A 3-step content marketing strategy for non-profits, in partnership with j-schools

Posted on May 17, 2013 by mulinblog

In a win-win arrangement, a non-profit organization can work with a journalism program to develop a content strategy, and have j-students help execute the strategy in the form of internships. A content strategy may consist of three ingredients: Topic research, content production and social media promotion. Continue reading →

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A massive online master’s degree in digital journalism?

Posted on May 15, 2013 by mulinblog

The Georgia Institute of Technology announced yesterday a plan to offer a $7,000 online master’s degree in computer science to 10,000 new students over the next three years. Being the first online degree that can be earned completely through the MOOC format, Georgia Tech’s model may be adapted by a journalism school to offer a similar online program in digital or multimedia journalism. Which J-school will be the one to try it?

Georgia Tech answers in an FAQ some questions people have regarding this online program and the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) format. Their rationale, market analysis and operating plan are of direct relevance to a similar massive online program in digital journalism. Continue reading →

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Colleges and universities may use “brand journalism” for marketing and j-schools can help

Posted on May 12, 2013 by mulinblog

Like any other product and service, higher education is a product that needs marketing and promotion. The explosive growth of digital and social media brings with it a new marketing opportunity that has not been fully explored by colleges and universities – brand journalism. Continue reading →

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New model of online teaching: A learning community for digital content training

Posted on May 9, 2013 by mulinblog

As a summer project, I have started working on an “online learning community” for people seeking free training in digital storytelling skills. This project may prove to be a new way of online learning that is different from, or maybe better than, online college courses and other web-based trainings. Continue reading →

Posted in Content training & marketing, Curriculum design | 1 Comment

New York Times’ video initiative calls for changes in broadcast journalism education

Posted on May 8, 2013 by mulinblog

To be hired as a video producer at New York Times, one needs to “have a little more of a specialized perspective of the content and make it excellent,” and that content is not just news section subjects such as crime, politics and foreign policy.

New York Times recently launched an ambitious initiative to bring more videos to the newspaper’s content lineup. In a recent interview, the newly appointed video director talks at length about NYT’s video content strategies. A few points the director made caught my attention, that if NYT’s video strategy becomes industry practice, then it calls for changes in how j-schools teach (broadcast) journalism students.  Continue reading →

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Online training in digital journalism: The dichotomy between academia and industry approaches

Posted on May 7, 2013 by mulinblog

For people seeking web-based training in digital storytelling skills, they will find that online journalism courses offered by colleges are long and may have “unwanted stuffs,” and online training offered by for-profit training organizations are short, focused and more up-to-date.

When preparing for my summer project – an online open digital journalism course, I conducted some web searches to find out how other institutions are doing online courses in digital or multimedia journalism.

Continue reading →

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A journalism graduate’s reflection on digital skills and j-school education

Posted on May 6, 2013 by mulinblog

Let’s hear from people on the ground about skills and education needed for a journalism job today – Andrea Gillhoolley, a 2005 Penn State University graduate majoring in journalism, now a reporter for Lebanon Daily News in Lebanon, Pa., shares her story on how she learns digital skills on her own as she goes, and her ideas about how j-schools can better teach/prepare students for jobs like hers.

I had a Twitter conversation with Andrea and believe what she says to me is of use to most other journalism educators and students. Below is a compilation of Andrea’s tweets in answering two of my questions: Continue reading →

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Journalism schools are best poised to be leaders in web-based content training

Posted on May 4, 2013 by mulinblog

There will be growing demands for content trainings from institutions that want to engage target audiences, and journalism schools should seize this opportunity; that’s my argument in a previous post. To continue on that topic – j-schools are poised to be leaders in the web-based content training market, because they already possess two components of an online training model – curriculum and instructors, as shown in the diagram below.

online journalism training Continue reading →

Posted in Content training & marketing | 2 Comments

Top 10 posts in April

Posted on April 30, 2013 by mulinblog

Monthly blog traffic hit a new high in April: 5,939 pageviews, 3,531 visitors. Here are the 10 most-viewed posts on this blog in past 30 days:

  1. How to embed a web page in a WordPress blog post
  2. What is a “data visualization tool”? An intro for journalism students and rookie journalists
  3. Google Maps Engine Lite (beta) Review: It can use a lot of improvements
  4. Digital or Multimedia Journalism Degree Programs in U.S.
  5. Embed video and images in Google maps: A beginner’s guide for multimedia news reporting
  6. Comparing two free tools for online multimedia story presentation – without having to learn web design and flash
  7. Tutorial: Embed a Google Fusion tables map, with a legend, to a WordPress post
  8. Digital skills a newspaper managing editor expects of new reporters
  9. Survey: Only a few colleges see the need for all communication students to take digital skill courses
  10. A primer for journalism students: What is digital-first strategy?
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Future of journalism education lies with content training for institutions, not journalism training for news media

Posted on April 27, 2013 by mulinblog

Growing demands for journalism training will come from institutions that are eager to reach and engage the public. To stay ahead of the curve, a journalism program needs to expand its curriculum focus to include content training for institutions, and to offer such training to both degree and non-degree students.

The diagram below compares the focus of journalism education before and after the explosion of web, social media and mobile devices: Continue reading →

Posted in Content training & marketing, Curriculum design | 1 Comment

Survey: Only a few colleges see the need for all communication students to take digital skill courses

Posted on April 23, 2013 by mulinblog

While many journalism/communication programs are still wrestling with how to incorporate digital skills into the journalism (and only journalism) curriculum, University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication requires all majors (advertising, communication studies, journalism, PR) to take a set of three digital skill courses. This is what I found in a survey of 13 colleges/schools of journalism/communication in U.S. Continue reading →

Posted in Curriculum design | 3 Comments

Survey shows many PR programs do not offer digital journalism training, and they should

Posted on April 19, 2013 by mulinblog

In a survey of 20 largest universities with a public relations major in U.S., I only found three programs that offer digital journalism training to PR majors. This must be changed – PR professionals now need to be well-versed with the same digital skills that are expected of (digital) journalists. Continue reading →

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How AP Mobile and Guardian apps present multimedia contents and interactivity on smartphones

Posted on April 18, 2013 by mulinblog

On the web, a multimedia news story usually provides an interactive, rich media user experience – an interactive interface where visitors can explore various contents: texts, photo gallery, audio slideshow, video, audio, data visualization, etc. On mobile devices, though, it is a challenge to deliver similar rich media and interactivity. That’s why many news apps only have texts and photos, and not much interactivity.

Among the news apps I have on my iPhone 4S, the Guardian and AP Mobile are the two apps that feature more multimedia contents than other news apps, and AP Mobile, at times, has news stories that combine interactivity and rich media. Continue reading →

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Blogging should be a required component of journalism curriculum for students to develop in-depth beat knowledge

Posted on April 13, 2013 by mulinblog

Blogging is the best way for journalism students to develop in-depth knowledge in a particular area. Blogging should be structured as a required component of journalism curriculum. Students can try this content strategy for their blogs – anchor project and related posts.

A marketable skill set of journalism students needs to include journalism training, digital skills and in-depth subject (beat) knowledge. In comparison with news and digital trainings, beat knowledge is much harder to come by, yet highly desired by media employers. If done right, a blog can best demonstrate a student’s beat expertise to potential employers. Continue reading →

Posted in Curriculum design, Writing for the web | 1 Comment

Digital skills a newspaper managing editor expects of new reporters

Posted on April 11, 2013 by mulinblog

In a Twitter conversation with me (@mututemple), Chicago Sun-Times managing editor Craig Newman (@craignewman) shared his expectations of the multitude of digital expertise for a new hire. Continue reading →

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