MM #3: Let's Look At Some Vids And Blog Posts!

Here are some examples of your work. The comments are not being made to pick on anyone, and no grades are being shared beyond me and the person whose work it is. 

But I am sharing comments to help us all get a sense of what we did well, and what we can do better, and how to do that.

So please take a look at EACH piece of work (in order received) via the hyperlinks below, and see what ideas you can get by reviewing EVERYONE'S work to make your next multimedia assignment go as well as possible.

*********

Ian K.: eating on-campus vs. off video and blog posts. Good variety of B-roll, but it didn't always match what was being spoken about at that moment. The posts nicely complement each other.

Catherine B.: choosing your passion video and blog posts.

Katie K.: art in education video and blog posts. The posts are wisely split between what experts say and what people actually doing in think.

Dakota H.: music influence video and blog posts.

Rachel Y.: mopeds vs. bikes video and blog posts. I like how the video is broken down by topic rather than source. Likewise with the posts; with one offering the bike viewpoint and the other the moped side of things.

Nick F.: social media use video and blog posts. The B-roll was a bit repetitive. Mixing angles and distances can help us create a variety of shots from the same subject. Posts complement each other by getting the expert take and then looking at what really happens in the real world.

Shannon L.: student stress video and blog posts. Strong B-roll mix.

Jabari S.: students saving cash video and blog posts. We could have used more B-roll toward the end.

Audrey P.: eating healthy video and blog posts. Attribution captions should come when we first see and hear the speaker, not before. And B-roll should go over A-roll, not just after it.

Jack K.: living on-campus video and blog posts.

Jared C.: student stress video and blog posts. The second half of each interview needed B-roll specific to what was being talked about at that time. The blog posts go together very well.

MM #2: Let's Look At Some Vids And Blog Posts!

Here are some examples of your work. The comments are not being made to pick on anyone, and no grades are being shared beyond me and the person whose work it is. 

But I am sharing comments to help us all get a sense of what we did well, and what we can do better, and how to do that.

So please take a look at EACH piece of work via the hyperlinks below, and see what ideas you can get by reviewing EVERYONE'S work to make your next multimedia assignment go as well as possible.

Off we go:

Dakota H: housing options video and blog posts one and two: Good B-roll over the A-roll so we show while we tell. The blog posts are nicely written, but are entirely missing hyperlinks. We always need hyperlinks to value-added background info related to our posts.

 

Shannon M.: anti-Semitism video and blog posts one and two: Even when we think we're holding the camera super-steady, there is still a bit of wiggle. Use a tripod whenever possible. 

Rachel Y.: recycling video and blog posts one and two: Good variety of B-roll over A-roll.

Katie K: agriculture at MSU video and blog posts one and two: A-roll subject should be framed using the Rule of Thirds. Better B-roll would show activity: people working on plants, people walking and observing plants, etc. Look for activity. The blog posts complement each other without copying the angle: one is an ag student's view; the other is a non-ag student's view.

Audrey P.: "Rape Trail: video and blog posts one and two: Good A-roll with the video, but the B-roll needed to go over the A-roll, not after it. Plus, the two blog posts essentially copy each other: both are about female students being uncomfortable walking there. Having posts that complement but not copy each other would have meant having one post about what students think and the other post about what cops and school officials have to say about it, for example. Or one post about students who feel unsafe there and the other about students who feel safe, regardless of reputation.

Ian K.: students who work video and blog posts one and two: Instead of being stuck on our first B-roll shot here for an extended period, it may have been better to shoot the same machine from different angles and distances, and mix up those differing B-roll perspectives from that same B-roll subject. While the blog posts each involve student views; the posts complement but don't copy each other because the students offer differing views: one student says working is good; the other says it adds stress.

Jabari S.: fitness video and blog posts one and two. Nice B-roll showing the power of different angles of the same thing. Watch our audio. The blog posts were lacking the minimum number of hyperlinks and adherence to AP Style. What do you think would have made good hyperlinks here?

Catherine B.: personal brand video and blog posts one and two. We are better off shooting different angles and distances of B-roll rather than panning. Nice use of still photos for B-roll. Watch your sound and use a tripod to minimize camera shake. The blog posts complement but don't copy each other; while they are both about students, each student offers a different approach to what they are doing. You compare different students doing different things; not different students doing the same thing.

Shannon L.: The "freshman 15" video and blog posts one and two: Good narration and B-roll. The first blog post sets up the second; the first one defines the "freshman 15" and lays out the issue; the second gets student reaction on what they see in their daily lives regarding that.

