New Media Journalism @ Seton Hill University

Content Writer & Manager

ImpactGames, best known for PeaceMaker (www.peacemakergame.com), the award-winning simulation game of the Middle East conflict, is expanding its business strategy to encompass interactive Web experiences around news and current events (“Play the News”). We are seeking an exceptionally talented individual who would share our passion and vision. We offer a competitive compensation based on experience, quality and time-investment. The company HQ is located in Pittsburgh, PA.

Description:

We are looking for a creative writer to lead, manage and write content for our online interactive experiences. The candidate should have a mastery of textual writing as well as the ability to attach visual and audible references to their work. We would require interested candidates to submit examples of their previous work in a range of fields, such as- fiction, non-fiction, technical writing, video games and/or journalism. We are looking for dedicated individuals with deep understanding and immersion in current events on diverse topics: Global, US, entertainment, technology, business and more. Please note that the application process will include a writing test on a selected topic/s.

We are looking forward to hearing from the future members of our team.

To Apply:

Please send resume and cover letter to: jobs(at)impactgames.com

Posted by Admin at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Music Journalism internship - unique opportunity
WYEP
Pittsburgh, PA

Position Description:
91.3fm WYEP, an independent, eclectic, community-based public radio music station on Pittsburgh’s South Side, seeks three (3) Music Journalism and Audio Production interns for a special journalism project January through April of 2008.

Continue reading "Music Journalism / Radio Internships (Spring 2008)" »

Posted by Admin at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Caitlin Fienzle, a senior history major at Seton Hill, recently took an online World War II history class.

Logging on to the class anytime of the day or night from her dorm room, Fienzle said the class was a great experience.

"I was so into the class," Fienzle said. "I got so involved sometimes I lost track of time."

Fienzle was especially taken by an e-discussion group that involved two "armies" fighting -- debating, really -- over questions posed by class professor Dr. John Spurlock.

Her favorite point of contention: Did the demand by the U.S. for the unconditional surrender of Germany and Japan help or hinder Allied war aims?

Spurlock said the discussions reflected the greatest strength of online education: the depth, richness and inclusiveness of student participation in class.

Dr.Spurlock and I will be presenting a workshop on teaching with simulations and games, as part of a faculty workshop next semester.

Posted by jerz at 9:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This morning I found this in my e-mail in box (no, I'd rather not call it an "inbox").

NAME THE NEW CAMPUS PORTAL! Win CASH for Renaming JWeb Want to leave a lasting mark on the Hill? Now's your chance, and you can win a $100 gift card in the process.

Seton Hill University will be upgrading JWeb and CampusConnect into one new information portal in June 2008, and we want YOU to name it! Submit the catchiest, snappiest, most apt name for our new portal and you'll not only add a new word to our campus lexicon, but also win a $100 Visa Gift Card.

The "J" in JWeb stands for Jenzabar, which is our not-exactly-beloved course management system. Campus Connect is our internal database, where we report grades and see what students have signed up for our courses.

Entering your idea is easy:

+ If you could rename JWeb or CampusConnect, what would you call it? Invent a snappy, catchy title that aptly describes what it is that a portal page combining JWeb and CampusConnect does. You might consider how other large websites (MySpace, Yahoo, iTunes, Google) are named, but originality counts.

+ How will your new name relate to Seton Hill? Names that specifically tie into the college's university's mission, institutional history, and unique identity will be more likely to win. You might turn to the campus catalog, local landmarks, or the university website for inspiration.

+ How will the name be interpreted? Avoid profanity, slurs, double-entendres, or any language that might potentially offend others.

SUBMIT as many entries as you like by e-mail to contest@setonhill.edu. Anyone attached to SHU can enter. The DEADLINE is November 20th at 6pm. Include your proposed name(s) for the new portal, your own full name, and the mailing address to send your prize if you are chosen as the winner!

Posted by jerz at 4:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

More evidence of how important digital literacy is to the profession of journalism, and tJobs, News and Views for All of Higher Education - Inside Higher Ed :: New Media Meets Campus Media

About 91 percent of college newspapers had online presences in 2007, but the percentages are much lower for other forms of college media ? 36.3 percent for radio stations, 20.9 percent for television stations, 18.1 percent for magazines and 6 percent for yearbooks. There were, however, "appreciable gains" in the proportion of college media outlets using multimedia technologies in 2007 compared to 2006: For instance, in 2006, 20.9 percent used podcasts, versus 38.4 percent in 2007. The use of Weblogs increased from 19.8 to 35.8 percent, RSS feeds from 23.5 to 35.1 percent, streaming video from 16.6 to 30.5 percent, embedded video (including YouTube) from 9.6 to 42.4 percent and comments features from 39.6 to 57 percent.

