Next Homework: Man-On-The-Street Interview Piece (and reading)

No class next week for the Thanksgiving holiday, so you should have plenty of time to make the next assignment great.

Again, here are the details:
* Put together a man-on-the-street interview piece (one produced audio piece that weaves together different interviews on a topic of your choice). There is no length restriction, but it must have the following elements:
* Must contain voices from at least 3 subjects. I recommend interviewing at least 4 people and using the 3 best in the final edit.
* Must contain at least 2 clips of ambient sound related to your theme or location of recording.
* You should be talking to strangers, not people you know.
* Each person should be identified in the piece, by first and last name, and by one detail about them that tells something of who they are (i.e. John Smith, a University of Maryland student).
* Think of this as a feature piece you would run on the Diamondback's Web site or some other publication. It should feel like a piece of journalism not a random collection of opinions.
* Edit the elements together. Use a scripted intro and conclusion in most cases, unless you can have the people in the piece give enough context for a radio-diary format piece.
* Must be posted to class by noon on Friday, December 4 (start of class).

This project is more involved than last week, so it's best to start as soon as possible to leave some time for editing. Having a plan in advance (what questions you will ask and what kind of setting you want to focus on, etc) will help immensely. If you're not sure about your plan feel free to e-mail me any questions you might have.

We also have a short short reading assignment and a required audio. It shouldn't take long but this is an important part of the class (and it should help you do the assignment). There will be a short quiz at the start of next class on the reading and what we've learned so far:

* Reading: Sound Reporting, "Chapter 6: Story Editing," pp. 92-119.
* Required listening: Radio vs. Television smackdown (Radio Lab podcast)

E-mail me with any questions

Have a great holiday.
-Jeff

Karisse Carmack- Edited Expert Interview

Rich Abdill edited expert file

Mina Dixon--Edited Assigment 2

Rachel's edited interview w/ expert jess

In Class Audio Edit

Aaron Kraut IN-CLASS EDITED

Hannah Bruchman Interviews Expert Jen Goldman on Art

Edited Interview with Adele Hampton

Rich Abdill: Final project proposal

I'd like to do an audio slide show profile of Merrill journalism professor and long-time Washington Post reporter Haynes Johnson, who reported on everything from the assassinations of JFK, RFK and MLK to the Watergate scandal for the Post and has written almost a dozen books.

Rich Abdill: Unedited expert interview

Mina Dixon Assignment 2

Hannah Bruchman: Final Project Proposal

For my final project, I plan to organize an audio slide show on Katie Speer, a flute major, and Brett Bakalar, an oboe major. I will take pictures of the two of them playing their instruments and put the pictures to audio of them talking a/b being music majors at UMD.

Hannah Bruchman: Unedited Expert Interview

Aaron Kraut final project proposal

How are campus media outlets dealing with the down economy and rapidly changing practices in technology and news gathering techniques?

I'll use three outlets, WMUC (student radio station), UMTV (student-run broadcast station) and The Diamondback (student newspaper) to find out.

Aaron Kraut Expert Interview 11.20

Karisse Carmack- Final Project Proposal

For my multimedia project I will feature Cynethea Cunningham, a dollmaker who is the founder and owner of Cyne's Gallerie. Cunningham began making dolls and started her own business after her sister died of breast cancer. Through Cyne's Gallerie, Cunningham makes a variety of dolls for all occasions, but in late 2007 she began creating what is now known as the Tutti Tender Heart Doll. The purpose of the doll is to spread awareness about breast cancer and the importance of detecting it and receiving treatment during the disease's earliest stages. Currently, Cunningham is in the process of getting the doll trademarked and my project will highlight her attempts to educate the public about breast cancer through her dolls while she awaits the status of her trademark case.

Assignment #1- Karisse Carmack Interviews Usher Instructor Pansy Bradley Cooper

Rachel's Interview with Jess

Anna Eisenberg- Final Project Plan

For my final project, I will be doing a feature on Quench, a student group started on campus this semester. The group's goal is to raise $5,000 to build a well in a third-world country in hopes of giving some of its residents access to clean water. The group has had events on campus, which I have photographed, and I am recording an interview with the group's founder tomorrow. The project will be focused around her-- why she started the group and what her interests in the cause are.

