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For my flash graphic I would like to use my travel photography in Sicily. I want to have a map of Sicily with buttons marking different cities that I went to during my trip.

When people roll over the button, I want them to see a thumbnail of the photo that is there, then when they click on the button they will be brought to a larger size of the image with a caption. Depending on the map I am able to find, if the cities are already marked I will make invisible buttons in their location, or if not I will add the cities in and the text will be the button.

This will enhance my photojournalism portfolio since viewers can track where each photo was taken. The captions will provide information of the cities I was in, as well as any context needed for the photos.

Aside from the front page, the Fresno Bee has a lot to offer. Unlike some of the bad websites we looked at it doesn’t put it all on one page and instead breaks it up. I like that they keep track of their most read, most commented, and most e-mailed stories on the front page so you can keep track of popular news in different ways. Once you navigate away from the main page, different sections have different styles but remain true to the clear simple design. For example in the entertainment section , the design is edgier with a different color scheme but still easy to follow. The two things I didn’t like about the website were the breaking news section, which gives headlines but no pictures to go along with them, and I felt the length of the front page was too long.

I hope to continue to blogging about healthy adventures once I’m healed.

Multimedia package by: Emily Grund, Alyssa Montalbano, Rosie Walunas, Carol Lawless, and Michael Messina

Industry & Academic Insiders On Boston Globe Crisis

Many newspapers are dealing with reader gravitation away from print news and toward news online.

The Republican, a newspaper based in Springfield, Massachusetts, has a separate Web site component called “MassLive.” It’s headed by a five-person team, which include TV and local sports bloggers. The Web site posts headline news in addition to message boards. They thrive off reader comments and try to connect with their audience. The MassLive team has become community oriented.

The Christian Science Monitor recently went online-only last year. They now publish an issue weekly.

When news hit the stands about the potential closing of the Boston Globe, industry insiders and academics expressed mixed feelings of what it would be like without this significant news entity that has existed since 1872. Many wondered how the citizens of Boston and surrounding regions would react without a print version of one of the most popular area papers and whether or not the Globe’s Web site, Boston.com, would remain online.

Industry insiders were generally surprised at the thought of the Globe shutting down. Ed Kubosiak, online editor at MassLive, feels a deep connection with the Globe, even though he lives in western Massachusetts. He admits to “being upset at the thought of the organization going away, it’s jarring.”

Wayne Braverman, senior editor at Gatehouse Media at the Community Newspaper Company in Needham, expected the Boston Herald, another Boston newspaper, to close first.

“I was really surprised that the Globe was on the block to be eliminated. Just a year ago, people were wondering about the Herald. No one thought the Globe would be facing elimination from the publishing world,” said Braverman.

Insiders remain optimistic regarding the Globe’s future, even before the Union agreements. Erik Gallant, a sports blogger and producer at MassLive, believes that the Globe (along with all newspapers) will eventually move online only.

“Even if they if they stop printing the physical paper, I think they will be pretty well set up and continue on and the reason for that is because I think they have a lot of great writers. I think those writers are the people who draw people to the paper and the website,” said Gallant.

MassLive senior producer, Jeff Hobbs, has faith in the Globe’s innovativeness.

“If the print went away, it would still be a highly successful website,” said Hobbs.

Senior lecturer B.J. Roche, who teaches in the journalism program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is also looking at the future of the Boston Globe as an online-only entity with a smaller newsroom, and believes the troubles faced by the Globe are “a problem of advertising.”

“People will see a lot less real reporting because they won’t have the bodies to do it,” said Roche.

Roche had a weekly column about New England titled “Peaks and Valleys,” in the Sunday edition of the Boston Globe three years ago.

“To get something published in the Globe was a huge accomplishment,” said Roche, “where are you going to get an audience of half a million viewers?”

Roche’s column was cut, because “it wasn’t necessary.”

Some question whether an online-only model would work.

The Globe is not charging for content on Boston.com now, but that may change in the future.

Braverman, whose paper has a weekly paid model, wonders, “Why would I want to pay for the Globe? I can read the whole thing online…the newspaper industry has given you a free plate online.” Gallant believes that the appetite for news remains, even in the younger generation.

Over the past few years, the Globe has changed its focus of coverage. It covers big world and national news and happenings inside of Boston. The Globe only covers western Massachusetts (and other regions of New England) when a big story breaks there, therefore leaving some readers to gravitate towards local papers, such as The Daily Hampshire Gazette or The Republican, the print version of MassLive.

The closing of the Globe would affect the Boston area the greatest, but would affect the rest of Massachusetts differently.

