Hofstra University, School of Communication

Spring 2009 Syllabus

JRNL 80
(Online Journalism)
Assistant Professor Mo Krochmal
Department of Journalism, Media Studies, and Public Relations

1
 Instructor Information

Mo Krochmal, Assistant Professor of Journalism, Media Studies, and Public Relations

Hofstra University, School of Communication
Website: http://krochmal.synthasite.com
Office Telephone: 516 463 4338
Hofstra E-mail: maurice.krochmal@hofstra.edu
Personal E-mail: mo.krochmal@gmail.com
Office: 147 Dempster Hall

Spring Semester Office Hours

Monday – 12:00 p.m.-1:00
Tuesday – 3:00 p.m.-4:30
Thursday – 5:00-6:00
And, by appointment.

I believe in being available to my students and my colleagues. I am often in my office or

the NewsHub beyond my posted office hours and you are welcome you to drop by for
coaching about the course, or to bring by your resume, or to just chat.

Additionally, I can be reached through GTalk, Facebook, IM, text message, Twitter and via
my cell phone. Tell who you are when you text me. Text is better than voice mail. Do not
expect an instant reply and simple courtesy is expected.

2
 Letter to Students
Dear Students,

Welcome to a world where nothing remains constant, change is rapid, the future is wildly unclear,
and your career opportunities might be defined by your courage, tenacity and imagination. Your
grasp of the skills and practices you are learning in Hofstra's journalism program, applied
intelligently with new technologies, will serve you well in this environment. Today, this class is
called online journalism, but it is proudly and unashamedly journalism, at pace with the 21st
Century.

This is an exciting and a challenging time for journalism as mainstream media contracts and
wrestles with how to use new digital tools and the capabilities of the Internet to fulfill a critical role
in a democracy -- and remain a viable business. The new-media sector of journalism is growing
and in need of talent, energy, creativity and ideas.

Journalism is looking for people who are undaunted by technology, and dedicated to the
traditional core values and ethics of the field, and willing to overcome any obstacles to “get the
story” and get it right. You aren’t guaranteed riches, or even job security, but you can make the
world a better place through your public service in this field. It's a job that is never boring.

By your very presence here, you are playing a part in building this medium. You aren’t the first to
take this class. You stand on the shoulders of generations of Hofstra students that have come
before you in the 60 years that this school has offered journalism.

We have a really ambitious agenda in front of us for the next 15 weeks. I believe in active and
project-based learning and in imparting the skills of self-teaching, a life-long gift. I am still the
teacher but learning is also your responsibility and that is a skill that will serve you well in the 21st
Century.

We can not possibly cover every portion of this unfolding craft in our short time together, but if you
come across something that we don’t cover, bring it up and we will discuss it and I will be glad to
help you learn it and share your learning with your classmates.

I have 30 years in journalism, and I’m one of the few people that can say that they have worked
the last 15 as an online journalist. I have worked at The New York Times as well as the Wilson
Daily Times. I have been a manager and an editor as a journalist in New York City. I have covered
General Electric, Microsoft and IBM as well as generations of startup companies and the
innovation and technology in the emerging fields of information technology and molecular biology.

I’ve been on deadline in little tiny dirt stock car race tracks or tiny backwoods gyms in North
Carolina or fishing on a river in Oklahoma or reporting from the pile at Ground Zero on Sept. 12,
2001.

I’ve covered policy, privacy, economics, business and finance, computers, cancer, and molecular
biology as well as community sports. I became one of the few journalist specializing in microarray
technology (go ahead and ask me about it) and the emerging field of systems biology. I wrote
about Tiger Woods when he was a 16-year-old and I’ve covered over 500 high school basketball
games in North Carolina. I covered Michael Jordan when he played for Dean Smith at North
Carolina, and Mike Krzyzewski's first press conference at Duke University.

3
I am in my second year on the Hofstra University faculty and I have taught this course to eight
previous classes since 2006.

