Chicago is Da World

a doorway to ethnic media in the american heartland

Resources

You’ll find a heap of sources here. Keeping searching.

Crowdsourcing

If you are a small publication and need content, this can be salvation – crowdsourcing. Why? Because you get your readers involved and it broadens the sweep of your involvement in their lives and the community. Here is a very good introduction:

http://tinyurl.com/qlbatn

Here are some suggestions for ways to improve and update. Maybe it looks complex. But it is not that hard. And if you have problems, we’re around to help.

On social media and blogging:

This is one website that offers interesting advice on social media for newspapers:

http://beatblogging.org/

Here is a list of 10 ways social media helps the news media:

www.mashable.com

Telling stories is what makes the news media real and personal and compelling. The new digital tools make it even more powerful. Here are some tools and examples:

http://www.ourmedia.org/learning-center/multimedia

this is from the BBC:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/audiovideo/sites/galleries/pages/digitalstorytelling.shtml

And here is another guide on using video from the BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/audiovideo/sites/galleries/pages/videonation.shtml

Writing a blog

You need to write and think differently. You need to catch your readers’ attention and quickly get them involved. Here are some tips from the European Journalism Centre:

http://www.ejc.net/magazine/article/seven_simple_writing_tips_for_social_news

Good Writing

Everyone has good advice. Some works. Some doesn’t. Here is one piece of advice to begin with from the writer Kurt Vonnengut

http://literature.sdsu.edu/onWRITING/vonnegutSTYLE.html

Listening with an informed heart

Telling stories is what the news media is about. Stories about us and how we and everyone before us and after us and around us live or have lived. Community radio does this very well. But anyone who writes can learn by listening how to listen.

Here is an organization in Chicago that is a major resource for learning for journalists who know how to listen:

http://www.thirdcoastfestival.org/

This is a site loaded with how to guides for someone who wants to see how technology can help the news media flourish

http://www.ojr.org/

Do you want to make your news really local? Consider this approach:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/technology/start-ups/13hyperlocal.html?ref=todayspaper

If you want to improve your reporting on crime and justice, look here – the Center of Media, Crime and Justice at John Jay College, NYC

The Center on Media, Crime and Justice, housed at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY) since 2006, is the nation’s only practice- and research-oriented think tank devoted to encouraging and developing high-quality reporting on criminal justice, and to promoting better-informed public debate on the complex 21st-century challenges of law enforcement, public security and justice in a globalized urban society.

http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/cmcj/

also the Criminal Justice Reporters which has good reporting guides:

http://reporters.net/cjj/index.html

Here is a list of major journalism groups in the U.S. Many have links to training tools on the websites. Many list resources that you can use in your work.

Unity: Journalists of Color

http://www.unityjournalists.org/

American Copy Editors Society

http://www.copydesk.org/conference/2009/

· American Press Institute

http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/

· American Society of Business Publication Editors

http://www.asbpe.org/

· American Society of Journalists and Authors

http://www.asja.org/

· American Society of Magazine Editors

http://www.magazine.org/asme/index.aspx /

· American Society of Media Photographers

http://www.asmp.org/

· American Society of Newspaper Editors

http://www.asne.org

· Asian American Journalists Association

http://www.aaja.org/

· Associated Press Managing Editors

http://www.apme.com/

· Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication

http://www.aejmc.org/

· Association for Women in Communications

http://www.womcom.org/

· Association of Alternative Newsweeklies

http://aan.org/alternative/Aan/index

· Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors — reporters who cover state capitals

http://capitolbeat.wordpress.com

· Association of Food Journalists

http://www.afjonline.com

· Association of Health Care Journalists

http://www.healthjournalism.org

· Association of Sunday and Feature Editors – their work focuses on feature writing and reporting

http://www.aasfe.org/

· Casey Journalism Center on Children and Families lists stories that are good examples

http://www.journalismcenter.org/index.cfm/

· Center for Investigative Reporting

http://www.muckracker.org

· Center for Media Literacy

http://www.medialit.org/

· Committee of Concerned Journalists

http://www.journalism.org

· Committee to Protect Journalists

http://www.cpj.org

· Criminal Justice Journalists

http://www.reporters.net/cjj

· Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma

http://www.dartcenter.org

· Education Writers Association

http://www.ewa.org

· First Amendment Center

http://www.firstamendment.org

· Freedom Forum

http://www.freedomforum.org

· Garden Writers Association of America

http://www.gardenwriters.org/gwa.php?p=index.html

· Inland Press Association

http://www.inlandpress.org/

· International Center for Journalists

http://www.icfj.org/

· International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association

http://www.iftwtwa.org

· Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc.

