Spring 2020 // University of Nebraska at Omaha // School of Communication
During lecture on Monday, we will discuss the use of multimedia elements in your stories. This includes the capturing of audio and video.
We’ll also discuss the software options for you to use on your audio and video assignments, which will be assigned in the coming weeks.
During lab you’ll present your first photo story.
The only assignment due by 5 p.m. March 16 is your second photo story. The assignment details are the same as your first photo story.
At the start of lecture tomorrow you’ll take the third quiz of the semester, which covers last week’s discussion on breaking news.
We’ll then hear from our next guest speaker: Rebecca Gratz, a multimedia specialist with University Communications here at UNO.
During lab we’ll discuss last week’s Instagram assignment and your second written story.
The two assignments due by 5 p.m. March 9 are a 300-word recap of Gratz’s presentation and the first photo story, the details of which are below.
Two Photo Stories
Find a local newsworthy event, feature or profile (as it relates to your story beat) and tell its story through 10 photos.
The 10 photos should be posted to your blog as a single blog post, complete with a headline as the title of your blog post.
Each photo should include a one- or two-sentence caption that describes the photo/identifies who is in the photo. (Your headline and photo captions should both be written in present tense.)
Each photo should be at least 500 pixels wide or 500 pixels tall, depending on the parameters allowed on your WordPress template.
Your blog post should also include a 150-word article that details the story/person/event in your photographs.
Grading Rubric for Two Photo Stories
On Monday during lecture we will dive deeper into the history of breaking news and provide an overview of some of the largest stories covered by media locally, regionally and nationally. This discussion serves as the focus of the third quiz, which you’ll take March 2.
During lab you’ll offer a preview of your second written story and complete an assignment using Instagram.
The two assignments due by 5 p.m. March 2 are the second written story, the details of which mimic the first written story, and your response to the third discussion question posted to Canvas. Please remember to post your response as a comment in Canvas and not on your blog.
Today during lecture you’ll take the second quiz of the semester. The quiz cover last week’s discussion on AP Style, and the relationship between social media and breaking news.
We’ll then hear from our next guest speaker: Matt Tompkins of 101.9 The Keg.
The only assignment due next Monday is a 300-word recap of Tompkins’s presentation on working in radio and video production.
During lab you’ll present your first written story and spend time researching your second written story, which will be assigned on Feb. 24 and due on March 2.
During lecture Monday we will provide a refresher discussion on AP Style and the inverted pyramid. It may have been a semester or two since you’ve written in AP Style. Your assignments this semester will be graded based on your correct use of AP Style.
We’ll also discuss new social media tools and terminology, especially as they relate to online journalism and communications, during lecture.
During lab this week you will complete a timed writing assignment, which is due before you leave. You are welcome to bring your laptop to class or use one of the computers in the classroom.
Part of the assignment includes posting to your blog, so be certain you have your blog’s username and password during lab.
The only assignment due next Monday, Feb. 17, is the first written assignment.
Conduct a face-to-face interview with a person associated with the story or event, and write a 600-word article. Copy and paste your written article as a new blog post on your blog.
Your written article should include the following to receive full credit:
Grading Rubric for Two Written Stories
What follows is how we will grade your two written story assignments. Each assignment is worth 75 points.
Happy Super Bowl Sunday! Remember our live-tweet assignment; kick-off begins at 5:30 p.m. today.
Tomorrow during lecture you’ll take the first quiz of the semester, which covers last week’s discussion on journalism today, media ethics and more. The quiz is worth 15 points.
We’ll also hear from staff from The Gateway, UNO’s student newspaper. A 300-word recap of The Gateway’s presentation is due by 5 p.m. Feb. 10. Write the recap and post it to your blog.
The other assignment due Feb. 10 is your response to our next discussion question, which will be posted to Canvas on Tuesday.
During lab this week you’ll present your new WordPress blogs and discuss your story beat and source list. Charley and I can assist you with any problems you’re having using WordPress. It seems the biggest wrinkle has been creating your WordPress URLs. Don’t forget to send your lab instructor your WordPress URL, if you haven’t already done so.
Monday during lecture we will discuss the use of online reporting sources, along with legal and ethical issues surrounding journalism today. The topics we cover will be the focus of your first quiz of the semester, which will be given during lecture on Feb. 3. The quiz is worth 15 points.
During lab you will provide an overview of your story beat and source list, and begin building your WordPress blog.
The two assignments due at 5 p.m. on Feb. 3 are your WordPress blog and a live-tweet assignment. The details of both are below.
Creating Your WordPress Blog
Begin at www.wordpress.com, and create an account.
Be certain to write down your WordPress username and password.
Your blog is required to have the following pages/features.
The creation of your blog and the in-class presentation of your blog during lab the week of Feb. 3 are worth 50 points.
When selecting your blog’s URL, consider simply using your first and last name (based on availability, of course). Here are some recent examples:
Erin Chance
Cristian Robles
Sharisa Tyma
Live-Tweet Assignment: SuperBowl LIV
One of the most-watched TV broadcasts of the year — the SuperBowl — is Sunday. If your schedule allows, watch the game, featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. Kick-off is 5:30 p.m.
While watching the game and the famous (or infamous?) commercials, post a minimum of 20 tweets from your Twitter account as if you are covering it as a reporter for a media outlet.
Be certain to include our class hashtag — #msuno — in each of your 20 tweets.
If you’re unable to watch the game Sunday evening, tune in to any of the day’s pre-game coverage for about an hour and tweet what you’re seeing and hearing.
You are welcome to retweet and reply to other students during the game, but these tweets will not count toward your 20 tweets for the assignment.
Finally, by 5 p.m. Feb. 3, post to your blog a 150-word recap about this live-tweeting experience. Consider the following questions:
Within your blog post, remember to include a link to your Twitter account, so your assignment can be graded.
The assignment is worth 25 points.
Hello, Mavericks! The spring semester has arrived and we couldn’t be more eager to dive into Media Storytelling I.
This semester you’ll become backpack journalists (or for those of you majoring in public relations, marketing professionals!), using various tools and technologies to tell stories. You’ll select story beats, conduct interviews and, of course, follow current events big and small.
We look forward to meeting you at 5 p.m. Monday in ASH 100!
– Charley Steed & Wendy Townley
Media Storytelling I Lecture & Lab 