Kbrown

Finishing the Internship

2007-11-26T21:03:00.000-08:00

Finishing

November 19^th was my final day with Washington Post and I can say that it was a good learning experience yet I wish there was more that I could have done. My experience has led me to meet some very important people in the industry, and what’s better than knowing the right people? Today I had the opportunity to go back to the Post and take a training class that was about video and how to use it in stories. It was very helpful in seeing how a simple camera can turn a story into a more in depth piece. Simple things like shooting video head-on versus the technique ‘look space’ can enhance the story. Utilizing the skills that I learned in class will definitely help with my future job.

Without this internship, I don’t think I would have been able to land a job as quickly as I did. In fact the internship experience impressed them very much and I think that was what put me ahead of other applicants. My new job is doing exactly what I did at the Post and all the little things that I thought were inconsequential actually turn out to be stepping stones for my new job. I will miss the Washington Post but I am glad that now I will be able to move forward in my career, earn some money and be able to grow even more than I was allowed to with the Post.

During the Internship

2007-11-26T21:01:00.000-08:00

In my first journal entry, I was excited about taking this internship and learning the ends and outs of a major news organization. I was fearful that I would not be able to stand the rigors of a demanding place and fail beyond measures. Just saying, “I work at the Post,” will produce oohs and awws from people. However, this internship is not living up to the hype.

I say it’s not living up to the hype because I thought there would be more writing assignments and other opportunities. I thought that the web side of the Post had there on writers which may or may not have been from the print side. Now I see that all the journalists are from the print side with the exception of freelancers or other wire service contributors. Most of the articles that you see online will either have appeared in the newspaper or will the next day.

Journalists are constantly updating their wire stories but at some point they turn into “pm-copy,” or final copy. When I arrive in the morning, the web has already changed to what the day’s paper is. Only when there is breaking news will it change and most likely you will still see the print stories on the web, only they will move down the page. This is part of my frustration. When the story comes from the print side it already has a headline, so there is nothing for me to do except make sure it stays updated. Only when the story changes and the headline no longer matches the story will I be able to change it. But even in those situations the story still comes with a headline – most of the time.

Hopefully this week will be different. I know I can’t wait for someone to make opportunities happen for me so I set out to make things happen for myself. At some point this week, I will shadow another editor who works does the live discussions. From what I can see, he is always trying to make contact with other professionals, authors, political figures and experts to have them contribute to discussions with the community. He seems to be a very busy man, and I want to learn what it is he does.

I still see this internship as a good one. As I stated before, people gush over hearing that I intern at one of the biggest and most respected newspaper organizations and I suspect that it will look very good on my resume. I’m just concerned that it was not the internship that I was particularly looking for.

Trials

2007-11-26T20:54:00.000-08:00

Life can be a very interesting, challenging and all that other stuff that people describe it to be. But this week, for me life has been turned upside down. Things I thought were gone were suddenly right in my face and they were so prominent it made me look at things in a whole new light. I started questioning myself and coming to answers that I'm afraid to face.

How does one explain things that they are afraid of themselves? I don't know, and that is how my life has taken on this new predicament. I maybe make it out to be harder than it is, but then again I know I'm not. Why can't the world just be black and white or this or that? Does it have to be so difficult?

Or then again this could just be one of my wild and random thoughts out in LaLaLand. Who knows?

Happy Trials

ACT- Scores

2007-11-26T20:49:00.000-08:00

I really don't have much to blog about so here's an article that I wrote and was published at Diverse Education over the summer.

Growth in ACT Participation Fueled By Blacks, Hispanics

by Kermille Brown
Aug 15, 2007, 21:40

More Black and Hispanic high school graduates are taking the ACT, but they continue to post the lowest composite score averages, according to the ACT College Readiness Report released Wednesday.

Since 2003, Black participation in ACT has grown 18 percent, while the number of Hispanic test-takers has increased 23 percentage points. Overall growth in the number of high school graduates taking the college admission and placement exam was 11 percent.

A record 1.3 million graduating seniors took the test this year, earning an average composite score of 21.2 up from 21.1 last year, on a scale of 36. Scores improved in all four subject areas — English, math, science and reading.

The 2007 average composite score rose for the third time in the past five years. Nearly all racial/ethnic groups have seen a rise in scores since 2003. This year, all groups — except Blacks whose scores dipped 0.1 from the previous year — reported an increase in scores.

Black students earned a national average composite score of 17 and Hispanic students 18.7. Asian American students again earned the highest average at 22.6 followed by Whites at 22.1 and American Indian/Alaska Native students at 18.9.

ACT officials are optimistic about closing the gap between Black and Hispanic students and their higher-scoring peers. Recent scores of those who took EXPLORE and PLAN, precursor exams to the ACT designed to help 8^th- and 10^th-grade students prepare for the ACT, “point to likely improvement in college readiness among racial/ethnic minority students in the future.”

Higher percentages of Black and American Indian 8^th-graders who took 2007 EXPLORE are on pace to becoming college ready in all four subject areas than were in 2003. Similarly, more Hispanic 10^th-grade students this year than in 2003 posted scores indicating they were well on their way to becoming college-ready.

