Multimedia Reporting

HOST: In the age of concert resurgence since the silence of COVID-19, Ticketmaster has been the primary place to go when purchasing tickets. In 2010, the company merged with LiveNation. Ticketmaster’s rise to dominance in the industry raised concerns about its monopoly power. It’s been known to have high service fees and a lack of competition. A dispute in the 1990s highlighted these concerns. As history slowly repeats itself, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour caused an uproar that brought back into the conversation as to whether “should we be relying on Ticketmaster, for live events”. Adriana Pipkins spoke with a duo of concert-goers about their experiences navigating the ticket-buying process as well as discussed the history of faults within the brand. 

 TRACK: “I am here with Ryane Zamora, who will be telling her side of the successes she achieved that is trying to purchase tickets”.

ACT: RYANE: “The most challenging Ticketmaster experience I had was purchasing tickets to see Harry Styles’ at Madison Square Garden. I think it was challenging in the aspect of there was such a high demand”. 

TRACK/SOUND: “Harry Styles 15 show residency at Madison Square Garden was one of the hottest concerts during 2022. He was the first artist to sell out 15 shows in a row at the venue”. 

ACT: RYANE: “I had signed up for every single of the pre-sale registration. So every single night I signed up for and I was able to get two presale codes”

TRACK: “Presale codes are codes that are randomly given to fans before general public sale. Though they don’t guarantee your tickets, it betters your chances. Speaking of things to do ahead of time. Ryane has a vital piece of information to add”.

ACT: RYANE: “I feel like if you have like 4,000 people ahead of you, it’s just best to refresh because it’s like randomized”

TRACK: “The controversy of Ticketmaster truly globalized once fans turned to social media to express their frustration towards the company. During the sale of Harry Styles tour, the hashtag “# HarryStylesTickets’ gathered up to 8.2 million views. Even one user showed that the average ticket price is over $600, and one seat goes for more than $3,000”.

ACT: RYANE: “The SZA ones I was just placed in such a lower spot in the cue and I ended up getting really expensive like nosebleed tickets, that I ended up selling back eventually”

TRACK: “So even with someone who can get tickets to such an in-demand event, inconsistencies can still sabotage anyone’s chances”. 

TRACK: “In the 90’s, the rock band Pearl Jam decided to take a stand against Ticketmaster due to their unfair ticket prices given out regarding their tour”. 

TRACK/SOUND: “Aerosmith’s manager at the time, Tim Collins in the court hearing of 1994, sided with the band’s lawsuit against the company and said, “Steven Tyler, Aerosmith’s lead singer said to me ‘Mussolini may have made the trains run on time but not everyone could get a seat on that train, that’s the problem that Aerosmith and I have with Ticketmaster. Yes, they have an efficient and profitable system, but its monopolistic aspects are unfair and hurtful”.

TRACK: “Easing even further on the failures that are often followed by ticket purchasing. As I sit down in his dorm, Noah tells me how in his journey of obtaining tickets, he had many conflicts to overcome”. 

ACT: NOAH: “Most recently when I was trying to buy tickets for Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS tour, I was initially put on the ‘waitlist’. I think it wasn’t until the morning of the presale, like literally like two hours before the presale went live. Ticketmaster sent me a presale code. So I didn’t have any time to prepare at all for the presale”. 

TRACK: “Ticketmaster is known for its lateness in getting specific materials to fans. Sending late codes is just one of them”.

ACT: NOAH: “There was however many thousand people ahead of me in line, and then by the time I got to the part when you enter and you can like pick your seats. Ticketmaster literally froze. I was too afraid to refresh the page”.

TRACK: “Even with all of Ticketmaster’s faults, it remains king as one of the world’s largest ticket marketplaces”. 

ACT: NOAH: “I haven’t tried to get tickets off any site like I do know that there’s like StubHub or like VividSeats. Truthfully just because I don’t trust them. I’ve always heard of people getting scammed”.

