When it comes to photography, I'm nowhere near professional but I'd like to think I'm a step above amateur. Here is what I've learned in my quest to become a better photographer:


Have the camera ready and snap it quick

My number one frustration is not capturing a fleeting moment. If the opportunity for a great photo is imminent, have the camera powered up and ready before the moment has passed.

Don't be afraid to get down and dirty

Sometimes getting close to a subject may invade his or her personal space (or yours), but the result is often a better photo. Don't rely on the zoom to capture something from far away.

Switch up your angles

One of the first lessons I learned some years ago is photos don't have to be shot straight on all the time. Tilt the camera or find a different perspective that is interesting to the eye. (Thank you Valerie Soe, wherever you are.)

Look for the unusual

If a fire is happening, its easy to start taking pictures of just the flames, but the real story is what is happening around the fire. Find those interesting, human moments that tell the story behind the tragedy or triumph.


Here are some non-work related photos I took recently around my hometown. You be the judge:


         

         

         



Now let's hear from the professionals. These tips were culled from the web and I encourage you to visit each site for even more lessons on great photography:

From modemlooper's 7 Excellent Photography Tips:

Learn your camera's settings

Chances are you shoot most of your pictures utilizing your camera's "automatic" mode. This will get you average results. If you are striving for great shots, you'll need to learn about other modes too. Take the time to read your camera's manual to understand when to use each shooting mode.

Take more photos

Before going crazy buying the most expensive equipment right away, you had better take more photos because the more photos you take, the more you'll know about what kind of camera to get when it's time to upgrade. In other words, you can always delete the bad ones later.


From SEO Smarty's How To Optimize Images For Search Engines, Social Media and People

(Clean, clear) faces in an image get more eye fixation. (don't use abstract images too often).

Keep them relevant: images are not the first thing a visitor sees on a web page but they can compel him to stay


From Photojojo's Ten Legal Commandments of Photography

V. People can be photographed if they are in public (without their consent) unless they have secluded themselves and can expect a reasonable degree of privacy.

VII. Although "security" is often given as the reason somebody doesn't want you to take photos, it's rarely valid. Taking a photo of a publicly visible subject does not constitute terrorism, nor does it infringe on a company's trade secrets.

(BTW, Photojojo is an excellent blog for both aspiring and professional photographers.)


For examples of beautiful photography that we all can aspire to, check out Smashing Magazine's (Really) Stunning Pictures and Photos.

Labels: photos

It's no secret that 10,000 words is a fan of CNN (here and here), especially its iReport program that empowers citizen journalists, but we have to agree there are some bizarre happenings over at it its website, particularly when it comes to its headlines.

A great blog encapsulating the phenomenon is CNN is like the worst "news" source. Ever. Blogger/artist Kelly Chambers takes the week's most interesting headlines and draws an illustration to accompany it. The results are hilarious, especially "Kids put in dryer and tumbled, police say" and "Drunk newlyweds tasered, jailed."

Another equally interesting blog is WTFCNN?, a collection of the news site's most questionable headlines. Some of the offenders include "Worst hair day ever involved a monkey," "No LOL, Doctors don't answer emails," and "Co-ed strips for her honors thesis, gets a B."

Breaking News or Not? users also take aim at CNN by determining whether a story is actually news and therefore warrants placement on the site. Some of the decisions are faulty as "Massive power outage hits Central and South Florida" was deemed as not news, but it is interesting to see what users think. BNON also covers a number of other news sources including Fox News, the BBC and The New York Times.


If you're a fan of the CNN and its infamous, yet iconic, headlines, the cable news network has made them available on t-shirts for you to wear proudly around the newsroom. Recent and past headlines are available to choose from and are written in the famous font.

Speaking of t-shirts, the season for professional journalism conferences is fast approaching and if you are a young journalist looking for that first gig or a seasoned pro looking to switch lanes, you may want to grab yourself a Resume Tee. Blackbird Tees will print your curriculum vitae on a t-shirt and a witticism on the front. Just remember if you get hired, tell em you saw it here.



Writing headlines isn't easy so there are bound to be some gaffes now and then. Luckily we can all learn from each other's mistakes.

Seen a heinous headline lately? Share it in the comments.

