Resources

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

• The Cluetrain Manifesto

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

• CopyClip — Clipboard history
• Greenshot — Screenshot tool (also available for Windows)

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)

• Unsplash
• Pexels
• Pixabay

Icons

• Noun Project
• Flaticon
• Heroicons

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

• Writing Center
• Library Research Help
• IT Help Desk
• Disability Resource Center

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