Boston journalists in World War II counterintelligenceJohn S. Forrester Several local journalists worked as counterintelligence agents in Boston during World War II. They were selected for their ability to blend in and remember details. Book it! Four Boston Public Library branches will remain open into the winterDaniel Kobialka, Emma Pimthida Tiemchaiyapum Mayor Thomas Menino announced last week that the city has added more than $650,000 to the Boston Public Library's budget, a move that will allow four branches to remain open for at least another nine months. Esplanade geese battle enters seventh yearJohn S. Forrester Geese have been a nuisance on the Esplanade in downtown Boston for the last few years. Since 2003, the Esplanade Association has led a fight to rid the park of the birds. Italy, U.S. World Cup defeats hurt North End sports bars business=Lauren Muskett, Alexis Ostrow With Italy and the United States out of the FIFA World Cup business in the North End has slowed down. Emerson professor brings Chinatown experience to video gameEmma Pimthida Tiemchaiyapum, Daniel Kobialka Emerson College Department of Visual and Media Arts Assistant Professor Eric Gordon has captured the essence of Chinatown with "Participatory Chinatown," a video game designed for Chinatown's master planning process. Couriers encounter the effects of digitizationJohn S. Forrester With the rise of digitized documents, some say bike couriers may soon be obsolete. Some maintain that there will always been a need for hard copies and the courier business will continue. BP station owners in Massachusetts face troubleLauren Muskett and Alexis Ostrow Since the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, BP and BP station owners have been receiving criticism. In Massachusetts stations have seen decreased sales and protests. A Massachusetts Facebook group coordinates BP protests. But BP station owners say the oil spill is not their fault. Boston Pedicab: a summer fun mode of transportationLauren Muskett and Alexis Ostrow It's summertime again and that means Bostonians and visitors have another option of getting around the city--Boston Pedicab.The company has about 60 drivers a year and 19 bikes, the maximum amount granted to them by the city and payment is by tip only. Nateva Festival held in Maine with great successJohn S. Forrester The Nateva Music and Camping Festival, billed by organizers as "Northern New England's premier music festival," was held July 1-4 in Oxford, Maine. More than 8,000 attended the opening Thursday. |
STAFF BLOG: Being ObjectiveLauren MusketControversial stories, such as the BP oil spill, make it tough to balance sources. STAFF BLOG: Public library, more like not so public libraryDaniel KobialkaIt's amazing that even the Boston Public Library has a strict corporate policy when it comes to speaking to journalists. STAFF BLOG: Persona non grataJohn ForresterI've had doors slammed in my face, people tell me off, and other challenges to talking to a source. But the story on couriers was made difficult by the fact the couriers were not willing to talk. STAFF BLOG: Social media save the dayAlexis OstrowWhen we first started out looking for BP owners the stations were completely empty and there was only an attendant and no manager around. Social media saved the story. STAFF BLOG: Persistence pays offJohn ForresterBy hanging around for what seemed longer than necessary, I was able to interview a source I was trying for days to find and I got some amazing footage for the multimedia project. STAFF BLOG: Brewing up trouble at StarbucksDaniel KobialkaWe wanted to get the insight of employees of the Starbucks locations around Boston for the Starbucks Wi-Fi story, but when we explained who we were, the employees would not talk to us. STAFF BLOG: The importance of preparationDaniel Kobialka Covering an event can be tricky, especially if you need pictures and video from an event. The Run to Remember story was challenging, but preparing for the event was critical to capturing good video footage.STAFF BLOG: The contagious courtesy campaignDaniel KobialkaIt's amazing how responsive the MBTA can be, even if the mass transit system is far from perfect. STAFF BLOG: Reporting doesn't stop in bad weather!Lauren MuskettDressing appropriately and carrying suitable equipment helps a reporter navigate through bad weather....Be prepared. STAFF BLOG: Meeting an influential journalistAlexis OstrowThis story was a lot of fun to report on. The only tough part was actually gaining entrance into the weekend events. But the best part was getting to interview Brendan McCarthy, who received the young alumnus award. STAFF BLOGS: Watch what you video tapeJohn ForresterBalancing thinking visually and thinking about the interview at the same time is still an ongoing battle. STAFF BLOG: "Participatory Chinatown" gameEmma Pimthida TiemchaiyapumCreating a video for this story was trickier than other ones. Because the video deals with a game which is not a typical online game, it was challenging to find the way to demonstrate it. STAFF BLOG: Library losingsEmma Pimthida TiemchaiyapumThe last story I covered is a story on the closing of four Boston Public Library branches. This story was one of the most difficult ones to cover. STAFF BLOGS: On the quickJohn ForresterFacing the challenge of officials and other sources with little time for interviews, reporters must learn to adapt to grabbing information when and where they can. STAFF BLOG: Sources who don't cooperateLauren MuskettSometimes stories do not work out when sources will not speak. For a reporter, it's very frustrating, but you have to keep on trying. STAFF BLOG: Check the spelling of names...Emma Pimthida TiemchaiyapumI have learned from this story was that it is very important to have people whom we interviewed spell their name out for us. STAFF BLOG: Blogging about live bloggingDaniel KobialkaThe greatest challenge of the U.S.-England live blog from the House of Blues proved to be Wi-Fi access. STAFF BLOG: Be Friendly!Lauren MuskettSometimes being friendly opens the door to influential sources. |
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