Experiencing Flow

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Instead of using our physical and mental resources to experience flow, most of us spend many hours each week watching celebrated athletes playing in enormous stadiums. Instead of making music, we listen to platinum records cut by millionaire musicians. Instead of making art, we go to admire paintings that brought in the highest bids at the latest auction. We do not run risks acting on our beliefs, but occupy hours each day watching actors who pretend to have adventures, engaged in mock-meaningful action.

This vicarious participation is able to mask, at least temporarily, the underlying emptiness of wasted time. But it is a very pale substitute for attention invested in real challenges. The flow experience that results from the use of skills leads to growth, passive entertainment leads nowhere.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

8 media-related Zoom events in the next week: burnout, autism, pitches, social media, writing ledes, newsgathering rights, salary negotiations, and more

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Fri., April 22 - The Art of the Pitch

What: Coming up with a great idea is only half the battle. You’ll need to know how to effectively “pitch” it to get the funding and resources that you need to make it a reality. In this unique virtual event, Gina Matthews shares the secrets to crafting an entertaining pitch that will keep audience members on the edge of their seat.

Who: Producer Gina Matthews, Emmy Award-Winning UO alumna and Little Engine Productions Founder

When: 2 pm Central, 12 noon Pacific 

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: University of Oregon, Cinema Studies

More info

Sat., April 23 - Press Rights 101: Understand your newsgathering rights and limitations in California

What:  A leading media lawyer and press advocate will give a comprehensive overview of legal protections and practical considerations for covering protests, filming police in the field and more.

Who: Mickey Osterreicher, general counsel of the National Press Photographers Association. 

When: 12 noon Central, 10 am Pacific

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Los Angeles Press Club, Asian American Journalists Association, Los Angeles, California News Publishers Association, and other professional organizations. 

More info (RSVP required)

Mon., April 25 - Burnout Among Journalists

What: Journalism is a demanding and often emotionally draining job that can lead to burnout. Join the for an online session to discuss the signs of burnout and how to deal with it. LAPC President Lisa Richwine will lead a discussion with Kristin Neubauer who will discuss her own experience with burnout, provide an overview of scientific research on the topic and take questions from the audience. Time

Who: Kristin Neubauer, a Reuters television producer who has supported the mental health and wellbeing of journalists as global coordinator of the company's Peer Support Network.

When: 7 pm Central, 5 pm Pacific 

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Los Angeles Press Club

More info

Tues., Apr 26 - A Panel of Autistic Journalists

Who: Four autistic journalists – Eric Garcia, Sara Luterman, Zack Budryk and Charlie Stern

When: 5 pm Central, 3 pm Pacific 

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: The Columbia Journalism School Alliance of Journalists with Disabilities and the Columbia Student Disability Network

Registration  

Wed., April 27- How to Get Paid What You're Worth: Advocating for yourself and your career

What: Advocating for yourself in the news industry can feel overwhelming. You may be hesitant to ask for a raise, a promotion or even a new job opportunity, such as working on a podcast or a change in beats.  In this virtual panel, the panel will break down the best strategies for advancing at work, navigating salary negotiations and preparing for meetings with a boss.   

Who: 

Tre'vell Anderson, editor-at-large for Toronto’s Xtra magazine and co-host of two podcasts: 

Carolina Miranda, arts and urban design columnist for the Los Angeles Times

Joanne Griffith, chief content officer for APM Studios

When: 4:30 pm Central, 6:30 pm Pacific

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Society of Professional Journalists, Los Angeles Chapter 

More info

Fri., April 29 - Using the Tech Toolkit for Social Impact  

What: The diffusion of digitization and artificial intelligence have created both challenges and opportunities for society. This lecture outlines some of the opportunities for providing digital services that are more cost-effective and personalized to recipients in terms of content and convenience. Several research projects that involve creating, implementing, and evaluating digital technology will be discussed.

Who: Susan Athey, Economics of Technology Professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business, an elected member of the National Academy of Science, and the recipient of the John Bates Clark Medal.

When: 11 am Central, 9 am Pacific 

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: NYU's Business & Economic Reporting Program

More info

Fri., April 29 - Using ledes and nut grafs to attract and keep readers

What: Headlines may hook us, but ledes draw us in, and nut grafs keep us. As journalism changes, this is constant: Readers must know what’s at stake in a story and why it matters to them (or should).  This hour-long, hands-on workshop for reporters and editors will demonstrate how to make those stakes clear. 

