Accent Adviser

The Accent Online Relaunch

2009-07-06T16:42:00.003-05:00

The Accent Online has a completely different look and format. Check it out by clicking here, and leave a comment letting me know what you think. Please make suggestions for changes.

Make sure you REGISTER on the new site.

Also - Important!

The BAD news-
The new site, as of now, does not automatically put together a list of your work when someone clicks on your byline.

The GOOD news-
Everyone who has ever contributed anything to the Accent is eligible for their own profile on the new site. Just send the following information to accent@austincc.edu, and I'll build your page complete with a list of your work. This is an excellent online portfolio if you put in the time to make it so.

To make a page like this, send me the following information:

Photo (optional unless you are an editor)

Name:

Matthew Connolly

Staff Position:

Adviser, fall 2008 to present

Contact Information:

e-mail - accent@austincc.edu
twitter - @theaccent
Linked in - connollymc

I'll search for your work and link to it.

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Main Event Editor Retreat

2009-06-29T11:41:00.005-05:00

Accent 2009-2010 editors are invited to the summer retreat at Main Event:

What - Food, Fun, and Planning for the next year
When - July 30, 2009, 9:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where - Main Event

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This is how you cover a class!

2009-06-25T15:36:00.001-05:00

Watch this!

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ACC, a leader in nanotechnology.

2009-06-15T08:42:00.001-05:00

Interesting - I had no idea that ACC is so cutting edge in the nanotechnology field.

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ACC Hires New Media Relations Coordinator

2009-06-12T16:17:00.002-05:00

AUSTIN, TX— The Austin Community College District (ACC) is pleased to announce the hiring of Alexis Patterson as media relations coordinator. Patterson will be responsible for working with reporters to increase public awareness of ACC’s mission, policies and practices, and programs and services.

Patterson who was the legislative reporter for Austin’s CBS 42 (KEYE) will join ACC Monday, June 15.

“We’re lucky to have someone with Alexis’ experience and expertise as part of the team,” said Brette Lea, Executive Director of ACC Public Information and College Marketing. “We want the community to have a good understanding of all that ACC has to offer, and Alexis will be a perfect fit as we work to increase those communications efforts.”

Patterson earned a Master of Arts in media studies at Texas Christian University. She has worked in TV news since 2002, both behind the scenes as a producer in Dallas and in front of the camera as a reporter in Austin and Beaumont.

“I am ecstatic to continue my career at ACC,” said Patterson. “Serving as ACC’s media relations coordinator enables me to combine my expertise in media and communications with my passion for higher education.”

# # #

Brette Lea

Austin Community College District

Executive Director | Public Information & College Marketing

w: (512)223.7611 | c: (512)709.1141

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Life4U and Accent Staffs Announced

2009-05-21T16:28:00.004-05:00

I am excited to announce that the staff for the 2009-2010 Life4U and the Spring 2009 Accent have been chosen.

Everyone on this list has direct experience and has demonstrated both the skills and the dedication needed to create excellent publications.

In other words, these teams rock!

Spring 2009 Accent Staff

Editor-in-Chief - Sarah Neve
Assistant Editor - David Rodriguez
Campus Editor - Chris Smith
Layout Editor - Chris Scott
Photo Editor - Hanlly Sam
Intern (Design and photo) - Karissa Rodriguez

2009-2010 Life4U Staff

Lead Designer - Chris Scott
Lead Writer - Sarah Neve
Lead Photographer - Alma Hernandez
Lead Artist - Karen Kuhn

Life4U Freelancers

Trevor Goodchild - Writing and Photos
Anny Ibarra - Writing, Illustration
Karissa Rodriguez - Design, Writing, Photos
Hanlly Sam - Photos
Chris Scott - Design
Devon Tinknell - Writing

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Meeting the Challenge of the 21st Century Art Students

2009-05-12T09:37:00.002-05:00

Here's part one of an interesting discussion about preparing for tomorrow's creative jobs. It's made by McCallum high school and features leading Austin creative professionals.

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Use your work to help you get a job

2009-05-07T14:25:00.005-05:00

Do you see the light at the end of the tunnel yet?

As the darkness of the workload brought on by the end of the semester subsides, and you can once again see the light in the future, consider taking the following steps to maximize how much benefit you can receive from all of the hard work you have put into the Accent this year.

Here's how it happens

The editor from a major local publication is surfing around the net for other coverage of some of the stories that her publication has covered (because we all know editors have lots of time to do such things). She happens upon your article or photo on theaccent.org and thinks "wow, this student journalist got better interviews than my staffers did, better photos, and I like the angle he took also."

Impressed, she clicks on your byline. Since you have updated your profile, she finds a nice photo of you, a link to download your resume, a brief (50 word max.) description of your professional qualifications, and links to everything you have published in the Accent.

Impressed again, she views a few more of your pieces and thinks to herself "you know, this guy might be perfect to fill that vacancy that will be opening up next week." She then clicks on your resume link.

Extremely impressed, she reads over the well-crafted resume. She then notices that you have a link to your LinkedIn site on your resume document. She clicks on it.

Now she's sold. After looking through your professional site, she requests to join your LinkedIn network, and then she shoots off an e-mail to the manager in charge of hiring for her magazine. It reads "I need this guy on my staff. Hire him."

You land your dream job.

It could happen.

Here's how to make it happen

1. Update your resume (it must be a word .doc file).
2. Find an appropriate photo of yourself (the final photo will be square 125 pix X 125 pix, I can crop it for you, or you can edit it yourself) .
3. E-mail me your resume, photo, and a brief description of yourself, your goals, and your qualifications.
4. I'll upload everything to the accent site and send you an e-mail when it's done. Check it to make sure it is all correct.

Optional - Create or update a LinkedIn profile, and include the public profile URL in your resume. LinkedIn is a great way to improve your online presence.

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The Best Of Issue Awards - May 4, 2009 issue

2009-05-04T09:46:00.004-05:00

Another great issue. I can't wait to see what next year will bring.

Best News Piece-
"Bill could allow handguns in school" by Chris Smith. By going down to the Capitol, listening to and reporting the testimony about the bill, and interviewing someone with a deep personal connection to the story (John Woods), Chris has illustrated the power of true reporting. He could have easily surfed the internet for information, watched some of the testimony over the video feed and made a few phone calls and written a good piece. By going down there, he was able to write a great piece. Chris also did a good job of incorporating the ACC angle with the Bacak quote. This piece is balanced, informative, and (most importantly) complete. The writing is strong. The reporting is exceptional.

Best Feature Piece-
"Sixth Street violence ends with fatal blow" by Teodora Erbes. I consider this a news feature. Although it is about recent events (news), the focus of the story is on the people involved and their story (feature). This is Tea's first attempt at writing a full piece, and she did a great job! The interviews with the family and others involved in this story are amazing. It is well written, informative, and has emotional impact. I am also very impressed with the angle that Teodora chose. While the city and national print and broadcast press have covered this, they have focused mainly on the sperm extraction angle. The Accent is providing an important service to the readers and our community by focusing on on the fact that the killer is still not captures, and by giving the mother a chance to really tell the the the story of who Nikolas was. This story respects the members of our community. This is what a community paper should do.

Best News Photo -
APD on Sixth Street by Kevin Forester. This photo gives the viewer a good sense of place, and the police in the foreground really help to illustrate the increased presence on Sixth. The lighting and composition of this shot were tricky. Kevin did a great job of making it work when he was given this late assignment. 90% of photojournalism is being there. Kevin went there.

