Backpack Journalism

I think convergence journalism can be accomplished in two ways: either a few sensationally talented people will create the bulk of the stories, or journalists will work in groups. In “Backpack Journalism is a Mush of Mediocrity,” Martha Stone mentioned journalists’ individualistic nature, so maybe the latter is unlikely. But if overcoming our characteristic introversion means producing the better stories, isn’t it worth a shot?

Yes, it’s difficult for one person to juggle three or four different materials while covering an event. That’s where the group dynamic makes a difference. Jane Stevens’ ideas about producer- and reporter-driven stories rely on a group of talented jouranlists. The story they produce together will be more cohesive, more readable, more interesting, and more accurate if each one understands in some detail the intricacies of what the others are doing.

The demand for converged reporting is there. Meeting it might require journalists to leave their comfort zones, but the result has enough potential to merit that effort.