Online
Journalism Fundamentals
Journalism
314 / 514
Section
A03, ; Index 04297
Fall
2009
Professor Hans K. Meyer
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E-mail: meyerh@ohio.edu
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Website: www.hanskmeyer.com
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Phone: (740)
597-3084
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Cell: (573) 864-4949 (please
use with discretion)
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Office: Scripps Hall 206
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Office Hours: T, TH from 10 a.m. to noon or by
appointment
Course Overview
WeÕve all heard the pundits predict the death of the newspaper.
The TV newscast may not be far behind because everything is moving to the
Internet, right? In making these predictions, however, do they, or anyone for
that matter, really understand why or even how the Internet is ŌkillingĶ
traditional media? What is driving news online? What does the Internet offer
that traditional media do not? What challenges does it present to the practice
of journalism? In the same sense, what advantages does it promise for a new
generation of journalists?
Through this class, I
hope we can answer some of those questions.
We will focus on the basics of building Web pages and the theoretical
underpinnings of online journalism. It is my hope this class provides
Course Learning Objectives
To summarize, I will focus on the following:
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Introduce
students to a few basic theories about media use, especially as it relates to
online news
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Provide
a rationale behind what online news presentations should look like
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Help
students understand the increased need for collaboration online and help them
forge stronger relationships with audiences
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Make
students aware of open-source tools they can adapt to online news.
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Make
students comfortable with the online environment enough they can explain what
they want online, even if they canÕt build it themselves.
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Give
them practical experience in a new form of online news, citizen journalism
Required Texts
No text is required for the course, but
a number of online readings will be assigned each week. Please read them. IÕve
tried to keep them brief. I have provided links to them on the schedule page.
If you really want to buy a text for this course, I suggest the following:
á We, The Media by Dan Gillmor, even though itÕs available entirely online. Your purchase will support GillmorÕs efforts.
á DonÕt Make Me Think by Steve Krug. WeÕll read a couple chapters in class, but itÕs cheap, it has lots of pictures and will be a great resource if you go on to create online presentations.
Class Time
Online
journalism remains new territory. I donÕt have all the answers yet. I donÕt
think anyone does. What I can offer, however, is a productive discussion
environment where we can figure out some things together, but that requires all
of us to be prepared. The way weÕll conduct class is as a seminar. Instead of
long-drawn out lectures from me and exhaustive notes from you, weÕll talk about
the topic for that week. I might share a short lecture at the beginning to get
everyone on the same page, but I expect students to conduct most of the
discussion. I expect them to have read the material and to be prepared to talk.
Ten percent of their grade will be based on participation.
This class also incorporates several challenging out of class assignments, which will require students to learn about programming on the World Wide Web. To help students learn the way the Web operates, we will devote some class time to hands-on learning.
Major Activities of the Course
For example, if a student team chose
wikis as their concept, they would discuss É
1. How programmers
named and developed the wiki idea and how its philosophy includes enabling
anyone to contribute
2. How the Los
Angeles Times tried wiki editorials and failed miserably, how Jimmy Wales uses
wiki for news on wikinews.com
3. How news
organizations could adapt wikis to cover local high school sports
During the final exam period, students
will share their wikis with the rest of the class while briefly summarizing
what they have found and displaying some of the links and multi-media elements.
The presentation will count for 5 % of the total grade.
In line with the principles discussed in
this class, the wiki will not be simply a research paper. It should, like the
blog, contain well-referenced and researched links and an invitation to
contribute (even if the OAK server will not allow us to make these true wikis.)
As a wiki, it should also offer readers many different points of entry and the
ability to read the wiki at their own pace and in their own style. IÕll
demonstrate what this means in class.
We will also discuss how to set up and
create a wiki using TiddlyWiki, which
is free open-source wiki software.
7. Graduate
Student Project ONLY (10%):
Graduate students in this class have to complete an extra requirement to
receive graduate credit. In addition to other assignments the instructor will
give, graduate students in this class must develop a 10-page literature review
examining a theory that relates to online journalism and that interests them.
