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Electronic Magazine: Writing and Packaging Stories for the Web

Spring 2006 semester, University at Albany

 

Catalog number: JRL365Z

Class number: 2677

Instructor: David Washburn, lecturer

Room: AS0013

Time: Wednesdays, 5:45-8:35 p.m.

Phone: 469-7157 (cell), 242-8934 (work)

e-mail: canadaeh2004@yahoo.com

Office: Humanities 361

Office hours: after class, 8:35-9:30 p.m.

Prerequisite: JRL300Z (Introduction to Journalism)

 

Communication

            Check http://www.albany.edu/~washburn/ weekly for announcements and syllabus updates. I also post information about the online magazine tool we use to publish our stories and about the web logs you’ll be creating.

            In addition, we’ll have a listserv, courtesy of Yahoo!, to use as a communications tool.

·         Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jrl365z

·         Post message to the group: jrl365z@yahoogroups.com

·         Subscribe:  jrl365z-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

 

Course overview

Electronic Magazine, or Ezine, focuses on writing, editing and packaging magazine-length stories for the web. We’ll study today’s world of online journalism and put theory into practice by publishing three editions of our magazine online (March 8, April 5, May 3).

Student journalists in this course practice reporting stories of varied length, specifically for presentation on the Web.

The class is taught in a hands-on workshop atmosphere in an electronic classroom. Students will learn to use the following software: web browser interface, Photoshop, notepad and an HTML editor.

Students will also be required to report and write several original works of journalism.

            Because of the heavy emphasis on writing, editing and web production, JRL 300Z (Intro to Journalism) and some knowledge of HTML are prerequisites.

 

Goals

To provide students with an overview of online journalism, online storytelling and story packaging. To enhance students’ writing, editing, interviewing, research and computer skills.

During this course, students will:

·         Plan web reporting projects: Identify the underlying theme, justify newsworthiness, conduct research and interviews, write and edit stories, rewrite and publish, all while meeting deadlines.

·         Organize components of an online story package.

·         Build non-linear stories with journalistic integrity for presentation online.

·         Publish three editions of an online magazine.

·         Use appropriate sources -- human, written and online.

·         Maintain personal web logs (or blogs)

 

Subject to change

Despite all best efforts, not everything is completed in class as scheduled, and therefore the syllabus is subject to change and updates, especially in regards to scheduled lecture topics.

 

Grading and attendance

            Grades are bases on a 100-scale.

·         A: 94-100 (super excellent)

·         A-: 90-93 (excellent)

·         B+: 87-89 (really good)

·         B: 83-86 (good)

·         B-: 80-82 (pretty good)

·         C+: 77-79 (not bad)

·         C: 73-76 (fair)

·         C-: 70-72 (fair minus)

·         D: 60-69 (not good)

·         E: below 60 (really not good)

Projects: 66%

Three projects are worth nearly two-thirds of your final grade. Each is worth 22 percent. You will work with teammates to create story packages that will populate three monthly editions of our online magazine. Monthly editions will be published in early March, April and May. Although you are working as a team, students will be graded individually. Grades will depend on the quality of writing, editing, story packaging, source gathering and attribution, headline writing, summary writing and links. And, yes, spelling and grammar count.

Web log: 10%

Your personal web log is worth 10 percent. You will set up and maintain weekly postings to your web log for the first 10 weeks of class. Your web log is an online location for you to share information and points of view (most often your own). You will write about some sort of current event and support your point of view with facts and other opinions. You’ll insert links to supporting information. Our blog host is http://wordpress.com/.

Quizzes: 10%

Two quizzes, based on the text and lecture, are worth 10 percent (5 percent for each).

Attendance: 10%

Attendance accounts for 10 percent. Perfect attendance equals 10 points; one absence equals 9 points; two absences equals 6 points; three absences equals 3 points; more than three absences equals 0 of possible 10 points and means you will struggle to achieve a passing grade. You will also hurt your teammates in the workshop atmosphere. Also, leaving early or habitually arriving late will adversely affect your grade. Lectures are only a small part of this class; in-class practice is a large part. Please be considerate. If you are tardy, make sure you see me before class is over to make sure I have not marked you as absent; the mark I include when taking attendance is the official record.

Class participation: 4%

You will be asked questions and be asked to demonstrate your progress during the term. Your answers and participation level go toward the final grade.

Deadlines

This is a journalism class with real deadlines, so a late assignment is the equivalent of missing a deadline at a newspaper, magazine or broadcast station. For each CLASS an assignment is late, one full letter grade will be deducted.

