Reporters Guide to Multimedia Proficiency book

8/14/2019 Reporters Guide to Multimedia Proficiency book

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This content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Reporters Guide to Multimedia Proficiency / Mindy McAdams 1

Reporter s Guide

to Multimed ia

Proficiency

Mindy Mc Ada ms

Professor, Journalism

Co llege of Journa lism and Co mm unica tions, University o f Florida

http://mindymcadams.com/

This booklet comes directly from a series of 15 blog posts I wrote in 2009. Myintention was to offer some guidance for journalists who are ready to learnhow to transform themselves into multimedia journalists. This series shoulddemystify many of the new options for storytelling that have been madepossible by digital tools.

If you are a journalist (or a journalism student) who feels like you need tocatch up and upgrade your skills, I suggest that you do more than simply readthese posts. Put the advice into use immediatelythe same day, if possible.Dont wait! (Youve waited long enough already.)
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This work is licensed under the CreativeCommons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike3.0 United States License. To view a copy of thislicense, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/or send a letter to:Creative Commons, 171 Second St., Suite 300, San

Francisco, CA 94105, USA

1. Read Blogs and

Use RSSFebruary 5, 2009http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/reporters-guide-to-multimedia-proficiency-part-1/

Even if you are already reading blogsregularly, I urge you to add some blogsthat are not strictly about journalism ornews. Two that I recommend strongly:

Mashable: If you were one of the lastpeople to hear aboutTwitter, or youstill dont know how Facebookworks,then reading this frequently updatednews blog will put you into the loop.All the Web 2.0 and socialnetworking trends, tools, and sitesare covered here.

ReadWriteWeb: Although this blog issimilar to Mashable (and they areoften redundant), you will find somegood stuff here that Mashable will nothaveNYTimes Exposes 2.8 MillionArticles in New API, for example.

Why read these blogs? Because you willbetter understand how (and why) themedia world around us is changing if youstay up-to-date on the changes. Peoplewho understand what is happening areless likely to become road kill.

You certainly dont need to read everypost closely. But scanning these postsdaily will definitely help you becomemore savvy about digital media, onlineand mobile.

Using an RSS reader

If you have not started using an RSSreader yet,please do that right away! Ourformer student Megan Taylor wrote avery clear, simpleintroduction to RSS. Isuggest that you give no thought to whichRSS reader you should tryjust startwithGoogle Reader. Its free, easy to use,and ubiquitous. This YouTube video givesyou a one-minute tour of how it works:Google Reader in Plain English.

If thats not enough for you, then learnhow to use Google Reader like a rockstarfrom a post at Mashable.

Why take the time to set up and learn touse Google Reader? First and foremost,its 100 times more efficient than usingyour browser bookmarks (or favorites).Its like your customized Page One, readyfor you on any computer with Internetaccess, at home or at work, and even onyour phone. Its better than an aggregateof all the wire servicesbecause YOU setit up to bring you what YOU want.

How to find blogs that are worth

your time

Of the millions of blogs that are updatedfrequently, only a few are really going tohelp you become smarter about thechanging landscape of journalismoryour own beat, or your local community.

Generally one good blog leads to another.Just look at the blogrollthe list of blog
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links in the sidebar. This blog has one.Almosteveryblog has one. Try a blog outbefore you add it to Google Reader. Beselective. Your time is valuable.

If you want a place to start sampling, tryBest of the Journalism Blogs, fromJournalism.co.uk.

2. Sta rt a BlogFebruary 6, 2009http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-2-start-a-blog/

Todays topic might seem mundane tomany of you, but I always say that writinga blog with commitment, on some kind ofregular schedule, makes you smarter.

The advantage for a journalist who needsto catch up, who needs to learn new skillsfor a digital and online world, is thathaving a commitment to a blog drives theblogger to search out new information.Its kind of like taking a college course for

credit instead of auditing the course. Ifyoure just auditing, when the rest of yourlife gets busy, youll just quit going to theclasses. Some people abandon their blogs,of course. But those who make acommitment and stick to it soon find thatthe blog connects them to newdevelopments and kindred spirits in waysthey had not anticipated.

Now, before I get to the nitty-gritty, the

key to having a blog that makes yousmarter is reaching out. A blog should notbe seen as a soap box for your personalposturing. Blogs are great vehicles forsharing information and knowledge, andsharing travels in two directions.

A blog is one node in a giant network ofnodes, with a human being behind eachone of those nodes. Your blog gives you away to see and be seenbutonlyif youuse it with a spirit of sharing and

connecting.

These two practices are essential:

Link out. That is, link to other blogposts. Not just blogs, but individualposts. This makes you visible to otherbloggers and also (viatrackbacks) toother blog readers.

Comment on other peoples blogs.Particularly blogs with subject mattersimilar to yours. In the comment form,always type your real name and yourblogs URL in the boxes providedthis allows anyone who reads yourcomment to click your name and go to

yourblog, bringing more readers toyou.

Your blog posts can be short. About 300words is plenty for most blog posts. Right

now WordPress is telling me Im at 372words (whew!), so Id better insert asubhed.

What to blog about

You can blog about your beat (if you haveone), but if youre reading this becauseyou want to boost your online skills anddigital tools savvy, I suggest you choose amore personal topic. Here are someexamples:

Multimedia Reporter: Ron Sylvesterwas a 40-something courts reporterwhen he started this blog to chroniclehis own learning experience in onlineand multimedia. Although he quit
http://www.journalism.co.uk/bestofblogs.phphttp://www.journalism.co.uk/bestofblogs.phphttp://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-2-start-a-blog/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-2-start-a-blog/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-2-start-a-blog/http://codex.wordpress.org/Introduction_to_Blogging#Trackbackshttp://codex.wordpress.org/Introduction_to_Blogging#Trackbackshttp://codex.wordpress.org/Introduction_to_Blogging#Trackbackshttp://multimediareporter.blogspot.com/http://multimediareporter.blogspot.com/http://multimediareporter.blogspot.com/http://codex.wordpress.org/Introduction_to_Blogging#Trackbackshttp://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-2-start-a-blog/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-2-start-a-blog/http://www.journalism.co.uk/bestofblogs.php


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writing this blog and moved toanother onein 2007, MultimediaReporter still stands as a fineexample of a journalists journey intoa new set of skills and practices.

Meranda Writes: Another reportersblog, but from the younger generation.Meranda Watling started this blogabout the same time she started herfirst full-time daily newspaper job (inIndiana), straight out of college (KentState). I love this blog! I feel like itsbetter than most textbooks indemonstrating how to be a reporter.

The Linchpen: Student journalistswrite blogs too, and while the qualityand content varies widely (as youmight expect), this one by Greg Linch,who studies at the University of Miami(sorry, Gators!), is consistentlyinteresting and professional in tone.Its raised Gregs visibilitytremendously, and I expect it will helphim get a job when the time comes.

How to start blogging

I recommendWordPress.comabove allthe other free blogging platforms, forvarious reasons. One big reason is thevast number of tutorials and lessons andsupport (see an example:a one-minutevideothat shows you how to save a draftof a new post). See this overview ofWPfeaturesif you need to be convinced.

Just go there and click the big button thatsays Sign Up Now(it couldnt be anyeasier). I wrote a post last month abouthow to get startedwith WordPress.com.

To summarize the steps as simply aspossible:

1. Register at WordPress.com (youcannot change your user name later,so choose wisely).

2. Start a new blog and give it a URL (e.g.,myblog.wordpress.com); this also

cannot be changed later, so what youpick for myblogmatters a lot.

3. ReadGetting Startedif you feelnervous about this.

4. ModifySettings(change your blogstitle, etc.; lots of stuff can be changedany time).

5. Choose a Theme (how your bloglooks); you can change this as often asyou like (cool!).

6. Write your first new postandpublish it.

7. Delete the Hello World! post thatWordPress gave you.

8. Edit your new post andadd ahyperlink(then Update Post).

9. Test your link on the live blog! Does itwork? If not, go back to the Dashboardand fix it.

10.Customize your sidebar(s) withwidgetsthis is fun!

Resources for bloggers usingWordPress.com includehow-to videos,the officialWordPress.com blog, andbest of allthe official support sitez,where typing your question or the nameof a feature into the huge search box atthe top of the page will bring you a clearanswer to almost any question. (Trust me,I have used it many times.)

