Assignment+Blogs

=Blog Assignments:= You will work on all of these assignments throughout the course with deadlines provided as you go. You will post your blogs on our class blogging site found [|HERE] using your username and password provided by the teacher.

Besides writing your four blogs, you are required to respond to at least 2 blogs written by your classmates.

** Evaluation: **
Your blog will be assessed according to this rubric.

= =

Blog Assignment #1 - The Death of Newspapers?
**Questions:** Are newspapers dying out? Why is it getting more difficult for newspapers to survive? Should we care if newspapers no longer exist? What are the advantages/disadvantages of reading your news in less traditional formats, rather than from traditional newspapers? Will you miss newspapers? Will anyone miss having paper newspapers? Why or why not?

Background Information: Before you write your own blog article to answer these questions, check out at least two of the following to gather information:
http://journalism.about.com/od/trends/a/papersdying.htm
 * 1. Article**: Are Newspapers Dying?

2. **Blog:** "If Newspapers are gone, what will you miss?" See this blog, as well as the blog responses linked to it []

[]
 * 3. Article: " ** Reading the News in the Inkless World of Cyberspace"

http://sejc.org/2014/05/a-bright-future-for-newspapers/
 * 4. Article:** "A Bright Future for Newspapers"

http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2014/nov/07/newspapers-not-dying-buzzfeed-new-york-times
 * 5. Article**: "Newspapers are not Dying"

Task:

 * Now that you know more about the state of newspapers today, write a blog article on your own blog found at**

https://kidblog.org/class/j20-2015/posts

In this blog, you will answer the questions posed above.

Evaluation:
After writing your four blog entries, you will be evaluated according the blog rubric.

Blog Assignment #2 - Ethical Issues: Privacy
[] which deals with issues regarding internet privacy, social networking and young offenders. Read the article carefully and then write a blog post based on the questions listed in the section titled "For Classroom Discussion." Your post should include a response to all of the questions listed, but should NOT be in the format of a list of numbered answers. Use paragraph form!
 * Visit this link**


 * Post your blog [|here].**

**Evaluation:**
After writing your four blog entries, you will be evaluated according the the following rubric:

Blog Assignment #3: Covering Controversy
When is journalism going beyond the boundaries of news-gathering and bordering on sensationalism or entertainment? Read the blog article found here []

When you are finished, write your own blog in response to the questions listed under "Questions for Classroom Discussion" found at the end of the article. You can skip the fifth question, regarding the Obama campaign, as this is already in the past.)


 * Post your blog [|here].**

**Evaluation:**
After writing your four blog entries, you will be evaluated according the the following rubric:

**Blog Assignment #4: Freedom of Speech in Journalism**


 * Freedom of speech is considered to be a cornerstone of journalism, but have you really ever thought about what can happen when journalists are not free to report the truth as they see it? Have you considered whether there is true press freedom in Canada? Have you thought about what limitations on freedom may exist in this country? These are some of the questions you should have in mind when you complete this blog.**

Go to the website for Reporters Without Borders found [|here]: Click on the name of a continent of the world from the red menu across the top of the page and then choose a country from the pop-up menu. Read about some of the press freedom issues that exist in that country. **Summarize three issues you find in paragraph 1 of your blog.**
 * Step 1 - Press Freedom in another country - Blog Paragraph 1 **

Read the following short article about freedom of the press in Canada: [|Canada Slips in Press Freedom Rating] As the article states, we have slipped in our rating for press freedom. Why do you think this has happened? To answer this question, read the following article, PLUS go back to the Reporters Without Borders site (click [|here]) and this time, click on "North America" and then "Canada." **Summarize two issues about freedom of the press in Canada in paragraph 2 of your blog. This should help to explain why our rating is slipping.**
 * Step 2 - Press Freedom in Canada - Blog Paragraph 2**

Compare/contrast the state of press freedom in Canada with that of the country you chose for paragraph one. Comment on whether you think that Canada has or will ever have the same issues as that country. Be sure to give reasons for your opinions.
 * Step 3: Opinion - Blog Paragraph 3**


 * Post your blog [|here]. **

**Evaluation:**
After writing your four blog entries, you will be evaluated according the the following rubric:

=**Need An Avatar to Represent You on the Blog?**=

Part of being in a journalism class is observing copyright and journalistic ethics. You cannot use a picture on your blog that does not belong to you. You also need an image that complies with our class ethics, which means that it has to be school-appropriate and within the bounds our three beliefs. To create and use a legal avatar, go to [|www.doppelme.com]

These sites contain a wealth of articles on all aspects of journalism:

Canadian Journalism Project []

Article Source: Committee of Concerned Journalists - []Why