For a while now, I’ve been toying with the idea of doing a series of blog posts that takes my blog readers, who are mostly journalists, step by step through the process of setting up a personal Web site with WordPress on their own server space.

But I didn’t know if it’d be of any use, so I posed the question to my friends on Facebook. The overwhelming response was that it would be, so here I go.

What you can expect

This will be a weekly blog series. In each post, I’ll take you through the details of getting one step closer to having a personal portfolio Web site much like mine. If you have questions, leave a comment and I’ll find you an answer or at least start you in the right direction to finding one on your own.

What you’ll need

• A little cash: A domain and server space will run you about $60/year based on the rates from GoDaddy, the host that I’ll be talking about in my blog posts and the host I use for my site. (You can use another host if you want, too. No big deal.)
• A little time: I built my site in my free time last summer, so this is absolutely something you can accomplish on your own. No need to hire a Web designer or quit your day job.

One caveat: The free option

I’m going to talk you through setting up a site on your own server space because I honestly think it’s the best option if you’re OK with investing a few bucks into the project.

That said … you can go the free route and go straight to WordPress.com and set up a site that way. WordPress takes you through the pros and cons of either option.

Personally, I look at my site as an investment well worth the $5/month I pay in hosting, and I think the extra skills I’ve learned through having to host it on my own come in handy. (I can go into interview now and say that I know what it means to transfer a file via FTP. I couldn’t do that before.)

Plus, as an journalism and advertising double major, I think it’s important to be able to market yourself in a professional manner when you’re applying for jobs and internships. Having a short and simple URL for my site allows me to do that.

So that’s my two cents. If you or someone you know might get some use out of this series, feel free to send them a link here.

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I just wrapped up a great chat with the folks over at Poynter. (If you’re not already devouring all the news and tidbits Poynter has to offer, I’d recommend starting now.)

Poynter faculty member Sara Quinn, along with a handful of Poynter College Fellows, joined in for a lively discussion centering on one question: How can students use the summer to set themselves apart?

If you didn’t get a chance to participate in the chat, Poynter has your back. All chats are archived so you can read them at your leisure. (The full chat archive page is a great resource.)

Sidenote: The opportunity to host this chat came about from a tweet I sent Ellyn Angelotti, Poynter’s interactivity editor and adjunct faculty member. Consider that my Reason No. 428 to use Twitter.

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Next week will be – in a word – crazy.

On Wednesday, I’m giving what I hope will be a fun and lively talk on how student journalists should market themselves on the Web. As one of the few journalism and advertising double majors at UNL, I don’t understand why every student doesn’t have – at the very least – an online portfolio, resume and presence on social media.

Seriously.

And after Wednesday, you could know the basics of how to have all three.

The Wednesday event will also serve as sort of a crash course of sorts for what students need to know about the Web as they prepare for internships and the ever-tiring job hunt.

Plus, I promise to keep things fun.

I don’t pretend to be an expert on this by any means, but I figure that I’ve done enough trial and error on the Web that I should have some talking points worth a listen.

However, my talk is but an opening act for the main event that will take place Friday.

Twitter CEO Evan Williams (@ev) will be on at the J-School, and the College of Journalism and Mass Communications has planned a laid-back Q&A event for 3 p.m. in Andersen Hall.

If you’re a UNL journalism student, you do not want to miss this. But for student journalists who don’t call the Cornhusker State home, you’re still in luck.

The college will be livestreaming the Q&A on its Web site, and I will be moderating questions via Twitter.

Have a question about Twitter, or how it relates to journalism, or something else entirely? Send it to me at @emilyingram.

So, in short: Mark your calendars!

How to Market Yourself on the Web

Wednesday, April 8 at 5 p.m. in Andersen Hall (Room 15)

Q&A with Evan Williams, CEO of Twitter

Friday, April 10 at 3 p.m. in Andersen Hall (Room 15)

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This week’s tally:

• Four audio slideshows (1, 2, 3, 4)
• Two videos (1, 2)
• One podcast (1)
• One new blog (1)
• An assortment of online photo galleries
• The creation of daytime, Web-only reporting shifts
• A smooth-going second week of copy editors handling Web duties

For us, this is a huge leap forward. What makes me especially excited is that the workload for these projects was spread out over the entire staff:

• News reporters worked day shifts
• Features reporters came in for their weekly Film Forum review show
• Sports reporters blogged
• Videographers shot and produced the Film Forum episode and a post-game wrap-up video
• Photographers shot and edited their slideshows
• Copy editors tossed out the shovelware precedent in favor of a new system incorporating outbound links, related story links and a Web-friendly mentality

Though our Web department is still set off on its own (not necessarily a good thing), we can’t do it all on our own. (Our Web staff includes just four people; our total staff is around 150. You do the math.)

