I'm happy to report EVERYBODY did well on the latest out-of-class assignment -- even though it was your most complex assignment to date, where you were asked to file a long written version, a short breaking news version, two related blog posts, a Twitter stream with at least 12 tweets, a related map and a multimedia component such as a video, audio slide show, interactive map, ect.
In general, I thought you all did a nice job of finding the best ways to tell your stories in each medium . . . writing emphasizing details and structure; video showing action and movement; blogs using a personable style and hyperlinks to relevant info; and tweets that captured an event blow-by-blow or presented interesting details and insights piece-by-piece.
Some of you may notice generally lower grades for the writing exercises than for the multimedia and social media components. I graded the latter more leniently since you've been working on new media only for the past three or four weeks, while we've been focusing in on writing, reporting and story structure all semester long.
Still, I have seen improvement across the board -- and no fatals! Fatal cat says thank you! -- and that makes me happy.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Out-of-Class Story #3 -- Some Multimedia Highlights
This blog post combined various mediums: words, hyperlinks, still images taken by the author, and a link to the video version of the story. Lots of options for readers/viewers.
Nice blog here, with embedded pics and links to an awesome complex map that replaced a video.
This Tweet stream offered something simple but nice: a quick 11-second linked video snippet capturing mood and moment.
This blog post also had a brief video take-out, not so much that it was too much trouble to do, but just enough to help set the mood and give the reader a feel for being there.
One blog linked to a PDF of an actual law. Plus, nice use of properly-attributed images in a related video.
Another blog post links to a YouTube snippet, but it also finds something else: neutral experts!
Let's compare some video on the same topic: yours and one done by professional media. Whaddya think?
Nice blog here, with embedded pics and links to an awesome complex map that replaced a video.
This Tweet stream offered something simple but nice: a quick 11-second linked video snippet capturing mood and moment.
This blog post also had a brief video take-out, not so much that it was too much trouble to do, but just enough to help set the mood and give the reader a feel for being there.
One blog linked to a PDF of an actual law. Plus, nice use of properly-attributed images in a related video.
Another blog post links to a YouTube snippet, but it also finds something else: neutral experts!
Let's compare some video on the same topic: yours and one done by professional media. Whaddya think?
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Ethics -- The Falling Man From 9/11
There's a fine line between showing readers the brutal truth of a situation so that they understand the powerful truth of any story, and showing readers a truth so brutal that readers ignore the point you were trying to make and instead question your judgment.
I can think of no better example of this than the so-called Falling man photo, taken by an Associated Press photographer during the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and published by The New York Times the next day.
This remarkable article from Esquire Magazine in 2003 offers a summation of the complex and contradictory forces at play in deciding if running the image was the absolute right thing or the incredibly wrong thing to do.
If you were an editor on Sept. 11, what would you have done? And why?
Let's talk it out.
I can think of no better example of this than the so-called Falling man photo, taken by an Associated Press photographer during the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and published by The New York Times the next day.
This remarkable article from Esquire Magazine in 2003 offers a summation of the complex and contradictory forces at play in deciding if running the image was the absolute right thing or the incredibly wrong thing to do.
If you were an editor on Sept. 11, what would you have done? And why?
Let's talk it out.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Out-Of-Class Stories #3 & 4
Regarding your final two out-of-class projects, this is how your grade for each assignment will break down:
Blog version (at least 2 posts, at least 2 hyperlinks per post): 12.5 percent
Twitter stream (at least 12 tweets, at least 1 hyperlink): 12.5 percent
Multimedia (minimum 1-minute video or audio slide show or podcast, minimum 3 sources; or a complex map with at least 10 data points and at least 5 hyperlinks): 12.5 percent
Breaking news version (no more than 250 words, at least 1 source, plus a simple map with at least 1 data point): 12.5 percent
Print version (at least 600 words; at least 2 sources for 3rd OOC story and at least 3 sources for 4th OOC story) : 50 percent
The weighted grade for each component will be converted into an average score, and that average will be your final assignment grade. So if you get 4.0s on all the multimedia, social media and breaking news components and a 2.0 on the print version, then your final grade will be a 3.0 (since the print version is half the grade and everything else combined is half the grade).
Also, DON'T FORGET the breaking news version of out-of-class story #3 is due by noon TOMORROW, Thursday the 18th to omar@msu.edu.
One more reminder: THERE WILL BE NO REWRITE OPPORTUNITIES ON THESE ASSIGNMENTS. Be sure you get assignments in on time, and that they are fatal-free.
We're taking the safety net away for these exercises. Just like the real world. So don't take any chances or short-cuts. Do your due diligence.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Test Story #3 . . . Some Highlights
Seems like all the video stuff made you a bit rusty on your writing. Let's go over some patterns I saw that I feel can be improved upon:
>>> Yes, we did have a fatal. The essence of journalism is getting it right. That's our first duty; to make sure what we wrote lines up with the facts. In this case, you referred to the fire department as the Ingham County Fire Department, even though on the board it was written that the fire department was of Meridian Township and the county commission was of Ingham County.
I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again: there is no such thing as a small error in journalism. Any mistake erodes your credibility with readers, and gets them wondering what else you may have gotten wrong. If you're going to make it as a journalist, you MUST make fact-checking your top priority.
Don't take fact-checking for granted. Learn to check items, line-by-line and item-by-item.
>>> The news isn't that things were discussed; it's what was done or not done. Too many ledes or section starts defaulted to things were discussed. That's not the news, right?
This was a lede that went in that direction:
The Ingham County Commission met Sunday afternoon and discussed plans for new condominiums, a proposed gun ordinance, and a rejected pay raise for commissioners.
You would have been better off to emphasize what happened -- and de-emphasize the simple fact that they met -- like this:
The Ingham County Commission on Sunday approved a plan for new condominium, discussed a proposed gun ordinance and rejected a pay raise for commissioners.
Just putting everything into a catch-all category like "discussed" -- when some of the items wet far beyond discussion and resulted in inaction -- falls short of ultimate outcome.
