WFOM 14 - Conclusions

Writing for Online Media

Professor Nicholas Leshi

The Semester in Review

Introduction/Overview of Blogs and Wikis

Class Overview

Oral Communication vs. Mass Communication

Traditional Media vs. New Media

Intro to Online Writing

Mission Statements

Blogging Platforms

A Look at Popular Blogs

Blogging Tips

Intro to Wikis

Tutorial on Using Wikispaces for Class Wiki

How to Combat Writer’s Block

The Semester in Review

Presentation of Blogs and Mission Statements / Hypertext

Presentation of Class Blogs and Mission Statements

Blogging, Rettberg, Chapter 1: “What Is a Blog”

Writing Tips

Characteristics of Blogging

Hypertext and Hyperlinks

Some Common HTML Tags

The Semester in Review

History of Communication and Online Media

Blogging, Rettberg, Chapter 2: “From Bards to Blogs”

Oral Communication

Written Communication

Print Communication

Electronic Communication

New Media

Online Timeline

The Semester in Review

Blogs, Social Networks, and Rhetoric

“From Scroll to Screen”

Blogging, Rettberg, Chapter 3: “Blogs, Communities, and Networks”

The Public Sphere

Traditional Media vs. New Media

Blogs as a Social Genre

Social Network Theory

The Power of the Network of Blogs

Search Engine Optimization

Characteristics of Online Social Spaces

Rhetoric

Rhetorical Strategies and Techniques for Writing

The Semester in Review

Cyber Journalism and Online Reviews

“Eyewitness Tweets”

“How Journalism Has Changed…”

“Witnesses Are Not Journalists”

Blogging, Rettberg, Chapter 4: “Citizen Journalists?”

Definition and History of Journalism

Modern and Postmodern Journalism

Blogs’ Intersection with Journalism

Gatekeeping in Traditional Media

Things to Look for in Blog Reviews

The Art of Criticism

Strategies and Tips for Writing a Review

Examples of Online Reviews

The Semester in Review

Online Narratives and Interactive Fiction / Best Blogs

Blogging, Rettberg, Chapter 5: “Blogs as Narratives”

Editing Tips

Opinions, Constructive Criticism, and Trash Talk

Narrative Structure in Various Media

A Look at Some “Best” Blogs

A Look at Some “Worst” Blogs

The Semester in Review

Institutional and Commercial Blogs

Blogging, Rettberg, Chapter 6: “Blogging Brands”

The Online Marketplace

Traditional Marketing vs. New Marketing

Corporate Blogs

Branding

Building Audience for a Blog

Types of Blog Ads

Other Types of Blog Revenue

Examples of Institutional Blogs

“Favorite” Blogs

The Semester in Review

The Future of Online Writing and Media

“Welcome to the Stream”

Blogging, Rettberg, Chapter 7: “The Future of Blogging”

The Future of Media

The Future of Online Writing and Literacy

The Future of Journalism

Recommended Books About the Future of the Internet

Videos About the Future of Media

The Semester in Review

Revisiting Our Blogs

Class Reviews of Blogs

The Semester in Review

The Internet and Copyright

Intellectual Property and Plagiarism

Copyright Law

Public Domain

Fair Use

Copyright and the Internet

Copyright Tips for Online Writers

Famous Copyright Infringement Cases

Videos About Copyright

The Semester in Review

Beyond Writing: Graphics, Video, and Audio

Symbols, Graphics, and Fonts

Graphic Design and Advertising

Graphic Design Online

Images, Audio, and Video

Podcasting

Popular Podcasts

Vlogs

Popular Video Blogs

Tips for Successful Podcasting and Video Blogging

Making Blogs More Visually Appealing

Finding Free or Cheap Pictures

The Semester in Review

The Writer/Editor Relationship

“Use Your Own Words”

“Spelling: A Rebuttal”

How Technology Is Changing How We Read and Write

The Writing/Editing Job Market

Technology’s Impact on Writers

The Writer/Editor Relationship

Writing Style Guides

The Semester in Review

“Guest Post” Assignment / Promoting Your Blogs

Guest Posts and Book Reviews

Ways to Promote a Blog

The Art of Commenting

The Semester in Review

Privacy vs. Expression

“The Dangers of Sharing”

“The Internet Identity Crisis”

“Is Facebook Doomed to Die?”

Internet Privacy vs. Freedom of Expression

Data Mining

Technology Outpacing Laws

Net Neutrality

What Online Writers Should Know About Privacy

Videos About Online Privacy

The Semester in Review

Comparisons and Conclusions

Class Blogs from Previous Semesters

How the Current Class Blogs Have Evolved

Conclusions, Reflections, and Looking Ahead

A Look at Class Blogs from Previous Semesters

FUshion – “A blog for Fordham’s fashionistas.” A senior at Fordham University blogs about the journey to the "Fashion for Philanthropy" fashion show “through the eyes of a student designer/fashion intern/music lover.”