The weekend is coming up. Why not make

a late New Years resolution and startyour new blog this weekend? What areyou waiting for? This is not rocketscience. Any writer or reporter can do it.

Closely related:5 tips for blog beginners(July 17, 2008)
http://spj.org/blog/blogs/tech/http://spj.org/blog/blogs/tech/http://merandawrites.com/http://merandawrites.com/http://www.greglinch.com/http://www.greglinch.com/http://wordpress.com/http://wordpress.com/http://wordpress.com/http://wordpress.tv/2009/01/14/saving-and-returning-to-draft-posts-pages/http://wordpress.tv/2009/01/14/saving-and-returning-to-draft-posts-pages/http://wordpress.tv/2009/01/14/saving-and-returning-to-draft-posts-pages/http://wordpress.tv/2009/01/14/saving-and-returning-to-draft-posts-pages/http://en.wordpress.com/features/http://en.wordpress.com/features/http://en.wordpress.com/features/http://en.wordpress.com/features/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/using-wordpresscom-with-new-dashboard/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/using-wordpresscom-with-new-dashboard/http://support.wordpress.com/getting-started/http://support.wordpress.com/getting-started/http://support.wordpress.com/getting-started/http://support.wordpress.com/settings/general-settings/http://support.wordpress.com/settings/general-settings/http://support.wordpress.com/settings/general-settings/http://support.wordpress.com/links/http://support.wordpress.com/links/http://support.wordpress.com/links/http://support.wordpress.com/links/http://support.wordpress.com/topic/widgets-sidebars/http://wordpress.tv/category/how-to/http://wordpress.tv/category/how-to/http://wordpress.tv/category/how-to/http://en.blog.wordpress.com/category/howto/http://en.blog.wordpress.com/category/howto/http://en.blog.wordpress.com/category/howto/http://support.wordpress.com/http://support.wordpress.com/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/5-tips-for-blog-beginners/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/5-tips-for-blog-beginners/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/5-tips-for-blog-beginners/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/5-tips-for-blog-beginners/http://support.wordpress.com/http://en.blog.wordpress.com/category/howto/http://wordpress.tv/category/how-to/http://support.wordpress.com/topic/widgets-sidebars/http://support.wordpress.com/links/http://support.wordpress.com/links/http://support.wordpress.com/settings/general-settings/http://support.wordpress.com/getting-started/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/using-wordpresscom-with-new-dashboard/http://en.wordpress.com/features/http://en.wordpress.com/features/http://wordpress.tv/2009/01/14/saving-and-returning-to-draft-posts-pages/http://wordpress.tv/2009/01/14/saving-and-returning-to-draft-posts-pages/http://wordpress.com/http://www.greglinch.com/http://merandawrites.com/http://spj.org/blog/blogs/tech/


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From Paul Bradshaw:Starting a blog?12 ideas for blog posts

3: Buy a n Aud ioRec order and

Learn to Use ItFebruary 9, 2009http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-3-buy-an-audio-recorder-and-learn-to-use-it/

As a journalist or journalism student, itslikely you already have an audio recorder.

Its also somewhat likely that the one youhave is not suitable for gathering audiothat can be listened to online by peopleother than you. So read this earlier postA few words about digital audio recordersand give some thought to that.

What you need, at bare minimum, is arecorder that can connect to yourcomputer and upload an audio file that isNOT in some crazy file format that cannot

be converted to WAV. If your recordersaves files as WMA, or as MP3, or as WAV,it is okay.

One thing Ive discovered is that manypeople who use a computer every dayhave no clue about file formats. If youre ajournalist, you probably know that yourMS Word files are in the DOC (.doc or.docx) format. You may be familiar withplain-text format, TXT (.txt). Well, audio

files have their own formats. Youveprobably heard of MP3 (.mp3) because ofthe iPod, podcasts, Napster, etc. MP3 is acompressed format. It saves space on thedevice (such as the recorder, or youriPod) because a compressed file issmaller. That means it has fewermegabytes. For example, I have a WAV file

thats 6 min. 30 sec. long. File size: 65.3MB. With no editing, I convertit to theMP3 format. File size: 4.4 MB.

So, uncompressed files are larger. But you

wantto edit an uncompressed file so thatyou have all the audio data available andunadulterated. When you finish theediting, youll exporta new MP3 file.

Learning to use your recorder

I know journalists are all macho (even thefemale reporterswell, not macho, buttough), and macho people never read themanual.

Thats just stupid. The manual that comeswith an audio recorder is short andsimple. The main thing you need to readis the part about the menus. Every audiorecorder has a crazy menu thats a pain inthe neck to navigate. But you need to setthings correctly on those annoyingmenus, and I promise you, it will be 100times easier if you RTFM (thats an oldcomputer programmer term; it meansRead The Fing Manual).

So set the date and time, for certain. Andset the recording quality to the highestpossible quality. (This is extremelyimportant! You need to get the best-sounding recording possible, and this isan essential part of doing that.) If youhave a choice between stereo and monorecording, choose mono. (The file size willbe smaller.)

Some recorders, like the new OlympusVN-5200PC, have different recordingmodes for the built-in microphone. Onthat model its called Mic Sense, and thetwo choices are Dict (Lo) and Conf (Hi). Itwill be called something else on another
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recorder. Read about the mic sensitivitysetting for your recorder, and experiment.Take it into your kitchen, for example, layit on the counter, and walk around saying,Testing, 1, 2, 3, testing. Then change the

setting and do the same thing again.This is how we learn how to use our gear.You spend the time, and you figure it out.

Learning to conduct the

interview

As a journalist, you already know how tointerview someone. But you need tochange a few small things if you want toget clean audio that can be added to aslideshow or used in a podcast.

1. How you hold the microphone, or therecorder, can make noise thatinterferes with the words of yourinterview subject. Get comfortable,and then, dont move your fingers,hand, or arm during the interview.

2. Laying the recorder on a table can alsoallow unfortunate noises. What if yourinterview subject smacks the surfaceof the table to make a point?

3. Figure out the proper distancebetween the mic and the subjectsmouth. This can depend on the micsensitivity setting (see above).

4. How will you know if the recording isclear and clean? WEAR HEADPHONES.

Listening through headphones is theonly way to ensure that you knowwhat the recorder is recording.Sometimes you will hear a hum orbuzzing through the headphones thatyou would not notice with your nakedears. But guess what? That noise is inyour recording. Wear the headphones

and save yourself the heartbreak ofbringing back unusable audio.

5. Dont say uh-huh. The reporter needsto shut up and listen. Learn to nod and

smile, instead of saying, Yes, uh-huh,yes. Give the subjectvisualencouragement, not audible.

6. You will cut out all of your questionsin the editing. So you need to learnhow to phrase your questions in amanner that encourages the subject togive a complete answer. Especially,avoid yes and no answers. You cantuse those replies.

7. The reporter always holds the mic.NEVER give the mic to the subject!YOU control the mic.

8. Use strong eye contact to keep theinterview subjects mouth frompointing down at the mic and blowingon it. If the subjects breath hits themic, you will hear pops for the Psounds and hisses for the S sounds.

Not good.

Practice makes perfect, so dont expectyour first couple of efforts to be free oferrors. You will improve rapidly.Gathering clean audio is a very easy skillfor print journalists to acquire.It is absolutely necessary for you to EDITyour own audio, or else youll neverimprove your interviewing technique.That will be our topic in the next chapter.

One final tip for interviews

Theres a simple technique I call thequestions after. This frees you to conducta longer interview and record the wholething without worrying about the


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background noise, etc., when you want totake written notes while your subject istalking.

When youve finished, stop the recorder.

Put on your headphones. Start a newrecording, and explain to your subjectthat you need to put some audio online,and you will now repeat two (or three)questions, and would the person pleaseanswer as before (but dont worry aboutsaying exactly the same thing).

This way you can re-ask only thequestions that yielded the mostinteresting or relevant answers the first

time around. There are two benefits: (1)The subjects answers are often morecompact and organized the second time.(2) Your job of editing is easier, becausethe short (second) audio file will take lesstime to cut.

4. Start Editing

AudioFebruary 12, 2009http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-4-start-editing-audio/

Today youll learn how to put that audioon a computer, edit it, and export an MP3file.