>>> Label transitions to subsections. When ending reporting on one item and beginning another item, use transitional tags at the start of a subsection lede like, "In other business," or "Also at the meeting," so readers can see the transition point clearly.
>>> Fact-checking includes checking for AP Style. I don't still have to remind you of that, do I?
>>> Yes, we did have a fatal. The essence of journalism is getting it right. That's our first duty; to make sure what we wrote lines up with the facts. In this case, you referred to the fire department as the Ingham County Fire Department, even though on the board it was written that the fire department was of Meridian Township and the county commission was of Ingham County.
I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again: there is no such thing as a small error in journalism. Any mistake erodes your credibility with readers, and gets them wondering what else you may have gotten wrong. If you're going to make it as a journalist, you MUST make fact-checking your top priority.
Don't take fact-checking for granted. Learn to check items, line-by-line and item-by-item.
>>> The news isn't that things were discussed; it's what was done or not done. Too many ledes or section starts defaulted to things were discussed. That's not the news, right?
This was a lede that went in that direction:
The Ingham County Commission met Sunday afternoon and discussed plans for new condominiums, a proposed gun ordinance, and a rejected pay raise for commissioners.
You would have been better off to emphasize what happened -- and de-emphasize the simple fact that they met -- like this:
The Ingham County Commission on Sunday approved a plan for new condominium, discussed a proposed gun ordinance and rejected a pay raise for commissioners.
Just putting everything into a catch-all category like "discussed" -- when some of the items wet far beyond discussion and resulted in inaction -- falls short of ultimate outcome.
>>> Label transitions to subsections. When ending reporting on one item and beginning another item, use transitional tags at the start of a subsection lede like, "In other business," or "Also at the meeting," so readers can see the transition point clearly.
>>> Fact-checking includes checking for AP Style. I don't still have to remind you of that, do I?
Making Maps
Seriously, it's easy as hell.
Let's go to Google Maps and make one now!
This is a map I made last night. Took me all of about two minutes to do it. Beyond this, you can use different locator tabs, embed pics and videos and links, ect.
Maps work well with stories where geography and location weigh heavily in telling a story, like where crimes happen on campus and such. It also allows readers to interact with the story, clicking on tabs and reading about whatever news happens at that location.
Let's go to Google Maps and make one now!
This is a map I made last night. Took me all of about two minutes to do it. Beyond this, you can use different locator tabs, embed pics and videos and links, ect.
Maps work well with stories where geography and location weigh heavily in telling a story, like where crimes happen on campus and such. It also allows readers to interact with the story, clicking on tabs and reading about whatever news happens at that location.
Multimedia -- Something A Bit Different . . .
Instead of looking at your latest round of multimedia work by segregating different mediums, we'll look at your work by topic, so we can see how each medium complemented the others in the telling of the story.
In alphabetical order:
Molly C: blog/tweets/hybrid video & slide show/breaking news version
Excellent job on the breaking news version here. See how it gets to the point and offers basic details in a direct way? On the blog, when hyperlinking, there's no need yo say something like, "you can see that here." Just link directly on the related copy. The hyperlink itself denotes that there's something extra to see. Also, don't forget to credit photos that you did not take yourself. Liked the embedded video in the blog, too.
Dave C.: blog/tweets (#davecobblovesyou)/video
Very nice hyperlinking to background info.
Joey K.: blog/tweets (#BWC)/video
Strong overall package, where each element supports the other. Good Twitter stream offers kind of a play-by-play of a comedy theater event. Video lets viewers see what happened. The blog sets context and meaning. Good use of b-roll in video. Watch your audio; the last interview subject can barely be heard. A video that viewers can't follow wouldn't be of much use.
Brittney K.: blog 1 and blog 2/twitter (#snec)/video
Here, you use raw video, which does a nice job of showing the event. I would have preferred for you to have edited the video, so that if a viewer decided to skip the blog and Twitter stream, they could still gain some context from the video, like you did with this earlier video that we haven't seen yet.
Devyne L.: blog1 and blog 2/tweets/video
In this video, I think the use of b-roll -- the concessionaire going through the motions of what she does while on the job -- would have helped much. So would have a tripod! No matter how unshaky you think you can hold a camera, it'll look shaky when you upload the video.
Jordan M.: blog/tweets (#concussedathletes)/video
Wonderful use of Tweeting a non-live event here, by picking out main and secondary points of story, interesting facts and quotes, ect. Essentially, the tweets add up to a story that was deconstructed, piece by piece. Very nice video with an array of interviews, but you know what would have helped? A neutral expert, like a doctor.
Josh S.: blog/tweets/video
Very nice technical qualities on the video, but the scope of interviews were narrow. You talked to a lot of people, but they were all from the same perspective -- that of a local shop owner. What about residents? Customers? Passers-by? Get their input, too, or else you risk sounding more like a promotional video than a news story getting many perspectives.
Jordyn T.: blog/tweets/video
Some of the tweets were almost too vague. You were saying something was funny, but not really saying what it was that you found funny. It could be confusing for followers. On the video end, I liked that you nabbed a couple of the performers to get their post-show take. That's hustling and going the extra mile to get ALL angles.
Kelsie T. : blog/tweets/slide show
Here, you combine mediums by offering a hybrid slide show/video. The video segments -- showing interviews of blood donors -- might have been helped by interspersing b-roll or even still shots to break up the overuse of a plain old head-on interview shot.
Noriah W: blog/tweets (#wondershall)/video
I really liked that you used video for what video does best -- show activity. You didn't just talk about security changes and how they work; you demonstrated the security systems in use. You didn't just tell viewers; you showed them.
Courtney Z.: blog/tweets/video
In alphabetical order:
Molly C: blog/tweets/hybrid video & slide show/breaking news version
Excellent job on the breaking news version here. See how it gets to the point and offers basic details in a direct way? On the blog, when hyperlinking, there's no need yo say something like, "you can see that here." Just link directly on the related copy. The hyperlink itself denotes that there's something extra to see. Also, don't forget to credit photos that you did not take yourself. Liked the embedded video in the blog, too.
