When I say 'blogging' is required this semester, what I mean is...

 


By PATRICK JOHNSON

When I say 'blogging,' is required this semester, what I mean is you will load your text into a platform that, once published, will allow other people to read it. Blogging is much simpler to type than "loading your text in a platform blah blah..." but it's the same thing.

Why do you need to know how to do this? I mean, who cares, right? This is just some academic exercise in sadism, isn't it?

It is an academic exercise in sadism but it is also a valuable skill to acquire. When you leave AIC and you get a job in the media, the very first thing you will be expected to know is how to load your copy onto the website. The reporters do that, not the editors, not the producers, not the blogging fairies. 

You. You alone.

So you may as well learn the basics now.

It doesn't matter where you go. Every publication has its online platform. The Republican / Masslive use a platform called Arc. It is the same platform as what is used by the Washington Post, if that means anything. The NY Times has its platform. NPR has its own platform. If you get a job in PR, chances are your company uses some variation of WordPress or Blogger. 

They are also, more or less the same: Headline, text, photos/graphics.  Load it up, hit publish, move on to the next one. 

As I said you may as well learn it now.

Tips:

  • I like to compose outside the platform and then copy&paste it in when I'm done. It's easier to compose in Google Docs or even Word and not have to worry about the platform rigamarole.

  • Think art. Online content needs art. Pictures/graphics really oomph up your words. Just don't pick an annoying gif of Jim Carrey typing like I did.  
  • Now, when you are a professional working for a private company, you need to know that images are copyrighted and you just can't 'use' them without compensating the owner. But since this is an academic exercise (in sadism), Bill Waterson of Calvin and Hobbes (left)  is not going to sue you. So, Google Images is your friend in that regard. But out there in the real world, be careful. Because Bill Patterson's team of lawyers is waiting for you to trip up.
  • Don't forget your hyperlinks. Hyperlinks, or in layman's terms, links are a great tool to build up your copy. They allow you to say 'Right here, pal. Right here is my proof for backing up what I'm saying.' With many platforms, it is automatic that clicking on the link will take you to a new tab. You want that.  In Blogger,  a little box pops up and asks you if you want to open the link in a new tab. Click 'yes.'
  • Don't forget your byline. That's where you put your name on the top of what you write. Otherwise, I won't know who the hell you are. 

We'll get into what you are expected to type content-wise, but for now, be ready.


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