Summer 2010

Journalism for the Web

A hands-on, project-based introduction to multimedia reporting for the web.

reporting topic ideas

ONLINE U

moving the university online - effect on students, faculty, staff
staff cuts?
better for students?
job satisfaction - onlive vs face-to-face?
UBLearns
distance learning (online classes)
instant librarian chat service

ECONOMIC ENGINE

Research by a Federal Reserve Bank economist supports the theory that colleges and universities are economic engines capable of producing and drawing skilled workers to a city. ub reporter story

HELPING SCHOLARS

Faculty member Claude Welch is serving as an advisor to an international fund that helps scholars who are being persecuted in their homelands to continue their academic work in a safe environment. ub reporter story

inspiration, ideas and tutorials

10,000 words

get it, use it, do it

software
- Soundslides (web slideshow - demo available)
- Audacity (basic audio editing - free, open source)
- GIMP (graphics editing - free, open source)
- Adobe (Photoshop, Flash, etc. - educational pricing available)
content management systems:
- Wordpress
  - get the software to install on a server www.wordpress.org
  - instant blog on their servers wordpress.com
- Drupal
- Joomla
domain registration and hosting companies
- Dreamhost
video hosting
- Vimeo
- youtube
image hosting
- Flickr
timeline widgets
- http://www.dipity.com/

examples

New media projects
- examples from Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism
- The Places We Live
photos
- slideshows from Washington Post
  - Nuclear summit drops on D.C.
    - captions describe scene, then add information
    - captions reinforce significance of event
    - second half of images show the effect on "regular folks"
  - Rand Paul leads in Kentucky Senate primary race
    - captions describe scene, add bits that tell the story, not all visual
    - starting on slide 9 the focus shifts to Paul's opponent
  - Gulf oil spill
    - a major story that undoflds over time
    - organized by date
- slideshows from MSNBC
  - a story that invites reflection: The Clarks - MSNBC
  - reflection: Protests in Thailand
- photo - reflect on characters: We're all gonna die: 100 meters of existence
- photo - reflect on location/situation: Spin Around the Spin Room
video
- action: Fuel truck explosion in northeast Spokane (note lack of announcer - video is presented w/ text story)
- news context: Metrolink train hits unoccupied car in Burbank; no injuries reported
- scripted personal history: On Leadership series
- public relations video: Points of UB Pride
- public relations video: Why I Love the University at Buffalo
- action: Michael Jackson tribute brings zombies to North Oakland
- showing place: Trapped in an Elevatpr
- showing personality: Ernie's Market
- drama (ie story is part of a larger drama): Larry Craig
interactive timelines
- C-Span Debate Timeline
- recession timelines - powered by dipity
mini-profiles
- PUBLIC EYE (Time Out NY)
mapping projects
- Immigration and Jobs
- Netflix Queues NY Times
- NY City Homicide Map NY Times
- food stamps
- fast Food Maps note - lacks context and analysis; only maps particular "fast food" chains; also data is not current
- NY City Homicide Map NY Times
citizen journalism
- Citizen Journalism - What Is It ? (9:50)
hyperlocal news sites