Chatting with Paul Heintz

Paul Heintz, a political columnist for Seven Days, came to speak to my social media class this morning. It was a really fun and informal Q&A session and we got to hear about his experiences and social media use in the workplace.

Before I dive into the information that Paul gave us, I'll share the mini-bio my Professor gave us before his visit:

Photo Credit: Dartmouth Life

"A flatlander from Connecticut and Massachusetts, Paul got his start in journalism writing for and editing his high school and college newspapers. While studying history and English at Dartmouth College, he took time off to intern for NPR's "On The Media." After graduating in 2006, he worked as a glorified intern, or "desk assistant," for PBS' "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" in Washington, D.C. In 2007, he returned to northern New England to write for the Brattleboro Reformer — covering politics, Vermont Yankee and five area towns. In 2008, Paul foolishly quit his job to paddle the Northern Forest Canoe Trail and write about it for the Boston Globe Magazine, only to see the economy tank and journalism jobs dry up completely. So he turned to the Dark Side and became communications director for U.S. Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a job he managed to hold for two-and-a-half years. In 2011, our hero came to his senses and quit his job to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. After completing the trail, Paul spent some time in California trying to write the Great American Novel before conning the editors of Seven Days into hiring him in February 2012. He started out as a staff writer and then took over the "Fair Game" political blog that summer. Paul has never before written about himself in the third person and feels rather sheepish for doing so."

I suppose I'll begin by sharing some of the things that I took away from Paul's visit to my class.

1. Not all reporters use social media. Paul has been active on Twitter for awhile and is not completely sure how to utilize it for journalistic purposes, but he has colleagues who don't use social media at all. Paul tweets bits of news and makes jokes to bring some of his personality into his social media use so that he can relate to people more. He told us that he wants to "be someone I'd want to follow." Although Paul uses Twitter for his work, not all reporters are required to participate. It's just a common expectation for most journalists to have Twitter and Facebook accounts. "I don't think it's necessary now, but we're getting to where it is necessary," Heintz said. He would like to think that it isn't a necessity but with the competitive nature of journalism it is becoming more and more useful. "I want to think that I can go home at night and read a book and actually think about things," Heintz said. For most journalists it's just another tool to stay connected to the community and that is an important part of the job description. Paul uses social media to stay connected and to self-promote his work.
2. Tweeting can be dangerous. If you don't think before you tweet you might regret it later on. Journalists love to be the first to break news but if you're working for a weekly publication, like Seven Days, it might be spoiling your work too soon. Other journalists can see what you are putting out there and they might 'scoop' you or try to beat you to the punch. Tweeting is a great tool if you monitor what you're saying and don't give away too much. Some things are better kept quiet until all of the details are pieced together in a complete article.
3. Break up text online with pictures, gifs, and other multimedia. This is really important because it can really draw in more readers. When there are just large blocks of text it can take a toll on the eyes. Pictures, cool graphics, and gifs that start moving as you scroll past them are really neat ways to tell a story and they add visual flare too.

Paul's visit reminded me of why I love being a journalism major. Even though the job description is changing quite a bit, there is something special about telling stories. When Professor Griffith asked Paul what he would be doing if he wasn't working as a journalist, he said, "I'd probably be unemployed trying to do this." He reminded us that journalism is essential, fun, and plays a role in moving important conversations forward. I'm so happy that I'm learning how to do that, and meeting talented people like Paul reaffirms my love for reporting.

That's all for now, but I'm sure I'll have some more exciting things to share after my visit to WCAX, a local news station, later this week!

-Sheila

(Here's a link to the blog that Paul contributes to often.)

Zombie Prom

 Hello again! I remembered that I never got around to sharing some exciting news. Over spring break in March, my sister got asked to prom by her friend, Cody. Cody is a great guy and he put quite a lot of thought into the prom-posal. My sister, Maggie, absolutely adores AMC's The Walking Dead. She is crazy for Daryl Dixon, one of the show's most popular characters. Not only does she love Daryl, but she is a huge fan of Norman Reedus (the actor who plays Daryl). Cody drew inspiration from Daryl and got a toy crossbow off of the internet. He placed a bouquet of flowers where the arrows would go, and added a little teddy bear and a sign that said 'Prom?'

