Category: Journalism 2150

I've always liked statistics. Yes, I'm one of those journalists who actually likes math (OK, math before imaginary numbers, integrals and whatever else we learned and I subsequently forgot in AP Calculus). Percentages, distributions and averages can reveal a lot and lead us to important conclusions. From a media outlet's standpoint, numbers are crucial in identifying audience demographics, topic popularity and reader loyalty. I'd actually been introduced to the wonderful world of Google Analytics before Monday's lecture. The Maneater's online development editor lectured everyone on the editorial board about how to use Google Analytics before giving us access to The Maneater's analytics on our Maneater email accounts powered by Google. Since then, we've been tracking our viewership weekly and have been using these statistics to analyze how (and perhaps why)…

In the broadest sense of the term, I had already gone mobile. I'm on my iPhone every day for, collectively, hours. I use the Clocks app to wake up; the Weather app to determine my outfit du jour; the Messages app to text friends throughout the day (and night); the Calendar app to schedule events and meetings; the Phone app to call family, friends and sources; the Solitaire app to suppress boredom while I'm waiting in line; the Camera app to capture memorable moments with friends; and the Mail, Facebook and Twitter apps to communicate and stay connected with thousands of people. However, I'd never used my iPhone to create a complete journalistic story before Tuesday. I knew it was possible. I had heard mentions of cellphone footage on broadcast news…

Members of Pi Sigma Alpha, an MU political science student organization, gathered Tuesday night in The Shack to watch the coverage of the presidential election. The organization discusses political science professors and classes and hosts speakers and events. For the 2012 elections, it co-hosted a state senator debate between candidates Mary Still and Kurt Schaefer as well as two presidential debate watch parties with Tigers Against Partisan Politics, the Associated Students of the University of Missouri and the Missouri Students Association, senior Mandy Casals said. "It's important to get students to understand more about other things going on the ballot besides the presidential candidates in terms of propositions and state races," junior Katie Steen said. Casals said it's important to learn about tonight's results in a timely fashion, but that…