My case for journalism

1. Your world will get bigger every day

2. If you're doing your job right, you won't ever be stuck in a cubicle for eight hours a day

3. You get the opportunity to make your community better 

4. You get to be a student every day

5. You will be rich with experiences

6. You will get to work with amazing and courageous people

7. You will get to be part of an exciting time filled with potential and innovative opportunities (never in history has journalism been changing so dramatically)

8. You have more tools now than ever before to reach out and engage with readers

9. You will learn to be very resourceful

10. You get to tell stories that can inspire and connect people

11. You will be a more interesting and interested person — good conversationalist and aware of the world around you — and in today's scandalous society, there's never a dull moment

12. Someone's got to look under those hidden dark rocks — and they have to do it for little to no money, but for the incredible feeling that comes with doing something right.

Attributes of an ideal editor

— Personable, well rounded

— Other interests outside of work, manage stress well

— Engage readers in a different way (social media, texts and visuals)

— Newsroom experience (reporter/copy editing experience)

— Able to delegate responsibilities

— Hold self accountable

— Being competitive

— Being aware of the news

— Diplomatic editor/working well with others

— Knowing your audience very well

— Careful attention to detail

— Strong communication skills

— Empathetic

— Go to bat for employees

— Clear instructions

— Constructive criticism

— Ethical

— Good at budgeting time and money

— Managing team with different styles

— Invested in people

— Face-to-face contact

— Someone who pushes you

— Listen and willing to learn

— Ambitious

— Open minded and flexible

— Be honest

— Assess the value of workers

— Keeping site of mission

— Creative and innovative

— Passionate

— Good attention span

— Firmness which shields empathy

— Great expectations

— Believer that no owns the truth

— super-literate in topics they edit

— organized

— to the point

— proud of work

— tireless

— inquisitive

— confident to a fault

Class on Wednesday, April 28

— Go over "No Doldrums" article

— Review Twins layouts

— Review Ch. 15

*** If you have special requests for things you want me to review/discuss our final days together, please e-mail me. :)

Class on Monday, April 26

— Last AP quiz! Yeah!

— Review Ch. 15: Policy & Responsibility

— Review DTJ Twins layout

Class on Wednesday, April 21

— Most of class will be devoted to production time for your Twins layout assignment.

— I'll go over the final paper assignment, too. Here are the details: For this assignment, I'd like you to submit an application for the editor job at a publication of your choosing. It could be a local or national pub. In four pages, I want you to outline a new vision for the publication, detailing plans to improve the print/online version of the publication, social media strategy, etc. I want you to discuss your attributes as an editor, too, that would make you an asset for the publication. This assignment is due by 5 p.m. on May 10. Please e-mail it to me.

Class on Monday, April 19

— Discussion of legal issues (ch. 13)

— Guest speaker Pilar Gerasimo of Experience Life magazine

— More time to work on newspaper layout

**** If you need help on InDesign basics, let me know. There are helpful tutorials when you open the application, but I can show you the basics of creating text and photo boxes, etc.

Front Page Layout assignment

*** I e-mailed you two more stories (one on the Twins curator and another a guide to making a day of a trip to the ballpark) for your layout assignment today. I also sent a photo of the curator.

Next week I will e-mail you guys a flag for the top of the page.

There are some great tutorials on InDesign to get the basics of starting a layout. Please e-mail me if you have any trouble.

Again, the assignment is due April 21. I encourage you to work on this April 12 during scheduled class time. I will give you some time on April 14 and 19 to work on it, too. 

Thanks!

Class for Wednesday, April 14

*** Reminder: No class Monday, but I encourage you to work on your front-page layout.

(When starting the page in InDesign, click on new document and click on page size "Tabloid.")

I will be e-mailing two additional stories and photos + a flag for the top of the page.

