This class focuses on two types of skills: technical — such as knowing appropriate software and equipment — and conceptual process skills. These include knowing how to plan and create journalistic projects that inform people in effective ways and are professionally sound, and understanding the ways in which “journalism” is changing as a result of the Internet. We’ll focus on being literate in the multimedia world and learning how to stay that way. These skill packages will help you choose the most effective kinds of platforms to use for your reporting, and will help you think beyond merely meeting the needs of the workplace. You will gain a growing understanding of collaborative work patterns and possibilities while simultaneously becoming more self-sufficient.
As with the reporting and broadcast components of “Boot Camp,” you are expected to hit the ground running and devote a considerable amount of time outside of class to putting the techniques and concepts we’ll cover into action.
This semester, you will learn to:
- * use Twitter and related social network tools
* set up a blog and post multimedia reports
* create a basic Web page with HTML coding
* create more advanced pages with CSS and a Web-authoring program
* work with AP news copy
* create different kinds of multimedia slide shows for online
* create story packages that integrate text, visuals and sound
* create text designed for online readers
* work with online content forms (such as issue shells)
* work with digital cameras, camcorders and audio recorders to produce online material
* produce interactive infographics
* create editing approaches tailored to multimedia reports
* create video for online
* distinguish between “shovelware” or repurposed content and work that has been skillfully developed for the Web
* work with CMS (content management systems)
* quickly and intelligently use Web resources to find information
* develop an understanding of the monumental changes taking place in civic and social communication
* gain an understanding of the wide range of journalistic possibilities and options
To develop your skills and understanding of multimedia journalism, there will be hands-on class assignments as well as individual and collaborative projects. You are to maintain a multimedia portfolio of your work — this will include work from all three components of Boot Camp.
Platform: Macintosh
Software: Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Soundslides, Flash, SoundtrackPro, FinalCutPro, WordPress
Required equipment: Earphones, digital transfer device (thumb/flash drive), external hard drive
Equipment lab: 6th floor
Text: Principles of Convergent Journalism, Jeffrey S. Wilkinson, August E. Grant, Douglas J. Fisher
Style: AP
NEW: The just released (9/5/09) Reporter’s Guide to Multimedia Proficiency, Mindy McAdams (available free online: see Readings page for link)
