Stories = boring news without pictures

What's a story without pictures? I don't know about you, but a picture is usually what first draws my attention to a story. There's a new rumor about photojournalism jobs slowly disappearing.

They can’t possibly compete in the media-sphere of the future. We’re entering a world of ubiquitous media creation and access. When the tools of creation and access are so profoundly democratized, and when updated business models connect the best creators with potential customers, many if not most of the pros will fight a losing battle to save their careers.

In an era when news organizations are whacking away at staff as fast as they can, the pressure to use what the community can provide will be irresistible given the money it will save.

I really hope this isn't what newspaper companies have wound down to in order to save a little money. How is a paper supposed to retain any aesthetic qualities? I feel elminating photojournalism jobs would definitely do more harm than help.

Is change worth the risk?

Some papers, like The Wall Street Journal, would answer "yes" to this question. They are currently redesigning the look of their paper to save money.

Paul Steiger, The Wall Street Journal's managing editor, elaborates on the paper's upcoming design.

So the way we've adapted the print paper is to make it more user-friendly, have greater recognition that many if not all of our readers will know what yesterday's announcement news was, to devote more of our space to added value.

We are squeezing the size of announcement news and devoting more of the space to stuff that may spring from news that everybody knows but where we've added value. And also devoted more space to stuff that's entirely our own.

There are many pros and cons to redesigning a paper, especially if it's been around awhile. The paper should be easy to navigate and should remain recognizable. Familiarity is an important element that long-time readers desire, and it also establishes tradition. Hopefully this change gives The Wall Street Journal a hitch in their step and not a bullet in their own foot.

I want to talk about me

Newspaper columnists shouldn't be drawing a blank on what to write about. Write about yourselves! Newspaper companies all over are encountering big changes left and right, front and behind.

You don't have to search the Internet or flip too many pages to find what I'm talking about. "Editor quits paper", "Tribune blasted for cutting staff", and "Newpapers expect another hit". It's never-ending.

The more journalism declines into depression and general dysfunction, the more journalists and other media types obsess about themselves.

A reader can't escape the media news on the media. The stories in tangible papers don't end there -- they continue onto websites, and then to blogs and RSS Feeds. Can all this talk about themselves even begin to solve any paper problems?

Searching for the perfect cast

Mel Gibson is at it again as a film director! Gibson's new movie, "Apocalypto", is about a Mayan civilization coming to an end.

When creating films about different cultures, the directors and their company must take into great consideration how it will viewed by those from that particular ethnicity. Offending these people wouldn't just be embarrassing; it would also rip apart the director's entire career.

Gibson and filmmakers looked long and hard for the perfect cast to accurately portray Mayan people for the film.

He wanted an indigenous cast for the project, so the filmmakers found people from the Yucatan, Mexico City, Oaxaca, Xalapa, Veracruz and other spots. Two of the cast members are from the United States, three are from Canada and the rest hail from Central America.

Finding the correct and best casting members can easily make or break a movie. If a film dealing with ethnicity is casted well, it not only makes the director look good but it also gives acting opportunities to a wider range of people. A realistic cast also enables a better learning experience to the viewers.