I have made a few changes to my blog to ensure the layout is clean and easy to read, I have kept the background simple and the white space balance. I think I have used enough headings to attract the reader to key headings and to separate the different blog posts. I have checked that I have completed all of the weekly tasks, and made amendments so the headings clearly indicate which post relates to which activity.
I think the major challenge was that the task seemed huge, however once you take the time out each week to complete each task it was amazing how quickly the term progressed and I didn't fall behind on my work load. The blog requirements were clear and concise so I understood what I had to do each week and how much time I would have to assign to each task. I don't think the blog requirements were too hard or too easy, I think the tasks were achievable and really challenged my thinking and writing skills.
I think the blog has definitely improved my writing, I was required to not only write for assignments but refine my writing skills each week which helped me fully understand how to write, especially in the media. I really learnt a lot from the blog submission checklist, although I didn't find all that many errors in my writing, I really appreciated having the chance to see a 'cheat sheet' on what the markers would be looking at.
COMM11007 Media Writing is one of the best subjects I have done, I have really enjoyed every aspect of the course work and have found the course material informative and interesting. As a Business Management and Public Relations student, I really appreciated the change of pace involved in the Media Writing course.
Friday 18 September 2015
Week 9 Practical - Storify Review
I reviewed Rebecca Somerville's Storify submission about the Pine Rivers Show. First impressions of Rebecca's Storify were great, Rebecca has taken the focus off the actual event and landed it on the effort of volunteers who put the show together. The audience for this story is potentially people who live in Brisbane which is a very wide demographic, the story is also applicable to those who attended the Ekka or are looking for something to do on their weekend.
Rebecca taught me a lot about the Pine Rivers Show, she has jammed her story full of facts, history and quotes which gives the viewer a lot more information than they would receive from any other article. I think Rebecca has managed to incorporate many different aspects of the show and the different viewpoints from her quoted sources, I don't think she needs to include anything else into the story.
A point to improve the structure of the story would be to ensure that there is a caption, quote or explanation explaining each photo rather than including photos one after the other.
I really enjoyed reviewing Rebecca's Storify submission, I think she has done a fantastic job on covering such a massive event and getting some awesome quotes off valid sources. Rebecca's tweets were interesting, relevant and consistent and her story really showcases the importance of volunteers in community events.
Well done Rebecca and good luck in submitting your (great) assignment!
References
Somerville, R. (2015). Sugar City Con (with images, tweets) · spiritoflulu. [online] Storify. Available at: https://storify.com/spiritoflulu/sugar-city-con-2015 [Accessed 19 Sep. 2015].
Rebecca taught me a lot about the Pine Rivers Show, she has jammed her story full of facts, history and quotes which gives the viewer a lot more information than they would receive from any other article. I think Rebecca has managed to incorporate many different aspects of the show and the different viewpoints from her quoted sources, I don't think she needs to include anything else into the story.
A point to improve the structure of the story would be to ensure that there is a caption, quote or explanation explaining each photo rather than including photos one after the other.
I really enjoyed reviewing Rebecca's Storify submission, I think she has done a fantastic job on covering such a massive event and getting some awesome quotes off valid sources. Rebecca's tweets were interesting, relevant and consistent and her story really showcases the importance of volunteers in community events.
Well done Rebecca and good luck in submitting your (great) assignment!
References
Somerville, R. (2015). Sugar City Con (with images, tweets) · spiritoflulu. [online] Storify. Available at: https://storify.com/spiritoflulu/sugar-city-con-2015 [Accessed 19 Sep. 2015].
Thursday 17 September 2015
Week 9 Technical - Active & Passive Voices
Recognising active and passive voices in writing has never really occurred to me until I completed the passive and active voice exercise. Once understood what the difference was between active and passive voices, I quickly understood how to restructure sentences to use an active voice instead of a passive voice. Although I found the quiz quite easy, I struggled on some questions where it was harder to make the sentence read fluently once restructured.
I find that I understand a grammar concept once I have had to apply the rule into my own writing, I will now be more conscious of writing actively instead of passively to ensure that my writing skills are of a high quality.
References
Businesswriting.com, (2015). Passive and Active Voice. [online] Available at: http://www.businesswriting.com/tests/activepassive.htm [Accessed 18 Sep. 2015].
