Download - 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.
Bridging Newsrooms and Classrooms
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Bridging Newsrooms and Classrooms
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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Bridging Newsrooms and Classrooms
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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Bridging Newsrooms and Classrooms
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.
2. Should J-schools train specialists or
generalists? (cont.)
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Bridging Newsrooms and Classrooms
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.
2. Should J-schools train specialists or
generalists? (cont.)
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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.
2. Should J-schools train specialists or
generalists? (cont.)
Bridging Newsrooms and Classrooms
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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
Bridging Newsrooms and Classrooms
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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.
Bridging Newsrooms and Classrooms
B id i N d Cl
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Conclusions (continued)
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.
Bridging Newsrooms and Classrooms
B id i N d Cl
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Conclusions (continued)
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.
Bridging Newsrooms and Classrooms
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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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BJ Has Became Mainstream
Gannett
Broadcasting
ran a backpackjournalism
program in early
2007.
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BJ Has Became Mainstream
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BJ Has Became Mainstream
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.