writing/production for the web - basic principles
DESCRIPTION
Lesson 3 in the Online Journalism module on Birmingham City University's journalism degreeTRANSCRIPT
Paul BradshawSenior Lecturer, Online Journalism, Magazines and New Media, School of Media, Birmingham City University, UK (mediacourses.com)Blogger, Online Journalism Blog
Writing/producing for the web: BASIC principles
BASIC principles
Brevity
Adaptability
The journalistThe
information
What does the story suit?
What might the user want to do with the information?
Scannability
Users are task-
oriented
Headlines need to be
literal
Get to the point quick
SEO
Subheadings
Bullet lists
Blockquotes
Interactivity
Link
Link
Link
Think
Think blog
Think blog
Q&A
Think
wiki
blogQ&A
Think
wiki
blogQ&A
live chat
Think
wiki
blogQ&A
live chat
webcast
Think
wiki
blogQ&A
live chat
webcastquiz
Think
wiki
blogQ&A
live chat
webcastquiz
image map
Think
wiki
blogQ&A
live chat
webcastquiz
image map
poll
Think
wiki
blogQ&A
live chat
webcastquiz
image map
gallerypoll
Think
wiki
blogQ&A
live chat
webcastquiz
image map
gallerypoll
user video
Think
wiki
blogQ&A
live chat
webcastquiz
image map
gallerypoll
forumuser video
Think
wiki
blogQ&A
live chat
webcastquiz
image map
gallerypoll
forumuser video
database
mashup
Community&
Conversation
They are not the
audience
Users as co-
creators of news
Distributed acts of
journalism
Engage: invite and respond
Create social
value off your site
Journalism acts of
distribution
The story is bigger than the
site
Leave your site
Conversation =
Distribution
5 things you can do now
1. Type up a story – make sure you: Have a literal headline
2. Get to the point in the first par
3. Include as many links as possible
4. Break it up with subheads
5. Split pars so they are as simple as possible.
5 things you can do next
1. Think about the story/issue – what media would it suit?
2. What platforms could it use – i.e. live chats, wikis, forums, maps, quiz, etc?
3. How can you involve users as co-creators before, during and after production?
4. How can you make the raw information adaptable by users?
5. Where might those users be online, and how can you gather/produce the story on those platforms?