Meanwhile, even the smallest commercial newspapers, with 10,000 readers or fewer, are looking for reporting candidates with experience writing for the Web and uploading stories to the Internet, according to a survey of newspaper managing editors conducted by Wendelken and Toni B. Mehling of James Madison University. Of nine respondents in the ?large daily newspaper? category (those with a circulation of 44,000 and above), eight required reporters to have skills in capturing audio while four required audio editing skills. Five required reporters to have skills in capturing video, while one required video editing expertise. Major newspapers, said Wendelken, "are looking at reporters to do these things from the start."

Posted by jerz at 9:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

BootCamp PGH is a free one-day, immersive "entry level" version of PodCamp. It is designed to educate students, small businesses and corporate communications professionals on the power and possibilities of new media.

+ WHEN: Saturday, April 21, from 9 AM to 4 PM
+ WHERE: The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, 420 Boulevard of the Allies, 15219
+ WHO: New media experts, aspiring new media creators, communications and PR personnel, and you!
+ HOW MUCH: Free!

Ready to sign up? Register online now!

[BootCamp PGH]

I received a link to this information and figured it might be of common interest, especially for NMJ students. They're looking for speakers (solo or groups) who are interested in blogging, podcasting, graphic design, and other topics, so this would be a great chance to network and find out what others are doing with new media in the here and now.

Posted by ChrisU at 2:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Final Presentation Gallery -- Jerz: New Media Projects (EL405)

Final Presentation Gallery

"New Media Projects" introduces students to Inform 7, The Games Factory 2, Flash, Blender 3D, and Hammer. All students completed short projects in each medium, and selected a tool to use for a midterm and a final project.

Students kept a development journal on their weblogs, and often helped each other get past rough spots. Since few of my students had any programming experience, there were some rough spots and tense times, but there were also grand "aha!" events that accumulated as the semester progressed. I'm pleased with what my students accomplished.

See the list of final project postings.

Posted by jerz at 2:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

E-Magnify Internet Communications Intern Position, Spring Semester 2007, 10-12 hours per week, resumes accepted beginning 11/13/06 until position filled.

PURPOSE OF POSITION:
The Internet Communications Intern will serve as an extension of the E-Magnify Communications department and assist in the management of content, usability, and marketing of the web site, in keeping with the strategic direction of the center and project.

Continue reading "Paid Web Internship at SHU" »

Posted by jerz at 9:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thanks to the many people who turned out to see Exquisite Corpse last Thursday! It was standing room only, with a lot of great conversation afterward. If you'd like to try to catch this collection of bizarre short horror films -- or if you want to see it again -- come on by DV8 Espresso Bar and Art Gallery in downtown Greensburg (208 S Pennsylvania Ave) on Sat., 11/25 from 7-10pm. It will be shown as part of a double feature with Dorion Barill's short film, "The Shadow". Planned Screening Times: 7:00P The Shadow 7:30P Exquisite Corpse 9:00P The Shadow 9:30P Exquisite Corpse Exquisite Corpse trailer: http://www.exquisitecorpsemovie.com More details about the Exquisite Corpse film are on SHU's website.

Posted by Dr. Mike Arnzen at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Wired News: U.S. Adds Wiki to Spy Arsenal

The office of U.S. intelligence czar John Negroponte announced Intellipedia, which allows intelligence analysts and other officials to collaboratively add and edit content on the government's classified Intelink Web much like its more famous namesake on the world wide web.

If this wiki is restricted to those who have legitimate access to sensitive information, it should be an excellent way to ensure that all the different groups of the government have up-to-date access to the best knowledge that each of the separate divisions has at its disposal. Of course, this presumes that the separate government agencies develop a culture of sharing information rather than hoarding it to protect local operations.

