Tuesday, October 28, 2003
Angie, my understanding is that the proposal is due on Thursday. We have to fill out the form that Paul sent by e-mail, which includes a breakdown of each sub-story (lead, etc.).
Monday, October 27, 2003
Class:
Hi. I have posted the "reluctant" memo on the blog. I sent the memo out Friday morning but it apparently did not reach you. I sent it out again this morning. Not sure what is up with email. Please alert your colleagues that the memo is on the blog. I am checking with John Fracasso to see about email issues.
Sorry for the delay.
Paul
Hi. I have posted the "reluctant" memo on the blog. I sent the memo out Friday morning but it apparently did not reach you. I sent it out again this morning. Not sure what is up with email. Please alert your colleagues that the memo is on the blog. I am checking with John Fracasso to see about email issues.
Sorry for the delay.
Paul
New Media 732 Assignment Memo 2003
What: Major project for the 732 New Media class.
When:
Thursday, Dec. 4.
Projects must be submitted for posting by midnight Dec. 4, 2003.
Thursday, Dec. 11. Each team will present their project in a formal class presentation (approximately 10-15 minutes).
Who:
Project Manager (Content)
Clarissa Douaud is the Content manager. Her role is to keep track of the content teams and their project files. She will ensure that the files are properly created, named and stored. She will work with teams to help ensure that all documents and content material is well organized, complete, on time, and ready for publication.
Project Manager (Technical)
Ed Fraser is the Technical manager. He will help the teams with the organization of the Dreamweaver files and the overall structure and functioning of the New Media site. He will also assist the teams to build their projects in Dreamweaver, and will work with John Fracasso on the final mounting of the site.
Together, they will be responsible for organizing the homepage heads, content, blurbs and links.
I will act as the Editor on the project. I will respond to the story ideas and will also look over the proposals and provide feedback. I will meet with the groups in the labs and discuss story issues and help in any way I can. You can contact me anytime to discuss your research, interviews, story development, etc.
The site structure and the roles of the managers will be more fully explained in the lab after Wendie’s Photoshop training is completed. It is easier to show how the site and structure works than to explain it in a memo.
More What:
As described in your course outline, the project will consist of a cluster of stories and pictures on a specific topic. It may also include supporting graphics, documents, sound files, video files, links to other files or sites and other components that the team feels will contribute to the story.
The focus of the project is the journalism, not the technology. The quality of the stories and their effective presentation is what counts most. The process of creating the stories, including the use of some of the interactive tools we have been discussing (online message boards, blogs, email response, etc.) will also be considered.
Of course, the fundamental qualities of good stories - research, reporting, accuracy, good storytelling, and good writing - are paramount.
The first challenge is still to define a good story idea and then work out ways of examining it that are linked, coherent and part of an interesting, substantial overall package.
Story Teams
The idea here is to form a team, decide upon a story idea and then work out separate stories that examine that topic, relate to one another and create a “story cluster” that relates to the main story idea. It is NOT simply putting a group of different and separate stories into one group. It is crucial that the team produce a coherent, linked and thoughtful set of stories. The idea is to brainstorm together, to work as a team to produce the best set of stories you can.
Story Ideas
Story ideas are seldom, if ever, single words. A story idea is not Acupuncture or Taxation, or Media Overload.
These are titles and vague ones at that.
The question is, “What about it?” You must FOCUS your idea down to something that can be accomplished in the time allotted. You must pose a question or a hypothesis or present some kind of issue or argument and then go out and do your reporting on it, seeking the best information and interviews you can muster.
For example, Pollution is NOT a story idea.
It is a huge and unwieldy topic. You must NARROW your focus and then come up with stories on that particular, larger story idea.
A good, solid, well-considered story idea will fuel your team and make for exciting research and writing. If you do not go through this team exercise your stories will be flabby and ineffective and your team project will be all over the map.
(Please see the Blog for a bit more on this Thursday, Oct. 23, 2003.)
To help with that, there is a form provided. (See attached form) Like TV and Radio documentaries, online and print require the same level of preparation and planning to produce good work, especially on a special report like this in which teams are involved.
Please get together with your team, work out your story idea, and come up with individual stories within that framework.
Outline as much as possible in the form.
The story proposal will be marked as part of your project. Please have it ready for next Thursday’s New Media Class. We will soon be at the start of November and it is very important that you get your idea clearly outlined so that you can begin working on your stories.
In fact, it is crucial.
You have more than a month to work on the project, which is a good timeline, but you will need the time.
