When navigating the world of digital publishing, or even design for that matter, all signs usually point to Photoshop as a foundation, or at least a basis of understanding. Many of the same tools and icons in Photoshop, in fact, can be found in other Adobe programs. And with Photoshop, you can now do things like create 3-D animation. Learning this rather complex program can help elevate most work from good to great.

With that said, here‘s a lineup of free Photoshop resources, courtesy of Mashable.

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The world of blogging has such varied definitions and uses, it can be considered more of a medium than a genre of publishing. When teaching Citizen Journalism, blogs are at times difficult to characterize in any efficient way. We could spend entire sessions discussing blogs alone and their outright significance to digital publishing.

The Center for Digital Ethics & Policy at Loyola University in Chicago has assembled a best practices for blogging that is enlightening and crucial to anyone interested in publishing a successful blog. They include responsibility, a certain degree of transparency, attribution, truth and whether or not to mix media with audio and video.

A recent visit to Loyola University for a community news summit further strengthened the notion that blogging has paved the way for the future of digital media and innovation. Many of the entrepreneurs on hand are prominent bloggers who have implemented this new media format with the community journalism of old to find a fresh outlook on publishing, as the walls between writer and reader (or viewer) further deteriorate for the good of society.

See the full best practices report here.

Social media serves as a vital piece for journalists’ fact-gathering efforts.

The benefits of social media extend far beyond pictures of picnics, time-wasting games and celebrity tweets. As journalists, it’s important to identify the value of social networking for collecting vital story information, finding sources and promoting your work.

For example, when writing a story about urban farming, you can type a Twitter hashtag into the search (in this case, #urbanfarming) — and information and links to a number of legitimate organizations and specialists appear in the results. Hashtags, a form of tagging information in Twitter, can also be used to discuss topics with other like-minded individuals.

A simple note or discussion thread on a Facebook account also can lead to contacts, new perspectives and feedback on your story before it’s even finished.

Note that social media shouldn’t serve as your only source: it should instead complement a wide array of resources. The following are just a few of the ways you can take advantage of social networking when reporting on your community.

Participate, don’t just broadcast – To fully understand the potential of social networks, we must think beyond the antiquated one-way communication characterized by traditional media. For example, when researching a story, do not simply post that you are seeking information. Get involved in online discussions about your topic of interest. As in other venues in life, you must give and take when seeking the most out of social media.

Separate chatter from information – If you find a juicy lead or tidbit, your first step is to try and verify this information in some way. Remember that much of what you read and hear about on social networks could be defined as hearsay, like chatter overheard in a grocery store. But, a good lead is a good lead, so it’s important to follow up with anything that seems relevant.

Monitor your online reputation – If you have a personal profile through Facebook or Twitter, be sure to vet what you post. Offering your work online will open up your social media accounts to a wider form of scrutiny. And remember: you’re only as credible as your online reputation.

Instant focus group – Your social media network can also serve as a robust focus group, enabling you to post various story drafts or ideas, which can be evaluated by your network of friends and colleagues. This could help you gain an outsider’s perspective, perhaps shedding light on any holes your story may have, or opening up the doors to new sources and perspectives.

Double check your info – A Washington Post reporter was recently suspended for posting false information on Twitter, in an effort to prove how many people in the media redistribute information from social networks without double-checking their facts. And as other media predictably picked up this seemingly juicy lead, the experiment worked too well. So well, in fact, he was suspended. His point is valid, but could also be considered an abuse of his high-profile position in the media (which carries a great deal of responsibility).

Lastly, remember that there are very few concrete rules when dealing with social media, so find new ways to innovate the way you collect and share information.

http://mashable.com/2010/06/18/tips-for-web-video/

As reporters and storytellers, it’s easy to get caught up in the storytelling part of your craft. But the success of your story ultimately hinges on what you’re able to collect from your sources, which means your story’s true value is in someone else’s hands.

Do your research and prepare questions, but make sure that you listen and truly understand what the person on the other end is talking about. Being a good listener is a skill that no journalism school can empower you with: that’s up to you.

