Online Journalism - Spring 2008: 2008

5.12.2008

The Equivalent of Google but for Blogs

Check this site out:

http://technorati.com/

5.11.2008

PressThink

I'm including Jay Rosen's PressThink site in my paper so I thought I would pass it along here. Here's a description of the site - basically it's an exploration of the role of the media and specifically as it relates to technology.

I was accepted to both NYU and College Park for grad school and were it not for the poverty factor of moving to Manhattan AND going to a hugely expensive private school, I would really have liked to work closely with him in NYC...cool stuff.

This is his related site on open-source reporting, NewAssignment.net.

And....finally, BeatBlogging.org.

When people ask me what I want to do with my shiny new journalism career, I should really point them to these sites, because it's hard to describe some of it beyond "cover stuff in innovative ways using the Internet." I'll know it when I do it, I guess.

5.10.2008

10 Reasons

For all the naysayers, here are 10 convincing arguments that journalism will flourish despite online and all of its glory and its bloggers.

**I dedicate this post to Autumn ;-)**

Largest publisher of tech news moves online

While our online journalism class still meets in person, the biggest publisher of technology newspapers and magazines is moving online. We should get with the times.

But seriously, I thought it was interesting that the New York Times reported May 5 that the publisher International Data Group is reaping large profits off a Web-only magazine.

When I.D.G. ended the money-losing print edition of InfoWorld magazine in April 2007, it made serious changes to succeed in the online market. Shorter articles, blogs by freelance writers and multimedia presentations are all key, says the Times. The magazine also does advocacy -- check out the right side of the InfoWorld Web site for the petition for Microsoft to keep selling Windows XP.

The founder and chairman of I.D.G. claims there is "a better life after print." It's hard to argue with the numbers. I.D.G. now makes more from online ads than from print ones. But the publisher has an advantage that others don't -- tech and IT news consumers are already Web junkies. I bet a transition to Web-only output would be harder for other publications.

5.09.2008

Citizen Journalism Awards

It may not be a Pulitzer but it's a start. Sunshine Week, a news and government commentary (blog) news site, has partnered with Helium.com, a blogger site based on "experience-based knowledge" to create a citizen journalism award starting in March 2009. The qualifications are pretty strict, mimicking "real" journalistic standards. Either way, citizen journalists are becoming a force to be reckoned with.

5.08.2008

A Blogger in Iraq

Hi Everyone,

Came across this and thought it was interesting to read about this former solider's sort of journey into blogging. I thought it was interesting to read about how this man regards what he does.

5.05.2008

Ethical Case Studies

Give a quick read to Craig Chapters 14 & 16, in which online codes of ethics as well as online ethical dilemmas are discussed. In Chapter 16, there are 7 short case studies, followed by a few questions that Craig poses. Choose two of these case studies and answer Craig's questions based on how YOU would respond, i.e., how you would handle the situation if that decision fell on you. Don't post your responses here; e-mail to me by Friday evening (anytime before Saturday). No need to put in a Word attachment; you can just put your thoughts and response in the e-mail field. No minimum or maximum; just be thoughtful and explain why you would make your decision.

5.01.2008

Speaking of blogs

Last night on HBO, Costas Now held a roundtable discussion on, coincidentally enough, the impact of the internet on how sports in particular is covered. The roundtable featured Will Leitch, the editor at Deadspin.com, Buzz Bissinger, an acclaimed sportswriter who has written books such as Friday Night Lights, and Braylon Edwards, a wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns.

These links are from Awful Announcing, a blog that happens to be one which I check on a daily basis. The first is a package that was put together about the blogosphere in sports (featuring Leitch, the Washington Post's Michael Wilbon and Michael Schur, a writer for The Office who blogs under the name Ken Tremendous at FireJoeMorgan.com), and the second is the roundtable itself. Fair warning: The second link contains some VERY coarse language, so be aware of that before you watch.

http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2008/04/costas-intro-on-internet-media-segment.html

http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2008/04/internet-media-segment.html

4.30.2008

Citizen Journalism

We discussed citizen journalism last class. Many said it was the demise of investigative journalism that would reveal stories like Walter Reed. A similar story is now being reported out of Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. A concerned father(wow, did I call that one) made a video and put it on Youtube. Becasue of his action, this story is now being reported across the country. Happy Watching! Anna

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4P-camUjjk

4.28.2008

Final Papers

This is a 1,200-word (1,150 minimum, 1,250 maximum) critical analysis that is meant to incorporate your own thoughts as well as an appropriate number of related articles necessary to support your argument. Your paper should be written in traditional academic narrative form, with an introduction outlining your goals and your argument and a summary wrapping up your conclusions.