“These upward trends show more students are graduating from high school with the academic skills they need to succeed in college and workforce training programs,” said Richard L. Ferguson, ACT’s chief executive officer and chairman of the board. “We still have a long way to go in ensuring that all high school graduates are prepared for the next level, but the progress we’re seeing is very encouraging. Changes in academic achievement generally take time to develop.”

According to the report, both math and science scores were up this year — the two areas that students are least prepared for when entering college. The percentage of those who met or surpassed the college-readiness benchmark in the math portion of the ACT was up from 40 percent in 2004 to 43 percent this year. Additionally, there was an increase in the percentage of students surpassing the benchmark in 2007 in science — from 26 percent in 2005 to 28 percent this year. Student averages that met or surpassed all four areas increased from 21 to 23 percent compared to last year.

Despite the increases, the results still suggest that the basic courses offered in high school are not adequately preparing students for college-level coursework, particularly in math and science, ACT officials say.

- Kermille Brown

Multimedia Story

2007-11-26T20:10:00.000-08:00

The College Parent: The Road Less Traveled

You sit in class seemingly paying attention to your professor’s lecture on the anatomy of a root but your mind is wandering about your youngest daughter, who is sick with bronchitis, and your older daughter who is probably going to be home alone for an hour because dad won’t be able to pick her up from the bus stop.

Oh yeah, and what about dinner tonight? Your study time is pushed into the wee hours of the morning because your school-aged child has a project that must be finished tonight after she gets in from soccer and gymnastics practice. And besides that, there’s still laundry, dishes, vacuuming and getting the kids to bed at a decent hour, before you even think of taking a break. It is the life of a college going parent.

Pencils, papers, Pullups, bottles, books, tests, day care, essays, music lessons, quizzes, PTA, cramming, professors—are just the various obstacles you encounter in your daily routine, and it’s only just the beginning.

Being a full-time mom is hard work, but when you add work, school and play to the equation it can be an extremely taxing and daunting experience. For me and four other women, all with their own situations, raising a family and going to college we deal with it everyday knowing that what we sacrifice now will be a great reward in the end.

Parental View

Definitely a challenge, but the reward is a huge payoff

Of course parenting is hard, and we all agree that if things could be done over then we would not have had children before going to college. But that is not an option now. For Sonia Waters, a first year student at Northern Virginia Community College with three children, going back to school part-time and working a full-time job is going to be hell.

"I have my husband, and he is a great help and very supportive. I think that will help with the stress of going to school a lot, because I won't have to worry about who's taking care of my kids," Waters said.

Family and friends are important and can be very helpful when you need study time. It is crucial that you allow people to help you. It is sometimes hard to let down that wall and allow people in to give you a hand, but it is something that we have to set aside and use. It does not make you a bad mother or father because you ask and receive help, in fact it makes you a better parent.

Marisa Gregory, student and mother of a 5-month old daughter, credits her husband and parents with caring for the baby while she is at school. "It was an adjustment, but managing my time and asking for help has made the transition easier for me."

"I have to work harder than the average student because I have to show that I can maintain a house and school," said Jade Newman, a senior and mother of one. "The hardest part is having my two-year old understand that mommy has to do homework instead of just playing."

Ekua, a senior at GMU, who is pregnant now, says that "I wish I hadn't done it though, because it's very draining." However she did plan her pregnancy and has been able to work with her professors concerning absences for doctor appointments. "They are very helpful, and understanding."

There is a balance that we have to adhere to, parenting and education. It is easy to let one outweigh the other, when one is stressing you but we have to take a step back and evaluate the situation. Nothing is more important than family, but we have to do what we have to do to better our family, and so we must keep that in mind also.

Getting Through the Hard Times

One Big Happy (Yahoo! Comics)

Time Management

Use your time effectively. Just as when the baby was first born, you slept when he did, it is the same now. When the kids are doing their studying, sit down and study also. Your studying may be interrupted for help, but at least you get some in. Don't worry about cleaning the house right now, use the time to put the finishing touches on your term paper, the house will be there. Now is not the time to play SuperMom. Set a schedule that allows you to manage when you do your everyday life such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, extracurricular activities, studying, and your most needed down time. Delegate chores to the rest of the family, to ease the stress put on you.

MSNBC Mommy Madness

De-Stress

Take time out for yourself. Aside from school and parenthood, as a mother we need to take better care of ourselves. It is generally the mother who neglects herself and puts everyone before her. School is stressful enough, and not de-stressing will leak over into your family life and cause problems. At least once a month, you should be getting out and doing things by yourself or with a friend, things you enjoy doing. Have a spa day, get a manicure and pedicure, and relax with a soothing massage and facial. Exercise is a great de-stresser. Even a movie or just quite time to read will help keep you motivated and in good spirits.