Takeaways from this week:

• A multimedia series can keep momentum up.
  Our audio slideshows were each paired with a features section story. (Props to Matt Buxton, our photo chief and deputy editor, for organizing the visual side of this series.)
• Your “rationalizations” can be your worst enemy.
  I put off integrating Web and print editing duties for longer than I should have as Web editor, arguing that it just wasn’t the right time, the right CMS, the right something or another. Our copy desk has done superbly in their new roles, and they probably would have been just fine had they been given them a couple weeks earlier.
• Web-first daytime reporting can be a tough sell.
  I’m having trouble filling my 10 shifts for day reporters. This could be for a variety of reasons: scheduling conflicts with class, not enough pay, not understanding the value of Web skills. I’m sincerely hoping the culprit is a combination of the first two and not the third. Either way, I’ll keep on recruiting.

A question: What recruitment/motivation techniques have worked well for reporters specifically at your news organization?

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First off, don’t judge this video by its neon title slide. I promise it’s amazingly good and is unlike probably anything else you’ve run across lately on your RSS reader.

The official blurb about this keynote address:

Professor Douglas Rushkoff, Professor of Communications, NYU, provides insights into latest research on the transformative nature of the internet on the economic and social dynamics of consumers and users, and their commercial implications – vital information for regulators, industry and investors as they seek to remain relevant in this new ecology.

My translation:

Everything you think you know about how the Internet, economy and media intersect is wrong. Rushkoff explains what’s really going on.

(via Joey Baker over at CoPress)

It’s a long video and is pretty intense, but I assure you it’s well worth your time and brain strain.

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As I’ve risen through the ranks at the Daily Nebraskan, I’ve come to realize one major problem that is inherent in any college news organization: You will have a complete staff turnover roughly every four years. And, in most cases, turnover in top positions occurs at the end of each semester or academic year.

What that means is by the time you’ve settled into your new job and identified problems, you have only a short time to come up with a solution and get it implemented. That is if you can even figure out what that solution should be.

So how do we stop this frustrating cycle?

We share out knowledge and resources. And we do that through groups like CoPress.

What is CoPress?

If you’ve never heard of CoPress, stop right now and go poke around their site.

The guys behind CoPress are some of the most forward-thinking young journalists I’ve come across. Like most journalists today, they want to find a way to make news organizations sustainable online.

The difference is they are specifically focused on college news outlets and they’re working hard to provide resources to those who need them.

And believe me, we need all the help we can get.

A need for collaboration

The group’s recently redesigned site includes a message board that I hope will grow into a one-stop shop for tips from fellow student editors.

Last week’s discussion on the forum centered on how student news outlets need to collaborate. I could rework my original post, but I like how I said it the first time. In short, we need:

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I’ve been working to keep my site’s content fresh and to make the design more reader-friendly. So in case you wondered what’s changed in the past week, here’s a rundown:

• Updated my portfolio page to include some audio and mapping projects I’ve worked on this past month
• Changed theme to Typebased by Woo Themes
• Fixed the error in the PHP code for the new theme.
  • I’m about 60 pages into a PHP how-to book, and I’m glad I’ve already got some use out of it. If you have no programming background but have looked at your WordPress source code some, I’d be willing to be you could understand this book. I’d recommend it for those looking to learn.
• Upgraded back-end system to WordPress 2.7 without any problems

That’s it. As far as work goes, we’re still pushing our Web-first mindset, and I’ll keep blogging about the obstacles and successes along the way.

If your student news organization is in the same boat, stay tuned for more tips on what has – and hasn’t – worked for us.

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The Daily Nebraskan has joined countless papers around the country and integrated its Web and copy editing duties. Tonight was the debut of our new copyflow, and while we hit a couple bumps, it’s been relatively easy.

In keeping with my desire for more collaboration among student news outlets, I figured I’d give you the lowdown on what’s changed and the few tidbits of wisdom I’ve picked up on so far.

A comparison

Then: A Web department staffer would copy and paste all the stories from InCopy to into our CMS each night. It was pure shovelware: No outbound links, no related stories listed at the end of the story, no Web-first mindset.

Now: Copy editors who edit the stories also upload them to the Web, allowing us to make time for adding hyperlinks and related story boxes. Plus, stories get posted hours earlier than before.

My two cents

Make a step-by-step guide complete with screen caps

The more detailed, the better. If you’ve worked in WordPress or another CMS before, learning a new system can be easy-peasy. But I’m guessing this will be a first for more than a few of your staff members, so make things as painless as possible.

If you’re working in College Publisher 5 (like us), you realize the system has plenty of tabs and buttons. It’s usually easier to show rather than just describe them.

I’ll admit, It’s not exactly fun to put a detailed guide together, but multiple staff members have told me they like to have ours on hand as a reference. One who’d never worked on our site even used it as his only guide to upload a story while I was in class and no one else was around to help him. The copy editors who I’ve trained keep it in front of them as they upload stories, too, so it looks like it’s getting used.

Be flexible – and let others know what’s going on

I made a flub by not letting all the other section heads know that the copy desk would be taking on a few more duties tonight. A seemingly impatient editor can really frazzle a copy editor’s nerves, so ask your section heads to be understanding as your desk gets the hang of things.