This is not a research paper, but other sources should be referenced if appropriate. I'm looking for your own original insights and analysis.

Papers must be double-spaced, with your name, date and word count at the top.

Each spelling & factual error will result in the loss of 5 points each. Appropriate deductions will be taken for grammatical errors.

Late assignments will not be accepted for the final paper. Papers may be emailed or handed in at the beginning of class on May 12. Any paper that is not turned in by 7 p.m. on May 12 will receive an automatic F.

TOPICS

In terms of writing and reporting news, the Web demands the same principles of traditional news writing be followed – accuracy, clarity, etc – but it also requires much more. More writing, more deadlines, more interaction with readers, more use of multiple media forms (i.e., shooting video, taking photographs, recording audio). You should choose one of the following statements around which to write your final paper:

The evolution of online journalism as a news medium has adversely affected the professional role of a journalist.

The evolution of online journalism as a news medium has increased and expanded the opportunities of a professional journalist to tell a story.

As new media technologies have altered the perception of who can be a journalist, the journalism industry has benefited.

As new media technologies have altered the perception of who can be a journalist, the journalism industry has suffered.

This is not a research paper, nor should it simply be an essay. This is a critical analysis in which you should refer to as many sources as necessary to adequately support your argument. Those sources could include information from the textbook, news articles and/or industry journal articles (such as AJR, CJR, etc). To write a solid analysis, you probably should cite at least 4-5 articles, polls or pieces of research previously done that support your argument. You do not need to create a bibliography, but any information that you reference from another source should be cited as a footnote.

4.27.2008

Washington Post Story: Saudi Activist Blogger Freed After 4 Months in Jail Without Charge

Hi Everyone,

Here's a story from today's paper I thought someone might find interesting and put some perspective on our recent blogging discussions in class.

story boards

When we were assigned to create a storyboard for our Websites, I searched online for examples to give me some structure to work with. Here are a few of the links I found that might come in handy for you as you're building your site:

http://www.amacord.com/services/storybrd.html
University of Calgary - generic Website storyboard.
Cool tutorial on digital storyboarding/telling from the Knight Center for Digital Media at UC-Berkeley.
Template from Wellesley.

I've misplaced the link to the one I used...it was really good so as soon as I can locate it I'll post it.

4.21.2008

Citizen Journalism: Response

I am writing a profile on the founder and editor of RethinkCollegePark.net for another class, so I've been spending a lot of time on the site in the past week. I was happy to see it on the first list of citizen journalism sites, because it definitely fits that criteria. I've been getting an idea of what moved Rob and his partner, David Daddio, to start the site and what has caused it to keep growing and gaining traction as a source for news and information in the community.

What impresses me the most is the focus on news and information on the site, and from what I've read so far, it's quite balanced. Whereas the editors are obviously very involved with community issues, such as smart development to make College Park a better place to live, work and go to school and the Purple Line transit system, they've taken care to reach out and get voices represented from the community. This includes students, city politicians and University officials. The site is not just them blowing their individual or collective horns about what they think is best for the city. It really is a collective effort.

I also like that they give an opportunity for readers to contribute if they're interested in doing so, beyond comments. They also offer a good balance of media, including video, illustrations and photos in addition to text. It's cleanly designed and easy-to-read.