Best Feature Photo -
Aikido shot (See slide 3 in the slide show) by Teodora Erbes. This is an excellent example of having the eye to know when and what to shoot and having the technical skills to shoot it well. Capturing the sensei's face and freezing the mid-air fall is no simple task. This is a great moment frozen with a high shutter speed which leads to a great action shot.

Best Illustration-
Editorial Cartoon by Karen Kuhn - Creepy baby! This (as always) well drawn cartoon is exactly the type of easily decoded "in your face" expression of an opinion that has real impact on viewers.

Best Column -
"-30- Column" - In her final column, Jamie hit the mark perfectly. This is a great example of taking a personal experience, analyzing it in order extract lessons, mixing it with humor, facts, and a distinct writer's voice and creating a final product that enjoyable to read, thought provoking, and profoundly human. It also doesn't hurt that she says nice things about me and the paper. -30-

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Accent Newspaper, May 4 issue

2009-05-04T09:02:00.000-05:00

Accent May 4, 2009 issue

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Magazines & Newspape sga president handguns in school

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Accent Spring Putt Putt Party

2009-04-29T19:15:00.005-05:00

Tired of growing older? Come play mini-golf with Peter Pan and the Accent. Celebrate the end of a great semester with your Accent buddies. Food, drinks, min-golf fun, and prizes provided.

Date:	Monday, May 18, 2009
Time:	12:00pm - 3:00pm
Location:	Peter Pan Mini Golf
Street:	1207 Barton Springs Rd
City/Town:	Austin, TX
	View Map

Phone:	5122233166
RSVP at	accent@austincc.edu or on Facebook

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Where to find journalism jobs online

2009-04-22T16:16:00.004-05:00

Here's some journalism career and internship sites I've found. What does everyone think of these? Any additions? Anything I should remove? Any tips on job searches?

Leave a comment.

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Applications for Accent editor positions being taken now

2009-04-21T15:05:00.003-05:00

Be a part of the fall 2009 Accent editorial staff

Join the team that produces the award winning newspaper that is the student voice of Austin Community College District.

Application Deadline: May 15
All positions paid $8.50 / hr

Minimum requirements:

Must be enrolled (by registration deadline for fall '09) in at least credit class for the fall 2009 semester.
Must have previous experience working for Accent or other student or professional publications. Strong preference is given to students with previous Accent experience.
Must be able to keep regular work hours at ACC Rio Grande campus.
Must be able to work an average of 15-20 hours per week unless otherwise noted with occasional evening work as required to meet deadlines.

Applications are being taken for the following paid positions:

Editor - assigns stories; provides editorial feedback to students; oversees story meetings; manages story board; follows procedures for day to day operations; keeps regular office hours; meets SPA standards and submits SPA forms by deadline

Assistant Editor - assists in editing stories; copy edits and fact checks articles; assists the editor in executing day to day newsroom procedures; keeps regular office hours; meets SPA standards and submits SPA forms by deadline.

Campus Editor - assists in editing stories; copy edits and fact checks articles; assists the editor in executing day to day newsroom procedures; keeps regular office hours; meets SPA standards and submits SPA forms by deadline.

Photojournalist/Web Editor - edits photos; shoots photos; maintains website; manages asst. photojournalist/web editor; meets SPA standards and submits SPA forms by deadline.

Assistant Photojournalist/Web Editor (10-15 hours per week) - edits photos; shoots photos; maintains website; assists photojournalist/web editor; meets SPA standards and submits SPA forms by deadline.

Layout / Production Editor - lays out paper; implements and generates ideas regarding layout and design; creates graphics and advertisements for layout; meets SPA standards and submits SPA forms by deadline.

Layout / Production Intern (10-15 hours per week)- Assists in paper lay out; implements and generates ideas regarding layout and design; creates graphics and advertisements for layout; meets SPA standards and submits SPA forms by deadline.

Copy Editor (5 hours per issue)- Copy edits entire publication including stories, headlines, cut-lines, and graphics for correct usage and AP style; meets SPA standards and submits SPA forms by deadline.

To apply, submit the following application to mconnoll@austincc.edu by May 15 for early consideration. Positions that are not filled by the deadline will be posted at a later date.

Resumes and work examples are also accepted, but not required.

Application materials may also be dropped by 1212 Rio Grande, Rm.101.1 or faxed to Matthew Connolly at 512-223-3086

Download ACC Application Here

Direct all questions to Matthew Connolly, mconnoll@austincc.edu, ph. 512-223-3166

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Accent artist's work published in Fort Worth Star-Telegram

2009-04-21T11:26:00.001-05:00

The April 21, 2009 issue of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram printed the editorial cartoon that Karen Kuhn, staff artist for the Accent, drew for the TIPA contest on April 9, 2009.
The Star-Telegram chose Kuhn's cartoon from the top three TIPA cartoons . These were sent to the newspaper. Kuhn's cartoon placed second in the TIPA competition.
Also printed is part of Tarrant County College student Frances Matteck's editorial from the same TIPA competition.

Karen Kuhn's cartoon in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

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Design Competition Deadline June 1

2009-04-20T11:03:00.002-05:00

The Best of Collegiate Design competition is coming up. Start thinking about what we should submit.

http://www.collegemedia.org/BOCD17

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An ethical dilemma

2009-04-20T10:48:00.002-05:00

For your consideration - A few months back, the opinions editor of Central Connecticut State University's student newspaper, The Recorder was fired because the staff found that her involvement with activist organizations violated their code of ethics that says that reporters can not be involved with organizations that are politically active.

Read this, and then ask yourself - should we allow students who are involved in certain clubs and organizations to report for us?

JAMES H. SMITH: Students should adhere to professional ethics

Saturday, April 18, 2009 9:45 PM EDT

By JAMES H. SMITH
Executive Editor

By all accounts, Marissa Blaszko, the fired opinion editor of Central Connecticut State University's student newspaper, The Recorder, is an astute, sharp, inquisitive young woman, a sophomore with a thirst to learn and a desire to write.

It is too bad her activism got in the way of her newspaper position. Newspapers, on campuses and off, need dedicated, smart editors. But The Recorder editorial board was right in dismissing Ms. Blaszko because activism and journalism do not mix.

The Recorder's Code of Ethics mirrors the professional codes: "Editors ... shall not participate in any form of student, local or national government and should be free of any ties to any political organization, campus-based or otherwise."

It's quite clear that Ms. Blaszko's membership in the Youth for Socialist Action club violates the paper's rules.

In professional journalism, the ethics codes apply not to just editors, but to all journalists, reporters and photographers included. The American Society of Newspaper Editors first promulgated its ethics code in a 1922 "Statement of Principles." It states in part:

"The primary purpose of gathering and distributing news and opinion is to serve the general welfare by informing the people and enabling them to make judgments on the issues of the time. Newspapermen and women who abuse the power of their professional role for selfish motives or unworthy purposes are faithless to that public trust. The American press was made free not just to inform or just to serve as a forum for debate but also to bring an independent scrutiny to bear on the forces of power in the society . . .

"Journalists must avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety as well as any conflict of interest or the appearance of conflict . . . Every effort must be made to assure that the news is accurate and free from bias and in context, and that all sides are presented fairly."