Plan for April 14:

— Editing quiz 5: Ethics review (be sure to review the SPJ Code of Ethics)

— Continued work on the Front Page assignment

Class on Wednesday, April 7

— Review recent assignments

— Discussion on "intro to ethical decision-making" NewsU course

— Online News Edit Assignment #2 (in class)

— Go over Front Page News Layout assignment

Class on Monday, April 5

— Review recent assignments

— Breaking news activity

— Go over second online news editing assignment

Wednesday, March 31

— Fourth AP quiz

— Another "imagination" activity

— Discuss "Plugging the Gap"

— catchup time (makeup quizzes/go over material if you need, too)

Plan for Monday, March 29

— Online news editing assignment due before class

— Review last AP quiz

— Editing quiz #4 (based on chapter 9)

Extra credit opportunity

Here are three events you can earn extra credit for attending:

(Write up 300 words and discuss what you learned in class)

— A Discussion on Saving Journalism: Thursday, 6–7:30 p.m. (Murphy Hall, room 130)

— TC Daily Planet Presents: McChesney & Nichols on the Future of Journalism: Thursday, 8–10 p.m. (1011 Washington Ave.)

— A Discussion on Saving Journalism: Friday, 2–3:30 p.m. (Hamline University, 1531 Hewitt Ave. N. St. Paul)

Plan for Wednesday, March 24

— Guest speaker: Paul Schmelzer of the Minnesota Independent

— Discussion of "Too Graphic?" article

— Go over Online News Story assignment

** (If you have anything you want to go over again/review in class, please let me know by e-mailing me.)

Extra credit opportunity on March 25

Check out the authors of "The Death and Life of American Journalism" on March 25 and I'll give you 5 extra credit points if you write up 300 words on it and talk about it in class. Here are details on the event.

For Wednesday, March 10

— Review headlines

— Review Ch. 4 quiz

— Third AP quiz

For Monday, March 8

— News quiz

— Take a look at SWJ startups

— editing quiz #3 (based on chapter 4)

For Wednesday, March 3

— Headline assignment due at start of class

— Review magazine editing assignment

— Discuss stories at Spot.us

— Discuss the Associated Press Managing Editors 2009 Great Ideas book

Headline ideas ...

— Bike brief:

• Will bike share system work for Minneapolis?

• I want to ride your bicycle

— Smile Network story:

• Splurge away: This vacation comes with a cause

• Sightseeing for smiles

• Trekking for smiles

• Trekking with purpose

— Uptown development

• Parking lot or Uptown hotspot?

— 50th & Bryant

• Until they bring streetcars back

• Mourning a landmark

• Farewells from the flames

• History cements lost building

Monday's plan

Agenda for March 1:

— Review magazine, news story editing assignments & AP Style quiz 2

— Talk about headline assignment (due March 3)

— Discuss News Sense News U course

Year One critique

Thoughts on first piece ...

• Missing elements:

— price points for Dovetail Design and Golden Leopard

— more details on personalities & schedules

— more on financing

• Art ideas?

— day in the life of the entrepreneurs

— map of businesses

• Blog/multimedia?

— blog with upcoming events, etc.

Future stories ...

— work/life balance

Ask an editor ...

From Maria Reeve, Politics Team Leader, St. Paul Pioneer Press.
 
What are some of the challenges facing you as an editor? Given the economic 
climate and the state of journalism, etc. The main challenge I fact every day is 
how to cover those topics i really think need examination with the resouces/staff 
I have. It is a constant source of frustration to know there are seven stories I'd 
like to get to, but I can only truly do maybe three. So we pick the best one. 
We focus our attention on those stories that will appeal to the broadest audience, 
is important, will go further in explaining some issue and frankly, those that AP 
isn't covering.
We're also challenged to figure out what do our readers most need to know 
and what is the best way to get that info to them. Is it i the blog? Online only? 
Alternative story form/graphics?
 
At the same time, what are some of the exciting things on your radar?
 
What's exciting is that I have really smart and really experienced reporters and they are a 
total blast to work with. We are excited about covering a session that 
should come down to how do you close the budget gap, in what direction do we want 
the state to go as we look at who wil be the next governor. It's also exciting to see 
whether our governor will make a run for president. Learning new platforms through 
which to communicate: blogs, twitter, facebook, online, etc.
 
What makes a good editor, great?

