Working for the Web
Wednesday was my first time being web producer, and I realized that multi-tasking is very important. As soon as you get to the newsroom it's important to not only engage in the morning meeting, but to start thinking about what stories can work for the web too. I realized that you are not only working for the web, but you also make the web work for you. For example, when I was copy-editing the Ash Wednesday story, I went to facebook and twitter to ask people what they were giving up for lent. I received some responses saying they were giving up soda and candy. Social media is a good way to get reaction to the stories you are writing, and even incorporate quotes from some of the responses you get.
Also, when working with the web you have to be aware of any updates. Updating stories is important, because we never want old content on the website. After being web producer for the first part of the morning, making graphics comes next. Making graphics is harder than I thought. I realized that I have to be aware of the stories in the rundown and what they're about. This is important when it comes to creating cutlines for the stories, creating your "in the news" graphic and incorporating images that let viewers know what the story is about.
I also learned that you need to be careful about not being misleading in the images portrayed in the graphic. For next time, I have to be aware of the graphic number that I assign to stories, and make sure they don't duplicate. I also need to make sure that the full screens I order are relevant to the story that they're being used in. I have a few things to improve on, but I look forward to my next shift. So until next time peace, love and happiness.