City University Of New York Unveils J-Camp For Multimedia Training

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF co-chair, Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation, Aviation Week Group

I was going through my Google Reader folder on journalism when I saw an announcement from the City University of New York’s Graduate School of Journalism that it was creating J-Camp to offer the latest in multimedia training.

CUNY created J-Camp to offer efficient, yet affordable training for journalists, said Jeremy Caplan, a visiting professor at CUNY and a contributor to Time magazine.  “We wanted to expand the classes we teach from the graduate school into the community,” he said. “The school has tried to do this in the past, and we’re trying it again.  We want to have a good offering of courses and teach them multiple times.”

The university saw high demand for quality, low-cost multimedia training, said Caplan.  “There’s many out there, but many of them are too expensive for journalists,” he said, “so CUNY wanted to create its own niche for training. We wanted it to be efficient, effective and affordable.”

CUNY will also expand the reach of the program through a plan to offer free training to media-related non-profit organizations, said Caplan. “Our main focus will be on journalists in transition, but there are other organizations with media-related functions that can also use help,” he said.  “They also need to learn things like how to use video or how to participate in social media as a way to reach out to their communities.”

“We have state-of-the art equipment and facilities, and empty seats in our classes. So why not invite those who can use the training,” Caplan noted.  “We hope to launch that in the fall.”

Classes already on the J-Camp schedule include 10 Tips for Taking Better Photos Sept. 28, Making the Most of Your Digital SLR Camera Oct. 5 and Secrets of the NYC Economy: A Crash Course on City Economics, Business and Politics Oct. 7. “We’re also going to have a video workshop for print journalists that will teach participants how to shoot and edit video,” said Caplan.  “After an intensive two-day workshop, you’ll be able to create a high-quality two-minute video.”  Other courses will include photography and creating charts and graphs, he added.

J-Camp will include sessions on basic business concepts and entrepreneurship, said Caplan.  “Some of these sessions will help address subjects like how do you start, maintain and grow a journalism business (like an independent blog or niche news site), while others will focus on the basics of business,” he explained. “To give you an example, one session I have taught in the past that we plan to include in the CUNY J-Camp program is called The 90-Minute MBA – it’s an introduction to business basics for journalists and others without a business background.”

“We’re still determining what the costs will be,” said Caplan.  “We’re trying to find our niche where we’re more affordable than others out there.”

Calendar of Multimedia Training and Events

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF co-chair, Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation, Aviation Week Group

• Webbmedia Group has a great calendar of events that catches things not covered below.  If you want to subscribe to the calendar, click here. You can also subscribe to this calendar so the information appears on your personal Google Calendar. Just go to the Webbmedia Google calendar, click the “+Google Calendar” icon at the bottom right, and then click “Yes, add this calendar” in the dialog box.)
• Creative Live is partnering with O’Reilly Media to offer a free 5-week online course “Getting the Most Out of Google Apps for Business” on Tuesdays from Aug. 31 to Sept. 28.
• Creative Live is holding a free 4-week online course “Web Design Boot Camp with Erik Fadiman” on Wednesdays Sept. 1 to Sept. 22.
• Sept. 1 is the deadline to apply for 25 for 25 – The AOL Grant Program. AOL is celebrating its 25^th anniversary by awarding 25, $25,000 grants to tomorrow’s ground breakers and visionaries in journalism, art and innovation who believe in the power of ideas.
• Media Bistro will hold the online course Boot Camp for Journalists for eight Thursdays Sept. 9 through Nov. 4. The course will help you create a new portfolio of work and a new set of skills. Assignments include a service/how-to piece, an arts and culture review, a profile, a metro section piece, an editorial, a business/news article, a personal essay, and two pitch letters.   The cost is $499.
• The Donald J. Reynolds Journalism Institute is offering a free workshop — Engage Your Community to Power Your Business Coverage – in San Francisco Sept. 1.
• Media Bistro will hold the online course “Reinventing Print Content for the Web” on Mondays Sept. 13-Oct. 25 from 9-10 pm Eastern time.  In this 6-week course students will learn the essentials of creating successful magazine sites and what that means for print magazine writers and editors.  The cost is $425.

