Still Photographs: President Obama and Vice President Biden Speak At Auto Plant

How many journalists can say they have the chance to take part in coverage of the president and the vice president? Not many...but today I had the opportunity to attend a press conference with WNDU to take still pictures of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden for wndu.com.

Obama and Biden traveled to Kokomo, Ind. to speak to several hundred Chrysler transmission plant workers. They talked about the state and recovery of the auto industry and gave thanks to the auto restructuring plan at the plant, which helped the unemployment rate drop in Kokomo from 20 percent in 2009 to 10.9 percent last month. The visit was part of the White House to Main Street tour.

Click through the slideshow below to see some of the pictures I took:

Fulton Prepares For Upcoming Smoking Ban

Fulton city officials said Wednesday they are preparing businesses and places of employment for the smoking ban that goes into effect Dec. 4. Watch my story below to see how they are preparing for the upcoming smoking ban:

Click here to read my story on KOMU.com.

Update: Garth Nature Area Dog Park Gets New Seating

Last week ago I did a story on Columbia residents who were upset after their chairs, windbreaks, and dog toys were taken from the Garth Nature Area Dog Park. They claimed the Parks and Recreation Department took them. (Click here to read "Columbia Residents Fuming After Personal Items Taken.")

This past week I found out who took their stuff and the park received a few new renovations, so yesterday I did an update to my previous story.

In this followup, the residents I spoke with last story were unwilling to talk with me on camera. Watch the story below to find out why the resident's personal items were taken and what kind of renovations were done to the park.

I also left the VO after my story attached because I shot, wrote, and edited that one as well.

Click here to read my story on KOMU.com.

New Blog: Crime And Health In The News

I finally launched a new blog tonight: Crime And Health In The News

Do not worry though! I will continue to take you on more journalistic adventures in this blog!

The focus of the crime and health blog though, is to examine different elements of crime while tying it together with news stories. The blog will also cover different health stories in the news. I will pull together facts from various sources for both topics.

The blog includes links to crime and health sources, as well as my recommendations for the best books on true crime and health.

I originally wanted to separate the crime and the health stories, but for now I have decided to do that by separating them into categories.

Please check it out and let me know what you think could be improved, or anything you think I should change!

Thank you!

First Nation Reports

During our 5 p.m. newscast we have a segment called "First Nation" that gives an overview of the top three stories in the nation that day.

Watch the videos below to see the past two weeks "First Nation" reports.

First Five Nation 11/04



First Five Nation 11/11

Look for more of these to come!

Columbia Residents Fuming After Personal Items Taken

On Wednesday, I started off with a story about "spoofing" scam phone calls in Fulton. Many people had been receiving phone calls with the Callaway County Sheriff's phone number showing up on their caller ID's. After a few phone calls and driving to the Sheriff's department to find the Sheriff gone for the day, my story fell though. Stories falling through isn't such an uncommon thing to happen to reporters so I wasn't worried and headed back to the newsroom to look for a new conquest.

Once back, the assignment desk handed me a few phone numbers of residents who had called in to complain about a situation they were facing. Watch my story below to find out why they were so upset:

Click here to read my story on KOMU.com.

On Thursday I also tagged along with a reporter to what I had hoped to be breaking news. Over the scanner we had heard six shots were fired in an apartment complex behind a YMCA in Jefferson City. Click here to read the story.

Jefferson City Seeks Resident's Input On New Rec Center

With only local YMCA's and smaller fitness centers scattered about, Jefferson City is looking at the possibly of putting in the first city-owned recreation center.

Last week I covered a story in which the Jefferson City Parks and Recreation met with residents to discuss plans or a proposed multipurpose recreation center:

The Power Of Social Media On Election Night

Election night: the day we love, the day we hate... the day we love to hate and like only because it's exciting, hectic, and when it's done we could use a full night's sleep... which usually doesn't happen. I guess if you're a journalist, only you would understand this last paragraph.

This past election night was just that... exciting and hectic. Reporters running around, the phone ringing off the hook, producers rapidly clicking away at their keyboards, and the shouts of the results across the newsroom once the polls are closed are enough to make that adrenaline rush kick in.

Although I wasn't out in the field, I still had my duties on the web this year and though this may not seem entirely exciting, I can guarantee you it was. For the first time on election night I saw the full force of social media come to life. I was personally manning the KOMU News twitter account and helping with the facebook, but I also experienced a live chat our new media director was holding on KOMU.com.

The idea of a livechat on a news station's website is brilliant. During our livechat we had members of the community come together to speak out the issues on the ballot. One of our anchors stuck around to join the chat, we used a hashtag on twitter (#komuelx) so tweeters and those out reporting could join the chat as well, and we also had important public figures such as Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer join us as well. It certainly is exciting to have a politician joining us on election night to answer questions from our viewers.

I truly believe this election night was a chance for me to really realize how valuable social media is. In topics such as politics where issues are heated and engaging to viewers, news stations can provide an outlet for community members to come together and express their views. Social media provided us with the tools to create a live chat and we, a local television station, gave viewers a place to go to make the live chat more localized.

As the years go on I believe social media will take a more prominent place in society and more newsrooms will see the value of social media on election night. So I suppose when you look at a typical newsroom on election night now, and you watch as the reporters scramble around to get out the door, the producers clicking away at their shows, and the shouts of results across the room, in the future you will be able to add in social media guru's also rapidly clicking away their keyboards as well.

*Election button photo courtesy of georgia.com

Local Commercial Breeders Speak Out Against Prop. B

Tomorrow is election day and one big proposition is causing a ruckus across Missouri: Proposition B. If passed, Prop B would create tighter regulations on larger commercial dog breeders. Breeder would be limited to 50 breeding dogs.

Here is my story that aired last Tuesday:

Since I didn't feel the issue could be covered in just a short story I also included an extended 10 minute interview on the web where head of the Missouri department of the Humane Society of the United States Barbara Schmitz and commercial breeder Mark Santo explain their sides of the proposition B issue.

Click here to read my story on KOMU.com.

Click on the links below to learn more about Proposition B:

Click here to read Proposition B.

Missourians For The Protection Of Dogs

Alliance For Truth