Poynter's NewsU celebrated its 100th webinar by bringing in 18 of its faculty members to present journalism ideas in about 100 minutes. It was a heck of a webinar -- the pace and wealth of ideas was a little mind-numbing.
You can experience it for yourself with the replay of the broadcast, or read on for a synopsis:
-- When editing your own copy, trick your brain in to seeing something new: Print out the story with the type in a different color, different paragraphs at different type sizes, etc. That way you're more likely to see a "there" that should be "their" and other things you may miss in your own typing.
-- Editors who only edit to find holes in stories end up training reporters to report only to satisfy editor curiosity. Honor the kind of writing you want to see, whether short stories, alternative formats, etc.
-- To find new stories in new areas of your beat, sit and listen at places where people congregate. Overhear what's on people's minds.
-- Don't wonder what the boss wants -- just ask.
-- Newshole is too precious anymore to be filled by routine content. Stretch yourself.
-- Online comments are more civil when staffers participate (and identify themselves), when commenters are asked a specific question rather than to "sound off," when you tell them why you allow comments rather than what you don't allow, and when you get rid of commenters' anonymity.
-- Forge a relationship wtih a difficult colleague by finding out what motivates him or her, and framing your conversations with that in mind.
-- Consider what you want to learn in an interview before the interview.
-- In design, type creates a consistent voice that people identify with, and color needs meaning to work.
-- Front-end coaching (before a story is written or a design is done) saves time in the back end (editing, repaginating).
-- Take notes during video shoots that include the times of shots and soundbites. Don't let the photography dictate the story -- let the story shine through. And while you can get away with iffy photography, the audio has to be clear.
-- In photography, compose in the camera. Zoom with your feet -- if you aren't getting the shot you want, get closer. And, be patient.
-- Tweet-Ups are a great way to meld your social and "real" lives. Just Tweet out details for your followers, and you can build in your relationship by meeting in person at a certain place and time.
-- Journalists should take cues from entrepreneurs: Both must find a need, know their audience, find money to do their work, play to their strengths and form strategic partnerships to be successful.
-- Management guru Peter Drucker said, "The purpose of business is to create a customer." Being great at social media helps you do this, and "create a customer who creates other customers," as PepsiCo's head of digital Shiv Singh said.
-- Bosses shouldn't confuse loyalty and morale with motivation.
Poynter's NewsU celebrated its 100th webinar by bringing in 18 of its faculty members to present journalism ideas in about 100 minutes. It was a heck of a webinar -- the pace and wealth of ideas was a little mind-numbing.
You can experience it for yourself with the replay of the broadcast, or read on for a synopsis:
-- When editing your own copy, trick your brain in to seeing something new: Print out the story with the type in a different color, different paragraphs at different type sizes, etc. That way you're more likely to see a "there" that should be "their" and other things you may miss in your own typing.
-- Editors who only edit to find holes in stories end up training reporters to report only to satisfy editor curiosity. Honor the kind of writing you want to see, whether short stories, alternative formats, etc.
-- To find new stories in new areas of your beat, sit and listen at places where people congregate. Overhear what's on people's minds.
-- Don't wonder what the boss wants -- just ask.
-- Newshole is too precious anymore to be filled by routine content. Stretch yourself.
-- Online comments are more civil when staffers participate (and identify themselves), when commenters are asked a specific question rather than to "sound off," when you tell them why you allow comments rather than what you don't allow, and when you get rid of commenters' anonymity.
-- Forge a relationship wtih a difficult colleague by finding out what motivates him or her, and framing your conversations with that in mind.
-- Consider what you want to learn in an interview before the interview.
-- In design, type creates a consistent voice that people identify with, and color needs meaning to work.
-- Front-end coaching (before a story is written or a design is done) saves time in the back end (editing, repaginating).
-- Take notes during video shoots that include the times of shots and soundbites. Don't let the photography dictate the story -- let the story shine through. And while you can get away with iffy photography, the audio has to be clear.
-- In photography, compose in the camera. Zoom with your feet -- if you aren't getting the shot you want, get closer. And, be patient.
-- Tweet-Ups are a great way to meld your social and "real" lives. Just Tweet out details for your followers, and you can build in your relationship by meeting in person at a certain place and time.
-- Journalists should take cues from entrepreneurs: Both must find a need, know their audience, find money to do their work, play to their strengths and form strategic partnerships to be successful.
-- Management guru Peter Drucker said, "The purpose of business is to create a customer." Being great at social media helps you do this, and "create a customer who creates other customers," as PepsiCo's head of digital Shiv Singh said.
-- Bosses shouldn't confuse loyalty and morale with motivation.
