Quiz 4 will cover:

In Journalism 2.0

• Chapter 9- Shooting Video for News
• Chapter 10 – Feature Stories
• Chapter 11 – Writing Scripts, Doing Voice Overs
• Epilogue – Putting it All Together

Free! Why $0.00 Is the Future of Business by Chris Anderson (Wired Magazine, Feb. 25, 2008)

Due, Saturday, November 21 at 8:00 p.m.

The goal of the interactive feature assignment is to create an online news package that would only work on the Web. Try to tell a story or relay information related to your topic without a lot of text. It should allow the user to approach the information in the way the wish, not necessarily the way you present it, or even in a linear way.

You have a few choices for how to approach this assignment:
1. Create a map to tell a geographic-based story related to your topic.
2. Create a timeline to tell a time-based story related to your topic.
3. There might be some other options. If you have ideas, talk to me. I’m open.

Guidelines:
1. Map: Create a Google Map that is appropriate for your topic. Your goal is to tell a story in which location or geography is key.

Requirements:
-Create a Google Map with place markers, lines, or shapes. You have to decide how many.
-Write descriptions and reviews, embed links, and post photos or videos for your place markers, lines, or shapes where it is appropriate.
-Combine your original information with third-party content if it helps tell your story.
-Your story does not have to be linear, but it should make sense for the user where ever they begin.
-In your blog post, write a sentence or paragraph that says clearly what your map is about. Give your audience a few tips of things to look for. This short block of text should be either above or below your map in your post.
-Embed your map on your blog. You can make it an individual post or a separate page. It must be completed and online by the deadline.

2. Timeline: Create a Dipity timeline that tells time-based story and a progression of events.

Requirements:
-Create a Dipity timeline with event markers. You have to decide how many.
-The individual events should contain clear information: title, description, date, etc.
-Combine your original information with third-party content if it helps tell your story.
-Make sure that your timeline has a focus. Concrete and specific is better than broad and vague.
-In your blog post, write a sentence or paragraph that says clearly what your time is about. Give your audience a few tips of things to look for.
-Link to you Dipity timeline (the free version of Word Press won’t let you embed.) Make sure it is public so everyone can see it.

Your map or timeline will be assessed on:
-Concept  (Is it interesting and/or unique? Does it fit with your topic?)
-Presentation  (Does it make sense? Is it clear? Is it informative?)
-Effort  (Did you spend time on original reporting and/or looking for a way to tell a new story?)

Points for Interactive (100 points)

Google Maps is a free mapping service from Google. A mashup is a Web application that combines data from more than one source into a single integrated tool.

Google Map Mania – Mike Peg’s blog about Google Map Mashups

-Mike’s introduction to Google Map Mashups

-Mike’s 50 Things to Do with Google Maps

-Mike’s index of current event maps

Mapki- A Wiki specifically for Google Map Mashups

So how can Google Maps be useful for journalists?

Here are a few examples of how news organizations are using Google Maps to cover events:

San Diego Fires (The San Diego Union-Tribune)

San Francisco Oil Spill (The San Francisco Chronicle)

Kansas Unsolved Homicides (The Wichita Eagle)

Also: See 5 Maps That Connect Communities and 7 Unique and innovative maps (via 10,000words.net)

These 11 exercises will get you started with Google Maps. They offer step-by-step instructions for how to use the application, how to create place marks, lines and shapes, and how to embed text, links, photos, and videos into your maps. I have also provided a list of helpful video tutorials. Have fun.

Exercise 1: Exploring Google Maps

1. Go to Google and sign in. (You have to create an account if you don’t have one.)

2. Click Maps on the Google navigation bar.

3. Search for your address. Type the name of the place or location into the search engine. Note the address on the left sidebar and the locator icon on the map. Click on the green location icon. See the details.

4. Zoom in and out using navigation bar in the upper left hand corner. Then zoom in by double clicking on the map itself.

5. Slide the map back and forth by clicking on the map and dragging it.

6. Click on the Map tab.

7. Click on the Satellite tab.

8. Click on the Terrain tab.

9. Find a location with Street View. (ie City Hall, Philadelphia) Click on the Street View link. Explore up and down the street.

