Sona Patel

So our Tahoe trip has been postponed because of rain.  Unfortunately, it has been raining in Reno since we arrived last weekend.  Definitely wasn’t expecting that, but I guess we’ll figure out a way to work around it.

We were issued video cameras on Friday to use for our video projects.  I didn’t get a chance to test mine out because we don’t have tapes for them yet, but I’m guessing it’ll function similar to the Sony Hard Disk Drive camera I use at home.  That said, I don’t have a project idea yet.  If you have tips, please share!  I’ll probably do a tourist/destination piece on Lake Tahoe and the area where Bonanza! was filmed.  I’m looking to get more practice on lighting techniques, setting white balance and learning video settings rather than producing content.  Bottom line, I’m trying to get out of my comfort zone!

One of Maynard Fellows, Henry Lopez, Web editor of the Santa Fe New Mexican, shared some tips on some of the key elements it takes to make a good video.  I learned a lot of those same tips from two multimedia training courses I attended last year: a multimedia bootcamp at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at the Knight Digital Media training at UC Berkeley. John W. Poole, a producer at NPR, taught us several solid techniques, many of which are included below.

Here’s a list of tips on how to shoot video.  Henry wrote most of them, but I’ve tweaked them a little and added a few of my own points, most of which are in parenthesis.

Story idea: Have an idea of what you expect to get out of the project; be ready to change what you think you’re getting out of the project.  (You can also expect to be in a different setting than originally anticipated so be prepared for that.  Also, make sure to bring a camera cover in case of bad weather.  You don’t want to have to worry about whether you’re going to break your $5,000 camera because it’s getting wet!)

Details: Get close enough to your subject to see details. Remember, Web video requires lots of compression in which detail gets lost so get close enough to capture fine detail that survives compression.

Zooming: Don’t rely on zoom. Think positioning of your body first, zoom second.  (Also, don’t zoom unless you absolutely have to.  Same goes for panning.  Both techniques are used for taking home videos, not for work to be posted on your news organization’s Web site!  I was taught to do it if you have something to actually zoom on, i.e. don’t do it for the special effect.)

Watch the sun: Don’t get it behind your subject or they’ll be nothing but a silhouette.  (Also, don’t underestimate the amount of light in a room.  Make sure to have the proper lighting!)

…Watch the sun: Get it behind your subject when you want to create a dramatic silhouette.

Sound: Hush! Nothing will frustrate you more than hearing uh-huh, mm-hmm and yeah on your audio track. (Also make sure to avoid unnecessary background noise.  If a car drives by, politely interject and ask the subject to repeat his or her answer.  If you’re interviewing inside a home, politely ask if the subject would be willing to turn off, let’s say, the refrigerator, to eliminate any humming, buzzing, or clicking in the background.  Also, lapel mics should be fed inside clothing.  It’s a bit of an inconvenience for your subject, but it looks so much better on the screen.)  Oh, and have a microphone.  You. must. have. an. external. microphone!

Get comfortable with your subjects: Talk to your subjects before turning on the camera. Know what they’re going to say, then let them say it on camera. Then shut up! Let them talk until they’re done. (I’ve always politely asked my subjects to repeat the question when they give an answer so as to get a full sound byte I can use.  Some people may disagree, but it’s better than coming back with a good soundbyte that I can’t use because it has no context.)

Sona Media, Reno, Uncategorized Maynard, Multimedia, online, video

What a day. I finished my first week at the Maynard Multimedia Editing Program with a two-hour phone call with the customer service department of a communications company handling our Internet back at the apartments.

A little bit of background: The 14 Maynard fellows are staying in apartments a few miles away from campus.  We each have wireless Internet access. That is, until last night.  About four apartments lost their signal completely.  I called the company’s customer service department today (call time 56 min.) to have a technician come to the complex and address each of our connection issues.

After spending one hour trying to explain my network problems to Jane Doe, I was transferred to another rep … and a couple more after that.  Of course, like any service call, I was somehow disconnected while I was put on hold. Go figure. I called again. Call time: 36 min 34 sec. Not bad. They finally sent a technician out to the apartments and all was restored by 7 p.m. Problem? The modem reset itself to its original settings. How does that happen? Your guess is as good as mine.

The whole incident reminded me of the most awkward service call I’ve ever been on.  I had recently bought a laptop that was on the fritz 10 days after I took it out of the box.  I called customer care which ended up being some guy in call center in South India. The conversation went a little something like this:

Customer Care: “Hello, this is XXXX of [computer company], how may I help you?”

Me: “Yeah, hi, I recently purchased a laptop and the speakers aren’t working.”