Uploading the file

First youll need to connect your audiorecorder to the computer. This should bevia USB. If theres no way to connect therecorder (some dictation recorders haveno connector), your recorder is useless,and you need to buy a different one.

1. Windows: A bunch of messages willpop up in the lower right corner of thecomputer screen until the deviceconnects. At that point, you should seea window that asks you want to do.

Scroll to the bottom and choose toview the files and folders on thedevice.

2. Mac: Most recorders will mount as adrive on your desktop. Double-clickthe drive icon, and youll see thecontents of the recorder.

If one of the two things above does nothappen, your recorder is probably no

good for this work. Read this earlier postA few words about digital audiorecordersand buy one that works. Somerecorders try to download some crapsoftware when you connect them. I do notrecommend those recorders.

Most recorders have several folders inwhich they stash your audio files. If afolder name ends in the letter A or thenumber 1, that is probably where your

files are (unless you changed it; read themanual!).

Find your audio files. If the filename endswith the file extension .mp3 or .wma, youwill need to convert that file to .wav. If thefile is already .wav, you can skip theconversion stage. If you are on Windowsand you do not see the file extension atthe end of the filename,follow theseinstructions.

Converting the file

For converting one audio file type toanother, I strongly recommend the FREEVERSION of Switch. Make sure youdownload the FREE version. Download it
http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-4-start-editing-audio/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-4-start-editing-audio/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-4-start-editing-audio/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/a-few-words-about-digital-audio-recorders/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/a-few-words-about-digital-audio-recorders/http://www.fileinfo.com/help/windows-show-extensions.htmlhttp://www.fileinfo.com/help/windows-show-extensions.htmlhttp://www.fileinfo.com/help/windows-show-extensions.htmlhttp://www.fileinfo.com/help/windows-show-extensions.htmlhttp://www.fileinfo.com/help/windows-show-extensions.htmlhttp://www.fileinfo.com/help/windows-show-extensions.htmlhttp://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/a-few-words-about-digital-audio-recorders/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/a-few-words-about-digital-audio-recorders/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-4-start-editing-audio/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-4-start-editing-audio/


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here. It works on Windows and Mac. Afteryou download it, you will need to installit. Say no to all the options during theinstall.

After Switch is installed, launch it. Thendrag and drop the audio file into the bigwindow. There are three steps:

1. Check and make sure you know wherethe new, converted file is going to besaved. There is a menu labeledOutput Folder: Use this to select afolder on your hard drive.

2. Change the Output Format to .wav.3. Select the file in the big window (click

it once), and then click the big Convertbutton.

Getting your files and folders in

order

It will be important, always, to keep allyour files for one audio project in ONEfolder. This should NOT be a folder withother stuff in it. So create a new folder,name it something like My First AudioProject, and then copy and paste yournew .wavfile into that folder.

I advise you to keep the original audio filesafe in some other location.

A few words about your

computerEditing is, in fact, the easiest part of thisentire process. I have found that a largenumber of print journalists are veryunfamiliar with their computers. They arenot comfortable downloading files,installing software, converting fileformats, copying and moving files, etc.

This creates a huge problemsomejournalists are stymied in their efforts tolearn multimedia skills because they lackbasic, fundamental computer literacy.

If this describes YOU, then you mightneed to get extra help. You need to be ableto perform these basic file managementtasks without screwing things up. Youmight need to take a community collegecourse or buy a Dummies book. This isquite importantyou cant continuesaying youre not very good withcomputers in 2009. Get some help. Thecomputer is your primary tool.

Installing the editing software

I recommend that you useAudacityforediting audio, because its completely freeand open source, and you can use it onany computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux). Ihave written three Audacity tutorials. Youcan download the PDFs from this pageAudio: Journalists Toolkitunder thesubheading Editing.

Please read the installing instructions onpage 1 of the first tutorial, Super-FastGuide to Audio Editing. (Im giving youthe instructions this way because I canupdate that tutorial, but I will not comeback and update this blog post.) It is veryIMPORTANT that you read and follow thesteps, because there are two parts toinstalling Audacity. The second partconcerns something called the LAMEencoder, and I can assure you, about 25percent of journalists and journalismstudents mess this up because they do notfollow the frigging instructions!

So please, just follow the instructions.And if you have a computer literacyproblem, then please get someone to help
http://www.nch.com.au/switch/index.htmlhttp://www.nch.com.au/switch/index.htmlhttp://audacity.sourceforge.net/http://audacity.sourceforge.net/http://audacity.sourceforge.net/http://www.jtoolkit.com/audio/index.htmlhttp://www.jtoolkit.com/audio/index.htmlhttp://audacity.sourceforge.net/http://www.nch.com.au/switch/index.html


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you. Dont give yourself an excuse to failby saying, Im not very good withcomputers. That simply is not acceptable.

Editing the fileOnce Audacity is installed, you can beginediting your little .wavfile. (At last!) Buthey, you only have to do all that stuffabove ONCE.

Starting on page 3 of the first tutorial,Super-Fast Guide to Audio Editing, youwill see step-by-step exactly how toDELETE something out of an audio filesuch as your interview subject saying,

Um um It is as easy as using MSWord to delete a sentence.

On page 4 of the tutorial, you will see howto CUT and MOVE some of the audio to adifferent part of the filesuch as yourinterview subject identifying herself.Maybe thats at the end, and you wouldlike to move it to the beginning. This is aseasy as using MS Word to cut and move asentence.

While you are working on the audio file,you will repeatedly save a project file.Recall how I told you to keep all files forone audio project inside one folder(perhaps you named it My First AudioProject)? The first time you save thisAudacity project file, MAKE SURE that yousave it into THAT folder. The same onethat already contains your .wavfile.If you keep that folder intact, and save allparts of this project into it, then it will beportable. You can copy the entire folder(not its contentsthe folder itself) andcarry it to a different computer, if need beand it will still work. But if you savethings all over the damn place, your audiofile project will not be portable.

Some tips for editing:

1. Use your headphones! Nevereditaudio using the computersspeaker(s).

2. Cut out all ums and ers.3. Cut out your own voice in all cases.4. Rearrange the subjects sentences to

make a coherent story or anecdote.

5. Take care not to change or dilute whatthe subject meant. (This is the same aswriting print journalism, of course.)

Preserve the subjects intendedmeaning in all cases.

6. Dont cut too much dead air out frombetween two statements. That willsound unnatural.

7. Dont cut the ending too abruptly.Leave a smidgen of dead air at the end.

Exporting the MP3 fileTo export the MP3 file, the LAME encodermust be installed. There are instructionsabout this above, under the subheadingInstalling the editing software.

The following instructions assume thatLAME has already been (a) installed, and(b) located for Audacity on the computerbeing used.

1. Save the Audacity Project file (.aup)one last time.

2. Check all the Audacity settings forexport (see thetutorial). If the propersettings are not used, the MP3 file willnot workin Flash or in Soundslides.
http://www.jtoolkit.com/audio/Audacity_Guide.pdfhttp://www.jtoolkit.com/audio/Audacity_Guide.pdfhttp://www.jtoolkit.com/audio/Audacity_Guide.pdfhttp://www.jtoolkit.com/audio/Audacity_Guide.pdf


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3. File menu > Export for MP3. PleasePAY ATTENTION to WHERE you aresaving the file and what you haveNAMED it. (Inside that folder with all

your otherfiles for this audio projectwould be a very smart place to saveit.)

If you have followed this plan, you nowhave a fine MP3 file that can be uploadedto the Web or played in QuickTime,iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc.

5. Listen toPodcastsFebruary 15, 2009http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-5-listen-to-podcasts/

Today Im going to encourage you toinvest some time in hearing good audiostoriesbecause while journalism isbasically the same across all presentation

and delivery platforms, the way we tell thestoryneeds to be appropriate to themedium of delivery.

Radio journalism in the style of NationalPublic Radio offers some of the bestexamples of how to transportyourlistenerstake them inside the story andprovide for them an experience of theplace, the situation, the people of thestory.

I used to scoff at people who raved on andon about podcasts.

All the podcasts I had listened to (then)were either deadly boring, or straight-upradio (and what was newaboutthat?). Iwasted time sampling around, and I

listened to a number of dreadful podcastsproduced by newspaper reporters whosounded like they were readingwithsomeone twisting their arm behind theirback while they did it.

