University of North Texas
Department of Journalism
Online Journalism – JOUR 3340
Semester: Fall 2007

Instructor: Neil Foote, Instructional Assistant Professor, GAB 109
Phone: 214.448.3765
Email: neil@neilfoote.com (preferred)
Office hours: By appointment or immediately following class on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Class Meetings: Throughout the course of the semester we will meet in two difference classroom/labs:
GAB 319 and GAB 101 (NewsLab). 

Text: Convergent Journalism: An Introduction–Writing and Producing Across Media (Paperback) by Stephen Quinn (Editor), Vincent Filak (Editor)

Additional readings will be made available online or be held on reserve at the library.

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS NEEDED:
* 3 DVD-R Blank Discs
* 1 CD-R to record your audio stories
* A one (1) OR (2) gig flash drive
* Sony MDRV 150 Headphones

Course Objectives
The purpose of this class is help you strengthen your reporting, writing and editing stories to produce stories for the web, and enable you to combine your traditional journalism skills with the digital media tools of the 21st Century. This will be a very hands on class where you will be using your basic journalism skills as well as learn the basics of integrating audio, photographs, graphics and video to enhance your
articles. There will be regular and timely assignments where you will analyze, critique and discuss current practices of interactive tools on media websites. Your in-class work will be used on the student media websites of KNTU-FM, NTTV and NTDaily. You will be required to post at least weekly entries on current issues in electronic media issues on the Yahoo! Group.

Getting the Most Out of This Class
Since the goal of this class is to prepare you for a potential career in electronic media, you will be expected to become as knowledgeable as possible about the current media trends and issues.  To help you get the most out of this class, there are several websites throughout the course of the semester to which I will be referring and you are encouraged to review on a regular basis.  Here are several of the major ones. Others will be identified throughout the course of the semester:

* Local/regional media sites, e.g. dallasnews.com, startelegram.com, dentronrc.com, NTDaily.com, KRLD.com KNTU.com.
* National/international sites: cnn.com, nytimes.com, msnbc.com, BBC (bbc.co.uk),
washingtonpost.com
* CyberJournalists.net: http://cyberjournalist.net
* Poynter Institute: http://poynter.org
* American Press Institute: http://www.mediacenter.org/ and
http://www.mediacenter.org/convergencetracker/search/
* Editor & Publisher: http://mediainfo.com
* Wired Magazine: http://wired.com
* Media Week: http://mediaweek.com
* Broadcasting & Cable: http://broadcastingandcable.com
* MediaPost.com: http://mediapost.com

University Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism, in a nutshell, is using other people’s written words as your own. Some people consider the use of seven to ten words in a row, copied from another source, as plagiarism.  Be sure to include citations when using other people’s writing, because plagiarism is a serious offense in any discipline, especially journalism.  It’s a firing offense in the professional world. In the Department of Journalism and Mayborn
Graduate Institute of Journalism at UNT, students face a range of penalties for plagiarism (depending on the importance of the assignment):

* A grade of ‘F’ on a minor assignment;
* A request that the student drop the class;
* Withdrawal of the student form class, initiated by the professor;
* An ‘F’ for the course;
* A referral to the UNT Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities;
* A notation on the student’s transcript; and,
* Expulsion from the university.

A combination of these penalties may also be used.  If you need more information or have questions about plagiarism, ask your nearest journalism professor or visit the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities.

DISABILITIES.  The Journalism Department, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, makes reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. If you require any such accommodation, please contact the instructor within the first three weeks of class.

Course Outline

Week 1: Aug. 28 & 30th
Introduction: Review syllabus, grading, class rules.
Overview: Discuss evolution, role and importance of online journalism.