Labels: news on the news

I was driving around Los Angeles Tuesday afternoon and had some time to kill, so I made a detour to the UCLA campus with the intention of driving home soon after. I quickly realized I was near the westernmost part of world-famous Sunset Boulevard. I decided to travel the entire length of the winding road and take a photograph every time I stopped at a red light. Always a multimedia journalist, I decided I would later create a Google Map of the resulting photos and locations.

So in an unintentional finale to College Week at 10,000 words, here is my road trip from UCLA to Olvera Street near Downtown L.A.:



View Larger Map


And now creating the map...

I wrote previously about quick ways to create a Google Map but now I will break down the process for a quick tutorial and demonstrate how easy it really is.




I take the images out of the iPhone, crop them for focus and upload them to the web. Because I did not geotag any of the 26 photos, I have to retrace my steps and catalog unfamiliar intersections. Once I have a handwritten list of locations that correspond to my photos, I am ready to start building.



I choose Google My Maps because it is easy to use and simple to draw lines on a map.




I give the map a title and a description. I decide to make it public so everyone can check it out.



I begin drawing lines to represent my trip down Sunset Blvd. The street is very curvy in parts so it takes a little more effort than I expected.





I place my first marker on the map at Cesar Chavez & Lyon in East L.A. and add a photo. It was the last stop on my trip and because I ended up listing the points in reverse order, I will work backwards to create the map.




As I'm placing the points I realize some of the lines are not exactly on Sunset, so I fix them along the way using the handles that appear when I rollover them.



28 points later, I'm done!



I click "Link to this page" to embed the map. I change the default size settings and set the zoom.




I copy the resulting code and place it into a new Blogger post. Voila! New Google Map!

Labels: maps

4. Newspaper style

They say old habits die hard and one habit that doesn't seem to be doing too much dying on college newspaper sites is adhering to newspaper layout. This usually means having a story or two above the fold and major navigation elements several scroll lengths down the page. This works great on broadsheet, but it ca be frustrating for web users. Instead, divide the page into columns and ensure that a list of recent or breaking news stories is somewhere near the top.


3. No RSS feed

More often than not it is an identifiable RSS icon that is missing but there are a few sites that are missing RSS feeds altogether. In an internet age where an RSS feed is a de facto part of every website, big or small, not enabling RSS is blasphemous. Most importantly, it keeps users who may not visit the online student paper every day a way to still be updated on breaking news. Start off by checking out WhatIsRSS.com or speak to your site administrator to ensure that this all-important feature is available to your readers.



2. Slow loading time

The two most common reasons most online student news sites take forever to load are the heavy use of large images and large amounts of content on one page. Large images (like the ones taking up this week's posts) look great but, for the students in the dorm all trying to connect to one weak wi-fi connection, can be a pain in the posterior. Images as navigation should be used sparingly. Images solely comprised of text should be replaced with actual text. This will speed up the loading process and is more SEO friendly.

Placing every photo slideshow or video in your paper's arsenal on one page can be debilitating to the users who really want to see it. Instead, break up heavy content over several pages and use numbers or text links to increase flow-through.


1. White space


Ah, white space. The mortal enemy of most online student newspaper sites. Many student-run websites are incredibly uneven either because the list of stories or the ads run past the rest of the content, leaving a narrow column surrounded by nothing. A lot of it stems trying to get the entire staff member's story on the front page (which is unnecessary) or laying out the page like a newspaper (which is, of course, wrong). A lesser culprit is placing the full text or complete list of stories on one page which often exceeds the navigation or rail. To slay the dreaded white space, split up and paginate long stories or simply extend the navigation. Also, be sure to make use of a footer so the page doesn't end when the story ends. Once a reader is done, you want them to check out the rest of your excellent content.

The top student newspaper websites were chosen for their integration of print stories, online only features, site design, technical skill and most importantly the incorporation of unique multimedia elements. Here are the top seven from across the country.

7. InsideVandy, Vanderbilt University

What it lacks in cohesive organization, InsideVandy makes up for in its massive amounts of content. Well-written print stories take residence next to video, podcasts and slideshows. The site also has a host of bloggers to provide fresh content and a section of stories and multimedia specifically targeted toward new students.