Posted by jerz at 8:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What News Corp doesn't want you to know about MySpace: Condensed edition - Valleywag

MySpace has spawned an incredibly successful twist on the age-old art of self-promotion, allowing--even encouraging--the marketing of everything from bands to businesses on their site. Essentially, they've opened up a channel through which to solicit and promote everyone and everything, most importantly the individual. The whole site is, in essence, a marketing tool that everyone who registers has access to. Users constantly receive spam-like messages from said bands, business, and individuals looking to add more "friends" (and therefore more potential fans, consumers, or witnesses) to their online identity.

Posted by jerz at 12:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Five rules for building a successful online community

I'm not saying that you should follow slavishly in my footsteps, but I assure you that a forum you build (or rebuild) in accordance with my rules will be more popular, easier to manage, and more profitable than one that doesn't follow them. These rules -- and the software that helps enforce them -- are the driving force behind hundreds of popular and profitable discussion-based Web sites.

Posted by jerz at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The programmer as journalist: a Q&A with Adrian Holovaty

OJR: I think one can safely assume that everyone in the news business understands how one "does journalism" through writing or photography. But how does one "do journalism" through computer programming?

Holovaty: The way I see it, there are three basic tasks that journalists do:

1. Gathering information. This involves talking to sources, examining documents, taking photographs, etc. It's reporting.

2. Distilling information. This involves applying editorial judgment to decide what parts of the gathered information are important and relevant.

3. Presenting information. This involves shaping the distilled information into a format that is accessible to the readership. Some examples: writing style (inverted pyramid, etc.), photo color-correction, newspaper page design.

"Doing journalism through computer programming" is just a different way of accomplishing these goals. Namely, the technique favors automation wherever possible.

Posted by jerz at 12:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hypergene MediaBlog � Nieman Reports: The Future Is Here, But Do News Media Companies See It?

So far they have weathered storms of significant social, economic and technological change by figuring out how to transform themselves and what they produce. The creation of the telegraph, for example, had doomsayers frothing, but instead newspapers turned a disruptive technology into a tool for better reporting.

During periods of massive change, the death of the newspapers has always been greatly exaggerated. So, given the industry’s survival skills, why worry now? One reason might be that the burst of the dot-com bubble during the late 90s made many think they had overestimated the impact of the Internet. But in retrospect, the news media might have completely underestimated the influence of this new medium.

Posted by jerz at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A List Apart: Articles: Calling All Designers: Learn to Write!

So if you're someone who hires designers, ask them what they like to read. Talk to them about their word choice in every button, every link, every title. Give them a crack at writing your about page. It's the designer's job to think about your site the way a user does, and tell them what they need to hear, and when they need to hear it. A designer worth their salt will be able to do it. And if your designer says, "I'm not a writer,"� it may be time to find one who is.

If you're a designer who doesn't think of yourself as a writer, it's time to reconsider.

Continue reading "Writing: An Important Design Element" »

Posted by jerz at 3:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Dr. Mike Arnzen at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Students hope Mideast video game will produce insights, investors - OhmyNews International

The complex choices facing leaders in the Middle East have long confounded observers. But two graduate students at Carnegie Mellon University are hoping their video game based on the conflict will help players find solutions _ and raise capital for their new company.

[...]

But will a video game focused on a sensitive geopolitical standoff attract both players and investors? Proponents of so-called serious games, an emerging genre of interactive games that tackle real-world problems, think so. But major video game makers, while applauding such efforts, are wary of investing in them.

Posted by jerz at 7:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wired 14.04: Dream Machines

Now an entire generation has grown up with a different set of games than any before it - and it plays these games in different ways. Just watch a kid with a new videogame. The last thing they do is read the manual. Instead, they pick up the controller and start mashing buttons to see what happens. This isn't a random process; it's the essence of the scientific method. Through trial and error, players build a model of the underlying game based on empirical evidence collected through play. As the players refine this model, they begin to master the game world. It's a rapid cycle of hypothesis, experiment, and analysis. And it's a fundamentally different take on problem-solving than the linear, read-the-manual-first approach of their parents.

In an era of structured education and standardized testing, this generational difference might not yet be evident. But the gamers' mindset - the fact that they are learning in a totally new way - means they'll treat the world as a place for creation, not consumption. This is the true impact videogames will have on our culture.

Posted by jerz at 4:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Having arrived in Lancaster, PA for the College Republicans State Convention, the SHU CR's have discovered that their hotel has free wireless internet. And so, this enables us to report on today's events while on the road!