Cody let me know when he was on his way to the house, so when the doorbell rang I was ready to film the whole thing. I posted the video on YouTube, and decided to tweet it to Norman Reedus as well. I tweeted about three times and the next day I received a text from Cody. Norman tweeted the link to the video! It got a lot of views in a short period of time and my sister was ecstatic. She's his biggest fan and not only supports his role in The Walking Dead, but avidly watches all of his other films and interviews on YouTube as well. She has watched The Boondock Saints too many times to count! Anyway, it was an awesome experience and I'm really glad that I used social media tools to get it out there. If you have something worth sharing, access to social media, and a little bit of luck, you could get noticed by your favorite celebrity as well! :)

Hopefully Maggie can survive the next 6 months until season four premieres. I'm already getting antsy about it myself!

-Sheila 

Taking a Break from Easter Break

Hello and Happy Easter everyone! It's been a nice, relaxing break at home in New York with my family. I am finally getting around to some homework before I pack up and head back to St. Michael's tomorrow, and first up is my Social Media assignment. I have to compile two lists to supplement two articles. One is about the string of maple syrup burglaries in Vermont (here), and the other is a hypothetical story about moving into college in the Burlington-area. I hope that you enjoy what I have come up with.

5 Weird Burglaries Around the World:



1. Bridge
Thieves in the Czech Republic claimed to be hired to demolish a 10-ton bridge. The bandits showed depot employees forged paperwork and told them the bridge over unused railroad tracks needed to come down. "The thieves said they had been hired to demolish the bridge, and remove the unwanted railway track to make way for a new cycle route," says a railroad spokesperson. They proceeded to dismantle the bridge and 650 feet of track. (Source)

2. George Washington's Wallet
"One hundred and ninety-one years after his death in 1799, George Washington's battered wallet was stolen from an unlocked case in the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton, New Jersey. The wallet was later returned to police. In a separate incident in 1986, a lock of Washington's hair was taken from a museum in France. Five years later it was recovered, along with a lock of hair belonging to the Marquis de Lafayette, by French police during a raid on a drug dealer's hideout." (Source)

3. Manhole Covers
"In July 1990, Los Angeles police broke the case of the Great Manhole Theft Caper when they arrested two culprits who later confessed to stealing 300 manhole covers weighing as much as 300 lbs each. The Manhole Men were selling the covers for six dollars each to scrap-material dealers. They could have made 30 times as much money by recycling the same weight in aluminium soft-drinks cans. Two years later, manhole mania hit Lillehammer, Norway, site of the 1994 Winter Olympics, after local officials began stamping the covers with the Olympic logo. Three of the 140-lb covers were stolen, but one was returned after the thief 'sobered up'." (Source)

4. Buttons
 Felicidad Noriega, the wife of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, was arrested in a Miami-area shopping mall in March 1992 for stealing $305-worth of buttons, which were removed from clothes in a department store. (Source)
 
5. Sand

Hundreds of tons of sand from a beach on the northern coast of Jamaica was stolen in July 2008. (Source)

 College Move-In Tips



1. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Everyone is overwhelmed while moving into college for the first time. There will be plenty of helpful people around to answer questions or give you a hand lugging that fridge up three flights of stairs. Make sure you become acquainted with your RA and orientation leaders (If you have them). They are all there to make your transition into college a smooth one.

2. Rubbermaid containers are everyone's friends. You have pack tons of things in them and fit them easily into the trunk of your car. Having tons of loose items or overflowing garbage bags can be messy and cost you time when loading and unloading the car.