TRACK: “In 2022, the Better Business Bureau received over 140 reports on BBB Scam Tracker about ticket scams. Scams are especially likely on sites such as StubHub, due to the company’s reputation for being a reselling platform overall”. 

TRACK: “Change is demanded. The Justice Department is working to file a lawsuit this fall that claims the giant’s abuse of power. With worldwide attention only increasing, we hope that ticket purchasing can be a simplified process that helps more than less. I’m Adriana Pipkins with Baruch College”. 

LINK: https://on.soundcloud.com/6BeLr

Host Intro: Rite-Aid on Grand Street in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan closed its doors permanently in the Spring of 2023. Journalism student Ricardo Nenadich decides to investigate on how this closure is affecting customers and its once active staff. It should be noted that this closure makes it more difficult for patrons to collect their medications, prescriptions and other essentials. I talked with with former Rite-Aid employee Dominick Sanchez (40) and customer Zoraida Santana (71) to learn how these closures have affected them.

Ambi: The sound of a fan running in the background.

Track: I am here with Dominick Sanchez who worked for the now shuttered Rite Aid pharmacy for 10 years. 

Act: Dominick: Yes, I worked in the stock room and when I learned that Rite Aid was closing I was very angry and upset because I come to have a very good relationship with the staff and the other employees and I was very hurt and devastated when they told me the news they were closing.

Track: He shares how he was laid off and the impact it took on him and his family. 

Act: Dominick: It was really hard for me and my family, my wife works and my income was also helping to contribute we were both making our ends meat and taking care of our kids and now with me being laid off it’s really difficult on the family and difficult on the kids unemployment is helping a little bit but it’s not the same as a steady paycheck.

Track: Dominic says the rise in crime and the pandemic really hurt the store and pharmacy. 

Act: Dominick: The crime really contributed to a lot of what went on with Rite Aid and it was really sad to see all these people coming in and stealing and  just various reasons why they were stealing everybody had a different story I really felt bad for the security guards and the managers it was a really difficult time the pandemic didn’t help at all it just made things worse and it just was really bad for everybody involved it was just a really sad thing to witness and watch.

Track: Dominick also talked about the changing face of the neighborhood and how local businesses like Rite Aid are being pushed out.

 Act: Dominick: I grew up on the Lower East Side and a lot of friends and family over the years have witnessed how different the neighborhood has changed and all the different developments and all new high rises coming up even the Rite Aid location where I worked is slated to become a new high rise building and its just been very difficult to witness and look at how the neighborhood has changed significantly and it’s really sad having been in this neighborhood all my life and now seeing what’s going on.

Ambi: The sound of a TV playing in the background.

Track: I am now here with Zoraida Santana, she was left to find a new pharmacy when her neighborhood Rite Aid closed its doors last spring. 

Act: Zoraida: Yeah Rick, I was very unhappy to hear. The Rite Aid closed, since this store was the closest to us in the neighborhood. We depend on Rite Aid for medication as well as other essentials.

Track: Zoraida says she misses having Rite Aid pharmacy in the neighborhood. She explains that not only did she fill her prescriptions there but she also purchased other essentials.

Act: Zoraida: I really miss Rite Aid. It was my favorite store to get my prescriptions and to get all of my other essentials. I truly miss Rite Aid

While major pharmacy chains are struggling to stay open,  there are many like Rite Aid that are closed in neighborhoods that desperately need them. For Baruch College I’m Ricardo Nenadich.

Intro to Video Journalism

With video, we build on the compositional techniques of photography and the structural, storytelling aspects of audio with one obvious additional element: Motion.

How does video storytelling for the web and mobile differ from TV and film?

• Need to be CLOSER to your subject. Web videos are smaller and more compressed.
• A large percentage of online viewers bail on a video within 10 seconds. So you don’t have a lot of time to grab your viewers and make sure they stick around.