I am so proud to be at Hofstra. Teaching journalism here is exactly what I want to be doing. I love
being in the classroom and the NewsHub – and I love teaching and learning from you and from
my peers on the faculty in the School of Communication.

Be advised that this class requires a commitment of time. When you are done, you will have had
the opportunity to develop cutting-edge skills, abilities and practices and methods for staying
current in a rapidly-changing field.

We will go through a great many applications from the Web 2.0 world. These are not fads, but are
new tools that are making an impact in journalism and in the working world almost as quickly as
they emerge. These days, companies are blogging, they are creating wikis, they are on Facebook
and on Twitter. Your challenge will be to effectively apply these tools to improve your knowledge
of the craft of journalism.

To be successful, come to class, participate, do the work, and hit your deadlines. You don’t have
to be a computer expert, you just have the patience to get past the technology so that you can
actually get to the story, the reporting, and, most importantly, the writing.

Welcome pioneers. Let’s learn and have fun doing it.

4
 Purpose of the Course
You have enrolled in this course as an elective. Your classmates in JRNL80 are print and
broadcast journalism as well as public-relations majors. Soon this course will become a required
course in the Hofstra journalism curriculum. This year, JRNL 80 is joined by JRNL 10, Journalism
Tools, on the new-media side of our accredited curriculum and a future prerequisite along with the
current prerequisite, JRNL 11 JRNL 11 - News Writing and Reporting.

In today’s curriculum, JRNL 80 is a structured learning opportunity to prepare you for the future of
journalism as it unfolds rapidly. The tools you use here are applicable to other courses and to the
working world.

Course Description
The Hofstra Bulletin describes this course as: A thorough introduction to the fastest growing
element of professional journalism -- online journalism. Students examine the theoretical, legal
and ethical underpinnings of this new form, while exploring the new form's connections with the
print and broadcast media. Practical skills include Web-based reporting, online news writing, and
design and construction of Web sites.

You should have an understanding of the skills you learned previously in JRNL 11. The Hofstra
Bulletin describes JRNL 11 as: Defining news and its importance in a democratic society;
structure of news-gathering process; the elements of news: introduction to basic news reporting
and writing for print and broadcast; use of the Internet as a reporting and research tool; accuracy
and fairness as journalistic imperatives. Outside community research and reporting time is
required.

5
Goals

Students will:

1. Examine the theoretical, legal and ethical underpinnings of this new but fast-
growing element of journalism.
2. Understand the connection among platforms in community journalism.

Objectives

Students will:

1. Develop and use the practical skills of Web-based reporting and writing.
2. Critically evaluate the functionality and application of Web 2.0 platforms in
journalism.
3. Learn the practical skills of multi-media/cross-platform content creation, and
publishing, as well as new skills in interaction and community-building.
4. Examine connections between online journalism and traditional print and
broadcast media.

6
 Class and Course Logistics

If you add up the time we spend together over the period of a semester, you will see that it hardly
adds up to the working hours of just one week for a working journalist. The time we spend in
class together is really important and special. Let’s use it to the best possible advantage by
convening on time, being prepared, participating actively, thinking critically and working efficiently.

We have a lot of ground to cover. To give yourself the best chance at success, be in class, do
your work, hit your deadlines. Be positive, curious. Be courageous. I’ll help you as you develop
new skills.

The goal of this class is not to make you an HTML wizard, or a Photoshop guru. That’s
knowledge you can learn easily enough on your own, or even from an 11-year-old. In fact, much
of today’s HTML coding is automated. As a journalist, you should know how to write for any
medium -- to the highest standards of accuracy, ethics, and efficiency.

The goal of this course is to immerse in you an intellectual examination and use of the tools you
will need to make a meaningful contribution to a rapidly evolving field. You are entering a dynamic
and relentless environment that builds on a foundation of solid writing and ruthless editing, having
"a nose for news," diligent reporting, holding a strong ethical compass and having a willingness to
try new technology to innovate and create. You must have a great attitude about embracing
change.

