WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

It is obvious that journalism in the 21st century is full of change. I have discussed the various issues, positive and negative, surrounding convergence and reporting ethos. I have mentioned in previous posts the continued challenge of objectivity and if in fact change is the right thing for the industry itself. But what have i learnt from my little 'journey through my mind' and how has my stance on journalism and what it means changed exactly?

By participating in Online Journalism class here at the University of Miami, i have been surrounded by people more passionate about, and involved in, the industry of writing and journalism itself. They have shown me that despite your best intentions, it is always necessary to review, review, review, for often there is an oversight or inaccuracy, and 'spot on' reporting is vital to the industry's reputation and high standing, especially in the midst of 21st century change. I have realized through my interactions with others in the class that convergence and teamwork are very much a staple point of new media success. It is very hard to have sufficient knowledge in all facets of writing, multimedia programs and publishing so it seems that teamwork and seeking the assistance of others has never been so integral. 

I have always enjoyed writing, more so creatively rather than hard-line and super objective news reporting. Online journalism has taught me that there is room, essentially, for both. Blogging could be seen as a bridge between the subjective writing and objective hard news. But despite this assumption, there are always structures omnipresent in the industry that govern, or at least shape, a journalist's content. As referred to prior, despite my initial resistance perhaps it is these such structures that the industry needs in order to survive in the face of this seemingly constant change.

SAME OLD STORY

Journalism is a volatile industry. Poynter Online ponders if journalism is a 'toxic culture' (http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=31&aid=142370). Despite the various avenues that are opening up; including blogging, citizen journalism and convergence, it seems that the same problems, if not more, still persist. Why is it that journalism seems to be the one industry where boundaries between inferior and superior are drawn based on organization size. Where values and standards at times seem to drain and restrict writers immensely. Where the industry and job security seem at once dynamically changing yet negatively uncertain. All this from an industry that is the lifeblood of our knowledge base. From an industry that informs citizens of important issues and events which, especially in western nations, serve to support our democratic structures.
The Poynter Online article suggests that 'good journalism doesn't change much. But if it is changing significantly, it must be dying. Which in turn means the world is in big trouble'. New skills are needed as organizations and then journalists have to adapt. This is where the problem lies. As the structure of the industry bends and changes the dynamics of individualism come in to play. Personal traits and the stubborness of journalists, who for so long have followed the same principles and structures, suddenly come in to play. With no clear cut or certain structure it could be argued that the stability of the industry has a domino affect on all involved. Instead of looking entirely at the 'demands of the modern day consumer' maybe it's time to keep things simple again and let the industry, and the common skill set of its' workers, dictate the direction.

DECODING WRITING ITSELF

Ever since the advent of the printing press man has felt the innate need to document things. To record history. To pass on tales of days gone. In fact it has been argued that the desire of man to reproduce is in fact due to a need to 'live forever', by way of passing on their genetics (http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/286/5437/23). Perhaps the act of writing and publishing follows this chain of thought. Exactly what makes people write, to feel the urge to put pen to paper or, in a modern sense, to put finger to keyboard?
In the end we’re all readers and the act of reading is an active choice to receive—and also to participate, to imagine, to interpret. It’s a kind of gift we make to writers, in fact—just as much as their writing may seem a kind of gift to us (http://www.readreader.org/actOfReading.html). Although news writing and journalism follows the principle of hard news reporting; complete with a 'pyramid structure' and author-content 'detachment', there must still be a picture painted in the reader's mind. If this is not acheived, whether via facts in hardline journalism or vividness in a feature article, the reader will soon be lost. There seems to be an invisible connection that is drawn between author and reader despite their anonymity to each other via their joint cognitive dissemination of the content. The author as creator, the reader as essentially decoder. Perhaps this is why people feel such an urge to record history in any shape or form, be it photography or writing.

