JRNL 10: Feb. 13, 2011JRNL 10: Feb. 13, 2011

Prof. Vaccaro

Hofstra University

ReminderReminder

• No class next week … it’s a holiday. Next class is Feb. 27.

• Don’t forget to start blogging and tweeting during class … key bullet points, notes, etc. This is part of your participation. Use #HUJrnl10 while tweeting.

Teachable MomentsTeachable Moments

Digital Media InnovationDigital Media Innovation

• Key ingredients to successful digital journalism: • Ability to tell a story• Summarizing, quick/succinct pieces• Providing context• Being thorough and comprehensive• Understanding all multimedia elements• Engagement and interactivity with users

Digital vs. PrintDigital vs. Print

x

Digital Media InnovationDigital Media Innovation

• Keys to being a digital journalist• Think critically• Appreciate new ideas and technology• Innovate/teach/connect/relate• Be mobile• Think outside-the-box• Connect the dots

Elements of NewsElements of News

• Timeliness• Proximity• Impact• Magnitude• Prominence• Conflict• Novelty• Emotional appeal

Writing TipsWriting Tips

• Inverted pyramid

• Who, what, where, when, why and how still apply with digital journalism

• Short and sweet … no more than 500 words on average, many times 250-400 words if you have multimedia elements

• Quick, punchy and to the point

• Attribution and sourcing still applies

Building a Digital AudienceBuilding a Digital Audience

• Business decisions directly affect newsrooms• How do you keep your paper/website alive?

• Tracking your content

• Web analytics (Google Analytics/Omniture -Adobe)

• Search Engine Optimization

• Effective headline writing for the web

• Distribution through all social media

• Track everything … numbers = success

What to track and why?What to track and why?

• Total news stories per day• News stories by topic or section• Total blog posts per day• Blog posts by specific blog• Slide show views/video blog views• News updates/announcements• Email alert subscriptions• Basically, everything!

What to track and why?What to track and why?

• Chronicling user engagement

• Better understanding demographics

• Demographic engagement = marketing strategy and advertising advancements

• Proper advertising = revenue

• Revenue = jobs in the newsroom

Search Engine OptimizationSearch Engine Optimization

• Key words go a long way

• Wit doesn’t win this game, straight forward important words take the bait

• Why? Readers type key words into search engines, you need to maximize their search

• Good SEO: New York Mets Pitcher Johan Santana Wins Cy Young Award

• Bad SEO: Santana Wins Big for Club

Using Social Media for Distribution ChannelsUsing Social Media for Distribution Channels

• Understand the medium first

• Use strategy and tactics for this as well

• Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn are all acceptable if used professionally and ethically

Social Media Tips for JournalistsSocial Media Tips for Journalists

• Find new sources, ideas, topics and trends. Search for sources among LinkedIn’s professional profiles or follow your beat on Twitter using MuckRack.com.

• Connect with new and existing audiences. Everything has multiple audiences.î Repeat your tweets at different times of the day and repurpose content between Facebook and Twitter to maximize your reach.

• Bring attention to your work: Make your posts and tweets as informative, relevant and fun as possible, he advised. Include a link with every tweet, and donít reference yourself more than one tweet out of five, he added.

• Create and enhance your online brand. Aim to be among the sites a person visits once or twice a day.

Blog vs. Traditional MediaBlog vs. Traditional Media

• Opinion• No set style• Completely online• Citizen journalists• Anyone can do it• Free/sustainable

• Objectivity• Proper style• Print/online/TV• Trained journalists• Hired by company• Biz team needed

Popular BlogsPopular Blogs

• According to ebizmba.com, the top 15 blogs on the net, as of March 6, 2011 …

• 1 | HuffingtonPost: 28,000,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors (AOL)

• 2 | TMZ: 17,000,000 - Estimated UVs• 3 | engadget: 11,500,000 - Estimated UVs• 4 | PerezHilton: 9,000,000 - Estimated UVs• 5 | Gizmodo: 8,900,000 - Estimated UVs• 6 | Mashable: 7,000,000 - Estimated UVs• 7 | TechCrunch: 6,500,000 - Estimated UVs (AOL)• 8 | Gawker: 4,500,000 - Estimated UVs• 9 | lifehacker: 4,400,000 - Estimated UVs• 10 | FanHouse: 4,350,000 - Estimated Uvs (AOL)

Blog BasicsBlog Basics

• Characteristics defining a blog (Briggs - Journalism Next)• Frequently updated - new content should be at

the top• Every entry has a headline/body text and

includes hyperlinks• Contains a spot for reader comments

Blog BasicsBlog Basics

• San Jose Mercury News added a blog in 1999 and changed journalism• Every newspaper has blogs• Every major newspaper has broken news via

their blogs• Every reporter hired now, is asked if they know

how to manage/run a blog

What are your favorite blogs?What are your favorite blogs?

• Tell us your favorites?

• Let’s look at newspaper blogs …

• Vaccaro• Let’s Blog it Out (Entourage), Newsday• JRNL Teaching (Stony Brook), independent• Patch Blog (Company blog), Patch.com

Creating a blogCreating a blog

• Make a plan: editorial/business• Choose a blog system

• Blogger/Wordpress

• Choose a theme/design• Extras/Gadgets/Widgets• Build your audience

• How? Remember from our second class?

Tips for BloggersTips for Bloggers

• Organize your ideas• Be direct and to the point• Use appropriate language and style• Be the authority with a personality• Link, summarize and analyze• Be specific with headlines/tagging• Post early/post often• Use images and multimedia elements• Participate in the community/social network• Write less and with conviction

Blog Ideas and Better IdeasBlog Ideas and Better Ideas

• News• Education• Hot-button issues• Animals• HS Football• Politics

• Breaking news• Sachem Schools• Immigration• Doggies• Sachem Football• Newsday LI Pol.

Other Blog Creation TipsOther Blog Creation Tips

• Define your competition … who else is writing about this topic?

• Who cares about the topic? Will anyone read or see this?

• How can I make this a visitor destination? • Live blog and host talk sessions … think

outside the editorial box

MicrobloggingMicroblogging

• Using Twitter and Facebook to get your message out quickly

• Effective medium for breaking news• Can host chats/Q&As• Extension of your editorial reach• Building a digital community• Another reach for advertisers• Building your brand tweet-by-tweet• Create lists and communicate with others• Go mobile

Next Class … February 27Next Class … February 27

• REMINDER: NO CLASS on February 20 … because of holiday

• Read Chapter 6 - digital photography

• Assignment No. 1: During the second half of class on Feb. 27, you will do the first graded assignment of the semester. Instructions to come.