My soapbox that I gave to my Wayne State students on last day of class

I wrote this as a departing love letter to my Wayne State University Digital Photojournalism students on our last day of class April 19. I read it out loud. Thought I'd share it here, too. Thanks for reading it!

  Journalism is about many things: Shining the light. Informing, educating and entertaining your community. Deadlines.

The tenets of journalism haven’t changed much: We still answer the 5Ws & H. We still adhere to the pyramid, whether it’s right side up or upside down. We should always tell real stories of real people, places and things.

What has changed is how we disseminate journalism. Besides still producing legacy news, like newspapers, TV news and NPR, we have many more ways of spreading our stories:

·      Websites

·      Blogs

·      Twitter

·      Instagram

·      Snapchat

·      Who know what else is out there …

·      … and yet to come

For you print journalists in the Wayne State Digital Photojournalism course, this ever-changing technology has added this to your plate: visual journalism. 

This class was designed to help you understand the visual concept of using photography to support your stories.  At the very least, it will also help you understand photojournalists who will work with you to help support your text, or work for you someday.

To stand up here and tell you what you need to do without you actually doing it is a complete injustice to you as journalism and broadcast and even PR majors. That's why you had to go out there and face your 'out of your comfort zone' fears. I hope that helped you realize how hard photojournalism can be. It’s not just taking pretty pictures. You need to know:

·      law & ethics, and your First Amendment rights

·      how to write concise AP Style captions

·      your camera controls

·      and understand the power of an image

·      that once you produce the content, you need to promote, share, preview and post on social media

This is the era of doing more for less, and I hope you gained a healthy dose of respect for those out there who are doing it all: writing, videography, photography, social media, mobile journalism, podcasting, and on and on.

Though all of you would love to get an A, that’s not realistic. Some of you won’t. But I’m here to tell you with confidence that your future employers won’t look at your GPA. They’ll search for your footprint on social media. They’ll be reading your stories and viewing your visual journalism in your clips and portfolio, and on your website. That’s what they care about.

So, after this class:

·      Polish your website

·      Shoot more feature, portrait and sports photos for yourself to hone those skills

·      Have a seasoned journalist sit with you and clean up your writing

·      Commit to posting an Instagram photo at least once a week. You have no idea how many editors look at Instagram and Twitter accounts when they are looking to hire

·      Post in journalistic fashion, AP Style. Don’t be lazy or rushed in your writing

·      Study lede sentences and stories of Pulitzer Prize winners

·      In fact, if you are a journalism major, commit to reading your hometown newspaper every single day

·      And broadcasters, listen to NPR every single day

·      PR majors, find those big corporations you dream of working for and study their social media habits

That’s the end of my soapbox.  

I offer these tips and words of caution because I care for you and your future. It’s a tough world out there, and now is the time to toughen up that skin and gain confidence as you move forward.

Confession: I was a horrible writer and photographer my first five years in the field. I was a messed up kid who didn’t know how to study. I had no confidence in myself. But I had role models who knew I wanted to succeed, and they took me under their wing and taught me the skills I needed to succeed. They had patience.

Don’t expect it to happen overnight. Stay true to your goals. Know that failing is learning, and not giving up is half the battle, even it might seems like a long downhill roller coaster ride.

Guest blogger: WSU pj student on the First Amendment, utilitarianism

By Megan Kusulas

Wayne State University photojournalism student

   The First Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” 

   As a college student majoring in journalism, freedom of the press directly effects my career because it allows me to freely pass on information to the society while being protected. 

   Freedom of the press does not only influence how we write, but it also influences the photos we take.

Megan Kusulas: Recipient of this week's Golden Camera

As a college student, this is important to me because the First Amendment allows me to take photos of the university or about the university to highlight the truth of campus events. 

   It allows student and professional photojournalists to document and share information with the public without being persecuted. For example, it protects against being thrown into jail if photographers do not give up sources, reveal information about the government or shoot controversial pictures.
   There is a sense of pride when it comes to delivering the truth to citizens, which the First Amendment allows. 
   As an aspiring photojournalist, I am lucky to live in a country that does not have strict laws on the press, but also follows ethical standards, which are very important to this industry because they create a reliable source of information. 

