Thoughts on Fish At Bay interactive storytelling class project and convergence

After a semester of work, my interactive storytelling class launched its site about fish in Biscayne Bay launched last Wednesday: Fish At Bay.

Hats off to our converged class of "print" and visual journalism students: Walyce Almeida, Maria Arroyave, Erica Landau, Brian Schlansky, Jen Shook, Jamie Straz, Alex Thacker and Jason Walker.

Our professors, Kim Grinfeder (visual journalism) and Sam Terilli (print journalism), did a great job overseeing the project -- and recruiting everyone. Also, thanks to our TA, Zeven Rodriguez.

To provide some background, Grinfeder and Terilli have collaborated the past two fall semesters with their Web production and in-depth storytelling classes, respectively. I was in the fall 2008 in-depth class.

With this spring's (experimental) interactive storytelling class, they took it to the next level of convergence. As far as I know, this was the first class at the University of Miami School of Communication to combine the talents of print and visual journalism students in one class.

I took advantage of the opportunity to get more experience shooting and editing video, as well as to become proficient with Final Cut Pro. I particularly enjoyed being able to work in so may areas:

• Write history story
• Shoot b-roll and take photos for history video
  
• Edit history video
• Edit and write cutlines for history photos
• Edit Delicate Balance video
  
• Shoot an interview for the Building on the Bay video
  
• Copy edit all stories
• Write about page
  
• Add p tags and hyperlinks (plus find links for) all stories
  

I'm usually critical of the lack of collaboration between the print and visual programs, but I've seen some very encouraging strides this semester.

Grinfeder and Terilli get it. Chris Delboni, my online journalism professor, and Michelle Seelig, the spring Web production professor, get it. (More thoughts on the online journalism class and our collaboration with the Web production class to follow).

So, what now?

Without a question, the interactive storytelling class should be a standard course, and it should be required for all journalism students at UM. Yes, that means bringing in broadcast as well. And there needs to be more converged classes, like an introductory storytelling class (more on this to come as well).

Resistance is futile. You must adapt.

Weigh in: What do you think of the Fish At Bay site?

What's the best video equipment for a student paper's first purchase?

(Preface: It's not about the technology. It's about the story and how you tell it. Technology is just a tool.)

Kevin Koehler, contributing editor at the Wake Forest Old Gold & Black, asked a question via Twitter Tuesday evening:

kev097 Need to recommend HD camcorder for newspaper today. Probably going with hard drive. Suggestions on models, accessories, research?

Kyle Hansen (TheSpartanDaily.com editor at San Jose State), Kevin and I discussed ideas via Twitter and I volunteered to post the equipment The Miami Hurricane plans to purchase before next fall:

• Canon HV20 a mini-DV, HD video camera (2) [should we get the HV30 instead?]
• Canon BP2L14 battery (2)
• Rode shotgun microphone (2)
• Sennheiser Evolution G2 EW100 wireless mic combo kit (1) [looks like this this has been discontinued from B&H]
  
• Includes EW100 G2 Combo System, EW100 G2 Lavalier System, ENG Handheld Microphone, Storage Case and Cables
  
• Hosa MIT-156 XLR to mini connector (1)
• EH 150 supra-aural closed back stereo headphones (2)
• Sunpak 7001DX tripod (2)
• Three-way pan/tilt head with quick release
• Tiffen 43mm UV filter (2)
  

This year we have primarily used Flip video cameras after starting off with point-and-shoots (Matt Bunch and I). These have worked OK, but the big problem was audio. The best quality videos came when we checked out equipment from the School of Communication.

And I've used my HV20, which I bought during spring break, for the paper. For example, a video of the PD press conference after a student died on campus:


(This is the pretty one the assistant multimedia editor, Matt Wallach, edited. Here is the quick-and-dirty version I posted right after the press conference, sans b-roll. I miked the chief with a lav.)

I love my HV20. It's not perfect, but it does everything I need.

More about video: Newspaper Video - Yahoo! Groups

Weigh in: What video equipment does your organization use? What do you think about The Hurricane's planned list?

Nevada Sagebrush uses Twitter to liveblog editor selection meeting

The Nevada Sagebrush (University of Nevada Reno) liveblogged its editor selection meeting Saturday afternoon using Twitter.

The tweets were very comprehensive and, needless to say, flooded my Twhirl window for the duration of the meeting, but it was all good fun.

