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Ready to start learning some online skills and tools, but don't know how to get started? Here's a few ideas: If you haven't already, familiarize yourself with the many places you can go online for information about people you're tracking down, about businesses, and etc. Start at my site inserttexthere.com. I've created a list of useful links in the right hand rail. When you're done with that, go to PowerReporting and learn your way around all of those resources. 1. Learn your way around MySpace. You will need to use it to track down sources -- especially young sources 2. Pick up a copy of a cheap and excellent program called SoundSlides. Get a digital camera and a digital recorder. Now use these tools to create audio/photo galleries. Here's some of the pieces you'll need to put it all together:
Once you get your audio and photos edited, you'll be able to make great multimedia in minutes with Soundslides. We used Soundslides at the SeattlePI.com to create these multimedia reports on skateboarding, a recent Creation Fest event and more. Soundslides is used at many papers. Reporters and photographers are often responsible for gathering and sometimes editing their own audio. More and more are learning to use the Soundslides program. 3. Learn how to use Photoshop, learn the difference between a gif and a jpg, how to make your audio shine. Extra Credit: Learn the basics of Dreamweaver, and how to build a website. These will likely never be used at your paper, but it's a fun tool to learn, and you might want to know how to use it to build a personal Website. 4. Learn your way around a video camera. Here's some tips from Online Journalism Review. Here's some from CNN.
5. Create an online resume. Why make it hard for future employers to find out about you? Link to your best clips, so they can read your work online. Here's some basics on how to get started building your website. It's easiest with Dreamweaver. You can download it for a 30-day free trial here. You probably have some free web space available to you via your Internet provider. Call them up and figure out how to sign in to use them. Then use CUTEftp to upload your pages. They also have a free trial version. 6. Blog. Put your profile on Linked In and start making connections there. Twitter. Get started blogging at Blogger. Read a bit about how to network and blog here. Get started at Linked In here. Get started Twittering here.For new tips every week, check out Print To Online, my training blog for absolute beginners.
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