Dave C.: blog/tweets (#davecobblovesyou)/video
Very nice hyperlinking to background info.
Joey K.: blog/tweets (#BWC)/video
Strong overall package, where each element supports the other. Good Twitter stream offers kind of a play-by-play of a comedy theater event. Video lets viewers see what happened. The blog sets context and meaning. Good use of b-roll in video. Watch your audio; the last interview subject can barely be heard. A video that viewers can't follow wouldn't be of much use.
Brittney K.: blog 1 and blog 2/twitter (#snec)/video
Here, you use raw video, which does a nice job of showing the event. I would have preferred for you to have edited the video, so that if a viewer decided to skip the blog and Twitter stream, they could still gain some context from the video, like you did with this earlier video that we haven't seen yet.
Devyne L.: blog1 and blog 2/tweets/video
In this video, I think the use of b-roll -- the concessionaire going through the motions of what she does while on the job -- would have helped much. So would have a tripod! No matter how unshaky you think you can hold a camera, it'll look shaky when you upload the video.
Jordan M.: blog/tweets (#concussedathletes)/video
Wonderful use of Tweeting a non-live event here, by picking out main and secondary points of story, interesting facts and quotes, ect. Essentially, the tweets add up to a story that was deconstructed, piece by piece. Very nice video with an array of interviews, but you know what would have helped? A neutral expert, like a doctor.
Josh S.: blog/tweets/video
Very nice technical qualities on the video, but the scope of interviews were narrow. You talked to a lot of people, but they were all from the same perspective -- that of a local shop owner. What about residents? Customers? Passers-by? Get their input, too, or else you risk sounding more like a promotional video than a news story getting many perspectives.
Jordyn T.: blog/tweets/video
Some of the tweets were almost too vague. You were saying something was funny, but not really saying what it was that you found funny. It could be confusing for followers. On the video end, I liked that you nabbed a couple of the performers to get their post-show take. That's hustling and going the extra mile to get ALL angles.
Kelsie T. : blog/tweets/slide show
Here, you combine mediums by offering a hybrid slide show/video. The video segments -- showing interviews of blood donors -- might have been helped by interspersing b-roll or even still shots to break up the overuse of a plain old head-on interview shot.
Noriah W: blog/tweets (#wondershall)/video
I really liked that you used video for what video does best -- show activity. You didn't just talk about security changes and how they work; you demonstrated the security systems in use. You didn't just tell viewers; you showed them.
Courtney Z.: blog/tweets/video
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Extra Credit Breakdown
Here is a guide as to what extra credit will be worth what in this class:
FOR OFFERING PREVIOUS EXAMPLES OF YOUR PERSONAL BLOGGING/VIDEO/TWEETING AND FOR TURNING IN YOUR NEUTRAL EXPERTS EXERCISE ON TIME . . . each example replaces one quiz grade with a perfect score, either to your lowest-graded quiz or the highest-weighted quiz.
FOR ATTENDING SESSIONS OF THE JOURNALISM CENTENNIAL WORKSHOP . . . each session you attended with replace your lowest practice story grade with a 4.0 grade.
FOR REWRITING THE FIRST-DAY PERSONALITY PROFILE . . . I will replace your lowest test story grade OR one of the first two video assignments OR one of the first two blog/Twitter assignments with whatever grade you get on the rewrite, as long as the rewrite grade is higher. If not, then I will replace your TWO lowest-scoring practice story grades with 4.0s.
FOR DOING A MULTIMEDIA VERSION OF THE FIRST-DAY PERSONALITY PROFILE in which you use at least two sources, none of which are me or members of my family, I will replace a second test grade story OR one of the first two video assignments OR one of the first two blog/Twitter assignments with whatever grade you get on the multimedia, as long as the multimedia grade is higher. If not, then I will replace your TWO lowest-scoring practice story grades with 4.0s.
FOR GETTING AN OUT-OF-CLASS STORY PUBLISHED, I will replace your lowest test story grade OR one of the first two video assignments OR one of the first two blog/Twitter assignments with the grade you received in the out-of-class story, as long as the published story grade is higher. If not, then I will replace your TWO lowest-scoring practice story grades with 4.0s.
FOR OFFERING PREVIOUS EXAMPLES OF YOUR PERSONAL BLOGGING/VIDEO/TWEETING AND FOR TURNING IN YOUR NEUTRAL EXPERTS EXERCISE ON TIME . . . each example replaces one quiz grade with a perfect score, either to your lowest-graded quiz or the highest-weighted quiz.
FOR ATTENDING SESSIONS OF THE JOURNALISM CENTENNIAL WORKSHOP . . . each session you attended with replace your lowest practice story grade with a 4.0 grade.
FOR REWRITING THE FIRST-DAY PERSONALITY PROFILE . . . I will replace your lowest test story grade OR one of the first two video assignments OR one of the first two blog/Twitter assignments with whatever grade you get on the rewrite, as long as the rewrite grade is higher. If not, then I will replace your TWO lowest-scoring practice story grades with 4.0s.
FOR DOING A MULTIMEDIA VERSION OF THE FIRST-DAY PERSONALITY PROFILE in which you use at least two sources, none of which are me or members of my family, I will replace a second test grade story OR one of the first two video assignments OR one of the first two blog/Twitter assignments with whatever grade you get on the multimedia, as long as the multimedia grade is higher. If not, then I will replace your TWO lowest-scoring practice story grades with 4.0s.
FOR GETTING AN OUT-OF-CLASS STORY PUBLISHED, I will replace your lowest test story grade OR one of the first two video assignments OR one of the first two blog/Twitter assignments with the grade you received in the out-of-class story, as long as the published story grade is higher. If not, then I will replace your TWO lowest-scoring practice story grades with 4.0s.
(Speaking of this opportunity, one of you got a second out-of-class story published by spartanedge.com. Way to go!)
IF YOU ARE STILL LOOKING FOR EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES BEYOND THESE, please see me and I would be happy to arrange for additional extra credit assignments on a case-by-case basis.
