This document outlines Courtney Myrick's goals and strategies for mastering journalism. It includes goals in areas like personal development, new media, writing, legal aspects, research skills, multimedia, digital news, social media, PR, and publishing. Strategies include determining strengths, watching educational videos, exploring different media outlets, and following journalists on social media. The final goal is to graduate with a master's degree while building an online presence and media kit for their nonprofit.

1. A Timeline by Courtney D. Myrick

2. Mastery: Personal
Development and
Leadership
Goal
To grasp a complete and full understanding
as to what I need to do to become a master
of journalism.
Strategies
• Determine: What am I good at? What
was I born to do? Will someone pay me
to do it?
• Social Intelligence: Understand what is it,
and how socially intelligent I am.
• Watch: Robert Greene’s “Mastery,” Talks
at Google
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4v_34
RRCeE

3. Strategies
• Explore several different
media outlets, each one with
a different demographic or
audience.
• Follow several journalist on
social media who write for
different demographics and
audiences
Goal
To be formally introduced
and familiarized with the latest
technology and storytelliing
techniques used to reach a
specified audience or
demographic.
New Media and
Communications
• Watch: “How to Present and Stay on Point”
http://www.lynda.com/Business-Business-Skills-tutorials/How-Present-Stay-
Point/175039-
2.html?srchtrk=index:1%0Alinktypeid:2%0Aq:audience%0Apage:1%0As:relevance%0
Asa:true%0Aproducttypeid:2

4. Writing for Interactive
MediaGoal
To find my voice and tone as a writer. To learn how to effectively tell a story
to various demographics through various platforms.
Strategies
• Utilize my job in the field to practice writing and storytelling.
• Do freelance writing with other print and online publications with
demographics that differ from the one at work.
• Watch: Media Training
http://www.lynda.com/Business-
Business-Skills-tutorials/Media-
Training/371727-
2.html?srchtrk=index:1%0Alinktypeid:2
%0Aq:interactive%2Bmedia%0Apage:1
%0As:relevance%0Asa:true%0Aprodu
cttypeid:2

5. Legal Aspects of
Media
Goal
To thoroughly read and comprehend the
First Amendment to know my rights as a
journalist, and how freedom of the press
is affected by the latest technology.
Strategies
• Read The First Amendment in its entirety and speak to a journalist who has at
least 10 years of experience in the field and is familiar with media legalities.
• Research and take note of different bylaws and policies for publishing content
online.
• Read: “Press Freedom, Privacy and the Public Sphere” by Simon Dawes
http://web.a.ebscohost.com.oclc.fullsail.edu:81/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d
4c3379e-51d1-421f-a21e-9a0ff56c90a7%40sessionmgr4005&vid=1&hid=4206

6. Research and
Investigation Skills
Development
Goal
Learn valuable investigative and research
skills, and become familiar with online
scholarly search engines and databases.
Strategies
• To find and evaluate factual information
found on the internet.
• Determine the difference between
research and theory.
• Read: “Research Methods Knowledge
Base” by William M. Trochim
http://www.anatomyfacts.com/research/res
earchmethodsknowledgebase.pdf

7. Multimedia Development and Editing
Goal
Learn how to produce, edit, and publish
various videos, photos, and audio.
Strategies
• Practice using iMovie by making a
promotional videos for my non-profit
organization.
• Practice using Adobe Photoshop and
Illustrator to produce graphics or edit
photos for work.
• Watch: Photoshop CC Essential
Training
http://www.lynda.com/Photoshop-
tutorials/Photoshop-CC-Essential-
Training-2015/372339-
2.html?srchtrk=index:1%0Alinktypeid:2
%0Aq:how%2Bto%2Buse%2Bphotosho
p%0Apage:1%0As:relevance%0Asa:tru
e%0Aproducttypeid:2

8. Goal
To become more proficient in formatting and publishing content online.
Strategies
• Create content for a range of news categories including: lead story, health,
sports, and entertainment
• Learn different formatting for editorial (word documents, text files, PDF) and
photos (jpeg, tiff, png)
• Read: “Let’s Start An Online News Site” by Lucia Naidi and Robert D. Picard
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/16522354.2012.11073556#.VeNPwbS
-SfQ
Digital News Production

9. Multimedia Reporting
Goal
To be comfortable in front of the camera
while reporting news accurately and
efficiently.
Strategies
• Practice reporting visually and vocally,
possibly with YouTube videos or
podcasts.
• Learn to record, edit, and upload videos
to different online platforms.
• Watch: “Getting Started with Video
Production and Editing” with Rob
Garrott http://www.lynda.com/Video-
DSLR-Video-tutorials/Getting-Started-
Video-Production-Editing/364443-2.html

10. Social Media and
Online
Community
Engagement
Goal
To interact with an
audience via social
media. Also, to produce
and publish content that
engages, informs, and
entertains the audience.
Strategies
• Become familiar with new up and coming social media platforms such as
Meerkat, Periscope, and Scribd.
• Create an account on behalf of my non-profit on one of the new social
media platforms
• Watch: Top 10 Social Media Management Tools
http://www.lynda.com/Marketing-Enterprise-Marketing-tutorials/Top-10-Social-
Media-Management-Tools/188205-
2.html?srchtrk=index:1%0Alinktypeid:2%0Aq:social%2Bmedia%0Apage:1%0
As:relevance%0Asa:true%0Aproducttypeid:2