Everyone's had good and bad editors. The best ones had these things in common: 
They listened. They allowed mistakes to be made and to be teaching moments. 
They were supportive and direct. Great editors are also risk takers. Great editors 
don't play favorites. Great editors don't know everything. Great editors give feedback. 
Great editors have a sense of humor. Great editors can deliver bad news without 
crushing the soul. Great editors are not vindictive. Great editors know that protecting 
the enterprise, the reputation, the public trust is of utmost importance.
 
 
 

50th & Bryant fire

Plan of attack ...

1. Stories

— basics of cause, insurance

— what's next for businesses

— graphic of how fire spread

— response of fire department

— a look at safety regulations

— reactions of business owners

— profiles on each business (when opened, etc.)

— thoughts from residents on impact on neighborhood

— what is happening to workers on the block?

2. Photos/multimedia

— before and after slideshow

— video on the scene

3. Social media

4. Follow-up

— tracking what's next for the corner

— talking to artists at Shoppe Local

— a history of area fires to give context

— looking back at other fires

Monday, Feb. 22 agenda

— News editing assignment due before class starts

— Review readings posted on the blog: Poynter piece on motivation & video clip on entrepreneurial journalism

— Review editing quiz #2

— more work on headlines! fun. :)

Elements of strong headlines

Elements of strong headlines:

— to the point, tells the story

— catches readers' attention

— Accurate

— Clever, but not cheesy

— Strong verbs, active voice

Wednesday, Feb. 17 agenda

— Magazine feature editing assignment due (please e-mail me your edited story)

— Review editing quiz 2

— MN Daily critique (we will be critiquing headlines)

— Discussion of chapter 7: Writing Headlines

— Discussion of news story editing assignment (due Monday, Feb. 22)

Agenda for Monday, Feb. 15

1. Discussion of "Wanted: Required Web journalism skills" article

2. Review of editing quiz #1

3. Editing quiz #2 (based on chapter 6 "Word Watching")

For Wednesday, Feb. 10

Agenda for Feb. 10

— We will continue looking at news innovators. Please check out these sites and be prepared for a discussion about what makes these sites innovative. Click here for the link to the sites.

— We will review editing quiz #1.

— We will discuss chapter 6 and go over the magazine feature editing assignment.

— Extra credit opportunity — Check out this Minnesota SPJ event, write up 400 words on it and discuss it in class for 5 extra credit points.

For Monday, Feb. 8

Here's the agenda:

— News quiz :)

— Discussion about innovators, creative visionaries in journalism [be prepared to talk about a new online or print publication]

— First editing quiz (a macro edit — I will be asking you to give the writer instructions on ways to make the structure/reporting better) *** see p. 76 "approaching the story"

— Guest speaker suggestions?

Daily critique: news leads

Strong leads:

— taste of end results

— anecdotal leads work, but need to have strong nut graph up high

— get the basics right away (w's)

For Monday, Feb. 1

Here's the agenda:

1) News quiz

2) Discussion about Sunday Star Tribune articles

3) First graded AP Style quiz (10 points)

Ask an editor ...

Here are some insights from editors:

Hi Megan,

I emailed an old friend of mine in NYC who's pretty plugged into the magazine world there. Here's what she told me: "The publications world in New York—magazines, newspapers, tabloids, you name it—is pretty traumatized economically and essentially in free-fall right now. The big houses like Condé Nast are ejecting employees and closing pubs right and left. Even “Mother Times” has gone the way of all flesh and done a mass lay-off. So my advice to your intern would be to think long and hard about how he or she is going to make money if he or she moves here. It’s incredibly expensive. What is still possible, is to do what my colleague is doing—work some kind of non-editorial job that pays a decent salary and has benefits, and then do freelance writing on the side and hope for a break. I think things are going to start turning around by next year, but the overall retrenchment has cut down a lot of experienced, big-name folks who now are also out there trying to complete for the few jobs that exist. Someone just out of school is going to have a tough time getting to the front of the line. Sorry to be so pessimistic, but it ain’t good times for journalists in The City. That said, I would be happy to meet with your intern if and when he or she comes to New York. I can’t promise to have any magic solutions in hand, but I can be a friendly face."