How important is audio?

Good audio is of paramount importance. If you have low-quality video and good audio, the video will still be watchable. If you have gorgeous visuals but terrible audio, it will not.

Shooting Your Video

There are two main components to any video: your interviews and your B-roll. The rules of composition we learned for photography (thirds, colors, patterns, symmetry, etc.) all apply here, but you also need to keep an eye out for motion. Tracking shots involve following the action with your camera, while static shots involve keeping your camera still, but that doesn’t mean there’s no motion involved; you might just be letting the action go in and out of the frame.

As with the photo essay, since you will be shooting on your phones for this assignment, it is hugely important that you DO NOT SHOOT VERTICALLY.

What is B-roll? And what difference does it make?

A big difference.

Things to keep in mind while you’re shooting B-roll:

1. Shoot more than you think you’ll need.
2. Get a variety of shots. Close-up, medium, wide, detail shots, static shots, tracking shots.
3. Use a tripod whenever possible. If you don’t have one or you’re shooting in a mobile, chaotic situation, be resourceful about stabilizing your shots.
4. Think about your interviews and let them inform your B-roll shooting decisions. Look for shots that illustrate what the person is talking about.
5. Hold your shot longer than you think you need to. A good rule of thumb is to hold it for at least 10 seconds (AFTER it’s already steady).

Things to keep in mind when you’re shooting your interviews:

1. Frame the shot with your subject on one of the thirds, angled so that they’re looking slightly INTO the frame. Have them look at you, not at the camera, so be mindful of where you are sitting. It’s a bit intense when someone looks directly into the camera.
2. If you’re working with a translator, be mindful that the subject will want to look at them, so make sure they are positioned in the ideal place to draw the person’s gaze.
3. Prioritize good audio.
4. Make sure their face is lit, but not too harshly.
5. Think about composing the shot in a way that allows for some negative space where the Lower Third will eventually go.

When is narration necessary?

Sometimes, you can let the subjects of your video tell the story all on their own — as long as you edit with care, presenting what they’ve told you in a way that makes narrative sense. One benefit of non-narrated videos is that they can feel more organic. There’s no disembodied voice stepping in to tell the story, which keeps the focus on the characters in the story.

But sometimes, for clarity’s sake or for stylistic reasons, narration is necessary, or text.

Narrated videos

Text-Narrated videos

These are more and more popular thanks to social media distribution because they automatically start playing as you scroll through your feed and they can be watched without sound.

Non-Narrated videos

Islamic exorcisms used as a ‘cure’ for homosexuality in Indonesia: ‘If I am Muslim, I can’t be gay’

(Note! I sent the actual recording to you through email.)

Host Intro: As long as you’re living, birthdays happen to everyone, every year. But the emotions attached to this special day seem to differ from person to person. Birthdays can bring some people bouts of fear and loneliness and bring others feelings of hope and excitement. Alexyss Hadden spoke to a person whose birthday is just a few days away to get her opinion on the subject.

TRACK: I’m sitting with Marty Delsoto in her living room as she watches her comfort show, The Great British Baking Show, and winds down for the night. She is 41 years old and less than a week away from 42. She begins by sharing how she feels about birthdays.

ACT: MARTY: I feel both excited, because my birthday is near Halloween, so I get to do kinda, you know, out-of-the-box things. And I also feel like they come and go too quickly so it’s bittersweet. So I’m in my 40s now and I feel like it’s just a reminder that I’m getting older and it seems like one birthday to the next, it happens in the blink of an eye so it’s teaching me to enjoy each year to the best of my ability because they come too quickly. 

TRACK: Although the years seem to pass by too fast, she has still found a way to take something positive from each one through lessons.

ACT: MARTY: One thing I learned from this past year is one to set boundaries, teach people how to treat you. Even loved ones tend to overstep at times and you have to let people know where you’re at, as well, because they don’t always want to hear your story and your venting, but when it comes to them they want to be, you know, they want your full attention so I am now setting boundaries.