THE COMMON DENOMINATOR IN ALL EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS is that you are demonstrating to me that you can now correctly apply skills learned in this class that at one time you did not apply as well; that you went above and beyond what we are learning in this class to further educate yourself in journalism; and/or you are demonstrating ability learned on your own prior to this class but applicable here. You can expect any ad hoc extra credit beyond the assignments listed here to include at least one of those components.
I don't care if you messed up earlier; show me you can get it right now and I'm happy to replace earlier grades with something more accurately reflecting where you are at NOW.
All the other rules from our earlier blog post regarding extra credit still applies. Again, the deadline is Dec. 1, but the sooner you get the work to me the sooner I can apply it to your grade and give you a realistic idea of where you're at.
IF YOU ARE STILL LOOKING FOR EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES BEYOND THESE, please see me and I would be happy to arrange for additional extra credit assignments on a case-by-case basis.
THE COMMON DENOMINATOR IN ALL EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS is that you are demonstrating to me that you can now correctly apply skills learned in this class that at one time you did not apply as well; that you went above and beyond what we are learning in this class to further educate yourself in journalism; and/or you are demonstrating ability learned on your own prior to this class but applicable here. You can expect any ad hoc extra credit beyond the assignments listed here to include at least one of those components.
I don't care if you messed up earlier; show me you can get it right now and I'm happy to replace earlier grades with something more accurately reflecting where you are at NOW.
All the other rules from our earlier blog post regarding extra credit still applies. Again, the deadline is Dec. 1, but the sooner you get the work to me the sooner I can apply it to your grade and give you a realistic idea of where you're at.
Monday, November 8, 2010
JRN 200 Help . . . An Update . . .
From JRN Helper extraordinaire Joe Grimm, via email, regarding the JRN 200/300 help sessions we posted about earlier:
Everyone:
CAS 236 for all sessions.
If we run into a class, we can port ourselves down the hall to another room that is also always open. but that attracts a big crowd. If I get displaced, I will use signs to redirect.
So ... tell your students they can some to CAS 236.
9-noon Nov. 10
noon-3 p.m. Nov. 15
6-9 p.m. Nov. 17
I hope there is enough variety in the hours to accommodate students' schedules. I will try to help them. If you send anyone with particular issues, I'd appreciate a heads-up. We will not be discussing grades and such things.
Thanks, all.
Joe
Everyone:
CAS 236 for all sessions.
If we run into a class, we can port ourselves down the hall to another room that is also always open. but that attracts a big crowd. If I get displaced, I will use signs to redirect.
So ... tell your students they can some to CAS 236.
9-noon Nov. 10
noon-3 p.m. Nov. 15
6-9 p.m. Nov. 17
I hope there is enough variety in the hours to accommodate students' schedules. I will try to help them. If you send anyone with particular issues, I'd appreciate a heads-up. We will not be discussing grades and such things.
Thanks, all.
Joe
JRN 200 -- More Blogging AND Tweeting. . .
All forms of media have something in common; you're trying to convey the same stories, but in different way, maximizing the use of any one medium to offer an aspect of the story.
Let's look at one blog/Twitter combo, where you covered the latest episode of the TV show "Breaking Bad."
With Twitter, you highlighted that medium's ability to immediately tell a story, as that story is unfolding. Your tweets essentially covered the event live.
Your blog version offered a summary with hyperlinks that used clips from various sources, which makes a lot of sense. After all, if you're blogging about a TV show, it only makes sense to show snippets of that show, right? It also links to still image that capture telling moments.
Notice that -- while both the tweets and blog posts are regarding the same subject -- that the mediums don't conflict with each other' rather, they complement one another. The blog previews and reviews, while the tweets cover as it happens. The tweets tell the story in its basic form, while the blog offers context and meaning.
In our final out-of-class exercises, that's precisely what we're going to try to do: find the best and most diverse ways to tell the same story, with each form playing on the advantages of that particular form, and each form complementing the other.
Let's look at one blog/Twitter combo, where you covered the latest episode of the TV show "Breaking Bad."
With Twitter, you highlighted that medium's ability to immediately tell a story, as that story is unfolding. Your tweets essentially covered the event live.
Your blog version offered a summary with hyperlinks that used clips from various sources, which makes a lot of sense. After all, if you're blogging about a TV show, it only makes sense to show snippets of that show, right? It also links to still image that capture telling moments.
Notice that -- while both the tweets and blog posts are regarding the same subject -- that the mediums don't conflict with each other' rather, they complement one another. The blog previews and reviews, while the tweets cover as it happens. The tweets tell the story in its basic form, while the blog offers context and meaning.
In our final out-of-class exercises, that's precisely what we're going to try to do: find the best and most diverse ways to tell the same story, with each form playing on the advantages of that particular form, and each form complementing the other.
Let's look at some more blog/tweet combos:
Let's look at 'em and tell me what you liked and what extra stuff you would do, if anything.
JRN 200 -- More Videos (And Other Stuff!) . . .
You've seen this video. Now let's look at this one. And this one. Whaddya think?
One of you did something a bit different: a podcast. That is, an audio-only report kind of like a radio segment. It worked well, except for one thing -- it was a bit hard to keep track of who was saying what. Perhaps the person acting as the show host could have prefaced each new commenter with a quick identifier, such as "What do you think, Dave?" or "Devyne?"
You may ask yourself, "Where do you post a podcast?" I didn't know either. So I Googled "podcast upload" and found something in about five seconds. I used podbean.com, which is free (with registration) and which you can link to here.
That wasn't the only bit of different multimedia done by this class. This person did an audio slide show, where still images are used instead of video, and sound is run concurrent with the person pictured at the time.
Look at how you introduced animation of sort, by having the still image pan back slowly. That's a nice touch, making a static shot a bit more lively.
I'm sorry to say this story failed in a very critical area: one name was misspelled in the closing credits.
I wish I didn't have to, since otherwise this was such a nicely-done assignment. But no matter what the medium, the journalistic value of getting it right applies. If I gave you a pass on multimedia, I send the message that it is lesser journalism. It's not. I'm sorry to say this was a fatal.