 

 

 

Textbooks

  • "Web Journalism: Practice and Promise of a New Medium" by James Glen Stovall (Allyn and Bacon publisher). ISBN 0-205-35398-3.
  • AP Stylebook.

 

CLASS 1         Wednesday, Jan. 25

  • Welcome and syllabus overview
  • Guidelines for computer use and file storage
  • What is the web? History of the web and online journalism
  • Creating your own web log. What is a web log?
  • This week’s reading: Read textbook chapters 1 (Logging on to the Web) and 2 (News Web Sites)
  • This week’s assignments:
    • Web log entry #1 (deadline Feb. 1)

 

CLASS 2         Wednesday, Feb. 1

  • Chunking the story: Writing styles for online readers. Introduction to story components.
  • Story packaging: Brainstorming and executing various forms of writing styles to create the complete package and build a full story for the reader

·         Main story

·         Sidebar

·         Info box

·         Personality profile

·         Q&A

·         Man on street

·         Timeline

·         Maps

·         Charts

·         Photo gallery

·         Expert analysis

·         Interactive possibilities

·         Polls

·         Discussions

·         Email

·         Forms

  • Interviews

·         Preparing to interview someone

·         Searching for background information

·         Preparing the questions and being prepared to ask follow-up questions

·         Interviewing in person, on the phone, via Internet

·         Taking notes

·         In-class exercise

  • Assigning teams and story assignments for the first edition.
  • First edition team meetings.
  • This week’s reading: Read textbook chapter 3 (News: Expanding the Definition)
  • This week’s assignments:
    • Web log entry #2 (deadline Feb. 8)
    • Make appointments to interview at least five people for your first set of stories. Interview all of your contacts before Feb. 15 class. Come to class with notes and proposed structure of your story package. The structure should identify the types of story you plan to write, what the main idea for each story is and a breakdown of the elements you will include in each story. This is to be typed and handed in Feb. 15. (Keep a copy for yourself.) We will review in class.
    • Take photos appropriate to your story topic. Try multiple photos. People, locations. Wide-angle shots, close-ups. Make the photos go with your stories. Bring photos to class Feb. 15 (either prints or electronic images).
    • Bring a copy of the campus newspaper to class Feb. 15.

 

Friday, Feb. 3 – Last day to add/drop semester-length course

 

CLASS 3         Wednesday, Feb. 8

  • Our magazine
    • Introduction to the online interface we’ll be using to write, edit and publish our magazine.
    • Naming our magazine.
  • Print journalism vs. online journalism: Compare and contrast
  • Scrolling vs. clicking: How we read on the screen.
  • This week’s reading: Read textbook chapters 4 (Reporting: Gathering Information for the Web) and 7 (Photojournalism on the Web)
  • This week’s assignments:
    • Web log entry #3 (deadline Feb. 15)
    • Make appointments to interview at least five people for your first set of stories. Interview all of your contacts before Feb. 15 class. Come to class with notes and proposed structure of your story package. The structure should identify the types of story you plan to write, what the main idea for each story is and a breakdown of the elements you will include in each story. This is to be typed and handed in Feb. 15. (Keep a copy for yourself.) We will review in class.
    • Take photos appropriate to your story topic. Try multiple photos. People, locations. Wide-angle shots, close-ups. Make the photos go with your stories. Bring photos to class Feb. 15 (either prints or electronic images).
    • Bring a copy of the campus newspaper to class Feb. 15.

 

CLASS 4         Wednesday, Feb. 15

  • Lateral thinking: Select a story from a recent campus newspaper, which you were assigned to bring today. What are the elements that could be developed for more stories? How can you turn one story into an entire package? In-class discussion.
  • Layering: aka chunking information. Breaking up stories for the web into headlines, summaries, lead paragraphs, story chunks, and links. How will information fit into a story package? In-class discussion.
  • Review of your interview notes and story package proposals.
  • Review photos. Are they what you wanted? Expected? Need more? Discuss and figure out what’s missing. Decided upon further photos, if necessary.
  • How to prepare photos for online presentation. A lesson in Photoshop.
  • This week’s reading: Read textbook chapter 5 (Writing: Every Word Counts)
  • This week’s assignments:
    • Web log entry #4 (deadline Feb. 22)
    • Write the first drafts of all your stories for your story package and submit for publication using our online tool. Conduct more interviews, do more research. Gather as many sources as possible. Come to class with more material than you have written.
    • Editors begin editing during next class.
    • Take more photos, if necessary.
    • First edition is published March 8.