6. The University Daily Kansan, University of Kansas

Professional design is only the backbone of the journalistic prowess happening at The Kansan. The site features 12 blogs, three podcast series and a smattering of video on everything from sports to politics.

5. The State News, Michigan State University

At first glance The State News' online presence looks a little bare bones. But once you start clicking around you'll find incredible video pieces, one-of-a-kind interactives and sports coverage of more than 15 teams. It's clear that multimedia is the star at The State News.

4. The State Hornet, California State University, Sacramento

Aside from its forward-thinking "Eat Me or Not" and comprehensive YouTube channel, the Hornet also has a varied number of podcasts to accompany its features, sports and opinions section and video of campus news. The useful information in The Hornet's election section is supplemented by audio clips and message boards. The icing on the cake is the site's well-designed pages that highlight its comprehensive news coverage.

3. Indiana Daily Student, Indiana University

Arguably the most impressive feature of the Indiana Daily Student are its student blogs on sports, news, politics and the arts, each with easily identifiable icons that make subscribing to RSS feeds a snap. Its many slideshows, videos and podcasts are top notch and organized in a user-friendly layout. Other outstanding content includes a dining guide, a religious directory for searching area churches and a housing guide for finding the perfect pad. This is all supplemented with polls and video from the Associated Press.

2. The Ithacan, Ithaca College

Perhaps the only thing preventing The Ithacan from being contender for the top spot is the wonky and distracting slideshow element on the front page. Everything else, design-wise, is clean and well-organized which makes reading stories on the site a pleasant experience. Its six blogs, excluding one on hiatus, cover campus news, pop culture, music and more. Most importantly, they are constantly updated. The Ithacan's multimedia page takes a life of its own with well-reported video and podcasts and stunning photo galleries and audio slideshows.

1. The Independent Florida Alligator, University of Florida

The Alligator is hands down the best online student newspaper and rivals the pros in its news coverage and use of multimedia elements. Just listing the stellar components that make up the site warrant its own individual post. The Alligator's standout features are the Gainesville Explorer, a look at the surrounding city using video and audio slideshows, the use of Google Maps mashups to illustrate problems like apartment overcrowding and rising gas prices, and its 11 blogs that cover pretty much every spectrum of news. Admittedly The Alligator works on a larger scale than most student newspapers, but it is nevertheless an exceptional example of the possibility of online student journalism.

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.

It's College Week at 10,000 words! Over the next few days we will examine some of the best (and worst) online journalism happening at the hundreds of colleges and universities across the country. Most student newspapers are indeed a rehash of the print product but there are a select few that go above and beyond.

Today, the best designed student newspaper websites are highlighted. It's worth noting the remarkable number of schools relying on the templates provided by College Publisher. It's still up in the air whether this is a good or bad thing, but there is something to be said about individuality and creativity. Good design isn't expensive, it just takes some effort and ingenuity. Hundreds of online newspapers were examined and whittled down to the top seven. Here are the sites that are pushing the design envelope:

7. The Yorktown Patriot, Yorktown University

The Patriot's design is indeed patriotic. The use of red, white and blue images are appropriate and give The Patriot's online effort the feel of a government or campaign website. It's heavy use of images does means slower load times, but the site makes up for it with its SEO-friendly news pages.

6. The Stanford Daily, Stanford University

The design of The Stanford Daily Online is reminiscent of a traditional newspaper, but has been adapted to an online format that would be the envy of some mainstream newspapers. The site suffers from white space issues, but has a clean layout that makes it easily navigable and uses visually stunning photographs to draw attention where appropriate.

5. The Yale Herald, Yale University

The architecture of the vaulted ceilings incorporated into the header of the Yale Herald signifies that they mean serious news. And the rest of the site isn't too bad either. The serif font used in the site's navigation and headers sets the tone for a well-designed site that differs visually from any other student newspaper.

4. The Independent Florida Alligator, University of Florida

The Alligator is an incredible example of the potential greatness of an online student newspaper. Its black and white design makes the fine journalism happening on the site look even better. Sections and stories are easily scannable and the site's headlines are large enough to catch the eye. The Alligator also makes great use of its footer — a contrasting black to the rest of the page — something that is rare in online student paper design.