Jack K.: Getting around campus video and blog posts one and two. With bus shots, shooting the bus from different angles and distances could have helped break up that one static shot from the same angle and distance.

Remington S.: libraries video and blog posts one and two: Make sure your captions show up well and don't blend into the background, like the second one here. The blog posts complement each other, as the two compare what MSU's library is like versus a traditional library. Each post takes one of those angles.

Jared C.: polluted river video and blog posts one and two: Good use of still pics as B-roll. Good hyperlinks on the first blog post, but the second required two different hyperlinks; it just had one, and that one was from the first post.

JRN 200: Your Homework For Wednesday 11/8

More multimedia work! Here we go:

*** For your second multimedia assignment, we will use video and blog formats like those in our first assignments, but instead of having sorta irrelevant topics, you will take all of or an aspect of one of your first two out-of-class stories, and do a video/online preview/online recap for it.

That would include:

... a 1-2 minute video, uploaded to YouTube, with B-roll and at least two source interviews on-tape;

... a 100-200-word look at one side of the issue, posted to blogger.com and done in a journalistic style, taking a look at one aspect of the issue, with at least two relevant working hyperlinks embedded in the text;

... and a 100-200-word look at the other side of the issue posted to blogger.com and done in a journalistic style, taking a look at an aspect of the issue that's complementary (and not copying) the aspect from the first post, with at least two relevant working hyperlinks embedded in the text;

For this exercise, you may re-interview sources from your previous stories or interview new sources. You may also use what you gathered and your notes from your original stories in putting together your new media news products.

Also, when I say you can do the entire comprehensive story or just an aspect of it, this is what I mean: let's say you did a story on the pros and cons of living off-campus vs. on-campus. The video may just look at one aspect, such as opinions on the issue. 

The first online story might look at the experiences of on-campus residents; with the second looking at off-campus viewpoints. Or maybe one post looks at the pros of being on-campus, with the next looking at the cons. Or the first talks to the people who run off- and on-campus housing, and the second talks to the students who live on- and off-campus.

None of the mediums necessarily have to look at the issue as broadly as you did in a traditional text story (though you may do so if you so choose).

*** Your deadline for the second multimedia assignment will be 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 16 via email to omars@msu.edu. Please put ALL your links to your work into a single email, with the subject line of MM2. 

*** Also, on Friday, Nov. 10 we will NOT have class! Please use the time to work on your upcoming multimedia work. Class will resume Wednsdat, Nov. 15.

If you need any assistance, contact me ASAP. And good luck, everybody!

Blog/Tweets #1: Let's Look At Some Posts And Tweets!

The simplest way I had to explain this assignment was in terms of something many of us are already familiar with: sports coverage. In the same way we do a game preview, live game tweets and then a game recap, we were to do an event preview, live tweets following the event as it happened and then a recap of the event for this assignment.

Some took the sports analogy and did literally that, and I think that's a good place for us to start. Here is one person's preview post, and then their tweet stream and finally their recap. See how the preview sets things up for the tweet stream, and then the recap nicely gets to end result and ultimate outcome? This is how we want multimedia products to complement and not copy each other.

Now, let's look at some examples using this format with non-sports topics including ...

* A birthday party preview and tweets and recap.

* Returning bottles preview and tweets and recap.

* Cooking dinner preview and tweets and recap.

Blog #1: Hyperlinks Are Easy!

In traditional print journalism, we work in one dimension. That is, in the text story we put everything a person needs: a lede, quotes, data, background, ect.

But when we are writing online news, we can write in two dimensions: the literal text, and via hyperlink.

Hyperlinks are highlighted pieces of text that, when clicked on, takes the viewer to a new Web page. For example, this is a hyperlink. And it takes us to a Wikipedia entry about hyperlinks.

What hyperlinks do in an online story is allow you to offer background or quotes or video or other related content in a secondary dimension, so that your primary story can concentrate on conclusions and such.

If in print we try to show and tell readers, in online news hyperlinks allow us to tell in the main story, and then show through a hyperlink. Like in this ESPN.com story, where the hyperlinks let us know who is who, without that background overwhelming the text of the story.

In this blog post, hyperlinks include ones to earlier stories from the same Web site, and news stories from other Web sites (including one of my local favorites). See how it offers background in two dimensions?