So, journalists must give up some of the benefits of citizenship. You can't join a protest against the Iraq war, for example, and then have any credibility in presenting a balanced account in your coverage of that war.

Should the standards be the same for students? Well, take engineering students, or medical students, or law students - should they follow the precepts of their prospective career while they are studying it, or should they be allowed to break those precepts because they are only students? I think not. Could a law student, in mock court, break the confidential relationship between attorney and client because he is still only a student? No.

Ms. Blaszko holds the newspaper is a club and not necessarily a training ground for journalists.

Maybe there is room for compromise at Central Connecticut State University for The Recorder and Ms. Blaszko. Since its code covers only editors, she could be a reporter, but then questions would arise on her ability to be fair on some subjects. So how about giving her a column? With a column, clearly labeled as her opinion and not the newspaper's, she could continue to contribute to the marketplace of ideas that is a university community and there would be no violation of the student newspaper's ethical code.

In the professional world of journalism, columnists, by definition, write from their own point of view. The professional codes still apply on community activism and joining advocacy groups even for opinion writers and editors, but here and now at CCSU it would be permissible to give this alert and active student the forum she seeks.

And if some on campus don't like her socialist views, then Recorder editors could find a contrary voice to harness into words in the newspaper.

James H. Smith is executive editor of The Herald and The Bristol Press. Reach him at 860-225-4601 ext. 304; or at jsmith@newbritainherald.com or jsmith@bristolpress.com.

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Accent, April 20 issue preview

2009-04-17T09:03:00.001-05:00

Accent Issue 5

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Magazines & Newspape music police

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College Writers Wanted for Student-Run Web Publisher

2009-04-16T08:45:00.002-05:00

From TIPA List Serve

Paid Freelance Writing Opportunity
Indelible Marks Inc. is a student-run web publisher of several sites about college life written by
students and recent graduates.

Our lead site is www.StudentStuff.com which offers all the “stuff” students need to know to get
the most out of college. There's information relevant to every phase of the college experience,
from applying and Getting In to acceptance and Getting Oriented, from study skills and advice
on Getting Through to graduating and Getting On. And there's material to help with finances,
careers, health and social life.

Indelible Marks Inc. also publishes www.StudentsInEurope.com which offers information and
deals for students who want to study abroad or travel in Europe.

The company will soon launch two additional sites: a multi-media site, StudentStuff.TV, and
GlobalShift.org, a site to help promote Student Activism with blogs and features on everything
from volunteering in the inner-city to working with orphans in Africa, from saving the planet to
promoting peace.

We want to motivate, inspire and entertain students with well-written, fast-moving articles about your college life experiences. This is a great opportunity for aspiring college journalists.
Most articles will be 500 to 1,000 words. Compensation typically ranges from $30 to $50 per
article. Assignments will pay more and will be awarded to writers as they prove their abilities
with us. We will also consider articles already published in college papers.

To apply, send a resume and 3 or 4 writing samples to Susannah Sizemore, Project Director at
sjsizemore@gmail.com.

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TIPA 2009 compressed to 10 minutes

2009-04-15T15:55:00.002-05:00

Video made possible by Flip video

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TIPA 2009 - News Photo Winners

2009-04-14T13:56:00.005-05:00

Winner

Second Place

Third Place

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TIPA 2009 - Two Person Photo Essay Winners

2009-04-14T13:48:00.004-05:00

Winners

Second Place

Third Place

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Can Design Save the Newspaper?

2009-04-13T13:47:00.002-05:00

What do you think? Can better design save the newspaper industry?

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Summer Job Opportunities - Life4U production staff

2009-04-13T12:37:00.007-05:00

Are you looking for a meaningful summer job that will lead to a professional product to add to your portfolio?

Student Life publications has it.

Life4U, the award winning student magazine, is currently hiring the production staff for the 2009-2010 edition.

All positions are paid at $8.50 / hr. Hours are flexible. Deadlines are not flexible. Apply by May 8, 2009

If you have experience with publication design, writing, art, or photography and would like to join the team, we are taking applications now.

We are currently looking for several paid interns. The final product will be professionally printed in a full color magazine format and distributed to ACC students beginning this fall. It will also be submitted for judging in various contests. In addition to the hourly salary, food as well as other incentives will be provided while working.

Get your work out there. Gain professional experience. Grow your portfolio. Get paid.

General Qualifications:
All applicants must be a current ACC student either taking at least one credit summer '09 session class or completing a spring '09 credit class and planning to take at least one fall credit '09 class.

All applicants must complete a standard ACC application for employment. It is available from the link below:
http://www3.austincc.edu/it/eforms/forms_int/HURE.073.pdf

All applications are due by May 8, 2009.
Interviews will be scheduled with qualified applicants May 11-14, 2009.

Send completed applications to:

Matt Connolly
mconnoll@austincc.edu

Applications may also be dropped of in person to RGC Rm. 101.1
If you have any questions, call 223.3166 or e-mail the above addresses.

Applicants should be prepared with a resume and portfolio at the time of the interview in order to demonstrate the following:
____________________________________
Job Title - Lead Design Intern
Qualifications - Must have a working knowledge if not mastery of the Macintosh operating system, InDesign, Photoshop, and Microsoft Office applications. Must have understanding of professional design principles including effective spread layout, typography, effective use of photos and art, and modern design trends. Must be detail oriented and willing to do what it takes to meet strict production schedules.

Description- Will report to newspaper specialist and lead a team of photographers, writers, artists, and designers to expand upon and implement a pre-selected design concept for the Life4U magazine. Will coordinate all aspects of procuring and editing high quality photos, artwork, and written pieces for the magazine. Will be primarily responsible for laying out magazine with the help of other staff members. Will edit all content for style, consistency, and conformity to printing requirements.
____________________________________
Job Title - Lead Photography Intern
Qualifications - Must have a working knowledge if not mastery of Macintosh operating system, Photoshop, InDesign, and Microsoft Office applications. Must have understanding of professional photography composition and lighting. Must be able to work primarily with available light. Must know how to digitally edit photos for publication including cropping and CMYK color correction. It is preferred that photography intern has personal digital SLR equipment, but some equipment will be available for use. Must be detail oriented, and willing to do what it takes to meet strict production schedules.

Description- Will report to lead design intern and coordinate other photographers working on Life4U project. Is primarily responsible for working with design team to shoot, assign, and edit digital photos for Life4U layout. Will also assist in planning magazine. Must be detail oriented and willing to do what it takes to meet strict production schedules.

____________________________________
Job Title - Lead Writing Intern
Qualifications - Must have excellent writing, usage, and editing skills. Must be familiar with Associated Press journalistic style writing. It is preferred that lead writing intern has publication or advertising copy writing experience in either a professional or class setting.

Description - Will report to lead design intern and coordinate other writers working on Life4U project. Is primarily responsible for working with design team to write feature style and informational content for Life4U magazine. Must research and interview where necessary. Must copy edit other team member's work for style and correctness.
____________________________________
Job Title - Production Intern
Qualifications - Must have experience writing, shooting photographs, or designing publications.

Description - Will report to lead interns and assist in all aspects of production and administrative tasks as necessary.

____________________________________
Job Title – Lead Artist
Qualifications – Must have excellent commercial art skills in one or more medium. Must have a working knowledge if not mastery of Macintosh operating system, Photoshop, InDesign, and Microsoft Office applications. Must be detail oriented and willing to do what it takes to meet strict production schedules.

