Ch. 1 - Why is Online Journalism Different, and Why Should You Care?
 

Ch. 2 - The Job of the Online Journalist
 

Ch. 3 - Generating and Focusing Story Ideas
 

Ch. 4 - Web Resources and Databases
 

Ch. 5 - Sources and Interviewing
 

 

9/11 - when online journalism thrived (and crashed)

page 8 - the strengths and weaknesses of each medium

the key? how do you present news to your strengths and minimize your weaknesses?

for online:

multimedia capabilities

depth

updates

can create special sections for breaking news and still provide ways for the audience to follow other stories

avoiding "shovelware"

how do these strengths and weaknesses (for online journalism) tie in to your audience and their needs?

ex. is the online news audience loyal to a site?

what do they want? can you provide it?

 

The Online Journalist

flexibility - more than just a writer

still, the online journalist uses many of the traditional skills

gathering, assembling and writing stories

have to pay more attention to related info (layering, complexity)

not bound by space!

deadlines!

need to hold attention - make stories interesting, richer, deeper

a quote from the book:

a print journalist - let me write my story, don't bother me, public"

an online journalist - "we want the feedback"

how are people going to use the information and how do they want to receive it?

some news is breaking

some news is predictable

 

What is news? p. 105

Timliness

Currency

Proximity

Prominence

Impact

Conflict

Oddity

 

Finding Ideas

1. knowing your audience

focus groups, feedback pages, message boards, chat rooms, online polls, email lists etc.

readers might suggest new stories, areas, topics etc.

2. The Web

newsgroups, discussion groups, blogs (hot topics p. 35), search engines, web searches/pages, other news sites - from other media

 

New Approaches

find a local angle on a national/international story

do follow-ups (from previous reporting) ex. one year later...

advance stories

trends

 

Resources

websearching

databases

public records, police logs, city council minutes, library archives, Lexis Nexis

sources - the rolodex!

networking

establishing credibility

qualifying the source - p. 66 Qs

official vs. unofficial sources

 

Interviewing

who?

how contact?

Interviewing
no set rules, but there are guidelines

Two key principles
1. Come prepared(know about the interviewee/subject)

2. Prepare questions ahead of time


Interviews can be "live" or "canned"
Live can generate immediacy, but can also be a problem (gives up control)

In general, interviews alone can't tell the story

What makes for a good interview?

1. Think of your audience


ask questions you think your audience would ask

don't be afraid to ask follow-up questions

 

2. Don't let the interviewee wander too far off track

(though some tangents are worth exploring!)

 

3. Be wary of the interviewee trying to manipulate the interview
 
4. Be aware of pacing


in terms of questions and waiting for answers

 

5. Set up questions logically and progressively
 

6. Avoid asking yes/no questions unless essential
 

7. Clash/conflict can make for good interviews

 

a key - the line between hostile and challenging

 

8. Avoid two part questions


they confuse the interviewee and the audience

 
9. Avoid obvious questions


they waste time and time is precious

 
10. Ethics are important

 

types of questions asked

timing of interview

 

11. Be relaxed yourself

 

12. Be aware that cameras, lights, mikes, etc. can disorient an interviewee


a pre-interview?

 
13. The reporter isn't the story
 
 

ABOVE ALL, LISTEN!!!!!
 


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