A Look at Class Blogs from Previous Semesters

Alicia Loves TV – “This blog is where I will finally be able to make use of all the nonsense I observe in my countless hours of television viewing.”

A Look at Class Blogs from Previous Semesters

Frugal in the City – “I moved to New York City to study journalism and take advantage of all the city has to offer, such as food, culture, and fashion. There's just one problem: all of those things are really expensive, and I'm living on a student budget. It can be done, so read on!”

A Look at Class Blogs from Previous Semesters

The Little Bitch – “Fashion, music, the arts, city life... and maybe some nail polish. The Little Bitch is a potpourri blog of things that I love, hate, or just want to bitch about.”

A Look at Class Blogs from Previous Semesters

The Bahstun Sports Blog – “The life of a Masshole in the Big Apple. I am obviously a HUGE diehard Boston sports fan… I'm especially crazy about the Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics, but if the Bruins start doing well, I’ll jump on that bandwagon… I will provide you with the latest Boston sports news, along with wicked cool bars in NYC where you can catch your favorite hometown teams!”

A Look at Class Blogs from Previous Semesters

Bookworm in a Finance World – “Thoughts from an English Major trapped in an internship at a financial institution.”

A Look at Class Blogs from Previous Semesters

Bronx Eye – “Bronx Eye is a photoblog dedicated to presenting viewers with alternate views of the Bronx. There are, and have been, a multitude of stereotypes about the Bronx; it is most definitely the ‘forgotten borough.’ My mission is to challenge followers to recreate their definition of ‘Da Bronx’ through photographs, images, and artistic description.”

A Look at Class Blogs from Previous Semesters

Coffee Break – “Coffee Break explores the widely consumed beverage, coffee, looking at its history, its influence on societies around the world, and thoughts on the best cups of Joe.”

A Look at Class Blogs from Previous Semesters

Damn My Toilet Is Blogged – “Humor, photographs, and things John likes.”

A Look at Class Blogs from Previous Semesters

Empire Sports – “I will focus on current and pressing New York sports topics. I will provide readers with my own opinions and points of view on various stories. I will incorporate this with relevant facts and information.”

A Look at Class Blogs from Previous Semesters

Fantastical Forum – “Fantastical Forum is a blog that provides all the realest news about the fakest things. It places fantastical characters in the real world and gives readers hard news stories about the characters in this environment.”

A Look at Class Blogs from Previous Semesters

For Reels – “For Reels provides the latest news on movies, actors, and directors, as well as reviews of current films.”

A Look at Class Blogs from Previous Semesters

Navigating Through the Sandstorm – “This blog will explain and comment on Middle Eastern politics for those who are not necessarily well-versed on the topic, but are still interested in the state of affairs. It will focus on a different situation in each post, while still bringing in other countries and issues for comparisons.”

A Look at Class Blogs from Previous Semesters

News and Brews – “This blog will discuss a topic in the news and pair it with a beer that relates to that news story. It will offer basic coverage of the story discussed each day and a review of the beer chosen to go along with the story. Feel free to offer suggestions!”

A Look at Class Blogs from Previous SemestersFoot Fetish – A blog about the world of soccer in the English Premier League, by a self-professed "footy" lover.

A Look at Class Blogs from Previous SemestersJohnTimes - A blog intended to inform the public about current events surrounding the countercultural movement, especially in regards to marijuana activism.

A Look at Class Blogs from Previous SemestersThe Eleven O’Clock Number - The Eleven O'Clock Number is a reflection on anything and everything performance-related, from reviews and gossip of off-off-off-Broadway productions, to finding the best (cheapest) seats in town.

A Look at Class Blogs from Previous SemestersOh, Cool Beans - Bytes of fashion, pop culture, and music with a critical edge

A Look at Class Blogs from Previous SemestersWhining in the Bronx - To drink...and review...a bottle of wine every week. Everyone should have a general knowledge of what's going on with wine, but not so much knowledge they become those people who know everything about wine. Will discuss wine production, maybe a little history, and give wine reviews with instructions on how to formulate your own opinion. Delicious.