I've also spent some time on the Silver Spring sites, Silver Spring Singular, and the Silver Spring Penguin this evening. They are quite different approaches to covering the same city, but they represent what I like about the different styles of community/citizen journalism. Silver Spring Singular is - as the title indicates - a single person's view on life in Silver Spring. There are lots of reviews of local establishments and opinions offered on hot topics in the area, such as the retail explosion (now seeing its first closures since the economic downturn), dining options and the controversy over the long-awaited music venue on Colesville Road. For a fairly informal blog, "Sligo" is pretty dedicated. Agree with him or not, it's his view and he does take the time to make contacts with local figures to flesh out his posts. Not bad for a free Blogspot site.

The Silver Spring Penguin, conversely, functions more as an online community newspaper. It has a dedicated masthead and layout, is regularly updated in consistent sections, and is edited by two people instead of blogged by one. I have a soft spot for alternative news. I believe it's needed now more than ever and has a logical place on the Web. It's great to see it in this "hyperlocal" format. Unlike RethinkCollegePark which is focused on developmental issues, the Penguin touches on all aspects of life in Silver Spring.

I consume all of the media I read, watch and here with my filters on. Writing in Poynter Online, Rick Edmonds complained that Wikinews missed a story or two and that made them less than formidable news sites. Like Wikinews, all of the sources I've named above are run as part-time and in most cases volunteer enterprises. It seems ridiculous to complain about the misses and the omissions when it's a work in progress run as an alternative to mainstream media. I point this out to say that whereas I wouldn't expect any of the above sites to provide me with comprehensive news enough to make them all I'd need, they are not in any way a negative complement to my daily media diet.

April 21: on citizen journalism

In next week's class, April 28, we're going to spend some time talking a little more about writing, blogs and the idea of "citizen journalism." During tonight's class, I'd like you to do two things.

First, read over these two articles about the concept:
From PBS: http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2006/09/digging_deeperyour_guide_to_ci.html
From Poynter: http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=91391

Second, spend some time exploring different citizen journalism sites. A citizen journalist site and a blog are not necessarily the same thing, though they can be. After you've looked through, read and scanned some different sites, find one that moves you in a particular way -- either strongly for, or strongly against, what the site is doing. Post your response and ideas by the end of class. Next week, we'll discuss. Your response should be between 250-300 words (about the length of Jenn's previous project critique)

Some pages that offer links to different citizen journalism sites:
http://www.kcnn.org/citmedia_sites/
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/002226.php

Dreamweaver practice URLS

4.14.2008

Class resumes

4.07.2008

How the Internet is Killing Newspaper

Here is an interesting article about the affects of new forms of media on old school media.
http://personel.obec.go.th/News/index.php?q=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5uZXd5b3JrZXIuY29tL3JlcG9ydGluZy8yMDA4LzAzLzMxLzA4MDMzMWZhX2ZhY3RfYWx0ZXJtYW4%3D

3.24.2008

Project Critiques

Project Critiques:

I think many of the projects from Fall 2007 are similar. I like that they revolve around a story as opposed to a narrative. However, there was one from previous semesters I found interesting; it grabbed my attention.
http://www.jclass.umd.edu/652352/tossey/default.htm
This story begins with the author’s facial cleanser to tell her story of hitting 30 and still being in school. The first line made me want to read more. I did... and found a great personal story. The page was well set up and the story well written. I identified with the story, which did not hurt my attraction to it. While I do like the actual new stories of Fall 2007 better, this one was well done and interesting.

Most of the Fall 2007 stories are similar in style, one I did not find well produced was the Hate Crime Feature.
http://www.jclass.umd.edu/652352/2007fall/freedman/
The opening page has a flower next to the links about hate crimes and nooses. Those themes do not go well together. In addition, the story does not read well. It begins wordy and not to the point. The author missed telling a great story because of the style. Of course, I am a broadcast student and think everything should be written conversationally…

3.17.2008

unexpected effect on journalism

Classmates, I found this report on the state of journalism and the impact of online journalism to the industry as a whole. Just one more reminder we will be asked to perform multiple roles in any job we accept. Anna

3.10.2008

Difference between web and internet

Classmates, I found this explanation for the question of last week. Happy reading, Anna

http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Internet/2002/Web_vs_Internet.asp

2.04.2008

Why Is Online Journalism Different, and Why Should You Care?

