President's Corner

Journalists find new ways to tell stories on the Internet

President’s Corner

By Jennifer Croshaw, San Diego Pro Chapter

Entertainment editor, SignOnSanDiego.com

A wise Jedi once said, “Unlearn what you have learned.”  But maybe we don't need to go that far to change the way we think.

When we were in journalism school, we were trained to cultivate sources, conduct interviews and craft stories. Someone in another department took the photos, someone else laid out the print piece, someone else even created the headlines. Print majors turned up their noses at broadcast majors, and vice versa. The Internet? If it was even a factor, we were only concerned that our pieces showed up on our media outlet’s Web site.

Less than a decade after I graduated, the directive has changed -- and certainly not just for this now online journalist.

As the majority of us have accepted, the way our readers and viewers receive information has evolved and will continue to do so. News outlets have expanded their focus from the morning paper and the 11 o'clock news to providing information 24/7 through computers, iPods, cell phones, BlackBerrys and whatever other gadget is going to make an appearance in the next five minutes.

Despite what Yoda says, traditional reporting methods are not to be unlearned. They are now simply the foundation for a journalist's storytelling repertoire.

A reporter now is a regular participant, engaging with his or her viewers through blogs and online chats. A writer who long wrote off broadcast journalism suddenly finds herself acting as Internet radio host. A visuals journalist must turn a flat, print infographic into something multilayered, moveable and personalized for online users.

Shooting photos and video, capturing and editing audio, creating Flash presentations. These are just a few of the skills today's journalism graduates possess and it's this type of one-man band that succeeds in the current media environment.

How can we "old-timers" (you’re one of these even if you graduated early this decade) continue to change the way we think about storytelling? How can we keep up?

The San Diego SPJ chapter is proud to be a part of the fast-moving evolution of the media industry, and we want you to join in, too. Our March 8th multimedia panel focuses on the kinds of training today's journalist needs to succeed in a multimedia world, with speakers who teach these skills, preach their importance and use them on a daily basis.

Trying new things is scary, sure. But you've got to take that leap -- or reassess your career goals.

Event: Multimedia panel, featuring Jane Stevens, Kim Perry, and Barbara Palser;

Where: San Diego Union-Tribune’s Mission Valley building, fifth-floor conference room;

When: Thursday, March 8, beginning at 6:30 p.m.;

RSVP: Contact Lori Weisberg at lori.weisberg@uniontrib.com or (619) 293-2251.