• The Donald J. Reynolds Journalism Institute is offering a Webinar – Develop Business Angles on Any Beat – Sept 14.  Chad Graham, social media editor at The Arizona Republic, and Robin J. Phillips, Reynolds Center Web managing editor, will co-present this one-hour Webinar that will be of interest to all journalists and editors who understand the importance of exploring the business angle of every story.
• The Washington, D.C., chapter of the Online News Association is holding a meet-up Sept. 14 at Medill, 1325 G Street, NW, Suite 730 at 7:00 p.m.  Josh Hatch and Amy Eisman, ONA10 co-chairs, will give you a VIP sneak peek of ONA’s upcoming 2-day conference Oct. 28-30 and let you know what workshops and events you won’t want to miss.
• The Seattle chapter of the Online News Association is holding a panel discussion — You Are What You Tweet – Sept. 15 at 6:00 p.m. at the Seattle Times Auditorium. The panel will discuss journalists and how they create, produce and manage their “online brands”
• DJTF member Tiffany Black is teaching the Media Bistro course “Intro to Social Media” for 4 Wednesdays, Sept. 22-Oct. 20 from 9-10 pm Eastern time.  The cost is $350.
• The Donald J. Reynolds Journalism Institute will host Block by Block: Community News Summit 2010 Sept. 23-24 in Chicago.  Reynolds Fellow Michele McLellan and New York University Journalism Professor Jay Rosen will lead discussions from leading pioneers of online local news sites to discuss what’s working – and what needs work.  The event is invitation-only.
• The Poynter Institute is holding the Video Storytelling Workshop: 2010 Edition Sept. 25.  The event, held with the National Photographers Press Foundation team, will present a day-long event that will help you be a better video journalist. Tuition is $65.
• City University of New York’s J-Camp will be holding the course Secrets of the NYC Economy: A Crash Course on City Economics, Business and Politics October 7th, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.  The cost is $29 for early registration and $35 at the door.
• Columbia University Journalism Professor Sree Sreenivasan will hold a four wee-course entitled “Smarter Social Media for Journalists, Bloggers and Media Professionals.” Scheduled for Thursdays, October 7, 14, 21, 28, 2010; 6:30 – 9 p.m., the course will teach participants how to use social media, including sites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, FourSquare, YouTube, among others, to find new story ideas, trends and sources; connect with readers and viewers in new ways; bring attention and traffic to their work; and create, craft and enhance their personal brand.  The cost is $495.
• The BlogWorld New Media Expo will be held at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas Oct. 15-16.
• Think like Google — what you need to know about SEO is a Webinar being offered by the Donald J. Reynolds Journalism Institute on Oct. 19.  The hour-long session will help reporters and editors understand the Web and how search engines find online content, explain some fundamentals of SEO and why journalists should care and give journalists tips and tools for writing good headline and ledes for the Web.
• Media Bistro will hold the online course “Intro to Multimedia Journalism” on Thursdays Oct. 21-Nov. 18 from 9-10 pm Eastern time. In this class you’ll learn how to translate news stories into fascinating multimedia packages.
• Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is holding a “Two-Day Final Cut Pro Workshop” Oct. 23-24.  Students will learn to capture footage, import images, text and audio files, edit from larger clips and trim footage in a timeline. Participants will also learn how to mix audio levels, create text, animate images and export video for broadcast or the Web. The cost is $695.
• The Interactive Innovative blog posts about a series of multimedia training with Maine Media Training from now through Oct. 30.  Courses include Stills & Video for Multimedia; One-man Band; Intro to Web Design; and Audio Narrative.  For more information go to Maine Media Training.
• Registration is now open for the Online News Association’s annual conference in Washington, D.C., Oct. 28-30.
• The Poynter Institute’s News University will hold the webinar Becoming a More Effective Editor: Strategies for Editing Yourself, Others Nov. 1-19.  The cost is $399, and the application deadline is Oct. 4.
• The Freedom Forum Diversity Institute is offering a Multimedia Boot Camps for Journalism Professionals and Educators.  The boot camp is scheduled for Nov. 17-21 at the Freedom Forum’s John Seigenthaler Center in Nashville, Tenn.  The cost is $850.
• The 2011 Kiplinger Fellowship will award 15 grants to journalists to help them hone their social media skills and learn about SEO, strategic tweeting, and other information about the Internet.  The deadline to apply is Nov. 30.
• The Donald J. Reynolds Journalism Institute is offering the Webinar Writing Business News for the Web Dec. 1-2.  This Webinar will help writers and editors write with clarity, efficiency, brevity and transparency.

2011

• Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is holding a Five-Day Intensive Digital Media Boot Camp Jan. 10-14, 2011.  Participants will learn the basics of visual storytelling concepts through video production and post-production with Final Cut Pro (for Mac). Participants will leave with concrete skills and a better understanding of the technologies that are transforming the news business.  The cost is $1,195, and registration begins in November.

