Mira Lowe, senior editor for features at CNN Digital, recently spoke to #loweclass about her work at the media outlet and provided us with useful journalism tips. Lowe began at CNN in 2012. As part of her position, she oversees the five "channels" on CNN.com – entertainment, tech, health, travel and lifestyle.
CNN Digital came into its own about five years ago when it started to gain traction. Demographics show that the website is a dominated by male viewers. Lowe and her team are always working to improve the website. Increasing the number of women who visit it is part of what they hope to accomplish.
You could tell from the moment Lowe began speaking that she knew her stuff. Before going over our media critiques from the prior week, Lowe explained terminology used at CNN. The homepage is the "door to the house." From there, stories are categorized into T's and C's. The T represents the top story on each page. C's are the smaller centerpieces including articles, video and picture galleries. Each of these are in a vertical, also known as a section or channel, that draws a reader down the page.
We spent a majority of the class talking about the different blogs CNN has on its website. The media outlet uses blogs in two ways. One is to update people on what is happening in the world and the other focuses on a topic not in the navigation bar. CNN has four main blogs – This Just In, The Marquee Blog, Belief Blog and Schools of Thought – but creates more based on reader interest and the available resources. Each of the main blogs focuses on an issue that resonates with many people. CNN takes issues in the news and uses the blog to focus on it in a broader sense. What is important in each blog post, and what Lowe stressed, is that voice, verve and insight is key to a successful post.
Part of what brought Lowe to CNN was the depth at which they tell stories. In class we looked at The Gift of Charles. As we watched the package Lowe asked, "How can you tell the story in multiple ways and bring it together?" CNN did a fantastic job providing layers of storytelling. An eight minute video told the story of Charles Daniel, a 15-year-old boy suffering from brain cancer. Even without reading the article, readers got the full scope of what was happening. Videos are normally two to three minutes, but Lowe said, "If it's compelling enough, people will watch it." And that they did. CNN did not stop at just telling the story of Charles. They provided, in the same package, an additional video and article on palliative-care programs similar to the one Charles was in. The Gift of Charles was so compelling that I went back and looked at it after class. I could immediately see why this was a reason Lowe wanted to work for CNN.
Lowe also shared with the class opportunities for internships at CNN. As someone who looks at applications for specific positions, she said what really stands out to her is personality and skill. It is not just about the general requirements such as GPA and grade level. Instead, people who want to be there and have a passion for journalism are usually hired for the position.
As with every guest speaker that comes to #loweclass, I took away a lot of valuable information from Lowe's visit. She is a veteran journalist who shared with us, not only the ins and outs of CNN, but what it takes to become successful in what you do.
CNN Digital came into its own about five years ago when it started to gain traction. Demographics show that the website is a dominated by male viewers. Lowe and her team are always working to improve the website. Increasing the number of women who visit it is part of what they hope to accomplish.
You could tell from the moment Lowe began speaking that she knew her stuff. Before going over our media critiques from the prior week, Lowe explained terminology used at CNN. The homepage is the "door to the house." From there, stories are categorized into T's and C's. The T represents the top story on each page. C's are the smaller centerpieces including articles, video and picture galleries. Each of these are in a vertical, also known as a section or channel, that draws a reader down the page.
We spent a majority of the class talking about the different blogs CNN has on its website. The media outlet uses blogs in two ways. One is to update people on what is happening in the world and the other focuses on a topic not in the navigation bar. CNN has four main blogs – This Just In, The Marquee Blog, Belief Blog and Schools of Thought – but creates more based on reader interest and the available resources. Each of the main blogs focuses on an issue that resonates with many people. CNN takes issues in the news and uses the blog to focus on it in a broader sense. What is important in each blog post, and what Lowe stressed, is that voice, verve and insight is key to a successful post.
Part of what brought Lowe to CNN was the depth at which they tell stories. In class we looked at The Gift of Charles. As we watched the package Lowe asked, "How can you tell the story in multiple ways and bring it together?" CNN did a fantastic job providing layers of storytelling. An eight minute video told the story of Charles Daniel, a 15-year-old boy suffering from brain cancer. Even without reading the article, readers got the full scope of what was happening. Videos are normally two to three minutes, but Lowe said, "If it's compelling enough, people will watch it." And that they did. CNN did not stop at just telling the story of Charles. They provided, in the same package, an additional video and article on palliative-care programs similar to the one Charles was in. The Gift of Charles was so compelling that I went back and looked at it after class. I could immediately see why this was a reason Lowe wanted to work for CNN.
Lowe also shared with the class opportunities for internships at CNN. As someone who looks at applications for specific positions, she said what really stands out to her is personality and skill. It is not just about the general requirements such as GPA and grade level. Instead, people who want to be there and have a passion for journalism are usually hired for the position.
As with every guest speaker that comes to #loweclass, I took away a lot of valuable information from Lowe's visit. She is a veteran journalist who shared with us, not only the ins and outs of CNN, but what it takes to become successful in what you do.