Microphone check, test, test, test.

The group I interned with this summer on the 93.3 KZOZ
morning show, Jeff and Jeremy in the Morning.

My name is Heather McClure and I am a senior at Slippery Rock University studying communication with an emphasis in journalism.  I have a passion for football, hockey, photography, and music in almost any form. Currently, my career goal is to work in radio, and have my own show of some sort.  This summer I interned on the morning show of a radio station in San Luis Obispo, California, and I realized the impact that blogging and social media can have on a company.  I saw how using social media can create a new level of interaction from the listening audience, and creates a 24/7 presence that would otherwise go unnoticed by a segment of the audience.

I have always been an active member of the social media networks, some would even say too active.  I am constantly updating my Facebook with news events, concerts or sporting events I'm attending, along with other things that happen to me throughout the day.  My Twitter feed is not nearly as polluted, but I do get on it frequently to see if I can catch any breaking news that may be going on in the world or in sports.  I have also joined the likes of Pinterest and Instagram, but never have I attempted a blog.  I have considered writing one on numerous occasions, but never have due to a fear of not knowing what to talk about.  Today, I put an end to the fear, and begin creating my blog, The Keyboard is my Microphone.

This semester I enrolled in a New-Media Journalism class, which will teach me how to become a better "backpack journalist".  I hope that this course can provide me with some more insight on the effectiveness that new-media can have in the journalism field, be it print or broadcast, and will help improve my ability to use these tools to their fullest potential.  All of the class blog posts can be viewed on our class Facebook Page, or by searching Twitter for the hashtag #nmjatsru.

A photo of my grandfather, Tom Schell - Reporter for ABC Los Angeles.

My interest in the journalism field sparked from my grandfather, Tom Schell, who was a reporter for ABC News. ABC is a traditional media outlet that was created far before the creation of the internet, and covers not only national news, but also covers local news with its affiliate stations.  They have been a news organization that I have enjoyed and respected my whole life, but this may be in part because of my grandfather.  They now use the internet and social media to not only inform citizens about national news stories, but their affiliates cover local news stories as well.



A non-traditional news outlet that I frequent is Yahoo! News.  What I like about Yahoo! is its wide coverage of topics, ranging from world news, to United States news, to local news, as well as sports, entertainment and weather.  I also like the set up on the Yahoo! Homepage that allows you to scroll through anywhere from 15 to 100 headlines, which is typically the headline accompanied by a photo that is meant to grab your attention.  I like this because I can scroll through rather quickly, find articles that catch my interest, read them, and move on without having to sort though numerous articles that I would have no interest in reading, similar to what some people go through when they read a newspaper.

I think that should be enough information on my first blog post to get you started.  Start following my blog and feel free to comment on any post you find interesting! Here goes nothing!

-Heather