From Craig's first chapter, titled the same as this post:

"The changes that have taken place in journalism in the past 100 years are no less staggering than those that have affected most other aspects of human life. Journalists cover news today using techniques and resources unthinkable in the early 1900s, and online journalists do a job that was unknown just 15 years ago. Yet the function of the journalist has largely remained unchanged."

Without referring to the text, please post as a comment your own answer to the question posed in the title: Why is online journalism different, and why should you care? (Don't say you care because you have to take a class). Keep your response to 250-300 words.

Post.com's Super Tuesday plans

This is from today's Variety...

True, something like this is "unprecedented" as the article says, but is it warranted? Is it overkill, or is it good use of new media? Would you be inclined to watch and interact with this on Tuesday night?

========

Super Tuesday big online
Pubs expanding focus on the Web
By WILLIAM TRIPLETT

Newsweek and the Washington Post are betting that Super Tuesday warrants extra Web attention.

On the night when some 50% of presidential primaries and caucuses occur, Newsweek and the Post will be putting their big editorial guns in front of webcams for six continuous hours of live coverage, which the BBC will simulcast to its stations around the world.

Among the talking heads will be Post stalwarts Bob Woodward, Ben Bradlee, Sally Quinn and Howard Kurtz as well as current editor Leonard Downie. Newsweek's top editor, Jon Meacham, will anchor from Washingtonpost.com's headquarters in Arlington, Va., as colleagues Michael Isikoff, Howard Fineman, Jonathan Alter and others report and comment throughout the evening. Writers and editors of the online mag Slate will also participate.

Exec producers are Tammy Haddad, formerly chief of MSNBC's political coverage, and Chet Rhodes, Washingtonpost.com's assistant managing editor of news video.

Viewers will be able to interact with video hosts in live online discussions as developments occur, and Washingtonpost.com will send out immediate mobile phone updates of results.

"As leaders in political news and online technology, we are going to try something new this election season," said washingtonpost.com exec editor Jim Brady in a statement. "This is an innovative news experience that could help shape the future of online news."

Newsweek and the Post are billing the coverage as "unprecedented."

The Washington Post Co. owns Newsweek and Slate as well as the Post newspaper and washingtonpost.com.

1.29.2008

Welcome to the class blog

As I said in class, I plan on utilizing the blog now and then to post relevant articles to the topics we'll discuss. What I'm looking for from you all are your thoughts and ideas in response to other posts, or for you all to come in and post links to articles or stories yourselves. In addition, in hopes of cutting down maybe just a little on the crush of email we all get, I'll use the blog to post periodic announcements, reminders, etc. Make sure you bookmark it, or write the URL down somewhere you'll be able to find it, and check back with some regularity. (You'll notice I modified the URL from the address atop the syllabus I handed out in class.) If this works as planned, and everyone contributes, there should be a fairly regular flow of stories, posts and information to follow.

On the left side of the page, you'll notice a news feed, pulling in links to articles covering the topics of online journalism, online news, Internet news and new media. These update constantly, and you can click on each search term to find different articles based on the four different searches. I've noticed some really interesting stories just in the past two days already.

Also in the left column you'll find a list of common, major media news sites as well as industry sites for easy reference. And the course syllabi for both the undergrads and grad students will always be linked at the top.

1.28.2008

JOUR 352: Class syllabus

Online Journalism, Spring 2008
Overview • Texts • Grading • Assignments • Guidelines • Ethics • Class Calendar

Class Section 0401: Monday, 7-9:45 pm; Room 3103
Instructor: Jason Thompson
Email: jasoncraigthompson@gmail.com
Phone: 202-491-7336
Office Hours: By appointment only

Overview
This is not a computer class, an art class or a lecture class. It's a journalism course in which we'll use computers, readings and class discussions to explore the basics of online news publishing. In this class, we will discuss, among other issues: the business, ethical and legal implications of publishing online; the characteristics that distinguish news Web sites and their stories from their print and broadcast counterparts; the changing roles and job markets for journalists; guidelines for doing research on the Internet; the impact of blogs and citizen journalism on mainstream media; the use of multimedia in storytelling; and the new age of media convergence. A core portion of the class will include hands-on assignments, and students will be introduced to basic HTML and to Web-editing tools. We will also cover site structuring and navigation, headline and link writing, and basic page layout, while building a multi-page online package (with photos and graphics).

