NABJDigital Profiles Loop21.com

By Stacie Bailey, online graduate student, Quinnipiac University

An accessible and open forum that provides in-depth coverage and original angles on issues that affect the African American community. That is Loop21.com.  The name Loop21  is about being in the know and being included in the topics of the 21^st century.

Initially launched a year and a half ago, the site underwent a re-launch in August 2011 displaying the new format that is visible online today. The site was created in an effort to produce more accurate and unbiased coverage of issues within the African-American community and mainstream media.

The young staff consists of CEO Darrell Williams, COO/Executive Producer Ken Gibbs, Jr. and Editorial Director Chloe Hillard, among others, along with 40 freelance writers. With articles ranging from politics to culture, together, the team publishes almost 100 pieces of content each day reaching readers from their website as well as social media venues such as Twitter (@theloop21) and Facebook .

The Black-owned and operated site creates revenue through advertising while partnering with news publications such as Essence and NewsOne. Loop21 encourages participation and exchange of information among its audience. During President Barack Obama’s 2012 State of the Union address, Loop21 held a live Twitter conversation, teaming up with a group of 100-200 professionals to respond to the event as it was occurring. Readers were welcome to join the conversation and respond with feedback.  In another instance, a similar discussion was held via social media during the Troy Davis execution. Loop21 is less about business and more about making a difference in the community.

“It comes from a new generation of thinkers, thinking about things in a forward looking way. [We’re] not just looking in the past, but looking for new opportunities and ways to manage our challenges. That’s what we’re about and that’s what our audience is about,” Williams said.

If you would like to get involved with Loop21, you can send questions, comments, story ideas and opinion articles to editor@theloop21.com. Op-eds are posted weekly. Internships are available year-round; just send a note of why you’re interested, your resume and up to three samples of your work to the email above.  Check out Loop21’s “About Us” page to get to know more about some of the people who make the site a success.

Calendar of Multimedia Training and Events

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF chair & freelance aviation journalist/blogger

Webbmedia Group has a great mega 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 Donald J. Reynolds Journalism Institute has its training calendar posted for courses through June.

FEBRUARY

• Webbmedia Group is partnering with the National Press Club for a workshop, “10 Tech Trends for Q1,” Feb. 2 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (ET) in Washington, D.C.  Learn about the most interesting emerging technologies coming to market in the next few months that stand to impact your work. This invigorating session will showcase ten tech trends that you need to know now. We’ll explain what they are in plain English, why they matter to you and how you can leverage them to energize your work. The cost is $50, and $25 for press club members.  And check out this Storify of a presentation Amy Webb gave on this topic at NABJ’s 2011 annual conference.
• The Donald J. Reynolds Journalism Institute is offering a free webinar “Social Media 101, 202, 303,” Feb. 8-10.   Social Media 101 offers the basics for social media newbies.  Social Media 202 is tips for reporters about using social media sites as research tools. Social Media 303 will show how to filter to contain the clutter.
• Webbmedia Group is partnering with the National Press Club for a workshop, “Finding Your Audience,” Feb. 9 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. in Washington, D.C.  This session will explain how to bring more sticky traffic to digital content, but also help you understand that unique visitors and page views alone don’t reflect the success or failure of a digital product. It’s also about what happens to that content once it leaves a website.
• Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications has established the John M. Higgins Award for Best In-Depth/Enterprise Reporting as part of the annual Mirror Awards for excellence in media industry reporting.  The competition is open to anyone who conducts reporting, commentary or criticism of the media industries in a format intended for a mass audience. Eligible work includes print, broadcast and online editorial content focusing on the development or distribution of news and entertainment. All entries must have been published or broadcast between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2011.  The deadline to apply is Feb. 10.
• Webbmedia Group is partnering with the National Press Club for a workshop, “Hey Blogger, It’s Me,” Feb. 13 from 1-4:00 p.m. at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.  The session will explain how to harness blogs, how to read and participate with them effectively, how to build digital relationships with bloggers, how to craft messages/ press releases that will resonate with bloggers and how to keep the conversation about your content going.
• An initiative of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Media Learning Seminar combines the best of journalism and technology. It will be held Feb. 20-21 in Miami. The seminar will discuss the movement and progression of technology and the ever-changing industry of media.
• Webbmedia Group is partnering with the National Press Club for a workshop, “Digging Deep: How to Mine For Critical Digital Information,” Feb. 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.  In this digging deep bootcamp, you’ll learn all of the essential tools necessary for finding important information about people, businesses and organizations.

