DC MediaNews: March 2010

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Be cautious about ads

The link takes you to a Student Press Law Center story about Holocaust deniers who try to buy space in college newspapers to spread the theory that the Holocaust never happened. Believe it or not, The Doane Owl once published an ad of Holocaust denier Bradley Smith on the grounds that the paper was providing him his right to free speech and that the issue needed to be explored more fully. But this is an extremely sensitive topic and, in point of fact, the Owl did not have to print the ad or grant Smith his First Amendment rights. He has a right to speak. The newspaper has a right to deny ads that he wishes to run in the paper.

The president of the college, at the time, was Fred Brown. He did not censor the publication, but he asked to talk to the editors of the paper after the Holocaust ad ran. He told them a chilling tale of a friend of his whose concentration camp number was tattoed on her arm. That, plus the preponderance of evidence that the Holocaust existed, was enough to convince, who is a history expert - in fact, owns a doctorate in history, Brown that it did happen. And that the Owl was wrong for printing the ad.

After they heard Brown's story, I think the students wished they would have pulled the ad and found a 20-inch wire story to put in its place.

Plan for the fall media convention

It's not too early to plan for the fall National College Media Convention in Louisville, Ky. The home of Muhammad Ali and the Louisville Slugger - not to mention Kentucky bourbon and Churchill Downs, known for the Kentucky Derby and mint juleps. Check out the convention brochure here http://bit.ly/ncmc10 and the hotel, the Galt House, here http://bit.ly/galthouse

Is Digital Media a Greener Way to Go?

Perhaps old technology - news printed on dead trees - isn't so terrible in terms of the environment. Thoughts?

Is 3D TV pointless?

What do you think? Up or down on 3D TV?

AP photog captures Afghanistan images with iPhone

Who says you need a lot of fancy equipment to take good photos. Check out these shots, taken with a cell phone. AP photog captures Afghanistan images with iPhone

Online Pacemaker Finalists announced

Here are the 50 online college sites that are finalists for the 2010 Pacemaker Award. Please take a look at them. Do similarities exist? How do they differ from the Doaneline? What can Doane College do to aspire to be one of these finalists - preferably sooner than later?

How Topic Pages Can Give Readers a Bird's-Eye View of the News

Can topic pages conquer news fatigue? How Topic Pages Can Give Readers a Bird's-Eye View of the News

What will health care reform mean for Doane?

Perhaps the journalism students at Doane College could use this story to jump start a localization: What will health care reform mean to the college? http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/9fffc92b12934d78a492c6b3b18f1697/Article_2010-03-31-US-Health-Care-Business/id-p73a4f5f88a2e482daba8d5a8619b34e1

Friday, March 26, 2010

Another success story

Doane alum Andy Dygert, a mass communication major, was just accepted into the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. He joins several Doane alums in Journalism and Media or mass communication who are pursuing post-graduate degrees, including at least two in law school.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Localization?

Is there a localization for Doane in this tweet: nytimes

Revamping of Student Loans Approved by Senatehttp://nyti.ms/arS3jd

How to Use Interactive Time Lines in Breaking News & Ongoing Stories

Need to add a time line to one of your stories? Check out this link from Poynter: How to Use Interactive Time Lines in Breaking News & Ongoing Stories

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Design and make money

Make $1,000 by creating a logo and a theme for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. But hurry, the deadline is May 1.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Convergence at work

Click on the headline to see a story about how convergence is happening in Tyler, Texas.

Photo competition announced

Shooters (also known as photographers) will get a chance to win money and prizes at the Joel Sartore/Thomas Mangelsen Collegiate Photo Competition April 16 and 17, sponsored by the Nebraska Press Association.

The live, on-site photo contest is set for April 16 at the NPA spring convention at the Holiday Inn in Kearney. Any journalism student can compete.

Each shooter will be given a photo assignment. Students will have a deadline to shoot the photos and prepare their entries. Prizes for the top winners will be announced at the NPA luncheon at noon Saturday.

To participate, check in at the NPA registration desk at the convention by 1 p.m. Bring a laptop computer, camera, photo card and reader and any other photographic equipment you may need.

Let me know by April 1 if you wish to participate.

The convention registration is free to journalism students and the Saturday lunch costs just $5 for students.

Win some serious bucks

You could win up to $500 in a live, on-site reporting and writing contest next month, sponsored by the Nebraska Press Association.

The contest, the fifth annual Tom Allen Memorial Writing Competition, will take place April 16 at the Holiday Inn in Kearney.

Students will be given a story assignment and a deadline. The winner will receive $500 at the Saturday NPA luncheon in Kearney.

To participate, check in with the NPA registration desk at the convention. You must be there before 1 p.m. You will have to complete the assignment by 5:45 p.m. No Internet access is allowed.

You will need a laptop computer, a notebook and whatever reporting tools you use. The laptops must contain a USB port to download stories onto a jump drive.

If you want to participate, submit your name to me by April 1.

By the way, registration at the convention is free for college students and the Saturday luncheon costs just $5.

Friday, March 5, 2010

The dangers of Chat Roulette

Has anyone tried this? If you haven't, you may not want to start. See "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and its send-up of this new Internet craze, featuring big-time reporters. Hilarious.