Data Project

This project is due on Wednesday, Oct. 15

Create a data visualization using a database that you locate online or build yourself. 

Write a 400-word story to accompany the visualization. Talk to at least one human source to help explain what the data mean.

Examples:

Poverty or employment in your hometown (source: Census.gov)

Male/female ratio among majors at Lyndon State College (source: LSC registrar)

Campaign contributions to Vermont Senate candidates in Caledonia County (source: Vermont Secy. of State)

Data journalism critique

This assignment is due on Monday, Sept. 29.

Go online and critique a project that uses data visualization to tell a news story.

Post the URL on your blog and answer the following questions:

- Why did you pick this particular data story?
- What did you like and dislike about the project?
- Did the visualization tell the story better than another medium would have, such as video or photos or text?

Podcast Project

- Create a 5- to 10-minute audio project and make it available on your blogs as a podcast.
- Use at least two voices.
- You may use music as long as you have the right to use it, i.e., you received permission from the copyright holder or the music is "rights-free."
- Write a 400-word story to accompany the podcast. The story must complement the podcast rather than regurgitate it. Grammar and spelling count. Use proper Web formatting: one sentence for the first paragraph; no more than two sentences for subsequent paragraphs; space between paragraphs.

Deadlines:
- Submit project outline via blogs Sept. 22
- Submit project via blogs Sept. 24
 (To receive credit for this project, it must be posted to your blog.)

Some ideas:
- Dorm cooking tips
- Restaurant reviews
- Interview
…a professor
…an athlete
…an interesting student
…students (plural) about a topic
- Review an LSC band
- Advice
…relationships
…easiest classes

Homework for Sept. 15

We discussed this during our brief "Skype" session on Wednesday:
Please write a 250-word story about the Amber Alert mentioned in the news release under the headline "Online Writing."
Use the inverted pyramid writing style: The most important information goes first, followed by information of lesser and lesser importance.
For example, you would not begin a news story the same way the state police began the news release: "Today, at approximately 4:46PM, the Vermont State Police received information regarding a missing juvenile Zachary Lee, age 12 of Sunderland, VT"
 
That is not the most important information. In your opinion, what is?

Please include at least one link in the story.
Post it on your blogs along with a disclaimer saying something like "This is not a real news story," just in case someone stumbles upon it through Google.

Otherwise on Monday, I want to talk about podcasts and your podcast critiques. Plan on a quiz about the reading assignment: Chapter 7.

Podcast critiques

This assignment is due on Monday, Sept. 15.


Between now and Monday, subscribe to two podcasts. You can do this at the iTunes store – they are free.
Listen to at least two episodes of each podcast so you get a feel for it.
Write a post on your blog that explains
- why you picked each one,
- what you liked and disliked about each one,
- whether you think you will continue listening to any of them,
- and whether you put them on an iPod or other player.

Online Writing

(Note: this is an online writing exercise and should not be considered a factual news release)

STATE OF VERMONT
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE POLICE

PRESS RELEASE
Amber Alert for Missing Juvenile from Sunderland, VT

Lt. Tim Oliver, Rockingham Barracks Station Commander – 802-875-2112
Captain JP Sinclair, Vermont State Police Chief Criminal Investigator – (802) 244-8781

Sunderland, VT – 9/3/14 – Today, at approximately 4:46PM, the Vermont State Police received information regarding a missing juvenile Zachary Lee, age 12 of Sunderland, VT. Zachary was dropped off at the foot of his driveway at his foster home at 2327 North Road in Sunderland Vermont, but never made it inside. An AMBER Alert was activated at 8:35PM tonight for Zachary.

Zachary was recently repatriated from France. Authorities have been concerned that Zachary’s mother, Patricia Kane, age 49, may take off with Zachary. This is based on a documented history of such attempts while the child was in the custody of the Republic of France.

Patricia has been highly unstable and volatile since Zachary’s arrival in the U.S.  This has been noted by several members of the Vermont Department of Children and Families staff, as well as by legal authorities, and school authorities.  All treatment team members have been working together to help safe-guard against possible attempts to abscond with him.

Zachary Lee is described as a white male, age 12, approximately 5’, weighing 95lbs, with brown shoulder length hair, brown eyes, and speaks with a French accent. He was last seen wearing a black puffy coat with white stripe, jeans, a light-colored sweater, blue & black sneakers.

