I have been working in television news for more than 30 years. And I have gone from a TV reporter/photographer/editor(film and tape)/ radio newscaster to my current job as a producer for NBC News Channel (the affiliate services branch of the NBC News network) in Washington, DC. And in all of those evolutionary changes - I'm reminded of the adage - "everything old is new again". One man bands - though they have new names like "MoJo's", "Digital Journalists" and "Video Journalists" - are back again. But in many ways - it's a completely new ball game.
Last semester I was taking a class called "Journalism Upside Down". And as a final project - I put together a video on how the Internet is changing the way people get their news and information. And how those changes - are being felt in the world of journalism. There are a few people in our "Managing Multimedia Projects" class who have already heard about this project. But if any of the rest of your are interested in seeing it - here's a link to part one - I "published" on YouTube. (Part two is in column on the right. I had to break it into 2 pieces because it was longer then 10 minutes - whole thing is about 14 minutes. )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QF5tvIwptY&feature=channel_page
In my gathering phase of producing that video, I found myself confronted with many new questions about these "new tools" in journalism today. One came from a speaker for the Journalism Upside Down class - Jose Antonio Vargas. He has a very interesting background. And to say he's tied into the new media - is an understatement. He works for the Washington Post. And one of his jobs there is to screen interns who will work for the paper. He said one of the things he was disappointed about in these intern candidates - was that the journalism programs they were enrolled in - were NOT teaching them WHEN to use the various tools.
- When should you shoot video to tell the story?
- When is it better to take still photos and get some nat sound clips
from interviews to tell the piece?
- Or are there times when just writing copy - is the best way to go?
Based on the syllabus, I expect to be able to answer those questions much more efficiently by the end of our class.
But I also expect to figure out when you need to incorporate other players in the news organization into your multimedia projects. And let's not forget our friends in sales. When I started out - sales people were not allowed to come into the newsroom. Let alone discuss coverage ideas they had that might tie into advertisers. Now, once again, it's a whole new ball game.
One of the next dilemmas for me (and many others) is trying to figure out how to "monetize" news on the Internet. And making a living, if you are going to do news reporting, is a good thing. The sales people can work with us - to an extent - to help accomplish that goal. it's that "to an extent" part that I still need to get use to.
Just some starting out thoughts.
Thanks for reading.
Sheila
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Phenomenal videos, Sheila!
ReplyDeleteYou captured what I have believed for some time and have been trying to tell people. What journalists can do - ask the right questions, check facts, find sources - will be as valuable as ever, maybe even more so.
But they will have to change their personalities. I was amazed when I got into newspaper work to find that so many journalists were introverts, and were used to writing their stories behind compound walls, pretty much insulated from the give and take of the marketplace of ideas.
That has to change. Now journalists will have to be group moderators, rather than just lecturers or "writers." And they will have to test their conclusions with the "crowd" in the midst of the crowd. They will have to learn to take as well as they give.
Personally I think it will bring a sense of reality and humanity back to the reporting of (and interpretation of) the real news.
I say - about time.
I thought you were great the first night of class and very funny. I am very interested in talking to you more about your career in broadcasting. Ultimatley that is what I want to do when I finish here.
ReplyDeleteI would love to hear your thoughts on what you think this course can offer (perhaps at the end of the semester) for a future broadcaster. I know that new technology is a growing trend in all news outlets. I hope to be able to learn how to do a little of everything in the newsroom so I really can be a "one man band" if I have to be! Thanks!
I always assumed that for the most part, video was always a good idea. But I realize now that there are instances when it's not. Lately I've been trying to incorporate video into my projects at work. I do a lot of interviews and thought putting a camera in front of people's faces would be no big deal. I was wrong. No one wanted to talk with the camera there, and when you're talking about sensitive subject matter .... I thought it would be no different than a tape recorder, but I realize now that it's much more invasive. In the end, we decided to skip the video for that project, but I think I need to keep pushing for more video and photography and analyze when it makes the most sense.
ReplyDeleteKato55,
ReplyDeleteI think video is a very powerful way to tell stories. (I can't claim to be objective on thsi - because I've been wroking in TV news for 30 years!) Especially if you can get people to talk (which can be tricky) and gather the right visuals to illustrate.
I'm curious - when you decided to "skip the video" for your project at work - how did you tell the story? Was this to go on a website?
I have seen some VERY powerful story telling - using still photos and audio only interviews. Have you ever tried that combo? If not - you might find it as effective - as you think video can be. And I agree - video is most effective - in the right place. But regardless if you see them saying it - or just hear them - letting other voices into your story telling can add a real spark to telling your tale.
thnks for your thoughts
Sheila
Hi Sheila! I think the journalists do not always produce/edit/shoot the WSJ video pieces. I think there are multimedia producers that do the job sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that the chef is being smart and savvy with her website. I had to call to ask about her services too.