A picture is worth a thousand words

(only if it's got a really good cutline, too!)   

  Photo captions and cutlines are the most read body type in a publication. Of all the news content, only the titles of stories or headlines have higher readership than captions.It follows that standards of accuracy, clarity, completeness and good writing are as high for captions and cutlines than for other type. As with headlines, captions and cutlines must be crisp. As with stories, they must be readable and informative. 

Be concise; be precise; don't be trite. Be careful with elements- Caption needs to flow. Don't do fiction.

Rules of Copy Editing

Originally by Karina Hernandez

Copy editors can edit any kind of copy. They read through endless pages of newsletters, marketing materials, Web material, academic works, books, newspapers and magazines with a fine-toothed comb. They must address issues of language mechanics, grammar, spelling, punctuation, style and, just as importantly, fact checking. They also must identify problems and correct them for clarity and accuracy without reworking the author's original style or ideas to the point of inauthenticity.  

Style

Vigilant copy editors do well by keeping themselves acquainted with the most commonly used style guides: MLA (Modern Language Association), AP (Associated Press) and the Chicago Manual of Style. The style manuals publish the most up-to-date information on commonly used (and confusing) words, their proper usage, as well as punctuation and information on the writing discipline. Usage manuals and dictionaries are also an important part of the editing repertoire. Copy editors also must be familiar with the specific style guide of the publication for which they are working, which may cover local or in-house issues not included in a general style guide. The in-house style guide may also have rules that contradict traditional style guides, and the copy editor must get to know them well A copy editor must be a master of her in-house style. Because the writers and authors whose work they edit may write for a spectrum of publications, they may confuse or apply a writing convention that's inconsistent with the publication for which the editor works.  

Punctuation

Copy editors must tackle the most difficult punctuation issues to ensure clarity and convey the emotion intended by the writer through the text. The University of Capetown says the comma and apostrophe are the most confusing punctuation marks when writing and are often used incorrectly .  

Spelling

The advent of the computer spell-check function has made this part of a copy editor's job somewhat easier. But the copy editor still must be vigilant, as not all words are included in computer dictionary. A computer spell-checker also won't catch if a correctly spelled word has been used in the wrong way (led vs. lead or rein vs. rain).  

Grammar and Syntax

Copy editors must not only know the principles of grammar and syntax, but also how to convey them to the author in a tactful and professional manner. They must meet tone and sentence structure guidelines without affecting the author's message or their relationship.

Checking the Facts Just as they must preserve a writer's integrity and style, the copy editor must also protect the integrity and reputation of the publication, which he helps do by double-checking the facts, statistics and quotes of an article to reduce the risk of embarrassing and potentially libelous mistakes. Fact-checking may include contacting the author's sources; making sure the writer cites the source of information and gives credit where it's due; and researching the facts online or from texts.  

Brevity and Concise Writing

A piece of writing must convey important information clearly and concisely. The copy editor must weed out unnecessary words and make sure the piece is free of the journalist's opinions or flowery language, keeping the article as tight and factual as possible.

Design and Produce a Business Plan

For my group we created a business plan for a local Townsville store that was focused on turning the former World Vision Townsville store into an e-commerce store. Without the need of have a brick and mortar store overhead costs would be considerably cut.

Download our Business plan on Google Docs

The business plan shown was originally created for CP2017.

A Journey Through Israel and Jordan

Petra: In front of the famous Treasury building in the lost city of Petra

Have you been on an overseas holiday recently but can hardly remember a thing about it? Well, one technique to remember stories from your holidays about the things you did or places you visited is to capture your holiday in a digital story.

Digital storytelling refers to a short form of digital film-making that allows everyday people to share aspects of their life story. It’s easy to create and only basic programs are needed to create the story. To find out how to make your own digital story www.techsoup.org.

My Suburban News Editor, Nicholas O’Sullivan met with adventurer Maureen Harrison who has recently traveled to Israel and Jordan. Ms Harrison has served in short-term mission trips and been on several tours while visiting the eastern nations.

