How Universities are being part of New Media Convergence?

Technology is rapidly evolving.  The expansion of media convergence is awaking in students a higher level of interest on media and its new divertive ways to tell a story.

Students – and reporters -- are expected now to have a higher level of skills – and must also have a better understanding about technology and new developments.

A few universities are taking the initiative to prepare young students for the new multimedia newsroom. 

The University of Miami is becoming more aware of this new media process and it is incorporating convergence into its academic outlines. UM is presently engaging students and faculty members on new courses, such as Online Journalism, along with conferences and special events about the subject.  But more needs to be done.

The Missouri School of Journalism, for instance, offers a Convergence Journalism program, along with its five other majors of Magazine Journalism, Newspaper Journalism, Photojournalism, Radio-Television Journalism or Strategic Communication.

The Internet is a very powerful tool that is significantly influencing our lives. It is directly affecting the way we interact with one another.  But more importantly for us students, it is opening a new world of endless opportunities.

Many of us in the print journalism program are just realizing how important it is to learn how to use this new medium to our advantage instead of being manipulated by it, or scared of it. 

How the Internet influences our lives

Everyday I am more surprised about how the Internet is highly influencing people’s lives.  From receiving to sharing information, from falling in love to finding a life partner, the Internet is now a big part of our daily existence.

Today a person has the opportunity to have a real life or perhaps a cyber life.

One of the most interesting websites I have ever seen is secondlife.com. In this site a person and/or corporation has the opportunity to create a “new life” in the virtual world. There are several communities, and a company, a TV Show or a product represent each of them. 

The new member has to join a community that relates to his/her interests. If you are interested in traveling, join “STA Travel Island”, if you are a TV curious get involved in “Virtual CSI NY” or if you are a business minded person join “Orientation Station.”

On this site, each person has the opportunity to create a completely new identity, different from the one in real life.

The first step is to choose a name and a last name. That’s all!

The Internet is affecting individuals’ lives at many levels.

A few weeks ago, I heard from one of my elementary school friends in Facebook.com. I hadn’t spoken to her in almost 14 years. She found me through another friend’s profile. This made me think about how years ago we didn’t even have cell phones to communicate with one another. Today, all our information is out there for personal interest or commercial purposes. 

In this 21^st century, given the circumstances, we even have the possibility to become reporters of the web. Web sites such as ireport.com, youtube.com, and ourmedia.org make all of us involved in a community or in citizen journalism.

We all have in front of us the medium to share “news” with anybody around the globe.  Photos, videos and information come and go, but the question that remains is: Is this safe? 

Online Journalism, the journalism of the community

A very interesting point about online journalism, is the opportunity that the audience have to interact with journalists and producers. There is no longer a one way street relationship, there is now a chance for conversation.

Readers can give their opinions or perhaps share their testimony about a certain story. Subjects like crimes, high prices, sports games, and events are highly interesting for the community and we all want to be part of it. 

The internet has become not only the center of a gathering with friends and family, but also a great information source and communication medium. 

Online journalism is opening a door for all the readers to not only be informed but to be part of the production of news. 

New Media Reporting Video Workshop

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to enjoy a very interesting panel:  New Media Reporting Video Workshop with Ricardo Lopez, a Miami Herald visual journalist; Brent McDonald, a New York Times visual journalist; and Will Payne, from Current TV.

One of the subjects touched that really caught my attention was that a multimedia video story could be told in several ways.  In all of them the attention is centered on the story, not on the reporter. 

I am particularly fascinated with telling a pure visual story without distractions. The main focuses are the subjects.

As Brent mentioned, a really good documentary is the one that allows you to fully understand it with your eyes closed. It just makes sense.

That morning I reassured my high interest on visual journalism.  I love the way video and audio are mixed together to convey a message. It is phenomenal the access and insight that this medium gives into different people and their cultures.

For all those that are interested in online journalism: focus on the content and always be open to learn new technology. 

The right attitude for an online journalist

Online journalism it is becoming very common in the interests of college students. I am majoring in journalism and international studies. Until today, I was pretty much confused about what path within the media business I was going to follow. When I started investigating about the world online, I found a variety of things that captivated me.

Online journalism requires mainly an open-minded reporter willing to learn and obtain experience about new technology and new creative ways to expose content. The uses of diverse media channels to interpret a story are possible and necessary in this online thinking.

It is also very important to know that in online journalism the reporter should be able to work under pressure.  The ability of this medium to get the news immediately to the readers allows the different news web sites to compete for breaking news and updated content.  This fast speed process can create constant tension to the online team.

This last sentence brings me to another major point.  Online reporters not only should be capable of multitasking but working as a team is crucial.  Whether two or more people compose the team, the synchronization of everybody will be perceived in the final product.  Good communication and great amount of energy are needed in the online industry.

The greatness of convergence

I love the new convergence of journalism. I think it is amazing the fact that audio, video and photography have the same importance as writing in our new cybernetic world.

 

Online reporters can significantly use their imagination and originality while creating beautiful and intelligent stories, mixing all the different resources that the new media provide us.

Audio combined with photos is a great addition to an online piece because it creates a sense of place and environment. It allows the reader to see and hear the story, feeling it more deeply as additional senses are now also in use.

 

Allison Bezold-Diaz is a freelance photojournalist for the Miami Herald and a recent UM School of Communication graduate.  She told a class of young journalists about the importance of photography for a story. 

 

Most relevant to me were Allison’s words that reinforced my own feelings.    A photographer has the opportunity and challenge to think outside the box, she said.  And it is right!  I have felt that all my academic life.

 

I like news writing but love photography.  It fascinates me to see how some great images and audio can add to a final story.  The more I learn about it, the more I love it.  All the visual elements combined with good writing makes a story not just more appealing to the reader.  It makes it complete on every level.

 

I love media convergence. 

Bloggers: the online community

Having a computer with an internet access is like having a door that will take you to an endless world full of everything you can possibly imagine. Within this infinite cyber life it is very common to find the modern blogs. Even though we cannot be fully certain about their accuracy, they can be a great source of information. 

Are you pregnant, a new mom, do you have a cureless illness or are you one of those people that speak out and complain about everything that happens in your daily life? Guess what? You are not alone anymore. Now a days it is possible to find a diverse community of people that will advise you and support you during a life changing situation. 

Who are they? Are they therapist or perhaps professional advisers? They could be your neighbor, a pharmacist that lives in Europe, an entrepreneur wanting to share his personal experiences or a savvy student willing to serve. They are the new bloggers, ready to answer, help and give their words of wisdom at any time.

Bloggers can be more than just simply internet writers. Bloggers can become the new "online heroes."  

Think about it and make the right choice...

Today’s world is rapidly changing and the words “competition” and “ambition” are becoming a must in the list of adjectives of students and/or young professionals. Even though graduation day is one of the most desirable days of a person’s life, it is also the moment where the doors open for feelings such as confusion and uncertainty. “What’s next?” “What are we going to do with our lives?” are a few of the questions that pop in our minds while trying to find a job.

“Don’t underestimate working in a small place” were the words of Suzanne Levinson, the director of site operations at The Miami Herald. This short sentence got stuck in my mind and made me reflect about my last few years and the ones that are coming. In a small company your work is very valuable, you get to do a lot of different tasks, but more importantly you get to learn. When you work for a big corporation, your work might not be as needed and your presence can be just as that a “presence.”

I believe this is something that all journalism students should keep in mind, especially today where a mixture of media is replacing the individualism of the past. Multimedia is today’s reality in journalism and the more you know the more you get. Journalists today need to multitask. We all should be able to manage video, audio, writing, editing, and photography. This means that knowledge is completely welcomed and small companies may be able to give us that chance. Make a smart choice.