If you have any items that I’ve missed, please drop me an email via the DJTF Yahoo! Listserv or at regaviationqueen AT yahoo DOT com.  Thanks!

South By Southwest 2011 Interactive: Update on Diversity Panels

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF co-chair, Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation, Aviation Week Group

Back on Aug. 24, I did a post on how the interactive part of South By Southwest (SXSW)  has become THE place to come to hear the latest in digital/social/new and multimedia.  That post included a plea from organizers to have more diverse panels.  The panel picker was released last month, and I went through all 2,400 submissions to pick out the ones I thought addressed the diversity issue.

Well, leave it to Maurice Cherry, owner of 3eighteen Media and founder of the Black Weblog Awards, to find some I missed.  Cherry compiled the “Tentative List of SXSW Panels by Black People in Technology.” I urge you to look at this list and my list ASAP and make your picks.  And please include comments — the organizing committee takes those into account.  And also, do it quick, since voting ends today at 11:59 CDT.

And speaking of voting, please also support Cherry’s Black Weblog Awards, which recognizes the best in African-American blog writing.  Voting ends on Aug. 31, with winners announced Sept. 1.  Thanks!!

Friday Fast Five + Five – The Hodgepodge Edition

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF co-chair, Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation, Aviation Week Group

As I continue to try to whittle down my Friday Fast Five bookmark folder, I thought today I’d just pick the first 10 from the folder instead of doing a theme.  And as lead blogger here, I’m going to take the opportunity to make a plug.  It’s time for the kids to go back to school, and we should also consider our own education.  Now is the perfect time to pick up your copy of Mark Luckie’s The Digital Journalist’s Handbook.  If you can’t afford to go back to school or pay for an expansive seminar, Mark’s book is the next best thing. We now go back to our regular programming, already in progress…

1. Mashable – How Freelancers are Using Social Media for Real Results
2. Teaching Online Journalism – Looking at jQuery for visual journalism
3. Copyblogger – 14 Foolproof Proofreading Tips for Bloggers
4. You get 2-for-1 here: Spyrestudio – 15 Great Mindmapping Tools and Apps AND Online Journalism Review – Mapping technology provides journalists a new medium for storytelling online
5. Alexandre Gamela – Creating Timelines
6. Mashable – 5 Things the Library of Congress is Archiving Online (news sites and Tweets are among the list)
7. News Videographer – How to find public domain video
8. Knight Digital Media Center – Learning the web: Lisa Williams’ guide for journos, Part 1 and part 2
9. The Comms Corner – 10 ways to keep tabs on ‘live’ hashtag chats on Twitter
10. Digiphile – Top 50 Twitter Acronyms, Abbreviations and Initialisms

NABJDigital Profiles Elaine “The Etiquette Lady” Swann

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF co-chair, Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation, Aviation Week Group

As I was preparing for my journalism branding panel at last month’s National Association of Black Journalists’ annual convention in San Diego, I received an email from Elaine Swann via my Google Profile. Elaine Swann, aka The Etiquette Lady, just happens to be based in San Diego and was making a pitch to be on my panel.  Elaine spreads her brand via appearances as a special correspondent on San Diego’s NBC 7/39 “News in the Morning,” her website, her syndicated column and her line of etiquette-inspired products.

You can hear Swann, Google Fellow Kiara Pesante and NABJ student representative Georgia Dawkins on a replay of DJTF’s BlogTalkRadio session, “Internet Etiquette: Being `Socially’ Responsible.”

In this interview, Swann shares up-to-the minute tools and practical tips from a contemporary perspective, presenting workshops, seminars and one-on-one sessions with private clients.  Below NABJDigital speaks to Swann about why you need a brand, how create and maintain the brand and how she did it.

Elaine Swann

NABJDigital: What is your professional background?

Elaine Swann: I was a journalist.  However, did not take the traditional route of going to school for it.  I grew up in California and moved to New York right after high school.  I moved there to become a model, but I started hanging around people who were in the entertainment business, so I started a model management company.  I met Kate Ferguson, a dear friend who is a journalist.  She asked me to start writing for WordUp magazine.  I used my English skills to write and learn journalism in the school of hard knocks.

I then moved to Today’s Black Woman and became its art director.  My career is not traditional, and I don’t recommend it for young people.  It’s important for them to go to school.  I moved back to California and got my associate’s degree, and continued to write, based on contacts I made.  Had I not established a decent relationship with Kate, it would have maybe taken longer to get the skills I needed or I maybe would have gone in a completely different direction.

ND: How did you become the Etiquette Lady?