A creative non-fiction digital story was produced to display Ms Harrison’s visit to Israel and Jordan in August. The story sets the scene up by talking about the thousands of real-life stories about wars, kings, great leaders and people that have been passed on to many around the globe.
The journey starts at the Ancient Port of Joppa, Israel’s primary port in the Old Testament times and goes to Beersheba and even the Garden of Gethsemane.

Watch the video and start getting ideas on what digital stories you can start creating, digital stories aren’t limited to just holidays, so get creative!

Read more at My Suburban News - http://www.mysuburbannews.com.au/2012/10/28/a-journey-through-israel-and-jordan-20209016.html#ixzz2AYwdeYZs

Place Based Story Telling & Final Assignment

Why do people find stories about places interesting?

-        

  Because of things that happened there. People connect with theses stories emotionally and create meaning

- They are markers in time that anchor your identity – they do this just by being there, and by staying there – this is why it is important to preserve, not just buildings but environments

-  They have multiple ways of being told – they can embody many different types of meaning and story – so they can continually be retold

So, telling stories about places, is as important about telling stories about family, events, history – because the land remains, the places remain and so they are a visual memory of who you are, and where you come from.

Techniques/Approaches to take when creating a place-based story

1.    
Try to understand why something is there. Reveal the underlying social and economic world behind the landscape or building, what was it created or used for?

2.      Look at a story, or a place from several angles. Think of all the people who were, or are, connected to a place and look at it from their perspective and what it might mean to them. This generates great ideas for storytelling.

3.    
Try and identify a small aspect of a place, or something very specific about it that you can base your story on and tell the bigger story of the place. Everyday objects can often reveal, or tell a bigger story.

4.    
Place the story in the context of something larger. Many people find it difficult to get engaged in a
specific story unless they have a frame of reference. Provide them with one by connecting your story to something they might already know about.

5.    
Maps or contextual images are a way to break through the disconnection with place, if you can’t be physically there. Maps take your eyes and place them above a landscape and help the viewer orient themselves to a location. Good , wide establishing shots serve a similar function.

Examples

The examples I used aren’t meant to be copied, but just show how you can use different devices within a story to help locate the viewer in a place.

Assignment 4

Assignment 4 is to produce a digital story based on your own idea. It can be about anything you like, but it needs to involve some research by you, needs to have a target audience, and needs to be in the digital story format we have been practicing for the other assignments.

Develop a dramatic question, a point and include narration, emotion, pacing, soundtrack and titles.

I want you to include three components:

1. A Covering letter

Write a covering letter that summarises your project for me. Save the document as Your Name_Assignment 4 (a MSWord, Txt or RTF format document or similar). In the covering document I want to see:

1.Your Details

·         Your Name

·         NM 2203 Assignment 4

·         Student ID

2. Title of the Movie

3. Introduction

Introduce to the story, tell me what your objectives are with this piece, what it is you are trying to convey.

Tell me who the intended audience is, what they will take out of this story, or how they will find it useful, or how it will meet their needs.

4. The Process

Tell me about how you went about making this movie. If you had to do a field trip, or an interview, some background research, etc. Tell me about the process and how you established your ideas and why you chose to use the approach you took.

5. Files

Describe the folder structure where you files are located, so someone who had to go and remake or edit your movie could find the files they need.

6. Permissions

Give me an overview of the files/interviews that you used to make the movie, and where you sourced them. Pick a Creative Commons Licence for your movie.

Remember, you get a lot of marks for simply documenting and uploading your assignment correctly. Double-check your spelling and grammar. Get someone to check it for you. It is important.

2. Your Storyboard – in the same format I specified in Assignment 1 – i.e. in columns across the page. Name it ‘Your Name_ Assignment 3 Storyboard’

3. Your Movie file – create a movie file and name it Your Name_Assignment 3. Try to keep the file under 100MB.

It is a good idea to zip up these three files into one Zip Folder and upload that. That means you only need to upload once.

