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The Digital Journalist's Handbook
The Digital Journalist's Handbook is your guide to the tools you need to know to thrive in today's digital newsroom. This unique how-to book provides simple explanations of complex technologies and provides examples of how journalists can incorporate them into their stories and reporting. The Handbook is composed of 11 chapters, each dedicated to a different tool in the digital journalist's toolbox. Chapters include "Writing for the Web," "Blogging," "Photography," "Audio," "Audio Slideshows," "Video," "Web Design," "Social Networking," and "Data Visualization" as well as a glossary with definitions of more than 130 technical terms and phrases commonly used in digital journalism. The Handbook is also fully illustrated and contains diagrams and guidelines of everything from the layout of a typical blog to the features found on a digital audio recorder. In addition, each chapter includes links to online resources, tutorials, and examples of every technology mentioned in the book. The Digital Journalist's Handbook is a must-read for both novice digital journalists and tech-savvy experts.
- GenresJournalismNonfiction
236 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 4, 2018
I enjoyed this book which is mainly clear and practical. Sections explore different ways to put journalism on line and how to use them with care. We also get reminders that citizen journalists and freelancers may not have a newsroom to back them up, so would need to establish that some item is fact before publishing.
Chapters cover new media mindset, which seems obvious but is worth stating, web writing and SEO, blogging platforms and RSS, digital photography, editing images for a stronger shot, and then the complexity really begins. Audio recording, editing, putting together audio slideshows which have to make sense in case the viewer can't turn up sound, video filming and editing. Various packages are described to do these editing tasks for novice or pro.
Web design was a familiar chapter for me and only very basic info is given - not even enough to write a web page. The author explains that most newsrooms have a Content Management System or CMS and journalists will just input content to pages for pro web designers. Or it may be uploaded and published but on the newsroom site. The journalist is essentially filling out a web form. HTML and CSS are briefly discussed. I thought a mention of password safety, antivirus and other malware checks would not have been out of place.
Social networking is next with a look at how to join, post and interact on sites like facebook and twitter. While not everyone uses these, most of us are now aware of personal data being sold or used for advertising, advertising trying to influence voters, and bots or click farms clicking likes or follows, on these sites; not in the book which was written in 2011. Youtube is given as a place to upload video content.
Data visualisation is creating graphics and maps with pins to make information visual for readers; bar charts, flow charts, bubble charts and region maps can be made in Excel while databases can produce maps of crimes in a city, by location or year, for instance. Examples are given.
Then a chapter on Flash which I did not really read as, being a computer user, I have been warned that Flash media can host malware. For those who use it without harm, great and I know sites used to require you to turn on Flash to make videoscripts run, but most sites don't anymore.
Then a summary chapter called What now. This reminds us to get a portfolio of work on the web so others can see what we do; we might get a job or assignment from this file being viewed. The author reminds us of the swiftness of news spreading.
I enjoyed the clear style, simple line drawings of equipment and program screens, basic info to help you not make obvious mistakes at the start. I don't think this book would substitute for hands on learning. I also spotted several typos, one or two per chapter, where a short word like of had been left out or similar. Words are American spelling.
I borrowed this book from the Dublin Business School library. This is an unbiased review.
Chapters cover new media mindset, which seems obvious but is worth stating, web writing and SEO, blogging platforms and RSS, digital photography, editing images for a stronger shot, and then the complexity really begins. Audio recording, editing, putting together audio slideshows which have to make sense in case the viewer can't turn up sound, video filming and editing. Various packages are described to do these editing tasks for novice or pro.
Web design was a familiar chapter for me and only very basic info is given - not even enough to write a web page. The author explains that most newsrooms have a Content Management System or CMS and journalists will just input content to pages for pro web designers. Or it may be uploaded and published but on the newsroom site. The journalist is essentially filling out a web form. HTML and CSS are briefly discussed. I thought a mention of password safety, antivirus and other malware checks would not have been out of place.
Social networking is next with a look at how to join, post and interact on sites like facebook and twitter. While not everyone uses these, most of us are now aware of personal data being sold or used for advertising, advertising trying to influence voters, and bots or click farms clicking likes or follows, on these sites; not in the book which was written in 2011. Youtube is given as a place to upload video content.
Data visualisation is creating graphics and maps with pins to make information visual for readers; bar charts, flow charts, bubble charts and region maps can be made in Excel while databases can produce maps of crimes in a city, by location or year, for instance. Examples are given.
Then a chapter on Flash which I did not really read as, being a computer user, I have been warned that Flash media can host malware. For those who use it without harm, great and I know sites used to require you to turn on Flash to make videoscripts run, but most sites don't anymore.
Then a summary chapter called What now. This reminds us to get a portfolio of work on the web so others can see what we do; we might get a job or assignment from this file being viewed. The author reminds us of the swiftness of news spreading.
I enjoyed the clear style, simple line drawings of equipment and program screens, basic info to help you not make obvious mistakes at the start. I don't think this book would substitute for hands on learning. I also spotted several typos, one or two per chapter, where a short word like of had been left out or similar. Words are American spelling.
I borrowed this book from the Dublin Business School library. This is an unbiased review.
June 4, 2011
While this book would have been way more beneficial to me as I was just getting immersed in the world of journalism, there were still several extremely helpful chapters.
Luckie is a great writer and breaks things down in ways that are comprehensible and not in any way overwhelming. I strongly suggest this to anyone wanting to go deeper into multimedia journalism without previous know-how. Good read.
Luckie is a great writer and breaks things down in ways that are comprehensible and not in any way overwhelming. I strongly suggest this to anyone wanting to go deeper into multimedia journalism without previous know-how. Good read.
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September 11, 2012Please check the display shelves and cabinets.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews