In September 2008 I applied for and was selected to be a member of the Orange County Register’s new Web Task Force. The four-person team was designed to tackle any aspects of any web-related content projects for the Register. Projects ranged from building widgets and web pages, consulting on new or struggling online sections or blogs, jumping in as web staff on breaking news events, building social media accounts and awareness and introducing innovative online ideas to the newsroom.
Archive for Breaking
Clip: 28 arrested in protest against Disney hotels
Link: 28 arrested in protest against Disney hotels
Covering tourism and the Disneyland Resort may seem like all fun and games — but it includes politics, too. Here you’ll find photos and a story about hotel workers protesting Disney’s proposal that employees cover part of their own health care costs.
Clip: Disney raises ticket prices
Link: Disney raises ticket prices
Covering tourism almost exclusively gave me a chance to really dive in and understand the stories behind the stories. In this instance, Disney raised ticket prices but I was able to offer than just the news. I was able to include financial perspective on why ticket prices were raised and historical perspective on ticket prices since Disneyland opened.
Clip: Earthquake stops rides at Disneyland
Link: Earthquake stops rides at Disneyland
I was covering Disneyland and tourism news when a 5.4 magnitude quake shook near north Orange County July 29, 2008. After the Register’s north county bureau stopped shaking the staff split up to cover their respective beats and I headed out to Disneyland. The link above points to the blog post I wrote summing up the post-quake environment at the happiest place on earth. I covered the story live via my iPhone – e-mailing in images and information for the blog and main quake story.
Clip: Santiago Fire 2007
Link: Close call: Round-up of Irvine fire coverage
During the 2007 Santiago Fire I (as an Irvine reporter) started by reporting and contributing content the first night of the fire. My main advantage was knowing key sources in Irvine who, on the first night, knew more fire information than some Orange County Fire Authority sources. I covered the fire the following three days, working 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. and calling in information and e-mailing photos taken with my iPhone to editors. After the fire ended, I wrote a story for the Irvine World News that weaved together the fire for Irvine residents from my live notes.