But gradually, I discovered someindependent podcasts that I reallyenjoyed. I wrote about this inan earlierpostand recommended these twopodcasts (neither of which featuresjournalistic stories, by the way):

Coffee Break Spanish: Learn to speakSpanish while youre drinking onelatte a day.

SCTRCST (Scootercast): About once aweek, DaveM talks about scootersyou know, those two-wheeled vehiclesthat are smaller than a motorcycle andbigger than a moped.

I urge you to take note of how they arepromotedand archived: You see,podcasting is not only about sitting downwith a microphone and talking.

For journalists who are now without asalary and a corporate home, developinga podcast (in conjunction with a blog, ofcourse) might provide the foundation of anew freelance career.

Before I get to the radio journalismexamples, Im going to point to two othersuccessful podcasts:

The Digital Story: Tips and techniquesfor digital photography, fromDerrickStory. My colleague Craig loves thispodcasthes a avid amateurphotographer.

Buddhist Geeks: Another truly nicheproductthis podcast featuresAmerican Buddhist teachers, writers,
http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-5-listen-to-podcasts/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-5-listen-to-podcasts/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-5-listen-to-podcasts/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/podcasts-as-a-side-dish-not-the-main-course/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/podcasts-as-a-side-dish-not-the-main-course/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/podcasts-as-a-side-dish-not-the-main-course/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/podcasts-as-a-side-dish-not-the-main-course/http://www.radiolinguamedia.com/cbs/www/index.htmlhttp://www.radiolinguamedia.com/cbs/www/index.htmlhttp://sctrcst.com/http://sctrcst.com/http://www.thedigitalstory.com/podcast/http://www.thedigitalstory.com/podcast/http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/au/54http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/au/54http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/au/54http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/au/54http://personallifemedia.com/podcasts/236-buddhist-geekshttp://personallifemedia.com/podcasts/236-buddhist-geekshttp://personallifemedia.com/podcasts/236-buddhist-geekshttp://www.oreillynet.com/pub/au/54http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/au/54http://www.thedigitalstory.com/podcast/http://sctrcst.com/http://www.radiolinguamedia.com/cbs/www/index.htmlhttp://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/podcasts-as-a-side-dish-not-the-main-course/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/podcasts-as-a-side-dish-not-the-main-course/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-5-listen-to-podcasts/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-5-listen-to-podcasts/


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and the like, being interviewed byassorted hosts; part of thePersonalLife Medianetwork, which carries avast variety of podcast shows.

Im not saying you should sit down todayand plan a career in podcastingbut I dosee podcasts as another way forjournalists to build up some multimediasavvy. Particularly if youre a person whooften says youre not very good withtechnology.

Ways to listen to podcasts

(without an iPod)

Many folks think you need an iPod tolisten to podcasts. NOT TRUE. Mostpodcast home pages have a Listen Nowbutton. All you need is a decent pair ofspeakers connected to your computer, orheadphones or earbuds. You dont have tosubscribe. Just choose an episode andstart listening. You dont need todownload anything.

Another common misconception is thatiTunes is only for iPod owners. Also nottrue! Anyone can download and useiTunes (free), on a Windows computer oron a Mac.This simple guideshows youhow to subscribe to podcasts in iTuneswhich I recommend, because it takes allthe work out of the process. You set asubscription, and then, every time youopen iTunes, it goes out and gets thelatest episodes for you.

This page from Applecan help youanswer any questions you might haveabout using iTunes.

One of the best times for Americans tolisten to podcasts is while driving in cars.Again, people who have no iPod (or other

MP3 player) might think there is no wayfor them to listen to podcasts. Wrongagain! You can burn an audio CD fromiTunes. You dont need any equipmentother than the CD player that is already in

your car. Apple hasa help pagejust forWindows users who are having troubleburning a CD.

The best radio journalism

Now that were past the usual hurdles,lets look at how to findgreat audio storiesto listen to. National Public Radio offersall its programming, plus programmingfrom other public radio entities, via one

handy online page:NPR PodcastDirectory. Some of the best journalisticstories can be found inDrivewayMoments, a title that refers to the kind ofstory you just cant turn off, even thoughyouve arrived at home and are sitting inthe car in your driveway.

Another source of wonderful stories isThis American Life. The latest episode isalways free for downloading at the Website, and you can listen there to anythingfrom the archives (but downloading oldepisodes costs 95 cents each, via iTunes).If you subscribe at iTunes, youll get everyepisode free and can listen whenever youhave time.

For additional insights into making greataudio stories, I heartily recommend thebookSound Reporting: The NPR Guide toAudio Journalism and Production(2008).Unlike the majority of journalism andreporting textbooks, it speaks to thereaders as if they are already journalists,and intelligent. And its all about thework, the journalism.
http://personallifemedia.com/http://personallifemedia.com/http://personallifemedia.com/http://personallifemedia.com/http://www.infopeople.org/resources/itunespodcasting.htmlhttp://www.infopeople.org/resources/itunespodcasting.htmlhttp://www.infopeople.org/resources/itunespodcasting.htmlhttp://www.apple.com/support/itunes/http://www.apple.com/support/itunes/http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1374http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1374http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1374http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.phphttp://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.phphttp://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.phphttp://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.phphttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=700000http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=700000http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=700000http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=700000http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Archive.aspxhttp://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Archive.aspxhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0226431789?ie=UTF8&tag=mindyshomepage&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0226431789http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0226431789?ie=UTF8&tag=mindyshomepage&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0226431789http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0226431789?ie=UTF8&tag=mindyshomepage&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0226431789http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0226431789?ie=UTF8&tag=mindyshomepage&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0226431789http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0226431789?ie=UTF8&tag=mindyshomepage&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0226431789http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0226431789?ie=UTF8&tag=mindyshomepage&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0226431789http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Archive.aspxhttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=700000http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=700000http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.phphttp://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.phphttp://support.apple.com/kb/TS1374http://www.apple.com/support/itunes/http://www.infopeople.org/resources/itunespodcasting.htmlhttp://personallifemedia.com/http://personallifemedia.com/


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Finally, the best 17 minutes you will everspend thinking about how we tell stories:

Ira Glass on Storytelling #1(5:23) Ira Glass on Storytelling #2(4:02) Ira Glass on Storytelling #3(5:19) Ira Glass on Storytelling #4(2:46)

These are on YouTube; while Glass (hostand executive producer ofThis AmericanLife) is not talking about podcasting perse, he is talking frankly (and with heaps ofexperience) about how a journalistgathers good audio and transforms it intoa real story.

And that, after all, is the magical,marvelous thing a print journalist needsto learn how to do.

6. Post an

Interview (or

Podc ast) on Your

BlogFebruary 17, 2009http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-6-post-an-interview-or-podcast-on-your-blog/

Today I will show you how to post audioon your blog. Youll need to follow the linkabove to see how cool this is. Go ahead,get online and go have a peek.

Woo-hoo, can you do that? Yes, you can.

1. Youll need an MP3 file that you havecreated (do not violate copyright lawsby using recorded music).

2. Upload the MP3 file to a Web host(more about that below, never fear).

3. Create a new blog post and embed theMP3 in a player. (a) If your blog is atWordPress.com, here are thesimpleinstructionsfor how to do it. (b) If youhave a self-hosted WordPress blog,

installthis WP plug-in. (c) If your blogis somewhere else,see this tutorial.(Sorry, I cant help with that.)

We covered how to record, edit, andexport an MP3 audio file in the previousposts (see above).

As for hosting, well, you could store yourMP3 files at WordPress.com if you paidfor the privilege. But instead, for your first

effort, you can upload the file to a freeserver. All you need is the exact URL ofthe MP3 file after it is onlineon the Webserver.

If you have no idea what Im talkingabout, you could get started atWebNG, afree Web hosting service. Here are thedetailsabout the free service. After yousign up for an account and log in, youshould go to the WebNG File Manager.

