Journal Towards Mastery

My name is AshIey Coffey. I attend the online graduate program for new media journalism at Full Sail University. 

[write-toexist-blog]

Mastery Journal: New Media Journalism Final Project

This course was the final step in completing my Masters in New Media Journalism, and it was everything I expected it to be. The structure of this course made it possible to complete a large amount of work in a short amount of time. From this point on, I feel confident that I have the tools it takes to be highly successful in the field of journalism.

 These past several weeks have tested my writing and research abilities. I have grown in my journalism skills, and I am so excited to put everything I have learned to use in the field. Creating a thesis has been a step-by-step process. It has been awesome to see all the work I’ve done over the past year be put into one completed project. Each assignment and discussion board was perfectly orchestrated to create the thesis into what it needed to be.

 I enjoyed critiquing the accessibility and visual features of my website. After completing this class I know what is expected from a professional website, and how to maintain a website that gives my readers what they are looking for. At the beginning of the year, my webpage did not look half as professional as it does now. This is a testament to what I have learned about what is expected from a webpage.

 This course has better prepared me for my career. Luckily, the whole year prepared me for this class. Time management and dedication played large roles in completing this class. I was taught step by step how to tackle a large project in the expected amount of time. I do believe that the final project perfectly polished off the completion of this degree. This success alone gave me the confidence to trust in what I am capable of doing with what I have learned.

[write-toexist-blog]

New Media Publishing and Distribution

New Media Publishing and Distribution was the class at Full Sail University that has helped me realize my potential as a new media journalist.  Out of all the classes I have taken, I would say that this class was the most exciting for many reasons. From the first week I was excited to finish pulling together my Capstone Project and learning about the distribution strategies to promote my article. Along the way towards this accomplishment, I learned valuable lessons as a journalist that I plan to take with me as I start my dream job. In this course I was expected to utilize social media outlets to my fullest potential. I was given step-by-step instructions on how to maximize my social media following from my teacher. I was also taught how to accurately read my website and social media analytics. This helped me to see where my strengths and weaknesses are in regards to social media, and how to improve my reputation as a journalist on the web. I expected to learn how to better understand my audience, and this course did a great job with helping me realize what I have to offer in the field of journalism.

 Completing my Capstone Project was another expectation for the course. It was exciting to see all of my work put into one article. I learned how to accurately use social media to promote my article. I looked forward to learning more about gathering critical information for my Capstone Project. By the end of the course, I felt like I was better equipped to be a journalist. What I learned by completing my Capstone Project will continue to guide me throughout my career as a journalist. Making deadlines for the project and working hard towards the promotion of the article helped me to better understand the life of a journalist.

 Following distribution plans, understanding my audience, and examining website analytics all helped me to grow as a new media journalist. All of my expectations were met by this course. I noticed that my confidence in my work has grown. I know that I am capable of doing what I set my mind to with what I have learned. Now when I publish an article, I know what to look for from sources, I better understand what questions to ask during interviews, and I have a healthy understanding of distribution via social media. All of the content from the New Media Publishing and Distribution course has set me on the right track and I have a webpage and articles to prove it!

[write-toexist-blog]

Public Relations and Reputation Management

Throughout the Public Relations and Reputation Management course at Full Sail University, I have learned many strategies that have made me a better journalist. These past four weeks have given me an opportunity to expand my knowledge of what new media journalism has to offer as a career. I have a greater understanding of my strengths and weaknesses and how I can continue to improve as a journalist. Luckily, I have found through Public Relations and Reputation Management that new media journalism covers a variety of avenues and job specialties.

 Actively using social media during this course has helped me to better understand how to present myself as a journalist. I have had the opportunity to fine-tune my website, and hone in on what I am best capable of offering to my audience. I have learned the importance of keeping my social media accounts active and website up to date with where I stand currently as a journalist.

 My eyes have been opened to what I have to offer as a new media journalist. I have furthered my capabilities in brand journalism and learned how to understand and communicate with PR professionals. Luckily, in this class I have been given the practice of content development and knowing ahead of time what my next step will be. With the help of my professor, I have been able to come to an understanding of the best ways to convey the beat of my website. This helps when networking with fellow journalists and potential interviewees.

 The assignment that helped me the most in this course would be the refining of my “About” page. This helped me to clearly brand myself, and to also further the goals of my webpage. One other assignment that helped me understand the job of a new media journalist was the promotional and branding publications. I really enjoyed seeing the alternative uses of a new media journalist. This month I have felt myself growing as a journalist. This class helped me to gain confidence in areas of my capabilities that I did not know I had. I know that with practice, I will be able to communicate my desires, needs, and visions in the public relations industry.