Thanks to Chelsea Otakan for directing followers of her Twitter account to the Sagebrush's.

In an interesting twist, I recognized in an early tweet that one my fellow Miami Herald summer 2008 interns is on staff at the Sagebrush. It's a small world after all.

Weigh in: Does your news organization use Twitter?

Shameless plug: The Miami Hurricane's page.

(Since you're in the neighborhood, check out mine too.)

CommTogether right now, over...journalism

I'm a student in the School of Communication at the University of Miami, but you would think that the various journalism programs (print, broadcast and visual) speak different languages sometimes from the lack of collaboration that is present.

Yes, there have been several notable successes -- and I've been lucky to be in three classes this year that focus on convergence (In-depth reporting for convergent media, online journalism and interactive storytelling) -- but the level of cooperation is still not where it should be.

I kept all this is mind while devising a new final project for my CNJ 442 online journalism class, after the first plan regarding the new TheMiamiHurricane.com didn't work out a planned.

The result is a social networking site the class is developing using Ning:

CommTogether

The general idea came to me one night as I was chatting online with Hurricane Visuals Editor Will Wooten (check out his recent site redesign). Regarding the group name, which I love, credit goes to Kiersten Schmidt.

Here are details from the CNJ 442 proposal that I drafted and the class helped refine:

Goals

• Bring together in one forum the three journalism programs at the University of Miami School of Communication: print, broadcast and visual
• Recruit students, faculty, staff, alumni and prospective students
• Begin a conversation about the future of school’s journalism programs
• Conceptualize collaborative projects for classes, students, media outlets, etc.
• Take ideas and turn them into reality

Elements

• Profile pages: students, faculty, administrators
• Groups: programs, classes, projects, media
• Feeds: blogs, news, etc.
• Photos and videos
• Blogs: internal
• Comments

Action plan

• Discuss and decide on name for group (complete)
  
• Create network (complete)
• Create profile pages (complete)
• Create groups within network: programs, classes, media, organizations, etc.
  
• Invite/recruit students, professors, administrators, staff, alumni and prospective students (in progress)
  
• Table in the SoC courtyard
  
• Solicit ideas from everyone regarding the future of curriculum, organizations
• Conceptualize possible collaboration projects, way to converge
• Maintain the discussion
• Continue to recruit new group members

UPDATE: I forgot one very important reason for this site:

Students should have a voice in the development of curriculum.

Weigh in: Any suggestions/ideas for this site?

College Content Management social network

Last Saturday night I created a social networking site using Ning called College Content Management.

I've seen the power of Wired Journalists and NextNewsroom during the past few months and those served as my inspiration.

The idea floated around my head for a few weeks, but it was not realized until after I talked with Megan Taylor, online managing editor at The Alligator and Kevin Koehler, contributing editor (basically the online editor) at the Old Gold & Black at the NextNewsroom conference last week.

We talked extensively about each of our content management systems:

• The Miami Hurricane moving from College Publisher to WordPress
• The Alligator using Town News
• The Old Gold & Black using Expression Engine

It became clear to me that there's a desire among Web editors to share ideas, and gripe about their CMSes and, the day before I flew back home, the group was born.

The slogan: Because we all have to deal with a CMS.

The description: Do you have a Web site for your student media organization? "Yes." Mine does too. We should work together.

So, come one, come all student journalists, editors, advisers and anyone else who uses or manages a university/college news site.

And be sure to spread the word. I plan to start searching the Web for online editors' e-mail addresses to invite them, but any help would be much appreciated.

NextNewsroom conference recap

Megan Taylor, managing editor for online/new media at The Independent Florida Alligator, and I had the same idea to recap the NextNewsroom conference, but she beat me to it:

NextNewsroom: Wrap-up

Megan summarized it all very well, so I won't repeat what's already been said except to thank Chris O'Brien for organizing what was hands-down one of the best journalism conferences I've attended -- and I've been to quite a few, thanks to The Miami Hurricane and UM's SPJ chapter.

I'd also like to thank Megan for providing the proper computer to stream video live using ustream.tv and later Yahoo!Live with my Canon HV20, which would have been impossible because I don't have a computer with a six-pin FireWire port. Her hand mic was another asset, helping us get pretty decent sound, and she played videographer for the first livestreamed session before I -- sadly -- gave back her MacBook Pro.

I couldn't have done it without her. And besides the awesomeness that is livestreaming video, this is a great testament to the importance of working as a team. I've done mojo/backpack journalist/one-man-band coverage of events before, but backpack journalist-squared is hands down the better way to go.