The good news for you is this: the extra-credit rewrite of the first-day class profile will be allowed to replace your worst grade in a test story OR one of the first two video assignments OR one of the first two blog/Twitter assignments.
One of you did something a bit different: a podcast. That is, an audio-only report kind of like a radio segment. It worked well, except for one thing -- it was a bit hard to keep track of who was saying what. Perhaps the person acting as the show host could have prefaced each new commenter with a quick identifier, such as "What do you think, Dave?" or "Devyne?"
You may ask yourself, "Where do you post a podcast?" I didn't know either. So I Googled "podcast upload" and found something in about five seconds. I used podbean.com, which is free (with registration) and which you can link to here.
That wasn't the only bit of different multimedia done by this class. This person did an audio slide show, where still images are used instead of video, and sound is run concurrent with the person pictured at the time.
Look at how you introduced animation of sort, by having the still image pan back slowly. That's a nice touch, making a static shot a bit more lively.
I'm sorry to say this story failed in a very critical area: one name was misspelled in the closing credits.
I wish I didn't have to, since otherwise this was such a nicely-done assignment. But no matter what the medium, the journalistic value of getting it right applies. If I gave you a pass on multimedia, I send the message that it is lesser journalism. It's not. I'm sorry to say this was a fatal.
The good news for you is this: the extra-credit rewrite of the first-day class profile will be allowed to replace your worst grade in a test story OR one of the first two video assignments OR one of the first two blog/Twitter assignments.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
JRN 200 -- Help Is On The Way!
From the J-school:
JRN offered standard help sessions for JRN 200 and JRN 300 students in the distant past and we are reinstating them. Joe Grimm identified times and days, listed below. The sessions can be combined to help both JRN 200 and JRN 300 students, depending on turnout. Please offer this opportunity to all of your students.
Joe is looking into an open lab for these times:
Wednesday, Nov. 10, 9 a.m. to noon (obviously, you can't go to this one)
Monday, Nov. 15, noon to 3 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 17, 6-9 p.m.
His ground rules are the following: "I do not discuss grades, teaching, etc. I am here to help them if they have identified in themselves problems with an area, such as accuracy, style, lead writing, tax millages, beat management, etc. FEEL FREE TO REFER STUDENTS."
I was not immediately given a location; I suggest that if this is of interest to you, contact Joe at CAS 303, or by email at jgrimm@msu.edu, or by calling 517-353-5425.
Joe is looking into an open lab for these times:
Wednesday, Nov. 10, 9 a.m. to noon (obviously, you can't go to this one)
Monday, Nov. 15, noon to 3 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 17, 6-9 p.m.
His ground rules are the following: "I do not discuss grades, teaching, etc. I am here to help them if they have identified in themselves problems with an area, such as accuracy, style, lead writing, tax millages, beat management, etc. FEEL FREE TO REFER STUDENTS."
I was not immediately given a location; I suggest that if this is of interest to you, contact Joe at CAS 303, or by email at jgrimm@msu.edu, or by calling 517-353-5425.
Seriously, if you're feeling a bit overwhelmed at this time of the semester and are stressed you they should be "getting it" by now, please feel free to take advantage of these tutoring sessions.
And, as always, I'm available during my office hours to go over things. This doesn't replace that; this is just a supplement to that.
We're heading into the home stretch. Let's all work together to make sure you get the best grade you can!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Let's Look At Some Video!
First up, let's look at this video story. Just under one minute, and quick and dirty -- no editing involved; just a rolling tape. Not bad and in a pinch it's certainly better than nothing, but it doesn't allow for much interviewing (and if it does, it's more pre-interviewing, which means the responses you're getting are probably a bit unnatural and pre-planned).
Ideally, you would have done all your interviews; chosen which parts of interviews you'd want to highlight and which you'd discard as less necessary, and then organized your story. Just like you would for a written story, right?
One basic video editing program is iMovie, which is available on most lab desktops in this building and for which last week I emailed you a link to this guide on how to use it.
Such editing was done with this video. It ran way over the one minute that you were allotted, but for now let's simply focus on how the story was told. The lede wasn't one I'd recommend with a harder news story, but in this case it was fine.
The problem was with the audio. I can barely hear what some folks are saying. Can you? Make sure you follow some of the recording tips offered in the handout I gave you last week and in the downloaded texts I offered in the syllabus: Journalism 2.0 by Mark Briggs and The Reporter's Guide to Multimedia Proficiency by Mindy McAdams.
In the same way a print story must be easy for a reader to navigate in terms of word use and sentence structure, a video story has to be easy to watch and listen to in terms of clear video and understandable audio. Make sure the audio and video are clear and easy to follow for your viewers.
Ideally, you would have done all your interviews; chosen which parts of interviews you'd want to highlight and which you'd discard as less necessary, and then organized your story. Just like you would for a written story, right?
One basic video editing program is iMovie, which is available on most lab desktops in this building and for which last week I emailed you a link to this guide on how to use it.
Such editing was done with this video. It ran way over the one minute that you were allotted, but for now let's simply focus on how the story was told. The lede wasn't one I'd recommend with a harder news story, but in this case it was fine.
The problem was with the audio. I can barely hear what some folks are saying. Can you? Make sure you follow some of the recording tips offered in the handout I gave you last week and in the downloaded texts I offered in the syllabus: Journalism 2.0 by Mark Briggs and The Reporter's Guide to Multimedia Proficiency by Mindy McAdams.
In the same way a print story must be easy for a reader to navigate in terms of word use and sentence structure, a video story has to be easy to watch and listen to in terms of clear video and understandable audio. Make sure the audio and video are clear and easy to follow for your viewers.
This video also has some choppy audio, but what I want you to focus in on is the use of multimedia tools in this video, such as titles and captions and transitions (like the page-flip effect between interviews) and even background music. When you're in a visual medium, use the tools offered by programs like iMovie to maximize your presentation.
Such tools aren't just to make your video look flashy. The captions with each interview, for example, provide value-added information: the name of who is being interviewed. It gives the viewer MORE information. That's a good job of attribution, which is a basic journalistic principle. The tool, in this case, allowed you to seamlessly offer that attribution.
