The Washington Post is a reliable news source with interesting stories that cover various. With hundreds of thousands of visitors to their site every day, the post is one of the most popular as well. Despite this, I believe the Washington Post could make numerous changes to it's website to attract more viewers, especially of the the younger generation. Here are some changes I believe the post should make to continue to be an attractive news source.
The website has a large following, but the younger generation has a shrinking attention span that requires news to be intriguing as well as informative. In order for this news to be marketable to the younger generation, the headlines need to be eye-popping. The post can do this by using italics or different fonts in order for articles to stand out. The headline also has to be easy to understand. Sometimes on the website the headlines can be somewhat confusing or take a second to understand.
I also suggest the post writes more about social media. Social media is a major component in today's pop culture. Though the post has accounts on almost all social media platforms, they don't often post about major events on social media such as new updates to apps, celebrities on social media and other interesting topics.
My last suggestion for the Website is to write more comedic articles. Information and entertainment are becoming closer than ever, and that should not stop on the websites of major newspapers. Writing comedic articles at otherwise serious topics can make the post seem more relatable. The most important thing for the post to do is to become more relatable to the younger generation, which I believe can be accomplished with these changes.
Monday, July 24, 2017
Yosef Malka- Post Visit: Growing Readership
At the Washington Post, our class got an inside look at the strategies the publication uses to grow readership, engagement, and subscriptions. We got to talk to an industry expert with a wealth of knowledge and experience. Mark Smith, the Washington Post's mobile web editor, uses metrics to understand how readers interact with the Post, whether it be on social media, their homepage, or any other platform. Smith showed the class metrics that showed how many people viewed an article, how they got to the article, how long they were engaged by the article, how many times people shared it, and more. Smith explained how important headlines are in driving traffic brought in from social media and getting hits on home page articles. He broke down what makes an effective headline, which is one that makes readers curious about what information they might gain and excited about gaining it.
Smith told us that he will frequently post an article on social media to test out the strength of the headline by seeing whether it drives traffic. If it lags, he will change the headline before putting it on the home page of the website. Upon his arrival at the Post, Smith trained every reporter to write their own headlines. Since Smith was hired, the Post has experienced concrete growth on social media, mobile, and web. His aggressive focus on engaging headlines and captivating pictures have been the hallmark of the publication's approach to digital news. The current home page layout is very strong. The fact that the major stories are bigger in terms of size, but are also found towards the bottom means readers can see what is really important but also get a general picture of what is going on by looking at the categorized articles. The fact that the homepage takes up the whole screen makes it easier to read, and the second horizontal bar is very convenient from looking at trending news. Of course, there are things that the post can be doing better.
I think that they should move local news further down the webpage, because when you open the page, you can only really see five or six stories. For better or worse, the opinion pieces get lost in the middle of the web page. More visuals attached to the home page would make it easier to attract to the reader. The descriptions of the top stories are usually in paragraph form, which does not make it easy to get a feel for what it is about (The New York Times uses bullets). Bullets would be better. More variance in the color font (different shades of black, gray, and blue) would be beneficial in helping the reader distinguish things and thus find an article that will engage them. One thing that I think is missing that I see on other sites is a timeline. A timeline allows the site to just list all the stories they have published in a very small area, which helps people catch up on news quickly. They definitely have space for this on the site, on the right. The right column only contains a few items compared to the other columns, many of them not being related to news.
Smith told us that he will frequently post an article on social media to test out the strength of the headline by seeing whether it drives traffic. If it lags, he will change the headline before putting it on the home page of the website. Upon his arrival at the Post, Smith trained every reporter to write their own headlines. Since Smith was hired, the Post has experienced concrete growth on social media, mobile, and web. His aggressive focus on engaging headlines and captivating pictures have been the hallmark of the publication's approach to digital news. The current home page layout is very strong. The fact that the major stories are bigger in terms of size, but are also found towards the bottom means readers can see what is really important but also get a general picture of what is going on by looking at the categorized articles. The fact that the homepage takes up the whole screen makes it easier to read, and the second horizontal bar is very convenient from looking at trending news. Of course, there are things that the post can be doing better.
