Seven guest speaker appearances make the grade of A+

Even though I come from the journalism field and am teaching what I know through experience, there are times when I don't know everything or wish for students to gain a different perspective. It's during those times when I bring in guest speakers. 

This semester I was fortunate enough to bring in several experts in their fields to two of my classes. A few of the speakers showcased their work and talked about what they do for a living, while others were open to being interviewed in joint sessions for stories and press releases. 

Wayne State University

For the digital photojournalism class at WSU, my students were fortunate enough to have in their presence award-winning photojournalist and educator Eric Seals, of the Detroit Free Press and a former student of this class, Irving Mejia-Hilario, of the Dallas Morning News. 

I was excited to bring Irving back into the classroom (via Zoom because he lives and works in Dallas now) to share his transition from school to professionalism. Irving is a WSU journalism graduate and former pj student in this class, and has landed his first full time job at a major newspaper out west.

It's so thrilling to see students thrive after graduation, and there is no better way to highlight their successes than to bring them back to share their experiences and journey. It really inspires the current students who dream of landing that first job in journalism.

Irving got his foot in the door at the Dallas Morning News as a business intern ... and never left. He talked about how took the job despite not being business-world savvy; using his camera on the job; the steps he took to get that internship; and inspired the students to work hard and never give up. 

Thank you, Irving!

Welcome back multimedia scholars! Time to learn cool stuff!

Welcome to King's Klass Blog! 

I'm excited for another semester of training students to learn multimedia and writing skills you'll undoubtedly use in just about any media or marketing job.

I'm very aware my classes are mixed with freshman and seniors, experienced and non-experienced, and introverted and extroverted. With that in mind, I try to take my time ensuring that most of you get a concept before we move on. To speed the process along, I rely on more experienced students to help me with that goal because sometimes you, as a fellow student, can get a point across better and faster than me.

One new aspect I'm excited to add this semester is using free source textbooks for UToledo's Media Writing class! That means they don't have to buy a book. Because the assignments are a mix of legacy journalism, broadcast and public/relations writing, I've searched the web for book sources that will be specific to the topic taught.

I want you to know that no instructor or experienced professional knows everything. Nobody is perfect, so I welcome input from you when I need it. Don't hesitate to correct me when I'm wrong, off base, confusing or whatever. It's going to happen, trust me. I don't like the word perfect for that reason, so I discourage the use of it. 

What I do encourage is just doing the best you can do. Failure is a part of life, and I've gotten where I am today because I've learned from my many failures. Instructors have made lots of mistakes throughout their professional and educational lives, and we should openly and freely admit that.

My classes are on the complicated side because they are so technical. You'll learn all about camera operations, editing software, writing tools, and so much more, and that's not easy. So, please have patience with me, yourself and others as we tackle each assignment, especially if I tackle AI! That will be a new topic I will have to add .. soon.

In my experience, the students who end up failing or not doing well throughout the course are the ones who just stop trying or showing up, but I will encourage you to not give up. I have a 'leave no student behind' philosophy because when I was a student I had instructors and fellow students who didn't give up on me. I had great bosses and coworkers throughout my career who were patient, kind and understanding when I struggled. Thanks to them, I'm able to pass that philosophy forward.

Thanks for reading this, and I hope you have a great semester!

Photojournalism is more than just pretty pictures ... it's hard work

Dear photojournalism students:

Let me start by saying this: Journalism is hard work but experienced journalists make it look relatively easy. To be a part of the media (or marketing team), it takes a different kind of caring about the world we live in; a certain way of seeing our communities as a whole; and a big thirst for knowledge and curiosity that drives our pursuit of justice and truth.

 

As far as visual journalism goes: that takes a whole new skill level. Photojournalism means being able to quickly read a room and know when a moment might happen. It means knowing when to capture that moment when it does happen. 

You also have to make that moment look good, and that’s when an instinctive knowledge of how to manipulate exposure control and composition matters.

 

Let me tell you what photojournalism is not: grip and grins, static images of things, quick snapshots, cutting off body parts, too much sky and ceiling, shaky videos, bad audio, missed moments.

 

It’s also not documenting the backs of people, or people just standing around, or people eating and drinking. It's not taking a photo of someone giving a peace sign or waving at the camera.

 

Those are the common issues amateur photographers make when they first start out, which is why you take classes like photojournalism. Let me assure you that there's a limited chance that you will become a strong image maker in just four months ... but it’s a start. 

This class also gives students a basic knowledge of their  ethical and legal boundaries and responsibilities, and that's just as important as making the image.  

 

My goal is to expose you to a different way of thinking and seeing. This course gives you a starting point, and through experience you will improve along the way. Some of you won’t go any further than what you are forced to do here. But some of you will take what you’ve learned and expand on it, and, hopefully some day, share your honed skills with the world.

