Post tag: the future of journalism
How Old is Multimedia?

Sociologist William Fielding OgburnThe Marlowsphere (Blog #149)

It is a truism that laws more often than not lag behind cultural customs especially in times of change, to which we could add in times of rapid technological change. Sociologist William Fielding Ogburn (1896-1959) posited in 1922, for example, the difference between “material culture” and “adjustment culture.” The former refers to technology, the latter to the often lagging response to technological change on the part of members of a culture and its cultural institutions. In other words, technology is the primary engine of progress, i.e., change, and it takes time for people and institutions to catch up to the changes and characteristics new technology brings, especially when it comes to terms and definitions.

In academia adjustments to technological change with respect to programs, courses, and especially terms are more often than not “behind the curve,” never in front of it. Often, there is a tendency to grab on to a new technology well after it has been embraced by early adopters and to describe “new” courses with terms gleaned from the popular media without much aforethought.

I have observed this from direct experience.

In 1988 the Journalism Program at Baruch College (City University of New York) invited me to create and teach courses in video field production and radio news. I was the first professor in the program with a print and electronic media background based on my recently acquired Ph.D. and experience in video and radio production.

Sir Tim Berners-Lee Inventor of the World Wide WebIn reality, I was hired because the Speech Department (now the Department of Communication Studies) had initiated a course in “Corporate Video” and the Director of the Journalism Program (then a part of the Department of English) didn’t want to be outdone! In other words, inter-departmental competition motivated my being hired. Mind you, this was 1988, a year before (now Sir) Tim Berners-Lee introduced the World Wide Web which, in turn, began the slow but inexorable demise of print journalism. So, in some small measure, the then director of the journalism program (a full professor with a Ph.D. in English Literature, now retired) can be forgiven for not having a crystal ball to peek into the future.

It was not until 2007 (19 years after my hiring) that the department hired a second professor with expertise in electronic journalism. Her specialty was “multimedia journalism.” And it was only until 2016 and 2017 that a third and fourth professor with print and electronic journalism credentials were hired. The latest addition to the faculty has deep experience in podcasting. That’s four professors out of 11 full-time professors in 29 years, even though in this same period the world of journalism had moved inexorably to a greater reliance on visualization (video) and orality (podcasting) via the computer.

There was progress, however. The (now) Department of Journalism introduced a course in “Advanced Multimedia Journalism” following the establishment of a course in “Multimedia Journalism” which I also taught. There’s now two courses in podcasting.

A couple of years ago we were in the throes of a self-review in response to periodic accreditation requirements. One of the department’s “learning goals” (originally formulated in 2013) dealt with “multimedia.” My reaction to reading this learning goal was to immediately feel how out of date and mis-defined it seemed. It had been articulated in 2013 by a professor with no “electronic journalism” experience to speak of. This prompted me to look into the technical definition and history of the term “multimedia.” My search taught me again that all things have antecedents and confirmed that academia is usually behind the curve.

I discovered the “concept” and “term” multimedia is about 60 years old! Yes, it’s that old and it predates the advent of the personal computer. It’s also another example of what’s old is new again.

Bob Goldstein, SingerAccording to several sources, the term multimedia was coined by singer and artist Bob Goldstein (later ‘Bobb Goldsteinn’) to promote the July 1966 opening of his “LightWorks at L’Oursin” show at Southampton, Long Island. Goldstein was perhaps aware of an American artist named Dick Higgins, who had in 1964 discussed a new approach to art-making he called “intermedia.”

A month later, on August 10, 1966, Richard Albarino of Variety borrowed the terminology, reporting: “Brainchild of songscribe-comic Bob (‘Washington Square’) Goldstein, the ‘Lightworks’ is the latest multi-media music-cum-visuals to debut as discothèque fare.”

But wait! There’s more. Two more years later, in 1968, the term “multimedia” was re-appropriated to describe the work of a political consultant, David Sawyer, the husband of Iris Sawyer—one of Goldstein’s producers at L’Oursin.

The original meaning of “multimedia” kept evolving. In my 1995 book Winners! Producing Effective Electronic Media (Wadsworth Publishing Company) co-authored with "Winners! Producing Effective Electronic Media" by Eugene Marlow & Janice SileoResearch Associate Janice Sileo, in a chapter entitled “Multimedia” we wrote, “The Microsoft Corporation, in a February 1993 Backgrounder, defined computer-based ‘multimedia’ as ‘the integration of text, graphics, audio, video and other types of information. . . .’.” Further, “Clearly, multimedia has evolved from an integration of various digital, electronic, aural, and visual technologies into an interactive medium for use in the home and the office.” Sound familiar? 1993 is 29 years “after” the term was originally coined. Yet some journalism educators use the term and define “multimedia journalism” as if it were invented just a few years ago!

