Hello all, Fun stuff! The Duke Chronicle is looking to spend some money on our Online Department, because we currently have no office space, no special software, and no hardware of any kind.
I'm looking for a few items from anyone who's willing to provide them:
1. How much does all your Online Department stuff cost? (hardware, software, even things like tables, chairs, etc.) 2. What do you have? (computers, audio/video equipment, software, gadgets, monitors, etc.) 3. Where can we find the most cost-effective stuff? 4. What are 3 things we MUST have? 5. How many people are in your Online Department? 6. How much space do you get in the office? (as a percentage or in square feet)
Thanks, everyone. Also, anyone who wants to provide strategies for recruitment is welcome to do so! A/V and developers are our main priorities.
Alex Klein Editor for New Media The (Duke University) Chronicle
1. Online Dept. cost: Besides my stipend of $300/month, nothing in the
online dept. costs anything. We (the entire Vanguard) tend to rotate people
to computers depending on our needs for the year, so the Mac I've got this
year was not the Mac that last year's online editor used, and may or may not
be the one next year's uses. We also all share software, office supplies,
etc.
2. At my desk I've got a single-monitor Mac running OS X with CS3's
Photoshop and inDesign on it, Safari and Firefox. I also make heavy use of
the sticky notes function on the Mac for writing out code and regular use of
a large whiteboard for ideas and project scheduling.
3. For computer hardware I would recommend newegg.com, they are almost
always the lowest price with high product quality and customer service
standards.
4. I can't help you with 4, I'm still figuring out essentials for my dept.
Curious to know what others have to say about this.
5. Just me!
6. I get a desk, and the wall directly in front of the desk, and the back of
a filing cabinet next to my desk that I use as a pseudo-wall for magnets.
On Tue, Jan 13, 2009 at 2:40 PM, Alex Klein <axelniel...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello all,
> Fun stuff! The Duke Chronicle is looking to spend some money on our Online
> Department, because we currently have no office space, no special software,
> and no hardware of any kind.
> I'm looking for a few items from anyone who's willing to provide them:
> 1. How much does all your Online Department stuff cost? (hardware,
> software, even things like tables, chairs, etc.)
> 2. What do you have? (computers, audio/video equipment, software,
> gadgets, monitors, etc.)
> 3. Where can we find the most cost-effective stuff?
> 4. What are 3 things we MUST have?
> 5. How many people are in your Online Department?
> 6. How much space do you get in the office? (as a percentage or in
> square feet)
> Thanks, everyone. Also, anyone who wants to provide strategies for
> recruitment is welcome to do so! A/V and developers are our main priorities.
> Alex Klein
> Editor for New Media
> The (Duke University) Chronicle
The Daily Nebraskan got a decent chunk of money a while back and the
then-Web head honcho bought a lot of really, really nice equipment. If I
could go back and change that I would.
It's not that I don't like having nice equipment. It's that much of it is so
advanced that most reporters are scared away from trying it out (and they
tend to graduate *just* as they finally figure out how to use it).
In my view, your student newspaper is a place to learn: Don't make
technology stand in the way of that learning. Don't feel like you need to go
from 0 to 60 right away.
*Note: I'm sure others will disagree with me on how nice of equipment
newspapers need. They likely have very valid arguements. I'm just speaking
from my experience.*
*How much does all your Online Department stuff cost? (hardware, software,
even things like tables, chairs, etc.)*
Not sure, to be honest. We've had six people in the same position over the
course of three years, and the equipment we have has been collected over
those years. Tables, chairs, etc. also rotate based on who needs what each
year.
*What do you have? (computers, audio/video equipment, software, gadgets,
monitors, etc.)*
*Note: For audio slideshows and whatnot, we use Photo Department's cameras,
lenses, etc.**
Devices:*
- 2 computers (Power Mac G5 and iMac, both running OS X)
- 2 monitors (Dell) hooked up to the Power Mac
- 1 Panasonic DVX100B video camera
- 1 Zoom H4 audio recorder
*Software:*
- Adobe CS3 Design Premium (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator,
Dreamweaver, Bridge, Flash)
- Final Cut Express HD
- Soundtrack Pro
- Soundslides
- More chords/stands/chargers/adapters/etc. than I know what to do with
- One big, sturdy desk
- Another big, not-so-sturdy desk that people constantly bump into and
make me nervous
- Plenty of advanced audio mixing technology that is meant for recording
studios that no one really knows how to use. (This is the stuff I'd rather
trade back in for some Zoom H2 audio recorders that I could send any
reporter out with to collect audio.)