Description- Will report to lead design intern and coordinate other team members working on Life4U project. Is primarily responsible for illustrating the magazine as needed and preparing art for print. Will also assist in planning magazine. Must be detail oriented and willing to do what it takes to meet strict production schedules.

____________________________________
Volunteer Opportunities
If you are interested in gaining experience, but can't commit the time to be a staff member, we will also be looking for volunteer writers and photographers. Contact Matthew Connolly if interested.

More information and a complete production schedule is available by clicking here.

General Schedule:
May 26 - First staff planning meeting
June 22 - Content due (Writing, photography and art)
July 17 - Final files sent to printer

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Mayoral Debate at Austin’s City Hall

2009-04-13T11:15:00.003-05:00

Unfortunately, the timing on this is bad for the May 4 issue, but you may want to attend anyway.

Friday, May 1, 2009, 6-8 pm

Moderated by KXAN’s Senior City Hall Reporter, Matt Flener

Hosted by The ACC Center for Public Policy and Political Studies, www.austincc.edu/cppps

Want to know how the Mayoral Candidates, if elected, will make positive changes in Austin’s economic, educational, and environmental landscape?

Then come to City Hall on May 1st with questions in hand. All five applicants for office — David Buttross, Josiah James Ingalls, Lee Leffingwell, Brewster McCracken, and Carole Keeton Strayhorn — will be there to answer ACC’s questions.

Don’t miss out; this FREE EVENT is the only one produced for the benefit of the ACC community, and may be the last debate before the May 9th elections. Seats are limited and parking is free, so get there early.

Questions?
Contact
Carla L. Jackson at cjackso3@austincc.edu or 512-223-7049.

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Attend a free mixer with editors of Texas newspapers

2009-04-13T11:06:00.004-05:00

This is a great opportunity!

Students of Texas journalism programs are invited to attend a mixer with Texas newspaper editors.

Friday, April 24 4-6:30 pm
AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center
1900 University Avenue, Austin, Texas 78705, 512-404-1900

Come with your portfolio and resume and/or copies of your work for a free one-on-one critique by editors from some of the largest papers in Texas.

Students are also welcome to attend sessions on April 25 and 26, free of charge.

If you are interested in attending, let me know.

- Matt
mconnoll@austincc.edu
512-223-3166

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Accent, the student voice of Austin Community College, and Life4U magazine awarded state, national honors

2009-04-13T10:25:00.002-05:00

The Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA) awarded the Accent numerous awards at their annual convention on April 11, 2009. In addition, theaccent.org, the online version of the student newspaper was named as a finalist for a national Online Pacemaker award by the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) on March 18, 2009.

TIPA Convention Awards

Adviser Matthew Connolly, and Student Life Communications Coordinator Lori Blewett led a group of 16 Austin Community College students to the TIPA state convention in Dallas from April 9-11. These students competed in on-site competitions and mailed-in competitions against over 600 college students from schools all over the state. Accent staff members earned the following:

Best of Show Competition:
(Newspapers grouped into divisions according to how often they publish.)

Third Place in Division - Accent Newspaper, April 6 Issue

On-site Contests:
(No division - students at convention compete against all other students regardless of four year or two year status or size of school.)

Public Relations Release Writing - First Place - Anne Boyd
Spanish News Writing - Second Place - Anny Ibarra
Editorial Cartoon - Second Place - Karen Kuhn
Feature Writing - Third Place - Devon Tinknell

Mail-in Contests:
(Publications grouped into divisions according to size of school and how often they publish.)

Editorial - First Place - Sarah Neve
Opinion / Editorial Page Design - First Place - Jana Lelek
General Magazine Story Package - Second Place - Karen Kuhn and Sarah Neve
Editorial Cartoon - Third Place - Karen Kuhn
General Magazine Overall Design - Third Place - Life4U Magazine
General Magazine Overall Excellence - Third Place - Life4U Magazine
Sports Feature Photo - Third Place - Hanly Sam
Critical Review - Honorable mention - Lindsay Preston
News Photo - Honorable Mention - Alma Hernandez
Newspaper Illustration - Honorable Mention - Anny Ibarra
Opinion / Editorial Page Design - Honorable mention - Jana Lelek
Page One Design - Honorable mention - Jana Lelek
Single Subject Presentation - Honorable mention - Accent Staff
Sports Action Photo - Honorable mention - Hanly Sam

More information about TIPA can be found at the following web site or by contacting Matthew Connolly.
http://www.texasipa.org/

ACP

On March 18, 2009, the Associated Collegiate Press announced that theaccent.org has been selected from 223 entries as one of 42 finalists in the 2009 Online Pacemaker competition. Since 1927, the Pacemaker has been the highest honor available to ACP members. A complete list of finalists is available here:
http://studentpress.org/acp/winners/opm09.html

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Time to get paid - End of semester portfolio conferences

2009-04-06T10:22:00.003-05:00

Important

You MUST have a 10-15 minute portfolio conference on April 27-29 to be eligible for a payment.
All paperwork must be complete.
You will be paid for material scheduled to run in the May 4 issue if you meet the April 23 deadline.

Details:

If you have had your work published in the print or web site between Feb.2 and May 4, you are eligible to receive a cash incentive payment for your work on The Accent newspaper.

Keep working and contributing. You will be paid for everything you contribute through the May 4 issue.

To claim your payment, you must do the following:

1. Make two clip files / working portfolios of your work. You must mount every contribution (Story, photo, art etc.) on a separate sheet of 8.5" x 11" white paper. One of these will be turned in during the portfolio conference. The other portfolio is for you to keep.
START THIS NOW, and UPDATE IT OVER THE NEXT TWO ISSUES. If you need more copies, grab some off of the stands, or stop by RGC 101.1.

2. Fill out the tally sheet BEFORE your conference.

3. Attend a portfolio conference between April 27-29. We will make sure all of your paperwork is complete, and I'll give you feedback on your work. I am scheduling appointments now.

4. Collect your check with our gratitude.

Reminder, here's the pay structure. Some of you are already racking up the bonuses. Keep on working!

– Two pieces published -$20.00
– Three pieces published - $30.00
– Four pieces published - $48.00 (20% bonus)
– Five pieces published - $60.00 (20% bonus)
– Six pieces published - $90.00 (50% bonus)
– Over six pieces - $10.00 / piece (plus bonus)
– Plus - $5.00 / piece raise per semester after the first
semester.(The raise is retroactive provided you can show me work
from previous semesters at the portfolio conference)

Notes -
Photography payments are limited to three payments per assignment.
Pieces published only online count as one piece for payment purposes.
Pieces published both online and in print only count as a single piece.
Bloggers receive payment at the rate of one per day of coverage, not one per post.

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April 6 issue is at the printer!

2009-04-03T10:26:00.001-05:00

It looks great.

Accent , April 6 issue

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Magazines & Newspape music sports

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Google Rolls out great new feature on April 1

2009-04-01T08:44:00.006-05:00

Google has done it again. This will revolutionize e-mail. No more tedious hours spent answering e-mails!

http://mail.google.com/mail/help/autopilot/index.html

This is a must for every journalist!

APRIL FOOLS

Other Pranks

Do you know any others? Leave a comment.

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New Paid Marketing Position for ACC Student

2009-03-27T11:20:00.002-05:00

Great new student opportunity--could include paid trip to San Francisco!

