Extra Credit Opportunity: 20 points
Visit Storify and create your own “Storify” using your topic of choice. Publish it, and share its like via Twitter with the #COM135 tag. This is due by 11:00a.m. on 12/8. Turnitin and posting on your blog are not required.
For examples of “Storified” social media stories, visit Erica Smith’s page and check out some of her work.
Unit #4 – Journalism Platforms
Journalism Platforms – Broadcast – Slideshare
Journalism Platforms – Online – slideshare
Unit #3 – Newswriting and Gathering
Where do stories come from slideshare
Newswriting Basics #2 – Slideshare
Newswriting Basics #1 – Slideshare
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Law and Ethics – Slideshare
Assignment #2: News Values
Due: Thursday, 9/29 – 25 points
Find a recent news story online for each of the six news values discussed in “defining news” (proximity, prominence, timeliness, impact, conflict, and unusual/human interest).
Provide hyperlinks to the stories online, or embed videos. In a 500-word blog post, explain why you believe that news story fits that particular news value. ”A” and “B” blogs should have an array of relevant multimedia elements like photos, videos, and hyperlinks. Each news value explanation must have the hyperlink back to the original story online.
Remember, your post should create value for the people who read it, and it should be artistic. See the syllabus for how letter grades are assigned.
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Journalism Today #2 – slideshare
Journalism today1 – slideshare
Assignment #1 – History Interview Blog Post
Due: Thursday 9/8 on your blog and on TurnItIn
Interview someone born before 1970. Ask them questions about their relationship with the news media from when they were younger. Inquire about specific mediums they used to consume news, as well as major news events in their lifetime that impacted them.
Compose a 500-word blog post that includes multimedia elements like photos, videos, and hyperlinks. Summarize and reflect on what you learned from the interview. Do not write in a question and answer format, but rather construct a cohesive post full of all the writing splendor and creativity you have to offer. Remember, your post should create value for the people who read it, and it should be artistic. See the syllabus for how letter grades are assigned.
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Tech Set-Up: #1 – Getting Started With Your Course Materials
As listed on the syllabus, some of your course materials will come from Internet sources such as Twitter, RSS feeds, and class blogs. Below, I have listed information about setting up all three. It is not my goal for you to feel overwhelmed. As I mentioned on the first day of class, learning involves moving through ambiguity, figuring things out on your own, and troubleshooting. These are three ways I look forward to challenging you. :)
Please have these set-up items completed by Tuesday’s class time (8/30).
1 – Your WordPress.com Blog
Visit WordPress.com and set up a blog. I made some video tutorials that will help you with some basic skills. I urge you to be creative and artistic with your blog’s Web address, title, and design. Consider this blog a reflection of you, and it’s your first step towards finding your dream job by having an engaging online personal brand. Those students who take the time to craft a compelling “About” page are letting me know early on they are serious about standing out from the crowd.
2 – Your Twitter Account
Visit Twitter.com and set-up an account. While creating your “profile” page under “settings”, be sure to type the Web address of your WordPress blog so visitors, including me, know where to find your work. As with your blog, select something memorable as your Twitter name, or “handle”, as it’s called on Twitter.
When you’ve set up your account, find @LUJournalism and “follow” it. Next, check out the list of people that @LUJournalism is “following”, and “follow” as many as you can. Of course, you are not limited to those 80 Twitter accounts, it’s just a way to get you started.
Say “hello” and announce yourself in a tweet! Congrats, you’re on Twitter!
(Word of warning, there is such a thing as Twitter spam. You will notice when you follow other accounts with LOTS of followers, spammers will follow you and advertise their Websites that are often inappropriate. You can “block” these people from your followers list, and I recommend you do.)
3 – Google Reader and RSS Feeds
Visit Google.com/reader and set up an account. Your Lionmail address, even though it runs on Google, won’t be sufficient. You will need a separate Google account. Here’s a link to a help page, although you’ll find plenty of assistance about using Google Reader in a Google search.
“Add subscriptions” to the below websites (look for “add subscriptions” button, copy and past Web address (the URL):
Later, I’ll ask you to subscribe to all of your classmates’ blogs, so it would be helpful for you to create “folders” separating the above subscriptions from future ones. Visit “manage subscriptions” area to figure out how to do that.
That’s it for Tech Set-Up #1. Now that you’re all set up, I highly recommend you spend some time playing around with things and getting comfortable. Don’t you feels savvier already?
