LECTURE SCHEDULE, READINGS & ASSIGNMENTS | JRN380 home page
* Schedule is subject to change with appropriate notice
WEEK 1: #ThisIsJournalism
Key terms: convergence, multimedia, multiplatform, legacy newsroom, digital startup
How do we define journalism in the Digital Age? What is "fake news?"
Monday, Aug. 28 Course introductions, syllabus & Twitter
In class: Rosen handout.
Homework: (1) Read Ch. 1 of Wenger & Potter and submit a 2-3 page response via email ([email protected]) by 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 30 with a full explanation of the advantages of each medium (print, broadcast, web and mobile). Use your own words. Find a current example from a news organization for each platform and describe how each encompasses the advantages you describe. Be sure to provide each source. A link will do for the broadcast, online and mobile pieces, you can take a screenshot of the print piece. (Pick up the Chronicle, if you can't find anything else!)
Wednesday, Aug. 30 Swapping this class out for GOOGLE NEWS LAB TRAINING. Mandatory participation of one session.
When: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 31
Where: CCE 250 "Faculty Commons"
What: Mike Reilley, an SPJ/Google News Lab trainer, will spend the day teaching you the latest tools of the trade
Detailed schedule:
* 9-9:50 a.m. Google Basics: Image Search-verification, Google Trends, Google Scholar, search
shortcuts, AutoDraw.com and Google AI tools.
* 10-11:15 a.m. Data scraping with Google Sheets and Tabula. Building charts with Google Fusion Tables.
Google Public Data Explorer. If time: Cool maps with Carto.com, StoryMap JS and Datawrapper.de
* 11:30-12:15 p.m. Mobile reporting apps and tools, some work with VR and Google Cardboard.
* 12:15-1 p.m. Google Earth Pro, Google Earth Timelapse and the new Google Earth. Build tours, verify photos
and locations, download historical imagery.
WEEK 2: Media Platforms and News Values
Key Terms: Interactivity, on-demand, news values, convergence, distributed reporting/content
What are the strengths of digital journalism? How is it similar and different from traditional forms?
Monday, Sept. 4 NO CLASS LABOR DAY
Homework for Wed: Read Thornburg, Chap 1 & Chap 2
Wednesday, Sept. 6 The platforms of digital news, why we use them, how they're the same and different. The digital news lifecycle.
Homework for Mon: (1) Read Picking the right medium for the story (Note: There are several broken links on this page, but find ones of your own that get after what it is attempting to convey.) (2) Read Thornburg, Chap 3 & Digital News Audience: Fact Sheet (Pew Research Center). (3) Read this CNN piece on the Charlottesville rallies from August. Note the videos, the words, the photos. See where the links go.
WEEK 3: THE DIGITAL MEDIA AUDIENCE & DELIVERY
Key Terms: MMJ (multimedia journalist), backpack journalist, audience analytics, engagement, crowd sourcing, user-generated content, SEO
Who is your audience and why do they matter? How do you study this audience?
Monday, Sept. 11
* Homework: READ, WATCH, ANALYZE & WRITE. What are the pros, cons and levels of effectiveness of this article, the embedded 30-minute documentary, both produced by the Cincinnati Enquirer? Check out the Enquirer's social media feeds (places to start: Twitter | Facebook) and analyze. What news values are embodied ? Do certain news values emanate more in the article than the movie? Vice versa? What are social media trying to accomplish to do? How are the audience members interacting? (Type your thoughts in a two- to three-page typed essay and bring to class. Be prepared to discuss.)
*** Just for your listening pleasure, The S-Town Podcast ***
Wednesday, Sept. 13 Discuss media, go over media usage
* Homework: Read George-Palilonis,Chap 2; Do your own personal media analysis
WEEK 4: FINDING STORIES: GOOGLE + HUMANS
Key Terms: Boolean search, deep web, LexisNexis
Monday, Sept. 18 The Search... And, The Not-So-Easy Search
Discuss media analysis assignment (this is due today)
Lecture: How do we find things? How do we make the most of our tools? (PPT)
Check out Journalist's Toolbox and this resource.
* Follow the steps in this tipsheet to find yourself on several search sites. When you hit a wall with one (don't pay for anything!), move on to the next. On a piece of paper, mark down what each site shared about you. Was it correct? Any incorrect items?