I think that they should move local news further down the webpage, because when you open the page, you can only really see five or six stories. For better or worse, the opinion pieces get lost in the middle of the web page. More visuals attached to the home page would make it easier to attract to the reader. The descriptions of the top stories are usually in paragraph form, which does not make it easy to get a feel for what it is about (The New York Times uses bullets). Bullets would be better. More variance in the color font (different shades of black, gray, and blue) would be beneficial in helping the reader distinguish things and thus find an article that will engage them. One thing that I think is missing that I see on other sites is a timeline. A timeline allows the site to just list all the stories they have published in a very small area, which helps people catch up on news quickly. They definitely have space for this on the site, on the right. The right column only contains a few items compared to the other columns, many of them not being related to news.
Friday, July 21, 2017
Post Visit: Growing Readership
Mobile Editor Mark Smith told us during our visit to The Washington Post that a key part of his job is to "grow traffic" to the site. So each day, he tests Post headlines on Twitter to see which are re-tweeted and liked -- then he offers suggestions for re-working some to make them more suitable for social media.
After carefully reviewing the site, what advice do you have for The Washington Post on how it could improve its offerings, and convince you to keep coming back, even after you no longer have a grade dependent on news quizzes? I'm looking for several reasoned paragraphs, with specific examples of what The Post does well, and where it could improve. What's missing from the site that you'd like to see?
Please follow rules of grammar and AP style in your posts.
(Due Tuesday at 10 a.m., July 24. Write these as separate posts, not comments to mine.)
After carefully reviewing the site, what advice do you have for The Washington Post on how it could improve its offerings, and convince you to keep coming back, even after you no longer have a grade dependent on news quizzes? I'm looking for several reasoned paragraphs, with specific examples of what The Post does well, and where it could improve. What's missing from the site that you'd like to see?
Please follow rules of grammar and AP style in your posts.
(Due Tuesday at 10 a.m., July 24. Write these as separate posts, not comments to mine.)
Sunday, July 9, 2017
Welcome 2017 Class! Where Do You Go for News?
I'm looking forward to working with you on your journalism skills this summer.
This blog will be used throughout your three weeks with me to start discussions about media coverage of events, media hiring practices and ethical questions about publications' handling of news. The best posts will include some research and links to reported stories or primary documents. Remember to be thoughtful and tactful; this blog is open to the public for viewing.
Each of you must start at least one blog post; all of you must also comment on some of your classmates' and my posts. I'm hoping our class discussions and guest speakers will give you ideas for this.
To get you started, I'd like you to tell me in the comment area of this post where you typically go for news, what you like to read, listen to or watch for news, and how you get there. (For instance, do you read sports or entertainment stories linked to friends' Facebook pages or to other social media sites? Or do you go to ESPN's or The Washington Post's home page to read about news, entertainment or sports?) Be specific!
This blog will be used throughout your three weeks with me to start discussions about media coverage of events, media hiring practices and ethical questions about publications' handling of news. The best posts will include some research and links to reported stories or primary documents. Remember to be thoughtful and tactful; this blog is open to the public for viewing.
Each of you must start at least one blog post; all of you must also comment on some of your classmates' and my posts. I'm hoping our class discussions and guest speakers will give you ideas for this.
To get you started, I'd like you to tell me in the comment area of this post where you typically go for news, what you like to read, listen to or watch for news, and how you get there. (For instance, do you read sports or entertainment stories linked to friends' Facebook pages or to other social media sites? Or do you go to ESPN's or The Washington Post's home page to read about news, entertainment or sports?) Be specific!
Friday, July 29, 2016
Story Ideas for High School Publications
Students were asked to describe some of the features from their high school publications that they particularly liked, or brainstorm stories and projects that could be completed next school year. Here are some of their thoughts:
Nancy: We have a series called, "What It's Like to Be Me": It's a series on students with different backgrounds. Most are identified fully.
Jack: We're trying to generate more op-eds from students on current events.
Riley: We do teacher bios/ stories on why teachers came into the profession. It can help students relate better to teachers, and open up to them.
Danielle: We do features on students with unusual or unique talents. And one student generated money by creating celebrity websites.
Caroline: A good feature is student-written editorials: Such as why "To Kill a Mockingbird" should be read.
Courtney: Our publication could use more stories about crime -- in the neighborhood or at school.
Jack: I'd also like to see more well-rounded interviews on tough stories.
Teacher suggestion: Stories on coping with the high stress of high school -- and teen anxiety and depression. Interviews could be conducted with counselors, therapists, teachers, students.
