Thinking About Next Monday's Class

January 27, 2006

I enjoyed class on Wednesday a lot, especially watching our two groups getting organized. It’s cool how much students can get done if faculty members (or bosses) get out of the way.

Here are some things to think about and/or do over before class on Monday.

Name

We need to come up with a name for the online product, even if we don’t keep it. Let’s get that done Monday. I’m thinking we can pick one and two runners-up and ask Suella (I hope you didn’t get sick) to do some survey work to see if any of them click.


Legal

Professor Kemper told me about the Student Press Law Center. You might check that out at http://splc.org/.

Professor Kemper has a (soft) commitment from a friend of his who is a media law attorney to be available to us and perhaps to come down for a visit with his law class, our class, and the faculty. My feeling is that is good, but we can’t wait and see.

I mentioned to Prof. Sharkey about our looking into current policies and coming up with some if they don’t exist in writing. I also told her that Aaron and Chris were going to explore the whole question of intellectual/creative property rights and copywrite as they apply to students in the department. She said that was great, but asked that you try not to talk to her until after Feb. 15 because she is up to her ears in getting ready for the accreditation visit. Again, that’s good, but don’t wait to get a good start.


Content

I was speaking with Doug Biggers. He is the founder and publisher of the Tucson Weekly. We had a good talk about the alternative press and some recent thoughts he’s had about online journalism generally.

He got me thinking about we should be careful not to fall into the trap of thinking only in “good established newspaper” terms. The internet is different. Try not to let us “pre-internet” types like me and most of the faculty, intimidate you into thinking that what we are after is simply getting what would be a good print publication on line. A lot of things are the same (perhaps) – accuracy, ethics, good writing/photos/audio/video – but a lot is different, way different.

One site that Doug was thinking about as we were talking is http://dukecityfix.com/. It’s fun, basic, and involving. and looks relatively easy to get done. I bet that you all could put up something even better over a long weekend.

Also, at dukecityfix.com, check out their mission statement. It’s short, to the point, and tells just what they’re up to. We’re all wordsmiths. Let’s try to get that done on Monday or Wednesday at the latest. Please try to come up with proposed language for a mission statement to share – Try to keep it under 75 words. Under 50 would be better. You all type at least 40 wpm. Shouldn’t take too much time.

Technical

Doug was also one of the people that founded Desert.net as part of the Weekly. Desert.net is the host/software provider for basically all of the alternative weeklies in the country – and it’s right here in Tucson. The person who runs it is Will. The primary stockholder is also in Tucson. They are both good folks and I imagine would at least be willing to talk to one or more of you working on this. I think it would be better for one of you to approach either of them rather than me doing it.

Email or call me and I’ll get you at least Will’s number and email address and get you started on tracking down the main stockholder. It would also make sense to find out who does the actual uploading and stuff at the Weekly or New Times in Phoenix, and interview them about how they like it.

In the meantime, check out http://desert.net/ and report back to your own group (Fundamental Issues) about what you found and think.

Monday’s Class

On Monday, each group will gather for 10 minutes before class starts.

After that the tentative agenda will be:

1. Fundamental Issues group
a. Update
b. Discussion

2. Content Group
a. Update
b. Discussion

3. Mission Statement

4. Name

5. Break in to groups

6. Groups report back briefly
a. Fundamental Issues
b. Content
c. Commitment to what to deliver Wednesday by each group

7. Additional tasks/agenda for Wednesday’s class

8. Any more general discussion if necessary

January 22, 2006

I hope you have all had a good weekend.

I read your memos about the issues that need to be in our report. You all had some good new thoughts and some interesting takes on how to delve deeper into some of the things I included as examples in the syllabus.

I want to recognize and thank Leslie, Patrick, Hillary, Nicholas, and Owen for some extra good thinking, analysis, questions, and professional writing. The rest of you did fine, but these folks cranked it up a notch.

So, I took everything we talked about on Wednesday and what you wrote in your memos, along with just a few items that I thought needed to be there, and came up with a proposed table of contents for our report. We will take Monday to talk about and begin to figure out how to get it done.

Here’s what I need for you to do before Monday’s class:

Read and think about the proposed table of contents.

