Convergent Journalism: An Introduction--Writing and Producing Across Media (Paperback)

Description:

Learn how to deliver news in any and all media. This one volume teaches you how to master all of the skills needed to be a converged journalist. Don’t think only broadcast or print. Think online, air waves, magazines, PDAs, cell phones and electronic paper. Convergent Journalism an Introduction explains what makes a news story effective today and how to recognize the best medium for a particular story. That medium may be the web, broadcast, radio, or a newspaper or magazine – or, more likely, all of the above. This text will explain how a single story can fulfil its potential through any media channel. Convergent Journalism an Introduction shows you, the news writer, editor, reporter, and producer how to tailor a story to meet the needs of various media, so your local news story can be written in a form appropriate for the web, print, PDA screen and broadcast.

 

 

Chapter 1: What is convergence and how will it affect my life?
Author: Stephen Quinn, professor of journalism
- Defines the issues
- Sets the scene
- Shows how convergence is evolving worldwide
- Discusses the technologies driving convergence
- Outlines the skills that next-generation journalists will need
- Discusses the possible futures journalism faces

Chapter 2: The multi-media assignment editor and producer
Author: Terry Heifetz, managing editor NewsLink Indiana converged news service
- Convergence as event-driven news; therefore role of assignment editor is key
- Roles of producer and assignment editor (in detail); how they work together
- Differences in the positions between traditional and converged newsrooms
- Strengths of each type of media
- Organizing a program

Chapter 3: Words: The foundation stone of journalism
Author: Vincent F. Filak, assistant professor of journalism and advisor to Daily News
- The written word and its value to all forms of media
- In the world of converged media, employers are still looking for good writers.
- The re-emergence of the inverted pyramid and writing tight. What writers need to get information to people.
- Tight and smart writing doesn't mean boring writing. Ways to make your writing both crisp and engaging.
- A second look: How to edit yourself and get the piece ready for public consumption. Discusses adding enough background, reading something out loud, asking yourself questions and so forth.

Chapter 4: Broadcast writing and speaking
Author: Robert A. Papper, professor of telecommunications
- How to write and broadcast news for radio
- Writing for the ear in radio
- Writing for the eye
- Blending script and picture

Chapter 5: Writing for the web
Author: Wright Bryan, web news editor, NewsLink Indiana converged news service
- Is writing for the Web really different than writing for print?
- Electronic print reporting: A new way of moving print-style material
- Multimedia writing (the popular idea of convergence): Using all current writing skills (broadcast, print and information graphics) in one place
- "New" forms: Rise of the blog and the dominance of informality
- Rewrite specialist or reporter?: The organizational role of the Web writer

Chapter 6: Converged graphics across all media
Author: Jennifer George-Palilonis, instructor of journalism and graphics co-ordinator
– An outline of the basics of graphics reporting, regardless of the platform
– How convergence affects visual reporting from print, to web, to broadcast graphics
– Main differences among print, online and broadcast graphics
– How a visual concept changes as it makes the transition from newspaper, to web, to television
– How staffs might handle the challenges of making those adaptations happen
– Storytelling methods for multimedia graphics
– How a single story can be best served graphically across three different media platforms

Chapter 7: Digital still photography
Author: Thomas A. Price, assistant professor of journalism and photojournalism coordinator
- Brief history of effects of technology on photographic reporting
- The iconographic nature and power of the still photograph versus the passive involvement with the video image
- How convergence affects photographic reporting as to final intended product
- How editors view and select photographs for different target media
- Differences in story-telling techniques for different media
- Positive and negative aspects of the “platypus” or multi-media photographer
- Conflicting ethical standards among the different outlet media.

Chapter 8: Digital video photography
Author: Tim Underhill, production manager, NewsLink Indiana converged news service
- The professional television camera
- Composing images for the screen, television and computer.
- Shooting sequences, the basis for good storytelling.
- Audio, a sound foundation.
- Putting it all together to tell a story

Chapter 9: Editing for moving pictures
Author: John C. Dailey, assistant professor of telecommunications
- Shooting with the editor in mind
- Welcome to Final Cut Pro
- Capturing, the browser, the canvas and the timeline
- Simple editing
- Fancy stuff (filters, text and transitions)
- Print to tape

Chapter 10: Multi-media journalism: putting it all together
Author: Stephen Quinn, professor of journalism
- A new storytelling form
- Tools for multi-media journalism
- Back-pack journalism versus single skill journalism
- Interactivity

Chapter 11: Multi-media advertising
Author: Michael Hanley, assistant professor of journalism
- Introduction: Media advertising during the Dark Ages (1880 -1990)
- Weaving a new web
- Multi-media gets personal
- Interactivity and digital media
- The future at your fingertips

Chapter 12: Multi-media public relations
Author: Robert S. Pritchard, assistant professor of journalism
- Public relations in a wired world: what’s changed and what hasn’t
- Using multi-media to build relationships
- Using multi-media to communicate with the media
- Using multi-media to communicate with employees
- Using multi-media to communicate with the community

Chapter 13: Where do we go from here? Possibilities in a convergent future
Author: Stephen Quinn, professor of journalism and Vincent F. Filak, assistant professor of journalism
- Where is convergence leading us?
- Dealing with cultural issues
- What further skills do you need?

Author biographies + pix
index