The
Convergence Newsletter
From
Newsplex at the University of South Carolina
Vol. III
No. 2 (August 4, 2005)
Commenting
on Convergence
By
Jordan Storm, editor of The Convergence Newsletter
When I
read The Washington Post a few weeks ago, I chuckled at a quote that said,
"For some of these young kids, it's never enough - they want to stay connected
everywhere. Everywhere!" The respective quote was responding
to Washington, D.C.'s newest public site to offer free wireless access.
Compared
to the speaker of the quote, who referred to himself as "older than dirt,"
I am a "young kid" and yes, I do want to stay connected. I would say I even need to stay connected.
For instance,
staying connected for me is essential in producing this newsletter.
Searching for the latest news and future story ideas, I peruse various
Web sites and e-mail newsfeeds, such as Poynter.com, MediaBistro.com and The
New York Times on the Web, saving what I feel is important or notable. What I have found is that when I review my notations
later, I usually have to erase nearly all of them, for they are outdated and
have lost their timeliness.
To me,
access to up-to-date information is critical. Because examples of convergence in media can be found daily,
I have to
stay connected at all times. There
is always something new and exciting to explore, critique, adopt, share or
discard.
This is
why I am so excited about the number of ways information is being shared in
the coming weeks. In addition
to seminars, workshops and summits, the Media Convergence Conference in Provo,
Utah and the AEJMC Convention in San Antonio, Texas have announced their respective
agendas.
If you
attend the Provo conference in October, be sure to check out keynote speaker
James M. Brady, the executive editor of washingtonpost.com. In San Antonio this month take a look
at Bonnie Bressers and Robert Meeds' study, from Kansas State University,"
Executives' Perceptions of Print/Online Integration Factors that Influence
Major Newspapers." Also, check
out "Event Blogging the 2004 Conventions: Media Bloggers, Non Media Bloggers,
and Their Network Connections" by Sharon Meraz, University of Texas at
Austin.
You can
find more information pertaining to the Media Convergence Conference and the AEJMC Convention in the newsletter below.
Jordan
Storm is working towards a Master of Arts degree at the University of South
Carolina. Contact her at convergence-editor@mailbox.sc.edu.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Feature
Articles
Media
Convergence Conference Schedule Announced
Predictions
about What Students Need in the Convergence Age: Were they Right?
Consumers Push the Envelope, Los Angeles Times Pushes Back
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Conference
Information
Association
for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Convention
Visual
Edge: Visual Reporting
Adplexing:
Cross-Media Advertising Tools & Techniques
Media
Convergence Conference: Cooperation, Collisions and Change
Society
of Professional Journalists Convention & National Journalism Conference
Association
for Women in Communications 2005 Professional Conference
Citizens
Media Summit
2005 Online
News Association Conference
BEA2006:
Convergence Shockwave
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------Feature
Articles
Media
Convergence Conference Schedule Announced
Brigham
Young University and the University of South Carolina have just released the
agenda for the fourth annual convergent journalism conference, "Media
Convergence: Collisions, Cooperation,
and Change," October 13-15, 2005 in Provo, Utah.
Highlights
of the conference include:
The conference
will take place on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah,
and is co-sponsored by BYU's Department of Communication and USC's College
of Mass Communication and Information Studies. A post-conference excursion to the Sundance Institute also
is planned.
The complete
agenda for the conference is available on the conference Web site:
http://convergence.byu.edu. Online registration for the conference
is available on the conference Web site; the registration fee is $100.
A pre-conference
workshop offering training in podcasting for up to 15 participants is available
at no additional charge to any registrant on a first-come, first-served basis.
To reserve space, e-mail conference co-chair Quint Randle: Quint_Randle@byu.edu.
For more
information on the conference or the agenda, please e-mail conference co-chair
Augie Grant: augie@sc.edu.
See you
in Provo!
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Predictions
about What Students Need in the Convergence Age: Were they Right?
By George L. Daniels, assistant professor of journalism, The University of Alabama
It's hard to believe that three years have passed since the Society of Professional Journalists ran a cover
story on journalism cross-training in the annual education issue of its membership
publication, Quill.
The cover art of a student with a backpack stuffed with such things as a microphone,
notepad, computer, newspaper, and a television, has appeared in more than
one book since the July/August 2002 article.
Now as we prepare for fall semester, we as educators and researchers have
the benefit of some real-life case studies from the media and bruises or tough
lessons from our own teaching, along with a number of cross-media reporting
and convergence texts our colleagues have produced. This gives us a chance
to consider some recent cross-media case studies, and then to use those cases
to do a "reality check" on some of the convergence predictions in
the 2002 Quill article.
Cross-Media Reporting on the Scrushy Trial
Lasting nearly six months, the recent fraud trial of former HealthSouth CEO
Richard Scrushy demonstrated how the Internet is forcing both print and broadcast
journalists to think about multiple platforms or mediums for message delivery.