Do you know of a great ACC marketing/communications/advertising/PR student who can work 18 hrs/wk starting May 31 until about Aug. 21? (With option to continue through fall and spring semester)

Please have students submit the following by April 13:
Complete ACC HR application

Materials sent to:
Lori Blewett
Communications Coordinator
Office of Student Life
Austin Community College
1212 Rio Grande Rm 101.1
Austin, TX 78701

Pay: $8.50/hr
Schedule: 18 hrs/wk over the summer at RGC (May 31 to about Aug 21)

If there is a qualified candidate from initial applicant pool, the student will also receive a paid trip (flight, lodging, registration) to San Francisco for a marketing conference May 31-June 3.

REPORTS TO:
Student Life Communications Coordinator
JOB PURPOSE:
To plan and implement marketing strategies for Office of Student Life department and programs.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES AND TASKS:
Essential duties and responsibilities include the following. Other related duties may be assigned.
1. Assists in researching and developing marketing goals and objectives consistent with the Department.
2. Contributes to formulation of marketing strategy and Department marketing policies.
3. Assists in the design of new communications plans and programs; assists in developing advertising campaigns creating concept, slogan, and message; assists with copy and graphic design for print web, and other media outlets.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
Must possess required knowledge, skills, abilities and experience and be able to explain and demonstrate, with or without reasonable accommodations, that the essential functions of the job can be performed.
Knowledge of:
Marketing media used by ACC students.
Maintaining records and procedures.
Marketing and advertising principles.
Skill in:
Maintaining an established work schedule.
Effectively using interpersonal and communications skills, including tact and diplomacy.
Effectively using organizational and planning skills with attention to detail and follow through.
Maintaining Confidentiality of work related information and materials.
Computer Skills:
Demonstrated proficiency using standard office software applications, graphics, and photo applications.
Physical Requirements:
Work is primarily performed in a standard office environment.
Subject to standing, walking, sitting, bending, reaching, kneeling, pushing, and pulling.
Occasional lifting of objects up to 10 pounds.

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Twitter a go-go X 3

2009-03-26T13:31:00.002-05:00

Hilarious Twitter Spoof - The twouble with twitter cartoon. Avoid the Fail Whale!
Twitter tips for college students - You should be following your profs.
Celebrity Twitters - Hillary Clinton and Patrick Wilson of Weezer on the same list.

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More Google Power

2009-03-26T10:27:00.002-05:00

Check out these Google Search Results

"Stimulus Package Texas" - Accent Ranked #1

"SXSW Movie Blog" -Accent Blogs Ranked #2, #5, #6

"SXSW Music Blog" - Accent Blogs Ranked #5, #6, #9

"Examined Life Documentary" - Accent Ranked # 4

"Flu Season Play" - Accent Ranked #6

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Canon Rebel with HD video

2009-03-26T09:07:00.001-05:00

Check out this new Rebel with HD video.

-Full Review -

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Check out this video about the 40th anniversary of your rights

2009-03-25T16:52:00.000-05:00

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Use a Flip during SXSW

2009-03-12T16:19:00.003-05:00

Want to add video to your SXSW blogs?

Thanks to puredigital, there are two brand new Flip Ultra's available. Check it out.

puredigital rocks!

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A message from Jamie

2009-03-11T16:48:00.000-05:00

I would like increased coverage on the following departments here at ACC for the Accent:
- Physics, Astronomy
- Culinary Arts
- Radio, Film, Television
- Child Development
- Music
We haven’t been writing much on these departments. I would like to know if any staff writer is perhaps majoring in any of these and has interest in writing on upcoming events that will be occurring.
I know Spring Break will be coming up soon but feel free to email me with suggestions on possible story ideas - editor3@austincc.edu

Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you.
-Jamie Carpenter
Campus Editor

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ACP is looking for freelance writer to write about freelancing

2009-03-11T16:41:00.000-05:00

The Associated Collegiate Press is seeking a freelance writer or team of contributors to develop a guide to freelance work aimed at college students with experience working in student media and who wish to pursue careers in journalism. The successful candidate will have experience in freelancing with preferred experience as a staff reporter for an established news or special-interest publication or Web site. Experience in an academic setting as faculty or advising college media is also helpful, as is experience with multiple delivery platforms.

About the project:
One component of ACP's mission is to foster careers in journalism. Given the current economic climate and the outlook for jobs in print journalism, ACP will attempt to meet changing needs among its members through a "how to" guide for freelance work. Final format will be a multiple-page guidebook distributed as a PDF file. Additional online components such as videos, slide shows or illustrations are also possible. This job is a work for hire, and ACP plans to publish this work for its members. Compensation is negotiable based on scope and complexity of project.

Timeline:
Writer selected by early April with project completed by early June.

Direct inquiries to:
Logan H. Aimone, Executive Director
Associated Collegiate Press
2221 University Ave. SE, Suite 121
Minneapolis, MN 55414
logan@studentpress.org / (612) 625-7359

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Journalism Job Postings from TPA

2009-03-02T10:53:00.001-06:00

From the Texas Press Association Job Bank:

3/2/09 Today Newspapers, an award winning group of 5 weekly community
newspapers covering southern Dallas county is looking for editors,
part-time photographers and outside sales staff, possible part-time
Managing Editor position too. If you are experienced in one of these
areas please email your resume along with any clippings/editorial and
salary requirements to: capkapdap@yahoo.com. No phone calls please.

3/2/09 Growing community-minded small weekly near San Antonio with an
aggressive attitude towards news is looking for a Managing Editor to
run the newsroom, paginate and direct one full-time reporter and
stringers and also cover a beat. Looking for a journalist with
strong news writing and page design experience. We are a fun group to
work with and our office is 20 minutes from the Riverwalk. Hours and
time off policy is generous and you get a paid week off at Christmas.
The owners are award-winning journalists and page designers and are
ready and willing to help train a good reporter to become a good
editor or help a good editor get better. We also have good office
parties. Salary ranges from $26K to $30K. Sorry, no health insurance.
Email your resume to reagon@leadernews.net or fax to (830) 709-0067.
If all else fails, call Reagon at (830) 709-3515.

3/02/09 The Breckenridge American in
tradition-rich Breckenridge, Texas, is seeking a
hard working, ambitious full-time sports editor.
The successful applicant will be highly motivated
and a skillful writer who can capture the game
story beyond the final score. Experience
preferred. Breckenridge, a progressive city of
6,000, is ideally situated in recreation country
two hours west of the Dallas-Fort Worth
Metroplex. It offers a rural lifestyle in a
deeply rooted community. The Breckenridge
American, published twice weekly, offers a
competitive salary, a quality benefits package
and an opportunity for creative work at a
community-minded newspaper. If you are looking
for advancement, you owe it to yourself to take a
close look at Breckenridge. Submit résumé and
clips to Rob Durham, Assistant Editor,
Breckenridge American, P.O. Box 871,
Breckenridge, TX 76424, phone (254) 559-5412, fax
(254) 559-3491, or via e-mail to
newsdesk@breckenridgeamerican.com.

3/2/09 Sports reporter -- The Athens Daily
Review, an award-winning six-day-a-week
publication in East Texas, seeks an energetic
candidate to cover sports. We cover nine high
schools and Trinity Valley Community College,
home of the five-time national champion Lady
Cardinal basketball team. Some photography is
required, as well as occasional use of a video
camera. Pagination (QuarkXpress) is a must. If
you're up to the job, send resume and clips to
Editor Jayson Larson at editor@athensreview.com.
You can also submit information to 201 South
Prairieville, Athens, Texas, 75751.