Roche does not think the closing of the print edition of the Globe would “affect anywhere outside of that tight suburb of Boston…I don’t think it would affect the Amherst area at all.”

Kubosiak is based in Springfield and deals with mostly western Massachusetts news. He said, “There’s been a pattern of thinking that eastern Massachusetts doesn’t care about western Massachusetts, whether on the political news front [or elsewhere]. I haven’t felt that all that much. The Globe would usually cover UMass basketball.  I think they need to do a great job with Boston, there’s a lot going on there.”

Assistant Editor for the Gardner News, Andres Caamano, would be affected by a shutdown of the Globe. He values the content that the Globe sells to the Associated Press.

“The stories that the Associated Press has sent out about the Craigslist killing have been mostly from the Globe. The impact would be felt in small newspapers in Massachusetts and throughout the country.”

The Globe has been a watchdog organization for the City of Boston for many years. Citizens rely on its strong reporting to keep politicians in check and inform them of the happenings at City Hall. Braverman believes it would be a problem if the Globe shut down.

“If the Globe or the Herald went away, they wouldn’t be watching them (politicians). They would go scot-free. The good things that the politicians do wouldn’t be known either,” said Braverman.

Kubosiak also elaborated on the situation.

“I think of the globe as an important entity, both for the community and as an institution. They’ve proven over the years to be a watch dog,” said Kubosiak.

Roche is worried about the impact on politics and that there will be lighter coverage of City Hall. “No citizen blogger is going to know how to go in and research public documents,” said Roche. “They don’t have the skills like someone who has worked 20 years on a political beat.”

“Quite honestly I don’t know how they’ll prevent something like this again,” said Marshall Ingwerson, managing editor of the Christian Science Monitor. “They are in the same situation as most metro newspapers making financial cuts.”

While the Globe may be fine for now, it is likely that in the near future they will be faced with making more financial cuts as readers continue to rely on the Internet as their main source of news. As a result of the warning from the New York Times Company, on May 6, 2009 the Boston Globe proposed pay cuts, unpaid furloughs, and the elimination of lifetime contracts to ensure that the Globe would not shut down. The Boston Newspaper Guild still needs to vote on the wage cuts.

Multimedia package by: Emily Grund, Alyssa Montalbano, Rosie Walunas, Carol Lawless, and Michael Messina

Residents of Massachusetts express strong connection to The Boston Globe

When walking through The Boston Commons, many Boston Globe readers of diverse ages and backgrounds can be found. Readers prove to have different preferences when it comes to the way they receive their news.

One interviewee that seemed to capture the general response of the online generation was twenty-two year old Allison Cummings of Malden. When asked if she read the Boston Globe, her initial response was a quick no. After she thought about her answer though, she admitted to reading it online only. Her reason was that the online version was free and easily accessible, which seems to suit the college student lifestyle. She also said was trying to be “green” and save paper by reading it online.

On the contrary, seventy-three year old Samuel DeMerit of Cambridge, felt a deep attachment to the print version of the Globe. In a soft-spoken voice, DeMerit said that he would read the Globe online if he had to, but he prefers having the print version to look over. He also said that the Globe was a leader in investigative journalism, giving the example of the priest sexual abuse scandals. “It would be a calamity if the Globe went away,” he said.

Kate Duval, 24 of Needham, was another online reader of Boston.com. Although she acknowledged that the closure of the Globe would be a “sad end to an era,” she does not feel her personal life would be affected without the print version.

Peter Daniels, 37 of Boston, said that he gets his news from his closest resource whether it’s the television, Internet, or newspapers, “but there are things in the Globe you can’t get anywhere else.”

Twenty year old Emerson College journalism student, Stefanie Le, said for one of her classes they read the Globe every day, and not having it would be a loss of an educational resource.

Although the threat of the Globe closing down was palpable a month ago, and agreements were reached to keep it open, greater Boston residents still had strong opinions on the subject. After realizing how quickly such a large entity could disappear, readers also realized how important the Globe was to them. One of the most prevalent concerns was not having a counterpart to The Boston Herald.

“Without the Globe we’d have a more slanted look at politics, the Herald being more conservative,” said Michael Hickey of Medford.

“How would people find jobs, or housing?” said Marty Baird, of Brockton, “It’s the number one resource and turning to a competitor would not be the same.”

“Readers deserve a quality newspaper, and it should be a two newspaper town,” said Mark Bell, Boston resident and Globe employee.