And that gives the reader options. If they choose to trust your summary, they can leave it at that. If they want more info, all they have to do is click on a hyperlink and -- voila! -- they can get into as much detail as their little hearts desire.


Hyperlinks are real easy to make.

First, you want to highlight a section of text that is directly relevant to what you're hyperlinking to. For example, if you're writing an article about yourself and you want to hyperlink to your Facebook page so people can get background about you, a relevant place to hyperlink from would be a mention of your name.

After highlighting the next, look at your tools bar for wither a symbol that looks like linked chains, or the word "link." Click on that.

When you do, a box should pop up that asks for a URL, which is a fancy way of saying, Web address. Copy the URL and paste it into the box, and then hit "OK."

Then, save, close and publish your item. You should now have a working hyperlink.

And after posting your story, be sure to go to your item just as a reader would, and double-check your hyperlinks to make sure they work.

MM #2: What You Did

Here are some examples of your work. The comments are not being made to pick on anyone (in fact, these are some of the better examples of our work here) and no grades are being shared beyond me and the person whose work it is. 

But I am sharing comments to help us all get a sense of what we did well, and what we can do better, and how to do that.

So please take a look at EACH piece of work via the hyperlinks below, and see what ideas you can get by reviewing EVERYONE'S work to make your next multimedia assignment go as well as possible.

Off we go:

Tony B.: multitasking students video and blog posts: GREAT variety of B-roll, both in terms of different scenes (working, skating, studying), mediums (video and still pics) and types of shots (wide/medium/tight). THIS is what we should be aiming for, as video is a visual medium.

Jocelyn T.: student workers video and blog posts. Watch your audio! The space here was way too echoey to get good sound. Good range of B-roll here.

Kayleigh R.: out-of-state student struggles video and blog posts. No need for the narrated questions; just get straight to the answers. Plus, let's be sure to follow assignment parameters: the minimum number of human sources on tape is two. 

Alexis G.: squirrels video and blog posts: First, we need to make sure when we are shooting an interview subject that they camera is steady, the subject is front-lit (and not backlit) and we are following the rule of thirds. For the B-roll the angle was too repetitive; let's try getting a variety of angles and wide/medium/tight shots to make the visuals a bit more varied. On one of the blog posts we only have one hyperlink; the minimum on this assignment is two.

Allia McD.: dining halls video and blog posts: The first video interview subject took a lot of time; I might have broken it up by starting with the first subject, then going to the second subject and then closing back with the first person. It would make the story flow more conversationally and back-and-forth. A good variety of hyperlinks with the blog posts; two is the assignment minimum, but ideally we should have many more than that.

Michael D.: employed students video and blog posts: For B-roll let's be sure to have some sort of animation; instead of shooting a sign, shoot the sign as somebody walks past it, for example. And let's make sure we have our subjects front-lit, so they are not lost in shadows. The blog posts are intended to be independent stories, so we shouldn't be referring to the video (but it would be okay too hyperlink to it); we should anchor the story on the subject itself.

Mary S.: social media video and blog posts: I think we could have used a greater variety of angles for the B-roll; show hands from one side and then the other; do a tight shot of the person's face and expressions while playing with their phones, etc.

Honda C.: young entrepreneurs video and blog posts:  Watch out for background noise! The blog posts very nicely complement one another; the first is about resources to help entrepreneurs at MSU, and the next are personal stories of MSUers entrepreneuring.

Yujin O.: living alone video and blog posts: Here, we didn't have an opening caption and we didn't need one. The first words out of the interview subjects are something along the lines of, "The pros of living alone ...," which offers the lede. But watch for echoes!

Alan W.: IM East video and blog posts: We could use less panning and more wide/medium/tight shot mixes of the same activities. Show someone lifting weights in those mix of shots; for a basketball game show a wide shot of people playing, a medium shot of a one-on-one matchup; tight shots of the ball going through the net, etc.

Jingjing N.: recycling video and blog posts: For the video, we need more animation, like people walking by the bins (we have one such shot at the end), and putting things in the bins, etc. Plus, let's watch our sound levels and make sure they are even throughout.

Ben C.: sports branding video and blog posts: Make sure your B-roll shots are relevant. When someone is talking about logos they like, a shot of the top of their head or someone taking notes doesn't show what he or she is talking about. Showing the types of logos he's talking about does. Plus, less panning and more mixes of tight shots. The blog is smartly cleaved between a post showing pros and another showing cons.