The first night of convention events included a list of wonderful speakers and a rally with Lynn Swann. The University chapter was also mentioned during one of the speeches as being one of two leaders in developing college student campaign diaries.

So check out our evening's posts, and look for more on tomorrow's events... tomorrow.

Posted by Mike Rubino at 11:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A thought-provoking overview.

Teaching the future of journalism

In the past year, newsrooms have begun to treat convergence differently, to see it as a solar system of loosely connected functions, rather than a hard-wired fusion of media. As bloggers and independent niche online publishers attract fast-growing audiences, media executives feel pressed to invest in experimentation. They seem more aware that prizes go to the swift, the nimble and the daring.

[...]

Convergence now means that photographers are getting writing tests, print writers are asked to show they can write a radio or podcast script and online applicants have to prove their creativity with images and their grasp of design. All are quizzed about their work ethic and self-motivation. In today's competitive job environment, the journalism applicant with both a depth and a breadth of skills and a willingness to work at engaging the audience has the edge.

Posted by jerz at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I just read an article at the Chronicle of Higher Education, about a teacher's troubled attempt to use IM to interface with students. It's called "The Professor as Internet Messenger" (that link might expire in a few weeks, so apologies if it goes nowhere).

This made me wonder: what do college students really think about having professors in their "space" online (with the exception, of course, of jweb and course blogs). If they had "virtual office hours" on IM, would you use them? Would it trouble you if a teacher ping'd you with a question about missing work? Do you already IM profs, or wish you could?

And what about other "spaces" like Facebook or personal blogs on myspace.com or elsewhere? I'm personally reluctant to go there; they seem like private areas where students should be free to not have to look over their shoulders.

Anyway, I'm just curious what the students' viewpoint on all this is. Anyone care to comment?

Posted by Dr. Mike Arnzen at 2:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

New Software Yellows Neglected Digital Photos Over Time | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Eastman Kodak released an imaging software package that yellows, fades, and even loses digital photos over time Monday. "With the click of a mouse, Fotomatshop will make your digital photographs crease, develop fingerprint spots, and even stick together in their 'virtual shoebox,'" Kodak president Antonio Perez said. "It even has motion-blur and redden-eye features." The software takes a week to process 26 digital photos, and charges $9.95 per use.

Posted by jerz at 1:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Paid E-Mail Seen as Sign of Culture Change

Two of the world's largest e-mail providers, America Online Inc. and Yahoo Inc., have said that they will soon start giving companies the option to pay for guaranteed delivery of e-mails to the inboxes of their subscribers. Though designed to foil spammers and scammers, the tactic is drawing a mixed reaction in the online community, with some viewing it as another step away from the free culture that long defined the Internet.

Posted by jerz at 11:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A First Blog of the First Draft of History - New York Times

At the height of the riots early in November, the Swiss weekly, L'Hebdo, decided to send reporters to the town of Bondy, northeast of Paris, on rotations of 7 to 10 days.

Working from a tiny room borrowed from a local soccer club, the reporters have been doing a lot more than writing their typical weekly stories for the magazine, which is based in Lausanne and has a circulation of 44,000. They have posted short and long reports several times a day, as well as photos, on the BondyBlog (www.hebdo.ch/bondyblog.cfm).

Months later, the reporters are still there.

Continue reading "Blogging the Paris Riots" »

Posted by jerz at 12:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Passing along a link that's about a week old.

Francis Hwang: Looking for nine fiction writers

I'm looking for nine fiction writers who want to collaborate with me on an artwork that has been commissioned by Turbulence.org. I don't want to give too much away, but I can say that the work will involve writing collaborative, improvisational fiction online. I can't honestly say how good the final product will be, but I think it'll make a fascinating experiment--provided, of course, I'm lucky enough to have good writers to work with.

Posted by jerz at 11:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Awkward encounters? Sure. But instances such as these are providing teachable moments for faculty at a growing number of colleges nationwide, including Seton Hill. There, a professor and his prolific community of student bloggers are exploring the good and the ugly about a rough-and-tumble form of Internet discourse whose popularity has exploded." --Bill Schackner, in "Freedom of speech redefined by blogs" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).