Who: This workshop will be lead by Julie Moos, executive director of the National Press Club Journalism Institute. She is the former managing director at McClatchy. Moos also spent 11 years at the Poynter Institute.

When: 10:30 am Central, 8:30 am Pacific 

Where: Zoom

Cost: $25 for the general public, $20 for NPC members

Sponsor: National Press Club

More info

Fri., April 29 - Tools and Tales of Resilience

What: A discussion of the unique stressors faced by journalists with suggestions as to how to stay emotionally well while being witnesses and protagonists of unprecedented times.

Who: Erick Galindo - Five-time Telly Award-winning writer, director and producer  

Cheryl Aguilar - Director and Therapist at Hope Center for Wellness

When: 11:30 Central, 9:30 Pacific

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free for NAHJ members (join for $35) 

Sponsor: National Association of Hispanic Journalists

More info

The value of soft skills

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A soft skill enables you to interact well with others. It’s nontechnical and typically falls into categories such as communication and negotiation, adaptability and learning, teaching and training, and interpersonal abilities, including empathy. For organizations, developing and rewarding soft skills is becoming all the more crucial in our ever-automated world. Machines are getting smarter, and as they take over more basic, repetitive, and even physical tasks, the need for workers with social, emotional, and technological skills will be higher than ever.

McKinsey & Company

Learning about Making Infographics

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18 Impressive Data Visualization Projects

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Taking Pride in Doing Evil

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She was very much ashamed of being in jail—but of being a prostitute, not at all. On the contrary, she seemed rather pleased with herself and proud of her position. Yet, how could it be otherwise?

No man can play an active part in the world unless he believes that his activity is important and good. Therefore, whatever position a man may hold, he is certain to take that view of human life in general which will make his own activity seem important and good.

It is generally supposed that a thief, a murderer, a spy or a prostitute, knowing their occupation to be evil, must be ashamed of it. In point of fact, the case is precisely the reverse. Men who have been placed by fate and their own mistakes (or sins) in a certain position, however false, always adopt a view of life which makes their place in it good an appropriate.

To maintain this idea, men instinctively mix only with those who accept their view of life and of their place in it. This surprises us when thieves boast of their adroitness, prostitutes flaunt their shame, murderers gloat over their cruelty.

We are surprised, however, only because the circle, the sphere, of these men is limited, and principally because we are outside it; but does not the same state of things exist among the rich – who boast of their wealth, i.e., of robbery; the generals—who boast of their victories, i.e., of murder; the rulers—who boast of their power, i.e., of violence?

We do not recognize their ideas of life and of good and evil as perverted, only because the circle of men holding these perverted ideas is wider and because we belong to it ourselves.

Leo Tolstoy, Resurrection

Tuesday Tech Tools: 58 Data Visualization and Infographic Options

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Looking for some ways to tell your story through data? Here are 58 data visualization (or infographic) tools.

D3.js
A Javascript library to create data visualizations. Requires some developer skills to utilize since it requires coding. Very versatile. Examples. Free.

Adoptive Insights
Designed for business. Powerful but has a high learning curve. Cost on a case by case basis. Free trial available.

Animaker
Tool for making infographic videos with animated characters. Limited free version or accounts starting at $144 a year.

Bubbl
Create flow-charts for brainstorming and visualization. Limited options. Video explanation here.

Carto*
Perhaps the best interactive mapmaker but a high learning curve though more of a time investment than a technical-background requirement. No coding needed to look impressive. Used for location intelligence and and journalism alike. Free with paid plans. Video examples here.

Canva*
Create social media graphics, headers, slides, flyers, photo collages, posters, and infographics using drag-and-drop. 60k templates to pick from. Clip-art library available or upload your own images. Share to social media from the app or download a jpg, PDF, etc. for posting. Free or $12 a month for more options.

Chart Maker
Quickly make charts, graphs, etc.

Chartist.js
Simple responsive charts. Will change the way the data is displayed based on the size screen it's being viewed on.

Common Knowledge
A Google tool that quickly makes interactive charts from data which are embeddable. Free.

Comparea
See a visual comparison of two states, cities, countries or continents. Move them around.  It will also tell how many times bigger a geographic area is to another.

Daily Infographic
A new data visualization sample each day. Great way to get ideas.

Data Journalism
Examples, steps and video of how to create data visualizations.

Data Remixed
Blog about data visualizations by Ben Jones, an engineer in LA.

Data to Viz
A site that helps you find the right chart for your data.

