bea ignite: deb wenger
DESCRIPTION
BEA 2012 Ignite PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Creating Deadline Pressure
More than half of all the TV jobs posted by the Top 10 television news groups in the country referenced the need for applicants to work under pressure and tight deadlines
Real-Time Reporting
THE SPECS:Use mobile phones and apps (could use small
cameras and/or audio recorders) Audioboo Qik
Real-Time Reporting
THE SPECS:Takes slightly more than one class period
Describe pre-reporting assignment (Day 1: 5-10 min.) Real-Time Reporting Day (Day 2: Entire class period.) Post-assignment discussion (Day 3: 15-20 min.)
Instructor Students
Select event occurring during class time (Election Day, midterm week, health fair, etc.)
Break down story elements into chunks of content for individual research assignments
Each student researches an individual story element (where will newsmakers be during class time, data for map, visual opportunities, etc.)
Pre-Reporting Prep
Why teams?
More than 40% of all the TV jobs posted by the Top 10 television news groups in the country referenced the need for applicants to work in teams
Speed requiredAlleviates gear/vehicle issues
Real-Time Reporting Day
Get them out the door!Works best in class of at least 75 minutesFor those who miss deadline, determine
penalty (My students lost 10 points if late – 0 points if not posted by the end of the day)
Real-Time Reporting Day
Can include multiple sections throughout a day-long event
Reporting Day Follow Up
Discuss the experienceReview the stats
Reporting Day Follow Up
Discussion starters:What post or posts drove the most traffic?What do the incoming links tell us about
where the traffic came from? (The newspaper, Twitter, search engines?)
How could you use the data to determine follow up stories for your news organization?
Student Comments
“For the first time, I felt like a real reporter.” Blair Jackson, Sophomore
“It was easier to get a good interview for this story because people were so passionate about their opinions.”
Sara Giles, Sophomore
“Can we do this for every assignment?” David Caldwell, Senior
My Observations
Sense of energy, urgency and fun among the students
Produced better work than usual -- every student did something well
Helped them understand the possibilities and the benefits inherent in mobile news reporting
Created that deadline pressure they will face in the proverbial “real world”
Next Time?
Use Blogger, not Wordpress (plays better with Audioboo & Qik)
Choose another story that develops over time