1. Emphasize story ideas
- Encourage regular engagement with news
- Use cell phones to take pictures of ideas
- Do better brainstorming with story mapping
- Save evergreen topics
2. Get pickier about photos
- Look for the moment (when light, emotion, composition come together)
- Create a coverage playbook
- Shoot in RAW
- Make sure we have wide, medium, tight, action, reaction shots
3. Use the equipment we have
- iPhone photography is required of all staffers
- Use Apple Image Capture, don't email photos
- Create samples to let staffers mimic
- Take advantage of tutorials
4. Create teachable moments with planning
- Newsmaker speech w/quick deadline
- Scenario in groups to collect info, create leads
5. Start doing video
- Shoot more than you think you'll need
- Conduct 2-3 interviews per story
- Plan sequence of shots, variety
- Get natural sound
6. Foster diversity
- Analyze past coverage for diversity
- Reinforce why diversity matters
- Avoid interviewing friends
7. Start doing audio
- Find ways to incorporate sound into our stories
- Focus on staff proficiency in Audacity/Audition, SoundCloud, SoundCite
- Record all interviews
8. Make our school a journalism school
- Embrace/promote our brand
- Plan big, convergent coverage several times a year
- Create a social media strategy
9. Embrace digital
- Make our website our first priority
- Analyze data for traffic, etc.
- Incorporate more strategies (Storify, etc.)
- Encourage quality engagements
10. Acknowledge importance of relationships
- Communicate to set an example
- Improve relationships with supervisors
- Foster community of loyalty
Kelly Juntunen
Allen High School
Allen, Texas
LOVE! I think that once we do all of that stuff and more, #8 will fall into place (geez--I make it sound so effortless). I can't wait to get home and type out all of my scattered and sloppy notes and then get ready! Create new curriculum, push for new software, create and copy worksheets, etc. We can do it!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great summary of this experience! Thanks for taking the time to organize your thoughts and post the Cliff's Notes version here.
ReplyDeleteKelly,
ReplyDeleteI also did a list of sorts from what I learned (I didn't know how much I didn't know). I also made a laundry list of things I plan to do next year (Don't let perfection get in the way of progress). Calah, I found my self laughing at how it seemed easy to type, but it's a beast of work ahead. Keith, I appreciate this summary from her point of view, too.
I almost wish this had been a required blog of some kind. I think it would've been interesting to see a list of what everyone found the top ten most important things (or heck even five- I think I did eight). They would've been nice, quick reminders of the highlights.
It's been overwhelming to read so many blogs tonight. I'm realizing that I've got a lot to remember. Glad I took good notes and we've got a massive data file!
Andrea Lyons
Marietta High
Marietta, Georgia