The objective of the course is to exercise and develop your writing and reporting skills, to hone
your understanding of the principles and laws of freedom of speech and the press in this
environment of change, and to know how this medium is different. You will learn new skills by
engaging technology in your practice of journalism.

You will need to recognize that you are operating in a diverse multicultural and multilingual global
environment. Additionally, you will get practical experience in the ethical use and presentation of
images and information and be able to explain the ethical principles that guide the decisions you
make. You must demonstrate the ability to think critically, creatively and independently, and to
work within a group.

You will also be able to critically evaluate your work, and that of others. You must do the math,
connect the dots, and ask questions. You will be able to critically examine new technologies and
apply them thoughtfully.

Your work will be widely available as a published piece of journalism.

We will work at an extremely high level, classes will be interactive, and we will be proceeding on
various tracks concurrently. You are expected to be well read in current events and news (know
what is in the most-recent edition of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Newsday,
at the minimum) and be prepared to always ask questions and contribute to the discussion. You’ll
have help in your development in these areas.

For every hour spent in class, I will expect you to spend two hours outside. One of the most
important skills you need in life is the ability to manage your time and juggle many projects. The
classroom is where we will tee up and then examine the work that you must do outside of the
time we are together.

I'll be here and I expect you to be here and on time, and to stay for the full class. Being late is

7
being absent, and you will be marked down. We have a lot to do and you will have daily, weekly
and long-term assignments that require your presence. Work missed for an unexcused absence
can not be made up.

If you miss too many classes, it is my responsibility to let the university know out of concern for
your wellness. Miss three classes, and you can expect to fall one letter grade. Doctor’s
appointments and job interviews are not excused absences. You must document an excused
absence by the next class.

You will soon be entering the newsroom of the future. Along the way, you will be forging lifetime
bonds of friendship and trust. You are expected to conduct yourself professionally, and
respectfully. This is a demanding class, but you aren’t alone. Your colleagues can be a big help,
so treat them with respect.

You are expected to bring to the table a grasp of grammar, style and punctuation and to turn in
clean copy and to communicate professionally in whatever medium you are using (and that
includes e-mail).

If needed, I will offer additional workshops during the semester to help you with any questions
you may have on your projects and tools. I’m here for you. If office hours don’t work for you, join
me for breakfast or lunch or coffee.

8
Rules

Accuracy -- All articles are held to the highest standards for accuracy: Quotes must be exact,
names must be spelled correctly, and addresses should be accurate. Sources must be identified
and fact-checkable by e-mail and phone. Errors of this type in a piece will result in an F.

Integrity -- "A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do." I like the simplicity of the
honor code of the U.S. Military Academy. As journalists, we hold a trust in this society. We are
looked upon to seek truth and serve as watchdogs for the public. Let us work to uphold that trust.
We do not take shortcuts. If you didn’t write it, it’s not yours and you must credit where you got it.
Credit all sources with hyperlinks and in-text citations. If it is copyrighted material, either get
permission to use it or use something else.

Writing and reporting -- This is the foundation of any type of journalistic endeavor. You must be
able to come up with story ideas. You then must do the reporting, the writing, the editing, the re-
writing, and then, and only then, the posting, or publishing.

You will learn how to write and report for text and video for online presentation and how to collect
and produce multimedia and critically evaluate it and then publish it online. You will also critique
the writing and reporting of your peers.

Teamwork -- No matter what the medium, today's professional journalism requires the ability to
work well with others – editors, artists, producers, photographers, videographers, audio engineers
– and most importantly, with readers, who are empowered with the ability to fact-check your work
and to respond well beyond the letters-to-the-editor page of the newspaper. Ask Dan Rather.

You will be working in teams and your success in this class will depend on your ability to integrate
with each other.

Deadlines -- In the newsroom, if you don't make your deadline, you don't keep your job. It's just
that simple. So, know that deadlines count in this class too. Miss a deadline, score 0 points.