Clearly, the term “multimedia” has been bandied about and used by journalists and professors of journalism who have no concept of its origin or layered meanings. Further, the term “multimedia journalism” is likewise mis-construed. It should be “computer-based journalism” or “digital journalism. “ If used even more correctly, “multimedia” would also refer to film, broadcast and cable television. After all, these communication media combine sound with pictures and graphics and text of all kinds. This is an example of a more recent generation of professionals ignoring the fact that there are always antecedents.

But to ask these folks to appreciate the abovementioned distinctions might be too much. They perceive they’re in the technological vanguard and don’t want to be disturbed in their academic bubble. They haven’t done their homework. They’re in the caboose of a technological train—with a longer history than realized—whose engine is ahead of them.

©Eugene Marlow, Ph.D. 2020

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Job Growth/Job Prospects for the Creative Class, Part III

Job Growth Architechs, Multimedia Artists & Animators ,& Video/Film EditorsMarlowsphere Blog (#123)

The last two blogs (#121/#122) took an overall look at job growth/job prospects for those in the so-called “creative class.” This is an appropriate time of year to do so given that May and early June are when college students attend graduation commencement ceremonies.

In this blog I take a specific look at those wishing to enter the fields of architecture, multimedia, and film.

Job Growth Outlook 2012-2022

  • Architects: +17%
  • Multimedia Artists & Animators: +6%
  • Film and Video Editors and Camera Operators: +3%

If any conclusion can be drawn from the numbers in this group of “creative class” disciplines, it is this: there is an ongoing seismic shift away from the printed word (and what it takes to create works with printed words) and towards the dominance of the visual image, generally speaking.

It is arguable that this shift has been taking place since the commercial introduction of the telegraph in 1844. Historically speaking, the telegraph (sometimes called the Victorian Internet) is the first significant electronic communications medium that subsequently led to broadcast radio, then broadcast television, cable, and then the Internet. In between these electronic technology developments we can point to early computers, desktops, laptops, satellites, CDs, DVDs, and now a host of mobile devices, et al. The list of electronic devices is overwhelming.

Shift of Printed Word to ImagesAt least one other conclusion can be readily identified. The explosive growth of electronic devices has, over a period of 170+ years shifted the dominance of the printed word—and all the professions required to accomplish the effective and efficient use of printed words—towards the visual image—and all the professions required to accomplish the effective and efficient use of visual images. In this context, it is no historical accident that since the end of WWII “image” has become more dominant than “substance,” or so it seems. the printed word

As with the previous two blogs, the following Job Growth/Job Prospects descriptions are taken directly from the pertinent Occupational Outlook Handbook (online) of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program.
 
Architects: +17%

ArchitectEmployment of architects is projected to grow 17 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations.

Architects will be needed to make plans and designs for the construction and renovation of homes, offices, retail stores, and other structures. As campus buildings age, many school districts and universities are expected to build new facilities or renovate existing ones. Demand is expected for more healthcare facilities as the baby-boomer population ages and as more individuals use healthcare services.

Demand is projected for architects with knowledge of green design, also called sustainable design. Sustainable design emphasizes the efficient use of resources, such as energy and water conservation; waste and pollution reduction; and environmentally friendly design, specifications, and materials. Rising energy costs and increased concern about the environment have led to many new buildings being built with more sustainable designs.

With a growing number of students graduating with architectural degrees, strong competition for internships and jobs in the field is expected. Competition for jobs will be especially strong at the most prestigious architectural firms. Those with up-to-date technical skills and training in sustainable design could have an advantage.

Employment of architects is strongly tied to the activity of the construction industry. Therefore, these workers may experience periods of unemployment when there is a slowdown in requests for new projects or when the overall level of construction falls.

Multimedia Artists & Animators: +6%

Multi-media Artists & AnimatorsEmployment of multimedia artists and animators is projected to grow 6 percent from 2012 to 2022, slower than the average for all occupations. Projected growth will be due to increased demand for animation and visual effects in video games, movies, and television. Job growth [in the United States] will be slowed, however, by companies hiring animators and artists who work overseas. Studios often save money on animation by using lower paid workers outside of the United States.

