JOURN 4872/5872
8 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. F
ARMR 201

Instructor
Doug Conarroe
dconarroe@denverpost.com
303-954-1081 (w)

Course description
This course combines equal parts theory, analysis and how-to, and will help students get a handle on a rapidly evolving phenomenon. The class will cover:

- the importance of timeliness of news in the 24-hour news cycle.
- the origins of online journalism, and its impact on journalism ethics, traditions and business models.
- Best practices for online and multimedia presentations.

Students will set up and maintain a web log (blog), and complete a group multimedia project. Grad students will also write a paper on a selected media topic.

Classroom policies
Cell phones turned off before entering class. No cell phone use (including IM) during class.

Required text
Journalism 2.0: How to Survive and Thrive by Mark Briggs
Download at http://www.kcnn.org/resources/journalism_20/

Not required for class, but will come in handy
Earbuds or headphones. Jump (pen) drive with at least 512 Mb storage capacity.

Grading
Class participation, attendance 20%
Individual blog 30%
Contribution to class project 50%
Paper 10% (Grad students)

Blog
You will create your own blog for this class using the free blog service at www.blogger.com, and maintain the blog for the duration of the class.

Blogs are centered on immediacy, so you must have at least two posts per week, or at least 24 posts (150-200 words each) at regular intervals (two each week for 12 weeks).

The topic of your blog can be any facet of digital journalism (ethics, citizen journalism, technology). Your blog posts should contain links to other sites or news stories to reinforce your discussion items. You will also be asked to post items relating to class assignments.

I will share blog links with the class, and we’ll view class-produced and other blogs during semester. Be prepared to present your blog to the class. Keep in mind that your blog is accessible and searchable from the Internet — meaning the general public.

Other blog guidelines: Please choose blog templates that are BLACK TEXT on WHITE BACKGROUND. If you already have a blog, please create a new one for this class.

Blogs will be graded on the following components:

Structure - How well are blog entries put together?
Content - Interesting? Compelling? Provocative?
Links - Any links at all? And are they relevant?
Research - Where did quotes come from?
Style - Format, grammar, punctuation.
Relevance - A blog on the media should probably not include a recipe for green bean casserole. But then again…

Class project
As a class project, you will research, assemble and present a comprehensive, professional quality journalistic presentation for online. The (single) topic of the online presentations will be determined in class. The project might consist of:

- An investigative or public journalism series
- A series of online podcasts
- A series of online vodcasts or vlogs
- A collection of online “Ken Burns” imagery/slideshows
- A comprehensive online video presentation
- A converged online presentation of some or all of the above
- Something completely different, but approved in consultation with the instructor.

Schedule

Week 1 Introduction and course review
Assignment for Jan. 25: Read Journalism 2.0 chapter 4

Week 2 Digital evolution, technologies, infrastructure
News cycles; the ethics of immediacy; content management systems.
In class: Blog set-up, posting, enhancements; project discussion
Assignment due Feb. 1: First two blog posts due; read Journalism 2.0 chapters 1, 5

Week 3 RSS. XML and HTML
In class: Server and domain set-up, protocols, feeds.
Assignment for Feb. 8: Read Journalism 2.0 chapter 8

Week 4 Images for online
In class: Editing images with Photoshop; slide show basics
Assignment due Feb 15: Shoot and build a meaningful slide show containing 18 images, complete with cutlines; read Journalism 2.0 chapters 2 & 3

Week 5 Citizen and Collaborative Journalism
In class: Review of wikis and other Web 2.0 sites; project budget meeting
Assignment due Feb. 22: Register and submit a 500-word story to YourHub.com. Post a blog about your experience with the process.

Week 6 Widgets and Mash-ups
In class: Geolocating a story using Yahoo Maps; interactive maps
using pipes.yahoo.com.
Assignment due Feb. 29: Write a 500-word post on Wikipedia.com (about Leap Year?), participate in editing another page, and post a 300-word observation about the process on your blog (with links to the wiki post/changes); read Journalism 2.0 chapter 7

Week 7 Audio for online
In class: Audio editing using Audacity

Week 8 Audio for online
In class: iTunes, audio online presentation.
Assignment for Mar. 14: Read Journalism 2.0 chapters 9, 10, 11

Week 9 Video for online
In class: Capturing & editing basics
Assignment due Mar. 14: Visit each of your classmates’ blogs and post a comment on at least two posts.

Week 10 Video for online, when you’re the star
In class: Online video streaming options

Week 11 Spring Break (March 24-28)

Week 12 Guest speakers
In class: project budget meeting

Week 13 Database Basics
In class: Inner workings of an online database; gathering data using Caspio.
Assignment: Blog completed April 18

Week 14 Project lab/field work
Class project complete April 25 at 10 p.m. Monday, April 28 at 5p.m.

Week 15 Project lab/field work
Class project complete April 25 at 10 p.m.Monday April 28 at 5p.m.

Week 16 What’s the next big thing?
In class: Critique of class project site and Q & A.

Week 17 Final — May 8

Disabilities information
If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability Services in a timely manner so that your needs may be addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities. Contact: 303-492-8671, Willard 322, and www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices.
Disability Services’ letters for students with disabilities indicate legally mandated reasonable accommodations. The syllabus statements and answers to Frequently Asked Questions can be found at www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices

Religion accommodations
Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to reasonably and fairly deal with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance. See full details a www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html

Learning environment
Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Students who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Faculty have the professional responsibility to treat all students with understanding, dignity and respect, to guide classroom discussion and to set reasonable limits on the manner in which they and their students express opinions. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender variance, and nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student’s legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. See polices at www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html and at www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code

Honor Code
The University has recently adopted a student Honor Code. Individual faculty members are encouraged to familiarize themselves with its tenets and procedures. We also recommend that faculty incorporate specific language suggestions provided at http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/Faculty.html
Other information on the Honor Code can be found at www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html and at www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/
All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council (honor@colorado.edu; 303-725-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Other information on the Honor Code can be found at www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html and at www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/

Core Competencies
The School of Journalism and Mass Communication is committed to training students in fundamental communications competencies. This course will focus specifically on developing competency in writing, visual literacy, journalistic ethics, and an understanding of diversity issues in the news. Here are the competencies:

Understand and apply the principles and laws of freedom of _speech and press, including the right to dissent, to monitor and _criticize power, and to assemble and petition for redress of grievances.

Demonstrate an understanding of the history and role of professionals and institutions in shaping communications.

Demonstrate an understanding of the diversity of groups in American society and in a global society in relationship to communication.

Understand concepts and apply theories in the use and presentation of images and information.

Demonstrate an understanding of professional ethical principles and work ethically in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness and diversity.

Think critically, creatively and independently.

Conduct research and evaluate information by methods appropriate to the communications professions in which they work.

Write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions, audiences and purposes they serve.

Critically evaluate their own work and that of others for accuracy and fairness, clarity, appropriate style and grammatical correctness.

Apply basic numerical and statistical concepts.

Apply tools and technologies appropriate for the communications professions in which they work.

The University of Colorado at Boulder policy on Discrimination and Harassment, www.colorado.edu/policies/discrimination.html, the University of Colorado policy on Sexual Harassment and the University of Colorado policy on Amorous Relationships applies to all students, staff and faculty. Any student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been the subject of discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550. Information about the ODH and the campus resources available to assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained at www.colorado.edu/odh