A skilled online journalist should: have innate multitasking ability, extreme attention to detail,
fluent skills in multimedia and personal communication, and comfort in working under the duress
of extreme deadline pressure. She should be fearless and eager to deploy new technology, able
to work collaboratively in a fast-paced team environment and successfully manage projects.

Additionally, an online journalist should understand the business/revenue issues of this medium
and realize the value of understanding and cultivating diverse communities and encouraging
interactivity with the public.

You will get experience in all of this as well as in evaluating news and online presentation,
generating news story ideas, and, of course, in lots of writing and reporting. You will go off the
campus for your reporting. You are required to participate in news operations in the NewsHub as
a part of this class.

We will explore and use a head-spinning list of web 2.0 technologies. Some will work well, some
won’t, but the process of managing and using all of these tools will give you a baseline of
experience to be able to adopt whatever new tool comes along.

New media -- You will learn how to write and report for Web, including the emerging channels of
blogs, vlogs, and mobile. You will learn and practice the skills of writing headlines, full and
complete captions, blurbs, and scripts to create compelling layers of reporting specific and
pertinent to the media you have selected. Also, all of this must meet the highest standards of
ethical journalism and keep the user engaged. You will take photographs, collect audio and video,
and report and write and rewrite.

9
Intellectual Property -- We respect copyright. If you don’t have the rights to use it, you can not.

Course Progression

This is an assignment-centered course. Each week, you will have outside tasks to perform that
build your tool kit of skills and a portfolio of content. You will have readings from the textbooks
and the web. You will conduct research, and engage in editing and writing. You will discuss and
comment. You will report off-campus.

The class meetings will include lectures, small groups, critiques, presentations, guests. You will
do deadline writing exercises, and online multimedia production. This is not a class about
somebody at the front reading, and you typing. I’m your guide, your facilitator, and your professor.
You are responsible for your learning.

Assignments will be turned in electronically, via e-mail, and also printed out.

The class can and often will be streamed onto the Internet.

Required Texts:

Advancing the Story: Broadcast Journalism in a Multimedia World. Wenger, Debora Halpern
and Potter, Deborah. Washington, DC. CQ Press. 2008.

The Associated Press Stylebook. Goldstein, Norm. New York, Associated Press. 2006.

Journalism 2.0. How to Survive and Thrive. Briggs, Mark. Knight Citizen News Network.
http://www.kcnn.org/resources/journalism_20/

Note: With the exception of the first class meeting, all assigned readings must be completed prior
to each class meeting.

10
 Evaluation and Grading Procedures

The overall course score will be assigned based on the following criteria:

Class participation and attendance -- 25 percent

Assignments -- 10 percent
Midterm, Final Examination – 10 percent
Quizzes, grammar, punctuation, style – 10 percent
Final Project -- 45 percent

Your work will be edited but you will not receive letter grades on your reporting/writing
assignments. Each assignment will be judged on deadline, writing, grammar and quality of
content. You will have a one-hour window (10:00-11:00 p.m.) the night before class to earn a
point for meeting deadline by electronically submitting the assignment. Assignments then will be
evaluated on a 4-point scale (0,1,2,3) for writing, quality of content, and grammar/style. 0 = Fail,
1=Poor, 2=Average, 3=superior.

This is a coaching assignment-based approach that is designed to let you concentrate on your
skills, not your grades. At midterm and at the end of the semester, we will meet and look at your
work. At mid-semester, you will turn in a self-evaluation, detailing your progress, what you have
learned and your goals for the remainder of the semester.

Grade criteria

A = Outstanding work with excellent content, ideas, writing, reporting and style. Shows
leadership, innovation, participation, support and enthusiasm.
B = Very good work. Minor changes required.
C = Average. Requires substantial changes such as additional reporting, major rewriting
and correction of numerous style errors
D = Poor. Fundamental problems in assignments.
F = Unacceptable – late, inaccurate, incomprehensible, factual errors or misspelled
names. Plagiarism is an automatic F and will be reported for academic disciplinary action.