Texts/Readings
We will be using a combination of required textbooks and handouts (printed and online) in this course:

Richard Craig's "Online Journalism: Reporting, Writing and Editing for New Media"
Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual (for print). Please bring the stylebook to class.

Readings: This syllabus will link to various required online reading assignments under the class schedule. The amount and selection of readings will vary depending on the pace of the class. Students will be expected to discuss readings in class and should be prepared to write occasional response papers and blog posts.

Please Note: There is not a heavy reading load for this class; the text is a very easy and swift read. The majority of your "homework" for the first half of the class will be learning and familiarizing yourself with HTML. We will not be spending a lot of class time on this. There are certain benchmarks to hit with the major assignments, so it's your responsibility to make sure you are learning what you need to know at the right pace.

Grading
Students will have the opportunity to earn 500 total points in assignments, projects and exams for the semester. Grading, therefore, is straightforward:

500-450 total points will result in an A
449-400 total points will result in a B
399-350 total points will result in a C
349-300 total points will result in a D
99 total points and below will result in an F

Turn in solid, mistake-free writing, meet deadlines, attend class and devote appropriate time to learning basic HTML and you will succeed. No excuses other than your hospitalization or the death of an immediate member of your family will be accepted for late assignments. See more on late assignments under "Guidelines."

Assignments & Coursework
This course will include a mixture of assignments given during class time as well as outside of class. Some of these assignments will be announced ahead of time, some of them will not. These assignments cannot be made up. If you know will be miss class ahead of time and know that you will be missing announced in-class work, you can talk with me about doing the work early. In-class assignments will not be accepted after their announced deadline. Period. Aforementioned hospitalization or death in the immediate family are the only exceptions.

For the major assignments detailed below, the following standard practices apply. Again, there are the two exceptions. No others.

Associated Press style should be followed for all written assignments.
Each spelling and grammatical error in a major assignment will result in a predetermined loss of points. Your future employers will not expect to correct spelling, style or grammatical errors in professional work that you produce; now is the best time to get in an error-free habit.
The deadline for all major assignments is 7 p.m. on the due date, unless otherwise noted. The penalty for late assignments will vary.

MONDAY, Feb. 25: One-page Web resume due
(25 points)

Your preliminary resume should be built without the aid of any Web-editing short-cut tools, with text, subheads, internal (anchor) links, an e-mail address link, at least one external hyperlink, and at least one bulleted list. Background colors are optional, as are changed link colors and horizontal rules.
Each spelling & grammatical error will result in the loss of 2 points each.
Each broken link will result in the loss of 5 points each.
Any late assignment will lose 10 points.

MONDAY, March 10: Midterm exam
(100 points)

The midterm exam will include basic HTML coding as well as short answer and essay questions. The midterm cannot be made up or taken at a different time.

MONDAY, April 14: News feature story due
(50 points)

This is your first draft of an originally reported news feature story which will serve as the anchor of your Web package as described below. The story should be between 800-1,000 words, written in traditional journalistic style and worthy of publication. While the topic is of your choosing, you must submit your story pitch to me for approval ahead of time. Your feature must be an original piece of work. Stories written for publication elsewhere, such as the Diamondback or any freelance work, will not be accepted. Variations of stories written for publication elsewhere will not be accepted.
Each spelling & factual error will result in the loss of 5 points each. Appropriate deductions will be taken for grammatical errors.
Late assignments will lose 10 points for each day that they're late.

Please Note: While you can go back and add to your story after it's due, or flesh it out with additional quotes or research or reporting, this assignment should be a completed, ready-to-publish story. First draft does not mean partial story or outline.