Austin G.: immigration ban video and blog posts: Interview shots should always have the camera on a steady surface. Look at the shake here. The bigger problem is the lack of B-roll during the interview segments. We could get shots of diverse students in class, with a mix of medium and tight shots; diverse students walking through campus, etc. After all, the story is about fitting in on campus  let;s show them literally doing that. We need to think through the problem and come up with shots, even if shots are not obvious. This is a visual medium; we MUST tell stories visually, and beyond the talking head shot.

Nicole B.: feminism and sexism video and blog posts: The B-roll with the first therapist is good improvisation on a hard-to-shoot topic in that it shows her setting up for what she does. The second was weaker in that regard, because it didn't really go to what she did that she is talking about now. Maybe showing her interacting with male coworkers would have better set the tone. The posts are less complementary and more intertwined, as one sets the main points and the other details them. A better complementary approach that wouldn't just seem like Part 1 and Part 2 would be having one post detail reverse sexism, and the other outright sexism.

Riley M.: state of media video and blog posts. The B-roll is off base here. The story is about perceptions of media, but we're not really showing people engaging media: watching a newscast, discussing news with friends, reading a newspaper, etc. Plus, the B-roll is repetitive; we keep showing the same thing from shots that aren't very varied. We need to shoot wide, medium and tight; we need to shoot facing the person and over the shoulder and such. Mix it up.

Katie K.: student employment video and blog posts.

Blog #1: Hyperlinks Are Easy!

In traditional print journalism, we work in one dimension. That is, in the text story we put everything a person needs: a lede, quotes, data, background, ect.

But when we are writing online news, we can write in two dimensions: the literal text, and via hyperlink.

Hyperlinks are highlighted pieces of text that, when clicked on, takes the viewer to a new Web page. For example, this is a hyperlink. And it takes us to a Wikipedia entry about hyperlinks.

What hyperlinks do in an online story is allow you to offer background or quotes or video or other related content in a secondary dimension, so that your primary story can concentrate on conclusions and such.

If in print we try to show and tell readers, in online news hyperlinks allow us to tell in the main story, and then show through a hyperlink. Like in this ESPN.com story, where the hyperlinks let us know who is who, without that background overwhelming the text of the story.

In this blog post, hyperlinks include ones to earlier stories from the same Web site, and news stories from other Web sites (including one of my local favorites). See how it offers background in two dimensions?

And that gives the reader options. If they choose to trust your summary, they can leave it at that. If they want more info, all they have to do is click on a hyperlink and -- voila! -- they can get into as much detail as their little hearts desire.


Hyperlinks are real easy to make.

First, you want to highlight a section of text that is directly relevant to what you're hyperlinking to. For example, if you're writing an article about yourself and you want to hyperlink to your Facebook page so people can get background about you, a relevant place to hyperlink from would be a mention of your name.

After highlighting the next, look at your tools bar for wither a symbol that looks like linked chains, or the word "link." Click on that.

When you do, a box should pop up that asks for a URL, which is a fancy way of saying, Web address. Copy the URL and paste it into the box, and then hit "OK."

Then, save, close and publish your item. You should now have a working hyperlink.

And after posting your story, be sure to go to your item just as a reader would, and double-check your hyperlinks to make sure they work.

MM #3: A Few Examples Of What You Did

Please take a look at these examples and see what ideas you can get for furthering your new media and multimedia story-telling skills:

* Amelia P.: scooter/pedestrian conflicts video and blog posts

The video is pretty solid. Good lede captioning, good back-and-forth use of sources, good and varied B-roll. The one B-roll we missed was showing the actual conflict -- pedestrians and scooters mixed together. To find that, that probably would take taken about five minutes of standing around campus during a class change period. With the blog, good use of hyperlinks.

* Cassie B.: college options video and blog posts

Strong blog posts here with good use of hyperlinks. With the video, we needed a greater variety of B-roll, showing the campuses. That means going to at leafs one of them. I know that's extra work, but video is a visual medium that requires us to go and shoot what we are reporting on. If you're going into broadcast, you must get used to that. 

* Ivy H.: trash on campus video and blog posts

A nice variety of B-roll, but let's be sure to use some B-roll during the speaking segments of our sources. Start with the talking head talking; while they keep talking shift the shot to that of B-roll showing what they are talking about, and just before they wrap up what they have to say shift the shot back to the talking head.