Nancy: It would be helpful to tie national news to student opinions, such as on influx of Syrian refugees.
Crystal: We do a feature called Black vs. Gold: The editorial board writes opinions from both sides on big issues, such as on a vote to eliminate final exams in Montgomery County -- only having quarterly tests.
Riley: When athletes come back from college to visit: They're interviewed about college life. We also do features on college-bound athletes.
Jack: On our high school radio station: Get student newspaper reporters to come on air to talk about their stories.
Courtney: We could use a calendar of upcoming events. When SAT workshops are held in the building, for instance.
Nancy: We have a series called, "What It's Like to Be Me": It's a series on students with different backgrounds. Most are identified fully.
Jack: We're trying to generate more op-eds from students on current events.
Riley: We do teacher bios/ stories on why teachers came into the profession. It can help students relate better to teachers, and open up to them.
Danielle: We do features on students with unusual or unique talents. And one student generated money by creating celebrity websites.
Caroline: A good feature is student-written editorials: Such as why "To Kill a Mockingbird" should be read.
Courtney: Our publication could use more stories about crime -- in the neighborhood or at school.
Jack: I'd also like to see more well-rounded interviews on tough stories.
Teacher suggestion: Stories on coping with the high stress of high school -- and teen anxiety and depression. Interviews could be conducted with counselors, therapists, teachers, students.
Nancy: It would be helpful to tie national news to student opinions, such as on influx of Syrian refugees.
Crystal: We do a feature called Black vs. Gold: The editorial board writes opinions from both sides on big issues, such as on a vote to eliminate final exams in Montgomery County -- only having quarterly tests.
Riley: When athletes come back from college to visit: They're interviewed about college life. We also do features on college-bound athletes.
Jack: On our high school radio station: Get student newspaper reporters to come on air to talk about their stories.
Courtney: We could use a calendar of upcoming events. When SAT workshops are held in the building, for instance.
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Q&A: Thoughts on the National Political Conventions
Terp Young Scholars journalism students fanned out to talk to folks at the University of Maryland about the national political conventions. With one night remaining at the Democratic National Convention, the following are some of the responses they got:
Katya Beltran, 15, a Terp Young Scholars student from Silver Spring, Md.:
“I did get more information about [Donald] Trump’s views and his beliefs, and it only made me more pro-Clinton. [Trump] has no plans. He always says broad things of how he wants to change America, and then he doesn’t describe how he plans to do it.”
Frank Yu, 20, a junior computer science major, from Gaithersburg, Md.:
"Their speeches were very personal, and I got a specific insight into their lives. ... And instead of just political farce, I could actually get ... insight into their background."
Ravi Doshi, 20, a junior kinesiology major at UMD College Park, from Frederick, Md.:
Dave Goodlett, 56, biochemistry professor at UMBC, Baltimore:
Dale Connelly, 65, a recent graduate of the UMD College Park, and a former employee of the National Archives, from Silver Spring Md.:
“Having the Democratic convention, it kind of showed us that even though Hillary is not very trustworthy, she does have the credentials to be president.”
Hannah Dentry, 26, post-bachelor student, from Baltimore:
"I think they did a really strong job of not only promoting Hillary (Clinton) and her amazing experience, but also being realistic and specific about how her opponent Donald Trump is not."
Ravi Doshi, 20, a junior kinesiology major at UMD College Park, from Frederick, Md.:
"Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka spoke on more liberal topics, and that surprised me."
--Text and photos by Terp Young Scholars journalism students: Madison Akers, Kyra Ashlock, Emily Colby, Courtney Diggs, Crystal Foretia, Nia Gates, Megan Gregoire, Wyatt Haversack, Caroline Kloster, Colleen Neely, Danielle Tobb, Nancy Vu, Jack Wagner and Riley Wal.
Do you feel that you know the candidates vying for president better after watching the conventions? How so?
 |
| Katya Beltran |
“I did get more information about [Donald] Trump’s views and his beliefs, and it only made me more pro-Clinton. [Trump] has no plans. He always says broad things of how he wants to change America, and then he doesn’t describe how he plans to do it.”
Guy Cremen, 82, a retired railroad police officer, from Glen Burnie, Md.:
“I really think there were too many people talking. There was just too much talking. The other day they had (actress) Debra Messing. I mean, hey, come on. What do we need her up there for?”