3. Talk to your roommate ahead of time. Meeting a stranger who you are going to be living with for the next year in a cramped room in a new place can be intimidating. It's helpful to chat with them beforehand (if possible) and get to know them. You can also figure out who is bringing the microwave and who is bringing the fridge. Those little things can take a load off of you and your parents before move-in day and take the edge off of any nerves about meeting your new roomie.

4. Keep your door open. Everyone is friendly during move-in day and orientation. People are much more open to making friends the first few weeks than a month or two into the semester. If you keep your door open, your hall mates can pop by and introduce themselves or check out your cool set-up for ideas. Don't forget to make your rounds and stop by their rooms too.

5. Don't forget to breathe. Everyone around you is going through the same thing and you're undoubtedly all feeling nervous about starting this next big chapter in your lives. It's an exciting and nerve-wracking step, but don't let it overwhelm you. Take a minute to walk around campus or hang some posters in your room to make it more homey. Don't power through the unpacking, greetings, and goodbyes. It'll all be over before you know it so soak it all in and relax as much as you can.
 
There you have it! I'm going to spend some more time with my family before tomorrow. The season finale of The Walking Dead is on tonight and my household is brimming with excitement. Enjoy the rest of your Easter everyone!

Coloring Easter Eggs with my sister, Maggie, yesterday night.

-Sheila

Wise Words from Jane Lindholm

Hello again! It's been a lovely week and today was the perfect way to start off my last weekend before Easter break. My first class was cancelled, which is always a pleasant surprise. It gave me a little more time to get ready and relax before my Social Media class at 11am. Today was an exciting day because we had Jane Lindholm, a co-host of Vermont Edition on Vermont Public Radio (VPR), come in to speak to us about her experiences and use of social media. She was really informative, interesting, and down-to-earth. The class flew by without any glances at the clock and I definitely took away from some of the things she told us.

Jane Lindholm is the host of Vermont Edition on VPR.

Lindholm, a Harvard graduate (the birthplace of Facebook), has worked at VPR since 2007. She is a Vermont native and has lived in and traveled to many places. She is a co-host of Vermont Edition every Monday-Thursday, which is a newsmagazine on VPR. You can read more about her on VPR's website.

During her visit, Lindholm spoke to us about social media and how it pertains to her professional career. She has a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and a blog. Her main advice was to monitor your posts and consider who may see them and how they may affect you in the future, especially when you are looking for a job. Although social media can be used as an important tool to connect and crowd source audiences, it is also a personal forum for many people. Lindholm suggested that we all let our personalities shine through on social media sites, but to refrain from posting damaging content.

"I sort of think of Twitter as a way to work on my brand," Lindholm said. "How do I want to portray myself? What do I want people to see? What don't I want people to see?"

These things are all important to keep in mind when posting on social media sites. It is really easy to post something on a whim and get immediate reactions from friends and family, but Lindholm suggested that we all wait ten minutes first. If we still want to post whatever it is after ten minutes, we should "go for it."

Although social media is a tool that Lindholm uses to expand her professional network and connect with fans, it is also a forum for her to share quirkier information than she would on air. She can use a more informal tone on the internet than she can at work. This allows her followers to glimpse a peak into her daily life without breaching her privacy too much. She is in control of what people see and how much they can see.

Her conscious use of social media is inspiring and definitely made me think about how I use social media. Until college, my Facebook and Twitter were filled with solely personal information. Since last year I have learned how I can utilize these networking tools to enhance and promote my work. Now it is vital that I monitor what I post on the web. I have always been pretty conscious of my internet activity, but it is clearer to me now how detrimental ignorance can be when using social media. When used properly, social media can be a terrific forum for discussion, promotion, networking, and leisure. I suppose that like anything else, giving too much information can be poor for your reputation and may come back to bite you in the future.

So take it from Jane Lindholm, an expert in her profession, and consider how you use social media. Journalist or not, it could make or break you in the pursuit of your future career.

Twitter can be a great way to network with people. I mentioned Jane in a tweet after class and I got a response from her a few hours later.

Have a great weekend everyone!

-Sheila