Grading scale

No letter grades will be given for papers, tests, quizzes or projects during the semester. You will
receive points (based on 10 for each). At the end of the semester I will add up the points and
weight them according to the percentages listed below. Your points then will determine your
grade based on this scale:

A = 95-100
A- = 90-94
B+ = 88-89
B = 84-87
B- = 80-83
C+ = 78-79
C = 74-77
C- = 70-73
D+ = 68-69
D = 64-67
F = 0-63

11
Standards

Every article you do for this class must be original for this class. No repurposing of other work.
You are encouraged to submit work done for this class for publication elsewhere, but not to take a
piece written for another publication and turn it in for credit here. So, if you work for the student
newspaper, or the radio station, or elsewhere, your work for this class must go through our
editorial process, and then you can publish it elsewhere. All work assigned may be posted online.

No use of art that you have not produced. No use of music that you don’t have permission to use.
If you don't own it, or haven't received specific permission to use it, it's not acceptable for use. If
it’s not your original thought, attribute it. Quotes must be accurate.

Every piece you turn in must follow these standard forms:

Assignment: [Name of the Assignment]

Date: [This is the turn-in date]
Class: JRNL 80 A or B
Professor: Mo Krochmal
Headline: [No more than 40 characters]
Byline: By Joseph Pulitzer (joe@pulitzer.com)

The above is your slug. Cut and paste it to use for assignments. All assignments must be
e-mailed before class, and then printed out and brought to class. Do not print out during
class. It’s disturbing. Do not format your work with indentions; turn off curly-quotes and
other Microsoft Word formatting.

In an e-mailed assignment, you must follow guidelines for subject lines: Just write class name
and section, and the title of the assignment. All pieces may be posted. In a notebook, you will
keep a hard copy of the assignment, the edits, and rewrites. Newer work will go after previous
work. Get an e-mail and a phone number for all sources. This information must be included in
your notebook and e-mailed to me with every assignment. You will also post your final rewrites to
a portfolio site that you will set up.

On your assignments, basic grammatical spelling and style errors will be indicated with
proofreader's marks. You will be expected to correct what you did incorrectly using the style guide
and/or other resources.

Headlines are required and will follow New York Times style (mixing uppercase and lowercase)
and will be judged as strictly as the writing that follows. All work will have a headline that is
compelling, and grammatically correct.

All articles must include appropriate and specific links. Multimedia will be captioned, people will
be identified, photogs/videographers/creators will be credited.

No unidentified or anonymous sources unless approved by the professor. You can not interview
your family or friends for an article for this class. Wikipedia links are not acceptable. A list from
Lexis-Nexis is not acceptable either.

12
The Schedule

This semester, you will have the opportunity to work on breaking-news assignments in the
NewsHub and community coverage operations. You are required to participate in the NewsHub.

We will start by building your multimedia reporting skills and knowledge until midterm, followed by
the reporting and production your final project, a multimedia multisource investigative article for
consideration for publication in NassauNews.org, the school’s hyperlocal online journalism
project.

Final Project

The final project is an extended piece of community journalism that serves as a centerpiece for
your portfolio. You will conduct in-depth research to identify a topic to investigate and report. You
will produce an edited online video package following our format, a text-based article with
hyperlinks, a production memo, transcripts and social media as well as additional multimedia
such as slideshows and databases. The projects are debuted on a live webcast on
NassauNews.org during the final-exam period.

One-Minute Papers

At the end of each class, you will write a deadline article on what you learned best, and what you
learned least during the class period. This is not a recap of the class, but an opportunity to reflect
and think and shape your efforts going forward.

Critiques

Part of the process in this class is to give you experience in thinking critically and providing
helpful advice and feedback to your peers in the form of real-time critiques. It also gives you
practice in how to work in a press-conference atmosphere.