Anna Eisenberg- Project 2

Audio Interview with Professor Cheryl LaRoche

Final Projects -- Rules and Guidelines

Here is some information related to your final projects. Please let Tim, Megan, Jeff or I know if you have questions.

1) Final projects may be between one and four minutes in length, depending on your story. Talk to us if your piece is heading toward the four or five-minute range.

2) Consider your final project proposals as an ongoing effort you will refine as you do related assignments and clarify your ideas.

3) To date, no student has done an audio-only final project. We are open to this idea, but it must be discussed and approved in advance.

4) We have written in the syllabus that is is OK for students to use previously shot material if it makes sense for their final projects. Again, this is something that must be discussed with instructors and approved in advance.

5) You can use upcoming assignments to work toward final projects. For example, Section 2 students who just finished the video slice (and are beginning the photo slice) might want to shoot stills of a topic they are considering for their final, even if they have covered similar material during a previous video assignment. The goal is NOT to recycle old assignments. The goal is to use upcoming assignments as opportunities to work toward your final projects and help you decide which approach will work best.

6) Avoid focusing on yourself, roommates, friends or family for final projects. Such topics (and the approaches to such topics) must be approved by us in advance if they are to be used at all.

7) The use of music in final projects is OK if music is a natural part of the story you are covering (for example, if your piece is about a musician and the type of music played by that musician; or, if you're covering a sports-related topic and a band is playing at one of the sports events). Using unrelated music tracks as a soundtrack is not permitted for the purposes of these final projects. In addition, you should not, as a general rule, plan to allow an entire piece of music to run throughout your piece. Talk to us first about your plans to incorporate music.

8) Sources must be identified with names and titles.

9) Final projects must be posted on the blog by by 10 a.m. on Dec. 18, 2009, which is the end of the designated final exam time outlined by the university's exam schedule. Your presence in the lab during exam time is optional and is based on your own computer and equipment needs. Final projects may be posted anytime during finals week but the deadline for posting is 10 a.m. on Dec. 18. Points will be deducted from projects that are posted past the final exam deadline. Contact us immediately by phone or email if you are having technical issues. You may post to an outside site, such as youtube.com or vimeo.com, and provide links to final projects if you are having technical difficulties while attempting to post to the class blog.

10) As discussed during the course of the semester, interviews, audio, photos, and videos may not be staged, coerced, falsified or manipulated. These actions will result in a failing grade on the final project and students will be referred to the dean.

Karisse Carmack Interviews Mina Dixon

Classrooom Silence, Fri, Nov 13

Here's the recording we made during class on Friday of the "silence" in the room for one minute. Sure enough, the sound of the recorder sliding down the podium is loud. Best to listen to this with headphones to try to pick out the detail here.

First Audio Homework

Hey Pulse team:

Here are the details for the homework:

* We have a homework assignment this week, as it says in the syllabus and as I mentioned at the end of class. You'll need to upload the homework to the blog by noon on our next class meeting (Friday, Nov. 20) -- It has to be online by noon *before the start of class*. I'll take off points for late work, and the system posts a time stamp. And there won't be time at the start of class to do uploading -- we'll start class by playing some of your assignments.

* Once again, the assignment is to conduct an interview with an expert on a topic of your choice. Think of it as a podcast interview for a newspaper Web site or an audio extra to go along with a newspaper story online (feel free to use a subject from an article you're working on now for another class, etc). Please start your interview with some sort of short intro, similar to what we did in class today. For instance, you could say something like:

"Hello, I'm _______. Today I'm talking with ____, who studies ____ at the University of Maryland. His latest book explores ____. Thanks for being with us today."

And have some sort of ending, like: "Thanks for talking with us."

This will be an unedited interview -- no less than 2 minutes but no longer than 5 minutes. Don't worry if there's a stumble here or there. Just do one take and do your best.

I'll be mainly grading on whether you find a quiet enough space record, whether you avoid handling noise, whether you hold the microphone at a proper distance to get a clean recording, and whether you have some sort of clear intro and closing -- and of course ask good questions.