(There is a button.) From there, you canupload your file directly (its all done onthe Web page). The URL of your file willbe something like this:

http://yourusername.webng.com/nameofa

udiofile.mp3

After you have uploaded the MP3 to thehost, and you have the URL, you can writeyour blog post and embed the audio

player in the post (as explained above inNo. 3a, b, or c).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7KQ4vkiNUkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7KQ4vkiNUkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qmtwa1yZRMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qmtwa1yZRMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hidvElQ0xEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hidvElQ0xEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9blgOboiGMQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9blgOboiGMQhttp://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-6-post-an-interview-or-podcast-on-your-blog/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-6-post-an-interview-or-podcast-on-your-blog/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-6-post-an-interview-or-podcast-on-your-blog/http://support.wordpress.com/audio/http://support.wordpress.com/audio/http://support.wordpress.com/audio/http://support.wordpress.com/audio/http://www.1pixelout.net/code/audio-player-wordpress-plugin/http://www.1pixelout.net/code/audio-player-wordpress-plugin/http://www.1pixelout.net/code/audio-player-wordpress-plugin/http://www.macloo.com/examples/audio_player/http://www.macloo.com/examples/audio_player/http://www.macloo.com/examples/audio_player/http://www.webng.com/http://www.webng.com/http://www.webng.com/http://www.webng.com/faqs.aspxhttp://www.webng.com/faqs.aspxhttp://www.webng.com/faqs.aspxhttp://www.webng.com/http://www.macloo.com/examples/audio_player/http://www.1pixelout.net/code/audio-player-wordpress-plugin/http://support.wordpress.com/audio/http://support.wordpress.com/audio/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-6-post-an-interview-or-podcast-on-your-blog/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-6-post-an-interview-or-podcast-on-your-blog/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9blgOboiGMQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hidvElQ0xEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qmtwa1yZRMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7KQ4vkiNUk


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7. Learn How to

Shoot Dec ent

PhotosFebruary 19, 2009http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-7-learn-how-to-shoot-decent-photos/

Today I will explain how you can improveyour photojournalism skills (assumingyoure notalreadya photojournalist, inwhich case you know more than I do).

Every journalist should be able to capture

a decent photo in a breaking newssituation. You might be the only journaliston the scene. Sure, today its likely that100 people with cell-phone cameras willbe on the scene toobut why shouldntYOU be the one who captures the PageOne image that gets picked up by Reutersor AFP and zapped around the world?

Being able to capture good images willexpand your skill set in four ways:

1. You can combine your good photoswith audio and produce slideshows.(Some clients will pay a freelancer bigbucks for these.)

2. Practicing to obtain good still imageswill make you a better video shooter.Its faster and easier to learn goodcomposition while shooting stills.

3. You will gain new perspectives onyour stories. Developing your eye toseek out a good image will also leadyou to aspects of the story that youmight have missed, in the past.

4. Working to get a good set of photosfrom a story will make you a betterpartner when you work with aphotojournalist. Your appreciation forwhat he or she does will enhance your

cooperationresulting in a betterstory package.

Your camera

Ive written about the benefits of arelatively inexpensive point-and-shootbefore. You do not need a large, expensivecamera to capture great images. Mostphotojournalists will tell you, in fact, thatthe camera does not matter. Its the

person who gets a great shotnot thedevice. Of course, a totally blurry orcompletely dark shot is worthless. Butmost of an amateurs clear, sharp, well-lighted shots are also worthless, becausethey are poorly composed (more on thatbelow).

You cannotget the shotif your camera isat home. One of the benefits of a point-and-shoot is that you can have it with youat all times. Make sure you do. Dont leavehome without it!

RTFM (read the manual): The auto modewill work nicely, yes. But you can vastlyimprove your chances of getting a good,clear shot in all kinds of lightingconditions it you learn how your cameraworks in manual mode. Many of thesepoint-and-shoots have three differentgroups of settings that affect lighting andspeed of movement:

Named conditions such as Beach,Snow, and Night

ISOe.g., 100, 200, 400, 800
http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-7-learn-how-to-shoot-decent-photos/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-7-learn-how-to-shoot-decent-photos/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-7-learn-how-to-shoot-decent-photos/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-7-learn-how-to-shoot-decent-photos/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-7-learn-how-to-shoot-decent-photos/


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Lighting types, such as sun, cloud,incandescent, fluorescent

To learn how to use these modes,EXPERIMENT. Use the cameras manual

to figure out how to set them, and then goout into the world and use them. Take 500pictures at your kids next basketballgame. (DO NOT use flash!) Youll learn alot about what your camera can do.

If youre going to buy a new camera, Ihave some suitable models linkedhere.Check the manufacturers specs and makesure the camera meets or exceeds these:

7 megapixels or better Image stabilization (essential) Video at 640 x 480 at 30 fps

(absolutely essential); video mustinclude audio

3x OPTICAL zoom or better USB 2 output

Make sure also to buy a 2 GB (gigabyte)high-speed SD card, or larger.

What to teach yourself

Putting the subject of the photo smack inthe centerof the photoevery amateurdoes it. Professional photographersalmostneverdo it. So the first and biggeststep to improving your images is to learnaboutcomposition. Here are seven simplelessons:

1. Introduction2. Simplicity3. Rule of Thirds4. Lines5. Balance6. Framing7. Avoiding Mergers

Its all about WHERE you stand andWHEN you push the button. Just aboutevery photojournalist will tell you that.What separates the greats from thewannabes is that the great ones know how

to figure outwhere to stand, and almostby instinct (but really, its just a matter ofpractice, practice, practice), they knowwhen to push the button.

The tutorial site Digital PhotographySchool has variousclear tutorials forshooting in specific situations, such asTips for Better Candid Photography andHow to Photograph in Direct Sunlight.

Learn from examples

You owe it to yourself to get an educationin photojournalism. I think it will be oneof the most enjoyable investments youllever make in your career. Here are myfavorite sources of good examples we canstudy:

MSNBCsThe Week in Picturesanew set of about 10 pictures eachweek, selected by awesomely talentedphoto editors

Magnum Photosa wide variety ofphotojournalism stories andphotographers, free to view online

Photojournalism: The ProfessionalsApproach, 5th edition. Focal Press. $8and up (used), by Ken Kobr (2004).There is a newer edition, but the oldone is quite cheap, and packed withfantastic examples and advice. SeeAmazon.comfor used copies.
http://astore.amazon.com/mojogear-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=6http://astore.amazon.com/mojogear-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=6http://astore.amazon.com/mojogear-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=6http://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_introduction.htmlhttp://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_introduction.htmlhttp://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_simplicity.htmlhttp://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_simplicity.htmlhttp://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_rule_of_thirds.htmlhttp://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_rule_of_thirds.htmlhttp://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_lines.htmlhttp://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_lines.htmlhttp://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_balance.htmlhttp://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_balance.htmlhttp://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_framing.htmlhttp://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_framing.htmlhttp://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_avoiding_mergers.htmlhttp://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_avoiding_mergers.htmlhttp://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photographhttp://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photographhttp://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photographhttp://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photographhttp://digital-photography-school.com/11-tips-for-better-candid-photographyhttp://digital-photography-school.com/11-tips-for-better-candid-photographyhttp://digital-photography-school.com/11-tips-for-better-candid-photographyhttp://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-shoot-in-direct-sunlighthttp://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-shoot-in-direct-sunlighthttp://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-shoot-in-direct-sunlighthttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/http://www.magnumphotos.com/http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240806107?ie=UTF8&tag=mindyshomepage&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0240806107http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240806107?ie=UTF8&tag=mindyshomepage&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0240806107http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240806107?ie=UTF8&tag=mindyshomepage&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0240806107http://www.magnumphotos.com/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-shoot-in-direct-sunlighthttp://digital-photography-school.com/11-tips-for-better-candid-photographyhttp://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photographhttp://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photographhttp://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_avoiding_mergers.htmlhttp://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_framing.htmlhttp://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_balance.htmlhttp://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_lines.htmlhttp://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_rule_of_thirds.htmlhttp://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_simplicity.htmlhttp://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_introduction.htmlhttp://astore.amazon.com/mojogear-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=6


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Practice, practice, practice

I will get to video later in this series, butbefore I do, you really ought to work onyour basic visual skills with some seriouspractice in still photography.

Shoot lots of photos of EACH thing youthink is worth shooting. Sincephotojournalism is real life and not posed,your subjects will be moving andchanging. Part of the trick to getting agood shot is to shootwaaaymore picturesthan you ever did on your summervacation. Move up, move down, move leftand right. Stand on a chair. Lie down onthe floor. Shoot medium, close, and super-close. Get extra close-up detail shots(these work great in audio slideshows).

