Multimedia "backpack" journalism is now longer a thing of the future. The future is now. In fact the demand for "do-it-all" journalists has never been higher.
I agree with what Jane Stevens says about how backpack journalists will rule the world of journalism. I think it is incredibly important for a journalists to understand how to be able to communicate across all mediums of which people get their news. If a journalists is sent to cover a breaking news story than can immediately begin to cover it via the internet posting updates on a web page that they created in just a few short minutes on their laptop. With a small camera they will also be able to upload short flash videos as well as still photographs onto their website. This would not be possible if a reporter had to constantly move back and forth from the scene of the story back to the newsroom in order to do their reporting.
However, While I do not entirely agree with what Martha Stone had to say, I think it is important for a journalist to be a master of some trade. I do believe that in the very near future we will begin to see journalists who are masters at being back pack journalists.
Though backpack journalism and convergence journalism are quickly becoming common place in newsrooms, straight forward everyday reporting can never be ignored. While backpack journalism may be necessary for covering a breaking news story, nothing can replace the quality of a well done news story.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Convergence Journalism: All you need is a backpack and a dream...
When I began to read the first article "Backpack Journalism is Here to Stay" I though Jane Stevens was quite pompous. Dropping names whom I had never heard of and speaking as though she knew everything there is to know about the new "multimedia" journalism. Talking about where she came from and throwing in how she was at the New York Times made me want to click the X in the upper right hand corner of my web page. As I continued to read and gave her more of a chance I thought she made some interesting points, even if they are now dated.
"Two of multimedia's most important characteristics are context and continuity, characteristics that television and print don't have to multimedia's degree." was a point that really stood out to me. I was in New York on September 11, 2001. I remember watching how people with cameras became journalists, if you thought it was overkill nationally on affiliates like FOX news or MSNBC then you can imagine how force fed the coverage was from local news channels. Images, sound bites, slide shows, simple video all played a role on that tragic day and has evolved into the latest tragedy at VA TECH. Images and sound bites bring continuity and more importantly context to the story which lead to complexity in turn making your story authentic.
On the flip side, while reading the second article "Backpack Journalism is a Mush of Mediocrity" I started out agreeing with Martha Stones viewpoints of convergence journalists being multi-taskers being able to operate many things well but master nothing. That being said, as I continued to read I grew out of favor with what she had to say because I didnt think her statements were valid.
For one, to say that "do-it-all journalists" are not needed to propel media companies is completely untrue. I know many adults who dont have the foggiest idea as to how to operate a computer let alone a high tech camera, or create a website with a technical program like DreamWeaver or even iweb! That being said I believe it is essential for journalists to be "triple threats" when it comes to how they do their jobs especially if they want to continue to be employed. The world is moving at the speed of light when it comes to technology and soon Newspapers and even books could become obsolete. If you can "do-it-all" you give yourself an edge in a world full of "specialized individuals".
Secondly, journalists who are able to live with their backpacks consisting of a laptop (I have a Macbook which consists of all I need to make a story) they can do great work. In the previous semester, my external hard drive broke 2 days before a story was due- I couldn't sign out a video camera so I grabbed my Macbook and redid the story in 6 hours- I got an A on the project and my friends and family, when I showed them what I had done thought they were watching a real live package that could be seen on any local news company in the country. Had I not had the technical skills to know how to operate my tools, I am convinced I would have had to do twice the work with a lesser end result.
SO moving forward in the journalism world will only continue to become more technical as computers become more complex so will journalism. Thats why to be a success, all you need is your laptop back pack and a dream~
-SSliker
"Two of multimedia's most important characteristics are context and continuity, characteristics that television and print don't have to multimedia's degree." was a point that really stood out to me. I was in New York on September 11, 2001. I remember watching how people with cameras became journalists, if you thought it was overkill nationally on affiliates like FOX news or MSNBC then you can imagine how force fed the coverage was from local news channels. Images, sound bites, slide shows, simple video all played a role on that tragic day and has evolved into the latest tragedy at VA TECH. Images and sound bites bring continuity and more importantly context to the story which lead to complexity in turn making your story authentic.
On the flip side, while reading the second article "Backpack Journalism is a Mush of Mediocrity" I started out agreeing with Martha Stones viewpoints of convergence journalists being multi-taskers being able to operate many things well but master nothing. That being said, as I continued to read I grew out of favor with what she had to say because I didnt think her statements were valid.
