Does Size Really Matter?

Many new bloggers often fret over the length of their posts.  Are they too long, too short or just right?  Luckily, I found a link to a blog post by Jonathan Morrow that addresses this dilemma and shed some light to the question: Does size really matter?

In his post, Do long Blog Posts Scare Away Readers?, Morrow examines whether a blogger should opt for a long post or should the blogger go the short route?

Well, that all depends on the story you are trying to tell.  If you can tell the story in 200 words or less great.  Still, don’t worry about scaring away readers with a long blog post.  According to Morrow, “Long blog posts don’t scare away readers; sloppy writing does.”

Student Featured Post – News University: Cleaning Your Copy

Great post by Katie, a PRCA 3330, student outlining Poynter News University’s course Cleaning Your Copy.  If you are having trouble with grammar, give this post a quick read for some really good grammar tips!

• News University: Cleaning Your Copy – Katie Stambeck

What is Poynter News University?

Students in Barbara Nixon’s PRCA 3330 classes at Georgia Southern University as well as her students enrolled in classes at Southeastern University are integrating traditional online classes via Georgia View and Blackboard along with supplemental courses offered free by Poynter News University.  So, what is this Poynter News University?

Well according to the Poynter’s website, “Poynter’s News University is one of the world’s most innovative online journalism training programs ever created. From multimedia techniques to writing and reporting, we’ve got more than 150 free and low-cost courses. As the e-learning project of The Poynter Institute, NewsU extends Poynter’s mission as a school for journalists, future journalists and teachers of journalism.”  And while all that sounds great in print… just what does Poynter’s offer students and teachers?

Student Featured Post – You’re entitled to opinions, but let me bestow facts!

This semester students in PRCA 3330 are assigned to write blogs and comment on others’ blog posts.  I love the advice from this student on commenting on other people’s blogs.  The post is short sweet and to the point, all the things I like!

• You’re entitled to opinions, but let me bestow facts! – Kendra Etheridge

What Not To Say When Commenting on Blogs!l

Since this weeks TOW for PRCA 3330 deals with blog comments, I decided to post this helpful video by Chris Pirillo which discusses blog comments of course! In this video Chris offers 5 tips for leaving effective comments that will add to the overall conversation and that will virtually ensure that your comment won’t see the chopping block.

Student Featured Posts

Here are two really interesting posts from students in my PRCA 3330, Public Relations Writing, class.  Each one provides useful information that all public relations students should know.  Hope you enjoy and please leave them comments!!

• 6 ways to write a cover letter – Amy Green

• PRSSA – Cassandra Light

GRAMMAR! GRAMMAR! Read All About It…

This week’s PRCA 3330 Topic of the Week (TOW) is grammar and seeing as how we can all improve our grammar skills, I’ve decided to include links to some really good websites to help you polish up your skills.

• Grammar Girl:  This is the site that most of my PRCA 3330 students should be familiar with.  Mignion Fogarty is Grammar Girl and she provides visitors with the latest grammar news and information via blog posts and podcasts.  Subscribe to get weekly grammar tips you can listen to!   =D
• Guide to Grammar and Writing:  Not only does this site teach you about sentence and paragraph structure, there is even a section on writing essay/research papers.  This site even provides users access to Power Point presentations on various grammar subjects.  The best part is users can then take quizzes over the subjects they have just studied.
• GrammarBook.com:  This site is all about grammar and even offers visitors videos on various english usage subjects.  Jane Straus, author of  The Blue Book of Grammar, has created 63 videos to help make grammar easier for us all!

Can I Link My Twitter and Facebook Accounts?

Yes you can!

I recently read a blog post by Michael Hyatt that provides readers with very detailed instructions,  including pictures, on linking your Facebook and Twitter accounts.  I wish I would have known about this little trick months earlier as I have a hard time switching between and updating both social networks on a regular basis.  The process is so simple that it took me a little over a minute to successfully link my accounts.

Is There an Age Limit to Facebook?

This weeks featured PRCA 3330 student blog post, Is There an Age Limit to Facebook?, comes from Ashley Rich’s blog.  I found this post to be highly entertaining and I loved the different types of users who are described.  I have seen parents who disclose way too much information on Facebook than their child would have liked shared. 

Enjoy courtesy of Ashley!

10 Blogging Tips For New Student Bloggers

For my final blog post in PRCA 4711, I decided that it would be even more interesting to give 10 Blogging Tips to new students which come from this semesters PRCA 3330, public relations writing, students.  Who better to give advice than those students who at one time or another were once new themselves?

1. Explore the blog site before you begin. Get comfortable with your surroundings. You don’t make a speech without practicing and learning a little bit about your topic first. Play with the site and see what kind of “extras” are available to you. With WordPress you can insert links and photos; be aware of your surroundings before you jump in head first.–Rachel Alderman
2. When blogging be careful with you grammar, spelling, and sentence structure. I know that blogging is a less formal style of writing but the basic rules of English still apply.– Alecia Norman
3. I have a hard time with this one, but paragraphs should be kept short and to the point. It’s easier for people to read. —Ashley Quinn->