Friday, 30 March 2007

SciFest Diary - Day 9 (The final round-up)

As promised, my official last entry for Scifest and a final round-up. Jude gave us a few questions to think about and here they are:

What did you learn about multimedia journalism/ recording during Scifest 2007?

Planning
From my experience, planning is everything. If you know what you are dealing with and you have an idea of what it is that you want to get. You need to have a clear angle before you go out and gather your news information. Planning is more than merely doing research as I learnt during the "Cut the fat, Makana" package. I conducted quite a lot of research beforehand but failed to narrow my angle down and, as a result, did not know exactly what information I wanted to gather. From a multimedia perspective, Hayley and I did not sufficiently storyboard and write audio scripts, so we were often ill-equipped technologically to record audio and take proper photographs. This is especially evident in our "Hypnotism: Theatrical Therapy" and "What you going to do with all that junk?", where I remember getting to the venue and having my questions for my article prepared, but looking at the camera and mini disc recorder and thinking to myself: "what now?"

Newsgathering Perspective
The newsgathering process was time-consuming and for Hayley and myself, trying to tackle issues from an Eastern Cape and Grahamstown perspective, the Scifest lectures were a starting point for us. But, with time constraints I don't feel like we were able to attain the depth of information that we wanted. The pressure to get news out inhibited in-depth coverage, but I do understand the need to publish articles and packages on deadline. Similarly, Hayley and I had a fair balance of multimedia skills in terms of newsgathering, although our photography skills were lacking and this showed in our end products.


Teamwork
Hayley and I approached the packages on a fifty-fifty basis, with each of us doing half of each story. This approach had its advantages and disadvantages. It was advantageous in the sense that there was always that other person there to bounce ideas off of and sharing the work load did make it easier to a certain extent. On the negative side, it did feel like we were each covering four stories. We also tended to slip into production line mode where I would conduct interviews and write up articles and captions and maybe taking a few photographs, while Hayley concentrated on recording audio and taking photographs and editing the final photostory. As a result, I don't feel like I got sufficient experience in editing photoslides and audio. Hayley and I were both equally involved in each story, so none of the stories are completely and entirely mine.

What did you not know about conference coverage that you didn't know before?
I think establishing a relationship with the person conducting the conference beforehand is essential so that you know exactly where you stand with regards to being allowed into the venue with sound equipment and using flash photography. It also helps to meet with them beforehand to get an idea of what the conference is about, so that you know what to expect and can angle your story accordingly. With regard to the boys vs. girls lecture that Hayley and I attended was not what we expected and we were forced to scrap the article. Maybe we would not have wasted our time and thought of a better article topic earlier, had we met with the lecturer beforehand. Also, many conferences only happen once and if you do not have a clear idea of what you are covering, then you may miss important information/ photographic opportunities. This happened to us in our "Hypnotism: Theatrical Therapy" package. The photgrapher we were forced to use (due to our lack of technological planning), was unable to get dynamic photographs that could have added to the quality of our photoslide show and did not have a second opportunity to take photographs.

General

On the whole this was a great learning experience that has been essential in showing me what I know and what I still have to learn before I am released into the real world! It is one thing to sit in a theory lecture and be told what and what not to do when covering multimedia stories for the web, but until you are thrown into the practice, you don't really understand. Thank you to all who have so faithfully read my blog (thanks Jude!) and wil post again soon.

I am now off to PE for a working holiday

Ciao for now

MEG*

SciFest Diary - Day 8

Well, Scifest is officially over, and the articles are done. You can see my third multimedia package at What you going to do with all that junk?. There is a technical glitch with my DNA article, something to do with the content management system not allowing any form of hypermediality, photographs or credits. This is a problem that Jude says he will have to evaluate. But, the article is complete.

Today, while Hayley finished up the audio for the Gupta photo slideshow, I tried to contact my dear friend at the Grahamstown Police Department, Capt. Mali Govender. After a restful day in PE (this is speulation) it took me another three tries to get hold of her. This was immensely frustrating, because I just needed her interview before completing my FINAL article for Scifest. Eventually I got her on the line and asked my well-rehearsed set of exceptionally intelligent questions with my lecturer once again looming. This time, the interview went very well, as I had a clear focus and a clear idea of what exactly it was that I wanted from her. This made the interview process much smoother and conversational. The information I received was thus sufficient to finish my article.