ES: I’ve always been a student of etiquette.  I did charm school growing up.  I also did beauty pageants, where there was always an etiquette portion.  In the small military town where I grew up, sorority women knew about my interest in etiquette and asked me to teach it to local debutants back in 1997. I did it for five years.  After that, I created a program and a school asked me to do it for students, and wanted to pay me for it.  I did after-school programs and realized it was a business. So I created a business plan and  model for the business.

I auditioned for the reality show “Martha Stewart: Apprentice,” and a reporter pulled me aside and asked what I did. I told her I was The Etiquette Lady.  I was then introduced to a television producer who wanted me to do a segment on etiquette.  I made it down to the final 25 people for the Apprentice, but I didn’t get picked for the final 16.

I went back to NBC in San Diego and from 2005 and 2009 I was a regular.  I was also approached by San Diego Union-Tribune to do an advice column, so I did my “Ask The Etiquette Lady” on television and the website, which lit my journalism fire again.

ND: What did you do to create your brand as the Etiquette Lady?

ES: I literally created my brand during the time of “Martha Stewart: Apprentice.”  I researched Martha Stewart and her company, I bought and read books, took notes and did everything I could to understand the company.  I was already working on my etiquette book and teaching seminars.  I knew I wanted to own etiquette products like thank-you cards.

ND: Why do you think journalists need to brand themselves?

ES: I believe journalists need to brand themselves because in today society, we want to go to the expert.  The powers-that-be always want expert opinions.

ND: What would you say to a journalist who says “I don’t have the money to spend” or “I don’t need to do this?”

ES: I say its baloney and that they’re making up excuses.  You can brand yourself for free.  Social media has leveled the playing field to brand and promote yourself for free.  If you can’t get a website, get a blog for free.  Pitch yourself to get your placement on the Internet.  You can do this for free – you just need to plan.  Use your journalistic skills to research where you should set up shop.  Have real estate on the Internet in places that are relevant for your field.  That’s why I write blogs for Essence and Exquisite Weddings.

Now Posted: BlogTalkRadio Show, Internet Etiquette: Being “Socially” Responsible

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF co-chair, Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation, Aviation Week Group

Last night, we had a spirited discussion during our BlogTalkRadio show Internet Etiquette: Being “Socially” Responsible.  Our speakers were Lifestyle & Etiquette Expert Elaine Swann, Howard University graduate student and Google Fellow Kiara Pesante and National Association of Black Journalists student board representative Georgia Dawkins.   They were kind enough to re-create their very popular panel at last month’s NABJ annual conference.

If you didn’t get the chance to join us, please click on the link above to hear the hour-long show.  And if you have any ideas for future topics, please feel free to drop me a line at regaviationqueen AT Yahoo DOT com or on Twitter at @NABJDigital.

South By Southwest 2011 Interactive Seeks Diverse Panels

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF co-chair, Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation, Aviation Week Group

Please allow me to make a plug for you join DJTF and the NABJ Media Institute later today for a free BlogTalkRadio show: “Internet Etiquette: Being `Socially’ Responsible.” Lifestyle & Etiquette Expert Elaine Swann and Howard University graduate student and Google Fellow Kiara Pesante will give you the do’s and don’t’s on navigating proper Internet etiquette, and we’ll leave plenty of time for your questions.  The show is from 7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Eastern time.  I hope you can join us!

———————————–

Austin, Texas-based South by Southwest was originally created as a way for the city to celebrate and showcase musical talent.  The festival expanded to include films and later, interactive.

The interactive part of SXSW has quickly become THE place to come to hear the latest in digital/social/new and multimedia.  A virtual who’s who from influential companies and media organizations are at SXSW, participating on panels, offering exhibits and hosting evening functions.

But one glaring thing has been a distinct lack of diversity at SXSW.  To their credit, the organizers reached out to communities of color, encouraging panel submissions for the 2011 event.  The decision on what panels will be featured is divided three ways: 30% staff, 30% open voting and 40% advisory committee.  So even if a panel is not picked during open voting, there’s still a chance it will be included.

I recently had a few hours to kill on a train ride up to New York City, so I looked at all 2400 panels that are up for voting.  Yes, I did it so you wouldn’t have to.  Below is my unofficial list of panels that appear to cover people of color.  I may have missed some, and if I have, please let me know.

It’s been interesting to see all the Tweets from people pushing their panels, and I hope that we can all work together to get some of our panels in the mix at next year’s show.  Voting ends at 11:59 CDT on Friday, August 27, so please – help make SXSW 2011 a more diverse affair.