THE JOURNALISTIC BALANCING ACT

Today's marketplace has changed with the advent of e-commerce and global trade. Changes have been necessary, and demanded by consumers, in many industries. The media industry is no exception. Global reach is now possible for newspapers, media conglomorates and even small boutique magazines, all because of what we deem 'the world wide web'. A journalist's job has changed also as the industry now revolves and evolves around an increased reliance on immersive multimedia and digitalized content, things not deemed possible or necessary merely a decade ago. As blogging becomes the new wave of online publishing it was inevitable that journalists themselves would become involved, or tangled as some may say, in the new trend.
Blogging has provided a new frontier for 'armchair journalists' and 'real-time' communication. But it also presents problems due to its subjective quality. It seems blogging cannot be quantified as objective journalism, it escapes the realm of straight and simple reporting. Where as yesteryear an author was hidden in the background behind layers of truth and objectivity, blogging can essentially push the journalist forward infront of the reporting, as the face of the story itself. Increasingly, as The National Press Club explored in their recent National Ethics Week program, the modern day journalist is being asked to delve into the realms of blogging, but doesn't it compromise the very ethics or objectivity requirement that a journalist swears by? In a world where 'fine lines' are continually tred, shouldn't we leave blogging and personalized author content to the armchair journalist? Shouldn't we not flirt with the subjective and thus keep some semblance of 'reality' firmly entrenched in reporting? Afterall, if you stop and think about it, the media is an industry that helps make sense of our modernday, fast-moving reality.

CAUGHT IN THE NET

It seems that the internet has undergone a major change of direction, at least in consumer trend, over the last few years. Whereas the prominent use historically was to find information and e-trade, we have now seen a shift of focus towards networking and communication.
Email communication has always been a staple of 'the net' and such communication capabilities developed progressively after the widespread consumer adoption of the internet. Originally businesses were essentially experimenting in the internet's infancy, clamoring to 'jump on the bandwagon'. Now, ss multimedia technologies have allowed more creativity and refinement, it has been an inherent requirement of companies to keep abreast of changes in order to stay ahead of the pack and in an increasingly competitive and global marketplace this has been vital to success. The internet essentially provides an intangible face or facade to a company that can project a certain image or desired stance in the marketplace.
Looking beyond corporate businesses we can see that the internet and networking has become just as integral for the everyday citizen as they attempt to 'sell' themselves to prospective employees, organizations or even simply peers. Networks such as Facebook, MySpace and now Ning are continually evolving in content and becomming ingrained in the day to day communications and 'functioning' of a huge number of youth, students and graduates. In this dog eat dog world, it seems the internet, and its associated technologies, have become the weapons of today that provide a competitive advantage in both personal and business spheres.

GROWING PAINS

'To blog or not to blog' is a question journalists, both professional or otherwise, ask themselves at some point. We have all heard the debate on whether blogging can be classified as a legitimate form of writing or merely self expression, and if 'the blog' has a future. Like all forms of communication evolution is both inevitable and necessary. Blogs are no different, and their success or otherwise lies in the evolution of the platform.
A lot of things are superseded and become essentially obsolete. Blogs face the challenge of growing within an industry that consistently revolves around new ideas, fads and the ever-present demands of immediacy. Consider the following for instance. First we were impressed be emails simple, and 'amazing', capabilities to bring people together from all parts of the world. Soon we would be able to add pictures and attachments. Then instant messaging or 'IM' came along and the process was even more immediate and in 'real time'. Forums created online communities to create assimilation and now blogging ultimately does all of the above and faces the challenge of becomming bigger and more important without losing the 'necessary' or 'wow factor' from the online community. The 'Tech Beat blog' on Business Week (http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2005/02/the_future_of_b.html) feels that 'tagging', a concept widely used for labelling people in pictures in programs such as Facebook, will provide blogs with a 'wider net' on which to base their substantiality or importance. It argues that people will be able to search for issues or keywords rather than just relying on a membership or feed to a particular blog. Thereby the 'net' will be cast onto more blogs or similar articles etc that contain the area of interest. The blog's final comment sums up the argument rather well:
"Today, you might send an interesting article with a personal comment to your 40 best friends via e-mail. Tomorrow, you might comment on it on your blog, and your comment would reach 4 million people, including all your friends. Not bad, huh?"

ALL BLOGGED OUT!