[write-toexist-blog]

Social Media and Online Community Engagement Course

The Social Media and Online Community Engagement Course has opened my eyes to the world of using social media as a journalistic tool. Throughout the course, I have been taught how to utilize various avenues of social media in order to create a following, build a news worthiness platform, and generate a connection with my readers. The lessons I have learned, and the practice I have implemented by using the techniques taught to me by my professor and classmates, have furthered my career as a journalist.

 By using social media as a research tool, I have discovered how to better serve my readers. Social media outlets provide endless information about what people are most interested in knowing. At the beginning of the course I wanted to learn which avenues would be best for researching topics to cover. I also expected to learn how to better understand what my readers wanted to gather from my articles. This class taught me how to gather data from multiple social media platforms and use that information to give my readers what they want.

 The course helped me learn ways to gather information for my articles by searching out social media accounts for local material in my community. I created connections that furthered the growth of the material used for my website. With each publication, I was taught how to distribute my articles over multiple platforms that I never had the chance to use before this class.

 The experience I have gained from this course has better prepared me as a journalist. I feel confident that I have learned multiple strategies that will further my career in new media journalism. By learning how to use social media for a professional advantage, I now have outlets that will help me to create news worthy articles that give my readers what they are searching for.

[write-toexist-blog]

Multimedia Reporting

During the past four weeks I have been learning about different types of methodologies that go into new media journalism. Multimedia Reporting has been an informative and extremely helpful class. As time comes closer to finishing my final thesis paper, this class has given me a great advantage on starting off on the right foot. I have now established a steady foundation for my thesis. Learning the correct citations was one of the parts that definitely stood out to me. Writing literature reviews and examining research findings helps when creating my thesis. With the guidance of the materials provided by my teacher, I am now even more informed on the grounds of new media journalism. I understand a deeper sense of research and creating multimedia reports. My writing and reporting both seem to coincide with each other more now than before. I feel like I am grasping my own personal writing style as a journalist. I’ve also watched myself feel extremely comfortable in reporting settings that I know, in the beginning, I would have been too shy and less confident to complete. I had the opportunity to work on my webpage as well, which came to be an extremely helpful assignment. I was able to better serve my readers by editing my webpage and adding useful tools to my site.

 I feel better prepared for a career in journalism after attending this class. This class helped me to delve deeper into research and find ways to support my arguments when writing. I am able to look through my portfolio and be proud of my work. I have more goals for myself than I did before this class. I feel better prepared to complete my thesis paper. There is no doubt that I have the tools I need to succeed in the field of journalism by attending Full Sail.

[write-toexist-blog]

Digital News Production - DNP-O

Full Sail University does an amazing job of creating classes that build off of one another. I feel like this is why students are able to succeed, especially in an online setting. The Digital News Production course was incredibly eye opening for me. This time around I was able to go out into the field and get a taste of what video reporting, editing, and gathering information entails. 

In this course I was expected to learn and demonstrate an understanding of what it takes to capture, edit, and produce professional video. All of the journalism skills I have learned in the previous classes melded beautifully with the action of going out and capturing the video I need in order to better display my stories. I learned multiple techniques that are pertinent in video journalism like how to accurately shoot footage, create narrations, and use graphics to provide more information to my audience. I also had the ability to practice using different social media outlets as a way to get my story out. The lessons given to me each week by Mr. Sharon were extremely helpful in explaining what was expected for each assignment. I also liked how every week we were given examples of student’s videos and articles. It gave us an idea of what we were to work on throughout the week. All of the links and articles were also very helpful on providing insight into what it takes to edit and shoot good video and create narrations. I definitely felt like a new media journalist throughout this course. I had to make connections, ask people for interviews, go to locations where events were taking place, and accurately capture all I needed in order to pull a story together by a deadline. This class gives its students a feel for the intensity of what it means to be a new media journalist.

[write-toexist-blog]

Multimedia Development and Editing

Each class that I have taken from Full Sail University for new media journalism has given me the tools to find my strengths and weaknesses as a journalist. The Multimedia Development and Editing Course further elevated my interest in journalism. For the past several weeks, I have had the opportunity to learn different dynamics within digital media. From the beginning of this class I expected to be taught how to diversify how I deliver information to an audience. I have learned multiple ways to convey news to viewers through audio, photos, and audio story slideshows. Each lesson provided by my teacher Jeff Sharon were helpful in conveying what was expected of my work. Every week was a challenge that led to the accomplishment of a newsworthy digital piece. I also had the opportunity to spend time working on my webpage to make it more accessible to viewers. I started out knowing very little about what it takes to run an effective webpage. It was helpful to be taught tips on how to solidify my understanding of webpage content. Throughout the course I was expected to demonstrate an ability to create newsworthy audio/visual pieces and audio slideshow presentations. I was also expected to effectively enhance my web presence. Creating headlines and understanding the editorial process of digital media were included in these expectations. I felt that the learning material provided by Mr. Sharon successfully delivered the information I needed to learn in order to succeed in this class and as a journalist. His virtual sessions were thorough and educational. The tutorials that he made available in the lessons were helpful and appreciated. Altogether, this course prepared me for a career in the field of journalism because of the fast paced nature of assignments, which mimic the real life of a journalist. With time and practice I feel that, as a journalist, I am highly capable of excelling in digital media production and broadcasting.