Week 2:  Sept. 4th & 6th
Types of Convergence
Characteristics of Online News

Week 3: Sept. 11th & 13th
Components of the Online News Story
Writing for the Web

Week 4:  Sept. 18th & 20th
Defining the Audience: Who’s Reading/Viewing/Clicking?
News Websites: Producing Timely, Relevant Content

Week 5: Sept. 25th & 27th
Developing Story Ideas
Hooking Your Readers/Viewers

Week 6: Oct. 2nd & 4th
Online Layout & Content Management
Editing & Posting Online News

Week 7: Oct. 9th & 11th
Defining/Discussing Digital Storytelling
Tools of the Digital Journalist/Final Project Discussion

Week 8: Oct. 16th & 18th
Mid-Term Exam
Using Graphics and Links

Week 9: Oct. 23rd & 25th
Adding Dimension to Online News: Photos & Videos
Blogs, Podcasts and V-casts

Week 10: Oct. 30th & Nov. 1st
User-Generated News
Searching/Research: Search Engines & Other Resources

Week 11: Nov. 6th & 8th
Online News Distribution: The Old & The New
Legal/Copyright: Knowing What’s Right
 
Week 12:    Nov. 13th & 15th
Ethics: Doing the Right Thing
Online News – Who’s Doing What?

Week 13:   Nov. 20th – Nov. 22nd (No Class – Thanksgiving Break)
Innovation & Ideas – Mobile Technology

Week 14:  Nov. 27th & 29th
Final class presentations

Week 15:  Dec. 4th & 6th
Final Class presentations

GRADING:
You may earn up to 1000 points in this course.  Every student starts with a zero, and you will earn points based on the following:

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS – 400 points
BLOG ENTRIES – 100 points
MID-TERM EXAM – 150 points
FINAL PROJECT – 275 points
TEACHER EVALUATION – 75 points
TOTAL POSSIBLE …………………………1,000 points

FINAL GRADE SCALE:
1000 – 900 = A
  899 – 800 = B
  799 – 700 = C
  699 – 600 = D
  599 – Below = F

NOTE:  The work you do in this class must be original and may not be turned in for any other class. You are allowed to use only the equipment assigned to this class. You may NOT use personal equipment or gear from NTTV or KNTU for any assignments unless specifically approved by your professor.

WRITING ASSIGMENTS: 20 points each
Your in class and homework assignments include writing from wire copy, newspaper/magazine/e-zine articles, notes, tapes/CDs, lectures, your own interviews and textbooks.  Since this class is preparing you for a real-life journalism experience, you must follow the rules accuracy, clarity, conciseness, spelling, usage, grammar. You must meet all deadlines.

YAHOO! GROUP ENTRIES: 100 points
Part of your experience of becoming a journalist of the 21s Century is that you constantly practice the craft. A Yahoo! Group will be created on the first day of class.  On this site, you must write a weekly item that discusses any issue related to electronic media, which may discuss and/or analyze topics we discuss in class or items you find in the news or on media websites.  Your weekly posting must be made BEFORE the Thursday class at 11am.

MID-TERM EXAM: 150 points
This exam will include questions over the text, lectures, notes, speakers, writing assignments, exercises, handouts, speakers, and class discussions.

FINAL PROJECT: 275 points
This project is going to reflect a culmination of all your coursework. You will divided into teams and work together on a project that will require you to write and produce original material for the web, incorporating videotape, wire reports, e-zines, interviews and original reporting and news gathering. You and your team must demonstrate good news writing, accuracy, clarity, style and creativity.  The project must be original,
innovative, and thoughtful. You must meet all deadlines and present at your designated time.

TEACHER EVALUATION: 75 points
You will be judged throughout the semester on your participation, creativity, energy, ideas and improvement.
 

For Immediate Release

(Oklahoma City, OK – August 27th, 2007) Perry Publishing & Broadcasting Company
has partnered with veteran communications executive Sheila Eldridge to acquire five
radio stations in Augusta, GA owned by Radio One Inc. (NASDAQ:ROIAK and ROIA)
 
Russell M. Perry, owner of Oklahoma’s largest African-American owned media
company, announced that he has formed Perry Broadcasting of Augusta with Eldridge,
a minority partner, to acquire four FM stations and one AM station for $3.1 million
from Radio One Inc., the nation’s seventh largest radio station owner.  The stations
are WAKB-FM (Urban/AC); WAEG-FM (Urban); WTHB-FM and WTHB-AM (both Gospel); and WFXA-FM (Alternative Rock). 
 
Perry Broadcasting is the first African-American owned company that has purchased
any of the recent stations Radio One has sold.
 
Perry will serve as president and Eldridge as Senior Vice President, becoming
Augusta’s first African-American women to manage a cluster of radio stations in the
city which is best known for The Master’s golf tournament.
 