   While the United States has laws to protect the press, there are no laws to protect photojournalists from ethical issues. As a visual journalist, it is important to know how far is appropriate to go, in order to get a good shot.
   There are three ethical decision-making foundations: utilitarian, absolutist and the Golden Rule.
   Utilitarian approach is sharing photos whether they are good or bad, to better society. Absolutist is the idea that everyone has the right to their own privacy. The Golden Rule is putting yourself in the subjects shoes and deciding if you would want the photo published.  

Of the three ethical decision-making foundations, utilitarian relates to me most. I have a strong desire to spread the word about important issues in order to inform society.

   I think utilitarian is the best way to approach photojournalism because it spreads importance of the issue at hand. By this, I mean printing a photo of a tragic car crash if it would change the way viewers think, therefor, helping to prevent car crashes.

   With this power of the media, I feel I have an obligation to the public to take photos of important moments. I feel it's my duty as a journalist to share information that it is critical to help society. 
   Truth is a very important component of photojournalism, which is why the utilitarian approach to shooting photos is justifiable. I want to use my photography skills to document emotion in a story, which could change the way readers feel about a certain topic. The utilitarian approach to photojournalism is a strong way to evoke the emotions of readers and leave more of an impact.
   Overall, the First Amendment and ethical standards are guidelines that bring society accurate news. As a collegiate photojournalist, I am excited to join the field because I can influence society for the good with photos I take.

Definition of First Amendment
SPLC freedom of the press quiz

In Pictures: WSU and Owens students learn about motion, depth of field

Owens Community College students  learn how to properly hold a camera. (Photo by Hanssel Martinez-Guerra)

Talking about the relationship between shutter speed and motion. (Photo by Hanssel Martinez-Guerra)

Wayne State University students learn about shooting for shallow and wide depth of field during class.

The Wayne State University Digital Photojournalism class of Fall 2017.  

Taking the Wayne State COM 2280 Digital Photojournalism course?

Then read this Q & A ...

Q:  Why do I have to take this course? I’m a journalist/PR specialist, not a photojournalist.

A:  This course is necessary because at some point in your career you probably will be asked to take your own photos. Unfortunately, staff photojournalism jobs are dwindling each year, leaving journalists to pick up the slack with point and shoot cameras and cell phones. Despite their lack of photography experience, journalists are being tasked (and sometimes forced) to produce their own images. The only way to combat poor photo quality and legal/ethical issues is to offer courses like COM 2280, which is designed to prepare you for the inevitable.

Winter 2017 COM 2280 class

Also, even if you never take another photo for your job, this class will help you understand the photographers you will work with, for, or who will work for you.

Q: How hard is this course?

A:  Moderately difficult. This course is designed to give you basic photojournalism skills to prepare you to work in 21^st Century journalism newsrooms and public relations offices. It is a practical-skills driven course, meaning you will practice what you learn. 

You will be introduced to camera operations, and a few of the industry standard software used in the field, like Photo Mechanic, Photoshop and Adobe Premiere CC. So yes, expect a steep learning curve on a few assignments and exercises.

   The two most important tips I can give you are to pay attention and keep up. Please be fully engaged in every lesson, even if you’ve already been exposed to photography and some of the digital editing tools. After all, practice makes perfect (I never say perfect in this course) precision. Once you think you know it all, you stop learning and improving.

Q: How can I get an A?

A: I understand most students expect an A in every class they take. That’s human nature. But it’s not realistic. If you don’t earn an A, don’t fret. Remember that you are learning the building blocks of a very technical profession. Practice and opportunity in the field are what truly matters, not an A in a single class. Trust me, editors don't care much what your grades are when hiring; what matters is your portfolio of work and social media presence.

That said, here are several ways that will NOT earn you an A:

·       Tell me you need an A because you have a perfect GPA so far. If you want an A, you have to earn it with great attendance; zero missed assignments; good class participation; and a willingness to climb out of your comfort zone.

These are what I look for when determining good grades:

·       Nearly perfect attendance

·       No more than one missed assignment and zero missed quizzes

·       Willingness to help your classmates

·       No fear of asking questions when you don’t understand something

·       Pay attention to the little details, like spelling, AP styles, blog design, etc.