So here i am, sitting, well actually lying down on my bed at a very obtuse angle; with my laptop sitting patiently in front of me. The cursor blinks repeatedly without hesitation making my blank mind churn with a certain sense of anxiety. I think i may have been struck by writer's block...well, perhaps 'blogger's block!' In the midst of all this i start to wonder if writing and blogging are in fact the same thing. Are more traditional forms of writing and blogging created with the same structure or is blogging in fact of a more 'permeable substance'?
A blog i stumbled across (http://neil.brown.name/blog/20050521222535) pertained a similar pondering. "I am a person who is keen on structure. Not everything I do it totally structured, but where structure exists I like to find and make use of it. The thing about a blog is it is largely unstructured. It is just a time-ordered series of thoughts", the author said on his blog site. Is that what we are missing with blogs? Is there any real objective form to them, even if perhaps a renowned author blogs briefly on his own page? Are blogs not just a glorified diary entry?
Perhaps the answer can be found in more traditional print media, medians that have been around for centuries. Despite their objective stance, print media that is created and distributed daily involve a form of subjectivity. Someone's particular 'newsworthy judgement' is involved in the publishing decision. Even a reporter, who usually is contained and somewhat bound by the rules of his industry and company, cannot escape involving his individual predispositions and traits in objective reporting. So perhaps blogging is not so far removed from traditional print media as we may have thought.

WHERE'S WALDO?

Online journalists now have a plethora of design and storytelling options. A sense of time and place can be conveyed via a slideshow and details can be expanded by including hyperlinks. Clearly the mastering, or at least the contemplation of inclusion, of such methods and new technologies is vital for those journalists who wish to keep up with current trends and consumer demands. But just as it is in print, a ‘sense of story’ remains integral to holding the reader’s attention and more importantly, successfully immersing them in the story’s ultimate purpose or point.

Journalist Regina McCombs contacted four television editors to harness opinion on the blurring of print and television elements in online journalism (http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=101&aid=125795). As she talked to each of them, each brought up the importance of an issue that has relevance in all forms of storytelling; finding a ‘sense of pace’.

NBC News Editor John Hyjek refers to the use of multimedia elements such as slideshows, as needing to follow the ‘rule of waldo’. Waldo is a comic character created by Martin Handford which is hidden in each of his illustrations. "What happens when you find Waldo?”, asks Hyjek. “You turn the page, of course. You move on to the next illustration. In the same vein in video editing, the moment you glean the important information, it's time to move on to the next shot."

Jim Douglas, a former NPPA Photographer of the year, pointed out that importance of audio in a multimedia story. "The importance of sound is to bring the viewer a much more intimate sense of reality, to take the viewer where we went."

As journalism traverses the plains of technology, the balancing of successfully using multimedia tools to tell the story, as opposed to cluttering a story with their inclusion, will be one to follow with interest.

MONEY TALKS

The coming of the digital age has resulted in many boundaries becoming unclear, unstable and essentially nonexistent. One of the main issues surrounding the convergence of print and online media centers on copyright. The application of copyright laws has become harder to enforce, let alone merely quantify, as more products become ‘intangible’ via their online or virtual form. Music, for instance, is now heavily sourced via downloading files on the internet rather than being purchased physically via a clear transaction and exchange at a store. As the reigns of control become even harder it seems certain concessions and individual precedents are being made.

University of Miami’s Communications Professor Sam Terelli explains that there are four steps used to judge the need for copyright law enforcement. Firstly the nature or purpose of the product been ‘copied’ needs to be assessed. Educational or not for profit reasons will obviously be allowed more leeway than those who have a pure profit or commercial interest. The nature of the transaction is then assessed. Is the information or product being re-hashed or packaged to make money? Thirdly, the amount or substantiality is determined. If only a small paragraph from a book, for instance, is used for a book review it is likely the consequences will be minor. Lastly, the overall economic implications are weighed. The overall value or implications for the owner of the copyrighted work will take precedence. Common sense reigns supreme as there are no clear cut rules, only guidelines.

Copyright needs to be enforced enough to prevent loss of income for producers, yet it needs to have a certain elasticity to encourage free speech and the dissemination of information. Just how well this is balanced in the future will be something to follow with a keen interest.