 

MARCH

• Webbmedia Group is partnering with the National Press Club for a workshop, “How to Create a Social Media Workflow,” on March 1 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM in Washington, D.C.  In this session, you will learn how to create an effective social media strategy, a practical workflow, how to design individual campaigns, how to plan a social editorial calendar, how to create meaningful social content, how to create meaningful blog content, how to measure your ROI and how to set appropriate benchmarks.
• Polish your skills in computer-assisted reporting (CAR) and learn how to hold local businesses accountable with this free, daylong workshop co-presented by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism and Investigative Reporters and Editors, March 15.  This free workshop precedes the Society of American Business Editors and Writers Conference March 15-17, for which there is an additional fee.  Click here to register for the free workshop.
• Webbmedia Group is partnering with the National Press Club for a workshop, “Headline Writing,” March 15, 2012 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM in Washington, D.C.  Which headlines and ledes work (and which ones don’t)? Why is concise writing for the web is important? How do you integrate the best keywords into ancillary items such as subheds, breakout boxes and photo cutlines? After a 45-minute intro session, we will conduct small group sessions to practice writing and rewriting headlines, ledes and other items for the web.
• The Knight Digital Media Center at UC Berkeley has opened applications for its 2011 Multimedia Training May 15-20. The workshop offers intensive training that covers all aspects of multimedia news production; from basic storyboarding to hands-on instruction with hardware and software for production of multimedia stories. Participants will be organized into teams to report on a pre-arranged story in the Bay Area, and then construct a multimedia presentation based on that coverage.  Applications are due by March 18 for the May training.

 

APRIL

• The International Reporting Project is accepting applications for its spring and fall 2011 fellowships. The fellowships allow U.S. journalists to do original, in-depth reporting projects overseas covering neglected, “under-reported” stories of global importance.  The deadline for the fall application is April 1.
• The Knight Digital Media Center at UC Berkeley has opened applications for its Web 2.0 workshop Feb. 14-18 and June 13-17.  This training takes participants through the progression of reporting news for multiple digital platforms, starting with quick text posts and moving through photos and video and finally ending with a full multimedia presentation. The workshop provides hands-on training using Twitter and Facebook for reporting and driving web traffic, creating data-driven map mashups, dynamically updating a blog for breaking news, publishing photo galleries and audio slideshows, producing videos and editing videos using Final Cut Pro.  The deadline to apply is April 15 for the June training.
• The National Conference for Media Reform will hold its annual conference in Boston April 8-11, 2011.  The conference brings together thousands of activists, media makers, educators, journalists, scholars, policymakers and engaged citizens to meet, tell their stories, share tactics, listen to great speakers and build the movement for better media in America.

MAY

• The Donald J. Reynolds Journalism Institute is offering a free webinar, “Unlocking Financial Statements,” May 14-18.  The free, week-long seminar covers income statements, balance sheets, cash flows and writing about numbers.  This seminar will be led by James Gentry, a professor and former dean at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas. He has presented workshops on understanding the numbers of business to thousands of journalists and corporate communicators.

JUNE

• The National Association of Black Journalists is holding its annual Convention and Career Fair in New Orleans, La., June 20-24.  Pre-registration lasts through May 15.
• The Donald J. Reynolds Journalism Institute is offering a free webinar, “Economics 101,” June 26-28. Marilyn Geewax, senior business editor for NPR’s National Desk, will demystify economics for business journalists.

AUGUST

• Unity Journalist of Color, Inc. will hold its 2012 convention in Las Vegas Aug. 1-4.  Unity will have a career fair, as well as, provide career coaching, education sessions and student projects.

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

NABJDigital Reviews Google Plus For Journalists

By Renee Pinckney, Journalist, Freelancer & Multimedia Reporter
www.tyrenee.com

As media professionals continue to discover new ways to operate in a digital age and adapt to a new era of journalism, Google Plus might be the next big communication tool for journalists to interact with their audiences.

