Saturday, April 16, 2011

What is News, Fake News and Owned Content? How do you teach it? Any ideas?

In 2009 I wrote this tweet regarding my work on "content delivery". In 2011 I prepared this new draft of a syllbus to implement more content classes in Medill IMC. From 2009 Tweet: "If we don't have news organizations, we need other organizations that provide valued news." http://bit.ly/f4UAaJ
DRAFT April 2011 Northwestern University
The Medill School
Integrated Marketing Communications

IMC New Course Number
Fall 2011, Winter Spring 2012
News, Fake News and Branded Communications:
Theory and Practice
(A Proposed Cross-over Course for the Medill School 2011-2012
to include Journalism, Media and IMC Graduate Students)

Professor’s Name
(email address)
(Phone number)
(Office hours)
(Office location)

I. WELCOME AND REVIEW OF COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course will first explore the extremely rapidly changing trends in a new eco-system of news and owned content. We will look at the delivery of news, deliberately “fake-news”, news-like branded content and transparent branded content to build needed content creation and delivery programs in agencies, companies, government and NGOs.

We will examine how content can be researched, planned, delivered and evaluated for a contribution to the publics’, media and employees’ understanding of products, services, organizational and social issues.

II. GOAL
Students will be able to create a fundable strategic proposal to create a program which produces new and reusable content for corporations, agencies, government and NGOs.

III. OBJECTIVES
You will be able to analyze the separate values and convergence of institutional values between journalism and corporate and NGO branding to derive your own beliefs about the future value systems of information content and delivery.

You will be able to understand the reader, listener and viewer experience with used and reused content and be able to determine what “news” is for the audience.

You will be able to evaluate the social and economic value of the effects of third party content and self-produced and owned content on the reputation and brand impact of institutions with new content based metric tools and analysis.

Also note weekly goals and objectives.

IV. PROJECT DETAILS AND DESCRIPTION
The project will ask you to work with others “not in your field” (journalism with IMC, IMC with media, journalism with media) to prepare a proposal for a new content creation and delivery program in a corporation, NGO, agency or governmental organization. The proposal will follow well developed IMC and public relations research, planning, execution and evaluation processes. You will prepare the proposal for delivery to an organization.

V. COURSE DELIVERABLES
The primary course deliverables are the weekly assignments in written form from individuals and groups. See each week assignment for details. There is also the expectation of a detailed proposal for support of a content creation and delivery program. There is also a mid-term examination based on your reading of assigned work and your informed discussions in class.

VI. HOW THE COURSE WILL OPERATE
The course will meet one or two times per week in the Medill graduate IMC program. The course will be 10 weeks long with members of the class completing interactive small team and individual assignments. The class will be recorded for playback to help you understand issues you want to restudy. All lecture materials (depending on the topic) will be made available before or just after the end of a class. Reading preparation will be extremely helpful to your participation in the class and ability to contribute to advancing the class discussion.

VII. EXPECTATIONS – Our expectations are that you will be able to persuade a company, NGO or commercial agency or a granting government department that a new content creation and delivery program should be funded with your as the leader of the program. You will also have gained command of using newer content delivery channels so that you can teach others how to use the outlets for content sharing and reuse. Finally, you will have a sophisticated understanding of the threats and opportunities that will encourage or discourage the growth of public and private owned content systems.

VII. ACADEMIC HONESTY AND POLICY ISSUES
All students are expected to abide by the Northwestern University and Medill academic honesty policies, as well as the laws and ethical principles in force in both the United States and in any other country where your project may be based. Any violations of these policies, laws or principles will result in a failure for the course, and possible expulsion from the IMC program. If you have questions or papers to present on issues related to disabilities please present them to the faculty member for a direct response. Please also always try to anticipate (except in the case of emergencies, death or serious health issues any missed assignments or class. Your best course of action is to let the faculty member know in advance if possible of any missed assignments, classes or work.

VIII. GRADES
One credit unit will be awarded for successful completion of the course:

1. Weekly individual or group assignment from class discussion and interaction 5 points x 9 weeks 45 points
2. Positive Peer review participation and contribution 5 points*
3. Final proposal to organizations of a content development, use and reuse 35 points
4. Midterm examination on content areas of knowledge 15 points
Total 100 points

*Peer evaluations will be given strong consideration by faculty in the determination of grades. Mid-quarter evaluations, including input from students, will be conducted the 5th week. Mid-quarter evaluations will be used in the determination of final grades.

WHAT ARE THE GRADE LETTERS?

A = 93-100 percent, AB 88-92 percent, B 83-87, BC 78-82
C 70-77, D 60-69, F <60weekly Schedule, Goals, Issues, Readings and Assignments

Week 1. What is content: The good, the bad and the ugly?