Examples include interactivity, uses & gratifications. Graduate students
will meet once with the instructor to develop their idea and get approval. To
that meeting, they must bring a one-page memo that outlines their idea and
lists at least three potential sources. The final paper should have at least 10
sources from scholarly journals and five from industry publications
Grade Weights
|
Assignment / Activity |
Individual Points |
Total Points |
|
Blogging (2 posts each week) |
15 |
270 |
|
Discussion Board (each week) |
10 |
100 |
|
Personal Project Memo |
|
50 |
|
Personal Online Project |
|
150 |
|
Midterm Exam |
|
100 |
|
Web
Portfolio |
|
100 |
|
Group Wiki Memo |
|
25 |
|
Final
Group Wiki Project |
|
150 |
|
Group Wiki Presentation |
|
50 |
|
Participation |
|
5 |
|
Total |
|
1,000
points |
Weekly Schedule
As the term progresses, I may revise this schedule of activities
if I believe such changes would better accomplish the purposes of the course.
|
Date |
Topic / Reading |
In-class Exercise |
Due |
|
Sept. 9 |
Course Introduction /
What is online news? |
|
|
|
Sept. 14 |
History of the ÔNet Reading: How the Web was Won: An Oral History of the
Internet, Vanity Fair Online |
Sign up for blog /
OAK space |
|
|
Sept. 16 |
Theoretical Basis for Online News |
|
First blog entry must be posted today Personal Project Memo |
|
Sept. 21 |
Online
Journalism Reading: The
Web and its Journalisms by Mark Deuze |
|
|
|
Sept. 23 |
In the Field |
Guest Speaker: Ben
Welsh, L.A. Times |
|
|
Sept. 28 |
Interactivity Reading: Theorizing
InteractivityÕs Effects by Shyam Sundar |
|
|
|
Sept. 30 |
Interactivity Reading: ŌNetworked InteractivityĶ by
Sheizaf Rafaeli and Fay Sudweeks |
|
|
|
Oct. 5 |
Usability DonÕt Make Me Think by Steve Krug, chapter 2 |
HTML Introduction |
|
|
Oct. 7 |
Citizen
Journalism Reading: We, the Media, chapters 3, 4 |
Guest Speaker: Dana
Martin, formerly of |
|
|
Oct. 12 |
|
Midterm Exam |
|
|
Oct. 14 |
Blogs Reading: We, the Media, chapters 5, 6 |
Website Building /
Hosting |
|
|
Oct. 19 |
On the Ground by Nicholas Kristof |
Online Video / Audio
/ Slideshows |
|
|
Oct. 21 |
Mojos Reading: We, the Media,
chapters 7, 8; Backpack Journalism is Here to Stay by Jane Ellen Stephens |
Guest Speaker: Jane
Stevens |
|
|
Oct. 26 |
Mojos |
Meet with groups to
discuss wiki project |
Personal Project |
|
Oct. 28 |
Convergence Reading Assignment: We, the Media, chapters 8, 11 Convergence Defined by Rich Gordon |
Guest Speaker: Elizabeth Merrill, ESPN |
Group Project Memo |
|
Nov. 2 |
The Future Reading:ŌHarnessing the
Active Audience: Synthesizing Blog Research and Lessons for the Future of
MediaĶ by Mark Tremayne Reading: We, the Media, chapter
12 |
|
|
|
Nov. 4 |
User-generated
Content |
|
|
|
Nov. 9 |
|
Lab time to work on
your projects |
|
|
Nov. 16 |
Online Journalism |
|
Online Portfolio |
|
Nov. 24 |
Final Group Wiki
Presentations |
Group Project |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The final exam for the class is scheduled
Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 2:30 p.m. Instead of a final exam, students will present
their final group projects on this day. In addition, all projects must be
complete before this time.
