• How many of the items on this list have you done?
• How many do you still need to learn?
• A scary question: This list was posted in 2009. What other technologies should have been added to this list in the last two years?
• An even scarier question: What technologies will be added to the list that we don’t know about yet? And how will you learn them?

A few links to discuss:

• I thought these were the coolest journalism resumes ever: Michael Anderson | Chris Spurlock. Until I saw Olivia’s resume.
• How one journalism student used his projects to land a job
• 7 tips to land a journalism job
• 5 Free sites to help journalists build an online portfolio

Keep trying new things

I love this Ted Talk from Abigail Washburn. There’s a few points here that I think are especially relevant for communication students:

• You may have a plan for that journalism/advertising/PR/communication degree, but life may have a few surprises in store. Be brave, take risks, follow your heart. We will be proud of you no matter what.
• Don’t be afraid to try new things. (An American banjo player who sings in Chinese? Who could have predicted this mashup would be so beautiful?)
• Learning is the secret to awakening and renewing creativity and passion. Learning how to learn (aka metacognition) is the secret to staying fresh and relevant in a world where you will be required to learn and adapt to constantly changing technologies. Learn how to learn. Learn how to teach yourself, and you will never be left behind.
• Summer is a great time to reconnect with your passions while trying out something new. Remember that list of 30 things journalism graduates should do this summer. Summer is the perfect time to experiment: time on your hands and no grades on the line.

Abigail Washburn was inspired by the banjo. What inspires you?

I love pictures. Here’s my photo tumblr and my Flickr. Here are a few other projects I’m loving right now: Sparrow Songs | Natalie | Noah | ClickFlashWhirr | Today

What would happen if you committed to taking a photo a day? What would happen if you committed to writing or blogging everyday?

How can you combine something you love with social media and technology?

If you’re a student with a great business idea, your elevator pitch could win $100,000 to start your business.

But what if you’re a journalism student? A great elevator pitch that features your product–yourself and your skills–can sell your stories, land you a job or win you one of the four prizes we’ll be giving out during the second MCOM 407 Best in Show Awards.

Here’s what I’m looking for:

• 90 seconds. Fill up this entire amount of time by telling us how great your reporting project turned out.
• Enthusiasm. If you’re not excited about your work, why should a future employer be excited about you? Sell it!
• A brief overview of who you are: Who are you? Where are you from? Where are you going?
• An overview of your topic. What was your subject? Why is it newsworthy? What did your reporting uncover? What scoops did you get that no one else did?
• A clear pitch. Here’s where you tell us what categories the audience–and judges–should consider you for. Make a clear pitch and justify it: “You should consider my package for best reporting because…” Be sure to give details and evidence to back up your pitch: show us great photo composition or beautiful multimedia, explain to us the newsworthy sources and facts you uncovered. Then end with a call to action: “…and that’s why should consider my package for best reporting.”

Here’s an example from Tim Connor, who won the judge’s choice award for best overall project in last semester’s Best in Show awards for his project on Hamilton agriculture and sustainability.

Final reminders

• Best in Show Awards: 3 p.m., Thursday May 17
• Categories: Best reporting, best multimedia, best photojournalism, judges’ choice award
• Guest judges: Nick DiMarco, Tyler Waldman, Deborah Rudacille
• Prizes for the best in show winners!

A Ted talk by Nancy Lublin on “texting that can save lives.” Watch for her comments on the data texts generate at 3:07.

Tonight we’re talking about steps 3, 4 and 5 of the social media strategy you are writing, with an emphasis on analytics:

• Google Analytics lessons (take a $50 test and become a certified Analytics professional)
• Beginning Analytics (YouTube video)
• Improving traffic with analytics | Improving content with analytics
• Twitter analytics | Mashable’s Beginner’s Guide to Facebook Insights
• tools for monitoring analytics (like Hoostuite)
• Getting started with SEO

Comedian Tim Young, our MCOM 333 social media strategy client.

Student journalists need to learn SEO more than they need to learn AP Style

What’s wrong with these headlines?

(first image by me, second image via The Editor’s Desk)

Good journalism can also be good SEO.

The first headline misses the news: it doesn’t tell us that it was the windiest day of the year or that this was in Washington D.C.

For good journalism, we want to avoid vague words (like “local” and “area”) and cliches (like “breaks her silence” or “speaks out.”)

Over on The Editor’s Desk, Andy Bechtel writes that “Obama calls waterboarding torture” makes for a better, clearer headline. He also points out that the Cain headline is unfair: it implies that Herman Cain’s wife is being pressured to talk to reporters.

A headline that focuses on the specifics increases the link’s news value. And its SEO value.