Week Goal:
Understand and begin to discuss trends in the research, planning, creation and , measurement of information, edutainment, infotainment, news, fake news, owner created content, public relations, earned press, transparent information and other examples of branded content excluding paid media (advertising, direct marketing).

Issues to Explore:
• What are the names of content providers in NGOs, government, business? Public relations, public information, public affairs, media relations, stakeholder relations?
• What skill sets do organizations demand for more traditional and contemporary content creators and providers?
• What role has PR played in providing content?
• Where does PR provide significant content (healthcare, military, disaster)

Selected Readings: What is second decade 21st century content?
• Content: Selected Essays on Technology, Creativity, Copyright, and the Future of the Future by Cory Doctorow (Sep 15, 2008)•
• Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business (New Rules Social Media Series) by Ann Handley, C.C. Chapman and David Meerman Scott (Dec 7, 2010)
• Clout: The Art and Science of Influential Web Content (Voices That Matter) [Paperback] Colleen Jones
• Medill on Content, Chapter by Collinger and Gordon, forthcoming.

Weekly Assignment:
Review of course syllabus, expectations, goals, assignments, grading and outcomes.
Begin to Tweet on the class Twitter site about your readings and content gathering on the subjects each week. The Twitter site is MedillContent and the password is ContentMedill

Week 2 What is journalism and how has it been the key, credible content provider in Western and developed nations?

Week Goal:
What contribution to the research, planning, production of news and features as content have news organizations made?

Issues to Explore:
• What has happened to the traditional news industry including print and broadcast?
• What gaps have been created through the decline in the industry?
• What are the creative responses of the news industry to economic challenges?
• What are the professional contributions of journalism, independent journalism, public relations and marketing to building a new discipline of content planning, production and evaluation?
• What are news organizations, independent new providers, agencies, companies and consultants providing through new channels with new messages?
• What knowledge, skills and experience are agencies and companies requesting to create and build content programs?
• What is “news” for new content providers and recipients?

Selected Readings:
•Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and The Public Should Expect Research based books:
•Death and Life of American Journalism: The Media Revolution that Will Begin the World Again by Robert W. McChesney and John Nichols (2010),
Can Journalism Be Saved? Rediscovering America's Appetite for News Rachel Mersey (2010Journalism

Weekly Assignment:
What is your conclusion? Is journalism, dead or dying? What are the implications to business, NGOs, owned content from your prediction? Tweet on the class Twitter site about your readings and content gathering on the subjects each week


Week 3 What Values and Rules Shape Content Production and Delivery?

Weekly Goal:
From this course content students will be able to understand and bridge similar and disparate institutional values between journalism and corporations, government and NGOs to develop and write their own beliefs about the future of content delivery and reuse.

Issues to Explore:
• Read to understand, discuss and apply the rules and values of content production of the news and broadcasting profession. (SPJ, NAB)
• Read to understand, discuss and apply the rules and values of content production of public relations profession. (PRSA and AW Page Society)

Selected Readings: Codes that Shape Content
How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor (J-B Warren Bennis Series) by Warren Bennis, Daniel Goleman, James O'Toole and Patricia Ward Biederman (2008).
Code of Society of Professional Journalists: http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp
Code of National Association of Broadcasters: http://en.allexperts.com/q/TV-Industry-2497/NAB-Code-Ethics.htm
Code of Public Relations Society of America: http://www.prsa.org/AboutPRSA/Ethics/
A.W. Page Society Code on Internet Content: http://www.awpagesociety.com/site/about/pr_coalition_endorses •
Corporate Advocacy: An Application of Speech Communication Perspectives and Skills--And More. Heath, Robert L.
Chapter by Rear Admiral Brent Baker on PR in Government – Issues Caywood forthcoming.
Chapter on Media by Matt Gonring in Caywood, forthcoming
Chapter on Broadcasting by Larson and Wirth in Caywood, forthcoming

Weekly Assignment:
Work on a combined code for owned content delivery systems.
Tweet on the class Twitter site about your readings and content gathering on the subjects each week


Week 4: What Communications Theories Shape Content?

Weekly Goal:
In preparation of persuading an organization, company, NGO or agency that they would benefit from new content management, creation and delivery program (with you in charge) we will study the arguments that may persuade them to understand why content can be profitable.

Issues to Explore:
• Read to understand, discuss and apply business theories related to communications practice and the ownership of content?
• What are the risks of “owned content” systems?
• What are best practices examples?
• What are some of the fraudulent examples of owned content?