Instead of relying on titles and such, in this video you offered narration before heading into the interview sections. Note a common problem -- and a frequent problem for first-time videographers -- and that's poor sound. Try to avoid spots that create an echo (like a hotel hallway) or places with background noise. If you can use a microphone, put it close to your subject. If you are using a device lacking an extended mike -- like a Flip camera -- try to shoot the person as close to the camera as possible, so audio doesn't suffer.
Try to be precise in where you have transitions between interviews. In this video, the first person seems to get cut off. Perhaps you transitioned too quickly. With the last one, the interview subject kind of trails off at the end. Maybe the edit should have been a bit sooner. In the same way you try to be precise in using quotes in print, try to be just as precise in audio and video.
We'll be looking at more of your videos Wednesday, when we'll also look at blogs and tweets beyond the ones we're about to sample.
Let's Look At Some Blogs!
Remember the field hockey video story? Here's the blog version.
Lots of hyperlink use here, which is good. But what could you have done to further use hyperlinks, and use hyperlinks more diversely? How about linking to pics of some of the paces you describe -- the interior of the bus, or the restaurant at which the team ate? You could shoot pics and upload it to a photo sharing service like Flickr, for which I have a link right here.
Of course, you could have also linked to video, like the one you did for this blog topic in the first place.
This isn't criticism, folks. I'm just trying to broaden your mind set as to what you can link to. Think about all the social media tools you use in everyday life, and think about how best to incorporate those tools in your story-telling. Better yet, think about good ways to use multiple tools at once.
Lots of hyperlink use here, which is good. But what could you have done to further use hyperlinks, and use hyperlinks more diversely? How about linking to pics of some of the paces you describe -- the interior of the bus, or the restaurant at which the team ate? You could shoot pics and upload it to a photo sharing service like Flickr, for which I have a link right here.
Of course, you could have also linked to video, like the one you did for this blog topic in the first place.
This isn't criticism, folks. I'm just trying to broaden your mind set as to what you can link to. Think about all the social media tools you use in everyday life, and think about how best to incorporate those tools in your story-telling. Better yet, think about good ways to use multiple tools at once.
This blog about the UM-Illinois game liberally uses hyperlinks, but one of those links was out-of-date by the time I got a chance to read it. Try to make sure your hyperlinks stay evergreen -- that is, no matter when it's linked to, it's still in context and hasn't become outdated or stale.
This other blog about the MSU-Minnesota game was very light on links. And one of the links simply took readers to a Google search. Part of me says it's good, that it gives the reader many options in getting additional information; but another part of me says it's lacking focus and direction and may simply confuse a reader.
Let's look at this blog, which is devoid of any hyperlinks. The topic is a bit more vague, but let's try to be helpful here. What could be some good hyperlink sources? Let's problem-solve this.
On another point regarding blogs, you can get a sense of how you can turn a news story into a blog by looking at this Gawker.com blog post based on a news story you have have heard about on your own: Michigan's ban on energy drink/alcohol mixes. Oh, and whaddya know, this blog links to -- and even credits -- The State News!
On another point regarding blogs, you can get a sense of how you can turn a news story into a blog by looking at this Gawker.com blog post based on a news story you have have heard about on your own: Michigan's ban on energy drink/alcohol mixes. Oh, and whaddya know, this blog links to -- and even credits -- The State News!
Let's Look At Some Tweets!
This is a pretty basic use of live-tweeting a news event; in this case Saturday's MSU football game. You get basic progression and notable events happening in the game as it happens.
This one follows the CMU-WMU game. It makes nice little observances, like that snow started falling. I couldn't get the hash tag to work right away on this live tweet of a Big Ten soccer playoff (for which I'm simply linking to the Twitter user's account), but again it tracks things as they occur.
A live-tweet of the UM-Illinois game went waaaaay beyond the minimum 12 tweets for this assignment. Looks like you really got into it. And that's okay! If there's something going on that calls for constant updates, then tweet away until you feel the story is adequately told.
And that's the most basic value of Twitter -- it's another way to relay events live and as they happen to an audience who may not be near a TV or radio or whatever. You can essentially "broadcast" live, just using text sent to mobile devices of readers.
Same thing with other updates, like this one:
mmcass143
#MSUFHroadtrip New update on MSU field hockey happenings @ http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/w-fieldh/spec-rel/110310aaa.html
The link takes you to a press release about the field hockey tournament that was the cause of the road trip. It lets readers get waaay beyond 140 characters, right.
An option you had here was to use a URL shortener, like bit.ly. What the service does is take a URL and replace it with a much shorter one. The URL we just looked at was pretty long. So I went to bit.ly and pasted the URL into the site, and it converted it into this:
http://bit.ly/birDuE
Using a bit.ly link here would have given me more room to write text without the URL taking up so much space.
Ideally, the bet tweet streams can be put in reverse order and read just like an inverted-pyramid news story, with (timewise) your first tweet summing up what happened, and the following tweets filling in details and offering a chronology as something unfolds.
Here -- again, in recerese order, with the tweets in order of when they were posted -- is the State News' sports Tweet stream just before and from the press conference announcing Coach Dantonio's heart attack:
Report: Football head coach Mark Dantonio suffered a heart attack but is OK.
There is a "important football-related press conference" scheduled for 1 p.m. It is unclear if it is related to reports of Dantonio's health
MSU: Dantonio will remain at the hospital for a few days for monitoring. Return to sidelines at a later date.
MSU: Offensive coordinator Don Treadwell will manage day-to-day responsibilities of head coach.
MSU: Dantonio had "symptoms consistent with a heart attack."
MSU: Dantonio had a cardiac catheterization procedure early Sunday morning.
AD Mark Hollis said Dantonio will not be on the sidelines for the Northern Colorado game Saturday.
Hollis: "This is a time for the Spartan nation to come together, to rally."
Dr. D'Haem of Sparrow Hospital said a full recover is expected.