As the industry changes more papers are going through financial crises causing job losses, and in some cases closures. The million-dollar question seems to be, what next and how? Now that the Globe has reached the demands of The New York Times Company it will continue to reach its devoted readers while struggling to find the answer. Some residents offer their suggestions on what they think the Globe should do.

“The slow down in the economy will let us breathe and rethink the next step,” said Ian MacKinnon of Boston. He proposed that despite the multifunction of the Globe and Boston.com, they diversify further into other markets such as a convenience store or in song form.

“The New York Times Company is only concerned with The New York Times,” said Bell. Bell said he thought the Globe needed new owners that cared about the quality of the newspaper and that in recent times the only prominence left was in the sports section.

When The New York Times Company asked for $20 million in concessions on April 9, The Boston Guild acted quickly to start a petition and organized a rally in order to gain reader and worker support.  In an attempt to fight off the looming deadline of May 1, workers spoke their opinions on the issue at a rally outside Faneuil Hall on April 24.  Over 300 readers gathered to show their loyalty.

1. Hickey, who came to the rally with his wife and kids to show his support, said “We all read the Globe, it is an important part of our lives.”

According to the advertising section of BostonGlobe.com, the daily circulation is 323,983 and a Sunday circulation of 503,659, while Boston.com reaches 6.1 million users. Now that readers have seen how quickly their trusted resource could disappear, it seems their will to help in its survival has increased.

As reader Katie Ward described its importance “The Globe is a reputable newspaper that knows the city,” and said losing it would be a huge loss not only for Boston, but New England as well.

Photo by Kyle May

Although sitting in traffic jams often raises stress levels for most, going for a drive on an open road can be relaxing. Road trips are also a popular way to travel and can lead to many adventures. So depending on how much time you have off or how much money you’re willing to spend, your driving routes are nearly endless.

Boston.com created a GPS tour of route 127 , a scenic route from Beverly to Rockport that you can download to your GPS device. Being from Rockport, I agree with the decision to map out this drive as it truly is beautiful. The slideshow goes through the different towns with descriptions and pictures plus their coordinates if you want to manually enter the directions in. They also included a pdf file of directions for those who don’t have a GPS. If you’ve just moved to the area or are visiting and looking for a scenic route it could be difficult to find them on your own, but thankfully there are resources such as this to help you out.

If you’re planning a road trip first you have to map it out. Try it at Road Trip USA or Rand McNally, where you can find out popular routes, if there is any construction, or other events that could delay your travel.  Then you have to figure out what you want to see and do. Try TripCart or TripWiser, both of these web sites use user feedback so you can see what people thought of different places.

Considering the resources, routes, and possibilities are infinite for anyone with a drivers license and a car, there seems to be no reason not to give one of these options a try. Especially now that spring has arrived, rolling down your windows can make driving that much more enjoyable.

One way to cut costs while traveling can be staying with friends or relatives that live near by your destination. But what if none of your friends live within reasonable distance, or you’d rather not stay with your crazy aunt with all the cats? You still have a choice to crash on a couch for free if you’re willing to try a new trend called couch surfing.

As the website couchsurfing.com states, “couch surfing is a worldwide network for making connections between travelers and the local communities they visit.”  Travelers can log in to this non-profit website and create a profile, much like Facebook or Myspace where they can fill out information about themselves, add pictures and find friends. Then they can search for people hosting “couch surfers” in the area they plan to travel and find people with common interests that they may want to stay with. Their FAQ has helpful answers to questions regarding safety other planning details.

With over a million users around the world, you can find a place to crash almost anywhere. It has been a discussion I’ve heard multiple times in different classrooms at UMass, and their testimonials have always been positive. There are also similar networks to Couch Surfing as Sally Howard from Times Online suggests in her article The Top 5 couchsurfing websites.

Not only are accommodations free, but you get an insider look at the culture, find out the hot spots from locals, and make friends you may have not otherwise made. By being open minded and adventurous there is a lot more to get out of traveling than some may think.

Rock climbing at Red Rocks is probably not the best place to start if you’re a beginner, but you can get there. For those of you afraid of heights, you might be wondering why do it?. The physical and mental challenges are exhilirating and rewarding even if you can’t quite reach the top (hint: it happened to me, but I still had fun).

There are different kinds of rock climbing, such as outdoor or indoor and bouldering and climbing. Indoor rock gyms can be found all over the world, and there are usually lessons offered to beginners. Outdoor climbing can also be found in numerous places local and abroad and many groups are formed for trips together. The best way for me to describe the difference between bouldering and climbing, is climbing involves ropes and climbing higher, bouldering has shorter routes and no ropes are needed. Here, you can find a more detailed list of differences to find which one is best fit for you.

