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