[write-toexist-blog]

Research and Investigation Skills Development – NMJ 540

Over the past few weeks I have had the opportunity to practice my investigation and research skills. This class has guided me through the process of sifting through newsworthy topics in order to have references for publications of my own. Different ways of researching references, conducting interviews, and applying journalistic techniques have been demonstrated throughout the course. This course has been a journey. There are expectations for each class that I have had at Full Sail University. Each time an assignment is completed I have felt a sense of accomplishment and a deeper comprehension for what it takes to have a career in journalism. This course has awakened my excitement for researching information to have in my articles. I have a better understanding of how to integrate research into my writing to establish the credibility of my statements. Interviewing expert sources was a great opportunity. I had to know whom I was interviewing and know which questions to ask to make the most of my time with the interviewee. Creating Infographics was one of the highlights in this course. I appreciate that the class material was set up to provide a directive about incorporating different types of visual elements into an article. In a way, designing Infographics is much like writing an outline for a story or article. I feel like they add a sense of choice to the reader. The audience then has a quick overview, and then has a chance to have more information when reading the article. I am excited to go into the next class and take these skills with me. There is a depth to my articles that was not present before. I attribute that to a more precise ability to find target sources and expert interviewees. Over the past few weeks I have had the opportunity to practice my investigation and research skills. This class has guided me through the process of sifting through newsworthy topics in order to have references for publications of my own. Different ways of researching references, conducting interviews, and applying journalistic techniques have been demonstrated throughout the course. This course has been a journey. There are expectations for each class that I have had at Full Sail University. Each time an assignment is completed I have felt a sense of accomplishment and a deeper comprehension for what it takes to have a career in journalism. This course has awakened my excitement for researching information to have in my articles. I have a better understanding of how to integrate research into my writing to establish the credibility of my statements. Interviewing expert sources was a great opportunity. I had to know whom I was interviewing and know which questions to ask to make the most of my time with the interviewee. Creating Infographics was one of the highlights in this course. I appreciate that the class material was set up to provide a directive about incorporating different types of visual elements into an article. In a way, designing Infographics is much like writing an outline for a story or article. I feel like they add a sense of choice to the reader. The audience then has a quick overview, and then has a chance to have more information when reading the article. I am excited to go into the next class and take these skills with me. There is a depth to my articles that was not present before. I attribute that to a more precise ability to research and locate target sources and expert interviewees.

[advicefromyoungjournalists]

To write is human, to edit is divine

Stephen King, On Writing (via advicefromyoungjournalists)

[write-toexist-blog]

Legal Aspects of Media

I have learned many things up to this point during my time as a graduate student at Full Sail University. Each class has guided me through different aspects of what it means to be a journalist. The past four weeks I have spent my time learning about issues journalists are faced with when it comes to abiding by the law. The Legal Aspects of Media course has opened my eyes to the legalities behind journalism and the silver linings that make up what it means to have free speech. Throughout the course, I have spent time researching different case laws and hypothetical scenarios that journalists are faced with on the web and in the field.            The assignments during these four weeks have been educational and informative. My favorite assignment was during week two. We were assigned to read to defamation cases. This was tough assignment and it took some time to understand the wording that was used. All in all, I learned so much by studying how to understand a judicial opinion and elements of defamation. By the end, I understood how to comprehend the elements of the case and I know this will be useful when I am researching cases in the future that deal with aspects of journalism.            Each of the course topics that have been covered over this past month is helpful in aiding my future career as a journalist. Of all the topics, I believe that learning the copyright laws will be the most useful for me. When it comes to social networking, it is easy to misplace the attribution of an author, but this does not mean that it is right to ignore giving the correct person their right to their own work. I have learned the importance of researching to make sure that my own facts are straight about a prior work or photo or tweet. I feel like this knowledge will help to add to my own credibility as being a journalist who only produces fact and leaves no room for deceptive or misplaced acknowledgements.            I have furthered my knowledge of the legalities behind the responsibility of a journalist. I am aware of the many avenues where journalists in the past have misplaced their focus. I now have knowledge of where I can research if I have any questions that may pose a legal threat to my career. I feel like it is conducive to ask as many questions as possible before offering up my work to the public in order to make sure that all of the facts are straight and that illegal lines are not crossed. This course met my expectations and exceeded what I had presumed I would learn. I am excited to add on to what I have learned throughout this course, and further my knowledge of the legal aspects of new media journalism.

