1. ONLINE WRITING 1 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 1 Writing for Online Tim Currie tim.currie@ukings.ca @tscurrie

2. ONLINE WRITING 2 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 2 Online Writing 1.Structure 2.Subheads and captions 3.Links

3. ONLINE WRITING 3 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 3 Jakob Nielsen: He is an expert in how people consume content online He used to work for Sun Microsystems, investigating how people dealt with text on their computer screens He authored a 1997 landmark study on Web usability (and also the 2000 book Designing Web Usability) NIELSEN NORMAN GROUP

4. ONLINE WRITING 4 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 4 Nielsen’s Research Reading online is different from reading on paper (1997): Most people don’t read online — they scan –Only 16% read a page word for word –79% of readers scan a page first Reading online is 25% slower than reading on paper

5. ONLINE WRITING 5 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 5 Research By Nielsen’s Peers Stanford University/ Poynter Institute EyeTracker studies (2000 & 2004): –Eyes go to text first –Briefs/teasers are popular –A headline has less than 1 sec. of a site visitor's attention STANFORD UNIVERSITY

6. ONLINE WRITING 6 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 6 Nielsen’s Research People don’t want to read a lot online. Why? Body position Eyestrain Many web pages are authored for print It’s difficult to judge the end of the story The web is action-driven. People love to click

7. ONLINE WRITING 7 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 7 Nielsen’s Recommendations for Web Pages Text should be scannable: 1) Highlighted keywords

8. ONLINE WRITING 8 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 8 Quartz: Why Nest will be bigger for Google than Android Why Nest will be bigger for Google than Android

9. ONLINE WRITING 9 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 9 Nielsen’s Recommendations for Web Pages Text should be scannable: 2) At least two levels of headlines

10. ONLINE WRITING 10 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 10 Toronto Star: Costa Concordia: Italian agency gives final OK to right cruise ship after checking weather conditions Costa Concordia: Italian agency gives final OK to right cruise ship after checking weather conditions

11. ONLINE WRITING 11 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 11

12. ONLINE WRITING 12 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 12 Nielsen’s Recommendations for Web Pages Text should be scannable: 3) Bulleted lists

13. ONLINE WRITING 13 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 13 Globe and Mail: Unemployment, grim public housing fueling riots in Stockholm Unemployment, grim public housing fueling riots in Stockholm

14. ONLINE WRITING 14 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 14

15. ONLINE WRITING 15 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 15 Toronto Star: 10 fees you should avoid 10 fees you should avoid

16. ONLINE WRITING 16 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 16 Buzzfeed: 44 Classic French Meals You Need To Try Before You Die 44 Classic French Meals You Need To Try Before You Die 13 Reasons The Ocean Might Never Be The Same13 Reasons The Ocean Might Never Be The Same The Day Lehman Died

17. ONLINE WRITING 17 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 17

18. ONLINE WRITING 18 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 18 Nielsen’s Recommendations for Web Pages 4)One idea per paragraph; no more than three sentences in each 5)Inverted pyramid style 6)Write 50% less than you would in print on each page

19. ONLINE WRITING 19 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 19 Clang! Creak! Tink, tink, tink tink. TING! In days past the sounds of a blacksmith’s shop were among the most distinctive noises found in towns and villages across North America. The sounds of village smithy pounding, bending and twisting metal were commonplace in the 18 th and 19 th centuries. Today, however, with commercial hardware stores in many malls, the sounds of an operating blacksmith’s shop are pretty much relegated to the past. Or, maybe not, thanks to a new course offered at the Nova Scotia Community College. Most Nova Scotians under 60 have never heard the “clang! tink, tink, tink!” of a blacksmith at work. But a new course offered at the Nova Scotia Community College promises to introduce a new generation to the piercing, but once-familiar, sound.