Continue reading "SHU Blogosphere in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette" »

Posted by jerz at 1:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Electronic paper moves from sci-fi to marketplace - Yahoo! News

In Neal Stephenson's sci-fi novel "The Diamond Age," a young girl's companion is a book with amazing qualities -- it talks, and the words magically change with the story.

A decade after Stephenson's book was published, what was once labeled science fiction is finding its way to the real-world market.

Continue reading "Electronic Paper Update" »

Posted by jerz at 10:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Interested in getting involved in the Setonian, but hate strict time constraints? Want to be more creative with layout, but have a deep-seeded fear of Quark?

Perhaps the Setonian Online is for you.

There will be a preliminary Setonian Online meeting on Tuesday, October 25th at the following times:

1:00pm and 7:00pm

in the Productions Office on 3rd Maura. (You only have to come to one of them).

We will discuss agendas for online productions, story pitches, and promotions for the Online paper.

There will also be a short training session for those interested in doing web layout and production.

(Contact me if you want further training to assist in site maintenance and possible redesign projects).

Posted by Evan Reynolds at 7:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How many people out there think that the blog you are reading now looks a little... um, bland? Yes... after almost three years, the NMJ blog looks exactly the same. I have proposed to Dr. Jerz a design concept--because I have waaaaay too much time on my hands! =') A working prototype is available for critiquing. Just follow this link and leave any complaints, suggestions, or stark-raving praises as comments in this entry.

Thank you,

Evan

Update: The new homepage is on index.php.

Posted by Evan Reynolds at 6:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)

Anyone out there want to push their blogs to the next level and come up with a 60 second video to contribute to the following website? A bunch of bloggers I know are competing in the "Contagious Media" online event, so if you like the idea, please consider linking to the site.

60 second story

We are pleased to announce the 60 second story competition. 60 second stories are works of fiction recorded by their authors as digital videos, less than one minute in duration. Files size must be less than 5MB, and work must be submitted under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike license. Entries are being accepted from now until June 8th, 2005.

Posted by jerz at 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TranscendingMadness is back! And we're looking for new members. If you like writing, reporting, or editing, we could use you.

What is TranscendingMadness?
TranscendingMadness is a monthly e-newsletter covering the area lit/art scene and related events. Each column written for TranscendingMadness is also posted on our blog and webpage. Currently, this newsletter is free to the general public.

Why should I join?
This would be a great opportunity for people of all majors to improve their writing skills. TranscendingMadness will offer a community of artists and writers passionate about what they do. Marketing majors are especially welcome to help manage this group as a company.

What are the qualifications?
All majors are welcome. Prior knowledge about internet culture and web writing is prefered. You must be able to attend one meeting per month and keep in contact via e-mail.

How do I join?
We will be holding a meeting on Friday, April 8. Please leave us an e-mail if you cannot attend.

Posted by Evan Reynolds at 7:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

If you would like to help in posting and formatting the print paper for the Setonian Online in the Publications Office, the times and dates are as follow:

Tuesday, February 15, 2005:
1:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
4:45 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, February 16, 2005:
2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

*A 15-minute training session in blogging software and Setonian Online formatting will be offered at the start of the Tuesday meeting.

*We may finish on Tuesday--if we do, the alterations to the schedule will be listed here accordingly.

*The Publications Office is on the third floor of Maura Hall.

Hope to see you all there ;-)

Posted by Amanda at 3:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The New York Times > Technology > Internet News Sites Are Back in Vogue

Many of the same companies that were badly burned by Internet investments before are aggressively bidding for these sites not just because of the growing online ad business but because, like Dow Jones, they are worried that their current Web sites will not be able to keep up with demand.

"The existing old-line media companies, which have a big stake in where people advertise, have to recognize this medium," said Larry S. Kramer, a founder and chief executive of MarketWatch. "Our audience means more to them now because it's not just revenue they are going to pick up. It's revenue they are going to lose."

Online advertising is expected reach $9.7 billion in 2004, or about 3.7 percent of United States advertising spending, according to a recent Merrill Lynch report. Still, that number is expected to grow 19 percent this year as the nation's largest advertisers shift budgets from print and network television to cable and the Internet, the report said. -- Eric Dash

Posted by jerz at 12:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Do you like computer games?

Want a chance to win $25,000?

The Liemandt Foundation is offering a cash prize for the best educational computer game created by a student.