“This is a very proud day for this company,” said Perry, who also owns The Black
Chronicle – a weekly black newspaper, a tower broadcast company, an information
technology firm and several other businesses.  “Sheila has done a yeoman’s job in
entertainment public relations and marketing, and I welcome her as a partner. This
acquisition hopefully puts us in a position to acquire additional properties in the
future.”
 
The purchase is Perry’s first expansion outside of Oklahoma, and Eldridge will play an
integral role in the management and operations of the Augusta cluster. With nearly 25
years in media and entertainment, Eldridge is owner and operator of Miles Ahead
Entertainment, a firm that distinguished itself with innovative public relations and
marketing solutions, especially targeting the African-American market.
 
Miles Ahead’s clients past and present include Boost Mobile a division of
Sprint/Nextel, Coca-Cola USA,  MEAC, Footsteps Advertising, E Morris
Communications, Atlantic Records, Flyte Tyme Records  owned by Grammy Award
producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, PSE&G (New Jersey’s largest utility company)
and ABC Radio Network (including the Tom Joyner and Doug Banks shows).  She will
continue to head the firm with the executive team that has been with her over the
past 10 years.
 
“What a wonderful opportunity this is for me to partner with Mr. Perry, who has
demonstrated  success as a multi-media owner,” said Eldridge. “While I’ve been
working in media a long time my expertise came full circle when I completed the
NAB’s Broadcast Leadership Training Program. This program prepared me to obtain my
dream of operating radio stations.” Mr. Perry’s son, Kevin Perry, also recently
completed the program as well.  “This is an ideal partnership that is just beginning to
plant the seeds of an expanding media company and I look forward to growing the
business with Mr. Perry.”
 
To help drive the success in Augusta, Eldridge said she, Mr. Perry and the Augusta
cluster team are going to actively work to continue to build on relationships with
businesses to create special events and promotions to generate revenue and
excitement in Georgia’s second largest city of nearly 500,000 residents. 
 
Perry Broadcasting began acquiring radio stations in 1993, and currently owns stations
throughout Oklahoma, KVSP-FM (Urban) and KRMP-AM (Classic Soul) in Oklahoma City;
KJMM-FM (Urban) and KGTO-AM (Gospel) in Tulsa; KJMZ-FM (urban), KKRX-AM (Classic Soul) and KXCA-AM (Sports) in Lawton; KDDQ-FM (Classic Rock), KKEN-FM (Country)  and KPNS-AM (News/Talk) in Duncan.
 
To set up an interview with Mr. Perry or Ms. Eldridge, contact Neil Foote at 214-448-
3765 or neil@neilfoote.com.

For Immediate Release

Morehouse Grad Carl Bowen’s Classic Designs win National Contest

(Los Angeles – August 24th, 2007) Atlanta Designer Carl Bowen and J. Anthony Brown share a common bond or should I say ‘thread’:  They are on a mission to make sure men are dressed ‘clean’ and ‘sharp’ — all the time.
 
Bowen, 24, is the winner of the J. Anthony Brown’s “Next Big Thing” Contest, that was featured on Tom Joyner’s BlackAmericaWeb.com (http://BlackAmericaWeb.com).  Brown invited designers from around the country to submit their best men’s designs with the chance of winning a trip to the world’s largest apparel event – the MAGIC Show – in Las Vegas, August 27 -30th at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The site’s visitors voted, and chose Bowen’s designs.

Bowen, a psychology major from Morehouse College, said he set out as a Biology major and was on his way to med school when he decided to take his part-time modeling career in a new direction.  He took a couple sewing classes at Clark Atlanta University and some design classes at American Intercontinental University, and then landed an apprenticeship with an Atlanta master tailor.  Fashion replaced medicine, and he said he’s not looking back.

“I’m really excited,” said Bowen, who owns Crescendo that designs stylish men’s clothes that draw off the classic look of the Thirties and Forties. He’s already designed some pieces worn by Michael Knight, a contestant on BRAVO TV’s ‘Project Runway’ who made it to the final round.  “I’m looking forward to going the show to learn as much as I can so I can push my business forward.”

