Delivery changes. Journalism doesn’t.

By A.J. Feather

Via Stitcher.com

I gave a new method of podcast listening a try this weekend. I think I have used Stitcher Radio in the past, but I don’t remember when that was or why I did not stick with it. The experience was remarkable.

When I turned it on, it gave me access to a larger library of podcasts and allowed me to play through stories from the Wall Street Journal, NPR and the CBC in a curated order that flowed well. But that wasn’t what got my attention.

Newsrooms and deep dish: A recap of ONA Mizzou's trip to Chicago

By Andrew Gibson

This has been a year of firsts for the Online News Association at Mizzou.

In November, we brought our first out-of-state speaker to campus: then-New York Times reporter Brian Stelter (he's now CNN's senior media correspondent). Later that month, we teamed up with the MU chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists for the on-campus UNITY conference, which focuses on diversity in the media. And this past weekend, we went on our first school-sponsored trip.

Where to, you ask (unless you read the headline)?

What you need to know about running for an ONA Mizzou office

By Elise Schmelzer

It's that time of year again: Final exams lurk in the near future, summer can't come soon enough and ONA Mizzou is looking for its next batch of student leaders.

Student leaders are in charge of the club's events from the first brainstorming session to putting the chairs back after everyone has left.

This year, our events included topics like web analytics and our guests included former New York Times reporter Brian Stelter, who now is the senior media correspondent for CNN. We also hosted a hands-on tutorial on building custom Google maps and offered portfolio site reviews.

Anyone who has attended at least one of our events is welcome to come hear the candidates' speeches and then cast a vote.

When: 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 1
Where: Palmer Room (100A Reynolds Journalism Institute)

Five ways to write a more concise script

By Andrew Gibson

What advice do you have for writing more concise scripts?

The ability to write a concise, informative script is one of the most powerful tools journalists can have in the digital age. "Script" might seem specific to radio and TV, but you'll also need one each time you produce a Web video or create an audio slideshow.

Knowing this, it's important to remember the differences between writing for the eye and ear. Inverted-pyramid stories happen in space. The entire text of a print article sits in front of a reader, meaning a person can skip around it while easily referring to earlier information if something doesn't make sense.  Putting the most important information first means anyone can leave the story early and informed.

Conclusion: Readers can cruise through a lengthy inverted-pyramid story and still "get it."

Audio and video stories happen in time. The entire story isn't in front of people at once, so they can't quickly decide what's worth listening to or watching. Also, these stories can lose coherence if people jump around within them because the most important information isn't always first.

Conclusion: People often have to consume the entire length of an audio or video story to "get it."

That's why it's imperative for you to write concise scripts. You're deciding how much time people must set aside from their day to watch or listen to it. To help, here are five conciseness tips, several of which I learned while completing my first convergence-reporting team story last week.