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JRNL 10 - Blogging. Prof. Vaccaro Hofstra University. Opinion No set style Completely online Citizen journalists Anyone can do it Free/sustainable. Objectivity Proper style Print/online/TV Trained journalists Hired by company Biz team needed. Blog vs. Traditional Media.
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JRNL 10 - Blogging Prof. Vaccaro Hofstra University
Opinion No set style Completely online Citizen journalists Anyone can do it Free/sustainable Objectivity Proper style Print/online/TV Trained journalists Hired by company Biz team needed Blog vs. Traditional Media
Popular Blogs • According to ebizmba.com, the top 15 blogs on the net, as of March 6, 2011 … • 1 | HuffingtonPost: 28,000,000 - Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors (AOL) • 2 | TMZ: 17,000,000 - Estimated UVs • 3 | engadget: 11,500,000 - Estimated UVs • 4 | PerezHilton: 9,000,000 - Estimated UVs • 5 | Gizmodo: 8,900,000 - Estimated UVs • 6 | Mashable: 7,000,000 - Estimated UVs • 7 | TechCrunch: 6,500,000 - Estimated UVs (AOL) • 8 | Gawker: 4,500,000 - Estimated UVs • 9 | lifehacker: 4,400,000 - Estimated UVs • 10 | FanHouse: 4,350,000 - Estimated Uvs (AOL)
Blog Basics • Characteristics defining a blog (Briggs - Journalism Next) • Frequently updated - new content should be at the top • Every entry has a headline/body text and includes hyperlinks • Contains a spot for reader comments
Blog Basics • San Jose Mercury News added a blog in 1999 and changed journalism • Every newspaper has blogs • Every major newspaper has broken news via their blogs • Every reporter hired now, is asked if they know how to manage/run a blog
What are your favorite blogs? • Tell us your favorites? • Let’s look at newspaper blogs … • Vaccaro • Let’s Blog it Out (Entourage), Newsday • JRNL Teaching (Stony Brook), independent • Patch Blog (Company blog), Patch.com
Creating a blog • Make a plan: editorial/business • Choose a blog system • Blogger/Wordpress • Choose a theme/design • Extras/Gadgets/Widgets • Build your audience • How? Remember from our second class?
Tips for Bloggers • Organize your ideas • Be direct and to the point • Use appropriate language and style • Be the authority with a personality • Link, summarize and analyze • Be specific with headlines/tagging • Post early/post often • Use images and multimedia elements • Participate in the community/social network • Write less and with conviction
News Education Hot-button issues Animals HS Football Politics Breaking news Sachem Schools Immigration Doggies Sachem Football Newsday LI Pol. Blog Ideas and Better Ideas
Other Blog Creation Tips • Define your competition … who else is writing about this topic? • Who cares about the topic? Will anyone read or see this? • How can I make this a visitor destination? • Live blog and host talk sessions … think outside the editorial box
Microblogging • Using Twitter and Facebook to get your message out quickly • Effective medium for breaking news • Can host chats/Q&As • Extension of your editorial reach • Building a digital community • Another reach for advertisers • Building your brand tweet-by-tweet • Create lists and communicate with others • Go mobile … Howard Stern tweets
Next Class • Be prepared to complete and present Assignment 1 in class … instructions and information regarding assignment will be presented at the beginning of class. • READ: Online Journalism Review story about blogging and journalism