The Scoop
Interviewing is not polite conversation. In journalism, you have to keep asking questions until you get the information that you need to do a story. That's the message of the short video (1:13), which was taken from the JEM 200 lecture on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010.
The lecture covered sources of information, and we have a nine-minute video of that part, too, which is located here on JPROF or also on YouTube. A longer video (8:50) on the right people to interview is available on the lecture notes page.
Fifth anniversary. JPROF.com celebrates its fifth anniversary today. In the past five years the site has grown in size (more than 400), expanded in purpose and reached around the globe to people I never would have touched or heard from. Read more.
(Posted Dec. 31, 2009)
High school journalism curriculum. JPROF is currently working with Edgenics.com to develop a new course curriculum for high school journalism. You will be hearing more about this project as we go along.
Below is a short audio slideshow on the fact that journalists have to tell their audiences "bad news." This was put together to explain to students the job of the journalist.
Principles and guidelines for writing for the web. When talking with writing section instructors about what we should teach out students about writing, I lay out four principles:
- The writing should be tighter - more concise.
- Writers should use words and phrases that are information rich.
- Writing should be shorter but with no loss of information.
- Writers must learn to write quickly and with confidence.
You can read my discussion notes on the JPROF blog.
New on JPROF. This site has addded two new features for journalism profs and students: a six-part series on photojournalism and a five-part series on graphics journalism.
The photojournalism series includes short tutorials on basic photojournalism concepts such as the rule of thirds, composition and framing, writing cutlines, photojournalism ethics, shooting picture stories and producing audio slide shows.
The graphics journalism series explains the basic concepts of informational graphics and the three types of charts (bar, line, and pie) most used by journalists. Another section talks about the standard conventions of maps, and still another introduces students to some of the great names in the history of graphics.
Each of these series of tutorials will have added features in the coming days. If there is something you would like to see in this regard, let us know. Write to JPROF (Jim Stovall) at jgstovall at gmail.com.
From the JPROF-related blogs
Right: Samuel Johnson, who defined "oats" as "A grain which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland appears to support the people." From The Writing Wright
and the journalism educator
Writing for the Mass Media (7th edition)
Journalism: Who, What, When, Where, Why and HowJames Glen Stovall. Allyn and Bacon, 2009
For more than 20 years, Writing for the Mass Media has been introducing students to all of the basic forms of media writing: the inverted pyramid for print, the drama unity form for broadcasting, summaries and other specialized writing for the web, copy platforms and storyboards for advertising. and news releases and other forms of witing for public relations. Used by more than 450 colleges and universities, this book gives students an excellent introduction to media writing and teachers the convenience of a clear, concise text with ample writing exercises at the end of each chapter.
Go to the book's web site here at JPROF.
Order the book from Amazon, Barnes and Noble.
James Glen Stovall. Allyn and Bacon, 2005
This introductory text is covered with lively writing, up-to-date examples and an inviting layout that will have students reading, wondering, asking and practicing. Just published by Allyn and Bacon, this text is a must for any journalist's shelf and any journalism teacher's classroom.
Learn more.
Go to the book's web site at Allyn and Bacon.
Order the book from Amazon, Barnes and Noble.
Nice review of JN5W (and full disclosure). My good friend and colleague (that's the full disclosure part) Herb Thompson has written a very kind and complimentary review of the book for SecondaryEnglish.com. Along with it is an interview that Herb conducted with me.
James Glen Stovall. Allyn and Bacon, 2004
How will the web change journalism? And what should you be teaching your students about the future of journalism in this digital age? This book explores those questions and offers some practical answers based on years of experience in the field of journalism. The web bring to journalism qualities present in no other medium: the combination of capacity, immediacy, flexibility, permanence and interactivity. These qualities will have a profound effect on the journalism of the future. Give your students some real insight as to the future of journalism and the way it will be practiced.
Learn more.
Order the book from Amazon (where it is incorrectedly titled Journalism on the Web), Barnes and Noble.
The Complete Editor (2nd edition)
James Glen Stovall and Edward Mullins. Allyn and Bacon, 2006
This basic editing text began its life in the early 1980s as Online Editing, the first text to teach editing from the persepctive of the computer technology that was taking over the field of journalism. Today it has been completely revised to cover not just the developing technology but also to deal with what it means to be an editor in a digital world. The book contains tightly written chapters and exercise material designed to get students into the mindset of being editors.
Learn more on this web site; go to the book's page on the Allyn and Bacon web site.
Order the current edition from Barnes and Noble.
Infographics: A Journalist's Guide
James Glen Stovall. Allyn and Bacon, 1997
This practical guide teaches students what infographics are and how they can be created. It is the only text that delves specifically into the forms of graphics and the kind of information that is appropriate for those forms. The book also discusses the modern development of graphics and the issues that surround them, such as the difficulty in creating them and the ways for journalists to avoid errors in graphics.
Learn more.
Order the book from Amazon, Barnes and Noble.
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