3. The University Daily Kansan, University of Kansas

At first glance, The Kansan doesn't look like a student newspaper site at all. Rather, it looks like many other professional media outlets, which is actually its strength. It's use of the color blue and scrolling news headlines, coupled with its unobtrusive advertisements and navigation make it stand out as more mature than any of its peers.

2. The Dartmouth, Dartmouth College

TheDartmouth.com is serene, like reading the news on a lazy Sunday regardless of the day of the week. Every section is featured prominently with an image or graphic, including the paper's print efforts. Equally impressive are the site's archives in which the attention to detail given to each issue is most evident.

1. Marquette Tribune, Marquette University

The Marquette Tribune's use of strong, eye-catching typography together with its blue/tan/peach color combo makes it the standout design of any online college newspaper. The design incorporates a bit of whimsy and is reminiscent of the fictional Daily Planet, but still captures the seriousness of a mainstream publication. Most importantly, the site has a one-of-a-kind look and brand that is unmatched among student newspapers and the web in general.




Agree or disagree with this list? Seen better design elsewhere? Share your favorites in the comments. TOMORROW: Best Use of Multimedia

Working in the multimedia or online section sometimes means being able to work from a laptop outside of the office, from home or on the road. Here are some tips to facilitate a good workflow when working away from the office:


Look for the nearest Starbucks

If you're on the road a lot, chances are there is a Starbucks or three near you (that goes double if you're in Seattle). Say what you want about their coffee but their wireless internet access is very reliable. It's worth investing in a monthly plan if you plan to use it a lot (that is until the free version kicks in everywhere). T-Mobile Hotspot wi-fi is available at coffeehouses and airports across the nation. If you're not down with Starbucks, you can also use the free wi-fi at Panera Bread or any other locale by using an online wi-fi finder.


Pump up the Beethoven

I remember hearing a long time ago that classical music is great for improving memory and that has stuck with for some time. Playing classical music allows the mind to wander and be creative and also drowns out the noise in a less than quiet environment. Most classical pieces are also long, so there is more of an opportunity to get lost in the music. Start off with Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" or Andrea Bocelli's "Con te Partiro" to get you in the mood... for work.


Hold on to that thumb drive

USB thumb drives are great for transporting files between computers and are growing exponentially in disk size. But the little buggers are also very easy to lose, so its best to keep it on a keychain and make sure to keep a back up of all files you plan to transport on your computer.


Dress for success

If you're not actually going into the office, its easy to throw on a pair of sweat pants and an old college t-shirt, but it doesn't help to put you in a work mindframe. Putting on work clothes outside of the office helps maintain an attitude that, yes, there is work to be done.


Get outside!

Laptop owners aren't limited to using coffee shops. Become one with nature and find a scenic, but shady park to work from. The foliage might just inspire your next great project. If you're unfortunately still tethered to a cubicle, it's time to discuss having a couple of out of the office days. You can only be so creative when surrounded by four walls.

The news happens fast and if you have equally fast fingers that news can be shared with the blogosphere immediately. Blogging from a mobile phone, or moblogging, is a great way to create news updates while working in the field or perhaps anywhere a bulky laptop wouldn't be practical or permitted. There are a number of ways to make blogging on those tiny little keys a little easier.

Utterz lets users send any combination of text, photos, audio or video from a mobile phone and, using Utterz Connections, post to WordPress, Blogger, YouTube, TypePad, Twitter, MovableType and more. The site is an excellent way to send mobile messages or "utterz" to your blog or to yourself as a repository for notes. Messages can also easily edited and published directly from your mobile phone via m.utterz.com.

Blogger users can post blog items by email which can be published automatically or saved for later. Simply setup a unique email address on the Blogger site and the email subject will become the title of the post, the text body will become the post and image attachments will be tacked to the end. The end point of the post should be designated with #end so Blogger recognizes when the content ends. This is to ensure that the signature some email programs add to the end of outgoing emails doesn't show up in the post. You can also send messages to go@blogger.com which, through a quick setup process, will post directly to your blog.

Tech-savvy journalists or web administrators can setup WordPress so that blog posts can be sent by email. The instructions to set up mobile blogging are available here. By using the WPhone plugin, WordPress bloggers can access the site on a mobile phone. Users can also set up a mobile-friendly version of their WordPress blog by using a plugin that will automatically detect if the visitor is a mobile phone.

iPhone/iPod Touch owners can use Typepad's mobile interface for blogging on the go. A similar system is available for users of Movable Type.