If you bring back 10 to 20 photos of onesingle person, action, dog, bicycle, etc., thechances are that ONE of those images willactually be quite good!

I tell students always to take at least 10shots of each subject they are shooting.

The longer you stand there, clicking theshutter, the more likely people are toignore you. Then they relax and actnaturally. Click! Thats your shot.

8. Learn How to

Crop , Tone, and

Optimize PhotosFebruary 22, 2009http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-8-learn-how-to-crop-tone-and-optimize-photos/

Today I will discuss basic photo editingfor online use. We dont handle photos

exactly the same way for print and foronline.

First, I need to point out that Photoshop isthe industry standard for photo editing. If

youre a journalism student, you mustlearn to use Photoshop. Even if you do notown it (and its damned expensive, evenwith the education pricing), you need tohaul your butt into a computer lab andlearn it. The good news is, you donthaveto learn all the million and one thingsPhotoshop can do. I always say thatphotojournalists know more about whatPhotoshop can do than I will everknowbecause its their primary software tool,

and they use it every day.

That said, itis possible to perform basicphoto editing tasks with other software.Im going to discuss Picasa below; its afree program from Google (seeinformation) thats available forWindows, Mac, and Linux. Another goodoption isGimpshop, which works verymuch like Photoshop but is completelyand legally free (background: Wikipedia).

It also works on Windows, Mac, andLinux.

5 things you should know how to

do

(1) Cropping: This is cutting around thebest part of the photo and throwing therest away. In most software applications,there is a tool called the Crop tool. You

select it, click and drag, and thereby makea rectangle within the larger rectangle ofyour photograph. Then you double-click(usually), and the outer part is eliminated.Professionals dont have to crop everypicturethey tend to get exactly whatshould be in the frame!
http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-8-learn-how-to-crop-tone-and-optimize-photos/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-8-learn-how-to-crop-tone-and-optimize-photos/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-8-learn-how-to-crop-tone-and-optimize-photos/http://picasa.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?topic=16026http://picasa.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?topic=16026http://picasa.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?topic=16026http://plasticbugs.com/?page_id=294http://plasticbugs.com/?page_id=294http://plasticbugs.com/?page_id=294http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIMPshophttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIMPshophttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIMPshophttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIMPshophttp://plasticbugs.com/?page_id=294http://picasa.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?topic=16026http://picasa.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?topic=16026http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-8-learn-how-to-crop-tone-and-optimize-photos/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-8-learn-how-to-crop-tone-and-optimize-photos/


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Heres a good tutorial aboutusing theCrop tool in Photoshop.

(2) Toning: Sometimes the image is toogreen, too red, too bright, or too dark. Our

ethics as journalists require us torepresent reality as accurately aspossible, but you know the scene youphotographed wasnt really that green orthat darkthe camera made it that way.In most photo editing programs, we canmake adjustments to the image to shift itback closer to the real thing. Most peopleknow about contrast and brightnesscontrols in these applicationsbut youllget much better results if you learn how

levels work in Photoshop.

Heres a good tutorial aboutadjusting thecolor and tone of a photo. Its prettysophisticated, but it will help youunderstand how to use levels inPhotoshop.

This tutorial explainshow to dodge andburn, another aspect of correcting aphoto. You need to use these tools with

great care in photojournalism so that youdont substantially change the image as itreally was.

And just so you understand the ethics ofediting journalistic photos: Heres theCode of Ethicsof the National PressPhotographers Association.

(3) Resizing: A photograph from a 7-megapixel camera might have print

dimensions of, say, 10 inches by 8 inches.But inches mean nothing online. What youneed to see are the width and height in

pixels. Pixels will determine whether theimage will fit neatly on a Web page.Generally you cannot use a photo widerthan 1,000 pixelsthat reflects themajority of Web users and their computer

screen resolution. Before you change thedimensions in pixels, you will need tochange the image resolution itself. Printresolution might be 180, 300, or even600. Online screen resolution is 72 ppi

(pixels/inch).

After selecting the correct resolution (72pixels/inch), change the width (forhorizontally oriented photos) orheight(for vertically oriented photos) of theimage. Maximum width: 1,000 pixels.Maximum height: 550 pixels.

Heres a good tutorial aboutresizingcorrectly in Photoshop.

(4) Sharpening: After you have resizedan imageand onlyafter you haveresized!you might see that it seems abit less distinct and sharp than you wouldlike. Most photo editing programs have afilter or dialog box that allows you toimprove the sharpness of the image. Thiseffect can be badly misusedit can makethe photo look quite unnatural! But usedproperly, the sharpening filters can really

improve a photo.

Heres a good tutorial aboutPhotoshopsharpening effects. (Note that two othergood options in Photoshop are theUnsharp Mask and Smart Sharpen.)

(5) Saving in optimized format: The fileformat for photos online is JPG (thatmeans the file extension is .jpg). Butsaving as a JPG alone is not enough. The

JPG can be saved at maximum, high, ormedium quality. The resulting file sizewill be larger for higher quality. Thetrade-off is often not visible to theaverage Web user (that is, the photo looksno worse at medium quality), but thesavings in file sizeand thus thedownload time for the whole Web page
http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/crop-photo/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/crop-photo/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/crop-photo/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/crop-photo/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/tone-color/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/tone-color/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/tone-color/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/tone-color/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/dodge-burn/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/dodge-burn/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/dodge-burn/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/dodge-burn/http://www.nppa.org/professional_development/business_practices/ethics.htmlhttp://www.nppa.org/professional_development/business_practices/ethics.htmlhttp://www.photoshopessentials.com/essentials/image-resizing.phphttp://www.photoshopessentials.com/essentials/image-resizing.phphttp://www.photoshopessentials.com/essentials/image-resizing.phphttp://www.photoshopessentials.com/essentials/image-resizing.phphttp://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/sharpen-high-pass/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/sharpen-high-pass/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/sharpen-high-pass/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/sharpen-high-pass/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/sharpen-high-pass/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/sharpen-high-pass/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/essentials/image-resizing.phphttp://www.photoshopessentials.com/essentials/image-resizing.phphttp://www.nppa.org/professional_development/business_practices/ethics.htmlhttp://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/dodge-burn/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/dodge-burn/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/tone-color/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/tone-color/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/crop-photo/http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/crop-photo/


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can be huge if you choose medium insteadof high or maximum.

Usually (but not always) we usePhotoshops Save for Web option when

we have a photo destined for online. (Theone exception is if we want to preservecaption, credit and copyright informationembedded in the JPG file itself.*

) Thereason that Save for Web spawns amuch smaller file size than simply savinga JPG is that Save for Web deleteseverything exceptthe image data. This iswhat we want for most Web images.

If youre going to use your photos in a

slideshow application, such asSoundslides, you need to keep that textualdata. Your photo file sizes will be larger ifyou do. For example, Save for Webmight produce a 40 KB file, and simplysaving the JPG directly might produce a120 KB filefrom the same photo, withthe same width and height in pixels. Thiscan add up to a lot ofunnecessarydownload weighton a page displaying 20thumbnail images, for example.

Heres some information from AdobeaboutSave for Web in Photoshop.

Using Picasa

Picasa provides only simple editing tools,but they will get the job done, and theyare insanely easy to use. In addition,Picasa gives you a non-invasive way tomanage all the images AND videos onyour computer. That is, it provides anautomated organizing system that does

* Open the Photoshop File menu and select FileInfo to see this information. Youll get a dialogbox where you can view, add and edit data aboutthe photo: author, description (caption), copyrightinformation, and more.

not change where you have saved yourphotos or how you have named orarranged them. (I have more than 3,000photos on my MacBook, and Picasacatalogued all of them in about 15

minutes!)

You can download Picasafrom this page.There is a good introductory videoforWindows users(5:02) and another onefor Mac users(2:29). The Mac videoexplains why you might prefer Picasaover iPhoto (I wont use iPhoto; its quiteannoying, in my opinion).

Managing photosYou want to make sure that you neveroverwrite your original photo file afterediting. Why? Well, the edited version forthe Web will be smaller and not suitablefor printing, for one thing. Whats gone is

gone. So I suggest you take care to SaveAs at the beginning, when you first startto edit a photo. That will create a newcopy, leaving the original untouched.(Picasa has an Export button; using itgives you the option to resize the photoby choosing a width, in pixels. Theoptimized photo is then stored in a newfolder created by Picasa, preserving youroriginal.)