This afternoon, I then sat down with Jude to edit the story. My brain cells have whithered away to the point where I couldn't even think of a good ending for my last Scifest story. But, it is done now and I am relieved. I will keep you updated for when our final story is posted.

Thanks for reading, tomorrow I will do a final round-up.

Ciao*

Wednesday, 28 March 2007

SciFest Diary - Day 7

You know in the Bible when the 7th day is a day of rest? Ja, well, no, not in the New Media course. This morning, bright and early, Hayley and I trekked up to the Monument for the LAST TIME!!! (applauds self, as no one quite understands the feelings of resentment that have surfaced over the past 7 days regarding that hideous, badly designed, cold, brick, structure). We attended the the DNA workshop run by Valerie Corfield and it was so much fun. I was allowed to participate in the workshop and actually extracted DNA from ground wheatgerm. I also got to make my own paternity story and take part in a play - it was like high school and I was the atar pupil! It was great fun and an overall learning experience.

Hayley took photgraphs and these will be used in the phot gallery and I have finished the captions that centre around the workshop itself. The article itself will centre more around DNA testing in South Africa and how it is used to solve crimes. Corfield wis an extremely colourful lady (literally - her shoes were two different colours) and she provided us with a fair amount of detailed information about South African forensics.

To give the article a Grahamstown context, I called Mali Govender the media spokesperson at the Grahamstown police station. This was not a successful telephonic interview. It is difficult to ask someone questions with your perfectionist, highly-critical lecturer looming over you while you are on the telephone. I am also a little out of interview practice and I don't think that I had a clear idea of what information I wanted from her. As a result, I was led on a wild goose chase straight into red tape land and as a result of my lack of direct and probing questions, will have to repeat the phone interview tomorrow. AAAAAAHHHH!!!!!

Tomorrow is deadline for all completed stories, so the end is in sight!

Cheers*

SciFest Diary - Day 6

Dear diary

Just kidding, I've been wanting to do that for a while. No, seriously. This morning at our news meeting that ironically very few people actually manage to attend, Jude and I changed the 'Women in Science' story and came up with something so much better. It's the 'DNA Detective', which stems from a workshop conducted by research scientist Valerie Corfield about DNA and how DNA is used in forensics to solve crimes and paternity suits. The story will be an article with extensive hypermediality and a gallery of photgraphs with captions. The story does not necessarily lend itself to a photostory. The workshop is held daily from 9:00 - 10:30, so Hayley and I will attend it tomorrow morning.

Today, our mission has been to collect proper photgraphs that are not grainy and blurry from lack of battery power. I also managed to get some more information to flash out my article slightly. I then did my daily trek up to the labs and proceeded to put the finishing touches on my article. Jude had few words of criticism which is not so much comforting as it was disturbing and slightly eerie. Has the pressure finally got to him? Stay tuned to find out whether or not Jude CRACKS!!! By the end of today, our audio photostory for the Gupta article needs a little more work. The audio is currently sitting in Lauren's cupboard at her house. But, the good news is the article is done.

Cheers*

SciFest Diary - Day 5

Sunday morning am saw the completion of Hayley and my second multimedia package. Check it out at Hypnotism: Theatrical Therapy. This was an overall good experience and Jude did not rip my article to shreds as much as the previous one, so onward and upward as they say ...

This afternoon, Hayley and I attended the Science Through Toys workshop run by Arvind Gupta. This is part of our third multimedia package. We attended the workshop and I interviewed Gupta, learners and teachers about what they thought about the workshop. To give the story a South African and specifically Eastern Cape angle, I managed to get some statistics and facts about the education system here, specifically in rural schools.

Gupta's toys could really be utilised as they are cost-effective because they are made from junk and easy to make. It really opens children up to learning and he is a very inspiring individual. You can download all his books about how to make toys from his website: Arvind Gupta Toys . It is a shame that Grahamstown schools did not capitalise on his visit.

I then came back to the NML labs, as I have done for the past four days and proceeded to write up my article. However, the pictures Hayley and I took did not come out so great, the lack of battery power did have something to do with that. This was a valuable lesson in always being PREPARED!!! This means charging your batteries the night before and not taking for granted that they are charged without checking. My bad ...

As a result, we will have to go to Gupta's workshop again tomorrow to get photographs for our photostory. We also need to review our fourth story - women in science. Seeing as most of the women in science have already left Grahamstown, we might have a problem.