Data Visual
Charts and graphs.  Templates or start from scratch.  A short video introduction here.

Data Wrangler
A tool created by Stanford University's Visualization Group for cleaning and rearranging data for other tools to use (such as a spreadsheet).  Does not actually visualizes your data, but preps it for use. This includes extracting, filling, dropping, merging and wrapping data points among other things. There's a learning curve, but it's free.

Data Wrapper*
Tool for journalists looking to create fast, easily-to-understand visualizations but useful for anyone. Easy to embed. Free version allows creation of 10k charts.

Domo
Business tool for creating visualizations. Fully mobile. Good collaboration capabilities. High learning curve. Not for beginners. Starting at $83 a month. Free trial available.

Dundas
Interactive visualizations. Lots of options. No 3-D charts or predictive analysis. Free trial but cost is on a case by case basis.

Easely.ly*
Create infographics. Video sample here.

Everviz (formerly Highcharts Cloud)
One of the easiest to use data visualizations tools. Not much customization. Free.

Florish*
A data visualization tool that makes it easy to create both standard charts and a mobile-friendly animated charts. Some customization available. Examples.

Flowing Data
Blog about how statisticians, designers, data scientists, and others use analysis, visualization, and exploration to understand data and ourselves.

FusionCharts
Chart making Javascript library that requires developer skills. Lots of customization. Starts at $199 a year.

Gephi
Social networking analysis tool to create interactive visualization. Impressive looking but has a steep learning curve. For anything complex you might need some specialist help. Free.

Google Public Data Explorer
Makes large datasets easy to explore, visualize and communicate. As the charts and maps animate over time, the changes in the world become easier to understand.

Graphiq
Data visualization tools. Formally FindTheBest. Not only are there design tools, there are many data sets available to work with.

High Charts
interactive JavaScript charts. Free.

iCharts
Data Visualization aimed at businesses--especially those looking to brand themselves. There's a free option (which allows for data interactivity, public sharing, and unlimited standard data sets) and a business plan that starts at $25 (offering features like private charts, custom templates, upload images and logos, download high-res images, large data sets, chartbooks, etc.

Infogram*
Infographic tool especially useful when working with complex data. No coding skills needed. Works with Google Sheets or Dropbox. Create interactive illustrations. 35 types of charts and 200 types of maps. Includes a built-in spreadsheet tool for data editing. Basic version is free but requires the Infogram logo. Upgrades run from $19 to $67 a month.

Meograph*
3D animation of people from 2D video of people. Video explanation.

NumberPicture
Create simple charts from your data using templates. Introductory video here.

PiktoChart*
Flat but beautiful interactive graphics. Easy-to-use. Video explanation.

Plotly
A good general-use data visualization tool offering many customizations and interactivity. Charts can be exported as images or embedded. A bit of a learning curve. Free with some paid plans.

Powtoon
Animated infographics web tool for creating videos. User-friendly basic cartoon software with plenty of templates and social integrations. The free version has company branding on it while the expensive pro plans start at $19 a month.

Projector
A Canva alternative design resource for non-designers. Video explanation here.

QGIS
Powerful mapmaking software with a high learning curve. The ‘GIS’ stands for geographical information system. Free.

R
This statistical computing language is geared toward data work and thus is the choice of many data scientists for data visualizations. High learning curve so you’ll need to work with a developer. Lots of tutorials and plugins. Very versatile. Free.

Raw Graphs
Built on D3.js but doesn’t require knowing code. Most of the charts are for obscure purposes. You’ll need a developer. An option when you want a unique visualizations for a big project and can spend a decent amount of time on it.

SavvyRoo
Place to create and share visual data. Watch a video explanation here.

Sisense’s  
Graphically represent your large data sets clearly and efficiently. Nice interface, limited type of visualizations. Free trial. Cost based on case by case basis.

Strip Creator
Create your own comic strip.

Story Maps 
A cutsom mapping visualization tool based on ArcGIS with more mapping options than StroyMap JS in the paid version. With simple to use templates, you can  “walk” your viewers through a map-based story.  Example.

StoryMap JS 
A simple mapping visualization tool produced by the Knight Lab at Northwestern for creating interactive maps and timelines. Based on Google's map software from OpenStreetMap. Does not require technical experience. Create slides and connect them on a map that can be embedded or upload your own basemap. Example. 

Tableau Public
Data visualization tools that are interactive. Maps, graphics, etc. Free. Samples.