A FINE LINE

The line is blurring. Print and online are evolving together as changes in production capabilities, and even simply consumer competence and expectations, results in more experimentation and media diversification. We have noted that citizen journalism has become a norm in the online world of news and information, but has this notion of 'user created content' and the associated multimedia options, resulted in a lack of distinction between news and opinion? Is there a lack of clarity between the subjective and opinionated content and the objective, quantifiable news that only a decade ago was essentially all we were able to consume? Like a see-saw the industry is in balance or perhaps, as trends indicate (http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/051208berger/), there are dominant forces emerging. The plethora of multimedia, however, lends weight to the thought that the news is becoming a form of 'info-tainment'. We have seen this trend emerge via the popularity of sites such as Youtube. The winner of the NPPA multimedia contest (nppa.org) was a perfect example of the fine line that exists between news and opinion and the lack of consensus opinion that inhibits a clear distinction. The world now revolves around the widespread adoption of constantly superseded technologies. So are 'artistry' and innovation becoming the 'latest fad' and in fact taking prominence away from 'hard news'? We want things quicker, more detailed and interesting but perhaps it is time to take a step back to reconsider the balance that needs to be established between the subjective and objective before news itself becomes an indistinct blur.

STATE OF NEWS MEDIA REPORT

There is obviously a distinct shift from print to online news media. Previously we have discussed this issue and contemplated the direction that the industry is taking. An interesting article on the Online Journalism Review (http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/080317niles/) takes the issue into further depth. It appears that there is not necessarily a problem with those who gather and disseminate the news. The issue of concern surrounds the economic structure or backbone of the industry; advertising. The 'State of News Media' report labels this "the decoupling of advertising and news".
Advertisers need to find a happy medium in their search for maximizing their investment. What the internet and online media has presented is an array of options for their advertising dollar. Results are harder to quantify. No longer can advertisers rely solely on identifying a linear process of 'investment-return' that was possible when print media existed in the absence of the internet. Right now it seems that there is a little uncertainty and the increased in options for production has resulted in more competition and brought about the constant restructuring of both the news content and the industry. The State of News Media report states that eight in every ten Americans now value the internet as a valuable source of information. This is increasing with every year. Never before has print media, a median where advertising has resided comfortably, encountered a competing phenomenon such as the internet. But no matter what medium is used, readership results in revenue, and as the internet slowly takes over the mantle as the chief source of information, hopefully the economic structure will become clearer.

A CHANGING OF THE GUARD?

E-commerce has opened up new avenues for both sellers and buyers. World markets have emerged, and as a result when we engage in our own personal purchasing or selling, we often subconsciously ask ourselves if print media is indeed a viable option . Such is the power and adoption now of the internet. We have already discussed how advertising in general has seen changes due to the move to online media. Realty is another industry that has also seen a shift toward online advertising. After a joint survey with Classified Intelligence, Realty times explained that “the lion’s share of advertising will follow the audience, and the audience is online." (http://www.futureofrealestatemarketing.com/times-running-out-for-print-advertising/) Although there are clearly shifts, strong arguments exist to propose that both online and print media can coexist.
Despite declining advertising revenue for newspapers, a recent five panelist debate on the topic in Manhattan declared that "print is evolving, morphing beyond the printed page. If you create content that is interesting...People are going to come." (http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=34520)
The challenge for print media lies in proving value to readers; whilst competing against the breadth of more immersing multimedia tools available to online media. Print media often combats the 'threat' via linking with online sites to provide cross promotion. Additionally, technology allows advertisers to provide more 'involving' methods to get their message across. Mini Cooper used mini cut out car inserts in magazines to advertise their product (http://spluch.blogspot.com/2007/03/mini-mini-cooper.html). Cologne companies can insert samples of their product to entice trial and 3D advertisements have also been featured. As technology progresses, both online and print media are exposed to a rich array of options. Advertising is always going to be a big 'driver' of the feasibility of different medians but content remains 'king' and as long as readers can be stimulated and satisfied I'm sure both medians can continue to co-exist.

TRADE WINDS BLOWING...!?

In this digital age, it is inevitable that constant talk of print media becoming obsolete persists.
The Economist (http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7830218) puts forth the thought that newspapers have the most to lose from the public converting to online media. Readerships are down in every major, westernized country. According to the Newspaper Association of America, the number of people employed in the industry fell by 18% between 1990 and 2004.

