Multimedia Journalism (JO540) at Boston University

Description:
The course introduces students to reporting, writing and creating multimedia journalism for the Internet. Students will view and critique online journalism and learn how to create stories using various media. They will learn which elements—text, links, stills, audio, video, and interactivity—are best for delivering a story and engaging an Internet news audience. Students will also learn the basics of the tools needed to create multimedia journalism projects during the semester and will practice using them to report and tell news stories throughout the term via sites and blogs set up specifically for this purpose.

If you’re a Spring 2009 JO540 (C1) student, please download and print out the syllabus. You should also visit this page throughout the semester for useful links and information.

The course to date:


Class/Date
Topic
Lecture / Useful Links
Class 1 – Jan. 26, 2009 “Overview of Internet Reporting and Multimedia Storytelling” – A look at what multimedia reporting is, why it’s important, how it’s done, and how to do it. Lecture: 012609lecture.ppt
Links: Be sure to visit Steve Garfield’s presentation page. It includes the group discussion information from today, as well as your additional blog-related assignment. Also, to supplement today’s lecture, here’s another take on how people read the Web.
Class 2 – Feb. 2, 2009 “Media and Audience Power; Maps and Blogs” – In this class, we looked at Search Engine Optimization and how you, as journalists, can make your content more findable. We also created blogs and our own Google maps. [My sample blog] Lecture: 020209lecture.ppt – this file also includes assignments for next week.
Links: Steve Garfield’s presentation #2. Steve went over the ins and outs of creating a blog and deciding on a theme (politics, entertainment, etc.) He also talked about how easy it really is to get into big media. Follow his advice!
Class 3 – Feb. 9, 2009 “HTML Tutorial” – We covered HTML tags and the fundamentals of basic HTML. We also practiced HTML coding on our Google Sites. Lecture: 020909lecture.ppt – this file also includes assignments for next week.
Links: Steve Garfield’s presentation #3. Steve went over his recent coverage of the Shepard Fairey arrest in Boston as well as some important points in terms of directing users toward more content.
Class 4 – Feb. 17, 2009 “Digital Photography and Elements of a Good Photo” – We covered some basic rules of good composition and then went out to shoot our own photos based on those rules. We critiqued the photos in class, talked about ideas for next time, and went over useful information, e.g. photo contests and portable hard drives. Lecture: 021709lecture.ppt – this file also includes assignments for next week, useful links, etc.
Links: Steve Garfield’s presentation #4. Steve went over cell phone reporting and then, with Nick’s help, demonstrated how you can report breaking news quickly and easily with just your phone.
Class 5 – Feb. 23, 2009 “Digital Photography: Making Things Better With Photoshop” – In this class, I showed everyone how to make interesting graphics out of otherwise boring photographs. Since many students were previously unfamiliar with Photoshop, we spent a lot of time exploring the most commonly used tools. Students were then given the chance to work on their own images and ask questions. (See this very basic tutorial.) Lecture: 022309lecture.ppt – includes assignments for next week, useful links, photoshop help, etc.
Links: Steve Garfield’s presentation #5. Steve demonstrated how anyone with an internet connection and a computer (along with its built-in camera or an external camera) can stream live, with ease and free of charge.
Class 6 – March 2, 2009 “Audio Recording and Editing : Simple Tools for Production/Post Production ” – This lecture covers the very basics of audio journalism, from how to set up an interview and ask questions to how to get the get the best sound. For students who have no or little experience in editing audio, I created a very simple tutorial on editing and post production via Audacity, a free software tool. Lecture: 030209lecture.ppt – includes assignments for next week, useful links, photoshop help, etc.
Note: As today was a snow day, there was no lecture with Steve Garfield. Be sure, however, to watch his blog for any useful information and updates.
Class 7 – March 16, 2009 “Creating Audio Slide Shows ” – In this class, we discussed the Soundslides slide show software, the tag line for which is “Ridiculously Simple Storytelling.” We went through an easy tutorial using the software, after which the students got to work on their own pieces (due next week) and ask questions. Lecture: 031609lecture.ppt – includes assignments for next week, useful links, photoshop help, etc. It also includes information on the final project.
Note: In lieu of Steve Garfield’s discussion section today, please attend the Globe multimedia panel this Thursday (as per my e-mail).
Class 8 – March 23, 2009 “Creating Video for the Web ” – We discussed the ins and outs of Web video, including the similarities and differences between shooting for the Web and TV. We also worked with cameras in class and discussed assignments for the next couple of weeks. Lecture: 032309lecture.ppt – includes assignments for next week, useful links, etc.
Links: Steve Garfield’s presentation #6. Steve demonstrated how anyone with a cell phone (or Web connection) can have their own talk radio show via Web sites like BlogTalkRadio.com. In class, we had our own 15-minute show, which aired live via the site and which can now be found in the archives.
Class 9 – March 30, 2009 “Weaving Sites Together” – Today we reviewed your rough cuts and went over suggestions for your final pieces. Remember that your video projects are due by Monday morning, April 6. You should host your videos on YouTube, Vimeo, or similar before embedding to your blogs. Following video presentations, we went over the basics of Dreamweaver. Lecture: No lecture today, only review followed by demonstration. I’ve set up this Dreamweaver page as a resource for students as they create their sites (and for when they upload the final products).
Links: Steve Garfield’s presentation on Live Streaming. With the help of one of my students, Steve demonstrated how anyone with a cell phone (at least, a cell with a camera) can report live on the Web. Great job, Ashlie!
Class 10 – April 6, 2009 “Dreamweaver: A Deeper Look” – In this class, we took a deeper look into Dreamweaver and learned how to work with pages that use CSS and JavaScript. We also discussed how to alter our pages with both the HTML coding and visual design elements offered in Dreamweaver. Lecture: No lecture today, only review followed by demonstration. I’ve set up this Dreamweaver page as a resource for students as they create their sites (and for when they upload the final products).
Links: Mogulus – Steve Garfield gave a great presentation today on Mogulus, a Web-based service that lets you run your own virtual TV station! Great stuff!
Class 11 – April 13, 2009 “Final Projects and the Boston Marathon” – Today, I fielded students’ questions on Dreamweaver and other programs (as well as FTP-ing) while they worked on their sites for their final projects. We also discussed the Boston Marathon, which the students will be covering LIVE, next week on April 20th. Lecture: No lecture today, but you may follow the Boston Marathon coverage via our FriendFeed account on Monday.
Links: The Boston Marathon at BU – Steve Garfield delved deeper into what FriendFeed and similar RSS aggregators are, as well as how our feed will be used to grab every student’s individual coverage on Marathon Day.

List of student sites and blogs:

Ashlie Anctil | Google Site | Blog
Susanna Bolle | Google Site | Blog
James Doyle | Google Site | Blog
Jennifer Eng | Google Site | Blog
Lynn Franco | Google Site | Blog
Nicholas Gagalis | Google Site | Blog
Lauren Garber | Google Site | Blog
Teresa Gorman | Google Site | Blog
Ambrosia Kaui | Google Site | Blog
Gregory Kwasnik | Google Site | Blog
Katherine Marcus | Google Site | Blog
Katarzyna Pilat | Google Site | Blog
Wiebke Reile | Google Site | Blog
Kristine Sherred | Google Site | Blog
Angela Stefano | Google Site | Blog
Jennifer Taft | Google Site | Blog
Sarah Thomas | Google Site | Blog
Gina Lee | Google Site | Blog

Please note that any copyrighted materials used in the above are meant to be used for educational purposes only. Please distribute these materials in this context only.