That was quick.
Geez, only one more week until this New Media class is over? I feel like my body has been running through it but my head is still stuck in our first week. I guess that’s summer classes for you.
I think the biggest thing I’ve discovered over this course is that I have so much to learn. I’ve never taken a new media class before, but I still considered myself pretty well-versed in the workings of the web. Au contraire. I didn’t even know who Tim Berners-Lee was before this class, and now he’s my hero. From day 1 it was clear that there is so much more out there that I’m quickly becoming aware of. This class reignited my curiosity, and is pushing me to dabble in new areas that will give me an advantage in the workplace.
For example, even though I’m not involved (or even interested really) in journalism, the discussion about how hopeful journalists should have experience with data (HTML, Excel, etc.) really hit home with me. Basically anyone looking for a career involving media should have experience with these programs and with interpreting data, including me. I am excited to start learning new programs and experimenting with new technology (if Foursquare, Gowalla, or other location-based services are the future of social media, you better believe I’ll be signing myself up). I no longer think ‘programming is for programmers’, or that I will be able to focus solely on the areas I have experience in. I need to be exposed to anything and everything related to my field, that way if it’s thrown at me in a job setting I won’t be totally blindsided.
I still feel like my brain is trying to absorb the immense amount of information that has been thrown at it in the past few weeks, but I have really enjoyed every topic we covered in class. The only additional thing I can think of that might be relevant to the course would be comparing technology adoption or dependence in different cultures (ex: U.S. vs China vs Europe’s social media use). But besides that, I’m ready to keep the ball rolling in class next semester.
Journalism & Data
As computer and mobile technology becomes more of a dominating force in how we receive and spread news, it is important that journalists keep up. It is no longer enough to understand the traditional methods of reporting news, since it seems like everyone and their dog is able to get information out quickly and to a significant audience these days. Journalists and journalism programs have to adapt to this shifting climate, and place emphasis on things like data organization and interpretation, and in engaging reader feedback in stories.
While I am not a (and never was) a journalism student, I have a few friends that have been through the process. These are all young students, recent graduates, who are trying to find a job in their field and are discovering that they are missing a major piece of experience. While they are well-versed in the traditions of journalism that have held strong for so long, they have no experience in utilizing data. In Laura Ruel’s article outlining which skills are important for landing journalism jobs, she suggests job applicants have experience with everything from audio/video/image editing to web development in order to be seen as valuable to potential employers. Cindy Royal also points out the necessity of being tech-savvy when working in journalism, arguing that data interpretation has always been important in the field, and pointing to the success of Aron Pilhofer (New York Times) as an example of the benefits of embracing these ideas. However, students fresh from Journalism school are noticing that these facets of the industry have been largely ignored during their schooling.
This is where I think the greatest amount of change needs to come from when preparing for the amplified role of data in journalism. Equipping college graduates with skills such as these will put them one giant pace ahead of journalists who do not understand or have experience with such programs when job hunting. Not only will they be more likely to be hired, but they will be able to use these tools and contribute to this changing landscape. If the importance of data is ignored, however, ‘qualified’ journalists will become obsolete, and the average Joe with an understanding of data will take over.