A few students in "Writing for the Internet" are using the programming language Inform to create interactive fiction games. When the kids are in bed, I spend my leisure time creating platform-jumping style games with The Games Factory (an inexpensive, point-and-click, no-programming-necessary authoring tool that comes with a free demo.) I've also bookmarked Adventure Game Studio, which is a free utility that lets you create Kings Quest/Space Quest style computer games. I've also started "modding" -- that is, designing my own levels for current first-person action games.

In the Fall of 2006, I will teach a course called "New Media Projects," and would welcome game design projects. You don't have to be a new media journalism major to take that course; I'd welcome graphic arts, computer science, and education students as well. There are a few prerequisites, though, so if you are at all interested, contact me.

Anyway, here is the notice from the Liemandt Foundation. All they want from you now is a statement that you're interested in participating. You can figure out what kind of game you want to create later; and you can even change your mind comletely.

Thanks so much for showing interest in the Hidden Agenda College Game Development contest!! Without people like you, this nonprofit program and the potential of education through video games wouldn't be where it is today. We are officially 2 weeks away from when all preliminary entries must be received. I'd hate to have people not enter because of a missed deadline during finals, so PLEASE -- if you are thinking of entering, take 10 minutes fill out the form (attached and at http://www.hiddenagenda.com ) and mail it to 4910 Ave G, Austin TX 78751.

Continue reading "Hidden Agenda Computer Game Design Contest" »

Posted by jerz at 6:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

so this is mass communication?
...I saw Lisa giving up her dream of personal publishing feeling as if she had failed. Then, she sees the nearly the whole town of Springfield delivering their own self-created newspapers.
Homer, synthesizing the situation, said:

"See Lisa, instead of one big shot controlling all of the media, now there are a thousand freaks Xeroxing their worthless opinions."

To which Lisa replied:

"I couldn't be prouder"

Posted by jerz at 5:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Congratulations to SHU faculty member and blogger Mike Arnzen, whose e-mail newsletter, "The Goreletter," won a 2003 Bram Stoker award.

Some photos are online at Raw Dog Screaming Press.

Posted by jerz at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I got word of this contest via e-mail today; it's located in England, but I bet it's open to US submissions, as well.

Date: Fri, 16 Apr 2004 09:58:51 EDT
From: fmodderno@aol.com
Subject: COMPETITION: Can you write about new media? Deadline 30th April

In a message dated 4/16/2004 9:14:43 AM Eastern Standard Time,
trace@ntu.ac.uk writes:

> There are only two weeks left to submit your entry to trAce's New Media
> Article Writing Competition before the deadline on 30th April.
>
> Prize-winners will receive cash prizes and will also be published on the
> trAce website which gets over 30,000 hits a day and is visited by writers,
> educators, journalists and researchers from over a hundred countries.
>
> This competition is open to all and is organised in conjunction with the
> Writers for the Future, a NESTA funded project which aims to provoke discussion and raise awareness of new media writing.
>
> See the website for full details:
> http://trace.ntu.ac.uk/writersforthefuture/news/news5.htm>
> the trAce Online Writing Centre
> trace@ntu.ac.uk
> http://trace.ntu.ac.uk
> The Nottingham Trent University
> Clifton, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK
> Tel: + 44 (0) 115 848 6360
> Fax: + 44 (0) 115 848 6364

Posted by Dr. Mike Arnzen at 11:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I would imagine that all new media journalists should be anticipating the inevitable rise of digital ink technologies in their lifetime. This will enable "digital newspapers" -- portable documents far better than your average PDA or cell phone screen, with better resolution than even the top of the line laptops have. Imagine a flexible thin piece of plastic that you could roll up like a wafer-thin newspaper and put into your backpocket. That's what the future might hold: check out Polymer Vision.

This research has been going on for quite some time now, but it's up to our culture and the industries at large to make it a success. If you haven't read up on digital ink, go to the news releases housed at E-Ink, who seems to be reigning in the industry right now.

Posted by Dr. Mike Arnzen at 9:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

If I were a student and cared a lot about popular music, I'd think this was cool. From the college's perspective, it's a great recruiting tool. But if I can sidestep for the moment the Napster generation's firm belief in the its God-given right to free music, I have to wonder... what is the next illegal activity that colleges will pay to permit their students to do, simply because policing that activity takes too much time and energy?

