Assignments

WEEK 13 ASSIGNMENTS

PORTFOLIO PAGE–Your WordPress personal portfolio page will account for 200 points of the 1,000 points that determine your final grade for the semester.
I will evaluate the portfolio pages from the perspective of an employer who is looking for a good journalism graduate to hire.
The most impressive pages will get As.
The runners-up will get Bs or Cs.
At a minimum, your portfolio page should contain:
•    a short  bio
•    a photo of you
•    a resume
•    examples of your work (text, photos, audio, video)
I will assign a grade to your portfolio page based on its contents as of Wednesday, Dec.  10.

***********************************************************************

WEEK 12 ASSIGNMENTS

PROJECTS–Keep working on them.

PEER EDIT–Amanda Bittle.

CHILD DEATHS–In class troubleshooting.

***********************************************************************

WEEK 11 ASSIGNMENTS

PROJECTS–Keep working on them.

PEER EDITS–Jamie Bullus and Meredith Simons.

************************************************************************

WEEK 10 ASSIGNMENTS

PROJECTS–Keep working on them.

CHILD DEATHS–In class troubleshooting.

************************************************************************

WEEK 9 ASSIGNMENTS

PROJECTS–Keep working on them.

CHILD DEATHS–Continue data search.

SLIDESHOWS–Complete in class.

************************************************************************

WEEK 8 ASSIGNMENTS

SLIDESHOW ROUND4–(In class Wednesday, Oct. 15) In this assignment, you’ll use Soundslides to assemble your 60-second audio slide show from your processed photos and .mp3 soundtrack.
•    Open Soundslides.
•    Click New Project.
•    Give it a name and Save.
•    Click the JPG button and navigate to the folder containing your photo files.
•    Select the folder (not the individual files) and click Open.
•    Click SND, navigate to the .mp3 file you created with Audacity, and click Open.
•    Use your mouse to reposition, remove and change the time duration of photos.
•    Go to the Slide Info tab and write a caption for each photo.
•    Go to the Project Info tab and write a headline and credits for your slide show.
•    When you are done, click the Test button to view your slide show.
•    Click the Save button.
•    Click the Export button.
NOTE: When you export, Soundslides creates a Publish_To_Web folder inside your project folder. The Publish_To_Web folder typically takes up about one-tenth as much disk space and the entire project folder, and it contains everything needed to display the finished slide show. To start the show, open the Publish_To_Web folder and select Index.html.

SLIDESHOW ROUND3–(In Class Wednesday, Oct. 15) In this assignment, you’ll use Photoshop to process the photos you took in Round 1.
•    Open Photoshop.
•    Select the images you want to include in the slideshow.
•    Open each image in Photoshop.
•    Crop images as needed (Image>Crop).
•    Rotate images as needed (Image>Rotate Canvas).
•    Make other image corrections as needed.
•    Resize images to 600 pixels on the longest side (Image>Image Size).
•    Save each image in your Soundslides Images folder. Change the file name to something you will recognize.

SLIDESHOW ROUND2–(In class Monday, Oct. 13) In this assignment, you’ll use QuickTime or Switch to convert your audio clips to .wav files. Then you’ll use Audacity to edit your sound files into a single 60-second audio track and convert it to .mp3 format.
•    In your student folder, create a new folder called Soundslides.
•    In the Soundslides folder, create two new folders: Images and Audio.
•    Convert your .wma audio clips to .wav files using one of these programs.
•    Quicktime
-Use Open File command on File menu to open your .wma clip.
-Use Export command on File menu to convert your clip to .wav format. On the Export menu, choose the Sound to Wave option.
•    Switch
-Use Add File command to open your .wma clip, or just drag and drop it to the Switch window.
-Select the clip.
-Choose .wav from the Output Format drop-down menu.
-Click Convert.
•    Open Audacity.
•    Save Project As…
•    Choose Import Audio from Project drop-down menu. Navigate to your ambient sound .wav file and choose Open.
•    Repeat previous step for your narration .wav file.
•    Use the Selection tool to highlight sections of your clips for editing.
•    Edit the ambient sound clip so it is approximately 60 seconds.
•    Edit the narration clip so it overlaps the ambient sound clip to your satisfaction.
•    Use the envelope tool to adjust volume levels on the two tracks.
•    Use the timeshift tool to move clips along the timeline.
•    When you are done, Save Project one more time.
•    Choose Export as MP3 from the Edit menu.
•    Move or copy your .mp3 soundtrack file into the Soundslides Audio folder.
NOTE: When you save your Audacity project, it creates a project file with an .aup extension and an accompanying folder with a _data extension. To be able to continue working on your project at a later time, you must store both the .aup file and _data folder in your student folder or on a portable hard disk or thumb drive. When you export your Audacity project, it creates a single .mp3 file that cannot be changed.