Consumers will continue to demand more realistic video games, movie and television special effects, and three-dimensional movies. They will also demand newer computer hardware, which adds to the complexity of the games themselves. Video game studios will require additional multimedia artists and animators to meet this increased demand. Some of the additional work may be sent overseas.

In addition, an increased demand for computer graphics for mobile devices, such as smart phones, could lead to more job opportunities. Multimedia artists will be needed to create animation for games and applications for mobile devices.

Despite modest job growth, there will be competition for job openings because many recent graduates are interested in entering the occupation. Opportunities should be best for those who have a wide range of skills or who specialize in a highly specific type of animation or effect.

Film and Video Editors and Camera Operators: +3%
 
Video & Film EditorsEmployment of film and video editors and camera operators is projected to grow 3 percent from 2012 to 2022, slower than the average for all occupations.

Job growth is expected to be slow in broadcasting because automatic camera systems reduce the need for camera operators at many TV stations. Because of the public’s continued strong demand for new movies and TV shows, companies are hiring more people as the motion picture industry becomes more productive.

Production companies and video freelancers are working within new content delivery methods, such as mobile and online TV, which has led to more work for operators and editors. These delivery methods are still in their early stages, yet they provide an opportunity for operators and editors to showcase their work.

In broadcasting, the consolidation of roles, such as field reporters who edit their own work, may lead to fewer jobs for editors at TV stations. However, more editors are expected to be needed in the motion picture industry because of an increase in special effects and content.

Job openings are projected to be in entertainment hubs such as New York and Los Angeles because specialized editing jobs are needed there. Still, film and video editors and camera operators will face strong competition for jobs. Those with more experience at a TV station or on a film set should have the best prospects.

The job prospects for writers & authors, editors, and journalists will be covered in the next blog.

If you have any questions or comments about this or any other of my blogs, please write to me at
meiienterprises@aol.com.

Eugene Marlow, Ph.D.
June 1, 2015

© Eugene Marlow 2015

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Multimedia Journalism vs. Legacy Journalism

Technology EvolutionThe Marlowsphere Blog (#93)

Some inventions are incremental improvements on pre-existing technologies. Over long periods of time, e.g., tens of thousands of years, the tribal fireplace of yesteryear, for example, bears little technological resemblance to the gas or electric stove of today. Yet, upon even cursory analysis, both technologies provide heat and the ability to cook food. On the other hand, the tribal fireplace also kept predatory animals at bay; the gas or electric stove does not, but the latter stove gives the user much control over the amount of heat required to cook food when it is required. The timeframe between the tribal discovery of the use of fire and the invention of the gas, then the electric stove is at least tens of thousands of years, perhaps a lot more. 

Other inventions create tectonic cultural shifts in the human social environment in a much shorter period of time. One such invention is the World Wide Web. Without this technology no one would be reading this blog and I wouldn’t have the opportunity to publish it to be read by a potential international audience.

Sir Timothy Berners-LeeSir Timothy John “Tim” Berners-Lee is the British computer scientist best known as the inventor of the World Wide Web. He made a proposal for an information management system in March 1989, and implemented the first successful communication between a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) client and server via the Internet sometime around mid-November of the same year. The influence of Sir Berners-Lee’s invention is still working its way around the planet. Of course, it should not be forgotten that without the development of the computer—mainframes, mini-frames, and personal—the “mouse,” fiber optics, and a host of other hardware and software developments associated with the computer, the World Wide Web Berners-Lee invented would not have any meaning whatsoever. It is a perfect example that every invention has its antecedents and coincident technologies, just like the fireplace has evolved over time into the gas or electric stove. 

In addition to virtually every aspect of life—marketing, public relations, politics, science, medicine, education, dating, business, music distribution, and many, many more applications—the World Wide Web has had a major impact on journalism. For example, it is a fact that as more and more consumers, especially younger consumers, of news and information gravitated to the web as their primary source, the impact has been greatly felt in the realm of print journalism, especially newspapers. Over one generation the number of newspapers in the United States has diminished steadily. There’s a long list of reasons, too numerous to articulate in this blog. Suffice it to say, the characteristics of the Internet—a 24/7, speed of light medium that incorporates text, graphics, motion video/film, and sound, and the ability to communicate Web Visions Coverglobally via email—is very attractive to both consumers and marketers alike. I have previously referred to it as the “shrinkwrap medium.”  For more details on this, my 1997 book WebVisions (Van Nostrand Reinhold) covers many of the aforementioned issues. Print magazines, broadcast radio and television, and cable television appear to have survived the Internet onslaught—so far.

