Convergent+Journalism

By Dianne Smith, MJE

To answer that question, let’s

first look at

•Newspapers

•Yearbooks

•Broadcast

•Photography

Each publication existed on its own with a separate staff and separate times during the day.

Newspaper staffers researched, interviewed people, wrote stories and designed the newspaper.

Yearbook staffers researched, interviewed people, wrote stories and designed the yearbook.

Broadcast staffers researched, interviewed people, produced stories and aired them.

Photographers took pictures, filed them, prepared them for publication and wrote captions for the publications staffs.

•Newspaper students learned to write, edit and design newspaper pages and meet deadlines, but may not have learned anything about video or photography.

•Yearbook students learned to write, edit and design yearbook pages, meet big deadlines, but may not have learned anything about video or photography.

•Broadcast students learned to write and produce story packages and deliver the news on the air, but might not have learned how to write a story for print or take a still photograph.

•Photography students learned how to take pictures, file them and prepare them for publication, but may not have learned how photography and the printed word worked together.

•Everyone knew about what went on in their own little world, but may have had little understanding about how the entire process worked and may not have learned which would be the very best way to present certain information.

•There was little or no coordination between publications staffs, causing a great deal of duplication of effort.

•Photographers did not always understand the purpose of the picture they were sent out to take, and the end result did not fit in with the concept of the story like the writer or editor had envisioned.

•Journalism students did not have the opportunity to evaluate story ideas in terms of which medium might be the best vehicle for telling the story.

•The focus was on the publication rather than the process and deadline periods were spent scrambling for needed information and pictures.

•Many pictures or stories intended, but not used, for one publication might have been appropriate for another but lack of coordination between staffs prevented their use.

•Down times for one publication could not be used to meet deadlines for another because it was not the right period to work on that publication.

The use of technology—faster and more capable computers, digital camcorders and SLR cameras, iPods, cell phones, CDs and DVDs, web sites—have all become part of the information process. News travels faster than ever before and is received not only on television and radio and in newspapers, but through web sites, cell phones and even iPods.

MySpace and Facebook and other social networking sites online have become extremely popular among all age groups.

Members access their own and friends pages to find out all kinds of information including news, listen to music, watch videos and much more.

Edublog.org

Online journaling, or blogging (short for web logging) has experienced a veritable explosion in popularity. Personal blogs, educational blogs, business blogs, political blogs, news blogs, opinion blogs have come together to form what is called the Blogosphere.

And this blogosphere has changed the face of the media forever.

Blogs can be accessed by computer, cell phone, iPods and it won’t be long before the technology will be there to access them through television and other media.

With social networking sites, blogging sites, shopping sites (Amazon.com, Overstock.com, eBay.com, along with brick and mortar stores which have set up online shopping), message boards, music sites, video sites, ability to watch missed episodes of favorite television shows, online gaming, online banking, online stock trading, online dating, etc., is it any wonder that people are spending more time than ever before online?

TELEVISION NEWS TEAMS:

•Produce news packages as they have always done, but now they are shown on the web as well as on their networks/stations.

•The web packages include articles, infographics and other items found in newspapers.

•The web allows the use of interactive features, such as in-depth informational graphics and polls.

•Web readers can participate in the interactive features through computers and cell phones.

•Online feedback forums and blogs on the web sites give the news team immediate valuable information about the public’s perceptions of the news.

Newspaper Staffs:•Faced with declining subscriptions, especially among young readers, began duplicating their content on the web with the addition of interactive features, such as polls,infographics, blogs and forums.

•With the versatility of the web, they could add other features as streaming video and audio podcasts.

•They began partnering with television news teams in their local areas to consolidate information.

•Newspaper and television news teams collaborated on how best to present the news, choosing which medium would work better for specific components.

•Newspapers are still in a state of transition. Some are moving entirely to the web. Others are cutting back on production or eliminating home delivery except on weekends.

Readersbecame a part of the process as well. Not only can their thoughts and opinions be submitted through online forums and blogs, and traditional letters to the editor, but today’s fairly inexpensive digital cameras, camcorders and cell phones allow ordinary citizens to submit video and pictures of news events as they happen.

