The beginning of more of the same during the year of covid-19

  Welcome to fall semester 2020 ...  the year we all want to forget but most likely never will.

   I don't doubt a few of you are terrified to walk into a classroom again for in-person instruction due to the fear of getting sick, while most of you are probably dreading online classes because ...

• you'll get an instructor who doesn't understand how to use Zoom or BB Collaborate Ultra
• you are a social person and miss your friends terribly

So, to teach virtually or to teach in the classroom? That is the question. 

   My photojournalism class at the University of Toledo began Aug. 17. I sent out an email asking students to speak up if they didn't want to be taught in-person. I only heard from three students, and they didn't mind coming to class. So there you are ... I met them all face-to-face, with masks on. 

   My safety plan for the first day was to break up the class in half. Half of the class arrived the first half of the class, and the rest came the second half. However, I've been assured by the chair of the communication department that the room is safely set up for all 18 students. I trust that's true, but for the sake of my fear factor, I played it safe on the first day. It also gave me a chance to ask the entire class that question, and then determined our future fate together. All but one opted to have class in person.

   As a Toledo Blade photojournalist, I'm out and about in the community every day. I've covered several covid test sites, and even was in the fridge at the morgue to document the testing of a deceased man due to possible covid. 

   We photojournalists are a hardy bunch and not prone to succumbing to our fear. That said, I wear my mask everywhere, and disinfect my hands and gear often. I'll be especially vigilant in the classroom, because my number one priority is safety. I'm well aware things can change any day, but I'm prepared to teach virtually if I have to.   

   It's a different story at Wayne State University, where I've been advised to teach that photojournalism class online. After all, Detroit is an early hotspot, so I'm happily obliging. 

   I've equipped my home office with a whiteboard mounted on the wall so I can lecture as if I was in the classroom. The university also has given us access to Splashtop, allowing students to remotely access the software that's on the MAC computers in the classroom: Photo Mechanic, Photoshop and Adobe Premiere Pro. 

   My Visual Storytelling class at Owens Community College is also in person. However, I'm co-teaching that class with Blade colleague Phillip Kaplan. He will be the instructor in the classroom, and I'll be behind the scenes - setting up the coursework on Blackboard, updating the syllabus, grading the assignments, etc.  

   It's Phillip's first class as an instructor, so I welcome him to our wonderful world of education. There is nothing more fulfilling than passing on our knowledge to the next generation!

   This is a year of uncertainties, for sure. But like I tell my daughters (one who attends UT, and the other is leaving for Ohio State on Wednesday), facing and overcoming adversity makes us stronger in the long run, and life is a marathon. 

21st Century newsrooms seek 'talented' multimedia reporters that do it all

   The skills required in the following job posting is what we all strive to possess, isn't it? To be everything we are expected to be in the eclectic world of journalism.
   Consider the following job description for this Tennessee newspaper, posted in 2015:

   The Chattanooga Times Free Press is seeking a talented multimedia reporter to fill a digital storytelling position. A good candidate must be able to incorporate video, audio, coding and writing to create high-quality experiences for sophisticated online audiences.

   Say what now? Coding for a sophisticated audience? My first thought was wondering how coding fits into a journalist's toolbox. Isn't it enough to write the stories, take the photos, produce the videos, and share it on social media? We also have to post it on the website, and design the layout, too? Then what would our website people be responsible for, if not collecting our stuff and disseminating it to the masses?
   My second thought: Does this mean we have to be sophisticated ourselves?
   The job listing continues:

A successful multimedia reporter must wear many hats and have a high comfort level with social media, still photography, video, website creation, databases and interactive design, and be willing to learn new skills on an ongoing basis as technology changes.These skills will be put to use during major news events, when multimedia reporters will be expected to offer our audience a different perspective on current events, as well as in enterprise and projects work, where a multimedia reporter will be expected to tell original stories in new ways.
This full-time position includes health insurance, access to training opportunities, and the opportunity to work with an award winning digital team in beautiful Chattanooga, Tennessee, which was recently named as Outside Magazine's "Best Town Ever."

   When I first read that posting, I remember feeling profoundly inadequate and under-qualified as a legacy photojournalist and educator teaching the next generation of visual journalists. After all, consider the 16 job duties this newspaper added to the list of qualifications:

• Help develop multimedia ideas for long-form projects

Chattanooga Times Free Press website.

• Develop short-form documentary video for projects

• Strategize and execute multimedia and social media work for major events

• Develop and contribute to reporting for daily or breaking turns

• Help maintain social media accounts and develop novel ways to grow them

• Provide video for stories

• Pitch and write occasional feature stories

• Work on weekends as needed

• Build interactive elements, like searchable databases, maps, and other graphics for daily stories and projects

• Build custom websites for special projects, both independently and incorporating designs from design desk

• Stay current with newest front-end web development languages and techniques

• Provide input on decisions

• Offer new, innovative ideas and suggest improvements

• Show a willingness to learn, especially as it relates to coding and emerging digital storytelling tools.

• Contribute to continuing education for other reporters

   Hey, podcast creation and production is missing off this list! They clearly haven't thought of everything!
   I was so struck by that mega skill list that I used it as my lede in a 2016 story I wrote for the National Press Photographer Association's magazine, News Photographer. The story focused on job hunting for recent college grads, and I wanted to prove (via that job posting) that newspapers are certainly seeking applicants that can do way more work ...  for less pay (in many cases).

   So, dear students (and veterans, too), take every journalism, photography, multimedia, video, coding, graphics and management class that you can, and take them seriously. 