Clearly, though, the future of journalism is more electronic than print. There is a brief scene in the 2002 Tom Cruise movie “Minority Report” in which the main character, Chief John Anderton, gets off a future style subway.  As he does one can see riders reading “newspapers” with pictures that have motion characteristics. Of course, these newspapers are probably made of hybrid materials other than newsprint in order to accommodate the motion graphic elements of news and feature stories and advertising.

This leads logically for a commentary on the emergent field of “multimedia journalism,” a.k.a. “digital journalism.” First, let’s define “multimedia journalism.” According to The Multimedia Journalist:  “The most obvious and common definition is the collective use of many media types–such as text, audio, graphics, animation, video, and photographs–to convey information.” (http://www.themultimediajournalist.net/?page_id=330).  Again, here we are talking about information in various media conveyed by means of computer-based technology.

This is an ample definition. It squares with the “shrinkwrap” characteristics of the Internet. In other words, the Internet, for journalistic purposes, allows journalists and publishers (and bloggers like myself) to use a multiplicity of media to tell a story; and this can be done 24/7 at the speed of light. While the speed with which stories can be conveyed on the Internet is fraught with its own problems and challenges, what is germane in the context of this blog is the “perceived” difference between “multimedia” or “digital journalism” and what has now become “legacy journalism.”

Remember the fireplace/gas-electric stove analogy at the beginning of this blog? It applies here to the comparison between “multimedia/digital journalism” and “legacy journalism.” Legacy journalism refers, of course, to what came before the World Wide Web evolution: print (newspapers and magazines), photography, broadcast radio, broadcast television, and cable television. All these antecedents to web journalism have been subverted by the growth of the Internet on a global basis—although it must be pointed out, perceptions to the contrary, that a little less than 40% of the world’s population currently has access to the web. Give it another generation, though, and that number will probably double.

Journalism Spectrum

It is my view that consumers, journalists, and educators alike are under the impression that somehow “digital journalism” is something new and requires a whole new set of rules and techniques. To a degree this is correct, but it is not the journalism that is new, it is the digital characteristics of the Internet technology that is new. Journalism is still journalism, regardless of the conveyance of the news and/or information. A print story is a still a print story, whether in a “printed” newspaper, or on the newspaper’s web site. A radio news story must still adhere to the demands of news for the ear, whether broadcast via a radio station or network, or on the station or network’s web site. A broadcast or cable news story must still respond to the opportunities provided by these electronic media to incorporate text, sound, graphics, and studio and/or field reporters, live or recorded whether broadcast or distributed on cable, or on a web site.

So what is different? What is different is how the legacy media are programmed into the web, via such programs as WordPress, I-Movie, FinalCut X, GarageBand, and many, many other software programs. What is different is that journalists are now required to not only do the heavy lifting with respect to researching a story, getting interviews, gathering graphics, arranging for and obtaining interviews, and drafting the story—regardless of medium—they now must also train to use a panoply of software programs to post the story on the web.

For seasoned professionals, educators, and journalism students alike this is the new challenge—in addition to learning journalism techniques, everyone must now learn the technology of getting the story (as in using a video camera, for example) and posting a story. In one sense, this is a situation that provides for professional growth. In another sense, it is also an opportunity for the owners of journalistic venues (e.g., publishers) to get more for less. Journalists are increasingly required to know how to make journalism in various media, but this also results in an opportunity for owners to create profits in an increasingly competitive information and news market.

In effect, the growth of the Internet has put more of a professional burden on journalists while at the same time many journalistic functions have been eliminated. One example, before the advent of highly portable, high quality video cameras, broadcast and cable reporters used to have a crew of several members to report a story; similarly with respect to editing. Reporting EvolvedNow video reporters in many small and medium-sized markets are required to know how to shoot and edit the story themselves without benefit of an experienced crew. The division between reporting and the technology of getting a story to an audience via the web has been greatly blurred.  

It is a fact that in the last few years one-fifth of all journalists have been eradicated, one could say purged from the field. Those who remain and those students who are motivated to enter the field face a reality that electronics is the future, although that future will not be as fast in coming as the headlines suggest. It only seems that way. Journalism educators, too, face the same challenge. The problem is learning the new technologies and technical requirements seems to have become the dominant aspect of journalism education, to the detriment of the need to also tell a good story by answering who, what, why, when, where, and how, regardless of medium.

It is a balancing act that requires both experience and technical skill. But what happens when a younger, future generation brought up in a primarily non-print journalism world goes to work or becomes part of the education system whose mission it is to train the next generation of journalists? Will the thousands of years of collective cultural experience telling the stories of the tribe orally, in print, or via video be lost, or will it even matter? Will the knowledge of how to make fire without gas or electricity be forgotten?     

Please write to me at meiienterprises@aol.com if you have any comments on this or any other of my blogs.

Eugene Marlow, Ph.D.
January 6, 2014  

© Eugene Marlow 2014

 

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Ten Essential Skills That Make a Good Journalist

Jeff Bezos Buys the Washington PostThe Marlowsphere Blog (#82)

The Center for Communication recently presented a panel at the School of Media Studies at the New School for Public Engagement (New York City) on the subject of “Media Disruption: The New Normal.”

The raison d’etre of the panel discussion was the inexorable demise of print forms of news and information and the rise of electronic news and information—primarily via the Internet. The panel was also organized partly in response to the recent sale of The Washington Post for “a fraction of its value just a few years ago” to Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon. Interestingly, Bezos bought the venerable newspaper out of his own personal funds, not as another asset under the Amazon umbrella.

The Bezos purchase, the Center commented, “is emblematic of the changing landscape of journalism. The rise of Twitter as the go-to news source, and the proliferation of other innovative news delivery systems, has changed the game forever.” The panel included Martin Nisenholtz, Senior Advisor, The New York Times Company; Elizabeth piers, acting Edicatorial Director, Flavorpill Production; Ben Smith, Editor-in-Chief, Buzzfeed; Shafqat Islam, Co-Founder and CEO, NewsCred; and J. Max Robins, Contributor, Technomy Media. Mr. Robins also served as panel moderator.

The panel discussion almost immediately fell into the usual pattern of one-by-one comments on the “changing landscape of journalism.” And while there was certainly cross conversations about the subject, the panelists implicitly came to the conclusion that nobody yet knows what the long-term impact of such electronic news venues, such as Twitter, Facebook, and the Internet generally are going to be. One wonders if Jeff Bezos yet knows what he’s going to do with the journalistic assets of the venerable Washington Post. My guess is he will diminish the print medium expression of the newspaper, break up the reporting assets into various categories, and re-purpose the reporting assets into electronic form. We’ll see.

This issue aside, it was interesting to note that only one speaker—Elizabeth Spiers—addressed the issue of journalistic writing on the part of reporters in the inexorable emerging electronic era. At one Good/Bad Reporting Quotepoint she remarked that young reporters needed to deal with the reality that they might be writing for an audience twice their age and that these same reporters need to take this audience into account.

Upon hearing this, I wondered if the game had also changed with respect to good reporting now that electronic news and information venues are slowly but surely becoming dominant in the media landscape.

For me the answer is no. Just as the famous jazz musician and composer Duke Ellington once said “There are only two kinds of music: good music and bad music,” it is similarly true that there are only two kinds of reporting: good reporting and bad reporting.

So, what does it take to be a good reporter? Below are a few characteristics that for me are paramount:

1. Good writing skills: this is a given. This is the ability to say what has to be said in as concise a manner as possible. It also means good spelling, good grammar, good punctuation, good paragraphing, and good overall structure; A story with a beginning, middle, and end. An ever-expanding vocabulary; The ability to tell a story, to draw a reader, listener, or viewer in to the narration.  First drafts don’t usually make it.

2. Good researching skills: knowing where to go for information. If you rely on one source for information, you probably don’t have enough sources. There are always at least two sources for the same information. Wikipedia ,notwithstanding, is a beginning, not an end-source.

There are at least six general sources of information:

Good Researching Skills1. Subject-Experts: Subject- experts are highly useful as research sources because they can provide both a professional perspective based on their level of experience and an in-the-trenches description of what is really going on in a particular profession and/or industry.

2. Trade Publications: Trade publications are published for either professionals in a particular field or for executives of companies and/or institutions in a particular field. There are usually at least two leading trade publications in every endeavor. Trade publications can provide intermediate-term perspectives on activities in a particular profession and/or industry particularly from an economic perspective.