·       Redo less-than-stellar assignments

·       A good attitude

Warning: It is possible to get a D or flunk this course. Believe it or not, one or two students flunk every semester; not because their work sucks, but because they give up! It's true! They simply stop showing up, or stop shooting. Seriously, all you have to do is miss a lot of classes and homework assignments to earn Ds and Fs. 

Of course, I don’t like dishing out Cs and below, but I won’t give credit where it’s not due. It’s only fair to those students who worked hard throughout the course.

Good luck this semester! 

Sharing the pros, cons, photo stories of the hybrid Wayne State PJ course

  Another semester has ended at Wayne State University, and it was one of the best classes I’ve had the honor of leading.

   As I do for most semester endings, I’ll highlight a few positives and negatives. This is a good way for me to collect my thoughts so I can improve next semester.

   This particular Digital Photojournalism class earned a collective A. Rarely did a student miss any of the three quizzes, attendance was very strong, and though they had a tendency to turn in assignments late, they eventually turned them in.

   On the negative side:

• We, meaning university, experimented with a hybrid course format. The course typically meets once a week (on Thursdays) for 2.5 hours. But this semester we only met for 1.15 hours, cutting class time in half.

   This didn’t work for me, or the students. I found that I couldn’t fit in important lecture time, particularly on teaching technical issues on software like Audacity or Premiere Pro CC.

•    I also didn’t have time to critique their homework assignments, which are posted on their blogs each week. Homework involves shooting real photojournalism assignments: features, portraits, sports and a photo story.

   This class definitely goes beyond theory, thus they practice what is preached. For example, after a lecture on shooting sports, they’re required to attend a sporting event and shoot it. This entails them to get rosters for athlete identifications, and shoot action, reaction, fans and coaches.

   When I critique their work in class, they are collectively learning from one another what to do and what not to do on assignments. So not to critique their work in class is a missed learning opportunity.

   However, because I use Blackboard, a lot, and my own course blog (which you are reading now), they still had all of the lectures available to them.  I also created a few how-to YouTube videos as supplements. But, bottom line, I don’t like the hybrid approach for this course, so it’s back to full classes next semester.

   On the positive side:

•     From the negative came to the positive. I began creating instructional YouTube videos using Camtasia Studio, which records my computer screen, allowing me to show them how to use Audacity and Premiere Pro CC. 

   The videos allow them to view the content at their own pace, and soak it in. They can follow along with the videos while doing their own projects.

•    I am also convinced that allowing them to turn in late assignments is a good thing. I’m more concerned that each student learns the content at their own pace, rather not doing it at all. Yes, deadlines are critical in the journalism field, but they’ll learn that soon enough. At this point in their scholastic environment, they need to learn before they do.

   Now is the time I'm proud to present three of the photo stories they shot and produced. They are all different, and showcase how talented Wayne State students are.
   I present to you final projects by Taylor Lutz, Lucas Bell and Janika Green:

WSU Digital Photojournalism: Q & A for a new hybrid format course

   The Wayne State Digital Photojournalism course is going to be a bit different this semester.

   The course is typically a one-day a week, three-hour class. But beginning next week, the classroom time will be cut down to 1:15 minutes. It will be a hybrid course, otherwise known as a flipped class. This means most of the lectures will be available either on Blackboard or this course blog. Lectures will be prepared, recorded and posted, and students must view them by due dates, which will be announced on the assignment sheets. This will give them the time they need to soak up the information. Class periods will be used for using the software, taking quizzes and contributing to classmate critiques.

  

Digital PJ course schedule for winter 2017 semester

This does not mean they can skip class, even if they already have the software at home. This is the only time I can see their images, answer their questions, and critique their work. Every class is mandatory.

   Speaking of questions, here are a few popular questions students have asked over the years.

Q:  Why do I have to take this course? I’m a journalist/broadcaster/PR specialist, not a photojournalist.

A:  This course is necessary because at some point in your career you probably will be asked to take your own photos. It is a stark, real and unfortunate reality that staff photojournalism jobs are dwindling each year, leaving journalists to pick up the slack with point and shoot cameras and cell phones. 

   Despite their lack of photography experience, journalists are being tasked (and sometimes forced) to produce their own images. The only way to combat poor photo quality and legal/ethical issues is to offer courses like COM 2280, which is designed to prepare you for the inevitable.

