print this articleAnother argument for journalists to embrace the web
If you happen to run into “traditionalists” who still don’t get it, here’s some ammunition in the form of a well presented argument by Suw Charman and Kevin Anderson.
Both of us embraced the internet because of the opportunities it presents. It’s the world’s greatest story-telling medium, bringing together the strengths of text, audio, video and interaction. The internet as a communications tool can help journalists tap sources like never before, making their stories richer and more balanced. Why wouldn’t journalists take advantage of the internet?
Yes, the job is changing, and we as journalists need to change with it. The internet may be posing a threat to the business model that support journalism, and it’s understandable that this causes anxiety. But misrepresenting the reality of that change won’t make it go away.
After all, we fear what we do not understand. It’s clear that the writer of the piece in the National Union of Journalists’ magazine (titled Web 2.0 is rubbish) that Charman and Anderson were countering has a long way to go to fully understand the possibility and opportunities of the Internet and Web 2.0.
Posted by MarkBriggs on Wednesday, October 31, 2007
(2) Comments •
Permalink
Write shorter words, grow bigger audiences?
I found this recent Seth Godin post fascinating. It’s from a link to Steven Berlin Johnson and, at first blush, may appear to have nothing to do with Journalism 2.0.
Basically, short, simple sentences not only sell more books, but spread ideas farther and faster.
But upon further review ...
Maybe, in addition to teaching reporters how to wield a video camera and edit Soundslides, a new reporting style should be adopted. One where news stories contain shorter sentences and are more direct.
If shorter, more direct writing sells more books, would it also sell more newspapers (and grow online audiences)? Makes sense to me.
Posted by MarkBriggs on Tuesday, October 30, 2007
(2) Comments •
Permalink
Toronto Star leading the way with in-house training
Marissa Nelson works for the Toronto Star. Her official title is reporter, but she has been spends almost all her her time teaching other journalists at the paper about Journalism 2.0. Her program is called StarNext and I got to see it up close last week when I was in Toronto for the ONA conference.
The Star has a ginormous newsroom, employing some 470 journalists. At the far end is an office with a shiny 24-inch iMac on one desk and three smaller versions along the wall. This is where StarNext students come to learn about audio, video, search engine optimization and more. When they start, they receive a 3-ring binder about two inches thick with tip sheets and screenshots. (Rob Curley was apparently so impressed, he took home the last spare copy when he visited the Star last week.) When they finish, they receive a special 1GB flash drive on a rubber wristband, complete with a StarNext logo.
I love the first page in the binder. It’s a quote from Charles Schultz: “Try no to have a good time. This is supposed to be educational.”
With Nelson’s permission, I’m including a sample schedule for a week in the StarNext program.
MONDAY
9-10: Overview of week. Ergonomics.
10-10:30: Vision for the site.
1030-12:30: Web/Journalism 2.0/inspiration session. Examples of traditional/disruptive innovation, quality vs. quantity.
12:30-1: LUNCH
1-1:30: What medium to use. Planning exercise.
1:30- 2:30: Audio. How to collect good audio, and listen to some projects. How to use the recorder.
2:30-3:30: Ethics
3:30-5: Slideshows.
TUESDAY
9-9:30: Morning routine.
930-10: Traffic, audience and wish list.
10-1030: Search engine optimization.
10:30-noon: Collect audio for slideshows.
Noon – 4: Edit Slideshow
4-5: Storyboarding a video
WEDNESDAY
9-930: Morning routine.
930-10:30: Video: How the camera works and how to shoot.
10:30-1: News assignment.
1-5: Edit video
THURSDAY
9-930: Morning Routine.
930-10: David Darnell: Ted vs. Tops
10-10:30: Aneurin: From story filing to posting – what the online crew do.
10-1030: 1030-4 Shoot project
4-5: Download on to computer.
FRIDAY
9-930: Morning routine.
1030-11: Blogs.
Finish project. Deadline is 5:30.
Posted by MarkBriggs on Wednesday, October 24, 2007
(2) Comments •
Permalink
Required for innnovation: Openness to try new things
I attended a session of the ONA conference yesterday about future publishing concepts. As one of the speakers, Erik Schwartz, was demonstrating narrowcasting, I overheard a disturbing remark by one of the conference attendees seated in front of me.
Narrowcasting is essentially the idea of taking podcasting and making it available on cell phones, instead of iPods (and other MP3 players). It makes sense to me, because your iPod can’t continue to receive updates (unless you have the iPod Touch and are in a wifi zone) but a cell phone can. It appears on your phone like a text message, but then plays an audio clip.
“I would never do that,” said the woman in front of me. On its face, that’s fine. This stuff isn’t for everyone. But anyone attending this conference, one would assume, is somehow connected to the news industry or journalism education. And the default attitude for everyone needs to be: “I need to try that and experience it, then decide whether or not it’s worth pursuing.”
Posted by MarkBriggs on Saturday, October 20, 2007
(4) Comments •
Permalink
If you don't learn new skills, you'r employer will find someone else
I’m at the Online News Association conference in Toronto this week, hearing lots of great ideas from other news operations. But it was a poster pinned to the bulletin board near the check-in desk that stopped me in my tracks.
WANTED: Video blogger
The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville is hiring one and posted the flier for this opening. For those who work at newspapers in the jobs they were hired in and haven’t changed with the digital times, this should send a message. The same for students who are working towards journalism degrees to get a job that has no innovative qualities (read: traditional).
The next time the news organization (the one you work for or want to work for) has an opening to fill, they won’t be filling it with the same type of person who just left. All new hires will have to have at least some digital skills. And some, like this one from Jacksonville, will be entirely digital.
UPDATE: The next day, this bulletin board was jammed with web-related job postings. About 35 by my quick count. Plus MSNBC had a booth on the exhibitor row trolling for talent with 12 advertised openings.
At dinner Wednesday night, an executive editor from a paper in the Midwest wondered where all of today’s J-school grads were going to get jobs, given that so many newspapers are cutting staff. Well, I can’t remember seeing so many journalism jobs posted at conference before so I would say, as long as those students have web skills, the opportunities will be there.
Posted by MarkBriggs on Thursday, October 18, 2007
(0) Comments •
Permalink
20 innovations that have radically changed ... journalism?
Collegehappenings.com posted a list of the 20 Innovations That Have Radically Changed The College Experience. Since it’s been exactly 20 years since I entered college, the list resonates with me as I look back on my freshman year in 1987. But, more apropos of today, I think it should resonate with today’s journalist.
Most of the items on the list have changed our profession as radically as the college experience: Google/search, the Internet, cell phones, digital video, etc. The effects have been different, though, and I’m thinking about constructing a list of 20 specifically for journalism.
So pitch in and help me crowdsource this (and by the way, should crowdsourcing be on the list?). What innovation do you think has most dramatically changed the journalism experience? And why?
Posted by MarkBriggs on Thursday, October 04, 2007
(3) Comments •
Permalink
A 12-step program for journalists
You need to check out Howard Owens’ blog post titled Twelve things journalists can do to save journalism (and not just because one of them is reading Journalism 2.0).
Then you need to forward it to others in your newsroom.
I would add a 13th step: Have fun in your job and let your audience share in it.
I heard that Ira Glass once remarked that journalists were the funniest people he’d ever met. But when you pick up the paper in the morning, you’d never know it. Our journalism should have more humanity in it, and that means humor. Everyone knows that young people are getting their news from John Stewart and Digg, where humor rules the day. And the first rule of communication is to know your audience and know what it wants.
Posted by MarkBriggs on Monday, October 01, 2007
(1) Comments •
Permalink
Plan It!
Build It!
Present It!
Promote It!
