Part 2 In this session Blogs amp content management systems Applying journalism values to new media Visual journalism online Audience engagement amp participation Blogs amp content ID: 782878
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Slide1
Online Journalism
Mindy McAdams
[ Part 2 ]
Slide2In this session:
Blogs & content management systemsApplying journalism values to new media
Visual journalism online Audience engagement & participation
Slide3Blogs
& content
management systems
Slide4What is a CMS?
A content management system, or CMS, includes a database that contains all the content of a single websiteText is actually in the database
Other materials (such as images and videos) are represented in the database by hyperlinksThe CMS makes it easy to search, update,
and
associate
all items on the website
Slide5Who uses a CMS?
Most reporters in any kind of newsroom (broadcast or print) in the Americas and Europe write directly into a CMSTheir editors edit the text in the CMSHeadlines and photo captions are written in the CMS
Related items (such as audio, photos and videos) are linked to one another in the CMS
Slide6Benefits of a CMS
Content that is typed into, or uploaded to, the CMS is already Web-readyThe HTML and other Web code is already in place
Design is separated from contentA variety of searches are built inContent can be labeled – by topic, content type, etc. – making it easy to find
Date of publication, reporter/author, and other details become part of the database
Slide7Separating design from content
Slide8How can you get a CMS?
Many news organizations have paid huge sums of money to have a custom CMS created just for themCommercial CMS software is available … but it is also expensiveHowever, there is
an open-source solution that is free … and also excellent!
Slide9WordPress: A free CMS
Slide10WordPress.com & WordPress.org
WordPress.com
: Free blogs for anyone, hosted at the domain http://wordpress.comhttp://
somename
.wordpress.com
WordPress.
org
: If you have an account at a Web hosting service, you can install the free
WordPress
system at your own domain
http://
yourdomain
.com
/blog/
Slide11Blogs, CMS: What’s the connection?
WordPress started as a platform for bloggingMost blogging systems include tools that are similar to a newsroom CMSIf students use a blogging system, they will learn many of the day-to-day production skills for the Web:
Write and connect hyperlinksAdd photosAssign categories, keywords or tags to content
Slide12How journalists use blogs
Top: Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Middle: The Washington Post
Bottom: Dallas Morning News
Slide13Blogging best practices
Not a copy of text from the newspaperNot purely opinionTake the audience “behind the scenes”
Explain how things workExample: Why journalists are unable to get more information about a current storyProvide a sense of
partnership
with the audience
Open the door for two-way communication
Slide14Keys to a good blog
The blog speaks to a clearly defined
audience because it has a clearly defined subject area
New posts are added fairly often
Comments are welcomed and frequently replied to
Each post offers value — something original, something fresh
It reveals the blogger’s personality
Slide15Get started with WordPress
Slide16Get started with WordPress
Slide17http://
bit.ly/mmyogya
Slide18Applying journalism values to new media
Slide19Journalism ethics
No plagiarismDisclose, disclose, disclose
No gifts or money for coverageCheck it out, then tell the truth
Be honest
Source:
“What are the ethics of online journalism?” by Robert Niles, in The Online Journalism Review, Jan. 14, 2007
Slide201. No plagiarism
Slide211. No plagiarism
No copying words without clear attributionNo copying photos, or other images, without explicit permissionNo use of other people’s work unless they work for your organization
and have been paid by your organization All creators own their own work
Slide22Linking is NOT plagiarism
Example: “The gunman was a former employee of the victim, The New York Times reported today.”When a link goes directly to the original source, that’s a good and proper link
A link can send the reader to another site for more informationHowever, a link from a copied photo to the original is NOT SUFFICIENT
Slide232. Disclose, disclose, disclose
Slide242. Disclose, disclose, disclose
Never hide anything from the readers or viewersIf there is a connection between the reporter and the story – say that, in the storyIf there is a connection between the news organization and anything in the story – say that,
in the storyAnother word for this: Transparency
Slide253. No gifts or money for coverage
Slide263. No gifts or money for coverage
Do not accept any form of payment from any source for any storyReturn money or items given to you by politicians, companies, etc.If you can’t return them, donate them to charity
If you accept gifts or money from sources, you are not a journalist – you are just giving them advertising
Slide274. Check it out, then tell the truth
Slide284. Check it out, then tell the truth
Don’t believe anything you hear or read until you have checked it thoroughlyOne source is never enoughEven if another news organization has published the information, don’t repeat it until
you have checked itSeek out solid facts – not opinionFind evidence – not rumorsSpeak directly to any person involved
Slide295. Be honest
Slide305. Be honest
The only thing that elevates a journalist above other information sources is truthWithout honesty, a journalist does not have anything special to
offer to the publicAccuracy with facts has always been a vital part of journalismThis honesty must be extended to every aspect of journalism work
Slide31Corrections and unedited material
CorrectionsUpdate the original materialKeep it at the same URL
Include an explanatory note if necessarySpeed vs. accuracyUnedited (or lightly edited) materialsFor example, journalists’ blogs
If errors are reported, they must be corrected
Slide32Tone and objectivity
A lighter tone, a more informal voiceEspecially in journalists’ blogsTransparency: More honest than “objectivity”
Showing “the other side”: Are there only two sides?Admit that the journalist has a positionWe can strive to be fair, even if humans cannot truly be free of biases
Slide33Personal websites and blogs
“Staff members who write blogs should generally avoid topics they cover professionally; failure to do so would invite a confusion of roles. No personal Web activity should imply the participation or endorsement of the Times Company or any of its units.”