3/2/09 GA reporter -- The Athens Daily Review, an
award-winning six-day-a-week publication in East
Texas, is seeking a general assignments reporter.
This position will include a little bit of
everything - strong reporting and writing skills,
photography and even a little video. Pagination
(QuarkXpress) is a must. Come be a part of a
progressive staff looking to the future of
communication! Send resume and clips to Editor
Jayson Larson at editor@athensreview.com. You can
also submit information to 201 South
Prairieville, Athens, Texas, 75751.

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Editors meeting agenda

2009-03-02T10:07:00.003-06:00

Editors meeting - March 2, 2009

1. Issue Meeting - The good, the better, and the great (ok maybe a few things we can improve on)

2. Tasks for next 2-3 weeks
SPA forms
Co-Curricular Profile
Web presence
Issue organization (update spreadsheet, organize files, etc.)
Computer file organization (delete useless files, clean up file structure)
CP5 Web Design
Photo projects (more slideshows etc.)
In-Depth personal projects

3. TIPA Organization
Rooms
Contests

Oh yeah, and pizza.

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March 2 Issue

2009-02-26T21:14:00.001-06:00

Accent Issue 3 Sm

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

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Yahoo mail = Bad - See what you might have missed

2009-02-26T08:38:00.004-06:00

The editors and I noticed that a lot of the e-mails that we sent to staffers and others with yahoo.com mail addresses were getting bounced.

We also noticed that several people were upset because they weren't getting our messages. This led to misunderstandings.

I checked with the ACC help desk about this, and they responded as follows:

"Yahoo has blocked ACC email. Unfortunately there is nothing else we can do on our end."

YIKES!

I will refrain from ranting about this at this point, and just express my concern about some of the important messages that may not have gotten to everyone:

Deadlines - Issue three is being finished right now. Hopefully nobody with a yahoo.com account missed out on contributing because they didn't get the messages about story meetings, deadlines, and the story list. There will be a bit of a lull because of Spring break. The next official story meeting is March 23, but we would love for everyone (especially new folks) to start working on coverage ideas now. Just e-mail accent@austincc.edu, or editor@austincc.edu for approval and feedback, and then start working on interviews, shoots, etc. The editors will also be contacting some people individually.

TIPA - There are still five spots left for the expense-paid trip to TIPA in Dallas. I noticed that some of our very active staff members did not register by the deadline. I hope it's not because they didn't get the e-mail announcements about the trip. The deadline has been extended. Check here for details.

Lessons (I can't guarantee that something like this won't happen in the future, so . . .) -

Check this blog often
Check the staff web site, including the calendar, often.
Become a fan on facebook
Follow theaccent on twitter
Check in with the editors or me if you haven't heard from us for a while

I am refraining from ranting against Yahoo! , but feel free if you want to.

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Google Power

2009-02-26T08:20:00.003-06:00

Last night I was looking at the statistics for the website - theaccent.org - and I noticed that Anne Boyd's article about the Hope credit had almost 10 times the number of reads as any other.

Sarah Neve figured out why.

When you Google "Hope Credit," the first hit is the IRS explanation of it, and the second hit is Anne's article in The Accent.
Here's the search

Sarah also let me know that if you search for " tax free textbooks austin" that the Accent article is number one:
Here's the search

Lessons -

Write about topics that people care about.
Write about timely topics.
Always be accurate, because you have a potentially global audience, and at least for a short period of time, a high Google ranking makes you an authority on the topic.
Write more!

Know of other Google searches that rank Accent coverage high? Leave them in the comment box.

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Well designed CP5 sites

2009-02-23T08:58:00.004-06:00

It's time for theaccent.org to upgrade. To begin the process of switching to CP5, we need to creat a mock-up design for the site.

To get some ideas, here's my pick for the top five best designed sites that use CP5 and what I like about them.
What do you think?

Daily Sundial
I love the photos with the headline links as the dominant visual.
I also love the crime map (which we should be able to do but can't)
I like the video feature (maybe in a year or two)
I also like that they feature their blogs (timely)

The Daily Texan
I like the three column layout with a dominant visual, but still access to other stories.
The thumbnail photo and story format is also nice.
I also like the "featured photos" feature, but a cutline or at least a credit would be nice when you click on a photo.

Utah Statesman
I like the tabbed slideshow that gives a glimpse into lots of content.
I also like the "Verbatim" video feature. This seems like a doable feature that brings in student voices (even if they are silly ones)
I don't like the nav. bar on the left.

Washington Square News

I like the big dominant visual at the top of the page.
I also like that there is no left nav. bar.
The menus at the top are also user friendly
I don't like that you have to scroll down pretty far to see other stories.

The Corsair
I like the Flickr link to top photos. I also like the clearly segmented areas of the page.

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Texas State Launches Convergence Media Project

2009-02-19T09:10:00.006-06:00

The Texas State paper, The University Star, is moving full force into convergence journalism. Check out this webcast.
Remember- These are newspaper staffers, not TV-R people.

Here's the link to the fully "converged" site - (under construction)

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Feb. 16 BOI Awards

2009-02-16T11:23:00.005-06:00

The Best Of Issue Awards

This one was tough. There was lots of great content. Keep it coming everyone.

We still need to work on hitting those deadlines.

Best News Piece-
"ACC Harnesses the Sun" by Jamie Carpenter
This story is timely and interesting. While the lead could be a bit more detailed, it focuses on the future story. The explanation of what the panels do is also well researched and presented. I know this one took lots of work and confirmation.

Best Feature Piece-
"Hellman Undaunted" by Jamie Carpenter
An excellent example of a personal story that highlights how people use ACC training. Let's do more of this.

Best News Photo - (Tie)
"ACC breaks ground . . ." by Hanlly Sam
Hanlly clearly captured the key moment in the ceremony. The board members flinging dirt in the foreground and the banner draped equipment in the background really tell the story.

Female Condom shot on page 5 by Alma Hernandez
Check out the expressions on the girl's faces. Excellent peak of emotion! Nice composition.

Best Feature Photo -
Burned notebook by Trevor Goodchild
This detail shot of the aftermath of a fire helps to show the human cost of the event. While this photo, by itself, does not tell the main story of the fire, in combination with the more informational shot next to it, it adds a great deal. Photographers should think both, what image tells the whole story (often a wide shot) and what detail will add emotional impact.

Best Illustration-
Roberto Bolano by Karen Kuhn - Wow. This portrait is truly fine art. Excellent use of value and shading in this realistic, dark depiction of the writer.

Best Column -
"Keep Grades" by Karissa Rodriguez - A timely, relevant piece with just the right amount of personal voice.

Best Layout-
Page 5 by Jana Lelek
Yes! Our first fully designed, single topic page. Let's do more of these. The beautiful drawings lead the eye through the page in a very dynamic way, and the whimsical use of condoms not only adds levity to the design, but also drives home the "responsibility" part of the message.

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Feb. 16 Issue Preview

2009-02-13T09:56:00.000-06:00

Here it is. What do you think?

Accent_021609

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Periodicals & Report feb. 16 2009 austin community col

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10 Twitter users that every journalism student should follow?

