Maria Burns Ortiz

Week 9
Photos

Readings:
Journalism Next: A Practical Guide to Digital Reporting and Publishing
Chapter 6
Study Shows People Ignore Generic Photos Online
How to make your audio slideshows better
How to take good pictures with different cameras [Really basic overview for various kinds of cameras – from cell phone to DSLR] (Take the quiz.)
11 tips for citizen journalists shooting photos

Optional (If you are unfamiliar with/need a refresher on Soundslides, please review):
Soundslides Tutorial

Homework:

Blog 1 – Create a curated photo gallery (7-10 photos) related to your beat. Use captions to tell the story. Make sure to source photo credits.

Blog 2 – Choose a story/event to cover. (It does not have to be related to your beat. If you are shooting photos for your final project, you can use them for this assignment.) Write a short blog summarizing the event. Include the following original images: two mug shots, two action shots, two vertical shots, two horizontal shots, one shot that would run as the centerpiece/carousel/top story art and two shots taken with a cellphone/smartphone camera. Write captions for each piece. Post to your blog as a gallery.

Blog 3 – Discuss your news tracking site’s use of photos. How effectively are photos used? Who takes the photos (staff vs. wire)? Are the photos unique/attention grabbing or generic/used simply to provide a photo element? Does your site regularly use galleries? If so, cite two recent examples. Are the galleries effective? Are they used as blatant traffic grabs? Has your site recently featured any well-produced photo-driven elements? If so, explain.

Assignment 1 – Prepare audio and images to bring to class for Soundslides in-class assignment. (Final project materials recommended.)

Final project progress check.

In-class:
Soundslides