Sunday, 25 March 2007

SciFest Diary - Day 4

Day four of Scifest saw the completion of Hayley and my first multimedia package! (waits for rapturous applause and a standing ovation). Please check it out at: Cut The Fat Makana

It feels really good to finally have something up and running and to be able to tick it off the list of things to do. I learnt a few valuable lessons through this first package. The first one is that you need to have a clear angle, otherwise you will find yourself with too much general information, but insufficient information on a specific issue. This can lead to problems. The article posed this particular problem for me because I was following to separate story angles and the challenge came when I (or Jude) had to integrate them into one coherent piece. On the whole, my writing skills were questioned and while this has been hard, I am eager to learn the right way of doing things.

Our photostory and audio didn't pose too many problems. It helped that we recorded our own audio in a sound booth, so we eliminated issues of potential distortion of sound, wind inteference and the basic admin of traipsing around with mini disk players. Photgraphy went well and I think that our slideshow is effective. Thanks be to Hayley!

So, one down , three to go. I have finished my article on hypnosis and tonight went up to the monument to get hypnotist Stephane Juncker to record a few minutes of audio for our audio slideshow. I then went online and downloaded (legally) a healing and meditation piece as backing to Stephane's voice. We haven't edited and put the two pieces together yet, so we wait with bated breath to see if it works.

Hayley and I were unable to get good photographs during the hypnosis show we attended on Thursday, so we have liased with Stacy Nel, a photographer at the show, to use her photographs. We will then credit her.

Other than that, today went well. My sincere thanks to Jude for buying Arthur, Lauren and I pizza - it was sooo good and almost worth being in the labs until 12:30am!

Ciao for now*

Saturday, 24 March 2007

SciFest Diary - Day 3

So, day 3 has gone well. The only problem is that it is still going and it is actually now Scifest day 4. I am officially buggered as Hayley and I work to get our first package in.

The day started with our final interview for the "Makana Weighty Issues" article with Rhodes University Health Suite Manager Janet Kelly. She was really helpful and allowed us to take photographs at the gym for our self-help photographic slideshow. I also popped into Pick 'n Pay to get pictures of people buying food. I also popped into Wallace's Pharmacy to get pictures of dietary supplements. Hayley and I met at 13:30 to take gym photos and then made our way up to the monument to watch Stephan's lecture on hypnosis. We then conducted a short interview with him, but found him a tad evasive (and a tad touchy feely) so we opted to interview Masters Psychology student Greg Wilmot. Our questions were focused on issues of hypnotherapy and whether or not psychologists see hypnosis as a potential healing tool for people with mental problems.

After the lecture and interviews we headed to our news meeting and this is where I am currently sitting. I have learnt this evening that not only are my audio and photography skills lacking, but I have just found out that my writing skills are severely pedestrian. Oh, the horror! Oh well, you live you learn and I am slowly starting to make peace with the fact that i need to open myself up to learning.

This has been a long and tedious process, recording audio, putting the photo slideshow together, writing and re-writing and once again re-writing the article, checking facts, blogging as part of my assignment - it has been hectic. I am now off to bed and will return at 9:45 roughly 7 and a bit hours from now for our news brief for the box car derby. Good Times!

Night all*

SciFest Diary - Day 2

At the end of my second day at Scifest I felt completely and utterly at a loss. Two days of collecting information, attending lectures, conducting interviews, vox pops and chatting to people have resulted in not one thing being put onto a computer. Pictures have not been uploaded, articles have not been written and deadline is tomorrow. Sigh, but I have faith that it will all get done (sucks thumb and tries to comfort self).

Today started off with a continuation of the "Makana's Weighty Problem" article. I organised an interview with Health Suite Manager Janet Kelly and interviews two local pharmacists about diet products. Hayley and I attempted to get vox pops, but found that most local Grahamstown residents are not that comfortable with discussing their weight issues with an online newspaper - hmm, funny that. As a result, we decided to get rid of the vox pop idea.

We attended the lecture called "The Differences Between Boys and Girls" for our article on women in science. I must admit I expected more controversy from the lecture, but what Prof. Bruton said was mainly that men and women, despite being different, need to work together to create a harmonious society. He was interesting though. So, as of yet, we have not explored this story further.