 

 

Feb. 22 – NO CLASS (winter break)

 

CLASS 5         Wednesday, March 1

  • Newsroom day – writing and editing
  • In-class: summary writing.
  • In-class: Editing and rewriting stories that you have written during the week. We’ll work on headlines, summaries and packaging of the raw materials. How can we make the stories appealing? Text, images, graphics, charts?
  • This week’s reading: Read textbook chapter 6 (Editing)
  • This week’s assignments:
    • Web log entry #5 (deadline March 8)
    • Rewrite, polish and finish your story packages. Check your accuracy, clarity, precision and efficiency.
    • Edit with your partners.

 

 

CLASS 6         Wednesday, March 8

  • First edition of magazine is published.
  • Assigning teams and story assignments for the second edition.
  • Second issue team meeting
  • GUEST SPEAKER: How to prepare photo assignments.
  • What is convergence?
  • This week’s reading: Read textbook chapter 8 (Graphics Journalism)
  • This week’s assignments:
    • Web log entry #6 (deadline March 15) -- Find examples of three photo galleries that you like. Add links to them in your web log with a one-paragraph description of each. Be prepared to discuss this story telling technique in class.
    • Make appointments to interview at least five people for your second set of stories. Interview all of your contacts before March 22 class. Come to class with notes and proposed structure of your story package. The structure should identify the types of story you plan to write, what the main idea for each story is and a breakdown of the elements you will include in each story. This is to be typed and handed in March 22. (Keep a copy for yourself.) We will review in class.
    • Prepare photo assignments for the photo journalism class. Make the photos go with your stories. Do this as soon as possible.
    • Bring more photos (if you haven’t already) to class to update your first edition story packages next week in class with a photo gallery.

 

CLASS 7         Wednesday, March 15

  • Quiz: Chapters 1-8 and lectures
  • Review of your interview notes and story package proposals.
  • Review photos. Are they what you wanted? Expected? Need more? We’ll make updated photo assignments or take our own photos.
  • How to prepare a photo gallery. Adding photo galleries to your first edition of the magazine.
  • Maps and info graphics. How to tell and enhance the story with graphics.
  • This week’s reading: Read textbook chapter 9 (Audio and Video)
  • This week’s assignments:
    • Web log entry #7 (deadline March 22)
    • Write the first drafts of all your stories for your second story package and prepare for publication using our online tool. Conduct more interviews, do more research. Gather as many sources as possible. Come to class with more material than you have written.
    • Second edition is published April 5.

 

CLASS 8         Wednesday, March 22

  • In-class: Editing and rewriting stories that you have written during the week. We’ll work on headlines, summaries and packaging of the raw materials. How can we make the stories appealing? Text, images, graphics, charts?
  • In-class: Handling a crisis.
  • This week’s reading: Read textbook chapter 10 (Design on the Web)
  • This week’s assignments:
    • Web log entry #8 (deadline March 29)
    • Rewrite, polish and finish your story packages. Check your accuracy, clarity, precision and efficiency. Edit for your partner.
    • Prepare a photo gallery as part of your story package.

 

CLASS 9         Wednesday, March 29

  • Newsroom day – writing and editing
  • Design concepts. Organization, form and function.
  • Review of some journalism web sites. Many links vs. few links. Which do you like better? Why?
  • This week’s reading: Read textbook chapter 11 (Engaging the audience)
  • This week’s assignments:
    • Web log entry #9 (deadline April 5)
    • Second edition published April 5

 

CLASS 10       Wednesday, April 5

  • Second edition published.
  • Assigning teams and story assignments for the third edition.
  • Third edition team meetings.
  • Personalization: What would appear on your news home page? Navigation and other content.
  • Review of your interview notes and story package proposals.
  • Review photos. Are they what you wanted? Expected? Need more? Discuss and figure out what’s missing. Decided upon further photos, if necessary.
  • This week’s reading: Read textbook chapters 12 (Media Law Online)
  • This week’s assignments:
    • Web log entry #10 (deadline April 19 [two weeks])
    • Make appointments to interview at least five people for your third set of stories. Interview all of your contacts before April 19 class. Come to class with notes and proposed structure of your story package. The structure should identify the types of story you plan to write, what the main idea for each story is and a breakdown of the elements you will include in each story. This is to be typed and handed in April 19. (Keep a copy for yourself.) We will review in class.
    • Take photos appropriate to your story topic. Try multiple photos. People, locations. Wide-angle shots, close-ups. Make the photos go with your stories. Bring photos to class April 19 (either prints or electronic images).
    • Write the first drafts of all your stories for your second story package and prepare for publication using our online tool. Conduct more interviews, do more research. Gather as many sources as possible. Come to class with more material than you have written.