The number of articles in national publications such as The Wall Street Journal
and The New York Times also indicates how much interest this particular trial
attracted outside Birmingham, where the trial took place. It is a perfect case study for the type
of customer-driven content that works well on a Web site, but not necessarily
on a traditional medium where the news editor or producer decides what is
important for the front page or the lead story in a newscast.
Wire
Writing, Blog Posting
For those
wanting to know every detail about what's happening with the trial, they could
log into al.com or "Everything Alabama,"
the Advance Publications' Web site that showcases content from The Birmingham News and other Alabama
news outlets. A Birmingham News reporter provided
multiple updates throughout the day in a form of writing commonly referred
to as "wire writing." The reporter realized he or she was no longer
just producing content for the newspaper, but constantly feeding a news product
with constant deadlines. In the process, reporters used a blogging tool similar
to the one used on Blogger.com
to write and post their updates for readers to access throughout the day.
This practice
raises the question: How many of our students know how to do constant updates
on a story recasting paragraphs and updating leads as new information becomes
available?
Traditional
reporting classes often focus on completing well-written, edited, polished
stories for publication. While
that's still an important skill, it seems good old-fashioned wire writing
is also a key skill that came in handy for reporters covering trials or other
breaking news. The type of aggressive
updating al.com and other news Web sites
are now doing is something more and more sites are realizing will drive additional
traffic to their Web pages. Thus,
students benefit from being able to respond to the perceived heightened interest
of the audience.
TV
Reporting On the Web
On the
broadcast side, Birmingham's WVTM-TV
cross-promoted its "Verdict Watch" Web-only updates with its
traditional over-the-air newscasts. This meant that in addition to carrying
live reports and some live coverage of courthouse news conferences, the NBC
owned-and-operated station also produced specific updates that could be accessed
by those outside of the Birmingham viewing area. "A lot of folks across
the country want to be updated," said Scott Mauldin, a WVTM reporter,
during a recent Web cast. Mauldin noted that those working in offices and
within the financial community were of particular concern when the Web updates
were developed.
As the
jury deliberations at the Scrushy trial moved into their fifth day, WVTM officials
decided to add a 10 a.m. update to their 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Web updates.
So in addition to doing live reports for an 11 a.m. hour-long newscast and
producing packages for the early evening newscasts at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., reporters
for the NBC station were expected to go live online for five to 10-minute
newscasts just on their story. WVTM did this with a multiple-reporter coverage
strategy, which often is the case for large and mid-sized media markets covering
a major story.
While
many stations today are re-purposing clips from their newscast as video on
the Web, few are requiring reporters to produce updates exclusively for a
Web audience as WVTM did in this case. Reporter expertise on a story beyond
just what is contained in a pre-recorded news package or a live update was
particularly critical. Because they were providing special content for the
Web, these broadcast reporters were expected to provide commentary and analysis
as they reported on the latest happenings at the trial.
This situation
raises the question: Should we as broadcast journalism instructors also engage
students in learning activities that help them distinguish between these roles
of commentator and analyst and "straight news" reporter?
With access
to other documents and materials related to the case, those in the Web audience
were typically more informed about the Scrushy case than the average local
TV viewer. Certainly, the WVTM coverage strategy is the exception, not the
rule for most local TV operations. But, how long will that be the case?
What
about those Predictions?
Let's
use these cases as we reconsider four comments from journalism professors
and trainers quoted in the 2002 Quill Article.
COMMENT:
"Daily journalists need to embrace the 24-hour cycle with continuous
deadlines...and the story needs to be reported and produced for a multiplatform
audience," said Andrew Nachison, media center director at the American
Press Institute.
Right
on. This is indeed the
situation that both the print and the broadcast reporters covering the Scrushy
trial realized. When the 2002
article was published, the newspaper content was being "shoveled"
out on the al.com Web site the NEXT day. WVTM was providing little
or no video on its Web site at the time.
Now, the same reporters are working in an environment of continuous
deadlines.
COMMENT:
"Single-platform stories are rapidly being overtaken by converged ones."
Not so
fast. Actually, most reporters
for the so-called legacy media (newspapers, radio, television) are not producing
converged stories on a regular basis. The exception is the Web journalist. As we learned in
the coverage of the announcement
of Pope Benedict XVI's selection, Web stories are more and more likely
going to include some cross-media component. However, single-platform stories
are still a staple of most news outlets.
COMMENT:
"All journalism students should learn how to build a simple Web page or site
for their stories...They should also learn how to do their own shooting and
video editing...They don't have to be documentary quality shooters and editors
to include good video information in their storytelling mix."
Not quite.
This professor was talking about print journalism students learning
Web page construction and video production techniques.