Hayley managed to work her magic with hypnotist Stephane Juncker to get us into his hypnosis show last night. Alas our cheap, green media passes did not permit us access. Thankfully, Stephan was obliging (a tad too much so) and we managed to exchange a tripod for two free seats to the performance. And what a peformance it was. Having never been to a hypnosis show before, I was intrigued. After the show, Hayley and I didn't have sufficient information to interview him, so we organised to interview him after his lecture on hynosis tomorrow afternoon. Pictures were difficult to get during the show, but we have gotten permission from a fourth year Strategic Media Planning (SMP) student, Stacy Nel to utilise photgraphs she managed to take at the show. We will credit her at the end of our slideshow.

I attempted to make a start on the text, but still feel very agitated because nothing is yet on paper and it is frustrating. But, tomorrow will be better as it is the deadline for our first multimedia package.

Wish us luck!

Wednesday, 21 March 2007

SciFest Diary - Day 1

And so it begins ... today was the first day of Scifest. Having only finished my first audio slideshow last night at 11 I was quite tired for the first day. Things have gotten underway pretty quickly and still feeling a little bewildered to say the least.

The first multimedia package Hayley and I are working on is "Makana's Weighty Problem" - it extends from the lecture we attended today by Jane Badham about whether or not there is a magic bullet for weight loss. I'll give you all a hint - there isn't one! Prior to the lecture I conducted some background research on increasing obesity in South Africa and South Africa's obsession with weight. I found a really good site that discussed these statistics and it is official - people in South Africa are getting fatter! During the lecture, I kept trying to create a link between what Badham was saying and how this would affect the Grahamstown context. What sparked my interest is that, specifically in underdeveloped countries, low income families are the ones who suffer mostly from obesity. Badham suggested that the way to curb what she ahs called a "global epidemic" is through education and empowerment.

This got me thinking about Grahamstown, and how the many impoverished schools would be educated about nutrition and correct eating habits and lifestyles on a small income. I then came across the Pharmacy faculty's fringe event that aims to empower local knowledge specifically in school children to combat and prevent obesity and incorrect eating habits. They have put together a computer programme together with the Computer Science division that educates kids about diet and obesity. They take a very interactive and visual approach to educating kids and I thought that was quite a nice link.

I also managed to get a few pics of people eating - although they looked quite perplexed! Hayley and I plan to conduct audio vox pops tomorrow under the title of "What is the most extreme thing you have done to lose weight?" I have also emailed the Rhodes health suite manager janet kelly to ask her about the issue of health and lifestyle in Grahamstown and have asked her whether she knows of a local Grahamstown nutrtionist/ dietician who would be able to give me a broader understanding of Grahamstown's eating habits.

So, that was my first day, not too shabby. Tomorrow will prove busier I'm sure. Stay tuned for the next installment ...

Tuesday, 13 March 2007

My first xhtml entry - hehe:)

This is my first official blog entry using html!


Hi all you bloggers out there, sorry I haven't been in touch for a while - work has been madness. I just thought that I would show off the practical skills that I have been learning in my new media lectures. The result is this: my first entry done solely in html


So, I have been very busy at the moment. We are starting to put together multimedia packages in preparation for Scifest that starts in Grahamstown on 21 March. For more information about Scifest you can go to Sasol Scifest. We will be working in groups of two to produce the following:



  1. 1 audio-slide story using Photoshop, Audacity and Soundslides

  2. 2 multimedia feature packages (which may include a combination of text
    and/or photos and/or audio)

  3. 3 experiential blogs focused on following areas
    Reporting on conferences and events
    The vagaries of reporting Science
    Multimedia journalism - first impressions and lessons learned


So, I am in for a busy next few weeks (eesh). But, I'm looking forward to it. It is going to be a new and exciting experience


Well, I'm off to bed to get some much needed sleep


Ciao

Wednesday, 07 March 2007

Why Structural HTML matters

Having just learnt about xhtml, I am slightly intimidated by the thought of CSS (cascading style sheets). If it’s anything like learning to utilise basic xhtml, then it can only be challenging and ummm … fun? But, before I embark on my CSS adventure, I have to look at the theoretical aspect, namely why is it important from the perspective of design/style of a webpage, to critically think about the structure of your content, navigation and other sections?

In her discussion of web page design, Debolt[1], emphasises the need to separate the structural content and design when developing a web page. This is effectively done through the use of a Cascading Style Sheet (CSS), which may be defined as “a simple style sheet mechanism”[2] that allows web page developers and users the ability to attach style to web pages. A CSS basically functions to give web site developers more control over how web pages are displayed[3].