Whiteness on the Web: Racism or Culture?

Joel Dreyfuss, The Root

Social Issues diversity on Internet, race and culture, Race on the web

Open Source and Global Health: The African Solution

Heather LaGarde, IntraHealth International

New Technology / Next Generation Digital Divide, non-profits, open source

Cashing Out: Start-up Successes in Latin America

Andes Barreto, Socialatom Group

Entrepreneurism / Monetization investment, Latin America, startups

500,000 New Mobile Users Daily? Welcome to India!

Nandu Madhava, mDhil

Mobile / Wireless Emerging Markets, Mobile Applications, Startups / Entrepreneurship

Latin America’s Digital Middle Class: Six Key Insights

Joseph Crump, Razorfish

Digital Divide Latin America, research study

Hispanic Marketing After the 2010 Census

Jerry Rocha, The Nielsen Company

Branding / Marketing / Publicity Hispanics, Marketing Strategy, research

In Living Color: Branding & Marketing to Urban Audiences

Marco Hansell, TwtMob

Branding / Marketing / Publicity In Living Color, Urban Branding, Urban Marketing

Who’s Got Next? Diversity In Educational Gaming

Kevin Clark, George Mason University

Education diversity, education, Games

Minorities in Tech: Empowering Next Generation Minority Technologists

Ray Hunter, Local Matters, Inc

New Technology / Next Generation Career/work concerns, Digital Divide, Social Issues

Marketing to Latinos: Understanding and Connecting with Culture

Mando Rayo, Cultural Strategies

Branding / Marketing / Publicity Hispanic Marketing, Latin-America, Latinos

Reaching Hispanics Through Government Mobile Apps

Laura Godfrey, http://GobiernoUSA.gov

Government and Technology diversity, Hispanics, mobile

The Elevation of Black Women in New Media

Deanna Sutton, Sutton New Media LLC

Digital Divide African American, Black Women, Elevation

Buy Africa: How Media and Design Shapes Africa

G. Kofi Annan, Annansi

Branding / Marketing / Publicity design, media, Sustainable

(ESPANOL) Towards the Third Latin American IT generation

Jaime Sanchez Beltran,

International Digital Divide, Latam, Next generation IT

Latino Link: Marketing to Spanish-Speakers Using Digital Platforms

Joe Kutchera, Latino Link (book)

Branding / Marketing / Publicity Hispanics, Latino, Spanish

100% Viable, 1% Visible – Minority New Media Entrepreneurs

Kiratiana Freelon, http://Kiratianatravels.com

Digital Divide Business/Entrepreneurial/, Career/work concerns, education

Where Are The Black Men Techs?

Jay F. Hicks, Raffinité Interactive Web

Digital Divide black geeks, black men in tech, Digital Divide

What Digital Tribes can Learn from Native Americans

Allison Aldridge-Saur, Chickasaw Nation Division of Commerce

Community / Online Community

Breaking Into the Latin American Tech Market(s)

Gabriel Sama, Rest of the World Media

International Latin America, Market, Technology

Race, Sex and Blogging: Productive Online Conversations

Renina Jarmon, New Model Minority

Community / Online Community blogging, New Media Discourse, Race and Sexuality

From Mules to Social Butterflies: Black & Female Online

Thembisa Mshaka, SEEIT Live, Inc.

Social Issues Entertainment, Strategy, women in social media

Social Media Through A Hip-Hop Lens

Patricia Marte, Circa ’95

Social Networking Hip-Hop, music, social media

VIVA CHILE! Exploring Innovation in a Developing Country

Shonika Proctor, Group Interactive, Inc.

Digital Divide Business Development, International, Technology

Latin America: The Future of Online Games

Andy Kleinman, Playdom

Video Games Latin America, online games, Social Games

Glass Ceiling for Women in Tech Startups- Real?

Lani Rosales, New Media Lab

Other sexism, tech culture, Technology

Latinas in Technology: Beauty, Brains and Blogging

Kety Esquivel, Kety Esquivel

Case Study blogging, Branding/Marketing/Publicity, Community/Online Community

Mi Vida, Mi Teléfono: Hispanic Mobile Madness

Mark López, Terra USA

Mobile / Wireless Advertising, Hispanics, mobile

New Media in Latin America: Five Lessons Learned

Oscar Yasser, http://nerdcore.vg

International Latino, media, New

Latin America Travel 2.0: Can Social Commerce Succeed?

