Blog Topic #6 (The Final Blog!)

As we’ve discussed in class, most blogs tend to have a running theme/topic. So far, you’ve talked about why you got into radio, how you’ve used social media in the past, what you’re passionate about, what radio was like when you were a kid and last week I let you pick whatever topic you wanted. For this, your final blog, you will be using a previous blog as the theme/topic. I don’t want you necessarily talking about the exact same thing as a previous topic—however,  think of the previous topics as a “guideline” to what you’re going to write about this week. For example, if you wrote that you’re passionate about sports (or a specific sport,) maybe write a blog about something regarding sports. Or, for example,  let’s say you wrote a movie review for the “your choice” blog—perhaps write another movie review. I want you to be creative with this—think of one of your previous blogs as being the “first entry” in a running series of blogs about a certain topic, and this final blog being the next one. This blog will also be longer—600-1000 words. This will be due in 10 days, on Midnight, Sunday December 18th.

IMPORTANT: If you hand this blog in by December 15th (Thursday) by Midnight you will get one bonus mark added onto your final mark for this class.

Assignment #4

Assignment #4

For this assignment, choose one of the following case study topics.

1)      In class, we briefly discussed the Occupy movement and how social media factored into it. For this case study, choose one or more newsworthy events that have happened, anywhere in the world, and examine how social media affected them. What happened during the event(s)? How did Social Media affect the event(s)? Go into detail—don’t just give me an overview. Do a bit of research—look at news posts, blogs, tweets, etc. Were there, for example, hashtags used to rally people? A blog? A Facebook page? Did the use of social media affect how traditional media covered the event? NOTE: As we discussed it in class this week, the occupy movement is NOT an option for this case study.

2)      A running theme in the class has been how you never know who is seeing your social media pages or how what you say online will be interpreted. For this case study, one or more tweets, Facebook posts, blog posts, etc made by notable people that got them into “hot water.” What was the offending post? Was it misunderstood, or legitimately offensive? What was the backlash? Has this had a lasting effect on this person’s career? Go into as much detail as you can.

Present your findings in a typed, 750-1000 word, double-spaced report to be handed in by the start of class on December 15^th, 2011. Some further notes:

-          Keep in mind the questions presented in the case studies are meant as a guideline to help you in writing your paper.

-          It’s up to you how many topics you examine—if you can write for 750-1000 words on one event, then go for it.

-          I’m looking for some analysis here—don’t just tell me what happened, also let me know how social media has affected what you’re examining.

-          As with the first case study, e-mailed and late assignments will NOT be accepted. Please also include a title page with your name, my name, the course code and the date.

Marking:

Style (Spelling, grammar, formatting)                                     /5

Content                                                                                               /15

Analysis                                                                                                /10

Total                                                                                                      /30

Blog Topic #5

I’ll leave this week’s blog up to you. So far you’ve told me all about your passions, what radio you listened to growing up, why you’ve gotten into broadcasting, etc—for this week, I want you to write about a topic of your choosing. Remember that the blogs should be about 300-500 words and should be PG.

Assignment #3

Podcast Assignment

As discussed in class, Podcasting is a great way to express yourself online, especially as a broadcaster. In groups of 3-4 people, create a short (3-5 minute) "demo" podcast on whatever subject your group has decided on. This is your chance to be creative!

-          The podcast must have an intro of some sort (30 seconds max) with theme music. Feel free to use music/sound effects throughout the piece as you see fit.

-          The subject of the podcast is up to you—but keep it limited to one (short) segment. Consider this a "demo" of a bigger podcast you'd be producing in the future. 

-          It's up to you how to distribute the work, but all group members must have their voices in the podcast in some capacity (Even if one person simply voices the Intro)

-          Try your best to have the best audio quality possible--H2 Zooms (or similar recorders) are fine for this assignment. If you posess the ability to, using Skype or a similar VOIP software to record the 

-          Keep it PG-appropriate--no foul language, or X-Rated topics. If you're unsure, feel free to e-mail me.

-          Give your podcast a title--be creative!

In addition to the podcast itself, also provide a short (50-100 word) description of your podcast. Tell me a bit about it--what's the main "topic" of the podcast? if you were to produce this on an ongoing basis, what sorts of things would your podcast cover? Remember--much like a blog, generally a podcast has a "topic" it focuses on. For example: Technology, Music, Gaming, Sports, etc. Feel free to check out some of the podcasts mentioned in class for examples of "real-world" podcasts and how to structure them.

Please submit all podcasts on audio CD with the description printed and attached. Please label the CD with the title of your podcast and the name of all group members and also include this information on the printed description as well. Late or e-mailed assignments will NOT be accepted and must be handed in by the start of class on December 8th, 2011.

Marking scheme:

Production                                                          /5
Content                                                               /12
Writeup                                                               /3

Blog 4 Topic

Earlier in the course I asked you to tell me a bit about yourself and why you got into broadcasting. Many of you told me you were from different areas of the country or even the world where you’d listen to radio growing up. For this week—tell me a bit about the radio you listened to growing up. Why did you listen to these station(s)? What about it did you like? Did listening to these stations affect your decision to become a broadcaster? Do you still listen to this station or would you if it was still around? Why or why not?

Assignment #2

Social Media Case Study #1

Due November 24^th, 2011

Social media is quickly becoming a growing aspect of the radio world, with many stations beginning to embrace Twitter, Facebook and Blogging. For this assignment, alone or in pairs, pick any FM or AM radio station (outside of Toronto; does not have to be Canadian) and examine their social media presence on the Internet. In particular, answer the following questions:

-          What station/market/format did you pick?

-          What do you think the demographic of the station is?

-          What sort of presence does the station have on Twitter? Facebook? Do they blog?

-          What sorts of things are they posting on these accounts? Are they doing any sort of promotions (giveaways, contests, etc) via social media?

-          What would you improve or change, if anything, in what the station is doing online?

-          Do you think the station is doing an effective job of marketing itself online? Why or why not?

Present your findings in a typed, one-to-two page, double-spaced, size 12 font report. Include a title page which includes your name(s), student number(s), the course code (RBD 118) and the date of submission. Assignments are due at the start of class, November 24^th, 2011. Only hard copies will be accepted (DO NOT E-MAIL ASSIGNMENTS.) Late assignments will not be accepted. If working in pairs, please only submit one paper (both students will share the same mark.)

Evaluation:

Spelling/Grammar/Proofreading                              /2

Content/Analysis                                                    /8

Total                                                                    /10

Blog #3

We’re all (hopefully) passionate about radio here—but we all have other passions outside of radio. This week’s topic is simple: tell me one thing you’re very passionate about (outside of radio.) This can be anything—music, sports, video games, TV, movies, politics, religion, books, family, friends, a cause, etc. Why are you passionate about this? Did having this passion affect your decision to get into broadcasting?