August Academy for Class of 2013 Applicants
August Academy for Class of 2013 Applicants
This special series of enrichment classes is open to any prospective student who has commenced the application process for the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism’s Class of 2013. There is no cost to applicants for taking part in the August Academy. If you are interested in registering, please email Stephen Dougherty, director of admissions & student affairs, at stephen.dougherty@journalism.cuny.edu, or call him at 646-758-7731.
Monday, August 8
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Intro to Public Radio – Public Radio and TV Veteran Marty Goldensohn, Room 436
In this class taught by public radio and television reporter, host, and producer Marty Goldensohn, students learn the theory and practice of public radio. A brief lecture tells the roots and values of the network. A listening session deconstructs on-screen a multi-track feature produced in ProTools. A crash course in radio production follows including basics of interviewing and writing. Students record a short interview and produce it. In the process, we discuss everything from headphones to journalistic ethics.
1:30-4:30 p.m.
Social Media for Journalists – Jeremy Caplan, Room 434
Whether you’re a Twitter newbie or a master Tweeter, here’s your chance to dive in deep. During the first half of this session, we will explore how social media tools – from Twitter and Facebook to LinkedIn and Publish2 – can spark story ideas, reveal trends, and connect you with new sources. In addition to covering social media ethics and etiquette, we will explore best practices and tips, tricks, and tools. During the second half of the workshop, discover how social media can help you build your brand in the new world of Web 3.0. We will explore how leading journalists and news organizations are capitalizing on social networks to reach out to readers, viewers, and communities. Jeremy Caplan is director of education for the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism.
5-8 p.m.
Art of the Personal Essay – Magazine Editor Paula Derrow, Room 432
At the heart of every personal essay is a memory—and any memory can be the starting point for a personal essay or a memoir, for that matter. The trick is learning how to access your memories, then using them as a jumping off point for something larger. In this three-hour workshop taught by Paula Derrow, SELF magazine’s articles director and editor of the Self Expression column, we’ll use writing prompts to spur your memory, to warm up your writing muscles, to get you thinking about details, sights, sounds, smells that you may not have thought of in a long time. We will then read each other’s results and discuss the elements that make for a compelling personal essay. Besides in class writing, we will also talk about the basics of pitching personal essays, the difference between personal essay and a blog or diary, and various techniques that make for effective personal writing.
Tuesday, August 9
9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
News Photography – John Smock, Adjunct Faculty, Room 436
This workshop led by veteran photojournalist John Smock will help you improve your photographic skills for use in all media. We will cover the technical and conceptual aspects of basic camera usage, composition, visual vocabulary, photo editing, lighting, and Photoshop. You will learn how to handle portraits, news conferences, politics, intimate photo essays, and international conflicts. You will also learn how to photograph while recording audio, shooting video, or reporting for print. Whether you are a beginner or intermediate photographer, you will learn the tricks of the trade that professional photojournalists use.
2-5 p.m.
Food Writing – Indrani Sen, Adjunct Faculty, Room 308
Writing about food must be as simple as eating and cooking it, right? Wrong. Food writing requires more than a fine-tuned palate and a good recipe for holiday cookies. Locavores, the Farm Bill, food safety scares, commodity prices, environmental justice – in this post-Michael Pollan era, food writing is increasingly complex. The good news is it’s also a growing field. Gourmet magazine is gone, but the fertile landscape of localized or specialized food web sites, blogs and food zines is still expanding, and general interest publications have increased their food coverage. CUNY J-School Craft professor Indrani Sen leads this workshop that will introduce students to the fundamentals of food writing. Sen is a former Newsday reporter who has written for The New York Times dining section and Saveur magazine, among other publications.
5:30-8 p.m.
Meet the Students and Faculty Reception, 3rd Floor Cafe Area
Wednesday, August 10
9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Freelancing Workshop – Tim Harper, Adjunct Faculty, Room 308
We’ll cover generating ideas, understanding markets, getting to the right editor, pitching the story, and contracts and rights issues. Students will also write in-class pitches, to be critiqued on the spot, for magazines and web sites. Longtime independent journalist Tim Harper, a CUNY J-School Craft professor and writing coach, will teach the class. He has written a dozen books, helped many other writers with their books, and written hundreds of articles for markets ranging from Atlantic magazine to airline publications.