 

You need to know that it took me years to develop my writing, photography and audio skills, so throughout the semester I expect you to make mistakes, get confused, become frustrated and have panic attacks. All I ask is that you do your best with the limited tools you currently have.

 

So, in your future, when you fall down, get back up and try it again. Keep striving to learn more, do better, continually educate yourself every step of the way. I’m learning all the time, even at my age, and I still fail.

 

Photojournalism is an honorable civic duty that is pretty much a calling. Sure, it’s tough out there right now – newsrooms are being taken over by greedy hedge funds that only care about profits and power. But your generation should fight back because without a free, robust press, we wouldn’t be America  – we wouldn’t be free to expose corruption within our government and business community. We wouldn’t be able to educate the masses about important issues like global warming, voting and civil rights, diseases, etc. etc. That’s our job, as journalists and photojournalists.

 

Throughout this semester, I want you to post your assignments as if you were a working journalist. Your website was built to be your portfolio and to showcase what you’re capable of. So, I really hope you continue to post on your social media well after this class is over.

 

Remember this: If you have AP style errors, misspellings, bad punctuation, weak story leads and crappy photos throughout your posts … well, I wouldn’t hire you, and neither will anyone else.

 

Again, photojournalism is more than pretty pictures ... it's hard work but well worth the effort.

Teaching photojournalism: New year, new textbook, same enthusiasm

It is another year and a new semester, and I couldn't be more excited about getting back into the classroom and back to the roots of what I know - photojournalism. 

I've been teaching photojournalism for more than a decade, and have had to adjust to small and large changes in technology and career expectations over the years.

One of the three biggest changes is requiring students to shoot assignments with a smartphone camera. I really struggled with that change, but it has come to the point when most students don't have access to a DSLR/mirror camera. However, every one of them has a phone with a camera, so they all are able to participate in creating real photojournalism assignments that will be a part of their visual portfolio. 

Although smartphone photography is a directive, I still teach the basics of photography: ISO, shutter speed and aperture controls. I also encourage students who have DSLR cameras to use it for at least one assignment, as long as those cameras have manual mode. Students need to be able to shoot completely on manual so they control light, depth of field and motion. As for the smartphone, they are required to download the Yamera app, or any app that allows them to control the camera settings on their phone. They need to understand how photography works, no matter what kind of camera they use.

There is now an expectation that, at some point in their journalism or communication career, these students will provide their own visuals. In the old days, we either worked with visuals or words. Unions rules, for the most part, kept our skills separate. But those days are gone, and now even audio reporters at NPR are shooting/producing videos and TikToks to tell their stories.

Speaking of TikTok, the second change is that I've added that platform to the curriculum. Even though the U.S. Senate is working to ban federal employees from using TikTok on their government-owned devices, it's still a very important, influential platform. I've been teaching TikTok in the advanced classes for several semesters now, but it's time to add it to the photojournalism classes.

One of the social media platforms I considered removing from the curriculum is Twitter. With the new ownership of Elon Musk, Twitter is not as respected and trusted as it used to be. Claiming 'freedom of speech' issues, Musk has made dangerous, authoritative decisions to censor the press and promote disinformation in the name of 'free speech.' 

However, I still think it's an important way to engage, crowdsource and share content. In fact, I often use Twitter to search for journalists whom I want to have as guests on my two podcasts. Despite the diminished trust of that famous blue checkmark, and other concerning issues, I have decided it's too important to ignore. 

Last but not least, the third change is ditching my favorite, longtime photojournalism textbook, Photojournalism: The Professionals' Approach, 7th edition, last published in 2016. Though much of the information is still relevant and timeless, like the two chapters dedicated to law and ethics, it's just too outdated for the modern world. 

The title of the new textbook says it all: Multimedia Storytelling for Digital Communicators in a Multiplatform World, by broadcast journalist and journalism professor Seth Gitner. It was just published this year and covers more than just the photojournalism field, like visual storytelling in entertainment and strategic communication. I can use that book for my other multimedia classes: integrated media at the University of Toledo, and fundamentals of new media and journalism and new media at Wayne State. One book for multiple classes - that's a big savings for students who take more than one class with me.

Because I'm only teaching three classes this semester (I taught four the past two semesters), photojournalism and visual communication and UT and digital photojournalism at Wayne State, I'll hopefully be able to write more posts on lesson plans and instructional how-to stories on this blog, so please subscribe! 

Welcome to the 2022 Fall Semester at UToledo and WSU!

Ready, set, go! 

This blog will be an important supplement to the other resources you'll need to accomplish your assignments. I'll be posting content, like videos and podcasts, to help you quickly navigate through those resources. 

Because I'm an adjunct instructor, I'll be teaching at two universities this semester: University of Toledo and Wayne State University (Detroit). By posting content regarding all four of my classes, you'll be able to view what other students are learning.

University of Toledo

The two classes I'll be teaching at UT this semester are Communication Principles and Practices (COM 1010) and Integrated Media (COM 4330). 

