Class+Notes

Questions and Ideas raised during class discussions!

__Checking for Relevancy__
 * Look at the web site address (URL). Does it have a .com, .net, .gov, .edu., .org?
 * Is the search description related to your research topic?
 * Have I carefully read the search description?
 * Is the language appropriate to the age or reading level of the user?

__Strategies for Checking a Web Page's Accuracy and Reliability__
 * Fact check with other web sources
 * Researched the author for credibility, authority
 * Be a healthy skeptic of the information (Don't believe everything you read, until you double-check for reliability)
 * The presence of advertisements or types of ads call into question credibility
 * Check www.snopes.com. Is the site a hoax?

__What are Elements of a Photo that Tells an Engaging Story?__
 * facial expression
 * body language
 * action
 * different perspectives can be demonstrated through different camera angles
 * allows you to develop your own story, to imagine what is happening beyond the borders of the picture frame
 * voyeuristic quality, as if the viewer is looking or listening in on the scene

__What Makes for a Good Online (Forum) Response?__
 * ideas are detailed and organized
 * make sure it answers the question
 * responses are not informal to the point of distraction ("Whuzzup?!")

__Writing to a Sound Bite__ 1. Introduction : 1 or 2 sentences that explain what your story is about 2. Sound Bite Setup : 1 or 2 sentences that tells how your introduction and sound bite are connected. Provide a context for the sound bite. 3. Sound Bite: a short audio clip in which the person interviewed helps tell the story that you are reporting. 4. Wrap : one fact that the audience should also know about the story OR light, but brief commentary. Listen to Cara & Jessica's as an example

__ Checking for Bias __
 * Slanted perspective in the title
 * Language is emotional
 * Description of setting creates a mood that supports the author's perspective
 * Author's tone reflects perspective
 * Author's background and interests
 * Does the author present multiple perspectives?

// "American traditions and the American ethic require us to be truthful, but the most important reason is that truth is the best propaganda and lies are the worst. To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible we must be truthful. It is as simple as that." // Edward R. Murrow, Speaking as the Director of USIA, in testimony before a Congressional Committee (May 1963)