I Can Shoot Better Video than Politico

On Politico’s main page today they had a story entitled, “Economy Hurts Book Parties.”

I thought to myself, “WTF does that mean?” So of course I had to check it out.

What I saw was a crappy video about a small party celebrating author Matt Continetti’s new book, “The Persecution of Sarah Palin.”

It looked like it was shot with a Flip video camera, which is fine, but camera shake was making me sick (should have used a tripod, like I realized after shooting my video on the South End Dog Park with my Kodak Zi8). And it sounded like the cameraman was using the Flip’s on camera mic which everyone knows sucks. And there was no editing to make it look at least a little bit professional. The cameraman just shot it, asked a couple questions and cut it up. It was full of jump cuts.

Basically what I’m saying is that my whole Jo540 Media class can shoot better video than this and many of them learned how to make video news stories from just one 3 hour class.

There was no story to this video, in fact, there was no news. It look like some crappy PR video advertising this book about Sarah Palin. This makes me not want to read it.Why is this even on Politico??? The written stuff under the video is even more embarrassing. The authors of this story ranked different aspects of the party on a scale of 1-5, including a categories like “Booze” and “Fun Factor.” Fun Factor? You’re at a stupid book party for a stupid book about Sarah Palin! ZERO FUN!!!

If this is what it takes to make online videos for a major news website like Politico.com, then my whole Jo540 will have no problem finding jobs when they graduate.

A Quick Look at Boston’s Most Popular Dog Park in the South End

I shot this using the new Kodak Zi8. I had some problems with the audio (my RadioShack mic stopped started to crap out while I was filming), so I apologize for the sound quality.

Enjoy!!!

The Joe Wex Dog Recreation Space at Peter’s Park in the South End, Boston:

 

 

Politico’s Multimedia Problems

Politico’s Multimedia page is lacking.

Sure there are a lot of videos and photo galleries, but they’re lacking in something that’s so important to today’s multimedia journalism!

THE AUDIO SLIDESHOW!!!

They have countless videos, photo galleries that are updated weekly, but only 8 Audio Slideshows.

And look at some of their slideshow topics:

Some of these topics are old and outdated. Politico has made only 8 slideshows and never updates this section!

That seems so bizarre to me because the audio slideshow is so popular in the journalism world and it’s such a powerful medium.

All of Politico’s slideshows were made using Sounslides, which all multimedia and photojournalism students learn today. It’s such and easy program that there is no reason Politico shouldn’t be utilizing it.

So I have a proposal to Politico: Hire me to make your Audio Slideshows!!! You really have nothing to lose by hiring me.

 

…wow I didn’t know it could be this easy to get a job after college. If Politico needs multimedia people then think of all the other news sites that need them too. The future is looking brighter everyday!

What’s with all these Hitler comparisons???

Since the begining of the semester, every couple of weeks I see the crazy LaRouche supporters up and down Commonwealth Ave. holding signs and handing out pamphlets with a picture of President Obama with a Hitler mustache. First off, I think that picture is disgusting. Comparing our president to Hitler? What was that thing called???…oh yeah, the Holocaust.

Comparisons like this keep popping up all over the place. When I was on Politico.com today I saw a headline that said, “GOP Tweets clip of Hitler praising Pelosi.” Of course I had to click it to see what it was about.

Apparently the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) tweeted (yes they have a twitter) this Tuesday morning`: “Funny Video: Moonbattery: Hitler Reacts to ObamaCare Maneuvers.” The video is a clip from the the 2004 movie “Der Untergang,” which depicts the final days of World War II and Hitler’s life. In the clip, according to the fake subtles, Hitler praises Nancy Pelosi for sharing his views of health care reform and for not caring about the American people.

This and all the other Hitler comparisons are in bad taste. They’re not even clever or funny.

Yeah, we get it, if Hitler = bad and Obama = bad then that means Obama = Hitler…or something stupid like that. HAHA!!! SO FUNNY!!!

I think the GOP are the only people who find Carlos Mencia funny.

So, of course, because if they didn’t they would look like even bigger assholes, the NRCC apologized:

(From Politico.com)

UPDATE: NRCC spokesman John Randall says they have pulled down the Tweet and offered a mea culpa:

“We saw the video this morning and thought, like other parodies, that it was funny,” Randall just told me. “In 20-20 hindsight, we realized it was in poor taste and pulled it down… I don’t want anyone to think we’re comparing Democrats to Nazis and to Hitler.”

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These are the only people that can make comparing people to Nazis funny.