************************************************************************

WEEK 7 ASSIGNMENTS

SLIDESHOW ROUND1–(In class Wednesday, Oct. 8.) In this assignment, you’ll gather the raw material to assemble a 60-second audio slide show. You’ll need one set of equipment per team.
•    Check out an Olympus digital camera, audio recorder and external microphone.
•    Erase all existing photos:
-Push Power button.
-Turn wheel to green arrow
-Push Menu button.
-Move cursor to Erase, push OK.
-Move cursor to All Erase, push OK.
•    Erase all existing audio files:
-Slide Hold button to off.
-Push Folder Index button.
-Push Erase button twice for Erase All command.
-Push fast forward arrow key.
-Push OK .
•    With your teammates, go out and find a story you can tell in 60 seconds using still photographs, natural sound and a short narration.
•    Take at least 12 photos.
•    Record at least 60 seconds of ambient sound.
•    Record at least 20 seconds of narration by each team member, including a sign-off.
•    Return to the classroom, and upload your photos and audio clips to your student folder.
•    Return the equipment.

AUDIO TUTORIAL–Before class on Wednesday, Oct. 8, go to the NewsU website, click the Multimedia tab and complete the Telling Stories With Sound tutorial. Be sure to fill out the Course Report form when you’re finished so I will receive an email confirmation.

TEXTBOOK–Read Chapter 3 by next week.

MULTIMEDIA TIPS–Read the Multimedia Dos & Don’ts and the Hearst Judges’ Comments posted on the class website.

************************************************************************

PROJECT PAGE–During class Monday, Oct. 6, create a new page in your WordPress portfolio for your first story or multimedia project. If it’s a text story, write an expanded story summary, or better yet, a top. If it’s multimedia project, write a summary of what it’s about and what it will contain.

CHILD DEATHS–By Sunday, Oct. 12, file the Word document you have created for each of your assigned cases in the Finished folder, which you’ll find in the ChildDeaths folder on our class file server (JMC4970_IDR_Vieth).

MULTIMEDIA TIPS–Read the Multimedia Dos & Don’ts and the Hearst Judges’ Comments entries posted elsewhere on the class blog.

************************************************************************

WEEK 6 ASSIGNMENT

Check out these three reporting portals. Make one of them your browser home page while we are working on the child death project.

Assignment Editor, http://www.assignmenteditor.com

Power Reporting, http://www.powerreporting.com

Reporter’s Desktop, http://www.reporter.org/desktop

************************************************************************

WEEK 5 ASSIGNMENT

PHOTO POST–Upload to your WordPress portfolio page one of the photos of you that we took during class on Sept. 22. This assignment is due by Sunday, Oct. 5

You much choose one of two options.

OPTION 1:  Custom Image Header

-Go to your portfolio page and log in (http://wordpress.com).

-Click “My Dashboard.”

-Click “Custom Image Header.”

-Click “Browse” and navigate to the photo you want to use.

-Click “Upload.”

-Crop the photo, then click “Crop Header.”

-Go back to your main page and see if it worked.

OPTION 2: Blog Post

-Go to your portfolio page and log in (http://wordpress.com).

-Click “Write” if you want your photo in a new post, or “Manage” if you want it in an existing post.

-Click “Add Media.”

-Click “Choose files to upload” and navigate to the photo you want to use.