   Also, even if you never take another photo in this field, this class will help you understand the photographers you will work with, for, or who will work for you.

Q: How hard is this course?

A:  Moderately difficult. This course is designed to give you basic photojournalism skills that will prepare you to work in 21^st Century journalism newsrooms. It is a practical-skills driven course, meaning you will practice what you learn. 

   You will be exposed to camera operations, and many of the industry standard software used by most photojournalists, like Photo Mechanic, Photoshop and Adobe Premiere Pro CC. You'll even learn how to capture and edit audio using Audacity. So yes, expect a steep learning curve on a few assignments.

   The two most important tips I can give are to pay attention and keep up. 

   Please be fully engaged in every lesson, even if you’ve already been exposed to photography and some of the digital editing tools. After all, practice makes perfect (I never say perfect in this course) precision. Once you think you know it all, you stop learning and improving. 

Q: How can I get an A?

A: I understand that most students expect an A in every class they take. That’s human nature, but it’s not realistic to issue 20 As per class. If you don’t earn an A, don’t fret. Remember that you are learning the building blocks of a very technical profession. Practice and opportunity in the field are what truly matters, not an A in a single class.

   That said, here are several ways that will NOT earn you an A:  

          Here are several ways that will help you earn an A, because I don't just strictly look at the assignment assessments:

•             Be willing to help your classmates
•             Have no fear of asking questions when you don’t understand something
•             Pay attention to the little details, like spelling, AP styles, blog design, etc., how to post your assignments
•             Redo less-than-stellar assignments
•             Have a good attitude

   Here are several ways that will prevent you from earning an A: 

•        Telling me you need an A because you have a perfect GPA so far won't help your case. If you want an A, you have to earn it with great attendance; zero missed assignments; good class participation; and a willingness to climb out of your comfort zone.
•      Miss more than two classes
•      Miss one assignment or quiz

   Warning: It is possible to get a D or flunk this course. All you have to do is miss a lot of classes and homework assignments. I have issued too many Ds and Fs, and I don't like doing it. I don’t like dishing out Cs and below, either, but I won’t give credit where it’s not due. Not only is it not fair to those students who earned their As and Bs, but I'm all too aware how competitive it is out there in the real world, and it's my job to prepare you for that, which means being rigorous sometimes.

   If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to email me at lorraine.king@wayne.edu

Wayne State Digital Photojournalism final projects showcase multiple skills

“This assignment was truly a culmination of skills, and I exercised them all to the best of my ability. After this assignment I’ve realized just how artful photojournalism is and the work people put in to doing it. For me the hardest part was still the photos, the technique. I now know that as a photojournalist you also have to create your style, your ‘way of doing,’ to create this common thread in your images and that thread is you. What you’re looking at through your lenses, what composition you’re using, how you’re using light, what moments you capture. You’re given the tools and the skills but once you’re out shooting it all comes down to you.” – Pulled quote from blog post of Kayla Cockrel, fall semester 2016 Wayne State Digital Photojournalism student.

   What a succinct way of describing what photojournalists do!

   It is certainly true that once you’re out there with camera in hand, whatever and wherever it is, it all comes down to you, the shooter: What lens you choose. What composition you see. How you evaluate light. What moment you capture.

   Kayla learned this through experiencing those important choices via the assignments given in the Digital Photojournalism class at Wayne State University in Detroit.

   I’ve heard grumblings from former students complaining that the course is too advanced. Too difficult. They come in on that first day thinking it’s basically a camera class, but find out as the course progresses that it’s much more than learning apertures and shutter speeds.

   Lessons include:

• What news and photojournalism is. This includes identifying all parts of a print newspaper, learning the history of journalism, and identifying eight news values
• The camera: Learning ISO, shutter speed, aperture; composition; reading light; capturing the moment
• Setting up and maintaining social media sites: Wordpress blogs, Twitter and Instagram
• Writing AP style captions
• Law & Ethics
• Collecting and editing audio
• Shooting feature, portrait, sports and photo story assignments
• Using industry standard software: Photo Mechanic; Photoshop; Adobe Premiere Pro CC; Audacity

  

Screen grab: Blog post by Morgan Kollen

Yes, it’s progressive. But because this is the only photojournalism course available in the journalism program, I stand by the curriculum. Because I understand this is a difficult course for the novice photographer, which most of them are, I allow them to turn in assignments late. This gives them time to soak in the information; reshoot weak assignments; give them confidence and time to get out of their comfort zones.

