Flash

Slide show presentations have always gripped me in a way television never could. These presentatations have the ability to set concrete images of a single moment in our minds that we can recall for years to come. These two chapters helped me define flash journalism and understand how it is used. This medium is rare in that it depict acual sights and sounds for a given story with out the useless clutter of some reporter describing what you are seeing. This allows for a much different "viewing experience" in that the viewer can formulate his own ideas and opinninos concerning that topic. All in all I love flash presentations and I am surely goiong to imlemet one into our up coming project. From Nathan Skid

Flash Journalism

I've always really enjoyed the different ways that Flash is used in journalism, but I never understood exactly how it worked until reading these articles. Besides showing how Flash developed, I feel like the articles also gave a lot of options for how Flash could be used in the future. To me, simple flash slideshows with audio are almost always more moving than a story I've read on the same subject. I think a big part of that appeal is that Flash offers journalists more freedom. There's not the same time constraints that you would find in a TV or radio story, so people get to tell their own stories in their own words. Also, Flash can allow journalists to approach a story from a different angle that might not fit into a traditional newscast. Overall, I think Flash is going to be really important to the future of journalism. I really like the ideas mentioned in some of the other blogs about a J-School website being devoted enitirely to convergence projects. I think it would be a great opportunity for students to start putting their skills to practical use.

Flash=the future

Both of these chapters were very informative, but I think I found chapter two the most helpful in defining exactly what flash is, how it came to be, what its obstacles are and what its potential is. Before reading this chapter I didn't have any idea of the advantages that flash offers. Smaller file sizes, more interactivity and the ability to utilize multiple media types are just a few of flash's attirbutes.

I personally think that flash will soon become the preferred software for creating and viewing online journalism. Many of the flash presentations we have viewed in class make powerful, compelling stories. After learning about many of the possibilities for flash graphics, slideshows and video, I think it is conceivable that the majority of online packages will use flash. I can definitely see flash journalism serviing as a key component to the School of Journalism's online/new media/convergence sequences, and it could probably constitute a semester-long class.

Flash

I think what I enjoy most about flash presentations are their ability to present a story in a way that is truly more fascinating than the more traditional mediums. The textbook's description of what USA Today did with the Columbia shuttle disaster is one example. The fact that they created animated infographics that broke down the movement of the shuttle during the final hour leading up to its explosion is a really smart and effective way to present the information. Words could tell this story, but flash allows it to be shown in a unique way, allowing the viewer to get perhaps the best sense of what was going on.
I also really enjoy the simple flash photography shows that incorporate audio. I can't exactly explain why I think these are more effective than tv packages, but when used properly, they can have quite the emotional impact on the viewer. Perhaps it's the fact that the reader has more of a chance to focus on the sounds and sights. You won't see the speaker actually saying the words, but you may see a photo that portrays the feeling. I'd definitely like to incorporate one of the flash shows we learned how to create in class on Tuesday into my group's final presentation.

ch 1 & 2 Flash

I think it is so cool that you can go to one page on the web to learn about a given subject and use Flash to find out what your options are and find links to many different sources of information, pictures and sounds. Flash makes links look so cool and are great attention grabbers. The readings mentioned how most computers use it, so we should definitely be implementing it here at the jschool. It creates amazing design, easy acess to other links and interactivity, and information one cannot get from the TV news or newspaper. I think we can use it at the J school for footage, sound and pictures we get for stories--tv news doesn't have time to do all of this and it obviously isn't possible in a newspaper so we should take advantage of the web for all stories.
Out of all of the products we can produce with convergence journalim, the photography slideshows mentioned in chapter 1 are my favorite. Using specific pictures and sound (and depending upon how it is used), we can convey many different emotions and information through a slideshow. I think these should be used more often because they are so captivating and lets the viewer in on the experience. The chapter does mention that we have to be careful we convey the whole story and not give a biased presentation so it might not be the best with hot topics but more for celebrations, events, tragedies, etc. But seeing the pictures and hearing live audio is an amazing way to bring the viewers to the story.
I feel like all of these features are so great because they are truly interactive--a person can choose what the want to click on or what exactly they want to see/hear. I feel like this is where journalism is heading partly because people's attention spans are not patient and also because we love to see and hear action. It is up to the viewer. If you want to see something again, that is possible, too.
I think these chapters made my excited to put together our group package to use multiple outlets of information and the assets of "interactivity" to cover all sides of a story.

Flash

Flash media is a great way at conveying news that permits readers to absorb information at their own pace, which I think is something that will be important in the coming years. As more and more apsects of life and media become more personalized, people will expect more things to be catered to their individual needs as consumers. Things like a comprehensive rollover graphic leading to numerous different kinds of articles about a certain topic give news consumers more options as to how they can pick up the information pertinent to them.

I think the potential for this media in the J-school is great because obviously we have the technology to make it happen. It is important that we work on these things, too, because of the role it will play in the coming years in every aspect of journalism. The adaptivity and ability to respond to feedback that a forum like flash provides is a trait essential in tomorrow's media marketplace.

Flash

Flash media is a great way at conveying news that permits readers to absorb information at their own pace, which I think is something that will be important in the coming years. As more and more apsects of life and media become more personalized, people will expect more things to be catered to their individual needs as consumers. Things like a comprehensive rollover graphic leading to numerous different kinds of articles about a certain topic give news consumers more options as to how they can pick up the information pertinent to them.

I think the potential for this media in the J-school is great because obviously we have the technology to make it happen. It is important that we work on these things, too, because of the role it will play in the coming years in every aspect of journalism. The adaptivity and ability to respond to feedback that a forum like flash provides is a trait essential in tomorrow's media marketplace.

Interactivity

I found the discussion on interactivity interesting because it seems like such a balance between giving the viewer the ability to play around with the graphics and text and specifically read what they find interesting and making it easy and clear to work with. After class today I realised just how many options there are to format flash designs and I feel like with all these options (colours, buttons etc.) it would be easy to get distracted from the journalism itself. It is also important not to distract from the journalism with games and overly interactive designs that have no real relation to journalism itself but to attract the reader's initial attention. I looked at the design examples from the readings and it seems that you should focus on the journalistic aspect and then choose appropriate flash designs that keep with the 'feel' of your journalism whether it be serious, entertaining or otherwise. It is also important to keep with the same flash design that you start with so not to confuse the viewer or make your page look more professional.