Patricia Kane, Zachary’s biological mother, is a 49 year old white female is approximately 6’0” tall, weighs 125lbs., with white or blonde (possibly dyed) hair, brown eyes; and also speaks with a French accent. Her direction of travel or mode of travel is unknown.

The Vermont State Police have concern for Zachary’s welfare because he is under 13 years old; he is unfamiliar with this area, having been here only since August 29, 2014; he is absent under circumstances inconsistent with his established pattern of behavior; and given his mother’s history of attempting to abscond with the child while in France.

Law enforcement authorities are using all available investigative resources available and coordinating with state, local, county, and federal agencies to safely bring Zachary home.

Anyone with information regarding Zachary’s disappearance, please call 802-442-5421 or submit an anonymous tip to www.vtips.info<http://www.vtips.info/> or send a text to “CRIMES” (274637) with keyword: VTIPS.

Department: STATE POLICE RUTLAND
ORI Number: vtvsp0300
Telephone Number: 802-773-9101
Point of Contact: LT Timothy Oliver
Case Officer: Trp Chris Burnett

The Child
-----------------------------------------------
Name: Zachary  Lee
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: April 23, 2002 (Age: 12)
Height: 5 feet 0 inches
Weight: 95 Pounds
Race: White
Hair Color: brown
Hair Style: longer than shoulder
Eye Color: brown
Glasses: No
Photo Available: Yes
Describe Clothing: black puffy coat wwhite stripes,jeans light colored sweater, blue and black sne
Custody/Health Issues: Mother has been highly unstable and volatile since arriving in US with Zachary
Last Contact Date/Time: Sept. 3, 2014 3:30 PM
Last Contact Street: 2327 North Road
Last Contact Town/City: Town of Sunderland
Last Person to Have Contact: Dale Wood
Last Person to Have Contact Address: 327 Vt Route 313 west - Arlington, VT
Last Person to Have Contact Telephone: 802-375-9628

The Suspect
-----------------------------------------------
Name: Patricia  Kane
Gender: Female
Date of Birth: February 27, 1965 (Age: 49)
Height: 6 feet 0 inches
Weight: 125 pounds
Race: White
Hair Color: whiteblond
Eye Color: brown
Relationship to Child: mother
Describe Clothing: na
Additional Information: zachary is absent under circumstances inconsistent with his established pattern

The Vehicle
-----------------------------------------------
No Vehicle Involved

From College Media Association, winners of this year's Pinnacle Awards -- a look at what you can do with student news websites. The categories are Best Podcast, Best Multimedia Feature Story, Best Multimedia News Story, Best Breaking News Coverage, Best Audio Slideshow, Best Social Media Presence; Best Viral Video:


Best Podcast Daily 49er, California State University, Long Beach
Viking Fusion, Berry College
The Prospector, University of Texas at El Paso
Best Multimedia Feature Story
The Pendulum, Elon University
Mustang News, Cal Poly
The Chart, Missouri Southern State University
Best Multimedia News Story
The Northerner, Northern Kentucky University
Golden Gate Xpress, San Francisco State University    
Pauw Wow, St. Peter's University          
Best Breaking News Coverage
Southwestern College Sun, Southwestern College
LSU Student Media, Louisiana State University
The Vanderbilt Hustler, Vanderbilt University
Best Audio Slideshow
Ethos Magazine, Iowa State University 
Daily Titan, California State University, Fullerton
KBVU, Buena Vista University
Best Social Media Presence
The Vanderbilt Hustler, Vanderbilt University
Mustang News, Cal Poly
The Shorthorn, University of Texas at Arlington 
Best Viral Video
Pauw Wow, St. Peter's University
The George-Anne,  Georgia Southern University

"Pimp My Blog" Project

This project is due at the END of the class period on Monday, Sept. 8.
(Remember: I won't be there... physically)

Create the coolest blog you can.
- Play with design.
- Use the customize options to add features.
- Write a blog entry explaining the process you went through, and why you chose the things you did.
Best blog wins a prize.
Grades:
A -- Blew me away. Fun design, cool features. Lots of extra elements such as pictures, audio or video.
B -- Good blog. A few interesting elements.
C -- It's okay, but it's obvious nobody spent a lot of time constructing it.
D -- It's there, but it looks no different from the ur-blog created on Jan. 23.
F -- It's not there.

Blogger.com and Wordpress.com have helpful tips. Feel free to go online for advice, too: