Ever since I began this whirlwind journey into college media advising, I have been scouring resources to pass on to my students. I’m a social media groupie and have found some of the best sites, blogs, and organizations an immense help in navigating the ever-changing field of journalism.
Majority of my students have little to no interest in Twitter, but ironically, majority of the tips and industry updates I receive come from my contacts on Twitter. So, I thought I’d pass these on with the hopes of encouraging my team to follow the trends and the advice from the best of the best.
1) The Student Newspaper Survival Blog: The blog is a necessary supplement to Rachele Kanigel’s book and provides daily/weekly tips for student journalists including a collection of news reports, commentaries and tips on the craft of college newspapering
2) 10,000 Words: The site gives journalists practical tips on how to best incorporate multimedia into their work. The site also culls the web for up and coming or underused technologies that enhance journalism.
3) News U: A project of the Poynter Institute, News University offers newsroom training to journalists and journalism students through its interactive e-learning program and links to other journalism education and training opportunities.
4) Student Press Law Center: The SPLC is an advocate for student free-press rights and provides information, advice, and legal assistance at no charge to students and educators.
5) Center for Innovation in College Media: The CICM showcases examples of innovative student work, hosts hands-on training workshops, and tracks emerging trends in news media that will impact college media organizations.
6) Grammar Bytes: Grammar Bytes can provide a much-needed grammar brush-up for students journalists. The site features interactive grammar exercises, detailed handouts, a directory of grammar terms and much, much more.
7) Mashable – The Social Media Guide: Mashable offers the latest and greatest tips, web sites and services relevant to social media and the publishing industry.
You’ll notice that majority of these sites showcase innovations in social media and multimedia. This is a key indicator that student journalists need to immerse themselves in new media to shine (or even survive) in the journalism industry.
– Shannon Philpott
Blog Entry: Oct. 15, 2009
© Shannon Philpott, 2009. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Shannon Philpott and shannonphilpott.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Shannon Philpott-Sanders 
The link to #6 does not work.
Just fixed it – thanks, Brett!