Why Shoe Leather Journalism is dying, Colbert reports.

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Charity Sapphire | 3 Comments

Colbert Report, “Stephen reports on an old-fashioned hero”

After perusing “Colbert Nation” I came across a piece about a shoe leather journalist. The video takes us into the world of a real, live, newspaper journalist as he works to find a story. The journalist happens to also be someone who avoids the whole social media craze and actually goes out to find news. The video takes us through the man’s almost futile efforts at finding a good story. He begins at a police station, follows the trail to a supposed culprit, then needs to get a source to talk about the supposed culprit which leads him to an old fisherman. After patiently waiting for the fisherman to say something relevant, his ears pick up the SINGLE useful thing from that entire conversation, “Man says it’s too hot to fish.” This is the type of journalism that we find “archaic”, new media wants it to be “obsolete”, audiences call it “inefficient”… because no one wants to sift through an entire newspaper to find an article when they can just google their topic of interest.

But how do all these new media outlets acquire THEIR news? Well, as Colbert brilliantly points out… new media actually gets their news from newspapers!!!

Colbert shows how the NEW YORK TIMES RIIIIPS the story off of twitter and republishes it AS THEIR OWN STORY, fancy new byline and all. Thus, their contribution to the death of local newspapers

Soon enough, the well is going to run dry, and THEN where will all these internet journalists get their source material from? HMM? Soon enough we will realize that the internet is not the real world, and those who live their entire lives connected to the internet will miss out on an entire world where things REALLY happen and people don’t just talk about what happened. The internet may be a place where things are gathered and documented, but if you always experience life through another’s eyes, never doing or feeling anything for yourself, you WILL feel cold and bored and you WILL have missed out on your own path and your own talents.

News is ever important and if we don’t do something to remind people where news comes from (I.E. The REAL world) then people will continue to grow detached and disbelieving.

Entrepreneurship & Me Part 2

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Charity Sapphire | 2 Comments

Part II

Last week I talked about my journey to develop the skills I have today. I talked about my taste for news, politics, writing, leadership… and I also talked about the budding growth of my professional persona. For those who know me in person, I am 2 parts adult, 1 part child, and 1 part is an unedited version of Funk and Wagnall’s Encyclopedia (still trying to guess which edition!).

Although I highlighted my strengths throughout college in that last post, I must admit that to most of my friends and family, I was actually just a geek. I can vividly recall a time when I had wished there were 30 hours in a day just so I could have more time to play World of Warcraft…

Now I’m wishing there was more time so that I could actually accomplish all the things my professional life is requiring of me. Even before leaving my house I’m swamped with work, such as blow drying my hair, putting on a watch, and putting together a ‘fashionable’ outfit. All that work (plus more that goes without saying) before I can finally get to the amazing projects my colleagues and I have discussed! Books, magazines, market research, sales collateral, business development, and branding… plus so many more projects that are right up my alley.

As the days continue to pass, I am coming to terms with myself in ways I never imagined. To put it point-blank: I’m re-learning how to walk and talk.

For example, one month ago my boss and I were getting ready to attend a business expo. After straightening my hair, approving my outfit, and managing to get me to wear earrings (another thing I have to get used to..), a colleague noticed me standing and walking funny.

The thing is… I never really got into the habit of standing up straight, something I am sure many others have gotten away with and something that was never reinforced in my rearing.

Soon after realizing I don’t walk straight, they noticed I also don’t “model-walk” in heels. I walk normal in heels, but my colleagues advised I try to walk heel-to-toe, which makes my hips sway a little more and looks more professional. After struggling a few times with the motion and trying to convince myself to want to walk that way, I got it down pretty fast.

As we drove off to the expo in another colleague’s benz, I took a moment to reflect on what a big moment this was for me. My first “business expo” and I had the pleasure and opportunity of attending with two beautiful and intelligent women who considered me so valuable that they took the time and effort to do my hair and teach me to walk!

I felt more successful in that single day than I had in ages.

Personally, whenever I pictured myself successful, it has always been me in the future. More mature, better bread, more ladylike (or vixenesque!). To me, the key to ensuring my intelligence and talents get noticed right away is having a respectable image. It took me a little longer to get on the ball with things than I’d hoped. Things are finally coming together with the help of my wonderful colleague. I am finally getting to the point where I have a little voice in my head that makes proper judgment calls. As such, my personal stuff (wardrobe, hair, and even the products I use) has gone up in quality.

My lesson of the day: Being truly successful takes the right mix of preparation and opportunity. I’ve been pretty good about jumping at opportunities, but I had barely a clue as to what the “right preparation” would be for my field.

Experience in the field or at least understanding of the project is definitely necessary. Knowing the right people is also a great help. However, once you’ve scrounged up the qualifications and met with the right person, sometimes those aren’t enough. And that’s where the other half of preparation comes in handy. Having a developed resume is the cake. Having a developed professional persona is the icing that makes the cake appealing.

Now where can I find a good blazer…

Friends Forever?

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Charity Sapphire | Leave a comment

When I was on the brink of graduating high school, I felt on top of the world. It seemed overcoming that 13 year hurdle had prepared me for everything that was to come. I stared at the face of my university and LoLd at its effortlessness. I thought: “Living on campus, with my first class at 10 a.m. and most of my days free to lounge around, what could be so hard about that?”

Looking back, that semester actually was my best. I got straight As, I actually read my course books, I had a decent balance between friends and boyfriend. I should have relished those days while they were still around. I thought life would be that way forever and I didn’t treasure what I had.

I slept most of the days away. Instead of actively improving my already great situation, I let it slip from my hands. Many of my friends from high school had gone up to UF (like Ashley pictured above). I felt uncomfortable and alone even in a dorm room with my best friend (who was already drifting away without me noticing) and two genuinely cool roommates.

2008 sucked. Nicole forgot about me, Daphne moved to Argentina, even Mario left. The tight group of confidants that held my hand through the summer before college had disbanded. My failure that year to think of anything besides my inner angst/woes caused me to fall into a serious abyss that wouldn’t let me out until much much much later. Even when I thought I was out, thought my co-worker boyfriend at Olive Garden and my new apartment in the Gables by my old church had guaranteed me out… I was dragged deeper.

Refusal to heed family advice and refusal to seek advice from my friends (once again!) caused me to spend even more time in that abyss.

I think back to those years (2008-2010) and the most notable difference in those years versus the now is that I had no “friends”. Well, I did. NUMEROUS ones. But I didn’t consider them such. I would never have called them to hang out just to talk. They were just for fun, not allowed to see anything under my surface.

It wasn’t until Summer 2010 that I let someone in. I actually sat down with someone and talked about something other than school and inconsequential facts about myself that spew like word vomit.

It was absolutely through his friendship that I found the strength to release myself from the cell in which I had locked myself. While talking to him I coughed out the key. And one night partying with him, his friend, and Jade Lleonart (<3 you girl!) started the chain of events that got me where I am today.

With what little hindsight I have, I can safely declare my present better than my past. I only hope that the better parts of my past will come back again.

Chris and I on a night long ago...

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