Blog 13: Answer 1

1. What is answer 1 to your EQ? Be specific in your answer and write it like a thesis statement.
       One of the most important elements to becoming a successful journalist is to strive for accuracy and fairness.

2. What possible evidence do you have to support this answer?

• For example, if a journalist gains insight from a "credible source" that turns out to not be so credible, the journalists' employer/publication will be at risk of lawsuits, etc. 

• Another example as to why accuracy is essential to success in journalism is because the news are used by the public to inform themselves about current events. The public, according to The Elements of Journalism by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel, uses the news to make informed decisions in a democracy.

• Lastly, another example taken from The Elements of Journalism by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel, where Pulizter's Sun Magazine's motto for a number of years was, "Accuracy, accuracy, accuracy."

• The Elements of Journalism
 by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel

• The Code of Ethics by the Society of Professional Journalists (
http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp)

• Principles of Journalism by Journalism.org

3. What source(s) did you find this evidence and/or answer?

Blog 12: Service Learning

Where are you working for your service learning?
I am working at the Poly Post Newspaper, a student-run publication, at Cal Poly Pomona University.
What is your contact?
My contact at the Poly Post is Cecily Arambula, the Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper. She is the one that manages my hours and the tasks I perform while doing my service learning.
Summarize the services you have performed to complete the 10 hour requirement?
While doing service learning, I have performed various tasks. The tasks I do vary from editing copy that will go into the newspaper, typing up memos and lists for the Editor-in-Chief, editing photos, observing weekly staff meetings, and I've even learned how to edit using PhotoShop for newspaper publishing.

*Remember that your house teacher should also have the contact phone number for this person.  If they do not, you will not receive credit for this blog. We will be calling to verify.
Hours?
I have worked for 10 hours as of 01/13/2012.
My Service Learning Log

The ESLRs

Literal
1. Which aspects of the ESLRs are you focusing on?
-I'm focusing mainly on the following ESLRs: Effective User of Technology and Effective Communicator. For example, in my senior project I am required, as an aspiring journalist, to learn how to use the Internet medium to publish be it the senior blogs, in my service learning, and even by using the web and computer programs to create presentations. Another example of the Effective Communicator ESLR is when, as a journalist, I am working with the interview requirements of the senior project as well as practicing my journalistic skills and interviewing skills.
Interpretative
2. How will you do this (or how have you done this already in your senior project?)
-I have done this by going on multiple interviews, researching, and even in my science fair where I am conducting my research by emailing my survey to journalists across the United States.
Applied
3. How will this help you become better, educationally?
-These skills will help me in my educational career by acquiring and applying these skills to use technology to research more effectively, communicate better with my peers as well as my superiors, and giving me a more well-rounded sense of skills.

Blog 11: Third Interview Questions

1. In your words, what defines success in the field of journalism?
2. In your opinion, is there a correlation between experience in journalism and annual income? If so, how?
3. How important are interviewing skills to a journalists' success?
4. In your opinion, what is the most important quality a journalist?
5. How much education should a journalist have and why? (e.g. Bachelor's degree, Master's, Ph.D, etc.) 
6. How valuable is journalism school for a journalism undergraduate major?
7. What is the relationship between the field of journalism practiced and the income earned?
8. Describe a journalist. What characteristics/qualities should a "good" journalist have?
9. In your opinion, are these qualities acquired or are you just "born with it"?
10. Lastly, what is the key to success in journalism, in your opinion?
11. What are the key factors to monetary success in the field? (e.g. region, specific field, experience, awards, etc.)
12. Where do you see the future of journalism going? 
13. Are there any tips that you would give to an aspiring journalist like myself?