Dr. D'Haem said procedure is very routine and happens often. Also said he expects no long-term negative impact. Return yet to be determined.
Dr. D'Haem said Dantonio began feeling symptoms around 12:30 a.m. Sunday.
Dr. D'Haem: Heart attacks are never good...but I would classify this as a rather small heart attack.
Hollis said he spent the night at the hospital until about 5:30, the returned to hospital this morning at 8.
Dr. D'Haem: "Stress doesn't cause coronary heart disease, but very stressful events can be a trigger."
Coach Treadwell on players' reaction: "They're handling it as well as they can. They love their head coach."
Hollis: "(Dantonio's) thoughts went immediately to his family and then to the football program."
Treadwell said the fact staff has been together for a number of years will make this process easier from a football point of view.
Dr. D'Haem said timetable for Dantonio's return will be taken week-by-week.
There's a lede. There's a nut graf. There's supporting details. There are quotes. There is background. It collectively qualifies as a journalistic story. And you did it within the confines of social media.
This is exactly how The Associated Press wire service has always filed breaking news stories as a story is breaking: line-by-line, with the idea the lines can be pasted together into a story. It allows the writer to push out a story (and an editor to edit copy) much faster than if he or she waited to have a mass of information combined into a story, and yet a reader still ends up with all the information they need to consider the package in its totality.
There is a "important football-related press conference" scheduled for 1 p.m. It is unclear if it is related to reports of Dantonio's health
MSU: Dantonio will remain at the hospital for a few days for monitoring. Return to sidelines at a later date.
MSU: Offensive coordinator Don Treadwell will manage day-to-day responsibilities of head coach.
MSU: Dantonio had "symptoms consistent with a heart attack."
MSU: Dantonio had a cardiac catheterization procedure early Sunday morning.
AD Mark Hollis said Dantonio will not be on the sidelines for the Northern Colorado game Saturday.
Hollis: "This is a time for the Spartan nation to come together, to rally."
Dr. D'Haem of Sparrow Hospital said a full recover is expected.
Dr. D'Haem said procedure is very routine and happens often. Also said he expects no long-term negative impact. Return yet to be determined.
Dr. D'Haem said Dantonio began feeling symptoms around 12:30 a.m. Sunday.
Dr. D'Haem: Heart attacks are never good...but I would classify this as a rather small heart attack.
Hollis said he spent the night at the hospital until about 5:30, the returned to hospital this morning at 8.
Dr. D'Haem: "Stress doesn't cause coronary heart disease, but very stressful events can be a trigger."
Coach Treadwell on players' reaction: "They're handling it as well as they can. They love their head coach."
Hollis: "(Dantonio's) thoughts went immediately to his family and then to the football program."
Treadwell said the fact staff has been together for a number of years will make this process easier from a football point of view.
Dr. D'Haem said timetable for Dantonio's return will be taken week-by-week.
There's a lede. There's a nut graf. There's supporting details. There are quotes. There is background. It collectively qualifies as a journalistic story. And you did it within the confines of social media.
This is exactly how The Associated Press wire service has always filed breaking news stories as a story is breaking: line-by-line, with the idea the lines can be pasted together into a story. It allows the writer to push out a story (and an editor to edit copy) much faster than if he or she waited to have a mass of information combined into a story, and yet a reader still ends up with all the information they need to consider the package in its totality.
So really, tweets are just a way of applying old journalistic skills in a new way.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Test Story # 2 -- I Let You Down
I need to apologize to you. I really do. Because I failed you.
How did I do that? Because four of you fataled the test story.
It's the usual mix of avoidable fatals. Misspellings in quotes that created unintended words and changed the meanings of the quotes; using the incorrect spelling of a name and not clarifying with me which of two spellings were correct; saying the plane stopped 10 miles from the highway when you meant to say 10 feet.
No one who avoided a fatal failed to score worse than a 3.5 on this exercise. If there were no fatals, everybody in this class would have scored at least that high. Some people showed remarkable improvement in this exercise. You all are understanding good story structure.
And that's not surprising. Journalism is weird in that for most people, improvement isn't a steady climb. There are things they learn that they can't fully understand and implement until they learn something else. So quite often with young reporters, there's a frustratingly slow growth curve until you get that one missing puzzle piece, and then you take off.
But that's not where I fail you. Where I am doing an inadequate job is with importing upon you how important it is to avoid fatals, and offering you strategies on how to keep from fataling.
If I were doing a good enough job, then you wouldn't be fataling now, right?
So I ask you: why are these fatals happening? what can I do to help you fatal less? What am I missing here that you need to know?
We need to solve this problem. If I let you advance to JRN 300 without resolving fatals, then all I'm doing is setting you up for failure at a higher level, when the stakes for you will be higher. And I sure as hell don't want that to happen.
I'm not doing my job here, folks. Not well enough, at least. Help me help you.
How did I do that? Because four of you fataled the test story.
It's the usual mix of avoidable fatals. Misspellings in quotes that created unintended words and changed the meanings of the quotes; using the incorrect spelling of a name and not clarifying with me which of two spellings were correct; saying the plane stopped 10 miles from the highway when you meant to say 10 feet.
No one who avoided a fatal failed to score worse than a 3.5 on this exercise. If there were no fatals, everybody in this class would have scored at least that high. Some people showed remarkable improvement in this exercise. You all are understanding good story structure.
And that's not surprising. Journalism is weird in that for most people, improvement isn't a steady climb. There are things they learn that they can't fully understand and implement until they learn something else. So quite often with young reporters, there's a frustratingly slow growth curve until you get that one missing puzzle piece, and then you take off.
But that's not where I fail you. Where I am doing an inadequate job is with importing upon you how important it is to avoid fatals, and offering you strategies on how to keep from fataling.
If I were doing a good enough job, then you wouldn't be fataling now, right?
So I ask you: why are these fatals happening? what can I do to help you fatal less? What am I missing here that you need to know?
We need to solve this problem. If I let you advance to JRN 300 without resolving fatals, then all I'm doing is setting you up for failure at a higher level, when the stakes for you will be higher. And I sure as hell don't want that to happen.
