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Week 9 - March 16-20

March 18th, 2009
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1. Sign up for IJS

2. Soundslides:

Sample files: http://ijs-global.com/class09/Samplesoundslide2/

Soundslides - download from http://www.soundslides.com

Tutorials:

Audio

1. Soundbooth - Tutorial

2. Audacity is a free sound editing program - get it here

Tutorials:

Conversions - http://media-convert.com/

Class exercises

Week 3 - Feb 2-6

February 3rd, 2009
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Welcome back. I hope you enjoyed the spring holiday and are raring to go.

This week we will:

1. Start processing your Lunar New Year assignments

The brief was:

Produce a report on the subject of: Coping with Recession: the Lunar New Year 2009

You were assigned to produce an article of no more than 400-600 words. You were permitted to use photos and other media to illuminate your story but were to bear in mind this was a text-orientated article.

We will have a quick look at some of your articles, chosen at random. Please view them with a news editor’s eye. If you were in charge of a special report, which articles from your group members would you run? Or request some changes? In which order would you run them? Would you use any accompanying pictures in the same format? Or would you enlarge/shrink them? If you were in charge of layout, which pix would you choose for a stand-alone picture album? Which picture would you choose to illustrate the entire report?

Once we are through with the discussion, you will return to your groups. You will then compile a special report using the material reported by group members which should have been posted to their blogs. This is a group exercise.

The editor and art editor of each group are responsible for:

1. listing all the articles/pix and arranging them in running order

2. writing an introduction of one to two paragraphs

3. posting their final choice of stories/pix (linked to the original blog) and layouts to 1. their own blog and 2. when finalised, to the group blog (logon details will be provided in class). It is up to the editors to decide style (ie whether to use honorifics such as Mr/Mrs etc), the running order and the layout of their page.

They can choose one to three members of their group to assist them in their task.

PLEASE SEE THE CLASS BLOG FOR SOME EXAMPLES

When uploading to the class blog, choose the post that corresponds with your group number. EG Group 1 should upload to “LUNAR NEW YEAR 2009 - Part 1″, Group 2 to “Lunar New Year - Part 2″ and so on.

Note: throughout the term, everyone will be required to act as editor/picture editor in a project. So bear this in mind. One day you will need the cooperation of your peers!

In the case of the larger groups, should there be too many members to be directly involved in the editing process, they will be assigned (by me) to produce sidebars and other extra material. These should be posted by the editor to his/her OWN blog and are available to all groups.

2. Discuss your reporting assignments from Prague/Cambodia

Each group/individual will need to report to the class on his/her/their progress. Some people have already completed their first drafts. Some have written their stories. The deadline for the articles is Feb 10 for the Wednesday class and Feb 12 for the Friday class. So I need to know that each story is well advanced.

See Week 3 Assignment for further details.

Class exercises, Course notes

Class Exercises

January 7th, 2009
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Week 3 - Feb 2-6

See Week 3 class notes for details

After feedback, correct your stories for style, sourcing etc as mentioned during the session. Check-list:

  • Snappy headline
  • Dateline style:
  • Byline:
  • Currency conversions
  • Comparisons (year/on year)
  • Full name of sources
  • First person /third person
  • Quotations
  • Punctuation
  • Figures - write out one to nine, use numerals for 10 and more
  • Background and translations
  • Google map

 

Possible topics for sidebars:

Story of the Chinese zodiac

Famous people born in the Year of the Ox

Chart of the zodiac and associated elements

 

Week 2 - Jan 19-23

Follow-up and feedback from Week 1

See Week 2 class notes for details.


Week 1 - Jan 12-16

Exercise: Friday class: You will interview the person sitting next to you and write up the interview as your first post on your new blog. You must not simply copy the information from that person’s blog. You must add some value.

Interview time: 10 minutes per person
Writing time: 15 minutes

The article must be no longer than 300 words and contain the following information:

  • Full name
  • Nickname if any
  • Hyperlink to that person’s blog
  • Age (if your victim is willing to disclose it!)
  • Nationality
  • Home town
  • Previous work experience / internships
  • Hobbies and interests
  • At least one direct quote

The article must be written in a standard inverted pyramid format, in the third person, properly sourced and attractively formatted. Don’t forget to write an interesting headline.

The text should start as follows:

Hong Kong - January 16 - IJS-Global - Xxxxxxx

Exercise: Wednesday class:

You will go to a cafe, bar or restaurant either on or off campus (NOT Macdonald’s or KFC) and draft a report that you will post to your blog.

The article must be written in a standard inverted pyramid format, in the third person, properly sourced and attractively formatted. Don’t forget to write an interesting headline.

The text should start as follows:

Hong Kong - January 16 - IJS-Global - Xxxxxxx

This is a report, not a restaurant review, and your aim is to report on this establishment so that someone who has never been to Hong Kong can understand it.

Therefore you need to include details such as:

Is it a chain? What sort of food and beverages does it serve? What is the price range? When are its opening hours? Plus you need to get at least one interesting quote from a third party. This could be, for example, a comment on the price, or why they like/dislike the food there.

Your deadline is 5 pm. Please let me know if you cannot access a computer outside the lab.

Class exercises