Book Review

In Editing and Design, we were assigned to review a book that dealt with editing. I chose Tim Harrower's Newspaper Designer's Handbook. My first reason for choosing this book was that I already owned a copy from using it for another class, so it saved me the $50 or so buying a new copy. The second, and main reason, I chose this book was how much I enjoyed reading it. I can honestly say is one of the few textbooks I bought for college that I willingly read cover to cover.
The book is simple, straightforward and even humorous in some parts. Although I learned a lot from Harrower's handbook, I never felt like I was reading an educational textbook.
You can read my full review of The Newspaper Designer's Handbook here.

Soundslides project

In class we used a program called "Soundslides." The program creates photo-galleries like those you'd see on news sites. My Soundslides project is a gallery of photos from "Inflation Eve," which is the night before the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade when all the balloons are inflated. My professor gave us photos and we made our own cutlines and put the project together. To see the cutlines, click on "Captions."

Headapalooza

In class, we were given a headline writing assignment called "Headapalooza." We were given stories and assigned to write two headlines for them: a web headline and a print headline.

I've attached my assignment. The story pictured is about Shark's fin soup and California's proposed ban on the delicacy. Also on the bottom are two headlines written for others stories not pictured. Up top is a headline relating the NASA space shuttle Discovery and its retirement.

News Layout Project

For our final project in Editing and Design we were assigned to do a magazine spread layout, or a newspaper front page layout. Finding myself reading more newspapers than magazines, I opted to do a newspaper layout.
InDesign makes laying out a newspaper much easier than it seems. The major tough part I came across was writing headlines.

Fact Box

In Editing and Design, we worked with InDesign extensively. InDesign is a crucial program for anyone going into layout design or copy editing for their career.

Here for an assignment, I designed a Fact Box. Fact boxes are usually seen next to photos. They give vital background information about the subject. For example, my fact box offers information Cabinet member Shaun L. S. Donovan, where he went to school, how old he is, e.t.c.

Google Mash-up Map: Sold Homes in Mount Laurel

A Google Map is just what the title implies; a map on Google.  Having a Google account allows you to create your own maps, with your own pinpoints, for any kind of information you'd like.  I've created a Google Map to show homes sold in the last year in my parents' town of Mount Laurel, N.J., for my Editing and Design class. 

In the journalism world, Google Maps can be pretty useful.  Is there a story on a serial burglar wreaking havoc on your town?  A Google Map can show all the locations the suspect has victimized, along with other information on those locations.  A viewer can click on the pinpoints to view more information.  In the case of my Google Map, each pinpoint box shows the selling price of the homes, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and even a picture.  


View Homes sold in Mount Laurel, NJ in a larger map