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Welcome to Journosaur Park

How ‘Old School’ Journalism & Analog Technology are Meaningful in a Digital Age

JOURNOSAUR_PARK3The Journosaur Project started with the notion that what is old is new again…. that “old school” methods and practices for journalism are still viable in today’s digital world.  While the methods of communication have become hyper-charged in the era of the internet, the essence of what journalists do and how they practice their craft still is rooted in storytelling and a search for the truth. Like most contemporary projects, however, the Journosaur Project started with a Facebook invitation for veterans of many changes to tell their stories and provide insights as to what practices have endured and still serve us well. There will be more to come. Drop by and visit us from time to time. We promise the Journosaurs don’t bite.

Graphic guide to symbols in the cemetery

atlas-obscura-cemetery

Via Atlas Obscura

When one visits New Orleans the sense of history is palpable… for the living and the dead.

Due to the Sea Level or below nature of the Big Easy, getting buried was entirely above board –or at least above ground.

Ornate and festooned cemeteries provide a stony history of the city’s residents. Clues to what these places tell us in New Orleans and elsewhere rests, perhaps eternally rests, with the symbols chosen to embellish eternity.

Thanks to Atlas Obscura for shedding light on the symbols.

Darkroom processes a dying art…

The “gold standard” today for photographic ethics is that documentary photos should be enhanced no more than what would be normally permissible in the darkroom. As this article explore, what was permissible in the darkroom at a premier agency like Magnum was, at times, extensive formulas for getting just the right print. Would this be considered excessive photo manipulation today?

Fascinating read.

Magnum and the Dying Art of Darkroom Printing

As Magnum’s printer, Inirio gets to work with some of photography’s most iconic images.

In his small darkroom, the prints lying casually around include Dennis Stock’s famous portrait of James Dean in Times Square…

A few seconds of dodging here, some burning-in there. Will six seconds be enough to bring out some definition in the building behind Dean? Perhaps, depending on the temperature of the chemicals.

 

WTF — What The Font

In the Journosaur’s day there was one simple rule:

wtf_tips

What the Font at MyFont.com provides use font matching service

Whoever died with the most fonts was the winner.

The world of web interconnectivity never ceases to amaze. Don’t know what font you are looking for? Simple, upload a sample and get WTF’s opinion.

I’ve tried this font finder and it works surprisingly well. And, it’s free. CLICK HERE to give What The Font at MyFonts.com a try.

What to do and what not to do regarding copyright law

Repetition is a key to knowledge. Take copyright law, please.

CopyRight

Via SheOwnsIt.com

In many years advising young journalists, the Journosaur could not repeat often enough that it was impermissible to gather images and content from any source without proper acknowledgment, credit and in many cases, payment.

The advent of the interwebs, with the ease in accessing content, makes it important to repeat the lesson frequently.

In most cases, journalists can use brief portions of content in the interest of providing fair comment and criticism. The temptation to access more is strong indeed.

Shelley Webb at SheOwnsIt.com provides a useful revisit to internet etiquette that will help keep content creators on the right path.

12 letters that didn’t make the cut for our alphabet

If it was up to the Journosaur, the Ampersand would be the 27th letter of the alphabet.

Ampersand

Via MentalFloss.com

For all of their fossilization, Journosaurs are willing to walk to the edge what is — or is not –considered proper use of language.

It could be worse.

There might have been 38 characters instead of the friendly 26 had a few more linguistic imperatives made the cut as this story in Mental Floss points out.

‘Average Woman’s Magazine’ a brilliant parody

ViaTwitter_TechncallyRon

Brendan McGinley via Twitter @TechnicallyRon

In the Journosaur’s day, one would have to had scoured the pages of Mad and Cracked Magazines to find such an epic take on the formula that molds other media. In this case a 2010 formulation for the prototypical women’s magazine spring forward from the brain of Brendan McGinley. Take a look. Like most parodies, this one rocks because it is filled to the brim with truth.