http://www.ire.org/

· J-Lab –The Institute for Interactive Journalism – a good source on new med

http://www.j-lab.org

· Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy

http://www.hks.harvard.edu/presspol/index.html

· Journalism & Women Symposium

http://jaws.org

· Journalism Fellowships in Child and Family Policy

http://www.child-family.umd.edu

· Knight Center for Specialized Journalism

http://www.knightcenter.umd.edu/

· Knight Digital Media Center

http://www.knightdigitalmediacenter.org /

· Magazine Publishers of America

http://www.magazine.org/

National Association of Black Journalists

http://www.nabj.org/

· National Association of Hispanic Journalists

http://www.nahj.org/

· National Association of Minority Media Executives

http://www.namme.org

· National Association of Science Writers

http://www.nasw.org

· National Book Critics Circle

http://www.bookcritics.org

· National Conference of Editorial Writers

http://www.ncew.org

· National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting

http:/nicar.org

· National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association

http://www.nlgja.org

· National Newspaper Association

http://www.nna.org

· National Press Club

http://npc.press.org

· National Press Foundation

http://www.natpress.org

· National Press Photographers Association Inc.

http://www.nppa.org

· National Society of Newspcaper Columnists

http://www.columnists.com

· National Writers Union

http://www.nwu.org

· Native American Journalists Association

http://www.naja.com

· NewsLab

http://www.newslab.org

· Newspaper Association of America

http://www.naa.org

· Newspaper Guild

Http://www.newsguild.org

· Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University

http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/NiemanFoundation.aspx

· North American Agricultural Journalists

http://ww.naaj.net

· NYFA New York Foundation for the Arts

http://www.nyfa.org

· Online News Association

http://www.onlinenewsassociation.org

· Organization of News Ombudsman

http://www.newsombudsman.org

· Pew Center for Civic Journalism

http://www.pewcenter.org

· Politics and Government Reporters Discussion List

· Poynter Institute

http://www.poynter.org

· Project for Excellence in Journalism

http://www.journalism.org

· Regional Reporters Association

http://ww.rra.org

· Religion Newswriters Association

http://www.religionwriters.com

· Reporters’ Committee for Freedom of the Press

http://rcfp.org

· Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education

· Society for News Design

http://www.snd.org

· Society of American Business Editors and Writers

http://www.sabew.org

· Society of American Travel Writers

http://ww.satw.org

· Society of Environmental Journalists

http://www.sej.org

· Society of Professional Journalists

http://www.spj.org

· Unity: Journalists of Color Inc. – An alliance of groups for journalists of different backgrounds

http://www.unityjournalists.org/

This is one of the better guides I’ve found on how to do video:

Tips for shooting better online video

Equipment

The viewing window for online video, even for most broadband connections, is pretty small, so you don’t necessarily need a top-of-the-line lens. Try this CNet video camera buying guide to help you price, research and select a camera within your budget.

While you don’t need the best camera, you do need acceptable sound. A microphone for man-on-the-street interviews is very helpful and is a real improvement over the camera’s on-board mic. The following are specifications for a hand-held stick microphone. You should be able to find one at a Radio Shack or Best Buy for between $20 and $40, or even a little less.

uni-directional (cardioid) pick-up pattern

lo-impedence (ohm symbol) 600 ohms or lower

frequency response range: 50-100 hertz to 10,000-15,000 hertz

1/8” mini-plug or a ¼” phone plug with a 1/8” adapter

10-20 foot cord (you might find it a pain to wrap up and store such a long cord, but it’s indispensable when you really need it; a detachable cable is OK)

No battery required

A lavaliere microphone for planned sit-down style interviews is a plus, but it’s not imperative if you’re trying to save money at the beginning. Some stick microphones available in the price ranges detailed above come with those cheesy little plastic stands, and believe it or not, these are fine for getting started. Just place the mic on the cheesy stand outside of the frame and shoot. Try to shoot in a quiet place to minimize audio distractions, and you’ll be surprised how well this will suffice to get you started.

You must use earphones to check that your audio is working. It’s surprising how easy it is to forget to turn on a microphone when you’re busy setting up equipment, trying to look confident and, at the same time, working to put your subject at ease. A simple check, even with the cheapest earphones, can save your entire video.

You will also want a tripod. Video doesn’t look good if the image is shaky like you shot it during an earthquake. A tripod with a leveling bubble is a nice extra. If you find yourself without a tripod, avoid using the zoom. As you zoom in, it gets easier and easier to see even the most subtle camera movement.