Finally, if you don't plan on or don't want to write full blog posts from your phone, you can also use Twitter as a way of sending short messages to the masses. There are a number of tools for integrating tweets into your blog like this one for Blogger and this one for WordPress.

Labels: mobile

Last night, while watching Citizen Kane, an excellent movie about the life of a fictitious newspaper publisher, my mind started to wonder. How much had the media industry changed since the early 1900s when the film was set? Call this post a Rorschach test of sorts. Here's how I reacted to some of the choice lines in the movie.


Carter: We're a morning newspaper, we're practically closed for 12 hours a day.

Charles Foster Kane: That's one of the things that going to have to be changed around here. The news goes on for 24 hours a day.

Carter: Mr. Kane, it's impossible!

It seems the impossible has become possible. The web has extended daily newspaper coverage past the night shift reporter and into a literal 24-hour newsroom. News is no longer held overnight if it happens after deadline. Rather it's online usually within minutes of its occurence. I'd say that's pretty remarkable and a big step in journalism.


"I think it would be fun to run a newspaper."

Probably not so much nowadays. With mass layoffs reorganizations happening in newsrooms across the country, I don't envy today's newspaper publishers and media executives. Newspapers, magazines, radio and TV stations are all a business and that means some things have to be cut — something I wished I had been told as a budding journalist. Some say journalism is suffering because of corporate cutbacks, I say it is an opportunity for citizen journalists to pick up the slack.


"I don't know how to run a newspaper Mr. Thatcher, I just try everything I can think of."

As much as we try to pinpoint what will keep newspapers and other media outlets afloat, nobody really has come up with the one idea what will be the saving grace. All we know is that computers are involved somehow. But if you've been reading this blog for awhile you'll know that multimedia isn't just slideshows and embedded videos. There is such a range of types of journalism to choose from that we must try everything and see what sticks.


"We have no secrets from our readers."

Yeah I think we do. Even with internal and external blogs and newsroom openness, most readers/viewers have no idea how journalism happens. I'd think that they'd be surprised how much communication takes place over the phone or through email rather than face to face. And how most of us are taking on this web thing begrudgingly or dutifully rather than optimistically (okay maybe they do know that). Still with more and more blogs covering the media industry, nothing stays secret for long.


"Even newspaper men have to sleep some time."

I think the web and blogs stole our sleep. There are more avenues than ever for content to be published or broadcast which means losing sleep over what the next blog item will be about or what the next podcast will be. The upside is consumers are getting more bang for their buck out of journalists. The down side is we lose a little of our extra beauty rest.

Tag clouds have been popping up around the net for some time, but have yet to make a splash as a tool for journalism (see the category section in the right rail or this Entertainment Weekly graphic for examples).

Using a tag cloud tool is quick and easy way to examine the frequency of any long block of text, written or spoken. With a quick glance one can tell what the major themes of said text are. For example, here are the 50 most frequently spoken words in Hillary Clinton's speech at the 1996 Democratic National Convention. The larger font size corresponds to a higher frequency:




One could easily gather that Sen. Clinton was (is?) concerned about children and families. Here is a similar analysis of Barack Obama's keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention:




Sen. Obama's pervasive message of hope for America is evident in his speech. And finally an analysis of John McCain's address to the 2004 Republican National Convention:



It's obvious that the Senator had war on the brain. Thanks to American Rhetoric for the text from their bank of speeches. The visual analysis was created using TagCrowd, a free and simple tool for analyzing text or even whole webpages. Find more tagging tools at Mashable.

The visualization tool at Many Eyes can also be used to compare the two speeches or any two blocks of text. Although the future Democratic candidates were not campaigning just yet, using the tool one would discover both Obama and Clinton favored the words America, belief/believe, child, family, health, jobs, nation and work in their speeches.

Many Eyes's Word Tree visualization is also useful for seeing how words and phrases are repeated in any given text. The site uses Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech as an example, but it could also be useful for analyzing songs, poetry, or other monologues with repetition.

The New York Times takes speech visualization a step further by organizing the discussion between Senators Obama and Clinton and moderator Brian Williams at the Feb. 26 Democratic debate. Each contributor's words are grouped into blocks that, when rolled over, show that portion of the talk. The visualization is useful for seeing who spoke more and how the candidates went back and forth.

