Fact-checking, a Bilingual Weekly and my Birthday

Access’ teammates must finish their feature story edits and fact-checking this week. Fact-checking is an important aspect in magazine publication because a magazine's credibility can be damaged if it publishes incorrect facts or statements. The editors are calling sources to confirm quotes, checking Web sites and other sources to confirm quotes, etc. The fact-checking process should be completed by April 26.

As far as my experience with fact-checking goes, well let's just say that my writer, Truth Esguerra has once again failed to give me a headache when it comes to dealing with his story. I checked the Web sites that he provided as sources and sure enough, his facts were accurate. I e-mailed his source and asked if their quotes for the story were accurate. To my astonishment, the sources replied within a day and confirmed that what they said in the article was true.

I also got to see the pictures of the King Crew, a break-dancing group, performing. I only wish I could have been there when the pictures were taken.

The front-of-book and back-of-book departments are also busy checking and editing their stories. The titles and decks for each story have also been chosen. A deck is a brief sentence that introduces the story to the reader.

Our online chief, Lesger, has been busy designing the online version of Access magazine. Complete details of the Web site can not be disclosed at the moment but the wait will be well worth it.

In other news, not Access related but still very exciting, I received an internship to work with El Observador this summer. El Observador is a bilingual Hispanic newspaper that focuses on getting the Hispanic community to communicate with each other. I am very excited about this opportunity.

Oh, yeah, there's even more good news!!!!! It's not journalism related, but that's OK. My grand and epic 25th "birrrrrrffffffday" is this Saturday. This extraordinary extravaganza was first going to be held at the Cinebar. But my posse and I go there all the time, so we're pretty much Cinebared-out at the moment. The location of the celebration of my big day is yet to be determined. Either way, the event is going to be a memorable one. Or should I say forgettable :-) NO!!!!! NO!!!!! NO!!!!! Those day are long gone now.

Jokes, the Cover and Titles

Professor Fosdick proposed jokes as each meeting's icebreaker. Then he places a small black box containing a few rocks, which connects to a rubber-hose pump. "It's relaxing," said Fosdick. A few teammates stretch out their necks to get a closer view of this therapeutic contraption.

He squeezes the pump and water jets from its center with a velocity that made all of us jump back. We nervously laugh pondering if he was serious.

Britney [circulation manager]: "It sounds like a wet fart." We genuinely laugh.

The cover art is complete, and its final touches are being implemented. One word can sum up the cover: phenomenal. Access has been in circa since 1986 and there is not one cover that will come close to this upcoming issue. The art team is exceptionally talented, and the art will far exceed any reader's expectations.

The titles and decks are currently being concocted by Britney and Ryan [coordinator of cover, TOC (table of contents), masthead, titles, decks and captions]. Decks are subtitles that add insight of the article's angle or subject.

A joke from professor Fodick:

Fosdick: "Have you heard of up dog?"

Lesger: "No. Is that a new software?"

Fosdick: "You're supposed to say 'What's up dog?' You know, what's up, dawg? Get it?"

Lesger: "Oh."

I still think professor Fosdick's fountain looked like a manually powered bidet.

Lesger
[online editor]

A Gold Star for Everyone Except...

Gold star: definition: A metaphorical term of endearment for praising a teammate's accomplishment(s).

Gold stars are thrown at teammates like ninja stars in Dwight Bental Hall.

The Access team has an abundance of stars being projected toward the next teammate---and---it has become the reoccurring theme during meetings.

Updates: The features and front-of-book articles have rolled in---the deadlines have been met. We must thank our two femme fatale leaders---Evie [editor in chief] and Kaitlyn [managing editor]---for their proactive involvement and for cracking the whip oh, so gently. Look, no lacerations!

I won't forget to mention [features editor] Heather's perseverance during her midnight surveillance of the anticipated e-mail influx from the editors. She checks her e-mail on her brand-new, state of the art, megabook, super-charged Mac. The notebook's white light mesmerizes all of us during meetings. Luckily, we won't get zapped like other white lights that lure its prey.

Nicole [FOB editor] has done a stellar job collecting all the short front-of-book pieces. These works are usually on a lighter subject with a concise superficiality that spark an interest in the reader. Found in the beginning of the book, tending to be less than 400 words, FOBs are a quick, fun read.

Lesley [assistant photo editor], this gold star is beamed at you; unfortunately, I can't throw your favorite Fosters Freeze treat your way on the Web. She's not only a journalism major, she's also a competitve swimmer and active athlete on SJSU's team.

Oh, so who is the ostracized that won't receive the much-wanted gold star? Well, the reader that doesn't read the blogs.

-Lesger

[Online Editor]

The First Blog

Hi, Everyone.

Well, for a formal introduction, my name is Lesger and this semester I'm the online editor for Access.

Access is San Jose State's campus-wide magazine. It's the magazine production class, Journalism 155 from the School of Mass Communications and Journalism. This class brings together photojournalists, designers, writers, public relations students, advertising majors and, well, anyone who is interested in publishing a magazine to add to their portfolio. Not to mention, Access has won awards for excellence and innovation in nationwide competitions.

This 2007 spring semester, the head honcho(ette) is Evie Smith. As editor in chief, she brings previous experience as the editor in chief from her Redding, Calif. junior college newspaper. No, she's not going to be the Miranda Priestly ("Devil Wears Prada") on campus; she's got ideas to take the magazine to a new level without the demands and sarcasim. Whew!

Her main concern is revamping the Access Web site with my help and the online staff. The online team consists of five members: Cody, Ian, Rita, Osvaldo and me. They all have different talents that will help mold the site into something worthwhile. The last time the site was updated was spring 2003 so we have some serious work to do.

Evie's right-hand (wo)man is Kaitlyn Osborn-Brown. She's the managing editor and quite involved in the development of the magazine and the deadlines. A true multitasker, Kaitlyn oversees all the department heads and their workloads. She don't play. Not a minuscule detail is overlooked yet she still manages to bring, um, crunchy sugar cookies for Valetine's Day. Good thing no one wears dentures. Thanks, Kaitlyn!

Right now, the magazine is on point with its deadlines: The query letters have been read, the stories assigned writers and editors, and, the outlines and sources submitted. (A query letter is a formal way of saying: "This is my idea for an article, do you like it?")

Though I can't disclose the articles' topics, I do know these pieces will have the readers' attention and subjects not mentioned in previous issues.

The art department is currently brainstorming the new logo and the cohesiveness of the magazine's layout. Headed by Yvonne Pringue, former designer for SJSU's newspaper, the entire team is excited about working with someone with so much imagination and drive.

This blog will detail the growth of the magazine, and my other online teammates will write their own blogs to give their perspective on the book (magazine lingo for "magazine") and anything they'd like to add.

In all, the success of the magazine rides on talented individuals and I know they will execute their vision effectively, and, have a little fun, too.

Bests,
Lesger