Alberto Saavedra, ReservaIdeal.com

Community / Online Community social commerce, tourism, travel

The Hip-Hop Word Count: A Searchable Rap Almanac

Tahir Hemphill, THm

Education ethnographic study, geolocation, Hip-Hop

Minority Report: Social Media for Decreasing Health Disparities

Aimee Roundtree, University of Houston-Downtown

Health developer resources, health disparities, technical applications

Are You Ready for the Latin American Market?

Alejandro Florean,

International Emerging Markets , IT, latin America

Cybercrusading for Women : Rings We Will Not Kiss

Gina McCauley, Blogging While Brown

Self-Help / Self-Improvement activism, Black, women

Open Wide: New Models for Public Media

Jacquie Jones, National Black Programming Consortium

Community / Online Community Broadband, diversity, public media

Diversity in the Digital Age

Anne Hunter, comScore

Social Issues Cross Media, diversity, measurement

Can Africa Develop Faster Using Facebook?

Niccolo Pantucci, Taskforce

Economic Concerns

The FIve Elements of Hip-Hop/Content Strategy

Ian Alexander, Eat Media LLC

Content strategy, Hip-Hop, information architecture

Calendar of Multimedia Training and Events

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF co-chair, Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation, Aviation Week Group

First, please join DJTF and the NABJ Media Institute on Tuesday, Aug. 24 for a free BlogTalkRadio show: “Internet Etiquette: Being `Socially’ Responsible.” Did you miss this popular panel at last month’s NABJ annual conference? We’re re-creating it in this one-hour show! Journalists can post information on their social networks that may be harmful to their reputation. Lifestyle & Etiquette Expert Elaine Swann and Howard University graduate student and Google Fellow Kiara Pesante will give you the do’s and don’t’s on navigating proper Internet etiquette, and we’ll leave plenty of time for your questions.  Hope you can join us!

• Webbmedia Group has a great calendar of events that catches things not covered below.  If you want to subscribe to the calendar, click here. You can also subscribe to this calendar so the information appears on your personal Google Calendar. Just go to the Webbmedia Google calendar, click the “+Google Calendar” icon at the bottom right, and then click “Yes, add this calendar” in the dialog box.)
• The Poynter Institute’s News University will hold the webinar Reporting the Oil Disaster: Beyond the Surface & Spill Aug. 24 at 2:00 p.m.  Learn how to investigate over-looked issues caused from oil contamination in the Gulf. Find story ideas, no matter what area you cover, that go beyond the obvious. The cost is $19.95.
• Sept. 1 is the deadline to apply for 25 for 25 – The AOL Grant Program. AOL is celebrating its 25^th anniversary by awarding 25, $25,000 grants to tomorrow’s ground breakers and visionaries in journalism, art and innovation who believe in the power of ideas.
• Media Bistro will hold the online course Boot Camp for Journalists for eight Thursdays Sept. 9 through Nov. 4. The course will help you create a new portfolio of work and a new set of skills. Assignments include a service/how-to piece, an arts and culture review, a profile, a metro section piece, an editorial, a business/news article, a personal essay, and two pitch letters.   The cost is $499.
• The Donald J. Reynolds Journalism Institute is offering a free workshop — Engage Your Community to Power Your Business Coverage – in San Francisco Sept. 1.
• Media Bistro will hold the online course “Reinventing Print Content for the Web” on Mondays Sept. 13-Oct. 25 from 9-10 pm Eastern time.  In this 6-week course students will learn the essentials of creating successful magazine sites and what that means for print magazine writers and editors.  The cost is $425.

