Sports 10/20

Sports 10/13

U New @ 4

Journalistic Reflection…

I have been blessed with the opportunities I’ve been given so far in my life. Another great opportunity came my way this fall with the U News @ 4 show on KOMU. It is an interactive newscast that features skype, twitter, google+, and facebook. Sarah Hill anchors/hosts the newscast and is joined by a cyber couch composed of 10 people on their computers in her google+ hangout. I was the live reporter for he very first show and have loved it. This new show is entertaining and beyond its time.

As a 21^st century journalist I must embrace the fast changing world of social media. I have google+, facebook, twitter, and a blog obviously. I try everyday to improve me skills and communication across those mediums. It is not something that is easy or quick. It will take t time to build the followers and increase your circles. I’m putting in the time now so hopefully it pays off in the future. Follow me @BrianBondus

Personal Newsgathering Process…

This week for my live shot for the U News @ 4 show I was able to cover a dog story. Rob Sanders was the trainer of the police dog Fano. Sanders was let go from the police department and wanted to buy the dog from the city. Fano had been in Sanders control since he came to Columbia. The city manager ended up not selling the dog to the Sanders.

I want to learn how to dig deeper into stories. I covered it fine and got all the facts, but did not get anything that another station could not. I think there were some politics at play with the city's decision. I wish I had exposed what those were and put that into my story. That is the next level I need to take in my journalism career. I want to be the one who has the inside scoop in every story.

Sports 10/6- Anchor Audition

U-Matter

A little help from my friends

Journalism reflections...

Today all journalists must be familiar with a variety of multi-media tools to succeed. I am studying broadcast journalism, but it takes so much more than shooting and speaking to make it. Multi-media reporting demands writing web stories, taking photos, and embracing other media platforms to set you apart. With the demand on reporters to get so much content out in a short amount of time, it's amazing how much I depend on my iPhone. I use my phone to make calls, get directions, and even come up with story ideas. With Steve Jobs passing this week, it really made me reflect on how much technology I use on a daily basis. I do almost all of my schoolwork on my Mac book, listen to music off my iPod, which gets little use now because of the iPhone, and I'm hardly ever away from my phone. I can't imagine what journalist did fifteen years ago before cell phones and Internet everywhere. I appreciate the technology I have today and it encourages me to do better work because of the tools I have at my disposal.

Newsgathering process...

I had my first major roadblocks while trying to turn a package. I called every store in town that sold pumpkins and tried to get the name of the man who grew them. There was a shortage in the Northeast due to flooding and I wanted to find out if Missouri farmers were affected. Some stores ordered them from factories, others wouldn’t give out the name, and the farmers I did get in touch with were too busy. So I moved on to my next story idea. I tried to do a story on flu vaccinations. I interviewed a pharmacist and then decided to go to Sam's Club to see if I could get any video. I went there and on my way to the desk I encountered a man selling rugs. I talked with him and found out he was from Turkey and was selling Turkish rugs. He intrigued me but I did think much of it at the time. I walked back to the pharmacy looking for the flu shot station. It turned out the nurses were out to lunch. I thought for a second and went back to the carpet stand. I asked Kemal if he wouldn’t mind being interviewed for a story and he agreed. The story was not anything like what I set out to do that day, but turned out well.

Journalism is not a 9-5 job. I need to always be asking people like Kemal about their story and always looking for story ideas. I also learned when things aren’t going your way to just go with the flow and trust your instincts. I thought about waiting for the nurses to come back, but anyone in their mother can do a generic flu-shot story. I was happy to share Kemal’s story especially due to the events of the day.