* Nick K.: Sparty statue video and blog posts

Again, let's be sure to use some B-roll during the speaking segments of our sources. Start with the talking head talking; while they keep talking shift the shot to that of B-roll showing what they are talking about, and just before they wrap up what they have to say shift the shot back to the talking head.

MM #2: What You Did

Here are some examples of your work. The comments are not being made to pick on anyone (in fact, these are some of the better examples of our work here) and no grades are being shared beyond me and the person whose work it is. 

But I am sharing comments to help us all get a sense of what we did well, and what we can do better, and how to do that. In my in-person class we'd be reviewing these vids as a group and discussing them, and that's what I'm trying to replicate here. 

So please take a look at EACH piece of work via the hyperlinks below, and see what ideas you can get by reviewing EVERYONE'S work to make your next multimedia assignment go as well as possible.

Off we go:

* Tabinda S.: graduating on time video and blog posts: Good B-roll here, doing what B-roll is supposed to do: show what people are talking about, as the interview subject is talking about it. Use your interviews as cues to what B-roll you need to shoot to illustrate the words of your interview subjects. 

Another thing to emulate here is the pacing. Instead of having one interview subject say everything they have to say and then the next, it goes back-and-forth, not ranked based on who is talking but what the issue is they are talking about. It's much more natural, conversational and structured for ease of viewer engagement.

Plus, let's make sure we stay within time parameters; for this assignment, it was 1-2 minutes; the video goes over 3 minutes. In the real world, you'd be expected to hit your time cue TO THE SECOND as a 30-minute newscast (23 minutes plus commercials) is literally scheduled to the second.

* Cassie B.: technology in theatre video and blog posts: Like noted in the previous post, the B-roll should illustrate what is being talked about. Here, it does not. The B-roll is of an empty theatre (which shows the theatre part but nothing connecting it with tech) and a person reading (which shows neither).

But the blog posts do a wonderful job of hyperlinking to background information. That's what hyperlinks do best; it provides that background in a second dimension so it doesn't clutter the written story for those who are happy with just a summary, but it gives those who want more the ability to get more information without having to go anywhere else. You give them a one-stop shop for subject exploration. Hyperlinks are one big difference between print and online journalism; giving the audience that two-dimensional presentation that allows for shorter stories without sacrificing background.

* Sarah A.: condom use video and blog posts: This was a challenge for B-roll, given the topic. But you worked around the problem and came up with a B-roll angle that worked: guys shopping for condoms. Whatever the topic, we need to think around the problem and get B-roll that matches the story. Video is a visual medium; we must show (in B-roll) the story the interview subject is telling (in his or her words). It can't just be a talking head.

Regarding the blog posts, in one we have links (listing the URLs) but not hyperlinks (having the URL hidden in a link that goes to story text). In another we don't have any links at all (the minimum here is two per post). In online journalism, we do background through hyperlinks; we must use them or it's just us doing print online.

* Nick K.: new restaurant video and blog posts: B-roll doesn't have to be spectacular; just illustrative. Here, in a story about a new restaurant we have a customer eating a sandwich and a counter crew running around behind the counter. And that's it. Just shoot what is being talked about.

* Andrew B.: student section video and blog posts: Another reminder: we need to shoot video with our phones in the horizontal position, so that we end up with a shot that actually fits a TV or computer screen without the black bars on either side of the shot.

The bigger problem is the lack of B-roll. We are telling a story about something animated -- fans at a game -- and yet there's no tailgating or close-ups of fans cheering in the stands or leaving out of boredom or anything like that. Video is a visual medium; we need to show what interview subjects are talking about.

* Whitney P.: student section video and blog posts: This is a similar topic as the previous post, but much more B-roll here showing the stadium and fans and students. But we need to slow down with our panning of shots; it makes what we're looking it a bit of a blur. Really, it's best to have a mix of fixed video shots -- taking two or three angles, each for a few seconds at a time -- than panning at all.

Plus, we need to shoot video with our phones in the horizontal position, so that we end up with a shot that actually fits a TV or computer screen without the black bars on either side of the shot.

* Kiara C.: living on or off-campus video and blog posts: We need to remember the rules we learned in doing print stories in class, that we start with the ending. We didn't do that with the video; the narration at the end would have been a perfect lede for the video. The structural rules from print should transfer over to video.

* Ivy H.: smoking on campus video and blog posts: We need to remember the rules we learned in doing print stories in class, that we use first and last names on first attribution. We didn't do that here. The structural rules for print should transfer over to video.

