teaching jmu

By Jennifer Brannock CoxUniversity of Florida

Today’s Objectives:Explore the opportunities & challenges

associated with backpack journalism

Discuss new storytelling processes that incorporate a range of skills

In-class exercise in backpack journalism with peer review

Class discussion on ways to use new technologies

What is backpack journalism?A tool kit

What is backpack journalism?OR

What is backpack journalism?A process:1. Social networking

What is backpack journalism?A process:2. Web hit

What is backpack journalism?A process:3. Second-day story

What is backpack journalism?A process:4. Recording/editing audio

What is backpack journalism?A process:5. Capturing/editing photos

What is backpack journalism?A process:6. Capturing/editing video

What is backpack journalism?A challenge

What is backpack journalism?A challenge

BURNOUT

What is backpack journalism?An opportunity

What is backpack journalism?An opportunity

Your Turn!

A Tweet

A web hit

Plan a second-day story

Plan the audio

Plan the photos

Plan the video

TweetingAllows you to:

Get the story out quicklyAppeal to a mass audienceFocus on a central themeDrive viewers to the online product

Search Engine Optimization

TweetingUsing the prompt:

Write a 140-character TweetTry to use searchable words and phrasesUse proper nounsFind the most important piece of news to share5 minutes, then volunteers to share

Writing a web hitWhat is a web hit?

How long do reporters have to write them?

When is a web hit appropriate?

How are web hits communicated?

Writing news for online

Need confirmation before posting/publicationHaving it first versus having it right

Brief -- just the basic facts. Must know now.

Summary/hard news lede

Inverted pyramid – most important first, what is still to happen last

Writing news for online

Typically 3-5 grafs

Typically one or no quotes

Present tense and past tense together

Today OK; still no tomorrow or yesterday

Web hit promptWhat information should go in the lede?

What information should be excluded?

What information might be redundant?

What information should we end with?

Web hitTake 10-15 minutes

Write 3-5 grafs

I will look over your shoulder

Proofread with a partner

Second-day storyWhat information is still needed?

What information that we already have should be included?

What sources do we need?

What kind of color should we get?

Technological helpersUse social media to gather sources

Use online tools to solicit contributions

Use social media to promote the story

Use new technology, like Storify, to organize a new kind of story

Collecting/editing audioShort – 2-3 minutes

Good background noise

Good sound bites

Deep explanation

Isolate sources

Collecting/editing audioWhat kind of background noise can we get?

What sources should we interview?

What kinds of quotes should we listen for?

Challenges?

Taking photosLook for pictures that tell a story

Faces convey emotion; inanimate objects do not

Try different angles

Never pose pictures

Gather caption information

Taking videoAlways take at least 10 seconds of each shot

Refrain from panning and zooming too much

Minimize your voice, comments

Rule of thirds

Use a variety of angles

Taking photos & videoWhat shots should we look for?

What angles could we use?

What details do we need?

Challenges?

Key PointsJournalists entering newsrooms should be familiar

with backpack journalism technology & process

Technology is not a substitute for good writing

Just because you can doesn’t always mean that you should