2009-02-11T16:44:00.001-06:00

10 Twitter users that every journalism student should follow?

Posted using ShareThis

Raven - Free online vector

2009-02-10T19:53:00.002-06:00

Check out this new free web based vector illustrator.

http://aviary.com/tools/raven

Aviary vector icons from mpeutz on Vimeo.

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Upcoming Opportunities - Photo Intern

2009-02-10T09:26:00.004-06:00

Attention Photographers

The Accent is looking for a paid photo intern.

Position open until filled
- Applications will be accepted until Feb. 18, 2009
Apply Here

Description - Work with photo editor (Alma Hernandez) as an assistant to edit photos in PhotoShop for both print and web, maintain photo archives, assist in uploading content to web site, and be available for occasional shoots. While previous experience and training is preferred, on the job training will be provided.

Hours - 10 to 15 hours per week with flexible hours. Must be available during certain key deadline production times.

Qualifications - Must currently be taking at least one credit hour at ACC. Should have previous training and/or experience with digital photography, Adobe PhotoShop, and Mac operating system. Preference will be given to students who plan to continue to attend ACC in the Fall of 2009 and wish to work with the Accent.

Pay - $8.50 / hour

Apply Now

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Upcoming Opportunities - TIPA

2009-02-10T08:00:00.013-06:00

Thanks for registering.
This post will be updated as I receive information

The Accent is going to the 100th Anniversary TIPA convention in Dallas on April 8-11.

TIPA is a state collegiate journalism association. Join other Accent staff as we meet, learn with, and compete against student journalists from all over the state.

Start planning now

Contest entries have been set
Friday sessions are posted

Preliminary Itinerary - Will be updated as information becomes available.

April 8 (Wed.) - Travel Day. Everyone must be at RGC in the student lounge no later than 12:30, packed and ready to go.The bus will be leaving RGC promptly at 1pm. The evening is open for exploring Dallas.
April 9 (Thurs.)- Morning - Registration/ Afternoon, Live - On-site contests including:
- TIPA Contest Schedule

Live Contest Entries

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Manuals tipa 09 contest entr

-Download Contest rules and descriptions here
-Link to Contest Tips Here (Will be Updated)

April 10 (Fri.) -Workshops - There will be a series of workshops on a large variety of topics. Look over the list, and start deciding what you might want to attend.

Workshop List

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Other Manuals tipa 2009 workshop l

April 11 (Sat.) - Awards Breakfast, and head home - We will find out who is recognized in both the live contests and the mail-in contest (See our entries). We should be back at RGC before dinner time.

Contact accent@austincc.edu with questions.

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Slide show for Writing 101

2009-02-09T10:09:00.001-06:00

Writing 101

View more presentations from connollymc. (tags: journalism writing)

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Photo Basics Slideshow for photos 101.1

2009-02-06T09:43:00.002-06:00

Accent Photos 101

View more presentations from connollymc. (tags: accent photo)

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A sad historic milestone for student journalism

2009-02-04T14:50:00.004-06:00

Story:
SIUC student journalist becomes first American student reporter on memorial

WASHINGTON COUNTY -- The Newseum, a Washington based museum of news operated by the Freedom Forum, will add posthumously a Southern Illinois University Carbondale student as the first American student newspaper reporter to its Journalists Memorial on March 30.

Ryan Rendleman, a senior from Batavia, is on the memorial's list of journalists who died or were killed while reporting news in 2008.

For more of this story, click on or type the URL below:

http://thesouthern.com/articles/2009/02/04/breaking_news/doc4989c6bb0f1fe778713628.txt

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What do you think about this?

An excellent example of feature writing

2009-02-03T15:40:00.001-06:00

In my humble opinion, this is one of the best feature pieces I have ever read. Check it out:

Billy's World

BOI Awards February 2, 2009

2009-02-02T08:46:00.000-06:00

No, not Boyeeeee like Flavor Flav

BOI as in Best Of Issue.

-Check back later this afternoon for links to these stories-

Best Writing - News

Kaitlin Neve - "Jazz band lands next big gig at gala."
This is a tight news piece that is perfectly focused on ACC readers. There are good quotes, and the future story (that they were invited to play for the Costa Rican candidate should she win) is properly emphasized. There are still a few questions I have after reading this piece, but this is the right type of topic, right form, and right length for the average news story.

Best Writing - Commentary (non-review)

Rob Palladino - "Obama = Socialism"
An excellent mix of humanizing personal commentary and pointed political commentary. Voices of dissent, especially when they are this well articulated, are always welcome. I can't wait to see what comments we get from this.

Best Writing - Commentary (review)

David Rodriguez - " Roberto Bolano 2666"
This is an excellent example of a well done long piece. Intelligent readers will appreciate the engaging mix of literary devices and pointed analysis. The writing is good enough to warrant the huge number of column inches, because people will actually read it to the end.

Best Graphic or Art

Karen Kuhn - Editorial Cartoon

Bevo never looked so menacing. Karen continues to effectively communicated the opinions expressed in the editorial with beautiful artistic talent.

Best Photo

Alma Hernandez - Jazz band
The selective focus on the player in the foreground coupled with the nice rim lighting make the photo nice to look at and easy to read. The repeated forms of the trumpets lead the the eye well and help to tell the story of the size of the band.

Best Page Layout

Staff - Page 5
The issue is a bit light on visuals, but overall well designed. Page 5, with its dominant visual and good mix of stories and photos is very appealing to the eye.

General Kudos - This is a very strong first issue. As always, there were challenges, and the staff overcame them well. Lets take the lessons learned and keep improving on the solid base we have established.

What can we do better? Leave your comments.

Lingering thoughts

2009-02-02T08:33:00.001-06:00

The story meeting is today at 1pm. It's always exciting to see what ideas come up from that.

There are a few things hanging out there that we must discuss:

1. SXSW - We need to finalize who will be going, and what exactly they will be doing.
2. TIPA - The invitations will go out today.
3. First issue debrief and plans for the semester. Some questions I have:

Are we going to plan for regular coverage of ongoing issues? (safety, legislature, board, economy, etc.) What do our readers want to read about?
Page count - should we go to 10 or 12 pages? I need to make a news hole mockup.
Do the designers, artists, and photographers have ideas for pieces that would be worthy of entering into the CMA best of college design 17 contest?

4. The great blog launch. We need ideas on how to use them well and promote them.

Issue preview

2009-01-30T14:37:00.000-06:00

Comments?

Accent Small 090202

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Newspapers Periodicals & Report community college Austin

Here's the ACC Jazz band performing at the innaugural ball

2009-01-29T13:30:00.000-06:00

Video protesting ACC RGC action

2009-01-29T13:10:00.000-06:00

What do we think of this?

Your online presence (And how Accent can help)

2009-01-29T08:55:00.000-06:00

In thinking about the material we covered in the workshop yesterday, I know that I have some work to do to make the Accent more accessible on the web and to increase our presence. More on that later.

What I'd like to discuss now are some ways everyone can improve their presence.

1. Check yourself out. Google your name and see what pops up. While you don't need to be at the top, it's always a a good idea to know where you stand. If you have published pieces with the Accent, try searching "first last accent."

Is the top Google hit your facebook? If so, what is your public photo and information? Is that what you want potential employers and others to see?

Become a fan of The Accent

2. Get Linkedin. If you don't have a complete Linkedin profile, get one NOW by going here:
http://www.linkedin.com/

Linkedin is a MUST for controlling your online identity / presence. Google love it, and will rank your profile high in the serach results if you have several contacts.

Explore it, build your profile, and then start making contacts. You are welcome to get started by requesting me as a contact:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/connollymc

3. Get published. Having your material archived on theaccent.org not only increases the google ranking of your name, it also associates your name with whatever topics you write or shoot about.

Check out these google search results:

"ACC police crime statistics"
"ufo west campus"

If you cover topics that don't already have a huge web presence, you are shure to get placed near the top of the search results, so find interesting, original story ideas.

Remember that pitches for the next issue are due by 1pm on Monday, Feb. 2 either in person or through e-mail to editor@austincc.edu.

4. Feed the web.
Twitter - http://twitter.com/

Follow Accent - "theaccent" and we'll follow you back

Blog and comment - http://www.blogger.com/

Comment on this post with other good ideas

Digg -http://digg.com/

Digg interesting web finds, including this blog and content on theaccent.org

Delicious - http://delicious.com/

Make a list of bookmarks and define them with your own tags. You can also share with people in your network. Add "theaccent" to yours.

I know there are lots of other great ideas. Leave a comment with your thoughts on the topic.

eMarketing Techniques conference

2009-01-28T10:20:00.000-06:00

I'm at the Raddisson waiting for the conference to start. Here's the agenda:

http://www.worksmart-emarketing.com/

Networking Breakfast
Opening Remarks
Keynote

Done - Brad Kleinman - Chief eMarketing Officer WorkSmart eMarketing
Topics - E-mail, SEO, Social Networks, Twitter

He's talking about blogger and RSS now.

I just got an accountabilibuddy. Her name is Vaunette.

We're talking about Web 2.0 (read / write web)
Cafepress - Lulu.com

Video - "The Machine is Using Us"
It's all about you.
Only 20-40% open my e-mails?

Examples:
Wikipedia -
Post photos on Flickr
Animoto - Turns flicker photos int video
feedburner
slideshare
icontact / constant contact (e-mail marketing)
Digg/StumbleUpon
PbWiki/WetPaint
Upcoming.org/Confabb (Events)
Technorati / Blogger

Social Media Trends
-Facebook over 150M users
-Over 150k videos uploaded to YouTube daily
-A blog created every half second
.edu guru

Quantifiable
eMarketing is cost and time efficient and gives a high return
google analytics

Web Sites

Design (Capture attention immediately, call to action, provide paths, get them to come back, track it)

Good examples

KetteringUniversity
Valencia

Make it easy to buy. (3 or 4 clicks, not 17)
Engage the users
Get their email

E-mail

Offer a value based newsletter (80% value, 20% pitch)
quirk

Cost effective

View opens and clicks (Manage relationships - intelliworks)

Web site SEO - CPM - PPC - Organics

It's all about Google - Use title tags (title your page with keywords)

Google Adwords, Website grader.com, seo digger

Inbound links - get others to link to you

Social Media = Sharing

Book recommendation-Groundswell

People - Who are they?

Objectives - What do you want to accomplish?

Strategy - Plan fo how relationships will change

Technology - Decide what to use

slideshare, youtube (testimonials etc.), upcoming.org, meetup, facebook (individual and org page / ads for branding), Create landing pages, linkedIn testimonials, Digg, Delicious, Share this tag

RSS - common denominator

Done - Christian Campagnuolo

Learning Centered Marketing (Engagement, Behavior, Process)

Valencia

Marketing Products - Product, Price, Place, Promotion (Apply to education?)

Marketing Services - Consumer (student), Cost, Convenience, Communication, Conditions of Learning

Craft a message and integrate it throughout the organization. Sing the same song.

Common Ground - Recognition, Consistency, Emotion, Uniqueness . . .

Engagement is about leveraging perception of brand (give them enough so they feel like it's theirs - Describe to the students how they come to you)

Do students have a "galloping psychology of entitlement?" Do students understand their role in the educational process?

Existing resources to learn about your audience - (IR research, demographics, staff and faculty insight, gut)

Segmenting the audience - Should we put them in buckets?

His buckets - Recoupers (transfer students from other colleges) / Postponers (Older non-transfer who have little or no post-secondary or don't like education) / Pipeliner - Young, unprepared highschoolers / Intenders - Well prepared and committed

Define your institution in their terms.

Students only care about - Value, Convenience, Transferability, Success

educationisin.com ?

Awareness - Inquiry - Applicant - Depositor - Enrollees (old model funnel)

He then presented his new funnel, but my battery is low, so I turned off the computer. They told us to bring our laptops, and didn't supply plugs!

Done - Twitter Time - Richie Escovedo

K-12 tech and web specialist for Mansfieldisd isd

Here's his blog:
http://nextcommunications.blogspot.com/

Book recommendation - Personality not included

Twitter has a good "ROE" - Return on engagement.

It's an important addition, not a replacement for other forms of communication.

I need to work this into my workflow.

Done - Todd Gibby

Presented a "survival guide"

Excellent video that examines today's student:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o

Good overview of permission marketing.

Very cool "permission" based web site - http://www.uncommonthinkers.com/

Now - Bill Bradfield

From - PerceptIS

Students live in the cloud - Colleges need to be there

For profits live in the cloud. They are comming.

Demand is going up for C Colleges. Funding is going down.

Do I need

Contact

Interaction

knowledge

internal

self help - Tutorials etc. (smarty pants?)

data management systems?

Here's the book that everyone is raving about:

http://www.forrester.com/Groundswell/book.html

Make it happen session - Unfortunately, I think I need to skip this.

In the realm of the ideal

2009-01-27T11:11:00.001-06:00

The first issue of the semester, from what I can tell is going well. I'm excited.

Here's the ideal schedule for the production week. We all know that situations come up, so communicate with each other, Sarah, Jana and Chris, and me if anything you are working on is going to not hit these goals:

Goals

Monday

Writing - Get rough drafts of all written pieces (including editorial) into InCopy. These don't have to be 100% copy edited and perfect, but they should be pretty close to the final size.

Photos - Everything is shot, selected, and being edited. Photographers have been contacted and are working on cutlines.

Graphics - Artists have been contacted about illustration / cartoon assignments.

Layout - White board has been copied into InDesign. All InCopy assignments are made. Layout is being adjusted for size as assignments are checked in. There is a box for all photos and photo editor is in agreement that there will be appropriate content. PRINT a small B&W version of the layout as it stands at the end of the day.

Tuesday

Writing - Final edits of all stories are being made in InCopy. Start working on headlines.

Photos - Cutlines due from photographers. Photos continue to be edited.

Graphics - Artists working on graphics.

Layout - Continue adjusting layout and placing edited photos. PRINT a small B&W version of the layout as it stands at the end of the day.

Wednesday

Writing - All writing copy edited. Final edits done in InCopy. Headlines being worked on.

Photos - All photos edited and placed. All cutlines placed.

Graphics - All graphics placed.

Layout - Everything placed and adjusted with only minor adjustments and improvements needed.
Print - Two Large format color version of layout for markup.

Thursday

All marks / corrections fixed - Final to printer by 4:00 pm.

-- Again, this is an ideal timeline. If you aren't going to hit this, communicate. I really think we can come very close. --

Keep up the great work!

Welcome to the adviser's blog

2009-01-27T10:52:00.001-06:00

welcome