For more great coverage of the conference, as Megan also cites, check out Bryan Murley's CoverItLive blogs: day 1 and day 2.

Weigh in: What did you think of all the coverage?

SPJ region 3 conference update

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- It's day two here at the SPJ region 3 convention at the University of South Carolina.

Yesterday was great. New people, new ideas. I attended the following sessions:

• New Media Challenges: I learned a lot more about managing online communities.
  
• Preparing for Tomorrow's Newsroom: A very original and insightful presentation by Joe Grimm.
  
• Freelancing for the New Media Age: There was basically no mention of new media, but the freelancing tips were good.
  
• Reception: Chatted with students and others while eating chicken and brownie and sipping sweet, sweet iced tea.
  

I was unable to liveblog the events yesterday afternoon because there is no guest access to USC's wireless network. I took notes and post summaries of the events when time allows.

What's on deck today:

• One-man Banding
• Mark of Excellence luncheon
• Reporting by the Numbers
• The Changing Political Landscape

Then we fly back to Miami tonight and it's deadline tomorrow!

In my mind I'm going to Carolina

And so the music-themed posts continue tonight...

I'll be traveling to Columbia, S.C. for the SPJ region three conference in a few hours. This will be my third regional conference in as many years, at which I represent the University of Miami campus chapter and The Miami Hurricane.

Region three includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

Are you going? Let me know in a comment or via e-mail, greglinch[at]gmail.com.

Also, I'll be at Duke next week for the Next Newsroom conference. Drop me a line if you'll be there.

I love being a student and being able to travel to these conferences for free!

Stay tuned: I'll have my laptop there to liveblog and post general thoughts during both conferences. I will also have my video and still cameras.

Also, be sure to look for my Twitter updates during the conference -- and in general.

Weigh in: Would a tripod count against me as one of my two carry-on items? D'oh!

The discussion gets more interesting: Blogging about blogging, part deux

No, this is not a repeat post; this is "The Empire Strikes Back" version (sort of) to my last post, Blogging about blogging.

In that previous entry I linked to a March 12 post -- and a great follow-up -- by Howard Owens of GateHouse Media. With the first post, Owens responded to Dallas Maverick's owner Mark Cuban's explanation (March 10) of why he banned bloggers in the Mavs locker room.

Here are some of Cuban's comments from a March 13 post that came a day after Owens' remarks, most likely aimed at the general response to his March 10 announcement:

• "...newspapers having 'bloggers' is easily one of the many bad decisions that newspapers have made over the past 10 years."
• "Never, ever, ever consider something that any literate human being with Internet access can create in under 5 minutes to be a product or service that can in any way differentiate your business." [My reaction: really?]
  
• "A blog is a blog is a blog is a blog."
  
• "if I were marketing for them [The New York Times], I would be doing everything I could to send the message that 'The NY Times does not have blogs, we have Real Time Reports from the most qualified reporters in the world.' "
  

I comprehend his point regarding the Real Time Reports title, but this idea still seems contradictory to his "a blog is a blog is a blog" statement.

The Times' Saul Hansell responded earlier this evening with What I’ve Learned as a Blogger for The New York Times. Here are some of his points:

• "I’d say that blog is the name of a format for information and opinion that is roughly analogous to 'column' or 'newsletter.' The format itself doesn’t tell you whether the content is pedestrian or inflammatory, impressionistic or deeply researched."
• "...blogs are part of a conversation"
• "...blogs can be a great extension to articles reported initially for the newspaper"
• "One of the traditions of this place is an aversion to euphemisms. So call it whatever you want, but if it links like a blog, and is open like a blog, and interacts like a blog, then it is a blog."

These are all right on the mark, as is one of Owens' concluding remarks, which came before Cuba's more recent post: "So Cuban sells bloggers short, sadly."

Weigh in: What do you think of all these opinions? With whom do you agree?

Ricardo Lopez discusses video with online journalism class

Ricard Lopez, a Miami Herald visual journalist, gave a presentation to my online journalism class about video Thursday evening. He was joined by Candace Barbot, a photojournalist convert to video.

Ricardo last spoke at UM during Communication Week, leading one of the new media workshops and participating in the new media panel. Check out advice he and other panelists gave students here.

See examples of his work and be sure to check out Chicken Busters, which is everyone's favorite.

