Online Student Journalism: Outstanding Use of Multimedia or Social Networking
College Week continues with a look at the best multimedia or social networking features happening at online student newspapers.
1. Free For All
The University Daily Kansan, University of Kansan
Major news outlets take notice: The Daily Kansan is letting users say whatever they want, without filter. It's Free For All feature is an extension of its Facebook application and the result is like a public Twitter feed full of rants, ravings and random hookups. The best comments are taken from the site and printed in the paper.
2. Police/Fire Map
The Daily Collegian Online, Penn State
The Daily Collegian has mashed up the local police blotter with a Google map to great effect. The map is an interactive look at crime in the area, something that most online papers, both on the university and mainstream level, have yet to create.
3. Video Channel
The Arbiter, Boise State University
The Arbiter's video page beats other video channels — even those that exclusively produce original content — because it is well-organized and fits right in with the rest of the site. The site supplements its original video coverage and interviews with Reuters' videos and the two blend seamlessly.
4. Mobile news
The Stanford Daily, Stanford University
Pretty much every college student has a cell phone now. The Stanford Daily has taken notice and made its content available for those who would rather pick up a phone than a newspaper. The Daily makes use of the mobile service Mozeo which allows the paper send mobile updates to its subscribers.
5. YouTube Channel/ "Eat Me or Not"
The State Hornet, California State University, Sacramento
The State Hornet has a lot of great content, but one of its standout features is its YouTube channel which has almost 50 videos and thousands of views. The content of the videos varies widely from interviews to performances to news footage. The other great feature is "Eat Me or Not" where Sac State students give their take on the best and worst restaurants the area has to offer. Other college media publications offer dining guides on their respective sites, but The State Hornet best incorporates its readers into the reviews.
More exceptional multimedia after the break
6. Interactive features
The State News, Michigan State University
Very few college newspapers are creating interactive features and even fewer do them as well as The State News. "Thrift Store Fashion," an investigative piece that gave five students $20 to pick out a cool outfit, is not only well reported but well edited and designed. Equally impressive is "Get Ready to Tailgate," an audio exploration of some of MSU's biggest fans.
7. Twitter
The Independent Florida Alligator, University of Florida
It seems everyone is Twittering these days, but The Alligator is one of very few student newspapers doing so. The site uses twitterfeed to broadcast news stories and links, almost 2,500 of which have been sent since The Alligator began using the service.
8. Photo slideshows
Columbia Spectator, Columbia University
Many other student papers are producing audio slideshows, but it is The Spectator's sheer volume of slideshows that makes it stand out from the pack. The projects range from an exploration of the Museum of Sex to political and world news.
9. Newspaper location map
The GW Hatchet, George Washington University
Sometimes it takes a little bit of effort and searching to find a student newspaper on campus. The Hatchet makes it easier with an online Google Map of locations where the print edition can be picked up. Color-coded markers signify locations where papers are delivered by hand, by the paper's printing company or are available on news boxes.
10. Cross-publication multimedia
kentnewsnet.com, Kent State University
Kentnewsnet.com has so many videos, audio slideshows and photos available that it can be daunting — so much so that, because everything is on one page, the site is liable to crash your browser. Nevertheless, the site's many multimedia offerings, along with the coverage by on-campus media outlets TV2 News and Black Squirrel Radio, proves there really is no excuse not to know whats happening on the Kent State campus.
Did we miss your favorite multimedia feature? Share your favorites in the comments. PREVIOUSLY: Best Site Design TOMORROW: Best Student Journalism. Period.
1. Free For All
The University Daily Kansan, University of Kansan
Major news outlets take notice: The Daily Kansan is letting users say whatever they want, without filter. It's Free For All feature is an extension of its Facebook application and the result is like a public Twitter feed full of rants, ravings and random hookups. The best comments are taken from the site and printed in the paper.
2. Police/Fire Map
The Daily Collegian Online, Penn State
The Daily Collegian has mashed up the local police blotter with a Google map to great effect. The map is an interactive look at crime in the area, something that most online papers, both on the university and mainstream level, have yet to create.
3. Video Channel
The Arbiter, Boise State University
The Arbiter's video page beats other video channels — even those that exclusively produce original content — because it is well-organized and fits right in with the rest of the site. The site supplements its original video coverage and interviews with Reuters' videos and the two blend seamlessly.
4. Mobile news
The Stanford Daily, Stanford University
Pretty much every college student has a cell phone now. The Stanford Daily has taken notice and made its content available for those who would rather pick up a phone than a newspaper. The Daily makes use of the mobile service Mozeo which allows the paper send mobile updates to its subscribers.
5. YouTube Channel/ "Eat Me or Not"
The State Hornet, California State University, Sacramento
The State Hornet has a lot of great content, but one of its standout features is its YouTube channel which has almost 50 videos and thousands of views. The content of the videos varies widely from interviews to performances to news footage. The other great feature is "Eat Me or Not" where Sac State students give their take on the best and worst restaurants the area has to offer. Other college media publications offer dining guides on their respective sites, but The State Hornet best incorporates its readers into the reviews.
More exceptional multimedia after the break
6. Interactive features
The State News, Michigan State University
Very few college newspapers are creating interactive features and even fewer do them as well as The State News. "Thrift Store Fashion," an investigative piece that gave five students $20 to pick out a cool outfit, is not only well reported but well edited and designed. Equally impressive is "Get Ready to Tailgate," an audio exploration of some of MSU's biggest fans.
7. Twitter
The Independent Florida Alligator, University of Florida
It seems everyone is Twittering these days, but The Alligator is one of very few student newspapers doing so. The site uses twitterfeed to broadcast news stories and links, almost 2,500 of which have been sent since The Alligator began using the service.
8. Photo slideshows
Columbia Spectator, Columbia University
Many other student papers are producing audio slideshows, but it is The Spectator's sheer volume of slideshows that makes it stand out from the pack. The projects range from an exploration of the Museum of Sex to political and world news.
9. Newspaper location map
The GW Hatchet, George Washington University
Sometimes it takes a little bit of effort and searching to find a student newspaper on campus. The Hatchet makes it easier with an online Google Map of locations where the print edition can be picked up. Color-coded markers signify locations where papers are delivered by hand, by the paper's printing company or are available on news boxes.
10. Cross-publication multimedia
kentnewsnet.com, Kent State University
Kentnewsnet.com has so many videos, audio slideshows and photos available that it can be daunting — so much so that, because everything is on one page, the site is liable to crash your browser. Nevertheless, the site's many multimedia offerings, along with the coverage by on-campus media outlets TV2 News and Black Squirrel Radio, proves there really is no excuse not to know whats happening on the Kent State campus.
Did we miss your favorite multimedia feature? Share your favorites in the comments. PREVIOUSLY: Best Site Design TOMORROW: Best Student Journalism. Period.
2 Comments:
nice roundup. I'll be checking these out. Caught my eye by mentioning The State News, where I briefly worked when the web wasn't much of a consideration.
commented by 
shawn smith, 6:47 PM
shawn smith, 6:47 PM
I'd argue a lot of these features are not social networked items. In order to have social network you need people interacting with each other separate from the journalism being produced. The journalism is often a catalyst but it is not an interactive item.
"Free for all" for example, is hardly social networking just because you can comment on the site using Facebook.
If anything, some of the features are citizen journalism (Video Channel is great) but there is no network/community building here.
"Free for all" for example, is hardly social networking just because you can comment on the site using Facebook.
If anything, some of the features are citizen journalism (Video Channel is great) but there is no network/community building here.
