Social Media Journalism J336F Unique ID CMA Fall 2012

Transcription

1 Social Media Journalism J336F Unique ID CMA Fall 2012 Class: T- Th 9:30 to 11 a.m. Professor: Robert Quigley Office hours: 1-2 p.m. Mondays and 10 a.m. to noon on Fridays and by appointment. Phone: Social and facebook.com/robquig COURSE DESCRIPTION In the past few years, social media has not only changed journalism but communication itself. We expect to be able to instantaneously and easily share what s going on around us with friends and family. We ve also grown to expect to keep up to date on local, national and international news through social networks. This class will delve into the techniques, tools, ethics and journalistic knowledge it takes to become a successful social journalist. The students will work on a newly created organization, Social News Network, using the various social media platforms to collect and distribute news of interest to college students. The students will get real- word experience of being a social media editor at a professional- style news organization. Students will also learn about crowdsourcing information through big projects aimed at gathering community content. In the true spirit of social media, the students will also give and receive reviews of each other s work. OBJECTIVES Students who complete all of the work for this course will be ready to run the social media efforts for any organization. At the end of this course, students will: * Understand what separates a journalist on social networks from the millions of others who use social networking * Have intimate knowledge of the top social media platforms and how to use each one to engage audiences, drive traffic and market themselves and their organizations * Know how to use the power of the crowd to build meaningful content * Know how to measure success for a social media campaign and build reports * Learn how to cover breaking news using social media and crowdsourcing * Build up their personal social presence, making them more marketable to future employers

2 STRUCTURE The networks The Social News Network consists of presences on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Foursquare. Students in the summer session started the work on the platforms, and they have modest audiences built in. Your job will be to build on that. Starting the week of Sept , we will take those sites live, and your homework will be scheduling time to be the Socialnn s social media editor. For the purposes of this class, each week begins at 6 a.m. on Mondays. You will have to schedule five hours of work for each seven- day period for 10 weeks (once we get started, every week of the semester except Thanksgiving week and the last week of class). Analytics Knowing how to track the progress of a social media effort is vitally important so you can tailor your content and efforts to match audience expectations and so you can show bosses the results of your efforts. In this class, we ll have groups of students who will be responsible for doing analytics reports. Once we go live, student groups will give presentations on analytics during class. Scheduling Students will schedule their own time to work on Socialnn using a Google calendar. Any five hours during the week can be scheduled, but must include at least one full hour at a time (no scheduling for 20 minutes, etc). If there is a conflict, please see me. Self evaluations To prove that you worked your shift, and also to keep track of your progress, all students will be required to submit a self evaluation on Blackboard after all five hours are completed each week. The evaluations, which are due no later than 6 a.m. on Mondays, must have the following information to get full credit: 1. What did you do on each of the platforms this week well? What could you have done better? 2. Give three examples of interactions you had with a follower/friend/etc. 3. The times/days you worked Quizzes There will be 12 pop quizzes throughout the semester. The content will come from the class lectures and discussions, including discussions on the class Facebook group page, which you will be required to join. Major projects There will be two major projects for this class: Crowdsourcing through Instagram, and a final project that analyzes the social media use of the presidential candidates.

3 ASSIGNMENTS Self evaluations: You will turn in 10 self- evaluations to turn in for 50 hours worth of work on Socialnn throughout the course of the semester. To receive a good grade: answer all the questions asked (they will be on Blackboard as well as earlier in this syllabus), and you work hard on all of your shifts. DUE: 6 a.m. Monday each week Quizzes: There will be 12 pop quizzes, which will be administered through Blackboard. Exercises: During the course, there will be some exercises done during class and some assigned during your own time. The exercises: 1. Writing tweets 2. Live tweeting a debate 3. Foursquare tips 4. Instagram scavenger hunt 5. Millennials in News 6. Storify Big projects: The crowdsourcing project will take group cooperation and action, but you will be graded on a written analysis of your individual effort and the group s effort and the results. Crowdsourcing project: Assigned Sept. 25, Due Oct. 9 For the campaign effort, students are to write an analysis of the two major presidential candidate s social media efforts. This will need to be at least 1,000 words and include examples to back up assertions. Must be typed, double- spaced, inch margins. It should not be longer than 1,250 words unless otherwise instructed. Assigned: Sept. 6, Due Nov. 8. Analytics reports: This will be a group project. Twice during the semester, each student will take part in a presentation to the class on Socialnn s analytics. Your group will be graded on the thoroughness of the report and the presentation to the class. Due: All analytics reports will be given on Tuesdays. Group assignments to come. Personal tweeting: Part of becoming a social journalist is building up your own presence. Besides the work for Socialnn, you will be required to update your personal Twitter account with news five days a week (you choose the five days), EVERY week of the semester except the final week. By midnight on Dec. 3, you are to turn in a 300- word summary of your experience and a link to your Twitter account. You will be graded based on the following: News content, interaction, use of voice, spelling and grammar. POINTS POSSIBLE