Social networking giants, such as Facebook and Twitter, have proven to be effective platforms for journalists to disseminate real-time news and information.

According to a 2011 survey conducted by TEKGROUP International, 90 percent of working journalists say they use Facebook and Twitter on a daily basis to monitor news and information.

While Google Plus has yet to reach the degree of notoriety its competitors have, the site offers essential social media tools that will potentially attract a larger audience that include:

• Sharing posts as a way to engage readers
• Analyzing news coverage
• Personal branding strategies
• Sharing of photos, videos and other multimedia
• Marketing opportunities (advertise & increase traffic)
• Interacting with readers/audience
• Connecting with fellow writers and professionals
• Providing journalists the chance to show personality
• Hosting audience hangouts
• Gathering ideas for blog posts and articles
• Gaining feedback and increasing followers

Some journalists who have become early adopters of Google Plus are media mogul and founder of The Huffington Post, Arianna Huffington, and The Washington Post columnist and MSNBC contributor, Ezra Klein.

Much like Facebook, Huffington and Klein engage with the public by posting up-to-the-minute news stories and sharing photos. Readers respond with comments, shares and +1’s (Google Plus’ take on the Facebook like button). However, in comparison to their Facebook pages, the feedback by the audience is much less.

But this is expected for Google Plus, which just launched last summer. Many media professionals are experimenting with the site, including Chicago-based freelance writer Jewell Washington.

“In many ways, I think Google Plus has the potential to be a great social networking tool to not only connect with readers and fellow professionals but it has personally helped me in driving traffic to my site and marketing my work while also selling my brand,” she says.

One of Google Plus’ most popular options is its Hangout feature, which allows journalists to invite readers from anywhere in the world to join them in a video chat session. This provides the audience an inside look into their profession and a chance for journalists to host Q&A sessions with viewers.

Sarah Hill, an anchor for KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri, recently told Mashable.com that she hosts a Hangout during the 5 p.m. newscasts to give viewers a behind-the-scenes into the newsroom.

Hangout allows journalists to create a community to exchange ideas, knowledge and advice while also sharing experiences. Washington recommends using the virtual platform to conduct interviews.

“There have been times when I’ve connected with sources through Google Plus who don’t live in the surrounding area and it provided a fresh alternative to talking on the phone or through email.”

Unlike Facebook, and much to Google Plus’ advantage, journalists are able to create a public network that establishes a connection with readers that doesn’t infringe upon their privacy.

In addition, journalists who already have a large following on Twitter and Facebook can build their network by encouraging readers to follow them on Google Plus.

The effect Google Plus will have on the news industry is still unforeseen, however its social media tools are steadily making an impact on journalists and growing one user at a time.

NABJDigital Profiles “If This, Then That” Social Media Wrangling Tool

By Ugonna Okpalaoka, student, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University

A new start-up out of San Francisco is making it easier to juggle all your accounts across the web.

If This Then That, or IFTTT, was launched a little over a year ago. It’s as simple as its name suggests but its potential is what makes it stand out.

Many social networks have introduced the option of cross-sharing material. Sites like Twitter, for example, let you post your tweets to your Facebook timeline. IFTTT takes things one step further by letting you connect and manage over 30 web services like YouTube, Tumblr, Craigslist and LinkedIn, in one place.

So how does it work?

Let’s say you want to be notified every time someone tags a photo of you on Facebook. You would need to plug that request into the IFTTT formula, or what the site calls a recipe, so it reads:

IF I AM TAGGED IN A FACEBOOK PHOTO, THEN SEND ME A TEXT MESSAGE.

And that’s it. Now every time someone tags you in a photo on Facebook, you’ll receive a text message notification.

Of course, if you have a Facebook application on your smart phone, this may not be all that impressive to you. The impressive part is how this simple recipe lends itself to a wide range of possibilities.

The website provides an index of user-submitted recipes where people have come up with some pretty creative ways to use If This Then That.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Sync your social profile pictures.

• IF MY FACEBOOK PROFILE PICTURE CHANGES, THEN UPDATE MY TWITTER PROFILE PICTURE. (link)

Find out if it’s going to rain tomorrow.

• IF IT’S RAINING TOMORROW, THEN SEND A TEXT MESSAGE (link)

Greet a new Twitter follower.

