Twitter. Facebook. Instagram. Vine. These are some of the social media tools altering how journalists do their jobs and how people consume news today. This semester I will be teaching a course I developed, mobile and social media journalism. My professional background as a journalist and my research focused on social media have come together to shape this new course.
Students will use social media and mobile devices as professional journalists. By the end of the semester, students will have the fundamental mobile and social media skills that news organizations are seeking from today’s journalists. My classes are less “lecture” and more discussions, critiques, and drills. Students learn by “doing.” They will build their own professional social media brand and produce a portfolio of stories using social media and mobile devices/apps. An emphasis is placed on critically assessing the credibility and authenticity of user-generated content. Students will also learn how to use analytics tools to monitor and analyze the effectiveness of their mobile and social media activity.
I will explore many of the topics addressed in this recent article, 10 key skills for digital journalists to hone in 2014.