For one, to say that "do-it-all journalists" are not needed to propel media companies is completely untrue. I know many adults who dont have the foggiest idea as to how to operate a computer let alone a high tech camera, or create a website with a technical program like DreamWeaver or even iweb! That being said I believe it is essential for journalists to be "triple threats" when it comes to how they do their jobs especially if they want to continue to be employed. The world is moving at the speed of light when it comes to technology and soon Newspapers and even books could become obsolete. If you can "do-it-all" you give yourself an edge in a world full of "specialized individuals".
Secondly, journalists who are able to live with their backpacks consisting of a laptop (I have a Macbook which consists of all I need to make a story) they can do great work. In the previous semester, my external hard drive broke 2 days before a story was due- I couldn't sign out a video camera so I grabbed my Macbook and redid the story in 6 hours- I got an A on the project and my friends and family, when I showed them what I had done thought they were watching a real live package that could be seen on any local news company in the country. Had I not had the technical skills to know how to operate my tools, I am convinced I would have had to do twice the work with a lesser end result.
SO moving forward in the journalism world will only continue to become more technical as computers become more complex so will journalism. Thats why to be a success, all you need is your laptop back pack and a dream~
-SSliker
Backpack journalism
Even if people have their hang-ups about backpack journalism, there is still the rare and talented bunch that will prove it can be done, and they will be the ones to get good jobs. Since journalism is such a competitve field, I think it's important to embrace the idea of becoming a multimedia journalist to keep up with the rest of the herd. I just look at it this way: you might as well sharpen up your technical skills rather than resisting the inevitable.
Though I don't really care for the idea of seeing one person applying their mediocre skills to various story telling devices, not every story requires fancy editing techniques and flash animation to tell a compelling story. I think it's also really important to have a good sense of what makes a good news story such as knowing which medium/media is the most appropriate for the story and the most appropriate use of the medium/media for the story.
I liked the reporter-driven story model Jane Stevens' discusses in her blog. To me, it makes the most sense because it allows the journalist to work with the beat and medium they specialize in while also integrating other forms of media to the story when appropriate. This way, the reporter can still deliver news that is in-depth but also have the smaller, shorter packages. People have so much more control over what information and how much of the information they're going to digest, it makes sense to provide more options.
Though I don't really care for the idea of seeing one person applying their mediocre skills to various story telling devices, not every story requires fancy editing techniques and flash animation to tell a compelling story. I think it's also really important to have a good sense of what makes a good news story such as knowing which medium/media is the most appropriate for the story and the most appropriate use of the medium/media for the story.
I liked the reporter-driven story model Jane Stevens' discusses in her blog. To me, it makes the most sense because it allows the journalist to work with the beat and medium they specialize in while also integrating other forms of media to the story when appropriate. This way, the reporter can still deliver news that is in-depth but also have the smaller, shorter packages. People have so much more control over what information and how much of the information they're going to digest, it makes sense to provide more options.
A Backpack reporters place
More than anything else, the idea of interactive, non-linear story telling sets a backpack report apart from specialized journalists. In today’s 360-degree society, the backpack journalist provides the opportunity for 360-degree coverage.
Never has there been a greater demand for streaming audio and video and instant access to news as it happens than in today’s media world. News is fluid and as it changes journalists should have the ability to adapt to the story, to public opinion, and with developing situations as they happen. Traditional reporting is permanent. It is story telling with a beginning and end. Convergence reporting allows the public to become involved and by doing so become better informed about the world around them.
Of course there are arguments against backpack reporting and some are probably valid, but a “mush of mediocrity?” The only way a journalist’s, be it traditional or cross-platform, finished product will be mediocre is if that particular journalist settles for mediocrity.
It would be nice if in every situation, every breaking story, an entire team of specialized journalist was ready and available to pick up and go to the far reaches of the earth, but that is just not possible. It is in these cases that a backpack journalist thrives and has been used thus far. However, as media changes so must the role of the journalist and that is why the backpack journalist has become more and more necessary in every news situation.
Never has there been a greater demand for streaming audio and video and instant access to news as it happens than in today’s media world. News is fluid and as it changes journalists should have the ability to adapt to the story, to public opinion, and with developing situations as they happen. Traditional reporting is permanent. It is story telling with a beginning and end. Convergence reporting allows the public to become involved and by doing so become better informed about the world around them.
Of course there are arguments against backpack reporting and some are probably valid, but a “mush of mediocrity?” The only way a journalist’s, be it traditional or cross-platform, finished product will be mediocre is if that particular journalist settles for mediocrity.