Exercise 2: Add a place mark

1. Click on My Maps on the left hand sidebar.

2. Select Create a new map.

3. Click on the Add a place mark icon (it looks like a balloon).

4. Drag it and drop it.

5. Click on it to add details about the location.

6. In the Description box, click on the blue balloon icon. You will see a bunch of different icons you can use. Pick one.

Exercise 3: Draw a line

1. Create a New Map.

2. Search for Central Park. Zoom in so you can see the rectangular border of the park.

3. Click on the Draw a line tool.

4. Put your mouse at one corner of the park. Click to start.

5. Draw a line around the border of the park.

6. How far is it all the way around the park?

Exercise 4: Draw a Shape

1. On the map of Central Park, click the “Draw a shape” icon. (It looks like a two-spiked crown)

2. Click on one corner of the park. Then by clicking on each corner of the park, draw a rectangle of the park. When you are done it should be shaded blue.

3. Give the park a title and a brief description.

Exercise 5: Create a Map

1. Click on Create a new map.

2. Give it a Title.

3. Write a brief description.

4. Click Save.

5. Add a place mark.

6. Click on the place mark icon.

Exercise 6: Adding information to a location

Once you have a location open, you can add your own content.

1. Change the information in the pop-up window.

2. Change the title of the location.

3. Click on the “Plain text” option. Write a description.

4. Click on the “Rich text” option. Create a link. Highlight a word or phrase. Click on the link icon. Insert a URL.

5. Click OK.

6. In the sidebar on the left, click Save.

7. In the sidebar on the left, click Done.

Exercise 7: Add a photo to a location

1. Open a new window or tab in your browser. Go to Picasa.

2. Log in to Picasa (your gmail account will create an automatic account here).

3. Select Upload.

4. Browse for the image you want to add. Upload it.

5. When it is finished. Click on the image. Copy and paste the URL from the Embed image field to the right.

6. Go back to your Google Map location.

7. Click on the Edit HTML tab.

8. Copy and paste the URL into the Description field.

9. In the sidebar on the left, click Save.

10. In the sidebar on the left, click Done.

11. Click on your location icon to see your information.

Exercise 8: Add a You Tube video to a location

1. Create a location.

2. Find the video you want on YouTube or Google Video. Copy the code from the Embed field.

3. In your location in Google Maps, select the Edit HTML option.

3. Paste the YouTube or Google Video code into the description.

5. Click OK to save your changes.

6. In the sidebar on the left, click Save.

7. In the sidebar on the left, click Done.

Exercise 9: Adding third party content

1. Under the My Maps tab, click on Browse a directory. You will see dozens of features you can add to a map. Most were created by a company or individual that is not connected with Google.

2. Scroll through the options until you see US Census Bureau Demographics.

3. To add a feature, click on the Add it to Maps button.

4. Click Back to Google Maps at the top left hand corner of the page. You will see the US Census Bureau Demographics listed under the heading Created by Others.

5. Create a new map or click on the box next to the name of one you have already created.

6. Click on the box next to US Census Bureau Demographics to add another layer.

7. You can then select different in Race, Age or Housing.

8. See how the demographics around your place mark changes.

9. Try adding other third-party content.

Exercise 10: Create a Google Map profile

1. At the top of the page next your your gmail address, click on My Profile.

2. You will see your profile, reviews you have written, and maps you have created.

3. Click on Create Your Profile.

4. See all of the options you can select, including a URL field where you can post tell people about your blog.

5. Create a profile if you want to (but you don’t have to).

Exercise 11: Putting your map on your Blog

1. Create a map with three place holders. In the description of one place holder, embed a link. (See Exercise 6 for instructions.) In the place holder of another, put in a photo. (See Exercise 7 for instructions.) In the description of a third place holder, embed a YouTube video (See Exercise 8 for instructions.)