Another wise practice is having a mastersystem for storing your photos. Even ifyou use Picasa or another photo manager,the way you keep the photos on your harddrive can make it easy (or hard) to backup photos for safekeeping and to findimages you want months or years afteryou have saved them.

Although some of my photo folders havenames as bland as February 2009, I tryto always make specifically namedfolders
http://support.adobe.com/devsup/devsup.nsf/docs/52521.htmhttp://support.adobe.com/devsup/devsup.nsf/docs/52521.htmhttp://support.adobe.com/devsup/devsup.nsf/docs/52521.htmhttp://picasa.google.com/http://picasa.google.com/http://picasa.google.com/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rskC6c_5L1Mhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rskC6c_5L1Mhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rskC6c_5L1Mhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rskC6c_5L1Mhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDKFjc3_wrkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDKFjc3_wrkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDKFjc3_wrkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rskC6c_5L1Mhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rskC6c_5L1Mhttp://picasa.google.com/http://support.adobe.com/devsup/devsup.nsf/docs/52521.htm


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for travel, conferences, holidays, events,and so on. Theres no need to renameindividual photosjust stash them inappropriately named folders on your harddrive.

Finally, cull your photosbut do it wisely.Professional photojournalists delete alarge number of pictures from the camerabefore they even upload to a computer. Idont do that; I just upload everything,because I dont typically shoot hundredsof photos in a day like the pros do. But Ido take the time to delete the absolutelosers after I have uploaded.

9. Ad d Photos to

Your BlogFebruary 27, 2009http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-9-add-photos-to-your-blog/

Now that you have some practice editingphotos, its time to post a few on your

blog (see RGMP 2). Most bloggingplatforms (e.g., WordPress, Blogger,TypePadcurious about the mostpopular platform?Read this) make itdead easy to insert a photo.

So, whats to learn? First, youll need tolearn how to insert a photo on your ownblog. In most blogging platforms, youllfind a small button or icon above the bigarea where you write your post. In

WordPress, for example, youll see thewords Upload/Insert, and immediatelyto the right of those words, youll roll overa little rectangle and see a tool tip pop up:Add an Image.

The next step involves a choice: Will youupload a photo from your own computer,

or will you paste in a URL for a photo thatis already online somewhere?

You might choose to upload an imagefrom your computer as the easiest way to

get this done. But consider: Where is thatphoto being uploaded? Who controls thestorage of that photo file? And if somedayin the future you want to move your blogto a new platform, or simply to a newURL, what will happen to all the photosappearing on your original blog? Thesequestions are especially important forphotojournalists.

So, I suggest that you take controlof your

online photo storage and upload yourphotos to a Web space that you cancontrol. Among many options, mysuggestion is for you tomake an accounton Flickr; you can upload photos, writecaptions, and organize them in a freeaccount, or gain additional options for anannual subscription fee. If youre loggedin to Flickr, go to one of your individualphoto pages and click the link to AllSizes above a photo (see example). Youll

go to a page that provides a link directlyto the photonot the Web page thatcontains the photo.

You need to have that URL that pointsdirectly to the photo filesee No. 2 in the
http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-9-add-photos-to-your-blog/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-9-add-photos-to-your-blog/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-9-add-photos-to-your-blog/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-2-start-a-blog/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-2-start-a-blog/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-2-start-a-blog/http://royal.pingdom.com/2009/01/15/the-blog-platforms-of-choice-among-the-top-100-blogs/http://royal.pingdom.com/2009/01/15/the-blog-platforms-of-choice-among-the-top-100-blogs/http://royal.pingdom.com/2009/01/15/the-blog-platforms-of-choice-among-the-top-100-blogs/http://www.flickr.com/http://www.flickr.com/http://www.flickr.com/http://www.flickr.com/http://www.flickr.com/photos/macloo/58391513/http://www.flickr.com/photos/macloo/58391513/http://www.flickr.com/photos/macloo/58391513/http://www.flickr.com/photos/macloo/58391513/http://www.flickr.com/http://www.flickr.com/http://royal.pingdom.com/2009/01/15/the-blog-platforms-of-choice-among-the-top-100-blogs/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-2-start-a-blog/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-9-add-photos-to-your-blog/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-9-add-photos-to-your-blog/


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illustration above. The filename will endwith .jpg because that is the photo fileformat.

If you have Web server space (with a

hosting service), of course you can justFTP your photos to that space andthereby control your URLs as well.(Curious about Web hosting options?Read this.) But if you want to stick withfree stuff, I think Flickr is your best optionfor online photo management.

An important word about using

other peoples photos

U.S. copyright law does apply to ALLIMAGES you see on the Web, on any Webpage. So it is absolutely NOT okay to copyan image (photo or otherwise) fromsomewhere online and use it in your blog.It is still NOT okay if you add a link to theoriginal and/or a photo credit line. Thosedo NOT constitutepermission from theowner of the photo.

In fact, theU.S. Copyright Office bluntlysays: Acknowledging the source of thecopyrighted material does not substitutefor obtaining permission.

The image does NOT need to have acopyright symbol or a copyright notice toenjoy this protection. All published worksare automatically protected by this lawand that includes ALL images online.

Some people have chosen to allow limiteduse of their Web-published workthat is,they have given you permission inadvance. They do this by postingaCreative Commons license; on Flickr, forexample, youll see this link below thetags on the right side of an individualphoto page:

If someone has attached a CreativeCommons license to an image online, thenyou are allowed to use itin the mannerspecifiedby the license. There aredifferent types of Creative Commons

licensessome allow you to remix thematerial, for example, and some forbid it.

Linking photos on your blog

In the dialog box where you upload yourphoto or paste the URL to the photo file(in the blogging system), youll mostlikely find an option to provide a link URL.This is different from the photo URL.

The photo URL tells the blog systemwhere your photo file resides, online. Thelink URL indicates a Web page that willopen when the user clicks your photo inthe blog post. Obviously, the photo can belinked to something related to the photo.If you use someone elses image, its polite(and proper) to provide a link to theoriginal page where that photo appears;see the example of thison my original

blog post.

However, as demonstrated by the firsttwo images in my original blog post, youdo notneedto link an image.

So, when shouldyou link the image, andwhen should you notlink it? I think
http://webhostingcase.com/how-to-get-started-with-web-hostinghttp://webhostingcase.com/how-to-get-started-with-web-hostinghttp://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.htmlhttp://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.htmlhttp://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.htmlhttp://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.htmlhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-9-add-photos-to-your-blog/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-9-add-photos-to-your-blog/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-9-add-photos-to-your-blog/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-9-add-photos-to-your-blog/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-9-add-photos-to-your-blog/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-9-add-photos-to-your-blog/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.htmlhttp://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.htmlhttp://webhostingcase.com/how-to-get-started-with-web-hosting


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theres a clear logic to linking in mostcases. First, its always good to link to theoriginal source. Second, if youve captureda zoomed-in detail, its really appropriateto link to the full image. Third, if theres

more information about the content of theimage, or the photographer, its probablyappropriate to link to that.

In short, if you can think of a good reasonto link the photo to another Web page, doit. But always make sure your goodreason is adding something for thebenefit of the user, the viewer of yourblog post. Dont add a link that wouldconfuse or annoy the users.

10. Learn to Use

SoundslidesMarch 2, 2009http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-10-learn-to-use-soundslides/

In this post Im going to introduce you to

Soundslides, an inexpensive (not free)program for creating audio slideshows onWindows or Mac computers.

Please do not think Soundslides will takea long time to learn. It will not. Its much,much easier than you probably imagine.Can you find a spare hour, or maybe 90minutes? Thats enough. Try it. Youll see.

Your first step will be to go to the

Soundslidessite and download one of theversions of this program. On the left sideof the page, youll see four downloadlinks: Soundslides Plus: (1) Mac, (2)Windows. Regular Soundslides: (3) Mac,(4) Windows. Choose one and click todownload. It will function normally assoon as you install it; you can buy it later.

At the bottom of that page, you can readWhich edition is right for me? to helpyou decide between Plus and regular.