Presentations

You will often have the opportunity to present your work in front of your peers. You should always
introduce yourself, and provide a quick synopsis of what you are discussing. Have points to
discuss and a conclusion.

13
Course Calendar
The following schedule is subject to change: we are in journalism and news events sometimes
dictate a change in the path we walk. That is part and parcel of the business and what makes it
so interesting a field. Additionally, I reserve the right to change the schedule in response to your
needs and abilities.

Following is an outline of the topics we will cover by week. You will have readings, you will write,
you will critique your colleague’s work, and you will collect lots of URLs for your portfolio.

Class 1 -- Introduction, Background

Wednesday, Jan. 28-Thursday, Jan. 29

Reading Assignment for Class No. 2: “How to: Search for Information on Social Networking
Sites. http://www.journalism.co.uk/7/articles/531651.php Posted 30/05/08 By Colin Meek on
Journalism.co.uk.

Read New York Times' Policy on Facebook and Other Social Networking Sites,
http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=157136 Posted at Poynter.org on Jan. 19,
2009

Writing Assignment for Next Class:

Find 5 working journalists on Facebook or other social networks. Identify them and their
organization, and provide clickable links to their profiles.

Prepare a 500-word professional profile of yourself suitable for publication.

• Part 1 – Who are you?

• Part 2 – Your digital footprint: How many references on a search. Provide

links.

• Part3 – The tools you use.

Do not include highly personal information, please.

Turn in all assignments on one e-mail attachment with the assignment number as the
subject line. All files must be saved in Microsoft Word 97-2003 format, showing the blue
logo. Any other format results in a 50-percent deduction for the assignment.

You will have a 1-hour window the night before an assignment (10 p.m.-11 p.m.) is due to
turn your work in and score a meets-deadline point.

Save your work often and back it up as technology SNAFUs are not an excuse for missed
assignments. Technology will let you down, but you are smarter than that, right?

14
Class No. 2 – Writing
Monday, Feb. 2-Tuesday, Feb. 3

We will review the first class and explore social networks and
journalism. Students will be responsible for being able to
demonstrate their skill in locating article sources and experts via
social networks and be able to articulate the advantages and the
ethical challenges of this technology.

We will discuss the formatting requirements for the class and

emphasize the importance of writing in journalistic style and to the
highest standards for accuracy and fairness.

Reading – Textbook: Advancing the Story, Ch.7, “Writing for the Web,” (pp. 167-
191)

Writing Assignment – After reading the chapter, write a 500-word essay that explains
the differences in writing for various media and why this is important for you to
understand. Create a top 10 list as a reference sheet to use when writing to remind you
of the basics. Turn in all in one file.

Class No. 3 – Wiki introduction

Wednesday, Feb. 4-Thursday, Feb. 5

We will review the previous class and discuss the writing

assignments. Students will collaborate to create a unified reference
sheet for online journalism writing. Students will be responsible for
following conventions and be able to describe different writing
styles for broadcast, print and online.

Reading – Advancing the Story, Ch. 2, “Reporting the Story” (pp 23-42)

Writing Assignment – Research your possible local beat for the semester and prepare a
pitch to convince an editor to greenlight you for that. Work must reflect in-depth research
into the topic, with links. Discuss what you might be able to contribute for publication on a
weekly basis.

Create your portfolio home page using our class wiki. List your accounts and profiles and
urls to your previous work.

Class No. 4 -- Beats

Monday, Feb. 9-Tuesday, Feb. 10

Students will present their beat pitches to the class and accept
questions and comments. We will review the wiki postings,
discussing this new tool and its application in journalism.

15
 Reading – Go through the tutorial “Creating Movies with Windows MovieMaker”
http://www.aiken.k12.sc.us/Schools/MVHS/website/mslong/teachers/movie2.html

Writing Assignment – Identify an issue in the news and then prepare a written list of 5
questions you would interview sources about it. Create a reference sheet to use when
you are editing your video. Turn both in on one file.