Rock climbing gives you a great workout all around. You build muscles in your legs, your arms, and your core. Rock climbing also increases flexibility and stamina. You also have to use concentration and problem solving skills to find the best route to get to the top. Once you get to the top, whether outside or inside you end up with a new perspective and a great adventure story.

Now that you’re feeling inspired, maybe even a little teary eyed, lets talk about the benefits that can come from stretching those vocal chords.

Whether you’re singing in the car, in a chorus, at karaoke or on stage for American Idol there are physical and mental benefits to this form of art. The best way to get physical benefits requires some technique in terms of breathing and using your diaphragm correctly. If you are in correct form you can get a good work out for your lungs and your abdominal muscles. Singing has also been said to reduce stress, boost your immune system, and even prevent Alzheimer’s.

If you’re feeling nervous to pursue it yourself, Ode Magazine writer Brian Eno suggests singing with friends to break the ice. Having others around to share your passion can lift your spirits and your confidence.

As with anything else, practice makes perfect, and as you can surely tell, Boyle did her fair share of practicing. The pursuit of her dream is an adventure not many are willing to take, but this risk not only got her noticed, she enhanced her health at the same time. If getting up on stage in front of thousands of people is still not for you, karaoke can be a fun way to pretend. Completely stage frightened? It’s never too late to start singing in the car.

Watch the video by clicking on the photo, or watch it at a larger scale.

April second saw one of the first archetypal spring days in Amherst Massachusetts. With temperatures in the mid-sixties and a cloudless sky, one would expect the students of the University of Massachusetts to be outside, enjoying the sun. And yet, last Thursday saw over two hundred students of various majors and backgrounds crowd into a stuffy auditorium on the southeast side of campus to watch a giant in the world of American foreign policy- Richard Clarke.

Clarke was there to give a talk titled,  “Thee missing pieces of the three 21st century wars: Iraq, Afghanistan, and cyberspace.” For 45 minutes, Clarke outlined the significance each had in foreign policy and gave his critiques on the fading memories of George W. Bush’s America. A short question and answer session followed.

It is impossible to review America’s recent battles with terrorists across the globe without Clarke coming up. He began working for the State department during the Reagan administration and continued the job under George H.W. Bush. He gained a positive reputation due to his work in negotiating diplomatic ties during Desert Storm, and was selected for counter-terrorism operations during the Clinton years.

The second Bush administration saw Clarke’s influence start to decay.  A change up in the Whitehouse staff demoted Clarke to the capacity of special advisor, where he claims that he was ignored. Clarke resigned from the administration after the invasion of Iraq, something that Clarke maintains had pushed the US away from the goal of capturing Osama bin Laden.

Clarke’s problems with the former Bush administration were apparent in his hour-long talk, which went over the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the new threat of cyber warfare. Starting with the war in Iraq, Clarke made a point by point summary of how the war had allowed bin Laden to escape and escalated the likelihood of further terror attacks.

Furthermore, he argued, despite recent gains in stability throughout Iraq, it was not in the United State’s best interests to go there in the first place. “Do not allow the creeping revisionism to set in,” he stated. “Do not let people say that (invading Iraq) was a good idea. The truth is that George Bush lied to us.”

Clarke went on to describe foreign policy problems arising from the now-faltering war in Afghanistan,  as well as unprotected computer networks- something that he says allows everyone with an internet connection access to the most vital parts of society. Clark gave step by step instructions on how to topple a power grid using nothing but a desktop, demonstrating how easy it could be.  Once again, he accused the Bush presidency of sweeping these problems under the rug.

The feud between Clarke and the Bush administration is both bitter and well documented, with highly partisan viewpoints on who was in the right. The dispute began soon after Clarke’s demotion, and continues to the present.

Clarke maintains that he forewarned Condoleezza Rice of possible attacks by bin Laden’s terror group, al-Qaeda, while those in the Bush administration claim that he was, “out of the loop” for terror briefings.  After the attacks, Clarke claims that president Bush asked him for any proof that now-deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein could have been involved, something that the former administration has denied.

There appears to be little bad blood between Clarke and the Obama administration, with Clarke mentioning on Thursday’s talk that the he appreciated “Obama isn’t waging a war against an abstract word like terror- he’s concentrating on al-Qaeda, the perpetrators of the September 11th attacks.” Clark also proved invaluable to the Obama transition team.

There’s a saying that goes, “History is written by the victors.” By the looks of it, the battle over who was right on the War against Terror is still being fought.