Day One of Media & the Message

Media industries are undergoing a period of rapid change. Nowhere is this more evident than the newspaper industry. Typically, when a new disruptive medium emerges, such as the Internet (and before that television, and before that radio), people like to proclaim the demise of newspapers.
Whether the printed paper will die or is dying is debatable, but what is not debatable is that newspapers, and other media outlets, have changed their products and will continue to do so.
Today's journalists have to be more than good writers, editors, or graphic designers. They must be able to be called upon to use numerous creative skill sets with remarkable accuracy, speed and precision.
Multimedia is becoming increasing significant to the field of journalism and those who wish to enter this arena have to be prepared. The "Media and the Message: Communicating in a Digital Age" course (note: link will open a 2007 Word document with the syllabus) will blend interviewing, reporting, researching, and editing techniques with photography and web-based multimedia skills. Students will learn to apply these concepts to develop print, broadcast and Web-based pieces of their own.
And it all starts on Monday. After the 12 students, instructor and TA all introduce themselves in the morning and go over basic procedural matters, the real fun begins. In the afternoon, we will discuss interviewing tips and learn how to write a good profile. We'll look at examples of good profiles such as this article about a retiring News & Observer investigative reporter.
In the evening, students will write a personal blog entry reflecting on their personal media use. A busy first day is in store.