Reflection

The portfolio that was submitted to the institution had to include a news article, a cultural review—which could be written on a book, a piece of music, a location, a film, or a television show—a feature article on a well-researched subject, about a facet of student life in 2023, and the audio for the podcast. To develop such a portfolio, one must first understand the standards, skills, and crucial vocabulary needed for professional writing.

An ongoing collection of thoughtfully chosen or created professional ideas, objectives, and experiences that are woven with reflection and self-evaluation constitutes a professional portfolio. (Bala, 2012)

Anyone attempting to successfully document an event for a news article must be impartial, double-check all facts and data, and separate the most crucial information from the less crucial information. Also, keep in mind that as it directly impacts people's lives, everything should be done with caution. (Gibbs & Warhover, 2022)

The ongoing distress and calamity brought on by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria were the subject of the news article. This topic was chosen because it is a recent occurrence that can be addressed from many different perspectives, and because the media attention on this catastrophe can be thoroughly investigated. It also involves numerous foreign nations, crosses international boundaries, and occurs over a period of several weeks. The article clarifies the different initiatives the UAE government made to assist the people in Turkey and Syria, making it clear that its concentration is on a pro-government agenda. The article provides answers to the fundamental issues of news reporting. 

Writing an emotive post about this tragedy was first difficult since the statistics didn't accurately reflect the sorrow and loss the people of Turkey and Syria were experiencing. As a result, the piece could come out as overly objective, impersonal, or emotionless. The fact that the incident was still unfolding also made it impossible to accurately describe and outline it; facts and data would change even within a day, necessitating continual revisions to the text. This rapid series of situational changes also led to variations in the data reported by various sources. Two separate statistics were presented by several, credible media outlets that might be entirely verified. One had to decide whether information should be used depending on their understanding. A final touch and further appeal were provided by the news article's layout.

Often, feature articles will take simple news items or trending topics and investigate them in further detail, using genuine expert quotations and frequently adding a human-interest component. (Ghani, 2012)

The focus of the feature article was the famous Grammy Awards, which present musicians with accolades each year. It emphasized the criticisms and charges levelled against the Grammys for their treatment of musicians of colour and artists from other origins, as well as the complaints and criticisms made by both artists and fans alike. It included instances of the most widely discussed snubbed performers. Also, it included an explanation of their objections against the Recording Academy. As this is a worldwide event that many artists and fans anticipate, these complaints received extensive media attention and were supported by proof provided by the fans, which was also taken into account when reporting these incidents.

This subject makes for a fantastic feature article due to its ageless character. Due to the persistent complaints voiced by disgruntled fans and artists year after year with little evidence of meaningful change, it is relevant at any time. This piece was composed with a certain readership in mind, and it would succeed in piquing their interest enough to keep them reading.

Instead of presenting the opposing viewpoint, the author chose to concentrate on the one that is frequently presented in the media. No time was given to the Grammys' defence or argument for these allegations. Due to the absence of the opposing party's defence, not all the facts were correctly portrayed in the article. Perhaps it was a bit challenging to write without letting emotions stand in the way. Personal interest in the subject must be disregarded in order to maintain objectivity and accuracy. Even though the piece did not address the Grammys’ defence, it came to the unanimous conclusion that the recording academy has to change. In today's society, this kind of treatment is not accepted. Change done only for the sake of change is not change at all. The article's attractive style gave it a polished appearance that was very alluring.

The review was written for the film Kantara. The film has a standard poor vs. rich premise, but the cultural additions elevate it to something truly extraordinary. This review largely emphasized the movie's influence in India and how it performed in relation to more mainstream Bollywood films. It examined the causes of its success and acknowledged those responsible. The writer should have done a better job of emphasizing the movie's cultural relevance and better describing the feelings that led to the author's emotional commitment to the story. The review, however, may come out as prejudiced because of the author's continuous admiration for the movie and the cultural importance it seemed to have for the author. It fails to properly discuss the elements that the audience might not have liked or the reasons why the plotline might have been repetitive. An important consideration in figuring out the general attitude is how polarized the reviews are. You need to create a favourable impact on your readers, not alienate them by being too sentimental. (Singh , et al., 2017)

It is necessary to present something that captivates the reader and persuades them to watch the movie since it is important to bear in mind that the reader may not have seen the movie. The writer does a good job of pulling the reader in by providing an intriguing synopsis of a movie element without giving anything away. The article makes up for any shortcomings with its visually aesthetic layout.

The aesthetics in the portfolio made it highly enticing and the job overall was excellent. Perhaps the various styles of the various components didn't mesh well together, but they looked fantastic on their own.

To conclude, the professional writing portfolio was a good way to gauge one's abilities. Additionally, putting the pieces together for the portfolio helps one develop their writing instincts and gives them a clear understanding of the various types of professional writing pieces that are available and the format, attitude, tone, and language that should be used for each of them. Looking at one's portfolio from an objective perspective and attempting to identify their flaws and weak areas is a great approach to analysing one's errors and realizing what one may have done better. Writing and research abilities are greatly strengthened by this type of practice, which also enables the writer to be critical of their work and improve it.

Students may write reflectively for a variety of reasons, including professional portfolio entries, entries in learning diaries, logs, workbooks, etc. Students may go through emotional experiences that help them develop as people and become more aware of their own moods and emotions. Lastly, reflection could provide ideas for more reflection and, most crucially, it might result in learning and, possibly, reflection on the learning process. One of its most effective qualities is the ability for reflection to support learning and understanding in less organized knowledge domains, empowering students to approach the "messy corners" of even the most structured domains. (King, 2002)

References

Bala, S. S., 2012. Digital Portfolio and Professional Development of Language Teachers. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 7 December, Volume 66, pp. 176-186.

Ghani, R., 2012. How To Write A Feature Article. [Online] Available at: https://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e3811[Accessed 2023].

Gibbs, C. & Warhover, T., 2022. Getting the Whole Story: Reporting and Writing the News. s.l.:Guilford Press.

Innovation, C. f., 2018. How to make an educational podcast?. [Online] Available at: https://media-and-learning.eu/files/2021/07/Handout-how-to-make-an-educational-podcast_CFI2018.pdf[Accessed 2023].

King, T., 2002. Development of Student Skills in Reflective Writing. Spheres of Influence: Ventures and Visions in Educational Development. Proceedings of the 4th World Conference of the International Consortium for Educational Development. Perth: The University of Western Australia..

Singh , V., Saxena, P., Singh, S. & Rajendran, S., 2017. Opinion Mining and Analysis of Movie Reviews. Indian Journal of Science and Technology, May.10(0974-5645).