THEN and NOW

THEN: Boozed on a BudgetBy Jillian Brooks

NOW: Boozed on a BudgetBy Jillian Brooks

THEN: On a WhimBy Adriana Calandra

NOW: On a WhimBy Adriana Calandra

THEN: Timeless TunesBy Victor DiFusco

NOW: Timeless TunesBy Victor DiFusco

THEN: Sports SolverBy Tom DiSolvo

NOW: Sports SolverBy Tom DiSalvo

THEN: The First GearBy Brendan Doran

NOW: The First GearBy Brendan Doran

THEN: Powered by EstrogenBy Victoria Garrity

NOW: Powered by EstrogenBy Victoria Garrity

THEN: The Green MileBy Dan Green

NOW: The Green MileBy Dan Green

THEN: Apollo’s RadioBy Anthony Guerrieri

NOW: Apollo’s RadioBy Anthony Guerrieri

THEN: Twenty-Something GentlemanBy Jesus Leon

NOW: Twenty-Something GentlemanBy Jesus Leon

THEN: Shake It Off, Shake It Off…Said CoachBy Kristina Maksuti

NOW: Shake It Off, Shake It Off…Said CoachBy Kristina Maksuti

THEN: College Budget EatsBy Michael Marando

NOW: College Budget EatsBy Michael Marando

THEN: Abandoned to FictionBy Tori Messana

NOW: Abandoned to FictionBy Tori Messana

THEN: Media About MediaBy Connor Ryan

NOW: Media About MediaBy Connor Ryan

THEN: EuroligenBy William Slattery

NOW: EuroligenBy William Slattery

THEN: RamsVeryOwnBy Lourenzo Smith

NOW: RamsVeryOwnBy Lourenzo Smith

THEN: The Beer GardenBy Kaley Walters

NOW: The Beer GardenBy Kaley Walters

THEN: Finger Flickin Good FlicksBy Brian Wetzel

NOW: Finger Flickin Good FlicksBy Brian Wetzel

Quotes About Writing

“You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.”

– Ray Bradbury

Quotes About Writing

“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”

– Sylvia Plath

Quotes About Writing

“I try to leave out the parts that people skip.”

– Elmore Leonard

Quotes About Writing

“If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”

– Toni Morrison

Quotes About Writing

“Substitute ‘damn’ every time you're inclined to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”

– Mark Twain

Quotes About Writing

“The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is you really want to say.”

– Mark Twain

Quotes About Writing

“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

– Mark Twain

Quotes About Writing

“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.”

– William Wordsworth

Quotes About Writing

“The pages are still blank, but there is a miraculous feeling of the words being there, written in invisible ink and clamoring to become visible.”

– Vladimir Nabakov

Quotes About Writing

“Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”

– Anton Chekhov

Quotes About Writing

“Easy reading is damn hard writing.”

– Nathaniel Hawthorne

Quotes About Writing

“Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.”

– Nathaniel Hawthorne

Quotes About Writing

“If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster.”

– Isaac Asimov

Quotes About Writing

“I will use big words from time to time, the meanings of which I may only vaguely perceive, in hopes such cupidity will send you scampering to your dictionary: I will call such behavior 'public service'.”

– Harlan Ellison

Quotes About Writing

“Writing is the hardest work in the world. I have been a bricklayer and a truck driver, and I tell you – as if you haven't been told a million times already – that writing is harder. Lonelier. And nobler and more enriching.”

– Harlan Ellison

Quotes About Writing

“I talk about the things people have always talked about in stories: pain, hate, truth, courage, destiny, friendship, responsibility, growing old, growing up, falling in love, all of these things. What I try to write about are the darkest things in the soul, the mortal dreads. I try to go into those places in me that contain the cauldrous. I want to dip up the fire, and I want to put it on paper. The closer I get to the burning core of my being, the things which are most painful to me, the better is my work.”

– Harlan Ellison

The Future

The Secret to Success

Skill and Personality

The Secret to Success

Writing and Communication

How to Be a Better Writer

How to Be a Better Writer

Write! Write! Write!

How to Be a Better Writer

Rewrite and Proofread

How to Be a Better Writer

Read

How to Be a Better Writer

Build your vocabulary

How to Be a Better Communicator

Listen

How to Be a Better Communicator

Be social

How to Be a Better Communicator

Be organized

How to Be a Better Communicator

Research(Know your stuff)

How to Be a Better Communicator

Plan

How to Be a Better Communicator

Practice

Tips for Success

Tips for Success

Be nice

Tips for Success

Be professional

Tips for Success

Show up(Be on-time for meetings and deadlines)

Tips for Success

Recognize and fix your weaknesses

Tips for Success

Recognize and amplify your strengths

Tips for Success

Stay positive(Don’t be a Naysayer of Doom

or a Neutral Zombie)

Tips for Success

Don’t be too sensitive

Tips for Success

Always network

Tips for Success

Be a problem-solver

Tips for Success

Be proactive not just reactive(Go above and beyond)

Tips for Success

Toot your own horn(Log your work status and the results)

Tips for Success

Stay ahead of the curve in your industry(especially with communications and technology)

Tips for Success

Never give up

Tips for Success

Take care of yourself, especially when you’re young(Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, Spiritually, Financially)

Tips for Success

Be the best and have no regrets

The Future

Assignments Due Next Class

Finish your Final Paper on or before May 6.Email it to nickleshi@aol.com

HAVE A WONDERFUL FUTURE!