-Click “Insert into Post.” (NOTE: Don’t click “Save all changes.”)

-You can resize and reposition the photo by clicking on the image and the little photo icon.

-Click “Publish” if it’s a new post, or “Save” if it’s an existing one.

-Go  back to your main page and see if it worked.

************************************************************************

WEEK 4 ASSIGNMENT

MULTIMEDIA WINNERS—Look at the top 10 winning entries in the Hearst Journalism Foundation Multimedia competition for 2007-2008. The links are listed below. Write a minimum 250-word analysis addressing these questions: Which projects did you consider most compelling, and why? Would any of your project ideas be potential candidates in this competitions? Did the winning entries give you any new ideas for projects you could pursue in this class? Post your analysis by Sunday, Sept. 21, as a comment to the Multimedia Winners blog entry on the class website. The 2008-09 competition criteria are listed below the links.

2007-08 Winners

First Place: Tim Hussin, University of Florida, “Kids with Guns,
audio slide show (2:19)
http://www.hearstfdn.org/hearst_journalism/competitions.php?type=Multimedia&year=2008&id=1

Second Place: Wilson Andrews, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, “Ozone Hole” audio graphic
http://www.hearstfdn.org/hearst_journalism/competitions.php?type=Multimedia&year=2008&id=2

Third Place: Wai Ki “Ricky” Leung, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, “Carroll Hall” interactive graphic
http://www.hearstfdn.org/hearst_journalism/competitions.php?type=Multimedia&year=2008&id=3

Fourth Place: Harold Andrew Burton, Syracuse University, “Caught in Transit” audio slide show (4:17)
http://newhouse.syr.edu/prospective/undergrad/photography/gallery.cfm

Fifth Place: Taylor Hayden, Western Kentucky University, “Closer to Home” video
http://www.wkupj.net/students/hayden/

Sixth Place: Krista Schinagl, Western Kentucky University, “Defined by Conflict”
video (part of larger online package)
http://www.wkupj.net/students/schinagl/

Seventh Place: Annalyn Censky, Arizona State University, “Ostrich—The Other ‘Green’ Meat?’ online package: text, video, 2 slide shows, map, recipes, photos, text box, hyperlinks
http://cronkitezine.asu.edu/fall2007/ostrich.html

Eighth Place: Lindsay Adler, Syracuse University, “Ability Beyond Disability” audio slide show (2:30)
http://www.syracuse.com/slideshows/080124_olmstead.ssf

Ninth Place: McKenna Ewen, University of Minnesota -  Twin Cities
“Accordion store is his main squeeze” video (attached to online story by someone else)
http://www.startribune.com/video/16229357.html

Tenth Place: Nick Dentamaro, Michigan State University, “Expression Through Movement” online package: three short text stories & three videos
http://nickdentamaro.net/web/dance/index.html

Competition Criteria: Entry deadline Tuesday, April 28, 2009, for projects posted on the web between Jan. 1, 2008, and April 20, 2009. A multimedia project is defined as a single piece of journalism executed essentially by the same journalist. Entries can be hard or soft news projects; they can be based on but are not limited to public affairs, business, science or sports. Entries must be journalism, and may not include dramatization. Each entry must have been posted on the Web and the entrant must have completed at least three of the following components: print, audio, video, still photography and graphics. The principal journalist may have received technical assistance from others (for example: camera persons, designers, programmers), but the department administrator must verify the central participation of the entered journalist in all facets of the entry. An entry cannot be a blog and cannot be a web page of a professor, a class or a student. It must be a functioning web site for an ACEJMC-accredited program, a school publication, television or radio station, or professional entity. One project per entrant may be submitted.
The work will be judged on its essential journalistic values, but also will be judged on how creatively, coherently and appropriately it took advantage of the special characteristics of multiple platforms, such as: adding extended background links or animated graphics; posting still photographs; downloading podcasts that supplement the story; or providing video that enhances and creates stronger user interest for the story.
Multimedia entries will be evaluated on the following points: writing, reporting, photography, audio and video, graphics, versatility, human interest, news value, editing, navigation and structure, design.

*************************************************************************

WEEK 3 ASSIGNMENTS

NO CLASSES—Student Conferences

OUTSIDE OF CLASS

HEARST WINNERS—Read the eight winning entries in the three Hearst Journalism Foundation competitions listed below. Write a minimum 250-word analysis addressing these questions: Which story or stories did you consider most compelling, and why? Would any of your story ideas be potential candidates in these competitions? Did the winning entries give you any new ideas for stories you could pursue in this class? Post your analysis by Sunday, Sept. 14, as a comment to the Hearst Winners blog entry on the class website.

Feature Writing: Entry deadline Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008, for stories published from Oct. 15, 2007, through Oct. 25, 2008. A background, color or mood article, as opposed to a conventional news story or personality profile. 2007-08 winners:

1st Place: Maggie Stehr, University of Nebraska Lincoln http://hearstfdn.org/hearst_journalism/competitions.php?type=Writing&year=2008&id=1
2nd Place: Tiara Etheridge, OU http://hearstfdn.org/hearst_journalism/competitions.php?type=Writing&year=2008&id=2
3rd Place: Megan Rolland, University of Missouri http://hearstfdn.org/hearst_journalism/competitions.php?type=Writing&year=2008&id=3

In-Depth Writing:  Entry deadline Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009, for stories published Dec. 15, 2007, through Dec. 25, 2008. Entries must illustrate the student’s ability to handle a complex subject clearly, precisely and with sufficient background. Entries may include explanatory, investigative and other types of enterprise reporting. Single articles only. One article of a series may be submitted but must be accompanied by not more than one double-spaced, typed page summarizing the remaining articles and resultant actions, if any. 2007-08 winners:

1st Place: John Cox, University of Florida http://hearstfdn.org/hearst_journalism/competitions.php?type=Writing&year=2008&id=7
2nd Place: James Kindle, Arizona State(missing link)
3rd Place: Ryan Knutson, University of Oregon http://hearstfdn.org/hearst_journalism/competitions.php?type=Writing&year=2008&id=9

Personality/Profile Writing: Entry deadline Tuesday, March 3, 2009, for stories published from Feb. 15, 2008, through Feb. 25, 2009. A personality sketch of someone on or off campus. 2007-08 winners:

1st Place: Angela Haupt, Pennsylvania State http://hearstfdn.org/hearst_journalism/competitions.php?type=Writing&year=2008&id=13
2nd Place: Cristof Traudes, University of Missouri http://hearstfdn.org/hearst_journalism/competitions.php?type=Writing&year=2008&id=14
3rd Place: Caitlin Frost, University of Oregon http://hearstfdn.org/hearst_journalism/competitions.php?type=Writing&year=2008&id=15

*************************************************************************

WEEK 2 ASSIGNMENTS

IN CLASS WEDNESDAY (Sept. 3)

Election night signup.

AFTER CLASS

STORY IDEAS—By the end of Sunday, Sept. 7, post two more story ideas to go with your first one. Make at least one of them an in-depth profile. For the other, try to think of a story with a news, trend or investigative angle. Indicate whether you are primarily interested in doing a big print story or an online package with multimedia elements. We’ll talk about your ideas in our conferences next week.

WORDPRESS TUTORIAL—By the end of Sunday, Sept. 6, watch this WordPress tutorial by Chris Abraham, a public relations practitioner who teaches a class called “Applied Blogging:” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWYi4_COZMU

PORTFOLIO PAGE—If you haven’t already done so, pick a different page design for your portfolio page. Do this by the end of Sunday, Sept. 6.

WEEK 3 ASSIGNMENTS—Check the class website regularly for updates.

************************************************************************

WEEK 1 ASSIGNMENTS, ROUND 2

IN CLASS WEDNESDAY (Aug. 27)

CONFERENCE SIGNUP—During the week of Sept. 8, I will hold individual conferences with each of you in my office, Gaylord 3027. Choose one of the available time slots on the signup sheet I will pass around in class Wednesday.

AFTER CLASS

PORTFOLIO PAGE—On your WordPress site, write a short bio entry (50 words or more) designed to give prospective employers a good sense of who you are and what you have to offer them as a multimedia intern or employee. Make it interesting, but keep it truthful. You’ll have more accomplishments to cite as time goes by. To see examples of pages created by other students, click on the Personal Pages tab of the class website. Complete this assignment before next week.

IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS—Go to the In-Depth Examples page on the class website. Look at these three projects: “The Girl in the Window,” Tampa Bay Tribune; “Life on the Streets,” Los Angeles Times; “Vertical Vision,” Los Angeles Times. Read or skim enough of the stories to familiarize yourself with their contents, and take a look at the multimedia elements included with the first two. (I recommend reading the entire first story in the Life on the Streets package, “Demons are Winning on Skid Row,” because it is a compelling example of vivid descriptive writing.) Write a short analysis (250 or so words) comparing the strengths and weaknesses of the three projects. Which did you like best? The least? Why? Which do you think has the most potential reader impact? File your analysis as a comment to my In-Depth Analysis post on the class website by next week.

OKLAHOMAN PREP—On Wednesday, Sept. 5, we’ll be joined by Michael Baker, city editor of the Oklahoman, and Ken Raymond, an Oklahoman project writer who heads the paper’s Cold Case team. They will talk to us about our involvement in one or more investigative projects this fall. Before Wednesday’s class, familiarize yourself with the NewsOK.com website. Take a look at Ken Cold Case project page: http://coldcaseokc.com/ and blog: http://blog.newsok.com/coldcaseokc.

************************************************************************

WEEK 1 ASSIGNMENTS, ROUND 1

IN CLASS MONDAY (Aug. 25)

CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT—Sign and return the forms handed out in class.

EQUIPMENT CHECKOUT FORM—Sign and return the forms handed out in class.

AFTER CLASS

SELF-BIO—Write 500-word self-bio. Make it interesting. Write it like a feature story. Use a creative lead. Make it revealing. Tell me something distinctive about you. Consider using one of the universal themes that resonate with readers—turning points, crossroads, successes, failures, struggles. Make it relevant. Your self-bio doesn’t need to focus exclusively on your interest and experience in journalism or your career goals, but mention them in passing so I’ll know where you are headed. Let me know how this class fits into the overarching trajectory of your life. If you have written a self-bio for me in a previous class, put the emphasis on what has happened since then and how your career plans are evolving. Include your cell phone number and preferred email address. Put your Word file in the Self-Bio dropbox in D2L by Friday.

PROJECT IDEAS—On the class website, post at least one project idea in the form of a comment to my Project Ideas blog entry. You’ll get bonus points for multiple ideas. Then, create an Ideas page on your WordPress site and post your ideas there, too. Your ideas are due by next week.

D2L—Go to http://learn.ou.edu. Make sure you’re registered in this class and that your name shows up in the gradebook. Do this immediately.

PHONE & EMAIL—Go to http://indepth08.com. Look for my blog entry requesting your cell phone and preferred email address. Post a response with your information. Be sure to list the same email address you used when registering with WordPress. Do this immediately.

SYLLABUS APPROVAL—Go to http://indepth08.wordpress.com. Read the syllabus. You can download and print a copy if you want by clicking the download link at the top of the Syllabus page. Before Wednesday’s class, post a comment on the class blog saying you have read the syllabus and agree to its terms.

WORDPRESS SIGNUP—(This assignment does not apply to those of you who already have WordPress pages.) Go to http://wordpress.com. Click the Sign Up Now button and follow the instructions. When it asks you whether you want to create a blog, tell it yes. The blog will become your personal portfolio page. Do this immediately.

PORTFOLIO PAGE LINK—Go to the class website. Look for my blog entry requesting links to your portfolio page. Before Wednesday’s class, post a response with the link to the WordPress page you just created, or your existing site if you already have one.

HEADPHONES—If you don’t already have a cheap set of headphones, get one. Bring it to class on Wednesday and to every class session thereafter.