• IF I GET A NEW TWITTER FOLLOWER, THEN POST A NEW TWEET (link)

Then there’s my personal favorite for those awkward situations you may find yourself in:

Text to escape.

• IF I SEND A TEXT MESSAGE TO IFTTT, THEN IFTTT CALLS MY CELL PHONE. (link)

IFTTT is a great way to streamline your Internet activity and its capabilities are sure to grow as more people join the site.

So NABJ, how do you rate this service? Do you think it can be useful? And if so, how would you use it?

Managing Your Presence Online

By Alexis M. Davis, a junior public relations major in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Back in high school we were all warned to clean up our Facebook profiles when the time came to apply to institutes of higher education. We did not want admissions counselors deciding our fate before recognizing our promising test scores, many extracurricular activities and, most importantly, our high grades. As students who successfully made it to the next level, we must recognize the need to continue to keep an eye on our online presence, especially at this crucial time for the summer 2012 internship hunt.

In the past few years we have seen an increase in the number of social media platforms available for use and must now ensure all of our pages and profiles are clean and properly updated. Here are a few tips for handling your online reputation:

Begin by branding yourself

No matter if you are interested in broadcast journalism, public relations or general newspaper reporting, it is always a great idea to have a portfolio to display your work and make a name for yourself online. Start slow by making a blog on WordPress, Blogger or even Tumblr to get your ideas out there. Also be sure you have a LinkedIn profile and that it is updated every time you update your résumé. Finally, consider setting up a website to display your writing samples or television clips in one place. Wix and Weebly are free tools anyone can use to get a site up and running.

Personal vs. professional feeds

If you are having trouble separating your private and public life on Twitter, consider having one for friends and peers and another for family, professors and when seeking jobs and internships. Let’s face it, potential employers do not want to see students using outrageous hashtags and tweeting about how crazy the weekend was with friends even though you have an exam on Monday that you have not studied for. If this sounds like you, try changing your image by making your personal page private and leaving your professional page public. To make things simple, use your first and last name for your professional Twitter and list any titles you have in the description area.

Check your profiles with Socioclean

If you want another set of eyes to check your social media sites, try using Socioclean. The site will scan your pages, point out potentially damaging comments on your wall and photo albums and also check your tweets for foul language. The program will then give you a grade based on your professional online presence. Check and see if your school’s career services department has offered this tool.

Use common sense

Remember that anything you put on the Internet is there forever. If you are preparing to post something and think an employer, your mother, or even your future children would be ashamed at its existence, hit delete immediately! Nothing is worse than having the past come back to haunt you, so it is best to assume everyone is always watching.

Calendar of Multimedia Training and Events

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF chair & freelance aviation journalist/blogger

Webbmedia Group has a great mega 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.)

JANUARY

• The Knight Digital Media Center at UC Berkeley has opened applications for its Independent Journalists Workshop March 21-25.  The workshop will provide journalists with the hands-on training and tools to get started with an online publishing enterprise.  The deadline to apply is Jan. 28.

FEBRUARY

• Webbmedia Group is partnering with the National Press Club for a workshop, “10 Tech Trends for Q1,” Feb. 2 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (ET) in Washington, D.C.  Learn about the most interesting emerging technologies coming to market in the next few months that stand to impact your work. This invigorating session will showcase ten tech trends that you need to know now. We’ll explain what they are in plain English, why they matter to you and how you can leverage them to energize your work. The cost is $50, and $25 for press club members.  And check out this Storify of a presentation Amy Webb gave on this topic at NABJ’s 2011 annual conference.
• The Donald J. Reynolds Journalism Institute is offering a free webinar “Social Media 101, 202, 303,” Feb. 8-10.   Social Media 101 offers the basics for social media newbies.  Social Media 202 is tips for reporters about using social media sites as research tools. Social Media 303 will show how to filter to contain the clutter.
• Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications has established the John M. Higgins Award for Best In-Depth/Enterprise Reporting as part of the annual Mirror Awards for excellence in media industry reporting.  The competition is open to anyone who conducts reporting, commentary or criticism of the media industries in a format intended for a mass audience. Eligible work includes print, broadcast and online editorial content focusing on the development or distribution of news and entertainment. All entries must have been published or broadcast between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2011.  The deadline to apply is Feb. 10.

