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eClass: Writing and Editing for the Web, Circa 2006

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eClass: Writing and Editing for the Web, Circa 2006

DURATION/TIME
4 weeks
September 12 - October 3
Online chats: Tuesdays, 9-10 pm EST

LEVEL
Intro

ONLINE CLASS INFO
See our eClasses info page. 

PRICE
$350 ($325 for )
more info

Course Details

Once upon a time, not really so long ago, all most editors and writers needed to know to be au courant about the web was a bit of jargon ("viral," "FTP," even the impossibly dated "hotlink"). In just over a decade, everything has changed. As The New York Times moves to integrate its print and online units, as Google and Yahoo! hash out the search wars, as technogeeks at Stanford refine ideas about usability, the web is coming into (a relative) maturity. The age of citizen/public journalism is with us, too -- perhaps to stay.

So what does this mean to the average editor or writer in love with print and very much at home online? A lot. In this four-week course, we'll cover the essentials of writing and editing for the web, from avoiding the pitfalls of poor site navigability and usability (yes, both are still rampant) to the big trends in online journalism today -- and what they mean for professional writers and editors.

In this class, you can expect to learn:
  • Why writing for the web is different, and how to make the most of the medium and avoid common mistakes
  • How to find good, reliable sources online quickly (and why the web is both a boon and a sandtrap for researching stories)
  • How to use the web to find "real people" for your stories
  • Trends in online, including citizen/public journalism, blogging, the search wars, and why more ad dollars than ever are going to online (and why you should care)
  • The basics of usability (how people use websites), including rules to follow when creating your own site to promote your work

Admission requirements:
Please submit a letter of interest (including a brief work history).

The online classroom has several interactive components:

  • Instructors post lectures once a week. You can read them online, print them, or download them at your convenience.
  • Students post completed assignments for feedback and discussion by the instructor and class.
  • Weekly chats allow your class to get together via instant message. Transcripts are available for review if you can't attend. 
  • Technical support is available from mediabistro staff.

Instructor Bio

Dana Rousmaniere's Courses

No courses available at this time.

Dana Rousmaniere
Dana Rousmaniere has more than 10 years experience working as a writer, editor, producer, and content manager for online publications. Dana has held positions as Managing Editor of FitPregnancy.com, Senior Producer/Group Product Manager at Lycos.com, Senior Producer at Lifetime Television Online, and New Media Editor for Hearst Publishing. She's written, edited, and produced online content for publications including Good Housekeeping, Healthy Living, The Atlantic Monthly, US Weekly, YM, and Rosie magazine, and has helped create marketing mini-sites for Random House Publishing, Barnes & Noble.com, and The Literary Guild/Book of the Month Club.
Dana earned her B.A. in English from Cornell University. A bookworm with a brown belt in tae kwon do, she recently returned from backpacking around the world to settle down north of Boston, Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and baby-on-the-way.

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