How to Do A Great Blog Post

A blog post must contain the following elements:

  • An introduction to the task. WHAT is it?
    • The finished task – embedded in the page – not a link!
  • WHY have you completed this task.
  • A reflection on HOW does this help develop your skills as a media producer or you understanding of Media Studies.
    • What have you learnt?

The blog is not just an account of what you have done, it is a reflection on what you have learnt and a focus forward.

A blog posts is never just a recap of what you have done or a summary of what you have posted.

A better way to think about the critical reflection on each blog post it to ask yourself:

  • SO WHAT?
  • WHAT HAVE I LEARNT?
  • HOW WILL THIS HELP BE A BETTER MEDIA MAKER?
  • HOW DOES THIS HELP MY UNDERSTAND BIG MEDIA CONCEPTS?
  • IN WHAT WAYS DOES THIS IMPROVE MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE MEDIA ECOLOGY?

TOP TIPS AND COMMON MISTAKES IN STUDENT BLOGS:

  1. Include TECHNICAL TERMS and THEORY – always read our blog posts and include the key terms at the top of each of our posts.
  2. All evidence should be attached as PDFs, JPEGS or embedded  Published Slideshows.
  3. Never just insert something as a link – looks messy & no one is going to click on it…ever!
  4. All evidence should be available to be seen by the examiner so don’t include google docs ever!
    1. YOU CAN SEE IT, I CAN SEE IT…THE EXAMINER CAN’T, SO POINTLESS.
  5. Keep the posts in order with the blog league – then the blog makes chronological sense.
  6. Do not be tempted to COPY anyone else’s blogs.
    1. If you have worked on evidence, documents, presentations as a group then you can upload them.
    2. NEVER just copy and paste other people’s words.
  7. Focus forward. How does the post now help you with your own production decisions, ideas and progress?
  8. Don’t write essays in reflections (rule of thumb 150 words).
    1. Present your reflections and analysis with bullet points, paragraphs and sub-headings to make it easy on the eye.
  9. Get someone to proof your work – as a media student you should be keen to communicate and communication is about correct spelling, grammar and punctuation:
    • Common mistakes:
      • ‘I’ not i
      • capital letters for names, places, titles (proper nouns)
      • do not use slang such as ‘geezer’.
      • avoid saying that your work looks ‘more professional’, is ‘nice’, is ‘more interesting’
        • WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Be precise.
    • spellings of media words such as connotation, equilibrium etc

Remember – A BLOG POST A DAY IS THE WAY TO AN ‘A’ it will also keep MRS C or MR G AWAY!

LINK TO AN EXCELLENT BLOG POST

CLICK BELOW TO SEE SOME EXAMPLE REFLECTIONS

Example reflections:

Not good (what is wrong with this?)

  • ‘In this task we looked at magazine conventions for a front cover We found out that there is always a masthead, captions for articles inside and other visual graphics called pugs, calls outs etc.  I will now include these in my front page cover.  we looked at genre, repertoire of elements, blueprint and audience expectations and the ideas of lacey and altman.  I learnt what these terms mean.’

This is better:

  • ‘Having a front cover for a magazine is all about engaging the target audience – the potential consumer. Everything from the font used for the magazine title (the masthead) to the language used for the captions and call-outs, colour of the font and the images on the cover are all integral to how that magazine conveys its brand messages & identity.  I am determined to find a really unusual and eye catching typeface and use typography to create a front cover that sells my brand. It should be  conventional and yet innovative and different.  Whilst a conventional blueprint for a heavy rock music magazine has a certain repertoire of elements (dark MES, intense and energetic poses, authentic and aggressive facial expression etc) which are ideas put forward by Altman,  I hope to make the expected ingredients for my front cover and other pages appropriate for the genre but different too so that my audience won’t reject the text but instead be intrigued, excited and inspired by it – enough to buy the magazine and read on.’
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