 

MARCH

• Webbmedia Group is partnering with the National Press Club for a workshop, “How to Create a Social Media Workflow,” on March 1 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM in Washington, D.C.  In this session, you will learn how to create an effective social media strategy, a practical workflow, how to design individual campaigns, how to plan a social editorial calendar, how to create meaningful social content, how to create meaningful blog content, how to measure your ROI and how to set appropriate benchmarks.
• Polish your skills in computer-assisted reporting (CAR) and learn how to hold local businesses accountable with this free, daylong workshop co-presented by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism and Investigative Reporters and Editors, March 15.  This free workshop precedes the Society of American Business Editors and Writers Conference March 15-17, for which there is an additional fee.  Click here to register for the free workshop.
• Webbmedia Group is partnering with the National Press Club for a workshop, “Headline Writing,” March 15, 2012 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM in Washington, D.C.  Which headlines and ledes work (and which ones don’t)? Why is concise writing for the web is important? How do you integrate the best keywords into ancillary items such as subheds, breakout boxes and photo cutlines? After a 45-minute intro session, we will conduct small group sessions to practice writing and rewriting headlines, ledes and other items for the web.
• The Knight Digital Media Center at UC Berkeley has opened applications for its 2011 Multimedia Training May 15-20. The workshop offers intensive training that covers all aspects of multimedia news production; from basic storyboarding to hands-on instruction with hardware and software for production of multimedia stories. Participants will be organized into teams to report on a pre-arranged story in the Bay Area, and then construct a multimedia presentation based on that coverage.  Applications are due by March 18 for the May training.

 

APRIL

• The International Reporting Project is accepting applications for its spring and fall 2011 fellowships. The fellowships allow U.S. journalists to do original, in-depth reporting projects overseas covering neglected, “under-reported” stories of global importance.  The deadline for the fall application is April 1.
• The Knight Digital Media Center at UC Berkeley has opened applications for its Web 2.0 workshop Feb. 14-18 and June 13-17.  This training takes participants through the progression of reporting news for multiple digital platforms, starting with quick text posts and moving through photos and video and finally ending with a full multimedia presentation. The workshop provides hands-on training using Twitter and Facebook for reporting and driving web traffic, creating data-driven map mashups, dynamically updating a blog for breaking news, publishing photo galleries and audio slideshows, producing videos and editing videos using Final Cut Pro.  The deadline to apply is April 15 for the June training.
• The National Conference for Media Reform will hold its annual conference in Boston April 8-11, 2011.  The conference brings together thousands of activists, media makers, educators, journalists, scholars, policymakers and engaged citizens to meet, tell their stories, share tactics, listen to great speakers and build the movement for better media in America.

MAY

• The Donald J. Reynolds Journalism Institute is offering a free webinar, “Unlocking Financial Statements,” May 14-18.  The free, week-long seminar covers income statements, balance sheets, cash flows and writing about numbers.  This seminar will be led by James Gentry, a professor and former dean at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas. He has presented workshops on understanding the numbers of business to thousands of journalists and corporate communicators.

JUNE

• The Donald J. Reynolds Journalism Institute is offering a free webinar, “Economics 101,” June 26-28. Marilyn Geewax, senior business editor for NPR’s National Desk, will demystify economics for business journalists.

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

The New Stone and Weeks Fellowship: Apply Now!

By Brandon L. Gates, MS in Broadcast Journalism ’12 Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

In a world in which newsrooms’ staff numbers are withering, the time to embrace the idea of convergence journalism is now.  Some of the more seasoned journalists may remember the days of there being a definite line between reporting for print publications and broadcast news; with the introduction of new technology, the Internet and varied social media platforms, however, the lines are now overlapping and blurry – and while less conventional, it is an exciting time to be a journalist, despite vicious rumors that suggest there is no future in our field.

We all have heard how important being a multiplatform journalist is; yet a number of journalism programs, due to limitations in size, faculty and resources, may be unable to provide the experience. Fortunately, the folks at The Washington Post and NPR see a need for prospective journalists to be trained and well versed in both print and broadcast and they are offering such opportunity through The Stone & Holt Weeks Fellowship.