*Where can we find the most cost-effective stuff?*
I haven't bought a ton of stuff, so I don't have much experience to give
advice based upon.
*What are 3 things we MUST have?*
*Note: I'm with Melinda on this one: I don't really know what the absolute
essentials are, and if anyone has a hard and fast answer on this, I'm open
to hearing it. I'm still trying to figure stuff out, too, but here's my one
recommendation as an absolute essential because it's a good jumping-off tool
into multimedia:*
*
Audio recorder* - My recommendation: Zoom H2. (See Mindy McAdam's post about
them here <http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/choice-for-audio-recorders/>.)
I like these because they produce good sound, are fairly cheap and are easy
enough to learn.
For editing software, you can use Audacity for free. If you have money for
editing software, I don't have any recommendations as I don't have enough
experience on various software to really recommend one over another.
*How many people are in your Online Department?*
It fluctuates from semester to semester. Bare minimum is usually a Web
director and four or so people who upload content to the Web (each working
one night a week or so). This semester I have another assistant who is
focusing on video and another who is focusing on interactive projects.
* How much space do you get in the office? (as a percentage or in square
feet)*
We have two rooms: 8' x 10' room has computers and equipment storage in it.
Other room is maybe 12' x 12' or so and we are in the process of setting it
up as a studio for recording vidcasts and whatnot.
Sorry this reply is so long, but I hope it helps!
Emily Ingram
Web director
DailyNebraskan.com
(308) 991-0639
On Tue, Jan 13, 2009 at 4:50 PM, Melinda Bardon <melinda.bar...@gmail.com>wrote:
> 1. Online Dept. cost: Besides my stipend of $300/month, nothing in the
> online dept. costs anything. We (the entire Vanguard) tend to rotate people
> to computers depending on our needs for the year, so the Mac I've got this
> year was not the Mac that last year's online editor used, and may or may not
> be the one next year's uses. We also all share software, office supplies,
> etc.
> 2. At my desk I've got a single-monitor Mac running OS X with CS3's
> Photoshop and inDesign on it, Safari and Firefox. I also make heavy use of
> the sticky notes function on the Mac for writing out code and regular use of
> a large whiteboard for ideas and project scheduling.
> 3. For computer hardware I would recommend newegg.com, they are almost
> always the lowest price with high product quality and customer service
> standards.
> 4. I can't help you with 4, I'm still figuring out essentials for my dept.
> Curious to know what others have to say about this.
> 5. Just me!
> 6. I get a desk, and the wall directly in front of the desk, and the back
> of a filing cabinet next to my desk that I use as a pseudo-wall for magnets.
> On Tue, Jan 13, 2009 at 2:40 PM, Alex Klein <axelniel...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hello all,
>> Fun stuff! The Duke Chronicle is looking to spend some money on our Online
>> Department, because we currently have no office space, no special software,
>> and no hardware of any kind.
>> I'm looking for a few items from anyone who's willing to provide them:
>> 1. How much does all your Online Department stuff cost? (hardware,
>> software, even things like tables, chairs, etc.)
>> 2. What do you have? (computers, audio/video equipment, software,
>> gadgets, monitors, etc.)
>> 3. Where can we find the most cost-effective stuff?
>> 4. What are 3 things we MUST have?
>> 5. How many people are in your Online Department?
>> 6. How much space do you get in the office? (as a percentage or in
>> square feet)
>> Thanks, everyone. Also, anyone who wants to provide strategies for
>> recruitment is welcome to do so! A/V and developers are our main priorities.
>> Alex Klein
>> Editor for New Media
>> The (Duke University) Chronicle
1. How much does all your Online Department stuff cost? (hardware,
software, even things like tables, chairs, etc.)
We get a lot of our stuff for Student Media from the surplus
department at the university. Right now I mainly work off of my
laptop and don't have a computer for myself. But I have brought a
monitor from home to the office and use that for my desk and hook up
my laptop. A keyboard "borrowed" from another section is where I
input my codez and that's pretty much my work environment. We did buy
a few Flip HD video cameras on black friday and are starting to use
those to do some video.