TRACK: As she brings the power of setting healthy boundaries with her, she has another goal for this upcoming year.

ACT: MARTY: What I hope for the new year is for me to be more present and put my cellphone to the side a bit more so this way I am fully experiencing my experiences, and fully experiencing my family and friends and creating memories without all the clutter.

TRACK: Birthdays come and birthdays go. But like any situation, if you can find the light (of say, a candle on top of a cake), you can see birthdays for what they really are – another year to grow, learn, and enjoy this world. For Baruch College, I’m Alexyss Hadden.

AMBI: Netflix Sound (ta-dum) / TV playing very low in the background

*The interviewee’s name was changed to protect her privacy.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NQExGo7FxS_ICvP3r0lQkBCNtyQxO2Hf-FJtBZzJ5mI/edit?usp=sharing

Reminder that your scripts for your actual radio assignment are due Thursday, Nov. 2. Please sign up for a script editing session with me that day here.

Tuesday, Nov. 7 will be a production day in class when you can work on editing your radio stories with my assistance and advice.

The final radio story, along with script, edited audio, and one photo, should be posted to the class blog by class time on Thursday, Nov. 9.

HOST INTRO: As a CUNY, Baruch College is known to be a commuter school. However, students can find a deep sense of community and belonging through campus activities such as cultural clubs like the Himalayan Club or business professional clubs like IMG. I spoke with Stephanie Gabriel, Ascend’s President, to discuss how clubs have cultivated community on campus. 

Track: I’m here with Stephanie on the third floor of Baruch’s Newman Vertical Campus where the club suites are located. Typically up to four clubs are placed in one suite and share the room throughout the semester. 

ACT STEPH: The club suites are the best places to make friends and get involved with campus life. Sharing rooms means a mix of clubs that serve a unique purpose to Baruch’s student life.

Track: She explains that every club does something different 

ACT STEPH: Ascend is a business social club meant to serve the pan-Asian community through connections and professional development, however, over time we have expanded to be an all-encompassing club. But we are one of the biggest pan-Asian organizations on campus. So as President, I am responsible for overseeing our 5 committees which include tech, social, fundraising, marketing, and professional. These committees host related workshops, plan events, and so on. Typically each committee has about 10 members. We’re a very big club. 

Track: The committees bring together like-minded individuals who can connect socially and learn to network professionally. 

ACT STEPH: Our purpose is to create a community, a safe space, with the addition of preparing our members for the professional world. Every club pretty much functions in a similar way but with its own unique goals. We also have a program called the Legacy Leadership Program which helps with career development through workshops and training. There’s just opportunity everywhere at Baruch. Some clubs are more professional and serious, some are more relaxed, and some are both. I think Ascend balances out the best of both worlds. 

Track: Ascend is just one of many Baruch clubs that bring together students from all walks of life. There is a wide variety of opportunities for students to find their footing on campus. For Baruch College, I’m Sarah Gabriel.

HOST INTRO: With the sticky New York summer melting into fall, everyone has a preferred season. Cali Snyder sits down with Zey Yavuz to discuss the best season.

TRACK: I’m here with Zey Yavuz, my roommate and btw friend, in our Ridgewood Queens apartment, as the crisp October air sneaks inside through a cracked window.

ZEY: I think that fall is the best season because you get to wear layers and you get to wear boots and also it’s really nice out so you can like spend time outside but it’s not like an uncomfortable heat.

TRACK: Next up, Zey appreciates the other transition season. The extreme seasons come dead last for her.

ZEY: I would do fall the I would do spring then summer then winter.

TRACK: Zey turns the mundane conversation into a competition.

ZEY: I wish we had more seasons to rank.

TRACK: She is not excited for the rude awakening that is winter, but she will enjoy the fall for now. This is Cali Snyder with Baruch reporting. Happy Fall.