Blogging project instructions

Reading and analyzing blogs: Preparing to launch a new blog.

Before you start a blog you should be reading blogs. One of the best ways to improve your
ability in any area from writing news stories to playing a musical instrument is to study
people who are good in that area and analyze what they are doing that makes them successful.
Pick a topic that you are interested in and then find blogs about that topic.
An aggregator is a fancy word for collector. A free blog collector is Google Reader. It has a
mobile version to let you read on your phone if you have Internet connection.
To find blogs you are interested in, use a blog search engine like Google Blog Search
(http://blogsearch.google.com).
When you see a blog or a post that you like, click on it so the blog opens in your browser. Copy
the URL and paste it in the Add button in Google Reader. Some blogs will let you subscribe to
both the comments and the blog.
Other places to look for good blogs:
Blog search engine (http://www.blogsearchengine.org)
100 best blogs of journalists and students (http://thedailyjournalist.com/pen-and-pad/100-bestblogs-for-journalism-students)
Your own personal blog
The key to success with a personal blog is selecting a topic that you are really interested in. That
means that you need to have a topic you are so interested in that week after week, you can find
issues to write about and can continue to be enthusiastic about your writing.
Certainly, some personal blogs are like online diaries. But what wed encourage you to do is not
blog about yourself but some topic of interest.
Choosing your blogging software
You can choose from a number of blogging software options. We are recommending that you
start with one of these three.
Tumblr.com
Tumblr is a very easy-to-use blogging software and considered light blogging software.
It is quick to post, easy to edit and very easy to learn. Posting on the go with phones is
encouraged.
Tumbler tricks (http://www.dailydot.com/parsec/tumblr-help-tips-tricks-asks-guide)

How journalists use Tumbler (http://www.poynter.org/2013/a-journalists-guide-to-usingtumblr/214081)

Where to find good Tumbler blogs (http://localpeoplearmscrossed.tumblr.com
https://www.tumblr.com/spotlight)
WordPress.com
WordPress.com is the best option for a new blog. It provides more options than Tumblr
and has many more settings for how it looks, operates and facilitates your posting.
WordPress takes more time to learn but offers more, too. WordPress.com is free and will
help eliminate spam, track your visitors, let you review and approve comments before
theyre posted, and makes it easy to post from your cellphone.
With WordPress.com, you can set it up for more than one person to post to the blog. This
would be a blog to use if you are setting up a school media-related blog that has several
staff members maintaining the blog.
Be sure not to confuse WordPress.com with WordPress.org. The latter will cost money to
host.
Setting up
Blogger.com
Like WordPress, Blogger allows for comments, can be set up to be maintained by more
than one person and can be posted to from your cellphone. Blogger is owned by Google,
so if you are familiar with Google Analytics you can get a very good view of who reads
your blog. Blogger is an excellent host and offers many of the same options as
WordPress.
Setting up
Tips/best practice of blogging. Something you have to curate.
The term weblog was coined by Jorn Barger on 17 December 1997. The short form blog was
coined by Peter Merholz, who jokingly broke the word weblog into the phrase we blog in the
sidebar of his blog Peterme.com in April or May 1999. Shortly thereafter, Evan Williams at Pyra
Labs used "blog" as both a noun and verb ("to blog", meaning "to edit one's weblog or to post to
one's weblog") and devised the term "blogger" in connection with Pyra Labs' Blogger product,
leading to the popularization of the terms.
Now, the connotation is vague. Something written online regularly is generally called a blog. As
Matt Thompson indicated blogging seems to have become an antiquated term.

There are too many tips and instructions how to write a good blog. Some of them I read are as
follows. Since there are conceptual differences what blog means, you should curate a set of
guidance that will fit your goal and definition.
10 Journalism rules for blogging
16 Top tips from blog experts
Daily Blogging Tips,
Top 10 tips for beginning bloggers
9 ways to promote blogs

Format of blogs: What do you think?

Think about the questions after the online writing lecture.
1. The length of the blog?
The revival of Longform journalism
Rachel McAthy: How Long-Form Journalism is Getting A New Lease of Life in the
Digital World
https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/how-long-form-journalism-is-getting-a-new-lease-oflife-in-the-digital-world/s2/a550101/
Optional: CJR: Readers Will Finish Long Stories,
Especially If They Come from a Trusted Source
http://www.cjr.org/innovations/why_do_people_share_stories.php
Michael Kinsley: Cut This Story!
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/01/cut-this-story/307823/

2. List and bullets?

3. I , You, of He?
Using the first person "I" voice may come across as too personal or informal on an
informative website, while using the less personal third person "he, she, it" voice may not
sound intimate enough for a review website. Using the commanding second person
"Implied You" voice is generally ideal for how-to articles, but one of these days Implied
You may reach his breaking point from all those orders and then where will you be?
The first person voice works best when the writer needs to inject his or her own feelings,
experiences or opinions into the piece in order to reach readers: "I personally didn't
understand the casting of Don Knotts as James Bond, but I still enjoyed the action
sequences and I would definitely recommend the 3-D experience to anyone." or "I
thought building a thermonuclear reactor in my basement would be an exciting weekend