Think about and be ready to discuss:

What should be added.
What can be left out.
The logic of the order.
The logic of the classifications.
Fair ways to divide the responsibilities.
Where you can make the greatest contribution
Which areas will benefit you personally.
Other jobs that need to be done and how you might fit
Editing
Proofreading
Design
Graphics
Printing

By the end of class on Wednesday I would like to have most of the topics assigned so you can get to work, so that there will be enough time to get everything done, and to eliminate some of the uncertainty that we’ve dealt with so far.

I’m still thinking about it, but I may ask for a few volunteers to meet with me sometime on Tuesday or Wednesday morning to be part of organizing who does what and determining the order of which items should be presented when.

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Launching an Online Journalism Capstone Course/Online Publication
at the University of Arizona Department of Journalism
A report with recommendations by the members of Journalism 498D, the University of Arizona, April 26, 2006

PART I

1. Introduction

2. Executive summary

3. Background

The dept. -- general description
Need for an online presence/curriculum
The charge
The timeline
The team (us - bios ambitions etc.)
Narrative about the project

4. Mission and description

5. Responsibilities as a UA Journalism capstone course

Professional experience
Learning and growth
Responsibility for a real journalism product
Service to a wider community

6. Current practices at other top journalism programs

USC
Syracuse
Missouri
Northwestern
Florida
Several more
Who (if any) should be aspirational models?

7. Current best practices in the commercial world

Newspapers
Magazines
Online only publications
Who (if any) should be aspirational models?

PART II Fundamental Issues

1. Audience

Department?
Campus?
Local/regional?
National/world?
All or combination of above?
Recommendation and rationale

2. Content screening process

Instructor
Student editor
Student editorial board
Recommendation and rationale

3. Level of quality

4. Level of accuracy

5. Frequency

Weekly
Monthly
Twice a semester
Ongoing
Recommendation and rationale

6. Ethical Issues

Differences between online and print journalism?
Ethical issues board or committee?
Recommendation and rationale

7. Collaboration

With other journalism courses
Epitaph
Independiente
RPA
Features
Photo
With other UA departments or colleges
With other universities or media outlets
Recommendation and rationale

8. Departmental Oversight

Current Dept. policies
Other Univ. practices
Recommendation and rationale

9. Legal Issues

Who is the publisher?
Who is the editor?
Copyright issues
Liability
Fact checking
Censorship
Disabled users
How does Arizona's shield law apply?

10. Design

Identity
J. dept
UA
Independent/student managed
Name/branding
What works
Simple vs. complex
Balance of text vs. graphics
Amount of animation
Who designs the page/look
Format
Tone
How deep should the design be consistent
Consistent with UA look?
Actual recommendation for home page design

11. Technology

Software
Create a look/feel from scratch and use it?
Identify and adapt commercially available posting packages?
Subscribe to a hosting service?
Other options
Recommendation and rationale

12. Hardware

Host in department? If so, requirements necessary
Host on campus?
Host remotely?
Personnel implications for each alternative
Recommendation and rationale

13. Financial Considerations

Cost of hosting
Cost of software
Cost of hardware
Cost of outside content
Cost of outside legal advice
Cost of outside technical help
Possibility of financial sponsors or underwriters
Recommendation and rationale

14. Advertising

Accept/solicit advertising or not?
Advertising’s effect on news coverage
Advertising’s effect on image/quality
Advertising’s effect on teaching/learning mission
Advertising’s effect on credibility
Recommendation and rationale

15. Necessary personnel

Recommendation and rationale


PART III Content

1. Focus of content

Department
Campus
Local/regional
National/world
Recommendation and rationale

2. Types of content

Hard news
Features
Sports
Entertainment
Profiles
Research
Investigative
Enterprise
Interviews
Dependent on submissions
Opinion/editorial
Links to?
Recommendation and rationale

3. Tone of content

Light
Heavy
Serious
Hip
Young
Older
Recommendation and rationale

4. Content formats

Text
Photo
Video
Audio
Combos
Recommendation and rationale

5. Sources of content

Students in Journ. 498-D
Upper division Journ. students
All UA Students
Graduate students
Faculty/staff/administrators
Community
Recommendation and rationale

PART IV Appendix

1. Sources/resources

2. Glossary

First Assignment and some other Thoughts

Greetings,

Thanks for clicking on to this.

I want to take this space to clarify what I want for the first assignment and to give you a few links I found to help you get started.