Selected Readings: Practical Theories of Content Creation and Delivery
Trust as an Actionable Theory: http://www.awpagesociety.com/site/resources/awp_trust_report/
http://www.awpagesociety.com/site/resources/restoring_trust_in_business
http://www.edelman.com/trust/2011/
Transparency as an Actionable Theory: http://www.awpagesociety.com/awp_blog/comments/transparency_accountability_and_trust/
Saving Journalism: Can Journalism Be Saved? Rediscovering America's Appetite for News Rachel Mersey (2010)
Other Theories:
Theories of PR and Communications: Chapter by Caywood and Mersey from Caywood forthcoming.

Weekly Assignment:
Pick a theory or combination of theories to help develop your proposal for a new content delivery program in an organization. Explain why the theory helps your proposal.

Week 5 How do you advise an organization to build a new content delivery program?

Weekly Goal:
Identify, understand and apply an IMC planning model to be used for proposing the creation of a content delivery program in an organization.

Issues to Explore:
• What are the professional contributions of journalism, independent journalism, public relations and marketing to building a new discipline of content planning, production and evaluation?
• What are news organizations, independent new providers, agencies, companies and consultants providing through new channels with new messages?
• What knowledge, skills and experience are agencies and companies requesting to create and build content programs?

Selected Reading: Content Planning Job Description from Leo Burnet, Chicago for Content Strategist
Current Job Listings (various) for content analysts, strategists, providers.

Week Activity:
Based on preliminary readings and lecture, write a 3 page preliminary plan outline to create a content proposal for a specific corporation, NGO or agency. Tweet on the class Twitter site about your readings and content gathering on the subjects each week


Week 6 Metrics for Content

Weekly Goal:
Students will be able to evaluate the social and economic value of the effects of third party content and self-produced content on the reputation and brand of institutions using new metric tools and analyses.

Issues to Explore:
• How does the content proposal plan measure the success or failure of the recommendations?
• What existing high cost and even lower cost systems exist to measure the popularity, approval, use and reuse of content?
• What are the dozens of metrics that measure content?
• How can software like Biz360, WiseWindows, Google Analytics, Radian6 and content analysis programs help measure the impact of content?

Week Activity:
“Test drive” commercial custom software on existing content sites and preliminary content ideas for your final report. Tweet on the class Twitter site about your readings and content gathering on the subjects each week

Selected Readings:
Research Chapter by Gronstedt and Caywood forthcoming,
Subscription websites for commercial content software.
http://academic.csuohio.edu/kneuendorf/content/ Web site of the Content Analysis Guidebook Online provides some CATA software for free download, list of archives...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content analysis
Katie Paine: consulting services to measure social media and traditional public relations. Click Here to See All of Katie's Latest Speeches! Click Here to Invite Katie Delahaye Paine to ...www.kdpaine.com

Week 7 Being able to use content horror stories and legal issues

Weekly Goal:
Students will be able to judge the impact of new trends on content use, reuse, access, design and delivery.

Issues to Explore:
• Mobile use domination on the web,
• Decline of pay-tv and cable subscriptions on edutainment and infotainment content, New registries and BBC control of media content,
• Geometric growth of content technology and use of content management systems software (CMS).

Weekly Assignment:
Tweet on the class Twitter site about your readings and content gathering on the subjects each week

Week 8 Global opportunities for Content Delivery

Weekly Goal:
Examine and test more advanced selected channels used by global businesses, NGOs and universities

Issues to Explore:
• Creative use of web-based technology to deliver content.
• Search for newer accepted content delivery vehicles
• Think about what’s next?
• What will survive?

Selected Readings/Sources:
CG Costello - Contemporary Sociology: A Journal of Reviews, 2010 - csx.sagepub.com
There is a burgeoning interest in the development and growth of virtual communities in social networking sites, the blogosphere, and interest group websites
Teaching and learning in Second Life: Using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) model to support online instruction with graduate students in instructional technology ML Burgess, JR Slate, A Rojas-LeBouef… - The Internet and Higher Education 2010 - Elsevier
Second Life: Join our weekly meetings in Second Life every Thursday from noon-1:00 PM Eastern at Gronstedt Group's "Train for Success” gronstedtgroup.com/f_about.htm?s_about_train_for_sucess.htm~sectionFrame

Weekly Assignment:
Read about and be trained to use Second Life and #Twitter for content delivery.

Week 9 Launch week for your content on the web

Weekly Goal:
Simulate a meeting with content on Second Life, #Twitter or other medium for practice.

Weekly Assignment:
Test your content delivery system. Tweet on the class Twitter site about your readings and content gathering on the subjects each week

Week 10 Presentation of your content proposal

Weekly Theory:
Apply your theory to your proposal to gain acceptance of your ideas.

Weekly Assignment:
Present to a panel of experts on campus and possibly on the weekly Train for Success Second Life meeting at 11 a.m. CST. Tweet on the class Twitter site about your readings and content gathering on the subjects each week