You are on page 1of 13

Final Project / Social Media

JOUR 3340 - Online Journalism


March 10, 2009
Today’s Class
Website of the Day
Final Project Discussion
News websites & Social media
Final Project
 Your final project is designed to: 1) Take our class
readings, discussions and analysis and put them
into practice; 2) Tap into your skill as a journalist
and novice at understanding how the internet
works, particularly how content can be presented
on the Internet; and 3) Allow you to further develop
your website/blog so that you can continue to
maintain it beyond this class.

 Your final grade for this project will be based on


your thoroughness in reporting and writing;
use of interactivity (e.g. use of related links,
photos, slideshows, audio and video), your
creativity and your 10-minute in-class
presentation. You are not expected or required to
hire a web designer or a programmer. All the tools
you need are readily available for free on the web,
Final Project cont.
Here’s the assignment: 
Create a one-page description and outline
of a blog you will create. DUE, March
26th.
In this description, please give me a brief
story description, the potential sources and
anticipated interactive elements.
This story may be focused campus-related
issues, local or regional. Avoid issues that
require any personal information. You must
avoid subjects that rely on friends
and/or families serving as your primary
sources.
The blog must include at least a Home
Page, About, News, Links as its basic
Final Project cont.
 FINAL PROJECTS ARE DUE: CLASSTIME,
Thursday, April 30th. Presentations will
begin that date based on names randomly
identified during the April 28th class.
The basic content requirements are:
 One (1) 500-word written news or feature story with a
photo slide show consisting of at least 15 photos you
have taken.
 Four (4) 150-word written stories that may be originally
written and/or rewritten stories from existing news
websites. You must include a link to the original story.
These briefs could include additional background to
your main story, information about
people/places/things discussed in your story or related
research about your story.
 You may substitute the one (1) 500-word story
with a new story with one story that must be at
least 90 seconds and no more than three (3)
minutes. If you choose to do a video
Final Project Cont.
You will be expected to post the
video on your blog as well as the
related script.
If you are planning to do an audio/
slide show package, you must submit
a 250-word summary. The slide
show should last between 3 and 5
minutes and must include detailed
captions to each of the photos.
  
 You are free to use whatever free online tools and/or software currently
available and accessible through the University of North Texas
computers. E.g. audacity.com; soundslides.com, youtube.com,
swivel.com, etc.
  
 There will be designated LAB times to allow you to work on the project
throughout the week, but we must coordinate those with other classes
requiring the same equipment (cameras, digital recorders, edit time on
computers, sound booth.). Please complete the Registration Card so
Sample Final Projects
http://splitendz.wordpress.com
http://firstinmyfamily.wordpress.com/
http://mainstreeteconomy.wordpress.com/
http://tedemrich.wordpress.com/
http://subweapon.com
http://sawadeeka.wordpress.com/
http://extrasmall.wordpress.com/
Social Media & News
Should newspapers engage in social
networks?
Why?
Reach younger readers
Build community
Ability for one-to-one as well as one-to-many
Generate a dialogue with readers
Get readers talking to each other – within the
umbrella of your brand
Develop a sense of ‘belonging’
Drive additional traffic
Social Media & News
Why not?
Fragmentation of audience
Loss of control of ‘filtered’ content
Dilution of brand
Inability to manage the conversation
Danger of inaccurate, rumor-based content
Where Newspapers Rank?
http://www.alexa.com/site/ds/top_sites?cc=US&
#1: Google
#2: Yahoo!
#3: Facebook
#15: CNN.com
#23: ESPN.com
#24: Weather.com
#26: nytimes.com
Newspaper Trends/Social
Media
The number of papers who opened up
stories to user comments also more than
doubled in the last year to 75 percent in
2007 versus just 33 percent the year
before.
Newspapers are still a little slow on other
ordinary aspects of social media.
For example, just 10 percent of
newspapers had social networking tools,
such as user profiles and the ability to
“friend” other users, built into their sites in
2008.
 Only five percent of newspapers had such
features in 2007. It is surprising that this
http://www.bivings.com/thelab/presentations/2008study.pdf
number isn’t higher and demonstrates
Newspaper Trends/Social
Media

http://www.bivings.com/thelab/presentations/2008study.pdf
Newspaper Trends/Social
Media
 Ten percent of newspapers had social
networking tools, such as user profiles and the
ability to “friend” other users, built into their sites
in 2008.
 This compares to five percent of sites that included
this feature in 2007. It is surprising that this number
isn’t higher.
 Seventy six percent of newspapers offered a
Most Popular view of content in some form (Most
Emailed, Most Blogged, Most Commented, etc.). 
This compares to 51 percent in 2007 and 33
percent in 2006.
 Integration with external social bookmarking sites
like Digg and del.icio.us has increased
dramatically the last few years. 
 Ninety-two percent of newspapers now include
http://www.bivings.com/thelab/presentations/2008study.pdf
this option compared to only seven percent in 2006.

You might also like