Speech visualization is not just for politics, but for any great talk or monologue that could benefit from a quick analysis. Just for kicks I analyzed the last seven 10,000 words posts and the most frequent words were audio, colors, multimedia, news, olympic, online, political, site and users. Sounds right to me.

Nothing brings the world together like the Olympic Games. The same goes for multimedia journalism, so the two are a match made in heaven. Media outlets around the world are gearing up for the 2008 Games in Beijing. In addition to airing 1,200 hours of Olympics coverage on five different channels, NBC plans to broadcast 1,000 more hours of video on the web. That means all the badminton, taekwondo and Greco-Roman wrestling you can handle.

The Beijing Guide, a website run by the China International Travel Service, has photos and 360° views of popular Beijing attractions including the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square and The Gate of Heavenly Peace.



The upcoming Olympic Games aren't without their share of controversy as evidenced by the efforts of Reporters Without Borders, Human Rights Watch (which has a well-designed and resourceful site), and the many protesters around the world.

BBC News has an eye-opening take on the history of the Olympic torch, which has incited protests almost everywhere it goes. Track the progress of the Olympic torch, or perhaps the site of the next protest, using Google's Torch Relay map. The map has detailed information on past and future locations of the torch, whenever available, and includes photos of each location.

The International Olympic Committee recently approved blogging as a means of coverage because blogging is "a legitimate form of personal expression and not a form of journalism." Right. And don't expect any multimedia elements: bloggers are banned from posting any video or audio. Olympics bloggers must adhere to strict standards and must write about their experiences rather than news stories.

There are a number of blogs already covering the progress of the Olympics including Beijing Olympics Fan, Reuters' Countdown to Beijing blog, Beijing Olympics Blog on FanNation and this now defunct blog on the architecture of Olympic arenas in Beijing (with includes stunning photos).

Labels: blogging, video

After reading a post from fave blog The Editorialiste commenting on the troubles of budding multimedia journalists, I understand. Multimedia is hard. It's different. That's why I've written a list of reasons why you shouldn't bother with multimedia.


1. The extra hours spent on multimedia will preempt any pressing games of Solitaire.

2. Backpack journalism requires backpacks...which are heavy.

3. Asking a journalist to multitask is like asking Bo Jackson to play more than one sport, I mean come on.

4. The hundreds of voices on a website can't compare to the two quality experts in a print or broadcast story.

5. Who needs to learn how to record audio when you can write?

6. Interactivity is just a fancy word for communism.

7. There will always be an intern that will do it for cheap.

8. The Pulitzer committee won't see your story if it's on the net.

9. Computers cause cancer.

10. Journalism is dead anyway.

Labels: news on the news

Breaking news stories are greatly enriched when paired with Google Maps. Car accidents, natural disasters, rallies and speeches, celebrity sightings and more all benefit from a small map that indicates their location. The Google Maps API is a great tool if you'd had experience using it, but there are a number of third-party applications that streamline the map-building process and facilitate and quicker move to the web when time is a factor. Below are some of the best tools for creating worry-free Google Maps.

Map Builder | www.mapbuilder.net
Special Features: Address search, Upload multiple locations (CSV file), Editable HTML code, customized controls

Atlas | www.fmatlas.com
Special Features: Novice-friendly simplicity, Address, business and Wikipedia search, Bulk uploader (CSV),

CommunityWalk | www.communitywalk.com
Special Features: Create paths, Color-coded or custom markers, Bulk upload (Excel), Export points, audio capabilities, social networking

Google My Maps | maps.google.com
Special Features: Create custom markers, lines and polygons, Add HTML, photo and video to pop up balloons, collaborate and share with others, Overlay additional content

YourGMap | www.yourgmap.com
Special Features: Novice-friendly simplicity, Export markers to CSV file, Customized controls and markers, Embed final map



If none of the aforementioned services floats your boat, Mashable has a list of 50+ Tools and Resources for Online Maps.

Labels: maps, social networking

November 4 is right around the corner, so if you haven't had a meeting or two about elections coverage, now's as good a time as any. If you're already on the ball or if you need to get rolling, here are some online sites that are infusing new media into traditional political journalism and powered by citizen journalists.