Wednesday, Sept. 20 More Searches - People, Topics & Secrets
* Read this article on the differences between the dark/deep web.
* Download and get familiar with Tweetdeck. Read: 10 Ways to Get More Out of Tweetdeck
* In-Class: Search Activity
WEEK 5: FINDING STORIES: SOCIAL MEDIA
Monday, Sept. 25 How to search social media platforms efficiently in a breaking news situation and beyond, including a review of Twitter search resources
* In-Class: Lecture (PPT) & Tweetdeck Activity
* Put together a collection of newsworthy tweets using Tweetdeck. Email the URL to the instructor and include a couple of sentences about the value of the collection. Also, do you feel the tweets are trustworthy?
Wednesday, Sept. 27 Introduction to Verification
* In-Class: Go over Tweetdeck activity; Lecture on User-generated content verification, attribution, copyright (PPT)
*Homework: Finish Wenger & Potter Chap. 4, do Talking Points questions #1, #3 & #4. Type out and bring to class.
WEEK 6: FINDING STORIES: DATAKey terms: computer-assisted reporting (CAR), data journalism
Monday, Oct. 2 What is Data Journalism?
* In-Class: A survey of what DATA can do for your work and some tips for getting started and finding great story leads.
Wednesday, Oct. 4
* In-Class: Let's discuss Google Sheets and making maps. See SECT Overdose sheet (emailed to you prior to class).
Homework: Study for midterm
WEEK 7: MIDTERM
Monday, Oct. 9 MIDTERM
Wednesday, Oct. 11 Editorial Meeting #1 (Break into teams, full-staff meeting on coverage areas)
WEEK 8-16: PROJECTS
* Mandatory editorial meetings and tools lessons each Monday
* Assignment due dates: * Social Media Challenges (noon)
Bio page Wednesday, Oct. 18 Saturday, Oct. 21
Story #1 Wednesday, Nov. 1 Wednesday, Nov. 8
Story #2 Wednesday, Nov. 15 Wednesday, Nov. 22
Story #3 Friday, Dec. 8 Friday, Dec. 15
WEEK 1: #ThisIsJournalism
Key terms: convergence, multimedia, multiplatform, legacy newsroom, digital startup
How do we define journalism in the Digital Age? What is "fake news?"
Monday, Aug. 28 Course introductions, syllabus & Twitter
In class: Rosen handout.
Homework: (1) Read Ch. 1 of Wenger & Potter and submit a 2-3 page response via email ([email protected]) by 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 30 with a full explanation of the advantages of each medium (print, broadcast, web and mobile). Use your own words. Find a current example from a news organization for each platform and describe how each encompasses the advantages you describe. Be sure to provide each source. A link will do for the broadcast, online and mobile pieces, you can take a screenshot of the print piece. (Pick up the Chronicle, if you can't find anything else!)
Wednesday, Aug. 30 Swapping this class out for GOOGLE NEWS LAB TRAINING. Mandatory participation of one session.
When: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 31
Where: CCE 250 "Faculty Commons"
What: Mike Reilley, an SPJ/Google News Lab trainer, will spend the day teaching you the latest tools of the trade
Detailed schedule:
* 9-9:50 a.m. Google Basics: Image Search-verification, Google Trends, Google Scholar, search
shortcuts, AutoDraw.com and Google AI tools.
* 10-11:15 a.m. Data scraping with Google Sheets and Tabula. Building charts with Google Fusion Tables.
Google Public Data Explorer. If time: Cool maps with Carto.com, StoryMap JS and Datawrapper.de
* 11:30-12:15 p.m. Mobile reporting apps and tools, some work with VR and Google Cardboard.
* 12:15-1 p.m. Google Earth Pro, Google Earth Timelapse and the new Google Earth. Build tours, verify photos
and locations, download historical imagery.
WEEK 2: Media Platforms and News Values
Key Terms: Interactivity, on-demand, news values, convergence, distributed reporting/content
What are the strengths of digital journalism? How is it similar and different from traditional forms?