   Even if they will never use a camera again, they, as journalism and PR majors, will undoubtedly work with photojournalists, or manage them. Now they will have an appreciation of what photojournalists do, and what they need to get the job done.
    The final project is a culmination of all of the aforementioned lessons. I’m proud to say most of the students did amazingly well. Rather than have a strict rule on how it should be presented, they were encouraged to follow their guts, and hearts. Considering most of these students knew absolutely nothing about cameras and storytelling four months ago, I think they did a great job putting their stories together.

   This proves to me that I am on the right track in keeping the curriculum challenging, but giving them time and room to grow. Most students walk into class with a minimal digital footprint, and depart with a Wordpress blog showcasing a variety of photojournalism content. 

   Now, I present to you three wonderful, very different examples of their work. These are their final projects: 

Ryan Miller – a conversation interview format, shot in a difficult lighting situation:

Morgan Kollen – a poetic tribute to the City of Detroit:

Chris Ehrmann – a video story on his trip with fellow WSU classmates to Ghana in October:

My justification as to why audio lesson is a vital part of photoj curriculum

This is the very first audio story recorded and produced by Owens Visual Storytelling student Suzanne Caris, published on the Owens Outlook online student newspaper Nov. 28. 

WGTE's Haley Taylor explains her strategy for producing her Rough Draft Diaries series at the Toledo station.

   I received a negative comment on an instructor evaluation last semester from a Wayne State Digital Photojournalism student.

   That student wrote, and I quote: “Why in the f--- are we editing sound?”

   A few years ago I would have asked that same question, but not now. Gone are the days when photojournalists simply take still photos and write captions.   

   I try to make it pretty clear throughout each semester that photojournalism is rapidly evolving, expanding, transforming, and yes, getting harder. We are multitasking; being spread too thin; and doing more for less. Photojournalists now shoot video (and some even fly drones and do VR and 3D work), while journalists can be expected to shoot their own still photos and videos, as well.

   All three of my classes (Wayne State, Kent State and Owens) are either creating audio slideshows or podcasting. So, as a photojournalism instructor, it's my job to expose students to basic audio capture and production.

   That’s why they are editing sound.

   The WSU Digital Photojournalism course is an intense introduction class that is filled with journalism, broadcasting and public relation majors. They learn the basics of the DSLR camera, how to write captions, and their First Amendment rights. They also shoot feature, portrait and sports assignments for practical experience.

   For their final project, they shoot and produce an audio slideshow, which requires an audio track. They shoot the story, and also record interviews and capture ambient sound, if appropriate. The students can add royalty-free music if it benefits the story.

   The audio is recorded with their cell phones, a recording device or their cameras, and then edited using Audacity, a free multi-track audio editor and recorder that is installed on all of the MAC computers in the classroom. Adobe Premiere Pro CCis used for the audio slideshow production.

Haley Taylor's strategy for a Rough Draft Diaries show.

   For the Visual Storytelling course at Owens, I added podcasting to the curriculum this semester. 

    According to Dictionary.com, a podcast is a digital audio or video file or recording, usually part of a themed series, that can be downloaded from a website to a media player or computer.

   To kick off the audio lesson we took a field trip to WGTE Public Radio in Toledo in October. We were given a tour by Cathy Kamenca, and podcaster Haley Taylor was gracious enough to show us how she produces her Rough Draft Diaries series.   

   Then the students hit the ground running. They used either the Zoom H2 recorder or their cell phones to capture the audio; edited their files using Audacity, and uploaded their stories on either audioBoom or SoundCloud.

   Their audio stories are currently airing weekly on the Owens Outlook student newspaper.

   This new audio lesson, which is pretty basic, is appropriate for this course, considering the Visual Storytelling class is now a requirement course in the new broadcasting major.

   The Owens Outlook staff is pondering a name and branding image for the podcasts. It’s unclear at the time the direction we’ll go with them.

   After all, this class, like photojournalism, is still evolving, transforming and expanding.

   To listen to my first effort at podcasting for the Toledo Blade, go here.

