Multimedia Convergence

Today.com is the go to source for Today Show viewers to find a story they may have missed online, get a link to the best sites for holiday shopping, or re-watch the adorable video of Santa Claus signing to a deaf child. To ensure that Todays' TV viewers will also be a part of their website following, the shows hosts will announce at the end of a segment that viewers can read more, find a recipe, or re-watch a clip again, all on today.com.

 

Almost every top story of the day, in every section (news, lifestyle, parenting, health, etc.), there is a written article, accompanied by photos or screen shots of social media pages with hyperlinked words, as well as the video segment seen on TV. This use of multimedia makes a story come alive on the screen for a viewer. They are able to pause at each photo laced in between the article, read the article that gives a synopsis of the video segment, or simply watch the segment.

 Additionally, some articles use video, photo, written articles, social media links, and interactive graphics such as a voting poll (as discussed in interactivity). Using all of these media forms to explain one story makes it easier for a viewer to fully understand every aspect. Today.com’s greatest strength is its ability to promote its on-air video segments with highlights written out in the article and photos for added flare. Giving viewers the option of how they receive their information through this convergence, makes its pages more user-friendly and interchangeable.

Interact with Today.com

In comparison to sites like nytimes.com, with its interactive maps and vibrantly moving graphics to tell a story, today.com seems to lack in the interactivity department.

Today.com is very user-friendly site, with accessibility to videos, and quick links to articles viewers may be looking for. However, it lacks in its ability to use a great amount of multimedia and graphics.

An important aspect of a site’s interactivity is not being strictly content driven, because the reader needs to see what they are reading. Normally an interactive graphic will found within a multimedia article, like the stories within the multimedia stories on nytimes.com. I was able to find an interactive map after using today.com’s search bar. An article or any other content did not accompany this interactive map, which can be another aspect of various interactive stories as well, however seemed lackluster to me compared to the pieces that included an article, photos, and possibly a video.

Most of today.com’s interactivity stems from interactive maps covering a variety of topics, however there was one interactive graphic that caught my attention: a voting poll. In a recent article discussing the candidates for TIME’s 2015 Person of The Year, today.com posted an interactive voting poll, in which site viewers can select who they believe should be the winner.

After they cast their vote, viewers can see the latest results. I found this interactive aspect to be not only beneficial to the viewers but also to today.com who broadcasted this interactive option of their live show most likely sparking an increase site viewer number.

Because today.com is a site that stems from its television show counterpart, it is not surprise that content on today.com is not full of widely interactive multimedia articles. That being said, if today.com were to incorporate a multimedia section to their site, viewers may be inclined to stay online after they re-watch that video of how to stay skinny for the holidays! 

When a Caffeine Fix Turns to Caffeine Addiction: a look into caffeine abuse on college campuses

Historically, college students and caffeine have shared a close relationship because of their inherent need for the other. Increased workload and stress need energy and energy means caffeine. But how much is too much when it comes to a quick pick-me-up, and, is it actually helping us study? 

The national recommended caffeine intake is roughly 200-300 milligrams, or three cups, a day. Comparatively, from Marshall University to the University of Kentucky, college students consume over five times this amount. This number increases further during periods of heightened stress, such as finals week.

Roughly 30 percent of students drink 3 or more cups of coffee before completing an exam or project
Source

Caffeine intake is intensified across college campuses because of the heightened stress that students are under. Students at the University of New Hampshire say that they rely more heavily on caffeinated products in their daily routines because of their hectic schedules of balancing exams, homework, and socializing.

The number one reason for caffeine consumption is to feel more alert

Boston University students share that sentiment. "I almost never drink caffeine," said Rivkah Smith (SAR '17). "The only time I rely on it is during finals." 

Smith studies in Mugar Library with Starbucks in hand

Students at The University of Kentucky cite similar trends to the above campuses. According to a study conducted by Dr. Melody Noland and doctoral student Gary Eugene McIlvain, more than 78 percent of students at UK consume above the recommended 200mg of caffeine per day. On average, students are consuming three to five times more than this recommendation. Noland finds that the most significant contributing factors to UK's increased caffeine intake are focus, to stay awake and remain alert.

Caffeine consumption at American University has received so much attention that psychology professor Laura Juliano released a study that indicates that more people are dependent on caffeine and suffer withdrawal symptoms than ever before. Juliano says that the solution is to treat caffeine addiction like any other drug addiction - with psychological therapy.

Caffeine Use Disorder causes physical dependence and caffeine intoxication

NPR shared survey data from the NPD group that shows a drastic increase in caffeine consumption, namely coffee, in 18-24 year-olds. In ten years, from 2002 to 2012, coffee consumption in this age group jumped to 39 percent from 25 percent. 

While college students find that quick pick-me-up all too alluring during times of high stress, too much of it can warrant undesirable side effects.

According to NPR, coffee is getting in the way of a good night's sleep for college student and directly affects academic performance. Aside from keeping students awake, too much caffeine consumption can lead to anxiety and raised tension and blood pressure.

The way in which college students consume caffeine - all day, every day - makes them extremely susceptible to caffeine addiction. 

Katya Gonzalez-Willett, a junior at BU (QSB '17) warns, "Caffeine is not worth the complications; I used to live on diet soda, especially around finals time. It started causing all kinds of stomach problems, so my doctor said I had to stop." 