MONDAY, May 5: Web package due
(100 points)

Now for the fun part. You will create a (minimum) three-page online news package by linking your news feature and your resume with a newly created third page of your choosing and design. You may (and should) use a Web editing tool, such as Dreamweaver, to build this assignment, but you must work independently. You may not take layouts from other students and you should not lean on friends or associates to turn in a package above your means. Your package must included multimedia elements such as photo galleries, graphics, audio or video. You will get a specific checklist to follow later in the semester. Your package may include additional pages (such as an intro page).
Each spelling & factual error will result in the loss of 5 points each. Appropriate deductions will be taken for grammatical errors.
Each broken link will result in the loss of 5 points each.
Late assignments will lose 15 points for each day that they're late./li>

MONDAY, May 12: Final paper due
(100 points)

This is a 1,500-word (1,450 minimum, 1,550 maximum) essay paper on a topic relevant to online news and media. You will be given a choice of topics on which to write in the second half of the semester. Your paper should be written in traditional academic narrative form, with an introduction outlining your goals and your argument and a summary wrapping up your conclusions. Papers must be double-spaced, with your name, date and word count at the top. This is not a research paper, but other sources should be referenced if appropriate. I'm looking for your own original insights and analysis.
Each spelling & factual error will result in the loss of 5 points each. Appropriate deductions will be taken for grammatical errors.
Late assignments will not be accepted for the final paper. Papers turned in after 8 p.m. on May 12 will receive an automatic F.

ONGOING: In-class assignments
(100 points)

These will range from brief writing and research exercises to longer essay or analysis topics. Some will be done during class, while others will be done outside of class. Exercises could vary from 5 to 20 points. Spelling, factual and grammatical errors will count against the grade. These cannot be made up. We may finish the semester with more than 100 points worth of in-class work; if so, your lowest grade would be dropped.

ONGOING: Class blog posts & responses
(25 points)

Consider this a form of class participation. Throughout the semester, I will post relevant articles, ideas, or thoughts to the class blog. I expect you all to do the same. Some of these we may discuss in class, some we may not. But I expect everyone in the class to enter into the discussion, through posting your own thoughts (on the readings, on your own opinions) and/or articles related to the class topic that you come across. I don't want to see YouTube videos of some nitwit crying over Britney Spears. Or a link to the inevitable inappropriate photos that emerge for some poor "American Idol" contestant this year. I want to see that you're reading, thinking and learning about online journalism. This is a way to immerse yourself in the subject and stay engaged for a class that only meets once per week. There is no set number of posts and responses. You'll know if you doing a good job or not.

Class Guidelines
Congratulations on making it this far. As a reward, this is where I give you 10 free points. You may scoff at 10 points in the grand scheme of 500. But last semester, for instance, an extra 10 points would have made the difference of a letter grade for three students. Every point counts! Of course, there's a catch. All you have to do is follow these basic guidelines. Follow the guidelines, get 10 Free Points. Sadly, there is a zero tolerance policy for the Free Points, so even one transgression will wipe them away. (Don't worry; repeated transgressions will not cost you more than the 10 Free Points, but surely you don't want repeated transgressions on your Permanent Record.)

Don't negotiate your grade. Jack Bauer doesn't negotiate with terrorists. I don't negotiate grades. Everyone starts at 0; everyone can finish at 510. Your grade is what you earn. I don't want to hear why you need a B or an A. I don't want you to tell me why you deserve a higher grade.
Don't IM me, Gchat me, text me, ping me, friend me or put me on your Facebook page. If you need to get in touch with me, email me. If it's an emergency and you need an immediate response, call me. When you email me, use common sense. Emails may not count as part of your grade, but they count as part of your overall personality. We don't have a lot of time to get to know each other, and inappropriately informal and/or unprofessional emails leave indelible marks.
Don't IM, Gchat, text, ping, friend or update your Facebook page during class. We are all adults. Please do not make me ask why your keyboard is clicking when a guest speaker is talking. The first time, you lose your Free Points. The second time, I'll ask you to leave class and come back the next week.
Don't forget to turn off your cell phone. No rings. No exceptions.
Don't ask to make up missed assignments. If you know you'll miss a class with an announced assignment, you may be able to do the assignment early. Otherwise, if you miss class, you miss the assignment.
Don't ask for an extension. Deadlines are non-negotiable. If I have to adjust a due date, I will let you know (and any adjustment would be to your advantage). Otherwise, you know exactly when an assignment is due. If you get sick the weekend before your Web package is due, or if your best friend is having a crisis because he or she happens to be the poor "American Idol" contestant with inappropriate photos on the Internet, the deadlines do not change, and if you miss one, you lose the points specified. Aside from your hospitalization or a death in your immediate family, there are no exceptions. Plan ahead.
Don't ever, ever, ever make the argument that you actually would have had a higher grade if you had not have lost so many points for misspelled words or factual errors. I hope this is self-explanatory.