Also, you must do the required reading and listening:

Required Reading:
Sound Reporting - "Reporting" pp. 48-72

Required Listening:

* On the Media: Pulling Back the Curtain

I recommend doing the reading before you do the interview.

Feel free to e-mail me with any questions. Don't wait until the last minute to find an interview subject (so you have time to set up an interview time) or to start the uploading process.

Looking forward to hearing your pieces,
-Jeff

Brian Hooks Interview on Pickens Visit to UMD

Mina Dixon Audio Project 1

Rachel Roubein interviews Hannah Bruchman about her article on movie addicts

Anna Eisenberg- Audio Project 1

Hannah Bruchman Interviews Rachel Roubein About "Heaven this Side of Heaven"

Aaron Kraut Audio Project No. 1

get ready for some sound reporting

As you all know, we're rotating to a new section of the multimedia
reporting class this week, and it looks like you all are heading to my
"slice" on audio storytelling.

We'll be jumping right in and doing some recording in class on Friday,
so you'll need to bring a digital recorder (and any connection cables
to upload audio) and a pair of headphones (even earbuds will do).
Though we might not have made this clear at the outset, you might need
to buy a digital recorder for this part of the course (should be under
$100 to get a low-end one). There are only a couple of audio recorders
available for loan at Tawes, so unfortunately check-out might be difficult. Or
many of you probably already have a recorder or can borrow one from a
friend. If you are buying a recorder, make sure to get one that can
save files in a standard audio format (.mp3 or .wav or .aiff).

-Jeff

Photo Assignment #4- Karisse Carmack

Sophomores Zach Daidone and Toni Hoehn, both 19, spend quality time with each other Tuesday outside of McKeldin Library at the University of Maryland.

Lawyer and professor Gladys Monterroso of Guatemala recalls her quest for justice in the aftermath of her kidnapping and torture earlier this year during a lecture Tuesday evening at the University of Maryland's Taliaferro Hall.

Darryl Leep, 54, plays his saxophone outside of Washington's L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station during Thursday's evening rush hour.

Rich Abdill Photo Assignment 4

While most students are still fast asleep, a lone student studies in the Worcester Hall lounge Friday.

Students often camp out in the lounge, bringing enough snacks and supplies to study for hours at a time.

Study materials lay on the table, abandoned since the night before.

Feature Pics by Rachel Roubein

Paint Branch Trail right off the campus is a popular spot for students to run or bike during nice weather. During November,the path is strewn with fallen leaves, making the path a little slippery.


As University of Maryland students run down Paint Branch Trail, they will reach Lake Artemisia. The lake is a great spot for picnicking, picture taking or simply sitting and absorbing the pretty scenery.


Walking down the stairwell in Anne Arundel Hall, each student knows it's definitely fall, as the leaves of the trees are turning a vibrant orange and yellow. The pretty weather makes studying rather distracting for University of Maryland students during the month of November.

Final Assignment-- Anna Eisenberg

1. A fan wears a Ravens hat while his hometown team plays the Broncos.
2. The Ravens play the then-undefeated Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium last Sunday. The Ravens won 30-7.
3. Students walk to class across McKeldin Mall on a sunny fall afternoon.

Mina Dixon -- Assignment 4

Thai Student Association members taste the fruits of their labor on Friday, Oct. 30. The organization participated in Asian American Student Union's noodle cook-off, Dish Network.

Irish step dancers from the DeNogla School prepare for a performance in Toms River, N.J. on Nov. 1. After the performance, the dancers offered free Irish dancing lessons to the children in the audience.

Student leaders gather in front of the administration building Thursday, Nov. 05, to protest Dr. Cordell Black's termination. They chanted "bring Black back" and "this is what diversity looks like" as students milled about McKeldin Mall, headed towards their next class.

Feature Photos: Brian Hooks

The lead guitarist of Philadelphia-based band "Sweatheart" plays in Halloween garb in front of hundreds of costume-clad students in the Stamp Student Union at the University of Maryland on October 30.