Tableau Software
Easy to use, great capabilities. Popular but expensive. $70 each month.

Thinglink*
Create hot-spot graphics. Make images interactive by adding music, a voice over, and text.  Free . Sample.

TimeMapper
Timeslines and maps. Sample video here.

Vidi
Drupal-based embeddable modules.

Visage
Create infographics and interactive charts for websites and social media graphics. The free account allows for three images a month.

Visme
Create graphics just for a particular platform for social-specific content. Free.

Visual Editors
A visual editor promotes visual journalism literacy in graphics, photo, video and design.

Visual.ly
Create infographics and data visualizations.

Visualize Free
Upload a data set from a spreadsheet (or cut and paste) for charts, maps, diagrams, etc with a drag and drop designer. Registration needed for an account, but it is free). Lots of public-available data to work with (like data.gov). Uploads are private, so that other users cannot gain access to your data.

Vizualize.me
Create your infographic resume for free. Video introduction here.

Wolfram Alpha
Computational knowledge engine. Enter a search string and have immediate display of various pieces of information regarding that string. The Pro subscription allows users to input their own data and quickly converted into dynamic and interactive charts. The price tag is $4.99 a month and limited to twenty uploads each month.on. 

WTFViz
Visualizations that make no sense.

Zoho Reports
Analytics tool to design intuitive dashboards and data visualizations. Easy to learn. Beautiful graphics but limited customization. from $22 to $444 a month. Free trial.

More Tech Tools

The Upside of Impostor Syndrome

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In workplace settings, at least, those harboring impostor-type concerns tend to compensate for their perceived shortcomings by being good team players with strong social skills, and are often recognized as productive workers by their employers.  “People who have workplace impostor thoughts become more other-oriented as a result of having these thoughts,” says Basima Tewfik, an assistant professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management and author of a new paper detailing her findings. “As they become more other-oriented, they’re going to be evaluated as being more interpersonally effective.”

She adds, “What I don’t want people to take away is the idea that because people with impostor thoughts are more interpersonally effective, it’s not a problem.”

Peter Dizikes, MIT News

Forgiveness is...

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Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.” It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.” Forgiveness is the remedy. It doesn’t mean you’re erasing the past, or forgetting what happened. It means you’re letting go of the resentment and pain, and instead choosing to learn from the incident and move on with your life.

Remember, the less time you spend hating the people who hurt you, the more time you’ll have to love the people who love you.

Marc and Angel Chernoff

Accepting Forgiveness

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Imagine a man standing in the terminal with a ticket in his hand, refusing to enter the plane because he feels unworthy to fly! Such an attitude would prove that he doesn't understand the basis for his admittance to the plane. He would probably end up a nervous wreck and never get off the ground. He doesn't understand that his worthiness or unworthiness is not the issue; the ticket is what counts.

Think of the implications. If God (whose standards are far higher than ours) has completely forgiven and accepted us, why can we not accept ourselves? Why can we not believe His verdict in the matter and accept ourselves as He accepts us? If we have received the ticket, which Christ paid for on the cross, we have no need to feel unacceptable.

Edward Lutzer,  Failure: The Back Door to Success

The Game is only half over

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On New Year’s Day, 1929, a University of California football player named Roy Riegels made Rose Bowl history. He was playing defense when an opposing Georgia Tech player dropped eh ball. Roy grabbed the fumble and took off on a gallop for the end zone. The wrong end zone. For a moment, all the other players froze. Then, one of Roy’s own teammates, Benny Lom, took off in pursuit. After a spectacular fumble return of 65 yards, Lom caught and downed the confused Riegels just before he scored for his opponents. Cal took over the ball with their backs to their own goal line. Tech’s defense refused to give and California had to punt. But Georgia Tech blocked the kick in the end zone and scored a two-point safety (which was the ultimate margin of victory). That wrong-way run came shortly before the end of the second quarter. And as the teams left the field at halftime, everyone watching the Rose Bowl that day was wondering the same thing: “What will California Coach, Nibbs Price, do with Roy Riegels in the second half?”

The California players silently filed into the dressing room and found places to sit, on benches and floors. All of them except Riegels. He wrapped a blanket around his shoulders, sagged to the floor in the corner, put his face in his hands and cried like a baby. Football coaches usually have a great deal to say to their teams during halftime. But that day Coach Price was quiet. No doubt he was trying to decide what to do with Riegels. Finally, the timekeeper stuck his head in the dressing room and announced: “Three minutes till playing time.” Coach Price looked at his team, glanced over at Riegels and said simply, “Men, the same team that played the first half will start the second.”