I presume the college felt it was cheaper, in the long run, to buy free music for the students than to police and prosecute the actions of students who would otherwise download music illegally.
Wired News: Penn State, Napster Ink Pact

As college students sucked up bandwidth using free peer-to-peer services, the entertainment industry stepped up efforts to stop alleged piracy on campuses by mailing notices of copyright infringement to colleges across the country. School administrators were then stuck tracking down alleged violators.

Posted by jerz at 3:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Student Press Law Center - News Flashes

Ohio students suspended, arrested for off-campus Web site
Web site allegedly threatened violent action against group of girls labeled "preps"

Continue reading "HS Student Arrested for Linking to Offensive Website" »

Posted by jerz at 2:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

William Gibson: Lies Exposed in Telltale Colors

[What Cyberpunk author William Gibson wishes somebody would invent:]

"[S]omething that feeds every piece of Web news I read through some unknowable outland server, some swift and anonymous meshing of fuzzy logics cooked up by sleepless programmers in Bangladesh or Burma; some voodoo thing that unfailingly highlights outright lies, spin and misperception - in different colors.

Posted by jerz at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The "Writing for the Internet" students recently created an "About Me" page for their weblogs. Here's an article on the equivalent page for corporate/organization websites.

"About Us" -- Presenting Information About an Organization on Its Website (Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox)

Study participants searched websites for background information ranging from company history to management biographies and contact details. Their success rate was 70%, leaving much room for usability improvements in the "About Us" designs.

Posted by jerz at 1:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

modern medicine is so amazing. I am really pulling for those two twin boys who were joined at the head. I cant even imagine what there parents must be going thru day by day to see if they are gjoing to make it. i pray that they do. They really seem to be strong and so far so good. almost two days in surgery to separate them. Makes you really think about what is important in life. we can all get so wrapped up in what we think are troubles but its time we sit down and count our blessings. Takes some time to change those negative thoughts into positive ones but it can be done. Lets go twins you can do it. TRwo heads are better than one.

Posted by Big Mac at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Have you folks visited Ananova News online yet? They've got a pretty good section of "quirkies": strange news stories. But even stranger is the way they deliver straight news. Go to their video reports to have the news delivered to you by a virtual reality avatar -- a cartoon "talking head" just like those from the TV news! The site not only uses a pretty good "text to speech" engine that reads the headlines to you, but also interestingly animates the facial expressions and the head movements of the virtual reporter. There's music and everything, just like the TV news programs. Some might see this as a preview of the future of online journalism, as TV forms and computer technologies converge. I see it as a dark joke about the stilted performance of today's TV anchors. Others -- like Ben Berkewitz of Online Journalism Review -- aren't even that kind, calling it a huge waste of time, money, and technology. This is Max Headroom meets reality. And it's been around for awhile now. This says something about internet journalism, regardless of whether it's useful or good.

Posted by Dr. Mike Arnzen at 9:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

OJR article: Google News Creator Watches Portal Quiet�Critics With 'Best News' Webby

A year after its launch, the computer-generated aggregator is still taking flak for how it defines news. But Krishna Bharat has had the satisfaction of seeing growing acceptance of his news site. In a Q&A with OJR, he explains how things work behind the screens, and why he calls the site

Continue reading "Google News portal wins Webby" »

Posted by jerz at 11:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OJR article: News Sites Loosen Linking Policies

We're entering an era with an almost "open source" linking policy at some major news sites, which are getting offsite-link religion. Many are now allowing bloggers and e-mail newsletters to link offsite -- and sometimes even to competitor sites. Using e-mail news digests and Weblogs, news sites are looking to widen their worldview to match the mix-and-match tastes of Web surfers... --Mark Glaser

Continue reading "Linking Off-Site" »

Posted by jerz at 9:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the spirit of everything we've been doing in 'EL230:Writing for the Internet', I just wanted to give everyone a nudge in the direction of ezboard.com. There are boards about everything, and it's really easy to weed out the ones that are genuinely active.

There are some terrific groups that focus on all aspects of writing. At 'Little Wolf's House of Writing', you can get critiques on poetry or fiction, there are professionals who give advice on getting published, and you can lend a hand in writing community pieces. It's a really helpful group with a lot of responsive members.

Posted by dibblerzarf at 1:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)