backpack journalism

7/29/2019 Backpack Journalism

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Backpack JournalismRules

Edgar Huang

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis


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Historical attitude toward BJ

In a 2002 article

(http://www.ojr.org/ojr/workplace/10177

71634.php) in Online JournalismReview, Matha Stone called backpack

journalists a mush of mediocrity.

She wrote: However, the do-it-alljournalists should be the exception, not

the rule.


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Preparing the Next Generation of Journalists for Converged Media

BRIDGING

Newsrooms Classroomsand

Huang, E., Davison, K., Davis, T., Bettendorf,

E., Shreve, S. and Nair, A. (2006, Autumn).

Journalism and Communication Monographs.

Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 221-262.


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What is media convergence?

In this 2003 study, Huang et al identified four levels of

media convergence

Corporate merger or alliance

Form/technological convergence

Content convergence

Role convergence

Bridging Newsrooms and Classrooms


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Convergence calls for role change

A new breed of journalists converged journalists

is expected.

Teaming is good, but converged journalists will be in

an advantageous position.

For the news company, they are efficient andeffective employees.

For journalists themselves, they are more

marketable and gain more sense of

achievement.



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Two questions in the nutshell:

Should J-schools train specialists or fit-for-all

generalists?

How should college journalism education balance the

teaching of critical thinking and the teaching of

technical skills?


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2. Should J-schools train specialists or

generalists?

The majority of the respondents (84%) agreed or

strongly agreed that journalism students should learn

how to write for multiple media platforms.

The majority of the respondents (85%) agreed thatjournalism students with a visual emphasis should

learn how to produce and edit photos, videos and

online interactive images.

Most respondents (78%) agreed or strongly agreed that

all journalism majors should learn multiple sets of skills,

such as writing, editing, TV production, digital

photography and Web design.


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When asked whether journalism students should still

have a specialization, such as writing,

photojournalism, broadcasting and new media, over

half (63%) of the respondents agreed or strongly

agreed. Over a quarter of the respondents (28%)were negative and 9% were not sure.


generalists? (cont.)


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When asked whether journalism sequencesshould be

reorganized considering the trend of media-platforms

merging in the industry,

56% of the professors agreed or strongly agreed,22% were not sure,

22% disagreed or strongly disagreed.




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Flexible is a key term repeatedly seen in the

respondents textual answers as a suggestion for

training future journalists. A professor wrote:

We cant teach for the now. We have to prepare

students for when they graduate which in mostinstances is now five years out. And, we feel a

commitment to expose them to all types of writing in all

platforms so they can be flexible about their career

choice at the front end of their academics. Then, theycan apply the skills to a specialty area where they are

totally proficient.





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5. What skills do news professionals need

to learn most at their current positions?

Editors list News professionals list1 Good writing Good writing

2 Multimedia production Multimedia production

3 Critical thinking New technology

Computer-assisted

reporting

Visual production

4 New technology

5 Computer-assisted

reporting

6 Visual production Critical thinking7 Time management Time management

8 Second language Second language

9 On-camera exposure On-camera exposure



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Conclusions (continued)

Respondents with different academic and

professional backgrounds share the same

conviction. That is, reporting news in multiple media

platforms will be tomorrows way news is

presented; dealing with media convergence in

college journalism education is an urgent necessity.The wait-and-see strategy will place a J-school in a

disadvantaged position over the long run.


B id i N d Cl


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Generalists are needed in the industry though such

needs may not be necessarily converted into

requirements in job ads for a while.

The needs for superhack masters of multimedia are

out there, but whether the training of such superhack

masters will become a norm largely depends on

whether J-schools are willing to and able to develop

those avant-garde courses.

Students also need to learn to cooperate andcollaborate across newsrooms.


B id i N d Cl


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Attitude and aptitude, together with timemanagement ability, will be the key to producing

quality work in newsrooms.

The concerns that students being trained in

multiple media platforms will be jacks of trades butmasters of none are not grounded.



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Backpackers Rule

In 2005, Mark Hamilton, a former

journalist and a then journalism

instructor in Vancouver, BC, highlypraised backpackers. He was so excited

about the BJ idea that he wrote: In fact,

if I were 19 again and starting out as ajournalist, Id do whatever it took to be a

backpack journalist.


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BJ Has Became Mainstream

In 2006, the

Institute for

InteractiveJournalism

began to award

BJ.


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Gannett

Broadcasting

ran a backpackjournalism

program in early

2007.


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19/22


At the Journal News in White Plains, New YorkDeputy Managing Editor for Presentation LarryNylund, says, The list of qualifications we look for in

a photojournalism applicant just got a lot longer.Why?The photo department in now known as themultimedia department, Nylund says. We arelooking for talented people who can step in with theskills needed to tell visual stories in many different

ways. The photographers in Nylunds departmentcontribute to the newspaper, magazines, weeklytabloids, a television station and a Website.Photographers carry still and video cameras, laptops,cell phones. The company now has video and audio

studios.


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My New Study

This year, I completed a study Mediaconvergence and young audience: Finding aconverging point, in which I concluded, Trueconvergence, based on the findings from thisstudy, however, needs to be realized on theInternet. As the current generations of peoplein the ages of 40 and above, it is very likely

that the paper part of newspaper willgradually become a nostalgic concept, andTV and radio will be assimilated into onlinenews presentations.


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My New Study

In the years to come, a true convergencewill mean that the news industry provides the

younger generation an experience ofconsuming multimedia news that is

customizable and relevant to them all online

through computers or other more convenient

and less expensive hand-held devices withan opportunity for audience to be easily

engaged in participatory journalism.


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The Point Is

Backpack journalism education should

become the standard for future

journalists.

backpack journalism

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