Soundslides does not produce video files,

and you cannot import video intoSoundslides. It is a simple tool that buildssimple audio slideshows. Thats all. Butthats actually quite a lotespeciallybecause Soundslides is almostridiculously simple to use.

Before you begin

Soundslides cannot be used to edit photos(see RGMP 8), and it cannot be used to

edit audio (see RGMP 4). This means youwill need to have your photos selectedand editedbefore you begin to work inSoundslides. You will also need to have afinal, finished MP3 file withthe correctaudio settingsbefore you begin to work inSoundslides.

Have all your photos for theslideshow cropped, rotated, toned,and stored in one folderwith no other

photos. They must be in the JPG fileformat. (You cannot edit the photosinside Soundslides.)

Have your finalized MP3 file. (Youcannot edit the audio insideSoundslides.)

Note that the length of your MP3 file willdetermine the length of your slideshow.This is part of what makes Soundslidessuch a simple tool. If your audio lasts 1minute and 25 seconds, then thats howlong your slideshow will be.

Another thing to consider is whether youhave too many photos, or not enough, tomatch the length of your audio. A very
http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-10-learn-to-use-soundslides/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-10-learn-to-use-soundslides/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-10-learn-to-use-soundslides/http://soundslides.com/http://soundslides.com/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-8-learn-how-to-crop-tone-and-optimize-photos/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-8-learn-how-to-crop-tone-and-optimize-photos/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-8-learn-how-to-crop-tone-and-optimize-photos/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-4-start-editing-audio/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-4-start-editing-audio/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-4-start-editing-audio/http://support.soundslides.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=44http://support.soundslides.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=44http://support.soundslides.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=44http://support.soundslides.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=44http://support.soundslides.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=44http://support.soundslides.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=44http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-4-start-editing-audio/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-8-learn-how-to-crop-tone-and-optimize-photos/http://soundslides.com/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-10-learn-to-use-soundslides/http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-10-learn-to-use-soundslides/


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good rule of thumb for audio slideshowsis about5 seconds per image. You canchange this while working withinSoundslides, but using this guidelinehelps you decide how many photos you

will need to edit (if you know the lengthof your audio), or how long to make theaudioif you have very few photos, forexample.

A 60-second slideshow needs about 12photos, and a 2-minute slideshow needsabout 24 photos. (If you have too fewphotos, the viewers will get bored!) Youdo not need to be overly rigid about the 5-second rule, but do be aware that after 6

or 7 seconds on one single image, theviewer is likely to lose interest and quit.To the other extreme, seeing the photosflash past too quickly is also unsatisfyingfor people watching your slideshow.

Get started now

If you have an MP3 and a dozen or morephotos (make sure the photos are isolatedin one folder), youre ready to go.

1. Launch Soundslides and name yournew project (more about this below!).

2. Select the Custom option: Choosethe width and height of the slideshowbased on the size ofyourphotos.

3. Import your photos (click the big JPGbutton, and then show Soundslidesthat folder containing your photos).

4. Import your audio file (click the bigSND button, and then showSoundslides the location of your MP3).

And now, youre ready to put the photosinto an order that matches your audio.

Just drag and drop the thumbnails on theright side to change the line-up. Use theplayer controls at bottom left to reviewthe results. Click the Save button atbottom right often, to save your work.

To alter the timing of any photo, go to thetimeline at the bottom of the window. Usethe mouse to grab the border linebetween two photos. Drag the line left orright to make a photo visible for more orless time. (Wider thumbnail: more time.Narrower thumbnail: less time.) Save andTest(buttons, bottom right) to see theresults.

Captions, credit information, and

headlines

These are all controlled via the tabs at topright in the Soundslides applicationwindow.

To write captions for each photo, clickthe Slide Info tab. The Back and Nextbuttons let you move to each one ofyour photos so you can write cutlines.

To write a headline for the slideshow,and/or to include credit information,click the Project Info tab.

To return to editing the slideshowimage order and timing, click theSlides tab.

Publishing your slideshow on theWeb

At the Soundslides site, seeUploading aslide show to a Web server using an FTPclient. I know, I knowsome of you havenever seen the abbreviation FTPbefore inyour life. Dont panic. It stands forfiletransfer protocol, and really, it just means
http://support.soundslides.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=117http://support.soundslides.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=117http://support.soundslides.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=117http://support.soundslides.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=117http://support.soundslides.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=117http://support.soundslides.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=117http://support.soundslides.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=117http://support.soundslides.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=117


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upload. The Soundslides manualrecommends an FTP program calledFileZilla; I prefer FireFTP (seetutorial),but it really makes no difference whichone you use.

If you work for an organization that has aseparate Web production staff (orperson), you can simply copy the

publish_to_web folder that Soundslidesgenerates and give it to the Webproducer, who will upload it for you.However, if the Web producer has beenliving in a cave for five years and hasnever heard of Soundslides, youll need toemphasize to him or her that the entire

folderneeds to be uploaded. The folder

can be renamed, butnothing inside thefolder should be touched. (One exception:The index.htmlfile can be edited orreplaced by someone who knows HTML.)Some smarty-pants Web folks will uploadonly one file from inside the folder, butthat will not work!

Theres a lot more information about howto upload (publish) your slideshow at theSoundslides site:Publishing.

Tips for keeping your work safe

and organized Name and save the project folder

carefully. Know where you saved it,and what name you gave it.

Dont forget to save AND export theSoundslides.

Thepublish_to_web folder must beuploaded to the Web in its entirety.

KEEP the PROJECT FOLDER INTACTin case you need to make changes tothe slideshow later. If all you have isthepublish_to_web folder, you cannotedit the slideshow.
http://jtoolkit.com/tools/fireFTP_tutorial.htmlhttp://jtoolkit.com/tools/fireFTP_tutorial.htmlhttp://jtoolkit.com/tools/fireFTP_tutorial.htmlhttp://support.soundslides.com/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=25http://support.soundslides.com/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=25http://support.soundslides.com/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=25http://support.soundslides.com/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=25http://jtoolkit.com/tools/fireFTP_tutorial.html


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Adding or deleting photos after theinitial import: This can be done (Slidestab: click +Add Image, or drag to Bin,lower right), but if you have alreadyadjusted the timing of any images, this

change will alter that timing, and youllhave to adjust everything again. Itsadding extra work for yourself. So itsreally bestto have your exact set ofphotos chosen in advance.

Changing the audio: You can replace theaudio file you imported with a differentone (or an updated one)click theAudiotab, and youll see how. But like adding ordeleting photos after the initial import,

replacing the audio file with a new one isgoing to disrupt any timing changes youhave made and add extra work for you.

See the SoundslidesForumsfor tips, help,and examples. TheSoundslides usermanualis online.

Soundslides uses theFlash player, whichis a Web browser plug-in that mostInternet users already have. In other

words, most people will not need todownload anything to view yourslideshow on the Web.

There are many examples of elaborate,cinematic Soundslides online, but even aprint reporter can combine an interviewand some on-the-scene photos to producea story with both audio and images.Inthis example, I happened to be presentwhen an American writer was signing

copies of his book, freshly translated, forVietnamese journalists. I shot a lot ofpictures at the signing and theninterviewed the writer the next day aboutthe subject of his book. (Note that you canhide and show captions using the linkbelow the image, on the right. You canalso pause the slideshow at will.)

11. Tell a Good

Story with Images

and SoundMarch 18, 2009http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/rgmp-11-tell-a-good-story-with-images-and-sound/

I was going to title this Produce a featurestory with Soundslides, using aninterview and natural sound, but thatseemed a tad too long. Besides, it doesntnecessarily require the Soundslidesapplication (although I am going to frame

this in terms of a slideshow, rather thanvideo).

Chuck Fadely of the Miami Herald wasdead right in his earliercommentwhenhe said: The goal should be to learn totell stories visually, with audio thatcomplements the images, edited with apace and rhythm appropriate for thepiece. Dumping a folder of pictures overtop of some bad audio does no one any

good.

In this post Im going to talk about how toensure you have a story thats worthtelling in this mannerwith photos andaudioand how to construct it, story-wise, to make it communicate effectively.

What do you intend to

communicate?

This might be the most common mistakethat journalists make: Often we give littleor no thought to this question and itsanswer.

Much of the time, we go out and cover anevent, and then our (text) story is simply
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Documents

Reporters Guide to Multimedia Proficiency book