CONVERGENT

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CONVERGENT
JOURNALISM
By Dianne Smith, MJE
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WHAT
is convergent journalism?
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To answer that question, lets first look at
Traditional School Media
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• Newspapers
• Yearbooks
• Broadcast
• Photography

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Each publication existed on its own with a
separate staff and separate times during the day.
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Newspaper staffers researched, interviewed
people, wrote stories and designed the newspaper.
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Yearbook staffers researched, interviewed people,
wrote stories and designed the yearbook.
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Broadcast staffers researched, interviewed
people, produced stories and aired them.
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Photographers took pictures, filed them, prepared
them for publication and wrote captions for the
publications staffs.
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As a result....

• Newspaper students learned to write, edit and
  design newspaper pages and meet deadlines, but
  may not have learned anything about video or
  photography.
• Yearbook students learned to write, edit and
  design yearbook pages, meet big deadlines, but
  may not have learned anything about video or
  photography.
• Broadcast students learned to write and produce
  story packages and deliver the news on the air,
  but might not have learned how to write a story
  for print or take a still photograph.
• Photography students learned how to take
  pictures, file them and prepare them for
  publication, but may not have learned how
  photography and the printed word worked together.
• Everyone knew about what went on in their own
  little world, but may have had little
  understanding about how the entire process worked
  and may not have learned which would be the very
  best way to present certain information.

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As a result....

• There was little or no coordination between
  publications staffs, causing a great deal of
  duplication of effort.
• Photographers did not always understand the
  purpose of the picture they were sent out to
  take, and the end result did not fit in with the
  concept of the story like the writer or editor
  had envisioned.
• Journalism students did not have the opportunity
  to evaluate story ideas in terms of which medium
  might be the best vehicle for telling the story.
• The focus was on the publication rather than the
  process and deadline periods were spent
  scrambling for needed information and pictures.
• Many pictures or stories intended, but not used,
  for one publication might have been appropriate
  for another but lack of coordination between
  staffs prevented their use.
• Down times for one publication could not be used
  to meet deadlines for another because it was not
  the right period to work on that publication.

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TECHNOLOGY
CHANGES
EVERYTHING!
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The use of technologyfaster and more capable
computers, digital camcorders and SLR cameras,
iPods, cell phones, CDs and DVDs, web siteshave
all become part of the information process. News
travels faster than ever before and is received
not only on television and radio and in
newspapers, but through web sites, cell phones
and even iPods.
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MySpace and Facebook and other social networking
sites online have become extremely popular among
all age groups. Members access their own and
friends pages to find out all kinds of
information including news, listen to music,
watch videos and much more.
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Online journaling, or blogging (short for web
logging) has experienced a veritable explosion in
popularity. Personal blogs, educational blogs,
business blogs, political blogs, news blogs,
opinion blogs have come together to form what is
called the Blogosphere. And this blogosphere has
changed the face of the media forever. Blogs can
be accessed by computer, cell phone, iPods and it
wont be long before the technology will be there
to access them through television and other media.
Edublog.org
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With social networking sites, blogging sites,
shopping sites (Amazon.com, Overstock.com,
eBay.com, along with brick and mortar stores
which have set up online shopping), message
boards, music sites, video sites, ability to
watch missed episodes of favorite television
shows, online gaming, online banking, online
stock trading, online dating, etc., is it any
wonder that people are spending more time than
ever before online?
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SO WHAT DOES
THIS MEAN FOR THE
NEWS MEDIA?
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THEY'VE GOT THE URGE
TO CONVERGE!
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LOOK AT WHAT HAS
HAPPENED!
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THE PROFESSIONAL MEDIA DID IT...
COLLEGE MEDIA ARE DOING IT...
THE TIME HAS COME FOR US
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TELEVISION NEWS TEAMS

• Produce news packages as they have always done,
  but now they are shown on the web as well as on
  their networks/stations.
• The web packages include articles, infographics
  and other items found in newspapers.
• The web allows the use of interactive features,
  such as in-depth informational graphics and
  polls.
• Web readers can participate in the interactive
  features through computers and cell phones.
• Online feedback forums and blogs on the web sites
  give the news team immediate valuable information
  about the publics perceptions of the news.

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Newspaper Staffs

• Faced with declining subscriptions, especially
  among young readers, began duplicating their
  content on the web with the addition of
  interactive features, such as polls,infographics,
  blogs and forums.
• With the versatility of the web, they could add
  other features as streaming video and audio
  podcasts.
• They began partnering with television news teams
  in their local areas to consolidate information.
• Newspaper and television news teams collaborated
  on how best to present the news, choosing which
  medium would work better for specific components.
• Newspapers are still in a state of transition.
  Some are moving entirely to the web. Others are
  cutting back on production or eliminating home
  delivery except on weekends.