I find that I understand a grammar concept once I have had to apply the rule into my own writing, I will now be more conscious of writing actively instead of passively to ensure that my writing skills are of a high quality.
References
Businesswriting.com, (2015). Passive and Active Voice. [online] Available at: http://www.businesswriting.com/tests/activepassive.htm [Accessed 18 Sep. 2015].
Tuesday 15 September 2015
Week 10 Inquiry - Visual Consumer
I love the Birdnest website, I value the design of the website, the clothing and other products that are sold and the overall vibe of the site. The impact of the design is the first thing that catches the eye about the vibrant, fresh website, the colours and fonts used work well together and create a great theme. The bird nest and bird theme is used consistently throughout the website and ties it together perfectly.
The logo used on the website is very sleek and simple, being a single red bird, the Birdsnest trademark is clear, concise and allows the viewer to associate the website with their logo. The soft red and blue tones used in the website design are quite boho and give an autumn theme to the design. The sans serif type font used in headings and writing is easy to read and keeps the website fresh.
The photos and graphics used in the website have been well considered, they pick up the soft red and blue autumn tones whether in their background or text. The photos do not take away from the simplistic design of the website, they instead compliment the design and push it into a new element. The website design allows for enough white space between photos, text and headings that the viewer is not bombarded with information or overwhelmed by the website. The overall balance of the website is spot on, some graphics take up the whole page, however most are divided by three so the page can be evenly divided by three, creating a symmetrical and conforming design.
Visiting the Birdnest website is a visually appealing process, where all aspects of website design have been well considered and applied.
References Birdsnest.com.au, (2015). Birdsnest Women's Clothing Australia | Buy Women's Dresses, fashion, jeans from 250+ Labels Online. [online] Available at: http://www.birdsnest.com.au/ [Accessed 16 Sep. 2015].
The logo used on the website is very sleek and simple, being a single red bird, the Birdsnest trademark is clear, concise and allows the viewer to associate the website with their logo. The soft red and blue tones used in the website design are quite boho and give an autumn theme to the design. The sans serif type font used in headings and writing is easy to read and keeps the website fresh.
The photos and graphics used in the website have been well considered, they pick up the soft red and blue autumn tones whether in their background or text. The photos do not take away from the simplistic design of the website, they instead compliment the design and push it into a new element. The website design allows for enough white space between photos, text and headings that the viewer is not bombarded with information or overwhelmed by the website. The overall balance of the website is spot on, some graphics take up the whole page, however most are divided by three so the page can be evenly divided by three, creating a symmetrical and conforming design.
Visiting the Birdnest website is a visually appealing process, where all aspects of website design have been well considered and applied.
References Birdsnest.com.au, (2015). Birdsnest Women's Clothing Australia | Buy Women's Dresses, fashion, jeans from 250+ Labels Online. [online] Available at: http://www.birdsnest.com.au/ [Accessed 16 Sep. 2015].
Week 9 Inquiry - Data Generated vs. Editor Reviews
Comparing the difference editor and data generated reviews is like comparing chalk and cheese, both vary in purpose and style. The Trip Advisor webpage is a collation of various comments and recommendations from travellers who have reviewed the specified hotels, each review is one or two sentences summarising the hotel or the customers experience. Whereas the CN Traveller website is written from editors, the photos of the hotels are professional, the review includes in depth information about the hotel, city, activities and other key points relevant to the reader.
Although both websites are similar in that they are reviewing hotels, this is where the similarities end. The trip advisor article is somewhat unprofessional with two simple quotes and a couple of photos of the discussed hotel, the viewer is then able to visit another webpage which holds more reviews from people who have been to the hotel. There is room for false information in a website based on reviews from customers, although some have the ability to be honest, some reviews are incorrect.
The CN Traveller website holds a better first impression, the layout is a lot more professional and appealing. The reviews on this website are well written and paint a picture in the readers mind about the hotel and what to expect. The reader will be more inclined to take the comments from the CN Traveller website on board and make an informed decision about their travel destination and hotel based on this review. The website is aimed at convincing travellers to visit these destinations and they absolutely achieved this goal by the high quality writing, pictures and selection of hotels.