WGTE's Cathy Kamenca, second from right, gives the Owens' Visual Storytelling students a tour of the Toledo studio.

The Golden Camera: A symbol of achievement, hard work & true grit

Kyle Benner: First recipient for Visual Storytelling class

   I came upon a small yard sale while walking down a Columbus, Ohio side street this summer, and stopped purely out of curiosity.
   It is significant to note I am not a yard saler. I don't bargain hunt, clip coupons or window shop. But for some reason I stopped at this one.

    I noticed a collection of vintage camera stuff, so I, of course, did a quick scan of what was being pawned off as other people's treasures. And there, amongst the junk, was the Golden Camera.

    The hollow camera is a gold-plated monstrosity of a thing, and I had to have it! So I bartered, like I hear you're supposed to do at yard sales, and successfully shaved off a few bucks. I borrowed the $3 sale price from my spouse and walked away feeling like I had just bought something pretty special.

    It didn't take long before I realized what to do with it. It would be perfect as an incentive and reward for students in my Owens Community College Visual Storytelling and Wayne State University Digital Photojournalism classes.

    The camera is now presented during class to those who go above and beyond. Each recipient will get their photo taken with it, and it will be posted on Instagram. They then get to keep it for a week.
    So far, two students have had the esteemed honor of being presented with the Golden Camera: Kyle Benner, of Owens, and Wayne State's Ryan Miller.

    This is just one way of giving back to students who work hard to show up to class, follow assignment instructions, turn in their homework on time, and try their best. It is important to mention that the Golden Camera is not about being perfect or flawless, just getting the job done with enthusiasm, and for demonstrating true grit for getting out of their comfort zones.

    So, this is the story behind the Golden Camera. May it be in the hands of many, many, many students for the unforseeable future. 

    It is my little treasure, and I'm happy to share it.

Ryan Miller: Second recipient for Wayne State Digital Photojournalism class

Welcome back visual storyteller and photojournalism students!

   Welcome back!
   I'm looking forward to this semester for several reasons:

   Owens Community College

   The Introduction to Photojournalism course at Owens has been changed. It is now Visual Storytelling. This means less emphasis on journalism, and more on multimedia.
   The name change puts this course more in line with the Commercial Photography and Commercial Art Technology degrees. It also takes away the scary 'journalism' part, considering the students aren't journalism majors. No, there is no journalism major at Owens. This class is as close as it gets.
   Because it's the first semester for this new course, I'll be experimenting with assignment ideas.  The first major tweak is eliminating the sports assignment, and adding podcasting. Don't let the 'visual' part of the course title fool you; storytelling comes in all platforms, even the use of audio.
   The textbook has also changed. We'll be using Multimedia Journalism, by Andy Bull. This book helps "build proficiency and professional standards in multimedia journalism." It features lessons on social media, Wordpress, smartphone apps and building a personal brand.
  Another tweak is to change from Blogger to Wordpress. Wordpress blogs are more universally accepted in the journalism world, and I forced myself to learn and use it this summer. As my own test subject, I developed Visuals & Voices of Toledo, and am quite satisfied with the results. You, as Toledo-area students, will also be submitting your work, particularly your podcasts, to that platform, too.
   I strongly believe that learning is doing, so you will have ample opportunity to learn as you create real and published visual and audio stories.
   We, as a class, will also be meeting once a week in the Owens Outlook student newspaper office. That means one class period will be in the classroom, and the other class period will be in the newspaper office located in the SHAC. I'm hoping this will help get you into the spirit of the newspaper, considering you all will be staff members.
   And the best news of all - all six students have been invited to join me at the College Media Association Fall Convention in Atlanta the end of October. As the Outlook adviser, I will bring back with fresh ideas to keep this student newspaper running for as long as I am with Owens.
   So, students, bear with me as we go forth into the exciting unknown.

Wayne State University

   There are no dramatic changes in this course. 

   However, after reading the instructor evaluations, there will be more group sessions, particularly while going through the photo selection and editing process. In fact, I've added an assignment specifically geared for that process.

   As with the Owens course, you will also change from Blogger to Wordpress. This will go well with the website class many of you have taken, or will take, here at Wayne State.

   For inspiration and to get you into the spirit of storytelling, please view this PBS special on photojournalist and war photographer Lynsey Addario: