My Journey Shows Trend

HARTLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. — As promised, here’s my take on this week’s readings (feel free to post a comment, but it’s not required. Although sometimes, I'll incorporate blog discussions as part of other assignments here or offer extra credit, such as with the first post. … We'll keep the graded discussions on Blackboard):

Two years ago, I was in graduate school here and teaching two journalism classes with not much hope of finding a professional job in journalism because of the economy. Now thanks to the bet of AOL (which owns Patch) on hyperlocal journalism, I'm back to work for more than a year now. Part of the reason I got the position was because I've continued to upgrade my skills, especially in the digital environment where telling stories can be done through social media, audio, video and slideshows.

And I've needed those skills because my job really is several: I'm a reporter, an editor (I edit freelance copy and assign stories), social media producer and I'm my own administrative assistant (track budgets, mileage, etc.). Needless to say, this is more than a full-time job and has been admittedly stressful on my family life, although there is an advantage of being able to commute by walking down the stairs every day since I work out of my home. And, there's something rewarding about covering the community where you live. While I cover hard news, you also get to chronicle what makes an area special. The story above — which is something I didn't have the skills to do when I still worked The Flint Journal — is a perfect example:

How do you get your news?

I often use Google alerts to stay on top of news from Hartland.

HARTLAND, Michigan — This is a blog. Do you get your news from blogs? Or, maybe it's from television or from mainstream media websites. Some might still purchase the old dead-tree version of publications. I actually do. I receive the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus every day. As a competitor to the Hartland Patch, I sometimes find the paper version easier to navigate than the Press & Argus website when I'm looking for news relevant to the community I cover.

Yet at the same time, I rely heavily on news published on the Internet. Aggregating and curating news stories — which essentially means you compile and organize other people's work to repurpose on your website — has an important although controversial role online. So, I'm often monitoring the Press & Argus' website as well as the one for WHMI radio, Livingston Talk and neighboring Patch sites in Fenton and Brighton. In addition, both the site's Facebook and Twitter accounts bring in news via the organizations and people I like and follow where I've found great story ideas such as when a local man posted on Facebook that he won a NASA photo contest or first hearing breaking news on Twitter, such as freeway construction.

In addition, I receive this information in various platforms as well. I typically use a laptop to do my job, but sometimes my iPhone helps me post updates and monitor my email.

All these technologies are just new tools for today's journalist to add to the traditional interviewing and news gathering techniques and successful reporters use old and new skills to tell the most accurate story possible.

What news sources and technology do you use to get your news?