Further, often these trade publications publish so-called “annuals” that describe and analyze the state of a particular profession over the course of the year and make comparisons to previous years. These same “annuals” also look forward to the next year and even several years into the future with projections as to what might occur given current trends and influences.

3. Books: The advantage of using a book as a research source is it takes time to write a book, and, therefore, a book can provide long-term perspectives with some history that has been corroborated. Further, the author’s perspective and/or conclusions might underscore your own conclusions and/or give you food for thought for developing your own conclusions.

Professional Associations4. Professional Associations and Trade Associations: Trade associations represent the interests of the businesses or institutions in a particular industry to local, state, or Federal government bodies. In some cases the trade association interacts with international governing bodies. No matter how large or small the business segment, there is always at least one professional association and usually one trade association.

5. Government Agencies: Increasingly, government agencies at the local, state, Federal, and even international level, interact with professionals and companies. Often, these same agencies collect data on the state of a particular industry. One example, in the United States, is the Library of Congress. This agency produces volumes of information that are there for the asking.

6. The Internet: The Internet has become an encyclopedic source of information on a global scale. However, it is not an end-point for research. It is a beginning point. You can use the Internet as a way of identifying and locating all the other research sources mentioned above. You can also use the Internet’s e-mail capability to make contact with individuals at the research sources named above. But it is dangerous to rely on the information the Internet gives you access to as a sole source. Of course, it depends what web site you access. In this kind of research, it is best to check out several web sites with the aim of corroborating information. You might find differences in information that purports to be “the facts” among different web sites. In other words, check it out! On the other hand, you might find information on the Internet that is not published elsewhere and is useful to your research. You don’t have to quote from it, but it might be useful as background in developing your own research conclusions.

3. Good listening skills: do you know when to shut-up and just listen to what is being said? Very often in the silences between questions, an interviewee will make a statement that can become a factual lynchpin to a story.

Essential Skills4. Good interviewing skills: knowing how to prepare for the interview; asking questions that move the interview forward; hearing the good quote while continuing to hear what the interviewee is saying.

5. Good abstracting and analysis skills: The journalist’s job is to provide a reader, listener, or viewer with stories that have been boiled down to their essence. Not everything you find out is pertinent to a story. IOW, what does the reader, listener, viewer need to know?

6. A background in some subject other than journalism: Journalism study provides certain skills. A background in some subject other than journalism provides you with some content depth and, perhaps, even insight.

7. A willingness to go the extra yard to find or corroborate a piece of information: How far are you willing to go to get the information you need to tell the story?

8. Contacts: an extensive Rolodex, whether electronic or in hardcopy: There is a book with the title Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty written by a corporate executive. This book is full of advice, but at its core it implores people to make contacts with other people before you need them. It also greatly encourages people to keep a list of contacts and to expand this list whenever possible. You never know when you’ll need to call someone for a piece of information crucial to your story. And it always helps to have at least two sources for information. There are always alternatives. Developing contacts is an on-going task.

9. Integrity A journalist needs to possess the ability to report the facts and not hype up the story for the sake of attracting “eyeballs.”  A truly newsworthy story told with honest reporting and good research will automatically attract “eyeballs.”  With the plethora of news outlets already in existence and the potential for many more to arise viewers/readers will become more selective of which sources they will go to and those decisions will most likely be made on the contingency of reliability and truth.

10. To this list we must add: a modicum skillset in print and electronic media—radio, television, web sites, podcasts, blogs, and social media. Even 10 years ago this list would have been limited to newspapers, magazines, radio and television. The Internet has obviously changed all that. This is the major shift.

What is challenging to more experienced journalists is making the transition to so-called new media with an understanding that contemporary journalism is not about mass media, it is now about highly segmented audience journalism. Twitter, of course, has pushed the envelope with its 140 character requirement. This is a journalistic world in which Charles Dickens would have a hard time adjusting to.

On the other side of the generational divide, the challenge for younger, less experienced journalists is to learn how to write for a variety of audiences with a range of backgrounds and educational levels. The major challenge for young, emerging journalists is to understand the difference between knowing what software buttons to push and why one pushes those buttons. In video, for example, there are ample opportunities for whiz-bang special effects. But knowing when to use those special effects is quite another matter. Only experience teaches when to make  those choices.

Please write to me at meiienterprises@aol.com if you have any comments on this or any other of my blogs.

Eugene Marlow, Ph.D.
October 21, 2013

© Eugene Marlow 2013

 

 

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