Ethics & Academic Integrity
Along with certain rights, students also have the responsibility to behave honorably in an academic environment. Academic dishonesty, including cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty and plagiarism, will not be tolerated. Adhering to a high ethical standard is of special importance in the world of journalism, where reliability and credibility are the cornerstones of the field. Therefore, the college has adopted a “zero tolerance” policy on academic dishonesty. Any abridgment of the university’s academic integrity standards in a College of Journalism course will be referred directly to the dean. The dean will send all confirmed cases to the university's Office of Judicial Affairs with a recommendation of expulsion from the university for any violation of the code. To insure this is understood, all students will be required to sign an academic integrity pledge at the beginning of the semester that will cover all assignments in the course. Students who are uncertain as to what constitutes academic dishonesty should consult the university publication called "Code of Academic Integrity," administered by the Student Honor Council. This code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. For more information on the code or the council, please visit http://www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu/whatis.html.

Class Calendar

Week 1: Jan. 28

Week 2: Feb. 4

Week 3: Feb. 11

Week 4: Feb. 18

Week 5: Feb. 25

Week 6: March 3 ** WEB RESUME DUE **

Week 7: March 10 ** MIDTERM **

Week 8: March 17 ** SPRING BREAK **

Week 9: March 24

Week 10: March 31

Week 11: April 7

Week 12: April 14 ** NEWS FEATURE DUE **

Week 13: April 21

Week 14: April 28

Week 15: May 5 ** WEB PACKAGE DUE **

Week 16: May 12 ** FINAL PAPER DUE **

JOUR 652: Class Syllabus

Online Journalism, Spring 2008
Overview • Texts • Grading • Assignments • Guidelines • Ethics • Class Calendar

Class Section 0201: Monday, 7-9:45 pm; Room 3103
Instructor: Jason Thompson
Email: jasoncraigthompson@gmail.com
Phone: 202-491-7336
Office Hours: By appointment only

Overview
This is not a computer class, an art class or a lecture class. It's a journalism course in which we'll use computers, readings and class discussions to explore the basics of online news publishing. In this class, we will discuss, among other issues: the business, ethical and legal implications of publishing online; the characteristics that distinguish news Web sites and their stories from their print and broadcast counterparts; the changing roles and job markets for journalists; guidelines for doing research on the Internet; the impact of blogs and citizen journalism on mainstream media; the use of multimedia in storytelling; and the new age of media convergence. A core portion of the class will include hands-on assignments, and students will be introduced to basic HTML and to Web-editing tools. We will also cover site structuring and navigation, headline and link writing, and basic page layout, while building a multi-page online package (with photos and graphics).

Texts/Readings
We will be using a combination of required textbooks and handouts (printed and online) in this course:

Richard Craig's "Online Journalism: Reporting, Writing and Editing for New Media"
Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual (for print). Please bring the stylebook to class.

500-450 total points will result in an A
449-400 total points will result in a B
399-350 total points will result in a C
349-300 total points will result in a D
99 total points and below will result in an F

Associated Press style should be followed for all written assignments.
Each spelling and grammatical error in a major assignment will result in a predetermined loss of points. Your future employers will not expect to correct spelling, style or grammatical errors in professional work that you produce; now is the best time to get in an error-free habit.
The deadline for all major assignments is 7 p.m. on the due date, unless otherwise noted. The penalty for late assignments will vary.