A balanced backpack

Ben Paul

I found myself siding with the cautionary tone taken in “Mush of Mediocrity.” The thing I like about the idea of “backpacking” is that it allows for the story to be told in the most compelling way possible. If a reporter is familiar with all the possible mediums, he or she will be able to chose between them to produce a coherent piece and/or package, which is a particularly valuable ability in cases of breaking news where there may not be sufficient time or resources to get a reporter specializing in each medium. However, this should by no means become a crutch for executives: both authors were straightforward in their acknowledgment that specialists will naturally produce a higher quality product. I also agree with Stone’s assertion that convergence ultimately will not work without top-down reforms of the news-gathering process.