Already it is evident that smaller independent websites and business subsidiaries are able to overcome the obstacle of a lack of size. The digital age has essentially broken down the traditional view that money and power revolves around the 'size of the four walls' that encompass a business's operations. For instance, newspapers are typically run by giant media conglomerates and advertising has been the standard fruit bearer in terms of income. Relatively new sites such as Craig's list (Craigslist.com) threaten a newspaper's profits via their use of a 'citizen controlled' platform. Anyone can post or search jobs, items for sale, housing and even entertainment based forums. Why would any right minded person advertise in a paper when they can do the same for free, and with more of a targeted and captive audience, through a website such as this? Their are winds of change blowing as gradually the web, literally, spreads into all facets of commerce.

Although it is clear that changes are occurring, it is debatable if they are revolutionary or indeed permeable. The same characteristics that make news attractive and consumable remain as much a part of print media as their digital brethren. Newsworthiness, timeliness, proximity, clarity etc can all be accomplished via both medians and there are clearly different readerships that remain. The elderly are entrenched in 'old habits' but will the new 'generation X' consumer; one who relies on impact for their attention and immediacy for consumption, result in an eradication of the print medium? There are so many other niche websites and companies clamoring for their attention but will that necessarily, or predictably, change the concept of advertising which contributes to a newspapers viability? We will look into the 'other side of the coin'...

JAMAICAN ME JEALOUS

A picture can tell a thousand words. But words,if constructed well,can paint a picture beyond comprehension in the reader's mind. But why stop there? A multimedia blog can provide the best of both worlds. It can cover all the in-depth information one can desire and then supplement it with other visual aids to provide a complete sensory expereince as such. What results is unique access to the 'full picture'.

Residents of places such as South Florida have an erray of travel options at their fingertips. The Carribean, Jamaica, Mexico and of course the southern states and east coast of America, all provide a diverse range of attractions and cultural experiences. Recently, i ventured to Jamaica to 'partake' in three whirlwind days of sightseeing and relaxing. I have found that Travelocity.com and lastminutedeals.com are the best websites for securing great package deals. Once there i caught myself wondering about all those fortunate television personalities that are contracted to go visit such places on a 'working holiday'. What a dream job hey!...but how would i have gone about reporting if i was in their position and had the tools available to us today? Afterall, you don't need to be hired by a media giant to provide your own insight. Blogging on the net can do just that!

Day 1 saw me take in the wondrous Dunns River waterfalls at Ochos Rios. These falls span some 600 feet before cascading into the ocean itself. I could have used my own handicam as i climbed up the falls, yes UP the gradual incline. My local tour guide, full of personality and 'salemsanship' (they rely quite heavily on tourist tips) would have been happy to get his fifteen seconds of fame to explain the history of the site. The hair-raising nightime taxi ride on the 'highway' (note: 1 tight gravel lane with crazy people overtaking constantly!) back to my resort to provide an alarming multimedia element to my blog. Perhaps it's a good thing i didn't video it because i feared my final moments waited me around each bend!

Day 2 and i visited the pristine 7 mile beach at Negril. We marvelled at how pristine the turquoise water was, but locals clamoring for the tourist dollar spoilt the 'i'm a million miles from anywhere' feeling of it all. My blog would have definitely shown the countless locals following you every step of the way and hastling you to buy drugs. Pictures on any travel website wouldn't allude to this. What a contrast!

Day 3 and we headed out to a place called Rick's Cafe, http://www.rickscafejamaica.com/. At sunset you can watch the famous cliff divers. Video's don't do justice to the bravery of these locals who jump without fail and fear...once again, for the tourist dollars. But hey, who out of their right mind would do that for free!?

Jamaica was naturally beautiful, yet somewhat third world in structure. Behind the beautiful natural charm and good willed citizens lies a nation struggling to support themselves. A multimedia blog could have shown the benefits and experiences in their full color and true light. This is the opportunity that bloggers have today. We can share the world with each other. Perhaps continued exposure will lead to more tourism, and consequently less harassment from desperate yet kind hearted local Jamaicans, upon my next visit. Now that would be something to blog home about!




