Author: nujtrain

STOP PRESS: Couple of free places available on next week’s TV Journalism course in Glasgow (Tues 21 March). Contact joanm@nuj.org.uk

We still have places available on our Writing for the Web course running next week in Glasgow.

What’s different about Writing for the Web? Who are you writing for? Understanding your audience.  Getting the readers’ attention. Finding the right tone of voice.  Writing for the way they read.  The why and how of short copy. Structuring content for the web.

The course will provide the opportunity for stimulating discussions about the latest issues associated with developing professional journalistic skills across a variety digital media sectors.  Interactive and practical, it is for print journalists who now need to write clear, compelling content for websites.  Course will look at techniques that will help key audiences find and engage with content once they are there.

Programme

• Currency – Topics which are current are good news. Consumers are used to receiving the latest updates, and there is so much news about that old news is quickly discarded. A story with only average interest needs to be told quickly if it is to be told at all. How to use the social nedia tools to up the interest and provide fresh content. To be able to summarise complicated topics in an informative and concise way.
• Headline writing – To attract the eye a good headline must have clarity (convey to the reader what the sub intends without confusion or ambiguity) and impact (strong enough effect to persuade the reader to read on)
• Importance of Basic Skills in Journalism and in using digital and social media technology – The most important skills for any journalists is the ability to explain complex issues such as economic ones and put them into everyday language in an intersting way that readers can understand. The importance of mastering the basics with phones, iPad’s, Facebook and Twitter. Check twice send once or regret forever it might be said when dealing with social networks –  how to avoid some of the main pitfalls.
• Why Evergreen Content is Valuable? – A well written piece of content that does an excellent job at answering a question can satisfy people over a long period of time. Since evergreen content is enduring and capable of receiving traffic for many years from search engines, directories and other collections of useful links it can be extremely valuable.
• Technology talks! – Difference between reporting for print and online websites. How hi-tech gadgets such as the iPad edition allows for increased interactivity with the reader.
• Who pays the piper? – The difference between writing for the reader and writing for the pay per click advertiser
• Linking – Considering how to link stories from across the globe to local issues using RSS feeds,social media sites.
• Freelancing abroad – The challenges ofworking in a hostile digital media environment geographically and politically.
• Writing articles with SEO – Search engine optimisation or SEO can be an important aid to drive traffic to your website or news blog. Considering the use of standard tools such as Google analytics and tag words to move an article or search item up the rankings.What’sdifferent about Writing for the Web?

Course costs £95 for NUJ members and places can be booked by contacting joanm@nuj.org.uk.