As newspaper Web sites are more than likely using content management
tools that require less knowledge about Web page development or design, "Web
writing" or the ability to constantly update Web content seems more important
today than learning Web page construction.
COMMENT:
"Students should be taught how to find, develop and present stories in print,
radio, television and online - and understand how to adapt stories differently
for each of the different media."
Maybe. Adapting stories for different media
is important, but many in the newsroom say rather than teaching development
and presentation for all these media, journalism programs should focus on
the fundamental skills and encourage just a familiarity with other platforms.
They say
hindsight is 20/20. The
discussion of just how much convergence is enough continues and probably will
continue for another three years or more.
The value of outlets like The Convergence Newsletter is that we can constantly revisit
this discussion, revise our ideas and adjust our strategies in order to gauge
what our students need to be successful.
While
we have more concrete cases from stories such as the Scrushy trial, Hurricane
Ivan last year or Hurricane Dennis this summer, new technologies are also
altering this picture. In
2002, we weren't talking about RSS
feeds and podcasting. Today these all factor into the convergence journalism
discussion.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Consumers Push the Envelope, Los Angeles Times Pushes Back
By Charles Bierbauer, Dean of the College of Mass Communications
and Information Studies, University of South Carolina
Fresh cement is an invitation to a handprint. A whitewashed wall begs for graffiti.
A light in the dark beckons to self-destructive moths.
The Los Angeles Times, opening up its editorial columns to wikitorial
wags, whims and wastrels, might have expected that it would also wind up with
the inevitable mix of the thoughtful, the creative and the irresponsible.
It's the latter, infesting the site with pornography, which caused
the Times to abort its invitation to readers to rewrite the paper's editorials.
Ostensibly, the paper opened its virtual editorial pages to stimulate
citizen participation. Unquestionably,
the paper sought to perk interest and raise flagging circulation.
There is nothing inherently wrong with trying to raise market standing
by rousing a marketplace of ideas. But coarse and crude were hardly the ideas
the Times sought.
So why bother? Does
new technology demand a new format for the editorial page? Was the Times' short-lived experiment
another ill-advised because-we-can, rather than because-we-should decision?
There are two answers. We
applaud the effort to find new ways to participate and communicate. Thanks,
as the Times put it, "to the thousands of people who logged on in the
right spirit." Unfortunately,
as the Times lamented," a few readers were flooding the site with inappropriate
material."
But the other response may be to ask, what's wrong with the editorial
process as we know it now? Editorials
are, in the first place, the result of a collective effort by an editorial
board to determine a paper's view on a significant issue. Letters to the editor have long provided
a venue for public response. Letters
to the editor, of course, may be selectively printed and shortened by the
newspaper. The wikitorial variation
is, in contrast, uncontrollable. Come one; come all.
Clearly, one dilemma of democracies is encouraging participation.
On the other hand, one benefit of democracies is the option to ignore
the process. But journalism, on either its reportorial
or editorial side, demands clarity. The piling-on approach of the wikitorial invites the muddling
of multiple opinions virtually layered atop each other. This is about journalism, not archeology.
With the Web and the blog, hardly anyone is denied a billboard for
personal views. Do your own thing
in your own space.
In a sense, the approach the Los Angeles Times might have considered
is one that opens the page to broader opinions, but doesn't open the door
to indiscriminate postings. That
requires a gatekeeper. While
it's not as dramatic as creating a vast whitewashed fence, it's better than
walling off the marketplace.
The media will - and should - continue to explore new ways to engage
the public in the communications process.
I recently visited Berlin for the first time since the 1989 fall
of the wall that epitomized the difference between democracies and totalitarian
governments. Only fragments of
that ignominious wall are left standing to remind us. On one side, it was frequently bloodied as East Germans sought
to escape their confinement. On
the western side, the wall was a kaleidoscope of graffiti decrying any attempt
to repress the public spirit. It
was not all printable, but it beat the alternative.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------Conferences
Association
for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Convention
Aug. 10-13,
2005
San Antonio,
Texas, USA
http://www.aejmc.org/convention/index.html
The AEJMC
keynote session will feature Alejandro Junco de la Vega, who heads the newspaper
group Reforma in Mexico. It publishes
three papers: Reforma in Mexico City, Mural in Guadalajara, and El Norte in Monterrey. The AEJMC plenary will focus on media
literacy and whether it has a place in journalism/mass communication education.
Special speaker will be Dr. James Potter of the University of California
at Santa Barbara. Several pre-convention workshops will
take place on Tuesday, Aug. 9.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Visual
Edge: Visual Reporting
The Poynter
Institute
September
10-16, 2005
St. Petersburg,
FL, USA
http://www.poynter.org/seminar/seminar_view.asp?int_seminarID=3331
Photographers,
as well as print and broadcast journalists will benefit from this training
session. Participants will learn how convergence is affecting print, electronic
media, and video storytelling by exploring the latest improvements in multimedia
photographic reporting and technology and grappling with issues related to
ethical decision-making, leadership, and quality control in news coverage.