 

Wednesday, April 12 – NO CLASS (spring break)

 

CLASS 11       Wednesday, April 19

  • Legal issues with the web
  • In-class: Editing and rewriting stories that you have written during the week. We’ll work on headlines, summaries and packaging of the raw materials. How can we make the stories appealing? Text, images, graphics, charts?
  • This week’s reading: Read textbook chapters 13 (Journalism Accelerated: Inside MSNBC) and 14 (Practice and Promise)
  • This week’s assignments:
    • Third edition is published May 3.

 

CLASS 12       Wednesday, April 26

  • Quiz: Chapters 9-14 and lectures
  • Newsroom day – writing and editing
  • In-class: Editing and rewriting. Making this edition the best of the three.
  • This week’s assignments:
    • Rewrite, polish and finish your story packages. Check your accuracy, clarity, precision and efficiency. Edit for your partner.

 

CLASS 13       Wednesday, May 3

  • Third edition published (written critique delivered to you via email upon request)
  • Review of what you learned and of all the work accomplished
  • Open discussion about the web and journalism, their past and future
  • Open discussion/review about this class

 

Tuesday, May 9 – Last day of classes

May 11-18 – Final exams

May 20-21 – Commencement weekend (CONGRATULATIONS)

 

 

Blogging

 

Our host is http://wordpress.com/.

 

Do this first

Register your user name and email to me ASAP your site URL.

 

Guidelines

You will write 10 blog entries, and I will offer feedback in the “comments” section of each entry. Late blogs will not be considered for grading and will receive a zero (0) for that one blog entry. Each blog entry is worth 1% of the class grade.

 

Topics

Web log entry #6 (deadline March 15) will feature the names of three three photo galleries with links to each and a one-paragraph description of each. Be prepared to discuss this story telling technique in class.

 

The other nine entries will come from the following categories:

  1. U.S. news
  2. World news
  3. Local news (on-campus, city, regional, state)
  4. Business
  5. Sports
  6. Entertainment
  7. Tech/Science/Health
  8. Weather/Travel
  9. Free choice

When you write an entry for each category is up to you, but once you’ve used the category, you can’t use it again. Best advise – pay attention to current affairs so that you can write about the hot topic regardless of category.

 

Quick calendar overview

 

Edition 1

Team meeting: Feb. 1

Story notes and initial photos due: Feb. 15

Newsroom night: March 1

Publication date: March 8

 

Edition 2

Team meeting: March 8

Story notes and initial photos due: March 22

Newsroom night: March 29

Publication date: April 5

 

Edition 3

Team meeting: April 5

Story notes and initial photos due: April 19

Newsroom night: April 26

Publication date: May 3

 

No class

Feb. 22 (winter break)

April 12 (spring break)

 

Quizzes

March 15 (chapters 1-8 and lectures/discussion)

April 26 (chapters 9-14 and lectures/discussion)

Glossaries and terms

http://www.webopedia.com/

http://www.cwru.edu/help/webglossary.html

 

 

Software (none required)

HTML editors

Web Notepad (free)

                http://www.digicraft.com.au/webnotepad/

HTML Kit (free)

            http://www.chami.com/html-kit/

Hot Dog ($99.95)

            http://www.sausage.com/hotdog-professional.html

Dreamweaver MX ($399)

http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/store/index.cfm?store=OLS-US&view=ols_prod&category=/Software/Development/StandAlones/Dreamweaver

Homesite ($99)

http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/store/index.cfm#view=ols_prod&loc=en_us&store=OLS-US&category=/Software/Development/StandAlones/HomeSite&distributionMethod=UPGRADE

 

Image editors

Adobe Photoshop CS2 ($649)

             http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/main.html

Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 ($99.99)

http://store.adobe.com/store/products/master.jhtml?id=catPhotoshopElementsWin&ref=Secondary

 

For academic discounts, call (518) 442-5690 or fax (518) 442-5685

 

Also: http://www.academicsuperstore.com/

Photoshop CS2                                      $289.95

Photoshop Elements 4.0             $  65.95

 

Also: Sprysoft (http://www.sprysoft.com/shop/)

Photoshop CS2                          $278.80

Photoshop Elements 4.0             $  62.80

Adobe Photoshop 7.0                 $149.80

 

Hardware

The Interactive Media Center (http://library.albany.edu/imc/) has a Nikon CoolPix 4.0 mega pixel digital camera available for loan. It is available only if you are a currently eligible registered borrower of the Library and a University faculty, student or staff member. Contact Regina Conboy, telephone 442-3608 or email: rconboy@uamail.albany.edu.

 

The IMC is located on the lower floor of the Main Library at the Uptown Campus.

Monday - Thursday: 8am-10pm

Friday: 8am-5pm

Saturday: 9am-5pm

Sunday: Noon-7pm