Last Day of Newsplex Convergence Bootcamp

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.


During the last day of the Newsplex convergence software bootcamp, we learned how to put together a quick video using Animoto.com. This quick and simple program gives s brief glimpse of the facility and the folks who spent the week toiling over software challenges.

My Newsplex Journey Using Google Maps

This week has been a week for Convergence Software bootcamp at Newsplex, including use of Google Maps. One of my students did an awesome Google Map for murders of journalists in Mexico, but this is my first Google Map. I'll update it as my weekend between Newsplex training sessions progresses.


View South Carolina June 2010 in a larger map

What I'm Doing This Summer (at Newsplex)

So check out my Grammy coverage created today at Newsplex using the free software program Audacity and some clips that were provided. My voice overs aren't the greatest, but it does take practice.

I hope my students are keeping up with this, especially you Rambler folks, because you're in trouble now. I'm actually learning how to use the software to create multimedia projects so the bar will be raised once again.

Maybe by the end of the week, I'll have a unique project to post. Stay tuned to see.

My First Week at Newsplex

Today starts the first week of my convergence training at Newsplex at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. That's the back of my curly hair on the far right while Dr. Augie Grant speaks at front.

Eleven other intrepid journalism faculty members from around the nation are here, and right now, we're all trying to blog. I've been fortunate to have the blog established, so I'm cheating...no new blog created; you all are just going to be exposed to my Newsplex experience for the next two weeks. Lucky you, and lucky me--since I'm here for two weeks instead of just one.

Again, the basic skills of journalism were stressed as imperative in convergence journalism: reporting, writing, editing, basic photography, basic videography and basic audio production.

I'm always floored by how public relations people seem to be ahead of the curve in this struggle, since they've been needing to learn everything for so long. Now, it seems all of the folks who practice communication have fallen into the same boat--the all or nothing boat. Learn it all, at least the basics, or no job.

So stay tuned to see what happens this week. You can also check out my Twitter or Facebook accounts to get updates as well.

Personal Branding and the CETL Faculty Spotlight Video

Recently, Texas Wesleyan's Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning did a faculty spotlight video of me that now appears on YouTube. It gave me the chance to article my philosophy on social media and to practice something I preach all of the time--personal branding.

Personal branding is an impact part of getting a job today. For most of us, including me, it's difficult to determine what our "brand" is. And after we've discovered our personal brand, what happens when we need to change that brand?

Well before you start wondering what happens when things change or you change, it's important to take that first step and establish a brand. I've been working on this for a while now, including my Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Delicious, Slideshare, Flickr and YouTube presence in addition to this blog. What takes work is continually creating the content to make these tools valuable in constantly updating my "brand."

I encourage all of you, especially my students or former students, to jump into the world of social media and establish your personal brand. It's easier than ever to do this, and it will pay off in the long run when that great job you want includes outlining social media strategy in support of a company brand or news dissimenation efforts.

In the mean time, check out my video created by the CETL and let me know what you think...am I too gray?

Continued: The Rambler Marketing Plan and Increasing Online Presence

So last time we talked, The Rambler's staffers had put in a concerted effort to increase fans, followers, friends and e-mail distribution of The Rambler online.

We've continued those efforts, and since that time, we've also won several awards from the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association from its annual convention, including honorable mention for general overall excellence for the web site--a great endorsement. Now, we're working to let everyone know about that and increase our valued readers/viewers.

For our campus community, we have a story in our online only edition of the student newspaper and a story just appeared in the campuswide newsletter. A specific e-mail was sent from me to several members of the campus community--our student publications board, the provost, my dean and my department chair. Next will be a story to our local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. The announcement is also scheduled to appear on our social media entities, and will be added to our staff box for a recurring effect.

In the works, signs posted around campus, maybe a congratulations banner on our building, and some statement in our recruitment efforts for students.

We've put our alumni outreach on hold for a week or two, with a kickoff associated with our end of the year banquet.

Next up will be direct emails from me to department members from my own department and then departments within the School of Arts and Letters.

So to recap, we've taken the mass media approach (macro blasts) on campus, and now we're following up those blasts with more personalized e-mail blasts and papering the campus.

One wrinkle in the plan: we have two Facebook pages. Next week, we tackle that.

Friends, Fans, Followers and Subscribers on the Rise

So an update on how we're working to build community at The Rambler. Part of my strategic plan for the next few years is to increase our web presence. To that end, the students have created a YouTube channel, Facebook, MySpace and Twitter sites, with more in the works. We also signed an agreement with College Publisher to host our web site, which is going all right. Could be better, could be worse.

As part of the service provided by College Publisher, there is a news digest that can be sent to members who sign up. In the past couple of weeks, we've had an all out push to increase those numbers. First, students and professional staffers have been using their Facebook and Twitter feeds to point people in the direction of The Rambler online, www.therambler.org and one of its many social networking sites.

Next, an email was sent campuswide to all students, inviting them to sign up for the news digest. The results, a 100% increase in registered users in the week following the campuswide email.

A story appeared in the campus internal email newsletter, and a slight increase in users followed.

For Facebook, etc., The Rambler has sent invitations to members and sent links to other Texas Wesleyan entities to belong. Our followers, friends and fans are increasing steadily.

Next is this blog, and the entire time, we have been running a 1/4 page advertisement in the printed edition of The Rambler to encourage new friends, fans, followers, and subscribers.

We're continuing our onslaught of the campus community on a weekly basis, and now we're about to expand into the alumni realm. An update on that strategy for next edition.