Getting started with online

Bryan Murley, who writes the Reinventing College Media blog, started a series today that might be of valuable to many of us. He has been hired to take over the online publication at the small Emory and Henry College, a private liberal arts college in Virgina.

The online publication there has already evolved into something separate from the print edition. His series is a chronicle of what he's learning along the way as he takes over. I think it is going to provide some interesting insights for us as we define the role of an online publication --or lack of one-- in our programs.

His goal is to speak to those who are still without an online publication or who still are on the beginning end of that curve. Part one talks about how the online publication there is created. Those who are running independent sites that require them to use HTML code will relate to where he started and why he is switching. He develops a line of thought on how to make things easier and lists alternatives, including building a standalone content management system.

For those already with a content management system --such as all of us using College Publisher-- he talks about some extra things he wants to add to his system, including a software program that Amara Aguilar turned me on a few weeks ago: Soundslides. This program makes making photo slide shows for your online site extremely easy. (And a single license is just about $50. You probably only need one.) College Publisher has a built-in slide show function, but the feature sucks.

Tags: JACC, Reinventing College Media, Journalism Education