DROPBOX

I will create an Assignment 4 Dropbox on LearnJCU. Upload your files here by Monday 29^th  October.

To recap – upload 3 files for me ( or zip into one folder and upload the folder).

1.    A covering document

2.    Your storyboard
Your Movie file

Have fun.

An Ab workout I should do at the GYM

An 8 minute core and ab strengthening workout.

KatCakes, KIT KAT Brownie Slice with KIT KAT Sorbet About a...

I'm going to have to make this at some point in time.

I can't believe that Kit Kat Australia has over 228 thousand likes! Wow, that's like more than most pages I've liked.

KatCakes, KIT KAT Brownie Slice with KIT KAT Sorbet About a...

What's your motivation for success?

I may be missing the point but there's no point in continually saying your going too do something. You got to think, would I be able to do it for a $$$$ million? Cause if you can do it for money or a materialistic object you mustn't really want it and you mustn't have enough respect or motivation for yourself. You actually have to get out there and do it to find what you want.

Interview Transcript with the Right Reverend Bill Ray

Bill Ray named William Ray is the 10th Anglican Bishop of North Queensland he was born in Melbourne and started out as a sheep shearer in rural victory. Later he realised he had a passion for youth and started out as a primary school teacher, soon becoming head teacher of a rural school.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Bill Ray worked full-time with the young people of the Diocese of Brisbane, offering Bible studies, camps for various ages and assistance with youth groups, as well as providing training for Sunday school and religious education teachers and youth leaders.

After being ordained as a deacon in Rockhampton he was endorsed as a priest late in 1992. He was consecrated a bishop in March 2007 and installed as the 10th Bishop of North Queensland on 24 March 2007

Transcript of Interview with the Right Reverend Bishop Bill Ray. 

What's some of the feedback that you get from the Community? 

We get a range of comments.

There are people who are just very, very apprecitive of what you do. sometimes you don't do much for them but they just needed that little bit of help at a particular point in time and its enabled them to move forward in confidence with their self esteem.

Some people have been badly bruised by life and they certainly need allot of long term help. I find with those people, they may not be thankful immediately but they often come back later on and say, 'Look when I was going through this rought patch you people were very good to me and you helped me in this way and cared for me.'

There's certainly a level of appreciation, there are some people sadly that are just never happy.

It's important that we offer our best, do our best and provide the best we can with the resources we have.

The projects you been involved in? Nepali Family Project

I've been asked to be the patron of it. It's been going now for at least  14 years.

The brain child of that was Associate Professor of General Practice and Rural Medicine, Rural Internship Coordinator at James Cook University Dr Digby Hoyal and his wife Anne.

They took on the role of caring for people at that time and I think it's still true that Nepal is the second poorest country in the world to provide medical care.

They had a three part role, one to provide medical care and assistance as well as they can and for the people who present with illnesses and injuries. Two, to train nurses and other people and the third thing is through the church to provide pastoral care, follow-up for those that have been hurt or injured and those undergoing training.

I'm very humbled by that project. We've had some people go from Cairns recently to go over and be with them. The feedback there I've had, they can't get over how apprecitive the people are even though they have so little.

One of our ladies, whose well over seventy who went over there said it's so easy for us to take a band-aid for granted.

When was it that you first got involved in the Anglican Church and decided you wanted to become a minister and a Bishop?

I started out my life as a sheerer for a very brief time and then I went teaching. It was while I was teaching I felt as though I should enter into the youth ministry field. So I worked as a youth worker within the church and then I felt the call toward a nation. I was a minister in the church and then I become a Bishop five and a half years later.

What is it that motivates you?

The thing that motivates me as a Bishop is if we can enable people to understand what christianity is about we will certainlly make life and society the way God intended it. I'm keen that people understand what they believe, as Christians. For those who aren't christians, help them to understand  what christianity is about and to to nuture those in their christian faith so they can make a positive contribution to life and society.