* Joey E.: protest video and blog posts. Not only are we lacking B-roll here, we appear to be using pictures we did not take. First, we should never be doing that for journalism; second, it also violates federal law. Taking pictures or words produced by someone else who you did not talk to is copyright theft. Even if you cite them, if you don't have their permission you broke the law. That's one big reason why we should ONLY use interviews with people WE interviewed OURSELVES and ONLY video and pictures WE shot OURSELVES.

The editing is also a bit sloppy. We end with a caption reading, TITLE TEXT HERE. That's not professional. Just like with print stories, we need to thoroughly proof our work and make sure it's ready for public presentation.

For the blog, we need to remember to follow the AP style rules we learned doing print stories. That means on second and subsequent attributions, use the last name only and not first names. The structural rules for print should transfer over to video.

* Danan T.: student experience video and blog posts. I'm not gonna harp on the quality of video in our assignments, as we're working with some pretty basic equipment, so let's please look past that. Nice generic B-roll here, but let's get specific. Let's follow around our interview subjects and show them living their student experiences: walking to class, taking notes in class, interacting with students on campus, etc. 

Plus, after we identify an interview subject via caption the first time, we don't have to reuse that caption? Why, when in print we do? Because in video, once we establish someone's idetification we have another cue: their face.

* Patrick K.: student talents video and blog posts: For the video, we are missing a title caption or narration that tells us what the story is about. Without it, it's like writing a print story without a lede: nobody knows right away what this is supposed to be about. Plus, be sure to put your camera on a steady shooting surface so we dong't get the extreme shake we see with the second interview segment. Shaky shots are extremely distracting and need to be avoided.

* Cassi W: out-of-state students video and blog posts: For the video, we are missing a title caption or narration that tells us what the story is about. Without it, it's like writing a print story without a lede: nobody knows right away what this is supposed to be about.

* Charisma T.: students of color video and blog posts: I'm not gonna harp on the quality of video in our assignments, as we're working with some pretty basic equipment. But I will harp on attention to detail like with the first video subject, where instead of getting her attribution we have a caption reading TEXT TITLE HERE. That's not professional. Just like with print stories, we need to thoroughly proof our work and make sure it's ready for public presentation.

Plus, we are almost entirely lacking B-roll, except for the scene-setting B-roll at the start of the vid. We need to show our interview subjects studying and walking to class and interacting with other students. We can't simply leave out B-roll. Video is a visual medium; we must show (in B-roll) the story the interview subject is telling (in his or her words). It can't just be a talking head.

Regarding the blog posts, we only have one hyperlink between the two posts. The minimum for this assignment is two per post. In online journalism, we do background through hyperlinks; we must use them or it's just us doing print online.

* Casey H.: marijuana use video and blog posts: The blog posts do a wonderful job of hyperlinking to background information. That's what hyperlinks do best; it provides that background in a second dimension so it doesn't clutter the written story for those who are happy with just a summary, but it gives those who want more the ability to get more information without having to go anywhere else. You give them a one-stop shop for subject exploration. Hyperlinks are one big difference between print and online journalism; giving the audience that two-dimensional presentation that allows for shorter stories without sacrificing background.

For the video, make sure that you don't have interviewees talking over explanatory captions; if there is something of the viewer to read, let the read it before they have to listen to someone talking, and vice versa.

Blog #1: Hyperlinks Are Easy!

In traditional print journalism, we work in one dimension. That is, in the text story we put everything a person needs: a lede, quotes, data, background, ect.

But when we are writing online news, we can write in two dimensions: the literal text, and via hyperlink.

Hyperlinks are highlighted pieces of text that, when clicked on, takes the viewer to a new Web page. For example, this is a hyperlink. And it takes us to a Wikipedia entry about hyperlinks.

What hyperlinks do in an online story is allow you to offer background or quotes or video or other related content in a secondary dimension, so that your primary story can concentrate on conclusions and such.

If in print we try to show and tell readers, in online news hyperlinks allow us to tell in the main story, and then show through a hyperlink. Like in this ESPN.com story, where the hyperlinks let us know who is who, without that background overwhelming the text of the story.

In this blog post, hyperlinks include ones to earlier stories from the same Web site, and news stories from other Web sites (including one of my local favorites). See how it offers background in two dimensions?

And that gives the reader options. If they choose to trust your summary, they can leave it at that. If they want more info, all they have to do is click on a hyperlink and -- voila! -- they can get into as much detail as their little hearts desire.


Hyperlinks are real easy to make.

