Presentations

Week 3 

• Blogs & Podcasts - "From Gutenberg's Press to Wordpress" - LINK   (Video)

"How Blogs 'killed' old media"

• "Attention Must Be Paid"  - LINK

  • • Listen to Evo Terra on Podcasts - Link   (Discuss this in class)

Assignment:

1. Discuss the Rise of Blogs and Podcasts.

• Use this handout Can Blogs Kill Old Media? 

•  Write an article. (250 words or more)     |     Title it: “We The Media”  

• Draw on historical evidence 

  • From presentation "From Gutenberg To Wordpress"

  • From Handout (above)

• Look up and use any current event that might have an example of ‘Citizen Journalists’

• Writing Styles: "One Data Scientist’s Quest to Quash Misinformation"  (a.k.a. "Beliefs Can Be Hacked") - LINK

Week 4

• Who is My Audience - One or Many? - LINK

• Writing a Story - 5WH Model (Stories this week) - Link

  • Analyzing story structure

  • Writing your story as a 'reporter' (last week's Evo Terra's talk)

  • Watch a video of a 'breaking news' event - The Coffee Truck at school

    • Using the 5WH Model to write that story - Link to Video taken by class

__________________________________________

• Build a 'Newspaper' - Part 1.

  • Work on fake stories and create a newspaper (Use Template) - Link

  • Follow the 5WH model, and insert stories in columns, as demonstrated in class

Week 6

• Interviews - Using a recorder and transcribing it.

  • Using the Zoom H1 recorder - Practice runs 

• Follow-up questions - Why they matter in an interview

• Work on your stories - Students, staff etc

Week 7

• Transcribing Your Interviews

  • Editing tips when transcribing.

  • Paraphrasing elements of the interview

• Building a Proof Copy

• Collaborative editing. 

  • Adding photographs, captions, datelines, column dividers, sidebars.

Week 8

Writers and Poets: Analyze the craft of writing

Read and analyze:  

1.  'My Ireland" - Poem by Niki Orborn  - LINK  

2. Poem by Yeats - LINK 

Week 9

1. Listen to the song, Billy Joel’s  "We Didn’t Start The fire"  - Read lyrics here  | 

For Homework: 

1. Write two verses that would fit well into this song

2. Recommended you feature recent world events & newsmakers 

3. Pay attention to the rhythm (meter), and rhyme. Have fun!

2. 'Ladder of Abstraction' - LINK

Week 10

1. Narrative Techniques - The 'Ladder of Abstraction' approach  - LINK

2. The 4-Story Elements  - LINK

3. Short, Short Story  - Develop a story using story elements from above. Use the image provided here.

4. Short Story - Begin expanding the short story (above) into an 800-word story. Use character, dialogue, scenic and summary elements. (We will continue this after Fall Break)

Week 11

1. Short Story and Narrative Techniques

2. Revisit / Work on Newspaper - October Edition: Use stories in your database. 

   • Use images in folder

   • Consider featuring (taking pictures of) 4-5 clubs

   • Set up interviews with key staff members

   • Format yoiur columns on a daily basis as 'homework'

Week 23

1. Non-Fiction - Using the Scene/Information model

2. Op-Eds - What are they?  Presentation   |    Tips & Tricks - LINK

(a) " Meta rejected efforts to improve child safety" - New York Times - Article LINK   / Article PDF Link

                          (Read the above article before working on your Op-Ed)

(b) Write an Op-Ed on a current event or the article above. 

(c) Check this examples  - Washington Post Oped. Read this OpEd on oil spills -  download this PDF

Week 24

1. OpEds and 'Guest Essays'

This week, we will discuss the 'Op-Ed' (aka a 'Guest Essay'). Trad this article in class  - LINK

• How do you structure an Op-Ed?  Discuss the use of factual evidence to support an opinion. See these guidelines.

• Write and submit a 300-word essay

2. Newspaper - planning 4th Edition

• Check the template with stories being submitted by staff

  • Plan interviews - write to staff members for stories you agree to work on

Week 25

1. OpEd to Podcast

• Discuss in class: Mis- and Dis-information from current events

• Get to know the sources of this ‘information' - the good and bad.

You could

• Use Google News

• Browse articles in The Guardian (London), The Australian, &  Washington Post

• Use any social media post you could find that looks suspiciously like a conspiracy theory

On Tuesday you will write key points --Known as 'Talking Points' for a recording

We may do a test recording and rerecord it. All students will participate in this podcast together

2. Add an Interview - to the Podcast

• Interview someone for this show!  Use the Zoom recorder,

• Short interview (1 minute) about a point you have raised in the podcast. 

• You could do it at lunch, or after school