   Are our 21st Century journalism majors aptly prepared for our current newsrooms? They will be if they go into the profession knowing they have a lot to know ... and learn.

Here are two very recent job postings: one for a seasoned professional, and the other for an intern. So, now you know what to strive for if you are seeking employment ... 

FULL-TIME JOB - VIDEO PRODUCER, MOBILE STORYTELLING - NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - WASHINGTON, DC OR REMOTE
National Geographic is looking for an experienced digital producer to develop, storyboard, and execute editorial stories for vertical storytelling distribution outlets like Instagram Stories, IGTV, and Snapchat. We are looking for a producer who excels at working across mediums, with a strong discerning eye for photography, video, design, and text. They will collaborate with editors, producers, and photographers across NG Media.

Job Breakdown:
- Adapt photography, video, and text into stunning and engaging editorially-based tap stories.
- Write, design, photo edit, video edit stories into cohesive tap stories.
- Work closely with the video team, editors, and Nat Geo photographers, to develop and execute editorial stories.
- Meet and engage stakeholders in the process from story development to final QC.
- Develop forward-thinking approaches to vertical storytelling and test new platform-specific visual experiences.
- Help the Instagram Director review and provide feedback on vertical content delivered across Nat Geo.
Skills:
- Strong editing skills in Adobe Premiere and motions graphics in After Effects.
- Has a strong editorial background and is comfortable working in a collaborative team environment.
- An in-depth understanding of vertical platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat.
- A strong eye for both photos and video as well as an ability to identify and apply emerging visual trends.
- Ability to write, edit, and refine text.
- Ability to multi-task and ensure deadlines are met

INTERNSHIP (SUMMER) - PHOTOJOURNALIST/VIDEO JOURNALIST - USA TODAY - MCLEAN, VA.
USA TODAY is in search of a talented college student for our Summer 2019 Photojournalist/Video Journalist Internship in McLean, Va. Join a global digital media company of more than 100 media properties across the country.
As a Summer 2019 Intern Program participant, you will develop and apply your experience and skills in a fast-paced, real-time newsroom environment. The purpose of the internship experience is to provide opportunities where undergraduate and graduate students can develop, grow and become the next generation of talent for the USA TODAY Network.

RESPONSIBILITIES
-Work with editors, producers and photographers to help cover news and feature assignments across all sections of USA TODAY.
-Shoot and produce assignments in the field.
-Script, produce and edit original video using the Adobe Creative Suite.
-Edit photo assignments for print and online packages using Adobe Photoshop and PhotoMechanic.
-Find and pitch unique story ideas.
-Participate in news meetings and learn how priorities for News content and coverage are set and executed.
REQUIREMENTS
-Degree-seeking student currently enrolled at a college or university.
-Preferred majors: Journalism, photojournalism, communications or a related field.
-Well organized, detail oriented, adaptable and flexible.
-Excellent communication skills.
-The ideal candidate will be interested in all forms of visual journalism ­– from video and photography to motion graphics.
HOW TO APPLY
We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don’t limit your upload to a resume; show us what you’ve done.
To do so, put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:
1. Resume – one to two pages.
2. A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job. – Tell us what makes your work stand out.
3. Online links to your portfolio.
It is important that these items be assembled in a single document and uploaded in PDF format. Completing these steps will ensure that your application receives the highest consideration.

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:

Students finish production of Burned, a photo story on arson

This photo was taken at one of the arson sites by PHO245 student Amarrah Smith: http://amarrahsmithocc.blogspot.com

Amarrah paid attention to the little things.

Cell phone pic of students producing the Burned project using Soundslides.

   Last week the class finished production on their final project: the team photo story on arson for rustwire.com.
    The editing and sounds teams worked diligently on the painstaking process of marrying three minutes of audio with more than 40 photos of arson sites and abandoned homes scattered throughout Central Toledo.
   The caption writing team gathered arson statistics for the essay they will write. They discovered that Toledo is ranked #4 in the nation for arson fires, according to FBI.gov.
   This team project was real-life journalism. Armed with a short list of confirmed arson sites provided by Toledo Fire Dept. Lt. Matt Hertzfeld, we ventured into urban neighborhoods for two hours one morning last week and knocked on the doors of neighbors who lived next to targeted houses.
   Besides shooting photos at the scenes, the audio team had the added responsibility of searching for witnesses who watched the houses near them burn by the hand of arsonists. The team encountered three different types of witnesses:
· A woman who wanted to tell her story and wasn’t afraid to be identified;
· A man who absolutely didn’t want anything to do with it. In fact, he initially admitted the house next to him was destroyed by arson; then he changed his story when asked if he would be willing to be interviewed.
· Two men who wouldn’t stop talking but refused to be photographed or give their names.
    Watching the students work their multimedia magic in class this morning was amazing. Dave Cantor and I gave them little bits of advice, but for the most part these students did all of the work. It is fundamental students are given hands-on assignments like this because it allows them to make their own content decisions for this real-world project that will be published on a reputable website like rustwire.com.
     Don't expect the students to answer the burning questions of why arsons happen and what the city is doing about them. This project was simply meant to wet their appetites for storytelling: This is an introduction course, after all. PHO245 students don't spend a lot of time on any one subject, especially something as deep as arson. I can only hope that this multimedia project inspires them to advance their skills later on down the road.
     In class next week we will present our story, entitled Burned, to co-founder of rustwire.com Kate Giammarise. I can't wait to show off the skills of these six scholastic photojournalists.
     And that’s a wrap, folks.