Alternative Class

When the going gets tough and you are not able to attend classes because of hardships, look into night, weekend, summer and online classes. Taking a night class will leave you with more time with your family and more time to study and do homework. Weekend classes can be difficult if your weekends consist of baseball games, swim meets and etc., but it would still allow you to finish your goals. Online classes have become so popular, that many degrees are offered online and are not as long as some traditional classes. There are the combo classes that allow more variety to finishing school. The opportunities are somewhat endless.

The Future

Whether this is your first semester in college or you plan on graduating this May, perseverance is key to making your dreams come true. Be determined and set a goal for yourself. The road will be long and hard, but with a little determination, motivation and dedication you will make it. Look to your family and friends to keep you motivated and inspired. Remember, your children will look up to you for this. This sets in their minds that they can achieve things by seeing you achieve your goals. It is truly always about family.

Links, Links, Links

Check out these links for more resources:

College Mom Magazine

College Guide for Mothers

Top Five: News

2007-11-18T19:20:00.001-08:00

Here's what I think should be read by all people for this week:

In the news (and order is random)
1. FBI's Forensic Test Full of Holes
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/17/AR2007111701681.html?hpid=topnews

2. $50M Priest Abuse Deal Reached in Alaska
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/18/AR2007111800876.html

3. Army Desertion Rates Up 80 Percent Since Iraq Invasion
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/11/16/MilitaryDeserters.html

4. Bangladesh Cyclone Kills 2,300 and Counting
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071119/ap_on_re_as/bangladesh_cyclone

5. Madagascar's Sapphire Rush
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7098213.stm

Just a little enlightenment...food for the brain...

The Upset

2007-10-14T18:20:00.000-07:00

Sooo, Tyler Perry has done it again with one of his smash hitting movies. Opening week, 'Why Did I Get Married,' came in number one beating out the number two spot 'Michael Clayton,' by double. Once again, the promotion was shoddy for one of his [Perry] movies and once again he rocks at the box office. While other mainstream movies 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age' and 'We Own The Night,' get rave reviews, B and B- respectively, Perry's movie isn't even rated by critics on Yahoo! but users give it an A-.

Once again, Perry proves that minorities will and do spend money to see quality movies that represent other minorities.

Perceptions

2007-10-06T05:44:00.000-07:00

This semester I took an internship with the Washington Post working at the breaking news desk. It's a great opportunity to learn, and I have learned a lot, but there are aspects of the job or rather I should say the news makers that make me question whether the public is being underserved. Here is what I found just by watching the newsroom.

Before starting this internship, I never really looked at what was being “left out” of the media. I always thought news was given to you in an unbiased way- or at least that’s the way it should be. Working in this environment I see how race, status, class and culture play an integral part in media and how much, or little, coverage a story gets.

Example:

O.J. Simpson was charged with several crimes over the past few weeks, in connection with a Las Vegas hotel robbery. Britney Spears as the most highly hit/watched page the day following the MTV VMA Awards. Michael Vick was all over the news when he was being indicted on dog-fighting charges. Madeline McCann, an English girl, went missing in Portugal and has yet to be found.

While all of these cases have been popular with the public and even emotionally felt, there are other stories that are not getting talked about, that are missing mainstream media, that are just as or even more important, are missing the general public.

It is a shame that Simpson had more headlines, more articles, and more T.V. “breaking news” stories than the six young black men in Jena, Louisiana who were charged with attempted murder in a school yard fight with a white-classmate. What some see as a modern day lynching and blatant racism that would condemn these young men for basically the rest of their lives, gets minimum coverage-until activists call for a protest.

A black woman is kidnapped and held against her will for a week, where she is brutally beaten, stabbed, choked, sexually assaulted and forced to eat animal feces. Yet her story isn’t covered until the police have recovered her from her tormentors; never once was there a report on a missing black woman.

The perception is poor people don’t read or watch the news and upper/middle class families can’t relate to a victim that is unlike them. This is the main reason why we don’t see or hear about children of ethnicity that go missing. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, each year there are 58,000 non-family child abductions and 42 percent are African-American. All children are important but some just ring household names such as Amber Hagerman (Amber Alert), Madeline McCann, and Elizabeth Smart but what about the Jaquilla Scales and Kendrick Jackson’s of the world. It could be that there just isn’t enough diversity in the newsroom but at some point the media has to represent the underserved.

This is just one of the many observations that I have observed at the Washington Post over the past week.

My First Post

2007-10-06T05:31:00.000-07:00

Since this is the first post, I suppose I should let you know what this blog is all about. This blog is for my Comm 361, Online Journalism, class. What you will find here is news that you might not find in mainstream media. Whether it be about a big case that is not getting enough coverage, i.e. Jena 6, or cases that maybe people don't want heard, i.e. Texas oil tycoon who gave payoffs to Sadaam Husein for oil kickbacks to his company.

Other days when there is nothing to write about but still maybe interesting you will find David Letterman's comments (Everybody loves Dave), random photos with commentary and what ever else sparks my interest. I hope you read and enjoy but I know not everyone will agree so please leave a comment. I expect this blog to go through December and be turned off but in this time I hope I spark something in you and you start to read a little more into the media than what's merely written and covered.