11. Public
Relations and
Reputation
Management
Goal
To gather an understanding to the
many different roles in the media
field, and how each one produces
content worthy of compensation
Strategies
• Attend networking events and give out at least 5 business cards at each event,
starting a foundation to building my name in the field.
• Create content and editorial to publish in regards to my non-profit.
• Watch: Public Relations Fundamentals http://www.lynda.com/Marketing-Public-
Relations-tutorials/Public-Relations-Fundamentals/186110-
2.html?srchtrk=index:1%0Alinktypeid:2%0Aq:storytelling%0Apage:1%0As:relevanc
e%0Asa:true%0Aproducttypeid:2

12. New Media Publishing
and Distribution
Strategies
• Follow BBC, NBCUniversal, and The Associate Press on Diigo and Feedly.
• Take note of how stories are published, and Google Analytic info of how and
when the stories are read and shared.
Goal
To comprehend the need for, and
understand how to produce news
on different platforms around the
world all day every day.
Watch: “Digital Publishing Fundamentals”
with William Everhart
http://www.lynda.com/Digital-Publishing-
tutorials/Digital-Publishing-
Fundamentals/100904-
2.html?srchtrk=index:1%0Alinktypeid:2%0
Aq:news%2Bpublishing%0Apage:1%0As:
relevance%0Asa:true%0Aproducttypeid:2

13. New Media Journalism Final Project
Goal
To graduate with a master’s degree, while utilizing all of the skills learned throughout
the 12 months of grad school to build a website, social media presence, and full
detailed media kit for my non-profit.
Strategies
• Gather resources (digital camcorder, Macbook, iMovie, script, etc.) to put together
a promotional video for my non-profit.
• Obtain 5013c and incorporate the name of my non-profit organization
• Read: “A Master Plan for Your
Organization” by Terrence
Fernsler
http://web.b.ebscohost.com.oclc.f
ullsail.edu:81/ehost/pdfviewer/pdf
viewer?sid=d6dd28e6-8305-4549-
a1cd-
669b6c1bd345%40sessionmgr11
4&vid=1&hid=106

14. Leaders in the Industry
Keeyana
Avery
513-399-7772
Robin Reibel
Robin.reibel@macys.com
Jenifer Moore
press@ohiodems.org
Keith Dailey
Keith.dailey@kroger.com
Danielle Jones
Danielle.jones@cchmc.org
José Marques
513-629-1448

15. Get Involved!
The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is an organization for journalists,
journalism students, and other professionals in the field of media.
Being a member of this organization would allow me to network with African American
journalist across the nation; attend journalism workshops and/or fellowships; get
recognized and awarded for my work; and have access to an online job matching
service.
I plan on signing up for the “Emerging Professional Membership,” which has an

16. Using my PLN
Feedly
Essence Magazine and
The New York Times are
two leading publications
in my field. Following
them allows me to see
various types of
storytelling presented to
several different
demographics.
Diigo
Following Huffington
Post and the National
Association of Black
Journalists will enable
me to keep in contact
with other journalists and
keep up with trending
and lead stories.
Social Media
Following leaders in my field (Oprah Winfrey, Terrence J, and others) gives
me a first-person narrative on how the master level of work effects personal
life, how to use time management, and successfully produce editorial worthy
of publishing.

17. Is there room for
an online student?
I have not found a way to be
a part of a club or organization
associated with Full Sail
University. From what I have
seen, there are several clubs
at Full Sail, yet there isn’t one
geared toward online students.
It would be great if there
was an online club or
organization specifically for
online students to
communicate and support
each other.

18. Creative
My mentor is vibrant and fully
of innovation. My mentor
produces ideas that creates
an opportunity to use
journalistic tools and skills.
My mentor allows
me to learn hands-
on, giving me a
chance to work in
the field under their
supervision. I would
create editorial and
practice storytelling.
My mentor gives
constructive
criticism, clearly
showing me my
mistakes and
allotting the
opportunity for me to
better my skill set.

19. Month 1
Month 8
Month 4Month 3Month 2
Month 10Month 9
Month 5Month 6Month 7
Month 12Month 11
Enroll in
graduate
school; Learn
new skills to
use in the field.
Finalize
proposal for
non-profit; File
paperwork for
LLC.
Obtain non-
profit LLC; Use
skills from
class to write
on different
platforms.
Look up
possible
masters to
connect with;
Choose one as
a mentor.
Use research
skills to learn
how to obtain
teaching
certificate.
Use skills
learned in class
to create promo
material for non-
profit.
Gather
resources for
non-profit;
Apply for
higher level job
in the field.
Use skills from
class to create
a presence on
social media
for non-profit
Continue with
grad school;
Create lesson
plan for non-
profit
Build website
for non-profit;
seek mentor’s
guidance and
advice.
Graduate
with
master’s
degree!
Use everything
learned in this
month’s class
for work and
non-profit