McAdams Shares Multimedia Toolbox for Journalists

It's the next best thing to a great journalism textbook. Wait, I think it may be better in so many ways...

Mindy McAdams has compiled her 15 terrific posts that make up the "Reporter's Guide to Multimedia Proficiency" into an elegant one-stop PDF. She goes from reading and creating blogs to editing audio and delivering multimedia presentations.

Every "chapter" begins with a note of encouragement, such as this one on taking photos:

Every journalist should be able to capture a decent photo in a breaking news situation. You might be the only journalist on the scene. Sure, today it’s likely that 100 people with cell-phone cameras will be on the scene too—but why shouldn’t YOU be the one who captures the Page One image that gets picked up by Reuters or AFP and zapped around the world?

Best of all, Mindy doesn't get bogged down in technical jargon or debates over which software is better than the next -- just the tools to set you sailing. The guide is loaded with links to excellent examples and other resources.

As one of her many "fans" (Jack Zibluk) commented: "It’s all here. it’s succinct and comprehensive. The guide provides a solid foundation for anybody interested in multi-media storytelling. It’s great for beginners, and has useful tips for advanced practitioners."

I too am looking forward to sharing Mindy's excellent guide with my media students this fall.

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Making Multimedia Fun

Amid all the serious talk about journalism and its role in our democracy, it's always good to keep watch on the media landscape for all the fun stuff that many journalists and others are doing out there.

Here's a few examples, beginning with the LBCC production of the the "pop-up" roadrunner, the school's mascot. It's now getting some run on the Commuter Web site. It was put together by some of the creative types at LBCC's Student Life and Leadership office.

The second is a piece from the New York Times called "The Water Dance." Though dated and maybe better titled "The Slush Dance," it's still fun to watch, especially for those of us from not-so-mild home states. (Thanks to 10,000 Words for bringing this to my attention.)

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A Checklist for Modern Journalists

Feeling ambitious this summer? Now is as good a time as any to develop the skills you will need to be a better journalist. Or to break into the business if you're just out of college or soon to be looking for a job in the media.

10,000 Words has compiled a list of 30 things a new journalism grad should do this summer to make her/himself more marketable. Actually, this is a great list for any journalist who wants to thrive in the new media. Some of the more interesting and challenging tasks on the list include:

5. Become a part of a crowdsourcing project

6. Improve at least 5 Wikipedia entries

10. Create and maintain a Delicious account with at least 50 links that you find interesting

16. Learn another programming language besides HTML (e.g. XML, PHP, MySQL)

17. Create an avatar and use it on all your social networking profiles

22. Interview 10 people using a video camera

23. Create a map mashup using a CSV file

If this seems daunting, then write up No. 30 and tape it to your computer: Remind yourself why you want to be a journalist.

For more, see "The New Visual Journalist" on Mindy McAdams' blog, Teaching Online Journalism. Among those she interviews is Colin Mulvany, a photojournalist/multimedia producer at The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Wash. As he notes:

“I firmly believe there will be no more just reporters or just photographers. We all need to have crossover skills. The Web demands it.”

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Photo credit: "Creative Commons Creativity Poster" by maven, courtesy of Flickr.com

Cheap Thrills with Multimedia

As noted on 10,000 Words: "This is what happens when multimedia journalists have too much time on their hands."

You'll find all kinds of interesting multimedia at the site of its creator, Mark S. Luckie.

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Spring Training for Journalists

Looking for something to do over spring break? How about learning a new multimedia skill?

A good place to start would be a new post on 10,000 Words -- "Essential Multimedia Tutorials and Resources for Do-it-yourself Training."

The list includes some of my favorites, including Mindy McAdams' "Teaching Online Journalism," "Common Craft" and the Knight Digital Media Center.

Have fun.

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(Photo credit: "E-learning" by mushon, courtesy of Flickr.com)