2. What do you have?
For online only, just a few Flip HD cameras and we use the photo
department computer as our "multimedia" center. It has Adobe Premiere
installed and that's where we edit.
3. Where can we find the most cost-effective stuff?
tigerdirect.com, newegg.com, slickdeals.net. And find out if your
university has a surplus department for free extras!
4. What are 3 things we MUST have?
A video camera, video editing software, and a CMS. That's all you
need to run your online publication and do multimedia. I'm sure your
paper already has cameras that you can share for photos.
5. How many people are in your Online Department?
We have our own editor-in-chief (me) and I have a person in charge of
video stuff. We are currently also looking for someone to head up our
Flash developments to do multimedia package type deals.
6. How much space do you get in the office? (as a percentage or in
square feet)
I have an office but it's really far from the newsroom in the
building so I barely use it, so I just have a small desk where I do
most of my work so I can be in proximity to the section editors and
other staff.
As far as recruitment, hire someone to be in charge of just
recruitment. It's very helpful. They'd be the person (or team) in
charge of visiting classes, putting up flyers, talking to department
heads, etc. to find students who might be interested in working.
Also, we are starting to require our new staff to check if they
qualify for federal work study to ease our hemorrhaging payroll.
> Fun stuff! The Duke Chronicle is looking to spend some money on our
> Online Department, because we currently have no office space, no
> special software, and no hardware of any kind.
> I'm looking for a few items from anyone who's willing to provide them:
> How much does all your Online Department stuff cost? (hardware,
> software, even things like tables, chairs, etc.)
> What do you have? (computers, audio/video equipment, software,
> gadgets, monitors, etc.)
> Where can we find the most cost-effective stuff?
> What are 3 things we MUST have?
> How many people are in your Online Department?
> How much space do you get in the office? (as a percentage or in
> square feet)
> Thanks, everyone. Also, anyone who wants to provide strategies for
> recruitment is welcome to do so! A/V and developers are our main
> priorities.
> Alex Klein
> Editor for New Media
> The (Duke University) Chronicle
Washburn just started developing it's online/multimedia offerings this
year.
1& 2. Not much. We've got 2 consumer grade video cameras (Canon
ZR900's, I think), 2 sets of wireless lavalier mics, 2 copies of Final
Cut Express HD. All told, definitely less than $1000.
3. We bought our gear from B & H photo. We got a cheap tripod from a
friend of mine at RadioShack for cost.
4. Camera, Computer, Software. The Canon's I mentioned work great. We
share two iMacs with the print folk, and the final cut express software.
5. Aside from me, there are 4 regulars and others from the broadcast
journalism department that freelance occasionally.
6. We share two computers on two desks with the print folk. So, we
don't really have anything outright. Probably 10 square feet.
Recruitment: I handled recruitment myself. Washburn runs it's own live
cable news show, so I recruited some of them and others with
filmmaking experience.
Andrew Roland
Editor in Chief
Washburn Review Online
andrew.rol...@washburn.edu
www.washburnreview.org
On Jan 13, 2009, at 10:02 PM, Rick Martinez wrote:
> 1. How much does all your Online Department stuff cost? (hardware,
> software, even things like tables, chairs, etc.)
> We get a lot of our stuff for Student Media from the surplus
> department at the university. Right now I mainly work off of my
> laptop and don't have a computer for myself. But I have brought a
> monitor from home to the office and use that for my desk and hook up
> my laptop. A keyboard "borrowed" from another section is where I
> input my codez and that's pretty much my work environment. We did
> buy a few Flip HD video cameras on black friday and are starting to
> use those to do some video.
> 2. What do you have?
> For online only, just a few Flip HD cameras and we use the photo
> department computer as our "multimedia" center. It has Adobe
> Premiere installed and that's where we edit.
> 3. Where can we find the most cost-effective stuff?
> tigerdirect.com, newegg.com, slickdeals.net. And find out if your
> university has a surplus department for free extras!
> 4. What are 3 things we MUST have?
> A video camera, video editing software, and a CMS. That's all you
> need to run your online publication and do multimedia. I'm sure your
> paper already has cameras that you can share for photos.