It is not possible to complete this kind of project in a rush or with a last-minute push. You are connected to other team members and to other teams. Please start early, use your time wisely and enjoy the process.
Meetings:
As we move forward, I will consult with each team in the labs and help with any question or story problems you may have. Please feel free as well to contact me anytime to discuss your stories. I’m happy to help. You can talk to me by email, phone or in person. Just let me know and we’ll arrange it.
Please feel free to call or email me with questions.
Paul
What: Major project for the 732 New Media class.
When:
Thursday, Dec. 4.
Projects must be submitted for posting by midnight Dec. 4, 2003.
Thursday, Dec. 11. Each team will present their project in a formal class presentation (approximately 10-15 minutes).
Who:
Project Manager (Content)
Clarissa Douaud is the Content manager. Her role is to keep track of the content teams and their project files. She will ensure that the files are properly created, named and stored. She will work with teams to help ensure that all documents and content material is well organized, complete, on time, and ready for publication.
Project Manager (Technical)
Ed Fraser is the Technical manager. He will help the teams with the organization of the Dreamweaver files and the overall structure and functioning of the New Media site. He will also assist the teams to build their projects in Dreamweaver, and will work with John Fracasso on the final mounting of the site.
Together, they will be responsible for organizing the homepage heads, content, blurbs and links.
I will act as the Editor on the project. I will respond to the story ideas and will also look over the proposals and provide feedback. I will meet with the groups in the labs and discuss story issues and help in any way I can. You can contact me anytime to discuss your research, interviews, story development, etc.
The site structure and the roles of the managers will be more fully explained in the lab after Wendie’s Photoshop training is completed. It is easier to show how the site and structure works than to explain it in a memo.
More What:
As described in your course outline, the project will consist of a cluster of stories and pictures on a specific topic. It may also include supporting graphics, documents, sound files, video files, links to other files or sites and other components that the team feels will contribute to the story.
The focus of the project is the journalism, not the technology. The quality of the stories and their effective presentation is what counts most. The process of creating the stories, including the use of some of the interactive tools we have been discussing (online message boards, blogs, email response, etc.) will also be considered.
Of course, the fundamental qualities of good stories - research, reporting, accuracy, good storytelling, and good writing - are paramount.
The first challenge is still to define a good story idea and then work out ways of examining it that are linked, coherent and part of an interesting, substantial overall package.
Story Teams
The idea here is to form a team, decide upon a story idea and then work out separate stories that examine that topic, relate to one another and create a “story cluster” that relates to the main story idea. It is NOT simply putting a group of different and separate stories into one group. It is crucial that the team produce a coherent, linked and thoughtful set of stories. The idea is to brainstorm together, to work as a team to produce the best set of stories you can.
Story Ideas
Story ideas are seldom, if ever, single words. A story idea is not Acupuncture or Taxation, or Media Overload.
These are titles and vague ones at that.
The question is, “What about it?” You must FOCUS your idea down to something that can be accomplished in the time allotted. You must pose a question or a hypothesis or present some kind of issue or argument and then go out and do your reporting on it, seeking the best information and interviews you can muster.
For example, Pollution is NOT a story idea.
It is a huge and unwieldy topic. You must NARROW your focus and then come up with stories on that particular, larger story idea.
A good, solid, well-considered story idea will fuel your team and make for exciting research and writing. If you do not go through this team exercise your stories will be flabby and ineffective and your team project will be all over the map.
(Please see the Blog for a bit more on this Thursday, Oct. 23, 2003.)
To help with that, there is a form provided. (See attached form) Like TV and Radio documentaries, online and print require the same level of preparation and planning to produce good work, especially on a special report like this in which teams are involved.
Please get together with your team, work out your story idea, and come up with individual stories within that framework.
Outline as much as possible in the form.
The story proposal will be marked as part of your project. Please have it ready for next Thursday’s New Media Class. We will soon be at the start of November and it is very important that you get your idea clearly outlined so that you can begin working on your stories.
In fact, it is crucial.
You have more than a month to work on the project, which is a good timeline, but you will need the time.
It is not possible to complete this kind of project in a rush or with a last-minute push. You are connected to other team members and to other teams. Please start early, use your time wisely and enjoy the process.
Meetings:
As we move forward, I will consult with each team in the labs and help with any question or story problems you may have. Please feel free as well to contact me anytime to discuss your stories. I’m happy to help. You can talk to me by email, phone or in person. Just let me know and we’ll arrange it.
Please feel free to call or email me with questions.
Paul
The mysterious memo is still missing (7:25 a.m. Monday)!