I would like for you to prepare a memo to me identifying and briefly discussing what you see as major issues that should be considered as we plan the department’s online magazine. Examples are in the syllabus. Feel free to use some of those, but if you do, get into them deeper and add subcategories.

Here is a format but you can use your own if you prefer:

Memo to: Professor Jay Rochlin
From: (your name)
Re: Issues for Investigation
Date: January 18, 2006

I’ve identified the following x issues that I believe that the class should research and include in its final report and recommendations to the department for consideration as it launches its online magazine in the fall.

1 --- (Whatever you choose) This issue is important because --------------.
There are several subcategories that also need to be considered when considering (this issue). Those include: xxxxxxxxx, xxxxxxxxxxx, and xxxxxxxx .
I found several sources that address this issue. Just a few include:

(repeat several times with other issues)

Then add something like:

I am quite interested in (the issue of) _________ and, if possible, would like to be assigned this topic as my major research effort for the report.

or

I am interested in learning more about xxxxxxxx, xxxxxxxxxx, or xxxxxxxxx, but would rather serve as part of another person’s team, rather than take the lead myself.

or

Although I think the issues surrounding xxxxxxx, xxxxxxxx, and xxxxxxxx, are important, I’d rather not take the lead or even serve on someone else’s team as they consider these subjects.

or

I really don’t have much of a feel for where I’d like to put my time for this project. I’m open to anything. Please assign me to projects where you think I might do the most good or would personally benefit.

----------------------------------------------------

O.K. That’s enough of that.

Here’s what I plan for Wednesday’s class:

1. Go around the class and introduce ourselves to each other.
2. Collect everyone’s correct email addresses.
3. Go around the table and talk about the issues we all identified.
4. Get started on settling in on the issues that will be included in the report (making sure that there is at least one important topic or subtopic for everyone in the class) .
5. Discuss how to set up teams (or if that is even a good idea).
6. Have some discussion about the class and the semester.

Also, I want to set up individual appointments with all of you during the next week or two. I’ll figure out how to do that. Don’t know yet.

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Some random thoughts about the class and the project:

I am excited about how good a job we can do collectively. At the end of the semester I hope to have a thick professional report with all of our names on the opening page as authors. I can’t tell you how impressive that kind of thing will be to a future employer and how much good it will to for the department.

I also see a prototype web magazine that will set the course for the department and future journalism students for years into the future.

And, I hope we will all be experts on at least one topic, near experts on two or three others, and conversant with all the issues involved in online publishing.

My main concern is that only about five or six of you will really get into the project. Other faculty members around campus tell me that happens and that I should just deal with it. I hope you give our project your best shot. It’s more fun for everyone that way and it results in better work for everyone.

Also, one question from last Wednesday’s class kept popping up in my mind. I think it was raised by Patrick. He asked about whether we might do all of this work and have the rest of the faculty just blow it off, or change whatever they wanted. I think the answer I gave in class was fine, but I’ve thought about that question a lot more.

Yes, the faculty together, or the department head, can alter any recommendation we come up with. That’s our/their responsibility as faculty members and professionals. However, if we do as good a job in identifying issues, researching them, and making recommendations based on good solid evidence and reasoning, I simply don’t see that happening.

Say, we have recommendation X in our report and someone says, “I don’t think we should do it that way. I feel my way is better and what the class came up is wrong.” Our response would be something like, “Well, we think your opinion has merit, but we’ve looked into that issue and considered that and many other alternatives. According to Dr. XX at the University of Missouri, Prof. XX in an article for the Poynter Institute, and xxx, editor and chief of the online publication xxxx, our plan to xxxxxx, is the best way to do it for these five reasons.”

Any faculty member would be hard pressed to argue further.

We’ll talk more about this in class. Thanks for bringing it up.

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OK, here are just a three links I though were useful just to get started:

Professor Scadron turned me on to Mindy McAdams. She is kind of an online journalism guru who teaches at the University of Florida. If you get into her site, you’ll find references, readings, and examples of the kinds of things we need to know.
http://mindymcadams.com/

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This is an online publication about online publishing put out by USC’s Annenberg School of Communications.

http://www.ojr.org/

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And, the more time you spend on the Poynter Institute’s website, the better. Here’s a place to get started.

http://www.poynter.org/subject.asp?id=26

Finally, that’s enough.

I’ll see you in class.