The lead singer of "Sweatheart" provokes the crowd at a University of Maryland Halloween concert last Friday.

Brooklyn-based pop duo Matt & Kim entertain the crowd between songs at a Halloween concert they headlined at the University of Maryland. Both wore black eye face paint and stripped off clothing between songs.

Hannah Bruchman; Photo Assignment 4

A man strums his guitar on McKeldin Mall Nov. 4, basking in the fall sunlight while playing his favorite songs for students on their way to class. The mall is the site of frequent impromptu concerts, especially when the weather is nice.


A wife poses for the camera while sitting on the sundial at McKeldin Mall on Nov. 4. The couple had been touring the school earlier that morning.


A bystander examines notes left behind by angry students after a protest Nov. 5. More than 500 students protested the university's decision to strip Cordell Black, the associate provost for equality and diversity, of his position.

Photo Assignment No. 4 -- Aaron Kraut

A University Police officer looks on as students gather Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009 on the campus of the University of Maryland to protest the removal of Associate Provost for Equity and Diversity Cordell Black. The students later marched to the campus' Administration building.
Rally-goers gather on the steps of the Administration building, holding signs and chanting "This is what diversity looks like." University President Dan Mote said the removal of Cordell Black from his administrative position was solely a budgetary move.
Around 400 students rally on the campus of the University of Maryland Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009 for the reinstatement of Associate Provost for Equity and Diversity Cordell Black, who was told earlier this week he was being removed from his administrative position for budgetary reasons.

Story Proposal for Final Project-Karisse Carmack

The recession's effect on unemployed citizens is the topic of my story. I would like to focus on facilities and programs that provide services to people who are unemployed and need assistance.

A few weeks ago, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the recession was likely over. However, the U.S. Department of Labor's Web site said that 9.8 percent of the population is unemployed as of September. In previous economic downturns the availability and creation of new jobs was one of the indicators used to determine that recovery was on the way. Today people seem to have a longer and much harder time at landing a job. Therefore, it is possible that the recession will not be over until individuals are able to obtain employment.

America's economic downturn is a relevant topic that has affected many individuals, both journalists and non-journalists. For journalists, this means the demise of publications such as the Rocky Mountain News and Gourmet magazine, as well as buyouts and layoffs from other news organizations.

For non-journalists, this means job cuts in fields such as construction and manufacturing. The type of people that I would seek to profile are those who have been looking for work for several months, or longer. Employment agencies, job fairs, and career workshops are some of the places that I think I can find individuals who are struggling to get a job.

There are many different staffing agencies in the Washington-Baltimore area. I would rely on mostly public transportation to get to and from my interviews and photo shoots. Robert Half International and Manpower are two staffing agencies out of many that have local offices.

My goal is to use primary sources for this project. Some of those sources include information from the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Treasury. I would also consult some of Maryland's state government agencies.

In terms of the time spent interviewing my subjects and obtaining images from my "B" roll, I hope that my travel expenses do not exceed $150. Due to time and money constraints, I might highlight one to three individuals and/or families and talk to one or two experts.

I recognize that there are several drawbacks to this assignment. One is to find an employment or staffing agency that is willing to let me film on the premises. Another drawback is to find people who are willing to openly share their stories for the project. If I do find people who want to be featured in the story, I will also have to carve time out of my schedule to follow them around.

At this point, I feel that photography and audio are the best ways to tell this story. With a video camera, certain shots might be bad if some of the events take place outdoors (i.e. at night) and the sound quality is not good due to rain, wind or snow. Also, I am just starting to get used to shooting film and I feel more comfortable using photography and audio.

One way to address some of the drawbacks to my project is to film people indoors, during the daytime and on weekends. Also, a video might be intrusive in certain situations. For example, if one of my subjects found out that their home was going into foreclosure, I probably wouldn't shoot any film if they are finding out for the first time. That individual might swear, get angry, or violent. I would probably give them space to vent, and then have them do a tape recorded interview and use that as a voice over.

Overall, I think it is possible to produce a project about unemployment that is relevant and in a tasteful manner. I also think that it is important to focus on a few subjects in order for my story to be concise and well put together.