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Readers
became a part of the process as well. Not only
can their thoughts and opinions be submitted
through online forums and blogs, and traditional
letters to the editor, but todays fairly
inexpensive digital cameras, camcorders and cell
phones allow ordinary citizens to submit video
and pictures of news events as they
happen. Citizen journalism, while
controversial, allows more interaction and
supplies publications with access to content they
would not otherwise have.
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Photographers

• Because digital photography no longer required
  darkroom equipment, photographers could send
  photos in via computers for immediate use.
• Because photographers were sometimes in remote
  locations, they began to write the stories to go
  with the photographs.
• Photographers for both print and broadcast media
  began doing both still photography and video
  which could be used for a variety of purposes.
• DVDs began to take on more importance as news
  media began to do more in-depth stories from the
  abundance of footage from video cameras. Programs
  were archived on DVDs and made available to the
  public.

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Online news sites

• Further involved readers in the process by
  providing emails promoting news programs,
  breaking news, polls, new features. The emails
  are delivered via computer, cell phone and PDA.
• Used RSS (Real Simple Syndication) readers
  integrated into some non-news web sites or
  browsers or individual desktops to keep readers
  informed.
• News sites interacted with readers on MySpace,
  Facebook and other social networking sites.

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CONVERGENCE HAPPENED!
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Convergence is the merging of print media,
photojournalism, podcasting, video/broadcast, the
Internet and other media such as DVDs into a
dynamic media entity where all team members
understand and participate in the entire process,
from beginning to end, to prepare information for
dissemination to readers, viewers, and listeners.
While some team members will eventually
specialize, all are trained in the entire process.
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What does it mean
FOR US?
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BIG
CHANGES
FOR THE
BETTER!
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Instead of two separate staffs for yearbook and
newspaper, we will have one dynamic media team
who will do it all!
SPECIFIC EXPERIENCES
IMPORTANT LIFE SKILLS
BASIC SKILLS

• Interviewing
• Research
• Writing
• Editing
• Photography
• Page Design
• Shooting video
• Editing video

• Blogging/Social Networking
• Online Newspaper
• Audio Podcasting
• Video Podcasting
• Desktop Publishing
• Print Newspaper
• Yearbook
• DVD Supplement

• Critical thinking and decision making
• Working as a team
• Time Management
• Meeting Deadlines
• Accountability
• Individual Responsibility

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• Downtime will be reduced or totally eliminated
  because each staffer will be working on
  components to be used in all publications.
• The focus will be on the process rather than the
  product.
• Staffers, individually or in teams, will take
  responsibility for specific beats and carry them
  throughout the year, making sure they get the
  coverage in the yearbook, newspaper and any video
  presentations that they deserve.
• Staffers will get to express themselves in
  creative ways as they determine how best to tell
  a story.
• More class time can be devoted to the production
  of each publication because the class will not be
  devoted to one specific publication.
• Staffers will have a better understanding of how
  the news media work because they will be involved
  in multiple aspects of media production.
• Deadlines should be less hectic for all staffers
  who keep up with their beats and have all
  photographs, statistics, quotes and features
  written along the way. Yearbook spreads should go
  together with no problems.
• Staffers will be required to keep track of their
  progress and be able to pull photos, video
  footage, quotes, statistics and other information
  at any time.

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What does it mean
FOR YOU?
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• Expectations will be higher.
• Part of your assignment will involve ad sales for
  all publications.
• Goofing off will not be tolerated. You will need
  to stay focused.
• Once you are assigned/sign up for a beat, it is
  your responsibility to see that it gets done. The
  entire school will be counting on you.
• You will need to track your progress daily. You
  will have specific tasks which must be completed
  within a specific period of time for each beat.
• You will need to file photos immediately.
• You will need to download and edit video within
  72 hours.

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• You will be expected to follow all procedures at
  all times. Students who cant do this need to
  find another elective.
• Computers and equipment are to be used for
  designated purposes only.
• You will be responsible for the safety and care
  of any department equipment you use for any
  assignment. It must be turned in on time and
  ready for the next assignment.
• Some after-school time may be required of you.
  However, if you use class time appropriately,
  this time will be minimal.
• Deadlines are not optional. If there is a problem
  in meeting a deadline, you must notify the
  adviser or student publishers ASAP.

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• To become a part of the media team, you must
• Complete and turn in a staff application
• Be interviewed by the student publishers
• Have previously been a member of the yearbook or
  newspaper staff and have the advisers approval,
  OR
• Have successfully completed Journalism I and have
  the advisers approval OR
• Provide letters of recommendation from three
  teachers who have had you in class, and have the
  advisers approval
• Sign and have your parents sign an agreement form
  indicating that you and they understand the
  requirements and expectations.
• Be committed to excellence and strive for
  perfection. What we produce should be error-free
  and complete. If you sign on to do this, we
  expect you to care enough to give it your best.

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GET THE URGE
TO
CONVERGE!