FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2010
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Why and how blogging works And why and how you should be doing it now ‌ Posted by Don Bott
Thank you for having your phone put away and either off or on silent during this presentation!
What this workshop won’t cover • How to put together a blog • Which site to use What it will cover • Advantages of having a blog • Caveats • Structure, policies to set up And throughout … Q&A
About us • The Stagg Line print newspaper has been around 50-plus years. • Our Web site is concluding its fifth year with everything archived. • Our blog began last February.
Why we like PRINT • Magazine-like • Long-form journalism • Traditional, familiar
Why we like ONLINE • Quick/breaking news • Multimedia • Interactive possibilities
Our blog’s history • I’d been using a blog successfully with my AP English class. • “Everyone” was talking about blogging and doing it. • I figured what could it hurt to try?
The blog’s history (cont’d) • I added a blog through Blogger/ Blogspot.* (one minute) • I set up a basic architecture. (ten minutes) • I approached three students to get it started. * = Note, I have no interest in endorsing. Use whatever works for you.
Since the inception (2/09-2/10) • 170 unique postings by students, including 11 in summer • 18 student-authors — more than half the staff • Many comments • One mini-controversy (more on that later)
Advantages/Successes • Topics can be explored in various ways — before a complete story is published, or after; or a behind-the-scenes approach. • This format is excellent for opinion writing and entertainment reviews — both of which are popular and can easily feel old or overdone in print.
Advantages/Successes • Students can post at any time — provided they have Internet access. • Students can find their writing voice — something beyond any formula. • Students are writing — on their own, about what they want to write about, without any incentive for a grade.
Blogger identity/voice Many of my students have adopted an identity, including the following: • That Religious Guy • Carina 360° • Thumbs Up Michy • Mikeala Axtogrind • The Friendly Feminist
Blog promotion We now promote the latest provocative blogs on the front page of each issue, along with Web multimedia, breaking news and photo galleries.
Types of post • Commentary on an issue of interest • Preview of a story in development • Follow-up to a story or behind-thescenes of a story, perhaps even an explanation for a story • Review of an entertainment piece • Personal narrative* * = There are challenges with this. More later.
Controversies & Caveats • Our newspaper has long had policies. How are they similar or different with a blog? How are they established? • Where is the quality control? • When do we step in?
The standards you see were developed by the blog editors, with advice and consent from the staff and me. (Oh, yeah. I named blog editors.)
The standards are important, but the process of coming up with them more so. It creates student buy-in and ownership.
Our missteps* • Misuse of copyrighted images • Narratives that seem too much like “dear diary” posts • Airing of dirty laundry
* = These are all addressed in our standards. Still, they can occur.
But personal narrative can work‌
Nuts & Bolts • Blog editors are administrators, along with me. • All other student authors must have the permission to post, granted by us. • Anyone may comment, but we approve them before they go up.
Thank you! Handout covers what has been on these slides. Feel free to contact me. Contact info on handout.
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Further questions (time permitting)