All workshop participants will report a story in the Tampa Bay area using
the latest equipment and software. The focus will be on reporting using still
photography and audio and video tools. Work will be posted at VisualEdge.org.
Application
materials: Please include five samples of appropriate work with your application
materials when applying for any Visual Journalism seminar. Digital samples
are preferred.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Adplexing:
Cross-Media Advertising Tools & Techniques
IfraNewsplex
September
19-22, 2005
Columbia,
South Carolina, USA
http://newsplex.org/program/training_adplexing05.shtml
The IfraNewsplex's
4-day Adplexing seminar is in its third year. It is reflective of the explosive
growth of the cross-media advertising phenomenon that has been taking the
media world by story. Millions of dollars, euros and pounds are being made
building a cross-media advertising enterprise, and this workshop will show
you how to build one and maximize its revenue-making potential.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Conference
on Media Convergence: Cooperation, Collisions and Change
Co-sponsored
by Brigham Young University and the University of South Carolina
October
13-15, 2005, Provo, Utah, USA
Now in
its fourth year, the purpose of this annual conference is to provide a scholarly
forum for the presentation of theory, research and practice related to media
convergence. A showcase
of convergent media practices will run concurrent with the academic conference.
For registration and further information about this academic conference
or the showcase, visit the conference Web site at http://convergence.byu.edu.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Society
of Professional Journalists Convention & National Journalism Conference
Oct. 16-18,
2005
Las Vegas,
USA
The Society
of Professional Journalists' National Convention offers members and the journalism
community an opportunity to reflect on the industry and to engage in thought-provoking,
stimulating and hands-on training. Reporters, editors, educators, and students from across the
U.S. and several foreign nations will make this event a top priority.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The
Association for Women in Communications 2005 Professional Conference
October
20-22, 2005
Lubbock,
Texas, USA
The Association
for Women in Communications is a professional organization that champions
the advancement of women across all communication disciplines by recognizing
excellence, promoting leadership and positioning its members at the forefront
of the evolving communications era.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Citizens
Media Summit
October
24, 2005
University
of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
http://www.j-newvoices.org/index.php/site/story/citizens_media_summit/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2005
Online News Association Conference
October
28-29, 2005-October 29, 2005
New York,
New York, USA
http://www.onlinenewsassociation.org/news/archives/000144.php
The conference
will explore topics such as Defining Online Journalism, What's Still New in New Media, Participatory Journalism - What's That all About?, Web Analystics, Working Without a Net, and a Blogging 'how-to.'
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Broadcast
Education Association
Convergence
Shockwave: Change, Challenge
and Opportunity
April
27-29, 2006
Las Vegas,
USA
The BEA2006
Conference aims to create a forum for discussion and research on the issues
that face media convergence today. The
deadline for panel proposals is August 5, 2005, and the deadline for research
papers is December 2, 2005.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------Announcements/News
The AEJMC
2005 Convention
abstracts have been posted. Check
them out at http://www.aejmc.org/convention/2005paperabstracts/index05.html.
Publishing
a Book About Convergence? The Convergence Newsletter
regularly publishes information about new and upcoming books on convergent
journalism. Send your submissions to convergence-editor@mailbox.sc.edu. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------Publisher
and Editorial Staff
The
Convergence Newsletter is free and published by The Center for Mass Communications Research
at the University of South Carolina, College of Mass Communications and Information
Studies.
Executive
Editor
Dr. Augie
Grant
Editor
Jordan
Storm
convergence-news@mailbox.sc.edu
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------Copyright
and Redistribution
The
Convergence Newsletter is Copyright © 2005 by the University of South Carolina, College of
Mass Communications and Information Studies. All rights reserved.
It may
be redistributed in any form - print or electronic - without edits or deletion
of any
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------Submission
Guidelines/Deadline Schedule
The
Convergence Newsletter provides an editorially neutral forum for discussion of the theoretical
and professional meaning of media convergence. We welcome articles of all
sorts addressing the subject of convergence in journalism and media. We also
accept news briefs, calls for papers and conference announcements. Our audience
is both academics and professionals, and the publication style is APA 7th
edition. Feature articles should be 750 to 1,500 words; other articles should
be 250 to 750 words; announcements and conference submissions should be 200
words. All articles should be submitted to The Convergence Newsletter editor at convergence-editor@mailbox.sc.edu. Please include your name, affiliation
and contact information with your submission.
The
Convergence Newsletter is published the first week of each month (except January). Articles
should be submitted at least 10 days prior to the publication date. Any questions
should be sent to convergence-editor@mailbox.sc.edu.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------Subscribe/Unsubscribe
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