The players stood and moved quickly for the door. All but Riegels. He didn’t budge. The coach looked back and called to him again: “Riegels.” Still he didn’t move. Coach Price walked slowly over to the corner, looked down and asked softly, “Roy, didn’t you hear me? I said, ‘The same team that played the first half will start the second.” Roy Riegels lifted his head. His eyes were red, his cheeks wet. “Coach,” he said, “I can’t do it. I’ve ruined you. I’ve ruined the University of California. I’ve ruined myself. I couldn’t face that crowd in the stadium to save my life.” Coach Price reached out, put his hand on the player’s shoulder and said to him, “Roy, get up and go on back; the game is only half over.” Roy Riegels went back out on that field. And the Georgia Tech players said afterward that they’d never seen anyone play as hard as Roy Riegels played that second half.

When I think of this story, I think “What a coach!” And then I think about all the big mistakes I’ve made in my life and how God is willing to forgive me and let me try again. I take the ball and run the wrong direction. I stumble and fall and am so ashamed of myself that I never want to show my face again. But God comes to me and bends over me in the person of his son Jesus Christ, and he says, “Get up and go back; the game is only half over.” This is the gospel of the second chance. Of the third chance. Of the hundredth chance. And when I think of that, I have to say, “What a God!”

author unknown

16 Video Recording/Streaming Options

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BeastCam
Video and photography capture app for iPhone users. Adjust focus, exposure, zoom, and white balance within the app. It recognizes external microphones.. More info here. $4.99.

Camtasia
Screen-recording application that’s adequate for its intended purpose: eLearning videos. Easy to use for quick videos but limited. Can be used for podcasting. Mac & PC. $249. 

Filmic pro* 
Powerful app for videography and photography. Lots of bells and whistles such as in-app stabilization. Possibly too much for the average person. Video explanation here. $14.99.

Hippo Video 
This Chrome extension is a screen recorder with some advanced features such as changing the resolution, aspect ratio, etc. Free.

IBM Cloud Video* (formerly Ustream) 
Desktop broadcasting of live video to the world from a computer or iPhone (or watch thousands of shows).  30 day free trial, then monthly plans from $99 to $999 for pros, top subscription $2k and up.

Loom
This Chrome extension is a screen recorder with some advanced options. No limit on the number of videos you can make. Free. 

Narrative
Wearable camera that takes a photo or video every minute and creates a video at the end of the day (without using the repetitive shots). No work for the wearer. $199.

Nimbus
This Chrome extension is a screen recorder which also allows users to shoot a video with a webcam or take screenshots. Free. 

Quicktime
Use to record video from your webcam and Skype interviews. 

Rock Content (formally Scribble Live)
Live-streaming. Create, curate and publish content to provide real time coverage and storytelling. Fee.

Skyflow
A professional time-lapse video camera app for iOS that lets you pick the playback speed. Choose video resolution and format, motion blur, light trail effects, HDR, etc. Here is a tutorial. Free. 

Skype 
An advantage to using Skype for video conferencing is the ability to record video interviews. Afterward, you open Skype on a desktop and download your video as an .MP4 file. If you just want the audio you can extract it by importing the file into software like Adobe Premiere Pro or the free editing program Audacity.

TechSmith (formally Jing)
A free, easy-to-use screen capture application. Snap a screenshot or record a video, save and share. capture a presentation, lecture, or event. 

TiltShift Video 
Create the tilt-shift effect for photos and video. No in-app camera to shoot video and no sharing options. $3.99.

Webex
Cisco’s video conferencing software. Easy-to-use, nothing to download. Several pricing plans-but not cheap.

More video tools

Reasonable Evil

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A couple of old-time Baptist deacons approached me after seeing a performance of an Easter drama that I had written about Judas Iscariot. I expected complaints. The focus was on what might have caused the disciple to turn against Jesus. One of them said, "What Judas did really made sense. It was the reasonable thing to do."

They got it. The bad guy doesn't always wear a black hat, yell at old ladies, or steal treats from little children. Judas might have done what seemed reasonable to him. Perhaps he thought giving Jesus a little shove would force the reluctant king into taking his rightful place. What seemed like the right thing to do could have been completely wrong.

Evil doesn’t always show up in outrageous clothing. An obvious temptation is not nearly as difficult to brush aside as an evil that approaches us clothed in common sense.

Stephen Goforth