Flip-around LCD screens are nice in case you need to film yourself. But beware of using the screen all the time because it eats batteries fast. And, an extra battery, though pricey, is worthwhile so that you’re never caught without one. Get a roomy case and don’t forget to keep a pen and paper inside with your camera gear. It’ll make editing easier later if you keep notes while you shoot.

Elements

Video stories have some basic elements that you will carefully edit together. There are other types of elements to include, but these will get you started:

video accompanied by its own sound – called “natural sounds” or nat sound

snippets of people sharing information that advances the story – “sound on tape” or SOTs

your vocal track over video – your vocal track is the “voice over” or VO, and the background video under your narration is called “b-roll.”

As you report your story, you should be thinking about the visuals that will help you tell your story. Match the content of your video to the content of your audio. Remember too that each of the visual clips you’ll weave together to tell your story visually will only be short bursts of no longer than five or six seconds. Think of it as a patchwork quilt that has many different pieces of tiny fabric that all add up to create a unified whole – all of the little pieces contribute to the overall visual effect of the quilt.

It’s also important to establish context. For example, if you’re shooting a story about a beloved local grocery store that is about to close down, you want to show viewers the outside of the store within its natural setting. Is the grocery store one among many in a strip mall along a busy thoroughfare? Or is it a stand-alone store at the crossroads of a tiny no-stoplight village in the foothills? You’ll need to anticipate the kinds of questions your viewers will have and answer them visually and through the narration.

Interviewing people on camera

Here are a few tips:

People don’t really understand how to hold and use microphones, so you should always be the one to hold the stick mic. This puts you in control so you can get the best audio possible.

Leave a little headroom at the top of the frame.

Position your subject a little to the left or right of center and leave nose room to the opposite side.

Use the LCD monitor on the camera to watch the interview at the same time that you look over the camera and make eye contact with the subject. This puts the subject at ease, gives her someone to look at and makes the interview more natural-sounding. But don’t, for any reason, make any sound at all when your subject is talking. Even the littlest laugh or “Ummm” from the camera person sounds awful.

Don’t shoot your subject in front of a window or with the sun behind him, unless you want your subject to appear in silhouette; the best light source comes from behind the camera.

General shooting tips

Each shot should be 10 to 15 seconds.

Use your tripod whenever possible and always use your earphones.

Let the tape run for about 20 seconds at the beginning of a tape and leave a little tape at the end as well.

Get as close as you can to your subjects and shoot close-ups whenever possible.

For online video, avoid pans (horizontal movement of the camera) and zooms (focusing in or out using the zoom feature on the camera) because not only does it look bad on the Internet, but unnecessary movement also slows down the video stream.

Divide up the frame mentally into three vertical strips and place your subjects within those strips in such a way as to create screen balance.

Putting it together

Sit down and create a log of everything you’ve shot. Even the briefest list of the video, audio and time code will help you create your script and will provide a time-saving tool during the editing process.

It’s helpful to write your script in two columns, with the audio narration on the right and the corresponding video on the left.

Select the SOTs (interview sound bites) that help move the story forward. Design visual sequences to flesh out the narration and be sure to include shots that help establish location and context. Remember that, except for SOTs, each snippet of b-roll coverage will usually run about five or six seconds at the most.

After you’ve finished writing, you will need to record the chunks of narration between the SOTs. If you don’t have access to a vocal booth, then get into a closet full of clothes or a carpeted room to record your vocal tracks. Use your stick mic and record your voice directly onto an unused part of the DV tape.

Editing software

There are a number of editing software packages available to get you started. The software you use will depend on many different factors, like your editing goals, how much money you want to lay out, your specific computer configuration and the software’s user interface.

Options include:

Windows Movie Maker

iMovie(for Macs)

Adobe Premiere Elements

Ulead VideoStudio

Final Cut Pro

Cinelerra (very powerful and it’s Free Software!)

Lay down your vocal track first and SOTs second so that you have a full audio version of your story to start with. Then go back and drop in your b-roll clips and video sequences to complement your vocal track.

At the end, equalize your sound by raising nat sounds when they are alone and do not compete with narration and by lowering nat sounds when they are too loud under the narration. The sound should flow evenly and naturally without any surprising drops or jumps in volume.

Posting online

If you have your own website, you could FTP your video to your server. But online video requires a lot of bandwidth, which could increase your web hosting costs substantially. Fortunately, there are several places where you can upload and host video online for free:

YouTube

Open Media Network

OurMedia.org

Google Video

Here is a reminder and wonderful inspiring one about the power of radio; It is a program about Tribal radio

http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=106340930&m=106339136