Policies
The following policies apply to all aspects of this class:
Attendance:
Students are expected to
attend class regularly and on time, to participate in class discussions, and to
complete reading assignments prior to class. Attendance will be taken through
in-class writing exercises, pop quizzes or presentations. If you miss class,
you miss the points. You will not be allowed to make-up the in-class exercises,
unless you missed class because of a death in the family, a university-approved
activity or a physician said you were too ill to attend class. All three
instances require some form of documentation.
Cell Phones: Please turn them off or put them on vibrate before class. If yours rings, you will be asked to provide treats.
Discussion: I want to maintain an open exchange in the class. To do this, I wonÕt require you to raise your hand. I ask, however, that you respect other peopleÕs opinions and give them the opportunity to respond. Remember, in this class there are no correct answers. The only bad comment is the one not spoken.
Deadlines: The news business thrives on deadlines and severely punishes those who donÕt meet them. This class will be no different. Assignments not turned in by the deadline will receive a 10 percent deduction for every hour they are late. Assignments will not be accepted that are more than one day late. Students with conflicts need to talk with the instructor well before the deadline.
Identification: When talking to sources, students should identify themselves as Ohio University students and nothing else.
The Web site: This class will make extensive use of computers and technology. All of our assignments will be administered through the Blackboard Web site. To log in, students must know their OAK ID and password. Students are responsible for understanding and using the technology. If they have any questions or concerns, they need to talk to the instructor as soon as possible. A misunderstanding of the computers will not be an excuse for missing a deadline.
Academic
Misconduct
Academic misconduct includes some of the following: extensive use of materials from another author without citation/attribution, extensive use of verbatim materials from another author with citation/attribution, extensive use of materials from past assignments, extensive use of materials from assignments in other, current classes. For in-class exams, academic misconduct includes conferring with classmates, copying/reading someone else's test and using notes and materials without prior permission.
Classroom
misconduct includes forgery, obstruction or disruption of teaching, physical
abuse or safety threats, theft, property damage, disruptive, lewd or obscene
conduct, abuse of computer time, repeated failure to attend class when
attendance is required and repeated failure to participate or respond in class
when class participation is required.
The
Ohio University Student Code of Conduct contains regulations regarding student
classroom conduct and deportment, and academic misconduct, including plagiarism
and falsification. Classroom misconduct will be reported immediately to the Vice
Chancellor for Student Affairs' office. Academic misconduct allegations will be
reported immediately to the Provost's office.
Failure to properly identify yourself, making up sources, or
downloading any portion of a class assignment from the Internet will be
considered academic dishonesty. The Ohio University Student Code of Conduct
prohibits all forms of academic dishonesty. If an instructor finds any form of
cheating occurring, he will notify the Director of University Judiciaries for
further action. In addition, the assignment in question will receive NO points.
Class Etiquette
Your instructor and fellow students wish to foster a safe on-line learning environment. All opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse. You are encouraged to comment, question, or critique an idea but you are not to attack an individual.
Our differences will add richness to this learning experience. Please consider that sarcasm and humor can be misconstrued in online interactions and generate unintended disruptions. Working as a community of learners, we can build a polite and respectful course ambience.
Emergency Information
In
the event of a major campus emergency (such as an H1N1 influenza outbreak),
course schedule, requirements, deadlines and grading percentages are subject to
changes that may be necessitated by a revised calendar or other circumstances
beyond the instructor's control.
Here
are ways to get information about changes in this course:
o The CDC has advised
universities to instruct students not to attend class if they experience flu
symptoms (high fever, combined with a cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills or fatigue).
Students will be encouraged instead to limit contact with others and may be
advised to ask their parents to take them home or to seek assistance from
Student Health Services so that they can be cared for in a setting that does
not put others at risk (see also below, Attendance Policy).
o Please be advised that the
CDC may consider asking colleges to suspend classes if flu outbreaks are more
severe among college students this fall than they were in the spring and
summer.
o For current information on
the H1N1 flu situation, see http://www.pandemicflu.gov/
o For general H1N1 information
for this campus, see http://www.ohio.edu/h1n1/index.cfm
o For OU emergency messages see
http://www.ohio.edu/emergency/