As a Bishop you don't actually have a church that your the minister at every Sunday?

That is very true and sometimes a frustration. In my early days I missed that deeply. I had been a parish minister and you minister to a congregation and you can preach on certain themes and you know the people, you know that Ms Smith isn't well and you know that Mr Jones has gone to hospital or you know that Johnny is sitting year 12 exams. It had been a bit difficult adjusting. The church that I have the most to do with is the Cathederal here at Denham Street in Townsville - I do go to that probably once a month on average.

What is a Bishop?

One of the things a Bishop does is carry a shepherd's crook. In the olden day's the shepherds used to grab the sheep either by their hind leg or around their neck and it's a reminder to me that I'm to care for all people without fear or favour.

I put it in my shootcase now cause when I fly people at security at the airport have no idea what a bishop is, they have no idea what a crook is.

Your primary role is to care for the cleragy and the people.

One of the key roles as a bishop is to make sure that the faith is preserved with integrity.

A bishop is supposed to be a teacher and a protector of the faith.

Are you married and do you have any children?

I'm married to Robin and she lectures in the school of medicine and dentistry. We have two children, we have a daughter who used to be a cardiac nurse but she's now a mum with three young sons from five to ten weeks. They live in Shanghai in China and we have a son who lives in Bendigo and is doing outdoor education.

Our daughter is teaching her young children the faith. She does connect-up with other young mums in what I would call a house church situation.

Last time I was over there we just had a simple little prayer session over there. 

 I suspect that as I look back on our children

We've provided them with a value based system that makes sense for them that their able to own for themselves.

Cabling your Home

If and when we move out of our current home in Kirwan, I'm going to cable the whole place with Cat6 cabling incorporating a small rack mount cabinet with a patch panel, switch, modem and a wireless access point in the ceiling.

Well, anyway in-case I need some more advice to think about my own set, here's a nice tutorial I found on instructables.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Wire-Your-House-With-Cat-5-or-6-For-Ether/?ALLSTEPS

Online Journalism

One of the biggest growth opportunities is online journalism. Web Editors often make more money than their print editor counterparts.

Jobs:

Web editors and producers positions pay higher than the equivalent print positions: Web editors approx $65,000 and Web producers approximately $89,000.

What's Your Motivation?

This was a Digital Photo Story created for the Digital Story Telling subject at JCU known as NM2203.

The story produced was written to a criteria, with the purpose of teaching somebody something through the use of a digital story, in the hope that they they might possibly learn something from it.

Music used and licensed under the Creative Commons license by Dan-O at DanoSongs.com. All images are owned solely by @nickswebtsv.

Story Transcript

I was the kid who never liked the idea of competing.

I dreaded the yearly school sports activities, such as the cross country the athletics day and God forbid that dreaded swimming carnival.

You can probably see I wasn’t really the athletic type, until one day, that day I decided to step up to the mark.

It all happened after a long summer’s break of mountain biking and weight-lifting.

I spoke highly of myself with my newly found personal confidence after suggesting how many tonne of weights I used to lift each afternoon.

I was told I should do the cross-country and prove it! So, I stepped up to the challenge and competed, scoring a top 10 finish and in-turn making the school cross country team. I also found something inside myself that day.

From that point on, I became known as ‘the machine’ at school and home.

Years went by and I continued to improve my athletic endurance, both in running, cycling and occasionally the swimming discipline.

I entered myself into my first triathlon in ‘08 and scored another top-10 finish in my chosen class.  

Since then I’ve been hooked on continually improving my performance in my chose sporting discipline; triathlons.

I train more than 10 hours a week with most days starting as early as 4am. You might ask why I do this? Well, I love competing to continually prove to myself I can be successful. It’s a great motivational tool.

So I leave you with this, What’s your motivation?