Class No. 5 – FlipCam, and Blip.TV

Wednesday, Feb. 11-Thursday, Feb. 12

We will discuss MovieMaker and do an exercise on interviewing skills and using the
FlipCam effectively. Students will have a FlipCam and will go out on campus for a quick
interview that will then be loaded onto the Blip.TV service. Students will learn the
mechanics of uploading from Flip to Blip as well as interacting with the equipment room.
We will discuss how this tool can enhance students' journalism. Students are responsible
for being able to discuss how this tool is being integrated into journalism and how to use
it well and be able to discuss its limitations.

Reading:
-- Advancing the Story, Ch. 3 “Multimedia Newsgathering” (pp 54-80);
-- Journalism 2.0, “Shooting and Managing Digital Photos,” Ch. 8

Assignment – With a FlipCam, record yourself reading your edited profile. Post to Blip.tv.
Identify the correct embedded link and post it on your portfolio site.

Class No. 6 -- Photography

Tuesday, Feb. 17-Wednesday, Feb. 18

In this class, we will view the students' Flip video profiles and the quick campus
interviews. We will discuss photography and its role in journalism. Students will learn how
to find photographs that are open source and how to create screen grabs. Students will be
responsible for writing full and complete captions, crediting work, and obtaining rights-
free photographs from online resources.

Assignment – Take a series of five photographs that tell a story of a campus news event.
Identify everyone in the pictures, write stand-alone captions for each, and insert your
photo credit. Post to Flickr. Create a slideshow on Animoto.

Reading -- Journalism 2.0, “Digital Audio and Podcasting,” Ch. 7

16
Class No. 7 -- Audio
Thursday, Feb. 19-Monday, Feb. 23

In this class, we will present the photo stories for critique. We will discuss the importance
of sound in journalism. Students will be responsible for learning how to find, gather and
produce sound-based journalism. Students will also learn about best practices in
delivering voice presentations.

Assignment – Students will use FlipCams to record natural sound and VOTs and edit
them into a 30-second package without voice-over narration using MovieMaker as the
editing tool.

Reading – Journalism 2.0, “New Reporting Methods” Ch. 4.

Advancing the Story, Ch. 8, “Producing for the Web” (pp 192-218).

Class No. 8 -- Data

Tuesday, Feb. 24-Wednesday, Feb. 25

We will discuss the role of data and databases in journalism. Students will learn how to
find data, how to interrogate it, and how to present it.

Assignment – Find no less than five examples of the journalistic application of these
new data techniques and reporting. Describe each and write a caption for a hypertext link
to a database. Then, to demonstrate your ability to analyze date, cut and paste raw data
into a Google documents spreadsheet and sort. Provide a link to your work in a caption.

Reading -- Graphics

Class No. 9 -- Graphics

Thursday, Feb. 26-Monday, March 2

We will discuss information graphics and visual storytelling. Students are responsible for
being able to describe examples where data and information graphics can help advance a
story and should be able to manipulate and analyze data sets for visual presentation.

Readings – Rolling the Dice, American Journalism Review, June/July 2007

17
 Assignment – Align your beat with domestic and economic policy. Answer the question:
Who on my beat should I interview to get a view on how new policy might affect this
community? Write a memo, with headline and links to propose this piece of reporting and
answer the “Why should anyone care?” question.

Class No. 10 – 1-Minute Mini Project

Tuesday, March 3-Wednesday, March 4

Students will present their mini-project pitches for classroom critique.

Assignment – Report mini project.

Class No. 11 – 1-Minute Mini Project

Thursday, March 5-Monday, March 9

Assignment – Present mini project.

Class No. 12
Tuesday, March 10, Wednesday, March 11

You will take a written test on the concepts and ideas addressed in Classes 1-12. You will
also take a skills test, creating a multimedia news report on deadline.

Class No. 13 – Midterm Evaluation

Thursday, March 12-Monday, March 16

We will review the midterm and mini-projects. Students will schedule a 1-on-1 conference to
discuss progress.

Class No. 14 – Final Project Begins

Tuesday, March 17-Wedneday, March 18

We will discuss the format and concept of the final project in a question and answer session.

Assignment – Students will create a final project pitch that demonstrates news
judgment, originality, presentation skills, research ability and a significant opportunity for success.
Pitch will include 10 hyperlinks to relevant online supporting materials.

Class No. 15 – Final Project Pitches

Thursday, March 19-Monday, March 23

Students present their initial project pitches for critique and approval. Professor will provide real-
time feedback. Students will proceed or refine project pitches.

18
Class No. 16 – Project Reporting Plan
Tuesday, March 24, Wednesday, March 25

Assignment – Sources are extremely important for the success of your project. You have
to find at least 10 potential sources, provide their titles and contact information, list why
they are important and assess your chances for getting them to speak with you.

Reading – Advancing the Story, Ch. 1, “The Multimedia Mindset.”

Class No. 17 – Researching the Project

Thursday, March 26-Monday, March 30

Reading – Advancing the Story, Ch. 6, “Visual Storytelling.” (pp 139-166)

Class No. 18 – Storytelling

Tuesday, March 31-Wednesday, April 1

Students will explore the interplay between text, sound and visuals in news.

Class No. 19
Thursday, April 2-Monday, April 13

Assignment – You will turn in a project plan, with a calendar and milestones.

Class No. 20
Tuesday, April 14-Wednesday, April 15

Assignment – You will present a progress memo on your reporting.

Class No. 21
Thursday, April 16-Monday, April 20

Assignment – You will present a progress memo on your reporting.

Class No. 22 – Video Deadline

Tuesday, April 21-Wednesday, April 22

Assignment – Draft of your final project video is due. You will present for critique.

Class No. 23 – Text Deadline

Thursday, April 23-Monday, April 27

Assignment – Edits due, CMS locked.

Class No. 24 – Live Class Planning

Tueday, April 28-Wednesday, April 29

19
 Class will collaborate to select order of presentation of final projects and break into
groups to create script and workflows for live-stream presentation.

Class No. 25 – Live Rehearsal

Thursday, April 30-Monday, May 4

Class will rehearse live-stream presentation of final projects.

Class No. 26 – Nassau News Live Presentation

Tuesday, May 5-Wednesday, May 6

Students will create a live news show to publish their stories on Nassau News and streamcast on
the World Wide Web. Students will also live blog the program on several social media channels
and interact with watchers on a real-time basis, answering questions and comments.

Final Class

Final exam, NassauNewsLive presentation.

20
How to Use the Syllabus
Print this out and place it in a binder. It will serve as your roadmap through the semester. It will
also be available for you online.

How to Study for this Course

This is course where you need to stay current. The assignments build on each other and the key
is to work with the technology, patiently. If you encounter a roadblock, reach out to your
colleagues, myself or the Internet community. Do the reading, collect URLs, learn cut-and-paste
and write quickly. Then print out and edit yourself, forgetting that the words are your sweet little
treasures. Cut out the junk and get to the point. Make your deadlines and learn from the editing
process.

21
Disabilities

If you have any documented disability-related concerns that may have an impact upon your
performance in this course, please meet with me within the first two weeks of the current
semester, so that we can work out the appropriate accommodations. Accommodations are
provided on an individualized, as-needed basis after the needs, circumstances and
documentation have been evaluated by the appropriate office on campus.

For more information on services provided by Hofstra, and for submission of documentation of
your disability, please contact:

• Ann Marie Ferro in 101 Memorial Hall at 516-463-5341 (for physical and/or psychological
disabilities) or
• Dr. Diane Herbert in 202 Roosevelt Hall at 516-463-5761 (for learning disabilities and/or
ADHD)

All disability-related information will be kept confidential.

22