Post Assignment for SPE-101 due Oct. 4, 3pm

101

Think of the last time you had a conflict with someone you care about – “drama,” if you will.  What do you know now about listening that would help you better analyze what happened?  What might you do differently? As always - 250 words, using concepts and vocabulary from class.  Show off what you're learning.

For my 245 students

Charlie pointed out this article  on the recent tests of the first amendment regarding social media, students, and teachers....EXACTLY what we talked about in class on Thursday. 

245

We've talked a bit about the economics of new media and its primary commodity (information about users). We've also talked a bit about search engines and how they work.  For this week's blog (due Tuesday, Sept. 27th, noon), listen to one of the stories about Google.   Connect the ideas we've covered in class with the story you've chosen. As always, write a mini essay, at least 250 words, with a thesis you defend.  Show off your mastery of the concepts and vocabulary. 

By the way -- for those of you interested in a career in media, this program, On The Media, is very valuable EVERY week.

SPE-101 Blog Post Assignment Due Sept. 26

101

Now that you know a bit about statistics, look for an article in the news that quotes some statistics and critically analyze the article.  Does it reveal the margin of error for a poll or survey?  Does it tell the reader the "n" of the sample, or how and when the data were collected?  What can you say about the quality of the information presented?  As always, 250 words, structured like a small essay.  This post is due at class time on Sept. 26th. 

SPE-245 Post for Tuesday Sept. 20th

245

This is a 20-point post.  Find an image to represent you and post it to your blog along with your post.  Explain why you chose this image to represent you.  Discuss who you are on line and compare and contrast your online persona with your "real life" persona.  As always -- due at class time, 250 words.

SPE-101 Post for Tuesday, Sept. 20

101

Hi everyone - your post for Sept. 20th (due at class time) should describe how our content analysis exercise from Thursday reflects the five-step research process.  Your post represents the 5th step -- publication -- and should explain how we went through the other steps.  It should discuss our process and findings.  As always, your post is due at class time (3pm) and should be 250 words. 

Are There Too Many Ways to Reach Us?

Is it possible that having so many ways to communicate (e-mail, chat, cell phone, land-line) that it's HARDER to reach us these days?  Frank Bruni of the New York Times raises some important issues, though he's looking at the problem with a sense of humor:
NY Times Sept. 1, 2011 

Facebook at School

NY Times Sept. 4, 2011 

What do you think -- should students have access to Facebook and other distracting websites while at school?
New York Times Sept. 4

Newspaper Video: Getting Back to Basics

I just finished viewing a random sample of fifty newspaper website videos and I’m feeling pretty sorry for myself.  This was part of a larger academic research project, but I have some preliminary feedback for my friends working for newspaper websites:

First:  use a dang tripod and level your camera. Great photography does indeed take skill, and the very best is art.  You don’t have to be Cecil B. deMille, however, to level and steady a shot. This is elementary but I was amazed at the number of shaky videos with shot by professionals.  

Second: learn to use a microphone and put the microphone near the source of the sound.  Your viewers are not interested in listening to the breeze go past your camera; they want to hear the person you are interviewing.

Third:  get closer! If you’re shooting a community feature so that folks can see their kids at the flag raising ceremony or the summer parade,  let them see their kids’ faces! It is your job to cover the event – get in there.

Fourth: contextualize your stories.  Too many videos are posted apart from their originating stories, so it’s impossible to find them and figure out when the events they depict even occurred.  If you post something, take the time to add a caption that tells the viewer what it is and when it occurred.  (You remember the whole who/what/when/why/how thing?  Yeah, that needs to be attached to video too.  Really.)

Finally: incorporate your videos into the larger product.  Why  are news videos on a separate tab from your news?  Work with your web designers to streamline the user experience.  They should be able to read the details, see the images, and click on a video that adds to their understanding of the story.

 

Video is one of the most promising growth areas for online news, yet what I’ve seen tells me that some organizations are throwing anything up there to see what sticks. Some of it is so bad it’s insulting to the audience.  Remember – your audience can use a video camera too, and when your material is no better than theirs, you may not get another click.  Use video to enhance your coverage, not as an afterthought. 

Copyright & Copyleft: notes from an artist

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110506/15124514188/when-copyright-contracts-can-get-way-art.shtml