Chapter 12

 Web/Online  When preparing news for web consider… ▪ Announce the news as soon as possible ▪ Update in increments ▪ Tell when there is more to come ▪ Promote within the site ▪ Provide links to other pages on same site (videos, pics, etc) ▪ Post multimedia ▪ Exclusive audio, video, etc

 In Honolulu and Fort Myers, Fla.,  A MOJO is a new breed of journalist  Mobile Journalists ▪ Equipped with ▪ Notepads, Cameras, Recorders ▪ Cell phones, Laptops ▪ To file news stories online at a moments notice

 Immediacy  Updated news throughout the day  Breaking news should be posted on the web  Delivered to ▪ Cell phones, , websites ▪ Via RSS Feeds

 Interactivity  Ability of others (audience/subscribers) ▪ To post ▪ Blogs ▪ Comments/ Messages  Graphics ▪ Clickable maps ▪ To find locations  What are some ways you interact with news sites? ▪ Does the interaction help retain you as a visitor?

 Multimedia  New technology has increased it’s prevalence ▪ Applied to smaller projects ▪ More abundant across the web  Used by more media companies ▪ Newspaper ▪ Magazines ▪ Television ▪ Online

 Innovation  The Internet offers more storytelling forms ▪ Breaking news – Inverted Pyramid ▪ Allows content producers to be creative ▪ Long/Short stories ▪ Miniprofiles ▪ Question/Answer ▪ Photo stories ▪ Quizzes ▪ Lists ▪ Games

 Plan for full coverage  When reporting get as much information as possible ▪ Audio/video ▪ Copy of documents ▪ Additional info for posting online

 Equipment  When preparing for online reporting ▪ Additional tools may include ▪ Tape recorder ▪ Cell phone ▪ Digital camera w/extra batteries ▪ Laptop ▪ These tools will help gather & update content quickly

 Time lines ▪ Note down times/dates as stories are covered  Offer audience an account of event details ▪ Disaster story ▪ Crime event/trial

 Updates and Follow up stories ▪ Web allows for short, frequent updates ▪ New info posted immediately  Longer more thorough follow ups ▪ Can be prepared for print/broadcast editions  Think ahead, plan for updates and follow-ups

 reporting ▪ Good way to contact had to reach people ▪ Get limited information  Face to face or telephone interviewing ▪ Still preferable

 Check Accuracy & Timeliness  When using information from web ▪ Check the following info ▪ Date of information ▪ Reliability of website  Look at extension (.com,.org,.edu,.gov, etc)

 Stories reviewed online ▪ Viewed differently than print/broadcast stories  Eye track studies have shown ▪ Web readers first look at text/briefs ▪ People will read online stories in full if interested ▪ Web readers ▪ More likely to finish a story than print readers ▪ Alternative story forms help readers remember facts

 Linear vs Nonlinear  Web - Allows access to info in any order  Print & broadcast - Written from beginning to end ▪ Which of these do you find more engaging?

 Embedded vs External Links  Links within the text of an article are embedded  Links at the end/side are external

 The tools available to online reporting  Require journalists to plan ahead ▪ Multimedia story ▪ Podcast, video, pictures, etc ▪ Hyper links  Tools also determine how information ▪ Will be gathered ▪ Will be presented

 Once storytelling format is determined  Think about elements you will use ▪ Timelines ▪ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) ▪ Interactivity ▪ Lists or Data for full coverage ▪ Miniprofiles ▪ Multimedia ▪ Related Links

 There is no single way to write for web  Choose the style best for your story ▪ Some guidelines to consider ▪ Write short ▪ Write for readers to scan website ▪ Write to the point ▪ Use common language ▪ Put important info in first two paragraphs

 Headlines ▪ Should be brief ▪ Single line ▪ Better than multiple lines ▪ Six to 10 words create better links  Tips ▪ Use strong verbs ▪ Put most important words first ▪ Avoid articles (The, a or an) ▪ Use questions if subject is intereting

 Blurbs  Brief summaries written below headlines ▪ Should include 5 W’s ▪ Summary lead can be used ▪ Or nutgraph if different type of lead exists  Blurb writing tips ▪ Write a clear summary ▪ Avoid repeating headline ▪ Address reader when appropriate

 Briefs  Longer than a blurb (2-3 paragraphs)  Blurbs and briefs ▪ Offer readers an alternative to reading the full story

 Inverted Pyramid ▪ Gets the story out quickly ▪ Favored for web stories  List Format ▪ Breaks up text helps, readers scan web quickly  Q & A Format  Good alternative for web writing  Still needs an introduction

 Revise  Cut every word or paragraph ▪ That does not advance the story  Take Risks  Be Flexible  Be Smart  Be Daring

 Online Journalism Exercise ▪ Using your blog that you created earlier this semester.  Upload at least 5 stories as full text stories. ▪ Incorporate 2 relevant internal links (non-video) ▪ Incorporate 1 external link (that is different than internals) ▪ Include at least 1 image for each article ▪ Include at least 1 video link for each article  For each article include a blurb at top that is different than the lead  Experiment with elements discussed in class ▪ Include lists, short headlines, etc