project, but I was sadly mistaken." The use of first person should only be used when the
writer's personal identity and credentials add to the overall scope of the article.
Second person voice, whether employing an implied "you" or actually you, works best
with how-to and other demonstrative articles. The author's own voice of experience often
lurks behind the imperative sentences: "You should always remember to update your will
and complete an organ donor card before you move on to the next step." or "Hold the
ladder steady as a more qualified professional takes over." The second person voice is
acceptable for certain types of content writing, but it is still considered to be too informal
for most informational websites.
Most formal website content is written in the third person, which allows the writer to
distance himself or herself from the piece. It is important that a Web writer remain
consistent with the third person voice throughout an informative piece, since the reader
could easily become confused whenever a stray "You" or "I" wanders into the scene
without warning. use a third person voice, because the writer's own carefully considered
opinions and thoughts on the subject rarely rise to the level of squat.
4. AP style still matters?
Numbers 1 through 9 should be written out in words. Ten (10) can be written
numerically or in words, and numbers eleven and above should be written numerically.
Unless necessary, or writing a legal document, writing out a number in words followed
by the numerical form should be avoided. Numbers in the thousands and above, like 3000
and 2000000, should use commas to make them more readable.
Quotation marks are to be used to designate content that is attributable to someone else
or to highlight a particular word that is used to define something. Quotation "marks"
should never be "used" to "distance" yourself from some content, or to "emphasize"
"something." The effect of so many unnecessary apostrophes on the poor, poor readers is
one of visual overload.
The use of acronyms in Web writing is almost completely unavoidable, so by all means
don't avoid it. Remember, however, to use the full name of the organization or phrase as a
first reference, then include the acronym parenthetically. For example, a Web article
could include a sentence about the unchecked powers of the Transportation Safety
Administration, or TSA.
How should we start the blog?
Blog has its own method? http://www.michaeldpollock.com/open-your-blog-post/

Or does it need a good lede like traditional articles?

Examples and types of various ledes you can use are illustrated in previous instructions.
And how about a nutgraf?

A nutgraf, another journalism slang term, is the summarization of what the storys about. A
nutgraf (also written with as nut graf) can be a sentence or a paragraph and, sometimes, may
also be your lede. More often than not, nutgraf follows your lede.
Nutgrafs are incredibly important, and some might argue the heart of a story, since they relay
why the story matters. A nutgraf needs to address why the story is being written. Simply said, it
is a state of newsworthiness.
In this story from The New York Times, the nut graph provides perspective on why the story
matters.
WASHINGTON It would seem a business executives dream: legally pay a competitor to
keep its product off the market for years.
Congress has failed to stop it, and for more than a decade generic drug makers and big-name
pharmaceutical companies have been winning court rulings that allowed it.
Until this month. On July 16, a federal appeals court in Philadelphia issued a decision that the
arrangement is anticompetitive on its face. It potentially sets up a confrontation before the United
States Supreme Court. If it were to accept the case, the outcome could profoundly affect drug
prices and healthcare costs.
The Philadelphia ruling by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals conflicted with decisions from at
least three other federal circuit courts, giving the Supreme Court a strong reason to hear the case
within the next few years.
What is lede?
The most important part of a news story. With so many sources of information, audiences are not willing
to read beyond the first paragraph of a story unless it grabs their interest. A good lede presents the most
important information in a clear, concise and interesting manner. It also establishes the tone and direction
of an article.
Tips for Writing a Lead

The Five Ws and H: Before writing a lead, decide which aspect of the story who, what, when,
where, why, how is most important. You should emphasize those aspects in your lead. Wait to
explain less important aspects until the second or third sentence. But you dont have to include all
six.

Leads are often one sentence, sometimes two. Generally, they are 25 to 30 words and should
rarely be more than 40. This is somewhat arbitrary, but its important to learn how to deliver
information concisely.
Active sentences: Strong verbs will make your lead lively and interesting. Passive constructions,
on the other hand, can sound dull and leave out important information, such as the person or thing
that caused the action. Incomplete reporting is often a source of passive leads.

Honesty: A lead is an implicit promise to your readers. You must be able to deliver.

What to Avoid
Flowery language: Dont use too many adverbs and adjectives in their leads. Concentrate instead on using
strong verbs and nouns.
Unnecessary words or phrases: Watch out for unintentional redundancy and clich.
Formulaic leads: Because a lot of news writing is done on deadline, the temptation to write tired leads is
strong. Resist it. Readers want information, but they also want to be entertained.
Types of Leads
Direct lede (Summary lead): This is perhaps the most traditional lead in news writing. It is often used
for breaking news. It is just the facts approach. Straight news leads tend to provide answers to the most
important three or four of the Five Ws and H.
Delayed lede (Anecdotal lead): Sometimes, beginning a story with a quick anecdote can draw in readers.
The anecdote must be interesting and must closely illustrate the articles broader point. If you use this
approach, the broader significance of the anecdote should be explained within the first few sentences
following the lead.
Other types of leads: A large number of other approaches exist.

Check the latest trend in 2015

Blogging trend by Barry Feldman, 2015 Social Media Trend

<Assignment>
#Blog post 1: Introductory blog (At least 250 words)
-Use your first entry to introduce yourself to your readers and explain what you hope to
accomplish with your blog over the semester. Set up your vision about blogging.

#Blog post 2: Curation of what makes blogs.

-Discuss what makes it good. Connect your argument to at three of blogs or online articles.
Provide in-text link.
-Aggregate and curate your own list of Top 5 online writing tips. Include:

DO NOT copy & paste from other sources

Be concise. No more than 3 sentences for each of your 5 items

Headline that uses SEO

#Blog post 3 -5: Your interest.