20. ONLINE WRITING 20 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 20 Nielsen’s Recommendations for Web Pages 6)Graphical elements — tables, charts, photos, maps — help people absorb information 7)Casual language, sentence fragments work fine 8)Hypertext links aid credibility

21. ONLINE WRITING 21 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 21 A Newspaper Story

22. ONLINE WRITING 22 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 22 An Online Story

23. ONLINE WRITING 23 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 23 Nielsen’s Research (Mobile Devices, 2009) “Observing user suffering during our sessions reminded us of the very first usability studies we did with traditional websites in 1994. It was that bad."

24. ONLINE WRITING 24 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 24 Nielsen’s Research (Mobile Phones, 2009) Poor experience because: Small screens Awkward input Slow download Sites not designed for mobile APPLE

25. ONLINE WRITING 25 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 25 Nielsen’s Research (Tablets, 2011) 1.Read–tap asymmetry for websites 2.Touchable areas were too small in many apps 3.Accidental activation a big problem 4.Low discoverability 5.Users disliked typing APPLE

26. ONLINE WRITING 26 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 26

27. ONLINE WRITING 27 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 27

28. ONLINE WRITING 28 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 28

29. ONLINE WRITING 29 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 29

30. ONLINE WRITING 30 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 30

31. ONLINE WRITING 31 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 31

32. ONLINE WRITING 32 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 32

33. ONLINE WRITING 33 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 33 Nielsen’s Recommendations for Headlines The Issue: They are often displayed on their own, out of context

34. ONLINE WRITING 34 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 34 Nielsen’s Recommendations for Headlines On the eve of a new show at the Museum of Modern Art that celebrates his seminal works, legendary multimedia artist Michael Snow talks to Sarah Milroy about his heady, experimental days in New York.

35. ONLINE WRITING 35 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 35

36. ONLINE WRITING 36 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 36

37. ONLINE WRITING 37 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 37 Nielsen’s Recommendations for Headlines (& Subheads) 1.Make it short & clear 2.No teasers 3.Write in plain language: no puns, no "cute" or "clever" headlines.

38. ONLINE WRITING 38 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 38 Exercise goo.gl/75XKI0

39. ONLINE WRITING 39 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 39 Writing Hypertext Links 1.They are recommendations 2.By nature they signify importance 3.They build trust with readers by making the reporting transparent 4.They allow readers to further their own interest

40. ONLINE WRITING 40 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 40 Writing Hypertext Links

41. ONLINE WRITING 41 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 41 Writing Hypertext Links Chronicle Herald: Liberals vow to cut wait times, add family doctors Liberals vow to cut wait times, add family doctors

42. ONLINE WRITING 42 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 42 Writing Hypertext Links

43. ONLINE WRITING 43 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 43 Writing Hypertext Links

44. ONLINE WRITING 44 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 44 Writing Hypertext Links

45. ONLINE WRITING 45 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 45 Writing Hypertext Links

46. ONLINE WRITING 46 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 46 Writing Hypertext Links

47. ONLINE WRITING 47 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 47 Writing Hypertext Links

48. ONLINE WRITING 48 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 48 Writing Hypertext Links

49. ONLINE WRITING 49 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 49 Writing Hypertext Links Three to five words Link to: Official websites: products or organizations Announcements (news release or report) Related stories Facts: statistics or comments

50. ONLINE WRITING 50 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 50 Writing Hypertext Links Indicate if content is other than a web page (Eg. PDF, video)

51. ONLINE WRITING 51 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 51 Writing Hypertext Links Click hereClick here to read the advisory group’s report. Better: The advisory group released its Recommendations for Waterfront Renewal (PDF) Tuesday. Check out this site for more information.site The Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia has a list of properties it considers threatened by development.

52. ONLINE WRITING 52 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 52 Writing Hypertext Links

53. ONLINE WRITING 53 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 53 Writing Hypertext Links

54. ONLINE WRITING 54 JOUR 3557: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM 54 Exercise: What’s the Link? goo.gl/BUAyac