I'm not doing my job here, folks. Not well enough, at least. Help me help you.
Test Story # 2 -- Make-Up Work
I was going to save this for later this term, but seeing the fatals as of late I think now is the best time to do this.
Remember those personality profiles of me that I asked you to do as an opening assignment?
Well, I'm going to return 'em to you. First, I want all of you to take a look and see how far you've come in identifying ledes, and using quotes, and determining story structure. I think everybody's come a long way.
For those of you who have fataled a test story, here's the kicker: if you rewrite the profile into a more professional form -- and that includes finding and fixing any fatals, redoing reporting or doing additional reporting, incorporating AP style, everything that you now know how to do to put it in the most presentable form possible -- then I will replace one fatal test story grade with that grade.
For the rest of you, doing the same will get you substantial extra credit points to be determined. It's a great way to either make up for a weak grade on an earlier assignment or boost your overall grade.
Additionally, if you include a multimedia component -- a video, a slide show, a podcast, whatever -- you will get even more extra credit points to be determined. Here's the catch with that part: you will have to do no fewer than two interviews but you CANNOT interview me or any of my relatives -- a realistic scenario, as from time to time you will have to do stories on subjects who will decline to comment. A big part of the exercise will be evaluating your problem-solving skills.
Here's another catch -- these extra credit or replacement credit assignments HAVE TO BE FATAL-FREE. Take nothing for granted. Check everything. See me if you have questions BEFORE you turn it in.
The deadline will be NO LATER THAN DEC. 1, but I urge you to do it and turn it in sooner than that, so we can repair your grade and get a better sense of where your final grade is headed before your final overall class assignments are due.
Remember those personality profiles of me that I asked you to do as an opening assignment?
Well, I'm going to return 'em to you. First, I want all of you to take a look and see how far you've come in identifying ledes, and using quotes, and determining story structure. I think everybody's come a long way.
For those of you who have fataled a test story, here's the kicker: if you rewrite the profile into a more professional form -- and that includes finding and fixing any fatals, redoing reporting or doing additional reporting, incorporating AP style, everything that you now know how to do to put it in the most presentable form possible -- then I will replace one fatal test story grade with that grade.
For the rest of you, doing the same will get you substantial extra credit points to be determined. It's a great way to either make up for a weak grade on an earlier assignment or boost your overall grade.
Additionally, if you include a multimedia component -- a video, a slide show, a podcast, whatever -- you will get even more extra credit points to be determined. Here's the catch with that part: you will have to do no fewer than two interviews but you CANNOT interview me or any of my relatives -- a realistic scenario, as from time to time you will have to do stories on subjects who will decline to comment. A big part of the exercise will be evaluating your problem-solving skills.
Here's another catch -- these extra credit or replacement credit assignments HAVE TO BE FATAL-FREE. Take nothing for granted. Check everything. See me if you have questions BEFORE you turn it in.
The deadline will be NO LATER THAN DEC. 1, but I urge you to do it and turn it in sooner than that, so we can repair your grade and get a better sense of where your final grade is headed before your final overall class assignments are due.
Stats -- A Few Points . . .
>>> Watch your math. First, be careful with numbers. Make sure you say what you mean, and you mean what you say, and that you understand what you say.
For example, let's look at this passage:
According to the survey, the percentage of today's households with computers has risen 53.6 percent since 1984, with a total of 61.8 percent of people owning computers.
This is a fatal.
How is that? you may say. It went from 8.2 percent in 1984 to 61.8 percent now. The difference is 53.6 percent!
That's because the difference in percentage points is 53.6 percent. But the difference in percentage growth is actually 653.6 percent!
Here's what I mean:
In 1984, 8.2 percent of 100 percent households had computers. If 100 percent is 113.1 million households, that means 8.2 percent is around 9.2 million households.
Today, 61.8 percent of that 113.1 million households have computers. 61.8 percent of 113.1 million is around 69.9 million.
So the percentage increase isn't 8.2 to 53.6; it's roughly 9.2 million to somewhere around 69.9 million. And that's an increase of over 650 percent. If the 9.2 million only went up just over 53 percent, we'd be talking about a total of around 14 million or so.
What I think you meant to say was that the percentage of households with computers has risen 53.67 percentage points. Which it did. But that's not what you said.
If you're not sure, check with your sources to make sure your math is correct and in proper context.
>>> AP Style. It's not 53 %; it's 53 percent, with percent spelled out. C'mon, folks; we've been over that one before.
>>> Who's missing? Three of you did NOT turn in this assignment. If you didn't get a graded copy back from me and you did turn it in, please see me ASAP. If I don't hear from you, you know what your grade will be.
For example, let's look at this passage:
According to the survey, the percentage of today's households with computers has risen 53.6 percent since 1984, with a total of 61.8 percent of people owning computers.
This is a fatal.
How is that? you may say. It went from 8.2 percent in 1984 to 61.8 percent now. The difference is 53.6 percent!
That's because the difference in percentage points is 53.6 percent. But the difference in percentage growth is actually 653.6 percent!
Here's what I mean:
In 1984, 8.2 percent of 100 percent households had computers. If 100 percent is 113.1 million households, that means 8.2 percent is around 9.2 million households.
Today, 61.8 percent of that 113.1 million households have computers. 61.8 percent of 113.1 million is around 69.9 million.
So the percentage increase isn't 8.2 to 53.6; it's roughly 9.2 million to somewhere around 69.9 million. And that's an increase of over 650 percent. If the 9.2 million only went up just over 53 percent, we'd be talking about a total of around 14 million or so.
What I think you meant to say was that the percentage of households with computers has risen 53.67 percentage points. Which it did. But that's not what you said.
If you're not sure, check with your sources to make sure your math is correct and in proper context.
>>> AP Style. It's not 53 %; it's 53 percent, with percent spelled out. C'mon, folks; we've been over that one before.
>>> Who's missing? Three of you did NOT turn in this assignment. If you didn't get a graded copy back from me and you did turn it in, please see me ASAP. If I don't hear from you, you know what your grade will be.
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