“I really think there were too many people talking. There was just too much talking. The other day they had (actress) Debra Messing. I mean, hey, come on. What do we need her up there for?”
Frank Yu, 20, a junior computer science major, from Gaithersburg, Md.:
"Their speeches were very personal, and I got a specific insight into their lives. ... And instead of just political farce, I could actually get ... insight into their background."
Ravi Doshi, 20, a junior kinesiology major at UMD College Park, from Frederick, Md.:
“I didn’t really learn more about [the candidates], just more about their party.”
Albert Millard, 21, a junior Spanish major at UMD College Park, from North Potomac, Md.:
Albert Millard, 21, a junior Spanish major at UMD College Park, from North Potomac, Md.:
“I don’t really know a lot more. I knew who both of the candidates were before.”
Who was your favorite speaker at the conventions, and why?
 |
| Dave Goodlett |
“My favorite speaker at the Democratic convention was [U.S. Sen.] Cory Booker. He was very enthusiastic, and the platform he expressed support for is the platform I believe in.”
David Quinter, 15, of Washington, D.C. :
“(My) favorite would have to be Michelle [Obama]. Her speech was riveting.”
Alexander Boyson, 24, a senior English major at UMD College Park, from Rockville, Md.:
“I love ... (comedian) Sarah Silverman. She kept it light and gave an inspiring speech.”
Albert Millard, 21, a junior Spanish major at UMD College Park, from North Potomac, Md.:
“I think (President Barack) Obama yesterday was my favorite speaker, because we need him to unify the Democratic Party. We need a voice from the party. There’s been a lot of chaos from both parties, so hearing words from the president would help to settle some of that.”
Guy Cremen, 82, a retired railroad police officer, from Glen Burnie, Md.:
“I think [my favorite speaker was] Donald Trump Jr. Everything he said was right up front.”
Katya Beltran, 15, a Terp Young Scholars student, from Silver Spring, Md.:
“Michelle Obama, because it was a very powerful speech. … She has the ability to change minds and turn this election around so that we do not elect Trump.”
 |
| Dale Connelly |
“Michelle Obama … she talks about the children, but also she talked about ... gun control, and she also respects the people in blue.”
Oluwatobi Ajimoko, 19, a University of Pittsburgh finance major, from Williamstown, N.J.:
“It would be [Barack] Obama, but I feel that Michelle, as a person, because she doesn’t hold the same political power as Obama, she’s more relatable, and she was able to … make us see a different side of her, which is what she has been able to do a lot of times over the past eight years.”
Was anything said at the conventions that made you change your mind?
Donna Goodlett, 52, a homeless advocate from Baltimore:
“No, if anything it solidified my choice.”
Katya Beltran, 15, a Terp Young Scholars student, from Silver Spring, Md.:
“Nope. Still against Trump.”
Oluwatobi Ajimoko, 19, a University of Pittsburgh finance major, from Williamstown, N.J.:
 |
| Hannah Dentry |
"I think they did a really strong job of not only promoting Hillary (Clinton) and her amazing experience, but also being realistic and specific about how her opponent Donald Trump is not."
Ravi Doshi, 20, a junior kinesiology major at UMD College Park, from Frederick, Md.:
"Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka spoke on more liberal topics, and that surprised me."
--Text and photos by Terp Young Scholars journalism students: Madison Akers, Kyra Ashlock, Emily Colby, Courtney Diggs, Crystal Foretia, Nia Gates, Megan Gregoire, Wyatt Haversack, Caroline Kloster, Colleen Neely, Danielle Tobb, Nancy Vu, Jack Wagner and Riley Wal.
Post Tour: Mobile and Social Platforms, Reporting Discussed
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| Washington Post mobile editor Mark W. Smith with Young Scholars. |
Monday, July 25, 2016
Blackistone: Reporting the 'Transcendent' Stories
 |
| Kevin Blackistone, a panelist on ESPN's "Around the Horn," visited class, talking about the rich sports stories that can be reported beyond the game stories. |
His jobs in journalism have brought him all over the world -- including to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics and to South Africa to cover the 2010 World Cup.
He said the stories that have meant the most to him, though, are the transcendent ones, which touch on themes of race and culture and society. While he was in South Africa, for instance, he said he made time to visit the prison on Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned before the fall of apartheid.
What points from Blackistone's talk resonated the most with you?
Did you find any points in his talk inspirational?