First, you want to highlight a section of text that is directly relevant to what you're hyperlinking to. For example, if you're writing an article about yourself and you want to hyperlink to your Facebook page so people can get background about you, a relevant place to hyperlink from would be a mention of your name.

After highlighting the next, look at your tools bar for wither a symbol that looks like linked chains, or the word "link." Click on that.

When you do, a box should pop up that asks for a URL, which is a fancy way of saying, Web address. Copy the URL and paste it into the box, and then hit "OK."

Then, save, close and publish your item. You should now have a working hyperlink.

And after posting your story, be sure to go to your item just as a reader would, and double-check your hyperlinks to make sure they work.

Blog #1: Hyperlinks Are Easy!

In traditional print journalism, we work in one dimension. That is, in the text story we put everything a person needs: a lede, quotes, data, background, ect.

But when we are writing online news, we can write in two dimensions: the literal text, and via hyperlink.

Hyperlinks are highlighted pieces of text that, when clicked on, takes the viewer to a new Web page. For example, this is a hyperlink. And it takes us to a Wikipedia entry about hyperlinks.

What hyperlinks do in an online story is allow you to offer background or quotes or video or other related content in a secondary dimension, so that your primary story can concentrate on conclusions and such.

If in print we try to show and tell readers, in online news hyperlinks allow us to tell in the main story, and then show through a hyperlink. Like in this ESPN.com story, where the hyperlinks let us know who is who, without that background overwhelming the text of the story.

In this blog post, hyperlinks include ones to earlier stories from the same Web site, and news stories from other Web sites (including one of my local favorites). See how it offers background in two dimensions?

And that gives the reader options. If they choose to trust your summary, they can leave it at that. If they want more info, all they have to do is click on a hyperlink and -- voila! -- they can get into as much detail as their little hearts desire.


Hyperlinks are real easy to make.

First, you want to highlight a section of text that is directly relevant to what you're hyperlinking to. For example, if you're writing an article about yourself and you want to hyperlink to your Facebook page so people can get background about you, a relevant place to hyperlink from would be a mention of your name.

After highlighting the next, look at your tools bar for wither a symbol that looks like linked chains, or the word "link." Click on that.

When you do, a box should pop up that asks for a URL, which is a fancy way of saying, Web address. Copy the URL and paste it into the box, and then hit "OK."

Then, save, close and publish your item. You should now have a working hyperlink.

And after posting your story, be sure to go to your item just as a reader would, and double-check your hyperlinks to make sure they work.

OOC MM #3: Let's Look At Everything!

Here are links to all our preview and recap posts, and tweet streams, on order in which they were turned in to me (the first one is first, and the last one is last).

Let's compare the work of each other and see what we did well, and what ideas we can get from others. Also, examine how the mediums complement each other: the preview does just that; the tweet stream allows you to follow what was previewed, as it actually happens; and the recap wraps it all up. Here we go:

*****

Dimitri B.: living off-campus video and blog posts and tweets #eastlansingleases 

With the blog posts, why no quotes or attribution? We need those to build credibility with the audience by letting them know we've done our homework, just like we would with a print story. With the tweets, we shouldn't have thoughts and quotes dribbling between tweets; each tweet should be its own self-contained quote or thought.

With the video, we needed a greater variety of B-roll: for the resident, let's show her at her home, interacting with roommates, walking in and out, etc. For the office, let's show workers interacting with tenants and maintaining the complex and such.

*****

Jaylyn G.: racism on campus video and blog posts and tweets #colorjrn200

The video could have used a greater variety of B-roll, especially video. Ideally we would want to tape the protests, but I get that those probably already happened. But we can shoot students of color walking through campus and interacting with other students of color and/or white students, to show interaction and division and such. Any news item can be animated if we think about it hard enough.

*****

Starria C.: going Greek video and blog posts and tweets #thegreeklifeoutcomesmsu

Great use of pictures as B-roll to see what we weren't around to shoot ourselves. It's always a good idea to ask a source for pics showing past events that are the focus of your story. Plus, note the tweets are supplemented not only with text but a quick-hit video interview of just 21 seconds. 

*****

Gabby B.: holiday shopping video and blog posts and tweets #holidayseasoncash

The video does a great job of using B-roll to create an opening sequence akin to an alternate lede in a written story. The collection of images is aimed at setting a mood and providing context through the feelings it tries to bring out.

