digital media - 10,000 Words

Make Your Own Digital Mag With Glossi

Mona Zhang — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 14:32:35 +0000

These days, there are many ways for people to be content creators. Whether it’s blogging or shooting YouTube videos, the Web has provided the democratization of content creation. That’s gotten a whole lot prettier with Glossi, a new digital publishing tool that allows users to create their own online magazines. Now in public beta (you can request an invite here), Glossi offers an intuitive way for anyone to craft a digital magazine, complete with multimedia integration.

Created by the social commerce company ThisNext, Glossi is a bid to branch out beyond the fashion and commerce world into the wider digital publishing realm. So, can a platform like this upend the magazine publishing industry? continued…

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‘When a user lands on a page, you have three to five seconds to make your impression’

Mona Zhang — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 17:15:53 +0000

Even the best print writer may have trouble in the digital world where content competes with tweets and memes. In Mediabistro’s latest AvantGuild article, journo Ben Goldstein writes that the biggest thing he’s learned about the digital space is that brevity does count.

“When a user lands on a page, you have three to five seconds to make your impression and convince them to stay,” explained Rob Weatherhead, head of digital operations of MediaCom. “So make your content easily view-able in length, and sign-post it with sub-headings and bullets, so that readers can understand the key points you are making. Long, wordy paragraphs and a lack of sections can turn people off. Readers need to pick out the key topics and be enticed to read more.”

To read more, check out 4 Lessons for Writing in the Digital Age.

This article is an exclusive feature for Mediabistro AvantGuild subscribers. If you’re not a member yet, you can register for as little as $55 a year and get access to these articles, discounts on seminars and workshops, and more.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Report: Lack of Newsroom Training is Number One Reason for Job Dissatisfaction

Mona Zhang — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 14:20:21 +0000

According to a new report by the Knight Foundation, lack of training outranks salary and job security concerns for journalists. Authored by Knight consultant Michele McLellan and senior adviser Eric Newton, the report surveyed “active alumni” of the Knight Network from the U.S. and abroad. Though the report “focuses on Knight-funded training,” wrote its authors, “we believe its insights are relevant to all who care about journalism training’s best practices.” continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

National Geographic’s Aaron Huey on Digital Collaboration and Community Storytelling

Mona Zhang — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 10:58:39 +0000

The latest cover of National Geographic features the story of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, home to the Oglala Lakota. Alexandra Fuller’s well-written piece of long form journalism plus Aaron Huey’s series of striking photographs is standard fare in the magazine by now, but this cover story included a new form of storytelling. Huey, who has spent the past seven years documenting and befriending the Lakota teamed up with Jonathan Harris, creator of Cowbird, to launch the Pine Ridge Community Storytelling Project. Cowbird is a storytelling platform focused on personal narratives rather than quick status updates, and the collaboration is an attempt to give the people of Pine Ridge a chance to tell their own stories. Users can use photos, audio and text on one seamless platform that attempts to build a library of human experiences.

Huey talked to 10,000 Words about the collaboration, which was made possible in part by the Knight Journalism Fellowship and the John and James L. Knight Foundation. He first started covering the community when he was doing a larger survey on poverty—Pine Ridge was one of the poorest counties in the nation. Though he didn’t know much about the history of the reservation at the time, he quickly became drawn into its story and evolution, eventually becoming an advocate for the community. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Report: How to Build Trust In the Digital Age

Mona Zhang — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:15:40 +0000

A recent report published by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism looks at the quality of journalism in the digital age. The report’s author, Richard Sambrook, is a journalism professor at Cardiff University and former director of BBC News. In the report, Sambrook investigates the notions of objectivity and impartiality in the digital world, and whether or not we can trust the new forms of journalism that are emerging as a result of new technologies. continued…

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Comic Lesson: Don’t Say It If You Can’t Explain It

Meranda Watling — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:00:03 +0000

Everybody’s favorite cubicle dweller, Dilbert, often contains what-not-to-do life lessons, but this comic is especially relevant for those working in digital media who must interact and explain their job and work to people who see Facebook or Twitter at work as slacking off not working hard. It’s hard to get others on board with your plans when you speak in acronyms or jargon even you barely understand.

A few short (and ideally, unnecessary) tips to avoid being the drone in this strip:

Don’t say it if you can’t explain it. And if you can’t explain it, why are you doing it?
Don’t explain it with more jargon. There are correct terms for practices and there are useful terms. The useful ones describe what you do in layman’s terms without resorting to phrases only SEO expert wannabes use.
If you must use jargon or unfamiliar acronyms, acknowledge that without making your audience feel stupid. It’s not nice, and it’s not necessary.

This comic is funny because it’s true. Most people have been on the “huh” end of a similar conversation. Don’t do that.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.