Customer Care: “Sure thing, ma’am. Right away ma’am. We’ll hopefully be able to resolve the problem over the phone, ma’am. Can I have your first and last name please?”

Me: “Yeah. It’s Sona. S-o-n-a, Patel. P-a-t-e-l.”

Customer Care: “Thank you ma’am. [one minute pause]. Are you from India?”

Me: “Yes. But I live in the U.S.”

Customer Care: [laughing] “Ah, yes, I can tell.”

I didn’t know exactly what that meant, but I’m sure it had something to do with my “American” accent.  He didn’t resolve my issue, by the way.  He did however ask what part of India I was from, whether I had been back to India recently, and whether I had gone to college in the U.S. or in India.  I’m usually the one asking most of the questions, but not this time.

Anyway, we got the Internet fixed and now I’m happily back to Tweeting and Facbeooking in the comfort of my living room.

Sona Uncategorized

I’m now trying to update two blogs at once.  It’s getting a little tiring, but I’ve never used blogs.mu before (group blogging software) so its been a fun ride.

We just finished our fourth day of class for the Maynard Program.  Today was non-stop learning, but at a good pace.  We started off with an extensive workshop on social media led by Susan Mernit, a former VP at Netscape and AOL and senior director of product development at Yahoo! Currently, she is a consultant to the Knight Foundation, working with the Knight News Challenge, a program that gives away $5 million annually.

Mernit talked about ways to attract people to your blog and gave some tips on marketing your blog.  We also talked about privacy, and the role privacy settings play in a reporter or editor’s choice to add sources to Facebook and Twitter.  It’s a moving target, but she essentially said that it’s good to make a social media networking policy so you’re upfront on who you will or will not add to Twitter and Facebook.

She brought up a good point, mainly because my news organization does not have a social media policy.  I hope to create one when I get back.  Does your news organization have a social media policy? If so, I’d love to hear about it.

Sona Reno, Uncategorized

I was browsing some of the front pages around the world on the Newseum’s Web site and came across our Inauguration edition in the archives. I loved the design. Here’s hoping we have the opportunity to do more of that in the future. Definitely turns the newspaper into a keepsake, in my opinion.

Sona Uncategorized Obama, The Tribune

Ahh, the smell of casinos.  A couple Maynard fellows and I walked through downtown Reno this afternoon to get a taste of the city.  Not quite like Vegas, but definitely a place for hardcore gambling.  I was surprised to see a lot of vacant storefronts surrounded by newer condo complexes.  It made me wonder whether the city of Reno has a makeover in the works.  Nonetheless, it was fun checking out the cheesy souvenir shops, express wedding chapels and antique stores.  I didn’t play any Blackjack or craps today.  I don’t plan on gambling, but some of those slot machines looked pretty tempting.

Sona Media, Reno Maynard, Reno

The results were announced awhile ago, but I had to mention it on my blog.  The Tribune won several awards in the 2009 Associated Press California/Nevada journalism contest.  Environmental reporter David Sneed and I took first place in Business Writing in our circulation category for a three-day series we co-wrote on the collapse of the fishing industry in Morro Bay.  Dave focused mainly on environmental issues whereas my stories circled around how the city’s economy suffered as a result of the decline of the fishing industry.

I also compared the seaside town of Morro Bay to the Northern California city of Eureka, which also suffered financially in the wake of the decline.

Hooray for The Tribune … and a hearty congratulations to all of the other winners!

Sona The Tribune AP, Media

In two days I’ll be in Reno, getting ready to experience what other journalists have told me will be a truly life-changing experience.

I was recently selected as one of 12 fellows to attend the Maynard Multimedia Editing Program June 1 to July 10 at the University of Nevada.

I found out about the program well after the selection committee opened the application period.  I didn’t think my editors would give me six weeks off work to attend, however I figured it was worth a shot.  I applied and received a call from Dori Maynard, president and CEO of the Maynard Institute, telling me that I was a good fit for the program considering my potential of becoming The Tribune’s next Online Editor.

After receiving an informal offer for the fellowship, I still hesitated since I’d have to take unpaid time off to attend.  And since I completed twi fellowships last year, I didn’t know if I would learn anything different during the Maynard program. But after reading a former fellow’s blog and checking out the curriculum, I truly felt that it would be one of those experiences I wouldn’t regret. I also strongly believe that you can never be an expert on a particular subject no matter how much training you’ve had.

I was also compelled by the story of Robert C. Maynard and his commitment to expanding opportunities for minority journalists at newspapers across the nation.

Maynard was the co-founder of the Institute for Journalism Education.  In the past 25 years, the organization has trained hundreds of America’s journalists of color, more than any other organization.

In December 1993, following Maynard’s death, the Institute was renamed the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education.

According to the Maynard Web site, Robert C. Maynard was a board member of journalism’s most prestigious organizations including the Pulitzer Prize, The Associated Press, and the American Society of Newspaper Editors. It was his lobbying in the 1970s that nudged the ASNE to adopt the goal of diversifying America’s newsrooms by the year 2000.

While newsrooms have made strides in diversifying their workforces, more must be done, especially at a time when news organizations across the world are focusing on staying afloat and cutting costs while maintaining a sense of strong journalism. Still, newsroom leaders cannot undermine the importance of diversifying their staff.  And diversity isn’t just black and white.  It’s about using several perspectives to plan news coverage that fits the needs of the community.  It’s about valuing diversity and making the print and online product a tool which is valued across the community.

One of the things I hope to learn from the Maynard program is not only the copy editing and multimedia skills necessary to be a good storyteller, but how to cover topics that appeal to a wider range of readers in our (The Tribune’s) demographic.

As an aside, I have to mention another pioneer in the industry who helped push for more minorities in newsroom: John C. “Chipps” Quinn.

Quinn was a newspaper editor and journalist who valued diversity.  When he died at the age of 34, his family could think of no better way to honor and remember Chips than a program to encourage newsroom diversity.

The program began in 1991. Since then, more than 1,000 journalists of color have been Scholars during daily newspaper newsroom internships. I was lucky enought to be selected as a Chips Quinn Scholar in May 2006 and was placed as an intern at The Tribune. I’ve been at the paper ever since.

So, to the Maynard Institute and the Chips Quinn Scholars program: Thank you for empowering me to be a better person — and a better journalist.

Sona Uncategorized Chips Quinn Scholars, Maynard

When our crime and courts reporter told me last week that an infamous murder trial was set to begin on March 6, I immediately thought it would be a great opportunity for us to try a live Tweet.  She agreed so we set her up on a laptop and had her Twittering from inside the courtroom.  The murder trial began with opening statements from prosecutors and followed with testimonies from several witnesses. The trial is for a Cayucos man accused of killing his grandmother, stuffing her body into a suitcase and dumping it off a cliff somewhere near Ragged Point. I’ll spare you with the gruesome details, however, you can read them on our Twitter page to see how our reporter handled the case. Our experiment was a success and I hope to do more live Tweets in the future. And to all you Tweeters out there, be sure to follow @slotribune for breaking news updates throughout the day.

Sona The Tribune, Uncategorized Add new tag, Multimedia, The Tribune, Twitter

I finished another mini project at work today. It turned out OK but I would have like to spend a little more time cleaning up the text and fleshing out my interactive map a little more.  But hey, I did what I could.  I’m happy I finally had a chance to play with UMapper. It’s a great program (included in my list of Top 5 fave sites for embeddable Flash components). It’s very simple to use and doesn’t require an API key to embed straight onto an HTML page.

I like doing these kinds of projects, especially when I have good content to work with. Thanks to Dave Middlecamp for the photos and for creating the SoundSlides project.

I was going to include a few more  tips on mountain biking around SLO County (there are a lot of great trails here) but I ran out of time.  Instead, here are a few good resources including a book on the topic by my buddy Brian Milne (that’s him on the cover).

The book covers some of the more popular trails including Cerro Alto (starts at the campground between Morro Bay and Atascadero), Blinn Ranch Trail (backside of Santa Margarita Lake accessible via the Pozo area), both sides of Cuesta Ridge and Cerro San Luis.  Montaña de Oro also has some pretty good trails.

Mapping these trails on UMapper wasn’t that easy since the only way you can really map a hiking trail is on a GPS unit, according to Brian. I figured my way around this by using UMapper’s Polygon and Line tools. Instead of points and dialogue boxes, UMapper allows you to highlight a section of the map, or draw lines and circles to highlight an area.

Sona Uncategorized Flash, The Tribune

Thanks to the South Asian Journalists Association for including The (San Luis Obispo) Tribune in their roundup of Oscar front-pages. We’re one of only a couple McClatchy papers included in the roundup.  Now, time for a shameless plug: The Trib was recently recognized for oustanding front page design by Poynter for its November election issue. As a result, we’ll be included in Poynter’s upcoming book of top election front pages from around the world. Go Tribune!

Check out a gallery of other SLUMDOG front-pages included in the roundup and comment in the SAJA forum.

Sona Uncategorized