It would be nice if in every situation, every breaking story, an entire team of specialized journalist was ready and available to pick up and go to the far reaches of the earth, but that is just not possible. It is in these cases that a backpack journalist thrives and has been used thus far. However, as media changes so must the role of the journalist and that is why the backpack journalist has become more and more necessary in every news situation.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
On Backpack/Multimedia journalism
As with most things, there are positives and negatives to multimedia journalism.
Multimedia provides a way to deliver news in a format that more easily maintains continuity than newspapers or TV, and can be arranged in such a way to target consumers who are interested in a specific story in the news.
However, I’m not a big fan of viewer/reader responses. Typically this devolves into an extremist, often childish argument between a couple of posters, or otherwise rude and ridiculous comments (think YouTube).
One danger of focusing more on multimedia delivery is that depth may be sacrificed. For instance, if a written story is packaged with video, it’s quite likely that many consumers will simply watch the video (if it stands enough on its own) rather than getting the depth provided through the written word.
It’s important that as converged/multimedia journalists, we maintain a focus on ethics, the truth and good storytelling – not simply on the medium(s).
Just remember, people who carry backpacks are always prepared.
I was personally upset by the article that referred to backpack journalists as "jacks of all trades and masters of none." I think the article went about the whole idea of converged media the wrong way. We are bringing the news to the public; that's our job. We are informing them and we are also trying to be as available as possible. With technology changing, we too must adapt. We are not just putting stories on the internet for the heck of it. We are going to the internet to make news more readily available to the public. People can get more information than on other mediums such as print and broadcast alone. It is at their fingertips any time, they don't have to wait until the morning paper arrives, or the ten p.m. news comes on. It is automatically archived so people can easily go back and research it later.
The article goes on to say that the author does not believe that converged media can report a breaking story and although I think that it will take more time to put a website story together than to interupt your favorite televison show, the other article "Backpack Journalism is Here to Stay" puts the whole idea into perspective when it discussed the September 11 attacks. "...many news organizations created specific sites for the continuing developments after the September 11 terrorist attack. These sites contain the stories of the day. Wrapped around them, in a "shell", are archived stories, including slide shows and/or video of the events of Sept. 11; information about Afghanistan, Pakistan, the history of terrorism, etc.; and other resources in the forms of links. Print and television simply can't provide that much information around each story."
The online websites contributed more than those on-air and in print alone because if a person missed the six o'clock news, the weren't able to see what they had missed later. With these websites, people could now look at the new material, as well as what was new yesterday.
I believe that the author of "Backpack Journalism is Here to Stay" was correct when they said, "You can't expect in-depth multimedia or cross-platform reporting unless you provide continuous training and support for early adopters." If the author of the condemning article says that backpack journalists are not good enough at using all the varieties of technology to put a successful online story together, she needs to understand that with the proper training, anything is possible.
The article goes on to say that the author does not believe that converged media can report a breaking story and although I think that it will take more time to put a website story together than to interupt your favorite televison show, the other article "Backpack Journalism is Here to Stay" puts the whole idea into perspective when it discussed the September 11 attacks. "...many news organizations created specific sites for the continuing developments after the September 11 terrorist attack. These sites contain the stories of the day. Wrapped around them, in a "shell", are archived stories, including slide shows and/or video of the events of Sept. 11; information about Afghanistan, Pakistan, the history of terrorism, etc.; and other resources in the forms of links. Print and television simply can't provide that much information around each story."
The online websites contributed more than those on-air and in print alone because if a person missed the six o'clock news, the weren't able to see what they had missed later. With these websites, people could now look at the new material, as well as what was new yesterday.
I believe that the author of "Backpack Journalism is Here to Stay" was correct when they said, "You can't expect in-depth multimedia or cross-platform reporting unless you provide continuous training and support for early adopters." If the author of the condemning article says that backpack journalists are not good enough at using all the varieties of technology to put a successful online story together, she needs to understand that with the proper training, anything is possible.
Backpack Journalism
I must admit I see compelling arguments for both sides of this issue. While I personally relish the idea of being incredibly versatile in my ability to deliver news stories, I have also heard concerns voiced from professors at this university that the Convergence sequence will produce reporters who are "an inch deep and a mile wide". I think that the issue can be circumvented by training journalists who have an in depth grasp of a few specific areas, as opposed to attempting to master everything. If agencies are trying to save money or expand to include multimedia, it is still more efficient to have two people work a story (one doing video and sound, the other doing the photography and writing and cooperating on the internet applications, for example) than to send an entire crew. I think that while convergence journalists should have experience in all aspects of news production, it would be more beneficial to the journalists to specialize, with the benefit of also having familiarity with other skills to call up when needed.
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