Getting people to show up can be half the battle

Scheduling a training session with 10 people is never easy, and I had a less than 50 percent attendance rate at our first one. However, I did a second session later that day, meaning I only have a few editors left to meet with. Plan in advance and advertise the mandatory meeting like crazy.

Stress that this will be a resume-building experience

That’s no lie, either. A recent post by Mindy McAdams (@macloo)and a year-old classic post by Greg Linch (@greglinch) both highlight the need for journalists to have a diverse skillset. And if you’ve worked in one CMS, it’s much easier to learn another. If it’s between you and another internship applicant, you never know when your Web skills might just give you the edge. That rationale can be a good morale-booster if your staff feels a little hesitant or overwhelmed.

Nothing will ever go off without a hitch – and that’s A-OK

When you alter your newsroom’s copy flow, try to avoid any foreseeable problems, but realize some will pop up nevertheless. Each night will be a learning process, so relax and enjoy the adventure.

An unexpected perk

You might get better headlines out of the switcharoo

I’ve struggled to help copy editors see how Web headlines differ from print headlines. It seemed my handouts and e-mails weren’t doing the trick. So I was pleasantly surprised that the headlines on the site tonight were much more in line with what Web headlines should be. And I didn’t do any in-depth training on it, either.

I did give them a short list of pointers:

1. Be specific and use keywords.
2. Kill the cute stuff. (Search engines don’t grasp puns, plays on words, etc.)
3. Be clear and concise.

But I’ve given this same advice before and haven’t seen nearly as same results. My working theory is that copy editors take more ownership of their Web headlines when they’re the ones putting them on the stories. Whatever the reason, I’m psyched to see more SEO-friendly Web headlines on DailyNebraskan.com.

(P.S. Thanks to Lauren Rabaino (@laurenmichell) and CICM (@CICM) for their suggestions on Web-headline handouts. I ended up borrowing these bits from Journerdism’s slideshow.)

So how about you? Do you have any tips from when your news organization consolidated editing duties? Did I fail to answer a question you had about our new workflow? Comment away!

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Feel like you don’t know enough about online journalism? Worried about getting an internship this summer?

Don’t just sit on your hands and fret. Start doing something about it!

First thing to do: Take five minutes and read these two blog posts.

Advice for journalism students now

If you asked editors and publishers today to offer advice to journalism students, what would they say?

In response to a survey preceding a journalism job fair, 86 newspaper editors and publishers from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio said these are the skills students need to put themselves in the strongest position to land an entry-level job in the newspaper industry today. ….

Number 1 on that list: Diverse skills. This includes multimedia storytelling (audio and video) and Web-first reporting.

This only confirms everything I’ve seen at internships and professional conferences. For many jobs, multimedia is a requirement. For others, it can be the make-or-break factor that gets you hired over someone else.

Reporter’s guide to multimedia proficiency (part 1)s

As promised in my last blog post, I’m going to offer some guidance for journalists who are ready to learn how to transform themselves into multimedia journalists. I think there will be 15 parts, of which this is the first. …

If you are a journalist (or journalism student) who feels like you need to catch up and upgrade your skills, I suggest that you do more than simply read these posts. Put the advice into use immediately — the same day, if possible. Don’t wait! (You’ve waited long enough already.)

000000;">If you think of yourself as a journalist at a print product that just happens to have a Web site, the 5 minutes you spend reading these posts could be the most important of your day.

000000;">If you feel like you don’t even know where to start, keep reading Mindy’s blog. This series sounds truly promising.

So, want to add a few more RSS feeds to your Google Reader? Paul Bradshaw over at the Online Journalism Blog posted a list a while back of 10 top journalism bloggers in America. They’re all well worth your time.

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Photo by beatboxbadhabit

Are you marketing your newspaper’s sports content to the people and Web sites that can bring in a rush of readers?

If not, you should be.

Today, our most-read story of the day got almost 10x the number of page hits that our top story of the day usually gets. The reason?

A reporter who owned his beat and was persistent in getting the story first … and then he sent a link to Huskerpedia.

The clearinghouse for Huskers news is a popular stop for football fans, and it drives a massive amount of traffic to the pages it links to.

Also, Max Olson, the reporter, kept at it all day and sent another two updates along as soon as he got more interviews done.

A round of applause to Max for his perseverance in getting the story.

Today’s takeaways:

• Get your reporters and editors to post links to their stories on message boards, social media, etc. A success story like this is a good motivator for everyone to keep that habit up, too.
• Nothing can replace the hard work that goes into getting the story. Max has been keeping tabs on a slew of recruits for a while. And though the Journal Star had a blog post up early this morning, Max beat them to the punch of getting a more detailed story up.
• Writing your story is not enough any more. You should be creating the traffic channels to get readers to your content, too.

Max did it again. This time, the recruit is a player from right here in Lincoln who happens to be the son of a former Husker safety. Pageviews are soaring once again after he sent the link to Huskerpedia.

It’s not a fluke. With diligent reporting and one little link, writers can make have a huge impact.

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