This fellowship is a unique meeting of the mediums and gives one fellow the opportunity to hone their reporting skills, while producing content for two of the nation’s most reputable news organizations.

The fellowship will consist of two sessions: 12 weeks at The Washington Post, followed by 12 weeks at NPR, in which fellows will learn how to report for print, web and radio. The fellow will produce original content that will be featured in print, on air and online and will be compensated $800 each week, before taxes. The fellowship does not cover housing or living expenses but the round-trip cost to travel to D.C. will be covered.

To apply for the fellowship you must have completed a bachelor degree by July 15, 2012. To be considered you must download and complete an application form, attach a cover letter explaining why you should be selected for the fellowship and what you have done to make this world a better place – a value shared by Stone & Holt, who the fellowship is named for. Applicants must also include a resume, an academic transcript and two letters of recommendation – one from a supervisor and one from a teacher or mentor.

Applications must be received with a postmark on or before April 30, 2012. Finalists will be notified in early June and invited for an interview with the fellowship committee. A selection will be made by the end of June and the fellowship begins after Labor Day.

All materials should be sent to:
The Stone & Holt Weeks Fellowship
NPR
635 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20001

The fellowship was established by The Washington Post and NPR following the death of Stone Weeks, 24, and Holt Weeks, 20, who both died in a tragic car accident in the summer of 2009. Their father, Linton Weeks, is a reporter at NPR and a former reporter of The Washington Post.

Experience, published works and weekly compensation – do I need to convince you any further to apply? Completion of the fellowship may not land a job at either organization, right away, but “All Things Considered,” (just a bit of NPR humor) this is a great opportunity to begin a promising career in journalism.

Calendar of Multimedia Training and Events

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF chair & freelance aviation journalist/blogger

Webbmedia Group has a great mega 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.)

JANUARY

• The Poynter Institute is holding an online webinar, “Becoming a More Effective Reporter: Telling Untold Stories,” Jan. 17 through Feb. 11, 2011.  This course will help you improve your ability to find and tell stories off the beaten path. It will open your eyes and ears to story ideas buried in plain sight and show you how to mine communities, cultures and individuals for stories that often remain untold.  The cost is $399.
• The Knight Digital Media Center at UC Berkeley has opened applications for its Independent Journalists Workshop March 21-25.  The workshop will provide journalists with the hands-on training and tools to get started with an online publishing enterprise.  The deadline to apply is Jan. 28.

FEBRUARY

• Webbmedia Group is partnering with the National Press Club for a workshop, “10 Tech Trends for Q1,” Feb. 2 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (ET) in Washington, D.C.  Learn about the most interesting emerging technologies coming to market in the next few months that stand to impact your work. This invigorating session will showcase ten tech trends that you need to know now. We’ll explain what they are in plain English, why they matter to you and how you can leverage them to energize your work. The cost is $50, and $25 for press club members.  And check out this Storify of a presentation Amy Webb gave on this topic at NABJ’s 2011 annual conference.
• The Donald J. Reynolds Journalism Institute is offering a free webinar “Social Media 101, 202, 303,” Feb. 8-10.   Social Media 101 offers the basics for social media newbies.  Social Media 202 is tips for reporters about using social media sites as research tools. Social Media 303 will show how to filter to contain the clutter.
• Webbmedia Group is partnering with the National Press Club for a workshop, “How To Write a Social Media Policy,” Jan. 19 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (ET) in Washington, D.C. The session will discuss the basic structure of a social media policy, and talk through best practices with a lawyer who specializes in new media. In the second half of this session, small groups will work to create social media policies for your organization. Each attendee will receive a template and workbook to take back to their organizations.  The cost is $150, and $125 for press club members.

 

MARCH

• Polish your skills in computer-assisted reporting (CAR) and learn how to hold local businesses accountable with this free, daylong workshop co-presented by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism and Investigative Reporters and Editors, March 15.  This free workshop precedes the Society of American Business Editors and Writers Conference March 15-17, for which there is an additional fee.  Click here to register for the free workshop.
• The Knight Digital Media Center at UC Berkeley has opened applications for its 2011 Multimedia Training Jan. 9-14 and May 15-20. The workshop offers intensive training that covers all aspects of multimedia news production; from basic storyboarding to hands-on instruction with hardware and software for production of multimedia stories. Participants will be organized into teams to report on a pre-arranged story in the Bay Area, and then construct a multimedia presentation based on that coverage.  Applications are due by March 18 for the May training.

 

APRIL

• The International Reporting Project is accepting applications for its spring and fall 2011 fellowships. The fellowships allow U.S. journalists to do original, in-depth reporting projects overseas covering neglected, “under-reported” stories of global importance.  The deadline for the fall application is April 1.
• The Knight Digital Media Center at UC Berkeley has opened applications for its Web 2.0 workshop Feb. 14-18 and June 13-17.  This training takes participants through the progression of reporting news for multiple digital platforms, starting with quick text posts and moving through photos and video and finally ending with a full multimedia presentation. The workshop provides hands-on training using Twitter and Facebook for reporting and driving web traffic, creating data-driven map mashups, dynamically updating a blog for breaking news, publishing photo galleries and audio slideshows, producing videos and editing videos using Final Cut Pro.  The deadline to apply is April 15 for the June training.
• The National Conference for Media Reform will hold its annual conference in Boston April 8-11, 2011.  The conference brings together thousands of activists, media makers, educators, journalists, scholars, policymakers and engaged citizens to meet, tell their stories, share tactics, listen to great speakers and build the movement for better media in America.

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

Top 10 Things I Learned At #SparkCamp

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF chair & freelance aviation journalist/blogger

SparkCamp is an intimate gathering of forward-thinking professionals working in journalism, technology, public policy, government, mobile, private and public sector agencies and other areas of digital media. We spent Jan. 13-15 in Austin, Texas, focusing on using data.  Check out my Storify of the event.

AP, Google Join Forces For National Scholarship Program

By Tyrone Hall, Sports and Minority News Freelance Writer

Hello current and future journalists and welcome to the new year.  I’m sure right now you’re just getting into the swing of things. Before you complete the first full week of implementing your resolutions and goals for the year, have you heard the big announcement?

No not voter’s registration, state of the economy or latest celebrity reality show. I’m talking about the partnership that is set to take the journalism field to another level.

That’s right folks. The Associated Press and Google have joined with the Online News Association to bring all undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to enhance both their digital and media skills.

AP, as many of you college journalism majors know is one of the premier global news networks and one of our most trusted independent news sources. If you ask me AP, which stands for Associated Press, should also stand for “Always Prepared.”

Simply because when you want the latest information and unbiased content, AP is ready to deliver it to you.  This worldwide media giant has been standing strong since 1846 when print industry was far less digital as it has become today.

Yet, AP recognized that today’s college students need more resources to truly present news in the ever-changing digital world.

According to Sue Cross, AP senior vice president for the Americas, the scholarship program will help build these vital skills in a new generation of journalists — which is where the global technology leader Google comes into play.

Let’s be honest here for a moment. Internet users seek Google for answers to everything — not just news.

Google has helped today’s readers locate information through web search and advertising that has made life a bit easier even during difficult times.

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably wondering why this didn’t happen sooner, but it doesn’t make any sense in trying to figure that out.

Just know it has come at the perfect time!

Are you ready to sink your journalistic skills into this stepping stone to your future career?  What can this scholarship program do for you?

The AP and Google Journalism and Technology Scholarship will offer $20,000 in scholarships for the 2012-2013 academic school year to six deserving undergraduate or graduate students planning to pursue academic degrees in the area of journalism, computer science and new media.

This program is seeking individual students that have an interest in creating innovative projects that will further the ideals of digital journalism.

Beside the $20,000 in scholarships, do you know the primary purpose for this program? The key goal is to promote geographic, gender and ethnic diversity with an emphasis on rural and urban areas.

This is where NABJ students and future digital journalist of tomorrow have been granted a resource — a new platform to help tell your story using technology through various components of multimedia.

NABJ students should find this new partnership as a passage way to not just funding their education, but a contributing factor to making their vision of future projects a reality. Student members of NABJ should seize hold of this program because it’s been designed with them in mind.

The deadline to apply for the AP-Google Journalism & Technology Scholarship is January 27^th 2012. To find out eligibility requirements you can check out http://ap-google.journalists.org/eligibility

What are you waiting for NABJ Students? This program is your chance to create and bring to life your very own journalistic content!