4 Self evaluations: 240 points (24 points for each of the 10 evaluations) Quizzes: 60 points (5 points for each of the 12 quizzes) Exercises: 120 points (10 points for each of the six exercises) Crowdsourcing project: 75 points Election analysis: 175 points Analytics group reports: 50 points Personal Tweeting: 80 points Total: possible points: 800 points Grade scale: Grade Percentage Points A A B B B C C C D REQUIRED MATERIALS There is no required textbook, but student will be required to take part in discussions on the Facebook group page and in class. Also, some assignments will require the use of a smart phone with either Apple s IOS or Google s Android operating systems. If you do not own one, you ll have to borrow from a friend for those assignments. LATE ASSIGNMENTS Assignments that are late will automatically be one letter grade lower. Late assignments will be accepted up to one week after the due date. After that time, you will receive a zero. ATTENDANCE POLICY I expect you to be in class. If you are ill or have a family emergency or a university- approved absence, you must contact me within 24 hours of the missed class if you want to make up any missed work without penalty. How that make- up work will happen will be on a case- by- case basis. If you miss class because you slept in, etc., you will be penalized for any late assignments and missed quizzes cannot be taken for credit. ETHICS POLICY There is an ethics policy for this class since we are publicly publishing content. We will go over it in class and it will be posted on Blackboard. CONTACTING THE PROFESSOR

5 I will be checking the Facebook group regularly, so that s a great place to ask a question. Plus, you might get an answer even faster from a fellow student. is the next- best option. meat robert.quigley@austin.utexas.edu with any questions. You will receive an answer within 24 hours, though usually faster. You can also call my office phone at Be sure to leave a voice message if I don t answer I get those sent to my . Other important information * This is a new class, and the syllabus and schedule could change. I ll give ample warning and explanation if there are any changes. * Your grades and the submission of your evaluations will be handled through Blackboard. Quizzes will be administered through Blackboard as well. * University Honor Code: All students are expected to abide by the University of Texas Honor Code, which reads: The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community. * Students with Disabilities Please notify your instructor of any modification/adaptation you may require to accommodate a disability- related need. You will be requested to provide documentation to the Dean of Student's Office in order that the most appropriate accommodations can be determined. Specialized services are available on campus through Services for Students with Disabilities. *Policy on Scholastic Dishonesty: The University defines academic dishonesty as cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, falsifying academic records, and any act designed to avoid participating honestly in the learning process. Scholastic dishonesty also includes, but is not limited to, providing false or misleading information to receive a postponement or an extension on a test, quiz, or other assignment, and submission of essentially the same written assignment for two courses without the prior permission of the instructor. By accepting this syllabus, you have agreed to these guidelines and must adhere to them. Scholastic dishonesty damages both the student's learning experience and readiness for the future demands of a work- career. Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University. For the University's official definition of scholastic dishonesty, see Section , Institutional Rules on Student Services and Activities scholastic- dishonesty19

6 * Campus emergency information TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE Subject to change Week 1 Thursday, Aug. 30: Introduction to class, talk about the syllabus, explain assignments, get to know each other Week 2 Tuesday, Sept. 4: Discussion: Introduction to the platforms Thursday, Sept. 6: Discussion: How to use the platforms like a journalist Exercise: Writing tweets (in class) Week 3 Tuesday, Sept. 11: Discussion: Social media tools Guest: Paula Poindexter to talk about Millennials in News Thursday, Sept. 13: Discussion: Social media tools * Be sure you re on the Google calendar for the next week Week 4 Monday, Sept. 17: Socialnn goes live at 6 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18: Discussion about the first day of Socialnn (Taco Tuesday!) Discussion on analytics Thursday, Sept. 20: Discussion on analytics Week 5 Monday, Sept. 24: Self- evaluation due by 6 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25: Group 1 gives presentation on analytics Talk about Crowdsourcing project/assigned Thursday, Sept. 27: Guest: Anna Gonzalez, social media producer for CNN s Headline News Discussion about Millennials in News Week 6 Monday, Oct. 1: Self- evaluation due by 6 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2: Group 2 gives presentation on analytics State of Socialnn discussion, discussion on ethics Thursday, Oct. 4: Guest lecture: Craig Kanalley, senior editor at the Huffington Post Week 7

7 Monday, Oct. 8: Self- evaluation due by 6 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9: Group 3 gives presentation on analytics Crowdsourcing project due Discussion about social media ethics Thursday, Oct. 11: Discussion on aggregation and Millennials in News Week 8 Monday, Oct. 15: Self- evaluation due by 6 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16: Group 4 gives presentation on analytics State of Socialnn discussion Thursday, Oct. 18: Discussion on location- based services Week 9 Monday, Oct. 22: Self- evaluation due by 6 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23: Group 5 gives presentation on analytics Discussion on breaking news Thursday, Oct. 25: Exercise on breaking news and discussion on Millennials in News Week 10 Monday, Oct. 29: Self- evaluation due by 6 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30: Group 5 gives presentation on analytics Guest lecture: Jen Lee Reeves of KOMU/U. Missouri Thursday, Nov. 1: State of Socialnn discussion Week 11 Monday, Nov. 5: Self- evaluation due by 6 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6: Group 4 gives presentation on analytics Discuss election/social media Assignment: Storify (on your own time) Thursday, Nov. 8: Discuss election/social media and Millennials in News Storify assignment DUE Week 12 Monday, Nov. 12: Self- evaluation due by 6 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13: Group 3 gives presentation on analytics Exercise on breaking news Thursday, Nov. 15: State of Socialnn discussion Week 13 Monday, Nov. 19: Self- evaluation due by 6 a.m.

8 Tuesday, Nov. 20: Group 2 gives presentation on analytics Discussion on building an audience and Millennials in News Thursday: Thanksgiving! Week 14 Monday, Nov. 26: Self- evaluation due by 6 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27: Marketing/monetizing your network Thursday, Nov. 29: Guest speaker: Mary Hartney Nahorniak, social media editor at USA Today Week 15 Monday, Dec. 3: Self- evaluation due by 6 a.m. Personal Twitter assignment due by midnight Tuesday, Dec. 4: Group 1 gives presentation on analytics Future of social discussion Thursday, Dec. 6: Review of course/socialnn