Thursday, April 14, 2016

My Life As a Journalist

As a telecommunication-news major at the University of Florida, there are so many forms of media that we are exposed to. As I am wrapping up my third year and entering my final year, I have reported for radio and TV and written for web for sports as well as worked in sports radio. I have developed a website and uploaded content to YouTube. I am active on social media such as Twitter and Facebook. In the college of Journalism we are even given the opportunity to enroll in classes that help us in creating personal projects such as apps that can be featured on the CMIR (Center for Media Innovation and Research) website for faculty, fellow peers, and employers to see.

This semester I took TV 2, a class that I think has prepared me the best for the field I want to go into post graduation. I would like to be in TV development and this class has given myself and my peers great practice for what that entails. I had my news shifts every Thursday. The day started off by attending a morning meeting where I and other reporters pitched news stories to our producers and directors.  Once we got assigned our stories we put out calls to get sources to conduct on-camera interviews. We then go to scene and conduct interviews, film B-roll , and shoot a stand-up. Deadline is at 5PM so we have to make sure to come back to the newsroom a few hours before showtime to ensure that we have sufficient time to write the script, edit the video, get script approved, track the script, then put the whole package together and export before the clock strikes 5. At this point as a reporter you can either front the package live from the newsroom, the studio or from the site depending on the producer. After the show has aired, we head down to the studio for a final wrap up meeting where we get feedback. And that's a typical day reporting.

Here is the latest package I did for First at Five about Zika and blood/ platelet donations:


Thursday, March 31, 2016

The Tipping Point By: Malcolm Gladwell

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell is a remarkable book that makes extraordinary observations about our society and how trends of all types catch on. “The tipping point” is a concept broken into three parts that helps explain trends in fashion, crime, health, and many other aspects of our everyday lives or in our general society.

The tipping point is defined as an epidemic where everything can change all at once. Gladwell explains that little changes can have a big effect. Just a few people wearing cool shoes can start a nationwide trend or a couple hundred people who are sexually promiscuous can start a syphilis epidemic. Gladwell’s theory even extends to a psychological phenomenon known as “the bystander effect” where people in a group are less likely to assume responsibility. The concept of “the tipping point” itself is broken down to three parts. “Law of the Few” is the first part. This law deals with the success of any social epidemic. Economists attribute this law to the 80/20 principle. Basically, 20 percent of the population is accountable for 80 percent of the social phenomenon whether it is crime or anything else.

The second part is “The Stickiness Factor”. This refers to the ability of something, let’s say an advertisement to “stick”. Gladwell brings up the smoking advertisement. By saying that their cigarettes taste better than the other cigarette brands they make their brand stick and therefore were able to surpass the other brands in sales.

Lastly is “The Power of Context”. Earlier I mentioned the “bystander effect”. This effect falls into the power of context. This also explains social relationships. He uses the example of the woman “Kitty” who gets stabbed on a New York street as 38 witnesses watched from their apartments. No one called for help. The bystander effect states that people are less likely to assume responsibility when there are other people around. If someone faked a stroke and there was only one person next door they were very likely to come over and call for help. If there were more people, they were only 30 percent likely to call for help. People simply assume that other people will take care of the matter.


The Tipping Point is an eye-opening book that describes so many aspects that relate to our daily lives and societal phenomenons. It covers a vast area of topics and describes how trends can be contagious. We often think of diseases and sickness when we think of the word “contagious” but Malcolm Gladwell assures us that this word can be applied to other aspects of our lives.  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an eye opening experience. It’s said that one person cannot make a difference but the tipping point counters that statement. The smallest of effects can result in the biggest changes to our world.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Related Blogs

If my blog interests you and you wonder if there are similar and just as awesome blogs as mine, then look no further. Whether you want food, sports, or just daily life posts, I have great recommendations. If you're a lover of everything brunch and mimosas, then make sure to check out Andrea Newport Jone's fabulous blog titled, "The Brunch Betch". Try not to salivate all over your keyboard while looking at beautiful pictures of the delightful dishes she incorporates into her blog. Now if brunch just isn't your thing and you rather grab a beer and read about sports, then Sean McKenna's blog, "NFL 2016 Draft" is right up your alley. Sean is an avid sports fan and never disappoints in revealing his passion for whatever aspect of sport he is blogging on. If either of those blog topics are just not cutting it for you and you're someone who enjoys walking in someone else's shoes just for awhile, I also have the perfect blog. Let's assume this person who's shoes you want to step in is a reporter. Lucky for you we don't have to assume. Olivia Courtney is a reporter! Her blog "Get Lost In It"depicts her week to week experiences as a multimedia journalist. Of course if you just don't enjoy any of these blogs, I understand and you can always come back to mine!

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Favorite Health Blogs

Throughout the school year I have been working out on and off, trying to reach a healthy and desirable goal weight as well as improving my eating habits. It becomes hard when I get busy with school and I tend to often put it off to the side and go back to eating out and skipping out on the gym. This week I have decided I am really going to demonstrate some dedication and start my hopefully lifelong health journey. A few of my classmates have amazing health blogs that offer great tips ranging from effective exercises to nutrition. I definitely recommend checking them out if you're like me and you're wondering wanting to learn what to eat and what exercises to do. Aggie Buedo is the author of the Food Fun Fitness Forever on Wordpress. Her blog focuses on how she stays healthy and she even gives you some recipes to try out. Zoe Haugen   runs a nutrition blog titled, Know It All Nutrition. Zoe came out of the womb eating the healthiest of foods so her advice is spot on. Lastly, I recommend Sara Girard's blog, UNcredible Fitness on Wordpress. Sara's blog is unique because it teaches you to be realistic about your fitness goals. Don't trust or rely on magazines that claim the can get you six pack abs in a week. I am confident that these blogs will help you and I be realistic and progress in our health journeys.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

About Ariane Guinhouya

Ariane Guinhouya is a 21-year-old Telecommunication Junior at the University of Florida. She was born and raised in Togo, West Africa until the age of eight, when she moved to Maryland. She resides with her family in Clarksburg, Maryland  but has attended college in Gainesville, Florida for the past 3 years. Her experiences at what is considered to be a southern school is the main focus of her blog. In her blog she has posted about southern hospitality , Florida animals, food, and various other things. Ariane hopes to add this blog to her resume  along with her experiences in television and radio. She hopes to obtain a job or internship in multimedia reporting.

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Resume

I have recently updated my resume as I am quickly approaching my senior year. I am hoping to get an internship soon with the experience I have acquired from my University. I would love any internship with radio or TV broadcast. To see my resume, click the hyperlink above which will take you to my professional website, Arianeguinhouya@weebly.com.

Monday, February 29, 2016

Southern Hospitality Part 2

This is a continuation of my last blog post...

Another instance where I realized I was no longer in the south and missed the hospitality I was accustomed to took place last winter break. I took the Amtrak home with a very heavy suitcase and a carry-on bag. I was fine getting on the Amtrak with my luggage because the workers helped. Once I got off at my stop in Washington DC 14 hours later, I had to take the metro into Maryland. I traveled by myself and as I mentioned before I had a heavy suitcase. No one offered help (not that I expected them to) but instead they impatiently passed me on the escalator and on the platform. I just thought it was simply rude. Nonetheless I survived and felt accomplished that I could haul all my stuff by myself.