Dunns River Falls- Ochos Rios, Jamaica

THE TRAVEL BUG

We live in a world where endless travel opportunities and cultural exchange are now possible. Globalization has made the mere dreams of yesteryear possible. Not only have changes, such as time and space compression, brought about increased exposure for even the small corners of the world; they have also provided an information exchange. Travelers now don't have to submit to the preferences or commercial interests of travel agents and tourism bureaus. The internet has made available reviews and personal opinions on everything from a hotel review to the citizens that give a 'hotspot' its character. All by the simple click of a button; and now blogs are quickly becoming a popular method for even more detailed information.

As the internet boomed in the early parts of the new millenium, a popular website called letmestayforaday.com emerged. The website was the brainchild of dutch tourist Ramon Stoppelenburg. As a result of exposure garnered through publicity the number of traffic that went through the website reached an impressive number. This led to sponsorship and media giants such as Canon sponsoring his quest and adventure around the world. He lived with strangers throughout his travels to support and supplement his travel experience. Now anyone can live, all be it vicariously, through the adventures of others via their 'blog experience'.

Vagabonding (www.vagabonding.com) was recently voted the most popular travelblog website. The website featured the usual photos and experiences but also quite trivial and unique content such as reviews of the pests and bugs in various travel lodges. The author even went as far as taking lifesize photos of cockroaches that were found. This gives new meaning to the term 'the travel bug'...but clearly the gates to the world are open, and being used, as globalization becomes a way of life more so than merely a term. There is a world out there that more so than ever we are able to explore, and blogs give us a chance to share it with even more people, even strangers searching for unbiased opinion.

AGE OF THE 'PROSUMER'

CNN has just unleashed ‘iReport’, a user generated website, as an attempt to keep abreast of current consumer trends. The company first embraced the idea of user generated content, or citizen journalism, in August of 2006 (http://ww.mediaweek.com/mw/news/interactive/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003708936)but since then citizen journalism has fast become the way of the future.

The rise in prominence of ‘user contributed’ websites such as YouTube has shown that consumers demand ultimate attention. Trends in marketing and advertising have seen the focus shift from the mass onto what is deemed ‘an audience of one’. Simply, people want to be tailored to. In today’s modern age of instant gratification ‘skim reading’ or quick consumption has become the norm. More so than ever news sites are clambering for the increasingly fleeting attention of their readership. Blogs and hybrid news and entertainment websites are popping up on the internet at an increasing rate and large media corporations such as CNN have to keep ahead of market challenges.

iReport cleverly uses the input of everyday citizens to provide eye-witness accounts and constant feeds of information. The website features a section containing footage shot and stories produced by citizens that have made CNN broadcasts. iReport essentially encapsulates hard news via the involvement of ordinary citizens and as a byproduct it strengthens the relationship between the company and its ‘consumers’. What blogs and user generated content has shown us is that the way of the future is collaboration. Yes, the journalist is still important, but people want stories and information quickly above all else even if that means the story comes from someone next door or an eye witness who has captured the story on an amateur camera.

PEOPLE POWER

Some things never change

Journalism gives people a voice. It can put forth the view of the minority and every day it documents history. The continued practice of journalism, both online and via traditional print media, ensures we remember events and even people after they have passed on. Without documentation, stories are not just forgotten, they essentially pass into folklore. The fight for civil rights in South Florida, which started in the 1940’s, is a testament to journalism’s importance.

A recent media panel held at the University of Miami on Monday February 18 presented a chance for students to hear the tales of yesteryear and be reminded of some of the harsh realities of inequality that still persist today. All the panelists spoke of their courage in the space of adversity to restore a semblance of equal opportunity. Garth Reeves, a distinguished former publicist for Miami Times, remembers growing up in Miami during the civil rights fight:
“We sat at the back of the bus, didn’t go to white places and couldn’t even try on a hat downtown”.

Reeves became a writer during the tumultuous times of the civil rights movement. He says he had to take chances he normally wouldn’t. Reeves likened writing to journalism with your hands tied behind your back, but gradually the black minority gained ‘a voice’ and was able to change the structures that had been put in place. Reeves says that he is now “glad to see that we’ve made strides and that my colleagues now in the field of journalism are free as a bird”.

CT Taylor, radio personality and author of ‘yourdailydoesusa.com’, had some words of wisdom for budding journalists. He proclaimed that it didn’t matter what color or what race a journalist was because you are recording history, it is the facts that are important, so be accurate and be truthful above all.