So make sure you get the most accurate and interesting information from those you interview. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Ask open-ended questions – Stay away from inquiries with a “yes” or “no” answer. Rather than asking, “did you enjoy the event?” ask them “what did you like most about the event?” Other examples: “Why do you think that happened?” “How do you feel about that?”

Follow up – There are many compelling reasons for asking follow-up questions. If you double-check that you understand your source’s message, you are better able to keep the story within its proper context. Ask why or how, and you’ll elicit a more thoughtful, honest answer. So, if you’re 90 percent sure of the meaning of his or her quote, ask again for clarification. If you feel that person can elaborate a bit more, ask again as well. Don’t be afraid to repeat yourself.

Balance small talk and business – You want your subject to feel as comfortable as possible. Yet you don’t want to waste someone’s time. So it’s important, through practice, to strike the proper balance between asking about someone’s day, perhaps, or finding a common hobby to ask a question about and asking for a story quote. Engage in small talk first; don’t just launch into your prepared questions. When you finally get to asking that hard-hitting question, your interviewee will know he or she is dealing with a person, not a machine. An interview should be a conversation, not an interrogation.

Be natural – Even though you want to be prepared, and you’ve done your research and written out your questions, be sure to weave them through a tapestry of natural conversation. If the interview takes a different turn than you expect, let it navigate its own course, especially if it’s compelling.

Listen – Being a good interviewer requires being a good listener. Know the difference between hearing and listening. Try to avoid cutting off your source (unless you’re running out of time for something). If your source begins to ramble or stray from the topic at hand, then it’s a good idea to gently nudge them back onto the path of your questions.

Maintain eye contact – Look up from that notebook and look the other person in the eyes. Let him or her know that you are interested in what they’re saying, not the scripted questions in front of you.

Check the background – The lighting’s perfect and the camera’s rolling, and you’re so focused on your interview subject that you fail to notice the railing behind him looks like horns are coming out of his head – and that’s only after you review the footage at home. Or it could be a pile of garbage, or a painted wall whose design distracts from your focal point. Whatever the case, make sure you check around and behind your interview subject before you ever start rolling the camera.

Know when to be quiet – This is a variation of the “listen” suggestion. When interviewing for print, your question style can be more conversational, but when recording the interview for audio or video broadcast, try to limit your verbal cues of agreement and vocalizations (like “yeah” or “u-huh”). This will make for a cleaner quote from your source without your voice interrupting a poignant audio moment.

You don’t have to write everything – Understanding the essence of your source’s message is more important than catching every word they say verbatim. You can quote someone perfectly and still not convey their statements within the proper context. Don’t pressure yourself to be a court reporter. At times, simply put down the pen and listen. When interviewing strictly for print, a good strategy is to audio record the interview while also taking notes with the emphasis on listening more than writing. That way, you’re taking part in a conversation, and if something significant sticks out, you can go back and get the exact quote afterward. Using a recorder with a number counter is even better, because when you hear a quote you want to go back to and double-check later, you can write down the counter number and not have to pore through the entire recording to get it.

Know your subject – This recommendation aligns itself next to knowing your audience. If you’re interviewing a politician or a local celebrity, they’ll deliver a sound bite with relative ease. If your subject is a mother of three who’s never spoken with the media, be patient and let her think about her answers. If you wait long enough, people’s answers will become more articulate and more meaningful for broadcast.

Do your homework – Along with knowing which questions to ask, it pays to do a little research on your interviewee ahead of time, including any background information you can learn. A source who notices this will respect you. A source about whom you don’t know much will be less willing to open up if you didn’t even take the time to learn a little bit about what makes them tick.

Give them the last word – It’s good etiquette (and wise for your reporting) to wrap up your interview by asking your source to add anything you may have left out, not covered or forgotten to ask. That way, you can give him or her a chance to clear up anything that’s on their mind.

Get a referral – Ask your subject if there’s anyone else you can interview to produce a more well-rounded story. Often, a chain of referrals can lead to a key interview.

In the news business, there’s less and less reason to view other news venues primarily as competitors, even if they’re in your backyard. These days, all news providers are potential collaborators in the practice and business of journalism—and I think it’s time we started acting more like it…

By Amy Gahran

I’ve been making this point for years, but I was reminded of it most recently when I reread Newsroom Collaborations: The New Culture of Sharing vs. Competing—an excellent June 22 Idea Lab post by Spot.us founder David Cohn.