Sorry to pass on such a pessimistic forecast, but I guess that's the reality right now. I'll keep my ears open and let you know if I come across anything that looks promising here and there.

Craig Cox (Experience Life)

From Phillip Pina, Pioneer Press, interviewed by Alex Ebert

What are the biggest challenges you face?

1. the drain of experience. Buyouts have meant some of the more experienced reporters with institutional knowledge have left the field. We have to find ways to capture the excitement and technological abilities of the younger reporters that are left.

2. fewer bodies in the newsroom. Cutbacks mean reporters are juggling more.

As an editor, how do you prioritize the needs of the readers with the realities of the newsroom?

3. an uninterested audience. It's not just tv news you are competing with for their undivided attention. Its the gossip on facebook. that silly texting string on my phone. the giggling approach to news like gawker and tmz.com. After the headline, after the photo, after realizing I heard something about this on the radio at noon; what do we write that will get someone to read the next graph?

What things make a great editor?

I've had editors who would assign a story, and then walk away. That is unacceptable. One must be more vested in the story, in the reporter's career, in the protection of the newspaper's reputation as an institution in the community, and in the truth - than to just walk away. A great editor understands the impact his or her decisions has. They check on your progress, offer any suggestions, offer any experience you have, clear the decks and bring in reinforcements if necessary. And once done, they check it again. And they inspire you to new ideas, better stories and a desire to share them with the world.

What features make a great editor?

An ability to listen and an ability to inspire. One of my favorite editors I turned to when I first started this gig, said my job wasn't to spell check and worry about grammar. It was to push writers to be fair, accurate and to challenge their sources. And to push them to pursue new stories and ways of telling them. Now that editor is working at a newspaper that just got rid of almost all its copy editors, so she may have a change of heart now.

Macro edit for sidewalk inspections story

— Questions/more reporting?

(need stronger nut graph; disorganized on top; more information about danger associated with unclear sidewalks; more info on warning process; rule on foreclosed properties? more details on the actual workload in a day; more on the logistics? more from other properties owners; more critical voice; budget cut impact.

— Headline ideas?

Shovel or pay the price

Pedestrians troubled by poor walkway upkeep

Walking on broken ice

Sidewalk complaints accumulating

Clear the ice

— Photos?

— Before and after

— inspectors on the job

— Photo of the complaint

— Photo of foreclosed house

— Multimedia possibilities?

— interactive map

— audio slideshow of inspectors showing what warrants fines

— video shadowing one of the inspectors

A note about our Jan. 25 class

We will have our first news quiz at the start of class so be sure to be reading the local papers.

Also, please select an editor at any publication of your choosing — could be local, or someone outside of Minnesota. I want you to ask the editor the main challenges and opportunities they see in their work this year. I'd like for you to share thoughts from the editor of your choosing in class.

Have a good weekend.

MN Daily critique: Ideas for 2010

Brainstorming for the MN Daily ...

New ideas for 2010:

— More community oriented

— More diversity in sports coverage

— More thoughtful special sections

— More projects

— More national news in the wire digest

— Take a look at how to package "overheard"

— Be more strategic about house ads

— Be more thoughtful about wire stories

— More provocative editorials/op-eds

Qualities of a dream editor

Thoughts from students ....

— Upfront, brutally honest

— Experienced and confident

— Strategically confrontational

— Adaptability

— High standards

— Sense of purpose, mission driven

— Walking the walk

— Deliberate

— Focused on readers

— Passionate

— Copy surgeon

— Good at critical feedback

— Creative

— Brave and ethical

— Long-term vision, imaginative

Note on the textbook

Our textbook Modern News Editing is out of stock at the bookstore, but should be available by early February. You can also find the book on reserve at Wilson Library.

Greetings students

Welcome to Jour 3155 for the spring 2010 semester! I'm honored to be your teacher. 

For starters, I'd love to learn more about all of you. Please comment on this post with the following information: your name, year in school, hopes for this course and your dream job after graduation. 

Thanks so much!