MASTERCLASSES

Monday 13 September 2010

MMJ: The new 2010-11 season of Masterclasses

What's new at Multimedia Journalism: A Practical Guide.

Masterclasses kick off again at www.multimedia-journalism.co.uk/masterclasses on September 24.

Here's the list of planned topics for the 2010-11 academic year, but there will probably be adjustments as we go along.
If there are topics you'd like to see added, please get in touch

September 2010
Masterclass 13: Careers in journalism, an overview and update
What's right for you: consumer magazines, business mags, TV, radio, local papers, hyperlocal, or self-employment?

We're all multimedia journalists now, but the simple truth is that the people handing out the jobs are still - predominantly - operating in one of the traditional media categories. We'll look at how to pick the area that best suits you, and how to demonstrate in your application, and at interview, how good you'll be at enhancing the multimedia capabilities of anyone who gives you a job.

We'll also cover working as a freelance, and the opportunities that developments in hyperlocal are opening up.

Going live from: September 24

October 2010
Masterclass 14: iPhone for Journalists
Smartphones are a highly convenient way for the multimedia journalist to publish instantly

We'll look at how to turn your iPhone into a fully-enabled multimedia reporting device, so you can file text, stills, video and audio instantly to a custom-made blog, to a mobile-enabled multimedia site, and any combination you like of Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and a huge range of other platforms.

We're concentrating on the iPhone, but what we cover is also applicable to other smartphones.

Going live: October 16

Masterclass 15: It's the law, so why don't we follow it?
Media law textbooks are very clear about the letter of the law, but what journalists do often differs from it in practice

If you wonder why what is written and broadcast seems out of step with what the law says journalists should do, this Masterclass is for you. A legal expert explains how, and why, the law is interpreted in real journalistic life.

Going live: October 30

November 2010
Masterclass 16: How to pass the NCTJ's new Newswriting Diploma exam
A guide to what examiners are looking for, and a sure-fire approach to the exam

We'll cover the golden rules you need to follow to convince NCTJ markers that you are a safe pair of hands, hear from those with enviable records in getting student journalists through the exam, and offer a step-by-step approach to the exam that will maximise your marks.

Going live: November 13
 
Masterclass 17: A new struture for online, multimedia story-telling
Has the traditional inverted triangle/pyramid had it's day?

With multimedia content, combining material from other sources and linking, the simple story structure journalists have been taught for generations needs some refining. We'll look at some models for adapting structure that are being devleoped by a range of multimedia practitioners and assess their value.

Going live: November 27

December 2010
Masterclass 18: HTML, what you need to know
You don't have to be an expert coder, but you do need the understand the basics

An introduction to what html is, what it does, and how. We'll conduct a seminar in basic, essential html with demonstrations of how you are likely to need to use it.

Going live: December 11
 
January 2011
Masterclass 19: Long-form journalism, topic areas and beat blogs
How to make your website a valuable resource and attract loyal users.

We've concentrated a good deal in these masterclasses on how to reach out to new audiences with the effective use of a wide range of social media. The goal was always to draw readers who appreciate what you are doing back to your branded website and print publication.

Now we look at how to make that website as effective as it can be at turning casual visitors into committed and regular consumers of our content.

Going live: January 22
 
February 2011
Masterclass 20: NCTJ Multimedia Portfolio
What the examiners are looking for in your multi-platform news and features

Going live: February 12

Masterclass 21: Curating user-generated content
How to cover a major story by blending your own material with that from other professional and citizen journalists

Going live: February 26

March 2011
Masterclass 20: Hyperlocal reporting and geotagging
Industry experts with the latest guidance

Going live: March 12

Masterclass 21: Travel writing
An experienced travel writer on how to do it right

Going live: March 26

April 2011
Masterclass 22: Email bulletins
How to turn an RSS feed into a bulletin, and add your Twitter feed to it

You don't have to create each email bulletin from scratch anymore. We look at how the process can be automated, and how a bulletin can be linked with blogs, Twitter and other social networks to form a coherent broadcasting and marketing strategy.

Going live: April 9

Masterclass 23: Social media update
What platforms you should be using now – and how

Going live: April 23

May 2011
Masterclass 24: Features writing
Analysing how the very best features writers do it

Going live: May 7

Masterclass 25: The jobs market
Industry experts on where the opportunities lie right now

Going live: May 21

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