Cohn quoted Mediabugs founder Scott Rosenberg’s observation that the news business is transitioning from “an environment where competition was the dominant mode of interacting with other organizations to an era where dividing labor and sharing might serve the public better.”

The trick is, adopting a culture of collaboration and sharing isn’t all about work. It’s also about how current and potential collaborators relate to each other—in private and in public, and increasingly via social media. It’s hard to lay the groundwork for beneficial partnerships in a culture of reflexive guardedness and sniping.

Recently, a colleague who works for a daily paper told me about an incident that illustrates a key problem with the competitive culture of news.

There’s a reporter at his paper who uses Twitter mainly as a broadcast channel. One day, he noticed her tweet a public “nice to have met you at that event” greeting to another journalist. The other journalist works for a hyperlocal venture that launched recently in the existing paper’s coverage area. Later, and privately, my colleague cautioned her that their paper’s management might frown upon such public “shoutouts” to “the competition,” however innocuous.

From a competitive news mindset, “public acknowledgement equals accreditation,” my colleague explained. “It suggests equivalency, collegiality. The other news outlet, they’re not in a position just yet to be breaking anybody’s rice bowl. But the attitude above me is: well, who wants to help them get there?”

As more news organizations wrestle with the effects and implications of social media, the significance of gray areas like this will grow. Because casual public conversations are one way to help wary, jealous competitors evolve into friendly potential collaborators.

(READ MORE)

Over time, a disciplined journalist becomes more like a machinist, focused on one thing only, going back to that task over and over. This sounds like hard work, but if that task involves something you enjoy, it could be incredibly rewarding.

The first step to maintaining a beat is to figure out what type of stories you want to put together. Find something you’re interested in. It’s also important to make sure there’s a “market” for your stories, videos, blogs or podcasts. All that means is, can you find readers? Is the market not too saturated? Are readers (or viewers) even interested in this topic? If the answer is yes, then you’re well on the way to figuring out your beat.

Be seen: Make yourself visible in the community. Attend meetings and social events, and talk to other residents. Pass out a business card or some other means for them to contact you, and introduce yourself as a correspondent for your beat. If you make a positive impression and establish yourself as a knowledgeable resource of information, people will contact you with story tips and potential interview opportunities.

Research: If you want to compel readers (or Web viewers) to go back to your work, do as much research as possible in your topic of interest. Read other articles and books, watch educational documentaries, and talk to people in the field. Find experts and conduct informational interviews to shore up on your own background knowledge on this topic. Talk to readers and ask them what type of stories they’re looking for. You need to learn more about your preferred beat than the average person. If you only learn what other people know already, what reason would they have for turning to you?

Find the mover and shakers: Look for the people of influence in your field, and build a rapport. Between news-based interviews, call or meet with them or send e-mails to “check in.” Make small talk; get to know them on the personal level. Building a level of trust with potential sources will help them feel comfortable talking to you, and likely place you at the top of their list of priorities when they have a newsworthy tip or idea. Attend events that relate to your beat. If you want to cover a police beat, get to know uniformed officers in your area. If you want to cover a business beat, set up meetings with influential people within local companies, but don’t forget about secretaries and support staff: they’re movers and shakers too, and sometimes the source for valuable information.

Know your audience: This tip applies for every story you create. Ask yourself: Does my reader care about this? Put yourself in their shoes. If you’re writing (or assembling other media) based on your interests alone, it’s best to save that work for the personal journal or diary. Journalism is a service to your audience, and your role is to inform and entertain. And remember that different audiences have separate needs. If your audience prefers sports, they’ll look for stats and numbers, along with detailed player information. If your audience favors music reviews, you need to avail yourself of musicians and musical styles (and learning some music theory can’t hurt either). After you’ve worked on a beat for an extended amount of time, it might be tempting to write stories that your sources prefer. Don’t be overly influenced by your sources; write for the audience.

These are but a few tips. There are a myriad of resources online to help you develop a news or entertainment beat. Keep your eyes and ears open, trust your ability to tell a good story, and best of all, have fun!