Blog 10: Self Reflection

1. How do you think you are doing so far in your senior project and why?  P, AP, CR, or NC
With my senior project, thus far, I think I am doing fairly well. Personally, I believe I am doing AE work for various reasons. First off, my research has been extensive and relevant, I have had great interviews (in total 4), and have turned in everything on time (except one interview deadline), all even though I switched my topics twice this year. Also, I have received AEs and Ps on all my work in reference to my senior project thus far.
2. What one thing do you think you have done well on and why?
One thing in particular that I believe I have done well on is my research. I have learned so much from my research in the past couple months from various sources such as websites, news articles, books, and interviews. Personally I believe that the most important part of the senior project is the research because it is the basis for all of the other components and it is a part that I believe I have excelled at. 
3. What is one thing you would like to improve on and why?  
One thing I would like to improve on would be my service learning. I really would like to have more hours not only for a better grade, but also because I want to gain more experience on my topic. So far I only have 8 hours working at the Poly Post newspaper, however, I plan to gain more hours through doing service learning with the Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper and going with her to seek stories during winter break such as at basketball games and such for the paper's website. Not only will this help me in terms of hours, but also in getting out of the office type work that is required in journalism and getting myself immersed in the action of journalism; getting stories on the 'streets'. 

Blog 9: Science Fair Proposal

REDONE
As of: December 8th, 2011
1. What is your hypothesis?

If a journalist has been in the business for over ten years, then their income will range from $60,000 to $75,000.
2. Identify the dependent (produced), independent (manipulated) and control variables in your hypothesis.

Dependent Variable(s): Income

Independent Variable(s): Experience in terms of years in business

Control Variable(s): Journalists in the United States
3. What is the connection between your science fair project and your senior project EQ?

My senior project EQ is about success and what is most important to gain success in journalism. My science fair project is about measuring success by using income as a measure of success.
4. How will you perform the experiment?  Include the equipment you plan on using.
Materials
-Computer/Laptop
-Internet Access
-Email address ( specifically for this experiment)
-Survey
-100+ journalists with various experience levels, income levels, and employers

*I will produce a survey asking the following questions: (I will produce the full survey script within 24 hours): 
1) How long have you been in the journalism field? (Ex: College graduation to date)
   a. 0-5 years
   b. 6-10 years
   c. 11-15 years
   d. 16-20 years
   e. 21+ years
2) What is your approximate current income per year?
   a. Under $20,000
   b. $20,000-$40,000
   c. $41,000-$60,000
   d. $61,000-$80,000
   e. $81,000-$100,000
   f. Over $101,000
3) How would you describe your current employer?
  a. Freelance Journalism
  b. Magazine or Journal
  c. Newspaper (Local or National)
  d. News Agency
  e. Other
*I will contact various magazines, publications, and employers to journalists by using the Internet/magazines.
*I will email the EXACT SAME survey to AT LEAST 100 journalists from various income levels, experience levels, and employers.
*I will take this data and create a graph to compare the relationship between experience level and range of income for journalists. 
*In addition, I will research data from the U.S. Census Bureau on the recorded income of journalists in the United States and compare my gathered data with the U.S. Census Bureau data. 
5. Which category will your project be listed under? 
Behavioral/Social Science

Blog 8: What I've Learned So Far

1. What have you learned how to do since you started working on your senior project?
I wouldn't say that I learned how to do this, but I definitely improved it. I learned how to improve my copyediting skills. At the Poly Post, most of the time I am editing stories that will be featured in the weekly newspaper issue. This includes making grammatical corrections, giving feedback, and giving suggestions for improvement on stories.
2. Post evidence of this accomplishment.  It can be in the form of a picture, video, document, etc..

Photo 1 (Above): This is one of the various stories I have copyedited while at the Poly Post Newspaper.
3. What research helped you to do this and how?*
The following research helped me because it featured AP style writing and how to write it, which is what is used for writing the Poly Post. Thus, by reading this article, I was able to know what corrections needed to be made, what to do, and what not to do when writing AP style. Prior to working at the Poly Post, I had heard about AP Style writing, but never actually used it or knew much about it. For example, when an article I was copyediting at the Post came in, I knew how to correct percentages from 5% to 5 percent, among other corrections needed. Another form of "research" would just be my service learning because before I receive a story to copyedit, it has gone through the rest of the editors, thus it gives me an idea on what the editors are looking for and what they want and do not want in the stories. 


Article: The Basics of Associated Press Style by Tony Rogers (http://journalism.about.com/od/writing/a/apstyle.htm)