Juanita Green, a former Miami Herald reporter, used to ring houses in advance to let them know that a photographer was on their way and to for them to make sure their residence was presentable.“Often front page stories were of a Negro who had robbed a 7-11 convenience store. We had to change the way people saw us, change the way people looked at Liberty City (a predominantly black neighborhood) she said.”

Green summed it up best when she declared that the inequality was not a fault of an individual, it was the fault of society at the time. There is power and influence in a collective group. Throughout the 1940’s this was displayed through the racism and ‘mob behavior’ that eventuated. However, each panelist represented the sometimes Utopian ideal that the persistent courage of an individual ‘can overcome’ and make a difference, and they did. A similar opportunity presents journalists today and it can be grasped if accuracy, passion and persistence are exuded; just like that displayed by the esteemed panelists who graced UM with their presence.

FROM BLOGS TO RICHES

Blogging is increasingly becoming the domain of the opportunistic. The recent phenomenon represents a platform for airing one's point of view, but it is now becoming an avenue for exposure and staggering financial success. Elizabeth Spiers, a blogging entrepreneur, says that “blogging is increasingly becoming a survival of the fittest—and that all boils down to who has the best content. The blogs that are going to stand out are the ones who break news and have credibility.” However, it is becoming evident that blogs need to be unique and contain an element of intrigue; a reader needs to be enticed into reading the content. It is this element that will further distinguish an interesting, readily consumed and updated blog- from that of traditional print media.
'Rose' has a blog site (http://roseb44170.blogspot.com/2007/11/blog-turned-into-book.html) which details the process and opportunities for aspiring writers to get noticed and published via initial 'blog exposure'. Just as MySpace has been a way for musicians to air their talents, many authors have been discovered via blogging. In addition, as far back as January 2005 Fortune magazine listed eight bloggers that business people "could not ignore". It is clear the blog is not a fad, in fact it is becoming more relevant every day.

PRODUCERS AND MANAGERS...ARE THEY NOW THE SAME THING?

Online journalism has changed the face of the industry. Those working in the field now have to keep abreast with technology and satisfy an ever-demanding readership hungry for new slants and insights to a story. But just how much have the roles and responsibilities of the modernday journalist really changed?

An online survey of people working for online news sites was administered in November and December of 2005. It sought to identify the elements that distinguished the 'new world' of online journalism. In preliminary interviews, online journalists said that rather than a reliance on technical aspects it was the requirement for a different way of thinking that made online journalism different. The online survey sought to identify the requirements and beliefs of both managers and producers of online content. From the survey responses the following was gathered:
- 84.8% of producers of online content reported that an awareness of new technology was important.
-88.4% of producers and 78.4% of managers suggested that news judgement was vital.
-49% of producers said they used photo editing frequently. This response was higher than 'reporting and writing original stories' and 'audio' or 'video production'.
-Both managers and producers were required to, and used, programs such as Photoshop. However, almost 72% of producers reported a daily use of HTML. This was significantly higher than managers.

The survey findings suggest that managers and producers have quite different job requirements. However, online journalism and traditional journalism still share similar traits. Copy-editing skills and knowing what makes a good story remain important for all employed in the industry. The difference between the traditional and modern day journalist seems to lie in the broad competence now required of each professional. Rather than a reliance on expertise in one field, journalists must be capable of utilizing new technologies and have an understanding of the expanding demands of the consuming public.

A PICTURE TELLS A THOUSAND WORDS

Photos represent a snapshot of a certain moment, a certain time, an event. History is littered with photos that evoke memories of radical movements and politically charged events that have in effect changed the course of our times. Photos such as the black power protest of the 1968 Olympic games, Marilyn Monroe's timeless photograph and the young Vietnamese girl running naked down the street during the Vietnam war all tell a story and `freeze´a point in time. Often it is not words that we remember but the pictures; they are windows for the reader to get a view of the present and as day passes into night, they become snapshots into our past. A picture can tell a thousand words.