Debolt says that it is common for web page developers, when starting to think about creating a web page, to first think of what they want the layout and style of their pages to be with regard to colours and fonts. She, however, says that it is essential for web page developers to first consider the semantic organisation and structural content of their pages before beginning to think about visual presentation.

According to Debolt, the design of a web page is the least important aspect of web page development and that a great deal of attention needs to be placed on creating a well-structured html page that focuses on content, navigation and other sections. Without a well-structured and organised html page that logically sets out the content, navigation and other sections, a CSS cannot be utilised. Once an html page is well-structured and has been ordered into content blocks, these blocks can then be positioned and styled in any position on the page. Each content block in the html page can then be assigned colours, fonts, margins and backgrounds with the implementation of a CSS[4].

The chief advantage of a CSS is that it allows web page designers to better maintain the appearance of a web site[5]. Once a CSS has been created, it can be applied to any number of web pages and if the web page designer wants to change a specific stylistic element, he/she merely has to change the CSS without altering the structure of the html page[6]. However, a well-structured html page is essential to the smooth-functioning of a CSS. If your web page is not properly structured, the CSS will not work.

Another reason why it is important to think structurally about the content, navigation and other sections of a web page in terms of design and layout is that with the emergence of other digital mediums such as PDAs and cellphones, a well-structured html document is vital if it is to have the ability of being displayed in any digital medium. The use of a CSS allows for web pages to be more easily rendered on digital mediums such as PDAs and cellphones[7].

While web page styles and layouts may be fun and exciting, it is essential to first consider the structure of one’s html page. Without a well-structured html page, the CSS will not work and the presentation of one’s web page will be problematic.




[1] Debolt, V. 2004. “The Early Bird Catches the CSS: Planning Structural HTML”. Wise Women Tutorials. Retrieved 4 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.wise-women.org/tutorials/cssplanning/index.shtml
[2] “Cascading Style Sheets” Web Developer’s Virtual Library. Retrieved 4 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.wdvl.com/Authoring/Style/Sheets/
[3] “Cascading Style Sheet” Netlingo. Retrieved 4 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.netlingo.com/lookup.cfm?term=CSS
[4] Debolt. 2004.
[5] See footnote 3
[6] See footnote 2
[7] Kelly, B. 2006. “Use of Cascading Style Sheets”. UKOLN. Retrieved 4 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/qa-focus/documents/briefings/briefing-34/html/

Web Accessibility for Beginners

Until I began reading through the resources given by Brad on web accessibility, I had no idea such a concept even existed, let alone the fact that there was an entire initiative devoted to it. A little further research into the notion and this is what I managed to dig up:

Web accessibility basically refers to the ways in which people with disabilities can access the Internet[1]. Most web sites and web software have “accessibility barriers”[2], which prevent people with disabilities from accessing them. As a result, web accessibility guidelines and initiatives have been implemented in an attempt to provide disabled people with tools that will help them to “perceive, navigate, and interact with the Web.”[3]

It is important to note that the term “disability” not only refers to physical disabilities such as blindness or deafness, but also refers to people who are unable to access the web as a result of the physical environment in which they are situated. The latter particularly concerns the majority of people living in African countries, where high poverty levels have led to slow and expensive Internet connections.

So, now that we have an understanding of what web accessibility is, of what concern is it to me as a journalist?

The Internet has often been described as the democratic medium, allegedly providing information to all people and giving citizens a space to voice their concerns. There are certain groups of people, however, who have been marginalised as a result of their physical disabilities or their lack of socio-economic resources[4].

Journalists are not only responsible for the gathering and producing of news and information, but are also responsible for the dissemination of that news and information to all citizens. New media journalists are therefore faced with the challenge of providing information to all people in society by utilising a medium that has succeeded in excluding a large number of people.

By marginalising certain groups of people, information access technologies provide certain citizens with the information and, therefore, the power to make decisions regarding the societies in which they live. Similarly, in providing only a certain number of citizens with a digital platform by which to voice their concerns and opinions, the issues and concerns of marginalised groups remain unheard. As a result, new media journalists have a responsibility to utilise web accessibility tools and methods in an attempt to ensure that disabled people get equal access to essential information as well as equal access to the digital platform by which to voice their own concerns.