The New York Times Company Policy on Ethics in Journalism (B5.128)
http://www.nytco.com/press/ethics.html#B5
Slide34User-generated content (UGC)
Authentication or verificationExample: Is this a faked video or photo?Example: Is this person who he says he is?
Anonymity and pseudonymsUse of real names is not the norm onlineModerating commentsTime needed to moderate is prohibitiveLet the users moderate themselves: Report abuses with one click
Slide35Real or fake?
Slide36Linking to offensive material
Linking is a very good way to allow the public to judge for themselvesExample: Link to government documents, or transcripts from a courtroom trial
When linked material might offendExample: Photos of violence or injuries, as in an earthquake or a war Provide a buffer in between the link and the linked material
Slide37Example of warning message
Slide38In summary
Online journalism ethics are not different from traditional journalism ethicsSome new situations arise online because it is:Easier to commit plagiarism
Easier to make errors because of speed to publish (easier to correct errors too)Easier to make false visual imagesEasier to hide behind anonymity
Slide39Visual journalism online
Slide40Visual journalism types
Made with cameras
Still photosVideo
Information graphics
Maps
Diagrams
Charts
Timelines
Animations
Interactives
Data visualizations
Slide41Slide42Print information graphics
Slide43Online, add interactivity
Slide44Print map graphics
Slide45Online maps: Added interactivity
Slide46Animation + maps =
Moving stories
Slide47Slide48Creating information graphics
Big challenge: What about artistic skill?Charts (bar, pie, flow, etc.) can be created automatically with
Google SpreadsheetsMaps can be created with Google MapsNon
-artists
can learn how
to make simple information
graphics
Slide49Photojournalism
Great photojournalism is about storiesIt’s never about the cameraInexpensive cameras can capture great shots
Expensive cameras don’t guarantee good photosIt’s about catching the right moment—and freezing it
Knowing “where to stand, and when to press the button”
Slide50Slide51The “rule of thirds”
Slide52Three great sources of examples
Lens: Photojournalism blog, New York Timeshttp://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/
The Big Picture, from the Boston Globehttp://www.boston.com/bigpicture/ MSNBC’s The Week in Pictures
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/
Slide53Slide54Slide55Slide56Audience engagement
& participation
Slide57The audience contributes
Far beyond “Letters to the Editor” and radio call-in chatsExamples include:Eyewitness reports from disaster zones
Adding information to shared online mapsVideo uploads showing violence, etc.Corrections and added informationQuestions that inspire further reporting
Slide58added to a map
Videos can be streamed online immediately, unedited
Reports via mobile
Text, photos, video can be uploaded
Text messages can be
Slide59Slide60Slide61Slide62Slide63Slide64Crowdsourcing
DEFINITION: Using a large group of untrained volunteers to accomplish a large task – by breaking the task into small piecesNot limited to journalism
Some examples use mapsMotivation: People need some reason to participate (but not necessarily payment)
Slide65NASA invites people to help map the surface of Mars
Slide66Slide67When crowdsourcing works
Disasters: Reports from many locations where people need helpHuge collections of data (such as NASA’s Mars photos) that need thousands of eyes but not high expertise
Slide68A crowd
of
snoops
What:
All
expense claims
Who:
646 Members
of
Parliament, Britain
(
MPs
)
Time span:
Five
years
(
2004–2008
)
Total documents:
2
million
http://
www.guardian.co.uk
/
Slide69Question:
How do the reporters at one newspaper sort through
2 million electronic documents?
Slide70Answer:
They don’t.
Slide71Answer:
They don’t.They
crowdsource the work.
Slide72The Guardian: “Investigate your MP’s expenses”
2009
Slide73Simon
Willison
, a
28-year-old programmer who works for
The Guardian,
worked hard to
make it easy
for people to join in and evaluate the documents quickly.
Result:
170,000
documents
were reviewed
in the
first 80
hours
after the site went online.
Making it fun
Slide74Participatory journalism
Citizens taking part in the process of producing journalismCollecting
Analyzing Disseminating Finding, fact-checking, sharing: News and information
Slide75Slide76Slide77Micro-blogging
Entries, or posts, are much shorter than typical blog postsSome Internet
sites & apps are designed specifically to enable micro-bloggingTwitter (can be used for live-blogging)
Facebook
Tumblr
Slide78Conclusion
Covered in this session:Blogs & content management
systemsApplying journalism values to new media Visual journalism online Audience engagement
& participation
Slide79Online Journalism
Mindy McAdams
[ Part 2 ]