Political World: Hope vs. Reality in Campaign 08 (WeMedia)

From the WeMedia site:

Political World | Hype vs. Reality in Campaign 08
It’s supposed to be the YouTube-MySpace-power-to-the-people campaign. So why are online political junkies so frustrated with what they’ve seen so far?

Session Chair: Brian Reich, author, Media Rules!

• Ellen Miller, Sunlight Foundation
• Catherine Geanuracos, Live Earth
• Carolyn Washburn, Executive Editor, The Des Moines Register
• Michael Silberman, EchoDitto
• John Della Volpe, SocialSphere
• Amy Schatz, The Wall Street Journal
• Anthony Wojtkowiak, MTV Street Team

LIVEBLOG

12:04 a.m.

Schatz: You have a lot more out there in terms of media and it's harder for candidates to switch off. More people are asking questions and sometimes the candidates slip up and actually answer the question.

Washburn: The Register saw that people were using traditional means to learn about the campaigns, such as watching a debate on TV or going to an event to meet candidates face-to-face.

Wojtkowiak (12:11 a.m.): Mentioned Will.i.am video on YouTube and the influence of such social media.

Della Volpe (12:18 p.m.): "I think the real innovation is connecting the online with the offline."

Schatz (12:24 p.m.): I think we see a lot more innovation this time because of the number of candidates. Examples include Dodd, though it didn't translate to votes. Also Ron Paul, whose supporters are very Web savvy and have helped him raise millions of dollars.

She noted how campaigns are limited in their outlook because they only last the life of the campaign cycle.

Geanuracos: Thinks we'll more innovation going forward.

Reich (12:28 a.m.):

Wojtkowiak: It's important to keep the conversation going and keep the audience involved by letting them as questions.

Washburn: She's interesting to see what we've learned from this cycle. Also, how to create stories around smaller races--keep things local.

Geanuracos: Stop thinking about people as someone to talk to in the moment and then forget about them. Your campaign never stops.

Della Volpe: What are you going to do to continue the involvement?

Miller: More openness, transparency will build more trust and allay concerns of trust and special interest role. Public sees information as an antidote to corruption.

Schatz: Techniques to build communities will happen a lot more on the local level.

Silberman: Move from treating voters like fans to let them have value roles in campaigns, i.e. have jobs not just donors.

Reich: We should do that in policy as well.

Power to Change the World (WeMedia)

From WeMedia site:

9:50 am The Power To Change The World
With the traditional media losing its monopoly on information, opinion and storytelling, all sectors of society now have the power through media and communications to make themselves heard. How can we use this new power to make the world a better place?

Session Chair: Andrew Nachison, Co-Founder, iFOCOS

• J. Sebastian Traeger, CEO, Razoo
• Jim Brady, Executive Editor, Washingtonpost.Newsweek.Interactive
• Katrin Verclas, MobileActive
• Jean Marc Coicaud, Director, United Nations University
• The Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., CEO, Hip Hop Caucus
• Darya Shaikh, Executive Director, OneVoice

Check out Dave Cohn's liveblog on WeMedia's site.

LIVEBLOG

10:34 a.m.

Brady: Washington Post's role is not activism. Not everything they cover has two sides, such as Walter Reed story.

Shaikh: OneVoice has used technology, trying to go from from micro to macro.

YouTube has been a big part of spreading their message. "People aren't getting what they need from traditional media." Facebook and SMS messaging have also fueled the growth of the movement, which has grown from 250,000 to more than 600,000 in the past few years.

10:42 a.m.

Verclas: Recent studies show that 3.5 billion people have cell phones.

Mobile phones are important in many ways and SMS is a hugely powerful tool. People have their cell phones on them constantly, and that allows them to keep in touch all the time.

10:59 a.m.

Yearwood: Bloggers made the Hip Hop Caucus. "Media is really life and death. Media has the ability to move the masses. It has the power to make the guilty innocent and the innocent guilty."

When you are oppressed, you have to created a way to tell the story. The Internet now helps to tell that story, such with.

"The revolution may not be televised, but it will be uploaded."

"Media is one of the most critical moments to deal with people getting engaged." If media does not shed light on injustices, people will die.

Power to tell a story takes different forms: "Music has always been the drumbeat for freedom."

Bloggers and independent media get stories out that aren't told by the mainstream. Sometimes, such one of his experiences on Capitol Hill, alternative media force stories into the mainstream.

