Wordstock — the annual one-day journalism conference at Ryerson University Oct. 2, is getting back to basics this year: Writing. I’m doing an hour-long session on writing for the web. (You can register for the conference here.)
Seems simple enough. Except, it’s a huge topic.
So below is where I am so far in breaking this topic, but I’d love your input.
What do you think young/aspiring journalists need to know about writing for the web? Should I focus on SEO, twitter, liveblogging?
WRITING FOR THE WEB
1) Search engine optimization: just the basics. Keywords, where they need to be & why. Importance of link text being relevant.
2) Style. Why it matters online.
1) What words to use/not use. Research on what words do/don’t get retweeted (marketers are all over this topic). How to use hashtags.
2) Breaking news: Famous examples and writerly examples. Rules of the road, ethics to consider.
LIVE BLOGGING
1) Examples (breaking news, sports events, watching tweets).
2) Doug Smith’s top live blogging tips.