“Citizen journalism”, while controversial, allows more interaction and supplies publications with access to content they would not otherwise have.

Photographers:•Because digital photography no longer required darkroom equipment, photographers could send photos in via computers for immediate use.

•Because photographers were sometimes in remote locations, they began to write the stories to go with the photographs.

•Photographers for both print and broadcast media began doing both still photography and video which could be used for a variety of purposes.

•DVDs began to take on more importance as news media began to do more in-depth stories from the abundance of footage from video cameras. Programs were archived on DVDs and made available to the public.

Online news sites •Further involved readers in the process by providing emails promoting news programs, breaking news, polls, new features. The emails are delivered via computer, cell phone and PDA.

•Used RSS (Real Simple Syndication) readers integrated into some non-news web sites or browsers or individual desktops to keep readers informed.

• News sites interacted with readers on MySpace, Facebook and other social networking sites.

Convergence is the merging of print media, photojournalism, podcasting, video/broadcast, the Internet and other media such as DVDs into a dynamic media entity where all team members understand and participate in the entire process, from beginning to end, to prepare information for dissemination to readers, viewers, and listeners. While some team members will eventually specialize, all are trained in the entire process.

Instead of two separate staffs for yearbook and newspaper, we will have one dynamic media team who will do it all!

•Interviewing

•Research

•Writing

•Editing

•Photography

•Page Design

•Shooting video

•Editing video

BASIC SKILLS

SPECIFIC

EXPERIENCES

•Blogging/Social Networking

•Online Newspaper

•Audio Podcasting

•Video Podcasting

•Desktop Publishing

•Print Newspaper

•Yearbook

•DVD Supplement

IMPORTANT LIFE SKILLS

•Critical thinking and decision making

•Working as a team

•Time Management

•Meeting Deadlines

•Accountability

•Individual Responsibility

•Downtime will be reduced or totally eliminated because each staffer will be working on components to be used in all publications.

•The focus will be on the process rather than the product.

•Staffers, individually or in teams, will take responsibility for specific beats and carry them throughout the year, making sure they get the coverage in the yearbook, newspaper and any video presentations that they deserve.

•Staffers will get to express themselves in creative ways as they determine how best to tell a story.

•More class time can be devoted to the production of each publication because the class will not be devoted to one specific publication.

•Staffers will have a better understanding of how the news media work because they will be involved in multiple aspects of media production.

•Deadlines should be less hectic for all staffers who keep up with their beats and have all photographs, statistics, quotes and features written along the way. Yearbook spreads should go together with no problems.

•Staffers will be required to keep track of their progress and be able to pull photos, video footage, quotes, statistics and other information at any time.

•Expectations will be higher.

•Part of your assignment will involve ad sales for all publications.

•Goofing off will not be tolerated. You will need to stay focused.

•Once you are assigned/sign up for a beat, it is your responsibility to see that it gets done. The entire school will be counting on you.

•You will need to track your progress daily. You will have specific tasks which must be completed within a specific period of time for each beat.

•You will need to file photos immediately.

•You will need to download and edit video within 72 hours.

•You will be expected to follow all procedures at all times. Students who can’t do this need to find another elective.•Computers and equipment are to be used for designated purposes only.•You will be responsible for the safety and care of any department equipment you use for any assignment. It must be turned in on time and ready for the next assignment.•Some after-school time may be required of you. However, if you use class time appropriately, this time will be minimal.•Deadlines are not optional. If there is a problem in meeting a deadline, you must notify the adviser or student publishers ASAP.

To become a part of the media team, you must:

•Complete and turn in a staff application

•Be interviewed by the student publishers

•Have previously been a member of the yearbook or newspaper staff and have the adviser’s approval, OR

•Have successfully completed Journalism I and have the adviser’s approval OR

•Provide letters of recommendation from three teachers who have had you in class, and have the adviser’s approval

•Sign and have your parents sign an agreement form indicating that you and they understand the requirements and expectations.

•Be committed to excellence and strive for perfection. What we produce should be error-free and complete. If you sign on to do this, we expect you to care enough to give it your best.