• The Donald J. Reynolds Journalism Institute is offering a Webinar – Develop Business Angles on Any Beat – Sept 14.  Chad Graham, social media editor at The Arizona Republic, and Robin J. Phillips, Reynolds Center Web managing editor, will co-present this one-hour Webinar that will be of interest to all journalists and editors who understand the importance of exploring the business angle of every story.
• DJTF member Tiffany Black is teaching the Media Bistro course “Intro to Social Media” for 4 Wednesdays, Sept. 22-Oct. 20 from 9-10 pm Eastern time.  The cost is $350.
• The Donald J. Reynolds Journalism Institute will host Block by Block: Community News Summit 2010 Sept. 23-24 in Chicago.  Reynolds Fellow Michele McLellan and New York University Journalism Professor Jay Rosen will lead discussions from leading pioneers of online local news sites to discuss what’s working – and what needs work.  The event is invitation-only.
• The Poynter Institute is holding the Video Storytelling Workshop: 2010 Edition Sept. 25.  The event, held with the National Photographers Press Foundation team, will present a day-long event that will help you be a better video journalist. Tuition is $65.
• Columbia University Journalism Professor Sree Sreenivasan will hold a four-week course entitled “Smarter Social Media for Journalists, Bloggers and Media Professionals.” Scheduled for Thursdays, October 7, 14, 21, 28, 2010; 6:30 – 9 p.m., the course will teach participants how to use social media, including sites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, FourSquare, YouTube, among others, to find new story ideas, trends and sources; connect with readers and viewers in new ways; bring attention and traffic to their work; and create, craft and enhance their personal brand.  The cost is $495.
• The BlogWorld New Media Expo will be held at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas Oct. 15-16.
• Think like Google — what you need to know about SEO is a Webinar being offered by the Donald J. Reynolds Journalism Institute on Oct. 19.  The hour-long session will help reporters and editors understand the Web and how search engines find online content, explain some fundamentals of SEO and why journalists should care and give journalists tips and tools for writing good headline and ledes for the Web.
• Media Bistro will hold the online course “Intro to Multimedia Journalism” on Thursdays Oct. 21-Nov. 18 from 9-10 pm Eastern time. In this class you’ll learn how to translate news stories into fascinating multimedia packages.
• Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is holding a “Two-Day Final Cut Pro Workshop” Oct. 23-24.  Students will learn to capture footage, import images, text and audio files, edit from larger clips and trim footage in a timeline. Participants will also learn how to mix audio levels, create text, animate images and export video for broadcast or the Web. The cost is $695.
• The Interactive Innovative blog posts about a series of multimedia training with Maine Media Training from now through Oct. 30.  Courses include Stills & Video for Multimedia; One-man Band; Intro to Web Design; and Audio Narrative.  For more information go to Maine Media Training.
• Registration is now open for the Online News Association’s annual conference in Washington, D.C., Oct. 28-30.
• The Poynter Institute’s News University will hold the webinar Becoming a More Effective Editor: Strategies for Editing Yourself, Others Nov. 1-19.  The cost is $399, and the application deadline is Oct. 4.
• The Freedom Forum Diversity Institute is offering a Multimedia Boot Camps for Journalism Professionals and Educators.  The boot camp is scheduled for Nov. 17-21 at the Freedom Forum’s John Seigenthaler Center in Nashville, Tenn.  The cost is $850.
• The 2011 Kiplinger Fellowship will award 15 grants to journalists to help them hone their social media skills and learn about SEO, strategic tweeting, and other information about the Internet.  The deadline to apply is Nov. 30.
• The Donald J. Reynolds Journalism Institute is offering the Webinar Writing Business News for the Web Dec. 1-2.  This Webinar will help writers and editors write with clarity, efficiency, brevity and transparency.

2011

• Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is holding a Five-Day Intensive Digital Media Boot Camp Jan. 10-14, 2011.  Participants will learn the basics of visual storytelling concepts through video production and post-production with Final Cut Pro (for Mac). Participants will leave with concrete skills and a better understanding of the technologies that are transforming the news business.  The cost is $1,195, and registration begins in November.

If you have any items that I’ve missed, please drop me an email via the DJTF Yahoo! Listserv or at regaviationqueen AT yahoo DOT com.  Thanks!

Friday Fast Five + Five: The Branding Edition

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF co-chair, Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation, Aviation Week Group

At last month’s NABJ annual convention, I moderated a panel — Brand Yourself, Ensure Your Survival — on how journalists can and should brand themselves.  Reasons I gave to do this included: having a higher profile makes firing/layoffs harder; your company/industry sees you as invaluable source; and you have unique knowledge to showcase.  So in that spirit, today’s five plus five are links that can help you get started with your personal branding campaign. For a more comprehensive look, I recommend checking out Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success at your local library.

But before we start, I have a public service announcement.  Please join DJTF and the NABJ Media Institute on Tuesday, Aug. 24 for a free BlogTalkRadio show: “Internet Etiquette: Being `Socially’ Responsible.” Did you miss this popular panel at last month’s NABJ annual conference? We’re re-creating it in this one-hour show! Journalists can post information on their social networks that may be harmful to their reputation. Lifestyle & Etiquette Expert Elaine Swann and Howard University graduate student and Google Fellow Kiara Pesante will give you the do’s and don’t’s on navigating proper Internet etiquette, and we’ll leave plenty of time for your questions.  Hope you can join us!