In South Africa, the biggest accessibility barrier is slow Internet connections due to high poverty levels. South African new media journalists, therefore, have a responsibility to ensure that their multimedia material and web pages are accessible to the greatest number of people quickly and cost-effectively. By utilising web accessibility tools, journalists can attempt to curb the marginality of certain groups of people.



[1] Henry, S. 2007. “Web Accessibility Initiative”. Web Accessibility Initiative. Retrieved 3 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.w3.org/WAI/
[2] See above
[3] See above
[4] Spence, C. 2006. “Information and Communications Technology: Challenges” National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. Retrieved 3 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ndi.org/globalp/ict/programs/challenges.asp

Tuesday, 06 March 2007

XHTML and Me

I have officially been battling with xhtml for nearly two weeks and it is both a frustrating and rewarding experience at the same time. I am a fast worker by nature and tend to be careless when it comes to the finer details and this, as I have learned the hard way, is not on in the world of markup languages.

This post is actually an extension of a previous one that looked at the relevance of journalists learning and utilising xhtml. One could argue that mastering the entangled mesh of codes and symbols is superfluous when web design programmes such as Macromedia Dreamweaver allow anyone to design a web page. However, as a journalism and media studies student who is required to learn xhtml as part of my course, I am going to stand firm in my previous assertion thatit is important for journalists to have a solid grasp of the technical language of xhtml and here’s why:

Niles[1] argues that by learning xhtml, journalism students are not only taught how to create web pages through hardcoding, but are also being taught and reminded of the important principles of journalism. An example that I have already mentioned, is precision. As a media producer, it is essential, when writing an article or taking a photograph, that the information being recorded and published is accurate. As a result, journalists need to be precise, not only in the gathering of information, but also in the actual production and distribution of that information. Xhtml is an intricate combination of codes and by leaving out the smallest, seemingly insignificant symbol can alter the entire layout of your web page. By learning to pay attention to detail, through the mastering of xhtml, journalists will be more accurate publishers of news and information.

Another reason to support the need for journalists to grasp xhtml is that it helps them to “develop the ability to understand a technical language”[2]. Journalists often have to engage with people and issues that they know very little about and they may not have an understanding of particular technical jargon that is used. Niles states that by learning a technical language like xhtml, journalists are given an opportunity to overcome their fear of technical jargon. It may also provide journalists with the ability to make sense of seemingly tedious jargonised information and documents. As a result of being able to better understand and interpret technical jargon, journalists will be better equipped to ask more informed questions and interrogate more effectively the nature of the information, thus providing a more well-rounded and thoroughly researched article.

Niles also says that by gaining an understanding of xhtml, journalists are able to set up web pages without having to buy expensive software. This is good news for journalists in African countries, who may not be able to afford the software. Many African journalists do not have Internet access in their newsrooms due to the cost of Internet connections. As a result, many of them access the Internet through Internet Cafes or through one computer in their newsroom. These computers may not have the web page design programmes on them, which may prove problematic for journalists who do not have a firm grasp of xhtml. However, with an understanding of xhtml, journalists can utilise simple programmes such as notepad, which is available on most computers, to set up web pages.

With regard to web accessibility, which will be discussed in greater detail in another post, by having a firm grasp of xhtml, journalists can develop and follow methods that promote web accessibility to people not only with physical disabilities, but also to those who struggle with slow Internet connections (Yes, Africa, I am talking to you).
By mastering xhtml, journalists are able to follow specific guidelines, like the ones suggested by Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0[3]. In order to make the web more accessible, journalists need to be able to identify and manipulate various xhtml elements. Henry[4] argues that by misusing markup language makes it difficult for users with specialised software to understand and navigate through the web pages.

In a continent that is hindered by increased poverty, Internet connections are costly and slow. As a result, the web is largely inaccessible to the majority of people living in African countries. By gaining an understanding of xhtml, as a journalist I am better suited to an African context because I will be able to use xhtml to make the web more accessible to users, shortening downloading time by replacing images with text equivalent elements, for example.
As a result, learning xhtml does not only have the ability to benefit the journalist, but it has the potential to provide people in Africa with better access to information.

[1] Niles, R. 2005. “From the Teaching Trenches: Hardcoding is Harder, but Results are Worth It”. USC Annenberg Online Journalism Review. Retrieved 3 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050113niles/
[2] See above
[3] Henry, S. 2007. “Web Accessibility Initiative”. Web Accessibility Initiative. Retrieved 3 March, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.w3.org/WAI/
[4] See above