J. Anthony Brown, the co-host of the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show, is
attending the MAGIC Show to premier his newly designed ‘J. Anthony Brown Collection’.
Brown will be exhibiting at Booth ME 0853 in the Men’s Category at the Las Vegas
Convention Center.

“Carl has it going on,” said Brown who set out to become a fashion designer before his comedy career took him in a new direction many years ago. “The young brother already has a good eye for style, and designing clothes that’ll make folks want to stop in their tracks when they see it.  That’s what I’m talking about. He’s going to go a long way and I’m glad to know that he’s going get to the Show.”

The J. Anthony Brown Collection, which is 100% owned by Brown, features a wide variety of suits, vests, jackets, shirts, cufflinks adorn with some colorful original art and jewel-encrusted custom watches. Brown, who is one of the few African-American-owned companies exhibiting at MAGIC, designed all the pieces, chose the fabric and oversaw the production of the samples.

During the MAGIC Show, comedian George Wallace will be stopping by to visit with J. and sign autographs.  Wallace holds court nightly in Vegas at the Flamingo Hotel.  To spice up the booth with live music, the ShowTyme Jazz Duo also will be performing.

Brown’s stylish, high-fashioned suits are available now at selected retailers around the country and via his website – http://www.thejspotstore.com/suit_collection.html.

Both Brown and Bowen are available for interviews at his booth during the conference August 27th – August 30th as well as for phone interviews at any time.  To interview Brown or Bowen, contact Neil Foote at 214.448.3765 or neil@neilfoote.com.

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October 29 – November 1, 2007

New York City  Thanks to the generosity of DaimlerChrysler, The Gannett Foundation and The McClatchy Company, nine (9) fellowships will be available for the October 2007 Albert E. Fitzpatrick Leadership Development Institute hosted by The New York Times Company.  These fellowships allow minority managers to receive executive development and training to empower them to advance into the upper management ranks of their industry. 

There are five (5) fellowships for individuals working in print (newspapers, magazines, online) and four (4) fellowships for individuals working in broadcast (radio, television, online). The fellowships cover tuition and all travel-related costs, including hotel and transportation. The McClatchy Company FellowshipsThe McClatchy Company has generously funded four (4) fellowships to the October session of NAMME’s LDI.  Two fellowships will be awarded to McClatchy employees only and two will be awarded to industry candidates in print. 

DaimlerChrysler Leaders in Diversity and Communications (LIDAC) FellowshipsThrough the continued, generous support of DaimlerChrysler, two (2) Leaders in Diversity and Communications (LIDAC) Fellowships are available to NAMME’s Leadership Development Institute.  The NAMME/LIDAC Fellowships are restricted to minority managers working in television, radio and online media only. Gannett Foundation

Through a generous supplemental grant, the Gannett Foundation will fund three (3) additional fellowships to NAMME’s 2007 Fall Leadership Development Institute.  These fellowships will be open to both print and broadcast candidates.

For more information, go to www.namme.org/programs/ldi/apply or contact Nancy Osborn, administrator: nosborn@namme.org; 703-854-7179.

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Neil Foote, Foote Communications, neil@neilfoote.com

(Los Angeles –  August 21st, 2007) Comedian J. Anthony Brown, known for his quick wit as co-host of the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show, will unveil his new line of men’s clothing at the MAGIC Show, the largest apparel show in the world.

Brown, co-host on the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show, will be exhibiting at Booth ME 0853 in the Men’s Category at the

“Let me tell you,” Brown says, “these are my original designs and there’s nothing out there like this.  I’m really happy how everything turned out.  The colors and designs are bold and are intended to stand out above the crowd. I’ve paid particular attention to the detail, and I’ve added the specially designed cufflinks and watches as accessories.

”The Magic Show will be held at the

Brown’s stylish, high-fashioned suits are available now at selected retailers around the country and via his website – http://www.thejspotstore.com/suit_collection.html.During the past several years, Brown has exhibited at the February and August MAGIC Shows, which are billed as the world’s largest and most recognized trade shows for the apparel industry.Brown is available for interviews at his booth on August 27th – August 30^th, as well as for phone interviews. 

To interview Brown and learn more about new projects, contact Neil Foote at 214.448.3765 or neil@neilfoote.com.

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