Tips for better SEO

• Understand how search engines work (Read ch. 17 in the Yahoo! Style Guide for a good overview)
• Understand how WordPress SEO works (Or the SEO functions of any content management system you’re using.)
• Create original content, and be aware of your keywords as you write. The Google Ad Words Keyword Finder is helpful. Enter your website–or the website of a competitor!–for keyword suggestions.
• If you’re using WordPress.com, embed those keywords in your post titles/headlines, leads, links, image tags and video titles, cutlines and tags.
• Get your blog into Google. If Google can’t find it, it doesn’t exist.
• Know your stats. What searches lead people to your site? What posts have the highest/lowest hits? Who’s linking to you?
• Know what’s trending on Google, Twitter (via the Discover tab or third-party sources).
• Don’t forget: Misspelled names are not SEO friendly

Accessibility

Accessibility

How people with disabilities use your website | Resources: WordPress and the Web Accessibility Initiative

Tips for making docs, PDFs and blog posts more accessible

• Add alt-text to images
• Use meaningful link text (not just “read more” or “click here”)
• Use headings correctly: One h1 element per page, content should be similar to page title. Use headings in order, don’t skip headings (going from H1 to H4)

The final web package

• The rubric we’ll use to evaluate your projects
• Good examples: Baltimore Community Groups, Handmade is Where the Heart is, Baltimore Urban Agriculture
• Using HTML anchors
• Website is due at the start of class May 8 and May 10. They will be evaluated between 3:30 and 4:45.

Revision sessions

• Revision sessions will start promptly at 5 p.m. May 8 and May 10

During the first half of class we’ll be discussing Stepp Ch. 9 and these feature stories:

• Roger Ebert: The Essential Man
• All She Has, $150,000, is Going to a University
• Amanda Khera’s story #2 and multimedia (above)
• Anniversary journalism: Titanic front pages
• Connecting an anniversary to the present day: From the Deep, She Speaks

In the second half of class, we’ll read over your story #3 drafts and you’ll conference with me. Your final draft due next week. Be sure not to miss class–we’ll begin talking about the final format for your websites.

Tonight we’re discussing chapters 1, 3, 4 and 10 from Groundswell. We’ll also be Skyping our client, Tim Young, to do a little research in preparation for writing his social media strategy.

We’ll also talk about how some of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize winners used social media:

• National Reporting: Beyond the Battlefield, The Huffington Post
• Public Service: Climate of Violence, The Philadelphia Inquirer
• Breaking News Reporting: Tornado coverage by the Tuscaloosa News staff

As always, next week’s reading assignments can be found on the class schedule.

Today we’re discussing enterprise journalism and a few of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize winners:

• Public Service: Climate of Violence, The Philadelphia Inquirer
• National Reporting: Beyond the Battlefield, The Huffington Post
• Investigative Reporting: NYPD intelligence operations, Associated Press and Methadone and the Politics of Pain, the Seattle Times
• Explanatory Reporting: But Nobody Pays That, The New York Times

• Breaking News Reporting: Tornado coverage by the Tuscaloosa News staff
• Local reporting: Penn State sex scandal coverage by The Patriot-News

• Feature Writing: The Bravest Woman in Seattle, The Stranger
• Feature Photography: The Story of Scott Ostrom, The Denver Post

We’ll also be reading over your stories. As always, assignments can be found on the class schedule.

Storifys from students:
Katrishia Koh
Josh Venecia
Keaira Brooks
Kayla Yingst
Luis Battle
Nneka Okeke
Kiara Anthony
Ben Lefkowitz
Brandi Bottalico
Meagan Hendrickson
Adam Salk
Calvin Little
Lauren Thompson
Nabil Dabbagh
Michelle Riddick
Brittany Leigh

This week we’ve got a couple of special events going on:

Wednesday: Former Baltimore News American journalist Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down, speaks to journalism students. 2 p.m., Van Bokkelen 204.

Thursday: Screening of Page One followed by a Q&A with alumnus Brian Stelter. 7 p.m., Van Bokkelen 204.

See you there!

This is the I Hate Sandcastles/Success Kid, whose 2007 photo has become a well-known Internet meme.

Before spring break, we explored personal social media strategy. We studied thought leaders like journalist Brian Stelter who uses social media to report stories and communicate with readers and sources. Now, we’ll be discussing organizational social media strategy. We’ll begin tonight by discussing how some are using social media to not just communicate with audiences, but to bypass traditional modes of production (book publishers, cable networks) and sell directly to audiences themselves:

• Minature e-books let journalists stretch legs
• Comics now selling laughs by the download
• Louis C.K. reflects on “Louie”
• Louis C.K. makes $200,000 profit in four days, $1 million in 12 days with $5 video
• Aziz Ansari lauches $5 comedy special online

Readings and assignments are on the class schedule.