5 Feb 09 Online Journalism – Multimediapackages&writing Class Notes Feb 5 2009

Online Journalism – JOUR 3340

Class Notes -Planning Multimedia Stories - Writing for the Web February 5, 2009

For Tuesday, Feb. 10  Go to http://newsvoyager.com and http://newsdirectorycom  Find two newspaper websites and two TV websites  Write 300-400 post for your blog analyzing the website using the following criteria:  Content: Does the website follow any of the rules on writing for the web?  Functionality: Is the website easy to use?  Navigation: How easy can you find content on the site?  Audio/Video Quality: Is there any? Is it useful?  Interactivity: How does it engage readers?

Style Tips  Here’s some advise from Jakob Nielsen, the guru of web design and usability:  Users do not read on the Web; instead they scan the pages, trying to pick out a few sentences or even parts of sentences to get the information they want  Users do not like long, scrolling pages: they prefer the text to be short and to the point  Users detest anything that seems like marketing fluff or overly hyped language ("marketese") and prefer factual information.

Remember this  Know your audience  

Is the content relevant to your readers? Do readers really want this information?

 Define the ‘form(s)’   

Interactive: graphics and other elements Slideshows: with or without audio Polls/Surveys

 Write Visually    

Use bulleted lists Use numbered lists Use Tables Include pictures and other graphics

Source: http://www.usability.gov/design/writing4web.html

Remember this  Make it ‘tight and bright’  Use the 5 Ws, but really remember to the ‘So what?’  Explain why I should care

 Poynter says: “Banish gray”  ‘Scannability’  ‘Splitability’

 Linking is OK

Writing Style – ‘Chunking’  Information broken into ‘chunks’ of information.  Web users prefer to print out long documents or save them on their hard drives.  Long stories on the web are hard to read. The more a reader needs to scroll, the less likely they are to read the story.  Organizing information into relevant ‘chunks’ helps keep the reader interested. Facilitates adding links to enhance interactivity. Be careful: Don’t divide content into too many parts or readers will lose interest.  Chunking is a method to create consistency of web style, and helps readers understand the content flow on your site.

Source: Webstyle Guide:

http://webstyleguide.com/site/chunk.html

Writing Style  Headlines – Compelling     

On the web, headlines sell the story Six to 10 words Strong verbs Most important items first Question headlines workable

 Blurbs  Summaries of story, often on home page and linked to full length story

 Briefs  A complete story in just a few sentences.

Writing Style  Conversational style  Cross between broadcast writing and print  Lively verbs, colorful adjectives and distinct nouns.  Active voice always!  Short paragraphs  Be aware of references to your sources  Consider using full name on second reference because you don’t know how story may link

Additional Style Tips  Consider one idea per paragraph – even if it’s just one sentence.  Write in easily understood sentences.  Include links as part of your copy  E.g. Bill Gates [link to his bio] created Microsoft [link to microsoft.com] at a time when PCs were just beginning to become commonplace.

 Think Globally. Avoid regional/local terms that may be misunderstood by the broader audience.  Develop a voice, a style, a flow.

Web Story Structure  Get to the point  Story must be told in 50 words ... Then your reader MIGHT read the rest  REMEMBER: only about 100-150 lines per screen… and less if a reader is looking at story on a PDA.  Make everything you write relevant.  Constantly ask yourself:  Why should the reader care about this?  What elements of interactivity can be used to engage the reader to make the content more compelling?