> 5. How many people are in your Online Department?
> We have our own editor-in-chief (me) and I have a person in charge
> of video stuff. We are currently also looking for someone to head
> up our Flash developments to do multimedia package type deals.
> 6. How much space do you get in the office? (as a percentage or in
> square feet)
> I have an office but it's really far from the newsroom in the
> building so I barely use it, so I just have a small desk where I do
> most of my work so I can be in proximity to the section editors and
> other staff.
> As far as recruitment, hire someone to be in charge of just
> recruitment. It's very helpful. They'd be the person (or team) in
> charge of visiting classes, putting up flyers, talking to department
> heads, etc. to find students who might be interested in working.
> Also, we are starting to require our new staff to check if they
> qualify for federal work study to ease our hemorrhaging payroll.
> Best,
> Rick
> On Jan 13, 2009, at 5:40 PM, Alex Klein wrote:
>> Hello all,
>> Fun stuff! The Duke Chronicle is looking to spend some money on our
>> Online Department, because we currently have no office space, no
>> special software, and no hardware of any kind.
>> I'm looking for a few items from anyone who's willing to provide
>> them:
>> How much does all your Online Department stuff cost? (hardware,
>> software, even things like tables, chairs, etc.)
>> What do you have? (computers, audio/video equipment, software,
>> gadgets, monitors, etc.)
>> Where can we find the most cost-effective stuff?
>> What are 3 things we MUST have?
>> How many people are in your Online Department?
>> How much space do you get in the office? (as a percentage or in
>> square feet)
>> Thanks, everyone. Also, anyone who wants to provide strategies for
>> recruitment is welcome to do so! A/V and developers are our main
>> priorities.
>> Alex Klein
>> Editor for New Media
>> The (Duke University) Chronicle
1. Cost is hard to say, but No. 2 probably gives a good idea. The webmaster
gets a stipend per print issue (because that's how all the all newsroom
stipends are allotted) and I'm usually unpaid since my role (editor at large
for online and multimedia) is mostly advisory.
2. Equipment
- Two 24-in iMacs with 4 gigs of RAM for online and multimedia
- Five design computers (iMacs and Mac G5s with 20-in Apple cinema
displays) that can double for whatever on non-deadline days, as can photo G5
(We usually get 1 or 2-year-old G5s from the School of Comm. We beought the
iMacs on our own last summer)
- A couple terabyte drives for video editing/storage
- A Web server with a battery backup and backup hard drive (500 GBs),
with WordPress and SlideShowPro Director installed
- Two Canon HV20 kits from the School of Communication (kits include a
shotgun, extra battery, filter)
- Two EV hand mics
- Two Edirol R-9s
- Two Sunpak tripods
- Copious mini-DV tapes
- Two Beachtek XLR adapters (give you two channels, oh yea)
- Final Cut Pro (on the multimedia iMacs)
- Adobe CS3 design premium (on all Macs)
- Two desks and two chair for online/multimedia (already were in the
office)
- Misc video equipment
I may be forgetting other things, but that's a pretty comprehensive list.
3. I echo NewEgg and would B&H, Amazon, etc.
4. Big picture: the right people, full support from other newsroom
departments and a budget (made possible by an awesome business office). More
specifically, a robust/customizable CMS, audio/video gear and the requisite
software.
5. People in our online department depends on how you calculate. Here's a
rundown:
- Webmaster: manages the site, handles IT, add non-story content and does
various other things), two multimedia editors (video, audio slideshows,
etc.)
- Assistant webmaster: currently filled by visual editor because it's a
developing position
- Me: advise, run Twitter account and help out in other situations).
- Somewhat less formally, the editor in chief: who also runs our blogs
and essnetially oversees all breaking news
All the section editors add stories to WordPress (for next semester, I'm
pushing for writers to do this directly). Also, regarding titles, the goal
is make more of an online editor who can handle site maintenance and story
editing, when necessary. Currently, the webmaster has less of a hand in the
online reporting element.
6. Space: the two online/multimedia desks, located in the newsroom with the
section editors, take up about as much room as one section editor's desk
because have a small newsroom with very little room to expand. This will
change when the new student union is completed in a few years. The design
office is about one-fifth the size of the editorial office (newsroom). The
business office is roughly half the size of the newsroom. Also, the design
office is partitioned with less a quarter comprising a small office for the
business office's graduate assistant, which doubles as the server room.
There's been talk about converting the old photo lab into a multimedia
office but, given that we're expecting to move in a few years, the cost of
converting it doesn't make much sense at this point.
Recruitment is something that definitely need to improve because we're
expanding and increasing emphasis online.
On Tue, Jan 13, 2009 at 5:40 PM, Alex Klein <axelniel...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello all,
> Fun stuff! The Duke Chronicle is looking to spend some money on our Online
> Department, because we currently have no office space, no special software,
> and no hardware of any kind.
> I'm looking for a few items from anyone who's willing to provide them:
> 1. How much does all your Online Department stuff cost? (hardware,
> software, even things like tables, chairs, etc.)
> 2. What do you have? (computers, audio/video equipment, software,
> gadgets, monitors, etc.)
> 3. Where can we find the most cost-effective stuff?
> 4. What are 3 things we MUST have?
> 5. How many people are in your Online Department?
> 6. How much space do you get in the office? (as a percentage or in
> square feet)
> Thanks, everyone. Also, anyone who wants to provide strategies for
> recruitment is welcome to do so! A/V and developers are our main priorities.
> Alex Klein
> Editor for New Media
> The (Duke University) Chronicle
First off: woah. Very cool topic of conversation here.
Second: I can give some answer for The Daily Orange.
How much does all your Online Department stuff cost? (hardware,
software, even things like tables, chairs, etc.)
God, no clue. I can say that just like every other desk in the paper,
Online has a theoretic budget $500 per semester. But, with tough times
and as a new department, that money may not really be there.
What do you have? (computers, audio/video equipment, software,
gadgets, monitors, etc.)
The "Evolution Dept." Specifically has very little gear.
The Photo dept has 2 iMac 20" that have Final Cut on 'em that can be
used if it's later or early in production
We'll be buying a bunch of flip cams this semester
Most editing is done on the Video Editor's personal laptop
We use the in house server, which is industrial quality. Several
terabytes of storage, all backed up, etc.
Where can we find the most cost-effective stuff?
other nailed this one. newegg.com is great. Also check out
pricegrabber.com
What are 3 things we MUST have?
I tweeted this earlier, but: competent people. This is far more
important than any equipment you could ever buy. Spend your time and
money on recruitment before anything else. re-training your current
staff is part of that equation.
Don't think of yourself as the online dept. Everyone is on that desk.
Your area should be web-only content.
Good audio is the most important thing. A good USB mic for recording
podcasts, and several good field mics are critical.
A workflow.
How many people are in your Online Department?
see above, but we have one guy who edits video, a few people who shoot
it (unpaid), and me, who is mostly advisory now.
How much space do you get in the office? (as a percentage or in square
feet)
really? none. We've been working out of the conference room.
> 1. Cost is hard to say, but No. 2 probably gives a good idea. The
> webmaster gets a stipend per print issue (because that's how all the
> all newsroom stipends are allotted) and I'm usually unpaid since my
> role (editor at large for online and multimedia) is mostly advisory.
> 2. Equipment
> Two 24-in iMacs with 4 gigs of RAM for online and multimedia
> Five design computers (iMacs and Mac G5s with 20-in Apple cinema
> displays) that can double for whatever on non-deadline days, as can
> photo G5 (We usually get 1 or 2-year-old G5s from the School of
> Comm. We beought the iMacs on our own last summer)
> A couple terabyte drives for video editing/storage
> A Web server with a battery backup and backup hard drive (500 GBs),
> with WordPress and SlideShowPro Director installed
> Two Canon HV20 kits from the School of Communication (kits include a
> shotgun, extra battery, filter)
> Two EV hand mics
> Two Edirol R-9s
> Two Sunpak tripods
> Copious mini-DV tapes
> Two Beachtek XLR adapters (give you two channels, oh yea)
> Final Cut Pro (on the multimedia iMacs)
> Adobe CS3 design premium (on all Macs)
> Two desks and two chair for online/multimedia (already were in the
> office)
> Misc video equipment
> I may be forgetting other things, but that's a pretty comprehensive
> list.
> 3. I echo NewEgg and would B&H, Amazon, etc.
> 4. Big picture: the right people, full support from other newsroom
> departments and a budget (made possible by an awesome business
> office). More specifically, a robust/customizable CMS, audio/video
> gear and the requisite software.
> 5. People in our online department depends on how you calculate.
> Here's a rundown:
> Webmaster: manages the site, handles IT, add non-story content and
> does various other things), two multimedia editors (video, audio
> slideshows, etc.)
> Assistant webmaster: currently filled by visual editor because it's
> a developing position
> Me: advise, run Twitter account and help out in other situations).
> Somewhat less formally, the editor in chief: who also runs our blogs
> and essnetially oversees all breaking news
> All the section editors add stories to WordPress (for next semester,
> I'm pushing for writers to do this directly). Also, regarding
> titles, the goal is make more of an online editor who can handle
> site maintenance and story editing, when necessary. Currently, the
> webmaster has less of a hand in the online reporting element.
> 6. Space: the two online/multimedia desks, located in the newsroom
> with the section editors, take up about as much room as one section
> editor's desk because have a small newsroom with very little room to
> expand. This will change when the new student union is completed in
> a few years. The design office is about one-fifth the size of the
> editorial office (newsroom). The business office is roughly half the
> size of the newsroom. Also, the design office is partitioned with
> less a quarter comprising a small office for the business office's
> graduate assistant, which doubles as the server room.
> There's been talk about converting the old photo lab into a
> multimedia office but, given that we're expecting to move in a few
> years, the cost of converting it doesn't make much sense at this
> point.
> Recruitment is something that definitely need to improve because
> we're expanding and increasing emphasis online.
> On Tue, Jan 13, 2009 at 5:40 PM, Alex Klein <axelniel...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
> Hello all,
> Fun stuff! The Duke Chronicle is looking to spend some money on our
> Online Department, because we currently have no office space, no
> special software, and no hardware of any kind.
> I'm looking for a few items from anyone who's willing to provide them:
> How much does all your Online Department stuff cost? (hardware,
> software, even things like tables, chairs, etc.)
> What do you have? (computers, audio/video equipment, software,
> gadgets, monitors, etc.)
> Where can we find the most cost-effective stuff?
> What are 3 things we MUST have?
> How many people are in your Online Department?
> How much space do you get in the office? (as a percentage or in
> square feet)
> Thanks, everyone. Also, anyone who wants to provide strategies for
> recruitment is welcome to do so! A/V and developers are our main
> priorities.
> Alex Klein
> Editor for New Media
> The (Duke University) Chronicle
I completely agree with Joey that competent people is a huge necessity
to get something like an online department off the ground. The first
and third things of his "3 things you must have" is incredibly
important to your success.
On Wed, Jan 14, 2009 at 11:52 AM, Joey Baker <j...@copress.org> wrote:
> First off: woah. Very cool topic of conversation here.
> Second: I can give some answer for The Daily Orange.
> How much does all your Online Department stuff cost? (hardware, software,
> even things like tables, chairs, etc.)
> God, no clue. I can say that just like every other desk in the paper, Online
> has a theoretic budget $500 per semester. But, with tough times and as a new
> department, that money may not really be there.
> What do you have? (computers, audio/video equipment, software, gadgets,
> monitors, etc.)
> The "Evolution Dept." Specifically has very little gear.
> The Photo dept has 2 iMac 20" that have Final Cut on 'em that can be used if
> it's later or early in production
> We'll be buying a bunch of flip cams this semester
> Most editing is done on the Video Editor's personal laptop
> We use the in house server, which is industrial quality. Several terabytes
> of storage, all backed up, etc.
> Where can we find the most cost-effective stuff?
> other nailed this one. newegg.com is great. Also check out pricegrabber.com
> What are 3 things we MUST have?
> I tweeted this earlier, but: competent people. This is far more important
> than any equipment you could ever buy. Spend your time and money on
> recruitment before anything else. re-training your current staff is part of
> that equation.
> Don't think of yourself as the online dept. Everyone is on that desk. Your
> area should be web-only content.
> Good audio is the most important thing. A good USB mic for recording
> podcasts, and several good field mics are critical.
> A workflow.
> How many people are in your Online Department?