References
Allason, J., BB, A., Browne, P., Burshtein, K., Jana Chan, M., Peters, E., Finer, D., Goodman, L., Holmes, L., Johnson, L., Marshall, L., Maxwell, K., Sinclair, C. and Wrathall, C. (2015). Gold Standard Hotels 2015. [online] Conde Nast Traveller. Available at: http://www.cntraveller.com/awards/the-goldlist/gold-standard-hotels-2015/viewall [Accessed 16 Sep. 2015].
Tripadvisor.com.au, (2015). Best Hotels of 2015 – TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards. [online] Available at: http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/TravelersChoice-Hotels-g1 [Accessed 16 Sep. 2015].
Week 7 Inquiry - Reviewing a Newsletter
The Crocodile Specialist Group Newsletter is distributed to member's of the Crocodile Specialist Group, all member's of the group are encouraged to submit materials and articles to the newsletter for publishing. The effectiveness of this article stems from inviting the group to submit material, the group really captures the audience and not only piques their interest in the newsletter but gives them pride and ownership of the newsletter.
The newsletter commences by thanking people who have donated to the Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG) conservation program. The newsletter also includes an editorial which gives a brief summary of the newsletter and informs readers of upcoming events, this is followed by an obituary section which pays respects and outlines the life and great work of CSG members who have passed. The next section of the newsletter is a book review about wildlife conservation, followed by regional reports from America, Australia, Africa and Asia. Finally, the newsletter concludes with a list of member's of the CSG Steering Committee.
Each story in the newsletter targets their organisations audience each story involves crocodile research, wild life conservation or the workings of the crocodile specialist group. The newsletter is well written, short and succinct which also encourages the audience to take key findings and information from the newsletter. As a science journalist, I would find the newsletter very informative, each section would be able to be used as a story. The regional reports from around the globe would provide the best story as it indicates what work is being done in crocodile research and conservation around the world, this section of the newsletter was particularly interesting and would create a lot of interest if written in a story.
References
Iucncsg.org, (2015). iucncsg.org. [online] Available at: http://www.iucncsg.org/ [Accessed 19 Sep. 2015].
The newsletter commences by thanking people who have donated to the Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG) conservation program. The newsletter also includes an editorial which gives a brief summary of the newsletter and informs readers of upcoming events, this is followed by an obituary section which pays respects and outlines the life and great work of CSG members who have passed. The next section of the newsletter is a book review about wildlife conservation, followed by regional reports from America, Australia, Africa and Asia. Finally, the newsletter concludes with a list of member's of the CSG Steering Committee.
Each story in the newsletter targets their organisations audience each story involves crocodile research, wild life conservation or the workings of the crocodile specialist group. The newsletter is well written, short and succinct which also encourages the audience to take key findings and information from the newsletter. As a science journalist, I would find the newsletter very informative, each section would be able to be used as a story. The regional reports from around the globe would provide the best story as it indicates what work is being done in crocodile research and conservation around the world, this section of the newsletter was particularly interesting and would create a lot of interest if written in a story.
References
Iucncsg.org, (2015). iucncsg.org. [online] Available at: http://www.iucncsg.org/ [Accessed 19 Sep. 2015].
Wednesday 9 September 2015
Course Quizzes
I have just finished my last quiz for course and have to say that they have taught me a lot! I did quite well at grammar and punctuation at school, therefore it was a bit of a shock that there were still things I had to learn about the way I write. It has taken me a couple of attempts at the quizzes to get 100%, I usually get around 7/10 on my first attempt. I then go back and read through the relevant chapter again and attempt the quiz again.
The quizzes not only taught me pointers on English for journalists, it made me really consider the question and potential answers. I thoroughly enjoyed learning through the quizzes in this course. I have found Hick's English for Journalists really helpful and summarises the 'rules' of journalist writing perfectly.
COMM11007 is my first course surrounding journalism so I had a lot to learn and I have loved every week of the course. The assignments, course work, blog and quizzes have taught me so much and have applied to real life situations which is the best way I can learn.
The quizzes not only taught me pointers on English for journalists, it made me really consider the question and potential answers. I thoroughly enjoyed learning through the quizzes in this course. I have found Hick's English for Journalists really helpful and summarises the 'rules' of journalist writing perfectly.
COMM11007 is my first course surrounding journalism so I had a lot to learn and I have loved every week of the course. The assignments, course work, blog and quizzes have taught me so much and have applied to real life situations which is the best way I can learn.
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