11:05 a.m.

"How should media be used to create a better world?" Nachison asked.

Verclas: Told story of the murder of Indian model Jessica Lall who was murdered. The state of the Indian justice system was called into question after the accused was let off, but media attention brought the case back to retrial and the accused was convicted.

Grassroots movements now are helping bring stories to the mainstream. "There's an equilibrium now that very interesting and very dynamic."

11:25 a.m.

There's been some back and forth about non-profits and the Washington Post, limited space and resources and how people aren't using news outlets such as the Post to spread their message.

Print Reincarnated session (WeMedia)

LIVEBLOG
(Also, check out my Twitter. There is a storm of conversation taking place--I'm trying to jump into it.)

A discussion with Richard Sarnoff and William C. Weiss.

There is no longer such a distinction between print and online publishers, Sarnoff said.

He also noted how the death of books is predicted nearly every decade, with each the rise of a new medium.

9:38 a.m.

The "Next Media" will offer more choices, not be a replacement, Weiss said.

No matter what is king (content, etc.), the consumer is God, Sarnoff said. He also cited how audience members are using Twitter right now and noted how there will eventually be a business model for such media.

9:40 a.m.

Weiss said that Next Media will not be something new, but a combination of current media. He then segued into a question about how social networking is affecting media.

In response, Sarnoff explained how sites such as MySpace have become a means for recommending products. But, he noted, it has to be done in subtle ways for it to not be seen as outright promotion.

9:45 a.m.

Weiss said the reincarnation doesn't have to be complication; it can come from gentle nudges.

Print is Dead session (WeMedia)

LIVEBLOG

Jeff Gomez, author of the book Print is Dead, and Roger Black, a design guru who I met briefly last night, are the featured speakers for this event. Dale Peskin is the moderator.

Gomez cited the outage yesterday as an example of why "print is dead."

Black came on stage carrying his Amazon Kindle and asked the audience how many other people have it -- about six hands went up.

The need for stories will continue, Gomez said, but people want to play a part in their stories, citing YouTube. He also cited Wikipedia as another example of the change.

9:20 a.m.

The speakers and audience members are discussing the younger generation's interest in news such as the war in Iraq.

9:25 a.m.

"People are going to be telling stories in the most powerful medium with the lowest cost," said one audience member, who also noted the worldwide literacy rate and it's effect.

Media at the Tipping Point (WeMedia)

LIVEBLOG

A sea of media professionals, many with laptops are sitting in the Storer Auditorium of the School of Business for the opening session of WeMedia.

The co-founders showed a humorous presentation about the power outage yesterday, with "Thriller" playing along with it.

8:46 a.m.

The co-founders discussed the power outage and several in the audience weighed in on the issue. Rick Hirsch, managing editor for multimedia at The Miami Herald, spoke about how Web traffic spiked. A few current and former telecom professionals discussed the mobile aspect of communication in emergency, i.e. cell phone use.

A woman from Consumer Reports flew in on JetBlue and watched the coverage on CNN.

Another audience member mentioned how he learned about other outages via Twitter.

8:58 a.m.

Dale Peskin, one of the iFocos co-founders (which sponsors WeMedia), noted that some people think the digital race is over, but he believes it's just beginning.

Discussing the conference, he said they won't be having discussions about whether bloggers are journalists, which drew applause.

Andrew Nachison, the other co-founder, said they had three predictions:

• All information is or will be digital. From that an infinite number of products can be created.
• The power of the individual. Individuals has taken on a different sense; not simply people, but individual entities.
• The notion of trust, it's shifting nature.
  

This were predicted and now are de facto components of the business and cultural landscape, Nachison said.

Peskin continued the topic by talking about:

• Access and connectivity, citing how one-third of the world is connected with cell phones
• Knowing and discovering
• Transacting, with examples from the personal level to advertising expanding online

9:03 a.m.

John Zogby, who could not attend, conducted a WeMedia poll that said:

• Two-thirds of Americans think journalism is out of touch.
• 70 percent think journalism is important to the quality of life in their communities. (This demonstrates there is a desire, Nachison said, and should provide hope for those in attendance.)
  
• 48 percent said the Internet is now their principal source of news and information.
• 86 percent said Web sites were important sources.

WeMedia returns to Miami this week

It may not be the most well-known conference, but WeMedia is certainly not an event to be missed for this student journalist.

Take a look at the schedule and a list of participants.

