Swinburne Post Graduate student Emma Field recently attended the ‘Future of Journalism’ Summit hosted by the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance (the Alliance) held in Melbourne and reports on the days proceedings.
The ‘Future of Journalism’ Summit coincided with the release of the Alliance’s Life in the Clickstream: The Future of Journalism report. The report contains industry research on the new media and future of journalism, including an overseas study trip by members of the Alliance to gauge trends and new ideas about this digital revolution.
The summit had several panel sessions and guest speakers including Pulitzer Prize winner Jan Schaffer and executive director of J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism, former editor of The Age and Director of the Centre for Advanced Journalism, University of Melbourne Michael Gawenda, well known business journalist and now columist with the online Business Spectator Robert Gottliebsen and Professor Phillip Meyer, the author of The Vanishing Newspaper among others.
There was overwhelming consensus that cost cutting was affecting all types of traditional media but the messages about the impact on the industry from all panellists were mixed.
Some were excited about the changes journalism is undergoing, and raved about new ways of communicating and new mediums. Many (if not most) were concerned for the quality of journalism and doubted whether any current business models would ever be able to support the investment needed to produce excellence in news.
Among the gloom there were speakers who stressed the opportunities and the advantages the changes will and are bringing. For example journalism students now had no excuse not to be published with the availability of blogs, wikis and online forums.
Asher Moses, a journalist with the Sydney Morning Herald and Young Journalist of the Year online winner is a good example of such opportunities. He told the summit how he discovered that the Prime Ministers Department was altering the Wikepedia site which led to a huge story just prior to the Federal election last year.
Annie Fox, Editor in Chief of theVine.com.au, Fairfax Digitals’ news, entertainment and citizen journalism site for young people told the audience about how people interact with the site and how being a good blogger can lead to a paid position.
Stephen Quinn, Associate Professor of journalism at Deakin University (and self confessed new technology junkie) believes tools can change journalism but often news organisations do not provide training for staff so most journalists will have to teach themselves.
The message for students was get published, get blogging, get Twittering and get out there and try to differentiate yourself with something ‘different’ on your CV, whether it be working on the SheepWeekly in back of Bourke or volunteering in the Amazon. And as far as learning new technology don’t bother unless it enhances the story you are trying to tell!
Interesting sites and links
Propublica http://www.propublica.org/ – ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest in the US
The Knight Citizen News Network http://www.kcnn.org/– claims to help citizens and journalists amplify community news
Cyber Journalist.net http://www.cyberjournalist.net/
Scoopt http://www.scoopt.com- Scoopt is a media agency that helps members of the public sell photographs and videos of newsworthy events to the media.
Cover it live http://www.coveritlive.com/– live blogging site anyone can use
Tips for journalists and students:
- Use RSS feeders
- Monitor blogs for tips and new information
- Get familiar with the following: Newsgear, Newsplex.org, Vodoo, Twitter. Google Alerts. Technorati, Skype (Court Reporter), Google Maps, Wikileaks,