Caffeine addiction can destroy the stomach lining, leading to constant discomfort

According to Business Insider, some campuses are more jittery than others. Data from GrubHub shows that some students pack up to 10 percent of their online food orders with coffee, espresso and energy drinks. The delivery site ranked the student bodies with the highest percentage of their total orders that contain caffeinated beverages.

GrubHub finds that the most common caffeinated orders are vanilla lattes and Red Bulls

94 percent of college students admit to consuming caffeine on a daily basis, making it the most widely used drug on college campuses.

Today's Video Reporting

A daily live broadcast news show and video reporting? Yes I would say those two go hand-in-hand. Everything that takes place and is seen on air during the show can be found almost instantly on today.com. As variety news program, today.com has video that ranges from how-to reports to avoid holiday weight gain, to the top headlines of the day, or even the dangers of this year’s hottest holiday gift. A recent video report covered the presidential address and D.C reaction to the San Bernardino shooting.

 

Video reports can be done in regular news report fashion, or in other formats such as supercuts, B-roll reports, a subject-narrated report, a mobile social video, a how-to, or a wrap. Surprisingly enough today.com as video content that covers each of these formats.

Additionally, user-generated video is very popular within today.com’s video content. Most user-generated videos can be found as video clips within full video reports, however there are certain cases in which the user-generated video is the story itself. Today.com will posted social media site links with a user-generated video. 

Most of Today’s Shows on-air video reports are regular news reports, covering the major news locally, nationally, and internationally. However, because Today is a family based news program there are also various subject-narrated reports that usually cover a family going through a rough time, or a light-hearted feel good story.

In general video reports make up the majority of today.com. Whether it is a headlining story encompassing a video and written article, or clips from the live shows in the ‘video’ section on today.com, users can get their fill of video reporting daily on today.com

Audio Reporting on Today.com (or lack there of)

As a live news program, most of the Today Show's content is comprised of video reports, on-air interviews and performances; audio is a vital part of the show and today.com. On today.com viewers can find video clips covering just about any report from the live shows, as well as links to other video streaming sites that may have been used on the show.

I was unaware today.com had any sort of audio only reports, seeing as most of its content is video based. However, with a research I came to find that today.com does in fact offer audio reporting podcasts. The audio reports encompass news straight from NBC news along with celebrity interviews, newsmakers and more. The podcasts are uploaded every weekday after 11 a.m. According to the information posted to Today.com, listeners can get the full first hour of the Today Show by subscribing to the Video or Audio podcast offering systems.

Much to my demise when I attempted to open the podcast link in iTunes I was unable to find the podcast and iTunes informed me that the episodes from Today were currently not available in the U.S. Aside from Today Show podcasts, today.com has a page dedicated to NBC, MSNBC, and NBCNews.com, podcasts links in which users can find other news based audio reports with the latest news from NBC. Although, according to the above photo "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams" is  still posted with Brian Williams as the host, whom for several months now as not been. This led me to believe that the page may not be as updated as it could be.  It is possible that today.com felt its viewers would be more inclined to search for video clips, and not audio-only reports. 

Audio reporting, though not a major part of news coverage for today.com, is still available (apparently everywhere but the United States, however that glitch could be caused by failing technology) for those you prefer audio only news on the go, and if updated with proper links could be a great source for up-to-date news podcasts. 

Black Friday Vs. Cyber Monday: How Tradition is Changing and Staying the Same

Holiday shoppers hope to see deals on everything from cashmere sweaters to home décor to save the extra buck, making the holiday sales more crucial than ever. The NRF noted that many Americans are spending more money on themselves and their families this year and often shop from home.

According to the National Retail Federation, the online shopping trend has rapidly increased since 2008. Everything is about convenience, and in this day and age using mobile devices to shop and avoid the anxious holiday shoppers has trafficked nearly 13.6 billion online shoppers throughout the weekend.

Many retailers continue to offer deals in advance of Thanksgiving, taking away from the weekend shopping extravaganza. Black Friday continues to be domineered by mobile shopping, Internet sales, and eager consumers, causing many to stay home with the turkey and their iPhones rather than venture out to busy stores.

Time for a quick history lesson.

Up until the 1990’s retail was a brick and mortar store or stores placed catalog sales by mail or telephone. When AOL began selling its proprietary online services, it paved the way for sale expansion. By the mid 1990s, eCommerce began taking place, and many online transactions became more and more popular. When people had slow dial-up connections at home back in the early 2000s, they would go to work to get a high-speed Internet connection to shop on the Monday after Thanksgiving. These retailers caused a spike in digital and the NRF later coined the phrase “Cyber Monday” and then created a site, cybermonday.com.

Amazon has been giving some of its best deals on its mobile app and Apple users are buying apple products from their apple devices, according to Forbes.

However, many consumers have rotated between computers, mobile devices, and their feet to reach the best deals. These “omni-channel” sales caused 151 million people to shop this weekend, according to a recent survey by the NRF. JC Penney gave the online retailers a run for their money as it offered the biggest average savings mainstream retailer.

The store chain was amongst the earliest to open, starting sales at 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. But this wasn’t the case for many stores, adding a twist in Massachusetts. The state’s Blue Laws restrict business openings on Sunday and Holidays, forcing many to shop at home or to shop throughout the weekend.

The trend of Black Friday and Cyber Monday continues to go hand in hand as the percentage of online holiday shopping continues to increase. While online sales are about 10% of retail sales overall, they jump to 15% during the holiday months, and will continue to progress as more consumers reach for their mobile devices.