This will be my second WeMedia and, as with last year's, I am able get in for free with a guest code from the School of Communication, one of the sponsors.

Compared to the regional (SPJ) and national (SPJ and ACP/CMA) conferences I've attended, which are great in their own respects, WeMedia is much more cutting-edge.

Let's look at some highlights of WeMedia 2007:

• Professionals from multiple facets of media in the same, non-keynote events (gasp!)
  
• An entire session by Reuters on Second Life
  
• Livebloggers galore
  
• A session moderated by The New York Times' futurist-in-residence that featured Craig Newmark, who some journalists would like put in a pillory for creating Craig's List
  

And how many conferences use (effectively) video players, tags and widgets in their online presence? Have their own social networking site? WeMedia Community

Continuing with my recently established tradition, I plan to liveblog as many of the events I attend as possible.

Will you be there? Drop me line.

VIDEO: New media panelists offer advice for journalism students

New media panelists offer advice for journalism students (from Feb. 15)

Wanted: Resident Butt-Kicker (Thoughts on journalism education)

Lately, I have been doing a lot of thinking about journalism schools and what journalism students are not learning.

One of the problems is that there’s too much talk. Educators have known about the Internet, multimedia storytelling and convergence for years.

No more excuses.

I realize that this post constitutes talk, but I would like to think of it more as a call to action. To make sure change happens at J-schools, I propose hiring a Resident Butt-Kicker.

I plan to expand on these in future posts, but here’s where we need to start:

1. Online first, print second: Print is not dead, but the idea of a purely "print" major should be thrown out the window. Who wants to pay money to be taught in preparation for the last century?

Start with the essential concepts of writing, reporting, editing, critical thinking, law and ethics, but don't limit it to merely one form of storytelling. Also, online journalism should not be some 400- or 500-level class that only some students take – it should be drilled into everyone's head early.

2. Think outside the classroom: How can you teach journalism without practical experience?

Ideas: Structure your class like a newsroom and provide an outlet for publication (e.g. class Web site); require students to work on campus media; require an internship – and help place them; etc.

3. Old dogs, learn new tricks: There's a disconnect among different classes, depending on the professor, as well as an even greater disconnect between professors who have been out of the newsroom for years and those who just came from the newsroom.

The journalism world is moving quickly and schools need to keep pace with their local news outlets so students may be viable job and internship candidates. Just like journalists in the professional world, professors need to be able to adapt and learn new concepts and skills.

Also, why are we being taught in a strict, limited mindset (i.e. print) that we will need to unlearn later? Don't teach me for today, or even tomorrow.

A journalism school should look ahead, being innovative and proactive in its approach, not reactive. Professors need to be a part of that.

4. Selecting J-students: There should be a multi-dimensional, more personalized interview process for students applying to an academic journalism program. Program directors should ask students about their specific interests in the field, evaluating if the candidate is open minded and willing to evolve.

5. Grades are failing: The grading process needs to change. It seems as if more students worry about getting good grades than actually learning. Grades aren’t worthless, but learning – and getting good experience – matters more.

Unintended, entrepreneurial failure (i.e. not because of laziness) should be embraced and utilized as a teaching tool – it is part of the learning process. Thus, students should be encouraged to go out and make mistakes while they are still in school.

6. Establish mentor programs: I hit on this general concept in my Top Ten List of Tips for Journalism Students (No. 7).

Upperclassmen should be paired with underclassmen in a formal, voluntary peer counseling system. Furthermore, every student should meet with a faculty adviser or mentor from time to time – and not just to discuss next semester's schedule.

SPJ recently started a mentor program for members, which is great. Nevertheless, it can't replace the local insight of a student or professor at your own J-school.

Weigh in: What do you think of these ideas? Students, what else do you want to see done at your school?

Note: The original time stamp on this post was incorrect. It has since been corrected.

Wasserman: Can journalism live without ads?

Yes, I am few days behind in reading my journalism feeds in Google Reader, but here's an interesting take from Ed Wasserman on the changing nature of journalism and advertising:

Can journalism live without ads? - Miami Herald

One interesting idea he mentions:

"Maybe the solution isn't to escape the market, but to empower it. Modern computing offers unparalleled capacities to track and calculate. Imagine a vast menu of news and commentary offered to you ad-free for pennies per item, the charges micro-billed, added up and presented like a utility bill at month's end. The money that journalism providers got would depend on their audience."