COM 1010 is for students at the Toledo Early College High School. Though they all are high schoolers, the class will primarily be the same as the class UT students take. 

Communication is a function that's essential to living in a very fast-paced, complicated, technological world. In a nutshell, you'll be developing important communications skills, including how to write a professional email and speaking to an audience. Strong communication skills will help set you up for success in all you do, personally and professionally, and I can't wait to help you develop those skills.

COM 4330 is a multimedia course that includes journalism-related storytelling skills.

A few of the assignments include podcasting, writing journalism-type stories, photojournalism,  videography, and TikTok. The best part? Students will use their smartphones to get the job done.

The class is basically a mini newsroom, and the students will work as a team to cover the UT community. That means none of the assignments are 'fake' or made up. They'll actually go out into the community and do real-world multimedia reporting. 

This can seem to be very intimidating for shy people. But we start out simple and work our way out of the classroom, not covering an assignment until they're ready. They get lots of moral support from me and their fellow classmates!

Wayne State University

The two classes I'm teaching at WSU this semester are Digital Photojournalism (COM 2280) and Journalism and New Media (5500).

Spot News (By Lori King/The Toledo Blade)

COM 2280 is a traditional print-type photojournalism course that covers the basics of photography, composition and capturing 'the moment.' 

In the past, students were required to use DSLR cameras, but because of the quality and ease of smartphone photography, I've eliminated that requirement. Students are now required to use their smartphones for photography and videography, though they can use their DSLR/mirrorless cameras if they have them. However, manual mode must be available in those cameras. 

Even though most of the students will use their smartphones, I'll still be teaching the fundamentals of photography: ISO, shutter speeds and fstops. Basic knowledge of how a camera works is still important because smartphone cameras still use those settings.

COM 5500 is an advanced journalism course that's a part of the New Media minor. 

This is the second time I've taught this course (I'm a substitute for the primary instructor who is on sabbatical). During the first time (fall 2021) I subbed for her, I basically went off the original curriculum. However, I've redesigned the course for this semester, with her permission.

The primary change is adding a textbook: Mobile and Social Media Journalism: A Practical Guide for Multimedia Journalism. This class builds on what students learned in digital photojournalism and fundamentals of new media, which I taught last semester.

Students in this course use all of the skills they've learned so far and combine them for a single story. In other words, when they cover an event, for example, they'll write a story, take still photos or video, do an an audio clip, and post the package on their social media platforms. This course prepares them for 21st Century newsrooms, which require reporters to 'do it all.'

Guest speakers offer tips, advice, inspiration to UToledo students

Today was a good day for me to take a back seat and let others drive.

My guests appeared via Zoom, considering they were in Columbus and California, respectively, and the students were in person.

I invited Josh and Tom to take the reign in my classes because it's always a good thing for students to hear from professionals in the field. Guest speakers give them a different perspective of what's out there in the real world, and how we all end where we are by taking different routes throughout our lives. Both guests were engaged and inspiring, and I've included their presentations in this blog post.

First up was Columbus Dispatch photojournalist and Ohio News Photographer president Josh Bickel. If you pay attention to the news, you might recognize one of his most famous photos which went viral in April 2020. It's the one where protestors practically stormed the Statehouse Atrium in Columbus during a Gov. Mike DeWine covid briefing. 

He mentioned that photo, of course, but much of the conversation centered around ethics in photojournalism. I think it's important students are aware of the gray zone when making ethical choices, especially in this stormy, political environment. 

It's worth the hour: Watch here

Kent State's digital media MA course moves to summertime

   To Kent State journalism education students: Welcome to Principles & Practices of Digital Media!

   Typically, this online class is taught in the spring so condensing it from four months to five weeks was certainly a challenge. So imagine my panic when it was shortened by three months. But don't worry .. it shall be done.

   A few changes I made include combining assignments and shortening assignment deadlines. What won't change are these assignments:

• defining and developing social media 
• mobile-first journalism
• podcasting
• visual storytelling (still and video)

   This course is designed to cover the basics of creating and producing audio and visual journalism, but we'll also discuss how to teach it in your classrooms. Not only do I hope you'll learn a thing or two, but taking these KSU courses will help remind you of what it's like to be a student again. There's nothing more humbling than facing your own homework pressure and deadlines!

   This class was primarily built for high school teachers, but it's also beneficial for journalists already working in the field and just want to hone or learn a new skill. In fact, I took this class myself when I was in this KSU master's program, which took me five years to complete. 

   One more thing: Even though I'm the instructor, I'm looking forward to learning from you, as well. There is no doubt in my military mind that all 16 of you will teach me (and each other) something new. That's the beauty of posting all of your assignments on your websites - why invent the wheel when we can all share what works in our classrooms and newsrooms.

   Can't wait to chat with you via BB Collaborate Ultra during our first evening of class on July 15!