Writing online allows a journalist to not only to express their own artistic flair but to help 'frame' (pardon the pun) a story in terms of its emotive feel and connection with the reader.
Alison Diaz, a freelance photojournalist who has works published on Miami.com, believes that a key to storytelling is to include pictures that help progress the story. It is vital that each picture chosen has a particular connotative meaning and will provide the reader with a unique insight into what the journalist was trying to convey. Joy, sorrow, excitement; all emotions can be presented or amplified via a photograph. Afterall, it is the emotion and connection of a story that helps attract and keep a reader's interest and the inclusion of specific photos can only help to supplement and sustain this.

THE HEAR AND NOW!

A PARADOX OF IMMEDIACY
I want to expand on the notion that globalization has presented journalists and their audiences with a plethora of options. We know that the internet has opened up global markets and broken down cross-country communication barriers. Yes these new found capabilities and superseding technologies are keys to our newfound abilities to interact in 'real time', but they also have had a profound impact on our behaviour and expectations.

I believe also that the internet, as the poster child for globalization, has enforced a sense of impatience and impulse upon us; a thought that 'it is all about the hear and now'. Similar to the irrational and impuslive buying habits that some people demonstrate, perhaps so too can the bigotry and the posting of derogatory comments be attributed to the need to produce or live in the moment.

Readers now scan and search online and do not read for long periods of time. In addition, a pleothra of multimedia options and features help serve this 'modernized consumer'. Journalists must organize and coordinate the elements or layers of information to grab attention and then guide the viewer through the text. If they don't do this successfully, then perhaps we are better off with the more definitively linear structure of print.

"CONTENT IS KING"

THE SAME...BUT DIFFERENT

Todays marketplace is driven by e-commerce and the capabilities of online communication. The associated demand for constantly superseded technology has inturn opened up opportunities for those publishing and 'trading' online. In short, we now live, trade and communicate in an online world and this is good for journalists, especially those who are willing to learn the techniques that will open up doors to the world of online publishing. But what exactly should online journalists become proficient at and focus on?

Suzanne Levinson believes that "content will always be king", regardless of whether the discussion centres on online or print journalism. The trump card that online publishing has over print, however, are the multitude of design and format options that can be used to present the content. All elements should be used to inform as well as to engage and hold the reader's attention. Links to in-depth content, related topics and personal opinions from other readers can all be used to supplement the article itself. But despite all these options the dichtomy that exists is that there are still boundaries in existence for online journalism. Where as print journalists are confined by space and the finality of print, online journalists have to overcome boundaries of competing elements, navigation simplicity and selective attention. Levinson explains that bells and whistles are all good and well but in the end the content must engage the reader, guide them through via clear heirarchy and be easy to navigate. Direct headlines, key words and clear concise writing are still a must. Finding a balance, and perhaps knowing what elements to leave out, is the challenge of journalism in the 21st century.

RIDING THE BLOG WAVE

THE NEW WAVE IS HERE!

Blogs...what are they exactly? And what does the word "blog" mean anyway? It seems we have replaced the good old fashioned "article" or "letter to the editor" with this thing that sounds more like something out of a science fiction movie.

The world is shrinking. Advancements in technology have meant time and space have been compressed. We now live in the "world of the instantaneous". A world where we want things and action immediately. We desire to stay informed, and this has been constant throughout history due to mankinds innate need to "know what is happening on the other hill". Society has widely adopted the instantaneous communication platform that we call the internet, and what better way to stay informed than with the use of blogs.

Ultimately a blog creates a topic that has its course and future content determined by the audience themselves. Videos, pictures and links can be added to aid readers to find out more information or help them to experience the writer's point of view in all it's 21st century multimedia glory. A blog is essentially two-way communication between a writer and their audience that is published on the interent. Instead of traditionally writing an article and thrusting it down a consumer's throats, feedback is now an important part of the process. But not just ordinary "post article feedback" that is sent to the editor in hopes of publication next week. Blogs allow an audience to interact with the author of the piece and provide suggestions and further links to related subjects. All this is done in the here and now, published as soon as the "post" button is pressed on the blogpage. It's that easy.

So what does this mean for print media and the tradtional article? Well, blogs are not here to replace other formats but merely to supplement them. To add value, depth and balance viewpoints. The internet provides a semblance of free speech and a platform for expression. Blogs are now a big part of this. From this new-wave of communicating we as a society can become a quicker informed and a better educated public. More importantly, perhaps along the way our points of view can be opened-up to new possibilities.