It's a reasonable idea and seems more palatable than other such concepts, but the general notion of charging for content online still raises questions in my mind.

Weigh in: What do you think about Wasserman's ideas and what the future could hold for journalism's financial support?

Liveblogging the Pulitzer panel (Comm Week)

Description from School of Communication site

Blog post announcing the event

LIVEBLOG

Anders Gyllenhaal, executive editor of The Miami Herald and the panel's moderator, began by giving an overview of the Pulitzer Prize. He noted that they will talk more about the craft than the actual stories.

Panelists (L-R):

• Joe Oglesby (editorial page editor from The Herald)
• Madeleine Blais (journalism professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and former Herald reporter)
• Michael Sallah (Herald investigations editor)
• Mirta Ojito (reporter for The New York Times, formerly of The Herald)
  
• Jim Morin (Herald editorial cartoonist)

(NOTE: Titles and links added after the event.)

7:26 p.m. and forward

Gyllenhaal: What do these prizes mean to the younger generation of journalists?

Sallah: “I think it’s the level of work that is required to win one of these prizes. It raises the importance of writing. It challenges you to do your very best as a writer or a reporter or an editorial cartoonist. Be the very best at your craft.”

“They help uphold the standards of our industry in way that other awards can’t do”

Oglesby: It gives journalists a reason to continue what they’re doing.

Blais: “A posh Bingo” is one way she’s heard it referred to

Morin: Gave a presentation of his cartoons and explained how his editor always mentioned the Pulitzers, but Morin never wanted to think much of it.

Ojito: Won for a series on race relations, which she said was geared for the award from the beginning--though no one explicitly said so.

"The most difficult thing was to find the people, find the characters."

----

Blais didn't understand the importance of collaboration a young reporter. She needed more eyes and ears to better understand and tell a story.

Ojito originally heard terrible things about journalism, but came to love it.

Oglesby told a story about him and Gene Miller traveling to Georgia for a story related to then-President Jimmy Carter. That experience showed him that he could do great things in the field.

"Each of you is unique. Each of you has something to offer. If you trust it and go with it, it will come out in time"

Sallah: "It's important that people can trust you and know you are seeking the truth."

His winning series at the Toledo Blade about Tiger Force in Vietnam taught him about the personal nature of reporting.

"Stories can turn on a dime and so much of it is luck. You need to convince them [sources] that you are there for the truth and you want to tell their story."

There are certain parts of reporting that never die, he said. Shoeleather reporting is one of those.

Ojito: She doesn't like going out to get general reactions to a story, but she does it.

7:53 p.m. and forward

Now, it's on to audience questions...

Are there jobs in newspapers?

Gyllenhaal: It's cyclical, but, "You have to work at it and develop the skills."

Morin: Even though jobs may be sparse, as is the case with cartoonists today, send letters to editors and be persistent.

The panelists then answered more general audience questions ranging from having story ideas stolen as a freelancer to how not get too close to sources.

8:17 p.m.

Oglesby: "I think it's very important to know yourself well and know your biases. ... You need to be able to back off and get back into you objective mode."

Ojito: "You're not a reporter when you're at work, you're a reporter all the time--it's how you live your life."

If you look at everything, you'll have more story ideas than you know what to do with, she said.

7:25 p.m. and forward

Blais: Advice from Edna Buchanan regarding when to stop persisting: She would call and say who she was, they would hang up, she would wait 60 seconds and call back. But what about a third time? "That would be harassment."

Sallah: It's even more difficult when people are grieving after losing a loved one.

"They sometimes want to open up. It's a little bit of therapy for them. ... You can really write a nice story and give his parents and friends some honor."

You really are a psychologist in your job.

8:28 p.m.

How do you tell a source he/she can't see your story?

Ojito: You should turn the question around, asking what they are concerned about. It's ok to read back their quotes.

8:30 p.m.

Sallah: It's OK to read back quotes, but you should only negotiate to a certain extent (i.e. if you're certain about something). You can't allow someone to backtrack from the heart of the story just because they don't want it to be published.

"Be very careful in getting it right."

8:36 p.m.

My question about not submitting awards or writing for awards because you should write for readers, not for other journalists--as Howard Owens and others have blogged about:

Oglesby: "This isn't about winning awards. It's about doing a good job and helping readers. If that is your goal, you can get satisfaction from the achievement every time. The award is not really important at all."

Last thought:

Sallah: "Just don't lose your heart for this. Don't compromise."