For the average citizen, presidential primaries can be a confusing and complicated process. Regular guy/techie Jim Edlin presents an alternative to the existing process of electing a president with the site OnlinePrimary. Visitors are asked to rank the presidential candidates and the results are posted on the front page.



One part of the political process that is a head scratcher for the average person is the Democratic Party's use of superdelegates. The Superdelegate Transparency Project aims to remove a little bit of the mystery behind these all-important politicos by examining who they are and who they plan to vote for (right now, the count is in favor of Hillary Clinton). The site also provides in-depth, yet easy to read information on how the delegate process works.

In a play for the Naked News crowd (link semi-NSFW), SexyPolitics is encouraging political awareness by adding a little incentive. It's simple: take a quiz on political candidates, issues or general political knowledge and the more questions you get right, the more articles of clothing the "stripper" removes. The questions can get admittedly difficult so you're going to have to work hard to get that sexy prisoner to disrobe. If you're only interested in taking the quizzes, there is an option to skip the strip. On the plus side, the site is making politics and a whole lot more interesting and, ahem, sexier.



YouBama, a portmanteau of video sharing site YouTube and presidential candidate Barack Obama, is exactly what its name suggests: a site for sharing videos of the presidential candidate. Users have uploaded roughly 600 videos of campaign ads, attacks on the competition, news clips and poems(?).

Can you really tell a lot about a candidate based on his or her website? Dustin Brewer thinks so. The freelance web designer judges the candidates' web presence from a purely technical standpoint, examining the lines of code and overall design. Barack Obama comes out on top for his site's clean and modern look and cross-browser compatibility, while John McCain and Mike Huckabee fall to the bottom for their lack of effort and faulty coding.

Every political candidate has their own website, faulty or no, but 23-year-old Meghan McCain is getting serious mileage out of the web by blogging her experiences while on the road with her father, newly minted Republican presidential nominee John McCain. The site is like a journal/family photo album and makes the elder McCain seem less staid as he and some other candidates can appear to be when making the rounds on television.

Speaking of blogs, a recent Harris poll showed that "only" 22 percent of Americans of read political blogs regularly, but I'd like to flip that notion on its head. Considering there are roughly 303 million people living in America and blogs really became mainstream in the last few years, I'd say that's quite a lot of people reading political blogs.

Consider also that the public's reliance on newspapers and television as a source of political news is slipping (but you knew that already), according to the Pew Research Center. That means its time to beef up online political news and perhaps look to the average Janes and Joes for a little inspiration.

For more politics, check out previous posts on tracking the presidential candidates online and unusual political news coverage.

Labels: blogging, citizen journalism, video

Of all the skills required of a multimedia journalist my favorite is definitely audio editing. I have been a serious audiophile since I produced my first old timey radio drama in college, so imagine my delight at this demonstration of the stereo effect (listen with headphones). The audio project replicates the feeling of sitting in a barber's chair, including the snip of the scissors and the cringeworthy sound of electric clippers.

While you're not likely to hear elaborate radio dramas anymore, the web does offer a space for providing unique audio experiences to an attentive audience. That being said here are some tips on creating better, more efficient audio projects:

When it comes to free audio editing programs, Audacity, with all its faults, seems to be the industry standard. One of the most obvious flaws is that the program will return an error message if you try to export your file as an mp3. There is, however, a simple download that will nip the problem in the bud. For more Audacity tips and tricks, check out this video tutorial.



If you're using Windows and don't have access to GarageBand, Wavosaur is free audio editor that is simple to download and use. It allows for quick audio editing of mp3s and is great for chopping down field audio or podcasts when time is an issue.

Once you've got your audio pared down, you need an online player that you can embed in your site. Most major news sites have proprietary or internal audio players, but if your project requires something simple and free without building it in Flash, navigate to this site. They have a number of free and highly customizable mp3 players that can be tweaked and uploaded in minutes.

You'd think the transition from page design for print media to page design for the web would be easy considering both are based on grids and tables. But there are still some lessons to be learned from eye-tracking studies that gauge how internet users read the sites they visit.

The analysis challenges what many of us consider standard practices in online news. The following is a summation of the relevant portions of the afo