*****

Abhy B.: holiday eating video and blog posts and tweets #worldwideyum

An otherwise-good video is marred by a confusing map. How are Germany and Brazil in California? That's not a small glitch; it can distract the viewer who, instead of paying attention to the next few seconds of video, may spend time trying to figure that out.

*****

Emily L.: graffiti video and blog posts and tweets #graffitithoughts

This is a visual story, and it's told visually with many images of graffiti so we can see what it looks like. The spray paint can sound isn't just aesthetic; after all, it's what graffiti sounds like, right?

*****

Krista W.: cultural appropriation video and blog posts and tweets #cultappr

We need to show what is being talked about. When one source is talking about headdresses and hennas, that means we need to show headdresses and hennas in B-roll while she is talking. Video is a visual medium; we need to show while we tell. We really needed more B-roll and topic-specific B-roll to break up that last, long interview segment.

*****

Cyndi R.: study habits video and blog posts and tweets #laborofstudying

I probably would have left the music only in the transitional segments and cut them out entirely of the background of the interview segments. Even at a much lower volume the music risks being a distraction to viewers.

*****

Gabriella G.: student-athletes video and blog posts and tweets #d1balance

Good range of hyperlinks on the blog. For the video, we had plenty of B-roll showing athletes as students, but not much at all showing students as athletes. This is where pictures as B-roll of them playing their sports may have come in handy.

*****

Will T.: tobacco on campus video and blog posts and tweets #tobaccojrn200

The execution will become more polished with time, but the fundamentals are here: interviews, B-roll, captions, hyperlinks, etc.

*****

Katie M.: new roommates video and blog posts and tweets #blinddormlife

The blog is broken up logically: the facts of so-called blind roommates, and then what students see. For the video, B-roll doesn't have to be flashy; jostling: if a story is about roommates, just show roommates being roommates, It can be that simple, really.

*****

Kayla R.: hookup culture video and blog posts and tweets #hookupsvslabels

Sound is important. The first interview is too echo-filled and distant. Plus, we needed a greater variety of more telling B-roll: students walking through campus; students holding hands or offering a quick smooth; students flirting at bars or parties.

*****

Laura B.: student voting video and blog posts and tweets #msuvotersjrn200

Another good break with the blog: the first post is what students say, and the next is what the experts say about what the students say. 

*****

Caitlin D.: student voting (again!) video and blog posts and tweets #whereuatmillennials

These posts start with what the experts say, and then goes to what students actually think. So, which one is right; this blog ordering or the one from the previous person who did the same topic? It's all a matter of preference; I think both work. Quite often there is more than one right answer on how to approach a story.

With the video, it's a reminder lighting is important. The first interview subject was pretty dimly-lit. Make sure there is light directly hitting their camera side when shooting.

*****

Jingwen Z.: grad school video and blog posts and tweets #graduationincome
Way too little B-roll, used way too late. Again, this is a visual medium; we need to show action and activity and animation. We could show B-roll subjects taking notes in class or studying or talking to friends; regardless of what we do, we need to think of ways to illustrate our stories in a visual medium. Leaving only a token visualization for the end isn't nearly enough.

*****

Adam T.: study habits video and blog posts and tweets #msustudyingjrn200

With the blog, we repeat some info in both posts. We want to build upon info; not repeat it. It's one thing to renew a first attribution; it's entirely another to put in the same quote as in a previous post.

*****

Kameron G.: students at break video and blog posts and tweets #msubreakissues

*****

Xin W.: making friends video and blog posts and tweets #makefriendsonmsu

Nice video overall, but two spots for improvement: first, watch out for our own voices. The "uh-huhs" and such in the first interview are distracting; let's make sure we stay quiet when the camera is rolling. Plus, the long second interview segment could have used more B-roll break-ups, showing international students socializing and such.

*****

Brittany F.: video and blog posts and tweets #antichirstmascups

We have to remember that each blog post is its own unique part of the story, and needs its own lede. The second blog posts just starts with a quite when it really needed to start with the point that's being made with just enough background where it makes sense if the person didn't read the preceding post. Here, if we start with the latter post we have no idea what the guy is ranting about. Plus, no hyperlinks at all. If it doesn't have hyperlinks, it's not online journalism.

The video has a similar flaw: it's about a controversy, but we never say what, exactly, the controversy is! Plus, having a second source for all of four seconds of air time is not really having a second source, and the B-roll was a bit too random, especially when it's easy to get shots of people holding cups, drinking out of cups, baristas pouring coffee into cups, etc.