ASSIGNMENTS AND TESTS: More detailed instructions on some assignments will be supplied in class by your instructor and on the class schedule. Assignments are due at the start of each class, unless otherwise noted. Please follow Associated Press style for print on all assignments in this class.
Class participation (verbal and on the class blog) (10 percent of you total grade). You must do the assigned readings and participate in discussions --verbally and on this class blog -- to do well on the participation grade. Besides regularly commenting on others' posts, undergrads must also start at least one discussion thread on the class blog, on a pertinent new-media topic. All posts to the class blog must be completed by the start of the last class. Total of 8 postings.
In-class assignments/quizzes: (15 percent.) Class attendance is mandatory. We'll have a number of in-class graded assignments and pop quizzes on readings throughout the semester. They will not always be scheduled. Missed written class assignments cannot be made up. One in-class written grade -- your lowest -- will be dropped to accommodate an illness or an emergency that arises during the semester. Please email me before class, though, to let me know of your circumstance, so that I can supply you with any handouts.
Sept 18: First draft of resume due to instructor via email.
Sept. 25: (5 percent): Web resume and "Contact Me" pages due at the start of class, on your Wordpress site. The html resume file should include text, subheads, an email address link, at least one external hyperlink, and at least one bulleted list. Content matters; each factual mistake will result in one letter-grade deduction, as will each broken link. Assignments lose a full letter grade for each day that they're late. I will copy edit your resume before you post it to your Wordpress site. Your "Contact Me" page should at a minimum include an email address (and link); and your LinkedIn and Twitter addresses. Don't have one of these accounts? Launch, then link!
Oct. 2: (5 percent): Two story pitches for your multimedia project.
The story pitches should be a strong paragraph each and should describe the multimedia/feature story you are proposing, possible sources for the stories, possible photos, possible multimedia and interactive elements, and possible links to primary documents. This will require research/possible interviews to do properly. You should tell me how you will tell the MAIN story (with text, or video, or an audio slideshow) and why. You will hopefully tell your main story in a format you are comfortable working in and which suits your story.
Oct. 16: (5 percent) News website analysis
Your web site analysis should represent an analysis of your chosen site from the viewpoint of a user and as a creator.
All of your analysis should be based on your observations of the site throughout the semester and on background research you've conducted on the site. Posts that are subjective should be supported with facts; links and visual screen grabs should be used to illustrate and underscore your points. (About.com has explainers on screen grabs.)
Approach from the designer or editor viewpoint to answer questions that may arise as you are trying to explain why a site is designed the way it is, or why it focuses on a particular type of content, etc. Information quoted from other sources - people and paper - should be fully attributed in your text.
Oct. 30: (20 percent): Midterm Test!
Nov. 6: (10 percent): Text-only version of your feature story is due at the start of class. (See next item). This is an originally reported story about 600 words, on a topic previously approved by the teacher. It should be written in journalistic style and be worthy of publication. Stories must be original work and must not have been previously published elsewhere. They cannot be stories you're turning in for grades in other classes. Stories with factual mistakes will lose a full letter grade for each mistake. Stories must be accurate, fair and fully reported with multiple sources, and include strong feature leads, nut graphs and transitions. They should include context and background. Students have the option of turning in the text of a video or audio script, if their main story is better told with video or audio (please review your Writing for the Web handout) and they have taken a previous class in video or audio editing (JOUR 203/504/262, for instance). Assignment should be turned in on paper, double-spaced, with a word count at the top. It will be edited and returned to you for use in your multimedia feature package (below). Drafts turned in late will lose one letter grade for each day they're late.
Nov. 20: (5 percent): "Clips" and "About" pages due at the start of class on your Wordpress site. The clips page should link to published writing or broadcast samples of your previously completed work -- news clips, press releases, or links or embeds to published audio or video or multimedia stories. (In other words, this is your online portfolio page.) Please do not link to unpublished work; there's a chance it could include embarrassing or libelous mistakes. All links on your pages must work; all text must make sense and be written in AP style for print. Your About page should include a thumbnail bio (of one or a few paragraphs) and a head shot. Each factual mistake will result in a full letter-grade deduction, as will each broken link or non-working image. Pages turned in late will lose a full letter grade for each day that they're late. In general, each clip entry should include a headline that links to your work, and a date. It's a good idea to group clips by publication, using subheads for each publication. Here's an example of a clips from a previous grad student: http://tinairgang.wordpress.com/published-clips/.
Dec. 4: BETA VERSION OF FINAL STORY PROJECT DUE (10 percent of grade)
DEC. 11, at 1 p.m.: GRADED FINAL VERSION DUE TUESDAY (15 percent of grade): Web feature package, created using the editing tool Dreamweaver and/or html/css coding, due at the start of class in the staging drive. Please copy the whole folder for this project from (your personal drive) to (the staging drive), with the story page(s) and images folder inside. (To copy your folder to staging, go to Go/Connect to Server, and type smb://jserver.jschool.umd.edu/j352 to access.) This must include an originally reported text story (see above), packaged in an html template. You may use css coding on the page, setting font colors and styles and link colors with the Properties/Page Properties bar at the bottom of the tool. Or you may attach a style sheet. (You will be shown how to do both.) Also include at least two photos (at least one must have been shot by you; both must have been cropped and sized by you); photo captions; at least one graphic created by you (a banner is recommended); ; a headline; and at least two related/relevant Web links. In addition, at least two complementary explanatory or interactive elements are required. These elements could include a photo slide show; a Google map you've created and embedded or linked to; an interactive poll you've created or an interactive quiz you've researched, created and linked to. Or it could include a short video clip, which you've shot for this story and uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo. (The video should complement the text story, not repeat it.) You could either link to the video from your page, or embed the video player from YouTube or Vimeo on your page. Or it could include an audio clip, captured from your smart phone with an app such as Audioboo and embedded on your page, or uploaded to SoundCloud for embedding. Please be sure to include a copyright line and a back to top link at the bottom of your story. I would encourage you to link your name in the copyright line to your Wordpress portfolio site. Please put a first attempt, or beta version, of your package into the staging drive the week before the due date and ask me to push it live for you, so you can check it in a live browser to see if it looks as expected. Your story URL will follow this naming convention: http://www.jclass.umd.edu/652352/2013fall/folder-name/file-name.html. I can also give you constructive feedback before the deadline on your beta versions. For undergrads taking JOUR 352: The home page URL for your project will be uploaded to the college's assessment site (where it's kept for college accreditation purposes), after I've pushed the package live on the college server.
These are the final projects from previous students:
http://www.jclass.umd.edu/652352/2013spring/0101/352mm/index.html
http://www.jclass.umd.edu/652352/2012spring/oj12/index.html
Grading considerations / deductions: Each assignment will be graded for accuracy, meeting of deadlines, substance, presentation/navigation/links (for Web assignments), quality of writing (headlines, story blurbs, photo captions and other text), usability and style. Associate Press print stylebook rules and rules of grammar should be followed on every assignment. Factual errors have serious consequences, as noted on each assignment. Letter-grade deductions will be taken for broken links, including for photos, and for navigation that doesn't work. All written and Web assignments are due at the start of class, unless specifically instructed otherwise. A full letter grade will be deducted for each day an assignment is late, except for the final project , which will receive an F (55 percent) if turned in after deadline. Work not turned in at all receives a 0.
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