1. 10000 Words – 10 Ways to track what people are saying about you on Twitter.  It’s not enough to create the brand; you also have to track what people are saying about you and your brand.
2. Adam Vincenzini’s Share-house – Snapshot of your social media presence (all five parts) via @socialmouths.  Adam links to the Socialmouths blog 5-part series on your social media presence.
3. Mashable – 7 Services to Find and Reserve Your Name Across the Web.  So you’ve decided to take the plunge. You need to find that perfect name (whether it’s your actual one or not). These websites are one-stop shops that let you check across myriad platforms quickly and easily.
4. Voosh Themes – Create A Professional Portfolio Using WordPress 3.0 Custom Post Types.  You need a website/blog to serve as a showcase for your work.
5. Bit Rebels – 7 Steps To Building Your Online Identity.  So you’ve decided to take the plunge. Or you’re having trouble deciding what that identity should be. Check this blog post out for some clarity.
6. Brian Solis – 5 Not-So-Easy Steps to Managing Your Brand Online.  Once you’ve decided what to do, you have to manage it. Check out these tips for doing that successfully.
7. Social Media Biz – How to optimize your LinkedIn profile.  I was one of those people who created a perfunctory LinkedIn profile just to be in that space. But after I heard a lecture from Columbia University dean of student affairs & professor Sree Sreenivasan on the benefits of LinkedIn, I updated my profile and opportunities and new contacts flowed in.
8. Sitepoint – 12 Reasons You Need a Facebook Fan Page and 5 Easy Steps for Creating One.
9. Mashable – 5 Ways to Clean Up Your Social Media Identity.  There are some people who have myriad websites, blogs, Twitter accounts, YouTube channels, etc. This post offers great tips on how to wrangle all your identities into a cohesive face.
10. AppStorm – 15 Great Ways to Secure Your Website. So you have that website, but you need to make sure you’re the only one with access to it.

NABJ Members-Take Advantage of Scholarships for Poynter Institute Training!

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF co-chair, Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation, Aviation Week Group

Back on Aug. 4, National Association of Black Journalists Treasurer Greg Lee sent out a note to our Yahoo listserve groups urging members to apply for scholarships to pay for training at the St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Poynter Institute.  Poynter is well-known for the quality journalism training it provides, along with its strong ties to NABJ.

And I quote: “If you’ve wanted to attend a Poynter seminar or take advantage of its many online learning opportunities, but haven’t had the funds, now is the time.  Poynter is offering scholarship monies for our association’s members.
You can pick from one of the institute’s many in-person seminars, an online group seminar or other offerings—and add Poynter training to your credentials.  Made possible through a grant from The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the scholarships provide professional development opportunities to journalists and media leaders from  underrepresented demographic groups in an effort to increase their effectiveness and presence in newsrooms. Must be a current, dues-paying member of one of the following associations: National Association of Black Journalists; National Association of Hispanic Journalists; Native American Journalists Association; Asian American Journalists Association; Journalism and Women Symposium; and National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.”

I went to Poynter’s training page and found several things of interest, but the course “Multimedia Storytelling With Video” really interested me.  I’ve taken NABJ and other one-day video courses, but I’ve always felt I needed more intensive training.  So I filled out the application, attached a letter requesting an NABJ scholarship and sent it off.  But it works for the other journalism groups listed above.  On Wednesday, I received my letter informing me I won a scholarship!

I can now learn a skill with professionals that will help keep me relevant in my current job and I can pass my knowledge on not only at my job, but through NABJ and as a member of the Online News Association.  Upcoming courses that would be of interest for DJTF and NABJ members include “Critical Tools for the Non-Traditional Journalist” and “Essential Skills for the Digital Journalist,” with application deadlines of Sept. 20 and Sept. 27, respectively.

If you can’t make it to St. Petersburg, the scholarship can also be used for Poynter webinars, including: “Becoming a More Effective Reporter: Telling Untold Stories” and “Telling Memorable Video Stories: A Poynter Tutorial Series.”  I urge you to take full advantage of this valuable — and free — opportunity.  Feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions at regaviationqueen AT Yahoo DOT com.

And speaking of training, please join DJTF and the NABJ Media Institute on Tuesday, Aug. 24 for a free BlogTalkRadio show: “Internet Etiquette: Being `Socially’ Responsible.” Did you miss this popular panel at last month’s NABJ annual conference? We’re re-creating it in this one-hour show! Journalists can post information on their social networks that may be harmful to their reputation. Lifestyle & Etiquette Expert Elaine Swann and Howard University graduate student
and Google Fellow Kiara Pesante will give you the do’s and don’t’s on navigating proper Internet etiquette, and we’ll leave plenty of time for your questions.  Hope you can join us!