[write-toexist-blog]

Writing for Interactive Media

During my graduate career at Full Sail, Writing for Interactive Media has been the most informative and exciting course thus far. Interactive writing is a brilliant way to reach readers over a broad spectrum of social media outlets. This course met my expectations and added a building block to the prior course. I enjoyed how public relations were also tied in with journalism. Over the past four weeks I have had multiple opportunities to gain experience in the field of media journalism. Doing research, setting up interviews, and practicing note-taking techniques has been a major highlight in this course. Learning the types of questions to ask in an interview, and how to tailor them to the interviewee have been the most fun. It was awesome to get the chance to conduct interviews with people that are noteworthy within my community. I have learned a lot about myself and who I am as a future journalist. The areas that I feel are weak, I see the opportunity to grow and expand through interactive writing. I now know what questions to ask in order to gain more knowledge on writing for digital media. The areas that I feel comfortable in have been able to shine through my work. Discussion boards have been helpful in seeing other people’s perspectives on profile, how-to, and live event articles. Conducting different types of stories has been an eye opening learning experience. Learning how to publish my own work on my website has been an enjoyable task. It is neat to watch pieces of writing come together. It has been extremely helpful to learn different ways of interactive writing and tools that aid in the editing process. The practice that I’ve had has allowed my level of confidence in my writing to grow. I see myself becoming an effective digital communicator. The personal sense of accomplishment in this class has been overwhelming.

[write-toexist-blog]

New Media and Communications

The New Media and Communications course has taught me a majority of things that I have been interested in learning while attending Full Sail. Although I am still in the process of mastering what I have been taught, I feel like I am headed in the right direction. This class has opened my eyes to the world of journalism and how media design is incorporated into a functional portal for communication across the web. Creating a webpage has been a bit of a challenge for me. This is the first time I have had the opportunity to brainstorm and create a space on the web that people would find interesting and informative. Yet, I still have a lot of work to do. My projected expectations from this course have been met even though there is still much for me to learn. One thing I wanted was to explore the diverse realms that include journalism, and what each area has to offer. I also was looking forward to working on creating my brand and establishing what I am interested in as a journalist. I was able to incorporate what I have learned about grammar and punctuation, which was a big area that produces stress for me. There were multiple things that I enjoyed learning over the four-week period. There are many ways to communicate through social media with people around the world, so it was useful to learn tricks to further that communication. Meredith Cochie would give us lessons on how to properly communicate using social media, which I found to be helpful and noteworthy. She shared a lot of useful information about how to display our writing and how to reach out to people who share similar interests. This is helpful in my every day life as I go about finding what to add further to my webpage and how to gather a following of people who are fascinated in topics that I discuss in my writings. I am excited to further my knowledge of what it takes to incorporate media design as a method of broadcasting journalism.

[ariagmitter]

[wonderfulyou]

Live with intention. Aim for love. Do you want to live a good life? Make the decision. Commit. Set your intention and live it breathe it dance it and before you know it, everything you do will become sacred. Tell yourself: I want a good life. Make it your affirmation! I live a good life. I live a good life. I live a good life. So stop creating drama. Stop judging. Live with intention, aim for love and all good things will come your way.

#junglelovecr #liveeverydamnday #life #love

[write-toexist-blog]

#writer #inspiration

[ringo-obsession]

Turn your handwriting into a font

I discovered this by accident and I thought it was really funny and cute:

1. Download the template from MyScriptFont website

2. Write out the alphabet and numbers in your style, using a black marker (felt pen). This is mine:

3. Scan the template  4. Upload to the MyScriptFont website, name it, set the format and click “send file” 5. Download it to your computer and install

And check out my result!

[traumbelrum-deactivated20240801]

reblogging for writers that want to invent their own font. 

[ariagmitter]

Totally going to try this! 

[write-toexist-blog]

View Ashley Coffey’s professional profile on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the world's largest business network, helping professionals like Ashley Coffey discover inside connections to recommended job candidates, industry experts, and business partners.

[k-bui]

When does a job feel meaningful? When we can, at the end of the day, feel as if our work has in some way, however modestly, helped either to reduce the misery or to increase the contentment of others.

Alain de Botton, “The News: A User’s Manual” (via k-bui)