tight community it becomes easier to express opinion in an effort to stimulate thought and debate. I also personally knew several folks from the Berkshires who wrote these letters regularly. My dad always raises an issue with the local government and local environmental issues that he feels strongly about. He consistently "threatens" to write a letter to the editor to express himself. Though he rarely follows through, I finally understood his passion behind it all, and when we were assigned to write letters and actually submit them, I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of worth. This particular project was interesting in the sense that I had never done anything like the before, and was also very rewarding as I was able to see my name in print on the newspaper I grew up reading. This area of "conversation" relies less on objectivity than it does on stimulation of ideas. In thriving communities, everybody has a voice. Change cannot be instated without complaint, suggestion, and education. Furthermore, after reading Wahl-Jorgensen's breakdown of letters to the editor, the history behind it added to my overall understanding. Even though it was a bit dry and at some points hard to understand, I absolutely got something out of it and retained the information. I still feel capable of applying this knowledge to my further ventures in the journalistic field.
The comment culture that stems from giving and getting feedback and opinion manifested itself in nearly every outlet. As we were assigned to continually become a part of social media sites it almost appeared to be a quicker and less intensive form of letters to the editor. The thing about comment culture is that the conversation has the potential of being never ending. As long as there is somebody with something to say, a comment can spark a plethora of conversations. Though I am most accustomed to commenting on facebook statuses, pictures, and links, I was able to see how the comment culture can still thrive elsewhere, where commenters often remain anonymous. Strangers connecting over single issues. Idiots tainting the news with their hateful and immature offerings. You never really know what will encourage the conversation. The busy activity of twitter provides users with a constant stream of new thought and new news. Feedback for this site was enacted in retweets and hashtags. Digg allowed for any user to comment on anything, and gained popularity with “likes” or “diggs” and comments. People tend to flock toward where the most activity lies. Sometimes it seems as if people are more readily willing to comment anonymously, because the lack of personal judgment is virtually nonexistent.
That being said, I do wish the comment culture on our blogs was more exciting. Since my posts rarely received comments, I was much less inclined to post on other people’s. The conversation of journalism as such was more appealing to me inside the walls of the classroom in Bartlett 119. Perhaps this reinforces the idea that a comment culture thrives in an anonymous arena, where people worry less about being judged by their peers or other real life acquaintances.
The potential overall story that commenting lends itself to is often subjective. It feeds off of public interest and common areas of interest or even debate. I often feel as though my opinion doesn’t matter, in the online UGC fray that is. Not consistently getting feedback, criticism, or reinforcement has lead me to feel this way. Though I do suppose that with enough time, dedication, and interest, one could establish him/herself as an active commenter with a hefty dose of followers in a situation that could provide one with active involvement. I myself do not see this becoming a reality in my life anytime soon, as I still tend to value real life conversation over cyber-culture and strive to surround myself with a social setting conducive to human debate and discussion. In another respect I can appreciate what the internet has done for people internationally: connecting strangers through user-friendly facets and thus providing stimulation in a creative outlet to band people together through this essential conversation we have been studying thus far.
Wonderful, wonderful class! Scott Brodeur is the man.
