Backpack Journalists

The piece I identified most with was Jane Stevens' "Backpack Journalism Is Here to Stay", due to the fact she realizes that a multimedia journalistic world is the future. In opposition, Martha Stone urges journalists to just use the backpack journalist sparingly instead of all the time in "Backpack Journalism Is a 'Mush of Mediocrity'."

As a backpack journalist herself, Stevens gives her opinions as one who has been to the other side and liked what she saw. This change brought Stevens to realize that backpack journalism is not a fad and is, in fact, the future, when she says that the convergence journalists will eventually rule. I think this is absolutely right. Times are changing and people aren't as interested in watching or reading news as much as they once were. Coming up with new ways in order to engage news consumers and provide them with the facts is exactly what the convegence movement seeks to do. It isn't taking away from the previously established media; it is merely a combination to make the news even more accessible and helpful to the public.

I didn't like how unreceptive Stone was to the idea of the convergence movement, though she does cede a little throughout the article. She essentially said "Why mess with a good thing?" when talking about media. "We've done well with newspapers and radio and TV, so why change?" Things have been changing, and the convergence movement is at the forefront.

While traditional media will still continue to exist, there will be a new player which I am assuming will outstrip them all. This makes me more like Stevens in our shared view that Convergence is the way to go. It would be interesting to rule over all of journalism...