Resources
November 6 copywriting and On Writing Well
Use these references with the November 6 lecture notes.
- On Writing Well, chapters 2–7. Read Simplicity, Clutter, Style, The Audience, Words, and Usage by William Zinsser.
- Writing clearly and effectively. Review a slide recap of Zinsser’s principles.
- Critical copywriting. Read the instructions, checklist, and grading criteria for the “calling bullshit” blog post.
- Final project. Check how the revised blog post fits the final package.
October 9 research and campaign strategy
Use these references with the October 9 lecture notes.
- Research dossier. Read the research requirements, source guidance, and submission steps.
- Campaign strategy. Review the objectives, audience actions, success measures, and grading criteria.
- Use document tabs in Google Docs. Put the dossier and strategy in two named tabs if you use one Doc.
- Final project. Check the current requirements and the process for proposing a different campaign format.
October 2 customer personas
Use these references with the October 2 lecture notes.
- Build your first customer persona. Review the persona components, research guidance, and project-folder sharing steps.
- Share a folder in Google Drive. Check the instructor’s access before submitting a working link.
- Research and AI tools. Use these to find evidence, then verify claims against the original sources.
September 25 slide decks and final project
Use these references with the September 25 lecture notes.
- Slide deck assignment. Check the required slide count, due date, and presentation plan.
- Final project. Read the eight-part package, the point value, and the December 15 due date.
- Customer persona. Use these instructions for the project Drive folder and sharing settings.
- Color, typography, and image resources. Compare type size, contrast, and image treatment with the critique from class.
September 18 poster critique and slide design
Use these references with the September 18 lecture notes.
- Alien propaganda poster. Review the message, the 2:3 format, and the Canva submission steps.
- Slide deck assignment. Confirm the submission link and the due date in Canvas.
- Share a Canva design. Submit the working link, not a downloaded image or PDF.
- Adobe background remover. Use this when a rectangular photo frame fights the layout.
- Color, typography, and image resources. Check the palette size, the font count, and the type size against the poster critique.
September 11 tools and design resources
Use these references with the September 11 lecture notes.
- Share a folder in Google Drive. Review how to give the instructor Editor access to the course folder.
- Google Drive keyboard shortcuts. Find the commands for renaming files, creating folders, and moving through Drive. Mac and Windows commands differ.
- Chrome keyboard shortcuts. Practice opening, closing, and reopening tabs.
- Google Docs version history. Find earlier versions and changes to a document. Keep the working document available for review.
- Share a Canva design. Check the access setting before submitting the working design link through Canvas.
- Adobe background remover. An alternative for preparing an image when your Canva account does not include background removal. Check the current account and download requirements.
- Color, typography, and image resources. Use these while building the poster from a blank design. Compare contrast, type size, and image choices against your intended message.
Canva Free is enough to start the class exercise. Some assets and features require a paid plan. Check Canvas for assignment requirements before paying for a tool.
September 4 reading guide
Use these resources with the September 4 lecture notes.
- The Cluetrain Manifesto: Original website and 95 theses. Compare the authors’ claims with the examples from class. Focus on human voice, community concerns, advertising, audience feedback, and hyperlinks.
- Your media business will not be saved, by Joshua Topolsky. Connect the discussion of platform trends to the problem of making useful work for a specific audience.
- The “enshittification” of TikTok, by Cory Doctorow. Review the account of how platform incentives change. Consider what those changes mean for people who publish there.
- RSS specification. Optional technical reference for the podcast example from class. Start with “What is RSS?” and the description of an item’s enclosure, which points to a media file.
The first three readings connect directly to the class discussion. The RSS reference provides extra detail. Use Canvas for assigned work and deadlines.
Required readings
Week 1
- Your media business will not be saved — Joshua Topolsky
Week 2
Course readings
- Is your journalism a luxury or necessity? — Harry Backlund
- The “enshittification” of TikTok — Cory Doctorow
- Why A.I. isn’t going to make art — Ted Chiang
- Selections from On Writing Well by William Zinsser, provided through Canvas
Recommended readings
- Peak content: A shitstorm of information, and an opportunity of a generation — Erin Berger
- The online authenticity paradox — Oliver Haimson and coauthors
- Making media: Foundations of sound and image production — Jan Roberts-Breslin
- Multimedia: Making it work — Tay Vaughan
Essential tools
Course tools and student offers
- Canva: Start with the free plan for class design work. Some assets and features require a paid plan.
- Google Workspace: Docs, Drive, and Slides. Use your Montclair account for course work.
- Spotify Premium — Student discount
- GitHub Student Developer Pack — Free developer tools
Browser extensions (all free)
- uBlock Origin — Ad blocker
- OneTab — Tab management
- LastPass or 1Password — Password manager
- Grammarly — Writing assistant
- Video Speed Controller — Control video playback speed
Mac-specific
Design resources
Color
- Coolors — Color palette generator
- Adobe Color — Color wheel and palette tools
- Contrast Checker — Accessibility contrast testing
Typography
- Google Fonts — Free web fonts
- Font Pair — Font pairing suggestions
- Type Scale — Typography hierarchy calculator
Stock images (free)
Icons
Research & AI tools
- NotebookLM — AI research assistant from Google
- Perplexity — AI-powered search
- Google Scholar — Academic research
- JSTOR — Academic databases (free with MSU login)
Reference materials
Writing
- AP Stylebook — Journalism style guide
- Hemingway Editor — Readability checker
- Grammarly — Grammar and style checker
Accessibility
- WebAIM — Web accessibility resources
- A11y Project — Accessibility checklist
- Alt Text Decision Tree — When and how to write alt text
Social media specs
- Social Media Image Sizes — Updated dimensions for all platforms
University resources
MSU services
Academic support
- Academic calendar
- Canvas — Course management system
- Montclair Syllabus — Official published syllabus
- Red Hawk Central
Industry resources
News & trends
- Nieman Lab — Journalism innovation
- Poynter — Journalism training and ethics
- The Verge — Tech and media coverage
Professional development
- Google News Initiative — Free training for journalists
- Knight Center — Free online journalism courses
- SPJ — Society of Professional Journalists