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Building Ethics Codes for High School Newsrooms
We talked today about personal newsroom ethics: How reporters should conduct themselves to gain the trust and respect of their sources and readers.
Now It's time to draft some do's and don'ts for your high school newsrooms. What do you recommend for a school code of ethics? Please give five to 10 strong bullet points.
Your codes could address accuracy, fairness, conflicts of interest, accountability, plagiarism, how errors will be addressed and more. The codes could address text as well as images, video and social media. Please focus on what you think is relevant for your school's publication(s).
Please read the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics, and at least one of the following before writing:
The Washington Post Code of Ethics,
the National Press Photographers Association code,
RTDNA's code and
NPR's code.
Now It's time to draft some do's and don'ts for your high school newsrooms. What do you recommend for a school code of ethics? Please give five to 10 strong bullet points.
Your codes could address accuracy, fairness, conflicts of interest, accountability, plagiarism, how errors will be addressed and more. The codes could address text as well as images, video and social media. Please focus on what you think is relevant for your school's publication(s).
Please read the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics, and at least one of the following before writing:
The Washington Post Code of Ethics,
the National Press Photographers Association code,
RTDNA's code and
NPR's code.
Friday, July 15, 2016
Newsroom Diversity Still Trails U.S. Demographics
How far have newsrooms come in diversifying their staffs? Not far enough, journalist and Merrill teacher Anne Farris Rosen said Thursday.
Although the minority population in the U.S. reached about 38 percent in 2013, the minority workforce in the news business continues to trail that. Minority journalists make up only about 22 percent of the local TV news workforce, and only about 13 percent of the daily newspaper workforce, according to a 2015 report from the Pew Research Center.
How does minority representation in the newsroom affect the types of stories covered by the media-- and how they're reported?
Please comment, below, on stories involving race that you have seen in mainstream media outlets in recent weeks and months. How well have they been covered? How could they have been improved? Please be diplomatic, but specific, in your comments, which should be fact-based. Please give links to stories or studies you cite.
Or:
What most intrigued you or worried you about Rosen's talk? Be specific; give examples.
I'm looking for several well-reasoned and well-written paragraphs.
Friday, July 8, 2016
Welcome Summer 2016 Class!
Welcome Young Scholars students! I'm looking forward to working with you in JOUR 150 this summer.
This blog will be used throughout your three weeks with me to start discussions about media coverage of events (including police shootings and the presidential conventions), media hiring practices and ethical questions about publications' handling of news. The best posts will include some research and links to reported stories or primary documents. Remember to be thoughtful and tactful; this blog is open to the public for viewing.
Each of you must start at least one blog post; all of you must also comment on some of your classmates' and my posts. I'm hoping our class discussions and guest speakers will give you ideas for this.
To get you started, I'd like you to tell me in the comment area of this post where you typically go for news, what you like to read, listen to or watch for news, and how you get there. (For instance, do you read sports stories linked to friends' Facebook pages? Or do you religiously go to ESPN's home page several times a day to read about certain teams or sports?) Be specific!
This blog will be used throughout your three weeks with me to start discussions about media coverage of events (including police shootings and the presidential conventions), media hiring practices and ethical questions about publications' handling of news. The best posts will include some research and links to reported stories or primary documents. Remember to be thoughtful and tactful; this blog is open to the public for viewing.
Each of you must start at least one blog post; all of you must also comment on some of your classmates' and my posts. I'm hoping our class discussions and guest speakers will give you ideas for this.
To get you started, I'd like you to tell me in the comment area of this post where you typically go for news, what you like to read, listen to or watch for news, and how you get there. (For instance, do you read sports stories linked to friends' Facebook pages? Or do you religiously go to ESPN's home page several times a day to read about certain teams or sports?) Be specific!
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
At CNS-TV: In Front of and Behind the Cameras
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| Students got to try anchoring and behind-the-scenes jobs at the CNS-TV studio. On cameras: Godsee Joy and Justin Danzinger. Anchoring: Brieanna Bowman and Kayla Demeritte. (Photo by Chris Harvey) |
WMUC's Library: Thousands of Albums Archived
 |
| Brieanna Bowman (front) and classmates Leenika Belfield-Martin and Kayla Demeritte survey the two-level album stacks at WMUC. The student-run campus radio station dates back more than 75 years and has opportunities for student reporting and show hosting. (Photo by Chris Harvey) |
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