> see above, but we have one guy who edits video, a few people who shoot it
> (unpaid), and me, who is mostly advisory now.
> How much space do you get in the office? (as a percentage or in square feet)
> really? none. We've been working out of the conference room.
> —Joey
> On Jan 14, 2009, at 12:18 AM, Greg Linch wrote:
> For The Miami Hurricane:
> 1. Cost is hard to say, but No. 2 probably gives a good idea. The webmaster
> gets a stipend per print issue (because that's how all the all newsroom
> stipends are allotted) and I'm usually unpaid since my role (editor at large
> for online and multimedia) is mostly advisory.
> 2. Equipment
> Two 24-in iMacs with 4 gigs of RAM for online and multimedia
> Five design computers (iMacs and Mac G5s with 20-in Apple cinema displays)
> that can double for whatever on non-deadline days, as can photo G5 (We
> usually get 1 or 2-year-old G5s from the School of Comm. We beought the
> iMacs on our own last summer)
> A couple terabyte drives for video editing/storage
> A Web server with a battery backup and backup hard drive (500 GBs), with
> WordPress and SlideShowPro Director installed
> Two Canon HV20 kits from the School of Communication (kits include a
> shotgun, extra battery, filter)
> Two EV hand mics
> Two Edirol R-9s
> Two Sunpak tripods
> Copious mini-DV tapes
> Two Beachtek XLR adapters (give you two channels, oh yea)
> Final Cut Pro (on the multimedia iMacs)
> Adobe CS3 design premium (on all Macs)
> Two desks and two chair for online/multimedia (already were in the office)
> Misc video equipment
> I may be forgetting other things, but that's a pretty comprehensive list.
> 3. I echo NewEgg and would B&H, Amazon, etc.
> 4. Big picture: the right people, full support from other newsroom
> departments and a budget (made possible by an awesome business office). More
> specifically, a robust/customizable CMS, audio/video gear and the requisite
> software.
> 5. People in our online department depends on how you calculate. Here's a
> rundown:
> Webmaster: manages the site, handles IT, add non-story content and does
> various other things), two multimedia editors (video, audio slideshows,
> etc.)
> Assistant webmaster: currently filled by visual editor because it's a
> developing position
> Me: advise, run Twitter account and help out in other situations).
> Somewhat less formally, the editor in chief: who also runs our blogs and
> essnetially oversees all breaking news
> All the section editors add stories to WordPress (for next semester, I'm
> pushing for writers to do this directly). Also, regarding titles, the goal
> is make more of an online editor who can handle site maintenance and story
> editing, when necessary. Currently, the webmaster has less of a hand in the
> online reporting element.
> 6. Space: the two online/multimedia desks, located in the newsroom with the
> section editors, take up about as much room as one section editor's desk
> because have a small newsroom with very little room to expand. This will
> change when the new student union is completed in a few years. The design
> office is about one-fifth the size of the editorial office (newsroom). The
> business office is roughly half the size of the newsroom. Also, the design
> office is partitioned with less a quarter comprising a small office for the
> business office's graduate assistant, which doubles as the server room.
> There's been talk about converting the old photo lab into a multimedia
> office but, given that we're expecting to move in a few years, the cost of
> converting it doesn't make much sense at this point.
> Recruitment is something that definitely need to improve because we're
> expanding and increasing emphasis online.
> On Tue, Jan 13, 2009 at 5:40 PM, Alex Klein <axelniel...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hello all,
>> Fun stuff! The Duke Chronicle is looking to spend some money on our Online
>> Department, because we currently have no office space, no special software,
>> and no hardware of any kind.
>> I'm looking for a few items from anyone who's willing to provide them:
>> How much does all your Online Department stuff cost? (hardware, software,
>> even things like tables, chairs, etc.)
>> What do you have? (computers, audio/video equipment, software, gadgets,
>> monitors, etc.)
>> Where can we find the most cost-effective stuff?
>> What are 3 things we MUST have?
>> How many people are in your Online Department?
>> How much space do you get in the office? (as a percentage or in square
>> feet)
>> Thanks, everyone. Also, anyone who wants to provide strategies for
>> recruitment is welcome to do so! A/V and developers are our main priorities.
>> Alex Klein
>> Editor for New Media
>> The (Duke University) Chronicle