Monday, Sept. 4 NO CLASS LABOR DAY
Homework for Wed: Read Thornburg, Chap 1 & Chap 2
Wednesday, Sept. 6 The platforms of digital news, why we use them, how they're the same and different. The digital news lifecycle.
Homework for Mon: (1) Read Picking the right medium for the story (Note: There are several broken links on this page, but find ones of your own that get after what it is attempting to convey.) (2) Read Thornburg, Chap 3 & Digital News Audience: Fact Sheet (Pew Research Center). (3) Read this CNN piece on the Charlottesville rallies from August. Note the videos, the words, the photos. See where the links go.
WEEK 3: THE DIGITAL MEDIA AUDIENCE & DELIVERY
Key Terms: MMJ (multimedia journalist), backpack journalist, audience analytics, engagement, crowd sourcing, user-generated content, SEO
Who is your audience and why do they matter? How do you study this audience?
Monday, Sept. 11
* Homework: READ, WATCH, ANALYZE & WRITE. What are the pros, cons and levels of effectiveness of this article, the embedded 30-minute documentary, both produced by the Cincinnati Enquirer? Check out the Enquirer's social media feeds (places to start: Twitter | Facebook) and analyze. What news values are embodied ? Do certain news values emanate more in the article than the movie? Vice versa? What are social media trying to accomplish to do? How are the audience members interacting? (Type your thoughts in a two- to three-page typed essay and bring to class. Be prepared to discuss.)
*** Just for your listening pleasure, The S-Town Podcast ***
Wednesday, Sept. 13 Discuss media, go over media usage
* Homework: Read George-Palilonis,Chap 2; Do your own personal media analysis
WEEK 4: FINDING STORIES: GOOGLE + HUMANS
Key Terms: Boolean search, deep web, LexisNexis
Monday, Sept. 18 The Search... And, The Not-So-Easy Search
Discuss media analysis assignment (this is due today)
Lecture: How do we find things? How do we make the most of our tools? (PPT)
Check out Journalist's Toolbox and this resource.
* Follow the steps in this tipsheet to find yourself on several search sites. When you hit a wall with one (don't pay for anything!), move on to the next. On a piece of paper, mark down what each site shared about you. Was it correct? Any incorrect items?
Wednesday, Sept. 20 More Searches - People, Topics & Secrets
* Read this article on the differences between the dark/deep web.
* Download and get familiar with Tweetdeck. Read: 10 Ways to Get More Out of Tweetdeck
* In-Class: Search Activity
WEEK 5: FINDING STORIES: SOCIAL MEDIA
Monday, Sept. 25 How to search social media platforms efficiently in a breaking news situation and beyond, including a review of Twitter search resources
* In-Class: Lecture (PPT) & Tweetdeck Activity
* Put together a collection of newsworthy tweets using Tweetdeck. Email the URL to the instructor and include a couple of sentences about the value of the collection. Also, do you feel the tweets are trustworthy?
Wednesday, Sept. 27 Introduction to Verification
* In-Class: Go over Tweetdeck activity; Lecture on User-generated content verification, attribution, copyright (PPT)
*Homework: Finish Wenger & Potter Chap. 4, do Talking Points questions #1, #3 & #4. Type out and bring to class.
WEEK 6: FINDING STORIES: DATAKey terms: computer-assisted reporting (CAR), data journalism
Monday, Oct. 2 What is Data Journalism?
* In-Class: A survey of what DATA can do for your work and some tips for getting started and finding great story leads.
Wednesday, Oct. 4
* In-Class: Let's discuss Google Sheets and making maps. See SECT Overdose sheet (emailed to you prior to class).
Homework: Study for midterm
WEEK 7: MIDTERM
Monday, Oct. 9 MIDTERM
Wednesday, Oct. 11 Editorial Meeting #1 (Break into teams, full-staff meeting on coverage areas)
WEEK 8-16: PROJECTS
* Mandatory editorial meetings and tools lessons each Monday
* Assignment due dates: * Social Media Challenges (noon)
Bio page Wednesday, Oct. 18 Saturday, Oct. 21
Story #1 Wednesday, Nov. 1 Wednesday, Nov. 8
Story #2 Wednesday, Nov. 15 Wednesday, Nov. 22
Story #3 Friday, Dec. 8 Friday, Dec. 15