Saturday, March 30, 2013

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

I've been selected to try Google's Project Glass

DFM chat on the use of hashtags

Journalists, members of Digital First Media and pretty much everyone else who wants to - are going to be taking part on the weekly Twitter chat at noon, Eastern Time.

Today we're talking about using hashtags on social media. How to use them properly, where to use them. Do they work the way they're supposed to?

The live feed is posted below. But you can also follow the chat here or here or also here. And you can also check out past chats over here.

If you want to chime in, post a comment in the container or a tweet with the hashtag "#dfmchat" (META!) so it can automatically appear below.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

DFM chat on making your stories and posts more shareable

Journalists, members of Digital First Media and pretty much everyone else who wants to - are going to be taking part on the weekly Twitter chat at noon, Eastern Time.

Today we're talking about making your stories and posts more shareable and engaging, like adding an image to your posts. And to find the right tone on social media and the right platform to share them. This applies to all stories, including school budget meetings. So come on over and help us figure out how.

The live feed is posted below. But you can also follow the chat here or here or also here. And you can also check out past chats over here.

If you want to chime in, post a comment in the container or a tweet with the hashtag "#dfmchat" so it can automatically appear below.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

DFM Chat on bringing the right digital tools to cover a story

Journalists, members of Digital First Media and pretty much everyone else who wants to - are going to be taking part on the weekly Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time.

Today we're talking about bringing the right digital tools to cover a story with an eye on making the stories stand out.

The live feed is posted below. But you can also follow the chat here or here or also here. And you can also check out past chats over here.

If you want to chime in, post a comment in the container or a tweet with the hashtag "#dfmchat" so it can automatically appear below.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Should you write for free?

Shouldjournalistswriteforfree title=
easel.ly
 
I am kidding, of course. There has been much talk about this in journalism circles as of late.

The answer, to me, is yes if assigned and for a publication.

If it's your own thing on your own site or blog, more power to you.  Yes, you can benefit from traffic and you should consider the options if approached to republish.

But flip the argument for the publications (should you pay?) and the question is solved easier.

Because you get what you pay for.

Back to work, everyone.

How to 'snowfall' your stories with no coding and for free

When Kevin Nguyen wrote about 'The future of the feature' over at Nieman Lab last November, I began to think about how small newsrooms could use web tools to produce a similar effect.

Then came the New York Times' 'Snow Fall' and that really got me excited about the possibilities, and I imagine others did too, if this wonder by the Washington Post is any indication. Reading about how 'Snow Fall' came to be (same deal with Wapo's cycling feature) was very enjoyable but — being in a small newsroom and all— it also became a permanent exercise of thinking how I didn't have time, or staff, or developers, or a good content management system. You get the idea.

I had started plotting using different web applications in unconventional ways to reach my goal: Produce an enjoyable web experience that also had responsive design AND for no money AND fast AND with no coding, so it could be replicated when needed and scaled up to other newsrooms.

SO, my first try was a vertical add-on sidebar using New Hive.

DFM Chat on improving conversations on social media platforms, comments and trolls

Dancing Troll Face via the Interwebz
Journalists, members of Digital First Media and pretty much everyone else who wants to - are going to be taking part on the weekly Twitter chat Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time.

Today we're talking about story comments, conversations on social media and how to deal with trolls.

The live feed is posted below. But you can also follow the chat here or here or also here. And you can also check out past chats over here.

If you want to chime in, post a comment in the container or a tweet with the hashtag "#dfmchat" so it can automatically appear below.