Blog hiatus

I am taking a hiatus from blogging regularly about the changing world of news media. However, the media are not resting; they continue to evolve every day. Please feel free to post links and comments about what you see on the horizon.

In the meantime, take a look around my site. My vitae, as well as professional writing and speaking clips, are included.

Best wishes as you navigate the changes — both good and bad — in mass media.

Information wants to be free (to the dismay of some journalists)

Malcolm Gladwell of The New Yorker discusses the idea that in the technological age “information wants to be free.”

In the article, Gladwell cites Chris Anderson’s new book, “Free: The Future of a Radical Price.” In his book, Anderson predicts the following about journalists:

There may be more of them, not fewer, as the ability to participate in journalism extends beyond the credentialed halls of traditional media. But they may be paid far less, and for many it won’t be a full time job at all. Journalism as a profession will share the stage with journalism as an avocation. Meanwhile, others may use their skills to teach and organize amateurs to do a better job covering their own communities, becoming more editor/coach than writer. If so, leveraging the Free—paying people to get other people to write for non-monetary rewards—may not be the enemy of professional journalists. Instead, it may be their salvation.

One things is for sure: There is a lots to consider in this new age.

Harding student blogging for hometown newspaper

One of my journalism students is working as a blogger for his hometown newspaper, the Gorham Times, in Maine this summer. His assignment is to attract younger readers to the newspaper’s site.

John Mark is getting real-life experience in how new and traditional media are interacting in this ever-changing industry.

Good for him. I enjoy his writing, and I know he’s learning a lot. Keep up the good work, John Mark.

Time Magazine article: Can computer nerds save journalism?

Time continues to report on the changing world on news media with its recent article, Can computer nerds save journalism?

Time has published over the last several months several thought-provoking pieces that address the downfall of traditional news media, and what the future holds for journalism. See here and here.

Writing eHow articles

I just started contributing short articles to eHow.com. It’s a challenge to provide instructions to people through direct, efficient writing. So far I’ve contributed three articles:

How to Write a Photo Caption

How to Refinish a Weathered Deck

How to Make  a St. Louis-Style Pizza

More evidence that J-schools need to change

This New York Times articles claims that journalism schools are playing catchup in the rapidly changin world of media. It’s a good read for anyone in journalism education.

AEJMC members muse the future of journalism

Colleagues over at AEJMC challenged journalism professors to submit in a creative way their thoughts on what the future of journalism and mass communication will look like.

The top three entries are posted on AEJMC’s blog. My favorite is associate professor Jane B. Singer’s entry. Concerning undergraduate journalism education, Singer suggests:

…in addition to the overall value of a university education that ideally develops abilities to learn, think, experiment, focus, socialize and grow:

• Preparation for entry-level job that includes training and practice in multi-platform content creation and maintenance, basic updates, routine reporting, editing and self-editing, blogging and working with users. Basic contextual information about journalists and journalism – law, ethics, history, social/cultural roles – also is part of this education.

• Preparation for career advancement that builds on the basics through training and practice in such areas as investigative reporting, analyzing information (in multiple formats), producing commentary, developing a personal voice, planning and creating multimedia information packages, and so on. Given accreditation limitations, any given student can gain familiarity through coursework with only a subset of these.

• Preparation for specialization that focuses more attention on / advising about content and structure of courses outside journalism than is currently provided, with an eye toward development of a marketable area of expertise for the student.