2. Give your Map a Title. Save it. Click Done.

3. Click on the Title under Created by Me.

4. Look for the Link icon in the far right hand corner. Click on Link.

3. Copy the code in the second field called “Paste HTML to embed in website.”

4. Go to your Word Press dashboard.

5. Write a new post or page.

6. Paste the code from Google Maps into your post or page.

7. Click on Save. Word Press will automatically convert the code. It will look shorter and start with [googlemaps http://

8. Preview. Publish. Make sure your map shows up on your blog.

Additional Resources:

Google Map Help Center

Google Map Video Tours
Getting Started
Add a Place
Google Street View
Create a Map
Add Third Party Content
Create a Google Map profile

A timeline can be a great way to tell a story that stretches over a long-period of time.

History of Health Care Reform (NYTimes.com)

Michael Jackson’s Billboard Rankings (NYTimes.com)

Williams Sisters and a Decade of Tennis Dominance (NYTimes.com)

Maddoff Fraud (NYTimes.com)

Seven eye-popping interactive timelines (10,000words.net)

Dipity is a simple tool to create online timelines. It is open to anyone, but is also being used by news organizations like Huffington Post and the San Francisco Chronicle. You can pull in videos, pictures, and updates from hundreds of sources instantly. Or you can create your own timeline manually.

See how the Chronicle, a small newspaper in Lewis County, Washington, used a dipity timeline to cover the history of floods in the area.

Here is a brief overview and some simple instructions for getting started…
To start, go to Dipity.com

How to Use Dipity:

Go to Dipity.com.
Sign up for an account.

Inside you will see an option to “Add a Source.” Dipity can pull in information from photo sharing sites, blogs, Twitter, and bookmarking sites like Digg and Delicious.

Select a source or sources and click the “Done” button.

You can use the zoom tool in the upper left hand corner of the timeline to narrow or extend the timeline.

Or you can add one event at a time by clicking the “Add an Event” button.

You can click can then put the information in manually: title, date, description, pictures, links, etc. When you are done click on “Save” or “Save + Add Another.”

In the top left hand corner you will see tabs for “Timeline,” “Flipbook,” “List,” and “Map.” You can click on these to view the information in various formats.

You can also add “Topics” at the bottom. It will search the Internet for sources of information that fit your topic search.

When you are done, click on “Embed.”

Take the embed code and paste it into your Word Press blog. Unfortunately, your timeline will not show up in your blog post. It will only give you a link. So you can write up a description that explains what your timeline is, how your user should use it, and then link to your Dipity timeline.

What One Word Best Describes How You Feel a Year After President Obama’s Election?

NYTimes.com asks readers to pick one word that conveys their feelings – and then displays the responses in a “word train.”

Check it out. Submit something. Then compare it to what people said on Election Day 2008.

Your multimedia interview will be graded on the following elements:

1. Your person has something relevant and compelling to say about your topic or beat.

2. Write a short paragraph to introduce your subject. Include full name, information on job/school, and a few sentences that sum up the most compelling aspect of the interview.

3. Present your interview with at least two of the following elements: text, photos, audio, and video.

4. Make sure your text is free of typos and grammar and spelling mistakes.

5. Consider using bolds, subheads, etc to break up long segments of text.

6. Provide links to other web sites that will offer readers more information.

7. If you are using photos, make sure your images are clear, strong, and add something to the text. Your photos should be labeled with appropriate captions.

8. If you are using audio, edit your segment to 5 minutes or less.

9. If you are using video, break your interview into multiple clips of 2 minutes or less.

10. Ask yourself: “Is this the best way to present this interview? Would other media elements make it better, richer, or more compelling?”

Must be posted by the deadline Saturday, Nov 7 at 8:00 p.m. No late work accepted.

Due Saturday, November 7 at 8:00 p.m.

• Posts 12 and 13 (20 points)
• Multimedia Interview (100 points)

In Journalism 2.0:

• Chapter 9- Shooting Video for News
• Chapter 10 – Feature Stories
• Chapter 11 – Writing Scripts, Doing Voice Overs

Free! Why $0.00 Is the Future of Business by Chris Anderson (Wired Magazine, Feb. 25, 2008)

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