Me Thinks the New York Times Didn’t Do the Math
Sour Mash Or Sour Grapes?
Bernard Stein
Archive for the ‘Ford Foundation Grant’ Category
So Much to Do
Monday, May 25th, 2009Because I was so wrapped up in trying to get my students credentials for the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver in August, and getting them prepped once they were notified by New America Media that three were going, and trying later for a WORD presence at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis (my trying was not as serious nor as successful as my efforts for the DNC in Denver) and then the Presidential Inaugural in D.C. (which they accomplished by themselves), I had slacked off a lot.
And I am still playing catch-up.
My Ford Foundation Grant: Lessons Learned – 7
Saturday, February 7th, 2009Lesson 7.
More should be done to encourage student contact with professional journalists. My Ford Foundation project, for example, allowed students to work alongside professional journalists in the field. Arrangements like this can more productive than merely inviting professional journalists to be guest speakers in class (though I don’t disapprove of guest speakers but in my experience too many pros show up and blow big-time smoke, and are rarely candid about the dynamics of their newsrooms nor candid about the ethical quagmires they must negotiate in order to do their jobs and look themselves in the mirror).
More examples: Students working alongside professional journalists at the New Hampshire Primaries and at the Democratic National Convention in Denver and at the Presidential Inauguration though the latter was more about pageantry.Â
Imaginative projects can prepare students for the best internships and apprenticeships.Â
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My Ford Foundation Grant: Significant Events Cited in Final Report
Friday, January 16th, 2009The WORD received considerable interest and support and that led to it receiving press credentials from the Independent Press Association (now known as the New York Community Media Alliance) for two students to join a cadre of professional news reps from 10 NYCMA member organizations to report on the New Hampshire Primaries in January, 2008. The students reported on rallies and news conferences and met with the University of New Hampshire survey center associate director who briefed all the journalists about the primaries.
And the success of that trip led to the WORD receiving press credentials for three students to report on the Democratic National Convention. (more…)
My Ford Foundation Grant: Lessons Learned – 6
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009Lesson 6. It is not a a waste of energy to try developing an informal, collaborative relationship with student news media at Hunter so as to try to encourage them to consider publishing articles and disseminating information about ethnic-immigrant issues. This is especially true considering the richness of Hunter’s culturally and ethnically diverse student body. But … (more…)
My Ford Foundation Grant: Lessons Learned – 4 & 5
Monday, January 12th, 2009Lesson 4. Instructors need to beware of the mesmerizing power of platforms like YouTube. It is becoming so easy for students to produce material for the internet that they can lose sight, for example, about the importance of writing skills to tell their stories. That naivete can lead to students eschewing reputable journalistic practices as well as the traditions of reputable ethical practices and news media responsibility.
Lesson 5. This instructor must consider revising his journalism syllabi often for the foreseeable future.Â
My Ford Foundation Grant: Lessons Learned – 3
Saturday, January 10th, 2009Lesson 3. YouTube and other platforms like it are excellent tools for teaching students about multimedia news dissemination.
My Ford Foundation Grant: Lessons Learned – 2
Friday, January 9th, 2009Lesson 2. Journalism in order to develop at Hunter needs to eschew filmmaking techniques and aesthetics and develop its own methodology.
My $30,000 Ford Foundation Grant: Lessons Learned – 1
Thursday, January 8th, 2009Lesson 1. Paltry technical support that was not anticipated required this writer to draw upon technology workshops on and off campus as well as from online and off-line tutorials plus support from the CUNY graduate journalism program to acquire sufficient technical expertise to supervise students for audio, video and visual news dissemination. Thus this lesson: Instructors interested in teaching multimedia news dissemination have to have sufficient technical expertise in new media and broadcast-type software and hardware because many college undergraduate programs are still rooted in old traditions and that goes for their technical staffs.Â
My $30,000 Ford Foundation Grant: Grant Proposal Excerpts
Wednesday, January 7th, 2009I was awarded a $30,000 Ford Foundation grant to develop a multimedia ethnic reporting class. I emailed a final report to Ford December 31. I am publishing some excerpts from the report. Here’s the first: